thy haste be neuer so much or thy businesse neuer so great yet goe not about it nor out of thy dores till thou hast at least vsed this or the like short prayer A briefe Prayer for the Morning O Merciful father for Iesus Christ his sake I beseech thee forgiue me all my knowne and secret sins which in thought word or deede I haue coÌ„mitted against thy diuine Maiesty And deliuer me from al those iudgements which are due vnto mee for them and sanctifie my heart with thy holy spirit that I may hence foorth leade a more godly and religious life And heere O Lord I praise thy holy name for that thou hast refreshed me this night with moderate sleepe and rest I beseech thee likewise defend me this day from all perils and dangers of body and soule And to this end I commend my selfe and all my actions vnto thy blessed protection and gouernment beseeching thee that whether I liue or die I may liue and die to thy glory and the saluation of my poore soule which thou hast bought with thy precious bloud Blesse me therefore O Lord in my goying out and comming in and grant that whatsoeuer I shall thinke speake or take in hand this day may tend to the glory of thy name the good of others and the comfort of mine owne conscience when I shall come to make before thee my last accounts Grant this O heauenly father for Iesus Christ thy Sonnes fake In whose blessed name I giue thee thy glory and beg at thy hands all other graces which thou seest to be needfull for mee this day and euer in that praier which Christ himselfe hath taught me saying Our Father which art in heauen c. Meditations directing a Christian how he may walke all the day with God like Enoch HAuing thus begâ—n keep all the day after as diligent a watch as thou canst ouer all thy thoughts words and actions which thou maiest easily doe by crauing the assistance of Gods holy spirit and obseruing these few rules First for thy thoughts 1 BE carefull to suppresse euery sinne in the first motion Dash Babylons children whilest they are young against the stones Tread betimes the Cockatrice egge lest it breake out into a Serpâ—nt Let sinne be to the heart a stranger not a home-dweller Take heede of falling oft into the same sin lest the custome of sinning take away the conscience of sinne and then shalt thou waxe so impudently wicked that thou wilt neither feare God nor reuerence man 2 Suffer not thy minde to feedde it selfe vpon any imagination which is either vnpossible for thee to doe or vnprofitable if it be done but rather thinke of the vvorlds vanitie to contemne it of death to expect it of iudgement to auoide it of hell to escape it and of heauen to desire it 3 Desire not to fulfill thy minde in all things but learne to deny thy selfe those desires though neuer so pleasing to thy nature which being attained will draw either scandall on thy Religion or hatred to thy Person Consider in euery thing the ende before thou attempt the Action 4 Labour daily more and more to see thine owne misery through vnbeleefe selfe-loue and wilfull breaches of Gods law and the necessity of Gods mercy through the merits of Christs passion to be such that if thou wert demanded What is the vilest creature vpon the earth thy Conscience may answere mine owne selfe by reason of my great sinnes And that if on the other side thou wert asked What thou esteemest to be the most precious thing in the world Thy heart might answere One drop of Christs blood to wash away my sinnes And as thou tendrest the saluation of thy soule liue not in any wilfull filthinesse For true faith and the purpose of sinning can neuer stand together 5 Approue thy selfe to be a true seruant of Christ not onely in thy generall calling as in the frequent vse of the Word and Sacraments but also in thy particular in making conscience to eschue euery knowne sinne and to obey God in euery one of his commandements like Iosiah who turned to God with all his heart according to all the Law of Moses And Zacharie and Elizabeth who walked in all the commandements of God without reproofe But if at any time through frailty thou slippest into any sinne Lye not in it but speedily rise out of it by vnfained repentance Praying for pardon til thy conscience be pacified thy hatred of sinne increased and thy purpose of amendement confirmed 6 Beware of affecting popularitie by adulation the end neuer proues good And though attayned by due desert yet mannage it wisely lest it prooue more dangerous then contempt For States desire but to keepe downe whom they contemne for their vnworthinesse but to cut off whom they enuy for their greatnessâ— He therefore is truely prudent who considering the premises neither affecteth nor neglecteth popularity But in any wise take heede of harbouring a discontented minde for it may worke thee more woe then thou art aware of It is a speciall mercy in the multitude of so many blessings as thou doest enioy to haue some crosses God giues thee many blessings lest through want being his childe thou shouldest despaire And hee sends thee some crosses lest by too much prosperity playing the foole thou shouldest presume Many who haue mounted to great dignities would haue contented themselues with meaner had they knowne their great dangers Loue therefore competencie rather then eminencie And in all thy will haue euer an eye to Gods will least thy self-action turnes to thine owne destruction Happy the man who in this short life is least knowne of the world so that hee doth truely know God and himselfe Whatsoeuer crosse therefore thou hast to discontent thee remember that it is lesse then thy sinnes haue deserued Count therefore Christ thy chiefest ioy and sinne thy greatest griefe estimate no want to the want of Grace nor any losse to the losse of Gods fauour And then the discontentment for outward things shall the lesse perplexe thine inward minde And as oft as Sathan shall offer any motion of discontentment to thy minde remember Saint Pauls admonition Wee brought nothing into this World and it is certaine that wee can carry nothing out And hauing foode and raiment let vs be therewith content But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drowne men in destruction and perdition Pray therefore with wise Agur O Lord giue me neyther pouertie nor riches feede mee with foode conuenient for mee least I be too full and deny thee and say Who is the Lord Or least I be poore and steale and take the Name of my God in vaine 7 Bestow no more thought vpon worldly things then thou needes must for the discharge of thy place and the maintenance of thine estate but still
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
TO THE HIGH AND mighty Prince CHARLES Prince of WALES CHRIST IESVS the PRINCE of Princes blesse your Highnesse with length of dayes and an increase of all Graces which may make you truely prosperous in this life and eternally happy in that which is to come Ionathan shot three Arrowes to driue Dauid further off from Sauls furie and this is the third Epistle which I haue written to draw your Highnesse neerer to Gods fauour by directing your heart to beginne like Iosiah in your youth to seeke after the GOD of DAVID and of IACOB your Father Not but that I know that your Highnesse doth this without mine admonition but because I would with the Apostle haue you to abound in euery Grace in faith and knowledge and in all diligence and in your loue to Gods Seruice and true Religion Neuer was there more neede of plaine and vnfained Admonitions for the Comicke in that saying seemes but to haue prophesied of our times Obsequium amicos veritas odium parit And no maruell seeing that wee are fallen into the dregges of Time which being the last must needes be the worst dayes And how can there be worse seeing Vanitie knowes not how to be vainer nor Wickednesse how to be more wicked And whereas heretofore those haue beene counted most holy who haue shewed themselues most zealous in their Religion they are now reputed most discreet who can make the least profession of their Faith And that these are the last daies appeares euidently because that Securitie of mens eternall state hath so ouerwhelmed as CHRIST fore-told it should all sorts that most who now liue are become louers of pleasures more then louers of God And of those who pretend to loue GOD. O GOD what sanctified hart can but bleede to beholde how seldome they come to prayers how irreuerently they heare Gods Word what strangers they are at the Lords Table what assiduous spectators they are at Stage-playes where being Christians they can sport themselues to heare the Vassals of the Diuell scoffing Religion and blasphemously abusing phrases of holy Scripture on their Stages as familiarly as they vse their Tabacco-pipes in their bibbing-houses So that he who would now adayes seeke in most Christians for the power shall scarse almost finde the very shew of godlinesse Neuer was there more sinning neuer lesse remorse for sinne Neuer was the Iudge neerer to come neuer was there so little preparation for his comming And if the Bride-groome should now come how many who thinke themselues wise enough and full of all knowledge would be found foolish Virgines without one droppe of the Oyle of sauing Faith in their lamps For the greatest wisedome of most men in this age consists in being wise first to deceiue others and in the end to deceiue themselues And if sometimes some good Booke haps into their hands or some good motion comes into their heads whereby they are put in minde to consider the vncertaintie of this life present or how weake assurance they haue of eternall life if this were ended and how they haue some secret sinnes for which they must needes repent here or be punished for them in Hell hereafter Securitie then forthwith whispers the Hypocrite in the Eare that though it be fit to thinke of these things yet It is not yet time and that hee is yet young enough though hee cannot but know that many millions as young as himselfe are already in hell for want of timely Repentance Presumption warrants him in the other Eare that hee may haue time hereafter at his leasure to repent and that howsoeuer others dye yet hee is farre enough from death and therefore may boldly take yet a longer time to enioy his sweete pleasures and to encrease his vvealth and greatnesse And hereupon like Salomons Sluggard he yeelds himselfe to a little more sleepe a little more slumber a little more folding of the hands to sleepe in his former sinnes till at last Despayre Securities ougly hand-maide comes in vnlooked for shewes him his Houre-glasse dolefully telling him that his time is past and that nothing now remaines but to dye and be damn'd Let not this seeme strange to any for too many haue found it too true more without more grace are like to be thus soothed to their end and in the end snared to their endlesse perdition In my desire therefore of the common saluation but especially of your Highnesse euerlasting Welfare I haue endeuoured to extract out of the Chaos of endlesse Controuersies the olde Practise of true PIETIE which flourished before these Controuersies were hatched which my poore labours in a short while comes now forth againe the third time vnder the gracious protection of your Highnesse fauour and by their entertainment seeme not to be altogether vnwelcome to the Church of Christ. If to be pious hath in all ages beene held true honour how much more honourable is it in so impious an age to be the true Patrone and Patterne of Pietie Pietie made Dauid Salomon Iehosaphat Ezechias Iosias Zerubbabel Constantine Theodosidus Edward the 6. Queene Elizabeth Prince Henry and other religious Princes to be so honoured that their names since their deaths smels in the Church of GOD like a precious oyntment and their remembrance is sweet as Hony in all mouthes and as Musicke at a banquet of Wine when as the liues of others who haue beene godlesse and irreligious Princes doe rot and stinke in the memory of Gods people And what honour is it for great men to haue great titles on earth when God counts their Names vnworthy to be written in his Booke of life in heauen It is Pietie that enbalmes a Prince his good name and make his face to shine before men and glorifieth his Soule among Angels For as Moses face by often talking with GOD shined in the eyes of the People so by frequent praying which is our talking with God and hearing the Word which is Gods speaking vnto vs we shall be changed from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord to the Image of the Lord. And seeing this life is vncertaine to all especially to Princes What argument is more fit both for Princes and People to study then that which teacheth sinfull man to deny himselfe by mortifying his corruption that hee may enioy Christ the Author of his saluation To renounce these false and momentanie pleasures of the world that he may attaine to the true and eternall ioyes of Heauen to make them truely honourable before God in Piety who are now onely honourable before men in vanitie What charges soeuer wee spend in earthly vanities for the most part they eyther dye before vs or wee shortly die after them but what we spend like Mary in the Practise of Pietie shall remaine our true memoriall for euer For Pietie hath the promise of this life and of that which shall neuer
man hath conflicted vvith long sicknesse and hauing endured the brunt of paine should now expect some ease in comes Death Natures slaughter-man Gods curse and Hels purueyor and lookes the olde man grimme and blacke in the face and neither pitying his age nor regarding his long-endured dolours will not be hyred to forbeare eyther for siluer or gold nay he will not take to spare his life skin for skin and all that the olde man hath but batters all the principall parts of his body and arrests him to appeare before the terrible Iudge And as thinking that the olde man will not dispatch to goe with him fast enough Lord how many darts of calamities doth he shoot through him stitches aches crampes feauers obstructions rhewmes flegme collicke stone wind c. Oh what a ghastly sight it is to see him then in his bed when Death hath giuen him his mortall wound what a cold sweat ouer-runnes all his body what a trembling possesseth all his members the head shooteth the face waxeth pale the nose blacke the neather law-bone hangeth down the eye-strings breake the tongue faltreth the breath shortneth and smelleth earthy the throate ratleth and at euery gaspe the heart-strings are ready to breake asunder Now the miserable Soule sensibly perceiueth her earthly body to beginne to dye for as towards the dissolution of the vniuersall frame of the great world the Sunne shall be turned into darknesse the Moone into bloud and the Stars shall fall from heauen the Ayre shall be full of stormes flashing Meteors the Erath shall tremble and the Sea shall roare and mens hearts shall faile for feare expecting the end of such sorrowfull beginnings So towards the dissolution of man which is the little world his Eyes which are as the Sunne and Moone lose their light and see nothing but bloud-guiltinesse of sinne the rest of the Senses as lesser Starres doe one after another faile and fall his Minde Reason and Memorie as heauenly powers of his Soule are shaken with fearefull stormes of despaire and first flashings of Hell-fire his earthly body beginnes to shake and tremble and the humours like an ouer-flowing Sea roare and rattle in his throate still expecting the wofull ends of these dreadfull beginnings Whilest he is thus summoned to appeare at the great Assizes of Gods Iudgement behold a Quarter-Sessions and Gaole-deliuery is held within himselfe where Reason sits as Iudge the Diuell puts in a Bill of inditement as large as that Booke of Zacharie wherein is alledged all thy euill deeds that euer thou hast committed and all the good deedes that euer thou hast omitted and all the curses and iudgements that are due to euery sinne Thine owne Conscience shall accuse thee and thy Memory shall giue bitter euidence and Death stands at the Barre ready as a cruell Executioner to dispatch thee If thou shalt thus condemne thy selfe how shalt thou escape the iust condemnation of God who knowes all thy misdeeds better then thy selfe Faine wouldest thou put out of thy minde the remembrance of thy wicked deeds that trouble thee but they flow faster into thy remembrance and they will not be put away but cry vnto thee Wee are thy workes and we will follow thee And whilest thy Soule is thus within out of peace and order thy children wife and friends trouble thee as fast to haue thee put thy goods in order some crying some crauing some pittying some cheering all like Flesh-flies helping to make thy sorrowes more sorrowfull Now the Diuels who are come from hell to fetch away thy soule beginne to appeare to her and wait as soone as she comes forth to take her and carry her away Stay she would within but that shee feeles the body beginne by degrees to dye and ready like a ruinous house to fall vpon her head Fearefull shee is to come forth because of those Hell-hounds which wait for her comming Oh shee that spent so many dayes and nights in vaine and idle pastimes would now giue the whole world if she had it for one howres delay that shee might haue space to repent and reconcile her selfe vnto GOD. But it cannot be because her Body which ioyned with her in the actions of sin is altogether now vnfit to ioyne with her in the exercise of repentance Repentance must be of the whole man Now she seeth that all her pleasures are gone as if they had neuer beene and that but onely torments remaine which neuer shall haue end of being Who can sufficiently expresse her remorse for her sinnes past her anguish for her present miserie and her terror for the torments to come In this extremitie shee lookes euery where for help and shee findes her selfe euery way helplesse Thus in her greatest miserie desirous to heare the least word of comfort shee directs this or the like speech vnto her Eyes O Eyes who in times past were so quicke-sighted can yee spie no comfort nor any way how I might escape this dreadfull danger But the Eye-strings are broken they cannot see the Candle that burneth before him nor discerne whether it be day or night The Soule finding no comfort in the Eyes speakes to the eares O earaes who were wont to recreate your selues with hearing new pleasant discourses and Musickes sweetest harmonie can you heare any newes or tydings of the least comfort for mee The Eares are eyther so deafe that they cannot heare at all or the sense of hearing is growne so weake that it cannot endure to heare his dearest friends to speake And why should those eares heare any tydings of ioy in Death who could neuer abide to heare the glad Tydings of the Gospell in his life The Eare can minister no comfort Then shee intimates her griefe vnto the Tongue O Tongue who wast wont to brag it out vvith the brauest where are now thy bigge and daring words now in my greatest need canst thou speake nothing in my defence Canst thou neyther daunâ— these Enemies with threatning wordes nor entreat them vvith faire speeches Alas the Tongue two dayes agoe lay speechlesse it cannot in his greatest extremitie either call for a little drincke or desire a friend to take away with his finger the flegme that is ready to choake him Finding here no hope of helpe shee speakes vnto the feete Where are yee O feet which sometime were so nimble in running can you carry me no where out of this dangerous place The feete are stone dead already If they be not stird they cannot stirre Then shee directs her speech vnto her hands O hands who haue beene so often approued for manhood in peace and warre and wherewith I haue so often defended my selfe and offended my foes neuer had I more need then now Death lookes mee grimme in the face and kils mee Hellish fiends waile about my bed to deuoure mee helpe now or I perish for euer Alas the hands are so weake and doe so tremble that they cannot reach to the mouth
qualities but the same still in substance And howsoeuer sinne and corruption makes a man in this state of mortality lower then Angels yet surely when God shall thus Crowne him with glory and honour I cannot see how man shall be any thing inferiour to Angels For are they Spirits So is Man also in respect of his soule yea more then this they shall haue also a spirituall Body Fashioned like vnto the glorious body of the Lord Iesus Christ in whom mans nature is exalted by a personall vnion into the glory of the Godhead and indiuiduall society of the blessed Trinity An honor which he neuer vouchsafed Angels And in this respect man hath a prerogatiue aboue them Nay they are but spirits appointed to be ministers vnto the Elect and as many of them who at the first disdained this office and would not keep their first standing were for their pride hurled into hell This lesseneth not the dignity of Angels but extols the greatnesse of Gods loue to Mankinde But as for all the Elect who at that second and sodaine comming of Christ shall be found quicke and liuing The fire that shall burne vp the corruption of the world and the workes therein shall in a moment in the twinkling of an eye ouertake them as it findes them either grinding in the mill of prouision or walking in the fields of pleasure or lying in the bed of ease and so burning vp their drosse and corruption of mortall make them immortall bodies and this change shall be vnto them in stead of death Then shall the Soule with ioyfulnesse greete her body saying Oh well met againe my deare sister How sweet is thy voice how comely is thy countenance hauing lyen hid so long in the clifts of the rockes and in the secret places of the graue Thou art indeed an habitation fit not onely for me to dwell in but such as the Holy Ghost thinkes meete to reside in as his Temple for euer The Winter of our affliction is now past the storme of our misery is blowne ouer and gone The Bodies of our Elect Brethren appeare more glorious then the Lilly flowers on the earth the time of singing Halleluâ—ah is come and the voyce of the Trumpet is heard in the Land Thou hast beene my Yoâ—ke-fellow in the Lords labours and companion in persecutions and wrongs for Christ and his Gospels sake now shall we enter together into our Masters ioy as thou hast borne with mee the crosse so shalt thou now weare with mee the Crowne as thou hast with mee sowed plenteously in teares so shalt thou reape with mee aboundantly in ioy O blessed aye blessed be that GOD who vvhen yonder reprobates spent their whole time in Pride fleshly lusts eating drinking and profane vanities gaue vs grace to ioyne together in watching fasting praying reading the Scriptures keeping his Sabboths hearing Sermons receiuing the holy Communion relieuing the Poore exercising in all humilitie the workes of Pietie to God and vvalking conscionably in the duties of our calling towards men Thou shalt anone heare no mention of thy sinnes for they are remitted and couered but euery good worke vvhich thou hast done for the Lords sake shall be rehearsed and rewarded Cheere vp thy heart for thy Iudge is flesh of thy flesh and bone of thy bone Lift vp thy head behold these glorious Angels like so many Gabriels flying towards vs to tell vs that the day of our Redemption is come and to conuey vs in the clouds to meete our Redeemer in the Ayre Loe they are at hand arise therefore my Doue my Loue my faire One and come away and so like Roes or young Harts they runne with Angels towards Christ ouer the trembling mountaines of Bâ—ther 6 Both quicke and dead being thus reuiued and glorified shall forth-with by the ministery of Gods holy Angels be gathered from all the quarters and parts of the world and caught vp together in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Ayre and so shall come with him as a part of his glorious traine to iudge the Reprobates and euill Angels The twelue Apostles shall sit vpon twelue Thrones next Christ to iudge the twelue Tribes who refused to heare the Gospell preached by their Ministerie And all the Saints in honour and order shall stand next vnto them as Iudges also to iudge the euill Angels and earthly-minded men And as euery of them receiued grace in this life to be more zealous of his glory and more faithfull in his Seruice then others so shall their glory and reward be greater then others in that day The place whither they shall be gathered vnto Christ and where Christ shal sit in Iudgement shall be in the Ayre ouer the valley of Iehosaphat by mount Oliuet neere vnto Ierusalem East-ward from the Temple as it is probable for foure reasons 1 Because the holy Scripture seemes to intimate so much in plaine wordes I will gather all Nations into the valley of Iehosaphat and pleade with them there Cause thy mightie ones to come downe O Lord let the Heathen be wakened and come vp to the valley of Iehosaphat for there will I sit to iudge all the Heathen round about Iehosaphat signifieth the Lord will iudge And this valley was so called from the great victory vvhich the LORD gaue Iehosaphat and his people ouer the Ammonites Miabites and Inhabitants of Mount Seir. Which victory was a Type of the finall victory which Christ the supreame Iudge shall giue his Elect ouer all their Enemies in that place at the last day as all the Iewes interprete it See Zach. 14.4 5. Psal. 51.1.2 c. all agreeing that the place shall be thereabouts 2 Because that as Christ was there-abouts crucified and put to open shame so ouer that place his glorious Throne should be erected in the Ayre when hee shall appeare in Iudgement to manifest his Maiestie and glory for it is meete that Christ should in that place iudge the world with righteous Iudgement where he himselfe was vniustly iudged and condemned 3 Because that seeing the Angels shall be sent to gather together the Elect from the foure windes from one end of heauen to the other It is most probable that the place whither they shall be gathered to shall be neere Ierusalem and the valley of Iehosaphat which Cosmographers describe to be in the middest of the superficies of the Earth I the termini a quibus be the foure parts of the World the terminus ad quem must be about the Center 4 Because the Angels tolde the Disciples that as they saw Christ ascend from Mount Oliuet which is ouer the valley of Iehosaphat so hee shall in like maner come downe from Heauen This is the opinion of Aquinas and all the Schoolemen except Lombard and Alexander Hales 7 Lastly when Christ is set in his glorious
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
rebuke me of sinne yet euery regenerated Christian can say of himselfe which of you can rebuke mee of being an Adulterer whoremonger swearer drunkard theefe vsurer oppressor proud malicious couetous profaner of the holy Saboth a Lyer a neglecter of Gods publike Seruice and such like grosse sinnes else hee is no true Christian. When a man casts off the conscience of being ruled by Gods Law then GOD giues him ouer to be led by his owne lusts the surest signe of a reprobate sense Thus the Law vvhich since the Fall no man by his owne naturall abilitie can fulfill is fulfilled in truth of euery regenerated Christian through the gratious assistance of Christs holy Spirit And this Spirit GOD will giue to euery Christian that will pray for it and incline his heart to keepe his Lawes V. When the vnregenerated man heares that GOD delighteth more in the inward minde then in the outward man Then he faineth vvith himselfe that all outward reuerence and profession is but eyther superstitious or superfluous Hence it is that hee seldome kneeleth in the Church that hee puts on his hat at singing of Psalmes and the publike Prayers vvhich the profane varlet would not offer to doe in the presence of a Prince or a Noble-man And so that hee keepe his minde vnto GOD hee thinkes hee may fashion himselfe in other things to the World Hee diuides his thoughts and giues so much to GOD and so much to his owne lusts yea hee will deuide with GOD the Sabboth and vvill giue him almost the one halfe and spend the other wholy in his owne pleasures But know ô carnall man that Almightie GOD will not be serued by halfes because hee hath created and redeemed the whole man And as GOD detests the seruice of the outward man without the inward heart as Hypocrisie so hee counts the inward seruice without all externall reuerence to be meere profanenesse hee requireth both in his worship In prayer fore bowe thy knees in witnesse of thy humiliation lift vp thine eyes and thy hands in testimonie of thy confidence hang down thy head smite thy breasts in token of thy contrition but especially call vpon God with a sincere heart serue him holy serue him wholy serue him onely for GOD and the Prince of this world are two contrary Masters and therefore no man can possibly serue both VI. The vnregenerated Christian holdes the hearing of the Gospell preached to be but an indifferent matter which he may vse or not vse at his pleasure but whosoeuer thou art that will be assured in thy heart that thou art one of Christs elect sheepe thou must make a speciall care and conscience if possibly thou canst to heare Gods word preached For first the preaching of the Gospell is the chiefe ordinary meanes which GOD hath appointed to conuert the soules of all that hee hath predestinated to be saued therefore it is called the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth And where this diuine ordinance is not the people perish and whosoeuer shall refuse it it shall be more tollerable for the Land of Sâ—dome and Gomorrha in the day of Iudgement then for those people Secondly the preaching of the Gospel is the standard or ensigne of Christ to which all Souldiers and elect people must assemble themselues When this Ensigne is displayed as vpon the Lords day hee is none of Christs people that flockes not vnto it neyther shall any drop of the raine of his Grace light on their soules Thirdly it is the ordinary meanes by which the holy Ghost begetteth Faith in our hearts without which wee cannot please God If the hearing of Christs voyce be the chiefe marke of Christs elect sheepe and of the Bridegroomes friend then must it be a fearefull marke of a reprobate Goate eyther to neglect or contemne to heare the preaching of the Gospell Let no man thinke this position foolish for by this foolishnesse of preaching it pleaseth GOD to saue them which beleeue Their state is therefore fearefull who liue in peace vvithout caring for the preaching of the Gospell Can men looke for Gods Mercy and despise his meanes He saith Christ of the Preachers of his Gospell that despiseth you despiseth mee Hee that is of God heareth Gods words yee therefore heare them not because ye are not of God Had not the Israelites heard Phineas message they had neuer wept Had not the Baptist preached the Iewes had neuer mourned Had not they who crucified Christ heard Peters Sermon their hearts had neuer beene pricked Had not the Nineuites heard Ionas preaching they had neuer repented and if thou wilt not heare and repent thou shalt neuer be saued VII The opinion that the Sacraments are but bare signes seales of Gods promise and grace vnto vs doth not a little hinder Pietie whereas indeede they are seales as well of our Seruice and obedience vnto GOD which seruice if wee performe not vnto him the Sacraments seale no grace vnto vs. But if wee receiue them vpon the resolution to be his faithfull and penitent Seruants then the Sacraments doe not onely signifie and â—ffer but also seale and exhibite indeede the inward spirituall grace vvhich they outwardly promise and reprâ—sent And to this ende Baptisme is called the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost and the Lords Supper The communion of the body and bloud of Christ. Were this truth beleeued the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper would be oftner and with greater reuerence receiued VIII The last and not the least blocke whereat Pietie stumbleth in the course of Religion is by adorning vices with the names of Vertues as to call drunken carowsing drinking of health spilling innocent bloud valor Gluttonie hospitalitie Couetâ—ousnesse thriftinesse Whoredome louing a Mistresse Symonie gratuâ—â—â— Pride gracefulnesse dissembling complement children of Belial good-fellowes Wrath hastinesse ribauldry mirth So on the other side to call Sobrietie in words and actions Hypocrisie Almes-deedes vaine-glory Deuotion Superstition Zeale in Religion Puritanisme Humilitie crouching scruple of Conscience precisenesse c. and whilest thus wee call euill good and good euill true Pietie is much hindered in her progresse And thus much of the first hinderance of Pietie by mistaking the true sense of some speciall places of Scripture and grounds of Christian Religion The second hinderance of Pietie 2 The euill example of great persons The practise of of whose prophane liues they preferre for their imitation before the precepts of Gods holy word So that when they see the greatest meÌ„ in the state many chiefe Gentlemen in their Countrey to make neither care nor conscience to heare Sermons to receiue the Communion nor to sanctifie the Lords Sabbaths c. But to be swearers adulterers carowsers oppressours c. Then they thinke that the vsing of these holy ordinances are
those are reckoned tenne in number If this were now but an abrogated ceremony then there were but nine commandements The Ceremoniall that were to be abrogated by Christ were written all by Moses But this of the Sabbath with the other nine written by GOD himselfe were put into the Arke where no Ceremoniall Law was put to shew that they should bee the perpetuall rules of the Church yet such as none could perfectly fulfill and keepe but onely Christ. 4 Because Christ professeth that hee came not to destroy the morall law and that the least of them should not bee abrogated in his kingdome of the new Testament Insomuch that Whosoeuer breaketh one of the least of these tenne commandements and teacheth men so hee should be called the least in the kingdome of heauen that is hee should haue no place in his Church Now the Morall Law commandeth one day of seuen to bee perpetually kept a holy Sabbath And Christ himselfe expresly mentioneth the the keeping of a Sabbath among his Christians at the destruction of Ierusalem about 42. yeeres after his Resurrection By which time all the Mosaical ceremonies except eating of bloud and things strangled were by a publike decree of all the Apostles quite abolished and abrogated in Christian Churches And therefore Christ adomonished his Disciples to pray that their flight bee not in the Winter nor on the Sabbath day Not in the winter for that by reason of the foulnesse of the waies and weather their flight should be more painefull and troublesome vnto them not vpon the Sabath because it would bee more grieuous to their hearts to spend that day in toyling to saue their liues which the Lord had commanded to be spent in holy exercises to comfort their soules Now if the sanctifying of the Sabaoth on this day had bene but ceremoniall it had beene no griefe to haue fled on this day no more then on any other day of the weeke But in that Christ doth tender so much this feare and griefe of being driuen to flye on the Sabath day and therefore wisheth his to pray vnto God to preuent such an occasion hee plainely demonstrates that the obseruation of the Sabbath is no abrogated ceremony but a Morall commandement confirmed and established by Christ among Christians If you would know the day whereupon Christ appointed Christians to keepe the Sabbath Saint Iohn will tell you that it was on the Lords day Apoc. 1.10 If you will know on what day of the weeke that was Saint Paul will tell you that it was on euery first day of the weeke 1 Cor. 16.1 As Christ admonished so Christians pray and according to their praiers GOD a little before the warres beganne warneth by an Oracle all the Christians in Ierusalem to departe thence and to goe to Pella a little Towne beyond Iorden and so to escape the wrath of GOD that should fall vpon that City and Nation If then a Christian should not without griefe of heart flye for the safety of his life on the Lords day with what ioy or comfort can a true Christian neglect the holy exercises of Gods worship in the Church to spend the greatest part of the Lords day in prophane and carnall sports or seruile labour And seeing the destruction of Ierusalem was both a type and an assurance of the destruction of the world who seeeth not but that the holy Sabbath must continue till the very end of the world 5 Because that all the ceremoniall Law was inioyned to the Iewes onely and not to the Gentiles but this commandement of the holy Sabbath as Matrimony was instituted of God in the state of innocency when there was but one state of all men and therfore inioyned to the Gentiles as well as to the Iewes So that all Magistrates and Housholders were commanded to constraine all strangers as well as their own Subiects and Family to obserue the holy Sabath as appeares by the fourth commandement and practise of Nehemiah All the Ceremonies were a partition wall to separate Iewes and Gentiles But seeing the Gentiles are bound to keepe this commandement as well as the Iewes it is euident that it is no Iewish ceremony And seeing the same authority is for the Sabbath that is for marriage a man may as well say that marriage is but a ceremonial law as the Sabath And remember that where mariage is termed but once the couenant of GOD because instituted by GOD in the beginning So the Sabbath is euery where called the Sabbath of the Lord thy God because ordained by God in the same beginning both of time state and perpetuity therefore not ceremoniall The corruption of our nature found in the manifest opposition of wicked men and in the secret vnwillingnesse of good men to sanctifie sincerely the Sabbath sufficiently demonstrateth that the commandement of the Sabbath is spirituall and morall 7 Because that as God by a perpetuall decree made the the Sunne the Moone and other lights in the Firmament of Heauen not onely to diuide the day from the night but also to bee for signes and for seasons and for daies and for yeeres so hee ordained in the Church on Earth the holy Sabbath to be not onely the appointed season for his solemne worship but also the perpetual rule and measure of time So that as seauen daies make a weeke foure weekes a moneth twelue moneths a yeere so seuen yeeres make a Sabbath of yeeres seuen Sabbaths of yeeres a Iubilie or 80. Iubilies or 4000 yeeres or after Ezechiel 4000 cubits the whole time of the old Testament til Christ by his Baptisme and preaching began the state of the new Testament Neither can I here passe ouer without admiration how the Sacrament of circumcision continued in the Church 39. Iubilies from Abraham to whom it was first giuen vnto the Baptisme of Christ in Iordan which was iust so many Iubilies after Bucholcerus compt as the world had continued before from Adam to the birth of Abraham Moses began his Ministry in the 80. yeere of his age Christ enters vpon his Office in the 80. Iubile of the worlds age Ioseph was 30. yeere olde when he began to rule ouer Egypt Gen. 41.46 and the Leuites began to serue in the Tabernacle at 30. yeeres old so Christ likewise to answere these figures beganne his Ministrie in the 30. Iubile of Moses and when he began to be 30. yeeres of age Luk. 3.23 in the middest of Daniels last weeke and so continuing his ministry on earth 3. yeeres and a halfe finished our redemption and Daniels period by his innocent death vpon the Crosse. The most of all the great alterations and strange accidents which fell out in the Church came to passe either in a Sabaticall yeere or in a yeere of Iubilie For example The 70. weekes of Daniel beginning the first yeere of Cyrus and 3430. yeere of the World containe so
Sabbath vvhich wee call the Lords day and which he himselfe ordained according to Christs commandement in the same Churches of Galatia and Corinth kept himselfe in other Churches but he speakes of the Iewish daies and times and yeeres and the keeping of the Sabbath on the seauenth day from the Creation which he tearmeth shadowes of things to come abolished now by Christ the body and in the Law are called sabbaths but distinguished from the morall Sabbaths 2 That of Paul to the Colossians let no man therfore condemne you in meate or drinke or in respect of an Holy-day or of the new moone or of the Sabbath dayes But here the Apostle meaneth the Iewish ceremoniall Sabbaths not the Christian Lords day as before 3 That of the same Apostle to the Romanes This man esteemeth one day aboue another day and another counteth euery day alike c. But Saint Paul makes no such account For the question there is not betweene Iew Gentiles but betweene the stronger and weaker Christian The stronger esteemed one day aboue another as appeares in that there vvas a day both commanded and receiued in the Church euery where knowne and honoured by the name of the Lords day And therefore Paul saith here that hee that obserued this day obserued it vnto the Lord. The obseruation whereof because of the change of the Iewish seuenth day some weake Christians as many now a dayes thought not so necessary so that if men because the Iewish day is abrogated will not honour and keepe holy the Lords day but count it like other dayes it is an argument saith the Apostle of their weaknesse whose infirmitie must be borne till they haue time to be further instructed and perswaded Other obiections are friuolous and not worth the answering The true manner of keeping holy the Lords day NOW the sanctifying of the Sabbath consists in two things First In resting from all seruile and common businesse pertaining to our naturall life Secondly In consecrating that rest wholy to the seruice of God and the vse of those holy meanes which belong to our spirituall life For the first 1 The seruile and common workes from which wee are to cease are generally all ciuill workes from the least to the greatest More particularly First from all the workes of our calling though it were reaping in the time of haruest Secondly from carrying burthens as Carryers doe or riding abroad for profit or for pleasure GOD hath commanded that the beasts should rest on the Sabbath day because all occasion of trauailing or labouring vvith them should be cut off from man GOD giues them that day a rest and he that without necessitie depriues them of their rest on the Lords day the groanes of the poore tyred beasts shall in the day of the Lord rise vp in Iudgement against him Likewise such as spend the greatest part of this day in trimming painting and pampering of themselues like Iezabels doing the Diuels worke vpon Gods day Thirdly from keeping of Fayres â—r Markets which for the most part God punisheth with pestilence fire and strange flouds Fourthly from studying any books or science but the holy Scriptures Diuinity For our studie must be to bee rauished in spirit vpon the Lords day In a word Thou must on that day cease in thy calling to doe thy worke that the Lord by his calling may doe his worke in thee For whatsoeuer is gotten by common working on this day shall neuer be blessed of the Lord but it will prooue like Achans golde which being got contrary to the Lords commandement brought the fire of Gods curse vpon all the rest which hee had lawfully gotten And if Christ scourged them out as theeues who bought and sold in his Temple which was but a ceremony shortly to be abrogated is it to bee thought that hee will euer suffer those to escape vnpunished who contrary to his commandement buy and sell on the Sabbath day which is his perpetuall law Christ calleth such sacrilegious Theeues and as well may they steale the Communion Câ—p from the Lords Table as steale from GOD the chiefest part of the Lords day to consume it in their owne lasts Such shall one day finde the Iudgements of God heauier then the opinions of men Fiftly from all recreations and sports which at other times are lawfull for if lawfull workes be forbidden on this day much more lawfull sports which do more steale away our affections from the contemplation of heauenly things then any bodily worke or labour Neither can there bee vnto a man that delighteth in the Lord any greater delâ—ght or recreation then the sanctifying of the Lords day For can there be any greater ioy for a person condemned then to come to his Prince his house to haue his pardon sealed For one that is deadly sicke to come to a Phisitian that can cure him Or for a Prodigall childe that fed on the huskes of Swine to bee admitted to eate the bread of life at his Fathers Table Or for him who feares for sinne the tydings of death to come to heare from God the assurance of eternall life If thou wilt allow thy selfe or thy seruant recreation allow it in the sixe daies which are thine not on the Lords day which is neither thine nor theirs No bodily receation therefore is to bee vsed on this day but so farre as it may helpe the soule to doe more cheerefully the seruice of the Lord. Sixtly from grosse feeding liberall drinking of wine or strong drinke which may make vs either drowsiâ— or vnapt to serue GOD with our hearts and mindes Seuenthly from all talking about wordly things which hindreth the sanctifying of the Sabbath more then working seeing one may worke alone but cannot talke but with others He that keepes the Sabbath onely by resting from his ordinary worke keepes it but as a beast But rest on this day is so farre commanded to Christians as it is an helpe to sanctification and labour so farre forbidden as it is an impediment to the outward and inward worship of GOD. If then those recreations which are lawfull at other times are on the Sabbath not allowed much more those that are altogether at all times vnlawfull Who without mourning can endure to see how in most places Christians keepe the Lords day as if they celebrated a feast rather to Bacchus then to the honour of the Lord Iesus the Sauiour and Redeemer of the world For hauing serued God but an houre in outward shew they spend the rest of the Lords day in sitting downe to eate and drinke and rising vp to play First balasting their bellies with eating and drinking and then feeding their lusts with playing and dancing Against which prophanation all holy Diuines both old and new haue in their times most bitterly inueighed Insomuch that August affirmeth that it was better to plough
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
But thou O Lord art the helper of the helplesse and in thee the fatherlesse findeth mercy for though my sinnes be exceeding great yet thy mercy O Lord farre exceedeth them all neither can I commit so many as thy Grace can remit and pardon Wash therefore O Christ my sins with the vertue of thy pretious bloud especially those sinnes vvhich from a penitent heart I haue confessed vnto thee but chiefely O Lord for Christ his sake forgiue mee And seeing that of thy loue thou diddest lay downe thy life for my ransome vvhen I vvas thine enemie Oh saue now the price of thine owne bloud vvhen it shall cost thee but a smile vpon mee or a gratious appearance in thy Fathers sight in my behalfe Reconcile mee once againe O mercifull Mediatour vnto thy Father for though there be nothing in mee that can please him yet I know that in thee and for thy sake hee is well pleased with all whom thou acceptest and louest And if it be thy blessed vvill remoue this sickenesse from mee and restore mee to my former health againe that I may liue longer to set forth thy glory and to be a comfort to my Friends vvhich depend vpon mee and procure to my selfe a more setled assurance of that heauenly inheritance vvhich thou hast prepared for mee And then Lord thou shalt see how religiously and wisely I shall redeeme the time which heretofore I haue so lewdly and prophanely spent and to the end that I may the sooner and the easier be deliuered from this paine and sicknes direct mee O Lord I beseech thee by thy diuine prouidence to such a Physitian and helper as that by thy blessing vpon thy meanes I may recouer my former health and welfare againe And good Lord vouchsafe that as thou hast sent this sicknesse vnto mee so thou wouldest likewise be pleased to send thy holy spirit into my heart whereby this present sicknesse may be sanctified vnto me that I may vse it as thy schoole wherein I may learne to know the greatnesse of my misery and the riches of thy mercy that I may be so humbled at the one that I despaire not of the other and that I may so renounce all confidence of helpe in my selfe or in any other creature that I may onely put the whole rest of my saluation in thy all sufficient merits And forasmuch as thou knowest Lord how weake a vessell I am full of frailty and imperfections and that by nature I am angry and froward vnder euery crosse and affliction O Lord who art the giuer of all good gifts arme me with patience to endure thy blessed will and pleasure and of thy mercy lay no more vpon me then I shall be able to endure and suffer Giue me grace to behaue my selfe in all patience loue and meekenesse vnto those that shall come and visit mee that I may thankefully receiue and willingly embrace all good counsels consolations from them and that they may likewise see in me such good examples of patience and heare from me such godly lessons of comfort as may bee arguments of my Christian faith and profession and instructions vnto them how to behaue themselues when it shal please thee to visit them with the like affliction or sickenesse I know O Lord I haue deserued to die and I desire not longer to liue then to amend my wicked life and in some better measure to set forth thy glory Therefore O Father if it bee thy blessed will restore mee to health againe and grant me a longer life But if thou hast according to thine eternall decree appointed by this sickenesse to call for mee out of this transitory life I resigne my selfe into thy hands and holy pleasure thy blessed will be done whether it be by life or by death Onely I beseech thee of thy mercy forgiue mee all my sinnes and prepare my poore soule that by a true faith and vnfeigned repentance shâ—e may bee ready against the time that thou shalt call for her out of my sicke and sinfull body O heauenly Father who art the hearer of prayers heare thou in heauen this my prayer and in this extremity grant me these requests not for any worthinesse that is in me but for the merits of thy beloued Sonne Iesus my onely Sauiour and Mediator for whose sake thou hast promised to heare vs and to grant whatsoeuer we shall aske of thee in his Name In his name therefore and in his owne words I conclude this my vnperfect Prayer saying Our Father which art in Heauen c. Hauing thus reconciled thy selfe with GOD in Christ 1 Let thy next care be to set thy house in order as Isay aduised king Ezechias making thy last Will and Testament if it bee not already made If it be made then peruse it confirme it and for auoyding all doubts and contention publish it before witnesses that if God call for thee out of this life it may stand in force and vnalterable as thy last Will and Testament and so deliuer it locked or sealed vp in some Boxe to the keeping of a faithfull friend in the presence of honest witnesses 2 But in making thy Testament take a religious Diuines aduise how to bestow thy beneuolence and some honest Lawyers counsell to contriue it according to Law Dispatch this before thy sickenesse doth encrease and thy memory decay lest otherwise thy Testament prooues a dotement and another mans fancy rather then thy will 3 To preuent many inconueniences let me recommend to thy discretion two things 1 If God haue blessed thee with any competent state of wealth make thy Will in thy health time It will neither put thee further from thy goods nor hasten thee sooner to thy death but it will bee a great ease to thy minde in freeing thee from a great trouble when thou shalt haue most need of quiet for when thy house is set in order thou shalt be better enabled to set thy soule in order and to dispose of thy iourney towards GOD. 2 If thou hast children giue to euery one of them a portion according to thine ability in thy life time that thy life may seeme an ease and not a yoake vnto them yet so giue as that thy children may still bee beholding vnto thee and not thou vnto them But if thou keepe all in thy hands whilest thou liuest they may thanke death and not thee for the portion that thou leauest them If thou hast no children and the Lord haue blessed thee with a great portion of the goods of this world and if thou meane to bestow them vpon any charitable or pious vses put not ouer that good worke to the trust of others seeing thou seest how most of other mens Executors prooue almost Executioners And if friends be so vnfaithfull in a mans life How much greater cause hast thou to distrust their fidelity after thy death Lamentable experience sheweth how many dâ—admens Wils haue
bee in distresse and misery whereby wee learne to haue a fellow-feeling of their calamities and to condole their estate as if wee suffered with them And for this cause CHRIST himselfe would suffer and bee tempted in all things like vnto vs sinne onely excepted that he might be a mercifull high Priest touched with the feeling of our infirmities For none can so hartily bemone the misery of another as he who first suffered himselfe the same affliction Hereupon a sinner in miserie may boldly say vnto Christ Non ignare mali miseris succurrito Christe Our frailty sith O Christ thou didst perceiue Condole our state who still in frailties cleaue 8 God vseth our sicknesses and afflictions as meanes and examples both to manifest vnto others the faith and vertues which hee hath bestowed vpon vs as also to strengthen those who haue not receiued so great a measure of faith as wee For there can bee no greater encouragement to a weake Christian then to behold a true professour in the extreamest sickenesse of his body supported with greater patience and consolation in his soule And the comfortable and blessed departure of such a man will arme him against the feare of death and assure him that the hope of the godlie is a farre more pretious thing then that flesh and bloud can vnderstand or mortall eyes beholde in this vale of misery And were it not that wee did see many of those whom we know to be the vndoubted children of GOD to haue endured such affliction and calamities before vs. The greatnesse of the miseries and crosses which oft times wee endure would make vs doubt whether we be the children of GOD or no. And to this purpose Saint Iames saith GOD made Iob and the Prophets an example of suffering aduersity and of long patience 9 By afflictions GOD makes vs conformable to the Image of Christ his sonne who being the Captaine of our saluation was made perfect through sufferings And therefore he first bare the Crosse in shame before hee was crowned with glory and did first taste gall before he did eate the honey combe and was first derided king of the Iewes by the Souldiers in the High priests hal before he was saluted King of glory by the Angles in his Fathers Courte And the more liuely our heauenly Father shal perceiue the image of his naturall Son to appeare in vs the better he will loue vs and when wee haue for a time borne his likenesse in his sufferings and fought and ouercome we shall be crowned by Christ and with Christ sit in his throne and of Christ receiue the pretious white stone and morning starre that shal make vs shine like Christ for euer in his glory 10 Lastly that the godly may bee humbled in respect of their owne state and misery and God glorified by deliuering them out of their troubles and afflictions when we call vpon him for his helpe and succour For though that there is no man so pure but if the Lord will straightly marke iniquities hee shall finde in him iust cause to punish him for his sin Yet the Lord in mercy doth not alwaies in the affliction of his children respect their sinnes but sometimes layeth afflictions and crosses vpon them for his glories sake Thus our Sauiour Christ told his Disciples that the man was not borne blind for his owne or his Parents sinnes but that the worke of God should be shewed on him So hee told them likewise that Lazarus sickenesse was not vnto the death but for the glory of God O the vnspeakeable goodnesse of God which turneth those afflictions which are the shame and punishment due to our sinnes to bee the subiect of his honour and glory These are the blessed and profitable endes wherefore God sendeth sickenesse and afflictions vpon his children whereby it may plainely appeare that afflictions are not signes either of Gods hatred or of our reprobation but rather tokens and pledges of his fatherly loue vnto his children whom he loueth and therefore chasteneth them in this life where vpon repentance there remaines hope of pardon rather then to referre the punishment to that life where there is no hope of pardon nor ende of punishment For this cause the Christians in the Primitiue Church were wont to giue God great thankes for afflicting them in this life So the Apostles reioyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christs name Act. 5.41 And the Christian Hebrewes suffered with ioy the spoiling of their goods knowing that they had in heauen a better and an induring substance Heb. 10.34 And in respect of these holy endes the Apostle saith That though no affliction for the present seemeth ioyous but grieuous yet afterwards it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse to them who are thereby exercised Pray therefore heartily that as God hath sent vnto thee this sickenesse so it would please him to come himselfe vnto thee with thy sickenesse by teaching thee to make those sanctifyed vses of it for which hee hath inflicted the same vpon thee Meditation for one that is recouered from sickenesse IF GOD hath of his mercy heard thy prayers and restored thee to thy health againe consider vvith thy selfe 1 That thou hast now receiued from GOD as it were another life Spend it therefore to the honour of God in newnesse of life Let thy sinne die with thy sickenesse but liue thou by grace to holinesse 2 Be not the more secure that thou art restored to health neither insult in thy selfe that thou hast escaped death but thinke rather that GOD seeing how vnprepared thou wast hath of his mercy heard thy prayer spared thee and giuen thee some little longer time of respite that thou maiest both amend thy life and put thy selfe in a better readinesse against the time that he shall call for thee without further delay out of this world For though thou hast escaped this It may be thou shalt not escape the next sickensse 3 Consider how fearefull a reckoning thou haddest made before the Iudgement seat of Christ by this time if thou haddest dyed of this sicknesse Spend therefore the time that remaines so as that thou maiest be able to make a more cheerefull account of thy life when it must be expired indeed 4 Put not farre off the day of death thou knowest not for all this how neere it is at hand and being so fairely warned be wiser for if thou be taken vnprouided the next time thy excuse will be lesse and thy iudgement greater 5 Remember that thou hast vowed amendment and newnesse of life Thou hast vowed a vow vnto God defer not to pay it for hee delighteth not in fooles pay therefore that thou hast vowed The vncleane spirit is cast out Oh let him not re-enter with seuen worse then himselfe Thou hast sighed out the groanes of contrition thou hast wept the teares of repentance thou art washed in
vpon me till thou callest for my soule and then to carry her as they did the soule of Lazarus into thy heauenly kingdome And as the time of my departure shall approach neerer vnto me so grant O Lord that my soule may drawe neerer vnto thee And that I may ioyfully commend her into thy hands as into the hands of a louing Father and mercifull Redeemer and at that instant O Lord graciously receiue my spirit All which that I may doe assist me I beseech thee with thy grace and let thy holy spirit continue with me vnto the end and in the end for Iesus Christ his sake thy Sonne my Lord and onely Sauiour In whose name I giue thee thy glory and begge these things at thy hand in that prayer which he himselfe hath taught me Our Father c. Meditations against despaire or doubting of Gods mercy IT is found by continuall experience that neere the time of death when the children of GOD are weakest then Sathan makes the greatest flourish of his strength and assailes them with his strongest temptations For hee knoweth that either he must now or neuer preuaile for if their soules once get to heauen he shall neuer vâ—xe nor trouble them any more And therefore he will now bestirre himselfe as much as he can and labour to set before their eyes all the grosse sinnes which euer they committed and the iudgements of God which are due vnto them thereby to driue them if he can to despaire which is a grieuouser sinne then all the sinnes that they committed or hee can accuse them of If Sathan therefore trouble thy conscience more towards thy death then in thy life time 1 Confesse thy sins vnto GOD not onely in generall but also in particular 2 Make satisfaction vnto those men whom thou hast wronged if thou bee able And if thou doest iniuriously or fraudulently detaine or keepe in thy possession any lands or goods that of right doe belong vnto any Widow or Fatherlesse childe presume not as thou tenderest thy soules health to looke Christ the righteous Iudge in the face vnlesse thou doest first make a restitution thereof to the right owners For the Law of God vnder the penalty of his curse requireth thee to restore whatsoeuer was giuen thee to keepe or which was committed to thy trust or whatsoeuer by robbery or violent oppression thou tookest from thy neighbour with a fift part for amends added to the principall And vnlesse that like Zacheus thou doest make restitution of such goods and lands according to Gods law thou canst neuer truly repent and without true Repentance thou canst neuer bee saued But though by the temptation of the Diuell thou hast done wrong and iniury yet if thou doest truly repent and make restitution to thy power the Lord hath promised to bee mercifull vnto thee to heare the praiers of his faithfull ministers for thee to forgiue thee thy trespasse and sinne and to receiue thy soule in the merits of Christs blood as a Lambe without blemish 3 Aske GOD for Christ his sake pardon and forgiuenesse And then these troubles of minde are no discouragements but rather comforts exercises not punishments They are assurances vnto thee that thou art in the right way for the way to Heauen is by the gates of Hell that is by suffering paines in the body and such doubtings in the minde that thy estate in this life being euery way made bitter the ioyes of eternall life may relish vnto thee better and more sweet If Satan tell thee that thou hast no faith because thou hast no feeling meditate 1 That the truest faith hath oftentimes the least feeling and greatest doubts but so long as thou hatest such doubtings they shall not be laide vnto thy charge for they belong to the flesh from which thou art diuorced When thy flesh shall perish thy weake inward man which hates them and loues the Lord Iesus shall be saued 2 That it is a better faith to beleeue without feeling then with feeling The least faith so much as a graine of mustard seed so much as is in an infant baptized is inough to saue the soule which loueth CHRIST and beleeueth in him 3 That the child of God which desireth to feâ—le the assurance of Gods fauour shall haue his desire when God shall see it to bee for his good for God hath promised to giue them the water of life who thirst for it Wee haue an example in Master Glouer the holy Martyr who could haue no comfortable feeling till hee came to the sight of the stake and then cryed out and clapped his hands for ioy to his friend saying O Austen hee is come he is come meaning the feeling ioy of faith and the holy Ghost Tarry therefore the Lordâ— leasure be strong and he shall comfort thine heart If Sathan shall aggrauate vnto thee the greatnesse the multitude and hainousnesse of thy sinnes meditate 1 That vpon true repentance it is as easie with GOD to forgiue the greatest sinne as the least and he is as willing to forgiue many as to pardon one And his mercy shineth more in pardoning great sinners then small offenders as appeares in the examples of Manasses Magdalene Peter Paul c. And where sinne most abounded there doth his grace reioyce to abound much more 2 That GOD did neuer forsake any man till that a man did first forsake GOD as appeares in the examples of Caine Saul Achitophel Ahazia Iudas c. 3 That God calleth all euen those sinners who are heauy laden with sinne and that he did neuer deny his mercy to any sinner that asked his mercy with a penitent heart This the history of the Gospel witnesseth There came vnto Christ all sorts of sicke sinners the blinde lame halâ— leapers such as were sicke of palsies dropsies bloudy flixes such as were lunaticks and possessed with vncleane spirits and Diuels Yet of all those not one that came and asked his mercie and helpe went away without his errant If mercy hee asked mercy he found were his sinne neuer so great were his disease neuer so grieuous Nay he offered and gaue his mercy to many who neuer asked it being moued onely with the bowels of his owne compassion and the sight of their misery as to the woman of Samaria the widow of Naim and to the sicke-man that lay at the poole of Bethesda who had beene 38. yeeres sicke If he thus willingly gaue his mercy to them that did not aske it and was found of them as the Prophet saith that sought him not will he deny mercy vnto thee who doest so earnestly pray for it with teares and doest like the poore Publican so haâ—tily knocke for it with penitent fists vpon a brused and broken heart Especially when thou prayest to thy Father in the name and mediation of Christ for
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
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