Col. 4.11 put for the whole summe of Pauls doctrine by which was wrought all these changes where it tooke effect So that as Christ vvas fortie dayes instructing Moses in Sinai what hee should teach and how hee should rule the Church vnder the Law So hee continued fortie dayes teaching his Disciples in Sion what they should preach and how they should gouerne the Church vnder the Gospell And seeing it is manifest that within those fortie dayes Christ appointed vvhat Ministers should teach and how they should gouerne his Church to the worlds end it is not to be doubted but that vvithin those fortie dayes hee likewise ordayned on what day they should keepe their Sabbath and ordinarily doe the vvorkes of their Ministerie especially seeing that vnder the olde Testament GOD shewed himselfe as carefull both by his Morall and Ceremoniall Law to prescribe the time as well as the matter of his vvorship Neyther is it a thing to be omitted that the Lord who hath times and seasons in his owne power appointed this first day of the weeke to be the very day wherein hee sent downe from heauen the holy Ghost vpon the Apostles so that vpon that day they first beganne and euer after continued the publike exercising of their Ministerie in the preaching of the Word the administration of the Sacraments and the loosing of the sinnes of penitent sinners vpon these and the like grounds Athanasius plainly affirmeth that the Sabbath day was changed by the Lord himselfe As therefore our Communion is tearmed the Lords Supper because it vvas instituted of the Lord for the remembrance of his death so the Christian Sabbath is called the Lords day because it was ordained of the Lord for the memoriall of his Resurrection And as the Name of the Lord honoureth the one so doth it the other And as the Lord of the Sabbath by his royall prerogatiue and transcendent authority could so hee had also reason to change the holy Sabbath from the seauenth day to this whereon wee keepe it For as concerning that seauenth day wee followed the sixe dayes wherein God finished the Creation there was no such precise institution or necessitie of sanctifying it perpetually but such as by the same authoritie or vpon greater reason and occasion it might very well be changed and altered vnto some other seauenth day For the Commandement doth not say Remember to keepe holy the seauenth day next following the sixt day of the creation or this or that seauenth day but indefinitely remember that thou keepe holy a seauenth day And to speake properly as wee take a day for the distinction of time called eyther a day naturall consisting of 24. houres or a day artificiall consisting of 12. houres from Sun-rising to Sun-setting and withall consider the Sun standing still at noone in Ioshuahs time the space of a whole day and the Sunne going backe tenne degrees viz. fiue houres almost halfe an artificiall day in Ezechias time the Iewes themselues could not keepe their Sabbath vpon that precise and iust distinction of time called at the first the seuenth day from the Creation Adde hereunto that in respect of the diuersitie of Meridians and the vnequall rising and setting of the Sunne euery day varyeth in some places a quarter in some halfe in other a whole day Therefore the Iewish seauenth day cannot precisely be kept at the same instant of time euery where in the world Now our Lord Iesus hauing authoritie as Lord ouer the Sabbath had likewise novv farre greater reason and occasion to translate the Sabbath from the Iewish seauenth day vnto the seauenth day whereon Christians doe keepe the Sabbath 1 Because that by his Resurrection from the dead there is wrought a new spirituall creation of the World without which all the sonnes of Adam had beene turned to euerlasting destruction and all the workes of the first creation had ministred no consolation vnto vs. And in respect of this new spirituall Creation the Scripture saith that Olde things are passed away and all things are become new new creatures new people new men new knowledge new Testamant new Commandement new names new vvay new song new garment new Wine new vessels new Ierusalem new Heauen and a new Earth And therefore of necessitie there must be in stead of the olde a new Sabbath day to honour and praise our Redeemer and to meditate vpon the vvorke of our Redemption and to shew the new change of the olde Testament 3 Because that on this day Christ rested from all the sufferings of his Passion and finished the glorious Worke of our Redemption If therefore the finishing of the work of the first Creation whereby GOD mightily manifested himselfe vnto his creatures deserued a Sabbath for to solemnize the memoriall of so great a worke to the honor of the vvorker and therefore cals it mine holy Day much more doth the new creation of the world effected by the resurrection of Christ whereby he mightily declared himselfe to be the Sonne of God deserue a Sabbath for the perpetuall commemoration thereof to the honor of Christ and therefore worthily called the Lords day For as the deliuerance out of the captiuitie of Babilon being greater tooke away the name from the deliuerance out of the bondage of Egipt so the day whereon Christ finished the redemption of the world did more iustly deserue to haue the Sabath kept on it then on that day wherein GOD ceased from creating the world As therefore in the Creation the first day wherein it was finished was consecrated for a Sabbath so in the time of Redemption the first day wherein it was perfected must be dedicated to a holy rest But still a seuenth day kept according to Gods morall cōmandement The Iewes kept the last day of the weeke beginning their Sabath with the night when GOD rested but Christians honour the Lord better on the first day of the weeke beginning the Sabath with the day when the Lord arose They kept their Sabath in remembrance of the worlds Creation but Christians celebrate it in memoriall of the worlds redemption yea the Lords day being the first of the Creation and Redemption puts vs in minde both of the making of the olde and redeeming of the new world As therefore vnder the old Testament God by the glorie consisting of 7. Lampes 7. Branches c. putting them in remembrance of the Creations light and Sabbaths rest So vnder the new Testament Christ the true light of the world approaceth in the middest of the 7. Lampes and 7. golden candlestickes to put vs in minde to honour our redeemer in the light of the Gospell on the Lords seuenth day of rest And seeing the Redemption both for might and mercie so farre exceedeth the creation it stood with great reason that the greater
many yeers as the world did weekes of yeeres vnto that time and so many weekes of yeeres as the world had lasted Iubilies Daniels 70. weekes of yeeres contained 490. single yeeres the World before that time 490. weekes or Sabbaths of yeeres Daniels period 70. weekes the worlds 70. Iubilies So that to comfort the Church for their 70. yeeres captiuity which they had now according to Ieremies Prophesie endured in Babylon Gabriel tels Daniel that at the ende of 70. weekes or Sabbaths of yeeres that is 70. times seuen yeeres or 490. yeeres their eternall redemption from hell should be effected by the death of Christ as sure as they were now redeemed from the Captiuitie of Babilon This period of Daniel containing 70. Sabbaths or 10. Iubilies of yeeres beganne at the first libertie granted the Iewes by Cyrus in the first yeere of his raigne ouer the Babilonians mentioned Hezr 1.1 and ends iustly at the time that Christ dyed vpon the Crosse. From the death of Christ or the last ende of Daniels weekes to the 71. yeere of Christ the world is measured by seauen seales or seauen Sabbaths of yeeres making one compleate Iubilie From the end of those 7. seales the World is measured to her end by 7 Trumpets each containing 245. yeeres as some coniecture about 440. yeeres hence the truth vvill appeare Enoch the seauenth from Adam hauing liued so many yeeres as there are dayes in the yeere 365. vvas translated of God in a Sabbaticall yeere Moses the seauenth from Abraham as an other Enâ—ch is buried of God but borne in a Sabbaticall yeere of the world 2373. and in the 777. yeere since the Floud after Broughtons Computation is saued as a new Noah in a Reede Arke and liueth a Builder of the Church so long as Noah was building the arke 120. yeeres The promise was made to Abraham in a Sabbaticall yeere being the 2023. of the World The sixt yeere of Iosua being the 2500. yeere from the Creation of the world wherein the Land was possessed diuided among the Children of Israel was a Sabbaticall yeere and the 50. Iubilie from the Creation of the world At this yeere Moses beginnes his Iubilie by vvhich as with a chaine of 30. linckes he tyeth the parting of Canaans possession to the Israelites by Ioshua to the opening of the Kingdome of Heauen to all beleeuers by Iesus And so carryeth the Church of the Iewes by a ioyfull streame of Iubilies from the Type to the substance from Canaan to Heauen from Ioshua to Iesus for Christ at the end of Moses 30. Iubilies and the beginning of the 30. yeere of his age at his Baptisme openeth heauen and giues the clearest vision of the blessed Trinitie that was seene since the world began And by the siluer Trumpet of his Gospell proclaimes according to the Prophesie of Isay eternall redemption to all that repent and beleeue in him And the yeere of our Sauiour Christs birth being the 3948. of the World vvas at the ende of a Sabbaticall yeere and the 524. Septenarie of the World Moses maketh the common age of all men to be tenne times seauen Psal. 90. euery seauenth yeere commonly produceth some notable change or accident in mans life And no wonder for as Hypocrates affirmeth that a child in his mothers wombe on the seauenth day of his conception hath all his members finished and from that day groweth to the perfection of birth which is alwayes eyther the ninth or seauenth moneth At seauen yeeres old the childe casts his teeth and receiues new And euery seauenth yeere after there is some alteration or change in mans life especially at nine times seauen the Clymactericke yeere which by experience is found to haue been fatall to many of those learned men who haue beene the chiefest lights of the world And if they escaped that yeere yet most of them haue departed this life in a septenary yeere Lamech dyed in the yeere of his life 777. Methusalem the longest liuer of the sonnes of men died when hee began to enter his 900. and 70. yeere Abraham dyed when hee had liued 25. times 7. yeeres Iacob when hee had liued 21. times 7. yeeres Dauid after hee had liued tenne times 7. yeeres So did Galen so did Petrarch who as Bodin noteth dyed on the same day of the yeere that hee vvas borne so did the Maiden-Queene Elizabeth of blessed and neuer dying memorie vvho came into this world the Eue of the Natiuitie of the blessed Virgin Mary and went out of this world on the Eue of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary Hypocrates dyed in his 15. septenarie Hierome and Isocrates in their 13. Plinie Bartolus and Caesar in their 8. septenarie And Iohannes de temporibus vvho liued 361. yeeres dyed in the 53. septenary of his life The like might be obserued of innumerable others And indeed the whole life of a man is measured by the Sabbath for how many yeeres soeuer a man liueth here yet his life is but a life of 7. dayes multiplied so that in the number of 7. there is a mysticall perfection which our vnderstanding cannot attaine vnto All which diuine disposition of admirable things so oft by seauens call vpon vs to a continuall meditation of the blessed seauenth day Sabbath in knowing and worshipping GOD in this life that so from Sabbath to Sabbath wee may be translated to the eternall glorious Sabbath of rest and blisse in the life to come By the consideration wherof any man that looketh into the holy Historie may easily perceiue that the whole course of the world is drawne and guided by a certaine chaine of Gods prouidence disposing all things in number measure and waight All times are therefore measured by the Sabbath so that time and the Sabbath can neuer be separated And the Angell sweares that this measuring of time shall continue till that Time shall be no more And as the Sabbath had his first institution in the first Booke of the Scriptures so hath it its confirmation in the last and as this Booke doth authorise this day so this day graceth the Booke in that the matter thereof was reuealed vpon so holy a day the Lords reuelation vpon the Lords day As well therefore may they pull the Sunne Moone and Stars out of the heauens as abolish the holy Sabbath times meterod out of the Church seeing the Sabbath is ordained in the Church as well as the Sunne and Moone in the Firmament for the distinction of times 8 Because that the whole Church by an vniuersall consent euer since the Apostles time haue still held the commandement of the Sabbath to be the morall and perpetuall Law of God and the keeping of the Sabbath on the first day of the weeke to be the institution of Christ and his Apostles The Synode called Synodus Coloniensis saith that the Lords day hath beene famous
proceeding from both God the Father and God the Sonne Hence it is that the Scriptures vse the name of God two manner of waies Either Essentially and then it signifieth the three Persons coniointly or Personally and then by a Synecdoche it signifieth but one of the three Persons in the God-head As the Father 1 Tim. 2.5 or the Sonne Act. 20.28 1 Tim. 3.16 or the holy Ghost Act. 5.4 2 Cor. 6.16 And because the diuine Essence common to all the three persons is but one wee call the same Vnity And because there bee three distinct Persons in this one indiuisible essence we call the same Trinity So that this Vnity in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity is a holy mystery rather to bee religiously adored by faith then curiously searched by reason further then God hath reuealed in his word Thus farre of the diuers manner of being in the Diuine Essence now of the Attributes thereof ATtributes are certaine descriptions of the Diuine Essence deliuered in the Scriptures according to the weakenesse of our capacitie to helpe vs the better to vnderstand the nature of Gods Essence and to discerne it from all other essences The Attributes of GOD are of two sorts eyther nominall or reall The nominall Attributes are of three sorts first those which signifie Gods Essence secondly the Persons in the Essence thirdly those which signifie his essentiall workes Of the first sort is the name Iehouah or rather Iehueh which signifieth eternall being of himselfe in vvhom being without all beginning and end all other beeings both beginne and end Isay 42.8 Psal. 83.18 GOD tels Moses Exod. 6.3 that he was not knowne to Abraham Isaac and Iacob by his name Iehouah Not but that they knew this to be the name of God for they vsed it in all their prayers but because they liued not to see God effecting indeede that which he promised them in graciously deliuering their Seede out of Aegypt and in giuing them the reall possession of Canaans Land and so to be not onely God Almightie by whom all things were made but also performing indeede to the Children that vvhich hee promised in his Word to the Fathers vvhich this name Iehouah especially signifieth And for this cause Moses cals GOD first Iehouah when the vniuersall Creation had his absolute beeing Gen. 2.4 and this admirable name is grauen on the Decalogues fore-head which vvas pronounced vpon the Israelites deliuerance to be the rule of righteousnesse after vvhich they should serue their Deliuerer in the promised Land This Name is so full of diuine mysteries that the Iewes holde it a sinne to pronounce it but if it be no sinne to write it why should it be vnlawfull to pronounce it This holy Name of GOD teacheth vs First what GOD is in himselfe namely An aeternall being of himselfe Secondly how he is vnto others because that from him all other creatures haue receiued their beeing Thirdly that we may confidently beleeue his promises for he is named Iehouah not onely in respect of beeing and causing all things to bee but especially in respect of his gratious promises vvhich without faile he will fulfill in his appointed time and so causeth that to be which was not before And so this name is a golden pledge vnto vs that because he hath promised hee will surely vpon our Repentance forgiue vs all our sinnes at the time of death receiue our Soules and in the Resurrection raise vp our Bodies in glory to Life euerlasting The second Name denoting Gods Essence is Eheieh but once read Exod. 3.14 of the same roote that Iehouah is and signifieth I am or I will be for when Moses asked God by what name hee should call him GOD then named himselfe Eheieh Ascher Eheieh I am that I am or I will be that I will be signifying that he is an eternall vnchangeable beeing For seeing euery creature is temporarie and mutable no creature can say Ero qui ero I will be that I will be This name in the New Testament is giuen to our Lord Christ when he is called Alpha and Omega The beginning and the ending which is which was which is to come The Almightie Apoc. 1.8 For all time past and to come is aye present before God And to this Name Christ himselfe alludeth Iohn 8.58 Before Abraham was I am This Name should teach vs likewise to haue alwayes present in our mindes our first Creation present corruption and future Glorification and not content our selues with I was good or I will be good but to be good presently that when euer God sends for vs hee may finde vs prepared for him The third Name is Iah which as it comes of the same roote so is it the contract of Iehouah and signifieth Lord because hee is the beginning and beeing of beeings It is a Name for the most part ascribed vnto GOD when some notable deliuerance or benefit comes to passe according to his former promise and therefore all creatures in heauen and earth are commanded to celebrate and praise GOD in this name Iah The fourth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord vsed often in the New Testament for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth I am Hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the first essence of a thing or Authoritie When it is absolutely giuen to GOD it answereth to the Hebrew name Iehouah and so translated by the seauentie Interpreters for God is so a Lord that he is of himselfe Lord and Lord of all This Name should alwayes put vs in remembrance to obey his Commandements and to feare his iudgements and submit our selues to his blessed will and pleasure saying with Eli It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good 1 Sam. 3.18 The fift is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God 600. times vsed in the New Testament of profane Writers commonly It is deriued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because hee runnes through and compasseth all things or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to burne and kindle for God is light and the Author both of Heate Light and Life in all creatures eyther immediately of himselfe or mediately by secondary causes The name is vsed either improperly or properly Improperly when it is giuen eyther figuratiuely to Magistrates or falsly to Idols But when it is properly and absolutely taken it signifieth the eternall Essence of GOD being aboue all things and through all things giuing life and light to all Creatures and preseruing and gouerning them in their wonderfull frame and order God seeth all in all places let vs therefore euery where take heede what wee doe in his sight Thus farre the names which signifieth Gods Essence The Name which signifieth the Persons in the Essence is chiefely one Elohim Elohim signifieth the mighty Iudges It is a name of
earth he hath a sure title in this life and he shall haue the plenary and peaceable possession of them in the life to come Hence it is that all Reprobates are but vsurpers of all that they possesse and haue no place of their owne but Hell 7 He hath the assurance of Gods Fatherly care and protection day and night ouer him which care consisteth in three things 1 In prouiding all things necessary for his soule and body concerning this life and that which is to come so that he shal be sure euer either to haue enough or patience to be content with that he hath 2 In that God giues his holy Angels as his ministers a charge to attend vpon him alwaies for his good yea in danger to pitch their tents about him for his safty where euer hee be Yea Gods protection shall defend him as a cloud by day and as a pillar of fire by night and his prouidence shall hedge him frō the power of the Deuill 3 In that the eyes of the Lord are vpon him and his eares continually open to see his state and to heare his complaint and in his good time to deliuer him out of all his troubles Thus farre of the blessed estate of the godly and Regenerated man in this life Now of his blessed estate in death 2 Meditations of the blessed estate of a regenerate man in his death WHen GOD sends death as his messenger for the regenerated man hee meetes him halfe the way to heauen for his conuersation and affection is there before him Death is neyther strange nor fearefull vnto him not strange because he dyed daily not fearefull because vvhilest hee liued hee vvas dead and his life vvas hid with Christ in God To dye vnto him therefore is nothing else in effect but to rest from his labour in this world to goe home to his fathers house vnto the citie of the liuing God the heauenly Ierusalem to an innumerable company of Angels to the generall assembly and Church of the first borne to God the Iudge of all and to the Spirits of iust men made perfect and to Iesus the Mediator of the new Testament Whilest his Body is sicke his Minde is sound for God maketh all his bed in his sicknesse and strengtheneth him with faith and patience vpon his bed of sorrow and when hee begins to enter into the way of all the world hee giueth like Iacob Moses and Ioshua to his Children and friends godly exhortations and counsailes to serue the true GOD to worship him truely all the dayes of their life His blessed soule breatheth nothing but blessings and such speeches as sauours a sanctified spirit As his outward man decayeth so his inward man increaseth and vvaxeth stronger When the speech of his tongue faultreth the sighes of his heart speaketh louder vnto GOD when the sight of the Eyes faileth the Holy Ghost illuminates him inwardly vvith aboundance of spiritual light His soule feareth not but is bold to goe out of the body and to dwell with her Lord. Hee sigheth out with Paul cupio dissolui I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ. And with Dauid As the Hart panteth after the water-brookes so panteth my soule after thee O God My Soule thristeth for God for the liuing God when shall I come and appeare before God Hee prayeth vvith the Saints How long O Lord which art holy and true Come Lord Iesus come quickely And vvhen the appointed time of his dissolution is come knowing that hee goeth to his Father and Redeemer in the peace of a good Conscience and the assured perswasion of the forgiuenesse of all his sinnes in the bloud of the Lambe hee sings with blessed old Simeon his Nunc dimittis Lord now lettest thou thy Seruant depart in peace c. And surrenders vp his Soule as it were with his owne hands into the hands of his heauenly Father saying vvith Dauid Into thy hands O Father I commend my Soule for thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of truth And saying with Stephen Lord Iesu receiue my spirit Hee no sooner yeelds vp his sacred Ghost but immediately the holy Angels who attended vpon him from his birth vnto his death carry and accompany his Soule into Heauen as they did the Soule of Lazarus into Abrahams bosome which is the Kingdome of Heauen whither onely good Angels and good workes doe accompany the Soule the one to deliuer their charge the other to receiue their reward The Body in conuenient time as the sanctified Temple of the holy Ghost the members of Christ nourished by his Body the price of the bloud of the Sonne of God is by his fellow-brethren reuerently laid to sleepe in his graue as in the bed of Christ in an assured hope to awake in the resurrection of the iust at the last day to be pertaker vvith the Soule of life and glory euerlasting And in this respect not onely the Soules but the very Bodies of the faithfull also are termed blessed Thus farre the blessednesse of the soule and body of the regenerated man in death Now let vs see the blessednesse of his soule and body after death 3 Meditations of the blessed estate of the regenerated man after death THis state hath three degrees 1 From the day of Death to the Resurrection 2 From the Resurrection to the pronouncing of the Sentence 3 After the Sentence which lasts eternally As soone as euer the regenerated man hath yeelded vp his Soule vnto Christ the holy Angels take her into their custodie and immediately carry her into Heauen and there presents her before Christ where shee is crowned with a Crowne of righteousnesse and glory not which she hath deserued by her good workes but vvhich God hath promised of his free goodnesse to all those vvho of loue haue in this life vnfainedly serued him and sought his glory Oh! what ioy vvill it be to thy Soule vvhich vvas vvont to see but miserie and sinners now to behold the face of the God of Glory yea to see Christ vvell comming thee as soone as thou art presented before him by the holy Angels vvith an Euge bone serue Well done and well-come good and faithfull seruant c. enter into thy masters ioy And vvhat ioy vvill this be to behold thousand thousands of Cherubims Seraphims Angels Thrones Dominions Principalities Powers All the holy Patriarkes Priests Prophets Apostles Martyrs Professors and all the Soules of thy Friends Parents Husbands Wiues Children and the rest of Gods Saints who departed before thee in the true Faith of Christ standing before Gods Throne in blisse and glory If the Queene of Sheba beholding the glory and attendance giuen to Salomon as it were rauished therwith brake out and said Happy are thy men happy are
these thy Seruants which stand euer before thee and heare thy Wisedome How shall thy Soule be rauished to see her selfe by grace admitted to stand vvith this glorious companie to behold the blessed Face of Christ and to heare all the Treasures of his diuine Wisedome How shalt thou reioyce to see so many thousand thousands wel-comming thee into their heauenly Societie for as they all reioyced at thy conuersion so vvill they now be much more ioyful to behold thy Coronation and to see thee receiue thy Crowne which vvas laid vp for thee against thy comming For there the crowne of Martyrdome shall be put on the head of a Martyr vvho for Christs Gospell sake endured torments the Crowne of virginitie on the head of a Virgin vvhich subdued Concupiscence the Crowne of Pietie and Chastitie on the head of them who sincerely professed Christ and kept their wedlocke-bed vndefiled the Crowne of Good-workes on the good Almes-giuers head vvho liberally relieued the poore the Crowne of incorruptible glory on the head of those Pastors vvho by their preaching and good example haue conuerted soules from the corruption of sinne to glorifie God in holinesse of life Who can sufficiently expresse the reioycing of this heauenly Company to see thee thus crowned with glory arrayed with the shining Roabe of righteousnesse and to behold the Palme 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 Diuell the paines of Hell and obtained with them thy eternall rest and happinesse for there euery one ioyeth as much in anothers happinesse as in his owne because hee shall see him as much loued of GOD as himselfe Yea they haue as many distinct ioyes as they haue compartners of their ioy And in this ioyfull and blessed state the Soule resteth with Christ in Heauen till the Resurrection when as the number of her Fellow-seruants and Brethren be fulfilled which the Lord termeth but a little season The second degree of mans blessednesse after death is from the Resurrection to the pronouncing of the finall sentence For at the last day 1 The Elementary Heauens Earth and all things therein shall be dissolued and purified with fire 2 At the sound of the last Trumpet or voyce of Christ the Archangell the very same bodies which the Elect had before though turned to dust and earth shall arise againe and in the same instant euery mans soule shall re-enter into his owne body by vertue of the Resurrection of Christ their head and be made aliue and rise out of their graues as if they did but awake out of their beds And howsoeuer Tyrants bemangled their bodies in pieces or consumed them to ashes yet shall the Elect finde it true at that day that not an haire of their head is perished 3 They shall come forth out of their graues like so many Iosephs out of Prison or Daniels out of the Lyons Dens or Ionahs out of Whales bellies 4 All the bodies of the Elect being thus made aliue shall arise in that perfection of nature whereunto they should haue attained by their naturall temperment if no impediment had hindered and in that vigor of age that a perfect man is at about three and thirtie yeeres old each in their proper sexe Whereunto Diuines thinke the Apostle alludeth when he saith till wee all come vnto a perfect man vnto the measure of the age or stature of the fulnes of Christ. Whatsoeuer imperfection vvas before in the body as blindnesse lamenesse crookeâ—nesse shall then be done away Iacob shall not halt nor Isaac be blinde nor Leah bleare-eyed nor Mephibosheth be lame for if Dauid would not haue the blinde and lame to come into his house much lesse will Christ haue blindnesse and lamenesse to dwell in his heauenly Habitation Christ made all the blinde to see the dumbe to speake the deafe to heare the lame to walke c. that came to him to seeke his grace on earth much more will hee heale all their imperfections whom hee will admit to his glory in Heauen Among those Tribes there is not one feeble but the lame man shall leape as an Hart and the dumbe mans tongue shall sing And it is very probable that seeing GOD created our first Parents not infants or olde men but of a perfect age or stature the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or new creation from death shall euery way be more perfect then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or first frame of a man from which he fell into the state of the dead Neither is it like that Infancy being imperfection and olde age corruption can well stand with the state of a perfect glorified body 5 The bodies of the Elect being thus raised shall haue foure most excellent and supernaturall quallities For 1 They shall be raised in power wherby they shall for euer be freed from all wants and weakenesse and enabled to continue without the vse of meate drinke sleepe and other former helps 2 In incorruption whereby they shall neuer be subiect to any manner of imperfections blemish sickenesse or death 3 In Glory whereby their bodies shal shine as bright as the Sunne in the firmament and which being made transparant their soules shall shine through farre more glorious then their bodies Three glimses of which glory was seene First in Moses face Secondly in the transfiguration Thirdly in Stephens countenance Three instances and assurances of the glorification of our bodies at that glorious day Then shall Dauid lay aside his Shepheards weede and put on the roabe of the Kings sonne Iesus not Ionathan Then euery true Mordecai who mourned vnder the Sakecloth of this corrupt flesh shall be arrayed with the Kings royall apparell and haue the Crowne royall set vpon his head that all the world may see how it shall be done to him whom the King of kings delighteth to honour If now the rising of one Sun makes the morning so glorious how glorious shall that day be when innumerable million of millions of bodies of Saints and Angels shall appeare more glorious then the brightnesse of the Sunne the body of Christ in glory surpassing all 4 In Agility whereby our bodies shall be able to ascend and to meete the Lord at his glorious comming in the ayre as Eagles flying vnto their blessed Carkase To this agility of the Saints glorious bodies the Prophet alludes saying They shall renewe their strength they shall mount vp with winges as Eagles they shall runne and not be weary they shall walke and not faint And to this state may that saying of Wisdome be referred In the time of their vision they shall shine and runne too and fro as sparkes among the stubble And in respect of these foure qualities Paul calleth the raised bodies of the Elect Spiriâ—ualâ— for they shall be spirituall in
Throne and all the many thousands of his Saints and Angels shining more bright then so many Sunnes in glory sitting about him and the body of Christ in glory and brightnesse surpassing them all The Reprobates being separated and remaining beneath vpon the earth for the right hand signifieth a blessed the left hand a cursed estate Christ will first pronounce the sentence of absolution and blisse vpon the Elect first because he will thereby increase the griefe of the reprobate that shall heare it secondly to shew himselfe more prone to Mercy then to Iudgement And thus from his Throne of Maiestie in the Ayre hee shall in the sight and hearing of all the world pronounce vnto his Elect. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world for c. Come yee Here is our blessed vnion with Christ and by him with the whole Trinitie Blessed Here is our absolution from all sinnes and our plenary endowment with all grace and happinesse Of my Father Here is the Author from whom by Christ proceeds our felicitie Inherit Here is our Adoption The Kingdome Behold our Birth-right and possession Prepared See Gods Fatherly care for his chosen From the Foundation of the world O the free eternall and vnchangeable Election of GOD How much are those soules bound to loue GOD who of his meere good-will and pleasure chose and loued them before they had done either good or euill For I was hungry c O the Goodnesse of Christ who takes notice of all the good-workes of his Children to reward them How great is his loue to poore Christians who takes euery worke of mercy done to them for his sake as if it had beene done to himselfe Come yee to me in whom yee haue beleeued before yee saw me and whom yee haue loued and sought for with so much deuotion and through so many tribulations Come now from labour to rest from disgrace to glory from the iawes of death to the ioyes of eternall Life For my sake yee haue beene raiâ—ed vpon reuiled and cursed But now it shall appeare to all those cursed Esaus that you are the true Iacobs that shall receiue your heauenly Fathers blessing and blessed shall you be Your fathers mothers and neerest kindred forsooke and cast you off for my Truths sake which you maintained but now my Father will be vnto you a Father and you shall be his Sonnes and Daughters for euer You were cast out of your lands and liuings and forsoke all for my sake and the Gospell But that it may appeare that you haue not lost your gaine but gained by your losse in stead of an earthly inheritance and possessions you shall possesse with mee the inheritance of my heauenly Kingdome where you shall be for loue sonnes for birth-right heires for dignitie Kings for holinesse Priests and you may be bold to enter into the possession thereof now because my Father prepared and kept it for you euer since the first foundation of the world was laid Immediately after this Sentence of absolution and benediction euery one receiueth his crowne which Christ the righteous Iudge puts vpon their heads as the reward which hee hath promised of his grace and mercy vnto the faith and good workes of all them that loued that his appearing Then euery one taking his Crowne from his Head shall lay it downe as it were at the Feete of Christ and prostrating themselues shall with one heart and voyce in an heauenly sort and consort say Praise and Honour and Glory and Power and Thankes be vnto thee O blessed Lambe who sittest vpon the Throne wast killed and hast redeemed vs to God by thy bloud out of euery kindred and tongue and people and nation and hast made vs vnto our God Kings and Priests to raigne with thee in thy Kingdome for euermore Amen Then shall they sit in their Thrones and order as Iudges of the Reprobates and euill Angels by approuing and giuing testimony to the righteous sentence and iudgement of Christ the supreame Iudge After the pronouncing of the Reprobates sentence and condemnation Christ vvill performe two solemne Actions 1 The presenting of all the Elect vnto his Father Behold O righteous Father these are they whom thou gauest mee I haue kept them and none of them is lost I gaue them thy Word and they beleeued it and the world hated them because they were not of the world euen as I was not of the world And now Father I will that those whom thou hast giuen mee be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast giuen me and that I may be in them and thou in mee that they may be made perfect in one that the world may know that thou hast sent me and that thou hast loued them as thou hast loued me 2 Christ shall deliuer vp the Kingdome to GOD euen the Father that is shall cease to execute his office of Mediatorship whereby as he is King Priest Prophet and supreame head of the Church hee suppressed his Enemies and ruled his faithfull people by his Spirit Word and Sacraments So that his Kingdome of grace ouer his Church in this world ceasing hee shall rule immediately as hee is GOD equall vvith the Father and the holy Ghost in his Kingdome of Glory for euermore not that the dignitie of his Manhood shall be any thing diminished but that the glory of his Godhead shall be more manifested so that as hee is God hee shall from thence forth in all fulnesse without all externall meanes rule all in all From this Tribunall seate Christ shall arise and vvith all his glorious Company of Elect Angels and Saints he shall goe vp triumphantly in order and array vnto the heauen of Heauens with such a heauenly noise and Musicke that now may that Song of Dauid be truely verified God is gone vp with a triumph the Lord with the sound of the Trumpets Sing praises to God sing praises sing prayses vnto our King sing praises for God is the King of all the Earth he is greatly to be exalted And that Marriage song of Iohn Let vs be glad and reioyce and giue honour to him for the Marriage of the Lambe is come and his Wife hath made her selfe ready Alleluiah for the Lord God omnipotent raigneth The third and last Degree of the blessed state of a regenerated man after death beginnes after the pronouncing of the Sentence and lasteth eternally without all end Meditations of the blessed estate of a regenerated Man in heauen after he hath receiued his sentence of Absolution before the Tribunall seate of Christ at the last day of Iudgement HEere my Meditation lazeleth and my Penne falleth out of my hand the one being not able to conceiue nor the other to describe that most excellent blisse and eternall weight of glory whereof all the
afflictions of this present life are not worthy which all the Elect shall with the blessed Trinity enioy from that time that they shall be receiued with Christ as ioynt heires into that euerlasting Kingdome of ioy Notwithstanding we may take a scantling thereof thus The holy Scriptures set foorth to our capacity the glorie of our eternall and heauenly life after death in foure respects 1 Of the Place 2 Of the Obiect 3 Of the Prerogatiues of the Elect there 4 Of the effects of those Prerogatiues 1 Of the Place THe place is the Heauen of Heauens or the third Heauen called Paradise whither Christ in his humane nature ascended farre aboue all visible heauens The Bridgroomes chamber which by the firmament as by an azured curtaine spangled with glittering starres and glorious planets is hid that wee cannot behold it with these corruptible eyes of flesh The holy Ghost framing himselfe to our weakenesse describes the glory of that place which no man can estimate by such things as are most precious in the estimation of man And therefore likeneth it to a great and a holy City named the heauenly Ierusalem Where onely God and his people who are saued and written in the Lambes booke doe inhabite all built of pure gold like vnto cleare glasse or Chrystall the walles of Iasper stone the foundations of the wals with twelue manner of precious stones hauing twelue gates each built of one pearle three gates towards each of the foure cornerâ— of the world and at each gate an Angell as so many Porters that no vncleane thing should enter into it It is foure square therefore perfect the length the breadth and height of it are equall 12000. furlongs euery way therefore glorious and spacious Through the middest of her streets euer runneth a pure Riuer of the water of life as cleare as Christall therefore wholesome And of either side of the riuer is the Tree of life euer growing which beares twelue manner of fruits and giues fruit euery moneth therefore fruitfull and the leaues of the tree is health to the Nations therefore healthy There is therefore no place so glorious by creation so beautifull with delectation so rich in possession so comfortable for habitation For there the King is Christ the law is loue the honour verity the peace felicity the life eternity There is light without darknesse mirth without sadnesse health without sicknesse wealth without want credit without disgrace beauty without blemish ease without labour riches without rust blessednesse without miserie and consolation that neuer knoweth ende How truely may we cry out with Dauid of this Citie Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God! and yet all these things are spoken but according to the weakenesse of our capacity For heauen exceedeth al this in glory so farre as that no tongue is able to expresse nor heart of man to conceiue the glory thereof as witnesseth Paul who was in it and sawe it O let vs not then dote so much vpon these woedden cottages and houses of moulding clay which are but the tents of vngodlinesse and habitation of sinners but let let vs looke rather and long for this heauenly City whose builder and maker is God which he who is not ashamed to be called our God hath prepared for vs. 2 Of the Obiect THE blisseful and glorious obiect of all intellectuall and reasonable creatures in heauen is the God-head in Trinity of Persons without which there is neither ioy nor felicity but the very fulnesse of ioy consisteth in enioying the same This Obiect wee shall enioy two waies 1 By a beatificall vision of God 2 By possessing an immediate communion with his diuine nature The beatificall vision of GOD is that onely that can content the infinite minde of man For euery thing tendeth to his center GOD is the center of the soule therfore like Noahs Doue shee cannot rest nor ioy till shee returne and enioy him All that GOD bestowed vpon Moses could not satisfie his minde vnlesse hee might see the face of GOD. Therefore the whole Church praieth so earnestly God be merciful vnto vs and blesse vs cause his face to shine vpon vs. When Paul once had seen this blessed sight he euer after counted al the riches and glory of the world in respect of it to be but dung And all his life after was but a sighing out cupio dissolui I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ. And Christ prayed for all his Elect in his last prayer that they might obtaine this blessed vision Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be where euen where I am To what end that they may behold that my glory c. If Moses face did so shine when he had beene with GOD but fourty daies and seene but his backe parts how shall wee shine when we shall see him face to face for euer and know him as we are known and as he is Then shall the soule no longer be termed Marah bitternesse but Naomi beautifulnesse for the Lord shall turne her short bitternesse to eternall beauty and blessednesse Ruth 1.20 The second meanes to enioy this obiect is by hauing an immediate and an eternall communion with GOD in heauen This we haue first by being as members of Christ vnited to his manhood and by the manhood personally vnited to the word we are vnited to him as he is GOD and by his Godhead to the whole Trinity Reprobates at the last day shall see GOD as a iust Iudge to punish them but for lacke of this Communion they shall haue neither grace with him nor glory from him For want of this communion the Diuels when they saw Christ cried out Quid nobis te cum What haue we to doe with thee O Sonne of the most high God But by vertue of this Communion the penitent soule may boldly goe and say vnto Christ as Ruth vnto Bâ—az Spread O Christ the wing of the garment of thy mercy ouer thine handmaide for thou art my kinsman This Communion God promised Abraham when hee gaue him himselfe for his great reward And Christ praieth for his whole Church to obtaine it This communion Saint Paul expresseth in one word saying that God shall be all in all vnto vs. Indeed God is now all in all vnto vs but by meanes and in a small measure But in heauen God himselfe immediatly in fulnesse of measure without all meanes will be vnto vs all the good things that our soules and bodieâ— can wish or desire He himselfe will be saluation and ioy to our soules life and health to our bodies beauty to our eyes musicke to our eares honey to our mouthes perfume to our nostrils meat to our bellies light to our vnderstandings contentment to our willes and delight to our hearts and what can be
were all his thoughts and imaginations Then husbands and wiues looke to your actions and thoughts For all shall be made manifest one day See 1. Cor. 4.5 8 The faithfull in the old Testament are said to be gathered to their Fathers therefore the knowledge of our friends remaines 9 Loue neuer falleth away therefore knowledge the ground thereof remaines in another life 10 Because the last day shall be a declaration of the iust iudgement of God when he shall reward euery man acording to his workes and if euery mans work be brought to light much more the worker And if wicked men shall account for euery idle word much more shall the idle speakers themselues bee knowne And if the persons be not knowne in vaine are the workes made manifest Therefore saith the Apostle Euery man shall appeare to account for the worke that hee hath done in his body c. See Wisdome Chapter 5.1 Though the respect of diuersities 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 hee is God equall with the Father and the holy Ghost The greatest knowledge that men can attaine vnto in this life comes as farre short of the knowledge which wee shall haue in heauen as the knowledge of a childe that cannot yet speake plaine is to the knoweldge of the greatest Philosopher in the World They who thirst for knowledge let them long to be students of this Vniuersity For all the light by which wee know any thing in this world is nothing but the very shadow of God but when we shall know GOD in heauen wee shall in him know the manner of the worke of the creation the mysteries of the worke of our Redemption yea so much knowledge as a Creature can possibly conceiue and comprehend of the Creator and his works But whilest wee are in this life wee may say with Iob. How little a portion heare wee of him And assure our selues with Syracides that There are hid yet greater things then these be and that wee haue seene but a few of Gods works 2 They shall loue God with as perfect and absolute loue as possibly a creature can doe The manner of louing God is to loue him for himselfe the measure is to loue him without measure For in this life knowing God but in part we loue him but in part but when the Elect in heauen shall fully know God then they will perfectly loue God And for the infinite causes of loue which thy shall know to be in him they shall be infinitly rauish't with the loue of him 3 They shall be filled with all manner of diuine pleasures At thy right hand saith Dauid there are pleasures for euermore Yea they shall drinke saith he out of the riuer of pleasures For assoone as the soule is admitted into the actuall fruition of the beatificall presence of God shee hath all the goodnesse beauty glory and perfection of all creatures in all the world vnited together and at once presented vnto her in the sight of God If any be in loue there they shall enioy that which is more amiable if any delight in fairenesse the fairest beauty is but a dusty shadow to that he that delights in Pleasures shall there finde infinite varieties without either interruption of griefe or distraction of paine Hee that loueth honour shal there enioy it without the disgrace of cankred enuy he that loueth treasure shall there possesse it and neuer be beguiled of it There they shal haue knowledge void of all ignorance health that no sickenes shall impaire and life that no death can determine In a word looke how farre this wide world surpasseth for light pleasures comfort the darke and narrow womb wherin thou wast conceiued a childe so much doth the world to come exceede in ioyes solace consolation this present world Now happy then shall wee be when this life is chāged we thither translated 4 They shal be replenished with an vnspeakeable ioy In thy presence saith Dauid is the fulnesse of ioy And this ioy shall arise chiefly from the vision of God and partly from the sight of all the holy Angels and blessed soules of iust and perfect men who are in blisse and glory with him But especially from the blissefull sight of Iesus the Mediator of the New Testament our Emmanuel God made man His sight will be the chiefe cause of our blisse and ioy If the Israelites in Ierusalem so showted for ioy that the earth rang againe to see Salomon crowned how shall the Elect reioice in heauen to see Christ the true Salomon adorned with glory If Iohn Baptist at his presence did leape in his mothers wombe for ioy how shall wee exult for ioy when he will be not onely with vs but in vs in heauen If the wise men reioyced so greatly to finde him a Babe lying in a manger how great shall the ioy of the Elect bee to see him sit as as King in his celestiall throne If Simeon was so glad to see him an Infant in the Temple presented by the hands of the Priest how great shall our ioy be to see him a King ruling all things at the right hand of his Father If Ioseph and Mary were so ioyfull to finde him in the middest of the Doctors in the Temple how glad shal our soules be to see him sitting as Lord among Angels in heauen This is that ioy of our Master which as the Apostle saith the eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard nor the heart of man can conceiue which because it cannot enter into vs vvee shall enter it 5 Lastly they shall enioy this blissefull and glorious estate for euermore Therefore it is tearmed euerlasting life and Christ saith that our ioy shall no man take from vs. All other ioyes be they neuer so great haue an end Assuerus Feast lasted an hundred and eightie dayes but hee and it and all his ioyes are gone For mortall man to be assumed to heauenly glory to be associated to Angels to be satiated with all delights and ioyes but for a time were much but to enioy them for euer without intermission of end who can heare it and not admire it who can muse of it and not be amazed at it All the Saints of Christ as soone as they felt once but a true taste of these eternall ioyes counted all the riches and pleasures of this life to be but losse and dung in respect of that And therefore with vncessant prayers fasting almes-deedes teares faith and good life they laboured to acertaine themselues of this eternall life and for the loue thereof they willingly eyther solde or parted with all their earthly goods and possessions Christ calleth all Christians Merchants Luke 19. and eternall life a precious pearle
which a wise Merchant will purchase though it cost him all that hee hath Mat. 13. Alexander hearing the report of the great riches of the Eastern country diuided forth-with among his Captaines and Souldiers all his Kingdome of Macedonia Hephoestion asking him what hee meant in so doing Alexander answered that he preferred the riches of India whereof hee hoped shortly to be Master before all that his Father Philip left him in Macedonia And should not Christians then preferre the eternall riches of Heauen so greatly renowned vvhich they shall enioy ere long before the corruptible trash of the earth which last but for a season Abraham and Sarah left their owne Country and possessions to looke for a Citie whose builder and maker is God and therefore bought no land but onely a place of buriall Dauid preferreth one day in this place before a thousand else-where yea to be a doore-keeper in the house of God rather then to dwell in the richest tabernacles of wickednesse Elias earnestly besought the Lord to receiue his soule into his Kingdome and went willingly though in a fiery Chariot thither Paul hauing once seene heauen continually desired to be dissolued that hee might be with Christ. Peter hauing spyed but a glimpse of that eternall glory in the Mount wished that hee might dwell there all the dayes of his life saying Master it is good for vs to be here How much better doth Peter now thinke it to be in heauen it selfe Christ a little before his death prayeth his Father to receiue him into that excellent glory And the Apostle witnesseth that for the ioy which was set before him he endured the Crosse and despised the shame If a man did but once see those ioyes if it were possible hee would endure an hundred deaths to enioy that happinesse but one day S. Augustine saith that he would be content to endure the torments of hell to gaine this ioy rather then to lose it Ignatius Paules Scholler being threatned as hee vvas going to suffer vvith the crueltie of torments answered with great courage of Faith Fire Gallowes Beasts breaking of my bones quartering of my members crushing of my body all the torments of the Diuell together let them come vpon me so I may enioy my Lord Iesus and his Kingdome The like constancie shewed Polycarpe who could not by any terrors of any kinde of death be moued to deny Christ in the least measure With the like resolution answered Basil his persecutors when they would terrifie him with death I will neuer said hee feare death which can doe no more then restore mee to him that made me If Ruth left her owne country and followed Naomi her Mother in Law to goe and dwell with her in the Land of Canaan which was but a type of heauen onely vpon the fame which she heard of the God of Israell though shee had no promise of any portion therein how shouldest thou follow thy holy mother the Church to go vnto Christ into the heauenly Canaan wherin God hath giuen thee an eternall inheritance assured by an holy Couenant made in the words of God signed with the bloud of his Sonne and sealed with his Spirit and Sacraments This shall be thine eternall happinesse in the Kingdome of heauen where thy life shall be a communion with the blessed Trinitie thy ioy the presence of the Lambe thy exercise singing thy ditty Alleluiah thy consorts Saints and Angels where youth flourisheth that neuer waxeth olde Beautie lasteth that neuer fadeth loue aboundeth that neuer cooleth health continueth that neuer slaketh and life remaineth that neuer endeth Meditations directing a Christian how to apply to himselfe without delay the fore-said knowledge of GOD and himselfe THou seest therefore O man how wretched and cursed thy state is by corruption of nature without Christ insomuch that whereas the Scriptures doe liken wicked men vnto Lyons Beares Buls Horses Dogges and such like sauage Creatures in their liues it is certaine that the condition of an vnregenerated man is in his death more vile then a Dogge or the filthiest Creature in the world for the Beast being made but for mans vse when hee dyeth endeth all his miseries with his death But man endued with a reasonable and an immortall Soule made after Gods Image to serue God when hee ends the miseries of this life must account for all his misdeedes and begin to endure those miseries that neuer shall know end No creature but man is liable to yeeld at his death an account for his life The bruite Creatures not hauing reason shall not be required to make any account for their deedes and good Angels though they haue reason yet shall they yeeld no account because they haue no sinne And as for euill Angels they are without all hope already condemned so that they neede not make any further accounts Man onely in his death must be Gods accountant for his life On the other side thou seest O Man how happy and blessed thy estate is being truely reconciled vnto GOD in Christ in that through the restauration of Gods Image and thy restitution into thy soueraigntie ouer other Creatures thou art in this life little inferiour to the Angels and shalt be in the life to come equall to the Angels yea in respect of thy Nature exalted by a personall vnion to the Sonne of God and by him to the glory of the Trinitie superiour to the Angels a Fellow-Brother with Angels in spirituall grace and euerlasting glory Thou hast seene how glorious and perfect GOD is and how that all thy chiefe blisse and happinesse consisteth in hauing an eternall communion with his Maiestie Now therefore O impenitent Sinner in the bowels of Christ Iesus I entreat thee nay I coniure thee as thou tenderest thy owne saluation seriously to consider with mee how false how vaine how vile are those things which still retaine and chaine thee in this wretched and cursed estate wherein thou liuest and doe hinder thee from the fauour of God and the hope of eternall life and happinesse Meditations on the hinderances which keepe backe a sinner from rhe practise of Pietie THose Hinderances are chiefely seauen I. An ignorant mistaking of the true meaning of certaine places of the holy Scripture and some other chiefe grounds of Christian Religion The Scriptures mistaken are these 1 Ezek. 33.14.16 At what time soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinne I will blot out all c. Hence the carnall Christian gathereth That he may repent when hee will It is true Whensoeuer a sinner doth repent GOD will forgiue but the text saith not that a sinner may repent whensoeuer he will but when GOD will giue him grace Many saith the Scripture when they would haue repented were reiected and could not repent though they sought it carefully with teares What comfort yeelds this Text to thee who hast not repented nor knowest whether thou shalt
let thy care be greater for heauenly then earthly things and be more grieued for a dishonour done to GOD then for an iniurie offered to thy selfe But if any priuate iniurie be offered vnto thee beare it as a Christian with Patience Neuer was an innocent man wronged but if patiently hee bare his crosse he ouercame in the end But thy good name in the meane while is wounded beare that also with Patience And hee that at the last day will giue thy Body a Resurrection will as sure in his good time grant a resurrection to thy good name If impatiently thou frettest and vexest at thy wrongs the hurt which thou doest thy selfe is more then that which thine Enemie can doe vnto thee Neither canst thou more reioyce him then to heare that it throughly vexeth thee But if thou canst shew Patience on earth GOD will shew himselfe iust from Heauen Pray for him for if thou be a good man thy selfe thou canst not but reioyce if thou shouldest see thy worst enemie to become a good man too But if hee still continueth in his malice and increaseth in his mischiefe giue thou thy selfe vnto Prayer committing thy selfe and commending thy cause vnto the Righteous Iudge of Heauen and Earth saying with Ieremy O Lord of hoasts that iudgest righteously and tryest the reynes and the heart vengeance is thine and vnto thee haue I opened my cause In the meane while waite with Dauid on the Lord Be of good courage and hee shall comfort thine heart 8 The more others commend thee for any excellent act be thou the more humble in thine owne thoughts Affect not the vaine praises of men the blessed Virgin was troubled when shee was truely praised of an Angell They shall be praised of Angels in Heauen who haue eschewed the praises of men on Earth Neyther needest thou praise thy selfe deale but vprightly others vvill doe that for thee Be not thou curious to know other mens doings but rather be carefull that no man knowes any ill dealings by thee 9 Esteeme no sinne little for the curse of GOD is due to the least and the least would haue damned thee had not the Sonne of God dyed for thee Bewaile therefore the miserie of thine owne state and as occasion is ministred mourne for the iniquitie of the time Pray to God to amend it and be not thou one of them that make it worse 10 Lastly thinke often of the shortnesse of thy life and certaintie of Death and wish rather a good life then a long For as one day of mans life is to be preferred before the longest age of a Stagge or Rauen so one day spent religiously is to be higher valued then a mans whole life that is consumed in profanenesse Cast ouer therefore once euery day the number of thy dayes by substracting those that are past as being vanished like yesternights dreame contracting them that are to come sith the one halfe must be slept out the rest made vncomfortable by the troubles of the world thine owne sicknesse and the death of friends counting onely the present day thine which spend as if thou wert to spend no more Secondly for thy Words 1 REmember that thou must answere for euery idle word that in multiloquie the wisest man shall ouer-shoote himselfe Auoid therefore all tedious and idle talke whereof seldome ariseth comfort many times repentance especially beware of rash answeres when the tongue out-runs the minde The word was thine whilest thou keptst it in it is anothers as soone as it is out O the shame when a man 's owne tongue shall be produced a witnesse to the confusion of his owne face Let then thy wordes be few but aduised fore-thinke whether that which thou art to speake be fit to be spoken affirme no more then what thou knowest to be true and be rather silent then speake to an ill or to no purpose 2 Let thy heart and tongue euer goe together in honestie and truth hate dissembling and lying in another detest it in thy selfe or GOD will detest thee for it for he hateth the lyar and his father the Diuell alike And if once thou be discouered to make no conscience of lying no man will beleeue thee when thou speakest a truth but if thou louest truth more credit will be giuen to thy word then to a liars oath Great is the possession which Sathan hath in those who are so accustomed to lying that they will lie though they get nothing by it themselues nor are not compelled vnto it by others Let not thine anger remaine when thou seest the cause remoued and euer distinguish twixt him that offendeth of infirmitie or against his will and him who offendeth maliciously and of set purpose let the one haue pittie the other iustice 3 Keepe thy speech as cleane from all obsenitie as thou vvouldest thy meate from poyson and let thy talke be gracious that hee that heares thee may grow better by thee and be euer more earnest vvhen thou speakest of Religion then when thou talkest of worldly matters If thou perceiuest that thou hast erred perseuere not in thine errour reioyce to finde the truth and magnifie it Study therefore three things especially to vnderstand well to say well and to doe well And when thou meetest with Gods Children be sure to make some holy aduantage by them learne of them all the good that thou canst and communicate vvith them all the good things that thou knowest The more good thou teachest others the more will God still minister vnto thee For as the gifts of men by much vsing doe perish and decrease so the gifts of God by much vsing doe the more grow and increase like the Widowes Pitcher of Oyle vvhich the more it poured to fill other vessels the more it vvas still replenished in it selfe 4 Beware that you beleeue not all that is told you that you tell not all that you heare for if you doe you shall not long enioy true friends nor euer want great troubles Therefore in accusations be first assured of the truth then censure And as thou tenderest the reputation of an honest heart neuer let malice in hatred make thee to reueale that which loue in friendship bound thee a long time to conceale But for feare of such afterclaps obserue two things First Though thou hast many acquaintance yet make not any thy familiar friend but he that truly feares God Such a one thou neuer needest to feare For though you should in some particulers fall out yet Christian loue the maine ground of your friendship will neuer fall away and the feare of God will neuer suffer him to doe thee any villainy Secondly doe nothing in the sight of a ciuill friend for which thou canst not be safe vnlesse it
thy name is a strong tower of defence vnto all those that trust therein I here recommend my selfe and all that doe belong vnto me vnto thy holy protection and custodie If it be thy blessed will to call for me in my sleepe O Lord for Christ his sake haue mercy vpon me and receiue my soule into thy heauenly Kingdome And if it be thy blessed pleasure to adde more dayes vnto my life O Lord adde more amendement vnto my dayes and weane my mind from the loue of the world and worldly vanities and cause mee more and more to settle my conuersation on Heauen and heauenly things And perfect daily in mee that good worke which thou hast begun to the glory of thy Name and the saluation of my sinfull Soule O Lord I beseech thee likewise saue and defend from all euill and danger thy whole Church the Kings Maiestie the Queene the Prince Charles together with the Princely Count Palatine of Rhene and the religious Princesse Elizabeth his Wife keepe them all in the sinceritie of thy Truth and prosper them in all grace and happinesse Blesse the Nobilitie Ministers and Magistrates of these Churches Kingdomes each of them with those graces which are expedient for their place and calling And be thou ô Lord a comfort and consolation to all thy people whom thou hast thought meete to visit vvith any kinde of sicknesse crosse or calamitie Hasten O Father the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Make mee euer mindfull of my last end and of the reckoning that I am to make vnto thee therein And in the meane while carefull so to follow Christ in the regeneration during this life as that with Christ I may haue a portion in the resurrection of the iust when this mortall life is ended These graces and all other blessings which thou O Father knowest to be requisite and necessary for me I humbly beg and craue at thy hands in the Name and mediation of Iesus Christ thy Sonne and in that forme of Prayer which hee himselfe hath taught me to say vnto thee Our Father which art in Heauen c. Another shorter Euening Prayer O Eternall GOD and heauenly father if I were not taught and assured by the promises of thy Gospell and the examples of Peter Magdalene the Publicane the Prodigall childe and many other penitent sinners that thou art so full of compassion and so ready to forgiue the greatest sinners who are heauiest laden with sinne at what time soeuer they returne vnto thee with penitent hearts lamenting their sinnes and imploring thy grace I should despaire for mine owne sinnes and be vtterly discouraged from presuming to come vnto thy presence considering the hardnesse of my heart the vnrulinesse of my affections and the vncleannesse of my conuersation by meanes whereof I haue transgressed all thy lawes and deserued thy curse which might cause my body to be smitten with some fearefull disease my soule to languish with the death of sinne my good name to be traduced with scandalous reproaches and make mine estate lyable to all manner of crosses and casualities And I confesse Lord that thy mercy is the cause that I haue not beene long agoe confounded But O my God as thy mercy onely staied thy iudgement from falling vpon mee hitherto so I humbly beseech thee in the bowels of the mercy of Iesus Christ in whom onely thou art well pleased that thou wilt not deale with mee according to my deserts but that thou wouldest freely and fully remit vnto mee all my sinnes and transgressions and that thou wouldest washe them cleane from me vvith the vertue of that most precious blood which thy sonne Iesus Christ hath shed for me For hee alone is the Phisition and his bloud onely is the medicine that can heale my sickenesse And he is the true brazen Serpent that can cure that poison wherewith the firy Serpents of my sinnes haue stung and poisoned my sicke and wounded soule And giue mee I beseech thee thine holy spirit which may assure me of mine adoption and that may confirme my faith encrease my repentance enlighten my vnderstanding purifie my heart rectifie my will and affections and so sanctifie me throughout that my whole body soule and spirit may be kept vnblameable vntill the glorious comming of my Lord Iesus Christ. And now O Lord I giue thee hearty thankes and praise for that thou hast this day preserued me from all harmes and perils notwithstanding all my sinnes and ill deserts And I beseech thee likewise defend me this night from the roaring Lion which night and day seeketh to deuoure me Watch thou O Lord ouer me this night to keepe mee from his temptations and tyrannie and let thy mercy shield me from his vnappeaseable rage and malice And to this end I commend my selfe into thy hands and protection beseeching thee O my Lord and God not to suffer Satan nor any of his euill members to haue power to doe vnto me any hurt or violence this night And grant good Lord that whether I sleepe or wake liue or die I may sleepe wake liue and die vnto thee and to the glory of thy name and the saluation of my soule Lord blesse and defend all thy chosen people euery where Graunt our King a long happy raigne ouer vs. Blesse the Queene Prince Charles the Prince Palatine of Rhene and the vertuous Princesse Elizabeth his wife together with all our Magistrates and Ministers comfort them who are in any misery neede or sickenesse Good Lord giue me grace to be one of those wise Virgins which may haue my heart prepared like a Lampe furnished with the Oyle of Faith and light of good works to meet the Lord Iesus the sweet bridegroome of my soule at his second and sodaine comming in glory Grant this good Father for Christ Iesus sake my only Sauiour and Mediator in whose blessed name and in whose owne words I call vpon thee as he hath taught me Our Father which c. Afterwards say Thy grace O Lord Iesus Christ thy loue O heauenly Father thy comfort and consolation O Holy and blessed spirit be with me and dwell in my heart this night and euermore Amen Then rising vp in a holy reuerence meditate as thou art putting off thy cloathes Things to be Meditated vpon as thou art putting off thy cloathes 1 THat the day is comming when thou must be as barely vnstript of al that thou hast in the world as thou art now of thy cloathes thou hast therefore heere but the vse of all things as a Steward for a time and that vpon accounts Whilest therefore thou art trusted with this Stewardship be wise and faithfull 2 When thou seest thy bed let it put thee in minde of thy graue which is now the bed of Christ For Christ by laying his holy body to rest three daies and three
nights in the graue hath sanctified and as it were warmed it for the bodies of his Saints to rest and sleepe in till the morning of the resurrection So that now vnto the faithfull Death is but a sweet sleepe and the graue but Christs bed where their bodies rest and sleepe in peace vntill the ioyfull morning of the Resurrection day shall dawne vnto them Let therefore thy bed-cloathes represent vnto thee the mould of the earth that shall couer thee thy shâ—etes thy winding sheete thy sleepe thy death thy waking thy resurrection And being laid downe in thy bed when thou perceiuest sleep to approach say I will lay mee downe and sleepe in peace for thou Lord onely makest mee dwell in safety Thus religiously opening euery Morning thy heart and shutting it vp againe euery Euening with the word of God and praier as it were vvith a locke and key and so beginning the day with GODS worship continuing it in his feare and ending it in his fauour thou shalt be sure to finde the blessing of GOD vpon all thy daies labours and good endeauours and at night thou mayest assure thy selfe thou shalt sleepe safely and sweetly in the armes of thy heauenly Fathers prouidence Thus farre of the Piety which euery Christian in priuate ought to Practise euery day Now followeth that which he being a Housholder must practise publikely with his Family Meditations for Houshold Piety 1 IF thou be called to the gouernment of a Familie thou must not hold it sufficient to serue GOD and liue vprightly in thine owne person vnlesse thou cause all vnder thy charge to doe the same with thee For the performance of this dutie God was so well pleased with Abraham that he would not hide from him his counsell For saith GOD I know him that he will command his sons and his houshold after him that they keepe the way of the Lord to doe righteousnesse and iudgement that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that he hath spoken vnto him And Abraham had 318. men seruants which were thus borne and Catechized in his house With whose helpe hee rescued also his Nephew Lâ—t from the captiuity of his enemies And religiously valiant Iosuah protesteth before all the people that if they all would fall away from the true worship of GOD yet that hee and his house would serue the Lord. And GOD himselfe giues a speciall charge to all householders that they do instruct their Family in his word and traine them vp in his feare and seruice These words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart and thou shalt whâ—â— them continually vpon thy children and shalt talke of them when thou tarriest in thine house and as thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest downe and when thou risest vp c. Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and serue him Dauid according to this Law had so ordered his Family That no deceitful person should dwell in his house but such as would serue God and walke in his way And religious Hester had taught her Maydes to serue GOD in fasting and prayer And the more to further thy family in the zeale of Religion settle euer thy chiefest affection on those whom thou shalt perceiue to be best addicted to true religion This also will turne to thine owne aduantage in a double respect First GOD will the rather blesse and prosper the labour and handy worke of such godly Seruants For Laban perceiued that God blessed him for Iacobs sake And Potiphar saw that the Lord made all that Ioseph did to prosper in his hand yea when innocent Ioseph vvas cast into prison his Keeper saw that whatsoeuer he did the Lord made it to prosper and therefore the Keeper committed all the charge of the Prisoners into Iosephs hand Secondly the truer a man doth serue God the faithfuller he will serue thee 2 If euery Housholder were thus carefull according to his duetie to bring vp his Children and Familie in the seruice and feare of God in his owne house then the house of God should be better filled and the Lords Table more frequented euery Sabbath day and the Pastors publike preaching and labour would take more effect then it doth The streetes of Townes and Cities would not abound with so many drunkards swearers whoremongers prophane scorners of true Pietie and Religion Westminster-Hall would not be so full of contentions wrangling suites and vnchristian debates and the Prisons vvould not be euery Sessions so full of theeues robbers traytors and murtherers But alas most Housholders make no other vse of their Seruants then they doe of their beasts Whilest they may haue their bodies to doe their seruice they care not if their Soules serue the Diuell Yet the common complaint is that faithfull and good seruants are scarce to be found True but the reason is because there are so many prophane and irreligious Masters for the example and instruction of a godly and religious Master will make a good and a faithfull seruant as may witnesse the examples of Abraham Ioshua Dauid Cornelius c. who had good seruants because they were religious masters such as were carefull to make their seruants Gods seruants It is the chiefe labour and care of most men to raise and to aduance their house yet let them rise vp earely lye downe late and eate the bread of carefulnesse all vvill be but in vaine for except the Lord build a house that is raise vp a familie they labour in vaine For GOD hath sealed this as an irreuocable Decree that he will poure his wrath vpon the Families that call not vpon his Name yea God will take the wicked and plucke him out of his Tabernacle and roote him out of the land c. Yea when his iniquities are full he will make the Land to spue out euery Canaanite Religion then and the Seruice of God in a Family is the best building and surest entailing of house and Land to a man and his posteritie for the righteous man shall inherit the land and dwell therein for euer As therefore if thou desirest to haue the blessing of God vpon thy selfe and vpon thy familie eyther before or after thine owne priuate deuotion call euery morning all thy familie to some conuenient roome and first eyther reade thy selfe vnto them a Chapter in the word of God or cause it to be read distinctly by some other If leasure serue thou maist admonish them of some remarkeable good notes and then kneeling downe with them in reuerent sort as is before described pray with them in this manner Morning Prayer for a Familie O Lord our GOD and heauenly father who art the onely Creator Gouernour of Heauen and Earth and all things therein contained we confesse that wee are vnworthy to appeare in thy sight and presence considering our manifold sinnes vvhich wee haue committed
then to dance vpon the Sabbath day Now in the name of Almighty God who rested hauing created Heauen and Earth and of his eternall Sonne Iesus the Redeemer of his Church who shall shortly come on the dreadfull day of doome to iudge all men according to the obedience which they haue shewed to his commandements I require thee who readest these words as thou wilt answere before the face of Christ and all his holy Angels at that day that thou better weigh and consider whether dauncing stage-playing masking carding dicing tabling chesse-playing bowling shooting Beare-baiting carowsing tippling and such other fooleries of Robbin-Hood Morrice-daunces Wakes and May-games be exercises that GOD will blesse and allowe on the Sabbath day And seeing that no action ought to bee done that day but such as whereby we either blesse God or looke to receiue a blessing from God how darest thou doe those things on that blessed day on which thou darest not to pray to God to bestow a blessing on it to thy vse Heare this and tremble at this O prophane youth of a prophane age O heart all frozen and voide of the feeling of the grace of God! that hauing euery day in sixe euery houre in euery day euery minute in euery houre so tasted the sweet mercy of thy God in Christ vvithout which thou haddest perished euery moment Yet canst not finde in thy corrupt and irreligious heart to spend in thy Masters seruice that one day of the weeke which he hath reserued for his owne praise and worship Let men in defence of their prophanenesse obiect what they will and answere what the Diuell puts in their mouthes yet I would wish them to remember that seeing it is an ancient Tradition in the Church that the Lords second comming shall be vpon the Lords day how little ioy they should haue to be ouertaken in those carnall sports to please themselues when their Master should finde them in spirituall exercises seruing him The prophanest wretch would then wish rather to be taken kneeling at prayers in the Church then skipping like a Goate in a daunce If this cannot moue yet I would wish our impure gallants to remember that whilest they thus daunce on the Lords day contrary to the Lords commandement they doe but daunce about the pits brinke and they know not which of them shall first fall therein Whereinto being once fallen without repentance no greatnesse can exempt them from the vengeance of that great GOD whose commandement contrary to their knowledge and conscience they doe thus presumptuously transgresse If then Gods commandement cannot deterre thee nor Gods word aduise thee I say no more but what Saint Iohn said before me he which is filthy let him be filthy still For the second 2 The consecration of the Sabbaths rest consists in performing three sorts of duties First before Secondly at Thirdly after the publike exercises of the Church The duties to be performed before the publike exercises are 1 To giue ouer working betimes on the Eue that thy body may bee the more refreshed and thy minde the better fitted to sanctifie the Sabbath on the next day For want of this preparation thy selfe and thy seruants being tyred with labour and watching the night before are so heauy that when you should be seruing God and hearing what his spirit saith vnto the Church for your soules instruction you cannot holde vp your heads for sleeping to the dishonour of God the offence of the church and the shame of your selues therfore the Lord commands vs not only to keepe holy but also to remember afore-hand the Sabbath day to keepe it holy by preparing our harts remouing all busines that might hinder vs to consecrate it as a glorious day vnto the Lord. Therefore vvhereas the Lord in the other Commandements doth but eyther bid or forbid hee doth both in this commandement and that with a speciall memorandum As if a Master should charge his Seruant to looke well vnto tenne things of great trust but to haue a more speciall care to remember one of those ten for diuers vvaightie reasons should not a faithfull Seruant that loues his Masteâ— shew a more speciall care vnto that thing abouâ— all other businesse Thus Moses taught the people ouer-night to remember the Sabbath and it vvas a holy custome among our fore fathers when at the ringing to Prayer on the Eue before the Husbandman would giue ouer his labour in the field and the Tradesman his worke in the Shoppe and goe to Euening Prayer in the Church to prepare their soules that their minds might more cheerefully attend Gods worship on the Sabbath day 2 To possessâ— that night thy vessell in holinesse and honour that thou maist present thy Soule more purely in the sight of GOD the next morning 3 To rise vp earely in the morning on the Sabbath day Be carefull therefore to rise sooner on this day then on other dayes by how much the seruice of GOD is to be preferred before all earthly businesses For there is no Master to serue so good as God and in the end no worke shall be better rewarded then his seruice 4 When thou art vp consider with thy selfe what an impure sinner thou art and into what an holy place thou goest to appeare before the most holy GOD vvho seeth thy heart and hateth all impuritie and hypocrisie Examine thy selfe therefore before thou goest to Church what grieuous sinnes thou hast committed the weeke past confesse them vnto God and earnestly pray for the pardon and forgiuenesse of them And so reconcile thy selfe with God in Christ Renew thy vowes to vvalke more conscionably and pray for an increase of those graces which thou hast and a supply of those which thou wantest But especially pray that thou maist haue Grace to heare the Word of God read and preached vvith profit and that thou maist receiue the holy Sacrament vvith comfort If it be a Communion day that God by his holy Spirit vvould assist the Preacher to speake something that may â—ill thy sinne and comfort thy soule which thou maist doe in this or the like sort A Morning Prayer for the Sabbath day O Lord most high O God eternall all whose Workes are glorious and whose Thoughts are very deepe there can be no better thing then to praise thy Name and to declare thy louing kindnesse in the morning on thy holy and blessed Sabbath day For it is thy will and commandement that wee should sanctifie this day in thy seruice and prayse and in the thankefull remembrance as of the creation of the World by the power of thy Word so of the redemption of mankind by the death of thy Sonne Thine O Lord I confesse is greatnesse and power and glory and victory and praise for all that is in heauen and earth is thine Thine is thy Kingdome O Lord and thou excellest as head ouer all both riches and honour come of thee
and thou raignest ouer all and in thine hand is power and strength and in thine hand it is to make great and to giue grace vnto all Now therefore O my God I praise thy glorious Name that whereas I a wretched sinner hauing so many vvayes prouoked thy Maiesty to anger and displeasure thou notwithstanding of thy fauour and goodnes passing by my prophanenesse and infirmities hast vouchsafed to adde this Sabbath againe vnto the number of my dayes And vouchsafe O heauenly Father for the merits of Iesus Christ thy Sonne whose glorious Resurrection thy whole Church celebrateth this day to pardon and forgiue mee all my sins and misdeeds Especially O Lord clense my soule from those filthy sinnes with the bloud of thy most pure and vndefiled Lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the world And let thy holy Spirit more and more subdue my corruptions that I may be renewed after thine owne Image to serue thee in newnesse of life and holinesse of conuersation And as of thy mercy thou hast brought me to the beginning of this blessed day so I beseech thee make it a day of Reconciliation betwixt my sinfull soule and thy Diuine Maiestie Giue mee grace to make it a day of Repentance vnto thee that thy goodnesse may seale it to be a day of pardon vnto me and that I may remember that the keeping holy of this day is a Commandement which thine owne finger hath vvritten That on this day I might meditate on thy glorious workes of our Creation and Redemption and learne how to know and to keepe all the rest of thy holy Lawes and Commandements And when anon I shall with the rest of the holy Assembly appeare before thy presence in thy house to offer vnto thee our morning sacrifice of praise and Prayer and to heare what thy Spirit by the preaching of thy Word shall speake vnto thy Seruant Oh let not my sinnes stand as a Cloud to stoppe my Prayers from ascending vnto thee or to keepe backe thy Grace from descending by thy Word into my heart I know O Lord and tremble to thinke that three parts of the good Seede falles vpon bad ground O let not my heart be like the High-way which through hardnesse and want of true vnderstanding receiues not the Seede till the euill one commeth and catcheth it away nor like to the stony ground which hearing with ioy for a time falleth away as soone as persecution ariseth for thy Gospels sake nor like to the thorny ground which by the cares of this world and the deceitfulnesse of riches choaketh the Word which it heareth and makes it altogether vnfruitfull but that like vnto the good ground I may heare thy Word with an honest and good heart vnderstand it and keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience in that measure that thy Wisedome shall thinke meete for thy glory and mine euerlasting comfort Open likewise I beseech thee O Lord the doore of vtterance vnto thy faithfull Seruant whom thou hast sent vnto vs to open our eyes that wee may turne from darkenesse to light and from the power of Sathan vnto God that wee may receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes and inheritance among them which are sanctified by Faith in Christ. And giue me grace to submit my selfe vnto his Ministerie as well when hee terrifieth mee with iudgements as when hee comforteth mee with thy Mercies And that I may haue him in singular loue for his workes sake because hee watcheth for my soule as he that must giue an account for the same vnto his Master And giue mee grace to behaue my selfe in the holy Congregation with comelinesse and reuerence as in thy presence and in the sight of thy holy Angels Keepe mee from drowsinesse and sleeping and from all vvandering thoughts and worldly imaginations sanctifie my Memorie that it may be apt to receiue and firme to remember those good and profitable doctrines which shall be taught vnto vs out of thy Word And that through the assistance of thy holy spirit I may put the same lessons in practise for my direction in prosperity for my consolation in misery for the amendment of my life and the glory of thy Name And that this day which godlesse and prophane persons spend in there owne lusts and pleasures I as one of thy obedient seruants may make my chiefe delight to consecrate it to thy glory and honour not doing mine owne waies nor seeking mine owne will nor speaking a vaine word but that ceasing from the workes of sinne as well as from the workes of mine ordinary calling I may through thy blessing feele in my heart the beginning of that eternall Sabbath which in vnspeakeable ioy and glory I shall celebrate with thy Saints and Angels to thy praise and worshippe in thy heauenly kingdome for euermore All which I humbly craue at thy hands in the name and mediation of my Lord Iesus in that forme of prayer which he hath taught me Our Father which art in Heauen c. Hauing thus in priuate prepared thine owne soule if thou hast the charge of a Family call all thy houshold together reade a Chapter and pray as in the weeke dayes but remember so to dispatch these priuate preparations and duties as that thou and thy family may be in the Church before the beginning of praiers Else your priuate exercises are rather an hinderance then a preparation And as thou and thy houshold doe goe in all reuerence towards the Church let euery one meditate thus with himselfe Things to be Meditated as thou goest to the Church 1 THat thou art going to the Court of the Lord and to speake with the great GOD by Praier and to heare his Maiesty speake vnto thee by his Word and to receiue his blessing on thy soule and thy honest labour in the sixe daies last past 2 Say with thy selfe by the way As the Heart braieth for the Riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God My soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God When shall I come and appeare before the presence of God For a day in thy Courts is better then a thousand other where I had rather be a doore-keeper in the House of my God then to dwell in the Tabernacles of wickednesse Therefore I will come into thy House in the multitude of thy mercies and in thy feare will I worship toward thine holy Temple 3 As thou entrest into the Church say How fearefull is this place this is 〈◊〉 other but the house of GOD this is the gate of Heauen Surely the Lord is in this place God is in this people indeed and prostrating with thy face downeward being come to thy place say O Lord I haue loued the habitation of thy house the place where thy honor dwelleth One thing therefore haue I desired of thee that I will require euen that I may dwell in thy house al the daies
for their want of due preparation And the man vvho came to the Marriage-feast without his wedding-garment or examining of himselfe vvas examined of another and thereupon bound hand and foote and cast into vtter darkenesse Mat. 22.12 And Saint Paul tels the Corinthians that for vvant of this preparation in examining and iudging themselues before they did eate the Lords Supper God had sent that fearefull sicknesse among them wherof some were then sicke others weeke and many falne asleepe that is taken away by temporall dâ—â—th Insomuch that the Apostle saith that euery vnworthy receiuer eaâ—es his owne Iudgement temporall if he repents eternall if he repents not and that in so hainous a measure as if he were guilty of the very body and blood of the Lord whereof this Sacrament is a holy signe and seale And Princes punish the indignity offered to their great seale in as deep a measure as that which is done to their owne Persons whom it representeth and how hainous the guiltinesse of Christs bloud is may appeare by the misery of the Iewes euer since they wished his bloud to be on them and their Children But then thou wilt say It were safer to abstaine from comming at all to the holy Communion Not so for God hath threatned to punish the wilful neglect of his sacraments with eternal damnation both of body and soule And it is the Commaundement of Christ Take eate doe this in remembrance of mee and he vvill haue his Commandement vnder the penaltie of his Curse obeyed And seeing that this Sacrament was the greatest token of Christs loue which hee left at his end to his friends whom he loued to the end Therefore the neglect and contempt of this Sacrament must argue the contempt and neglect of his loue and bloud-shedding then which no sinne in 〈◊〉 account can seeme more hainous Nothing hinders vvhy thou maist not come freely to the Lords Table but because thou hadst rather vvant the loue of God then leaue thy filthy sinnes Oh come but come a guest prepared for the Lords Table seeing they are blessed who are called to the Lambes Supper O come but come prepared because the efficacie of this Sacrament is receiued according to the proportion of the Faith of the Receiuer This preparation consists in the serious consideration of three things first of the Worthinesse of the Sacrament which is tearmed â—o discerne the Lords Body secondly of thine owne Vnworthinesse vvhich is to iudge thy selfe thirdly of the meanes whereby thou maist become a worthy Receiuer called communication of the Lords body 1 Of the worthinesse of the Sacrament THE worthinesse of this Sacrament is considered three vvayes first by the Maiestie of the Author ordaining secondly by the Preciousnesse of the Parts whereof it consisteth thirdly by the Excellencie of the Ends for which it vvas ordained 1 Of the Author of the Sacrament The Author was not any Saint or Angell but our Lord Iesus the eternall Sonne of God for it pertaineth to Christ onely vnder the New Testament to institute a Sacrament because hee onely can promise and performe the grace that it signifieth And we are charged to heare no voyce but his in the church How sacred should vvee esteeme the Ordinance that proceedeth from so diuine an Author 2 Of the parts of the Sacrament The parts of this blessed Sacrament are three first the Earthly signes signifying secondly the diuine Word sanctifying thirdly the heauenly graces signified First the earthly Signes are Bread and Wine in number two but one in vse Secondly the diuine Word is the word of Christs Institution pronounced with praiers and blessings by a lawfull Minister The Bread and Wine without the word are nothing but as they were before but when the Word commeth to those Elements then they are made a Sacrament and GOD is present with his owne ordinance and ready to performe whatsoeuer hee doth promise The diuine wordes of blessing doe not change or annihilate the substance of the bread and wine for if their substance did not remaine it could be no Sacrament but it changeth them in vse and in name For that which was before but common bread and wine to nourish mens Bodyes is after the blessing destinated to an holy vse for the feeding of the Soules of Christians and where before they were called but Bread and Wine they are now called by the name of those holy things which they signifie The body and bloud of Christ the better to draw our minds from those outward Elements to the heauenly graces vvhich by the sight of our bodies they represent to the spiritual eyes of our faith Neyther did CHRIST direct these wordes This is my Body this is my Bloud to the Bread and Wine but to his Disciples as appeares by the vvordes going before Take yee eate yee Neyther is the Bread his Body but in the same sense that the Cup is the New Testament viz. by a Sacramentall Metonymie And Marke notes plainely that the wordes This is my Bloud c. was not pronounced by our Sauiour till after that all his Disciples had drunken of the Cup. Mar. 14.23.24 And afterwards in respect of the naturall substance thereof hee cals that the fruit of the vine which in respect of the spirituall signification thereof he had before tearmed his Bloud verse 25. After the manner of tearming all Sacraments And Christ bids vs not to MAKE him but to doe this in remembrance of him and hee bids vs eate not simply his body but his body as it was then broken and his bloud shed which Saint Paul expounds to be but the Communion of Christs body and the communion of his bloud that is an effectuall pledge that vvee are partakers of Christ and of all the merits of his body and bloud And by the frequent vse of this Communion Paul will haue vs to make a shew of the Lords death till he come from heauen and till vve as Eagles shall be caught vp into the Ayre to meete him who is the blessed Carkeis and life of our soules Thirdly the spirituall graces are likewise two the Body of Christ as it was with the feeling of Gods anger due to vs crucified and his bloud as it was in the like sort shed for the remission of our sinnes They are also in number two but in vse one viz. whole Christ with all his benefits offered to all and giuen indeede to the faithfull These are the three internall parts of this blessed Sacrament the Signe the Word and the Grace The Signe without this Word or this Word without the Signe can doe nothing and both conioyned are vnprofitable without the Grace signified but all three concurring make an effectuall Sacrament to a worthy Receiuer Some receiue the outward signe without the spirituall grace as Iudas who as Austen saith receiued the bread of the Lord but not the Bread
which was the Lord. Some receiue the spirituall grace without the outward signe as the Saint-Theefe on the Crosse and innumerable of the faithfull who dying desire it but cannot receiue it through some externall impediments but the worthy Receiuers to their comfort receiue both in the Lords Supper Christ chose Bread and Wine rather then any other Elements to be the outward signes in this blessed Sacrament first because they are easiest for all sorts to attaine vnto secondly to teach vs that as mans temporall life is chiefely nourished by bread and cherished by wine so are our soules by his body and bloud sustained and quickned vnto eternall life Hee appointed Wine vvith the Bread to be the outward signe in this Sacrament to teach vs first that as the perfect nourishment of mans Body consists both of meate and drinke so Christ is vnto our soules not in part but in perfection both saluation and nourishment secondly that by seeing the Sacramentall Wine apart from the Bread wee should remember how all his precious bloud was spild out of his blessed body for the remission of our sinnes The outward Signes the Pastor giues in the Church and thou dost eate vvith the mouth of thy body the spirituall grace Christ reacheth from Heauen and thou must eate it with the mouth of thy Faith 3 Of the Ends for which this holy Sacrament was ordained The excellent and admirable Ends or fruits for vvhich this blessed Sacrament vvas ordayned are seauen Of the first end of the Lords Supper 1 To keepe Christians in a continuall remembrance of that propitiatory sacrifice which Christ once for all offered by his death vpon the crosse to reconcile vs vnto GOD. Doe this saith Christ in remembrance of me And saith the Apostle As oft as yee shall eat this bread and drinke this cup yee doe shew the Lords death till hee come And he saith that by this Sacrament and the preaching of the word Iesus Christ was so euidently set forth before the eies of the Galathians as if he had beene crucified among them For the whole action representeth Christs death the breaking of the bread blessed the crucifying of his blessed body and the pouring forth of the sanctified wine the shedding of his holy bloud Christ was once in himselfe really offered but as oft as this Sacrament is celebrated so oft is hee spiritually offered by the faithful Hence the Lords Supper is called a propitiatorie sacrifice not preperly and really but figuratiuely because it is a memoriall of that propitiatory Sacrifice which Christ offered vpon the Crosse. And to distinguish it from that reall sacrifice the Fathers call it the vnbloudy Sacrifice It is also called the Eucharist because that the Church in this action offereth vnto God the sacrifice of praise and thankesgiuing for her redemption effected by the true and onely expiatory sacrifice of Christ vpon the Crosse. If the sight of Moabs King sacrificing on his walles his owne sonne to moue his gods to rescue his life 2 King 3.27 mooued the assayling Kings to such pitty that they ceast their assault and raised their siege how should the spirituall sight of God the Father sacrificing on the Crosse his onely begotten sonne to saue thy soule mooue thee to loue God thy Redeemer and to leaue sinne that could not in iustice be expiated by any meaner ransome Of the second end of the Lords Supper 2 To confirme our faith for God by this Sacrament doth signifie and seale vnto vs from heauen that according to the promise and new couenant which he hath made in Christ he will truely receiue into his grace and mercy all penitent beleeuers who duely receiue this holy Sacrament and that for the merits of the death and passion of Christ hee will as verily forgiue them all their sinnes as they are made partakers of this Sacrament In this respect the holy Sacrament is called the seale of the new Couenant and remission of sins In our greatest doubts wee may therefore receiuing this Sacrament vndoubtedly say with Sampsons mother If the Lord would kill vs hee would not haue receiued a burnt offering and a meat-offering at our hands neither would he haue shewed all these things nor would at this time haue told vs such things as these Of the 3. ende of the Lords Supper 3 To bee a pledge and symbole of the most neere effectuall communion which Christians haue with Christ. The cuppe of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ that is a most effectuall signe and pledge of our Communion with Christ. This vnion is called abiding in vs ioyning to the Lord dwelling in our hearts and set forth in the holy Scriptures by diuers Similies First of the Vine and branches Secondly of the head and body Thirdly of the foundation and building Fourthly of one Loafe confected of many graines Fiftly of the matrimoniall vnion twixt man and wife and such like And it is threefold betwixt Christ and Christians The first is naturall betwixt our humane nature and Christs diuine nature in the person of the vvord The second is mysticall betwixt our persons absent from the Lord and the person of Christ God and Man into one mysticall body The third is celestiall betwixt our persons present with the Lord and the person of Christ in a body glorified these three coniunctions depend each vpon other For had not our nature beene first hypostatically vnited to the nature of GOD in the second person wee could neuer haue been vnited to Christ in a mysticall body And if wee be not in this life though absent vnited to Christ by a mysticall vnion wee shall neuer haue communion of glory with him in his heauenly presence The mysticall communion chiefly heere meant is wrought betwixt Christ and vs by the Spirit of Christ apprehending vs and by our faith stirred vp by the same spirit apprehending Christ againe Both which Saint Paul doth most liuely expresse I follow after If that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Iesus How can hee fall away that holdeth and is so firmely holden This vnion he shall best vnderstand in his minde who doth most feele it in his heart But of all other times this vnion is best felt and most confirmed when wee doe duely receiue the Lords Supper For then we shall sensibly feele our hearts knit vnto Christ and the desires of our soules drawn by faith and the holy Ghost as by the cordes of loue neerer and neerer to his holinesse From this Communion with Christ there followeth to the faithfull many vnspeakeable benefits As first Christ tooke by imputation al their sinnes and guiltinesse vpon him to satisfie Gods iustice for them and he freely giues by imputation vnto vs all his righteousnesse in this life and all his
right vnto eternall life when this is ended And counteth all the good or ill that is done vnto vs as done vnto his owne person Secondly their floweth from Christs nature into our nature vnited to him the liuely spirit and breath of grace which renueth vs to a spirituall life and so sanctifieth our mindes wils and affections that wee dayly growe more and more conformable to the Image of Christ. Thirdly hee bestoweth vpon them all sauing graces necessary to attaine eternall life as the sense of Gods loue the assurance of our election with regeneration iustification and grace to doe good workes till we come to liue with him in his heauenly kingdome This should teach all true Christians to keepe themselues as the vndefiled members of Christs holy body and to beware of all vncleanenesse and filthynesse knowing that they liue in Christ or rather that Christ liueth in them From this vnion with Christ sealed vnto vs by the Lords Supper Saint Paul draweth arguments to withdraw the Corinthians from the pollution both of Idolatry 1 Cor. 10.16 and Adultery 1 Cor. 16.15.16 c. Lastly from the former Communion twixt Christ and Christians there flowes an other communion twixt Christians among themselues Which is also liuely represented by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in that the whole Church being many doe all communicate of one bread in that holy action We being many are one bread and one body for wee are all partakers of that one bread that as the bread which we eate in the Sacrament is but one though it be confected of many graines so all the faithfull though they be many yet are they but one mysticall body vnder one head which is Christ. Our Sauiour praied 5. times in that prayer which hee made after his last Supper that his Disciples might bee one to teach vs at once how much this vnity pleaseth him This vnion betwixt the faithfull is so ample that no distance of place can part it so strong that death cannot dissolue it so durable that time cannot weare it out so effectual that it breeds a feruent loue betwixt those who neuer saw one anothers face And this coniunction of Soules is termed the Communion of Saints which Christs effecteth by 7. speciall meanes First by gouerning them all by one and the same holy Spirit Secondly by enduing them all with one and the same faith Thirdly by shedding abroad his owne loue into all their hearts Fiftly by regenerating them all by one and the same Baptisme Sixtly by nourishing them all with one and the same spirituall foode Seauenthly by being one quickning Head of that one Body of his Church vvhich hee reconciled to GOD in the body of his flesh Hence it vvas that the multitude of Beleeuers in the Primitiue Church 〈◊〉 of one heart and of one soule in truth affection and compassion And this should teach Christ 〈◊〉 to loue one another seeing they are all members of the same holy and mysticall body vvhereof Christ is Heâ—d And therefore they should haue all a Christian Sympathie and fellow-feeling to reioyce one in anothers ioy to condole one in anothers griefe to beare vvith one anothers infirmitie and mutually to relieue one anothers wants Of the fourth end of the Lords Supper 4 To feede the Soules of the faithfull in the assured hope of life euerlasting for this Sacrament is a Signe and pledge vnto as many as shall receiue the same according to Christs Institution that hee vvill according to his promise by the vertue of his crucified body and bloud as verily feede our soules to lie eternall as our bodies are by Bread and Wine nourished to this temporall life And to this end Christ in the action of the Sacrament really giueth his very body and bloud to euery faithfull Receiuer Therefore the Sacrament is called the Communion of the Body and Bloud of the Lord. And communication is not of things absent but present neyther were it the Lords Supper if the Lords Body and Bloud vvere not there Christ is verily present in the Sacrament by a double vnion vvhereof the first is spirituall twixt Christ and the worthy Receiuer the second is Sacramentall twixt the body and bloud of Christ and the outward Signes in the Sacrament The former is wrought by meanes that the same holy Spirit dwelling in Christ and in the Faithfull incorporateth the Faithfull as Members vnto Christ their Head and so makes them one vvith Christ and pertakers of all the Graces Life Holinesse and eternall Glory vvhich is in him as sure and as verily as they heare the wordes of the promise and are partakers of the outward Signes of the holy Sacrament Hence it is that the vvill of Christ is a true Christians vvill and the Christians life is Christ vvho liueth in him Gal. 2.20 If you looke to the things that are vnited this Vnion is essentiall If to the Truth of this Vnion it is reall If to the manner how it is wrought it is spirituall It is not our Faith that makes the Body and Bloud of Christ to be present but the Spirit of Christ dwelling in him and vs. Our Faith doth but receiue and apply vnto our Soules those heauenly graces which are offered in the Sacrament The other being the Sacramentall Vnion is not a Phisicall or locall but a spirituall coniunction of the earthly Signes vvhich are Bread and Wine vvith the heauenly Graces which are the Body and Bloud of Christ in the act of receiuing as if by a mutuall relation they vvere but one and the same thing Hence it is that in the same instant of time that the worthy Receiuer eateth vvith his mouth the Bread and Wine of the Lord hee eateth also vvith the mouth of his Faith the very Body and Bloud of Christ. Not that Christ is brought downe from Heauen to the Sacrament but that the holy Spirit by the Sacrament lifts vp his minde vnto Christ not by any locall mutation but by a deuout affection so that in the holy contemplation of Faith hee is at that present with Christ and Christ with him And thus beleeuing and meditating how Christ his Body vvas crucified and his precious Bloud shed for the remission of his sinnes and the reconciliation of his Soule vnto GOD his Soule is hereby more effectually fed in the assurance of eternall Life then Bread and Wine can nourish his body to this temporall life There must be therefore of necessitie in the sacrament both the outward signes to be visibly seene with the eyes of the body and the Body and Bloud of Christ to be spiritually discerned with the Eye of Faith But the forme how the Holy Ghost makes the Body of Christ being absent from vs in place to be present vvith vs by our vnion S. Paul tearmes A great Mysterie such as our vnderstanding cannot worthily comprehend The Sacramentall Bread and
oath of fidelity to serue the one onely true God and to admit no other propitiatory sacrifice for sinnes but that one reall sacrifice which by his death Christ once offered and by which he finished the sacrifice of the Law and effected eternall redemption and righteousnesse for all beleeuers And so to remaine for euer a publike marke of profession to distinguish Christians from all sects and false religions And seeing that in the Masse there is a strange Christ adored not hee that was borne of the Vigin Marie but one that is made of a wafer Cake and that the offering vp of this breaden-god is thrust vpon the Church as a propitiatorie sacrifice for the Quicke and the dead all true Christians vpon the danger of wilfull periury before the Lord chiefe-Iustice of heauen and earth are to detest the Masse as that Idoll of indignation which is most derogatory to the all-sufficient World-sauing-merits of Christs death and passion For by receiuing the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we al sweare that all reall sacrifices are ended by our Lords death and that his body and bloud once crucified and shed is the perpetuall food and nourishment of our Soules 2. How to consider thine owne vnworthinesse A Man shall best perceiue his owne vnworthinesse by examining his life according to the tenne Commandements of Almighty GOD. Search therefore what duties thou hast omitted and what vices thou hast committed contrary to euery one of the Commandements remembring that without repentance and Gods mercy in Christ the Curse of God containing all the miseries of this life and euerlasting torments in Hel fire when this is ended is due to the breach of the least of Gods commandements And hauing taken a due surueigh both of thy sins miseries retire to some secret place and there putting thy selfe in the sight of the Iudge as a guilty malefactor standing at the Barre to receiue his sentence bowing thy knees to the earth smiting thy breast with thy fists and bedewing thy cheekes with thy teares confesse thy sins and humbly aske him mercie and forgiuenesse in these or the like wordes An humble Confession of sins to be made vnto God before the receiuing of the holy Communion O GOD and heauenly Father when I consider the goodnesse which thou hast euer shewed vnto me and the wickednesse which I haue committed against heauen and against thee I am ashamed of my selfe and confusion seemes to couer my face as a vaile for which of thy commandements haue I not transgressed Oh Lord I stand heere guilty of the breach of all thy holy Lawes For the loue of my heart hath not so entirely cleaued vnto thy Maiesty as to vaine and earthly things I haue not feared thy iudgements to deterre me from sinnes nor trusted to thy promises to keepe from doubting of my temporall or from despairing of mine eternall state I haue made the rule of thy diuine worship to be what my minde thought fit not what thy word prescribed finding my heart more proane to remember my blessed Sauiour in a painted picture of mans deuise rather then to behold him crucified in his Word and Sacraments after his owne ordinance Where I should neuer vse thy name whereat all knees doe bow but with religious reuerence nor any part of thy worship without due preparation and zeale I haue blasphemously abused thy holy name to rash and customary oathes yea I haue vsed oathes by thy sacred name as false couers of my filthy sinnes And I haue been present at thy seruice oft times more for ceremony then conscience and to please men more then to please thee my gracious GOD. Where I should sanctifie thy Sabath day by being present at the publike exercises of the Church and by meditating priuately on the word and workes of GOD and by visiting the sicke and relieuing of my poore brethren Alas I haue thought those holy Exercises a burden because they hindred my vaine sports yea I haue spent many of thy Sabbaths in my owne prophane pleasures without being present at any part of thy diuine worship Where I should haue giuen all due reuerence to my Naturall Ecclesiasticall and Politique Parents I haue not shewed that measure of duetie and affection to my Parents which their care and kindnesse hath deserued I haue not had thy Ministers in such singular loue for their workes sake as I ought but I haue taunted at their zeale and hated them because they reproued mee iustly And I haue carryed my selfe contemptuously against my Magistrates Ministers though I knew that it is thine ordinance that I should be obedient vnto them Where I should be slow to wrath and ready to forgiue offences and not suffered the Sunne to goe downe vpon my wrath but to doe good for euill louing my very enemies for thy sake I alas for one sory word haue burst out into open rage harbouring thoughts of mischiefe in my heart I haue preferred to feede on mine owne malice rather then to eate of thy holy Supper Where I should keepe my minde from all filthy lusts and my body from all vncleannesse O Lord I haue defiled both and made my heart a Cage of all impure thoughts and my minde a very Stie of the vncleane Spirit Yea the remedie which thou Lord hast ordained for continencie could not containe me vvithin the bounds of Chastitie for by doating on beautie whose ground is but dust Sathan hath bewitched my flesh to lust after strange flesh Where I should haue liued in vprightnesse giuing euery man his due being contented vvith mine owne estate and liuing conscionably in my lawfull calling should be ready according to mine abilitie to lend and giue vnto the poore ô Lord I haue by oppression extortion Bribes cauilation and other indirect dealings vnder pretence of my Calling and Office robbed and purloyned from my fellow Christians yea I haue deceiued and suffered Christ where I vvas trusted many a time in his poore members to stand hungry cold naked at my dore and hungry cold and naked to goe away succourlesse as hee came and when the leanenesse of his cheekes pleaded pitty the hardnes of my hart would shew no compassion Where I should haue made conscience to speake the truth in simplicitie vvithout any falshood prudently iudging aright and charitably construing all things in the best part and should haue defended the good name and credit of my neighbour alas vile wretch that I am I haue belyed and slaundered my fellow-Brother and as soone as I heard an ill report I made my tongue the instrument of the Diuell to blazon that abroad vnto others before I knew the truth of it my selfe I was so farre from speaking a good word in defence of his good name that it tickled my heart in secret to heare one that I
enuied to be taxed with such a blemish though I knew that otherwise the graces of God shined in him in aboundant measure I made â—ests of officious and aduantage of pernitious lyes herein shewing my selfe a right Cretian rather then an vpright Christian. And lastly O Lord where I should haue rested fully contented vvith that portion which thy Maiestie thought meetest to bestow vpon me in this Pilgrimage and reioyced in an others good as in mine owne Alas my life hath beene nothing else but a greedy lusting after this neighbours house and that neighbours land yea secretly vvishing such a man dead that I might haue his liuing or office coueting rather those things which thou hast bestowed on another rather then being thankefull for that which thou hast giuen vnto my selfe Thus I O Lord who am a carnall sinner and sold vnder sinne haue transgressed all thy holy and spiritual commandements from the first to the last from the greatest vnto the least and here I stand guiltie before thy Iudgement-seate of all the breaches of all thy lawes and therefore lyable to thy Curse and to all the miseries that Iustice can poure forth vpon so cursed a creature And whither shall I goe for deliuerance from this miserie Angels blush at my rebellion and will not helpe mee Men are guilty of the like transgression and cannot helpe themselues Shall I then despaire vvith Caine or make away my selfe with Iudas No Lord for that were but to end the miseries of this life and to beginne the endlesse torments of Hell I will rather appeale to thy Throane of Grace where Mercy raignes to pardon abounding sinnes and out of the depth of my miseries I will cry with Dauid for the depth of thy mercies Though thou shouldest kill me with afflictions yet will I like Iob put my trust in thee Though thou shouldest drowne me in the Sea of thy displeasure with Ionas yet will I catch such hold on thy Mercy that I will be taken vp dead clasping her with both my hands And though thou shouldest cast mee into the bowels of Hell as Ionas into the Belly of the Whale yet from thence would I cry vnto thee O God the Father of Heauen O Iesus Christ the Redeemer of the World O Holy Ghost my Sanctifier three Persons and one eternall God haue mercy vpon mee a miserable sinner And seeing the goodnesse of thine owne nature first moued thee to send thine onely begotten Son to dye for my sinnes that by his death I might be reconciled to thy Maiestie O reiect not now my penitent Soule who being displeased with her selfe for sinne desireth to returne to serue and please thee in newnesse of life and reach from Heauen thy helping hand to saue mee thy poore seruant who am like Peter ready to sincke in the Sea of my sinnes and miserie Wash away the multitude of my sinnes with the merits of that bloud which I beleeue that thou hast so abundantly shed for penitent sinners And now that I am to receiue this day the blessed Sacrament of thy precious body and bloud O Lord I beseech thee let thy holy Spirit by thy Sacrament seale vnto my soule that by the merits of thy Death and Passion all my sinnes are so freely and fully remitted and forgiuen that the curses and Iudgements which my sins haue deserued may neuer haue power eyther to confound me in this life or to condemne me in the world which is to come For my stedfast faith is that thou hast dyed for my sinnes and risen againe for my iustification This I beleeue O Lord helpe mine vnbeliefe Worke in mee likewise I beseech thee an vnfained Repentance that I may heartily bewaile my former sins and loath them and serue thee hence forth in newnesse of life and greater measure of holy deuotion And let my soule neuer forget the infinite loue of so sweete a Sauiour that hath laid downe his life to redeeme so vile a Sinner And grant Lord that hauing receiued these seales and pledges of my Communion with thee thou maist henceforth so dwell by thy Spirit in mee that I so liue by Faith in thee and that I may walke all the dayes of my life in godlinesse and pietie towards thee and in Christian loue and charitie towards all my neighbours that liuing in thy feare I may dye in thy fauour and after death be made partaker of eternall life through Iesus Christ my Lord and onely Sauiour Amen 3 Of the meanes whereby thou maist become a worthy Receiuer THese Meanes are dueties of two sorts the former respecting GOD the later our Neighbour Those vvhich respect GOD are three first sound knowledge secondly true faith thirdly vnfained repentance That which respecteth our neighbour is but one sincere Charitie 1 Of sound knowledge requisite in a worthy communicant Sound knowledge is a sanctified vnderstanding of the first Principles of Religion As first of the Trinity of Persons in the vnity of the Godhead Secondly of the Creation of Man and his fall Thirdly of the curse and misery due to sinne Fourthly of the natures and offices of Christ and redemption by faith in his death especially of the doctrine of the Sacraments sealing the same vnto vs. For as an house cannot be built vnlesse the foundation bee first laid no more can Religion stand vnlesse it bee first grounded vpon the certaine knowledge of Gods word Secondly if wee know not Gods will we can neither beleeue nor doe the same For as wordly businesses cannot be done but by them who haue skill therein so without knowledge must men be much more ignorant in diuine and spirituall matters And yet in temporall things a man may doe much by the light of nature But in religious mysteries the more we relye vpon naturall reason the further we are from comprehending spirituall truth Which discouers the feareful estate of those who receiue without knowledge and the more fearefull estate of those Pastors who minister vnto them without Catechising 2 Of sincere faith required to make a worthy communicant Sincere faith is not a bare knowledge of the Scriptures first grounds of Religion for that Diuels and Reprobates haue in an excellent measure and doe beleeue it and tremble But a true perswasion as of all those things whatsoeuer the Lord hath reuealed in his word so also a particular application vnto a mans owne soule of all the promises of mercy which God hath made in Christ to all beleeuing sinners And consequently that Christ and all his merits doe belong vnto him as well as to any other For first if wee haue not the righteousnesse of Faith the Sacrament seales nothing vnto vs and euery man in the Lords Supper receiueth so much as hee beleeueth Secondly because that without Faith we communicating on earth cannot apprehend Christ in heauen For as he dwelleth in vs by faith so by faith we must likewise eate him Thirdly because
vvith Dauid Thou O Lord hast blessed my Soule and made it thy house and it shall be blessed for euer And seeing it pleased thee to blesse the house of Obed-edom and all his houshold whilest the Arke of the Lord remained in his house I doubt not but thou wilt much more blesse my Soule and Body and all that doe belong vnto mee now that it hath pleased thy Maiestie of thine owne good will to enter vnder my roofe and to dwell for euer in my poore Cottage Blesse me O Lord so that my sinnes may wholy be remitted by thy blood my conscience sanctified by thy spirit my minde enlightned by thy truth my heart guided by thy spirit and my will in all things subdued to thy blessed will and pleasure Blesse mee with all graces which I want and increase in me those good gifts which thou hast already bestowed vpon me And seeing that I hold thee not by the armes as Iacob wrestling without mee but inwardly dwelling by faith within me surely Lord I will neuer let thee goe except thou blesse me and giue mee a new name a new heart a new spirit strength by the power of God to preuaile ouer sinne and Sathan And I beseech thee O Lord desire not to depart from me as thou didst from Iacob because the day breaketh and thy grace beginneth to dawn and appeare But I from my soule humbly with the Emmauites entreat thee O sweet Iesu to abide with me because it drawneth towards night For the night of temptation the night of tribulatioÌ„ yea my last long night of death appeareth O blessed Sauiour stay with me therefore now and euer And if thy presence goe not home with mee carry mee not from hence Goe with me and liue with me and let neither death nor life seperatâ— mee from thee Driue me from my selfe draw me vnto thee Let me be sicke but sound in thee and in my weakenesse let thy strength appeare Let me seeme as dead that thou alone maiest be seene to liue in me so that all my membres may be but instruments to act thy motions Set me as a seale vpon thine heart and let thy zeale be setled vpon mine that I may bee out of loue with all that I may be onely in loue with thee And grant O Lord that as thou now vouchsafest me this fauour to sit at thy table to receiue this Sacrament in thy house of grace so I may hereafter through thy mercy be receiued to eate and drinke at thy table in thy kingdome of glory And for thy mercy I doe here with the 4. beasts and 24. Elders cast my selfe downe before thy throane of Grace acknowledging that it is thou that hast redeemed me with thy blood and that saluation commeth onely from thee And therefore vnto thee I doe yeeld all praise and glory and wisdome and thanks and honour and power and might and maiestie O my Lord and my God for euermore Amen Thirdly seeing Christ hath sacrificed himselfe for thee and all that thou canst giue is too little therefore thou must offer thy selfe to bee a liuing holy and acceptable sacrifice vnto God by seruing him in righteousnesse and holinesse all thy daies Thus Tertullian witnesseth that in his time a Christian was knowne from an other man onely by the holinesse and vprightnesse of his life 2 Of the duties which we are to doe after the Communion ioyntly with the Congregation THe duties to be performed ioyntly with the Church are three First publike thankesgiuing both by praiers and singing of Psalmes thus Christ himselfe and his Apostles did Secondly Ioyning with the church in giuing euery man according to his ability toward the reliefe of the poore This was the manner of the Primitiue Churches to make a Collections and Loue-feasts after the Lords Supper for the reliefe of the poore Christians Thirdly When thankes and praise is ended then with all reuerence to stand vp and to receiue the blessing of God by the mouth of his Minister and to receiue it as if thou diddest heare God himselfe pronouncing it vnto thee from heauen For by their blessing God doth blesse his people Thus farre of the duties to be practised in the Church The duties which thou art to practise after that thou art departed home are three First to obserue diligently whether thou hast truely receiued CHRIST in the Sacrament Which thou maiest thus easily perceiue for seeing his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drinke indeede and that he is so full of grace that no man euer touched him by faith but he receiued vertue from him It cannot possibly be that if thou hast eaten his flesh or drunke his blood but thou shalt receiue grace and power to bee clensed from thy sinnes and filthynesse For if the Hemorise that did but touch his garment had her bloody issue that continued so long forthwith stanched How much more will the bloody issue of thy sinne be stanched if thou then hast truely eaten and drunke the very flesh and blood of Christ But if thy issue still runneth thou maist iustly suspect thou hast neuer yet truely touched Christ. Secondly Seeing thou hast now reconciled thy selfe to GOD and renewed thy Couenant and vowed newnesse and amendment of life Thou must therefore haue a special care that thou doest not yeeld to commit thy formâ—r sinnes any more knowing that the vncleane spirit if euer he can get into thy Soule againe after that it is swept and garnished hee will enter forcible possession with 7. other Diuels worse then himselfe So that the end of that man shall bee worse then his beginning Be yee not therefore like the Dogge that returnes to his vomiâ— or the washed sow that walloweth in the mire againe And returne not to thy malice like to the Adder who laying aside her poyson while shee drinkes takes it vp againe when shee hath done But when either the Diuel or thy flesh shall offer to tempt and mooue thee to relapse into thy former sinnes answere them as the Spouse doth in the Canticles I haue put off my coate of my former corruption how shall I put it on I haue washed my feete how shall I defile them againe Lastly if euer thou hast found either ioy or comfort in receiuing the holy Sacrament let it appeare by thy eager desire of receiuing it often againe For the body of Christ as iâ— was annointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes so doth it yeelde a sweeter sauour then all the oyntments of the world The fragrant smell whereof allureth all soules who haue once tasted the sweetnesse thereof euer after to desire oftner to taste thereof againe Because of the sauour of thy good oyntment therefore doe the Virgins loue thee O taste therefore and often see how good the Lord is saith Dauid This is the commandement of CHRIST himselfe Doe this in
the poole of Bethesda streaming with fiue bloudy wounds not of a troubling Angell but of the Angell of Gods presence troubled with the wrath due to thy sinnes who descended into hell to restore thee to sauing health and heauen Returne not now with the Dogge to thine owne vomit nor like the washed sow to wallow againe in the mire of thy former sinnes and vncleannesse lest being intangled and ouercome againe with the filthinesse of sinne which now thou hast escaped thy latter ende prooue worse then thy first beginning Twice therefore doth our Sauiour Christ giue the same cautionary warning to healed sinners First to the man cured of his 38 yeeres disease Behold thou art made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing fall vnto thee Secondly to the woman taken in adultery Neither doe I condemne thee Goe thy way and sinne no more Teaching vs how dangerous a thing it is to relapse and fall againe into the former excesse of riot Take heede therefore vnto thy wayes and pray for grace that thou maiest apply thy heart vnto wisdome during that small number of dayes which yet remaine behinde And for thy present mercy and health imitate the thankefull Leaper and returne vnto God this or the like thanksgiuing A thankesgiuing to be said of one that is recouered from sickenesse O Gracious and mercifull Father who art the Lord of health and sickenesse of life and of death who killest and makest aliue who bringest downe to the graue and raisest vp againe who art the onely preseruer of all those that trust in thee I thy poore and vnworthy seruant hauing now by experience of my painefull sicknesse felt the gieuousnesse of misery due vnto sinne and the greatnesse of thy mercy in forgiuing sinners and perceiuing with what a fatherly compassiion thou hast heard my prayers and restored me to my health and strength againe doe heere vpon the bended knees of my heart returne with the thankefull Leaper to acknowledge thee alone to bee the God of my health and saluation and to giue thee the praise and glory for my strength and deliuerance out of that grieuous disease and malady and for thus turning my mourning into mirth my sickenesse into health and my death into life My sinnes deserued punishments and thou hast corrected me but hast not giuen me ouer vnto death I looked from the day to the night when thou wouldest make an end of me I did chatter like a Crane or a Swallow I mourned as a Doue when the bitternesse of sickenesse oppressed me I lifted vp mine eies vnto thee O Lord and thou didst comfort me for thou didst cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe and didst deliuer my soule from the pit of corruption and when I found no helpe in my selfe nor in any other creature saying I am depriued of the residue of my yeeres I shall see man no more among the inhabitants of the world then didst thou restore mee to health againe and gauest life vnto mee I found thee O Lord ready to saue me And now Lord I confesse that I can neuer yeelde vnto thee such a measure of thanks as thou hast for this benefit deserued at my hands And seeing that I can neuer bee able to repay thy goodnes with acceptable workâ— Oh that I could with Mary Magdalen testifie the â—oue and thankfulnes of my heart with abounding teares Oh what shall I be able to render vnto thee O Lord for al these benefits which thou hast bestowed vpon my soule Surely as in my sickenesse when I had nothing else to giue vnto thee I offered Christ and his merits vnto thee as a ransome for my sins so being now restored by thy grace vnto my health and strength and hauing no better thing to giue behold O Lord I doe heere offer vp my selfe vnto thee beseeching thee so to assist mee with thy holy spirit that the remainder of my life may wholly be spent in setting foorth thy praise and glory O Lord forgiue mee my former follies and vnthankefulnesse that I was not more careful to loue thee according to thy goodnesse nor to serue thee according to thy will nor to obey thee according to thy commandements nor to thanke thee according to thy benefits And seeing thou knowest that of my selfe I am not sufficient so much as to thinke a good thought much lesse to doe that which is good and acceptable in thy sight assist mee with thy grace and holy spirit that I may in my prosperity as deuoutely spend my health in thy seruice as I was eranest in my sickenesse to beg it at thy hands And suffer mee neuer to forget eyther this thy mercy in restoring mee to my health or those vowes and promises which I haue made vnto thee in my sickenesse With my new health renew in me O Lord a right spirit which may free mee from the slauery of sinne and establish my heart in the seruice of grace Worke in mee a greater detestation of all sinnes which were the causes of thy anger and my sicknesse and increase my faith in Jesus Christ who is the author of my health and saluation Let thy good spirit leade me in the way that I should walke and teach me to deny all vngodlines and worldly lusts to liue soberly righteously and godly in this world that others by my example may thinke better of thy truth And sith this time which I haue yet to liue is but a little respite and small remnant of daies which cannot long continue teach me O my God so to number my daies that I may apply my heart to that spiritual wisdome which directeth to saluation And to this end make me more zealous then I haue beene in religion more deuout in praier more feruent in spirit more carefull to heare and profit by the preaching of thy Gospell more helpefull to my poore brethren more watchfull ouer my waies more faithfull in my calling and euery way more aboundant in all good workes Let me in the ioyfull time of prosperity feare the euill day of affliction in the time of health thinke of sicknesse in the time of sickenesse make my selfe ready for death and when death approcheth prepare my selfe for iudgement Let my whole life be an expressing thankfulnesse vnto thee for thy grace and mercy And therefore O Lord I do here from the very bottome of my heart together with the thousand thousands of Angels the foure beasts and twenty foure Elders and al the creatures in Heauen and on the Earth acknowledge to be due vnto thee O Father which sitteth vpon the throne and to the Lambe thy Sonne who sitteth at thy right hand and to the holy spirit which proceedeth from both the holy Trinitie of persons in vnity of substance all praise honour glory and power from this time forth and for euermore Amen Meditations for one that is like to die IF thy sickenesse be like to encrease vnto death
him briefly these or the like questions Questions to be asked of a sicke man that is like to die DOest thou beleeue that Almighty God the Trinity of Persons in vnity of Essence hath by his power made heauen and earth and all things therein and that he doth still by his diuine prouidence gouerne the same So that nothing comes to passe in the world nor to thy selfe but what his diuine hand and counsell had determined before to be done Doest thou confesse that thou hast transgressed and broken the holy commandements of Almighty God in thought word and deede and hast deserued for breaking his holy lawes the Curse of God which containeth all the miseries of this life and euerlasting torments in Hell fire when this life is ended if so be that GOD should deale with thee according to thy deserts 3 Art thou not sorry in thy heart that thou hast so broken his Lawes and neglected his seruice and worship and so much followed the world and thine owne vaine pleasures And wouldest thou not leade a holier life if thou wert to begin againe 4 Doest thou not from thy heart desire to be reconciled vnto GOD in Iesus Christ his blessed sonne thy Mediator who is at the right hand of God in heauen now appearing for thee in the sight of God and making request vnto him for thy Soule 5 Doest thou renounce all confidence in all other Mediators or Intercessors Saints or Angels beleeuing that Iesus Christ the only Mediator of the new Testament is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them And wilt thou with Dauid say vnto Christ Whom haue I in heauen but thee And there is none vpon earth that I desire besides thee 6 Doest thou confidently beleeue and hope to be saued by the onely merits of that bloody death and passion which thy Sauiour Iesus Christ hath suffered for thee not putting any hope of saluation in thine owne merits nor in any other meanes or creatures being assuredly perswaded that there is not saluation in any other And that there is none other name vnder heauen whereby thou must be saued 7 Doest thou heartily forgiue all vvrongs and offences done or offered vnto thee by any manner of person whatsoeuer And doest thou as willingly from thy heart aske forgiuenesse of them whom thou hast grieuously wronged in word or deede And dost thou cast out of thy heart all malice and hatred which thou hast borne to any body that thou maist appeare before the face of Christ the Prince of Peace in perfect loue and charitie 8 Doth thy Conscience tell thee of any thing which thou hast wrongfully taken and dost still with-hold from any Widow or fatherlesse children or from any other person whomsoeuer Be assured that vnlesse thou shalt restore like Zacheus those goods and Land if thou be able thou canst not truely repent and without true repentance thou canst not be saued nor looke CHRIST in the face when thou shalt appeare before his Iudgement-seate 9 Doest thou firmely beleeue that thy body shall be raised vp out of the Graue at the sound of the last Trumpet And that thy body and soule shall be vnited together againe in the Resurrection day to appeare before the Lord Iesus Christ and thence to goe vvith him into the Kingdome of Heauen to liue in euerlasting blisse and glory If the sicke party shall answere to all these questions like a faithfull Christian then let all who are present ioyne together and pray for him in these or the like words A Prayer to be said for the sicke by them who visite him O Mercifull Father who art the Lord and giuer of life and to whom belongs the issues of death we thy children here assembled doe acknowledge that in respect of our manifolde sinnes vvee are not worthy to aske any blessing for our selues at thy hands much lesse to become suiters to thy Maiestie in the behalfe of others yet because thou hast commanded vs to pray one for another especially for the sicke and hast promised that the prayers of the righteous shall auaile much with thee In the Obedience therefore of thy Commandement and confidence of thy gracious promise we are bold to become humble suiters vnto thy diuine Maiestie in the behalfe of this our deere Brother or Sister vvhom thou hast visited vvith the chastisement of thine owne fatherly hand Wee could gladly wish the restitution of his health and a longer continuance of his life and Christian Fellowship amongst vs but for as much as it appeareth as farre as wee can discerne that thou hast appointed by this visitation to call for him out of this mortall life wee submit our wils to thy blessed will and humbly entreate for Iesus Christ his sake and the merits of his bitter death and Passion which hee hath suffered for him that thou wouldst pardon and forgiue vnto him all his sinnes as vvell that wherein he was conceiued and borne as also all the offences and transgressions which euer since to this day and houre hee hath committed in thought word and deede against thy diuine Maiestie Cast them behinde thy back remoue them as farre from thy presence as the East is from the West Blot them out of thy remembrance lay them not to his charge vvash them away vvith the bloud of Christ that they may no more be seene and deliuer him from all the Iudgements which are due vnto him for his sinnes that they may neuer trouble his conscience nor rise in iudgement against his Soule and impute vnto him the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ wherby hee may appeare righteous in thy sight And in his extremitie at this time vvee beseech thee looke downe from heauen vpon him with those Eyes of Grace and compassion wherewith thou art vvont to looke vpon thy Children in their affliction and miserie Pittie thy wounded seruant like the good Samaritane for here is a sicke Soule that needeth the helpe of such a heauenly Physitian O Lord encrease his Faith that hee may beleeue that Christ dyed for him and that his bloud cleanseth him from all his sinnes and eyther asswage his paine or else encrease his patience to endure thy blessed vvill and pleasure And good Lord lay no more vpon him then thou shalt enable him to beare Heaue him vp vnto thy selfe with those sighes and groanes vvhich cannot be expressed Make him now to feele vvhat is the hope of his Calling and vvhat is the exceeding greatnesse of thy Mercy and power towards them that beleeue in thee And in his weakenesse O Lord shew thou thy strength Defend him against the suggestions and temptations of Sathan who as hee hath all his life time will now in his weakenesse especially seeke to assaile him and to deuoure him Oh saue his soule and reproue Satan command thy holy Angels to be about him to aide him to chase away
all euill malignant Spirits farre from him Make him more and more to loath this world and to desire to be loosed and to be with Christ. And when that good houre and time shall come wherein thou hast determined to call for him out of this present life giue him grace peaceably and ioyfully to yeeld vp his Soule into thy mercifull hands and doe thou receiue her into thy mercy and let thy blessed Angels carry her into thy Kingdome Make his last houre his best houre his last words his best words and his last thoughts his best thoughts And when the sight of his eyes are gone and his tongue shall faile to doe his office graunt O Lord that his Soule may with Stephen behold Iesus Christ in Heauen ready to receiue him and that thy Spirit within him may make requests for him with sighes which cannot be expressed Teach vs in him to reade and see our owne end and mortalitie and therefore to be carefull to prepare our selues for our last ends and put our selues in a readidinesse against the time that thou shalt call for vs in the like manner Thus Lord wee recommend this our deare Brother or Sister thy sicke Seruant vnto thy eternall grace and mercie in that Prayer vvhich Christ our Sauiour hath taught vnto vs. Our Father which art in Heauen c. Thy Grace O Lord Iesus Christ thy loue O heauenly Father thy comfort and consolation O holy Spirit be with vs all and especially with this thy sicke seruant to the end and in the end Amen Let them reade often vnto the sicke some speciall Chapters of the holy Scriptures as The three first Chapters of the Booke of Iob. The 34. Chapter of Deutronomie The two last Chapters of Ioshua The 17. Chapter of the first of Kings The 2.4 and 13. Chapters of the second of Kings The 14. and 19. Chapters of Iob. The 38.40 and 65. Chapters of Isay. The Historie of the Passion of Christ. The 8. Chapter to the Romanes The 15. Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians The 4. of the first Epistle to the Thessalonians The 5. Chapter of the second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians The first and last Chapters of S. Iames. The 11. and 12. to the Hebrewes The first Epistle of Peter The three first and the three last Chapters of the Reuelation or some of these And so exhorting the sicke partie to waite vpon God by faith and patience till he send for him and praying the Lord to send them a ioyfull meeting in the Kingdome of Heauen and a blessed Resurrection at the last day they may depart at their pleasure in the peace of God Consolations against Impatiencie in sicknesse IF in thy sicknesse by extremitie of paine thou be driuen to Impatiencie meditate 1 That thy sinnes haue deserued the paines of Hell therefore thou maist vvith greater patience endure these fatherly corrections 2 That these are the scourges of thy Heauenly Father and the rod in his hand If thou diddest suffer with reuerence being a child the correction of thy earthly Parents how much rather shouldest thou now subiect thy selfe being the child of God to the chastisements of thy heauenly Father seeing it is for thine eternall good 3 That Christ suffered in his Soule and body farre grieuouser paines for thee therefore thou must more vvillingly suffer his blessed pleasure for thine owne good Therefore saith Peter Christ suffered for you leauing you an example that ye should follow his steps And Let vs saith Saint Paul runne with ioy the race that is set before vs looking vnto Iesus the author and finisher of our Faith who for the ioy that was set before him endured the Crosse c. 4 That these afflictions which now you suffer are none other but such which are accomplished in your Brethren that are in the world as witnesseth Peter Yea Iobs afflictions were farre more grieuous There is not one of the Saints vvhich now are at rest in heauenly ioyes but endured as much as you doe before they went thither yea many of them willingly suffered all the torments that Tyrants could inflict vpon them that they might come to those Heauenly ioyes whereunto you are now called And you haue a promise that the God of all grace after that you haue suffered a while will make you perfect stablish strengthen and settle you And that God of his fidelitie will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that yee may be able to beare it 5 That God hath determined the time when thy affliction shall end as vvell as the time when it beganne Thirty eight yeeres were appointed to the sicke man at Bethesda's Poole Twelue yeeres to the Woman with the bloudy Issue Three Moneths to Moses Tenne dayes tribulation to the Angell of the Church of Smyrna Three dayes plague to Dauid Yea the number of the godly mans teares are registred in Gods Booke and the quantitie kept in his bottle The time of our troubles saith Christ is but a modicum Gods Anger lasts but a Moment saith Dauid A little season saith the Lord and therefore cals all the time of our paine but the houre of sorrow Dauid for the swiftnesse thereof compares our present trouble to a Brooke And Athanasius to a Shower Compare the longest misery that man endures in this life to the eternitie of heauenly Ioyes and they vvill appeare to be nothing And as the sight of a Sonne safe borne makes the Mother forget all her former deadly paine so the sight of Christ in Heauen vvho was borne for thee will make all these pangs of death to be quite forgotten as if they had neuer been like Stephen who as soone as hee saw Christ forgat his owne woundes with the horrour of the Graue and terrour of the stones and sweetly yeelded his Soule into the hands of his Sauiour Forget thine owne paine thinke of Christs wounds Be faithfull vnto the death and hee will giue thee the Crowne of eternall life 6 That you are now called to Repetitions in Christs Schoole to see how much Faith Patience and godlinesse you haue learned all this while and whether you can like Iob receiue at the hand of God some euill as vvell as you haue hitherto receiued a great deale of good as therefore you haue alwayes prayed Thy Will be done so be not now offended at this which is done by his holy will 7 That all things shall worke together for the best to them that loue God insomuch that neyther death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers c. shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Iesus Christ our Lord. Assure your selfe that euery pang is a preuention of the paines of Hell euery respite an earnest of
heauens Rest and how many stripes doe you esteeme Heauen worth As your life hath beene a comfort to others so giue your Friends a Christian example to dye and deceiue the Diuell as Iob did It is but the Crosse of Christ sent before to crucifie the loue of this vvorld in thee that thou maist goe eternally to liue with Christ who was crucified for thee As thou art therefore a true Christian take vp like Simon of Cyrene with both thy armes his holy Crosse carry it after him vnto him thy paines will shortly passe thy ioyes shall neuer passe away Consolations against the feare of Death IF in the time of thy sickenesse thou findest thy selfe fearefull to dye meditate 1 That it argueth a dastardly minde to feare that which is not For in the church of Christ there is no Death Isay 25.7.8 And Whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in Christ shall neuer dye Iohn 11.26 Let them feare death vvho liue vvithout Christ Christians dye not but when they please GOD they are like Enoch translated vnto GOD Their paines are but Eliahs fiery Charriot to carry them vp to heauen or like Lazarus sores sending them to Abrahams bosome In a word if thou be one of them that like Lazarus louest Iesus thy sicknesse is not vnto thee death but for the glory of God who of his loue changeth thy liuing death to an euerlasting life And if many Heathen men as Socrates Curtius Seneca c. dyed willingly when they might haue liued in hope of the immortalitie of the Soule vvilt thou being trayned so long in Christs Schoole and now called to the Marriage Supper of the blessed Lambe Apoc. 10.7 be one of those Guests that refuse to goe to that Ioyfull Banquet God forbid 2 Remember that thy aboade here is but the second degree of thy life for after thou hadst first liued nine moneths in thy Mothers wombe thou wast of necessitie driuen thence to liue here in a second degree of life And when that number of moneths which GOD hath determined for this life are expired thou must likewise leaue this and and passe to a third degree in the other World vvhich neuer ends Which to them that liue and die in the Lord surpasseth as farre this kinde of life as this doth that which one liues in his mothers wombe To this last and excellentest degree of life through this doore passed Christ himselfe and all his Saints that were before thee and so shall all the rest after them and thee Why shouldest thou feare that vvhich is common to all Gods Elect Why should that be vncouth to thee vvhich was so welcome to all them Feare not death for it is the Exodus of a bad but the Genesis of a better World the end of a temporall but the beginning of an eternall life 3 Consider that there are but three things that can make death so fearefull vnto thee first the losse thou hast thereby secondly the paine that is therein Thirdly the terrible effects which followes after All these are but false fires and causlesse feares For the first if thou leauest here vncertaine goods which theeues may rob thou shalt finde in heauen a true treasure that can neuer be taken away these were but lent thee as a Steward vpon accounts those shall be giuen thee as thy reward for euer If thou leauest a louing Wife thou shalt be marryed to Christ which is more louely If thou leauest Children and Friends thou shalt there find all thy religiously Ancestors and children departed yea Christ and all his blessed Saints and Angels and as many of thy Children as be Gods children shal thither follow after thee Thou leauest an earthly possession a house of clay and thou shalt enioy an Heauenly inheritance and Mansion of Glory vvhich is purchased prepared and reserued for thee What hast thou lost Nay is not death vnto thee gaine goe home goe home and wee will follow after thee Secondly for the paine in Death the feare of Death more painâ—s many then the very pangs of death for many a Christian dyes without any great pang or paines Pitch the Anchor of thy hope on the firme grouâ—â— of the Word of God vvho hath promised in thy weaknesse to perfect his strength and not to suffer thee to be tempted aboue that thou art able to beare And Christ will shortly turne all thy tempâ—rall paines to his eternall ioyes Lastly as for the terrible effects which follow after death they belong not vnto thee being a Member of Christ for Christ by his death hath taken away the sting of death to the faithfull so that now there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus And Christ hath protested that he that beleeueth in him hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death vnto life Hereupon the holy Spirit from Heauen saith Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord and that from thenceforth they rest from their labours and their workes doe follow them In respect therfore of the faithfull death is swallowed vp into victorie and his sting which is sinne and the punishment thereof is taken away by Christ. Hence death is called in respect of our bodies a sleepe and rest In respect of our soules a going to our heauenly Father a departing in peace a remouing from this body to goe to the Lord a dissolution of soule and body to be with Christ. What shall I say Precious in the sigâ—â—t of the Lord is the death of his Saints These paines are but thy throwes and trauell to bring foorth Eternall Life And who would not passe through Hell to goe to Paradise much more through death There is nothing after death that thou needest feare not thy sinnes because Christ hath paid thy ransome not the Iudge for hee is thy louing Brother not the Graue for it is the Lords Bed not Hell for thy Redeemer keeps the Keyes not the Diuell for Gods holy Angels pitch their Tents about thee and will not leaue thee till they bring thee to Heauen Thou wast neuer neerer Eternall life glorifie therefore Christ by a blessed death Say chearfully Come Lord Iesu for thy Seruant commeth vnto thee I am willing Lord helpe my weakenesse Seauen sanctified thoughts and mournefull sighes of a sicke man ready to die NOW for as much as God of his infinite mercy doth so temper our paine and sickenesse that we are not alwaies oppressed with extremitie but giues vs in the midst of our extremities some respite to ease and refresh our selues thou must haue an especiall care considering how short a time thou hast eyther for euer to lose or to obtaine Heauen to make vse of euery breathing-time which God doth afford thee and during that little time of ease to gather strength against the fits of greater anguish Therefore in these times of relaxation ease vse some of these short
and more meanes to comfort thee The spirituall sigh vpon the seauenth thought O Lord my sinnes haue deserued the paines of hell and eternall death much more these fatherly corrections wherewith thou doest afflict me But O blessed Lambe of God which takest away the sinnes of the world haue mercy vpon me and wash away all my filthy sinnes with thy most precious blood and receiue my soule into thy heauenly kingdome for into thy handâ— O Father I commend my spirit and thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of truth The sicke person ought now to send for some Godly and Religious Pastor IN any wise remember if conueniently it may be to send for some godly and religious Pastor not onely to pray for thee at thy death for GOD in such a case hath promised to beare the Praiers of the righteous Prophets and Elders of the Church But also vpon thy confession and vnfaigned repentance to absolue thee of thy sinnes For as Christ hath giuen him a calling to baptize thee vnto repentance for the remission of thy sinnes so hath he likewise giuen him a calling and power and authority vpon repentance â—o absolue thee from thy sinnes I will giue thee the keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt bind vpon earth shal be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth shall be lâ—â—sed in heauen And againe Verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer yee bind in earth shall be â—ound in heauen whatsoeuer yee loose in earth shall be loosed in heauen And againe receiue yee the holy Ghost whosoeuer sinnes yeare◠〈◊〉 they are remitted vnto them and whosoeuer sinnes yee retaine they are retained This doctrine was as ancient in the Church of God as Iob for Elihu tels him That when God strikes a man with malady â—n his bed so that his soule draweth neere the graue and his life to the buriâ—rs If there beâ— any messenger with him or an interpreter one of a thousand to declare vnto man his righteousnesse then will hee haue mercy vpon him c. And answerable heereunto saith Saint Iames if the sicke 〈◊〉 committed sinnes vpon his repentance and the praier of the Elders they shall be forgiuen him These haue power â—o shut heauen and to deliuer the scandalous impenitent sinner 〈◊〉 Satan For the weaponâ— of their war faâ—â— are 〈◊〉 carnall but mighty through God to cast downe c. and to haue vengeance in readinesse against all disobedience They haue the key of loosing therefore the power of absoluing The Bishops and Pastors of the Church doe not forgiue sinnes by any absolute power of their owne for so onely Christ their master forgiueth sinnes but ministerially as the seruants of Christ and stewards to whose fidelity their Lord and Master hath committed his keyes and that is when they doe declare and pronounce either publikely or priuately by the word of God what bindeth what looseth and the 〈◊〉 of God to penitent 〈◊〉 or his iudgement to impenitent and obstinate personâ— and so doe apply the generall promiseâ— or threatnings to the penitent or impenitent For CHRIST from heauen doth by them as by his Ministers on Earth declare whom hee remitteth and bindeth and to whom he will open the gates of heauen and against whom he will shut them And therefore it is not said whose sinne yee signifie to be remitted but whose sinnes yee remit they then doe remit sinnes because Christ by their ministry 〈…〉 aâ— Christ by his Disciples loâ—sed Lazarus Iob. â—â— 44 And as no water could wash away 〈…〉 but the waters of 〈…〉 though other riuers 〈◊〉 cleare because the promise was annexed vnto the 〈◊〉 of Iordane and not of â—â—ther Riuers so though another man may pronounce the same words yet haue they not the like efficacie and power to worke on the conscience as vvhen they are pronounced from the mouth of Christs Ministers because that the promise is annexed to the Word of God in their mouthes for them hath he chosen separated and set apart for this worke and to them hee hath committed the ministerie and word of reconciliation by their holy calling and ordination they haue receiued the holy Ghost and the Ministeriall power of binding and loosing They are font forth of the holy Ghost for this worke wherunto he hath called them And Christ giues his Ministers power to forgiue sins to the penitent in the same words that he teacheth vs in the Lords Prayer to desire God to forgiue vs our sins to assure all penitent sinners that God by his Ministers absolution doth fully through the merits of Christs bloud forgiue them all their sinnes So that what Christ decreeth in heauen in foro Iudicij the same hee declareth on earth by his reconciling Ministers in foro paenitentiae So that as GOD hath reconciled the world to himselfe by Iesus Christ so hath he saith the Apostle giuen vnto vs the ministery of this reconciliation Hee that sent them to baptise saying Goe and teach all nations baptising them c. sent them also to remit sinnes saying As my Father sent mee so send 〈…〉 whosoeuer sinnes yee remit they are remitted vnto them c. As therefore none can baptise though he vse the same Water words but onely the lawfull Minister whom Christ hath called and authorised to this diuine and Ministeriall Function So though others may comfort vvith good words yet none can absolue from sinne but onely those to whom Christ hath committed the holy ministerie and word of reconciliation and of their absolution Christ speaketh he that heareth you heareth me In a doubtfull title thou wilt aske the counsell of thy skilfull Lawyer in perill of sickenesse thou wilt know the aduise of thy learned Physitian and is there no danger in dread of damnation for a sinner to be his owne Iudge Iudicious Caluin teacheth this point of doctrine most plainely Etsi omnes mutuò nos debeamus consolari c. Although saith he we ought to comfort and confirme one another in the confidence of Gods mercy yet we see that the Ministers are appointed as witnesses and sureties to acertaine our consciences of the remission of sinnes insomuch as they are said to remit sinnes and to loose soules Let euery faithfull man therefore remember that it is his duty if inwardly he be vexed and afflicted with the sence of his sins not to neglect that Remedy which is offered vnto him by the Lord to wit that for the easing of his Conscience he make priuate confession of his sinnes vnto his Pastor and that he desire his priuate indeuour for the application of some comfort vnto his soule whose office it is both publikely and priuately to administer Euangelicall Consolation to Gods people Beza highly commendeth this practise and Luther saith
prison of vtter darkenesse S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be forsaken of all thy Disciples C. That I might reconcile thee vnto God of whom thou wast forsaken for thy sinnes S. Lord wherfore wouldest thou stand to be apprehended alone C. To shew thee that my loue of thy saluation was more then the loue of all my Disciples S. Lord wherefore was the young man caught by the Souldiers and onstript of his linnen who came out of his bed hearing the stir at thy apprehension and leading to the high Priest C. To shew their outrage in apprehending me and my power in preseruing out of their outragious hands all my Disciples who otherwise had been worse handled by them then was that young man S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be bound C. That I might lose the cordes of thine iniquities S. Lord why wast thou denied of Peter C. That I might confesse thee before my Father and thou mightest learne that there is no trust in man and that Saluation proceedes of my meere mercy S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou bring Peter to repentance by the crowing of a cocke C. That none should despise the meanes which God hath appointed for their conuersion though they seeme neuer so meane S. Lord wherefore diddest thou at the Cock-crowing turne and looke vpon Peter C. Because thou mightest know that without the helpe of my grace no meanes can turne a sinner vnto God when he is once falne from him S. Lord wherefore wast thou couered with a purple roabe C. That thou mightest perceiue that it was I that did away thy Scarlet sinnes S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be crowned with thornes C. That by wearing thorns the first fruits of the curse it might appeare that it is I which takes away the sinnes and curse of the world and crownes thee vvith the crowne of life and glory S. Lord why was a Reede put into thine hand C. That it might appeare that I came not to breake the brused Reede S. Lord wherefore wast thou mocked of the Iewes C. That thou mightest insult ouer Diuels who otherwise would haue mocked thee as the Philistims did Sampson S. Lord wherfore wouldest thou haue thy blessed face defiled with spittle C. That I might clense thy face from the shame of sinne S. Wherfore Lord were thine eyes hood-winkt with a vaile C. That thy spiritual blindnesse being remoued thou mightest behold the face of my Father in heauen S. Lord wherefore did they bâ—ffet thee with fists and beat thee with staues C. That thou mightest be freed from the stroakes and tearings of infernall fiends S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be reuiled C. That God might speake peace vnto thee by his word and spirit S. Lord wherefore was thy face disfigured with blowes and bloud C. That thy face might shine glorious as the Angels in heauen S. Lord wherefore wouldst thou be so cruelly scourged C. That thou mightest be freed from the sting of conscience and whips of euerlasting torments S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be arraigned at Pilats barre C. That thou mightest at the last day be acquited before my iudgement seat S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be falsly accused C. That thou shouldest not he iustly condemned S. Lord wherefore wast thou turned ouer to be condemned by a strâ—nge Iudge C. That thou being redeemed from the captiuity of a hellish Tyrant mightest bee restored to God whose owne thou arâ— by right S. Wherefore O Christ didst thou acknowledge that Pilate had power ouer thee from aboue C. That Antichrist vnder pretence of being my Vicar should not exalt himselfe aboue all Principalities and Powers S. Lord why wouldest thou suffer thy passion vnder Pontius Pilate being a Romane President to Caesar of Rome C. To shew that the Caesarian and â—ontifician policie of Rome should chiefely persecute my Church and crucifie me in my members S. But why O Lord wouldest thou be condemned C. That the law being condemned in me thou mightest not be condemned by it S. But why wast thou condemned seeing nothing could be proâ—ed against thee C. That thou mightest know that it was not for my fault but for thine that I suffered S. Lord wherefore wast thou led to suffer out of the City C. That I might bring thee to rest in the heauenly Citie S. Lord why did the Iewes compell Simon of Cyrene comming out of the field to carrie thy Crosse. C. To shew the weakâ—nesse whereunto the burthen of thy sinnes brought me and what must be euery Christans case which goeth out of the field of this world toward the heauenly Ierusalem S. Lord why wast thou vnstripped of thy garments C. That thou mightest see how I forsooke all to redeeme thee S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be lift vp vpon a Crosse C. That I might lift thee vp with me to heauen S. Lord wherefore diddest thou hang vpon a cursed tree C. That I might satisfie for the sin committed in eating the forbidden fruit of a tree S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou hang betweene two theeues C. That thou my deare soule mightest haue place in the midst of heauenly Angels S. Lord wherefore were thy hands and feete nayled to the Crosse C. To enlarge thy hands to doe the workes of righteousnesse and to set thy feete at libertie to walke in the wayes of peace S. Lord wherefore did they crucifie thee in Golgotha the place of dead mens souls C. To assure thee that my death is life vnto the dead S. Lord why did 〈◊〉 the Souldiers diuide thy seamelesse coate C. To shew that my church is one vvithout rent of Schisme S. Lord wherefore didst thou taste vinegar and gall C. That thou mightest eate the bread of Angels and drinke the water of life S. Lord why saidst thou vpon the Crosse It is finished C. That thou mightest know that by my death the Law was fulfilled and thy redemption effected S. Lord why didst thou cry out vpon the Crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken me C. Least thou being forsaken of God shouldest haue beene driuen to cry in the paines of hell Woe and alas for euermore S. Lord wherefore was there such a 〈◊〉 darknesse when thou didst suffer and cry out â—n the Crosse C. That thou mightest see an Image of those Hellish pâ—inâ—â— which I 〈…〉 deliuer thee from 〈◊〉 lesse paines of Hell and euerlasting chaines of darknesse S. Lord why wouldest thou haue thin◠〈…〉 bread C. That I might embrace thee more louingly my sweet soule S. Loâ—d how 〈◊〉 thâ— theefe that neuer wrought good before obtaine Paradise vpon so short repentance C. That thou maist see the power of my death to forgiue them that repent that no sinner needs despaire S. Lord why did not the other
Theefe which hanged as neere thee obtaine the like mercy C. Because I leaue whom I will to harden themselues in their lewdnesse to destruction that all should feare and none presume S. Lord wherefore didst thou cry with such a loud and strong voyce in yeelding vp the ghost C. That it might appeare that no man tooke my life from me but that I laid it downe of my selfe S. Lord wherefore didst thou commend thy Soule into thy Fathers hands C. To teach thee vvhat thou shouldest doe being to depart this life S. Lord wherefore did the vaile of the Temple rend in twaine at thy death C. To shew that the Leuiticall Law should be no longer a partition-wall betweene Iewes and Gentiles and that the way to Heauen is now open to all beleeuers S. Lord wherefore did the Earth quake and the Stones cleaue at thy death C. For horror to beare her Lord dying and to vpbraid the cruell hardnesse of sinners hearts S. Lord wherefore did not the Souldiers breake thy Legs as they did the Theeues who hanged at thy right and left hand C. That thou mightest know that they had not power to doe any more vnto mee then the Scripture had fore-tolde that they should doe and I should suffer to saue thee S. Lord wherefore was thy side opened with a Speare C. That thou mightest haue a way to come neerer my heart S. Lord wherefore ranne there out of thy pierced side bloud and water C. To assure thee that I was slaine in deede seeing my heart-bloud gushed out and the water which compassed my heart flowed forth after it which once spilt man must needes dye S. Lord wherefore ranne the bloud first by it selfe and the water afterwards by it selfe out of thy blessed wound C. To assure thee of two things first that by my Blood shedding Iustification and Sanctification were effected to saue thee secondly that my Spirit by the conscionable vse of the Water in Baptisme and bloud of the Eucharist will effect in thee righteousnesse and holinesse by which thou shalt glorifie mee S. Lord wherefore did the graues open at thy death C. To signifie that Death by my death had now receiued his deaths wound and was ouercome S. Lord wherefore wouldst thou be buried C. That thy sinnes might neuer rise vp in Iudgement against thee S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be buryed by two such honourable Senators as Nichodemus and Ioseph of Aâ—imathia C. That the truth of my death the cause of thy life might more euidently appeare vnto all S. Lord wherefore wast thou buryed in a new sepulchre wherein was neuer man laid before C. That it might appeare that I and not another arose that by mine owne power not by anothers vertue like him vvho reuiued at the touching of Elishaes bones S. Lord wherefore didst thou raise vp thy body againe C. That thou maist be assured that thy sins are discharged that thou art iustified S. Lord wherefore did so many bodies of thy Saints which slept arise at thy Resurrection C. To giue an assurance that all the Saints shall arise by the vertue of my Resurrection at the last day S. Lord what shall I render vnto thee for all these benefits C. Loue thy Creator and become a new creature The Soules Soliloquie rauished in contemplating the Passions of her Lord. WHat hadst thou done ô my sweete Sauiour and ayâ—-blessed Redeemer that thou wast thus betrayed of Iudas sold to the Iewes apprehended as a Malefactor and led bound as a Lambe to the slaughter What euill hadst thou committed that thou shouldest be thus openly arraigned accused falsly and vniustly condemned before Annas and Caiaphas the Iewish Priests at the Iudgement-Seate of Pilate the Romane President What was thine offence or to vvhom didst thou euer wrong that thou shouldest be thus pittifully scourged with whips crowned vvith thornes scoffed with flouts reuiled with words buffeted with fists and beaten with staues O Lord what didst thou deserue to haue thy blessed face spat vpon and couered as it were with shame to haue thy garments parted thy hands and feete nailed to the Crosse to be lifted vp vpon the cursed Tree to be crucified among Theeues and made to taste gall and vineger and in thy deadly extremitie to endure such a sea of Gods wrath that made thee to cry out as if thou hadst beene forsaken of God thy Father yea to haue thy innocent heart pierced with a cruell Speare and thy precious bloud to be spilt out before thy blessed Mothers eyes Sweet Sauiour how much vvast thou tormented to endure all this seeing I am so much amazed but to thinke vpon it I enquire for thine offence but I can finde none in thee No not so much as guile to haue beene found in thy Mouth Thine enemies are challenged and none of them dare rebuke thee of sinne thine accusers that are suborned agree not in their witnesse the Iudge that condemnes thee openly cleareth thine Innocencie his Wife sends him word that shee was warned in a dreame that thou wast a iust man and therefore should take heede of doing iniustice vnto thee The Centurion that executes thee confesseth thee of a truth to be both a iust man and the very Sonne of God The theefe that hanged with thee iustifieth thee that thou hast done nothing amisse What is the cause then O LORD of this thy cruell Ignominie Passion and Death I O Lord I am the cause of these thy sorrowes my sinnes wrought thy shame mine iniquities are the occasion of thy iniuries I haue committed the fault and thou art plagued for the offence I am guiltie and thou art arraigned I committed the sinne and thou sufferedst the death I haue done the crime and thou hangest on the Crosse. Oh the deepenesse of Gods loue Oh the the wonderfull disposition of heauenly grace Oh the vnmeasurable measure of diuine mercy The wicked transgresseth and the iust is punished the guilty is let scape and the innocent is arraigned the malefactor is acquitted and the harmelesse condemned what the euill man deserueth the good man suffereth the seruant doth the fault the Master endures the stroakes What shall I say Man sinneth and God dieth O Son of God! Who can sufficiently expresse thy loue or commend thy piety or extoll thy praise I was proud and thou art humbled I was disobedient and thou becammest obedient I did eat the forbidden fruit and thou didst hang on the cursed tree I played the glutton and thou diddest fast euill concupiscence drew me to eate the pleasant apple and perfect charity led thee to drinke of the bitter cup I assaied the sweetnesse of the fruit and thou diddest taste the bitternesse of the gall Foolish Eue smiled when I laughed but blessed Mary wept when thy heart bled and dyed O my God heere I see thy goodnesse and my
in the Church euer since the Apostles time Ignatius Bishop of Antioch liuing in S. Iohns time saith Let euery one that loueth Christ keepe holy the Lords day renowned by his Resurrection which is the Queene of dayes in which death is ouercome and life is sprung vp in Christ. Iustine Martyr vvho liued not long after him sheweth how the Christians kept their Sabbath on the Lords day as we doe Origen who liued about 180. yeeres after Christ shewes the reason why the Sabbath is translated to the Lords day Augustine saith that the Lords day was declared vnto the Church by the Resurrection of the Lord vpon that day Et ex illo caepit habere festiuitatem suam and by Christ it was first ordained to be kept holy And in another place that the Apostles appointed the Lords day to be kept with all religious solemnitie because that vpon that day our Redeemer rose from the dead which also is therefore called the Lords day As therefore Dauid said of the Citie of God so may I say of the Lords day Glorious things are spoken of the day of the Lord for it vvas the birth-day of the vvorld the first day vvherein all Creatures beganne to haue being In it Light was drawne out of darknesse In it the Law vvas giuen on Mount Sinai In it the Lord rose from death to life In it the Saints came out of their graues assuring that on it Christians should rise to newnesse of life In it the Holy Ghost descended vpon the Apostles And it is very probable that on the seauenth day when the 7. Trumpets haue blowne the cursed Iericho of this world shall fall and our true Iesus shall giue vs the promised possession of the heauenly Canaan He that would see the vniforme consent of Antiquity and practise of the Primitiue Church in this point let him reade Eusebius Ecclesisticall history Lib. 4. cap. 23. Tertullian lib. de Idololatria cap. 14. Chrysost. Serm. 5. de resurrectione Constiâ—â—â— Apost lib. 7. cap. 37. Cyrill in Iohan. lib. 12. cap. 58. Of this iudgement are all the sound new writers see Fox on the Apoc. 1.10 Bucer in Mat 12.11 Gualt in Malach. 3. hom 23. Fulke on the Rhemish Test. Apo. 1.10 Chem. Exam. Conc. Trid. par 4. de diebus festis Wolph Chronol lib. 2. cap. 1. Armin Thes. in 4. precept and innumerable others Learned Iunius shal speake for al. Quamobrâ—m cum dies dominicus c. Wherefore seeing the Lords day is both by the fact of Christ viz. his resurrection and of often appearing to his Disciples vpon that day by the example and institution of the Apostles and by the continuall practise of the Ancient Church and by the testimony of the Scripture obserued and substituted into the place of the Iewish Sabbath Inepté faciunt they doe foolishly who say that the obseruation of the Lords day is of Tradition and not from the Scripture that by this meanes they might establish the traditions of men And againe The cause of this change is the resurrection of Christ and the benefit of the restoring of the Church by Christ the remembrance of which benefit did succeede into the place of the memory of the creation Non humana traditione sed Christi ipsius obseruatione instituto not by the tradition of man but by the obseruation and appointment of Christ who both on the day of his resurrection and on euery eight day after vnto his ascention into heauen did appeare vnto his Disciples and came into their assemblies 9 Because that the Lord himselfe expoundeth the end of the Sabath to bee a signe and document for euer betwixt him and his people that he is Iehouah by whom they are sanctified and therefore must only of theÌ„ be worshipped and vpon the paine of death chargeth his people for euer to keep this memoriall vnuiolated But this end is morall and perpetuall Therefore the Sabath is morall and perpetuall What God hath perpetually sanctified Let â—â— man euer presume to make common or prophane Vpon this ground it is that the Commandement termes this day the Sabbath of the Lord thy God And GOD himselfe cals it his holy day And vpon the same ground likewise the oldâ— Testament consecrated all their Sabaths and Holy daies to the worship and honour of God alone To dedicate therefore a Sabbath to the honour of any creature is grosse Idolatry For the first Table makes it a part of Gods worship to haue a Sabbath to his honour So doth Leuit. 23.3.37.38 c. and Ezek. 20.20 Neh. 9.14 the Sabbath is put for the whole worship of GOD. And our Sauiour teacheth that We must worship the Lord God onely Matth. 4. and therefore keep a Sabbath to the onely honour of GOD. The holy Ghost notes it as one of Ieroboams greatest sinnes That he ordained a feast from the deuise of his owne heart 1 King 12.33 And God threatneth to visit Israel for keeping the daies of Baalim That is of Lords as Papists doe of Saints Hos. 2.13 but saith that such forget him And so indeede none are lesse carefull in keeping the Lords Sabbath then they who are most superstitious obseruers of mens holy daies The Church of Rome therefore commits grosse Idolatry First in taking vpon her to ordayne Sabbaths which belongs onely vnto the Lord of the Sabbath to doe Secondly in dedicating those Holy-daies to the honour of Creatures which in effect is to make them sanctifying Gods Thirdly in tying to these daies Gods worship Praiers fasting and merit Fourthly in exacting on these daies of mens inuention a greater measure of solemnity and sanctification then vpon the Lords day which is Gods commandement which in effect is to preferre Antichrist before Christ. Our Church hath iustly abolished all superstitious and Idolatrous Feasts and onely retaines a few holy dayes to the honour of God alone and easing of seruants Deut 5.14 though long custome forceth to vse the olde names for ciuill distinction as Luke vsed the profane names of Castor and Pollux Act. 28.11 and Christians of Fortunatus 1 Cor. 16.17 Mercurius Rom. 16.14 and Iewes of Mardocheus day 2 Macab 15.37 10 Lastly the examples of Gods Iudgements on Sabbath-breakers may sufficiently seale vnto them whose hearts are not seared how wrathfully Almighty God is displeased with them who are wilfull profaners of the Lords day The Lord who is otherwise the GOD of mercy commanded Moses to stone to death the man who of a presumptuous minde would openly goe to gather sticks on the Sabbath day The fact was small True but his sinne was the greater that for so small an occasion would presume to breake so great a commandement Nichanor offering to fight against the Iewes on the Sabath day was slaine himselfe and 35000. of his men A husband man grinding Corne vpon the Lords day had his Meale burned to ashes Another carrying Corne on this
day had his Barne and all his Corne therein burnt with fire from Heauen the next night after Also a certaine Nobleman prophaning the Sabbath vsually in hunting had a child by his wife with a head like a dogge and with eares and chaps crying like a hound A couetous flaxe-wife at Kinstat in France An. 1559. vsing with hir maids to work at her trade on the Lords day it seemed vnto them that fire issued out of the Flaxe but did no harme the next Sabbath it tooke fire indeed but was quickely quenched but not taking warning by this the third Sunday after it tooke fire againe burnt the house and so scorched the wretched woman with 2. of her children that they died the next day but through Gods mercy a childe in the cradle was taken out of the fire aliue and vnhurt On the 13 of Ianuary Anno Dom. 1582. being the Lords day the Scaffolds fell in Paris Garden vnder the people at a Beare-baiting so that 8. were suddenly slaine innumerable hurt maimed A warning to such who take more pleasure on the Lords day to be in a Theatre beholding carnall sports then to be in the Church seruing God with the spirituall woâ—â—â—s of Piety Many fearefull examples of Gods iudgements by fire haue in our daies been shewed vpon diuers Towns where the prophanation of the Lords day hath beene openly countenanced Stratford vpon Auon was twice on the same day-twelue-moneth being the Lords day almost consumed with fire chiefly for prophaning the Lords Sabbaths and for contemning his Word in the mouth of his faithfull Ministers Teuerton in Deuonshire whose remembrance makes my heart bleed was often times admonished by her godly Preacher that GOD vvould bring some heauie Iudgement on the Towne for their horrible prophanatâ—â—n of the Lords day occasioned chiefely by their Market on the day following Not long after his death on the third of Aprill Anno Domini 1598. GOD in lesse then halfe an houre consumed with a sodaine and fearefull fire the whole Towne except onely the Church the Court-house and the Almes-houses or a few poore peoples dwellings vvhere a man might haue seene 400. dwelling houses all at once on fire and aboue 50. persons consumed with the flame And now againe since the last Edition of this Booke on the fift of August last 1612. 14. yeeres since the former fire the vvhole Towne was againe fired and consumed except some 30. houses of poore people with the â—choole-house and Almes-houses They are blinde vvho see not in â—his the Finger of GOD. God grant them grace when it is next built to change their Market-day and to remoue all occasions of prophaning the Lords day Let other townes remember the Towre of Siloe Lâ—ke 13.4 and take warning by their neighbours chastisements feare Gods threatnings Ierem. â—7 27 and beleeue Gods Prophets if they will prosper 1 Chron. 20.20 Many other examples of Gods Iudgements might be alledged but if these are not sufficient to terrifie thy hart from the wilfull prophanation of the Lords day proceede in thy prophanation it may be the Lord will make thee the next example to teach others to keepe his Sabbathâ— better Hee punisheth some in this life to signifie how hee vvill plague all wilfull transgressoâ—â— of his Sabbaths at the last day Thus vvee haue proued that the Commandement of the Sabbath is Morall and that the change of it from the seauenth to the first day of the weeke vvas instituted by the authoritie of Christ and of his Apostles But as in promulgating of the Law diuers Ceremonies peculiar to the Iewes were annexed the rather to bind that people to the more carefull performance thereof as to the first Commandement their deliuerance from Aegipt shadowing their redemption from Hell to the fift Commandement length of dayes in Canaan typing eternall life in heauen to the sixt Commandement abstinence from bloud and things strangled figuring the care to abstaine from all kinde of Murther and to the whole Law the Ceremonie of Partchment-Lace putting them in mind to keepe within the limits of the Law So likewise to the fourth Commandement were added some Ceremonies vvhich peculiarly belonged to the Iewes and to no other people as first the double Sacrifices appointed for them on the Sabbath day shadowing how GOD will be serued on the Sabbath with greater obedience then on the vveeke dayes Secondly the rigid and strict ceasing from making of fire dressing of meate and all bodily labour both remembring them of their full deliuerance by Moses conduct from the fiery Furnaces and slauery of Egipt vpon that day as also shadowing vnto them the eternall Redemption of their soules from Hell by the death of Christ. Thirdly the keeping of the Sabbath vpon the precise seauenth day in order of the creation shadowing to the Iewes that Christ by his death and resting on their Sabbath in the graue should bring them rest and ease from the burden and yoake of the Legall Ceremonies which neyther they nor their Fathers were able to beare Acts 15.10 Col. 2.16.17 And howsoeuer in Paradise before mans Fall the keeping of the Sabbath on the seauenth day of the creation was not a Ceremonie but an Argument of perfection yet after the fall it became Ceremoniall and subiect to change in respect of the restauration by Christ. As mans life before the Fall being immortall became afterwards mortall and nakednesse being an ornament before became afterwards a shame and Marriage became a type of the Mysticall vnion betwixt CHRIST and his Church Ephes. 6. And to fulfill these Ceremonies added for the Iewes sake vnto the Sabbath Christ at his death rested in the graue all the Iewish Sabbath day and by that rest fulfilled all those ceremoniall accessaries Now as the ceasing of the Ceremonies annexed to the 1.5 6. Commandements and to Marriage did not abolish those Commandements and Marriage nor cause them to cease from being the perpetuall rules of Gods worship and mans righteousnesse no more did the abrogating of the Ceremonies annexed to the Sabbath abolish the moralitie of the Commandement of the Sabbath so that though the Ceremonies be abolished by the accesse of the Substance and the Shadow ouer-shadowed by the Body which is Christ yet the holy rest which was commanded and kept before eyther the Iewes were a people or those Ceremonies annexed to the Sabbath still continueth as Gods perpetuall Law whereby all the posteritie of Adam are bound to rest from their ordinarie businesse that they may wholy spend euery seauenth day in the solemne worship and onely seruice of GOD their Creator and Redeemer but in the substance of the fourth Commandement there is not found one word of any Ceremonie The chiefe obiections against the moralitie of the Sabbath are three 1 That of Paul to the Galathians Ye obserue dayes and moneths and times and yeeres c. But there the Apostle condemnes not the morall