we are very apt to desire change and not to be content with a providentiall disposement as also to think our own and present condition to be very ill or the worst that may be prayer humility true devotion the uncertainty of life the certainty of death the mercy and justice of God with fervent and constant meditation and practice herein may by the mercy of God make an Eunuch for the kingdom of Heavens sake but if it be that it is better for thee to marry then to burn take along with thee these advisements from a Father which if thou well observe by Gods assistance therein thou maist doe well I cannot make them absolute for that there is nothing so bad but some I will praise thee for I am wonderfully made marvelous are thy works O Lord. Psal 139.14 All reason tell 's mee as the Creatures doe Wee haue a maker and redeemer too Though conquering time doth make mee rott Yet shall I liue when time is not Man is but chang'd for man and till his death Like changeing sand still changes for beneath good may be extracted from it not any thing so good but secundary causes may produce evill by it yet some things are so near the producing a necessity to evill that I wish thee take heed how thou touchest pitch least thou be defiled study what thou art and know what thou maist be before thou hast passed these ten Ages then suite the uncorrupted desires and appetites of thy soul in a woman before she be thy wise least after it be too late know well her nature inclination education parentage private devotion and ordinary imployment that after knowledge doe not trouble thee My first advice to thee is not to marry except thy best friends counsell and wish thee to it before twenty years of age in a woman and twenty five in a man about which time by Gods grace thou maist have a little knowledge of good and evill Secondly let not money beauty or friends be the greatest inducement to thy choice for these things all fade and so thy due affection may also fail but choose such a one as may cheerfully walk with thee in Christ to Christ and in that walk thou maist finde a true and lasting refreshment Thirdly be very circumspect how thou marriest one that before was married it may doe well but I can give no encouragement to it for it seemes as good for thee to make thy partner as for another to make thy house whereby we commonly avoid great losse but alwaies great hazard Fourthly it is good to choose equality in parentage and proportion in some reasonable measure and if greater then thy proportion in these be offered search narrowly least there be a Serpent in the grass least these adorne the Owner and not the Owner these Fiftly endeavour thy living in some wholesome ayre where by the blessing of God thou maist probably have health in thy family Sixtly let thy partner be of a strong and healthy habit of body for that a sickly constitution endangereth the losse both of estate and affection Seventhly having made thy choice and providence having therin determined and finished his appointment do thou as the admired Bee that takes honey out of sower herbs and let nothing be so bitter to thee that thou shouldest not convert it to some good use moving thee to true Christian contentment and do thou joyfully delight thy self in all the providences of God towards thee especially when thou seest his pleasure so fully determined and concluded hate all desire to change increase and nourish all good honest and contented inclinations and besure to subdue hate and and avoide all appearances of evill murmuring or dislike of thy choice and know that we are all here but in our journey the way of our pilgrymage which soe it leade to Heaven happy is that passage for the seas are rough through which we must saile to eternall Peace or not attaine it Now a word or two concerning chastity or continency because it is very difficult and must have a carefull and painefull guard for it is no easie matter wholly to resist nature which herein is strong and ardent but the more obstinate the enemy the more commendable the conquest To be truely chast out of due obedience to the commands of God is alike Vertue laudable in men as women Now because this is a violent passion and deceitfull we must arm our selves against it and be wary to discover its baits and the more it flattereth us the more to distrust it it would willingly imbrace us to strangle us pamper us with honey to glut us with gall Unchast incontinency hath many great inconveniencies and dangers it consumes the body and as some say effeminates the soul weakens the spirit and that many by giving way thereto have lost both lives fortunes and spirits and it doth appear true that there is more pleasure in vanquishing pleasure then in possessing it the best of earthly things oft breeds repentance but the worst alwayes There are many kindes and degrees of chastity continency and incontinency of which the conjugall continency is a chief and principall it must be kept and retained within the chast breast of that party whom almighty God hath disposed of in marriage for our companion and whosoever doth otherwise violates his or her own body by the Law of God which commands chastity therein by the Law of nature which forbids that to be common which is proper to one and imposes upon faith and constancy by the Law of nations and by the Law of Justice equity and right which if we violate and offend the justice of heaven must justly punish us Heb. 13.4 Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge Isa 65.21 And they shall build houses and inhabit them and they shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them Luk. 6.44 Every tree is known by his fruit for of thorns men doe not gather figgs nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes 1 Chron. 28.7 I will establish his Kingdome for ever if he be constant to doe my Commandements and my judgments 1 Sam. 2.3 The Lord is a God of knowledge and by him actions are weighed Matth. 5.44 45. But I say unto you love your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them that dispightfully use you and persecute you that ye may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven for he maketh his Sunne to rise on the evill and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust Gal. 6.9 Let us not be weary of well doing Rev. 1.10 Be thou faithfull unto death and I will give thee the Crown of life 2 Pet. 1.5 Giving all diligence add to your faith vertue and to your vertue knowledge Ver. 6. To knowledge temporance to temporance patience to patience godlinesse Ver. 7. To godlinesse brotherly kindnesse to brotherly kindnesse charity Ver. 8. For if these be in you and abound they will make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ
by Children and more oft in their vices then vertues by how much in humane things the bad exceeds the good therefore timely and diligent heed must be prepared against them that so the Cokatrice and subtill Serpent may be killed betime broken in the egg before it shew a deceitfull countenance lest the dissembling Wolfe having gotten a Sheeps cloathing deceive the innocent Lambs and bring them unawares into his slaughterhouse of destruction Nunc adhibe pure Pectore verba puer nunc te melioribus offer Quo semel est imbuta recens servabit odorem Testa diu Horat. Now Childe in the white paper of thy breast Write Vertue now such Precepts from the best A Pot well seasoned holds the primitive taste A long time after 2 Chron. 34.3 For while he was yet young he began to seek after the God of David his father Psal 119.9 Wherewithall shall a young man clense his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word Prov. 1.4 To give subtilty to the simple to the young man knowledge and discretion Prov. 3.6 In all thy wayes acknowledge him aad he shall direct thy pathes Psal 5.3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up Isa 45.13 I have raised him up in righteousnesse and I will direct all his wayes Jer. 10.23 O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Psal 36.9 For with thee is the fountaine of life in thy light shall we see light Rev. 7.17 For the Lambe that is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and lead them unto living fountaines of water and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes Phil. 4.8 If there be any vertue think of these things 2. Pet. 1.3 According to his Divine power he hath given to us all things that pertain to this life and godlinesse through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue Ver. 5. Add to faith vertue and to vertue knowledge Ver. 6. To knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godlinesse and to godlinesse brotherly kindnesse Luk. 10.42 Mary hath chosen the good part which shall not be taken from her Luk. 10.42 Mary hath chosen the good part which shall not be taken from her Joh. 6.27 Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life Prov. 11.28 He that trusteth in his riches shall fall Matth. 23.6 The Scribes and Pharises love the uppermost rooms and chief seats Ver. 7. And greetings in the market-place and to be called of men Rabbi Ver. 12. Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted Matth. 25.48 But if the evill servant shall say in his heart my Lord delayes his coming Ver. 49. And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants and to eat and drink with the drunken the Lord of that servant shall cut him in sunder Rom. 7.23 But I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my minde Neh. 9.37 They have dominion over our bodies and over our cattell at their pleasures and we are in great distrasse Prov. 12.21 There shall no evill happen to the just but the wicked shall be killed with mischief Eccl. 12.13 Fear God and keep his Commandements for this is the whole duty of man Eph. 5.19 Quench not the spirit Psal 119.16 I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandements Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Prov. 1.24 25 26. But because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but ye have set at nought all my counsell and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear cometh Prov. 4.7 Wisdome is the principall thing therefore get wisdome and with all thy gettings get understanding Eccl. 7.8 The patient in spirit is better then the proud in spirit 2 Cor. 11.2 For I am jealous over you with a a godly jealousie for I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chast vergin to Christ Psal 51.12 O Lord uphold me with thy free spirit And 143.10 Teach me to doe thy will for thou art my God Thy spirit is good lead me into the land of uprightnesse Prov. 16.32 He that ruleth his spirit is better then he that taketh the City And 20.27 The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord searching all the inward prrts of the blly Psal 22.20 The meek shall eat and be satisfied And 25.9 The meek will he guide in judgement and the meeke will he teach his way Phil. 2.8 And being found in fashion of a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the crosse Jer. 9.3 But they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth for they proceed from evill to evill and they know not me saith the Lord. Psal 60.12 Through God we will doe valiantly for he it is that shall tread down our enemies 1 Thes 5.6 Let us not sleep as doe others but let us watch and be sober And ver 8. Let us that be of the day be sober putting on the brest-plate of faith and love and for a helmet the hope of salvation Col. 4.6 Let your speech be alwayes with grace seasoned with salt that ye may know how you ought to answer every man Eccl. 10.10 Wisdome is profitable to direct And 9.16 Wisdome is better then strength And v. 18. Wisdome is better then weapons of warre but one sinner destroyeth much good INfancy and Childhood being passed like the red Sea and the wildernesse the next and third Age is called Youth like passing over Jordan and therein is temperance to be carefully planted This is a dangerous and a difficult passage and our guide herein must be supernaturall it is not humane light that can direct us in this way it must be a coal taken from the Altar and a Candle enlightned at the holy Lampe that must protect us in this voyage here we must take and endear unto us the living fountain of life to curb the threatning floods of death here Vertues shew your strength or vice will soon prevail and conquer here you must wage a war with Epicures and other vain professors that in vain glorious pastimes talk of Vertues and make them handmaids to their vitious pleasures whereas no true pleasure is without them for that is not Vertue which waiteth on delight the chiefest place is hers and she it is that must lead command and be obeyed Take great heed of being bond-slave to delight for all is vain where Vertue hath no place Vertue only giveth perpetuall and assured joy although there be some obstacles
is a businesse of great weight and importance and we must give an exact account thereof take heed of deferring and putting off this justice to thy self resembling such as deferre buying till the market be over how foolish is it to begin to live when we must cease to live he that means to doe a great work in a short time had need to follow it very close least his time cease before his work be finished and he faulty because he took o more time or lost so much when indeed we need nothing more Life is short and the art of well living is long betimes then learn how to live to God and to thy self how to be least alone when no body is with thee And then be watchfull of vain delusions and temptations our great enemy the devill hath deceitfull baits both for lonelinesse and for company Contemplation meditation prayer and practise is the happy life let thy body be subject to thy spirit and let thy spirit be wholly subdued by the Spirit of the Lord so shall thy body be a fit instrument for vertue and a holy Temple for thy God Doe thou justice to thy self in getting and ordering riches love a competency entertain them well got into thy house not into thy heart and strive to use them as a just steward to thy masters use that their departure may be as honest as their entrance if they part without thy leave let them carry nothing but themselves from thee no part of thy content or comfort let not that be setled on them the right use of the creature is to walk worthy of thy Creatour Thus much of justice Now a word or two of sound Judgment what it is and it is the strict and wary triall and consideration of every thing to the utmost it is the examining of a matter to finde out the bottome of it what it may produce and where the way lyeth unto its period it is the free and ready acceptance of the truth where and whensoever it appears and shewes it self it is the weighing the reasons and counter-reasons on all parts the weight and merit in them thereby to work out the truth And it is contrary to that sleight and carelesse way of judging and passing by things upon the first sight and appearance as if we were able to see what was in the house before we entred in or what lay under the stone before we removed it this is that grievous folly which men truly call rashnesse and self conceitednesse and all wise men count it shallow empty and want of sound judgment for justice and right it self being unadvisedly performed and by chance without sound judgment and consideration of the matter may as to the Judg be false or at least undeserving praise and commendation therefore endeavour not only to doe good but to doe it knowingly willingly and wittingly and from a pure and right principle which sheweth sincere and upright wisdome and is worthy the righteous title of justice and sound judgment 2 Chron. 1.10 Give me now O Lord wisdome and knowledge that I may goe out and come in before this people Ver. 12. Wisdome and knowledge is granted to thee Job 28.28 Behold the feare of the Lord is wisdome and to depart from evill is understanding Psal 37.30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdome and his tongue talketh of judgement And 51. v. 6. Thou desirest truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part thou shalt make me know wisdome And 19. v. 12. Teach us to number our daies that we may apply our hearts to wisedome Jer. 4.22 They are wise to do evill Psal 50.23 To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Eccl. 10.10 Wisdome is profitable to direct Prov. 3.5 6. Trust to the Lord with all thy heart and lean not to thy own understanding in all thy waies acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths Verly Be not wise in thy own eyes feare the Lord and depart from evill 1 Cor. 1.20 Hath not God made foolish the wisdome of this world And 2.5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdome of men but in the power of God And 3.19 For the wisedome of this world is foolishnesse with God for it is writen he taketh the wise in his own craftiness 1 Cor. 2.6 Howbeit we speake wisdome amongst them that be perfect yet not the wisdom of this world nor of the Princes of this world that come to nought Ver. 7. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery even the hidden wisdom which God or dained before the world unto our glory Eph. 1.17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledg of him 1 Cor. 12.8 For to one is given by the spirit the word of wisdom to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit Exod. 31.3 And I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom and in understanding Prov. 10.23 It is a sport to a fool to doe mischief but a man of understanding hath wisdom Luk. 16.8 And the Lord commended the unjust steward because he had done wisely for the children of this world are in their generation wiser then the children of light Psal 101.2 I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way I will walk within thy house with a perfect heart Prov. 13.14 The Law of the wise is a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death Gen. 17.1 I am the almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect Deut. 18.13 Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God Job 1.8 Hast thou considered my servant Job a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evill Prov. 11.5 The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness Jer. 10.3 The customs of the wicked are vain Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sinne did my mother conceive me Psal 143.8 Cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning for in thee doe I trust Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk for I lift up my soul unto thee Job 23.15 When I considered I was afraid Psal 50.22 Now consider this ye that forget God least I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver Eccl. 5.1 Keep thy foot when thou goest into the house of God and be more ready to hear then to give the sacrifice of fools for they consider not that they doe evill Psal 51.2 3. Wash me throughly from my iniquities and cleanse me from my sinne for I acknowledg my iniquity and my sinne is ever before me Ver. 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sinne did my mother conceive me Jer. 3.13 Onely acknowledge thy iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God And Chap. 14. Ver. 20. We acknowledg O Lord our iniquities and the iniquities
was gathered to his people And Chap. 49. ver 26. Jacob saith I am ready to be gathered to my people bury me with my fathers Observe There is no sign or shew of sorrow in him for he might well rejoyce to exchange earth for Heaven And Ver. 33. Then Jacob made an end of giving charge to his sonnes and plucked up his feet into the bed and gave up the ghost and was gathered to his people It is an infinite and an incomprehensible mercy of God that his love in Jesus is to call us in his good time from our disserving rather then serving of him here and that with thousands of fears cares and griefs to be gathered to his servants our fathers and nearest friends in peace XII A seventh Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our entrance into the true communion of Saints By the Gospell we are joyned to the Angels and Patriarchs even in this life much more shall we be united to the true heavenly serving our eternall mercy with them when we shall cease from sinne Heb. 13.22 23. Ye are come to the mount Sion and to the City of the living God the celestiall Jerusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels and to the Congregation of the first-born which are written in Heaven And to God the Judg of all and to the spirits of just and perfect men Ver. 24. And to Jesus the mediator of the new Testament Col. 1.9 The Apostle saith For this cause we pray for you and do desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdome and spirituall understanding Ver. 10. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God Ver. 11. Stengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfllunesse Ver. 12. Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Ver. 13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and hath translated us into the Kingdome of his dear Sonne Ver. 14. In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgivenesse of sinnes Ver. 15. Who is the Image of the invisible God the first-born of every creature Ver. 16. For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him Ver. 17. For he is before all things and by him all things consist Ver. 18. And he is the head of the body the Church who is the beginning the first-born from the dead that in all things he might have the preheminence Ver. 19. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullnesse dwell Ver. 20. And having made peace through the blood of his crosse by him to reconcile all things unto himself by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in Heaven Ver. 21. And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minde by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight 1 Thes 3.12 13. The Lord increase you and make you abound in love one towards another and towards all men to make your hearts stable and unblameable in holinesse before God even our Father at the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ with all his Saints Jude ver 14. Behold the Lord cometh with thousands of his Saints Rev. 7.9 I beheld saith the Apostle and behold a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lambe clothed with long white robes and palmes in their hands Ver. 14. And an Elder said unto me These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their long robes and have made their long robes white in the blood of the Lambe Ver. 15. Therefore are they in the presence of the throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and he that sitteth on the throne will dwell amongst them Ver. 16. They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sunne light on them neither any heat Ver. 17. For the Lambe which is in the midst of the Throne shall govern them and shall lead them unto the lively fountains of waters and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes XIII An eighth Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our ceasing from sinne and the entrance into our eternall rest and peace Heb. 4.9 10. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God For he that is entred into his rest hath also ceased from his own works as God did from his Chap. 6. ver 20. Let us study therefore to enter into that rest least any fall through disobedience Into which peace the fore-runner is for us entred even Jesus that is made a High-Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec Job 3.13 For so should I now have lyen and been quiet I should have slept then and been at rest Ver. 14. With the Kings and Counsellors of the earth which have builded themselves desolate places Ver. 17. The wicked have there ceased from their tyranny and there they that laboured valiantly are at rest Ver. 18. The prisoners rest together and hear not the voice of the oppressors Ver. 19. There are small and great and the servant is free from his Master XIV A ninth Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our going to doe the will of God our most loving and mercifull Father in Jesus Christ without sinning against his most blessed and sacred Majesty In dying we doe the will of God Heb 9.27 For it is appointed to all men once to die and after that comes the judgement Rom. 6.7 For he that is dead is freed from sinne Joh. 14.28 When our Saviour had acquainted his Disciples of his departure from them by his passion they were sorrowfull For which our Saviour seemed to reprove them and said If ye loved me ye would rather rejoyce because I said I goe unto the Father for my Father is greater then I. XV. A tenth Comfort in Death It is the love of our good God unto us to take us away from the evill to come therefore rejoyce at this his gracious call of infinite mercy to that heavenly mansion which our blessed Saviour hath prepared for us in his Fathers house Joh. 14.2 In my Fathers house are many mansions or dwelling places if it were not so I would have told you I goe to prepare a place for you 1 King 11.11 12. The Lord said to Solomon I will surely rend the Kingdom from thee and will give it to thy servant Notwithstanding in thy dayes I will not doe it because of David thy Father but I will rent it out of the
dwell in thy Tabernacles for ever and our trust shall be under the coverings of thy wings O God thou art our salvation and our glory the rock of our strength in thee onely is our rest We beseech thee put thy Law into our hearts and write it in our mindes and remember our sinnes and our iniquities no more O our good God we trust we have received the knowledge of thy truth deliver us from sinning against thee O Lord God of hosts hear our prayers hearken O God of Jacob thou art our shield look upon the face of thine anointed for a day in thy Courts is better then a thousand otherwhere I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God then to dwell in the tabernacles of wickednesse Thou art our Sunne and our shield and wilt give grace and glory and no good thing wilt thou with-hold from them that walk uprightly O Lord of hosts blessed is the man to whom thou givest grace to trust in thee and to whom thou imputest not his sinne so deale with us thy unworthy servants O our eternall mercie Nay we doubt not but in Jesus Christ thou wilt give us eternall life for in him there is sufficient that thou shouldest forgive and not impute our sinnes unto us Selah In whom we trust thou hast elected us to mercy as thy faithfull servants Amen O most powerfull Jehovah O Eternitie I am hungred and cannot be satisfied I am thirsty and cannot be quenched I am weary and can have no rest I mourne and cannot be comforted I am poor and have no helpe I sinne and cannot satisfie I am thy servant and cannot serve thee I am thy labourer and cannot work I am most vile and unworthy yet look thou upon me O God in Jesus and for the love of him only give me thy holy Spirit conduct and lead me in this my sinfull pilgrimage to thee my God my only joy and eternal repose even to the place of my Fathers who are dead in thee my God who rest from their labours and their desired work in thy gracious and loving acceptance of them in Christ Jesus follow them O give me thy love to poor sinners for that and that only is sufficient for me It is all joy to me to work in the vineyard of my Master and to see the Evening of his loving call to rest draw on I greatly rejoice in the love and service of my Saviour Jesus I rejoice to die because I know my Saviour liveth I rejoice to leave my Children because I know the mercies of my God preserveth his servants to the joyes of Eternity and to temporall peace also as it shall be best for their eternall happinesse I rejoice to leave the world because I finde it not a fit instrument to serve my Saviour and that I have cause to fear disserving him there with Pious Sentences GOD gives the cold according to the Cloth God knowes who is a good Pilgrim God Almighty and a Father have no requitall God worketh in a little time God kept nothing lost God raigneth where he pleaseth Gods servants have a good Master Job Ch. 14. V. 1. MAn that is Eves posterity hath short continuance Yet armies of his miseries continually advance 2 He shooteth forth as doth a fleure that 's presently cut down He vanisheth and in one houre the grave becomes his Crowne 3 And yet thou openest thine yes upon so vain a shade And causest him to enterprize in judgment ' gainst thy aide 4 O Lord who can bring a clean thing Or who dare look on thee O King if thou please not to smile 5 Thou hast determined his dayes his moneths are known to thee Thou hast appointed out his wayes how where his end shall be 6 O turn away thy angry rod O stay thy chastizing Untill my day desired when I shall cease to sinne 7 For there is hope that though a be cut and hewed down May have it's shading branchand be tree as formerly 't was known 8 Although the root of it wax old within its tombe or grave And though the slook of it be dead within its antient cave 9 Yet by the sent of water it may budde and bloome againe And bring forth boughs and become fit as plants for to remaine 10 But man is sick and dies and goes foes to his long biding place Man perishes from friends from where 's honour where 's disgrace 11 As the great waters part from sea and are not to be found And as the floods dry up and they become as parched ground 12 So man doth sleep and doth not rise he shall not wake againe He shall not from his sleep arise while Heaven doth remaine 13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave and secret chamber Untill thy wrath were past for sinne and then wouldst me remember 14 If a man die shall he here live oh all my wandring doome That thou hast pointed I will waite untill my changing come 15 Thou shalt call me and then I shall unto thee answer make Thou lovest thine own handy-worke for thine own mercy sake 16 But now thou numbrest all my steps and dost not stay my sinne As if I could pay all my debts in which I lived in 17 My sinnes and my iniquities thou hast fast sealed up As in a bagge whereof is fill'd my sinfull flowing cup. 18 And surely as the hills decay that from their place are found And as the rocks doe mould away that change their antient ground 19 And as the waters break the stones when thou dost overflew Even so thou dost destroy the hope that man hath here below 20 Thou dost prevaile against his soule so that he goes as clay He changes qâ—ite his countenance when thou casts him away 21 Ah! he knowes not whether his sonnes shall honourable be Nor doth he understand if they shall sit in low degree 22 But while his flesh is upon him he shall have sorrowes store And while his soule is bound in sinne he shall have more and more My GOD. O Guide me to thy dwelling place O lead my feet to thee O draw me hard for l'me o' th' race of poor mortalitie O punish not thy servants sinne though mad and wondrous vaine Remember in discharge of them thy only Sonne was flame O give me for to know my God though I' have not chosen thee Yet thou hast chosen me in him thy servant for to be O make me thirst to come to thee to that sweet place of rest Where are thy servants which of old thou freely lovedst best Amen O Saviour Jesus Righteous Hope I Am born and hope to die a Christian and I much rejoice to performe the sacred Law of Christ my Saviour to the utmost of my power knowledge and understanding Of all reformed and professed churches I acknowledge my self to be of the reformed Church of England which I take to be most consonant and agreeable to my Saviours institution yet dare I not affirm my
eternity To incorruptible felicity And though our call doth nature oft prevent Yet when shee 's let alone she fairly deales And though she fixt to warmed life be sent To fit our death yet see how oft she steales To us her warnings as with dimmed sight And theumy eyes instead of bright and cleare To make us see our death for want of light And let us know there 's no long being here Again she warnes by some decay in Teeth Or by a haire that turnes to Lilly white Or by some shaking Palsie which all seeth Or feeble knees or paines by day or night Or hands benum'd or hearing almost lost Or smelling gone which should refresh the braine Or relishing in taste whose choicest gust Is to prepare her guests to entertaine Of all her warnings the true meaning is To let us know shee 'le shortly lead us home And leave us in our woe or in our blisse As we to her have good or evill done As earthly pilgrims while she did sojourne And form her self according to our will With us in houses underneath the Sunne Obediently performing good or ill Then cheer my soul and doe not fear to live Nor will to die but take unto thy guard Securest diligence which doth alwayes give Assurance of hope and due reward In power of the merit of our Jesus And love of God shew'd in his onely Sonne By which dear love he never failes to ease us When earthly joyes and earthly friends are gone Then are we freed to all Eternity From sinne and death and hell and surely then Into true love we shall converted be Unto our God which Heaven is Amen The Offring I Will offer to my onely Good an humble and a contrite heart and my joyfull submission unto his dispose and pleasure for ever I will offer unto his most blessed Majesty his own most gracious love to the works of his own hands I will also offer the blessed conception birth life passion and merit of his sacred Sonne my Saviour Jesus in whom I beleeve O my Eternall Good helpe my unbeliefe and for thy mercy sake give and rightly perfect in me true and saving knowledge and assurance in the infinite mercy of thee my onely Good shewed by thy gracious reconcilement unto me in and through Jesus Christ I will most humbly offer a most willing heart humbly begging of my Eternall Good the blessed guidance of his sacred Spirit to conform and leade my weake and timorous belief aright and to satisfie settle and confirm it in his truth I will also offer unto his gracious goodnesse my most humble and joyfull submissive obedience unto the direction and commands of his most gracious Spirit which I humbly crave may be so powerfull and strong in me that the influence and advantage which the world flesh and devill have against me by reason of my sinne and corruption may not in the least sort be able to move or draw me from yeelding and giving all willing and joyfull submission and obedience thereto but that I may perfectly as I am wholly the creature of my Creator be converted into his perfect will and service and therein rest in perfect joy and peace for ever and this for his onely mercy and goodnesse sake Amen Therefore thus Faine would I have a Royall Sacrifice Worth the presentment to my sacred Good Faine would I finde the Pearle of precious price That by my Saviour so was understood I trust it was with which I 'le here commence An humble soul fram'd of obedience For sure all earthly things are much too vaine Too much corrupted by the fall of man Too much rebellion doth this earth sustaine Too much oppression underneath the Sunne Too little worth they are my Good did make And give me these what need he then retake So is the will and deed to work aright His onely gift but in another sense For outward gifts are unto all alike But holy will and deed arise from hence From God's free love on souls by sacred Spirit As new-born babes prepared to inherit Wherefore my Sacrifice is onely this An humble heart a broken contrite soule Cause me to know it is my onely blisse My onely happinesse without controle To doe thy will make me fit instrument I 'me thine and not my own I 'me full content Belief I do believe that Almighty God is and that he is the rewarder of all them that diligently seeke him I do believe he hath incomprehensible mercy and justice towards all the works of his own hands I do believe that they shall come from all quarters of the world and sit down at his Eternall Table and receive of his infinite bounty I do believe that Almighty God is perfect goodnesse and mercy and justice it self and whoever feareth him and worketh righteousnesse shall be accepted of him I do believe he is the Creator and disposer of all things and this after a manner wholly incomprehensible to mortality I do believe his own beeing and proceeding is onely from himself and is to mortality likewise incomprehensible I do also believe the Apostles Creed concerning the sacred Trinity the Confession of Athanasius and the Confirmation thereof by the Reformed Church of England whereof the providence of my good Creator hath made me a member but in these I must espcially say Good Lord help my unbelief and guide and hold me by thy good and unresistible power in thy blessed service for ever Amen I do believe that with almighty God all things are possible and that his gracious mercy is above all his works And therefore Jesus Christ may be and I believe but Lord help and direct aright my unbelief that he is his onely begotten Sonne and yet conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary that he suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried and descended into hell and the third day rose again from the dead and ascended into Heaven and siâ—teth there on the right hand of God the Father almighty from whence he shall come to judge both the quick and the dead I do believe there is a selected number of Saints in this world which may be comprehended by the holy Catholick Church and that they shall have an eternall communion and fellowship together after this life and that they shall have all their sinnes freely forgiven them and also shall rise together in eternall life at the generall resurrection of which number I believe and trust my self with ot ers more to be for which free and incomprehensible grace I desire with all Saints to give everlasting praise and thanks and to doe everlasting most perfect service unto my good Creator forever Amen I doe also believe in the Holy Ghost and that this sacred Spirit is proceeding from the sacred Deity of the Father and the Sonne which being sent to command and take possession of our souls for the use as it were of the sacred God head we are thereby made fit workers and labourers