then light because the deedos there of are evill so that if it could have seene it is now stark blind Or if it be not blind I am sure that I am blind I can see none of it Hos 13 8. 'T is true the reason of it is because there is a caule growe's over it and I have noe body to help mee as Ephraim had to rend the caule off it that so I might see 1 King 8.38 Or else it is an infected one 't is visited with the sicknesse with the plague and yet I doe not know the plague of mine owne heart or else it is wicked so wicked that like unto Shimei I cannot learne c 2.44 I doe not know all the wickednesse that mine heart is privie to and if it bee thus wicked Pro 10.20 I have but small comfort from King Salomon for hee tell 's mee that the heart of the wicked is litle worth So that whether my heart be dry or dead or fatt or blind or hidden or infected with the plague or wicked what am I the better for it Nay am I not farre worse infinitely worse rather And yet now I thinke upon it now I examine my selfe a litle better I have just none at all True it is that once I had one but may I not say as the Prophet did that whoredome Hos 4.11 and wine and new wine have taken it away 'T is stollen away sin hath stollen it quite away unawares of mee just as Iacob stole away un awares to Laban or as Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel from his father Gen. 31.20 2. Sam. 15.6 when they came to the King for judgment Alasse I should have kept it in deede I should have kept it with all diligence if I had taken the advise of the wise King Salomon Prov. 4.23 1 Thes 3.13 2 Thes 2.17 Heb 13 9. Deut 20.3 for out of it are the issues of life I should have established it or have beg'd of God that hee would have established it unblameable in holinesse that hee would have established it in every good word and worke for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace I felt it fainting when I feared trembled and was terrified and then I should have had a David to comfort mee and to say unto mee Ps 31.24 Be of good courage and God shall strengthen thine heart thou that hopest in the Lord. I should have spoken kindly to it as Shechem did to Dinah Gen 34 3. when his soule clave unto her and he loved the damosel and spake kindly to her to her heart Prov. 27.9 I should have rejoyced it as Solomon say's with oyntment and perfume with the oyntment of my teares Rev. 5.8 Iud 19 5. and a golden violl full of such odours as St. Iohn speaketh of which are the prayers of the saints I should have comforted it not with a morsell of bread as the Levite was advised by the father of his concubine not of or from or by my selfe but I should have prayed unto God 2. Cor. 1.3 even the father of our Lord Iesus Christ as S. Paul did thank him for the Corinthians the father of mercies and the God of all comfort vers 4. to comfort it in tribulations that I might have beene able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith I my selfe had ben comforted of God It was grieved with in mee Ps 73.24 and I was pricked in my reines But I should have made it like Aaron at the sight of Moses who was glad in his heart Exod 4.14 Ps 4.7 or else I should have prayed to the Lord to have put gladnesse into it as he did into David's more then in the time when the corne and wine increased But now alasse 't is too late my poore heart is gone 't is stollen away from mee what shall I doe to recover it againe I will arise now Cant 3 2. and goe about the citty in the streetes and in the broad wayes I will seeke it vers 3. I will say to the watchmen that goe about the citty Saw yee a heart a poore distressed heart passe by this way that is runne a stray from mee I poore I know not where to find it Alasse 't is not worth any one's taking up 't is not worth the keepinge I 'le describe it unto you that if yee heare of it of such a heart or happē to meete it yee may send it mee home againe and I may give it due correction for playing the vagrant the run-agate That heart which once did dwell in my breast is the most unthankfull guest that ever was harboured in the bosome of a woman It is the greate accuser of my selfe for mine offences and not content with that having arraigued mee for my sinns it hath condemned mee as guilty Ier 17.9 It is a cozening deceitfull heart it is deceit full above all things and desperately wicked even more then I can know full it is of tricks full of delusions there are many devices in it Prov 19.21 Ps 38.8 Ps 64.6 Ps 101.4 It is a troublsome heart in so much as many times I have roared by reason of the disquietnesse of it 'T is a deepe heart not easily pryed into both my inward thoughts my heartit selfe have beene very deepe It is a fro◅ard heart so froward that now 't is runne away frō me Zech 8.17 Mar 15 19. 't is departed It is an evill heart a heart that was always imagining evill and so greate evill that out of it have proceeded evill thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false witnesse blasphemies Gen 8.21.6.5 Iob 27.6 It hath beene evill even from my youth every imagination of the thoughts of it were onely evill continually It is a reproaching heart not like unto Iob's who sayd His heart should not smite him so long as hee lived It is a troubled heart Ps 25.17 Ier 4.19 the troubles there of have bene enlarged in so much as I have beene enforced to cry out My bowels my bowels I have beene pained at it it made a noise in mee that I could not hold my peace Lam 1.20 my bowells have beene troubled for my heart hath beene turned in mee 'T is a cowardly trembling heart Deut. 28.65 I had an extreame trembling at it when it was at home and failing of eyes and sorrow of mind it would tremble like Elies for the arke of God 1. Sam. 4.13 Deut 28.28 c 11.16 2. Sam 24.10 1. Chr. 12.33 Ps 12.2 Iam 4.8 Dan 5.21 Exo. 4.21 Heb 3.8 Rom. 2 5. Pro 28 14. Mar 16 14. Eph 4 1◠It would so grievously tremble that I have beene smitten with madnesse and blindnesse and astonishment of it It is an idolatrous heart a heart apt to be deceaved to turne aside serve other Gods
the peacâ— of thy chosen that I may rest in thee Let mâ— sleepe be like that of the Church that my heaâ—… may allways awake unto thee Cant 5 2. If this nightâ— this sleepe shall be my last Lord make it my best that I may awake in thine armes and live in thy bosome Ps 4.8 Let mee lay mee do wâ—… in peace and sleepe and doe thou Lord makâ— mee dwell in safety So be it ô my father for the merits and worthinesse of thy Sonne Iesus Christ my onely Lord and Saviour Amen part 2 The second part Of the Soliloquie Fitted for the time of lying downe in the bed THe advice of David to his enemies I take mee think's as spoken to my selfe where hee bid's them to Stand in awe Ps 4.4 and sinne not to commune with their owne hearts upon their beds and be still It is fitt that I likewise say my request with my mouth and my petition with my heart and pray upon my bed remember the day of death for ever I have meditated upon the Evening I have prayed for â—otection and since that I have disrobed â—…y selfe of the garments of the day But â—ith them have I put off mine offences 〈◊〉 doe not I intend to put them on againe 〈◊〉 morrow with the apparell of my body â—o this I am apt by nature from this ô my â—od deliver mee by thy grace My clothes â—e layed by and even now mee thought 〈◊〉 could skarce hasten soone enough to hide â—ee in my bed from mine owne sight of â—ine owne nakednesse Lord what a fearefull â—ing is a guiltie conscience which made Adam and Eve to see that they were naked Gen. 3.7 â—…d guilty of their folly and yet to make â—t figge-leav'd aprons to hide their shame â—hus doe I blush at my selfe and yet I have â—ely those figge leaves to hide my sinnes from â—e view of the world vers 8. But Adam and Eve â—…d themselves allso even from the presence of â—e Lord God So doe I endeavour likewise â—hen I am afraid to consider of or unwilling 〈◊〉 confesse unto him my manifold transgresâ—…ons My garments are off the emblems â—oth of my pride and my poverty for the â—ormer is discovered in the richnesse of my â—…bes and the latter in the necessity of them Thus doe wee simple sinners weare the very â—…wells of the wormes and the fleeces of the â—…nocent beastes in the time of the day for â—…odestie for heate and for ornament and in the night wee lye downe in the feathers of the fowles for our ease and our delight Here now I am layed here I am stretched out as if I were created onely for ease and repose But ô my drowzie eyes watch yee a litle and yee my thoughts ponder awhile upon the place where I am layed Such a bed as this hath beene a place of torment Ex 8.3 as well as ease when the river brought forth froggs aboundantly among the Egyptians which went up and came into their houses and into their bed-chambers yea and upon their very beds Lord how it make's mee startle but to name those loathsome creatures and yet these were they which were the Egyptians chamber-fellowes these were their cold and noysome bed-fellowes Even thus have I deserved to be plagued too as were those Egyptians for how often hath God by his Moses and his Aaron by his officers and his ministers commanded mee to let my Israel my soule goe serve the Lord and yet like hard hearted Pharaoh I have still refused But have I not a punishment for my rebellion worse then they had For they had but the loathsome vermine to torment their bodies but I have worse I have my ugly sinnes to torment my conscience which croake so in my bosome that I know not where to free my selfe from their hideous noise But since these froggs have lived in the waters and bred in the waters which became blood through the deepe dye of my hainous offences I will therfore doe as once Elisha the Prophet did by the waters of Iericho 2. King 2.21 Ps 38.18 Ex 12.31 vers 32 I will cast salt into the waters and heale them I will confesse my wickednesses and be sorrie for my sinnes I will dispatch mine Israelitesse and shee shall goe and serve the Lord her flocks allso and her heards my thoughts and my meditations shall goe and serve my God that they may blesse mee allso Then shall these crawling sinnes dye out of this house of my heart Ex 8.13.14 and I will gather them up together on heapes and drowne them in my teares because they have made such a stinke in the nostrills of my God Such a bed as this hath beene the grave such sheetes the winding sheetes of diverse persons who dreamed not of it 2. Sam. 4.7 When Ishbosheth lay on his bed in his bed-chamber the wicked trecherous Rechab and Baanah smote him and slew him and beheaded him 2. Chr 24.25 Ps 89.19 So did Zabad Iehozabad slay Ioash on his bed and hee dyed So it may happen unto mee too unlesse the Lord be my defender and the holy one of Israel my protectour Solomon hath forbid the companie of such Rechabs and Baanahs such Zabads and Ichozabads saying Prov. 4.14 vers 16 Enter not into the path of the wicked and goe not in the way of evill men For thy sleepe not except they have done misâ—hiefe and their sleepe is taken away unlesse they cause some to fall Yet I have entertained such in my society yea I have enticed them and hired them to the destruction even of my selfe My sinnes oh my sinnes are the murderers that are come unto my bed and without the mercy of him who destroyed death will bring mee 2. Pet. 2 3. even mee to destruction my damnation shall not slumber Such a bed as this 2. Sam. 13.5 hath beene the bed of incest when Amnon by the advice of Ionadab lay downe on his bed and made himselfe sicke that his sister Tamar might be sent unto him by his tender and compassionate father O what hellish plotts were invented for the satisfaction of the lust-sick adulterer Hee was but to counterfeit a sicknes who yet was wounded at the heart and shee who both by obedience to her father and love to her brother was ready to dresse the dish hee required was overcome at length by the scorching flames of his incestuous furie Heb. 13 4. That bed which is honourable in the state of mariage yet not unlesse it be kept undefiled was made the torment of a sister un wedded and hee who could not enjoy her by the rules of religion forced her to his appetite by the violence of his hands But as the act was fowle so the effect was revengfull yea and even the innocent suffered for the villanie of the rasisher in so much as Amnon hated her exceedingly 2. Sam. 13.15 so that
that it bindeth my tongue to an un-willing silence My body burneth Ps 69.3 Ps 137 6. my throate is dryed my tongue cleaveth to the roofe of my mouth ô I burne I frie and know not where to be releived Did the drunkards who are mighty to powre in wine Is 5.22 and those who are men of strength to mingle strong drinke but know the miserie which I endure they would spare from their excesse as much as would comfort mee For their owne sakes they would spare the abuse of that creature for want whereof I now complaine Hab 2.15 The Prophet pronounceth a woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drinke that putteth his bottell to him maketh him drunken allso that hee may looke on his nakednesse But I doe cry woe unto my selfe because I have noe neighbour to give mee drinke Here is none that putteth his bottell to my mouth It is not the gust of the wine nor the strength of the drinke nor the pleasantnesse of the liquour that I doe covet The limpid water would be better then wine yea the springs or the fountaines would make mee rejoyce But where ô where are those pleasant potions Where are those snakie rivers which curle and wind themselves in their sporting wreaths Alasse alasse I aske noe more then what beggars disdaine and yet my desires are not fullfilled Mine eyes doe lament the greatnesse of my sinnes and my charitable teares doe wooe mee to give them rest in my mouth as if repentance in this had taught them mercy But when I thankfully accept their friendly courtesie insteed of comforters they become my tormentours These brackish rivelets may refresh my soule but they can never cure the thirst of my body Mee think's they are some-what like the wife of Heber who entertained Sisera in a friendly manner as hee did imagine for shee covered him in her tent Iud 4.18 vers 19 and when hee said unto her Give mee I pray thee a litle water to drinke for I am thirstie Shee opened a bottell of milke and gave him drinke and covered him But when hee committed his wearied limbes to a sweete repose vers 21 shee tooke a naile of the tent and tooke a hammer in her hand and went softly to him and smote the naile into his temples fastened it into the ground and hee dyed Thus my teares doe offer mee reliefe and like unto Iaël they offer mee milke instead of water but with their saltnesse they increase my drought and fasten mee to the ground in my burning flames Yet Ps 42.5 why art thou so cast downe ô my soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee Hope thou in thy God vers 7. for I will yet praise him who shall be the helpe of my countenance and my God Ps 43.5 All his waves and stormes doe goe over mee and yet I cry for water in the middest of the waves I cry and by my cryes I increase my miserie yet cry I must I am enforced to it by my fires by my drought and yet hope I will too even in my God will I hope for I am invited unto it by his mercy Hee promised to his servants by the mouth of his Prophet saying Is 41.17 When the poore and needie sieke water and there is none their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will heare them I the God of Israël will not forsake them I will open rivers in high places and fountaines in the middest of the valleys vers 18 I will make the wildernesse a poole of water the drie land springs of waters Now ô my God is the time that I looke for the fullfilling of this promise for water I sieke but none I find I am poore needie my very tongue faileth for thirst and upon thee therfore doe I call I am sure that my God cannot promise more then hee can nor will hee promise more then hee will performe Time was when the Israëlites pitching in Rephidim Ex 17.1 vers 2. there was noe water for the people to drinke Wherfore the people did chide with Moses and said Give us water that wee may drinke And Moses said unto them Why chide yee with mee Wherfore doe yee tempt the Lord vers 3. And the people thirsted there for water and the people murmured against Moses and said Wherfore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt to kill us and our children vers 5. and our cattell with thirst And the Lord said unto Moses Goe on before the people and take with thee of the Elders of Israël and thy rod wherwith thou smotest the river take in thine hand and goe Behould I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb vers 6. and thou shalt smite the rock and there shall come water out of it that the people may drinke And Moses did so in the sight of the children of Israël Thus I thirst as did the Israëlites but I will not murmure as did the Israëlites because the God of Israël is my God I may not displease him with repining at my sufferings lest with his rod hee smite mee as did Moses the stone All that I can hope for must come by my prayers and my patience through the merits of my saviour It is not Meribah or Massah my temptation vers 7. or my chiding that will prevaile for my comfort Hee may give mee water and then punish mee with fire O what doe those damned soules in the infernall flames suffer Lu 16.24 where Dives begged of Abraham to have mercy on him and to send Lazarus that hee might dippe though but the tippe of his finger in water and coole his tongue because hee was tormented in the flames If I compare my sufferings with my desert I shall the easier endure this gentle fire This cannot be comparable to the fire of hell and that I have deserved yet suffer but this The mercifull Lord so sanctify this sufferance that the fire which I merit may be extinguished by my teares assisted with the blood of the Lamb un-spotted and then I shall rejoyce in this chastisement At Kadesh once in the wildernesse of Zin there was noe water for the congregation Num 20.2 vers 7. vers 8. and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron And the Lord spake unto Moses saying Take the rod and gather thou the assembly together thou and Aaron thy brother and speake yee unto the rock before their eyes and it shall give forth it's water and thou shalt bring forth water to them out of the rock so thou shalt give the congregation and their beastes drinke vers 9. vers 10 And Moses tooke the rod from before the Lord as hee commanded him And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock and hee said unto them Heare now yee rebells must wee fetch you water out of the rock vers 11
purchase my desires by declining his mercy If any thing cometh it is sent by his providence if nothing cometh yet still I have God who is the best of all If it be his pleasure to bring mee to the earth by this consuming want my body indeede shall yeeld the lesse foode to the wormes but my soule shall be filled with un-speakeable comforts Lord what a base lumpe of clay is this which would so tyrannize over my soule as to make it leave it's confidence in thee What art thou that complainest and yawnest and gapest so greedily for satisfaction Thou art but earth at the best and by the earth thou hast beene fed and to the earth thou shalt returne The foode which thou desirest is a thing to be loathed if thou diddest but consider in what manner thou wert furnished The earth produceth grasse for the foode of the beastes they are fatted to furnish the tables of men and when men doe plentifully feede upon them the least part thereof conduceth to their nourishment the most of it goeth out into the draffe and even that which is putrified it returne's to the earth againe to render it fertile Thus wee live by excrements and wee are fed by putrefaction That which wee loath both in the sent and the sight is forgotten when wee feede upon it in our bread Thus I pine then for nothing but dung and filth for want whereof my belly would force mee to repine against my maker Our fowles are fed with the filthie wormes that proceede from our dung hills our fishes are composed of mudde and slime our beastes are nourished by vertue of that which wee loath to remember and from all these is patched up such a body as at the second or third hand is nothing but dung or whatsoever is worse Were it not shame then for mee to suffer this body which being dead in three or foure dayes will be odious to the living to entice my soule to rebell against my maker O I may not I will not This leanenesse doeth but lecture to mee what I am framed of and the soule is comforted in the weakenesse of the prison That better part doeth long to dwell with the father of spirits Each bitt I should eate Heb 12 9. would but delay my time and retard the fruition of a crowne of glory O my God be pleased to send mee thy blessing as well in want as in plenty that so I may decree and resolve with Saint Paul in whatsoëver state I am Phil 4.11 there with to be content Thus I should be and thus I desire to be for hunger with content is better then feasting and feasting without it is worse then famine If God in his wisedome seeth it good for mee that I should be filled I doubt not of his providence in sending what is good I will as I ought sieke the ordinarie meanes for the preservation of life I will industriously labour or earnestly besiech or painfully travaile for that which may nourish mee If it cometh as I desire I will thanke him who sendeth it if it cometh not as I wish howsoëver I will labour to be content with my lott Him will I honour both in plenty and in want and to his disposing will I yeeld up my selfe True it is that hee created meates for the belly 1. Cor 6.13 and the belly for meates but yet hee will destroy both it and them Hee hath sent mee this affliction to physick my soule and to put mee in mind how nicely I have refused in plenty what now I should thankfully receave in my want Those that are full are apt to surfeit and hasten with more disturbance to the gates of the grave then wee who in hunger doe willingly meete and desire our death Yet I am not so unwilling to live as that I would refuse my nourishment though of the meanest sort nor am I so unwilling to dye Prov. 27.7 as by unlawfull meanes to satisfie my appetite The full soule loatheth an hony-comb but to the hungry soule every bitter thing is sweete I dare not imitate the Israelites who murmured and repined against Moses and Aaron Ex 16.3 and said unto them Would to God wee had dyed by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt when wee sate by the flesh-pots and when wee did eate bread to the full for yee have brought us forth into this wildernesse to kill this whole assembly with hunger What would it advantage mee if God in his judgment should send mee my desires Is it not better to partake of his mercy in miserie then of his displeasure in plenty Ps 78.27 vers 28 At the desire of the Israëlites hee rained flesh upon them as dust and feathered fowles like as the sand of the sea And hee let it fall in the middest of the campe round about their habitations vers 29 So they did eate and were filled vers 30 hee gave them their owne desire they were not estranged from their lust Those on whom hee rained downe Manna to eate vers 24 and gave them of the corne of heaven even they were likewise stored with the flocks of the Quailes But their sweete meate had sowre sawce vers 30 vers 31 for while their meate was yet in their mouths the wrath of God came upon them and slew the fattest of them Prov. 10.22 and smote downe the chosen men in Israël It is onely the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich even of him who promised to the Israëlites Ex 23.25 if they would serve him to blesse their bread and their water and to take sicknesse away from the midd'est of them Hee it was who moved Shobi and Machir 2. Sam. 17.27 and Barzillai to bring unto David at Mahanaim and to his people that were hungrie and wearie vers 28 and thirstie in the wildernesse both beds and cupps and earthen vessells and wheate and barley and flowre and parched corne and beanes and lentills and parched pulse And honey vers 29 and butter and sheepe and cheese of kine Luc. 1.53 Hee filleth the hungrie with good things and the rich hee sendeth emptie away Iob. 34.28 The cry of the poore cometh unto him and hee heareth the cry of the afflicted Hungrie and thirstie Ps 107 5. the soules of the Israëlites fainted in them Then they cryed unto the Lord in their trouble vers 6. vers 9. and hee delivered them out of their distresses Hee satisfieth the longing soule and filleth the hungrie soule with goodnesse Thus hee may doe for mee as hee did for them but then I must pray and that in faith I must weepe and that in hope I must remember my sinnes which have deserved this punishment yea greater then here can be inflicted upon mee and I must thank my Creatour who visiteth mee in mercy I must submitt to his pleasure and kisse the rod. Though now as was the Prodigall
Ioel. 1.9 The meate-offering and the drinke-offering the participation of the holy Communion through feare is cut off from the house of the Lord the Priests the Lord's Ministers doe mourne Hos 4.3 The land mourneth and every one that dwelleth therein languisheth with the beastes of the field and with the fowles of the heavens Therfore with Ezâ—… I will goe into the chamber Ezr 10 6. and when I am come thither I will eate noe bread nor drinke water for I will mourne because of the transgressions of us all Or with Nehemiah I will sitt downe and weepe Neh 1.4 and mourne certaine dayes and fast and pray before the God of heaven example 6 The Lord God of hosts did threaten to touch the land of Israel Amos. 9.5 and it should melt and all that dwelled therein should mourne and it should rise up wholly like a flood and be drowned as by the flood of Egypt Thus hath hee threatned us allso and hath hee not brought it to passe See Ps 97.5 See how the land melteth yea melteth like waxe at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the God of the whole earth Needes must the land the hearts of the inhabitants of the land melt at his presence seeing the Apostle styleth him a consuming fire Heb 12 29. O how all doe mourne that dwell in the land The parents lament the sicknesse of the child the wife of the husband the servant of the mistresse all mourne all lament It may now be truely sayd that the whole land is drowned for what eye is not dimmed with teares What house is not filled with teares What streete is not washed with teares If he saltnesse of water will cause a barrennesse of the earth what fruite can possible our land produce which is thus moistened thus watered with the brine of our teares And yet mee think's the earth appeareth as greedie as ever for it speedily devoureth whatsoever is sprinkeled on it by the sorrowes of the inhabitants The infected cry and the languishing cry and shall not my teares much rather trickle downe my cheekes allthough my doore is not yet converted into pasture nor my walkes overgrowne with the springing grasse O yes much much rather yea and with the more courage will I weepe by how much the more I retaine my strength to weepe I heare Ier 4.31 mee thinke's the voyces of the visited as of a woman in travell and their anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child bewayling themselves and spreading their hands and each of them saying woe is mee now for my soule is wearied because of this murdering sicknesse Is 22.4 Therefore will I take up the resolution of the Prophet Isaiah and whosoever shall come to divert my teares to them I will say Looke away from mee I will weepe bitterly labour not to comfort mee Or with Ieremiah my soule shall weepe in secret places Ier 13.17 for their paines and mine eye shall weepe sore and runne downe with teares because the Lord's flock is thus destroyed The Second part of the Soliloquie treating of Severall causes of God's visitations I Mourne and I mourne and all out of a sense of the generall sufferance I mourne and I mourne by president But doe I find the cause of our distresses The ground of our sicknesses Pestilence is not the onely arrow that is shot from the All-mighty when his revenge is stirred up and yet every punishment is termed a stroake a stripe a plague When the Lord intended the spoyle of the Egyptians by the children of Israel that which in others would have beene deemed theft or at the least a cozenage was in the Israelites but justice and done in obedience to him who is Lord of all Ex. 12.36 when they spoyled the Egyptians of their jewells which yet they but borrowed vers 35 And yet this to the lenders is termed a plague for the Lord said unto Moses Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh c. 11.1 and upon Egypt afterwards hee will let you goe hence When the firstborne of Egypt were decreed to be slaine for the stubbornesse of the King the execution of that decree was styled a plague for God tould the Israelites by his servant Moses c. 12.13 saying The blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where yee are and when I see the blood I will passe over you and the plague shall not bee upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt When the children of Israel had longed after the flesh-pots of Egypt and cryed and murmured against Moses and Aaron saying c. 16.3 Would to God wee had dyed by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt when wee sate by the flesh-pots and when wee did eate bread to the full for yee have brought us forth into this wildernesse to kill this whole assembly with hunger then I find the Lord was intreated for flesh but that flesh proved the destruction of the people and that destruction is called a plague For Num. 11.33 while the Quailes were yet betweene their teeth saith the text yere the flesh was chewed the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people and the Lord smote the people with a very greate plague Consumption is allso sayd to be a plague for so saith the Prophet Zech. 14.12 This shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Ierusalem Their flesh shall confume away while they stand upon their feete and their eyes shall consume away in their holes and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth Thus every judgment is truely a plague and from God it cometh and upon men weake men mortall men and women it cometh but it is for their sinnes it is for their transgressions Every one groane 's under the affliction but few for the cause Wee are angrie with the rodde and wee are angrie with the Correctour and yet wee quarrell not with our selves for meriting such yea more yea greater yea more tormenting more continueing punishments I will therfore looke into the sacred page yet once againe I will looke into the roll of that booke Eze 2.9 and with Ezekiel I will spread it before mee and find written therein the Lamentations vers 10 and mournings and woes I will find the punishments and I will find out the offences too I will mourne with them with us with every one that is visited with them for our selves I will prye into the causes of our maladies seing I know that God will not be angry without a cause Ps 89.30 Wee doe first forsake his lawes and walke not in his judgments wee first prophane his statutes vers 31 and breake his commandements vers 32 before hee visiteth our transgression with the rodde and our iniquity with stripes example 1 Wherfore did the Prophet Ieremiah cry
complaine I so mournefully as if our afflictions exceeded all that ever were sent upon the children of men If I consider our estate by it selfe I cannot choose indeede but conclude it miserable but if I weigh it with the Pestilences of former ages it will not perhapps appeare a burden so un-supportable Comparisons may peradventure ease my griese and lessen my torments therfore with David I will remember the dayes of ould I will meditate on all the workes of God Ps 143 5. It may be that Solomon may advise mee and comfort mee too where hee thus counselleth Eccl 7.10 Say not in thine heart What is the cause that the former dayes were better then these For thou doest not enquire wisely concerning this I will therfore consider the dayes of ould Ps 77.5 and the yeeres of ancient times Num 16.41 example 1 The children of Israël murmured against Moses and Aaron about the destruction of Korah Dathan Abiram and their accomplices saying Yee have killed the people of the Lord vers 46 and presently there was wrath gone out from the Lord the plague was begunne vers 49 So they that dyed of the plague were foureteene thousand and seaven hundred and all in a day beside them that dyed about the matter of Korah example 2 When Israel abode at Shittim the people committed whoredome with the daughters of Moab and Num 25.1 vers 3. Ps 106 28. vers 29 not contented with this high offence they allso joyned themselves unto Baal-Peor and did eate the sacrifices of the dead Thus they provoked the Lord to anger with their inventions and the plague brake in upon them Num 25.9 and those that dyed in the plague were twentie and foure thousand Their sinne was double it was whoredome both carnall and spirituall their punishment was therfore allmost double to that which was sent for murmuring example 3 When David sent for the Captaine of the hoast to number the people Ioab answered him fairely saying 2. Saâ—… 24.3 Now the Lord thy God adde unto the people how many soever they be an hundred fold and that the eyes of my Lord the King may see it but why doth my Lord the King delight in this thing vers 4. Notwithstanding the King's word prevailed against Ioab and against the Captaines of the boast and Ioab and the Captaines of the hoast went out from the presence of the King to number the people of Israel But what was the event thereof vers 15 The Lord sent a Pestilence upon Israël from the morning even to the time appointed and there dyed of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seaventy thousand men and all of them in the space of but three dayes vers 13 Here was yet a greater number then before and yet all of them fell for the sinne of one onely man but this one man was a King and for his eminent offence five times as many were slaine as when the multitude of people joyned in a murmuring Hee who by the people was acknowledged worth ten thousand of them c 18.3 now for his sinne became the destroyer of seaven times as many of them as hee was vallued at by them so greate was the anger of the Lord for a sinne so greate and committed by a person so greate so eminent example 4 The All-mighty threatned Ierusalem by the mouth of his Prophet that hee would make that cittie desolate Ier 19.8 and an hissing every one that passed thereby should be astonished and hisse c 49.17 because of the plagues thereof The same God threatned Edom allso by the same Prophet saying Edom shall be a desolation every one that goeth by shall be astonished and shall hisse at the plagues thereof The same God againe threatned Babylon by the same Prophet saying c 50.13 Because of the word of the Lord it shall not be inhabited but it shall be wholly desolate Every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished and hisse at her plagues Thus I remember thy judgments of old ô Lord Ps 119 52. and receave comfort Comfesse I must indeede that wee have sinned with our fathers 2. Chr 6.37 wee have done amisse and dealt wickedly but are our punishments as greate as our fathers were Foureteene thousand and seaven hundred of them fell at one time twentie and fower thousand at another time threescore and ten thousand at a third time Lord what mighty numbers were here and yet wee feare when one dyeth wee tremble when ten wee runne when twentie wee are dismayed when an hundred wee are hopelesse heartlesse even allmost quite dead allready when a thousand depart But why should not wee expect as greate plagues as were sent upon any of our ancestours seeing that our sinnes are not lesse either in number or weight Wherein are wee better then Ierusalem or Edom or Babylon that wee are not yet as desolate as were they That every one that passeth by is not astonished nor hisseth at us as they did at them Hee who visited them doeth visit us Ps 89.32 hee visiteth our offences with his rod and our sinnes with his scourges Yet hee visiteth us not so sorely as hee did the Israelites when fowreteene thousand and seaven hundred of them dyed or not so severely as when twentie and fowre thousand of them were swept away or not so grie vously as when threescore and ten thousand of them were destroyed or not so terribly as Ierusalem Edom and Babylon for wee are not quite desolate or not so furiously as Nineveh to whom God spake by his Prophet saying Nah 3.19 There is noe healing of thy bruise thy wound is grievous all that heare the bruite of thee shall clapp the hands over thee Or howsoever not so remedilesly as the army of Pharaoh at Euphrates whom the Lord mocketh by the mouth of his Prophet saying Ier 46.11 Goe up unto Gilead and take balme ô virgin the daughter of Egypt In vaine shalt thou use any medicines for thou shalt not be cured Eze 12 18. This ô this maketh mee to eate my bread with quaking and to drinke my water with trembling and carefullnesse for feare lest our sinne-revenging God should punish us as hee hath done them O what mercies doeth hee not yet offer unto us What kindnesse doeth hee not yet afford us To our Physitians hee giveth knowledg to our medicines hee giveth vertue The herbes of the fields and the fruits of the trees and the flesh of the beastes doe yet offer themselves for our cure and our sustenance O that wee had but so much happinesse as to know the miserie which is due to our offences O that wee had but so much mercy from God as to know his mercy in his gentle visitation For this our miserie will I groane for these our sinnes I will lament for the mercy of my God I will pray and I will cry Heare Ps 30.10 Ps 60.11 ô Lord
and have mercy upon us Lord be thou our helper O be thou our helpe in trouble for vaine is the helpe of man part 5 The Fifth part of the Soliloquie shewing how God threatneth before his visitation IT is a weakenesse it is a fondnesse it is a madnesse in people not to believe the sure effects of certaine causes before they become obvious to their senses In the course of nature wee are apt to believe what wee dare not try Who will put his finger into the fire to try if it will burne Who will cast himselfe into the water to try whether it will drowne him Yet in things divine wee are too incredulous too full of un-beliefe I find that my God hath stricken divers with plagues for the sinnes which they have committed But I likewise find that hee hath threatned divers before hee visited them that so by their amendment they might prevent those judgments which otherwise would ensue It is my best way to find out the crying sinnes of the land by observing the punishments which are sent us for them but I must not forget either the patience of our God or the obstinacie of men the long-suffering of our Creatour or the impenitencie of his creatures Sure I am that the Lord did allways call to repentance before hee punished offenders hee hath ever wooed transgressours both by promises and by threatnings before hee ever made them sick in smiting them for their transgressions Mic 6.13 example 1 When the Israëlites were to be freed from the Egyptian bondage ô how often was Pharaoh admonished to let them goe Moses and Aaron sayd unto him The God of the Hebrewes hath met with us Ex 5.3 let us goe wee pray thee three dayes journie into the desert and sacrifice to the Lord our God lest hee fall upon us with the Pestilence or with the sword Lord how meeke Moses begged for the people yea and in the name of God too and for an act of religion too and for feare of judgments too yea and those judgments not small or triviall for they should be either the Pestilence or the sword yea and hee pretendeth that those judgments should fall upon the Israelites the people of God if they neglect their sacrifices hee saith not upon the Egyptians hee saith not upon the King And yet for all this the King yeelded not the Israelites sacrificed not and therfore the plagues the vengeance came upon the heads of their oppressours example 2 Gog was threatned for a thing which yet hee was suffered to doe The Israelites were to be his purchase Eze 38.11 the un-walled villages his pray all that dwelled without walls and had neither barres nor gates should be made desolate by him Thus the people of God were to suffer for the sinnes committed against their God But was the enemie to escape by whom the people should be corrected Was Gog to be enriched and to enjoy the spoyle Nothing lesse The very instrument of revenge was not to be freed from the wrath of the revenger nor the executioner to be accounted innocent though hee punished the guilty vers 22 I will pleade against him with pestilence saith the Lord and with blood I will raine upon him and upon his bands and upon the many people that are with him an over-flowing raine and greate hailestones fire and brimstone Thus the Israelites offended and were threatned with the armies of Gog. Gog offended in that hee knew not his maker in that hee looked onely to his advantage and spoyles whilest yet hee executed the vengeance of God hee 's therfore threatned hee shall therfore be consumed When hee should have revenged God upon the rebellious people then God himselfe would be revenged upon him with judgments from heaven example 3 The Prophet Ezekiel was sent to threaten the Israëlites for their many rebellions and thus sayd the Lord God unto him Eze 6.11 Smite with thine hand and stampe with thy foote and say Alas for all the evill abominations of the house of Israël for they shall fall by the sword by the famine and by the pestilence vers 12 Hee that is farre off shall dye of the pestilence and hee that is neere shall fall by the sword and hee that remaineth and is besieged shall dye by the famine thus will I accomplish my fury upon them Here is warning given before the blow be stricken there is the sword allready halfe out here is the famine allready in a due preparation here is an Angel ready to disperse the pestilence but before execution here is notice given before the punishment here is a threatning sent Even thus allso hath our good God dealt with us thus hath hee warned us Eze 33 11. Hee who delighteth not in the death of a sinner doeth never strike before notice given for hee had rather that our repentance should quiver his arrowes then that by our sinnes hee should be enforced to hit us at the heart example 4 I will smite the inhabitants of this citty saith God by Ieremiah concerning Ierusalem both man Ier 21.6 and beast they shall dye of a greate Pestilence Loe here is still the future tense I will not I doe God delighteth not in the execution of his wrath but yet his I will is as sure as his I doe Thus hee hath formerly threatned us with his I will I confesse indeede hee hath and yet wee would not believe what was to come onely because wee found it not instantly present Hence it is that now our people cry now our beastes doe roare and it is but just that men and women should be ranked in the order with beastes seeing that our sinnes have discovered us to be more stupid then them Yet the beasts perish though they could not sinne and wee perish because wee can doe noe-thing but sinne So the servant suffereth for the offences of the master so the beasts are punished for the sinnes of the owners The Pestilence putteth noe distinction betweene them both allthough the one could not the other would not avoyde the punishment example 5 In the booke of Exodus the Lord saith concerning Pharaoh Ex 9.15 the Egyptians Now I will stretch out mine hand that I may smite thee and thy people with Pestilence and thou shalt be cut off from the earth Take heede Pharaoh hee is true who threatneth and allthough hee saith I will yet hee saith allso now I will Hee is ready for thee allthough thy heart be not ready for him hee is just now prepared to punish if thou be not just now prepared to obey I will bring a sword upon you Lev 26 25. that shall avenge the quarrell of my covenant and when yee are gathered together in your citties I will send the Pestilence among you and yee shall be delivered into the hand of your enemies saith the Lord to the Israëlites And againe Deut 28.21 The Lord shall make the Pestilence to cleave to
charitable to deceased strangers had not the price of him who dyed for all beene the unhallowed summe to purchase the field When they met with that coyne which was not for their use with that they purchased an Akeldama for foreiners But is it not all one in what part of the ground I burie my husband so I lay his body in a place that is set apart for that purpose Surely noe allthough it is equall to him yet is it not to mee Allthough at the resurrection wee shall meete againe at what distance soëver our graves shall be made yet there is some reason wee should be buried so neere as wee may that as our bodies were injoyned a mutuall society in the time of life so they might allso sleepe together in the silent dust It is but just that one grave should receave the bodies of us for whom one bed was designed upon earth that as in our lives wee were made one flesh so after our deaths wee should make one lumpe When Barzillay was offered a favour from King David and wooed to spend his time at the Court hee besought the King saying Let thy servant I pray thee turne back againe that I may dye in mine owne citty 2. Sam. 19.37 and be buried by the grave of my father and of my mother Friends have ever desired to lye by friends that those especially who were knitt together in blood affection might be joyned together in their earth and ashes In the cave of Machpelah which Abraham bought of Ephron for fowre hundred shekells of silver Gen 23.16 was buried both himselfe c 49.31 c. 50.13 Act. 5.10 and Sarah his wife There lay Isaak and Rebekah his wife and there lay Leah and Iacob her husband Though Saphira dyed by the judgment of God for the lye shee had tould yet when shee fell dead at Peter's feete and yeelded up the ghost the young men came in and caried her forth and buried her by her husband It is therfore convenient that I choose a place for the buriall of my husband where if so it may be I my selfe may be layed Convenient it is but not absolutely necessarie for the soules shall not enjoy the lesse felicitie for the remoter distance and seperation of the bodies neither shall the bodies either be sensible of the disjunction or shall it retard their meeting at the generall day Allthough the bones of Iacob were caried into the land of Canaan Gen 50.13 vers 5. and buried in the caye of the field of Machpelah which Abraham bought according as hee had made his sonne Ioseph sweare to him before his death yet hee had formerly buried his beloved Rachel in the way to Ephrah c 35.19 which is Bethlehem and there Iacob set a pillar upon her grave which was called the pillar of Rachel's grave vers 20. When the children of Israel journied from Beeroth of the children of Iaakan to Mosera Deut 10.6 Num 20.1 there Aaron dyed and there hee was buried where as Miriam his wife dyed in Kadesh and was buried there yea and Moses his brother the servant of the Lord dyed in the land of Moab Deut 34.5 vers 6. and it is fayd that God himselfe buried him in a valley in the land of Moab over against Beth-Peor but noe man knoweth of his sepulcher peradventure lest the Israelites should have committed idolatrie and worsâ—ipped him for a God Thus doe I sit and muse about the buriall of him whom so deerely I loved Yet mee think's I could most readily preserve him from the dust if either it were in my power or might bring mee content But goe hee must and I must follow him This narrow roome of his coffin must be put in trust with his mouldering earth and hee who in his life time was entertained with varietie of spacious chambers must now securely sleepe in the chamber of a grave O how it grieveth mee to see this effect of sin Had not Adam fallen my husband had not dyed But oh hee 's dead and since nor teares nor sigh's nor groanes nor cryes have power to recall him it is therfore my duety and it shall be my care to expresse my love to him in the rites of his funerall Friends shall carie him neighbours shall attend on him and my teares shall embalme him The Preacher shall be instructed in the vertue which adorned him that so hee may commend them to others for their due imitation The hearers shall greedily attend to the praises of the dead and not onely acknowledg their trueth but contentedly wish like him to live and like him to dye Now ô now another storme approacheth in mine eyes for the companie beginneth to approach my dores and my neighbours and my friends are hastening to my house But when they come let them not thinke to comfort mee lest they adde to my griefe while they vainely strive to conquer my passion I cannot allow an intermission or forbearance of teares lest I should appeare un-naturall If I doe not weepe I did not love O mee think's I could willingly weepe my selfe into a statue that I might become his monument It is the height of injustice to forbid my teares since the delight of mine eyes is now to be caried to the place of oblivion Mee think 's every thing seemeth to call for a teare which is the object of a sense Those bells which so mournfully accord in their tunes invite my neighbours to come to the funerall yet not to appeare with emptie eyes unlesse they come to learne how to weepe These herbes these strewings which lately were fresh and at ease in their beds are willing to lye even under the feete of those that will mourne and because they have noe eyes themselves to weepe us a teare they lye to receave what shall droppe from the mourners These spriggs of Rosemarie doe call to my remembrance with what joy and delight they pleased mee at my nuptialls but lest I should forget the greater happinesse of the mariage with the Lamb even this herbe which served at our wedding doe's attend at the funerall O mee think's these sprigs have sad Rhetorick sitting on their leaves for those dropps of water which hang upon them were once the blood of the fragrant flowers and now are the teares of the drooping plants Sâ— ready were these spriggs to come when I desired them that they slipped from their stemmes to attend these obsequies These exotick perfumes which delight the sense are willing to be burned rather then the living shall be offended with the dead These sable garments strike terrour into the eye and command the spectatour to lend us a sigh And what other lecture is read here or taught but God's decree of man's mortalitie The chiefe speaker and Oratour is hee who hath now forgotten to speake for the locking up of his senses the silence of his tongue and the coldnesse of his pale frozen body have more force to prove the
be as constant in my prayers as the man â—as constant in his attendance at the poole At â—y gate ô Christ I must I doe continually â—e Thy blood ô Iesus is the onely Bethesda â—r my distressed soule Lord leade mee into â—…at poole of blood by the hand of faith and then I shall not distrust the effect of that â—ver O cleanse my soule and then I shall willingly submit to thy pleasure for my body But still ô still my paines increase and my flesh consume's I pray and I begge and I beseech and yet I find noe ease noe reliefe The continuance of my sicknesse doe's but â—each mee the ignorance of the Physitians or â—he deadnesse of the druggs and potions I am dyeted and I am physicked and my body is become the very shop of an Apothecarie and yet I find noe ease noe comfort 'T is true that thirtie and eight yeares continuance of a maladie hindered not Christ from curing with a word But if it had remained longer could hee have done the like Yes surely why not Hee himselfe could as well have dooâ— that as have given power to his Apostles tâ— restore the Criple who had beene fortie yeaâ—… lame This was done by Peter and Iohn for the man that was above fortie yeares ould Act 14 22. c 3.2 and had beene lame from his mother's wombe even on him was shewed this miracle of healing I may hope for some favour too from the hands of my God for though to mee it might appeare allmost a miracle that I should recore yet with God it is as easily effected by a word as was the greate creation of heaven and earth I will therfore submit to his pleasure and 〈◊〉 upon his goodnesse Hee is a God of mercy an tender compassion hee is the greate Physitia both of soule and body hee hath allways delighted in acts of charitie It was his promise upon some conditions to heale a whoâ—… land 2. Chr 7.14 for his owne words are If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seeke my face and turnâ— from their wicked wayes then will I heare from heaven and will forgive their sinne and wiâ—… heale their land I am one of the people ô Christ that is called by thy name for a Christian I am though a sinfull and a feeble Christian and thou hast humbled mee with this thy visitation and grace thou hast given mee I blesse the for it to humble my selfe in the consideration of mine iniquities and to pray and to seâ—… thy face Lord perfect thy good workes and make mee turne from mine iniquities and then heare mee from heaven and forgive my sinne and if it may stand with thy eternall decree heale thy servant Hee hath likewise shewed his mercy even in healing of waters 2. King 2.21 for his Prophet Elisha went forth to the spring of un-wholesome waters and cast salt in there and said Thus saith the Lord I have healed these waters there shall not â—e from thence any more death or barren land So the waters were healed vers 22 according to the saying of Elisha the Prophet Lord I have waters too that require thy helpe for they are un-wholesome they are sinfull I weepe and I lament my teares runne downe on my cheekes Lam. 1.2 and all either with extreamitie of anguish or feare of death or despaire of thy power to restore mee to health few of them are for my sinnes few of them for my transgressions But some hope I have that thou wilt likewise heale these waters for allready thou hast cast some salt into them I find by my tast that they are brackish that they are brinish Lord let mee be noe longer a barren land but make mee fruitfull in good works Col 1.10 Ps 1.3 that I may be like unto a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruite in due season and then though this leafe for a time may faile though the flower of my body may be cropped or mowed for the harvest yet I know that my Redeemer will not cast it into the fire but will make it spring up hereafter in eternall glory Hee hath allso healed the persons of diverse of his people Ps 107.20 for so saith the Psalmist Hee sent his word and healed them delivered them froÌ„ their destructions Is 19.22 So Isaiah prophesieth concerning Egypt saying The Lord shall smite Egypt hee shall smite and heale it and they shall returne even to the Lord and hee shall be intreated of them and shall heale them O what comfortable words were these to Egypt Hee may if hee please cheere mee up allso with the like for hee hath allready smitten mee and in his loving kindnesse hee hath so sanctified this affliction that by it hee hath made mee to returne unto him O Lord now if it be thy pleasure be thou intreated of mee heale mee This God is the same God who speaketh by the mouth of Moses and saith See now that I Deut 32.39 even I am hee and there is noe God with mee I kill and I make alive I wound and I heale neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand This is the same Lord whom Hannah did magnifie in her thankfull Song and said The Lord killeth and maketh alive hee bringeth downe to the grave 1. Sam. 2.6 and bringeth up This is the same God of whom Iob his servant professeth and boasteth saying Hee maketh sore Iob. 5.18 and bindeth up hee woundeth and his hands make whole This is the same Lord VVhom David commandeth his soule to magnifie and saith Ps 103 1. vers 2. Blesse the Lord ô my soule and all that is within mee blesse his holy name Blesse the Lord ô my soule and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseafes vers 3. and who redeemeth thy life from destruction vers 4. this God is the same God who alone hath power over soule body can if hee pleaseth preserve them both Hee it is whose mercies were promised to his Church when by his Prophet hee said The light of the Moone shall be as the light of the Sunne Is 30.26 and the light of the Sunne shall bee seaven fold as the light of seaven dayes in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people and healeth the stroake of their wound Hee it is who giveth such Euangelicall promises to penitent Iudah and saith I have seene his wayes and will heale him c 57.18 I will leade him allso and restore comforts to him and to his mourners I create the fruite of the lipps peace peace to him that is farre off vers 19 and to him that is neere saith the Lord and I will heale him This is hee who inviteth Israel to come unto him and saith Returne yee back-sliding Children and I will heale your backsliding
lips or with a double heart And though thus single was my heart 1 King 4.29 yet was it noe small one it was large God had given unto mee as unto Solomon both wisedome Ps 119.32 Ps 17.3 and understanding and largnesse of heart and like David I did runne the way of his commandements when hee had thus enlarged it This large heart was a proved one too for God had proved it and Visited mee and tryed mee when I was purposed that my mouth should not transgresse Ps 7.9 1. Chr 29.17 Ps 26.2 It was tryed tryed by my God by my righteous God which tryeth the hearts and reines even by him who tryeth the heart and hath pleasure in uprightnesse the very selfe same God did examine mee and prove mee hee tryed my reines my heart And this loving heart this broken yet whole heart this sound and single heart Ps 101.2 1. King 8.61 Act 16.14 this large and tryed heart was found perfect I did walke with in my house with a perfect heart it was perfect with the Lord my God to walke in his statutes to keepe his commandements It was an open heart it was opened lke Lydia's that I could attend to the things that were spoken by our Pauls It opened so wide or at least with sorrow it was so filled that at length it broke Ier 23.9 Mine heart within mee like unto Ieremiah's was broken all my bones did shake I was like a drunken man and like a man whom wine hath overcome O full well too it thē was with mee even when my heart was broken for it had beene stone nothing but stone before when neither promises nor mercies neither menaces nor judgments could worke upon it It had beene a stone a three-cornerd stone untill it pleased him to breake it who is the head-stone in the corner the head-stone Mat 21 42. because the strongest in the whole building sustaining the fabrick The head-stone in the corner knitting cimenting and uniting together both the Iewes and the Gentiles 1. Pet 2 8. The head-stone in the corner who is a stone of stumbling unto many and a rock of offence at which the Iewes tooke such offence that they hurt them selves against this stone in the corner Yet hee that was reiected by the Iewes and scornfully under-vallewed was unto mee a most skillfull excellent lapidarie hee knew the stone of my heart and at mine intreatie hee broke it hee broke it in pieces Yea hee wrought so powerfully in mee that through the helpe of him I had learned to rent it to rent my heart Ioel 2.13 and not my garments and turne to the Lord my God It was made an acceptable sacrifice to my God for I had a broken spirit a broken Ps 51.17 a contrite heart which hee will noe despise Hee hee is that great Iehouah who is high Ies 57.15 and excellent who inhabiteth eternitie whose name is holy who dwelleth in the high and holy place yet with him all so that is of a contrite humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Hee it is who hath promised that hee will not breake a bruised reede Is 42.3 nor quench the smoaking flaxe but on the contrarie Ps 147 3. will heale the broken in heart and bind up their wounds By him who is thus high and excellent by him who is thus full of compassion as not to bruise the reede nor quench the flaxe by him who is thus infinite in mercy that hee healeth those that are broken in heart even by the same God in testimonie of his love was my stony heart broken O it had beene an uncircumcised heart Deut. 30.6 but afterwards the Lord my God did circumcise it to love himselfe with all my heart and with all my soule that I might live So open so broken so rent so contrite so circumcised it was Act 7.51 that I resisted not the Holy Ghost Lord what happie dayes did I then enioy when my heart was thus qualified with goodnesse When it was thus acceptable to my God! But now alasse 't is quite otherwise That heart that good heart of mine is gone is lost is polluted Peradventure some anger had beene seated in my gall but I laboured that it should not increase into a sin Peradventure some joy was placed in my splene but that joy howsoëver was chiefly in the Lord and in my heart was carefully preserved the feare of his name That heart was then the cabinet the store house the treasurie of wisedome wherein were two with-drawing chambers divided but by a partition in which were placed the fountaines of lively blood of life it selfe even the life of grace given by the liberall hand of the God of my life But now oh my poore heart it hath forsaken this breast this breast of a distressed forlorne woman and in the roome thereof is crept into my bosome a heart so hard that when I sinite my breast in my deepest sorrow my very hand re-bound's by reason of the hardnesse of this rockie heart Often have I heard people complaine of the stone in the kidnies or the bladder but I am enforced to a new complaint even of the stone in the heart O that my God would cutt it and take this stone out of it or else give mee such a potion of sorrow and contrition that it might prove the most soveraigne saxafrage to break this stone A stone here is wich I can feele both by the weight and the hardnesse there of but what kind of stone I cannot determine Surely it can be noe pomoise none of that stone which in some sort may be sayd to be even heavier then it selfe because though when it is whole it is full of pores full of holes very hollow even as hollow as my heart yet when it is broken in pieces when it is stamped and beaten to powder it seemes to be more ponderous then when it was whole If such a one be in my heart ô that my God would breake this heart ô that hee would grind it or beate it to powder then peradventure it would be heavy for my sinns and ponder mine iniquities Or it may be that such a stone is in it as those were which the Lord did promise that the Israelites should find in the land of Canaan Deut. 8 9. even stones that were iron for surely my heart is as hard as iron And yet though it be so the patient Iob assureth mee that euen waters weare the stones Iob 14.19 O that my God would cause the trickling of my teares to weare away the stone of my heart Or if it be iron ô that hee would cause it to swimme in the Iordane of my sorrowes as once Elisha caused the iron and steele to doe 2. King 6.6 which were tempered together in the head of the are When I feele for my good heart oh
advantage to the tempter in my sufferings Open the eyes and the charitable hands of those that should see and know mine adversitie and so enlarge their hearts that they may administer comfort and reliefe to mee in the middest of my necessities Ps 147 9. Dan. 1.15 O thou that feedest even the young Ravens which call upon thee thou that didst blesse the pulse to thy servant Daniel be pleased to fill my hungry soule with the blessings of thy bounty Graunt that whatsoever I suffer in my body my soule may thereby draw neerer unto thee In the miserie of hunger doe thou satisfie mee with thy grace in my scorching thirst doe thou cause mee with joy to draw water out of the wells of salvation Is 12.3 in the pinching cold doe thou warme my devotion and in my poorest and meanest habit doe thou cloath my soule with the righteousnesse of my Redeemer O suffer mee not to offend thee in my greatest want but make mee relie and depend upon thee Teach mee by this chastisement the vanity of the world and weane mee from the fond delights thereof Prov. 10.22 It is thy blessing onely that maketh rich and thou addest noe sorrow with it send mee that blessing to ease mee of my sorrowes Mat. 6.33 It is thy promise that if first I sieke thy Kingdome the righteousnesse thereof then all other things shall be added unto mee Make mee thus to sieke what thou commandest and then give unto mee that which thou promisest Ps 119.91 All things in their order doe service unto thee Lord make them in some measure serviceable unto mee that I may the better be enabled to be serviceable unto thee O thou my Iesus who didst hunger Mat. 4.2 Io. 19.28 and thirst looke mercifully upon thy servant in this state of miserie and so carie mee through the stormes of this troublesome life that in the end I may arive at the faire haven of eternall peace and rest through thine owne meritts and passion ô Iesus Christ my Lord and onely Saviour Amen soliloquy 2 THE SECOND SOLILOQUIE Treating of hunger both corporall and spirituall THE EjACULATION Psal 5. vers 1. Give eare to my words o Lord consider my meditation vers 2. Hearken unto the voice of my cry my king and my God for unto thee will I pray WHen Sion bewayled her pittyfull estate shee cryed out in her miserie Lam. 4.9 and said They that be slaine with the sword are better then they that are slaine with hunger for these pine onely stricken thorow for want of the fruits of the field Surely this affliction was most dreadfull in the sufferance which soundeth so heavily in the sad complaint Hunger hath beene allways acknowledged violent eveÌ„ of force to breake thorow walls of stone The cry for bread bread bread strike's such compassion in the eares of the auditors that the hardest heart would melt at the voyce Hee that taught us to pray for our dayly bread Mat. 6.11 knew the necessiâ—ie of our dayly foode But I poore I doe begge and pray and cry for bread for dayly bread and yet I find neither supply nor hope Had I the imployment righteousnesse of Moses Deut 9 18. I might fall downe before the Lord for fortie dayes and fortie nights as hee did and in all that time neither eate bread nor drinke water Yea and if once would not serve the turne I could returne againe to my former abstinence Had I authoritie from heaven as Elijah had I could eate and drinke 1. King 19.8 and goe in the strength of that meate fortie dayes and fortie nights too Could I encounter the tempter as once my Saviour did in the wildernesse Mat 4.2 I might likewise fast both fortie dayes and fortie nights But miracles are ceased I cannot therfore hope for so long an abstinence nor know I where to satisfie my hunger I dayly want that I may dayly pray and in this want I feele a necessitie of depending on my God O what shall I doe Where shall I sieke To whom shall I complaine My spirits are fainting my heart is even ready to dye within mee 1. Sam 25.37 and my feeble knees are un-able to beare the weight of my body I am ready to perish for want of foode and yet mee think's I am somewhat un-willing to disclose my wants or else I am afraid my suite will be denyed When David pursued the Amalekites after the spoyling of Ziklag 1. Sam. 30.11 his souldiers found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David and gave him bread and hee did eate and they made him drinke water vers 12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figges and two clusters of raisins and when hee had eaten his spirit came againe to him for hee had eaten noe bread nor drunke any water three dayes and three nights As that Eunuch was so mee think's am I. I am feeble and faint and my spirit is gone I know not what to doe for something to refresh mee O had I but such bread and such drinke how thankfully should I take what diverse doe scorne Labour I would to procure my sustenance but I cannot worke because I have not to eate Eze 4.16 Walke I would industriously in my calling but the staffe of bread is taken from mee and without a staffe I cannot walke My wants I know and complaine of them but where shall I find a charitable person who will satisfie my appetite But why doe I make these sad laments and condole my poverty as if noe people ever had suffered the like In former times whole nations and countries have beene pined with such miserie as now I endure Famine is a punishment which cometh from God doeth not allways derive it's cause from things that are naturall 2. King 25.3 At the siege of Ierusalem on the nineth day of the fourth moneth the famine so prevayled within the citty that there was noe bread for the people of the land Lam 1.19 My Priests say's â—hee in her greate complaint and mine Elders gave up the ghost in the citty while they sought their meate to relieve their soules Severall famines have beene often threatned as severely many times have beene brought to passe Among other curses wherewith the Israëlites were menaced upon their disobedience this was not the least of them which was tould them by the mouth of Moses when hee said Thou shalt eate the fruit of thine owne body the flesh of thy sonnes and of thy daughters Deu 28 53. which the Lord thy God hath given thee in the siege and in the straitnesse where with thine enemies shall distresse thee And againe the Lord himselfe did speake unto them and say If yee will not hearken unto mee Lev 26 27. vers 28 but walke contrarie unto mee Then I will walke allso contrarie unto you in furie and I even I will chastife you seaven times
of forgetfullnesse I should never have knowne the benefit of fullnesse if I had not learned it by an empty bellie I will therfore begge of him a blessing to this crosse that the more I want of out-ward blessings the more eagerly I may sieke for inward content I will resolve Hab. 3.17 with the Prophet that Allthough the figg-tree shall not blossome neither fruit be in the vines though the labour of the Olive shall faile and the fields shall yeeld mee noe meate though the flocks shall be cutt off from the foald vers 18 there shall be noe heard in the stalls Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation Rom. 8 35. Neither tribulation nor distresse nor persecution cutt nor famine nor nakednesse nor sword shall ever seperate mee from the love of Christ I know that hee which can send provisions without content can likewise feede mee when I least expect it Hag. 1.6 Yee have sowed much saith the Prophet and bring in litle yee eate but yee have not enough yee drinke but yee are not filled with drinke yee cloath you but there is none warme and hee that earneth wages earneth wages to putt in a bagge with holes The curse is as greate to eate without satisfaction as to want what wee desire I know that God oftentimes hath sent a famine that so his people might the more depend upon him So hath his goodnesse many times appeared Gen 42 5. when men had least expectation of supplies True it is that when the famine was sore in the land of Canaan the Sonnes of Israel bought corne in Egypt Men have ever vallewed their bellies above their estates In the Egyptian famine Ioseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh the King c 47.20 for the Egyptians sould every man his field because the famine prevailed over them so the land became Pharaoh's When Esau was faint comeing out of the field and Iacob refused him a messe of pottage under the price of his birth-right c 25.32 vers 33 hee said Behold I am at the point to die and what profit shall this birth right doe to mee So hee sould his birth-right unto Iacob The Prophet lamenting the people of Ierusalem Lam 1.11 say's All her people sigh they seeke bread they have given their pleasant things for meate to relieve the soule All these have beene furnished by ordinarie meanes but I allso reade that God hath provided when men could least expect 1. King 17.10 vers 12 or helpe When the widdow of Zarephath had nothing left but a poore handfull of meale in a barrell and a litle oyle in a cruse and went out to gather two sticks that shee might goe in and dresse it for her and her sonne that they might eate it and dye even then shee receaved comfort from the Prophet Elijah vers 16 for her harrell of meale wasted not neither did the cruse of oyle faile as the Lord had spoken by the mouth of the Prophet When the selfesame Prophet by the command of God dwelt by the brooke Cherith that is before Iordan even before the increase of the meale vers 5. and the oyle was miraculously effected in a wonderfull manner hee was fed by the Ravens vers 6. for they brought him bread and flesh in the morning and bread and flesh in the evening and hee dranke of the brooke Againe when the same Elijah fled to Beersheba upon the threats of Iezebel c 19.4 hee went a daye 's journie into the wildernesse and came and sate under a Iuniper tree and hee requested for himselfe that hee might dye and said It is enough now ô Lord take away my life for I am not better then my fathers vers 5. Yet as hee lay and slept under the Iuniper tree behold there an Angel touched him and said unto him Arise vers 6. and eate And when hee looked and behold there was a cake baked on the coales and a cruse of water at his head hee did eate and drinke and layd him downe againe vers 7. And the Angel of the Lord came againe the second time and touched him and said Arise and eate vers 8. And bee arose againe the second time and did eate and went in the strength of the meate fourtie dayes Gen 21 14. When Abraham rose up early in the morning and tooke bread and a botle of water and gave it unto Hagar putting it on her shoulder and the child Ismaël and sent her away and shee departed and wandered in the wildernesse of Beersheba after a while the water was spent in the botle vers 15 and shee poore soule vers 16 cast the child under one of the shrubbs And shee went and sate her downe over against him a good way off as it were a bow shoote for shee said Let mee not see the death of the child And shee sate over against him vers 17 and lift up her voyce and wept Yet even then God heard the voyce of the lad and the Angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven and said unto her What ayleth thee Hagar Feare not for God hath heard the voyce of the lad where hee is Arise vers 18. lift up the lad and hold him in thine hand vers 19 for I will make of him a greate nation And God opened her eyes and shee saw a well of water and shee went and filled the botle with water and gave the lad drinke Thus my God if hee please can doe for mee too for I cry and I weepe with distressed Hagar not for drinke Ps 145 19. but bread Who knoweth but the Lord may heare my cry and may helpe mee The birds that nest in the Cedars of Lebanon the goates on the hills and the conies in the rocks the beastes of the forrests and the roaring Lyons the creeping things in the greate and wide sea and the Leviathan which is made to play in the waters Ps 104 27. These all wayte upon him Iob. 38.41 Ps 145.15 that hee may give them their meate in due season Hee provideth for the Raven his foode when his young ones cry unto God they wander for lack of meate The eyes of all wayte upon him and hee giveth them their meate in due season vers 16 Hee openeth his hand and satisfieth the desire of every living thing Why then should I vexe and torment my selfe in this time of want as if either the Lord were ignorant of my calamitie or else were unable or unwilling to helpe mee I resolve with my selfe that though the conflict bee greate betweene my selfe and my appetite though my stomack cry and my belly complaine though leanenesse possesseth my cheekes and palenesse setteth up it's rest in my countenance though feeblnesse stealeth upon my joynts and faintnesse on my spirits yet will I not leave my confidence in my God I shall not the sooner
shall be greater if wee continue in our industrie This is my way and thus I will follow him Hee who sate upon the throne Reu 21 6. and said It is done I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end even the same Lord said I will give unto him that is a thirst of the fountaine of the water of life freely Hee inviteth mee by his Prophet and speaketh to mee among the rest when hee saith Is 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters and hee that hath noe money come and buy and eate yea come and buy wine and milke without money Reu 22 17. without price The Spirit and the Bride saith Saint Iohn say Come and let him that heareth say Come and let him that is a thirst Come and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely I am thirstie hee hath promised therfore to mee the fountaines of the water of life I am thirstie and yet I am poore and have not wherewith to buy what I neede My deedes are wicked and of noe validitie my words are idle and deserve noe good my thoughts are sinfull cannot merit What then Shall I starve for want because I have not price to give Noe noe mee it is hee calleth unto that I may buy without money mee hee meaneth to make partaker of his promise I will buy what I want but I can give nothing but teares or at most which indeede is the best even the blood of him who was slaine for my peace But why doe I call that blood mine owne May I safely doe it Yes it was his but it is mine Because hee needed not that price as a ransome for himselfe hee gave it to mee and all the faithfull to purchase our redemption This ô father I offer unto thee upon my knees I tender it with a lowly heart and a bleeding soule and a submissive speech praying unto thee and saying The Prayer GRacious father Ps 123.1 Mat 5.45 thou that dwellest in the heavens and from heaven doest send the raine both on the just and the unjust take pitty and compassion on the meanest of thy servants who cryeth unto thee out of the depth of miserie O my God thou seest how I am dryed up with thirst and am wearie of my life for want of thy comforts I know that thou hast power to breake a clowd and canst command it to water my parched body Thou canst give mee drinke out of the windowes of heaven Gen 7.11 or canst cause the earth to answer my desires Ps 6 1. Lord rebuke mee not in thine anger neither chasten mee in thy heavy displeasure I must confesse that I have worthily deserved thy severest punishments and most justly therfore doe I feele the heate of thine anger in my burning thirst Ps 79.5 But Lord shall thy displeasure burne like fire for ever Shall it never be allayed with the shewers of my teares or with that which infinitely exceede's them both in vallew and power even the dropps of blood which fell from my Redeemer O thou who with a stroake of a rod diddest make the relenting rocks to relieve the thirstie doe thou be pleased to pittie the complaint of a fainting sinner Coole my body which burneth with heate and refresh mee now in this extreamest anguish if it may stand with thy gracious will and pleasure If thou seest it fitting that my life should be prolonged afford mee the meanes for the preservation thereof On thee alone doe I depend and to thee alone doe I addresse my supplication To thee I referre the disposing of this parched and dryed earth humbly besieching thee to bend my will to submit unto thine O let mee never utter any words of despaire or discontent but in all my groanes let mee acknowledg thy justice Holy Father be pleased to fixe my thoughts upon my inward man that my care may be greater for the spirit them the flesh I want that spirituall desire which thou requirest I thirst for that thirst My soule is drie for want of thy grace and so seered is my conscience that I know not my miseries Lord open mine eyes that I may see my wants that so my thirst may be turned into a thirst for thy mercy Thou ô God art rich but I am poore thou art filled with blessings but I am not yet so much as sensible of my want of them O give mee both a sight of my povertie and a desire of thy grace and then graunt unto thy servant according to my desires I thirst Lord I thirst after thee the well-spring yea the ocean of mercy O send mee but a drop of thy heavenly ocean that it may increase in mee a desire of enjoying thy selfe Ps 36.8 Give mee to drinke of thy pleasures as of a river that so I may referre my body to thy holy will willingly yeeld this dust to thy disposall Gen 3.19 This dust shall returne to the dust whence it came but ô let my soule be vallewed so deare in thy sight that it may here have a tast of thy bottomelesse bountie hereafter be admitted to the paradise of thee my God Reu 2.7 Heare mee ô father and graunt my requests Zech 13.1 for the worthinesse of him who opened unto mee a fountaine for sin even Iesus Christ my onely Lord and Saviour Amen soliloquy 4 THE FOURTH SOLILOQUIE Treating of Nakednesse both of the out-ward and in-ward man THE EjACULATION Psal 5. vers 1. Give eare to my words o Lord consider my meditation vers 2. Hearken unto the voice of my cry my king and my God for unto thee will I pray WHen Noah was over-come with the wine which hee had dranke sleeping hee lay un-covered in his tent Gen 9.21 vers 22 Accursed Ham saw the nakednesse of his father and tould his brethren but Shem and Iaphet tooke a garment vers 23 and laid it on both their shoulders and went back-ward and covered the nakednesse of their father and their faces were back-ward and they saw not their father's nakednesse All these were the sonnes of one and the selfe-same father but they differed in conditions as if they had not beene hrothers One was so unnaturall that hee seemed to boast in the folly of his parent and when wine had disturbed the braine of his father and the heate of the drinke had layed him naked the wicked sonne as rejoycing at his weakenesse tould his brethren the effect of the drunkennesse But the other two blushing at the effect as well as the cause modestly hid what ought to be concealed Such a Ham have I it is my poverty Onely in this it differeth from the sonne of Naoh that it first inebriateth mee and then uncovereth mee I am so intoxicated with want that it bereave's mee of my senses and being thus poore it leave 's mee naked O where shall I find a Shem or a Iaphet to cover my nakednesse I
soone therfore appease his anger by revenging my selfe upon my selfe for the sinnes which I have committed against his glorious name And if I cannot be revenged enough I will cry for anger even for anger that I cannot punish my selfe enough for displeasing him who thus honoureth my roofe When the Israelites were to eate the Paschall lanb Ex 12.7 they were commanded to take of the blood thereof and to strike it on the two side-posts and on the upper doore-post of the houses wherein they did eate it vers 13 And the blood saith the Lord shall be to you for a token upon the houses where yee are and when I see the blood I will passe over you and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt O here is comfort now in the midst of affliction here is joy in the depth of sorrow See there there is that token there is the blood on the doore or at least the representation of it for the red Crosse is there It is to mee for a token or a memoriall of the blood of that innocent Lamb without spot that was slaine that was crucified on the Crosse for the sinnes of the elect Now Lord doe what thou pleasest spare or strike it shall be all one to mee so long as thou givest mee a firme assurance that hee hath suffered for mee I vallew not my flesh I care not for this lumpe of walking dust let it be blowne away let this muddewall be throwne downe it is noe matter I am content so long as I am sure that the anger of my God will be appeased by the blood of my Redeemer and that so soone as my soule shall be freed from the prison of my flesh I shall for ever sit on the right hand of my Iesus Sure I am that allthough my house be shut up because of the infection yet my Christ will cleanse my soule with his blood Therfore World farewell shut up whom thou pleasest Thy companie is not so good nor thy courtesie so greate as to command my joy Allthough my house here be shut up yet hee which is faithfull hath promised that the gates of that new Ierusalem Reu 21 25. which is above shall not be shut at all by day and that there shall be noe night there O let mee begge of my Lord my Land-Lord yea my guest my friend my brother my father that seeing I am a woman a fearefull woman wonderfully afraid especially of a serpent c 20.2 or a dragon hee will be pleased to lay hold on the dragon that old serpent which is the devill and Satan vers 3. and bind him and cast him into the bottomlesse pit and shut him up and set a seale upon him that hee may deceave mee noe more O how contentedly then shall I mourne How joyfully shall I grieve for all the offences that ever I committed Well now my God is pleased to speake to my conscience away will I goe in private all alone and cry in a corner I will weepe by my selfe away I will goe and separate my selfe from my familie yea even from him who is my head and my Lord that I may the more freely weepe This I will doe and this I may doe for when Ierusalem had her great mourning not onely every familie mourned apart Zech 12.12 but even their wives allso mourned apart So will I I will mourne apart too But because I must not offer to offer unto my God such a present as a litle poore botle of teares Ps 56.8 and say nothing to him when I render it humbly therfore upon my knees will I fall and thus will I say unto him The Prayer GLorious and ever-living Lord God Ps 75.5 who doest suffer the wicked to live in prosperitie to be in noe trouble like other men nor to be plagued like other men but hast tould us that whomsoever thou lovest thou doest chasten Heb 12 6. and scourgest every child whom thou receavest vouchsafe I beseech thee to sanctifie this affliction which thou hast layed at this time upon mee and mine 1. King 17.18 Thou art come ô my God to call my sinnes to remembrance ô let mee not frustrate thine intent not repell the motions of thy blessed Spirit My selfe and my familie are now shut up from the lewde temptations of the seducing world Lord make mee at this time to looke into my selfe into mine owne wicked and sinfull heart which hath beene so long shu◠up even from mine owne selfe from mine understanding and my knowledge This o Lord is thy time to speake let it I beseech thee be my time to heare My house is become a house of thy correction and my selfe familie are the offenders whom thou art pleased to chastise Ier 10.24 Ps 88.7 Lord correct us but with judgment not in thine anger lest thou bring us to nothing Thy wrath at this time lyeth hard upon us and thou afflictest us with all thy waves Thou hast put our acquaintance farre from us vers 8. thou hast made us to be an abomination unto them wee are shut up and cannot come forth Ps 38.11 Our lovers and our friends stand aloofe from us and our neighbours stand afarre off Ps 88.9 By reason of this affliction mine eye mourneth Lord I call dayly upon thee Ps 69.15 Ps 73.14 Ps 69.3 and stretch out mine hands unto thee O let not the water-flood over-flow us neither let the deepe swallow us up and let not the pit shut her mouth upon us All the day long are wee plagued and chastened every day I am wearie of crying Ps 69.3 my throate is drie my sight even faileth for wayting so long upon thee my God Ps 78.39 Ps 91.3 O consider thy distressed servants that wee are but flesh that wee are even a wind that passeth away and cometh not againe Deliver us o Lord from the snare of the fowler from the noisome Pestilence Either send unto us or else be thou thy selfe unto us a staffe as well as a rodde Ps 23.4 Ps 91.5 a supporter as well as a correctour that so wee may not be afraid for the terrour by night vers 6. nor for the arrow that flyeth by day nor for the Pestilenee that walketh in darkenesse nor for the destruction that wasteth at moone-day Prepare us o Lord for those heavenly mansions where thy Sonne sitteth at thy right hand making intercession for us Heare him pleading for our remission and inter-ceding for our pardon Out of his wounds have issued that pretious balsamome which is able to cure the sinnes of the whole world In him be pleased to be reconciled unto us since our times are in thine hands Ps 31.15 Lord either spare us for thine honour or else receave us to thy mercy Let the health of our bodies make us mindfull to labour for the health of our soules and
to submit with cheerefullnesse to this thy chastisement and to repent mee of my sinnes which brought this affliction Were it not just for mee to make my complaint in the bitternesse of my sorrowes thou wouldest not have commanded Zion to lament like a virgin girded with sack-cloth for the husband of her youth Thou Lam 1.8 ô Lord doest behould my sorrow and the griefe of my heart because thou hast taken from mee the desire of mine eyes Eze 24 16. and the joy of my heart Be pleased ô my God so to open the eyes of my soule and understanding that I may see as cleerely the cause of thy stroake as I am sensible of the losse of him that was my guide Though hee was sent to be the head of my body yet thou ô God didst offer thy selfe to be the husband of my soule but to my shame I must confesse that I followed the stepps of Samaria Eze 16 45. of Sodome and of Ierusalem and loathed thee my Lord and my husband justly therfore mightest thou say of mee as thou once didst speake of the church of the Iewes Hos 2.2 Shee is not my wife neither am I her husband But ô thou father of mercies for give my back-slidings and adde not affliction to affliction lest I faint under thy rod. Is 47.9 Spirituall widow-hood was a curse which once thou didst threaten unto Babylon ô let it not fall upon mee Allthough thou hast taken him that was my husband yet be pleased to betroth mee to thy selfe for ever Hos 2.19 Say unto mee Ruchama thou hast obtained mercy vers 16 vers 19 and let mee answer thee Baali and Ishi my Lord and my husband Betroath mee unto thee in righteousnesse and in judgment and in loving-kindnesse vers 20 and in mercyes and in faithfullnesse and make mee know thee to be my Lord. 2. Cor 11.2 Send a Paul to espouse mee to one husband that so I may be presented as a chast virgin unto Christ. Give mee grace to doe as once thou commandedst the widowes of Edom Ier 49.11 1. Tim 5.5 even to trust in thee Though now I am desolate yet make mee for ever to trust in thee my God and continue in supplications and prayers night and day Thus let my sorrow be sanctified and my trust and confidence reposed in thee that so I may serve thee with cheerefullnesse endure thy visitation with patience and in the end that I may goe to that place where I trust thou hast crowned my husband and where my Saviour is certainly gone before even to the Kingdome of happinesse and that through the merits and intercession of the same Iesus Christ my onely Lord and Saviour Amen subject 20 THE TWENTIETH SUBJECT A woman's teares at the funer all of her husband The Soliloquie THE EjACULATION Psal 5. vers 1. Give eare to my words ô Lord consider my meditation vers 2. Hearken unto the voyce of my cry my king and my God for unto thee will I pray WHen Sarah dyed in Kiriath-Arba Abraham stood up from before his deceased wife Gen 23 3. and spake unto the sonnes of Heth vers 4. saying I am a stranger and a sojourner with you give mee a possession and a burying place with you that I may bury my dead out of my fight Though hee so tenderly affected her whilest shee was living yet hee would not looke to long on her when shee was dead It is a duety as full of humanitie to interre with decency the bodies of the dead as it is of religion to love the persone when they are alive Yet vaine is man in this affection if hee fixeth his love onely on the beautie of the body This flesh which is so tender this skinne which I strive to preserve both smooth and white must one day be a banquet for the loathed wormes Noe greater priviledg belongeth to mee then did to my hushand for the time will come when I shall follow him to the earth Had I loved onely his outward forme my love should now either quite be forgotten or else I should fondly defire to deny it interment but it was his body enlivened with a rich and excellent soule which drew mine affection and commanded my desires Had that soule and body continued their societie I had beene freed from my laments but they have bid fare-well 'till the generall resurrection and hence am I enforced to utter my complaints I weepe for my losse because wee are divorced but ô what conflicts then can I imagine that hee had wheÌ„ hee was not onely to part from his indeared wife but likewise his soule was to leave this chillowed â—earth Oh for him for him for my losse of him doe I pay the tribute of these watering eyes Yet these teares must not flow in too greate aboundance lest by them I should seeme to envy his happinesse Even when his body shall be layed to sleepe in the grave if I mourne too much it will be justly suspected that too much I loved the worst of my husband His soule which was his best is now in perfection and may not be lamented his body which is the worse and grosser part of him is now to be committed to the earth whence it came Thither it must goe to that place I must commend it otherwise my former love may be turned into loathing and that which I esteemed when it was alive I shall be forced to abhorre if I keepe it from the grave O it grieveth mee each minuit that I thinke of my deerest it troubleth and perplexeth mee with disturbed thoughts when I consider how servently I loved him yet cannot enliven him But these are onely the fond conceptions of an erring phantisie and tell mee that I loved him more then I should or else now I would not grieve so much as I doe If my love to God be so greate as I pretend I shall thankfully acknowledg his love to the departed O let it never be said that my love was idolatrie in affecting him too much who is but dust and ashes But why sit I museing in these pensive thoughts when I should rather prepare for the buriall of the dead Have I taken a course for the place of his rest where his cold body may be layed to sleepe This is a duety which every age hath beene carefull to performe It was a greater argument of Iehojakim's furie against Vryah the Prophet Ier. 26.23 that hee cast his dead body into the graves of the common people then that hee slew him with the sword It hath allso beene a testimonie of God's revenge when hee suffered not the dead to have a decent interment Eccl 6.3 If a man beget an hundred children saith the Preacher and live many yeeres so that the dayes of his yeeres be many and his soule be not filled with good and allso that hee have noe buriall I say that an untimely birth is better then hee VVhen the
come to take unto him my two Sonnes to be bondmen vers 2. Then Elisha sayd unto her What shall I doe for thee Tell mee what hast thou in thine house And shee sayd thine hand-mayd hath not any thing in the house save a pot of oyle Then hee sayd vers 3. Borrow thee vessells abroad of all thy neighbours even empty vessells borrow not a few vers 5. So shee went from him and did as hee commanded her when all the vessells miraculously were filled with oyle Elisha said unto her Goe sell the oyle vers 7. and pay thy debts and live thou and thy children of the rest This the widow of Zarephath allso found true to her comfort for when shee had but an hand-full of meale in a barrell 1. King 17.12 and a litle oyle in a cruse and went to gather two sticks that shee might gee in and dresse it for her and her sonne that they might eate it and dye even then Elijah the Prophet tould her saying Thus saith the Lord of Israël vers 14 The barrell of meale shall not wast neither shall the cruse of oyle faile untill the day that hee Lord sendeth raine upon the earth example 3 3. The Lord not onely relieveth us in our wants but allso hee succoureth us in our losses and comforteth us in our sorrowes Lu 7.12 When my Saviour came nigh to the gate of the citty Naim and behould there was a dead man caried out the onely Sonne of his mother and shee was a widow and much people of the citty was with her even then vers 13 vers 14 when the Lord saw her hee had compassion on her and sayd unto her Weepe not And hee came and touched the beere and they that bare him stood still and hee sayd Young man I say unto thee arise vers 15 And hee that was dead sate up began to speake And hee delivered him to his mother example 4 4. The same Lord hath likewise comanded men to helpe us Thus though Eliphaz accuseth Iob Iob. 22 9. c 31.16 vers 22 saying Thou hast sent widowes away empty yet Iob himselfe saith If I have with-held the poore from their desire or have caused the eyes of the widow to faile then let mine arme fall off from my shoulder-blade and mine arme be broken from the bone Thus when Ioab did seeke to incline the heart os David to fetch home Absalom who had sted from him upon his killing of his brother Amnon hee had noe other way to effect his desires but by suborning the widow of Tekoah And shee came to the King 2. Sam 14.4 vers 5. and fell on her face to the ground and did obeysance and said Helpe ô King And the King said unto her What ayleth thee And shee answered I am indeede a widow woman and mine husband is dead c. And by these meanes getting audience of the King who pittied her as a widow shee prevailed at length for Absalom's pardon Thus though the un-just judg which is mentioned in the Gospel Lu 18.4 vers 5. did neither feare God nor regard man yet when a widow troubled him hee said I will avenge her of her adversarie lest by her continuall coming shee wearie mee example 5 5. In our wants wee may borrow and the rich must lend to us yea and they are forbidden to use us with crueltie or severitie They must not so much as take a pledg of us The Israëlites were forbidden it by God himselfe for so saith the Lord Deut. 24.17 Thou shalt not pervert the â—…dgment of the stranger nor of the fatherlesse â—or take a widowes raiment to pledg Yea and â—mong those that remove the land-markes Iob. 24.2 that violently take away the flocks and feede thereof vers 3. and those that drive away the Asse of the fatherlesse Iob doeth ranke and reckon them who take the widowe's oxe for a pledg example 6 6. Moreover every one must be an advoâ—ate to pleade for us Among other dueties required of Iudah the Lord not onely commandeth that shee should judg the fatherlesse Is 1.17 but allso that shee should pleade for the Widow and hee therfore sendeth his wrath and showreth his vengeance upon them because they judg not the fatherlesse vers 23 neither doeth the cause of the widow come unto them example 7 7. The judges are allso commanded to defend us and to countenance our causes Every one must be a judg to the distressed widow therfore the law runneth peremptorily Deut 27.19 Cursed be hee that perverteth the judgment of the stranger fatherlesse and widow and all the people shall say Amen example 8 8. The righteous must visit us for the Apostle saith that pure religion Iam â— 27. and un-defiled before God and the father is this to visit 〈◊〉 fatherlesse and widowes in their affliction c. example 9 9. None may afflict or oppresse us for God himselfe giveth the charge Ex. 22.22 saying 〈◊〉 shall not afflict any widow Againe by 〈◊〉 Prophet thus speaketh the Lord of host saying Zech. 7 10. Is 10.2 Oppresse not the widow Woe unto theâ— saith the Prophet Isaiah that take away the right from the poore of my people that widoweâ— may be their prey example 10 10. And lest wee should be overborne with sorrowes and lost in our griefes wee have authoritie even from God to be cheerefull and to rejoyce Deut. 16.14 So saith the Lord Thou shalt rejoyâ— in thy feast thou and thy Sonne and thy daughter and thy manservant and thy maydservant the Levite the stranger the fatherlesse the widow that are within thy gates example 11 11. Yea and wee have more freedome to enter into any religious vow then formerly was graunted us yea then when wee were under the tuition of our indulgent parents Though a virgin by the law might not fulfill her vow if it stood not with the liking Num. 30.5 and pleasure of her father yet the Lord himselfe doeth ordaine saying Every vow of a widow as well as of her that is divorced vers 9. wherewith they have bound their soules shall stand against her Saint Paul allso treating of our libertie to tye our selves in a second vow of nuptiall dueties saith The Wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth but if her husband be dead 1. Cor. 7.39 shee is at libertie to be maried to whom shee will onely in the Lord. Seeing then the Lord is so mercifull and gratious unto us who have lost the content and comfort of our guides and directours provided that wee are widowes indeede and desolate trusting in God 1. Tim. 5.5 continuing in supplications and prayers night and day why sit I thus disconsolate as if I neither had right to the societie of Christians nor were regarded by my maker Whence flow these teares Whence arise these sighes sobbs of a troubled
seldome is love forgotten in the mother of children Cant. 3 6. in whom it is commonly as strong as death vers 7. for many waters cannot quench it neither can the floods drowne it Much therfore I cannot blame the wife of Zebedeus for the fervency of her affection to her beloved Sonnes All that shee erred in was both in the thing shee requested and in the person to whom shee tendered her petition Surely without offence I may likewise besiech my mercifull Saviour that hee will be pleased to undertake the protection of my young ones It is a petition more proper for mee then her's was for her for shee was living and might have beene a comfort unto them but I am dying I am leaving the world I lye drawingon and wayting for that blessed hower of my Saviours comeing All that is left mee now to doe is onely to blesse them before my departure and this is the best legacie that I can bequeath unto them I must I will blesse them by the leave and favour of my God yet not as from my selfe but onely from God not as thinking that my power can purchase their happinesse but praying to him that his blessing may prosper them Thus by faith did dying Iacob blesse both the Sonnes of Ioseph Heb. 11 21. and worshipped leaning upon the top of his staffe Thus old Isaak said unto Esau his Sonne Gen. 27 2. vers 3. Behold now I am old I know not the day of my death now therfore take I pray thee thy we opons thy quiver and thy bowe and goe out to the field and take mee some venison vers 4. and make mee savourie meate such as I love and bring it to mee that I may eate that my soule may blesse thee before I dye Thus Isaak blessed Iacob and said c 28.3 God All-mighty blesse thee and make thee fruitfull and multiplie thee that thou mayest be a multitude of people c. 49.28 Thus Iacob blessed the twelve tribes when hee spake unto them and blessed them every one according to his blessing hee blessed them c 31.55 Thus Laban even in the time of his health rose up early in the morning and kissed his Sonnes and his daughters and blessed them and then departed and returned to his place Yea thus even Moses who was but a leader of the people and not so neerely linked unto them by the bonds of nature blessed them and sayd Deut. 1 11. The Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as yee are and blessed you as hee hath promised you Thus the same Moses againe drawing neere to the time of his leaving the world c. 33.1 with his blessing did blesse the children of Israel before his death Thus when the dayes of David drew neere that hee should dye 1. King 2.1 hee gave a charge and a blessing to his beloved Sonne Solomon And noe marveile since it is most true that hee whom God blesseth is blessed Num 22.6 and hee whom hee curseth is cursed The blessing of a parent is nothing but a prayer to the giver of good things Iam. 1.17 that hee may be pleased to send his blessing on their issue Mee thinks therfore the words of Samuel which hee sayd unto the people doe take a deepe impression in my breast 1. Sam. 12.23 for hee sayd God forbid that I should sinne against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you With leave then of my God I will see my children and I will kisse them as Laban did his and I will likewise blesse them The Lord direct mee in my prayers for them and the Lord accept my prayers grant my requests which I shall make unto him for them part 2 The Second part being the benediction or blessing it selfe ending in a prayer MY deerest children yee whom I love in the tender yerning bowells of affection draw neere and attend to the words of your dying mother A weake woman yee see I am but yet sinfull I am which peradventure yee see not O weepe not my prettie ones doe not pierce and breake my troubled heart with your sad laments I must dye my litle ones and goe to a better place whither yee I hope shall one day follow mee Wee came not together into the world nor shall wee goe together out of it In vaine doe yee shed those teares of sorrow for allthough nature teacheth you to bewayle my departure yet grace will teach you to moderate your mourning My heart even bleede's to leave you behind mee fearing lest yee will forget the commandements of your God I should be sorrie to have just cause to say unto you as Moses did to the Levites yet I will put you in mind of his words Deut. 31.27 Behold sayd hee while I am yet alive with you this day yee have beene rebellious against the Lord vers 29 how much more after my death I know that after my death yee will utterly corrupt your selves and turne aside from the way which I commanded you and evill will befall you in the latter dayes because yee will doe evill in the sight of the Lord Heb. 6.9 to provoke him to anger through the worke of your hands But I am perswaded better things of you and things that accompanie salvation though I thus speake O my deare ones hearken unto the words which I shall say They must be my legacie unto you heare mee with patience and treasure up in your memories the last speech of your fainting your dying mother How deare yee cost mee before yee had life and what pangs and torments I suffered for you before yee were heard or seene in the world yee cannot imagine nor I expresse Yet all was forgotten for joy that yee were borne Ioa 16.21 and hoping that yee would adde unto the quire of Saints To this purpose I have laboured and taken care for the nourishment both of your soules bodies and for your sustentation so much as in mee lay from the breast to this instant O what sad and perplexed thoughts have I had for you in the day times and how many howers have I borrowed from my sleepe in the nights to thinke what would become of you if yee should not be obedient to the commandements of my God! To the same God they are best knowne O how often upon my knees have I prayed for your happinesse and wept and mourned when yee have done what yee ought not To him is it best knowne to whom I now am goeing Sometimes when yee have offended I was enforced to correct you but each stripe which yee receaved did cut mee into the heart In many things yee failed because yee were young and in many things I failed too because I am a weake and a sinfull woman If at any time yee thought that I did not my duety take heede that hereafter yee remember it not to my dishonour Ponder in your
blesse you if yee be righteous vers 28 Ps 5.12 Ps 115.13 2. Tim 4.6 and â—ith favour hee will compasse you as with a shield Hee will blesse them that feare him both small and greate And now my children I have not much more to say to you for the time of my departure is at hand If yee doe heartily love your God I know that yee will affectionately love each other yee will be observant to your guardians and instructours yee will be courteous unto all Be not dismayed at any crosse or affliction at any losse or povertie which may fall upon you Mat 6.33 Deut 28.8 Ex 23.25 but seeke yee first the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and then all other things shall be added unto you Then the Lord shall command the blessing upon you both in your store-houses in all that yee set your hands unto Hee shall blesse your bread and your water Deutâ— 28.3 and take away sicknesse from the midst of you Blessed shall yee be in the citty and blessed shall yee be in the field vers 4. Blessed shaâ— be the fruits of your bodies and the fruit of your grounds and the fruits of your cattell and the increase of your kine and the flocks of your sheepe vers 5. Blessed shall be your basket vers 6. and your store Blessed shall yee be when yee come in and blessed shall yee beâ— when yee goe forth c. 7.13 The Lord will love youâ— and will blesse you and multiplie you buâ— will allso blesse the fruit of the wombe unto you and the fruit of your land and your corne and your wine and your oyle and the increase of your kine and the flocks of your sheepe in the places where yee shall live c. 28.12 Hee will open unto you his good treasure the heaven to give the raine unto your land in his season and to blesse all the worke of your hands Gen. 49.25 and yee shall lend unto many and yee shall not borrow Hee shall helpe you and blesse you with the blessings of heaven above blessings of the deepe that lyeth under and blessings of the breasts of the wombe And that hee may thus blesse you the same Lord direct your hearts preserve you in his blessing All that I can doe now is to pray for you and my weakenesse will hardly permit mee to doe that yet so long as I can speake I trust I shall pray and in my petitions remember both my selfe and you While I am yet alive it is my duety to pray for you and it is your duety allso to pray for mee The Lord graunt that wee may all doe what hee requireth at 〈◊〉 hands Doe not yee grieve too much that I am so neere my rest for it is the decree of â—…y God and the longing expectation of my â—earied selfe The Lord give you patience to â—ndure this affliction and the Lord give mee â—atience and perseverance unto the end Now I goe the way of all the earth 1. King 2.2 Keepe yee the Charge of the Lord your God to walke in his wayes to keepe his statutes vers 3. and his commandements and his judgments and his â—estimonies as it is written in the Scriptures that yee may prosper in all that yee doe and whithersoëver yee turne your hands The Lord give you the blessing of Iudah Deut. 33.7 and â—eare your voyces and let your hands be sufficient for you and let him be an helper to you from your enemies and the Lord give you the blessing of Benjamin vers 12 The Lord cover you all the day long and dwell betweene your shoulders And the Lord give you the blessing of Ioseph vers 13 Blessed of the Lord be your land for the pretious things of heaven for the deaw and for the deepe that coucheth beneath vers 14 and for the pretious fruits brought forth by the Sunne vers 16 and for the pretious things put forth by the Moone and for the pretious things of the earth and fullnesse thereof and for the good will of him that dwelt in the hush The eternall God be your resuge vers 27 and underneath you the everlasting armes 2. Sam. 7.26 And now ô Lord God let it please thee to blesse the house of thy servant Vers 29 and with thy blessing letâ— familie of thy servant be blessed for ever Deut. 26.15 ps 67.1 Lâ—… downe from thine holy habitation from heare and blesse them O my God he mercifull uâ— them and blesse them and cause thy face to 〈◊〉 upon them And now with Iacob I have made an 〈◊〉 of commanding you Gen. 49.33 and ready I am to gathâ—… up my feete into the bed and to yeeld up the 〈◊〉 and to be gathered unto my fathers Onâ—… come yee neere my deere ones that I 〈◊〉 kisse you and that my cold and clammy haâ—… may be layed upon your heads that I may once more blesse you and dye Fare-well my prettie ones farewell the children of my deare affection 2. Cor. 13.11 I must leave you and I hope I shall leave my God with you who will be unto you a father of mercies and 〈◊〉 God of all consolation Once more fare-well 1. Pet. 3 8. 2. Tim. 4.23 Love as brethren and the God of love and peace be with you The Lord Iesus Christ be with your spirits Grace be with you all Amen subject 26 THE TWENTIE-SIXTH SUBjECT Teares of a dying woman wherein is set downe her religious exercises 1 A Soliloquie in which is set forth 1 A desire of life 2 The certaintie of death 2 A godly preparation against the minuit of death 3 A prayer of the sick 4 The consolation of the godly in the hower of death 5 The resignation of the soule into the hands of God exercise 1 â—he Soliloquie wherein is set forth part 1 1. A desire of life THE EjACULATION â—sal 5. vers 1. Give eare to my words o Lord consider my meditation vers 2. Hearken unto the voice of my cry my king and my God for unto thee will I pray VVHen Ahazia had fallen downe through a lattesse in his upper chamber 2. King 1.2 that was in Samaria and was sick of 〈◊〉 fall hee sent messengers to enquire of Baal-zebub the God of Ekron whether hee should recover of that dangerous sicknesse Every one desireth a fore-knowledg of events that they might prevent those dangers which otherwise might ensue Herein mee thinks wee endeavour a kind of imitation of our maker labouring unjustly for his attribute of prae-science But if wee desire what hee forbiddeth wee seeke but our destruction in the pursuit of our desires Of some things hee often permitteth us a fore-knowledg and somethings againe hee hideth from us that so both by ouâ— knowledg wee may conjecture at what a blessing wee should have enjoyed had not Adam transgressed and allso that by our ignorance wee may
order unto him and in obedience to his commands I will love my neighbour as my selfe I will love him with the same affection as my selfe For his sake for whom I love my selfe even for God's For the same reason as my selfe even for grace conferred in this life present and for a certaine hope of eternall glory in the life to come In the same order as my selfe which shall be above the world but inferiour to my God Vpon the same ground as myselfe even because of the image of God imprinted in him and because hee is capable of immortall happinesse lastly as long as myselfe even from the beginning unto the end untill this fraile flesh shall be forsaken by my pensive my sad and sorrowfull soule And that my brethren my neighbours may be the better assured of my love which cannot be firme unlesse I accord with them in the same beliefe Heb 4.14 and that it may be knowne that through the grace of my God I hold fast the profession of my faith wherein I have lived even the same which was taught by my Saviour and his Apostles according to the trueth and puritie of the same without leaning either to prophanesse atheisme superstition or any other errour or heresie and to the intent that they may joyne with mee in thanksgiving to my God for preserving mee in the same and in prayer unto God that I may continue in the same both to the end in the end I will therfore cheerefully faithfully and confidently rehearse the articles of my beliefe and say I beleeve in God the Father Allmighty Maker of heaven and earth and in Iesus Christ his onely Sonne our Lord which was conceived by the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried hee descended into hell the third day hee rose againe from the dead hee ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father All-mighty from thence hee shall come to judg the quick and the dead I beleeve in the holy Ghost the holy Catholike Church the Communion of Saints the forgivenesse of sinnes the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting Amen Thus I believe Lord helpe my un-beliefe Mar. 9.24 Eph. 4.14 and graunt that I may not be tossed to and fro and caried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lie in wayt to deceave vers 15 but that speaking and believing this trueth in love I may grow up unto him in all things which is the head even Christ my Redeemer And that I may thus repent mee of my sinnes and continue in love and persevere in the faith and submit to his good pleasure I will with a bended heart and a sorrowfull spirit and weeping eyes pray unto him and say exercise 3 3. The Prayer of the sick FAther of mercies Lord of life thou God which art a refuge in the time of trouble Ps 6.2 have mercy upon mee Ps 143.4 for I am weake and my heart with in mee is desolate A sinner I am I must confesse it not deserving thy mercy a fowle a grievous sinner I am who have disobeyed thy statutes and broken all thy commandements and never have I set my selfe in any good way to seeke my peace and reconciliation with thee My conscience check's mee and my sinnes testifie against mee and mine adversarie the devill strjveth to pluck from mee my considence in thee O Lord be thou my protectour and my gracious father Be reconciled unto mee in Iesus Christ in whom alone thou art well pleased Io 16.23 and in whose name whatsoëver I shall aske of thee I am sure thou wilt give it unto mee Heavenly Father doe thou assist mee doe thou comfort mee in these my trpâ—… and afflictions Ps 60.11 o be thou my helpe in trouble for vaine is the helpe of man To thee I cry to thee I come with a panting heart with a sorrowfull soule with an humble spirit I have sinned ô I have sinned and done amisse and my portion might be justly therfore in the land of darknesse there to be tormented with the devill and his angells forever But ô thou who hast promised to heale all those that are broken in heart Ps 147 3. and to bind up their wounds be reconciled unto mee in the wounds of my Redeemer Speake peace unto my conscience in this agony Ps 143.6 in this sorrowfull and deepe sighing for my skarlet sinnes To thee Ps 143.6 and to thee alone I stretch forth my hands to thee my soule gaspeth as a thirstie land vers 7. Heare mee ô Lord that soone for my spirit waxeth faint hide not thy face from mee lest I be like unto them that goe downe to destruction O let not these teares be refused nor these groanes be sighed and sobbed in vaine but by the power of his passion out of whose pretious side did issue both water and blood be thou reconciled unto mee the unworthiest of thy creatures Though my soule be deepely stained with the pollutions of my transgressions yet his blood hath power to make it white as snow On that remission of sinnes by his torments and sufferings doe I wholly rely My selfe I abhorre Iob 42.6 and repent in dust and ashes my workes I disclaine for I know their unworthinesse on thee alone ô my Iesus I wholly depend and by thee alone I hope for remission Be thou my Iesus be thou my Saviour Cure mee by thy wounds heale mee by thy stripes ease mee by thy torments comfort mee by thine agonie refresh my fainting soule by thy bluodie sweat revive mee by thy death and ô Sonne of God and Saviour of the world present mee to thy father in the robe of thy righteousnesse Ps 94.13 Give mee patience in this time of adversitie that I may quietly and contentedly submit to thy good pleasure rely upon thy mercy be thankfull for thy chastisement and in all things so looke up unto thee in this time of my sicknesse that I may hereafter be raised to glory by the power of thy resurrection This sicknesse for ought I know may be unto death but in thee I trust it shall be a passage unto life If thou hast passed the sentence of the first death upon mee decreeing to execute it by this my sicknesse to lay mee in the dust by this present visitation howsoever be pleased ô my father for the worthinesse of thy sonne to free met from the horrour of the second death Let mee be found of thee in peace 2. Pet 3 14. Hab 3.2 Is 9.13 Iob. 3.25 Mich 6 13. 1. Pet 4 19. Ps 119.175 that it may clearely appeare to mee that thou art a God of trueth and in the midst of judgment remembrest mercy Vnto thee I turne for thou hast smitten mee and the thing that I so greatly feared is fallen upon mee My body thou
destruction nor the threatned fall nor thy resisting us nor Sodom's ruine Lord forgive this iniquity amongst us and give us now such humble hearts Ps 75.6 that wee may noe more set our hornes on high nor speake with stiffe necks for why Thou ô God art the judg vers 8. thou puttest downe one and settest up another Wee are taught ô thou just God of truth Prov. 11.1 that a false ballance is abhomination unto thee but a just weight is thy delight and wee know that thou didst question by thy Prophet saying Mic 6.11 Shall I count them pure with the wicked ballances and with the bagg of deceitfull weights vers 10 Are there not in Ierusalem and Samaria the treasures of wickednesse in the house of the wicked and the skant measure which is aboâ—minable Yea and wee know that thou doâ—… stricktly forbid Deut 25.14 vers 13 vers 15 saying Thou shalt not have iâ— thine house diverse measures a greate and 〈◊〉 small thou shalt not have in thy bagge diversâ— weights a greate and a small but thou shalâ— have a perfect and just weight a perfect and just measure shalt thou have that thy dayes may be lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee And yet for all this the same complaint may be made against many of us Ier 6.13 which was against Iudah wee are given to coveteousnesse and wee dealt falsly Iustly therfore ô most righteous judg thou mayst question us as thou didst the Iewes and say c 7.9 vers 10 will yee steale murder commâ— adulterie and sweare falsly and come and stand before mee in my house which is called by my name and say wee are delivered 〈◊〉 doe all these abominations O thou that art the easer of the oppressed thou God of compassionate bowells to thee are allso knowne both the deceaver and the oppressour walking hand in hand among us Surely thou hast seene it Ps 10.15 for thou behouldest ungodlinesse and wrong therfore thou callest Amos. 8.4 vers 5 saying Heare this ô yee that swallow up the needy even to make the poore of the land to faile saying when will the Sabbath be gone that wee may set forth wheate making the Ephah small and the Shekel greate and falsifying the ballance by deceit vers 6. that wee may buy the poore for silver and the needy for a paire of shooes Yea ô thou that makest inquisition for blood and forgettest not the complaint of the poore to thee wee must confesse that with the deceitfull is joyned allso among us even the bloody murderer allthough wee are well assured that the blood-thirstie and deceitfull man shall not live out halfe his dayes Ps 55.25 Yea Lord thou God of justice thou mayest allso complaine of us as thou didst of the Iewes Is 59.4 and say that few or none among us calleth for justice or pleadeth for truth wee trust in vanity and speake lyes wee conceave mischiefe and bring forth iniquity Hos 4.2 By swearing and lying and killing and stealing and committing adulterie the people breake out and blood toucheth blood Therfore doth our land mourne vers 3. and every one that dwelleth therein doth languish Thus ô thus wickedly thus contemptuously Iud 10 15. thus outragiously yea and many more and worse though closer wayes have wee sinned o Lord doe thou unto us whatsoever in thy mercy seemeth good unto thee For these Ier. 50.4 and for all other our private and publike our secret and our open our particular and our generall crimes I besiech thee o father of mercies to graunt that I and all the people of the land may goe weeping as once did the children of Israel and of Iudah Lord be reconciled unto us in the blood of that Lamb of thine who taketh away the sinns of the world Cause us all now in this time of our visitation to learne vers 5. and aske the way to Sion with our faces thitherward saying Come let us joyne our selves unto the Lord in a perpetuall covenant that shall not be broken Amos. 7.2 Dan. 9.19 Ioel. 2.21 vers 26 O Lord God forgive us I beseech thee by whom Shall Iacob arise For hee is small O Lord heare ô Lord forgive o Lord hearken and doe it so shall wee be sure that thou wilt doe greate things Cause us once againe to eate in plenty be satisfied praise thy name o Lord our God when thou hast dealt thus wonderously with us and wee shall never be ashamed Ier. 29.11 O let thy thoughts be thoughts of peace towards us and not of evill Wee should o my God 1. Pet. 3 8. wee should have loved one another as brethren and should have beene pittyfull and courteous but to our shame I must acknowledg with a sad and a broken heart that wee have beene more ready to bite and devoure one another Gal. 5.15 and therfore now are wee justly consumed one of another It is most just with thee o thou sin-revenging God thus to visit our offences with the rod Ps 89.32 our sinns with scourges Vnnaturall have beene our crimes therfore unnaturall are likewise our punishments Ps 37.15 for our swords doe goe thorow our owne hearts and wee our selves are become the destroyers of our selves O eternall mercy O eternall goodnesse be thou gratiously pleased I beseech thee to give us a true sight sense and feeling of these and all other our faylings and back-slidings give us hearty remorse contrition and sorrow for them all together with a stedfast resolution of new obedience yea and so strengthen us in these our pious resolutions and so enable us to the performance of the same yea so sanctifie us throughout that our whole spirits and soules bodies may be kept blamelesse unto the comeing of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Thou hast threatned that If a man will not turne Ps 7.13 thou will whet thy sword this long time thou hast bent thy bowe thou hast prepared for us vers 14 and brought among us the instruments of death and hast ordained thine arrowes against thy persecuters Yet Lord thou art yesterday and to day and the same for ever The same father of mercies and God of all consolation Remember therfore I beseech thee how gratious thou wert to the people of Iudah to whom thou sentest thy Prophet to speake Ier. 26.3 If so be they would hearken and turne every man from his evill way that thou mightest repent thee of the evill which thou didst purpose to doe unto them because of the evill of their doeings O Lord doe thou rent our hearts in thy mercy and make us turne from our evill wayes that thou mayst repent thee of the evill of our punishments Make us turne unto thee with 〈◊〉 our hearts Ioel 2.12 with fasting and with weeping and with mourning Ex 32.12 and then turne thou from thy
the rivers are full of us Good God what a menace was this which went out against Egypt What water the land with blood Yes with blood And good reason for that countrie which had beene so fertile through the overflowings of Nilus was now growne more glutted with skarlet sinns then their river was pregnant reemed with misse shâ—ppen monsters Thus Goâ— can doe and thus God will doe when hiâ— patience is over-pressed with the infinite in crease of insufferable crimes And thus o thus he now doe's to my poore nativeâ— bleeding countrie This this land which waâ— like the land of Egypt Gen. 13 10. Lam. 1.1 Ier. 5.9 vers 10 even as the garden of thâ— Lord which was great among nations and Princesse among Provinces is now Made an astonishment and an hissing and a desolation The voyce of mirth and the voyce of gladnesse and the voyce of the Bride-groome and the voyce of the Bride and the sound of the mill-stones and the light of the candle are taken from us and this whole land by degrees become's a desolation vers 11 Lam. 1.4 and an astonishment Her priests sigh her virgins are afflicted and she is in bitternesse Lord what a strange and sad alteration is here in every corner of the Kingdome in all estates and conditions of the people Our cities are become prisoners even to their owne fortifications and seeme to be coffind in the walls of their strength The grave and ancient inhabitants of them who had out-lived their sweat and labour are now enforced to become young apprentices to their allmost forgotten crafts and finding their stiffe stickie fingers unapt to purchase bread for their bellies they moisten their shrivell'd cheekes with those few teares their age can allow them The cornets and the sack-buts are turned into trumpets and fifes our feasts are turned into mourning Amos. 8.10 and all our songs into lamentation and sack-cloth is brought upon all loines and baldnesse upon every head and our mourning is as for an onely sonne and the end of our mirth is this our bitter day Our dances are changed into marches our banquets into famine our gownes and liveries into garments made of the skinns of Elkes and Buffeloes and the suites of gold and Tissue into glittering armour The hatts composed of the sofe wooll of the Beaver are turned into helmets beavers of hard and heavy mettall the lofty proud structures into poore and narrow hutts and tents and the pride of the cup-board and the glory of the fingers into salarie for souldiers and the price of blood Ioel. 3.9 Warre is proclaimed in our gates it is prepared our mighty men are awaked all the men of warre draw neere and come up vers 10 Our plough-shares are beaten into swords and our pruning hookes into speares Our citizens hands forget the cunning of their trades and occupations Ps 144.1 by teaching their hands to warre and their fingers to fight Our penns are turned into pikes our maces into swords our walking staves into halbeards and partizans and leading staves and our voyces of harmonie and musick into showtes and horrid cries of formidable armies The bells which merrily rang the peales and the changes either roare out our destructions in engines of warre by a strange metamorphosis or if they continue in their ould condition they skarce know any other tone then knells for the slaine the death of whom causeth the wringing of hands among orphanes widdowes Our Beth-els are turned into Beth-avens so that now wee skarce dare to seeke Bethel Amos. 5.5 or enter into Gilgal or passe unto Beersheba Our Daniels Dan. 6.16 vers 18 oh our Daniels are cast into the denns of Lyons and yet few of us doe passe the night in fasting nor doe we send away the instruments of musick from before us nor doth our sleepe goe from us O that wee would yet once tremble and feare before the God of Daniel vers 26 who is the living God and stedfast for ever and his Kingdome that which shall not be destroyed for his dominion shall be even to the end vers 27 He delivereth and rescueth and hee worketh signes and wonders in heaven in earth Sad was the time with Ieremiah the Prophet Ier 37.12 when he went out of Ierusalem to goe into the land of Benjamin to separate himselfe thence in the midst of the people For vers 13 when he was in the gate of Benjamin a captaine of the ward was there whose name was Irijah vers 14 and he tooke Ieremiah the Prophet saying Thou fallest away to the Caldeans but Ieremiah said It is false I fall not away to the Caldeans but he hearkened not unto him So Irijah tooke Ieremiah and brought him to the Princes vers 15 wherfore the Princes were wroth with Ieremiah and smote him and put him in prison in the house of Ionathan the Scribe for they had made that a prison Bad Eze 2.6 o full bad are our times too for our Ezekiels live among briars and thornes and dwell among scorpions Heb 11 36. The Prophets of the Lord have their trialls of cruell mockings yea of bonds and imprisonment They are stoned they are tempted vers 37 they are slaine with the sword they wander about in sheepe-skinns and goate-skinns being destitute afflicted and tormented vers 38 of whom the world is not worthy They wander in deserts and in mountaines and in denns and caves of the earth This thou hast seene ô Lord Ps 35.22 vers 23 keepe not silence ô Lord be not thou farr from them Stirre up thyselfe and awake to their judgment and to their cause o our God and our Lord. The time is allready come that judgment hath begun at the house of God 1. Pet. 4.17 and if it first begin at them what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel Wee see not our signes there is skarce any Prophet more and who is there among us that knoweth how long Ps 74.9 Wee have unsettled people among us who are apt to say to the Seers see not to the Prophets Is 30.10 Prophesie not unto us right things speake unto us smooth things Prophesie deceits Get yee out of the way turne aside out of the path vers 11 cause the holy one of Israel to cease from before us The Prophet Ieremiah complained that in his time a wonderfull and horrible thing was committed in the land Ier 5.30 vers 31 the Prophets prophesied lies and the people loved to have it so and what saith hee shall wee doe in the end thereof c 14.13 Againe he cries out Ah Lord God behold the Prophets say unto them Yee shall not see the sword neither shall yee have famine but I will give you assured peace in this place vers 14 The Prophets Prophesie lies in thy name whereas thou sentest them not neither hast thou
commanded them nor spoken to them they Prophesie unto the people a false vision and divination and a thing of nought and the deceipt of their heart And is it not as bad in these times as it was in those Nay doe not they now professe prophesying which are noe Prophets Amos. 7.14 neither sonns of Prophets but heard-men and gatherers of Sycomore fruits and yet will not believe but that God saith unto them vers 15 Goe Prophesie unto my people Israel Surely if such be crept in among us through the windowes and so stopp our light Zech 13.4 the day will come when they shall be ashamed every one of his vision when he hath Prophesied and shall noe longer weare a rough garment to deceave and each of them shall say I am noe Prophet vers 5. I am an husband-man for man taught mee to keepe cattell from my youth Nay is not he now the Prophet of this people in many places Mic. 2.11 who walketh in the spirit of falshood and lyeth saying I will Prophesie unto thee of wine and of strong drinke Ah are not the doores of many of out temples shut up and diverse of our lamps put out 2. Chrâ— 29.7 noe incense burnt or burnt offerings offered in the holy places unto the God of Israel as they were wont to be Doe not some of the lowest of the people pretend to be priests of the high places 1. King 13.33 Nay doe not many fowle people cunning fishers in our troubled waters rob even God himselfe in tithes and offerings For these ô for these things Mal. 3.8 Hab 2.11 the very stones doe cry out of the walls and the beames out of the timber doe answer them Hos 4.1 O most justly therfore hath the Lord his controversie with the inhabitants of this land and it is to be feared that noe truth nor mercy nor knowledg of God will be left therein Is it not now among us in many places vers 9. come to that ould proverb Like people liek Priests 1. Cor 12.8 Have wee not those who thinke that to one of them is given even by the spirit of God the word of wisdome vers 10 1. Io 4.1 Eph. 2.2 1. Io 4.6 1. Sam. 16.14 1. King 22.22 Is 19.14 to another Prophesie to another discerning of spirits and to another interpretation of tongues Whereas if they would trie the spirits peradventure they should find that these are not of God but that many false Prophets are gone out into the world Alasse such a spirit is the same and noe other then the same spirit that ow worketh in the children of disobedience It is the spirit of errour an evill spirit a lying spirit a perverse spirit a spirit of a deepe sleepe c. 29.10 Zech 13.2 1. Cor 2.12 Reu. 18 2. Eze 13 3. Is 11.2 Col 2.23 Iam. 3.15 vers 17 Rom 2 20. Luc 11 52. 1. Cor. 8.1 an uncleane spirit thâ— spirit of the world a fowle spirit then owne spirit rather then the spirit of wisdome and understanding of counsell and might of knowledg and of the feare of the Lord They have indeede a shew of wisdome but I feare this wisdome discendeth not from above but is earthly sensuall and devillish The wisdome that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be intrâ—ted full of mercy good fruits without partiality withouthypocrisie They pretend to knowledg but is it not the forme onely if knowledg and of the truth in the law Haâ—t they not all this while beene kept out and entred not for want of the true key of knowledg Or if they doe know what they ought doth not this knowledg pusse them up Hee knoweth most and best who knoweth him selfe most and that hee is the worst They say Iam. 2.14 vers 20 they have faith but what doth it profit though a man say he hath faith and have not works Can faith save him Faith without works is dead I pray God that all of us may fight the good fight of faith 1. Tim. 6.12 1. Thes 5.8 Gal. 5.6 Lam. 1.2 putting on the breast-plate of faith and love even of that faith which worketh by love O mercifull God how doth thy poore spouse weepe sore in the night and her teares hang on her cheekes and that because among all her lovers she hath few or none to comfort her Her friends have dealt trecherously with her and are become her enemies Mee think's our two indulgent Nurses who should have beene preserved chast whose breasts have beene full of sweere and wholsome milke 1. Pet. 2.2 and who were wont to feede us with the sincere milke of the word the Presse and the Pulpit are clad like mourners and that because they are forced and ravished by so many profane penns and tongues O how are the black penns of our railing Scripturients borrowed from the wings of the simplest fowle which hisses at them for their madnesse surfeited with their excessive drinking of gall and vineger and how from their nibbs their noses doe dropp the very loathsome purgations of their Masters contaminated braines They gape as if they would devoure him whom they point at They scratch him they blott and blurre his good repute yea they have teeth too and with those teeth they bite so malliciously so venemously that often times the wounds doe fester and grow incurable Wee are now certainly in the Autumne of the world and assured thereof by the dayly falling into our hands of the lye-blowne fruit and leaves of these saplesse trunks these un-pruined trees The small coyne which formerly wee caried about us for the reliefe of the poore is now frequently bestowed upon the falshood of the times Vntruthes are pressed into the world the mother suffers but a minuits paine and so soone as she is delivered the daughter runn's abroad before shee is so much as wrapped in swadling clothes That heavie curse is fallen upon us 2. Thes 2.11 that God hath sent us strong delusions that wee allso believe lyes Not is the Pulpit freer then the Presse O my soule longeth Ps 84.2 vers 3. yea even fainteth too for the courts of the Lord and that because the Sparrow hath found an house and the Swallow a nest for berselfe where she may lay her young even thine Altars ô Lord of hosts my King and my God vers 4. and yet I cannot be so blessed as to dwell in thine house Alasse alasse in too many places of this land the shcreech owle lodgeth there Is 34.14 vers 11 the cormorant the Bitterne possesse it the Owle allso and the Raven dwell in it wild beasts of the desert lodg there c. 13.21 it is full of dolefull creatures and the rough Satyrs dance there Nay more there are those now among us who turne the Temples into stables and Orateries into oasteries and thinke to find Christ as the shepheards did Lu
commandements and his statutes vers 25 the Lord shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies thou shalt goe out one way against them and flee seaven wayes before them and thy carkeise shall be meate unto all fowles of the aire and unto the beasts of the earth vers 26 and noe man shall fray them away Iud. 2.13 Thus when Israel forsooke thee their Lord and served Baalim and Ashahroth vers 14 then thine anger was hot against them and thou didst deliver them into the hands of spoilers that spoyled them and didst sell them into the hands of their enemies round about so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies c. 3.7 Thus againe when they did evill in thy sight and forgat thee their Lord and their God and served Baalim and the groves then thine anger was hot against Israel vers 8. and thou didst sell them into the hands of Chusan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia and they served him eight yeeres vers 9. But yet when they cryed unto thee thou didst raise up a deliverer to them who delivered them Thus allso when they did evill in thy sight c. 6.1 thou didst deliver them into the hands of Midian seaven yeeres And thus at another time when they did evill againe in thy sight and served Baalim and Ashtaroth c. 10.6 and forsooke thee and served thee not vers 7. then thine anger was hot against them and thou didst sell them into the hands of the Philistines into the hands of the children of Ammon c 13.1 Yea and thus when they allso did likewise evill in thy sight thou didst deliver them into the hands of the Philistines fortie yeeres If then Lord thou sparedst not thine owne deere people when they thus sinned Ps 106.29 and provoked thee to wrath through their owne inventions how can wee the most abhominable of all thy creatures have the least hope of the cessation of thy judgments who still doe multiply and increase our unsufferable abhominations Neither terrour nor consumption nor any other of thy corrections formerly sent us have prevailed with us to search and try our wayes and to turne unto thee our dreadfull Lord. Iustly therfore doest thou walke contrarie unto us and causest the sword to avenge the quarrell of thy covenant Wee are smitten before our enemies yea even such enemieâ— who have beene and should have continued our friends for religion countrie neigbourhood affinitie and consanguinitie had tyed us together with the bonds of love But now alasse wee goe out one way against them and flee seaven wayes before them Wee have in many places had those among us who served Baalim and Ashtaroth and the groves and wee have had those too who allthough they have professed with Naaman that they would offer neither burnt offerings 2. King 5.17 nor sacrifice unto other Gods but onely unto thee the true Lord yet with Naaman allso they have bowed in the house of Rimmon vers 8. Iustly therfore ô most justly is thine anger hot against us and wee are delivered into the hands of spoylers Confesse wee must ô God that wee are a sinfull nation Is 1.4 a people laden with iniquity a seede of evill doers children that are corrupters wee have forsaken thee our Lord wee have provoked thee the Holy-one to anger wee have gone away backward vers 5. The whole head is sick and the whole heart faint vers 6. from the sole of the foote even to the head there is noe soundnesse but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores they have not beene closed neither bound up neither mollified with oyntment Wee have indeede with our tongues called thee our father and our master yet thou mayst justly question us as thou didst the Israelites by the mouth of thy holy Prophet If I be a father Mal 1.6 where is mine honour And if I be a master where is my feare Ah Lord wee must confesse that wee are all as an uncleane thing Is 64.6 and all our righteousnesses are as filthy raggs wee all doe fade as a leafe our iniquities as the wind doe take us away vers 7. There is none among us that calleth upon thy name as he ought to doe that stirreth up himselfe to take hold of thee for thou hast hid thy face from us and hast consumed us because of our iniquities vers 8. But now ô Lord thou art our father wee are the clay and thou our potter and wee all are the worke of thine hand vers 9. Be not wroth very sore ô Lord neither remember iniquity for ever behould see I beseech thee wee are all thy people True it is c 28.3 ô eternall Purity that thoâ— didst threaten by thy Prophet that the drunkards of Ephraim should be trodden under feete and by thy servant Solomon thou hast warned us Prov. 23.20 vers 21 saying Be not amongst wine bibbers amongst riotous eaters of flesh for the drunkarâ— and the glutton shall come to povertie and drowzinesse shall cloath them with raggs And yet as if thy words were not true or thy judgments not to be feared and trembled at thâ—… is among us a roote that beareth gall and wormewood Deut. 29 18. to adde drunkennesse to thirst Wee hart Vriah's 1. Sam. 11.13 1. King 16.9 1. Sam. 25.36 made drunke and wee have Elah's Nabals drinking themselves drunke and making Kingly feasts where the end of their mirth is drunkennesse Seeing therfore theâ— is this guilt among us how can wee expect other but that thou shouldest tread downe to people in thine anger Is 63.6 and make them drunke is thy furie and bring downe our strength to the earth It was thy judgment upon Moab the he should be made drunken and should wallâ—… in his vomit be in derision Ier. 48.26 Is 51.17 Wee ô Lord are now made drunke with the cup of thy furie and drinke the dreggs of the cup of trembling and wring them out and that because of the cupps of drunkennesse and madnesse which have over flowed in our land Ier. 10.24 But ô heavenly father correct us but with judgment and not in thine anger lest thou bring us to nothing Luc 21 34. Make every one of us of this nation Take heede lest at any time our hearts be over-charged with surfeiting drunkennesse and cares of this life so that day the day of judgment come upon us unawares By King Solomon ô thou glorious Essence Frov 16.18 thou hast tould us that pride goeth before destruction an haughty spirit before a fall and the Apostle telleth us Iam. 4.6 Eze 16 49. that thou resistest the proude but givest grace to the humble and the Prophet telleth that pride was one of the iniquities of Sodome as well as fullnesse of bread and aboundance of idlenesse Yet ô Lord God all-mighty in our pride wee have neither remembred the