A FOUNTAINE OF TEARES Emptying it selfe into three Rivelets viz of 1 Compunction 2 Compassion 3 Devotion Or Sobs of nature sanctified by grace Languaged in severall Soliloquies and Prayers upon various Subjects for the benefit of all that are in affliction and particularly in these distressed times of warre By Iohn Featley Chaplaine to his Majesty sometimes preacher in the Island St. Christophers Ier 9.1 O that mine head were waters and mine eyes a Fountaines of teares that I might weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of my people AMSTERDAM Printed for IOHN CROSSE English Bookseller iâ the Calver-streete neâre the English Church 1646. To the ROYALL MAJESTY of Our DREAD SOVERAIGNE CHARLES By the grace of God KING of GREAT BRITTAIGNE FRANCE YRELAND c. And To the RIGHT HONOURABLE the LORDS and COMMONS assembled in PARLIAMENT the unworthy Author humbly dedicateth these his weake Indeavours To the Reader Christian THou art here invited to thy punishment yet such as is intended for thy profit Blame mee not for the former lest thou partakest not of the latter Noe chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous Heb 12 11. never-the-lesse afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse unto them which are exercised thereby I have laboured to accompanie thee in all thy sadnesse Cant. 2 5. therein to Stay thee with flagons yea with flagons full of that re-viving wine which cometh from the true Vine Io 15.1 Prov. ãâã 25.11 and to comfort thee with apples even with words fitly spoken which according to King Solomon are like apples of gold in pictures of silver True it is that in this litle booke as in the roll of the booke sent to Ezekiel are written Lamentations and Mourning and Woe Eze 2.9 but it is not my fault All these words seemed to be pronounced unto mee by the mourners in Zion Ier. 3â 18. I wrote them with inke in the booke So long as wee are sinfull we must be sorrowfull I have but languaged thy sighes and lent a tongue to thy Sobs if thou art such as I ayme at endeavoured to rectifie thy Teares Thou art here entertained at David's Ordinarie Ps 42.3 His teares were his meate day and night I hope thou wilt not thinke that I dishonour thee when I seate thee with a King I was first invited to this taske by the moanes of a gracious and vertuous gentle-woman Mris Elizabeth Keate wife of Mr. Gilbert Keate a grave and eminent Citizen of London who much complained that her sexe was so much neglected by Divines that they had not penned devotions for all their severall sufferances that are common to many onely here and there shee found a few small gleanings proper for some occasions of griefe It is about five yeeres since I tooke her complaint to be a kind of command and setled my selfe to the worke yet although I hastened it with what speede I could considering my constant course of preaching the same day that I finished my booke 2. Tim. â 7 shee finished her course Noe sooner had I ended mourning out this Fountaine of Teares in my study then I was sent for to her sad house of mourning where having given her a rellish of many of these Soliloquies and Prayers especially of those which are fitted for the dying she thanked mee for them as long as she lived for even after that her tongue was insnared in the jawes of death what she could not by language she expressed by signes From her father she brought a name with her into the world which could not choose but put her in mind of the power of the All-mighty Braâfort or Armestrong an ancient noble familie in Nottinghamshire in which Countle her worthy father did live at Rem stone 1. Cor. 15.25 1. Pet 3.7 1. Kiâ 18 who in Psal 89.10 is said to have scattered his enemies with his Strong-Arme by the same power which the most-high vouchsafed her she overcame the last enemie which was to be destroyed For her deere sake these Soliloquies and Prayers were fitted for Females and taught to speake in the persons of the Weaker vessells I hope noe Man will blame mee for it for it is but changing the gender according to the sexe and the booke may be usefull unto both When first I began to penne it there arose but a litle cloud like a man's hand this Devout mourner then grieving chiefly out of jealousie that either her Teares were not enough for her sinns or not seasoned enough with the sanctifying grace of the blessed Spirit Then her Heart was complained of next her lost time was bemoaned But afterward by degrees the whole heaven was black with clouds and wind her eyes were full laden with teares vers 45 and her heart with sighes there was a greate raine For her house was visited with the pestilence and shut up by her owne appointment One of her sweete and tender children and a gracious Matron Cosyn unto her dyed of that uncomfortable disease And her weake selfe all this while was moulting and crumbling away in a Consumption At length upon her white thinn and sinking cheekes the characters of her teares which were firme evidences of her unfeigned repentance not being fully drie a litle dust was throwne upon them and then she was layed up in the Cabinet of her grave To that worke then finished I have added nothing but those teares which are shed in these distracted times of an Vnnaturall Warre and I hope that addition will not be unfruitfull I am sure and I grieve not a litle that I am so sure it is not unseasonable For mine owne part I have not beene without my portion of sufferances in these stormy times Num. 27.14 Ps 106 32. Ex 15.23 Ps 104 3. and drinking a deep draught of these waters of Meribah these waters of strife by my tast they rellish like the waters of Marah I could here call to mind how upon the wings of the wind fleeing from one danger I have beene involved in thousands The boisterous and churlish swelling of a rough and troublesome Severne full of un-expected turnings and windings carrying us farre to sea was the cause of embalning two of my deere children in the salt ocean was like to have proved the ruine of fower more of them besides the beloved wife of my bosome but it pleased God at last that all except those two came safe to land Ps 74.20 The darke remote places of the earth which are full of the habitations of cruelty entertained mee with vexatious troubles and pining sicknesse In mine absence from my divided countrie one of the brightest burning and shining lights of our Church went out in a dampe D.D.F. A man deere to mee not onely because an uncle by allyance but allso because my chiefest and safest Oracle among men whilest he lived and a friend Deut 13. which
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 necessiâie 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 âhee 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
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
description of the manner of the sease p. 575 2 The cause of the Malady p. 581 3 The hope of recovery p. 592 The Prayer p. 605 25 Teares of a Mother on her deathbed blessing her children The Soliloquie Consisting of two parts viz 1 Her preparation to blesse them p. 609 2 The blessing it selfe ending in a Prayer p. 616 26 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 p. 627 2 Certainty of death p. 637 2 A godly preparation against the minuit of death p. 644 3 A Prayer of the Sicke p. 654 4 The Consolation of the godly in the hower of death p. 658 5 The Resignation of the foule into the hands of God p. 664 27 Teares in the distressed time of Civill Warrs The Soliloquie Containing a Patheticall grievous Lamentation for the present distractions both in our Church and Commonwealth by reason of these cruell most bloody warrs p. 669 The First prayer wherein is set downe 1. Gods Iustice in punishing his owne people in former times 2 His Iustice also in the present punishing us for our offences 3 An earnest supplication for our repentance and his forgivenesse p. 701 The second Prayer consisting of 1 A dolefull complaint of our grievous Calamities 2 An humble desire of the Remission of our sins 3 A fervent supplicatioÌ for righteousnesse peace p. 713 The third Prayer wherein the Lord is humbly implored that our bloody battels may bee turned into a spirituall war fare p. 722 FINIS THE FIRST SVBJECT Teares of godly sorrow or Devout Melancholy wherein a flexible disposition apt to weepe imployeth those Teares in a sorrow for sin The sanctified Ejaculation to precede each severall meditation and prayer 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 THE MEDITATION WHy art thou so full of heavinesse Ps 42.6 o my soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee What nothing but teares Nothing âut sighs and throbs of â trembling soule Griefe without cause is madnesse and without moderation it is hopelesse I must âherfore looke into the cause and hope it is Religion that raiseth this tempest But let mee not erre in my judgment Is my sin the cause of my sorrow Or doe not I rather adde to my sinne by the pretence of my ground That teare of a faithfull soule which floweth from the conscience of evill purifieth the conscience and freeth from punishment If the weight of my transgressions depresseth my soule the comforts of the Crucified shall restore me to ioy Oh the first cause of my blubbered eye was that which made our parents strive to hide them selves from the sight of our Creatour Gen 3.8 Since that very offence it hath beene a sin not to weepe and yet too much weeping may be turned into sin Teares are the effect of sin and teares may be the actours of sin Thus even our best actions have their pollutions our griefe for our offences may as well displease as pacifie the offended Deitie But surely I grieve for mine iniquities which have incensed my Creatour I sorrow because I can expresse noe more sorrow for my faults Thus farre my passion then is religion Ps 56.8 Lu 7.38 my God shall put these teares into his bottell Thus Mary Maydalene stood at the feete of my Saviour behind him weeping washing his feete with her teares and wiping them with the haires of her head My sin is the ground of my shame and my shame enforceth mee to come behind that Iesus Ier 9 1 whom Mary thus embalmed O that my head were waters mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might thus weepe day and night for the offences which I have committed But doe not I slaunder my teares Am I not mis-taken in the cause God forbid Noe cause can be so great as the greatnesse of my sinns and yet even these may multiply when I most lament them O my God accept of the teares which I shed for my sinns sanctifie my sorrowes that they turne not into offences Yet I find in the Scripture other causes of laments 2. King 20.5 Ier 9.17 Thus the All-mighty not onely heard the prayers of Hezekiah but saw his teares too when hee pleaded for life The Iewes were commanded to call for the mourning women to make hast and take up a wayling for them that their eyes might runne downe with teares their eyelids gush out with water because the voyce of wayling was heard out of Zion the destruction of the lewes was hard at hand Thus the Prophets eyes did faile with teares Lam 2.11 his bowells were troubled his liver was powred upon the earth for tâe destruction of Ierusalem This griefe arose from the sense of their sorrow That the most high was prouoked by the sin of the prople What the Iewes deserâed may be my râward and what Ierusalem expected may be my heavy doome for the fame God is offended with mee and my sinns have merited the height of his vengeance Yet the more I sin the more hee spare's expecting some measure of my sorrow for my boundlesse offences O let my teares be his by a gracious acceptance as my sin is made his by his fathers imputation for hee alone who wept in the garden can pleade my attonement and by the power of his passion restore mee to comfort Incredulity in part did trouble the man in the Gospel Mar 9.14 whose sonne was Possessed with a devill both deafe and dumb yet hee cryed out and said with teares Lord I believe help my un-beliefe Deafnesse I find doeth hang in mine eare too even in the house of my God for when mine attention is required to the words which distil from the mouth of the preacher even then the poison of the serpent makes mee imitate the adder refusing to heare the voyce of the charmer Ps 58.4 5. When I should counsaile my brethren when I should publish the trueth when I should confesse my sinns woe is mee the string of my tongue is knitt Iam. 3.5 the dores of my lipps are sealed up and though mine unruly litle member is active in the language of all impiety yet it is stricken dumb with silence when it should publish mine enormities Whence growe's this dumbnesse whence this deafnesse Lord shouldest thou be so deafe to my cries or dumb to my heart I should never hope for the mercies of my Redeemer But some faith thou hast given mee in the merits of his passion doe thou increase it The seede is thine the planting is thine Lord let it flourish that the advantage may be mine Mar 13 32. It is as yet the least of all seedes let it grow into a tree that the birds the birds of Paradise may nest in the
branches Thou hast planted it 1. Cor 3.6 my teares shall water it doe thou give the increase to it Something I apprehend but it is but in a mist Some thing I believe but it is but dully it is but imperfectly it is but weakely Lord I believe help my unbeliefe Mar 9.24 O that my teares might be so sanctified that my griefe might be a delight I must I will search enquire find out my secret crimes those snakes that lye hid under the greene leaves of my best my glorious actions I know that I am all sin all corruption and yet though I say that I know it though I know that I know it yet enough I doe not I cannot know it The more I prye into it the neerer is mine cye drawne to a narrownesse the more I pore upon it the sooner is mine eye tired into a dulnesse Each part each member is either an abettour or an actour of sin What then shall I doe Teares I can shed but it is rather through the disposition of nature then the operation of grace I will weepe therfore because I am so apt to grieve when my corruption is not truely the ground of my griefe I will punish mine eyes with teares for shedding so many teares not grounded on a sorrow for my wickednesse Now the spunges are full my sinns shall squeeze them Now my windowes shall be brightened with the brine with the lye of my teares Come I must mourne for I have found the cause the ground of all religious griefe which I am ashamed to owne Ps 6.6 Now with David I will crie until I am weary of my groaning every vight will I wash my bed and water my couch with my teares 1. Sam 30.4 With David againe and the prople that were with him pondering upon their losse at the spoiling of Ziklag I will lift up my voyce and weepe untull I have noe more power to weepe Iob 30.31 Now with the man of miseries the patient Iob my harpe shall be turned into mourning and my Organe into the voyce of them that weepe C 16.16 My face shall be fowle with weeping and on mine eye lids shall sit the shadow of death Now with David againe 2. Sam. 12.22 While the child is yet alive the child of corruption the monstrous spurious abortive bratt of sin is alive with in mee I will fast weepe but in a contrarie hope to that indulgent father I will cry who can tell whether God will be gracious to mee vers 22 that the child may not live or if it live it may but linger but languish but despaire of strength or health or life Thus I pine thus I grieve yet mee think's I am ashamed that I doe so I am troubled that I am thus troubled Well if mine eye be offended with the motes with the dusts of sin that fly into it I will wash it with it 's owne water If my face blush at the punishment of the eyes because it is childish thus to cry I will confesse it I will acknowledg it thus every child every child of my God doe's cry must cry And if all this force not shame into my bashfull cheeke for blushing at my teares then with that good king Hezekiah I will turne my face to the wall but I will still weepe and weeping that my teares be not spilt be not lost be not shed in vaine as that King 2. King 20.3 so my selfe though the meanest though the worst of subjects of slaves will pray and praying I will say The Prayer GReat God who on the second day of thine owne labour didst create a firmament in the midst of the waters Gen 1.6 so now in thy mercy put a distinction in the waters that flow from my troubled eyes O let heaven divide betweene them that those which dwell in the cloudes for the sinns I have committed may be distinguished from those that arise from sin By thy servant Ezekiel thou complainest of Ierusalem that she was not salted at all Lord Eze 16 4. I am salted in the brine of my teares ô let me be preserved in the love of thee my Creatour The causes of my griefe are the offences I have committed that a God so great should be incensed by a worme that a God so good should be dishonoured by a miscreant Thou art my God though offended thou shalt even be my God though thou art now displeased I have hope of pardon while I continue thine although I cannot choose but sin against thee who art so lovingly mine The heathens themselves did sacrifice to their Gods They had many I have but one To thee that one that holy one doe I offer what thou doest require a heart as thou doeâ⦠require it broken but not so sanctified not so cleansed as it ought to be Lev 2.13 Yet it is offered with salt as thou requirest even with the salt of my teares Dan. 9.19 O Lord heare ô Lord have mercy ô Lord in mercy receave the cries the groanes the teares that flow from this burnt this broken offering These teares are the blood of a penitent soule for the blood of thy Son receave in mercy Num. 20.11 The rock of my heart hath beene smitten with thyrod from whence doe issue these springs of waters Lord doe thou even water my teares with the deaw of thy grace and mollifie my heart by the strength of thy power that both heart and eyes Io 17.6 and teares may be thine Thine they were and thou gavest them mee Thine they are I give them thee O let this rock this heart be an altar these eyes the priests and these teares the sacrifices acceptable unto thee my Lord and my God My heart is the censour and my sighs and groanes the incense Io 20.28 doe thou buth adde a sweetenesse thereto and so shall it allay the stricktnesse of thy fury My sinns ô God have dwelt in mine eyes but now I have made them drunke with my teares Thus let mee ever weepe thus let mee ever grieve It is a joy to be thus sorrow full it is a comfort to be thus distressed Lord in every part in every crumb of this broken heart I find thy mercifull thine in dulgent selfe In every sigh 1. King 9.12 in every groane I perceave that thou my Lord art in it a soft wind In every teare that trickleth from mine eyes thou hast a luster thou hast an habitation O let mee ever thus live in thy favour Let all my griefe be for offending thee Ps 42.3 Ps 6.6 Ps 80.5 Ps 104.9 and all my sorrow be for thy displeasure So shall my teares with David be my meate my drinke my bread my bath my onely joy and delight because thou takest a delight there in But ô thou who hast prescribed bounds to the seas which they cannot passe neither turne againe to cover the earth so limit these brackish seas by
the power of thy grace that they may neither sinne by excesse nor offend in the cause Put them into thy bottle Ps 56.8 note them in thy booke In thy mercy Mat. 26.38 finish soone these dayes of sinne that by the merits of him that was sorrowfull in the garden Rev. 7.17 all teares may one day be wiped from mine eyes all sorrowes expelled driven from my heart my soule may be receaved into the quire of Saints there to live and reigne with thee world without end Amen Teares from the heart THE SECOND SVBJECT The Soliloquie consisting of three parts viz. 1 The wickednesse of a corrupted heart 2 A Lamentation for the losse of an honest heart 3 Griefe for an old and sinfull heart an earnest desire of a righteous new one The first part The wickednesse of a corrupted Heart THE EjACULATION Ps 5. 1. Give eare to my words O Lord consider my meditation 2. Hearken unto the voice of my cry my king and my God for unto thee will I pray THe heart is deceitfull above al things and desperately wicked Ier 17.9 who can know it saith God by his Prophet What is here A heart Adeceit full heart A heart deceitfull above all things A wicked heart Desperately wicked A heart inscrutable Lord surely this is the just description of my heart if yet I have any if I have any at all for 't is a doubt whether I have one or not It is said of Ephraim Hos 7.11 that shee was like a silly Dove without heart Surely so am I too not for the innocency but the simple folly of the Dove for like Ephraim too I have fled from my God vers 13 But why should I be so simple as to thinke that I have noe heart Doe not I feele one with in mee Yes sure for my meate comfort 's it Gen 18.5 Pro 14.30 Ps 38.19 as Abraham desired the Angells to doe by theirs I have a sound heart which is the life of the flesh I know I have one for like Davids it panteth I can feele it beate and that 's a good signe that I have one I know too by the passions which I have in it for I am subject to joy and sorrow to love and batred to feare and courage to hope and despaire I have the seede's of all the vertues and vices in mee I have an understanding too a will and imagination and what not which others are endued with Why then doe I complaine that I have noe heart when as this very complaint ariseth from my heart Alas I have a heart indeede the heart of a woman But I want a heart yet a better heart the heart of a Christian What 's this heart to mee this poore inconsiderable heart which nature lend's mee T' is but a morsel of thick solid flesh placed in the midle belly the seate indeede of the vitall faculties the heart that preserveth the heate of the body the spring head of the arteries the chiefe author of breathing and working of the pulse a poore thing which nature was feint to take such compassion of as to wrap it in clowtes in a caule that it might lye quiet in it 's place and be kept from the violence and pressures of the neighbouring members Yea shee 's feint to dip this caule too in a kind of waterish humour and wrap it about this heart least the litle trifle should be so hot or dry that it should fall into a swoone What s' all this to mee as I am a Christian This poore thing shall have but a litle time to lye panting in my breast and then though it be the eldest enlivened member and shall linger and out-live all the rest yet at length it shall faint depart away it shall goe and make a pleasant collation for the wormes in the with-drawing chamber in the coole vault of my silent grave and so even fare them well But what then Is this all The very beasts have such a dispatch and when they are gone there 's noe more expectation of sense or any thing else Surely I who am placed upon earth as a kind of mistresse over the inferiour creatures must one day render some account to my Lord who hath thus intrusted mee When I die I must goe to another place Either I must be doomed to eternall miserie or else receaved and admitted to unspeakeable and everlasting content I am not all flesh I am some spirit God hath not confined mee to those narrow bounds of vegetation and sense Noe hee hath added reason to them and made mee a woman so that although I have a heart common with the beast according to sense yet I should have another heart too a heart a bove either them or that 1. Pet. 3 4. Deut. 11.16 Rom. 10.10 c. 2.15 Deut 29.4 1. Thes 3.13 2. Sam. 24.10 Deut 29.4 I have a reasonable soule a mind an understanding a conscience and each of these in the scripture is termed a heart but this o this is that heart which I feare I want Want it Yes I so want it that either I have it not at all or if I have it it is such a one as 't is worse for mee farr worse then if I had none at all But I have none indeede The Lord hath not given mee an heart to perceave nor eyes to ser nor eares to heare unto thit day When I pray I have none when I reade the sacred oracles of the most high I have none when I goe to the temple and should attend to the instructions of the ambassadours of Christ I have none when I should put in practise what hath arrived at my knowledg I have none when I should confer discours of God and goodnesse I have none none at all none in the church none in my closet nor in the society of the godly at noe time in noe place upoÌ noe good occasion can I find that I have any Or if I have one I had as good be without it for 't is a dry one for want of watering it with my teares I find that 't is smitten down and withered like grasse Or 't is dead or at lest Ps 102 4. just dying at the last gaspe I have beene drunke with wickednesse very drunke as Nabal was with wine at his kingly feast but now I begin to grow a litle more sober and recollect my selfe 1. Sam 25.36 vers 37 Mat 13 15. Ps 119.70 Iam 5.5 Io 3.19 c 9.39 I find that my heart like his upon the newes which his wife tould him even dyes within mee and I am become as a stone Or if it be yet alive 't is a fatt one 't is waxed grosse 't is as fatt as grease 't is nourished as in the day of slaughter so that through the unweildines of it and through the destruction approaching it I had better be without it Or else 't is a blind one for it loveth darknesse rather
like so many cobwebs in every corner thereof I would have it cleane from all evill counsells that it may performe a new obedience to my God I would have it true too as well as cleane Hebr. 10.22 not onely sprinkled from an evill conscience and my body washed with pure water but I would have it true allso that I may draw neere with it unto the Lord in full assurance of faith Prov. 19.8 I would have it wise to with-stand all evill motions and affections because hee that getteth wisedome in heart loveth his owne soule and hee that keepeth understanding shall live 1. King 3.6 I would have it upright for so David who was a man after Gods owne heart walked before the Lord in trueth and in righteousnesse and in uprightnesse of heart and then I shall be sure to have it defended Ps 7.10 for my defence shall be of God which saveth the upright in heart I would have it enlightened 2. Cor. 4.6 I would have God who commanded the light to shine out of darknes shine in my heart to give the light of the knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ 2. Pet. 1 19. I would have the day dawne and the day starre arise in my heart for onely such an enlightened heart can be able to perceave Deu. 29 4. and cause mine eyes to see and mine cares to heare it is onely such a heart that can understand it was onely such a heart as the wise understanding King Solomon prayed for 1. King 3.9 Ps 86.11 Rom. 10.10 Dan. 7.9 O what a happinesse should I enioy could I but prevail with God for such a heart Such a heart as should be united to feare his name that so with it I might believe unto righteousnesse Surely hee who is the ancient of dayes hee who cryed by the mouth of his holy Euangelist saying Rev. 21 5. Behould I make all things new even hee and hee alone can thus renew can give mee such a new and good heart It will not be new to him though it be so to mee for his it is of ould though not mine I looke for a new heaven and a new earth where in dwelleth righteousnesse 2 Pet. 3.13 and I looke for it according to his owne promise but what good will that doe mee unlesse my earth my heart be first made new unlesse I have also a new heaven first in that heart unlesse I have a new heart Mat. 27 60. Christ was layed in a new tombe hewen out of a rock where in never was any man lay before My ould heart is a rock as hard as heavy impenitrable as a rock yet it exceedeth not the power of the All-mighty even out of that rock to hew a new tombe a tombe wherein the ould man never lay and there if hee please hee can place my Iesus I am like a lumpe of dough Mat. 16 12. 1. Cor. 7.5.8 vers 6. vers 7. sowred with the leaven of the Pharisees with the leaven of mallice and wickednesse and alasse I know that a litle of that leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe but hee can purge out that ould leaven that I may be a new lumpe but then I must moisten ât with my teares and kneade it with contrition And why should I not Why should I not cry for such a heart Why should I not begge and intreate and weepe and mourne for such a new heart Children are apt to cry for every new thing which they see or heare of If God would be pleased to make mee his âhild I should not neede to cry for such a new heart hee would freely and quickly give it mee But yet certainly I must cry for it before hee will give it Teares are the counters by which my prayers my desires must be numbered even all my petitions which I tender unto him for a heart so new In ancient times the Clepsydra's or hower-glasses were not filled with sand but water and time was measured by the drops which fell from them Thus must I measure my time too even by the drops which fall from the glasse from the chrystall of mine eyes for my want of this heart Though formerly I have beene so exceeding drie as to measure with sand ' yet now I must dissolve into an account by my teares Surely such a heart as I pant for is a most pretious jewell and yet my God cannot choose but trust mee with it if I sollicit him with my teares in the name of his Sonne Hee can even congeale my teares into orientall pearles and so turne them into jewells and having heightened the vallew of those precious pearles for them hee can lend mee that heart which I sue for I desire but the loane of it I would not for all the world have it wholly mine for then I am sure I should presently spoile it I would but borrow it Mal. 3.17 and in that day when hee maketh up his jewells I would restore it him againe I know that hee would so delight in it if I keepe it tenderly and charily that hee would weare it in his eare hee would heare the cry of it as hee heard the cry of the children of Israel Ex. 2.23 vers 24 by reason of their bondage Well if that be the way to gett such a jewell a jewell so inestimable so pretious if I may gett it by crying surely I will Weepe I will cry With Ioseph Gen. 43 30. I will make hast my bowells shall yearne within mee I will seeke where to weepe I will enter into my chamber and weepe there Hee hath given such a jewell to others and why may not I as well hope to prevaile as others have done Hee hath enough of them hee make's them hee makes them at any time and that easily too very easily onely with a word of his mouth Therfore I will cry with a greate and exceeding bitter cry Gen. 27 34. vers 38 and say unto him Father blesse mee even mee allso ô my father I will lift up my voyce and weepe and will say unto him Hast thou but one blessing my father Blesse mee even mee allso ô my father Ier. 3.21 Vpon the high places was once heard both a weeping and a supplication allso of the children of Israel I will weepe too towards the high place towards the seate of my God every teare shall have a tongue every tongue shall cry for this heart which I want Or âf all that will not doe Iam. 3.5 then this litle unruely member which hath boasted so great things this litle fire that would formerly kindle so great matters shall now burne with Zeale of my desires and with it I will pray and say The Prayer RIghteous father Ier. 17.10 who searchest the hearts and tryest the reines and in that search doest find my corrupted heart to be full of pollution and uncleanesse vouchsafe I beseech thee to
give mee a sight of and a sorrow for the offences thereof Breake thou my hard and stonie heart with the knowledg of my sinne and my due consideration of thy heavy wrath Psal 5.4 Eze. 11 19. Psal 51.10 Deut. 4 9.10.17.17 Ps 107.35 Thou art a God that delightest not in wickednesse remove therfore from mee this heart of obstinacie and give mee a heart of flesh Create in mee a cleane heart ô God and renew a right spirit within mee Let not thy commandements depart from it all the dayes of my life Speake but the word ô God and it shall be done Sanctifie it in thy trueth thy word is trueth O thou that didst turne the wildernesse into a standing water and drie ground into water springs be pleased to shew thy mercy now in the depth of my distresse Lord heare my desires behould my necessities Without a heart I cannot serve thee without a new heart I cannot praise thee Lord give mee a heart to feare thee Is 66.2 Ps 38.18 to tremble at thy word to listen to thy promises to confesse my sinnes and to be sorrie for mine offences Give mee ô my God Ps 119.80 fuch a heart as thou requirest that so it may be allways sound in thy statutes Give mee a heart that may mourne in secret for all my sinns both secret and open that may be zealous for thine honour that may be tender of thy displeasure and that may shun both the inclination to and the desire of offending thee my greate Creatour Heare mee ô God Io. 19.34 Mat. 26 38. for thy mercies are greate Heare mee ô Christ whose side was pierced whose soule was sorrowfull and all to purchase new hearts for all that are penitent sinners Heare mee ô blessed spirit and assist mee in my petitions with sighes Rom. 8 26. Can. 8.6 and groanes that cannot be expressed Give mee a heart for thy service and then set mee ô Lord as a seale upon thine ârme O Lord give O Lord forgive Forgive my sinnes and give mee the blessing of a righteous heart that so I may feare thee as long as I shall remaine in this vallie of teares and then receave mee ô my father into thy celestiall Kingdome that I may live with thee in glorie for ever and ever through Iesus Christ my onely mediatour and redeemer Amen THE THIRD SUBJECT Teares of Time The Soliloquie consisting of three parts viz 1 A re-view of the time past 2 A consideration of the time present 3 A resolution for the time to come The First part A re-view of the time past 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 THe fower beasts in the Apocalyps that were full of eyes before behind and within sitting upon the throne which was set in heaven rested not day and night saying Rev. 4.8 Holy holy holy Lord God Allmighty which was and is and is to come What a high description is here of the sacred Trinitie The Father holy the Sonne holy and the Spirit holy and yet not three holies but one holy The Father Lord the Sonne Lord and the Holy Ghost Lord. The Father God the Sonne God and the Holy Ghost God The Father All mighty the Sonne All mighty and the Holy Ghost All mighty The Father Eternall the Sonne Eternall and the Holy Ghost Etemall and yet not three Lords nor three Gods nor three Allmighties not three Eternalls but one Lord one God one All mighty and one Eternall Eternall What 's that The text saith which was not as if hee had beene but is not therfore it is added which is yet not so is as if hee should be no more therfore it is farther added and is to come Surely hee that was without beginning which is immutable and which shall be the judg both of the quick and the dead even the same God was is and shall be Holy in his essency Lord in his dominion God in his excellency Allmighty in his power and Eternall in all When I reade these deepe mysteries of my God ô how I am divided mee think's in my selfe How doe I varie in my thoughts and meditations The singing of those heavenly beasts make's mee rejoyce but their song it selfe drive's mee into a sadnesse for they tell mee that holinesse and righteousnesse and glory and power and eternitie is the very nature of God in none whereof I can find my selfe to be like unto him Lord I wish that I were with the beasts upon the throne that I might be a litle more cheerfull then I am here at the foote stoole But alasse my wishes cannot be purchases for none can come to God but those alone who are like unto God 1 Cor. 29. Before I can come to sitt upon that throne I must certainly be holy for hee is holy I must be righteous for hee is righteous and then though I shall not have such power nor glory as hee hath yet I shall have my share I shall have my proportion I shall have such power to magnifie my God as that nothing shall be able either to oppose or divert mee I shall have such glory as neither eye hath seene 1 Pet. 1 15. nor eare hath heard nor yet can enter into the heart of man to conceave yea and I shall have eternitie too for though I cannot be sayd to be perfectly eternall because I had a beginning yet I shall be certainly eternall in that I shall have noe end But how shall I gaine this holinesse that I may come to that eternitie Surely I must looke upon the three distinctions or parts of time and if I consider them as limitted I must find my selfe in them if as unlimitted I must find my God in them For God is not so sayd which was which is and which is to come as if this description did any way come neere a full expression of his eternitie but rather submitt's as it were onely to our capacitie that so by this I may partly conjecture at what I cannot yet possibly comprehend Noe time can properly be asscribed unto God for each part thereof hath a bound and limitation which God can not have The time past is gone allready from us the time present is goeing and the time to come is not yet ours But when wee say God was wee intimate his perfection in being without a beginning of being When wee say God is wee expresse his vigour and readinesse and power to effect his purposes and when wee say God shall be wee undoubtedly acknowledg and confesse his perpetuitie The time was when I was not and I againe shall be when time shall not I shall be indeede but where shall I be Eternitie hath but two mansions heaven hell If I doe not take heede I may be tormented for ever Lord how I tremble at the thought of it
Christ with the wise virgins Mat 25 10. having oyle in my lampe that so when thou comest for mee I may be ready for thee and then for thine owne sake ô God Rev. 19 9. admitt mee to the blessed supper of the Lamb for thy promise sake receave mee to mercy and bring mee to thine eternall Kingdome for Iesus sake my onely Lord Saviour Amen THE FOURTH SUBjECT Teares in the night The Soliloquie Divided into three parts fitted for the time 1 Immediately before goeing to bed 2 Of lying downe in the bed 3 Of awaking in the night The First part Immediately before goeing to bed 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 IT was a pious resolution of holy David Ps 132.3 that hee would not come into the tabernacle of his house nor goe up into his bed vers 4. Hee would not give sleepe to his eyes nor slumber to his eye-lids untill hee had found out a place for the Lord vers 5. an habitation for the mighty God of Iacob A resolution well besitting mee too though hee was a King and I am but the meanest the lowest of the daughters of Abraham The day hath bid fare-well and is layed to sleepe in the evening and the darknesse of the evening inviteth mee both by custome and by a debt which I owe unto my wearied limbs to prepare for rest But shee who sleepes not in God rest's not at all To him therfore will I addresse my selfe that I may be the fitter to un-dresse my selfe and repaire to the place of my sweete repose But how shall I goe to him Where shall I find him 'T is too late to seeke him in the Temple and I have not the meanes which David had to build him one whensoëver I please But this shall not much trouble mee I must not be so superstitious as to thinke that God is confined onely to the materiall Temple nor may I be so prophane as to neglect that place at fitt opportunities which is sett apart for his service I will have a reverend and due esteeme of those sacred places dedicated wholly to the service of my God but I must be carefull to avoyd both superstition and prophanenesse When I goe into them I must put off my shooes from my feete as Moses was commanded by the Lord himselfe Ex. 3.5 for the place whereon hee stood was holy ground Deu 25 9. His shooes were to be put off as resigning his right unto God as mourning and humbling himselfe before God Eze 24 27. Is 20 2 4. 2. Sam. 15.30 Mat 21 13. putting off all uncleanesse and earthinesse as hee did those shooes So must I too when I goe unto that house of prayer I must in all humilitie resigne up my selfe to my maker that I may honour him with my service But must I not Ought I not at all times and in all places to doe the same Ought I not to pray every where Yes doubtlesse Gen. 28 18.19 this is my duety In the field I must build him a Bethel with the Patriarch Iacob and there must I pray Io. 18. â In the garden I must follow my blessed Redeemer and pray where hee prayed who satisfied his father for the transgression of Adam committed in the garden In my chamber I must imitate the prophet Daniel Dan. 6.10 Reu. 3.12 and my windowes mine eyes being open toward Ierusalem the new Ierusalem the vision of peace I must kneele upon my knees and pray and give thanks before my God In my bed I must pray with sicke Hezekiah 2. King 20.2 who turned his face to the wall and prayed unto the Lord. Thus in the field in the garden in my chamber in my bed I must pray in every place upon every opportunity This is Saint Paul's command that wee pray every where 1. Tim. 2.8 lifting up holy hands This is the exhortation of the Psalmist Blesse the Lord in all places of his dominion Ps 103.22 1. Cor. 1.2 And Saint Paul sendeth salutations to all that in every place call upon the name of Iesus Christ our Lord both theirs says hee and ours This then I must doe likewise else though my bed be ready for mee yet I shall not be ready for my bed for though that be made I may be undone I must not thinke to be refreshed by the elder brother of death and forget the younger I know nothing to the contrarie but that my bed may be my grave in which like unto the Princes of Babylon and het wisemen her Captaines and her rulers and her mighty men I may sleepe a perpetuall sleepe Ier 51.57 and not awake I will therfore embalme my selfe with my teares while I am yet alive before I climb up into my bed which may prove my grave I will dye with ease if dye I must or I will sleepe in quiett if sleepe I may for either whereof or for both I will fitt and prepare myselfe by a sorrow for mine offences I will un-dresse my soule and dis-robe her of all the new but filthy attire of sinne which this day shee hath put on away will I throw those polluted clothes hoping they shall never be worne againe I will un-brace I will open my bosome and there will I find the lurking iniquities which slunke in by day and when I have found them away they shall trice they shall be gone for I must keepe noe roome for such treacherous guests The Sunn is set as if mee think's it were ashamed to behould the follies which this day I committed The flattering darkenesse seemes to offer mee a mantle to hide mine enormities and a worse darknesse then this even that of ignorance would rake them up in silence But this must not be endured for if I winke with mine eyes that I might not see my follies I must not imagine that my willfull darknesse can vayle the eyes of my all-seeing God The eyes of the Lord are in every place Prov. 15.3 behoulding the evill and the good Thus God will doubtlesse see mine imperfections but so must I too and for them I must weepe 'till I can see âoe more I must view them with a mistie drizeling dropping eye with sadnesse sorrow lest hee behould them with an eye of anger revenge They must be seene by mee and be bewayled by mee in sadnesse they must or else I shall never see my God with joy rejoycing I will therfore sitt downe and consider with my selfe and examine my selfe how I have spent the day before I betake my selfe to the rest of the night I will examine my conscience by certaine Quaere's make it render mee answers to these demaunds 1. At what time in the morning did I arise from my bed 2. What first did I 3. How devoutly
night and yet that very time which hath beene to some the sad producer of woe and distresse to others it hath brought the tidings of joy and pleasant content C. 7.3 Surely the foure Lepers were not âgnorant of it who resolving not to sit in the gate of Samaria untill they dyed nor âo enter into the citty for feare of the famine went into the campe of the Syrians vers 5. whom the Lord had made to flie in the twylight there the foure poore men did eate vers 7. vers 8. and drinke and caried away thence both silver and gold and raiment in greate aboundance Iud. 19 9. The night was a time of rejoycing to the Levite when hee stayed to be merrie with the father of his contubine but afterwards it became a time of woe to him when the Gibeathites tooke the concubine from him vers 25 and abused her all night untill the morning and untill the day began to spring did not let her goe Thus is not God confined to times nor enforced to the rules and dictates of nature Hee can according to nature somtimes render us a night of sorrow and somtimes againe besides or above or against the practise of nature hee can produce light out of darknesse and comfort and content when wee expect our disturbance For my part therfore seeing that my rest departeth from mee and that at this time when others securely take their repose mine eyes are unapt to close with my slumbers I will make this night a night of sorrow that so I may hope for a morning of comfort I will grieve for my sinnes that I may reioyce in my Saviour I wiâ⦠take this time C. 6.27 as Gideon did to thronâ downe the altar of Baal because peradventure like unto him I could not doe it by day for feare of displeasing That altar of Baal is erected in my heart from this heart therfore even now will I seperate it and downe it shall goe away it shall be throwne that so in the roome of it I may presently erect an altar for my God I will take this time as Ioshua was commanded Ios 1.8 to meditate in the booke of the lawe which shall not depart from my mouth but I will meditate therein day and night 2. Pet. 1.9 Even that sure word of prophesie will I meditate upon whereunto as saith Saint Peter I shall doe well if I take heede as unto a light that shineth in a darke place untill the day-dawne and the day-starre arise in my heart I will take this time as David did and will call to remembrance my song in the night Ps 77.6 or rather not my song but God's for Iob complaineth Iob 35.10 that None saith where is God my maker who giveth songs in the night Not such a song as Ephraim used for those were howlings insteed of songs yea and howlings without comfort because therein was noe mention of God for thus the Lord complaineth of them by the mouth of his Prophet Hos 7.14 Ps 147 7. saying They have not cryed unto mee with their heart when they howled upon their beds But my song shall be a thanksgiving even unto my God not short not of a âall continuance like the gourd of Ionah Io 4.10 vers 7 âhich came up in a night and perished in a night âoe I would not have a worme in the morning âhen I arise to smite my joy and cause it to âither This were but to sieke my God in the ãâã me of distresse and to forget him in my ârosperitie But I will resolve with David Ps 145.1 ãâã will extoll thee ô my God and King and ãâã will blesse thy name for ever and ever Every day will I blesse thee vers 2. and I will praise thy name for ever and ever Ier. 49.9 Though theeves should come this night upon mee and thinke to destroy 'till they had enough though wicked thoughts and evill suggestions of Satan should seeke to robbe mee of my song yet will I rely upon my God upon my Iesus who sang a hymne before hee went up to the mount of Olives Mat. 26 30. and him will I besiech that I may not be robbed be deprived of this comfort in the night Mat 25 6. At mid-night there was a cry of the comeing of the bride-groom Behould the bride-groome cometh goe yee out to meete him What know I but this may prove that very night unto mee My God may come and call for my soule Graunt therfore ô blessed Father that with the wise virgins I may be readie vers 10 and goe in with the bride-grome to the mariage that the doore may not be shut against mee and that so I may passe from this song in the night of miserie upon earth to that heavenly quire of Saints and Angells Reu 22 5. where is noe night nor neede of a candle noe nor of the light of the Sun that thou ô my God mayst give mee light and that I may reigne for ever and ever Amen subject 5 THE FIFTH SUBJECT Teares in the Day The Soliloquie Divided into three parts and fitted for the time 1 Of awaking early in the morning 2 Of being newly arisen 3 Of preparing to goe to dinner part 1 The first part Of the Soliloquie Fitted for the time of awaking early in the morning 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 THe night is farre spent Rom. 13.12 the day is at hand I wish that the night of sinne were as neere a period and the day of rejoycing the day of eternall happinesse were as neere approaching It is the promise of God Reu 2.26 that hee which overcometh and keepeth the workes of Christ unto the end to him shall be given power over the nations vers 28 and I will give him saith Christ the morning starre If God be so early in his liberalitie why should not I be as early in my devotions I am now awaked though yet I am some-what drowzie and incline to sleepe againe stretching my selfe in my lazie bed But let mee heare Saint Paul speaking to mee Rom. 13.11 and saying Now it is high time to awake out of sleepe for now is salvation neerer then when wee believed How 's this High time to awake Surely the Apostle speake's it not to mee for 't is yet very early too soone to arise for I heare noe noise noe stirring noe bodie 's yet up all is hush and quiet The bird which shaked a pillar of the church Mat. 26 74. and crowed at his act bid's mee good-morrow and tell 's mee 't is hardly the breake of day Besides the Prophet David tell 's mee Ps 127 2. It is in vaine for us to rise up early to sit up late and to
heads of my sinnes make them flye and hide themselves in a cave as those enemies of Israel in the cave of Mackedah And if it so fall out that they take up their cave in the hollownesse of of my heart their wonted place to hide themselves I will either drowne them up with sorrow or smother them with my groanes or fire them with my Zeale Or if none of these will effect my desires even as Ioshua did to those Kings so will I to these I will open the mouth of the cave in my heart and bring out these Kings by a true confession yea I will sett my feete upon the very necks of them in a serious contempt and then will I smite them and slay them and hang them up in a holy revenge because they would have destroy'd my soule for which my Saviour suffered on the crosse This ô this is the way to prevaile with my Iesus to say unto mee as hee did to Zacheus Luc 19 9. Ps 56.4 Is 49.8 This day is salvation come to this house So shall I with comfort and thanksgiving acknowledg that Now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation Thus I shall not feare what flesh can doe unto mee no devills nor the world nor any thing else that seeketh my destruction Ps 12â 6 Rom. 8 28. The Sun shall not smite mee by day nor the Moone by night but all things shall worke together for good if I thus love God and be called according to his purpose And now mee think's this storme of teares hath produced a calme of content and peace I am now ready for my dinner But stay a while What all for the body Nothing for the soule Shall I pamper the flesh and starve the spirit This will not be a feast but a fast and insteed of satisfaction I shall rise with disturbance Act 17 11. I reade that the Bereans are styled more noble then those in Thessalonica in that they receaved the word with all readinesse of mind and searched the Scriptures dayly whether those things were so More noble There 's a title of honour O that I might gaine such a Berean nobility that all mine honour might be in searching the Scriptures the word of him who is the fountaine of honour Every thing is sanctified by the word of God 1. Tim. 4.5 prayer Common civility teacheth mee to pray for a blessing on the creatures But I must yet goe farther and pray with the heart as well as the lipps then reade with reverence Iam 1.21 and receave with meekenesse the ingrafted Word which is able to save my soule Grant blessed God that my first and best care may be for the nourishment and preservation of my soule and next to that Col 4.6 the sustenance of my body And to this purpose let my discourse at my meate be gratious seasoned with salt that I may know how I ought to answer every man And because thou hast commanded mee to use thy creatures for the preservation of my body Lord graunt mee a moderate appetite to my meate and give vertue to the meate that it may be fire for my nourishment Make it good and wholesome for mee and mee obedient and serviceable unto thee Let mee eate with moderation content and thanks giving allways observing the rule of Saint Paul 1. Cor. 10.31 that whether I eate or drinke or whatsoever I doe I may doe all to the glory of thee my God subject 6 THE SIXTH SUBjECT Teares of compassion in the time of prosperitie The Soliloquie treating of The vanitie of earthly riches and the reward of Charitie 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 THe Apostle command's us to Beare one another's burdens Gal 6.2 and so to fullfill the lawe of Christ This law is Charitie and friendly affection which differeth from the law in the former Testament because that was a law of feare but this of love This law my Redeemer gave as a cognizance unto his disciples saying Io 13.35 By this shall all men know that yee are my disciples if yee love one another This hee prescribed as a rule vers 34 when hee sayd A new commandement I give unto you That yee love one another And this hee commended to our imitation even by the example of himselfe for what the Prophet fore-tould Ps 53.4 and sayd Surely hee hath borne our griefes and caried our sorrows even the very same his Apostle assure's us hee fullfilled 1. Pet 2 24. who his owne selfe bare our sins in his owne body on the tree This law of love which wee owe to our brethren is expressed chiefely in our giving and forgiving Wee must beare with their infirmities Rom 12.15 and forgive their offences Wee must rejoyce with them that rejoyce and weepe with them that weepe being of the same mind one towards another vers 16 Wee must rejoyce both with them and for them but this joy must arise from their good not their hurt Prov 2.14 There are some say's Solomon who rejoyce to doe evill This proceede's not from love but hatred for the Apostle tell 's mee that Charitie rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the trueth 1. Cor 13.6 Our mirth must joyne in concord with the joyfull and our rejoycing must be grounded on the good of our neighbours And as wee must have joy at their prosperitie so must wee likewise accord with them in their sorrowes for our very teares may be the ground of comfort unto mourners when by these wee discover the trueth of our affection and our readinesse to share in the burden of their afflictions Such a disciple as Christ delight 's in wee may certainly believe Saint Paul to have beene for wee find him rejoycing with the Philipians Phil 2.17 when hee saith If I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith I joy and rejoyce with you all For the same cause allso doe yee joy vers 18 and rejoyce with mee And againe wee find him grieving for the Iewes Rom â 2. for hee hath greate heavinesse and continuall sorrow in his heart for them Vnto the Iewes hee became as a Iew 1. Cor 9.20 to them that were under the law as under the law to them that were without law as without law vers 21 to the weake hee became as weake vers 22 2. Cor 11.29 and hee was made all things to all men Who was weake hee was not weake Who was offended and hee burned not The fire of his compassion gave light to his brethren in the darknesse of their tribulations by which hee fullfilled that lawe of our Redeemer Hee fullfilled it why then should not I I confesse my ignorance my many imperfections make mee Infinitly unequall
mine eares at tho cry of the poore Prov 21.13 lest the time should come when I my selfe should cry Iob. 22 7. and not be heard I will not hould my bread from the hungry as Eliphaz once accused Iob. c 24.7 I will not cause the naked to lodg without cloathing that they may have noe covering in the cold vers 10 nor will I take away the sheafe from the hungry for this is the property onely of the wicked c 22.6 I will not take a pledg from my brother for nought and strippe the naked of their cloathing Ex 22.25 If I lend my money to any that is poore I will not be to him as a usurer neither will I lay usurie upon him Prov 14.31 I will not oppresse the poore lest I reproach my maker but I will have mercy upon him and so honour my God I will not mocke the poore c 17.5 nor be glad at his calamities left I my selfe goe not un-punished I will not oppresse the widow Zech 7 10. Amos 2.6 nor the fatherlesse the stranger nor the poore I will not sell the righteous for silver or the poore for a paire of shooes nor will I ever sleepe with his pledg Deut 24.12 Prov 22.2 Deut 8 3. 1. Sam. 2.7 But seeing ââ¦at the rich and the poore meete together and ââ¦e Lord is the maker of both Seeing it was God who humbled Israël and suffered him to âunger and fed him with Manna Seeing that ârom God doeth proceede both poverty and âiches I will therfore magnifie my liberall giver in my guifts to the poore Prov 25.21 Since hee which maketh poore and maketh rich which bringeth low and lifteth up hath commanded mee if even my very enemie be hungry to give him bread to eate and if hee be thirstie to give him drinke Since the Psalmist assure's mee that they are blessed which consider the poore Ps 41.1 the Lord will deliver them in the time of trouble Since King Solomon tell 's mee that Hee that hath pitty on the poore lendeth unto the Lord Prov 19.17 and that which hee hath given hee will pay him againe Since hee assure's mee that c 29.7 The righteous considereth the cause of the poore but the wicked reguardeth not to know it Since my Redeemer commandeth saying Luc 14 13. vers 44 When thou makest a feast call the poore the maymed the lame and the blind And thou shalt be blessed for they cannot recompence thee for thou shalt be recompenced at the resurrection of the just Since at the day of his comening in the clowdes Matt 24.30 Mart 25.34 with greate majestie and glory hee shall say unto them on his right hand Come yee blessed of my father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world vers 35 For I was an hungred and yee gave mee meate I was thirstie and yee gave mee drinke I was a stranger and yee tooke mee in vers 36 Naked yee cloathed mee I was sick and yee visited mee I was in prison and yee came unto mee Luc 16 9. And lastly since hee hath commanded saying Make to your selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousnesse that when yee faile they may receave you into ever-lasting habitations Deut 15.7 I will resolve therfore that I will not harden my heart nor shut mine hand against my poore brother vers 8. but I will open mine hand wide unto him Iob. 30.25 and lend him sufficient for his neede in that which hee wanteth I will weepe for him that is in trouble my soule shall be grieved for the poore c 29.16 Is 58.7 I will be as a father or mother to the poore for I will deale mybread to the hungry and I will bring the poore that is cast out to my house and when I see the naked I will cover him vers 8. I will draw out my soule to the hungry and satisfie the afflicted soule Then shall my light arise in obscuritie and my darknesse shall be as the noone day Is 21.14 I will doe as the inhabitants of the land of Tema did I will bring drinke to him that is thirstie and with my bread I will prevent him that fleeth Eze 18 7. I will not oppresse any but I will restore to the debtour his pledg I will spoile none by violence but I will give my bread to the hungry and cover the naked with a garment vers 8. I will not give forth upon usurie neither will I take any increase vers 9. I will walke in the statutes of my God and will keepe his judgments to deale truely Dan 4.27 I will breake off my sinnes by âighteousnesse and mine iniquities by shewâng mercy to the poore Iob 31 19. I will never see any âerish for want of cloathing or any poore without âovering These ornaments of my body shall putt mee in mind of mine originall corruption which I receaved from Adam who in his integritie was naked and was not ashamed Gen 2.25 and of mine actuall transgressions especially of my pride and excesse in apparell whereas unto Adam and to his wife c 3.21 the Lord God made coates of nothing but skinnes and cloathed them They shall teach mee thankfullnesse to him that sent them for even thus did hee discover his love to Ierusalem when hee clothed her with broidered workes Eze 16 10. and shod her with badger's skinnes and girded her about with fine linnen and covered her with silke vers 11 And decked her allso with ornaments and put bracelets upon her hands and a chaine on her neck They shall teach mee humilitie when I consider mine owne un-worthinesse and how short I come of the goodnesse rigteousnesse of Iohn the Baptist Mat 3.4 who notwithstanding had his raiment but of Camells haire a leatherne girdle about his loines his meate was but locusts wild hony That plenty wherewith my table is furnished Lu 6.25 shall make mee tremble at the Woe pronounced by my Saviour saying Woe unto you that are full for yee shall hunger It shall put mee in mind of the charge which Moses gave unto the Israelites Deut. 8 10. saying When thou hast eaten and art full then thou shalt blesse the Lord thy God I will weepe for the sinnes which may arise from my riches I will weepe for the poore who want my superfluities I will weepe for the distressed who may be neerer and deerer by farre unto God then I the worst of sinners am and yet they want what I doe surfeit on I will remember how Dives was cloathed in purple Luc. 16 19. and fine linnen and fared sumptuously every day and yet at length hee was sentenced to the torments of hell vers 23 I will consider how though Lazarus would have fed upon the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table vers 21
poore for thy sake allways considering that the vanities of earth are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed 1. Pet. 5 1. Heb. 4.13 1. Tim. 2.9 vers 10 O thou to whose eyes even all things are naked and open graunt that I may adorne my selfe in modest apparell with shamefastnesse and sâbrietie not so much with gold or pearles or costly aray as with good workes becomeing a professour of godlinesse Make mee labour for the ornaments of the hidden man in the heart in that which is not corruptible 1. Pet. 3 4. Luc. 12 21. 2. Cor. 9.11 1. Tim. 6.18 Iam. 2.5 Reu 3.18 even the ornament of a meeke quiet spirit which is in thy sight of greatest price Make mee ô heavenly father rich in thy selfe rich unto liberalitie rich in good workes in faith Make mee buy of thee gold tryed in the fire that I may berich and white raiment that I may be cloathed and that the shame of my nakednesse doe not appeare Let mee allways remember that greate accompt which one day I must render to thee the Lord of heaven and earth that so I may serve thee here with my substance in my body and my soule with zeale and devotion and hereafter be receaved to thine ever-lasting glory through the merits of thy sonne in thy bosome Iesus Christ my onely Lord and Saviour Amen subject 7 THE SEAVENTH SUBjECT Teares in want or in the time of adversitie In foure severall Soliloquies treating of 1 A decayed est ate or plentie turned into povertie 2 Hunger both corporall and spirituall 3 Thirst both bodily and ghostly 4 Nakednesse both of the out-ward and the in-ward man The first Soliloquie Treating of a decayed estate or Plenty turned into povertie 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 VVHen Mary had powred her precious oyntment on the head of my Redeemer Mat 26 7. his disciples were filled with indignation vers 8. vers 9. said To what purpose is this wast For this oyntment might have beene sould for much and given to the poore vers 10 But when Iesus understood it hee said why trouble yee the woman For shee hath wrought a good worke upon mee vers 11 For yee have the poore allways with you but mee yee have not allways O mee think's the words of my Saviour doe more afflict mee then the povertie which I suffer I thought hee had beene allways conversant with the poore because hee so often commandeth their reliefe But now hee seemeth to leave us in our miserie when hee determineth that wee shall continue upon earth but himselfe resolveth to leave the earth But did hee not promise in Saint Mathew say Mat. 28 20. Loe I am with you allway even unto the end of the world How can his promise be fullfilled if wee have him not allway Will hee be at the same time both present with us and absent from us Or doeth hee disdaine our poverty and for that very reason deny us his presence Cease cease ô my soule these doubts questions which savour too much of ignorance Rom. 3 4. or infidelitie Let God be true and every man a lyer What hee spake to his disciples before his suffering hee spake of his flesh but what hee said when hee was risen hee affirmed of his Spirit True it is ô my Iesus that thy bodily presence I expect not upon earth Ps 144 5. nor may I desire thee to how the heavens and come downe from thy glory ât is thy Spirit ô Christ which I humbly sue âor even that Comforter who may strengthen ââ¦ee in the depth of my calamities Never âad I more neede of comfort from God then âow when the goods of the world forsake mee Now doe I find that I am hated Prov. 14.20 c 18.23 c 19.4 even of mine owne neighbours but the rich hath many friends I am enforced to use intreaties c 18.23 but the rich answereth mee roughly c 19.4 Wealth did make many friends but now I am poore I am seperated from my neighbours vers 7. All my brethren doe hate mee and much more doe my friends goe farre from mee I pursue them with words yet they are wanting unto mee Vaine world where are thy promises Deceitfull riches where is your friendship I who so lately was dandled in the lappe of pleasure and plenty am now exposed to paines and penury So litle did I dreame of this tempestuous storme that with David I said in my prosperitie Psa 30.6 I shall never be removed thou Lord of thy goodnesse hadst made my hill so strong But where are now those ensignes of pride my Rings and my Iewells Where are those factours of lasciviousnesse my favours and my fashions Where are those robbers of time my sports my games Where are those moths wormes of plenty my flattering society and my discursive companions Where are those pamperers of the body my severall dishes and daintie cookeries Where be those golden pictures that often yeelded mee leggs and the courtsies Alasse all 's gone all 's flowen The Sun is hidden and muffled in a clowde and by that meanes those atomes those motes are obscured Now must I expect noe more honour or respect My fingers and my wrists and my neck must forget that ever they were adorned with the treasure of the seas and the riches of the earth My back must forget that ever it was dressed in the fashion of strangers Mine eares must forget that ever they were delighted with the musick of discourses My palet must forget that ever it was coy and nice in the choyce of various meates My mind must forget that ever I was honoured with the respect of inferiours And my purse must forget that ever it was acquainted with the idoll of the world O what wonder and misery happen's in this change All things are altered as if I had slept out my time and onely dreamed of the pleÌtie which formerly I enjoyed Mee think's I am but just newly borne Nay I am worse for now I have neither nurse to suckle mee nor mother to dandle mee Yet am I still as if I were borne but a day or two since allthough I am growne to bignesse beyond the time for I am as ignorant of a way to live in the world as the sucking infant that 's nourished at the breast And now what shall I doe Nor acquaintance nor friends nor kindred nor any will remember that ever they knew mee or if they doe they will be moreready to taunt mee then afford mee reliefe Was ever miserie like unto mine Was ever distressed soule so destitute so forlorne as I am Whither shall I goe To whom shall I complaine Either my tougue hath forgotten to speake or my friends to heare
Christianitie seemes to be but the labour of the voyce for if men did believe what the Scriptures teach they surely would practise something of Charitie Thus I sitt and sigh and grieve and expostulate and complaine but yet I forget what I ought to consider of I am apt to repine at this poverty which I suffer but I am un-apt to enquire into the cause thereof Solomon tell 's mee that Prov. 19.15 Slothfullnesse casteth into a deepe sleepe an idle soule shall suffer hunger That hunger I feele but doe I acknowledg that idlenesse Doe I confesse that slothfullnesse If I should examine my hands what worke they have done would not their smoothnesse and whitenesse accuse them of idlenesse If I should aske mine eyes how vigilant they have beene in a lawfull imployment would they not drowzily and bashfully slinke behind the curtaines Let mee then remember how Solomon telleth mee c. 23.21 that drowsinesse shall cloath one with raggs And yet mee think's this is not all There must be some-thing else that bring 's this affliction Let mee but consider a litle and reason with my selfe It may be I may find out some-thing more by a diligent search I live upon the earth I live in the world Earth I had the best of earth in the esteeme of earth I had gold and silver so much esteemed and honoured by man In the world I am yet now my coyne is gone I am here but a stranger I did know many but in the change of my fortune I am known of none If I call to the earth which so much I have loved it will not un-bowell it selfe to offer mee it's intraills I cannot tell how neither to prick a veine of it to enrich my selfe as the delvers doe though shee tremble at the violence If I sue to the world I am there neglected Ps 31.12 I am forgotten like a dead man out of mind or like a broken vessell Whence ariseth this un-kindnesse of the earth Whence proceede's this forgetfullnesse of the world Certainly the earth of it selfe had not malice enough to sieke my ruine Surely the world of it selfe had not cruelty enough to contrive my un-doeing Noe noe there 's some-thing yet which I have not discovered that question-lesse hath brought this poverty upon mee I sigh my sighes goe up-ward mee think's toward heaven I looke with a steady and stedfast eye but 't is up-ward I looke 't is chiefely upon heaven I mourne and I cry and my word is chiefely O Lord O God Who is this I name so often in my laments Who is this I mention so often in my cryes Is it not the Lord Is it not God To heaven goe my sighes upon heaven looke mine eyes on the God of heaven doe I call and yet though hee 's in my sighes in mine eyes and in my tongue I have all this while forgotten to entertaine him in my heart Surely if hee had hitherto dwell't in my soule I should either have enjoyed more of the earth or lesse of my love to it That which I have left so un-willingly I have loved too much and in that love I have sinned too much and by that sinne I have moved him to anger who hath sent mee this poverty Yes yes 't is hee 't is hee that maketh poore and maketh rich 1. Sam. 2.7 that bringeth low and lifteth up All this while I have lived in such ignorance that either I knew him not or at least I honoured him not I lived as if there were noe other God but onely mammon noe happinesse but on earth noe treasures but gold and noe content but in plenty If I ever remembred him it was to his dishonour if ever I spake of him it was in prophanenesse I never doubted of his love therfore never prayed for his blessing or if I did pray it was coldly it was faintly and rather to satisfie the world then to discharge my duety or in an awfull manner to have recourse to his Majesty I measured his favours by my out-ward possessions and deemed them blessings which hee sent in wrath but I hope it will prove that hee hath taken them in mercy Graunt blessed God that now I may know thee in this my miserie who formerly forgot thee in the height of my plenty and that knowing thee I may love thee and that loving thee I may depend on thee that depending on thee I may serve and honour thee all the dayes of my life O now mee think's I am another woman I beginne to feele some warmth at my heart I find that my God doeth speake to my conscience Lord send mee repentance that I may be sorrie for my sinnes send mee thy grace that I may have share in thy promises send mee a lively faith that I may relye upon the merits of my blessed Redeemer and howsoever thou disposest of this body of flesh preserve my soule for thy celestiall kingdome O what a suddaine alteration doe I find in my selfe My teares that savoured of murmuring and despaire shall flow aboundantly for the sinnes I committed World leawd world thou art a jugler and an impostour Earth base earth thou art a cozener and a deluder I silly woman did place my happinesse in your transitorie courtesies and thought it the chiefe honour to become your minion But now I see that you fayle your servants and mocke your lovers There 's noe constancy but in God There 's noe comfort or happinesse but in Christ The more I sieke him the more I love him and the more I love him the more I am beloved of him Hee will not deceave mee hee will not leave mee nor forsake mee Lord let me be thine though hungry though thirstie though naked I come unto thee I am sure that if I serve him I shall be provided for by him Hee can doe it for hee hath enough Col. 1.16 Hee created all things and his they are by whom they were created O let him give mee a litle with content rather then so much as I had with forgetfullnesse of him I care not how litle I possesse so I may enjoy my Lord. The birds doe never thinke of a morrow and yet their hunger is satisfied every moment The herbes the flowers are infensible of their verdure and yet they infinitely out-vye King Solomon in his glory Mat. 6.29 The rivers that steale from the billowed ocean and sport awhile in the massie earth are at length directed to the sea againe The stone that is digged from the quarries in the earth to serve for necessity and ornament of our structures findeth rest at last in a silent heape where making a way by it's heavy weight it steale's back by degrees into the wombe of the earth In each of these I discover a providence for hee who first created doeth still preserve O let him be mine and then I shall be his O let mee be his then hee shall be mine If I be his
for your sinnes vers 29 And yee shall eate the flesh of your sonnes and the flesh of your daughters shall yee eate This was threatned and this was inflicted the sad storie whereof is obvious to every willing eye according as it is recorded in sacred Writt 2. King 6.25 A greate famine there was in Samaria and behould they besieged it untill an Asse's head was sould for fourescore pieces of silver and a fourth part of a Kabbe of dove's dung for five pieces of silver vers 26 And as the King of Israel was passing by upon the wall there cryed a woman unto him saying Helpe my Lord vers 27 ô King And hee said If the Lord doe not helpe thee whence shall I helpe thee Out of the barne floore or out of the wine-presse And the King said unto her vers 28 what ayleth thee And shee answered This woman said unto mee Give thy sonne that wee may eate him to day and wee will eate my sonne to morrow vers 29 So wee boyled my sonne and did eate him And I said unto her on the next day Give thy sonne that wee may eate him shee hath hidden him O what a famine was this which instructed nature to become unnaturall The lives of the mothers were preserved onely by the deaths of their issue The children in recompence for the milke they had sucked were enforced to pay the tribute of their blood Those bellies which harboured the children unborne were made the tombes of the murdered children They which were a burden once to the parent were now the nourishers The famine did make the innocent guilty to prevent the hands of crueller executioners the mothers did friendly betray them to their murder They expresse their love in preserving them from starving and so at once were mercifull to the babes in borrowing their lives and carefull for themselves to prevent their destruction Lord what a horrid act was this when the child which was tenderly beloved of the parents was greedily chewed in the teeth of the mother Our off-spring are bound by the commandement of God to render us honour but yet not thus âo dye for our lives yet these innocents were obedient before they knew it and became the preservers of them that had nourished them In the place where first they receaved life they preserved life by the deaths of themselves Thus did their mothers most truely set them at their hearts but more in affection to themselves then their issue The children dyed that they might not dye they were murdered that they might not be starved They were dandled to their destruction by the hands of their parents and yet the act did appeare rather care then cruelty Lam 4.10 The hands of the pittifull women saith the Prophet have sodden their owne children they were their meate in the destruction of the daughter of my people Yet their flesh was not sensible of the fiercnesse of the fire nor did they feele the teeth of their greedie parents The bellies of the unnaturall became their graves and yet if there the dead had receaved their rest then their inhumanitie might have seemed to be pitie Those who once required the assistance of a mid-wife were a second time delivered of their deceased burdens But was there noe Prophet among them left to intreate Was there none to intercede to the All mighty for them c 2.20 Shall the women eate their fruit and children of a spanne long The head of an asse was the ransome af a child and the dung of the doves a repreever af the infants But when the heads of the beasts had beene devoured by the people the very women themselves were transformed in to beasts Yea that cruelty which the beastes would have stood amazed at the greedie starvelings blushed not to practise O mee think's the remembrance of the doves should have heightened their affection and not the dung of the doves have ushered in their murders This was a famine wich I tremble to remember and it grieveth mee to thinke that my sexe was so cowardly Had the ould and the young expired together I should have thought the women indulgent mothers This famine was worse then that which Rabshakeh threatned to Ierusalem for hee menaced but the feeding on the dung of themselves but here was served in the very fruit of their loynes Yet that other was terrible too even in the threat when railing Rabshakeh said unto Eliakim Shebna and Ioah 2 King 18.27 Hath my master sent mee to thy master and to thee to speake these words Hath hee not sent mee to the men that sit on the wall that they may eate their owne dung and drinke their owne pisse These these were famines which are more dreadfull in their relationâ then mine is in the sufferance yet seing they were universall they were the easier to be borne Miserie hath some comfort if it be âot singuler The sufferance is easier when ââ¦ce it grow'es generall If the whole world âere reduced to the same distresse as now â suffer I should ease my complaint by the sufferance of others But is not this an argument of uncharitable wickednesse when ãâã grieve not so much at my particular durance as I repine because the penurie is not univerfall While others have I may hope for reliefe but if the famine were generall I could not expect it This is the wickednesse of most which sulfer that they vailew their miseries more by comparison then justice and deeme themselves the more unhappy because every one else is not so low as they I must therfore take heede that I neither offend in my sufferance nor repine because I am singular If I take this hunger as a chastisement from God I may hope to be relieved in his owne good time Let mee enquire into the cause of this my visitation and so I may be instructed how to demeane my selfe In the depth of this affliction I cannot choose but behould an angrie Lord. Hee ô hee is offended who said in the Psalmes Every beast of the forrest is mine Ps 50.10 vers 11 vers 12 and the cattell upoÌ a thousand hills I know all the fowles of the mountaines and the wild beastes of the field are mine The world is mine and the fullnesse thereof Hee hath enough I see to give though hee deemeth mee not worthie enough to receave I am afraid that I formerly thanked him not for what I had and therfore now hee decreeth that I shall wish to have It hath beene commonly his custome thus to punish those that offended To disobedient Israel hee threatned this and allso the sword Deut. 28.48 by the mouth of Moses saying Thou shalt serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee in hunger and in thirst and in nakednesse in want of all things Againe of impenitent Israel hee saith by his Prophet Is 9.20 Hee shall snatch on the right hand and be hungrie and hee shall
Lu 15.14 vers 16 I am brought into want and faine would fill my belly even with the huskes that swine doe eate but noe man giveth them unto mee vers 17. Though I know that many hired servants have bread enough and to spare and yet I am ready to perish with hunger Though thus I know my miserie yet I skarce remember the cause But I will begg of my heavenly father vers 17 that I may come unto my selfe and then that my selfe may come unto him I know that hee is angry and his wrath is terrible but if I absent my selfe his displeasure will increase The longer I strive to keepe out of his sight the more will be his severitie and the more grievous my punishment vers 18 I will therfore arise and goe to my father and say unto him Father I have sinned against heaven vers 19 and before thee and am noe more worthy to be called thy child make mee as one of thy hired servants Iob 42.6 Ps 102.9 Ps 80.5 I will abhorre my selfe in dust and ashes As David did so will I I will eate ashes as it were bread and I will have plenteousnesse of teares to drinke I will mourne for my sinnes which have caused this judgment and with my teares in mine eyes compunction in my heart and humilitie in my soule I will fall on my knees before his footestoole and pray unto him and say The Prayer ALl-mighty and all-sufficient Lord God who by thy power diddest lay the foundations of the world and by thy providence doest guide protect the things therein conteined be pleased to looke upon the sorrowes and sufferances of thy distressed servant Thou knowest my wants before I aske and seest how low I am brought with hunger The inferiour creatures thou fillest with plenty but mee thou sufferest to pine with famine Shall not the cryes of the hungrie pierce thine eares Shall the soule of the emptie be despised by it's maker Heare Lord Ps 30.10 and have mercy ô be thou my helper Thou knowest how I groane under the burden of this affliction and wilt thou allways know it and never remove it where are thy mercies which thou shewedst to thine Israelites Where is they goodnesse which was manifested to he widdow of Sarepta Thou canst not decrease in thy mercies nor forget thy compassion The stomack crye's and the belly cryes and a poore languishing soule cryes unto thee ô Lord in the depth of distresse O my father shut not up thy mercifull eares to my prayers but heare mee in heaven and succour mee with thy reliefe Thy store will not be lessened nor thy treasure diminished by sparing to mee a morsell of bread Lord if it may stand with thy good will preserve mee from death and deliver mee from this famine or else arme mee with patience that I may under-goe thy chastisement with comfort and content O thou Saviour of the world to whom the cursed Iewes gave gall to eate Ps 69.21 and when thou wert thirstie even vineger to drinke doe thou ease my griefe and hearken to my complaint Thou in thy humanitie diddest seele the wants of these out-ward things and knowest what griefe and anguish I suffer To Samaria thou sentest plenty beyond expectation 2. King 7.18 in the space of a night Thou art neither confined to time nor tyed to the meanes thou canst send mee comfort even above my hopes Lord either send mee plenty or blesse my want that so I may willingly submitt to thy pleasure and patiently suffer what thou hast decreed Though my body languish for want of sustenance yet fill thou my soule with the riches of thy goodnesse Amos. 8.11 2. Chr. 15.3 O let mee never be cursed with a famine of thy word Let mee never be as once the Israëlites were without thee the true God without a teaching Priest and without law Howsoëver thou disposest of the outward man let not my soule want it's spirituall nourishment whereby it should be fed to a life immortall It was thy meate ô Christ Io 4.34 to doe the will of him that sent thee and to finish his worke Graunt ô Iesus that I may follow thy stepps and make it my foode and my delight to fullfill thy commandements Let mee not labour here for the meate that perisheth c. 6.27 so much as for that meate which endureth to everlasting life My body is thine dispose of it as thou pleasest My soule is thine preserve it in holinesse Lord be gratious to mee thy child Gen. 43 29. and comfort mee now in this greate extreamitie that so I may neither offend thee in my sufferance nor despaire of thy providence but that wholly relying upon thy gratious goodnesse I may suffer with thankfullnesse whatsoëver thou pleasest and then that my sufferances may end in happinesse Heare mee blessed God and help mee for the worthinesse of thy Sonne in whose name words I farther call upon thee saying Mat. 6.9.10.11.12.13 Our father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy Kingdome come thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven give us this day our dayly bread and forgive us our trespasses as wee forgive them that trespasse against us and leade us not into temptation but deliver us from evill for thine is the Kingdome the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen THE THIRD SOLILOQUIE Treating of thirst both bodily and ghostly 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 THe Prophet bewayling the distressed estate of afflicted Sion complainth thus Lam. 4.4 The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roofe of his mouth for thirst the young children aske bread and noe man breaketh it unto them They that did feede delicately are desolate in the streetes vers 5. they that were brought up in scarlet embrace the dunghills Grievous was that miserie the infants endured who neither knew how to complaine nor where to be satisfied Their tongues which in time might relate the storie were scorched with the drought and heate of thrist Those litle members which as yet were not un ruely found a punishment as if they had offended The mothers lamenting the torments of the young ones offered them drinke from the fountaines of their eyes but so un-able was that offering to please the innocents that their thirst increased by that which should quench it Surely the miserie was greate which the babes could not utter since mine is so severe that I thinke it ineffable The more I complaine the more thirstie I am for the motion of the tongue increaseth the drought Iam. 3.6 The tongne that is un-ruely is set on fire of hell but mine is silent and yet it scorcheth That litle moisture which is left in my mouth is growne so glutenous
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
to day are and to morrow are cast into the oven extend thy mercy to thy distressed servant O my God thou seest the nakednesse which I suffer and thou feelest the cold which my body endures for of thee ô Christ I am a part of thy mysticall body I am a member These meane and ragged coverings doe speake at once both my wants and my desires What shall I doe ô father Shall I noe longer believe thy providence Or shall I despaire of thy power O I dare not doe either for I know that thou canst and wilt relieve mee when thou in thy wisedome shalt see it requisite Blessed Lord subdue my heart as thou hast humbled my body and forgive the sinnes of pride and discontent which harbour therein Many of thy Saints have wanted the things of the outward man yet hast thou enriched their soules with the graces of thy Spirit I know Lord that thou delightest not in the ornaments of the body Thou canst give what thou wilt and withhold what thou pleasest Lu 16.22 Distressed Lazarus who for a while did lye at the gate of gorgeous Dives was caried by Angells into Abraham's bosome Enable mee with patience to suffer my wants and willingly to submitt to thy heavenly pleasure Ps 104 1. O thou that art cloathed with Majestie and honour vouchsafe to cover my naked soule Through the merits of thy Christ let it be presented to thee both cleane and unspotted Make mee to labour the purifying thereof with a flood of my teares Io. 11.33 and accept of my groanes through the righteousnesse of him who groaned in spirit when hee beheld the teares of lamenting Marie Holy father adorne thou my inward man with righteousnesse and holinesse that it may be acceptable unto thee when it shall come to thy tribunall Nothing can hide it from thy wrath ô father but the garment of the righteousnesse of Christ my brother Wrappe mee ô Iesus in that sacred mantle that I may be hid from the wrath of the reveng-full judg Is 50 3 O thou that cloathest the heavens with blacknesse and makest sack-cloth their covering doe thou apparell my soule with the blacknesse of sorrow and the sackcloth of mourning for my crying offences And so accept of my contrition that I may hereafter appeare in a long white robe with thy holy Saints Reu 7.9 and be admitted a member of thy church tryumphant there to reigne with thee world without end through Iesus Christ my onely Lord and Saviour Amen subject 8 THE EIGHTH SUBJECT A Virgin 's teares The Soliloquie Treating of the virginitie both of the body and the soule 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 THe un-maried woman saith the faithfull Apostle careth for the things of the Lord 1. Cor. 7.25 vers 34 that shee may be holy both in body and spirit Such a one am I unmaried I am but am I such a one allso in my care Doe I care for the things of the Lord that I may be holy both in body and spirit This is a question not easily resolved it is a duety not ordinarily performed The externall forme doeth commonly borrow the howers of virgins the dresses and the ornaments of the fading body imploy our minuits and our care is generally more for the day of our mariage then the time of our account Seldome doe wee vallew religion above our dresses or the service of God above the ornaments of our selves But neither is the beauty of the countenance prevalent with the All-mighty nor the neatenesse of attire vallewed in his eyes Hee love's not that care which ariseth from pride but that which discovereth a zeale for his honour The most admired beauty shall be shriveled in the flames of eternall horrour unlesse the soule be more comely by farre then the countenance The exactest features of the outward man doe illest suite with a lascivious tongue or an immodest thought Devoutest virgins are allways fairest and borrow so much of the flowers of the spring as to weare a maidens blush in the seate of beauty My God hath given mee the honour of virginitie and expecteth to be honoured both in it and by it If my soule be as un-spotted as my body is un-defiled I may hope for a seate with the tryumphant virgins Reu 14.1 With the Lamb saith Saint Iohn were a hundred fortie and foure thousand having his fathers name written in their fore-heads vers 4. These are they which were not defiled with women for they are virgins these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever hee goeth That Lamb is Christ those hundred fortie and foure thousand virgins are the elect his name in their foreheads is their adoption by grace they follow the Lamb in the puritie of their soules and in their chast spirituall virginitie they are preserved from the pollutions and uncleanesse of the seducing tempter With these virgins I desire to sing my part for my sexe cannot hinder the hope of immortalitie With those saints which defiled not themselves with women shall accord those women not defiled with men It was an honour to our sexe and my present condition that my Saviour was borne of the virgin Mary But I must know that virginitie consisteth not so much in the chastitie of the body as the puritie of the soule Even those that are maried may have virgin soules and wee that are virgins may be spirituall adulteresses 1. Thes 4.4 Shee that preserve's her vessell in holinesse performeth a duety required by our maker but unlesse to this be added the chastitie of the soule both body and soule may suffer eternally The purest virgin is the loyallest wife for though wee never were engaged by mariage to a man yet all of us ought to be maried to Christ 2. Cor 11.2 Saint Paul saith that hee had espoused the Corinthians to one husband that hee might present them as a chast virgin unto Christ This husband is mine for to him am I espoused to him am I wedded But am I a loyall wife to this indulgent husband Doe I love him Doe I honour him Doe I obey him Have I beene allways true and faithfull unto him If every sinne be a spirituall adulterie if every transgression be a dishonour unto him ô then my conscience will write mee guilty O my sweete husband ô my Iesus what shall I say or pleade for my selfe I have forsaken my redeemer to sinne with the tempter I have declined my husband to committ un-cleanesse with that ugly serpent for hee enticed and I consented Lev 20.10 By the ould law an adulteresse was to suffer death That law doeth still remaine in force for death eternall is decreed as a punishment for those that dishonour my patient husband O what then shall I doe when hee shall question my disloyaltie
Yet can hee be so loving as to forbeare my punishment and can hee not be so mercifull as freely to forgive it O yes hee can if hee please but which way shall I endeavour thus to please him O my Iesus vouchsafe to mee thy grace as thou did'st once to an adulteresse and then with her I will weepe and lament Be reconciled unto mee as thou wast unto her Lu 7.38 and then will I wash thy feete with my teares and will wipe them with the haires of my head I will not spare the costliest spicknard though it drop from the wounds of my sorrowfull heart I will kisse thy feete and anoint them with the ointment O say of mee as thou diddest of her vers 47 Her sinnes which are many are forgiven for shee loveth much Her soule was polluted so is mine Her body was likewise uncleane but so is not mine yet even so had mine allso beene had not hee preserved mee who is the husband of my soule Of my selfe I am fraile and apt to be shaken by every temptation to him alone therfore must I render the thanks who hath kept mee from dis-honour and to him must I pray for the continuance of his protection But is every sinne accounted adulterie Is the breach of every command an act of disloyaltie Then virginity it selfe seemeth to be adulterie and the chastitie of the body to violate the bond of wed-lock with Christ for Saint Pauls words are peremptorie saying I will that the younger women marry 1. Tim. 5.14 beare children and guide the house c. Never was I yet the mother of a child nor the guide of a house for never was I married though the Apostle requireth it Is it therfore an offence because I am not a wife Thus indeede they are apt to pleade who un-willingly submitt to my present condition Saint Paul if rightly understood seemes but to allow it rather then command it for when hee decreeth mariage to be an ordinance of God hee doth not thereby determine virginitie a crime So farre is hee from that 1. Cor 7.28 that though hee saith If a virgin marry shee hath not sinned yet hee concludeth saying vers 38 Hee that giveth her in marriage doth well but hee that giveth her not in marriage doth better Heb. 13.4 It is true that mariage is honourable in all and the bed undefiled but onely wee that are virgins Mat. 22 30. who neither marry nor are given in marriage are as the Angells of God in heaven Thus is our honour as greate as theirs in the bed un-defiled yea and more honourable are wee in that our condition resembleth the Angells of God So long as I remaine in this state of virginitie Gen. 3.16 Eph. 5.22 neither are my desires subject to a husband nor am I tyed to submission nor yet are my sorrowes multiplyed as are theirs who in conception are severely sensible of an hereditarie punishment True it is that I am bound to obedience yet not to a husband whose conditions I know not but to my parents Ex. 20.12 of whose love I am certaine This is a knot which nothing but death can ever untye Mariage is then but an honourable bondage accompanied with sorrowes making us subject to him that 's our head yet not freeing us from obedience to those that are our parents But Virginitie hath fewer sorrowes and lesse subjection yet lesse too are the comforts and fewer the blessings It is my duety therfore to submitt to the pleasure of my God and strive to honour him in what condition soëver I shall live Should all decree to continue virgins the number of saints should not be increased nor the world remaine above the space of an age Wherfore I will not so love virginitie as contemning mariage nor so honour mariage as undervallewing virginitie In each condition those are most honourable who most doe endeavour for the honour of God In ancient times so greate was the submission of virgins to their parents that even their vowes to God were subject to alteration at the discretion of the earthly father So saith the law If a woman vow a vow unto the Lord Num. 30.3 vers 4. and bind herselfe by a bond being in her father's house in her youth And her father heare her vow and her bond wherwith shee hath bound her soule and her father hold his peace at her then all her vowes shall stand and every bond wherewith shee hath bound her soule shall stand vers 5. But if her father dis-allow her in the day that hee heareth not any of her vowes or of her bonds wherewith shee hath bound her soule shall stand and the Lord shall forgive her because her father disallowed her If a vow to God which was made by a virgin did thus depend upon the pleasure of her father assuredly then the vow of mariage ought not to passe without the parents consent If by their indiscretion our choyce be amisse though the sufferance be ours yet the blame is theirs if it prove successefull our joy shall be doubled by our willing obedience In those weighty affaires concerning wedlock there is greatest neede of a vigilant eye It is but justice that the parent should leade her by advice whose eye is darkned by the violence of affection Shee that wed 's not without counsell lives not without comfort for shee judgeth not by the event but rejoyceth in her obedience Thus if I doe obey the commands of my parents I manifest my selfe to be a child of my God If I willingly submitt to their discretion I may undoubtedly hope for the blessing of my maker yea and peradventure it may succeed beyond expectation God hath beene ever a father to those virgins who have beene faithfully obedient to his commands In mariage there is allways a hand of providence happie are those that marrie in the Lord. Hee was a father to the virgin Rebeckah Gen. 24 16. Est 2.17 when hee gave her unto Isaak Hee was a father to the virgin Esther whom Ahasuerus the King so fervently loved that hee not onely wedded her but allso crown'e her yet was shee alasse but a poore Iewesse taken into the charitable care of her uncle Mordecai vers 7. after her father's and mothers decease Thus doeth the Allmighty provide for those who submitt to his pleasure and labour to espouse a virgin soule to Christ the bride-groome O my God doe thou be for ever my father and thy sonne my loving and affectionate husband that my soule may be adorned with the graces of thy spirit and be allways acceptable to my deerest Lord. Can a maide forgett her ornaments Ier. 2.32 saith God by his Prophet or a bride her attire Yet my people have forgotten mee dayes without number My soule was a virgin but shee forgot her ornaments shee was a bride espoused to Christ but shee forgott her attire shee hath forgotten her husband dayes without number The
King's daughter Ps 45.13 vers 14 which is all glorious with in hath virgins for her companians when shee is brought unto the King Such a virgin should my soule have beene but alasse shee dare's not appeare in the sight of the King because shee hath left off the ornaments of her virginitie Ier. 13.23 Can the Ethiopian change his skinne or the Leopard his spotts Can my soule which is deflowred with the filthinesse of sinne ever hope to be reckoned among the number of virgins Can shee which hath assumed the impudencie of an harlot ever expect to be accounted modest Can shee which is deformed with the staines of iniquitie ever hope to be deemed faire and beautifull Alasse what shall I doe Unlesse my husband be reconciled unto mee it is impossible I should escape the torments of hell Some that have offended have found him gratious why may not I hope for a tast of his mercy Could I but appeare in his sight with beauty and comelinesse hee would presently renew his love and affection O but my soule is full of deformitie and for want of care shee is loathsome and uglie But is there noe recoverie of a decayed forme Is there noe way to restore a declined beauty Though shee be not beautifull yet let her be comely for thus shee may bee allthough shee is black To worke then will I goe Cant 1.5 Is 1.6 and wholly will I labour to make her amiable in the sight of her Lord. Alasse this state and condition which shee is in is full of horrour and disconsolate torments From the sole of the foote even unto the head there is noe foundnesse in her but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores they have not beene closed neither bound up neither mollified with oyntment Ps 38.5 Thus doe her wounds stinke and are corrupt because of my foolishnesse Thus through the stench of her wounds and the loathsomenesse of her sores and the deformitie of her scarrs and the impudencie of her lookes and the foulenesse of her face I know not what to doe to restore her to his favour Is 1.16 But I will endeavour to wash her to make her cleane and to put away the evill of her doeings from before his eyes With my teares I will wash her with my teares I will cleanse her For every spot of sin which hath defiled her I will shed a whole fountaine a river of teares Yet sooner can I drowne my selfe in my teares then they of them selves can recover her beauty It must be thou ô my Iesus that must assist mee it must be thy blood ô my husband wich must cleanse my pollutions Lord accept yet of my teares which are all that I can offer and wash this thy sinfull spouse in the larer of thy blood This must be the way to regaine his love from whose affectionate bosome my soule is divorced By this meanes onely shall shee once againe be receaved as a virgin though shee hath played the harlot with many lovers Ier 3.1 Thus therfore will I come and humbly will I crave his pardon and forgivenesse I will besiech him to preserve my vessel in honour and my soule in sinceritie I will begge I will intreate I will pray and begging and intreating and praying I will say The Prayer BLessed Lord Sonne of a virgin who didst honour virginitie when thou tookest our nature hearken to the cryes of a lamenting maide Mat 8.8 Lord I am not worthy to come unto thee I am not worthy to receave any favour from thee for I have forsaken thee my most indulgent husband Ier 3.1 and played the herlot with many lovers My soule is too foule to be called thine too often hath shee broken her vowes and promises to hope for thy love or thy gratious pardon But Lord what now shall I doe If yet I should fall into a despaire of thy mercies I should increase my disloyaltie and either deny or despise the power of thy passion So greate was thy love to the Church thy Spouse that thou gavest thy selfe to sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word Eph 5.25.26 My soule ô Christ is a member of thy Spouse be pleased ô Iesus so to sanctifie and wash her that thou mayest present her to thy felfe without spot or wrinkle both holy and blamelesse vers 27 Zech 13.1 O thou who hast opened a fountaine to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem Ps 51.2 for sinne and for uncleanesse doe thou wash mee throughly from mine iniquity and cleanse mee from my sinne Lord as in mercy thou hast given mee chastitie of body so give mee likewise the chastitie of mind and the puritie of soule Suffer not either the flesh or the Devill by their wicked suggestions to seduce mee to uncleanesse Though I am a weake 1 Pet 3.7 2 Cor 4.7 Act. 9.15 Rom 9.23 1 Thes 4.4 vers 5. though but an earthen vessell yet be thou pleased to make mee a chosen vessell a vessell of mercy Cause mee to keepe the vessell of my body and to possesse it in sanctification and honour and not in the lust of concupiscence like the Gentiles which know thee not O be thou my father in the grace of adoption be thou my brother in thy pitty and compassion be thou my husband in thy love and affection and be thou my Iesus in the salvation of my sick and sinfull soule Arme mee with constancy against all assaults of carnall imaginations Give mee modestie in my countenance decency in my apparell civilitie in my behaviour sobrietie in my discourse and contentednesse in my condition Make mee obedient to my parents respective to my superiours courteous to my inferiours and loving unto all Let not my adorning be outward 1 Pet 3.3 Iam 3.17 Prov 1.9 of putting on of apparell but give mee that wisedome which is from above to be as an ornament of grace unto my head and as chaines about my neck Preserve ô Christ both my body and soule in chastitie and honour while I am here upon earth as becometh a virgin espoused to thy selfe Eccl 12.7 Reu 14.3 and when my dust shall returne to the earth as it was let my spirit returne unto thy selfe who gavest it and to thee let it sing that new song with the quire of virgins before thy throne for ever and ever Amen subject 8 THE NINETH SUBJECT Teares of a woman in the state of mariage The Soliloquie Treating of the dueties of a wife to her husband 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 MAn was created in the image of God Gen 1 27. c 2.18 vers 21 vers 22 yet because it was not good that hee should be alone the Lord did make him an helpe that was meete for him A
deepe sleepe fell upon Adam in which of a rib that was taken from his side was made a woman the wife of his bosome Thus was mariage instituted at first in paradise and though after the woman was framed by the Creatour c 2.31 it is not directly sayd shee was very good yet seing it was verified of Adam it was true of Eve both of them yet remaining innocent O blessed was that time when the husband and wife were so truely one 2. King 19.22 that they were free from offending the holy one But they stood not long in this their integritie for they conspiring together in the first offence layed the foundation of discord and division From hence doe flow the disturbances of mariage c 3.24 and since Adam and Eve were driven out of Paradise neither is virginitie allways contented neither is wedlock free from disquietnesse Ps 78.58 vers 59 vers 63 When the Lord. was moved to jealousie by the idolatrous Israelites hee greately abhorred them in so much as hee caused the fire to consume their young men and their maidens were not given to mariage Well might the Psalmist say hee was wrath when the maidens were deprived of their âuptiall honours Yet had the virgins knowne the cares of wedlock peradventure their curse might have beene deemed a blessing Wee who are taken from the wings of our parents fieke for our content in the bosomes of our husbands yet lest wee should idolatrously dote on them that are our heads even thence many times doe flow our disturbances whence wee expect our happinesse But why alasse doe arise those stormes of discontent Mariage should unite the hearts and affections Eph 5.31 and those who thereby are made one flesh should likewise be one in the bond of love Discords and divisions are the cankers of a mitie Ionah 4.7 and like unto the worme in the gourd of Ionas bring confusion where they are nourished Saint Iohn determine's that God is love 1 Io 4.8 wheresoëver therfore wee find not love wee may justly conclude there is not God Yet many times doe I heare the clamours of prople for many men and their wives are more subject to complaine then to conceale the frowardnesse of their violent passions But am not I one of those whose indisposition to obedience or want of discretion sieketh to violate the lawes of mariage All such divisions are both irreligious and sieke to destroy the very rules of nature By mariage two are united into one but by discords one is divided into two Where wedlock tyeth not two in one there is noe obedience to him who is three in one If therfore I enioy not that happie concord I must search into the cause which produceth such discord Assuredly that wedlock which at first was instituted by the All mighty and seconded by the blessing of increase and multiplying Genâ 1.28 cannot be accompanied with schismes and contentions without a greate offence to him that ordained it Chrest my Reedemer did honour it with his presence and to shew how much hee delighted in this sacred union hee began his miracles at a wedding in Galilee Io 2.1 vers 7.8 But if mariage be so ancient as to fetch its beginning from man in innocency if it be so religious as to be honoured thus by my Lord and Saviour why then is it so peremptorily concluded by the Apostle that It is good for a man not to touch a woman 1 Cor 7.1 Are women so odious in the eyes of Saint Paul that hee should account it not good for a man to touch his helper his rib himselfe What should the Apostle meane in this position when as God himselfe determined Gen 2.18 and said It is not good that the man should be alone Can the scripture conteine a manifest contradiction or doeth St. Paul decree directly against God Noe noe let mee search more narrowly into those sacred texts and I shall find that my God doeth speake of that good which concerneth propagation without which the whole race of humanitie would soone be extinct but by his Apostle hee speaketh of a good which opposeth not honestie but which is joyned with profit hee decree's not that t is sinfull but onely inconvenient Moreover hee speakes not of all in generall but onely of those who are endued from above with the guift of continencie afterwards therfore hee thus concludeth 1 Cor 7.28 saying But if thou marry thou hast not sinned and if a virgin marry shee hath not sinned neverthelesse such shall have trouble in the flesh Thus may mariage indeede be troublesome but it is not dishonest it may be inconvenient but it is not unlawfull In it selfe considered it hath authoritie from God yet upon some considerations or private respects to some indeede it may prove unlawfull Whatsoëver is concluded without the free consent of both the parties is not regulated according unto law Neither feares nor menates nor delusions nor compulsions noe nor want of yeeres or judgment can be legally present at the tying of this knott The consent must be mutuall and proceede from a sound a free and un-corrupted judgment When the servant of Abraham treated of a mariage betweene Isaak and Rebeckah her brother and her mother concluded not hastily but said Wee will call the damsell and enquire at her mouth Gen 24.57 vers 58 And they called Rebeckah and said unto her Wilt thou goe with this man And shee said I will goe Thus must a mutuall and free consent without the disturbance of the reason by either excesse of wine or dâstracted thoughts or feares and terrours or cozening and delusive promises be present at the making of this holy contract The consent indeede must be free without compulsion but not without advice and direction The will of a child especially in this must submitt to the wisedome and the counsell of parents for seeing that children are reckoned among the goods and possessions of parents even reason decreeth that their Lords should dispose of them When Abraham dispatched his servant to sieke a wife for Isaak hee made him sweare by the Lord Gen. 24.3 the God of heaven and the God of earth that hee would not take a wife unto his sonne of the daughters of the Caaannites c. 28.1 When Isaak called Iacob and blessed him hee charged him and said unto him Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan Thus the law of the parents was a rule for the children and they durst not marie where they were forbidden In a letter which the Prophet sent unto the people whom Nebuchad-nezzar had caried captive to Babylon Ier. 29.6 hee not onely wrote unto them saying Take yee wives and begett sonnes and daughters but hee allso ordered them to take wives for their sonnes and to give their daughters to husbands Thus must children especially in the serious weighty affaire of mariage obey their parents in the Lord Eph.
send out sight of sorrow 1. King 19.11 and the Lord shall be in the wind And with that wind shall be an earth-quake my enlivened earth shall quake with feare of the judgments of my God so the Lord shall be likewise in the earth-quake And with that earth-quake shall be fire vers 12 even the fire of love and zeale together so the Lord shall be in that fire And with that fire shall be a still small voyce and unto the Lord shall that voyce be directed for to him will I looke and pray and say The Prayer All-mighty Lord ever-lasting father who hast beene pleased to vouch safe mee the blessings of this life and to give mee my desires both in a husband and children be pleased to give mee a thankfull heart for these thy mercies It is thy goodnesse and not my merit that I have receaved from thee these blessings of thy bountie Iustly ô most justly mightest thou at once deprive mee of these comforts because I have neglected my obedience to the one and my care of the other Humbly ô my God and with a bleeding heart I confesse my faylings and am sorrie for mine offences Lord be gracious to mee thy servant It is thy hand alone which hath preserved mee from the foule offences which many commit for without thy protection by nature I am noe better then that strange woman Pro 2.17 who forsaketh the guide of her youth and forgetteth the covenant of her God By nature I am carnally worse by farre then were Aholah and Aholibah spiritually who committed whoredomes in their youth Eze 23 3. Lord make mee ever acknowledg this thy protection and testifie my thankfullnesse in my industrious care to performe my dutyes Be thou stil the protectour and the gracious defender both of mee and mine Blesse him whom thou hast sett over mee and graunt that hee may dwell with mee according to knowledg 1. Pet. 3.7 that so wee being heires together of the grace of life our prayers may not be hindered As thou hast made mee a fruitfull vine by the walls of his house so make mee endeavour to be fruitfull in good workes Ps 128.3 Col 1.10 Ps 128 3. Ps 52.8 Prov. 19.14 c 5.18 Ps 141.3 Prov. 11.16 c 12.4 c 14.1 c 31.10 vers 30 and increase to be fruitfull in good Workes and increase in the knowledg of thee my God Let those Olive branches about my table be every one of them like a greene Olive in the house of thee ô my God and trust in thy mercy for ever and ever Make mee to my husband a prudent wife as sent from thee that hee may rejoyce with mee the wife of his youth To this purpose set â watch ô Lord before my mouth and keepe the doore of my lippes Make mee a gracious woman retaining honour that I may be a crowne to my husband a wise woman labouring to build up my house and familie and a vertuous woman fearing thee Heare mee ô my God and graunt mee my petitions for the worthinesse of him who is an indulgent husband to his Spouse the Church even Iesus Christ my onely Lord and Saviour Amen subject 10 THE TENTH SUBJECT Teares of an Aged woman The Soliloquie 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 THe dayes of our age are three-score yeeres and ten Ps 90.10 saith David and if by reason of strength they be foure-score yeeres yet is their strength labour and sorrow for it is soone cut off and wee flee away Lord how true diddest thou speake by the mouth of that Prophet True I find it who have now accomplished the number of so many yeeres My strength is labour not because of any paines which I take but onely by reason of the paines which I suffer Age hath beene allwayes freed from worke because it suffereth more in a languishing weakenesse then the young and lustie doe in their travells Num 8 24. From twentie and five yeeres old and upward the Levites were required to wayte upon the service of the Tabernacle of the congregation vers 25 And from the age of fiftie yeeres they were to cease wayting upon the service thereof and to serve noe more God will have the best of our time yea all for his service But alasse the custome is too common among us to serve our selves at least untill fiftie and it may be then or not so soone wee thinke upon God But why should wee not rather render the yeeres of our strength to the God of our strength Ps 43.2 The fault which I complaine of is too frequent among others but can I excuse my selfe from the guilt thereof I now beginne to thinke upon the service of my God when through age I am noe more able to serve my selfe Every thing disturbeth and tormenteth my aged limbes even my very apparell becometh a burden O why doe people so fondly desire to live to be aged Have the gray haires delight or the parched and dryed body any pleasure Alasse noe I find it hath not This this is the time which the Preacher speaketh of Eccl 12.2 Now the Sunne and the light and the moone and the starres are darkened and the clowdes returne after the raine The beautie of the countenance which shined like the Sunne the skiecolloured eyes the apples of those eyes which sparkeled like the Starres are growen dimme and obscure The eye-lidds are filled with waters like a swollen cloude labouring in the deliverie of it's mournefull burden Pleasures and delights and joyes and merriments have now with-drawne the lustre of their glory and paines and dolours and griefes and sadnesse have benighted my feeble and crazie body Now the keepers of the house tremble vers 3. and the strong men bowe themselves and the grinders cease because they are few and those that looke out of the windowes be darkened My knees which were the supporters of this walking dust begin to creeckle and tremble under their oppressing burden Mine armes and hands have forgotten their stedfastnesse and quake and faint in the execution of their just commands The teeth which prepared the meate for the stomack are fled away from their narrow chambers and left the open doores the hollow gummes in trust to mock my desires Those eyes which once could dazell the spectatours sate proudly in their thrones darting their rayes upon their desired objects have now the curtaines of age drawne over their flames and the vayle of antiquitie eclipseth their glory Now the doores are shut in the streetes vers 4. and the sound of the grinding is lowe and here is rising up at the voyce of the bird and the daughters of musick are brought low My feete are afflicted with lamenesse that they cannot any longer carie mee into the streetes The sound of the grinding
the desire of foode the sharpenesse of the appetite is abated and growne low The birds of the night the theeves and the robbers awake mee out of my slumbers sometime my carefull thoughts present to my fant'sie a feare of their entrance which causeth mee to watch when there is noe necessitie The daughters of musick the tongue that was so nimble and the lippes that were so active and the voyce that was so melodious have forgotten the songs and sonnets of youth vers 5. Now I am afraid of that which is high and feares are in the way and the Almond-tree flourisheth and the grasse-hopper is a burden and desire faileth When I attempt to walke the dimnesse of mine eyes doeth multiply the objects and maketh mee believe that I must climbe over mountaines The weakenesse of my feeling persuadeth my feete that the smallest stones are mighty hills Every bush in the way that shooteth up its twigges appeareth like the ragged teeth of a devouring sawe The Almond-tree flourisheth the early watchfull Almond-tree which forwardly produceth its fruits in the prime of the yeere my cares increase and cause mee to walke betimes in the mornings My weakenesse accounteth the leaping of a grasse-hopper upon my furrowed skinne like the weight of a burden that would crush mee to the earth and the desire of youthfull delights is fled from my remembrance The silver chord is loosed vers 6. the golden bowle is broken and the pitcher is broken at the fountaine and the wheele is broken at the cesterne The tongue is growne silent which was wont to sing like the silver trumpetts the strength of the loynes hath submitted to age the braine which was kept in the bowle of the skull is dryed up in the panne which so carefully preserved it The very gall is broken and seperated from the liver the fountaine of blood and the whole body is readily prepared for the sepulcher Thus hath my God spared mee so long untill I am even wearie of this his mercy for in my youth I was not so fearefull to be snatched from my pleasures as now I have a longing to be released of my paines My flesh Lam 3.4 and my skinne are made old and my bones are broken Such yeeres have seldome crowned the issue of Adam without the societie of weakenesses and sorrowes Gen 48 10. 1. King 14.4 c 15.23 The eyes of Israël were dimme for age so that hee could not see Ahijah the Prophet could not see for his eyes were sett by reason of age Asa in the time of his old age was diseased in his feete Thus wee that are ancient are subject to as many infirmities as wee have lived yeeres each part of our bodies is ready to torment us with severall aches Now I I stand in neede of a Iob whose comforts may uphold mee as I am falling Iob. 4.4 and that hee may strengthen my fecble knees O how I want some charitable person Is 35.3 who could strengthen my weake hands and confirme these feeble joynts Aged I am feeble I am I have that which Solomon calleth the beauty of age Prov 20.29 I have the gray head But what beauty is there in these silver haires unlesse I have religion springing in my heart c 16.31 The hoary head is a crowne of glory yet not unlesse it be found in the way of righteousnesse The Israëlites were commanded to rise up before the hoarie head Lev 19 32. and to honour the face of the old but surely the Lord intended not that reverence should be given so much to the age as to the goodnesse of the person who was thus to be respected As wee that are aged have more experience through the multitude of our yeeres then the young and lustie inhabitants of the earth so should wee be instructers of them in goodnesse and vertue As wee doe somewhat resemble our God in the number of our dayes 1. Pet 1 26. Dan 7.9 so should wee strive to be holy as hee is holy who is the ancient of dayes I can speake the chronicles of times that are past and report the various occurrences which happened in my youth but doe I strive therein to set forth the goodnesse and mercies of him that hath spared mee so long to publish his praises Iob saith that With the ancient is wisedome Iob. 12.12 and in length of dayes understanding Thus indeede it should be but doe I verefie those words of Iob The Prophet complaineth that gray haires were here and there upon Israël Hos 7.9 Iob. 32.9 yet hee had noe knowledg Greate men are not allways wise neither doe the aged allways understand wisedome That is onely true wisedome which maketh us resemble the Prophet David who understood more then the ancients Ps 119.100 because hee kept the precepts of the most high As for other wisedome it hath noe vallew in comparison of this for of such it is that Iob speaketh when hee saith God removeth away the speech of the trustie Iob 12.20 and taketh away the understanding of the aged It is that wisedome alone it is that understanding onely that David had which causeth both the guift and the blessing of antiquity Prov 3.1 Let thine heart keepe my commandements sayth the Lord by king Solomon for length of dayes vers 2. long life and peace shall they adde unto thee This is that true wisedome indeede which hath length of dayes in her right hand vers 16 and in her left hand riches and honour Such aged people as these were they whom God promised at the restauration of Ierusalem when hee sayd there shall yet old men Zech 8 4. old women dwell in the streetes of Ierusalem every man with his staffe in his hand for very age Such as these doubtless were they of whom Eliphaz boasted to Iob in his distresse when hee said Iob. 15.10 with us are both the gray headed and very aged men much elder then thy father Thus I reade of the wisely ancient but am I one of those who have Wisedome and understanding Is my zeale as much inflamed with the love of my God as my body hath abated of its youthfull heate Long enough have I lived to be acquainted with the precepts and commandements of the most high and to teach the younger by a religious example How many in all these clusters these heapes of yeares have I advantaged in the way of godlinesse How many have I endeavoured to reclayme from wickednesse What judgments of God upon sinfull miscreants have I observed in my time What use have I made of them for mine owne humiliation How often have I discoursed of them to the younger people that so they might be affrighted from the perversenesse of their evill wayes I can remember trifles which happened even in my childhood but did I ever observe the goodnesse and the tender mercies of my maker My numerous yeeres command mee
1. King 2.2 Iob. 17.1 My breath and my spirits allmost are spent my dayes are neere extinct and now the grave is ready for mee doe thou ô my God prepare mee for thy selfe With thee I long and desire to live To thee I desire to sing praises with the glorified Saints in thy celestiall Paradise O free mee from the burden of the flesh and the fetters of sinne and graunt that when I shall render thee an account of my yeeres I may behold thy face with comfort and joy Let me with desire attend the time of my change and the hopefull expectation of a happie resurrection Come ô my God and free mee from the bondage of sinne and corruption that I may sitt at thy right hand for ever and ever Heare mee ô father and graunt my petitions through the meritorious death of the Lord of life even Iesus Christ my onely mediatour and redeemer Amen subject 11 THE ELEVENTH SUBjECT Teares of a Barren woman The Soliloquie 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 God had created Adam and Eve hee blessed them Gen 1.28 and said Be fruitfull and multiply and replenish the earth This was a blessing in the time of innocency but did it remaine a blessing after the fall Yes doubtlesse for long after the breach of the first commandement the Psalmist determined that Children are an heritage of the Lord Ps 127 3. and the fruit of the wombe is his reward Yet though it remaineth a blessing it is not without the societie of a punishment for so the Lord said unto the woman Gen 3.16 I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children This sorrow is an effect of sinne and not a sorrow for sin Yet surely it hath something in it above or beside a punishment for the first offence for neither is the sorrow in it selfe a sinne as is allwayes that which is onely worldly which beginneth continueth and endeth in griefe nor doeth this sorrow conclude in either sin or shame Io 16.21 or griese but as our Saviour saith As soone as shee is delivered of the child shâ remembreth noe more the anguish for joy that a man is borne into the world The paine is a remembrancer of originall corruption but the issue is a continuance of the blessing in Paradise This paine I am freed from whilest I continue barren but then I want the blessing and the joy which accompanie the paine But why doe I complaine Why doe I disturbe my selfe for want of that which might become my tormentour All children are not blessed all are not elected to be heires of salvation Mat 20 16. Many indeede are called but few are chosen Doubtlesse Cain and Ham and Esau and Iudas and many millions besides did cost their mothers many bitter throwes and torments and cryes yet reaped not their parents that joy which others have receaved Is it not then better for mee to content my selfe with this state which I am in then to be the mother of a child which might be a fire-brand of hell All are not chosen to be vessells unto honour 2. Tim. 2.21 The way to destruction is a beaten roade My torments would be greater were I the mother of a child for feare that my child should dishonour my God then they could be with bringing that child into the world The cares of parents are full of trembling and disquietnesse allways suspecting ill accidents or diseases or which is worse a second death to befall their issues Reu 21 8. From these I am freed whilest I continue fruitlesse and I enjoy the societie of a husband without the disturbance of children But yet mee think's I rest not satisfied for barrennesse was ever accounted a reproach therfore Elizabeth upon her conception sayd Luc 1.25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with mee in the dayes wherein hee looked on mee to take away my reproach among men Gen 16 4. Thus when Hagar had conceaved by Abram her mistresse Sarai was despised in her eyes But alasse what 's this A litle reproach it may be among men but such as cannot continue long not longer at most then my life shall last and then it will cease or at least not trouble mee Surely it is not so contemptible in the eyes of my God for if so it were then Iob would not put it as a marke of the wicked Iob 24 21. that Hee evill intreateth the barren that beareth not And yet I suspect that some grievous sinne is the cause of mine affliction for barrennesse hath beene often sent as a curse and fruitfullnesse as a blessing How happie was the wife of Terah in her faithfull Sonne Abraham How happie was Iochebed in her meeke Sonne Moses How happie was Elizabeth in Iohn the Baptist But how most happie of all was the virgin Mary in her holy child Iesus prononnced so by heâ cosijn Elizabeth who sayd unto her Blessed art thou among women Luc 1.42 and blessed is the fruit of thy wombe This blessing mee thinks I seriously long for though I cannot expect a child of such excellency as was Abraham or Moses or Iohn the Baptist But why doe I thus disturbe my selfe about that which is not in my power to amend or alter Fruitfullnesse hath not allways beene a token of mercy sometimes it hath spoken the wrath of the All-mighty 2. Sam. 11.5 Bathsheba indeede was free from barrennesse but her child by King David was the spurious issue of a defiled bed Such sinister practises have beene the faults of diverse who have rather chosen to dishonour God then to be despised by men But this remedie would prove farre worse then the disease if I should seeke to be pregnant by the wayes of wickednesse Thus to become a mother I should dishonour my husband and which is infinitely worse my Lord and my God Thus should I desclayme the protection of God my father and the love of mine indulgent husband and all in a wicked and lustfull curiositie to take away my reproach among men Yea thus by endeavouring to salve my credit I should more deepely wound it and to avoyd a contempt for what I cannot helpe I should be branded with infamie which I could never wipe off Conscience and obedience to the lawes of my God forbid the thought of so dangerous a cure loyaltie and affection to my husband deny it love and desire of vertue chide it yea and care of my good name doeth plainly prohibit it I had rather continue for a time a reproached Elizabeth then be a lustfull Bathsheba to be the wife of a King It lyeth in the power of him who is omnipotent to make mee if hee pleaseth a joyfull mother I will not despaire while I live upon the earth because I
and my petitions to God must be likewise upon conditions when I begge of him but temporall blessings His blessings descend not unlesse they be called downe by my religious obedience nor may I pray for the blessings which concerne this life but with this condition If they may stand with his pleasure In his power it is to graunt the suite which so earnestly I make I wish it may be his pleasure to fullfill my desires Barren Sarai was promised a sonne and Isaak was borne Gen. 21 2.3 Lu 1.7 vers 57 Gen. 29 31. c 30.22 vers 23 Though Zacharias and Elizabeth were stricken in yeeres and Elizabeth was barren yet they were blessed with Iohn the Baptist. Though Leah was hated by reason of her barrennesse yet wee reade that the Lord did open her wombe God remembred Rachel and hearkened unto her and opened her wombe and shee conceaved and bare a sonne and sayd God hath taken away my reproach The wife of Manoah the Danite was barren Iud. 13.2 vers 3. vers 14 yet the Angel of the Lord appeared unto her and sayd unto her Behold now thou art barren and bearest not but thou shalt conceave and beare a sonne And the woman bare a sonne called his name Samson and the child grew and the Lord blessed him 1. Sam. 1.10 Barren Hannah was in bitternesse of soule for want of a child when Peninnah her fruitfull rivall provoked her sore to make her fret vers 6. vers 20 because the Lord had shut up her wombe and shee had a sonne whom shee named Samuel Thus may God if hee please looke upon my reproach and send mee a child which I may dedicate to his service I will therfore follow the stepps of Hannah the devout vers 15 I will weepe with her and I will fast with her and with her will I powre out my soule before the Lord. Who knoweth but my teares may prevayle through the merits of my Redeemer and my sobbs and sighes may draw downe a blessing Ps 30.8 On my knees therfore will I goe unto the Lord and gett mee unto my Lord right humbly I will weepe and pray and mourne and pray and sigh and pray and praying I will say The Prayer HEeavenly King father of mercies Ps 72.5 thou who tookest mee out of my mother's wombe but hast denyed unto mee the fruit of mine vouchsafe to looke upon the reproach of thy servant I know that my sinnes doe stoppe the current of thy mercies but it is thine honour that thou art a forgiver of offences Forgive my sinnes the cause of thy curse and heale the barrennesse of thy despised hand-mayd 1. Sam. 1.11 O Lord of hosts if thou wilt indeede looke upon the affliction of thine hand-mayd and remember mee and not forget thine hand-mayd but wilt give unto thine hand-mayd a man-child then I will give him unto thee all the dayes of his life Thou knowest that I am a woman of a sorrowfull spirit and out of the aboundance of my complaint vers 16 and griefe doe I pray unto thee Send mee I beseech thee a Samuël even such a child as I have asked of thee if it may stand with the pleasure of thee my Lord and King that may bring honour unto thee and comfort unto thy petitioner I shall never bee satisfied untill thou hearest my supplications Pro. 30 15. Either graunt my desires or arme mee with patience that in all things I may serve thee with quietnesse Mat 4.28 and content The earth thou hast made to bring forth fruit of her selfe and it is as easie for thee to blesse mee with increase But if thou hast otherwise determined in thy secret will howsoever graunt that I may never conceave wickednesse in my heart Act 5.4 to whom thou denyest the conception of a child Iam. 1.15 Let not lust conceave in mee lest it bring forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bring forth death Say unto my heart as effectually as once thou didst unto the fig-tree Mat 21 19. Gal 5.22 vers 23 Heb. 12 11. let noe such fruit grow on thee hence forth for ever but let mee allways produce the fruits of the spirit against which thine Apostle assureth mee that there is noe law Let this thy chastening yeeld unto mee the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse since I am exercised therein so shall I willingly submit to thy pleasure and beseech thee to graunt mee comfort and joy in that blessed sonne of a happie woman even Iesus Christ my onely Lord and Saviour Amen THE TWELFTH SUBjECT Teares of a child-bearing woman 1 At the time when she beginneth to fall in travell 2 After her deliverie I st Her teares when she beginneth to fall in travell The Soliloquie consisting of three parts viz 1 The cause of the sorrow and the confidence of the sorrowing 2 The greatenesse of the pangs hazards and feares of a travelling woman 3 Consolation and comfort for a woman in the bitternesse of her travell The first part of the Soliloquie treating of the cause of the sorrow and the confidence of the sorrowing 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 the will I pray VVHen David confessed his actuall crimes hee forgot not the guilt of originall corruption therfore he professed saying Behold I was shapen in iniquitie vers 5. and in sinne did my mother conceave mee By the corruption of nature even Saint Paul himselfe was not without sinne that dwelled in him That which is borne of the flesh is flesh Rom 7 17. Io. 3.6 as my Saviour himselfe did tell Nicoden us and this flesh concludeth us all to be carnall Rom 7 14. and sold under sinne This originall stayne is the ground of all our actuall impieties justly therfore is the birth of a child accompanied with the torments and sorrowes of the mother left women should forget the tast of the apple I will greatly multiply thy sorrow Gen 3.16 and thy conception sayd the Lord unto Eve in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children O this heavie chastisement doth now approach to make mee sensible of my sinfull beginning As I caused the teares to flow from the eyes of my groaning mother so now even in mine eyes doe they likewise arise through the pangs which doe seize on mee by reason of my babe Lord what a trembling possesseth every joynt of mee and when I hope for ease by changing my seate or lying on my Couch or attempting to walke even in every place doeth the sharpnesse of the paine increase its strength and though I multiply my cryes yet mine anguish ceaseth not O what miserable perplexities are wee weake and sinfull women involved in Wee who can worst endure are most afflicted and allthough our tempers and constitutions conclude us weaker by farre then our husbands
issue and my destroyer But I will hope for better and I will pray for better for I have a good and a mercifull God in whom I will trust To him I will fly both for remission comfort and succour I know that hee is offended with the sinfull progenie of my corrupted heart Ex 1.16 but to appease him I will destroy them all as the Mid-wives were commanded to doe by the Hebrew males Ps 137.9 I will gaine hapinesse by such an execution as was required upon the daughter of Babylon for I will take them and dash them both the greate and the litle ones against the stones Or if that will not destroy them I will use them as the Allmighty did the chariotts and the bost of Pharaoh I will cast them into the sea Ex 15.4 vers 5. vers 1. and the depths shall cover them The sea shall be my teares in which I will sinke them so deepe even the horse and his rider the heart that hath conceaved and the sinne that hath beene borne that they shall never rise againe Or if this yet will not suffice vers 4. I will use them as the Lord did the chosen Captaines of the King I will drowne them in the red sea even in the blood of my blessed Reedemer where they shall be sunke so deepe that it shall be quite forgotten that ever they were Thus shall my God be appeased and shall visit mee in love so that I shall not neede to feare when my throwes increase because I will depend on the rock of my salvation I will resolve with confidence and a setled mind that allthough hee slay mee Iob 13.15 yet will I put my trust in his mercy and I am assured that hee will send mee a happie issue to my tryalls and afflictions part 2 The Second part of the Soliloquie treating of the greatnesse of the pangs hazards and feares of a travelling woman SAint Iohn in the Apocalyps telleth us Rev. 12 1. that There appeared a greate wonder in heaven A woman cloathed with the Sunne and the Moone was under her feete and upon her head was a crowne of twelve starres vers 2. And shee being with child cryed traveâing in birth and pained to be delivered That woman is the Church styled a woman both because shee is fruitfull and by reason of her subjection to Christ her husband The Moone is under her feete the pompe and prosperitie of the world is placed farre beneath her affections Her crowne of starres is the twelve Apostles This woman this Church is with child shee conceaveth by faith shee cryeth out in her devotions shee is pained in her sorrowes and severall afflictions and shee is delivered when her children are receaved into glory If Saint Iohn did liken her pangs unto the pinching throwes of a travelling woman it must needes be imagined that her paines were grievous Oh I feele I feele what her torments were resembled unto Such paines doe now beginne ginne to seize on mee as the greatest in the world have beene described by these Ier. 13.21 Such were threatned to Iudah Shall not sorrowes take thee as a woman in travell Such to Lebanon O inhabitant of Lebanon c 12.23 that makest thy nests in the Cedars how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee the paine as of a woman in travell Such to Babylon Is 13.6 Howle yee for the day of the Lord is at hand it shall come as a destruction from the All-mighty Therfore shall all hands be faint vers 7. and every mans heart shall melt and they shall be afraid vers 8. they shall be inpaine Ier 48.41 Kerioth is taken and the strong holds are surprised and the mighty men's hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs Such to Edome c 49.22 The heart of the mighty men of Edome shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs Such to Ephraim Hos 13 12. vers 13. The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up his sinne is hid the sorrowes of a travelling woman shall come upon him And such to the ungodly when our Saviour shall come in the clowdes When they shall say 1. Thes 5.3 Peace and Safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travaile upon a woman with child and they shall not escape Such as these were inflicted on those Kings that were assembled and passed by the citty of the great King on the north sides of the mountaine of holinesse Ps 48.6 Feare tooke hold upon them there and paine as of a woman in travaile Such on Sion Wee have heard the fame thereof Ier. 6.24 our hands wanâ feeble anguish hath taken hold of us and paine as of a woman in travaile c 4.31 And againe I have heard a voyce as of a woman in travell and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child the voyce of the daughter of Zion that bewayleth her selfe that spreadeth her hands saying Woe is mee now for my soule is wearied because of murderers Such on Damascus Damascus is waxed feeble c 49.24 and turneth herselfe to flee and feare hath seized on her anguish and sorrowes have taken her as a woman in travell c 50.42 Such on the King of Babylon Every one of the people of the North shall be put in aray like a man to battell against thee ô daughter of Babylon vers 43 The King of Babylon hath heard the report of them his hands waxed feeble anguish tooke hold of him and pangs as of a woman in travell Such on the Prophet Isaiah bewayling the captivity of the people Is 21.3 My loynes are filled with paine pangs have taken hold upon mee as the pangs of a woman that travelleth I was bowed downe at the hearing of it I was dismayed at the seeing of it And such on the people of God when they were caried into captivity c. 26.16 Lord in trouble have they visited thee they powred out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them vers 17 like as a woman with child that draweth neere the time of her deliverie is in paine and cryeth out in her pangs so have wee beene in thy sight ô Lord. O these sorrowes these pangs and paines this faintâesse of hands this melting of heart this anguish this wearinesse of soule this feeblenesse this turning to flee this paine of the loynes this bowing downe this dismaying and this ââ¦ying out in pangs is now my portion Deepe shall I drinke of this cup of trembling Is 51.17 it is allready at my mouth I quiver and quake at the bitternesse thereof Faine would I delay it faine would I forget what I must endure it I shift from place to place from seate to seate I wring my hands I tremble in my cold and fainting sweates Faine would I buy it off and be contented to offer the service even of
may passe from miferie to eternall happinesse Heare Lord have mercy both upon mee and mine and graunt my petitions for the worthinesse of that most mercifull and most blessed sonne of a woman thine onely begotten Iesus Christ my Lord and onely Saviour Amen soliloquy 2 2. ly Teares of a woman after her deliverie from the paines of Child-birth The Soliloquie 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 A Woman Io 16.21 when shee is in travell hath sorrow because her hower is come but as soone as shee is delivered of the child she remembreth noe more her anguish for joy that a man is borne into the world O how truely doeth my heavenly Iesus describe both his mercy and my comfort I who ere while was full of anguish and teares am now with comfort brought againe to my bed I who had allmost despaired of mercy in the midst of my sufferances have found a deliverer Mee think's I could weepe because I wept so much and grieve because my cryes did savour of distrust Many teares did I shed through the anguish which I suffered but have I none left of sorrow for offending in my pangs I will begge for pardon at the hands of him who sent mee this ease and then I will thanke him for his bountie in sending mee this child Prettie infant the beginning of his cryes was the end of mine and the beginning of his trouble was the end of my labour O how did I long to see him whom I now embrace How did I wish to be delivered of him whom yet againe I receave Hee is parted from my wombe to be caried in mine armes and he who before was the burden of my bowells now is made the delight of mine eyes Now with a greater comfort I hope then the first sinner embraced the first that ever was borne I may rejoyce and say I have gotten a man from the Lord. Gen 4.1 1. Chr 4.9 Gen 35.18 True it is that I might call him a Iabez because I bare him with sorrow I might name him Ben oni because hee was the sonne of mine affliction and sorrowes but I will rather with Iacob call him Benjamin the sonne of my right hand O how gratious was my God unto mee in that hee sent mee a mid-wife to helpe mee neighbours to comfort mee a house to cover mee a fire to warme mee and now a bed to ease mee The mother of my Lord had not an house but a stable onely Lu 2.7 for there was noe roome in the Inne Her holy child was layed but in a manger whereas mine is in a cradle yet I am wicked I am sinfull and uncleane yea and this babe is not borne without originall pollution But I will begge of the Lord that with Simeon I may take up my Iesus in mine armes vers 28 or rather in my heart and I will beseech him that as I desire to embrace him in my soule so hee will embrace mee in the armes of his mercy Mee think's when I remember how hardly the Israëlites were used by the Egyptians when the midwives were commanded to slay the males Ex 1.16 I cannot choose but tremble at the miseries of the women It might seeme a sinne in them to desire sonnes seeing they knew that their birth was but a stepp to their graves Those mercifull hands which brought them into the world were commanded to be the executioners of the innocent babes The women were to be as cruell in their murders as the King was in his commands and yet such bloody acts were to be called executions and not styled murders They had a command to put in practise what was so horrid and barbarous whereupon they were perplexed to thinke that either they must necessarily disobey authoritie or else destroy those who had not offended It is true that if God had commanded it the act had beene righteous Gen. 22 2. Abraham not onely may but must be the priest to sacrifice his sonne his onely sonne Isaak when God requireth it But if God forbiddeth what man commandeth wee must be more ready to suffer then to obey those commands When wee dare not doe what wee are unjustly commanded wee must dare to suffer what shall be unjustly inflicted on us O how grievously was Iochebed perplexed in her miseries Ex 2.3 when for feare lest her Moses should be slaine according to the decree shee was enforced to expose him to the brinke of the river That child whom shee could noe longer hide shee was faine to cradle up in an arke of bull-rushes Thus shee who durst not keepe her infant adventured upon a trade which shee never had learned but her directour was his preserver Surely the teares which shee shed for feare of his death did perswade the river to carie him alive for shee so bribed the torrent with the droppes from her eyes that it tooke more compassion then the heart of the tyrant One word of that King might have saved at once both her sorrowes and her feares Mee think 's the very river might have taught him to melt for his cruelty but where grace is wanting every thing that should check the petulancie of sinne doe's but give vigour to the execution thereof There was a sorrowfull mother weeping for feare of the death of him who might peradventure have cost her her life and there was a child too crying as if it had beene either sensible of the cruelty of the salvage tyrant or else struck with compassion for the tender mother The cryes of both were so lowd and so just that they pierced the clowdes and were heard up to heaven and the daughter of the King was moved to save what her father in his fury did seeke to destroy The child was found by Pharaoh's daughter and ignorantly as well as compassionately shee put him to nurse to his indulgent mother O what cannot God doe when hee decreeth to act His justice is severe and potent Ps 145 9. but his mercy which is over all his workes is full of goodnesse and wonder Hee who preserved Moses hath saved this infant and I hope hee hath chosen him for a vessell of honour Zacharias was promised that hee should have joy and gladnesse in Iohn the Baptist Luc. 1.14 I will hope for the like in this new-borne babe and I will begge of my Lord that hee may be beloved of him Him I must magnifie for the deliverance of my selfe and him I must thanke both for the shape the life of my child My wombe might have proved the grave of mine infant and my selfe the sepulcher of a child unseene I might have dyed in the birth of this which I embrace and the litle infant ignorant of my cryes might unwittingly have beene the destroyer of his mother Or else I might have lived
and this child have dyed so should the teares which I had shed through the extreamitie of my pangs be seconded with more for the losse of my desires In all these mercies I must looke up to my Redeemer and acknowledg him the father and donour of these blessings I will therfore magnifie him for his goodnesse and praise him for his loving-kindnesse Ps 106 1. I will give thankes unto the Lord for hee is gratious because his mercy endureth for ever The Prayer O Mercifull God heavenly father who hast now most especially made knowne unto mee Eph 3.20 that thou art able to doe exceeding aboundantly above all that wee aske or thinke make mee thankfully rejoyce in the worke of thy love and thy tender mercie Thy favours are greate and wonderfull in sparing the life of my selfe mine infant in freeing mee from my pangs and him from the darknesse of the silent wombe Thine ô Lord is the power by which I am delivered thine is the mercy by which I am safely returned unto my bed thine is the worke of the frame and fashion of this my babe thine therfore shall be likewise the glory for ever and ever Graunt blessed Father that I may never sorget thy goodnesse but expresse my thankfullnesse in my new obedience Make mee carefull in the performance of what service I promised thee in the extreamitie of mine anguish As thou hast given mee the fruit of my body to the joy of my heart so give mee the fruit of righteousnesse sowen in peace Iam 3.18 vers 17 Give mee the wisedome which is from above that is full of good workes without hypocrisie Lord make mee thy servant by grace and make this child thy child by adoption and mercy Give mee comfort in his life for the sorrowes which I endured at his birth Gal 1.15 Seperate him from the wombe as thou didst Saint Paul that hee may be a chosen vessell of sanctification and honour Teach mee innocency and simplicitie by the example of this infant and make mee hereafter teach him goodnesse and righteousnesse by the power of thy grace Make us allways children in wickednesse 1. Cor. 14.20 1. Pet 2.2 Gal 4.19 but not in understanding that so as new borne babes wee may desire the sincere milke of thy word that wee may grow thereby Let thy sonne Christ be formed in this litle infant that as it hath beene preserved by thy power and providence in the first birth so it may feele thy mercy and grace in the second Lord give a blessing to whatsoëver shall be used for the recovery of my strength that I may allways praise thee both in prosperitie and adversitie Give thy blessing to the meanes for the nourishment of this child Give it strength that it may live to receave the seale of thy mercy in the laver of Baptisme and doe thou be present with thy blessing when the signe shall be administred Lu 2.52 O let it live if it be thy blessed will and grow up in wisedome and in stature and in grace both with thee and with men that so I may magnifie thy name for making mee an instrument to propagate the number of thine elect who am the weakest and the unworthiest of women Increase thy Kingdome daâly Take pittie upon all that suffer afflictions especially on those women who are in labour of children Give them comfort in the time of their miseries ease from their torments joy in their desired issue and thankfullnesse for thy blessings Lord graunt that both I they may sing praises to thy name for the greatnesse of our deliverances and expresse our thanks in our godly lives that when this painfull life shall have an end wee may sing tryumphantly in eternall glory through Iesus Christ our onely Lord and Saviour Amen 13. THE THIRTEENTH SUBJECT Teares in the time of a generall Pestilence The Soliloquie Consisting of sixe severall parts and treating of 1 Mourning by example in a publike calamitie 2 Severall causes of God's visitations 3 Sinne especially the cause of the Pestilence 4 Severall examples of dreadfull Pestilences 5 God's threatning before his visitation 6 The duety of a Christian decreeing both to whom and for whom wee ought to pray in the time of Pestilence The first part of the Soliloquie treating of mourning by example in a publike calamitie 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 THe heart of the wise is in the house of mourning Eccl 7.4 saith Solomon but the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth Is the heart then sometimes in a pilgrimage from the body Or is the body required to visit the sick yea though the disease be infectious Or are wee allways by command Ps 42.3 to imitate the Prophet whose teares were his meate day and night The heart indeede is often from home and is least where it liveth most where it loveth The sick must be visited or else my Saviour will complaine as hee doth in the Gospel saying I was sick Mat 25 43. Iob 2.11 and yee visited mee not When Iob's three friends heard of the evill that was come upon him they came every one from his owne place for they had made an appointment together to come to mourne with him and to comfort him vers 13 So they sate downe with him upon the ground 2. King 13.14 and mourned seaven dayes and seaven nights When Elisha was fallen sick of his sicknesse wherewith hee dyed Ioash the King of Israël came downe unto him and wept over his face and said O my father my father the charet of Israel and the horse-men thereof c 8.29 When wicked King Ioram went to be healed in Iezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah Ahaziah the sonne of heboram King of Iudah went downe to see him in Iezreel because hee was sick Thus doe I reade of a holy Patient visited by friendly mourners a holy Prophet visited by a weeping King a wicked King visited by another as wicked as himselfe All these were visiters or visited but I doe not find that the diseases were infectious Noe I must therfore imitate the best of them in my charitie to others but I may not forget charity to my selfe Willfully to runne into apparent danger is desperately to tempt the keeper of Israel What shall I then doe The passing bells informe mine eares of the mortalitie of my neighbours yet I cannot I must not visit them What I say shall I doe What course shall I take Charitie commandeth mee compassion hasteneth mee to the dying Christians that by my advice or at least by my prayers I might expresse my commiseration And yet when I am just at my doore provided resolved intended to goe even then mine owne health the health of my familie and which is
greater them all these the feare of displeasing my gratious protectour bring mee back againe and keepe mee at home I would not be un-charitable but I must not be desperate Well then I am resolved what I will doe I will with Solomon goe to the houses of mourning the houses of the visited yet not in body but in mind and in purse I will pittie them and I will send reliefe unto them I dare not goe in person but I will goe in affection and for my neighbours groaning under the evill of punishment and for my selfe burdened with the evill of sinne I will feede upon my teares day and night I must grieve for my selfe in particular and yet I must not be so unkindly coveteous as to keepe my teares onely for my selfe In publike calamities those who shed noe teares may be justly suspected to have noe bowells I find my selfe not un-apt to weepe for I am prompted to that by the weakenesse of my disposition And yet I suspect my selfe I am jealous of my selfe that my teares doe rather flow from my feare of infection then from a fellow-feeling of the miseries which the infected suffer To heighten therfore my mourning and to justifie it by my compassion I will propose to my selfe the examples of others such as I find recorded in the word of my God example 1 When the destruction of the Iewes was neere at hand the Lord called upon them by the mouth of his Prophet saying Consider yee Ier 9.17 and call for the mourning women that they may come and send for cunning women that they may come And let them make hast vers 18 and take up a wayling for us that our eyes may runne downe with teares and our eye-lids gush out with waters vers 19 for a voyce of wayling is heard out of Zion How are wee spoyled c. The women were commanded to heare the word of the Lord vers 20 and their eares to receave the word of his mouth they were to teach their daughters wayling and every one her neighbour lamentation vers 21 For death was come up into their windowes and entered into their pallaces to cutt off the children from without and the young men from their streetes vers 22 Even the carkeises of men did fall as dung upon the field and as the handfull after the harvest-man and none did gather them The case is now with us as it was then with the Iewes Alasse how are wee spoyled too How is death come up into our windowes by the infectious aire How doe our children dye and our young men fall Our children which know not the cause and our young men that trusted in the strength of their youth O how doe the carkeises of men fall as dung upon the open field as the hand-full after the harvest man and yet there are none to gather them up They perish without because either there is not roome enough left with in doores for them or not people alive to attend them in their sicknesse or not people of strength enough to un-lock the doores or not meanes for their sustenance if they enter in Thus necessitie driveth them into the fields and there mortalitie seizeth upon them where noe person is found to burie their bodies noe bearers to carie them to the surfeited earth noe friends to bewayle the losse of their lives and noe Christians to cover them from their gazing spectatours the verie fowles of the aire and the beastes of the field What heart would not breake what eye would not weepe what soule would not lament for this sad visitation Lam 1.16 For these things with Ieremiah will I weepe mine eye mine eye shall runne downe with water because the comforter which should relieve our soules is farre from us example 2 The Lord hath throwne downe Ierusalem saith the Prophet and hath not pittied Lam 2.17 and hee hath caused their enemie to rejoyce over them hee hath sett up the horne of their adversarie vers 18 Their heart cryed unto the Lord O wall of the daughter of Zion let teares runne downe like a river day and night give thy selfe noe rest let not the apples of thine eyes cease Arise vers 19 cry out in the night in the beginning of the watches powre out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord lift up thy hands towards him for the life of thy young children that faint in the topp of every streate vers 1. Even thus hath the Lord covered us allso with a clowde in his anger as then hee did the daughter of Zion and cast downe from heaven unto the earth the beautie of our Israël and remembred not his foote stoole in the day of his anger An enemie destroyeth and rejoyceth over us but such an enemie it is as neither can heare nor will spare The verie aire which was created to coole the flames of our scorching hearts is so poisoned with the infection that the more wee make of it the lesse wee our selves are made by it the closer wee seate it even to and in our hearts the neerer doth the infection approach our spirits The corrupted aire shall be therfore cleansed by the thick groanes that shall flye from my heavy heart and be purified with the thunder of my lowdest cryes With Moab in the prophesie Is 15.2 vers 3. I will howle over Nebo and over Medeba In the streetes let every one gird himselfe with sack-cloth on all their heads let there be baldnesse on the toppes of our houses and in our streetes let every one howle âer 48.4 weeping aboundantly for wee are destroyed for our litle ones have caused a cry to be heard Oh our sucklings that cry for milke from the breast suck in destruction when they expect their nourishment For these things with Ierusalem I will weepe sore in the night in this night of a generall affliction Lam 1.2 my teares shall be on my cheekes because among all our lovers there is none to comfort us example 3 At the finall desolation of the house of Israël Eze 7.16 the Prophet tould them that They that fled away of them should escape and should be on the mountaines like Doves of the valleys all of them mourning every one for his iniquitie All hands should be feeble vers 17 and all knees should be weake as water vers 18 They should allso gird themselves with sack-cloth and horrour should cover them and shame should be upon all their faces and baldnesse upon their heads Lord what a time of mourning should here be What a time of horrour Destruction is threatned and whom destruction missed mourning should over-take feeblenesse should follow weakenesse should pursue horrour should cover Oh that verie time is come now upon us that prophesie is fullfilled in our Israel Here is noe sword to slay us noe fierie engines of a hellish invention to murder us noe men to take us captives
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
acknowledg this 1. Sam 4.5 when the Arke of the covenant of the Lord came into the campe and all Israël showted with a great showte so that the earth rang againe They then beganne to be afraid for they said God is come into the campe vers 7. And they said Woe unto us for there hath not beene such a thing heretofore vers 8. Woe unto us who shall deliver us out of the hands of their mighty Gods These are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the willdernesse Thus even by the testimonie of the uncircumcised my God is determined to be the sin-revenging God who punisheth offenders with these plagues and Pestilences But shall I onely depend upon their testimonies who knew not God for my assurance that this vengeance cometh from God Noe I will looke a litle farther and find David the good Prophet acknowledging it in his Psalmes Ps 78.50 and saying Hee made a way to his anger hee spared not their soule from death but gave their life over to the Pestilence This the patient Iob confessed Iob. 5.17 saying Behould happy is the man whom God correcteth therfore despise not thou the chastening of the Allmighty For hee maketh sore vers 18 and bindeth up hee woundeth and his hands make whole This the holy Prophet Hosea proclaimed Hos 6.1 and said Come and let us returne unto the Lord for hee hath torne and hee will heale us hee hath smitten and hee will bind us up This was the song of devout Hannah 1. Sam. 2.6 The Lord killeth and maketh alive hee bringeth downe to the grave and bringeth up Deut 32.39 Yea and this God himselfe doeth publish to the whole world and saith See now that I 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 mine hand It is cleere then it is most apparent that in this generall sicknesse I must of necessitie acknowledg the finger of God There was once a time when hee himselfe proclaimed saying Is 65.1 I am sought of them that asked not for mee I am found of them that fought mee not I said Behould mee vers 2. behould mee unto a nation that was not called by my name I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people And surely that time is now come againe for wee sought him not and yet wee have found him in this day of our visitation vers 4. even in this dreadfull sicknesse Hee hath spread out his hands all the day long unto us a rebellious people but wee would not hearken unto him justly therfore doe wee remaine among the graves and hence it is that our hands are held up unto him But alas so weake are our devotions so feeble are wee in our Petitions so unconstant so wavering are wee in our faith that our hands are heavier then our hearts Ex 17.12 Wee must be faint to have an Aaron and a Hur to stay them up or else wee are ready to let them downe if they fall the greate Amalekites both our sinnes Gods reveÌge will prevaile against us Hee cryeth out unto us Behould mee Behould mee woe is unto us wee doe behould him in his severe and consuming wrath But ô that wee might behould him in the cleere and most lovely glory of his mercy O that hee might now be sought of us though formerly wee have not asked for him Hee once did promise that a time should be when the children of Israel should come Ier 50.4 they and the children of Indah together goeing and weeping they should goe and seeke the Lord their God Surely that time is now come to us his Israël for now wee goe and weepe as wee goe as did David for Absalom 2. Sam 18.33 Gen 43.30 Ps 126.6 Wee weepe as wed goe up to our chambers With Ioseph wee seeke where to weepe and wee enter into our chambers and weepe there With the Church in the Psalmes wee goe forth and weepe With the Israelites wee weepe before the doore of the tabernacle of the congregation Num 25.6 2. Sam. 15.30 With David and the people that were with him wee weepe as wee goe up to the citty Yea with Ishmaël wee weepe all along as wee goe And as wee weepe so I hope wee shall seeke too Ier 41.6 even seeke the Lord and his strength yea seeke his face evermore This is the way for pardon Ps 105.4 and this is the meanes for health for so God promised King Solomon saying If I shut up heaven that there be noe raine 2. Chr 7.13 or if I command the Locusts to devours the land or if I send a Pestilence among my people If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves vers 14 and pray and seeke my face and turne from their wicked wayes then will I heare from heaven and will forgive their sinne and will heale their land Lord this Pestilence thou hast sent among us among us Christians that are called by thy name Ios 24.15 Let others doe what they will as for mee and my house wee will serve thee ô my Lord. Doe thou make mee to turne from my wicked wayes that thou mayst heare from heaven and forgive my sinnes and heale this land for I will seeke thy face I will bumble my selfe I will pray unto thee and say The Prayer OMnipotent Lord thou sinne-revenging God who for disobedience diddest threaten thine owne people of Israel to smite them in the knees Deut 28.35 and in the legges with a sore botch that could not be healed from the sole of the foote unto the topp of the head vers 27 to smite them with the botch of Egypt whereof they could not be healed Thou who by the mouth of thine onely sonne didst fore-tell to the Iewes that nation should rise against nation Mat 24 7. Kingdome against Kingdome and that there should be famines and Pestilences in diverse places be pleased ô thou greate offended Lord in the bowells of thy compassion to let thine anger cease Ps 85.4 and to bow downe thine eare to thy sorrowfull hand-mayd O my God thou seest how I groane under the burden of thy wrathfull indignation bemoaning the generall sufferances for our more generall sinnes Our sinnes our sinnes doe farre exceede the transgressions of Israel yea they are greater then those of the Iewes against the true Messias for thine owne Apostle beareth them witnesse 1. Cor 2.8 that Had they knowne it they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory but wee alas both have knowne and doe know him and yet wee crucify to our selves the sonne of thee our God afresh Heb 6.6 and dayly put him to an open shame For these our offences thou hast begunne thy revenge yea and most justly too for thou art
cleere though man should judg thee Under this thy heavie wrath wee groane ô Lord wee cry wee howle for sicknesse increaseth death approacheth yea such a sicknesse and such a death as maketh us feare both our selves and our neighbours because wee have not feared thee the Lord of hosts Thou seest ô Lord our afflictions even that our houses are made our prisons and our sores our companions Our streetes are turned into pastures our townes into wildernesses and for our backwardnesse in our devotions our very doores instruct us to addresse our selves unto thee and to beseech thee Lord to have mercy upon us Our dayes are consumed in sorrowes and languishing and our nights in weeping and mourning Thou woundest us and wee cry thou smitest us and wee roare thou plaguest us and wee are troubled wee are dismayed Our Golgothaes are surfeited with the dead and our habitations infected with the living Wee flye from place to place from countrie to countrie yet wee flie not from thy presence wee avoyd not thy judgments What shall wee doe What shall wee doe Is there noe balme Ier 8.22 ô Lord in Gilead Is there noe physitian there Why then is not the health of the daughter of thy people recovered Thy sonne thy mercifull sonne thy sweete sonne Iesus was sent to bind up the broken hearted Is 61.1 vers 2. and to open the prisons to them that were bound and to comfort them that mourne and hee was not backward in the performance of this for which hee was sent Mat 4.23 c. 15.30 for hee healed all manner of sicknesse and all manner of diseases among the people At thy feete therfore ô Iesus thou best physitian wee cast our selves downe A multitude wee are that lye at thy feere Cure us ô Christ heale us ô Iesus as thou didest the multitude Lu 6.19 Mat 14 14. A whole multitude once did seeke to touch thee for there went vertue out of thee and thou healedst them all Thou wert moved with compassion and didst heale their sick Many didst thou cure of their infirmities and plagues Luc 7.21 Is 59.1 Behould thy hand is not shortened that it cannot save neither is thine eare heavy that thou canst not heare The number of petitioners cannot deterre thee Mat. 3.10 the multitude of suitors cannot molest thee for thou hast healed many therfore with the multitude in the gospel wee presse upon thee that wee may but touch thee for thou hast vertue in thee thou hast power to heale O Lord heare ô Lord forgive ô Lord heale us of our grievous wounds In the depth of thy furie when thou didst resolve to be revenged of a rebellious people it was yet thy promise that thou wouldest leave a few from the sword Eze 12 16. and from the famine and from the Pestilence that they might declare all their abominations among the people where they should come that they might know that thou art the Lord. Vs thou hast plagued us thou hast punished so sorely so grievously that but few of us are left yet ô Lord now at last looke in mercy upon us ô Lord let this remnant findthy compassion O cure us O heale us ô helpe us for thy mercie 's sake When thou wert angrie with Egypt Is 19.22 thou didst threaten to smite it but even at that very instant thou didst likewise promise to heale it and that they should returne unto thee their Lord and that thou wouldest be intreated of them Ier 33.6 Thou didst proclaine unto Iudah that thou wouldest bring it health and cure and wouldest cure them and reveale unto them aboundance of peace and trueth Thou didst promise unto Zion that thou wouldest restore health unto her c 30.17 and heale her of her wounds because shee was called an out-cast by the people saying This is Zion whom noe man seeketh after These were thy promises even in the midst of thy threatnings and wilt thou be worse unto us then thou wert unto Egypt or Iudah or Zion True it is that thou expectest our conversion Ioel. 2.12 thou commandest us to turne unto thee with all our hearts and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning To thee therfore ô God though formerly wee have not yet now doe wee turne Wee turne unto thee both our weeping eyes and our dejected countenances and our wringing hands and our bended knees and our mournefull voyces and our groaning hearts Mercifull God behould our teares and view our countenances and looke upon our hands and strengthen our knees and hearken to our voyees and comfort our hearts The Priests ô Lord vers 17 even thine owne Ministers doe weepe betweene the porch and the altar and they say Spare thy people ô Lord and give not thine heritage to reproach Ezra 10.1 Our Ezra's pray and confesse and weepe and cast themselves downe before thine house and the people assemble themselves unto them both our men and our women and our children for wee all weepe very sore Num 2.56 Wee weepe as the Israëlites did before the doore of the tabernacle of the congregation when twentie and fowre thousand of them dyed of the Pestilence Thus wee mourne thus wee weepe our eyes our hearts our very soules doe weepe ô let us tast of thy love let us feele thy compassion Make us to boast of thy praise as thy servant David did Ps 30.2 when hee cryed unto thee and thou didst heale him Thou hast beene wrath with us as thou wert with the Iewes for their coveteousnesse Is 57.17 and thou hast smitten us thou hast bid thy selfe and hast been angry yet wee have gone on frowardly in the wayes of our hearts But ô our God doe thou make us as penitent as those lewes and then say unto us as thou didst unto thy Iudah vers 18 I have seene thy wayes and I will heale thee I will leade thee allso and restore comforts unto thee and to thy mourners Alas wee mourne and yet wee are punished wee grieve and yet wee are plagued and all because our iniquities doe testifie against us Ier. 14.7 but for thy name's sake ô Lord be pleased to spare us vers 8. O the hope of Israel the Saviour thereof in the time of trouble why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land and as a way-faring man that turneth aside to tarrie but a night vers 9. Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied as a mighty man that cannot save Thou ô Lord art still in the midst of us and wee are called by thy name therfore wee pray thee 1. King 8.37 vers 38 leave us not O here is a Pestilence in our land and wee make our prayers and supplications vers 39 and streetch forth our hands to ward thine house Heare therfore in heaven thy dwelling place vers 40 and forgive that wee may feare thee and walke in thy wayes all the dayes of our lives Or if
the sinnes of us thy people cause thee to stoppe thine eares at our prayers 2. Chr 30.18 O heare thou our Hezekiah's praying for us who have not cleansed our selves Stay the plague from us thine Israel as thou didst from thy people Ps 106 30. Num. 16.46 when thy servant Phinehas executed judgment Cause our Aarons to take their Censers and to put fire in them from off the altar and to put on incense O let them come quickly to our congregations and make an attonement for us vers 48 Let them stand betweene the dead and the living and let the plague be stayed 2. Sam. 24.16 Thine Angel stretcheth forth his hand upon our Ierusalem to destroy it O doe thou as in the time of King David Repent thee of the evill and say unto the destroying Angell It is enough stay now thine hand Heare mee ô Lord for the distressed people and heare them for mee and heare thy Christ for us all that to him and thee and thy blessed Spirit wee may render as is most due all praise and glory and thanks-giving and obedience from this time forth for ever-more Amen THE FOURTEENTH SUBjECT Teares of her whose house is shut up for the Pestilence The Soliloquie THE EjACULATION Psal 5. vers 1. Give eare to my words ô Lord consider my meditation vers 2. Hearken unto the voice of my cry my king and my God for unto thee will I pray WHat Shut up Why so Must mine house be a prison and my selfe both the jayler and the prisoner too This is a punishment added unto God's to be thus shut up from the societie of men Is this a visitation thus to forbid our visitants Was I wont to be such a gadder abroade that I must now be kept at home under lock and key Lord how suddenly am I transported with passion even beyond the bounds of reason and religion O here is the messenger of death come into mine house and now I must be thankfull to authoritie for commanding mee to retire my selfe to my private and pensive accounts who knoweth yet but that both my selfe and my familie may live for all our inclosing It may so please my God that by my being secluded from the multitude I may shunne the infection of the multitude and so what I conceaved an iniurie may end in a blessing I may perhaps say and say truely when I am awaked fully out of my passion Gen 28.16 as Iacob did when hee awoke out of his sleepe Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not My God is come indeede Lu 7.6 allthough I am not worthy that hee should enter under my roofe O hee is come but hee is come in wrath and sheweth mee the tokens of his anger but I will submit to his pleasure and say unto him in the language of the blessed Virgin Lu 1.38 Behould the hand-mayd of the Lord be it unto mee according to thy will Who knoweth but that insteed of killing hee may come to raise mee a Lazarus Io 11.43.44 if occasion serveth as once hee did for Martha and Marie Peradventure hee may come in judgment to others and yet to mee in mercy Howsoever I will hope that I am one of those who are spoken unto from the Lord by the mouth of his Prophet Come my people Is 26.20 enter thou into thy chambers shut thy doores about thee hide thyselfe as it were for a litle moment untill the indignation be over past Since then my Lord is come to be my guest my house shall be emptie swept and garnished that noe thing may offend him nothing may displease him and thus will I emptie it thus will I sweepe it thus will I garnish it Fare-well vaine world thou that hast deluded mee with thy follies and cozened mee with thy false and braided wares Come not neere mee my doores are shut and none such as thou shall enter here Fare-well false friends who onely gaze upon the rising Sunne Yee who were my companions in folly and enticers to fond and idle sports fare-well fare-well noe more shall yee enter with your bewitching charmes Sports passe-times games merrie meetings gossipings fare yee all well come noe more to my doores for if yee doe come yee shall knock and knock and knock againe all in vaine for even to this purpose allso are they now made fast And now mine Eyes the lustre of my countenance yee windowes of folly take yee your leave of your vaine objects for I have a taske to set you that yee never yet were acquainted with First I will preferre you to attend upon my heart and whatever sighes sobbes my poore heart shall send forth it shall be your duety to entertaine them by the way and enforce them to accept of the companie of your teares Yee shall weepe 'till yee are wearie and then shall yee reade when indeede yee are wearie of poring upon divine pages for your re-creation yee shall weepe againe that by that meanes yee may be fitted to reade againe Next If at any time I give you leave to consult with the sister of mortalitie as some times I fhall be necessitated to afford you a time of intermission by the persuasions of nature be sure that yee stay not too long from your imployments for my hast is greate my businesse is of consequence wee have onely a litle work to doe for the King of eternitie and then wee shall be at ease And yee mine Eares that have so often hearkened to the Syren songs of the vaine world now bid yee adieu to your musicall harmonies and ravishing concords for I must lock yee up for a season and hereafter yee shall heare a melodie beyond the tuning of the spheares for the Quire of heaven shall ravish you with their Halelujah's These Hands that so proudly hid themselves under the skinne of the kidde and blushed when they were beheld by any lesse then an idolater shall now entwine each other in a mutuall concord and then revenging the quarrell of their sinnes upon my trecherous heart they shall smite it and thumpe it and beate it untill they have mollified it untill they have beaten that stone into flesh and that flesh into water and forced that water into teares for the sinnes of my whole selfe Next my Tongue mine un-toward un-ruely wanton tongue my false pick-thanke tell-tale tongue that couldest never find the way to tell the trueth or not willingly or not with delight thou for thy idle thy prophane thy wicked speeches shalt send out nothing but cryes and yells and hideous dinus and horrid screeches for thine offences and if at any time I fhall by thine obsequious service be contented to trust thee with an articulate prayer be sure that thou first take direction from my heart Chanter in french signifieth to sing Ps 141 3. and then chant it out so lowde but forget not discretion that it may be heard up as high as
the throne of my God Be sure thou doest it for I will have a watch over my mouth and at the doores of my lipps that I may be certaine thou offend nor As for the rest of my selfe since I cannot stay now to give every part a charge in particular I shall command them onely to attend the pleasure of my royall guest Onely my thoughts I must commit to the tuition of my heart allthough it formerly hath beene false unto mee and desirous I am that they may be pressed pressed downe with greate and heavie burdens But I charge thee ô my Heart if ever thou hopest to be mine owne deere Heart that thou suffer not an imagination not a thought to come neere thee but what shall be commended unto thee by religion and what thou shalt dispatch to thy Maker And now I am prepared for thee Wellcome ô my God If my roomes are not cleane enough for thee I must intreate from thee both direction and assistance to cleanse then If any dust of wickednesse hath flowne about in the sweeping of them I will now give my mind to wash my chambers with the teares of mine eyes and that I know thou delightest in O thrice well-come blessed God Wellcome ô well-come my deerest Redeemer O how truely did the Kingly preacher affirme that Eccl 7.2 It is better to goe to the house of mourning then to goe to the house of feasting for that is the end of all and the living will lay it to heart My house is shut up indeede it is shut up for the infection for feare of the infection for feare lest others should infect my familie or for feare lest my familie should be insectious to others But what of all that I am not the first that ever was shut up I am not the onely one that ever was shut up Lev 13 4. vers 5. The Leper in the law was to be shut up seaven dayes and at the seaven dayes end when the Priest looked on him if the plague in his sight were at a stay and spreaded not in the skinne hee was to shut him up yet seaven dayes more This shutting up was rather for his cure then intended for his hurt Gen 7.16 Noah was sayd to be shut up in the Arke but it was for his preservation and so may I be likewise Ieremiah was shut up too Ier. 32.2 yea in a prison allthough his jayle was the house of the King and yet even at that time hee was visited by the best by one better then the King even by God himselfe for hee often spake to him in the time that hee was shut up c 33.1 Thus am I shut up even in a prison made of my dwelling I hope that my God will speake comfortably unto mee I will hope that hee hath shut mee up as a jewell in a cabinet in his care in his tender compassion If so I am sure that noe evill shall come in unto mee for hee is holy hee is true hee is powerfull who hath mee in keeping Reu 3.7 Hee hath the key of David hee openeth and noe man shutteth and hee shutteth and noe man openeth True it is that sometimes hee shutteth out as when hee shutteth out from his eares the prayers of his people Thus the faithfull complaine by the mouth of the Prophet Lam 3 8. When I cry and showte hee shutteth out my prayers Sometimes hee shutteth up and that in judgment too as Hee shutteth up the eyes of idolaters Is 44.18 that they cannot see and their hearts that they cannot understand And sometimes man shutteth too even when hee is forsaken of God for so saith the wise King A violent man shutteth his eyes to devise froward things Prov 16.30 And againe God is sayd sometimes in judgment to shut up even heaven it selfe as in a time of drought Therfore Moses adviseth the Israëlites saying Deut 11.16 Take heede to your selves that your heart be not deceaved and yee turne aside and serve other Gods and worship them vers 17 And then the Lord's wrath be kindled against you and hee shut up the heaven that there be noe raine and that the land yeeld not her fruit and lest yee perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you But sure I am that allthough hee should shut mee up in judgment yet hee whose compassions faile not Lam 3.22 Hab 3.2 vers 5. in the midst of judgment will remember mercy I know that in former times hee hath beene angry and then before him went a Pestilence and burning coales went forth at his feete I know that once when the people of Israel had offended then the sword was without Eze 7.15 and the Pestilence and the famine within hee that was in the field was threatned that hee should die with the sword and hee that was in the citty famine and Pestilence should devoure him I know that Elijah Prophesied against Iehoram in writing saying 2. Chr 21.12 Thus saith the Lord Because thou hast not walked in the wayes of Iehoshaphat thy father nor in the wayes of Asa King of Iudah vers 14 Behould with a greate plague will the Lord smite thy people and thy children and thy wives and all thy goods vers 15 And thou shalt have greate sicknesse by disease of thy bowells untill thy bowells fall out by reason of the sicknesse day by day Iob 11.10 And I know allso that if hee cut off and shut up or gather together none can hinder him But what then What though hee hath shut mee up Shall I therfore rage and rave like one distracted c. 30.29 vers 30 What though I am a sister to Dragons and a companion to Owles VVhat though my skinne should be black upon mee and my bones be burnt up with heate c. 3.3 Should I therfore cry Let the day perish wherein I was borne and the night in which it was sayd There is a child conceaved O noe I will rather resolve with afflicted Iob Though hee slay mee yet will I trust in him c. 13.15 Why should I offer to be dismayed That God which dwelleth in the heavens hath taken up my house and is come to sojourne with mee upon earth I will speake in the phrase of a King But will God indeede dwell on the earth 1. King 8.27 Behold the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot conteine thee how much lesse this house of mine which thou now doest visit O what a happinesse it is to have God for our visitant Though hee cometh in wrath yet is hee well-come O let mee have my God any way rather then not have him at all If hee should not sometimes be angry with mee I should suspect that hee loved mee not but if for ever hee should be angry with mee I should feele that hee loved mee not Hee is never angry with mee but when I am not angry with my selfe I will
let the sicknesse of our bodies put us in mind of the diseases of our soules Good God either preserve us from sicknesse or protect us in sicknesse Be thou our God and make us thy servants and then come either with health or with sicknesse thy will be done Ps 91.7 Thou canst cause a thousand to fall at our side and ten thousand at our right hand and yet preserve us Thou canst if thou pleasest vers 10 so protect us that noe evill may befall us nor any plague come nigh our dwelling O graunt therfore that wee may make thee our refuge vers 9. Ps 38.6 yea thee who art the most high our habitation Wee are troubled o Lord wee are bowed downe greately wee goe mourning all the day long Ps 102 9. vers 10 Wee eate ashes as it were bread and mingle our drinke with weeping because of thine indignation and thy wrath for thou hast lifted us up and cast us downe But o thou who art my onely rock Ps 42.9 why hast thou forgotten us O why goe wee thus mourning by reason of this affliction Ps 43.2 Thou art the God of our strength Why doest thou cast us off O give mee leave with Queene Esther to speake yet againe before thee the King of Kings Est 8.3 and to fall downe at thy feete as shee did at the feete of King Ahasuerus and to besiech thee with teares to with-draw thy visitation Iob. 14 22. O Lord our verie soules within us doe mourne for thou doest cause our Sunne to goe downe at noone and doest darken our earth in the cleere day Amos. 8.9 vers 10 Thou hast turned our fasts into mourning and all our songs into lamentation thou hast brought sack-cloth upon our loynes Lam. 5.15 vers 16 and made our mourning as the mourning of an onely sonne The joy of our hearts is ceased and the crowne is fallen from our head Woe unto us that wee have sinned But ô thou who wert annointed to preach good tidings unto the meeke Is 61.1 who wert sent to bind up the broken-hearted vers 2. to proclame liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound to proclaime the acceptable yeere of the Lord yea and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all that mourne vers 3. to appoint unto them that mourne in Zion to give unto them beawtie for ashes the oyle of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heavinesse Thou who settest up on high those that be low Iob. 5.11 Ps 102 17. that those which mourne may be exalted to safety Reguard thou I most humbly and earnestly besiech thee the prayers of us the poore destitute despise not our desires Thou hast seene our wayes Is 57.18 O doe thou heale us leade us allso and restore comforts unto us that wee may be called Trees of righteousnesse the planting of thee our Lord that thou mayst be glorified Wound us not Ier. 30.14 O father with the wound of an enemie with the chastisement of a cruel one for the multitude of our iniquities vers 15 Let not our sorrow be incurable because our sinnes be increased Though for a small moment thou hast seemed to forsake us Is 54.7 yet with thy greate mercies gather us againe vers 8. In aditle wrath thou doest hide thy face from us for a moment but with ever-lasting kindnesse have mercy upon us ô Lord our Redeemer O thou who art our Redeemer vers 5. Ps 34.15 Is 37.17 the Holy one of Israel the God of the whole earth Let thine eares be open unto our cryes open thine eyes and see our afflictions how wee are shut up from the comforts of the godly and from the societie of our indeared friends Ps 13.3 Consider and heare mee ô Lord my God lighten our eyes lest wee sleepe the sleepe of death Ps 123.2 Behould as the eyes of servants looke unto the hand of their masters and as the eyes of a mayden unto the hand of her mistresse so our eyes wayt upon thee ô Lord our God untill thou have mercy upon us O doe thou graunt unto us remisston of our sinnes patience in our miseries comfort in our distresse physick for our health and recoverie and in thy blessed time bring our soules out of prison Ps 142.7 that wee may give thanks unto thy name which thing if thou wilt graunt unto us then shall the righteous resort againe unto our companie Ps 79.13 So shall wee that be thy people and sheepe of thy pasture give thee thanks for ever and shew forth thy praise from generation to generation world with-out end Amen subject 15 THE FIFTEENTH SUBJECT Teares of her who is visited with the Pestilence being 1 Either wounded with a Sore 2 Or marked with the Tokens soliloquy 1 1. Teares of the visited being wounded with a Sore 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 OH 't is come 't is come Ps 55.4 My heart is sore pained within mee and the terrours of death are fallen upon mee See See What swelling's this What rising's this Oh it is the messenger of death and biddeth mee to enquire into my sinfull life I am struck oh I am struck to the heart This is the impression of anger and the blott of him who in his wrath may justly blott mee out of his wonted compassion Yet let mee not despaire let mee not be too much dismayd While there is life there is hope The woman in the law who had gone aside to another man in-steed of her husband whereof her husband was jealous Num. 5.20 and brought her to her purgation was to be charged by the Priest with an oath of cursing vers 21 vers 22 upon whose drinking of water her belly did swell and her thigh did rott Surely I have drunke none of that water or if I have it cannot hurt mee for by that very law vers 28 the innocent escaped free from the punishment I have never disbonoured my nuptiall bed nor defiled my selfe with any other man that this swelling should light upon mee Yet now I better consider of it let mee not deceave my selfe There is as well a spirituall as a carnall adulterie Even a virgin may be styled an adulteresse Have I never turned from my God Hath my soule never forsaken her deerest husband my blessed Redeemer to commit a spirituall whoredome O guiltie guiltie woe is mee I cannot choose but pleade guiltie to this my indictment My conscience telleth mee that I have followed the temptations of the enemies of Christ I cannot tell how often and justly therfore I must confesse may this swelling be my punishment for greater then this hath beene my due
to whom shall I goe To what physitian or Chyrurgion shall I repaire Lev. 13.2 I reade that if any man of the house of Israël had in the skinne of his flesh a rising or a swelling or a bright spott and if it were in the skinne of the flesh like the plague of Leprosie then hee was to be brought to Aaron the Priest or unto one of his sonnes the Priests vers 3. and the Priest was to looke on the plague in the skinne of the flesh and then to proceede according to order Thus under the Law the Priests were the Physitians both for the body and the soule where upon the Prophet Ieremiah complained and accounted it as a greate judgment upon the people for their sinnes that From the Prophet even to the Priest every one dealt falsely Ier. 6.13 vers 14 they healed allso the hurt of the people sleightly Hence allso another Prophet reproved them Eze. 34.4 because The diseased they had not strengthened neither had they healed that which was sick neither had they bound up that which was broken Under the Gospel allso the Apostles were likewise Physitians for both Mat. 10.1 for when Christ had called unto him his twelve Disciples hee not onely gave them power against un-cleane Spirits to cast them out but allso to heale all manner of sicknesses and all manner of diseases Doubtlesse by this I am likewise taught into whatsoëver sicknesse I fall Psa 110.4 Mal. 4.2 Make use of the prayer which followeth the next Meditation whatsoëver disease I am visited with first of all to goe to the Priest to the Minister of God first to examine my soule before I looke for the cure of my body To the Priest will I therfore goe to the chiefe Priest to the high Priest to the chiefest and highest that ever was even to him who is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek and humbly will I besiech him to teach mee to feare his name and then I know that hee who is the Sunne of righteousnesse will arise with healing in his wings and will make mee goe forth and grow up as calves of the stall 2. Teares of the visited being marked with the Tokens The Soliloquie 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 THere is a time to kill saith Solomon and a time to heale Eccl. 3.3 O that time to kill is now come upon mee but I know not how so much as to hope for the time of healing for here I find the tokens of death the markes of my mortalitie This flesh this sinfull flesh of mine which hath beene so washed so unguented so smoothed and coloured according to the choycest witt of art and industrie hath now the staines in it of a contagious sicknesse Where are now those admirers of comelinesse those idolatrous doaters upon the beawtie of women Let them come and learne the vanitie of their opinions chide their simplicitie by these tokens of vengeance O what a fraile thing is woman easily deluded into a beliefe of her beawty and as easily stricken with her owne deformitie But what doe these spotts meane to die my flesh and strike such a deepe tinture in a smoothed sknne Are diseases blind that thus they fasten every where without either choyce or exception Vaine woman as I am why doe I spend these minuits these few and winged minuits alotted unto mee in such impertinent quaeres These blewish staines tell mee that I must provide to answer for my sinnes yea shortly speedily before him who dispatched them hither unto mee Death approacheth mortalitie knocketh at my burdened heart Lord how heavie is my soule Even as if it were allready at the greate tribunall and pleaded guiltie of millions of enormities They have corrupted themselves saith Moses by the Israëlites Deut 32.5 their spot is not the spot of God's children they are a perverse and crooked generation Is there a spot then which even the children of God may be subject unto Why then may not these be some of those spotts and my selfe be one of those children of God Lord how willingly how greedily doeth every one strive to dye the death of the righteous How easilie are wee apt through ignorance to dwell in the letter of the text when wee should rather prie into a farther intent of the blessed Spirit That spot of the children of God is not seated in the body but in the soule and that spot in the soules of the Israelites was chiefely Idolatrie True it is that even the righteous have their stainei too vers 15 16.17 but not such bloaches not such greate and fowle spots or howsoever not of such a deepe tincture not dyed so in graine as are those of the wicked for they are washed out with the teares of sorrow through the blood of the Lamb. O that my spotts were onely in my skinne and not in my soule and that I could truely justifie my selfe in the language of Iob. Iob. 31.6 vers 7. Let mee be weighed in an even ballance that God may know mine integritie If any blott hath cleaved to my hands But alas I cannot I dare not Yet if I could but come to a sight of my sinnes and be truely humbled for them then am I sure that hee who taught Iacob how to increase his flock of the speckled and the spotted Gen. 30.39 Is 1.18 would easily make mee white as wooll But how or upon what grounds can I expect his mercy feeing all that I can suffer is not punishment enough for all that I have trespassed Heb. 9.22 Without shedding of blood is noe remission sayth the blessed Apostle What comfort then can I expect or what mercy can I hope for seeing that my blood my life is not of vallew enough to suffer what my sinnes have merited much lesse to purchase remission of my sinnes What now shall I doe What hope can I have that my body should be freed from these spots of my disease when I know not how to be freed from the pollutions of my soule By the Mosaicall law If any one of the common people sinned against any of the commandements of God concerning things which ought not to be done Lev 4.27 vers 32 A Lamb without blemish was to be his offering and so the atonement was made for the sinne vers 35 and it was forgiven Here yet was some ease for a distressed soule the sinne was forgiven through the blood of the Lamb. But what hope have I of remission That Law doeth noe longer stand in force nor will the blood of a common Lamb be accepted for the least the smallest offence Yet Cheere up O my drooping soule Let my fainting spirits and my sorrowfull heart take comfort in the middest of my deepe distresse for there is
Ierusalem and to set a marke upon the fore-heads of the men that sighed and that cryed for all the abominations that were done in the midst thereof A marke I have too yea more then one and one and one though not in my fore head and they are set on as if they proceeded from the inke of the writer but woe is mee I have either not cryed at all or not enough either for mine owne sinnes or for the abominations of Ierusalem how then can I hope to escape the destruction And yet hee that spared them if hee please can spare mee likewise for his hand is not shortned Is 59.1 that it cannot save neither is his eare heavie that hee cannot heare 2. King 20.1 When Hezekiah was commanded to set his house in order and it was tould him that hee should die and not live vers 2. hee turned his face to the wall and prayed unto the Lord and wept sore vers 3. vers 5. and presently Isaiah was sent unto him to tell him Thus saith the Lord the God of David thy father I have heard thy prayer I have seeno thy teares behould I will heale thee and I will adde unto thy dayes fifteene yeeres vers 6. Hee may be pleased to say unto mee too as hee did unto Hezekiah for I allso weepe yea I weepe very sore and I allso pray yea I pray heartily Ps 22.19 and say Be not thou farre from mee ô Lord ô my strength hast thee to helpe mee But Hezekiah was more righteous then I am 2. King 20.3 for hee walked before the Lord in trueth and with a perfect heart and did that which was good in his sight Rom. 7 18. Num 12.13 whereas in mee dwelleth noe good thing But Miriam was a woman as I am yea and sinfull and yet when shee was Leprous Moses cryed unto the Lord for her and sayd Heale her now ô God I besiech thee and shee was shut out from the campe but seaven dayes vers 15 and was healed O but shee had a Moses to pray for her whereas I alas have none I have noe such Moses to pray for mee But what shall I therfore remaine quite destitute of all hopes Shall I despaire of the goodnesse and the tender mercies of the most high Noe I may not I must not for that would but increase my sinne adde to my torments The woman in the Gospel who for twelve yeeres space had an issue of blood Mar 5.25 and had suffered many things of many physitians and had spent all that shee had and was nothing bettered vers 26 vers 27 but rather grew worse shee onely came behind my Iesus vers 29 and touched his garment and straight way the fountaine of her blood was dryed up and shee felt in her body that shee was healed of that plague vers 33 VVith that fearing and trembling woman therfore will I in like manner fall downe before him and tell him all the trueth I will confesse unto him all my sinnes or at least so many as possibly I can call to my remembrance Who knoweth but that hee may say unto mee as hee did unto her vers 34 Daughter thy faith hath made thee whole goe in peace and be whole of thy plague I am resolved to take noe repulse The whole multitude even the multitude of my sinnes shall not hinder mee though they rebuke mee that I should hould my peace but with the blind man in the Gospel I will cry so much the more Lu 18.39 Iesus thou sonne of David have mercy on mee Or if that prayer be too short while hee shall prolong my time I will compose and settle my selfe to a larger forme earnestly fervently zealously I will pray unto him and say The Prayer O Eternall and most mercifull Lord God whose eyes are ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne and yet thou vouchsafest to looke with thine eye of providence even upon the meanest of the children of men Lu 1.48 Ps 38.9 reguard I besiech thee the low estate of thine afflicted hand-mayd Thou knowest all my desires and my groaning is not hid from thee To thee the pollutions of my poore soule are more naked and open then these spotts in my flesh are obvious to my sight The fowlenesse of my corruptions have conspired with the infectious ayre to cause these staines in my skinn and by them I am commanded to prepare for my dissolution Lord if thou hast decreed by these meanes to free mee from this world of paine and miserie be pleased to translate mee from hence to the joy of thee my Lord and Master Mat. 25 23. Give mee ô my father a sight of mine imperfections make mee loath them and tremble at them more then I doe at these messengers of death Weane mee from the love of sinne by the consideration both of thy displeasure mine owne mortalitie These spotts appeare like so many eyes which seeme to stare mee in the face and would affright mee with horrour and all because I had not allways a consideration that thine eyes in every place doe behould the evill Prov. 15.3 and the good Blessed God give mee a sight of my corruptions and a detestation of them Ps 51.9 and then turne thou thy face away from my sinnes and blot out all mine iniquities Speake peace and health unto my wounded soule which every minuit expecteth thy coming Lord thou art a God who canst not abide to behould unrighteousnesse looke not therfore with thy wrathfull eye upon mee who am all sinne and pollution but upon thy Sonne and his sufferings Or if thou canst not choose but looke upon mee first cloath mee with the righteousnesse of that immaculate Lamb so shalt thou see mee with love and delight I shall behould thee with unspeakeable joy Prepare mee o my God that I may be a fit guest to be called and invited to the supper of the Lamb. Reu 19.9 Seale unto my soule the remission of mine offences and then make mee willingly to resigne up my body to thine owne disposing Yet thou mayest speake the word if so thou pleasest and thy servant may be healed Mat. 8.8 Luc. 17 15. There was a Leper in the Gospel who fell downe at thy feete ô Iesus giving thee thunks vers 16 and with a lowde voyce glorifying thy name because thou hadst healed him It is as easie for thee to restore mee in like manner Hos 5 13. as thou didst that Leper When Ephraim saw his sicknesse and went to the Assyrian Iudah saw his wound and sent to King Iareb there was found noe healing nor curing of the wounds but those that come unto thee shall find that thou art both able willing to heale all those that are broken in heart Ps 147 3. and to give medicine to heale their sicknesse for unto Israël thou diddest proclayme thy selfe The Lord that
healeth Ex 15.26 Psl 6.2 Have mercy therfore upon mee ô Lord for I am weake ô Lord heale mee for my bones are vexed Ps 41.3 Ier 17.14 Strengthen mee now upon my bed of languishing make thou all my bed in my sicknesse Heale mee o Lord and I shall be healed save mee and I shall be saved for thou art my praise c 30.12 O let not my bruise be incurable though my wound be grievous Let mee have one to pleade my cause vers 13 even that Holy One thine onely begotten Sonne that hee may bind mee up and give mee healing medicines Thou art hee who didst promise Iacob to correct him in measure vers 11 though not to leave him altogether unpunished Thou rebukest mee for my sinne Ps 39.11 and makest my beauty to consume away like as it were a moath fretting a garment These Markes in my flesh doe cause a trembling even in my spirit Rev 13.17 Ps 86.16 Lord graunt that upon my soule be not found the marke of the beast but the marke of thy sonne that hee may owne mee for his O turne thou unto mee and have mercy upon mee give thy strength unto thy servant and save thy distressed hand-mayd Shew now some good token for good vers 17 that it may appeare unto the world that thou Lord doest helpe mee and comfort mee But if in thy secret purpose thou hast decreed at this time to gather mee unto my fathers make mee with joy comfort to render mine account unto thee the Lord of heaven earth Looke not upon the sinnes and offences of my misse-led life but rather looke upon my Redeemer's death Is 53.5 who was wounded for my transgressions bruised for mine iniquites the chastisement of my peace was layed upon him by his stripes therfore let mee be healed In the midst of the streete of thy throne ô God Reu 22.2 of either side of the river of life there is a tree of life bearing twelve manner of fruits and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations O my God let mee but come to tast of those fruits let mee but be shaded under the leaves of that tree of life Ps 41.4 Ps 103 1. Be mercifull unto mee heale my soule for I have sinned against thee Then shall my soule blesse thee O my Lord and all that is within mee shall praise thy holy name who forgivest all mine iniquities vers 3. and canst heale my diseases Into thine hands I commend my spirit Ps 31.5 for thou hast redeemed mee ô Lord thou God of trueth The Spirit and the bride say Come Reu 22.17 therfore let mee who now heare it say Come Let mee heare thy voyce ô God Gen 3.8 in the coole of the day not in the heate of thy displeasure And thou ô my Iesus who for such sinners wert made a sacrifice on the altar of the crosse how downe thine eare as thou didst upon the tree and heare and fullfill the desires of thy wounded supplicant Come ô Iesus and embrace mee in thine armes hide mee in thy wounded side from the wrath of thy father In thee alone doe I trust to thee alone doe I flee succour mee helpe mee save mee O Christ The world I leave to thee I come At the doore of thy mercy doe I knock I call I cry Lord protect mee Iesus comfort mee Strengthen my faith and confirme my hope As my earthly body draweth neerer to the earth so doe thou draw my soule up neerer unto thee who art the father of spirits Heb 12 9. O God make speede to save mee O Lord make hast to helpe mee Finish soone these dayes of sinne and then let mee enter into thy celestiall paradice and that for his sake in whom alone thou art well pleased even Iesus Christ my onely Mediatour and Redeemer Amen subject 16 THE SIXTEENTH SUBjECT Teares of a Mother for the sicknesse of her child 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 IT shall come to passe saith Moses to the house of Israel if thou wilt not hearken to the voyce of the Lord thy God Deut 28.15 to observe to doe all his commandements and his statutes which I command thee this day that all these curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee vers 16 Cursed shalt thou be in the citty and cursed shalt thou be in the field Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store vers 17 yea Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body c. vers 18 What all these curses from heaven for the sins of poore distressed mortalls O what a multitude of evills doe our sinnes deserve What punishment doeth not iniquitie cry for It cryeth for the curse of the citty the decay of trading the curse of the field whole rivers of blood in furious battailes the curse of the basket and the store the dearth of provisions Yet all these are but outward punishments and reflect onely upon the baser the worse part of our selves the body but Cursed shall be the fruit of the body oh this biteth like a Serpent stingeth like a Cockatrice Prov 23.32 The fruit of my body Is afflicted with sicknesse but is the sinne of the parent the cause of his affliction Yes yes my conscience acknowledgeth the guilt let my tongue be as ready to confesse it and my heart to repent of it But how standeth this with the justice of the Creatour Gen 18.25 Shall not the judg of all the earth doe right The Prophet Ezekiel telleth mee from God that The sonne shall not beare the iniquity of the father Eze 18 20. Mich 7 6. Ier 9.20 neither shall the father beare the iniquity of the sonne but the soule that sinneth it shall dye Else the daughter might rise up against her mother as saith the Prophet and the women by reason of the vengeance due for their sinnes might teach their daughters wayling c 31.29 Rom 3 4. if the sowre grapes which the parents have eaten should set their childrens teeth on edge But let God be true and every man a lyar that hee may be justified in his sayings and may over-come when hee is judged Hee it is who hath threatned to visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him The sinne is mine Ex 20.5 but the punishment is mine infant's againe the sinne is mine infant's and the punishment is mine And yet farther The sinne is of and from both and the punishment is inflicted upon both His sufferance is my sorrow and his paines my distresse Lord what a due reward of sinne is punishment My child as yet it may be knoweth not sinne and yet is hee punished
vers 1. Give eare to my words ô 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 all wept Luc 8.52 and bewayled the litle daughter of Iairus my Iesus forbad their teares saying Shee is not dead but sleepeth O sweete comfort to the lamenting mother whose onely daughter should returne from the dead Shee that had shed the teares of sorrow for the losse of her joy was then to shed teares of joy for the recoverie of the deceased But I weepe and weepe Lam 1.2 and continually weepe the teares are on my cheekes for my child is dead I have noe hope of receaving him againe to life I alas am not the wife of a ruler of the temple I have noe Iesus here in the flesh to worke such a miracle for mee My poore child is dead and hopelesse and helplesse as I am there is noe recovering there is noe recalling him Yet stay howsoever I will call I will cry mee think's hee should not be dead who knoweth but my sweete babe may heare mee Who knoweth but my Redeemer may awake him againe The daughter of Iairus was dead to her parents but shee was not dead to the Messias Hee who will one day awake the dead and rowze them from the graves can now if hee pleaseth speake as powerfully to my babe My Saviour can for hee himselfe is neither dead nor sleepeth True it is that once hee dyed yea hee dyed for mee and so for mine infant too but hee rose againe and from thence-forth can die noe more Rom 6 9. death hath noe more dominion over him This living Saviour of mine may if hee please restore my dead child I will call him peradventure hee may awake Sonne ô my sonne my child my love my joy my dearest infant where art thou Where strayest thou Whither wanderest thou Returne returne litle Saint and cheere up the drooping spirits of thy fainting mother What noe answer Noe speech Not so much as a groane or a sigh Will this frozen clod of earth be noe more âhe carkenet of his immortall soule Oh hee s fled hee 's gone hee 's past re-call alas what shall I doe Is this the blessing of the womb âo enjoy a child for a yeere or two and then âo have it hasten to the womb of the earth Is this the joy the delight that women have in the fruit of their bodies Gen 3.16 onely to conceave in sorrow to travell in anguish and when they are delivered after a yeare or two to be bereft of them in a moment Could not thousands of kisses and dandlings and dauncings nay could not sckreeches and groanes and cryes call back my child Alas noe I see they could not all was in âaine Hee who called Lazarus from the grave hath called my litle one to the grave His soule is with him and nothing now but his body is left with mee From him I would not pluck him mee think's if I might for hee 's at peace with him From mee mee thinks I would not have had him call him for hee knoweth how I loved him and yet his will not mine must be fullfilled O that I could so rest satisfied with the rest of my sweete infant But why doe I onely wish so I must likewise practise it Act. 5.29 lest happily as Gamaliel sayd unto the Iewes I be found even to fight against God I will therfore resolve with David and say 2 Sam. 12.23 Now hee is dead wherfore should I fast Can I bring him back againe I shall goe to him but hee shall not returne to mee I shall goe when hee who keepeth my child in his armes shall be pleased so to embrace mee likewise and to seate mee in his Kingdome by my dearest child Why then should I enuy my litle one the joyes of eternitie If I weepe too much I may discover a discontent at his highest preferement If I truely loved him I shall never enuy him allthough I shall desire that to those heavenly mansions I may certainly follow him Young hee was while mine hee was very young tender weake and yet as young as hee was hee now is suddenly growne older then my selfe hee is my better hee is my senior and hath gotten before mee into glory Yea and his passage thither was fayre and gentle too if I consider his sinnes which hee suffered for onely in his sicknesse His rich soule espied a crevise a chinke a flaw in his muddie earth made by his disease and so escaped flew away even with the wings of that dove that blessed Spirit Ps 55.6 which David panted for and wished for and cryed for saying O that I had the wings of a dove Gen. 7.1 King 13.24 2. King 2.24 Num 21 6. Gen 19 24. for then would I flee away and be at rest Had my child beene drowned as was the ould world or torne in pieces by Lyons as was the disobedient Prophet or by Beares as were the fortie and two children that mocked Elisha or stung with Serpents as were the murmuring Israëlites or burnt with fire and brimstone as were Sodome and Gomorrha or swallowed up quick by the yawning num 16.33 act 12 23. gaping devouring earth as were Corah Dathan and Abiram or had hee beene smitten by the Angel of God and eaten up of wormes of vermine as was Herod Agrippa then my griefe indeede might have beene increased my sorrowes might have beene multiplyed yet at length if it had beene so I ought to have beene contented at length if I belong unto him to whom my child is gone I must have taken up the resolution of patient of holy of devout Iob and have sayd The Lord gave Iob. 1.21 and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. But my God hath beene more mercifull both to mee and mine for hee made much of my child and finding him a litle froward a litle wayward a litle unquiet hee gently layed him downe to sleepe Hee sent a gentle disease to rock him to sing him to sleepe And seing that hee thus gently thus securely sleepe's in God even in that God who never sleepeth surely whilest I awake I will sing and give praise My glory shall awake Ps 57.8 my Lute and Harpe shall awake all my joyes all my pleasures all my contents shall awake and praise him and magnifie him for ever And yet for all this my resolution for all my serious purpose thus to doe I find that in my musick I stop upon a fret That sudden sigh stole from my heart unawares It may be that it was ashamed to stay there and so slanke away What another Nay this is too much King Solomon telleth mee that there is a time to weepe Ecc 3.4 but hee doeth not tell mee that that time must continue so long as I continue here upon earth What though I am a traveller I
bee none to deliver us O thou who didst suffer thy selfe to be wounded for our transgressions be pleased to cure the wounds and maladies both of the soule and body of thy distressed servant Thou knowest Lord that the feeble soule cannot praise thee with cheerefullnesse nor serve thee with alacritie The sicknesse of the body disturbeth the soule and maketh it un-apt to serve thee with readinesse O say of his disease that It is enough and remove from him speedily this heavy visitation Thine hand ô Lord is layed upon him and the stroake is so heavy that it woundeth us both Mercifull God let the sinnes of both of us be blotted out of thy remembrance like a clowde Is 44.22 and be appeased with us through the merits of thy Sonne Mar 2.17 The whole have noe neede of thee the physitian but wee that are sick O be thou the Physitian to cure our soules and then in thy good time restore thy diseased servant to his former health But if thou hast sent him this sicknesse as a messenger of death ô give him patience to beare and willingnesse to suffer whatsoever thou sendest Ranke him not in the number of those rich and wicked Eccl. 5.17 who have much sorrow and wrath in their sicknesse but ease his sorrow and appease thy wrath Make him willing to submit to thy will and pleasure that so whether hee liveth Rom. 14.8 hee may live unto thee or whether hee dyeth hee may dye unto thee yea whether hee liveth or dyeth that hee may be thine Luc. 18 13. Lord be likewise mercifull to mee a sinner Thou knowest how deepely this affliction woundeth mee To him thou gavest mee whom now thou visitest that so hee might be both my head and my directour and thou knowest my weakenesse and my frailties that I cannot understand I cannot walke in thy wayes without a counseller I cannot apprehend what I reade Act. 8.31 except some man should guide mee O be thou pleased therfore to spare his life whom I am commanded to learne of at home 1. Cor. 14.35 for if thou callest him to the joy of thine heavenly Kingdome let it be thy goodnesse to moderate my sorrow upon earth If thou takest him from my societie let mee not be left alone but send mee the comforter even thy holy Spirit to be my Protectour and my guide unto death Ps 48.14 Release him of his torments whom thou visitest with this sicknesse and ease thou my sorrowes which arise from his paines Give the comforts of thy Spirit both to him and mee that when this painfull life shall have an end wee may be found of thee in peace 2. Pet. 3.14 Is 9.6 through the merits and mercies of the Prince of peace even Iesus Christ my Lord and onely Saviour Amen THE NINETEENTH SUBJECT Teares of a woman lamenting the death of her beloved husband The Soliloquie 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 Mary came where Iesus was Io. 11.32 and saw him shee fell downe at his feete saying unto him Lord if thou hadst beene here my brother had not dyed Shee wept indeede yet it was but for a brother and the Iewes allso wept vers 33. yet it was but for a common friend but what was all that to the death of a husband O my husband my husband That very name of husband mee think's would flatter mee with comfort as if I might imagine that hee could heare mee But oh hee is dead hee is dead hee cannot heare mee hee cannot behould mee hee cannot answer mee his eares are locked up his eyes are closed his mouth is sealed his soule is gone O what shall I doe for my head my guide my heart my husband Were my Saviour upon earth againe I could send one to him as Mary did vers 3. who should say Lord behould hee whom thou lovest is dead Dead say I O dead dead hee is gone hee is departed and can never be re-called But why Why can hee not be called back againe Did not my Iesus cause Lazarus to arise when hee had beene fower dayes dead vers 44 vers 39 Yes hee did but what then I neither love my Saviour so well as Mary did nor I feare doeth hee love mee so well as hee did Mary or if both were so yet since miracles are ceased I cannot so much as hope that hee will call back the spirit of my Lord my husband Oh could hee be wooed by the teares of a sinfull woman never did any mourne so much as I would But nothing will perswade I seeke but the disturbance of him whom I mourne for if I desire to call him from his eternall rest Yet I hope that it is noe sinne to grieve that hee is gone I lament not his happinesse but mine owne losse vers 35 My Iesus himselfe did weepe for Lazarus in testimonie of his affection for so sayd the Iewes vers 36 Behould how hee loved him And was my love to my husband so litle or so cold that I should forget to testifie it in a sorrowfull teare O I cannot forbeare the remembrance of him Is 1.2 Lam 1.12 who was deerer unto mee then life it selfe Heare ô heavens and give eare ô earth Was it nothing to you all yee that were by him when yee saw him breathing out his soule and forsaking the world O behould and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto mee wherewith the Lord hath afflicted mee in this day of his anger Tell mee not how Iacob lamented the supposed death of his sonne Ioseph Hee was misse-taken in the cause but I see and feele the chillowed clay of mine indulgent husband Iacob mourned onely for a sonne but I for an husband Iacob had more many more I had but one 2. Sam 1.26 and the love of this one to mee did passe the love of women Yet though Ioseph was alive and though hee was the youngest save one of twelve sonnes Gent 37.34 Iacob his father rent his cloathes and put sackcloth upon his loynes and mourned for him many dayes c 23.2 Tell mee not how Abraham bewayled the death of Sarah his wife who dyed in Kiriath arba in the land of Canaan Hee was a man so neither his passion nor his losse could paralell mine Hee had more-wives but I had not more husbands And yet though Abraham lost but onely a wife I reade that hee came to mourne and to weepe for her Tell mee not of Abijah the sonne of a King how hee dyed and was lamented Could a Prince be as neere and deare to the people as a loving husband to the wife of his bofome Yet though neither mariage nor blood could pleade for a teare I find that all Israël mourned for him
1. King 14.18 Had not my husband beene King yet how should I forbeare the expence of a teare when death depriveth mee of the name of a wife Had hee not beene godly then the words of the Psalmist might peradventure have beene verified even of him Ps 27.15 His widow shall not weepe But ô hee was full of love and hee was truely religious for mine owne losse therfore must I freely weepe because my loving my religious husband is taken from mee Naomi requited the love of her daughters in law expressed to their dead husbands with a fervent prayer saying Ruth 1.8 The Lord deale kindly with you as yee have dealt with the dead and with mee vers 9. The Lord graunt that yee may find rest each of you in the house of her husband When the wife of Ezekiel was taken from him I doubt not but hee loved her so well that hee would have bemoaned her departure had not the Lord expressely charged him the contrarie Eze 24 16. But the Lord said unto him Sonne of man behold I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroake yet neither shalt thou mourne nor weepe neither shall thy teares runne downe Forbeare to cry vers 17 make noe mourning for the dead bind the tire of thine head upon thee and put on thy shooes upon thy feete and cover not thy lipps Surely his teares were not forbidden as if it were un-lawfull to lament the dead Noe it was onely because the Lord by that figne would shew that the calamitie of the Iewes should be beyond that sorrow which enforceth a weeping But what was Ezekiel's losse in comparison of mine Hee was a man and a Prophet set over his wife to be her instructer so was mine set over mee allso but there the scholler onely departed the wife here the very Oracle is ceased my husband is gone While hee was alive my knowledg was increased for if I would have learned any thing 1. Cor 14.15 1. Pet 3 7. I could aske him at home Hee dwelt with mee according to knowledg giving honour unto mee as to the weaker vessell and as being heires together of the grace of life Eph. 5.28 1. Tim. 5.8 so that our prayers were not hindered Hee loved mee even as his owne body hee provided both for mee and mine But now alas I may live in ignorance dis-respected and un provided for none will comfort mee none will helpe mee as did my husband that 's gone Act. 5.4 Though wicked Saphira had joyned with Ananias her husband in lying unto God concerning the sale of their possession vers 5. and her husband at the words of Saint Peter fell downe and gave up the ghost and was caried out by the young men vers 6. and buried yet shee lived not long enough either to bewayle his death or to consider of her losse Shee continued a widow but about three howers space vers 7. vers 10 and then fell downe at the Apostles feete and yeelded up the ghost Shee quickly followed her husband in death who joyned in the wickednesse with him in his life Shee hastened to the grave of her departed consort as if love had forbad her to survive her husband Yet it was not love but justice which made them lye together in the silent grave since they joyned together in a lye in their lives This alas was not a testimonie of her love so quickly to follow her husband to the land of darknesse Mee think's that I could be well contented to have dyed with my husband and to be layed in the grave by his frozen body but neither would I have sinne to be the cause nor judgment the effect Why then doe I so much lament his departure whose death was full of an assurance of life and whose hope was full of immortalitie Had Saphira survived her deceased husband but so long as to have beene sensible of the manner of his death it may be imagined that shee would have sighed her selfe to the grave and even griefe alone would have joyned them in the vault of darknesse and silence But God delayed not the punishment of her who obstinately persisted in the crime of her husband Here is yet some comfort for mee in my deepe calamitie that neither my husband was guilty of the sinne of Ananias nor yet did his death come so unexpected Why then should I grieve so much for the departure of him who is gone from hence to eternall rest Hee dyed in the Lord Reu 14 13. and I cannot therfore doubt but hee is assuredly blessed Hee resteth from his labours and his workes doe follow him Why then doe I shed such an aboundance of teares as if I either distrusted his happinesse or envyed his felicity My cause is not so greate if I rightly weigh it as to cause these floods to arise in mine eyes When I thinke upon him I have reason to rejoyce both because hee is freed as well from the tyrannie of sinne as from the miserie it produceth and allso because hee is at rest in my God If I consider my selfe allso mine affliction is not so greate nor my teares so just as I doe imagine for they will prove rather an argument of my distrust in God then of my love to my husband if I give them the freedome to flow beyond moderation Hee who lent mee him can send mee another yea such a one as may deserve as well and to whom my love may be as fervent If I have lost mine estate yet I have not lost my protectour unlesse I forsake him in my distrust If I complaine for want of the joy of societie even my very thoughts so they be religions will delight mee with their companie If I want an instructer my God will be my guide If I want a comforter my God will wipe these teares from mine eyes If I want either foode or sustenance for my body Prov 15.15 yet a good conscience will prove a continuall feast My losse is not so greate as ever was sustained if I compare it with those which others have soffered Naömie's affliction was greater then mine Ruth 1 3. when not onely her husband Elimelech but allso her two sonnes Mahlon and Chilion dyed and the woman was left of her two sonnes her husband at once 1. Sam. 4.11 It was worse by farre with the wife of Phinehar then it is with mee for her husband and his brother were both slaine in one day by the Amalekites yea and that in judgment too c 3.13 even because they made themselves vile and their father restrained them not When the newes came to her that the Arke of God was taken by the un-circumcised c 4.13 that ould Eli her father in law hearing the newes that the Arke was taken and that his sonnes were slaine vers 18 fell from the seate back-ward by the side of the gate and brake his neck and
dyed shee vers 19 poore soule being greate with child when the storie of these sad accidents was related unto her bowed her selfe and fell in travaile for her paines came upon her yea at length when shee was delivered of her Ichabod vers 21 she gave up the ghost Thus the Priests fell by the sword Ps 78.64 and noe widow was left to make lamentation True it is that my affliction is greate in the death of my husband yea so greate that herewith the slanderous enemie of the Psalmist was severely cursed Ps 109.9 Let his children be fatherlesse and his wife a widow yet is it farre better to see him goe downe to the grave in peace then that hee should have lingered in continuall miserie Ier 22.12 Shallum the sonne of Iosiah King of Iudah was caried captive by an enemie into another land and dyed there which the Prophet confidering speaketh and saith vers 10 Weepe not for the dead neither bemoane him but weepe for him that goëth away for hee shall returne noe more nor see his native countrie This might have beene the portion allso of my beloved but since it was not though my losse be greate yet must not my sorrow be too greate Immoderate griefe for those that are dead was the practise of heathens it becometh not the children of God The Israelites were forbidden it even by God himselfe who saith unto them Lev 19 28. Deut 14.1 Yee shall not make any cutting in your flesh for the dead nor print any markes upon you I am the Lord. And againe Yee are the children of the Lord your God yee shall not cut your selves nor make any baldnesse betweene your eyes for the dead The Gentiles indeede at the death of friends were so trans-ported with sorrow that they cut themselves Ier 16.6 made themselves bald in the greatnesse of their lamentations They carved their flesh and marked themselves for idolatrie yea they allso cut their skinnes when a friend deceased and the wounds they filled up with either Stibium or inke or what colour they pleased which remained in the flesh when the skinne was growne over In all their sorrowes such kinds of inscisions were ordinarie testimonies of the griefe of their hearts Ier 41.5 Thus the fowre score men that came from Shechem from Shiloh and from Samariah had their beards shaven and their clothes rent and they had cut themselves and had offerings and incense in their hands to bring to the house of the Lord. Thus when the Priests of Baall did call on the name of their Idoll 1. King 18.28 they cryed alowd and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancers 'till the blood gushed out upon them Yet though it was the practise of the Gentiles it may not be of Christians nor might it be of the Israëlites they therfore punished it with many stripes And just it was that when their violent hands had un-naturally beene stained with the blood of their owne bodies the hand of justice should draw blood in the punishment of such a cruell offence The Iewes might not cut themselves at the death of a friend noe though of a father because they were not fatherlesse while the Lord was their God The infidells indeede had noe share in the most high and therfore were fatherlesse when their sires deceased but it was not so with Israel nor is it so with mee I have a father which is in heaven Mat 6.9 to whom my husband is gone before mee I have a husband too which is in heaven even the same who was a husband to Iudah and Israël I have a head too which is in heaven Ier 31.32 even my Saviour Christ Eph 5.23 who is the head of the Church I have a brother too which is in heaven even my elder brother Iesus Christ Why then should I grieve that my husband is dead since hee is but gone to the place where my treasure is layed up Mat. 6.20 and where my immortall father and head and brother have crowned him with immortalitie My God hath taken him that I may know where to find him Whilest hee continued upon earth his imployments did often deprive mee of his societie but now is hee seated in a place of rest to which when I come wee shall never be seperated Whilest hee was here my affection unto him indeede was greate and that was my duety but yet I feare that I offended in the excesse Had I not loved him too much I should not be immoderate in my sorrow but even by these teares I am taught the sinfullnesse of my passion For this sinne therfore will I strive to weepe even for the trespasse of my weeping I should never have beene so offensively sensible of this my losse nor so vaine in my laments if I had allways remembred that hee was created mortall and had therfore trusted in him who is immortall If I doe love my God more then I did my husband I shall find both comfort and content in his mercy Lord how fraile and weake am I that I cannot discharge the debt of nature but I must bring in question the power of grace I cannot grieve for the death of my departed husband without discovering some diffidence some distrust in my God But I will pray unto the Lord to for give the excesse of my love to my deceased husband the excesse of my teares for the death of my husband and to convert these teares into dropps of sorrow for my hainous offences To him will I hasten to him will I speedily addresse my selfe and mournfully will I cry and begge and pray and say The Prayer FAther of mercies and God of all consolation Ioa 11.25 vers 26 thou who art the resurrection and the life in whom whosoëver believeth shall live though hee were dead and in whom whosoëver liveth and believeth shall not die eternally send downe thy grace into my sinfull soule that I may magnifie thy name for delivering thy servant from the miseries of this life and for inthroning him in the celestiall âerusalem where I doubt not but hee reigneth Thou knewest his sufferances and the sharpenesse of his sicknesse in mercy didst release him of his miserie to crowne him with glory Thy favours were infinite in his spirituall comforts when his body languished through the extreamitie of his disease By thy scourge thou taughtest him how thou abhorrest sinne yet I doubt not but thou hast freed him from the torments of hell through the sufferances of thy Sonne For thy goodnesse to him thy name be glorified and I humbly besiech thee to extend thy mercy likewise unto her who honoureth thee for it Thou knowest Lord the distresse of my soule for want of him whom thou hast taken from mee Thou seest mine affliction and thou numberest my teares O be gratious unto mee thine unworthy servant and send mee comfort in the midst of these sorrows Give mee grace
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 âearth 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
man of God had dis-obeyed his command the ould Prophet tould him saying Thy carkeise shall not come into the sepulcher of thy fathers 1. King 13.22 This curse was accounted as full of dread as any that was sent upon the sonnes of men When the young man the Prophet annointed Iehu King over Israë 2. King 9.7 hee tould him that hee should smite the house of Ahab his master and that the doggs should eate Iezebel in the portion of Iezreel vers 10 vers 7. and there should be none to bury her that the Lord might avenge the blood of his servants the Prophets and the blood of all the servants of the Lord at the hand of Iezebel VVhat Iehu was commanded hee did faithfully execute for when hee had caused the eunuches to throw that painted adulteresse out of the window from whence shee looked vers 3. some of her blood was sprinkeled both on the wall and on the horses and hee trod her under foote Afterward when hee had eate and dranke hee sayd vers 34. Gâe see now this cursed woman and bury her for shee is a King's daughter vers 35 And they went to bury her vers 37 but they found noe more of her then the skull and the feete the palmes of her hands sothat they could not say This is lezebel Ier. 22.17 Because the eyes of Iehojakim and his heart were not but for his coveteousnesse and for to shed innocent blood and for oppression for violence to doe it vers 18 therfore thus sayd the Lord concerning Iehojakim the sonne of Iosiah King of Iudah vers 19 Hee shall be buried with the buriall of an Asse drawne and cast forth beyond the gates of Ierusalem The Lord threatned the Princes of Iudah c. 34.19 and the Princes of Ierusalem and the Eunuches and the Priests all the people of the land which passed betweene the parts of the calfe vers 20 saying I will even give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of them that seeke their life and their dead bodies shall be for meate unto the fowles of heaven and to the beasts of the earth But on the contrarie Ahijah the Prophet telleth the wife of ieroboam concerning her sick sonne Abijah 1. King 24.12 vers 13 saying Arise get thee to thine house and when thy feete enter into the citty the child shall dye But all Israël shall mourne for him and bury him for hee onely of Ieroboam shall come to thegrave because in him there is found some good thinge towards the Lord God of Israel in the house of Ieroboam Againe wheÌ Huldah the Prophetesse did for etell the destruction of Ierusalem but a respite thereof in the time of Iosiah she tould him 2. King 22.20 saying Behould saith the Lord I will gather thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace Thus hath it often discovered the wrath of the All-mighty when the earkeises of the dead have beene denyed their funeralls and on the contrarie it hath sometimes manifested his love when they have peaceably beene brought to their longest home Buriall is the last of dueties which wee owe unto our friends to which both religion and nature and civilitie doe prompt us for ward When Isaak being ould and full of dayes Gen 35 29. did give up the ghost and dyed and was gathered unto his people his two sonnes Esau and Iacob buried him When Iohn the Baptist was beheaded in the prison Mat 14 12. his disciples came and tooke up the body and buried it The disciple that was willing to follow my Redeemer yet accounted it his duety to attend on the funerall of his deceased father and therfore desired saying c 8.21 Lord suffer mee first to goe and bury my father True it is that his request was denyed not as if Christ dis-liked his pietie but to teach him that nothing should hinder him from religion This was as greate an excuse as most that could have beene pleaded and yet even this had not force enough to prevayle for his departure Our father in heaven must be preferred in our service before the fathers of our flesh Againe it may be conceaved that the parent of the disciple dyed in un-beliefe it was therfore more proper that infidells should bury him who were dead to religion then that a disciple of Christ should mixe with the un-faithfull Howsoëver hee was not checked for desiring leave to bury his father but hee was commanded rather to follow his Master Even the glutton in the Gospel had so much favour as to be brought to his grave so saith the text The rich man allso dyed Lu. 16.22 Iob. 21.30 vers 32 vers 33 and was buried Though the wicked saith Iob is reserved to the day of destruction and shall be brought forth to the day of wrath yet shall hee be brought to the grave and shall remaine in the tombe The clods of the valley shall be sweete unto him and every man shall draw after him as there are innumerable before him Ps 49.14 Though death as the Psalmist speaketh doeth feede on the wicked and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning and their beawty shall consume from their dwellings yet in the grave shall it consume them and in the grave like sheepe shall they lye Thus the Prophet foretelling the buriall of my Redeemer Is 53.9 sayd Hee made his grave with the wicked the rich in his death It is then the duety of the living to provide even for the dead that they may be buried in peace But is it a matter of any moment in what place wee lay the bodies of our deceased friends Is it not all one whether in the fields or whether in our Golgotha's Noe doubtlesse for even the lawes of our land are so justly severe against idolaters that wee suffer not the convicted to be buried in our ground which is dedicated to this use Neither may they be permitted to mixe with our dead who have desperately become the murderers of themselves but they lye in the roades where a stake is set up to give notice to passengers that they unnaturally hastened their owne departure It is a matter of some moment to us who are living that wee lay our deceased friends in a place convenient for allthough it exteÌdeth not to their knowledg yet it redoundeth to their honour When Iudas had given back the thirtie pieces of silver the price of him that was vallewed Mat 27 9. to the chiefe Priests that hired him they tooke counsell together and seing it was not fitt to mixe that money with the rest of their treasure because it was the price of blood vers 7. they bought the potter's field with it vers 6. to burie strangers vers 7. Thus they who would readily give a reward to a traitour were not so readie to be
shortnesse of our lives then the most eloquent straines of the best rhetorician These bells assure mee that my life is but a found a noise an aier these perfumes tell mee that it is but a vapour 1. Pet. 1 24. these herbs doe teach mee that flesh is as grasse and these teares these early teares which so suddenly arise when my heart doeth call teach mee mortalitie in their hastie falling And who can choose but weepe for the shortnesse of our lives Who can forbeare a teare at the funerall of a friend It was a curse inflicted upon the wicked Iewes that they neither should be buried nor yet lamented They shall dye of grievous deaths sayth the Prophet Ier. 16.4 they shall not be lamented neither shall they be buried but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth and their carkeises shall be meate for the fowles of heaven vers 5. for the beasts of the earth For thus saith the Lord Enter not into the house of mourning neither goe to lament nor bemoane them for I have taken away my peace from this people saith the Lord even loving kindnesse c 25.33 and Ierusaâmercies So the slaine of Iudah and IerusaleÌ saith the Prophet shall not be lamented neither gathered nor buried they shall be dung upon the ground So it was threatned concerning Iehojakim the sonne of Iosiah King of Iudah saying c 22.18 They shall not lament for him saying Ah my brother or ah sister they shall not lament for him saying ah Lord or ah his glory It was a judgment upon the Israelites Amos 8.2 when the Lord sayd by the mouth of his Prophet The end is come upon my people of Israel vers 3. and the songs of the temples shall be howlings in that day saith the Lord there shall be many dead bodies in every place they shall cast them forth with silence Surely if ever nature had libertie to pleade for the convenience yea for the necessitie of a teare it may at this time command Grace must and most willingly shall have the chiefe predominance but let nature have likewise it 's qualified drops so they grow not immoderate Though my losse be the greatest to whom hee was a husband yet others may weepe too to whom hee was a friend Gen 50.7 When Ioseph went to burie his father then all the servantâ of Pharaoh went with him and the Elderâ of his house and all the Elders of the land oâ Egypt vers 8. And all the house of Ioseph and his brethren vers 10 and his father's house And they came to the threshing floore of Atad and there they mourned with a greate and very sore lamentation and hee made a mourning for his father seaven dayes Io 11.31 VVhen Lazarus was buried and the Iewes saw Mary rise up hastily and goe out they litle imagined that shee went to meete the Lord of life but they followed her saying Shee goeth unto the grave to weepe there When her brother Lazarus was dead shee wept and her sister wept and her friends the Iewes wept and when Christ did see them all thus weeping hee was so farre from blaming them vers 35 2. Chr 35.24 that hee wept himselfe When Iosiah was slaine his servants tooke him out of the charet wherein hee was wounded and put him in the second charet which hee had they brought him to Ierusalem And hee dyed and was buried in one of the sepulchres of his fathers and all Iudah and Ierusalem mourned for Iosiah VVhen Samuel was dead 1. Sam. 28.3 all Israel lamented him and buried him in Ramah in his owne citty 1. King 13.29 VVhen the ould Prophet tooke up the carkeise of the man of God who had beene slaine by a Lyon hee layed it upon the Asse and brought it back and came to the âtty to mourne and to burie him vers 30 And hee layd his carkeise in his owne grave and they mourned over him saying Alas my brother The children of Israel wept for Moses in the âlaines of Moab thirtie dayes Deut 34.8 1 Sam 15.35 Though Saâuel tooke his leave departed from Saul ând come noe more to see him untill the day of âis death neverthelesse Samuell mourned for Saul Iud 11 39. vers 40 Though Iephthah's daughter had beene lead and buried long before yet it was a âustome in Israel that the daughters of Israel went yeerely to lament the daughter of Iephthah âhe Gileadite fower dayes in a yeere When Stephen was stoned Act 8.2 devout men caried him to his buriall and made greate lamentation over him 2. Chr 32.33 VVhen Hezekiah slept with his fathers hee was buried in the chiefest of the sepulchres of the sonnes of David and all Iudah and the inhabitants of Ierusalem did him honour at his death Lu 7.38 VVhen Mary Magdalene stood weeping at the feete of my Saviour and did wash his feete with teares and wiped them with the haires of her head and brought an Alabaster boxe of oyntment vers 37 and anointed him with the ointment vers 38 hee was so farre from dis-liking it in her that hee checked his disciples who had indignation at the act and therfore sayd Mat 26 8. To what purpose is this wast Yea hee reproved them and sayd unto them Why trouble yee the Woman vers 10 For shee hath wrought a good worke upon mee vers 12 For in that shee hath powred this oyntment on my body shee did it for my buriall Shee hath done what shee could Mar 14 8. shee is comâ afore hand to anoint my body to the burying Here I find was oyntment to embalme him and here were allso teares at his funerall and yet so farre was Christ from blaming her for her teares that hee not onely decreed the publishing of this act through the world where the gospel should be preached Mat. 26 13. that for a memoriall of her but hee likewise upbraided Simon with the teares of the sinner Lu 7.44 and sayd unto him I entered into thine house and thou gavest mee noe water for my feete but shee hath washed my feete with teares and wiped them with the haires of her head vers 47 c. Wherfore her sinnes which are many are forgiven for shee loved much Weepe then I may upon this sad occasion yea and weepe may my friends too Teares are as proper at a funerall as smiles at a wedding Wee have two mariages the first whereof is to living dust the last to the cold and silent earth At the former wee rejoyce for it was an institution of God before man had sinned Gen 2.24 at the latter wee weepe for it is the effect of sinne Wee cloath our selves in delightfull colours when wee celebrate the former but our blacks at the latter are our wedding garments The Rosemarie is served about at each the gloves and the favours attend at each
the wine and the other accustomed entertainments are given at each wee goe to the church for the consummation of each onely here is the difference that at the one wee rejoyce but at the other wee mourne Every guest that is willing to comply with the preâent occasion must as well be sad at this as âe merrie at the other Weepe wee may and weepe wee must especially my selfe who have âost my selfe But yet let mee take heede that I offend not in my teares lest that which is my duety be turned into a crime I must especially take heede that I erre not in the cause of these laments for if I griere at the happinesse of him that is departed I discover an envie rather then affection If I grieve for the losse which my selfe sustaineth I must take heede that I wrong not my confidence in God I may not offend in the number of my teares for if I weepe too much I may forfeit my hope or at least I may occasion those that behould mee to thinke that I doubt of the salvation of the dead Weepe I may and weepe I must but for feare lest I offend in these my teares in my earnest prayers I will begge that they may be sanctified To my God will I goe for his direction and assistance and in this storme of my teares I will shelter my selfe under his protection and humbly will I tender my petitions and say The Prayer O All-mighty and ever-living Lord God thou who knowest whereof wee are made Ps 103.14 and who remembrest that wee are but dust give mee grace I besiech thee to be thankfull unto thee for all thy mercies more particularly both for thy deliverance of my husband from the miseries of this life and for affording mee the meanes in peace to bring him to his longest home Lord so arme mee with patience in this time of affliction that I may not offend thee in my want or excesse of mourning Gen 3.19 Dust wee are and to dust wee shall returne From the earth wee came and to the earth wee must goe This way which thy servant must now be disposed of is the way wherein thou wilt one day leade mee allso to my rest O prepare mee for the time of my greate account Eccl 12 7. that so when my dust shall returne to the earth as it was my spirit may returne unto thee who didst give it Let his spectacle of mortality live in my memorie that so when I consider that the time will come that as naked as I came out of my mother's wombe Iob 1.21 so naked shall I thither returne againe I may wholly endeavour and seeke to be clothed with the righteousnesse of thy Sonne Rom 6 4. With him thou hast beene gratiously pleased that by baptisme I should be buried into death graunt allso good God that like as hee was raised up from the dead by the glory of thee the eternall Father even so I allso may walke in newnesse of life Make mee ever thinke upon death which will seize on mee judgment which will examine mee and hell which would devoure mee that heaven may receave mee Let this lifelesse carkeise put mee in mind of the malice of sinne which is the cause of death and of that sentence which immediatly followeth this death Thou seest ô Lord how unwilling I am to part from this frozen and earthie lumpe Thou knowest how deepe the departure of my joy doeth pierce and wound mine afflicted heart O be thou my comforter in this greatest sorrow Ps 119.96 that seeing now I see that all things doe certainly come to an end I may wholly endeavour to please thee alone who shalt never have end Is 50.3 O thou who cloathest the heavens with blacknesse and hast cloathed mee at this time who am but earth ashes with these mourning weedes graunt that by these I may be instructed to shunne the fraile and fading vanities of the earth and strive for that Kingdome which shall endure for ever Be pleased to speake peace to my troubled mind that so though nature hath power to enforce mee to weepe yet grace may prevaile to moderate my mourning Ps 106 9. Ps 104.9 O thou who diddest once rebuke the red sea that thy servants might passe through them as on drie land thou who hast set a bound to the seas that they may not passe over nor turne againe to cover the earth be pleased so to rebuke the waters of mine affliction and put such a bound to these my teares that they may not drowne this earth of my feeble body but may give place to confidence and comfort in thy mercy Ps 114.3 Iordane did yeeld to thy command was driven back so drive thou back the flood of my teares that they swell not above the bankes of moderation and hope Let the grave of the deceased put mee in mind of the tombe of my blessed Redeemer that so when I am bowed downe with sorrow at the buriall of this earth I may be raised with joy for the benefits of the resurrection of my Saviour Christ Hee hath plucked out the sting which sinne had formerly given unto death 1. Cor. 15.56 vers 57 ô let mee ever be thankfull unto thee my God who givest us victorie through Iesus Christ. Give mee an assured beliefe of the generall resurrection that when I grieve at the placing of this flesh in the grave I may rejoyce in the certaintie of his rising againe Ps 25.17 Though the troubles of my heart be now enlarged yet bring thou mee out of all my feares Ps 94.19 In the midst of the sorrowes which I have in my heart let thy comforts ô God refresh my soule Lord make mee dye to sinne and live by grace that when I shall put off this tabernacle of flesh I may dwell with thee in those eternall mansions of perfect happinesse through Iesus Christ my Lord and onely Saviour Amen subject 21 THE TWENTIE-FIRST SUBjECT Teares of a woman in the state of widow-hood 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 BEcause Ierusalem had forsaken the Lord was was gone backward Ier 15.6 vers 8. Therfore sayd my God their widowes are increased to mee above the sand of the seas vers 6. Hee who was wearie of repenting was not wearie of destroying and yet the judgments which fell upon the Iewes were easier to the stronger then to the weaker sexe The males had a period set to their earthly troubles when the sword devoured them but the poore females were left alive destitute both of the comfort and societie of their husbands Death is a judgment mixed often with mercy because it finisheth our earthly sufferances whereas a life that is lead in continued sorrowes is so much the more burdensome
because not quickly ended Those widowes of the Iewes were left alive and therein they were more punished then their destroyed husbands Groanes and sighes had flowne from the slaine at the hower of their departure but their dead trunckes were as insensible of griefe or melancholie as the earth which inclosed them Yet the distressed widowes were left to lament and their punishment herein was greater then their husbands even because their torments survived the slaine That time was doubtlesse a time of horrour when the women would willingly have slept by their husbands in their beds of earth and would have accounted it mercy to meete with a murderer but yet were denyed the hope of their destruction Ps 94.6 The Psalmist saith that the wicked slay the widow but in Ierusalem as it seemeth the judgment was so greate that though the widowes on their knees would have begg'd to be slaine yet either not men enough were left for their purpose or the men that were left were not wicked enough to satisfie their desites O what miseries doe fall upon us that are widowes who are left to the world to complaine of our losses yet in our complaints wee are so farre from obtaining what wee desire that wee cannot obtaine so much as to dye Our estate is despised amongst the Sonnes of men unlesse either our riches or beautie or some other by and sinister respect can purchase us a comforter The widowes that are poore are commonly neglected and those that are rich are but vallewed for their wealth Wee are exposed to the slander of every tongue to the scorne and derision of every enemie and to the cruëlty and tyrannie of every oppressour Iob. 24.21 The wicked who evill intreateth the barren that beareth not doeth noe good to the widow allso Wee are mocked by the wives neglected by our neighbours cozened by our visitants and even in this our time of greatest neede our pretended friends are not willing to counsell us So greate so weightie so grievous are our afflictions that wee not onely are bereft of our joyes among men but allso wee seeme to be forsaken even of God Else why should wee be ranked with the prophane and the harlots Why should the high Priest be forbidden by God himselfe saying A widow Lev 21 14. or a divorced woman or prophane or an harlot these shall hee not take but hee shall take a virgin of his owne people to wife Thus are wee subject to the contempt of men and may seeme to be abhorred likewise of our maker Our solitarie lives are full of cares and various perturbations If wee have riches wee are apt to be deluded by false though professed lovers If wee are poore wee are neglected by those from whom wee expect reliefe and our friends are commonly as dead unto us as are our husbands If wee have children they are apt to sleight or dis-obey us through the absence of him whom they more did feare If wee have none as our trouble is the lesse so our hopes of reliefe are likewise the lesse for whereas the cryes of the fatherlesse may prevaile with the charitable the want of those orphanes make's every one neglect us O what calamities and miseries attend us women Wee are weake and simple by the condition of our sexe and yet when wee have husbands to instruct assist us wee can have noe assurance of the continuance of their lives Wee are exposed to sorrowes at every turne In sorrowes wee conceave in forrowes wee travaile in sorrowes wee nurse our tender infants and are made but as servants to them in their minorities and yet as if all these vexations were too few for our deserts wee are tortured and racked with the death of our husbands If wee weepe wee are frequently rather scorned then pittied because it is imagined that wee have teares at command If wee talke wee are apt to be censured either guilty of levitie boldnesse or simplicitie The joy wee receaved in the societie of our husbands is seconded with contempt when once they are dead as if it were a sinne in us to suffer them to dye whereas wee would willingly have layed downe our lives to have preserved theirs That litle wisedome or discretion which wee have learned of our husbands is styled cunning when once they are dead Thus even our vertues are subject to reproach and our persons and conditions to the obloquie of the world But is this all the comfort allotted us in our miserie Hath God forgotten us Should the world thus disdaine us Assuredly our greate afflictions and our lowde complaints must needes be entertained in the eares of him who is our mercifull God Though man be deafe yet God will heare Yes doubtlesse wee who so seriously bemoane the losses wee sustaine shall yet find in the Scripture that the All-mighty is our friend If I doe but loake into those sacred Oracles I shall presently behould the goodnesse of my Creatour The greater our losses are the diviner are our comforts the more grievous our afflictions are the more ample are our joyes Wee are still in the hands of our gracious God allthough wee are bereft of our earthly husbands Our comforts are more our priviledges are greater then ever they were while our guides were alive for the Lord taketh notice of us hee relieveth us in our wants yea and sometimes miraculously comforteth us in our greatest dejections men are commanded to helpe us the rich must lend to us the advocates must pleade for us the judges must countenance us the righteous must visit us none may afflict or oppresse us wee may rejoyce with our neighbours yea and wee have more freedome to enter into any religious vow then formerly was graunted us O here now are garments of gladnesse for the spirit of heavinesse Is 61.3 for God is our protectour and man must be our comforter example 1 1. The Lord taketh notice of us for so I find by my gracious Redeemer When hee sate over against the treasurie Mar 12 41. vers 42 and beheld how the people cast money into it and many that were rich cast in much And there came a certaine poore widow and threw in two mites which make a farthing vers 43 Hee called unto him his disciples and sayd unto them Verely I say unto you that this poore widow hath cast more in then all they which have cast into the treasure vers 44 For all they did cast in of their aboundance but shee of her want did cast in all that shee had even all her living example 2 2. God relieveth us as well as behouldeth us Ps 146 9. for so saith the Psalmist The Lord preserveth the strangers hee relieveth the fatherlesse and widow 2 King 4.1 This the poore widow of the sonne of the Prophet's was sensible of for when shee cryed unto Elisha saying Thy servant my husband is dead and thou knowest that thy servant did feare the Lord and the creditour is
mind Though I have lost my husband yet still I have my God Hee is and will be mine so long as I remaine and continue his What though I misse my head my deceased Lord my dead husband in every place What though hee sitteth not with mee at the table and therfore I sigh What though I find a misse of him in my sole and single life and therfore I grieve What though I want him to instruct mee in the wayes of goodnesse and to provide for the affaires allso concerning this life and therfore mourne I may be pensive in the remembrance of him whom I loved and I may lament the losse of my instructer and my comforter but if I grieve too much I shall but discover that there was folly in my love and that there is dispaire in my teares Hee was not mine but God's and with him hee liveth It must be my comfort that hee lived so well while hee was upon earth that I may hope assuredly that hee 's a saint in heaven and it must be my confidence that hee is onely gone a litle before to that place of happinesse whither I shall follow him Hee who lent mee him can furnish mee with another or else give mee content with this single life Hee was not my choyce but God's If I ponder upon my losse with sorrow and griefe I must yet thinke upon his advantage with joy and content I will therfore reverence his memorie without too many sobbs and I will be thankfull to my God because hee once did lend mee so good a directour I will by his blessing live a widow with content and quietnesse untill hee shall be pleased either to call mee againe to the state of wedlock or else free mee from this sinfull and troublsome world If I marrie noe more the greater command shall I reteine of my selfe I am now at libertie to employ my time in religious dueties whereas if I were wedded to an un-godly man even my religion it selfe without the mercy of my God might receave some prejudice But if the Lord shall be pleased to bring mee againe into obedience to another I will besiech him so to direct mee in my choyce that I may marry in the Lord. I will not rashly attempt so weighty a matter but with my prayers and teares I will begge of the Lord to guide and direct mee Thus that I may live in the love of my God and that hee may allways overshadow mee with his blessings Ier. 31.32 and be a husband unto mee as hee promised to be unto Iudah and Israël I will humble my selfe at his foote-stoole and pray unto him and say The Prayer BLessed God thou who once didst promise to the barren church of the Gentiles that thou wouldest be unto her both a Redeemer and a husband Is 54.5 be pleased to looke upon the low estate of a pensive widow Thou knowest how irksome and full of forrowes this solitarie life is thou viewest my sad and dis-consolate condition O be thou unto mee both a husband and a comforter that in the multitude of my sorrowes which I have in my heart thy comforts ô Lord Ps 94.19 may refresh my soule It is thy promise that Prov. 15.25 though thou wilt destroy the house of the proude yet thou wilt establish the border of the widow Though the wicked doe noe good to the widow Iob. 24.21 yea though they stay the widow and murder the fatherlesse Ps 94.6 Ps 68.5 yet thou thy selfe hast promised that thou wilt be a father to the fatherlesse and defend the cause of the widow even thou ô God who dwellest in thine holy habitations Iob. 22.9 O send not then a poore and distressed widow away emptie but be pleased to be my Gâ⦠my guide and my counsellour Make mee ãâã honour thee in all my wayes to rely upon thee iâ all my sorrowes to sue unto thee in all mâ wants Eph. 4.24 Ps 89.22 and firmely to be wedded unto thee ãâã righteousnesse and true holinesse Let not thâ oppressour exact upon mee nor the Sonne ãâã wickednesse doe mee harme but doe thoâ allways preserve mee under the shadow of thy wings Be thou my directour in all my wayes that whether I shall continue in this stated of widow-hood or be ordered by thee to change my condition and be joyned againe in holy wedlock I may sue for thy counsell and be seconded with thy blessing But so long as I shall leade this single life let mee remaine contented Lu. 2.37 and make mee like Anna the Prophetesse not departing from thy temple but serving thee my God with fasting and prayer night and day Be thou unto mee in a more excellent manner then was Iob unto the widowes causing my heart to sing for joy Iob. 29.13 that so though mine afflictions are many and my desolate condition be full of perturbations and anxious thoughts yet I may so cleave unto thee that I may have comfort in thee whilest I live upon earth and be hereafter admitted into the societie of thy saints and Angells there to reigne with thee world without end through Iesus Christ my onely Lord and Saviour Amen subject 22 THE TWENTIE-SECOND SUBjECT Teares of an Orphane at the death of her father The Soliloquie 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 AMong other abominations which Ierusalem was guiltie of it was not the least that In her had they set light by father and mother Eze. 22 7. But could there live such people as neglect their parents Could nature become so silent in children that they should forget the honour due to progeâitours Surely if even affection inhabited the breast of a Christian it needes must dwell in the heart of a child and point to the fathers that did beget him Alas I feele a desire of expressing such an affection which I would be as readie to manifest in reall expression but ay mee the object of ãâã love and my duety is snatched from mee Oâ hee that begat mee is dead hee that tooke caâ to breede mee hee that supplyed my wants bâ that instructed mee in religion hee that defenâ⦠mee from injuries hee whose labour indstrie was chiefely imployed for the good of mee his boloved child Prov. 4 3. I was oh I may say I was my father's child tender and onely beloved of my mother But now where ô where is that man of affection Where is that father who so earnestly loved mee who so deerely affectâ mee Sick hee was dead hee is But was my duety to him correspondent any way to his care of mee Did I endeavour to requite his love by my service Gen 48 1. obedience Did I visit him in his sicknesse as Ioseph did his dying father When one could him saying Behold thy father iâ sick hee
ceremeniall law yea a Priest himselfe was allowed these acts so naturall and pious Though touching the Nazarites the command was strickt which the Lord delivered unto Moses Num. 6 1. vers 2. saying Say unto the children of Israel when either man or woman shall seperate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite to seperate themselves unto the Lord vers 6. all the dayes that hee seperateth himselfe unto the Lord hee shall come at noe dead body vers 7. hee shall not make himselfe un-cleane for his father or for his mother for his brother or for his sister when they dye because the consecration of his God is upon his head Yet whereas the law said Eze 44 25. The Priests shall come at noe dead person to defile themselves it ran with this exception But for father or for mother or for sonne or for daughter for brother or for sister that hath had noe husband they may defile themselves And againe concerning the common people the law provideth saying Num 19.16 Whosoever toucheth one that is slaine with the sword in the open fields or a dead bodie or a bone of a man or a grave shall be uncleane but the time of his un-cleanesse was to continue but seaven dayes That law hath now noe power to oblige us who are under the Gospel I may touch my dead parent and embrace him yea and kisse him at least in my thoughts when I cannot come to his body And so I will and if there remaine any un-cleanesse in my cogitations I will purifie I will wash it away with the bath of my teares Allthough my sorrowes cannot call him from the grave yet they have power both to discover mine affection and to satisfie my desires Heb 11 35. In ancient times women had their dead raised to life againe This indeede is too much for mee to expect yet it will not be too much for mee to mourne with those women who were afterward thus comforted But then I must be just in my mourning As my love may lawfully be shewed in my teares so must my religion be manifested in my moderation It was a curse upon the Iewes which the Prophet pronounced when hee said Men shall not teare themselves for them in mourning Ier. 16.7 to comfort them for the dead neither shall men give them the cupp of consolation to drinke for their father or for their mother I must not exceede the bounds of modestie in my cryes lamentations but I must drinke rather of the cupp of consolation and hearken to the advice and counsell of my comforters Nature indeede may be seene in a teare and heard in a sigh but if those teares be too many or those sighes too frequent or too lowde my very sorrowes may be sinfull for my want of patience Hee for whom I grieve is better then my selfe and his condition is full of joy and delight why then should I mourne too excessively as if hee were lost why should I grieve too immoderately as if I despaired of a father Hee is gone to a place where hee is freed from sorrowes and can dye noe more onely I am on earth in a valley of teares but I shall have a time to dye too and be gathered unto him In heaven saith Saint Iohn there shall be noe more death Reu. 21.4 neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more paine for the former things are passed away My Redeemer saith that they which shall be accounted worthy to obtaine that world Luc. 20 35. the resurrection from the dead neither marrie nor are given in mariage neither can they dye any more vers 36 for they are equall unto the Angells and are the children of God being the children of the resurrection VVhy then should I lament for him who needeth not my sorrowes and my teares are but a fruitlesse disturbance of my selfe If I am troubled at the losse of a friend so deare I must rather labour to be beloved of my God who is so good I shall one day learne with holy Iob Iob. 17 14. to say to corruption Thou art my father and to the worme Thou art my mother and my sister There is yet something earthly therfore which I shall acknowledge a parent but I must take heede that nothing upon earth doeth make mee an idolater The house of Israel was once so sottish as to say to a stock Ier 2.27 Thou art my father to a stone Thou hast brought mee forth This were a stupid madnesse in mee if I should so dis-honour the memorie of my father as to make the timber succeede him in my reverence But more impious it would prove if I should reject my heavenly father and insteed of him I should honour as Israel did a stock or a stone The greater that my losse is in my deceased parent the more must be my obedience to the father of lights Iam. 1.17 Heb. 12 9. Hee who is and must be the father of my spirit did lend unto mee for a time the father of my flesh Hee hath allso taken from mee my naturall parent that my thoughts may be ever fixed upon him with whom hee dwelleth If my trust be in God my comforts will abound my sorrowes will decrease If my name be written among the righteous my share shall be equall to theirs in the protection of my God Hee hath ever beene mercifull to them that were fatherlesse so that they relyed on his providence and served him with faithfullnesse Ps 27.10 Ps 68.5 When my father and my mother forsake mee saith the Psalmist then the Lord will take mee up a father of the fatherlesse is God in his holy habitation O that I might have the honour to be his child that so I might justly call him father O that I could truely say unto him Thou art my father my God Ps 89.26 Is 63.16 Ier. 3.19 2. Cor. 6.18 and the rock of my salvation O that I could faithfully say Thou ô Lord art my father my Redeemer thy name is from ever-lasting O that I could call him my father and not turne away from him His mercies are greate his promises are full of comfort I will be a father unto you and yee shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord All-mighty O what shall I doe that I may be sure to be adopted into the number of his children Alas as I am I have but litle hope of it for hee is pure but I am un-cleane but I will wash my selfe with my teares of repentance and beseech his Sonne to cleanse mee with his blood Hee is righteous but I am sinfull but I will confesse my wickednesse Ps 38.18 and be sorrie for my sinnes and then I am sure hee will aboundantly pardon Lord though I have beene thine enemie thou canst make mee thy friend though I have hated thee thou canst incline mee to love thee though I have beene rebellious thou
canst make mee thy child O be pleased to hearken to the intercession of mine advocate pleading for mee to the intercession of thy Christ who was obedient to thee to the intercession of my Iesus who was crucified for mee In him be reconciled unto mee for I am well assured that like as a father pittieth his children Ps 103 13. so thou Lord doest pittie them that feare thee This ô this is the way where in I must walke Thus yea onely thus shall I have a father both dead and alive Hee who is dead shall not bâ immoderately bewayled because hee that is ever living shall wipe the teares from mine eyes Mine exchange shall be full of advantage For him who was willing to helpe mee yet was not able for him who loved mee but imperfectly and left mee irresistably I shall have a father whose will cannot be opposed whose power noe creature is able to resist whose love is in perfection and who is not subject either to change Dan 7.9 Ps 90.2 Ps 22.9 or dye Hee is the ancient of dayes hee is God from ever-lasting and world without end If I could say with David Thou didst make mee hope when I was upon my mother's breast as well as I can say with him Thou art hee that tooke mee out of my mother's wombe vers 10 if I could say that thou art my God from my mother's belly as well as I can say that I was cast upon thee from the wombe if I could say that I had allways served thee then should my praise be of thee continually Ps 71.6 and then should I be safe under the shadow of thy wings Hos 14 3. Ashur shall not save us saith Israel wee will not ride upon horses neither will wee say any more to the worke of our hands Yee are our God's for in thee ô God the fatherlesse findeth mercy In God doe the fatherlesse find mercy Ps 35.14 Why then doe I how downe my selfe thus heavily mourning for my father whereas I am assured if I serve and obey the righteous Lord that when my father and my mother forsake mee Ps 27.10 then the Lord will take mee up Hee that is dead was but the weake though the loving instrument to bring mee to life but hee that is living yea and liveth for ever and ever is the God both of power and mercy hee therfore for ever shall be my father Mal 2.10 Have wee not all one father Saith the Prophet Hath not one God created us Yes yes hee is a father to all by creation but hee will not be a father to all by regeneration Lu 12.32 His flock is but litle his children are not many I will therfore strive to be one of the smallest number for those alone shall inherit salvation His mercies were ever greate to the godly his compassions never failed the fatherlesse if they honoured him When David was promised that hee should have a Sonne even then the Lord did allso promise to be a father unto him 1. Châ 17.13 I will be his father saith the Lord and hee shall be my Sonne I will not take my mercy away from him as I tooke it from him that was before thee But what shall I doe to gaine his protection How shall I perswade him to call mee his child If I love the memorie of my father more then I love him then I cannot possibly be worthy of him for so saith my Saviour Mat 10 37. Hee that loveth father or mother more then mee is not worthy of mee I will therfore strive to honour my God with the strength of my love in heart and in soule and that I may the better doe it I will imitate my dead father in all that was just and righteous in him but whereinsoever hee failed I will decline his stepps 1 King 22.52 Ahaziah was plagued because hee did evill in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of his father and of his mother 2. Chr 22.3 Hee walked in the way of the house of Ahab for his mother was his counseller to doe wickedly It is not the losse of a parent which can prevaile for a blessing upon the child unlesse in the stead of him that was earthly hee be made a father who is Lord of heaven Hee looketh not on our afflictions with the eye of compassion unlesse wee looke up to him with the eye of faith and devotion Our miseries are but judgments unlesse wee amend and doe but prophesie unto us a destruction at hand When Ieroboam was fatherlesse hee was called to the congregation 1. King 12.20 c 11.26 and they made him King over Israel but hee whose hand at first was lifted against the Crowne and not content with that did afterwards put it forth against the man of God c 13.4 had it justly dryed up so that hee could not pull it in againe unto him Thus the losse of an earthly father could not protect a wicked orphane c 14.9 but hee who did evill above all that were before him and had gone and made other Gods and molten images to provoke the Lord to anger and had cast the Lord behind his back even upon his house was evill to be brought vers 10 The Lord will cutt off saith the text from Ieroboam him that pisseth against the wall and him that is shut up and left in Israel and will take away the remnant of the house of Ieroboam as a man taketh away dung 'till it be all gone But on the contrarie I find that unto the godly a father of the fatherless Ps 68.5 and a judge of the widowes is God in his holy habitation 1. King 7.13 vers 14 Hiram the Sonne of a widow of the tribe of Naptali whose father was a man of Tyre the same was filled with wisedome and understanding and cunning to worke all workes in brasse and was therfore sent for by King Solomon to build his house Gen 25 11. Est 2.7 After the death of Abraham it is said that the Lord blessed his Sonne Isaak After the death of Esther's father Mordecai the Iewe tooke her shee being his uncle's daughter for shee had neither father nor mother Hee tooke her for his owne daughter and afterward the Lord so blessed the orphane that shee came to sit upon the royall throne c 7.3 vers 17 Ps 10.14 and to be the preserver of her nation Thus the poore who commit themselves to God doe find assuredly that hee is a helper of the fatherlesse Hee executeth their judgment so saith Moses Deut 10.18 The Lord doeth execute the judgment of the fatherlesse By Moses allso hee forbiddeth the people saying Yee shall not afflict any widow Ex 22.22 or fatherlesse child Iob accuseth his pretended friends of an high offence when hee chargeth them Iob. 6.27 Is 10.2 saying Yee over-whelme the fatherlesse By the Prophet Isaiah a woe is
pronounced against them who take away the right from the poore of the people of the Lord that widowes may be their prey and that they may robbe the fatherlesse Yea and from God himselfe by the mouth of King Solomon the advice is given Remove not the ould land-marke Prov. 23.10 and enter not into the fields of the fatherlesse By the Allmighty to the fatherlesse friends are raised thus was Iob Iob. 29.12 I delivered the poore saith hee that cryed and the fatherlesse and him that had none to helpe him c 31.17 And againe hee saith If I have eaten my morsell alone and the fatherlesse hath not eaten thereof vers 22 then let mine arme fall from the showlder-blade and mine arme be broken from the bone Thus if I am God's then God will be mine If in my wants I misse my father my God will relieve mee if in my troubles I want my father my God will deliver mee What could my earthly parent have added to my content which my heavenly parent cannot much more supply If therfore I grieve too much for the death of him I forget my God who liveth for ever If too much I complaine of his absence who delighted in mee I manifest my rebellion against him who should be my delight Mat. 6.9 Hee taught mee to pray and when I pray hee taught mee to say Our father which art in heaven On him therfore will I depend who is the father of all that believe in him Rom. 4.11 To him in my wants will I addresse my selfe who is the giver of all Iam. 1.17 Upon him will I call and to him will I cry and say The Prayer ALl-mighty God heavenly father who art a Lord of comfort Rom. 15.5 and a God of consolation looke downe upon a sinfull and distressed orphane bereft of the joy and helpe of an earthly parent Thou ô Lord didst send mee unto him that thy Kingdome might be increased and thou hast taken him from mee that my faith and patience might be fully tryed I was apt to forget thee while hee was living looking upon him as the donour of blessings and neglecting thee from whom they proceeded I relyed too much on the arme of flesh 2 Chr. 32.8 and trusted too fondly in the power of man but now thou hast humbled mee by his mortalitie and taught mee wholly to rely and depend upon thee Mine owne unworthinesse of so loving a father made thee to take him away from mine eyes My dis-obedience to his commands and my neglect of honouring him according to thy lawes have provoked thee to anger and to deprive mee of his comfort Lord forgive my manifold offences since I find that all flesh is but as grasse 1. Pet. 1 24. Iam. 4.14 and that the life of man is but as a vapour which van sheth away make mee allways to apply my service wholly unto thee who livest forever Remember thy promises which thou hast made unto the fatherlesse and that I may be capable of those thy promises give mee grace to become thy child by obedience Thou ô Lord art my father to whom belongeth honour Mal. 1.6 thou art my master and requirest mee to feare thee Lord make mee feare to offend thee who art a righteous judge and make mee love and honour thee who art a gracious father Be with mee in all the wayes wherein I shall walke in this mortall life Lu 1.79 guiding my feete into the way of peace Comfort mee in my sorrowes support mee in my miseries provide for mee in my wants and in all places and at all times be thou my father Ps 62.6 Ps 82.3 my rock and my strong salvation Doe thou defend the poore and fatherlesse doe justice to the afflicted and needie Supply all my wants and conferre upon mee all necessarie blessings O be reconciled unto mee in the blood of thy sonne that I may here depend upon thy fatherly protection hereafter be receaved into thy celestiall Kingdome there to reigne with thee world without end through Iesus Christ my onely Lord and Saviour Amen subject 23 THE TWENTIE-THIRD SUBJECT Teares for the death of a beloved brother And may likewise serve at the decease of any other faithfull friend 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 A Friend saith King Solomon loveth at all times Prov. 17.17 and a brother is borne for adversitie Friendship which is begotten by the outward forme or any other sinister and by respect liveth noe longer then that ground of affection but nature is stronger then our election can bee and religion obligeth farre more then both O how greate then is my losse of my dearest brother in whom both excellency of feature neerenesse of blood and a gracious conversation conspired together to render him matchlesse To mee hee was a friend but now to the grave what losse can be greater then the losse of a friend To mee hee was a brother but now to the wormes and what losse can be more deplorable then the losse of a brother But to mee hee was yet more hee was a friend in his love and courtesies a brother by his blood yea and an instructer a teacher of religion and goodnesse and yet nor love nor blood nor religion could preserve him mine O what sorrowes doe accompanie all thing transitorie His love could not dye but his body could and so I am deprived of the societie of my brother because my brother was subject to corruption But is this the adversitie for which hee was borne according to King Solomon Did the wise man intend that a brother is borne to bring adversitie Or rather to comfort us in the time of adversitie Had hee beene a cause of my least disturbance while hee was living hee would have eased my griefe by grieving himselfe Hee would have comforted mee in the time of trouble had hee lived to see my grievous mourning But now alas I am left to lament alone and so much the more for the want of his comfort I now must grieve for him who was my joy and my laments and my griefes increase the higher because for his sake they arise who cannot allay them Had wee lived in hatred his death peradventure might have beene my comfort Had wee loved but sleightly a teare or two I might have thought enough to pay at his funerall But our love was firme it was strong yea strong as death Cant. 8.6 and who then can blame mee if my sorrowes in some measure keepe pace with my love O what tye can be so greate as that of affection What love so greate as of a brother and sister And yet so vaine is man so fraile are mortalls that either our affection or our persons must have a divorce Had my deceased brother
SUBJECT Teares of a woman in a deepe Consumption or in any other languishing disease The Soliloquie Consisting of three parts viz 1 A complaint and description of the nature of the disease 2 The cause of the maladie 3 The hope of recoverie part 1 The First part of the Soliloquie expressing A complaint and description of the nature of the disease 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 ALl flesh is as grasse saith the Apostle 1. Pet 1 24. and all the glory of man as the flower of the grasse The grasse withereth and the flowâ thereof falleth away Blessed Apostle hoâ truely hast thou discribed the condition oâ humanitie O how sensible am I of thâ piercing trueth of that sacred text Those whom age enforceth to decline doe easily feele their approaching autumne Io 4.35 and when they lift up their eyes and looke on the fieldâ on the drooping yeeres of their parched selves they easily conclude themselves to be white allready unto the horvest But must death be confined to the leasure of antiquitie and allways be locked out untill it hath complyed with age to destroy the prison O noe I find it otherwise Death may as easily enteâ at the gates of diseases as at the stooping salie-port of numerous yeeres Mee think'sâ see it staring and gaping upon mee with aâ eager appetite and when I pleade the minoritie of my time it telleth mee that the flowes may be cropped in their spring True it is that every one in the prime of yeeres is like unto grasse priding himselfe in the verdure of youth if yet hee be permitted to enjoy iâ with delight Wee grow up with the strength of a juycie stemme and beare the flowers oâ beawtie and glory But when our pompe hath jollied it selfe in the pleasure of earth and our strength hath wantonned among the painted flowers of the springing fields at length the sappe shall returne the Sunne shall withdraw it selfe the plant shall wither and the sith shall cut it downe But is this true in those alone whose hearie heads incline to the earth and whose stooping bodies are bowed by antiquitie Alas noe Diseases have a power as greate as hath age and can worke the carkeise in the selfe same mould as doeth length of dayes I am sure it is so I find it so I see it so I feele it so in the continuance of mine infirmitie The naturall heate moisture of my body decline like the juyce of the flowers In the time of their autumne and what a number of yeares could not easily have effected the sharpnesse of a maladie can quickly conclude Man dyeth saith Iob Iob 14.10 and wasteth away yea man giveth up the ghost and where is hee Too true too true it is that I dye while I live and I wast away when I hope to increase My life is but a lingering death for my meates nourish mee not my drinkes comfort mee not my physick restore's mee not my clothes content mee not and my bed easeth mee not When I hope that my meate will nourish mee then the weakenesse of my stomack chides mee for my hope and tell 's mee that it is wearie of the labour of the teeth When I desire that my drinke should comfort mee then the in-disposition of my concoction frustrateth my desires and causeth my stomack to render back the present in contempt of the briberie When I too seriously rely upon the skill of the Physitian and have a kind of confidence that his physick shall restore mee then either his ignorance of my disease or the debilitie of my deaded body or the in-disposition of the druggs flowte's mee for my confidence and tell 's mee I must dye When my clothes are presented to the heate of the fire and requested to convey the warmth to my chillowed body then either the ayer lyeth in wayte and robbeth them of the heate or else the stricktnesse of the poares of my shrivelled skinne deny it accesse by those contracted doores Iob. 7.13 vers 14 vers 15 vers 16 When I say My bed shal comfort mee my couch shall ease my complaint them am I skared with dreames and terrified through visions so that my soule chooseth death rather then life I loath it I would not live allway let mee alone for my dayes are vanitie Ps 22.15 My strength is dryed up like a pot-sheard my tongue cleaveth to my jawes and I am brought into the dust of death I am chastened with paine upon my bed Iob 33 19. Ps 22.17 and the multitude of my bones with strong paine I may tell all my bones they looke and stareâ upon mee Lord what a walking ghost am I become even able to affright the world with amazement and wonder at the power of a Consumption Eyes fare yee well yee shall noe more be admird by spectatours nor convey enticements of wickednesse to my deluded heart Eares fare yee well yee shall noe more enjoy the fond delights of earthly musick nor shall the Ecchoeing Choristars of the yealding ajer any more bewitch you with the melodie of their voyces And yee the rest of my senses take your leaves labour noe more the service of my body for bitternesse hath seized upon my tast roughnesse my touch and dullnesse my smelling Mine eyes have now none other object then the bare perusing of âhe craggie mountaines of my rising bones and âhe pale dull lead-colloured skinne is so brivelled and deformed just like the parchment which is contracted and puckered by the âeate of the fire Mine Eares are entertained with noe other sound 's then a hollow cough which borroweth from my lungs as much of their froath as they can spare at a time and make's mee see how I howerly consume by mammocks All that I have is paine and all that I am is a burden to my selfe When I thinke to walke my knees complaine my Feete are unwilling if the charitable hand of a friend supporteth mee I am to beginne againe to learne to goe When I thinke to discourse the first word biddeth mee be silent and speake noe more lest my spirits should slinke from mee in the ajer of my speech I am growne as much a trouble to society as they doe appeare a burden unto mee I am not so weake in my digestion as I am various in mine appetite and if speedily I am not furnished with what I long for I am presently passionate if it cometh as I desire I am cloyed with the sight I puzzle mine invention to become my Caterer and if I obtaine what I thinke upon I am surfieted with looking upon it Full I am of paine but distinctly and most predominantly I know not where Every part hath a share in the anguish and yet I cannot say which part is most afflicted I cry when I am pained
be as constant in my prayers as the man âas constant in his attendance at the poole At ây gate ô Christ I must I doe continually âe Thy blood ô Iesus is the onely Bethesda âr my distressed soule Lord leade mee into ââ¦at poole of blood by the hand of faith and then I shall not distrust the effect of that âver 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 âeach mee the ignorance of the Physitians or âhe 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 ãâã 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 âe 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
meete thee my God and my mercifull Redeemer O God comfort mee O Christ strengthen mee O Iesus save mee Prepare mee for the happie hower of my deliverance from this world and then bring mee out of this valley of teares to those waters of comfort where I may sing tryumphantly to the honour of thy name through Iesus Christ my Lord and my Redeemer Amen subject 25 THE TWENTIE-FIFTH SUBjECT Teares of a mother on her death-bed blessing her children The Soliloquie Consisting of two parts viz 1 Her preparation to blesse them 2 The blessing it selfe ending in a prayer part 1 The First part of the Soliloquie being her preparation to blesse them 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 CHildren are an heritage of the Lord saith the Psalmist Ps 127.3 and the fruit of the wombe is his reward True indeede they come from the Lord and happy are they if they returne unto him Gracious hath my God beene to mee in the loane of my issue but unlesse hee shall be pleased to adde grace unto nature his blessing will be fearfully converted into a curse Weakenesse possesseth my body faintnesse my spirits 2. Tim. 4.6 and the time of my departure is neere at hand Goe I must yea and I am willing and joyfull to meete my God but oh the thought of my children disturbeth my mind and the consideration of what may become of them filleth my dying heart with cares and anxjeties If they live not in the feare of him who lent them unto mee my poore issue may become the fewell of hell What shall I doe If I should live I would take such care by the blessing of my God as that I might be a meanes to nurture them up in the feare of the most high but if I am taken away from them who can tell what their education may prove Strangers may governe them and such people for ought I know may undertake their tuition as may neglect the care of religious instructions and suffer them to runne head-long to the gulfe of perdition O what a curse would it prove beyond expression if that part of my selfe which is divided into litle ones if those which cost mee so many pangs and throwes should be disobedient to my God and so be sentenced to the flames of eternall horrour Alas I can doe noe more then what the Lord will permit mee While I am here I am bound both by nature and grace to endeavour my utmost for their holy advantage but when I shall be dissolved lye in the cold clods of my mother earth then can noe more care be expected from mee Ah my poore infants litle doe they thinke how they will misse their mother and wish mee alive againe as if they envyed my happinesse Hither and thither they may be tossed and tumbled and which is worst of all they may be brought up in ignorance or in lewdnesse and sensualitie Mee think's I see the frownes of a stepmother and the knitted browes menacing nothing but crueltie and tyrannie and then mee think's they weepe in one corner and lament in another bemoane their hard happ in the losse of my selfe Their hungrie bellies may be pinched with famine their bodies with cold and their backs with stripes when I shall not either heare or see or know it my head being layed in the low and silent grave Helpe they may call for when none will have the pittie to render them helpe So they may want and cry and be beaten and cry and be turned out of doores and cry when yet neither mercy will heare nor charitie hearken to the complaints of the motherlesse But why doe I spend so many of these swift minuits of my short continuance in such pensive melancholick and distrustfull thoughts and feares of what may happen True it is that these and others yea and worse inconveniences may happen to their bodies and yet they may prove the children of the Most high That ô that is all that I aime at for though I would not willingly have them suffer in their bodies yet I would not for a thousand worlds that they should suffer in their soules Hunger and thirst and stripes and nakednesse may be endured and in time either age or wealth or friends may free them from these out-ward sufferances but ignorance and ungodlinesse without the infinite mercies and goodnesse of my Redeemer will be punished with torments that shall never have end O what shall I doe then for my poore distressed children Grieve I doe but I feare that I offend in it mourne I doe but I doubt it is more then indeede I ought God is not weake or ignorant or impotent Hee hath beene a father to mee from the time of my conception and shall I yet distrust in his providence and protection of my children This were either to suspect his power or to deny his mercie I know it is his desire that they should be heires of salvation and I know that hee can effect whatsoever hee desireth To him therfore I will leave them to his care and tuition I will referre my tender and beloved plants And that hee may the more willingly become their guardiaen when I shall leave them while I live I will beseech him with abundance of my teares to admitt them his servants The wife of Zebideus made a bolder request to my gracious Redeemer Mat 20.21 for shee be sought him that those her two sonnes might sit the one on his right hand and the other on his left in his Kingdome vers 22 Shee poore woman as Christ replyed did not know what shee asked Shee knew not that the Kingdome of Christ was celestiall but dreamed of an earthly diademe and glory Her request was therfore the fuller both of boldnesse and ambition whom noe place would serve for those her children but what was highest and next to supreamest majestie Yet mee thinks I cannot much blame her for her love to them whom so dearely shee had bought There is noe earthly love to be compared to the love of a woman nor is any womans love to be compared to the love of a mother Surely David did not know how strong this passion of love is in the weaker vessells when hee said The love of Ionathan to him was wonderfull 2. Sam. 1.26 passing the love of women Wee mothers are like unto the charet of King Solomon whereof though the pillars were of silver Cant 3 10. and the bottome of gold and the covering of purple yet the midst thereof was paved with love for the daughters of Ierusalem Is 49.15 Can a woman saith God forget her sucking child that shee should not have compassion on the sonne of her wombe 'T is very rare indeede and yet it is possible for hee himselfe doeth say that they may forget Yet
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 âith 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 ãâã hands Doe not yee grieve too much that I am so neere my rest for it is the decree of ââ¦y God and the longing expectation of my âearied selfe The Lord give you patience to ândure this affliction and the Lord give mee âatience 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 âestimonies 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 âeare 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 ãâã upon them And now with Iacob I have made an ãâã of commanding you Gen. 49.33 and ready I am to gathâ⦠up my feete into the bed and to yeeld up the ãâã and to be gathered unto my fathers Onâ⦠come yee neere my deere ones that I ãâã 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 ãâã 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 âhe Soliloquie wherein is set forth part 1 1. A desire of life THE EjACULATION âsal 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 ãâã 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
and rent my heart and amend my life Ioël 2.13 and faithfully rely upon the passion of my Redeemer I may then assure my selfe that hee will correct mee with judgment Ier 10 24. and not in his anger I know that dye I must but in him I earnestly desire to dye When I was in health I thought not of mortalitie and therfore now I am in sicknesse I can skarce so much as hope for immortalitie But I will beseech him to spare mee a litle that I may repent Ps 39.13 before I goe hence and be noe more seene I faine would live not that I might adde to my sinnes but that I might be sorrie for my sinnes I would faine continue here a litle longer that so I might make my peace the surer Long I have continued in wickednesse ô my God spare mee a litle time to spend in contrition If I may enjoy my life but for a litle longer space I will resolve by the grace of my God to dedicate it wholly to the service of him and that I may in some measure make up my repentance before my departure I will beseech him if it may stand with his immutable decree to lend mee a litle more time wherein by his grace I may labour my reconciliation with him My time of death indeede seemeth to draw nigh and yet I doe not consider or at least I have not considered that all this time which I have lived I have beene truely dead Surely thus I have beene for so saith King Solomon Prov. 21.16 The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remaine in the congregation of the dead Thus have I beene dead even in trespasses and sinnes justly therfore now my life doeth hasten away Eph 2.1 and my death approacheth I am now layed upon my bed of sorrow Not as the un-chast Amnon was 2. Sam. 13.5 who lingered after an un-cleane enjoying of his sister Tamar onely counterfeiting a sicknesse Nor like the coveteous Ahab 1. King 21.4 who vexed himselfe because Naboth had denyed to sell him his vine-yard 2. Sam. 4.7 Nor like Ishbosheth ready to be slaine by a Rechab and a Baanah unlesse my sinnes and my sicknesse the effect of my sinnes be that Rechab and that Baanah But languishing I lye allmost despairing of recoverie by reason of the weakenesse of my neere consumed body and spirits through the sharpnesse of my disease Is 14.11 My pompe is even brought downe to the grave and the noise of my violls the worme is spread under mee and the wormes are ready to cover mee But let mee say with holy Iob Iob 10 20. Are not my dayes few Cease then ô my God and let mee alone that I may take comfort a litle vers 21 Before I goe whence I shall not returne even to the land of darknesse and the shadow of death A land of darknesse vers 22 as darknesse it selfe and the shadow of death without any order and where the light is as darknesse There is noe worke nor device Eccl. 9.10 Ps 6.5 knowledg nor wisedome in the grave whither I am goeing In death there is noe remembrance of thee ô my God in the grave who shall give thee thank 's Ps 115.17 Is 38.18 The dead praise not thee ô Lord neither any that goe downeinto silence The grave cannot praise thee death cannot celebrate thee they that goe downe into the pit cannot hope for thy trueth vers 19 The living onely the living hee shall praise thee the father to the children shall make knowne thy trueth Thou thy selfe hast professed that thou art not a God of the dead Matt 22.32 Ps 88.10 vers 11 but of the living wilt thou then shew wonders to the dead Shall the dead arise and praife thee Shall thy loving kindnesse be declared in the grave Or thy faithfullnesse in destruction vers 12 Shall thy wonders be knowne in the darke And thy righteousnesse in the land of forgetfullnesse Consider then Ps 13.3 Ps 69.15 and heare mee ô Lord my God lighten mine eyes that I sleepe not in death Let not the water-flood over-flow mee neither let the deepe swallow mee up and let not the pit shut her mouth upon mee Heare mee ô Lord vers 16 for thy loving kindnesse is good turne unto mee according to the multitude of thy tender mercies 1. Sam 2.6 Thou art hee who doest both kill and make alive who bringest downe to the grave 2. King 4.20 bringest up againe When the Shunamite's child had sate on his mother's knees untill noone vers 21 it then departed but shee went up and layed him on the bed of the man of God vers 32 and shut the doore upon him and went out And when Elisha was come into the house behold the child was dead and laid upon his bed vers 33 hee went in therfore and shut the doore upon them twaine and prayed unto thee my greate and powerfull God vers 35 And the child neezed seaven times and the child opened his eyes Mat 9.18 When the ruler of the Synagogue worshipped my Saviour and sayd My daughter is even now dead but come and lay thine hand upon her and shee shall live vers 25 Then hee went in and tooke her by the hand and the mayd arose O my God to thee I submit my selfe doe with mee as thou pleasest In thy power it is to spare mee for a while It will not be harder for thee to restore mee to health then it was to restore the dead unto life Faine I would live longer that I may repent more Lord if it be thy pleasure adde yet some more dayes unto my life restore mee to health and make mee praise thee for thy mercies Longer I would not live unlesse thou shalt be pleased with my life to renew mine obedience and yet dye I would not unlesse thou shalt first be pleased to give mee a sense of my sinnes and a sorrow upon that sense and a comfortable and contenting joy upon that sorrow Thou art the potter and I am the clay allready thou hast made mee and it is now in thy power either to breake mee into sheards or to preserve mee whole I who have cryed so much in the extreamitie of mine anguish doe now beseech thee with my teares to spare mee Mat. 8.8 O speake the word onely and thy servant shall be healed But yet howsoëver I submit to thine owne good pleasure Lord if it may be thy will let the skill of my Phisitians and the power of my medicines and whatsoëver shall be administred unto mee take a blessing from thee if thou shalt restore mee againe to thee and to thy service will I devote my life My time shall be thine my dayes thine my thoughts my words and mine actions thine So shall thy mercy be magnified and thy praise I will be for ever singing and will
I am strongly assured that shortly even presently Ps 36.9 in thy light in thy Kingdome whereof thou thy selfe art the light Reu 21 23. Eccl. 7.1 I shall see light Now doe I with heavenly comfort assure my selfe that the day of death is better farre better then the day of my birth for I was borne to sinne Ps 23.4 but I dye to reigne Now though I walke through the valley of the shadow of death I can feare noe evill for thou art with mee thy rod and thy staffe thy comfort mee VVhat though I am counted with them that goe downe to the pit Ps 88.4 andam as a man that hath noe strength Iob. 17 1. VVhat though my breath be corrupt though my spirit be spent though my dayes be extinct and though the graves be ready for mee vers 13 VVhat though the grave be mine house and presently I shall make my bed in the darknesse VVhat though corruption vers 16 and the worme shall goe downe to the barrs of the pit and our rest shall be together in the dust VVhat though death be come up into my windowes into mine eyes Ier. 9.21 Ps 107 18. and be entered into the tabernacle of my body VVhat though my soule abhorreth all manner of meate and I draw necre unto the gates of death VVhat though my heart be sore pained within mee Ps 55.4 Ps 44.17 and the terrours of death be fallen upon mee Yet though all this be come upon mee I will not forget thee o my God neither will I deale falsly in thy covenant vers 18 My heart shall not be turned back neither shall my stepps decline from thy way noe vers 19 though thou hast sore broken mee in the place of dragons and doest cover mee with the shadow of death I am goeing now the way of all the earth Ios 23.14 and doe know in my heart and in my soule that not one thing shall faile mee which the Lord my God hath promised to his elect Now am I joyfully goeing to the gates of the grave Is 38.10 I am deprived of the residue of my yeares vers 11 vers 12 I shall behold man noe more with the inhabitants of the earth Mine age is departed and is removed from mee even as a shep-heard's tent But yet Lord Ps 39.7 what is my hope Truely my hope is even in thee I shall speedily depart then shall I joyfully be freed from sinne Mat 26 38. The soule of my Redeemer was exceeding sorrowfull even unto death and all for my sake as well as for others that I might now be joyfull and rejoyce unto life Mee think 's that voyce from heaven which was heard by the Apostle is now sounding in mine eares and saying Reu. 14 13. Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord from hence forth yea faith the spirit that they may rest from their labours and their workes doe follow them Mee think's I find the words of the Psalmist full of truth and comfort Ps 116.15 that Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints O now mee think's like that blessed martyr Saint Stephen looking up to the heavens I see thâ⦠open Act 7.55 Ps 31.5 and the glory of God and my Iesus staâ ding on the right hand of his father I come Lord I come Into thy hands I commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed mee ô Lord thâ⦠God of truth Take mee into thine armes ô God Act. 7.59 Convey mee to thy Kingdome ô Christ Lord Iesus receave my spirit Amen subject 27 The TWENTIE-SEAVENTH SUBJECT Teares in the distressed time of civill warrs The Soliloquie containing a patheticall and grievous lamentation for the present distractions both in the Church Common-wealth by reason of these cruell most bloody warrs 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 SHall a trumpet be blowne in the city and the people not be afraid Amos. 3.6 Saith the Lord by the mouth of his holy Prophet A trumpet Why Lev. 25 9. Is that so dreadfull So terribleâ I find that a trumpet of Iubilee was appointedâ be sounded in the day of atonement throughout ãâã the land of promise when the Israelitâ should come into it and certainly wheâ that trumpet sounded the people rejoyced ãâã were not afraid Yea but the Lord called not to rejoycing and Iubilees when he threatned Israel by the mouth of that Prophe who was among the herdmen of Tekoa Amos. 1.1 The first sound of a trumpet that ever was heard as the Scriptures mention was a cause of trembling Ex. 19.14.15 for the third day after Mosâ went downe from the Mount unto the people vers 16 in the morning there were thunders anâ lightnings and a thick clowde upon the mount and the voice of the trumpet exceeding lowd so that all the people that were in the campe trembled Yea they so trembled and were so afraid when they saw the thunderings c. 20.18 and the lightâ nings and the noise of the trumpet and the mountaine smoaking that they removed and stood a farre off vers 19 and said unto Moses Speake thou with us and wee will heare but let not God speake with us lest wee die This was the first sound of a trumpet that ever was heard and I find that this was a cause of trembling Againe I reade that the trumpet was ordained for the sounding an all arme Num. 10.5 and that o that is it which now sound 's in our eares Nothing but a point of warre nothing but newes of firâ and fword is heard among us The ââ¦umpets the trumpets oh they sound they ââ¦nd a shrill and horrid dinne a fearfull ââ¦se they make in our eares and our newââ¦ced cities and our new-fortified townes ââ¦e encompassed as once Iericho was when ââ¦e trumpets of rams-hornes were blowne by ââ¦e priests and the people showted Ios 6 8. vers 16 Surely that ââ¦ay is come upon us which the Lord threatââ¦ed Ierusalem with by the mouth of his Proââ¦het for the mighty man cryeth bitterly Zeph. 1 14. vers 15 the ââ¦y of wrath is come upon us the day of trouble ââ¦d distresse the day of wastnesse and desolaââ¦on the day of darknesse and gloominesse the âay of cloudes and thick darknesse vers 16 the day of the ârumpet and all-arme against the fenced cities ând against the high towers vers 17 Distresse is come âpon us that we walke like blind men because we have sinned against the Lord and our blood is âowred out as dust and our flesh is as the dung Oh that is fallen upon us which was threatââ¦ed to Egypt Our land is watered with blood Eze 32 6. wherein wee doe swimme even to the mounâaines and
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 intrâted 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 Haât 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
2.16 Dan 3.29 lying in a manger King Nebuchad nezzar made a decree that every people nation and language which spake any thing amisse against the God of Shadrach Meshech and Abednigo should be cut in pieces and their houses should be made Iakes So the Geneva translation but now wee have all pretending to be worshippers of that God yea even those who esteeme our Churches noe better then what those Blasphemers houses were to be turned into yea and in good earnest such Ioel. 2.20 such places of stench and filthinesse they account fitt and good enough to offer their incense in to the God of heaven But doe they not thinke that their stinke doth come up and their ill savour come up unto the great God and that he will say unto them Is 1.13 your incense is an abomination unto mee Idolatrie hath in ancient times foolishly set forth our Churches with Pageantrie and gawdie trickings of superstition in our later times wee dreaded the courtings and the slow-paced but cunning and subtle insinuations of the prowd whore of Babylon and now mee think's wee have a strang kind of alteration Mat 12 25. for here is not onely a Kingdome ô woe is the time divided against it felfe but allso Satan in some places seeming to cast out Satan profanenesse to cast out superstition 1. Chr. 2.7 Nay every troubler of our Israel every Schismatick every Sectarist every Vpstart as well as ould Heretick comes in among us as did the wise men Ex 7.11 the sorcerers the magicians of Egypt before Pharaoh and casteth downe every man his rod and they become serpents Gen. 3.15 But o when will the seede of the woman bruise nay breake these serpents heads When will that Angel which hath the key of the bottomlesse pit come downe from heaven with a great chaine in his hand Reu 20 1. vers 2. vers 3. and lay hold on the Dragon that old serpent and all the young ones made of the magicians rod's and bind them and cast them into the bottomlesse pit and shut them up and set a seâ upon them that they deceave the nations nâ more Heb 9.10 Is not this time hoped to be the times Reformation Why then doe Iacob and Esaâ still strugle in the wombe of our Rebeckah Gen. 25 22. Ex. 14.24 vers 25 Iud. 5.28 Isa 5.28 What troubleth our host and taketh off our charet wheeles that they drive so heavily Why tarry the wheeles of the charet Why are not the wheeles like the whirlewind Shall the children come to the birth and shall there not be strength to bring forth Shall the seamlesse coate of Christ be allways thus torne in pieces Shall the souldiers still teare it Shall they still cast lots what every man should take c 37.5 Ioa. 19.23 Mar. 15.24 Ioa 19.34 Ps 74.10 Yea and not content with tearing his coate shall the souldier with a speare pierce his very side allsâ O God how long shall the adversarie reproach Shall the enemies blaspheme thy name for ever Time was when Micah had an house of godâ and made an Eâhod and Teraphim and consecrated one of his Sons who became his Priest but in those dayes saith the text there was noe King in Israel Iud 17 5. vers 6. but every man did that which was right in his owne eyes Wee cannot truely say wee have noe King but too truely wee may see that allmost every man striveth to doe that which is right in his owne eyes Alas Num 24.23 Is 1.25 vers 27 Who shall live when God doth this When will the Lord turne his hand upon us and purely purge away our drosse and take away all our tinne When shall Zion be redeemed with judgment and her converts with righteousnesse 2. Sam 15.31 Isa 1.5 vers 6. When shall the counsell of Achitophel be turned into foolishnesse The whole head is sick and the whole heart faint From the sole of the foote even to the head there is noe soundnesse but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores that are neither closed nor bound up nor mollified with ointment Eze 11 2. 2. King 11.17 O that the men that devise mischiefe and give wicked counsell might once come to an end Lord how wee long for a Iehojada to make a covenant betweene the Lord and the King and the people that wee should be the Lords people betweene the King allso and the people vers 18 and that all the people of our land would goe into the house of Baal and breake it downe breake his altars and his images in pieces thorowly and that he would take the rulers over hundreds vers 19 vers 20 and the captaines and the guard and the people of the land and all of them bring the King to his house and set him upon the throne of the Kings that all the people of the land may rejoyce and the City may be in quiet The Lord once did how the hearts of all the men of Iudah even as the heart of one man 2. Sam. 19.14 vers 15 so that they sent this word to the King Returne thou and all thy servants So the King returned and came to Iordan and Iudah came to Gilgal to meete the King to conduct the King O that our dayes of mourning were turned into a day of rejoycing and showting Ezra 4.10 that wee might offer sacrifices of sweete savours for it unto the God heaven But such a day of rejoycing wâ cannot expect nor hope for untill our Goâ shall be pleased to make us more sensiblâ first of our sinns and then of our present an emergent calamities Alas Alas wee pretenâ to be sorrie for our sinns and wee pray foâ peace and yet full litle doe wee remembeâ that there is noe peace saith the Lord Is 48.22 unto the wicked It would prove indeed a most inralluable blessing 2. King 20.19 if wee could see peace and truth in our dayes and wee are assured the to the counsellers of peace there is joy Prov. 12.20 But what hopes can wee have of peace while our ââ¦quities separate betweene us and our God If. 59.2 and our sinns hide his face froÌ us that hee will nâ heare vers 3. Our hands are defiled with blood our fingers with iniquity Our lips speake lies our tongues mutter perversnesse vers 4. who calleâ⦠for justice And who pleadeth for truth Wee trust in vanity and speake lies wee conceave mischiefe and bring forth iniquity Wee hatch cockatrice eggs vers 5. and weave the spiders webbs hee that eateth of the eggs dyeth and that which is crushed breaketh forth into a viper vers 6. vers 7. Our workes are workes of iniquity and the act of violence is in our hands Our feete runne to evill and wee make hast to shed innocent blood our thoughts are thoughts of iniquity wasting and desolation are in out paths
out all the land every man's sword is against his brother the Lord pleadeth against us with blood vers 22 vers 18 and with fire and with brimstone His fury is upon his face vers 19 and a great shaking is in our land The covers of our souldiers are iron their weopons are iron and their hearts are allso iron so hard are their hearts that they kill without remorse and they pillage and plunder without pitty or commiseration The baggs that swelled with unjust gaine and moneys purchased by extortion fraud now wonder at their owne emptinesse and in their shrivell'd and pursed cheekes seeme to mourne for their falling away Eccles 5.16 This is a sore evill that in all points as the deceaver came so shall hee goe and what profit hath hee that hath laboured for the wind The plunderers suck downe his swollen purse and leave nothing but a be and naked skinne and by a new law of gaâ⦠they teach by the way of violence how toâ in an hower as much as hee in his age cââ¦scrape up by falshood And when hee looker with an heavy and wish-full eye upon his departing moneys never to be re-called â deepe sigh tell 's him 't is well that some meânes are found to awaken his conscience So hee spends his drooping dayes in wishing that hee were as innocent as many that are ãâã poore and it may be that by the losse of his coyne hee gaines some religion Those againe whose honest care and thriftie labours had beene so blessed that their moneys had increased yea even by diminishing and had multiplied for their charity finding now the uncertainty of what the world falsely account's a treasure part with their money with as deepe but not a coveteous sigh anâ that out of a consideration that the emptinesse of their coffers will be burdensome one day to their new but fellonious possessours They grieve that rapine should be more powerfull then innocency yet content themselves with the certaine assurance of treasures in heaven The surly robber in the interim with a crustie conscience rejoyceth at the purchase of his owne destruction and to shew that hee hath as litle care of his issue as he hath of his soule consume's in riott what his children may beg for The lowest spoake is now come to be the highest in the wheele and that which was the uppermost is turned to the ground The ârich are become poore and those who formerly were of a low esteeme now pride it in the feathers of other birds Solomons observations is come to passe in our dayes Eccles 10.6 vers 7. the rich sit in low place yea and wee see servants upon horses and princes walking as servants upon the earth Ier 12.12 The spoilers are come upon all high places for the sword of the Lord doth devoure from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land noe flesh hath peace Wee sowe wheate vers 13 but wee reape thornes wee put our selves to paine but noe profit come's of it and wee are even ashamed of our revenues because of the fierce anger of the Lord. Our bloody victories are mixed both with joy and sorrow for even our very conquests tryumphs are mournfull The more wee slay the fewer kindred and friends and acquaintance are left us and much of that blood which wee draw from others is part of that which runneth in our owne veines Iacob and Esau brethren of the same wombe contend for the birth-right and many a man strive's to supplant to surprise to destroy his kinsman his brother yea and his owne father Our tongues are become prisoners and are kept close under the roofes of our mouths and within the grates of our teeth yea and that in the compaâ⦠them who are or should be deerest unto and all for feare of trecherie and discover The prudent are enforced to keepe silence because is an evill time Amos. 13. Mic 8.5 Wee dare not trust a friend ãâã put confidence in a guide wee keepe ãâã doores of our mouths from them that lies our bosomes vers 6. The sonne dishonoureth the fathâ⦠the daughter riseth up against her mother and the daughter in law against her mother in law Brother delivereth up brother to death Mat 10 21. and the father the child and the children rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death Five in one house are divided Luc 12 52. vers 53 three against two and two against three The father is divided against the Sonne and the sonne against the father the mother against the daughter aâ the daughter against the mother the mothâ⦠in law against the daughter in law and the daughter in law against her mother in law and a man's foes are those of his owne household Mat. 10 36. Mal. 4.6 The Lord God of heaven amend these wicked times and turne the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers Ps 69.22 Is 29.21 Ier 48.43 vers 44 Our very tables become snares before us and that which should have beene for our well-fare is become a trap A man is made an offender for a word and a snare is layd for him that reproveth in the gate Feare and the pit and the snare are upon us hee that fleeth from the feare falleth into the pit and ââ¦e that getteth up out of the pit is taken in the ââ¦are the yeeres of our visitation are upon ãâã The spoiler is come upon every city vers 8. and noe ââ¦ty escaped the vallies allso perish and the âaines are destroyed c 15.7 The Lord doeth fanne ãâã with a fanne in the gates of our land hee ââ¦th bereave us of our children hee doth destroy âs people because wee returne not from our wayes Our widowes are increased to us above the sand âf the seas vers 8. the Spoyler at noone day is brought âpon us Shee that hath borne seaven languisheth vers 9. âhee hath given up the ghost her sunne is gone downe while it was yet day and the residue of ââ¦s are delivered to the sword before our enemies c 6.26 O that wee would gird our selves with sackcloth and wallow our selves in ashes and make our selves mourning as for an onely sonne most bitter lamentation for the spoiler suddenly cometh upon us Isa 21.2 Ier 48.10 The treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously and the spoiler spoileth Yea and the word is given out among us Cursed be hee that keepeth back his sword from blood and yet few of us doe consider that the Lord God of recompences shall surely requite c 51.56 Amos. 5.18 Woe unto them that desired this day of the Lord. To what end is it for them Alasse the day of the Lord is darknesse and not light vers 19 As if a man did flee from a lion and a beare mett him in the way or went into the house
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
have mercy upon us Ps 30.11 Ps 65.2 Ps 69.34 âord be thou our helper O thou that hearest ârayer thou that hearest the poore and despisest âot the prisoners cause thou us to fast and âay and reade and weepe and repent as thou âequirest Is 58.8 that our light may breake forth as the âorning our health may spring forth speedily âo our righteousnesse shall goe forth before us âhe glory of thee our Lord shall be our reward Mat 2.18 Oh how dolefull is this voyce which is heard in âur Rama this lamentation and weeping and great mourning Rachel weeping for her children ând will not be comforted because they are not Al-mighty God everlasting father Is 9.6 prince of âeace thou who didst comfort thy disciples that in thee they might have peace Io. 16.33 Gen 8.11 because in the world they should have tribulation be pleased I beseech thee in mercy to send thy dove with the olive leafe of peace into this our distressed Kingdome When thy servant Solomon dedicated his temple to thy holy worship he prayed unto thee and sayd 1 King 8.33 When thy people Israel shall be smitten downe before the enemie because they have sinned against thee and shall turne againe to thee and confesse thy name and pray vers 34 and make supplication unto thee Then heare thou in heaven and forgive the sinne of thy people Israel and bring them againe to the land which thou gavest to their fathers Heavenly father wâ are smitten downe before our enemies anâ that because wee have sinned against thee but by thy grace wee turne againe to the and confesse thy name and pray and makâ our supplications to thee in thy templesâ Heare thou us in heaven and forgive thâ sinns of thy distressed and back-sliding Israel compose our grievous divisions and destructions Mercifull father bow downe thine eare to mee the worst of all this thine Israel who in the name of our whole nation doe here beseech thee to be pacified with this broken Kingdome smitten downe with its owne bloody and sharpest sword Make us all ãâã turne againe unto thee and pray and maâ⦠our supplications unto thee more frequentâ and more fervently then formerly wee haâ⦠done that thou mayst heare us and he alt our land O thou sword of the Lord hoâ long will it be ere thou be quiet Ier 47.6 Put up thy sell into thy skabbard rest and be still O God of peace ô Prince of peace thou and thoâ onely it is who makest warrs to cease in all the world Ps 46.9 when so thou pleasest who breakest the bowe and knappest the speare iâ sunder and burnest the chariots in the fire O give thou unto us thy wounded people such rest on every side 1. King 5.4 c 8.57 that wee may have neither adversarie nor evill occurrent Doe thou o Lord our God be with us as thou wert with our fathers doe not leave us nor forâke us Make us incline our hearts to thee vers 58 âd walke in thy wayes and keepe thy comâandements and thy statutes and thy judgâents which thou commandedst our fathers Thou o God art the God of peace thou Rom 15.33 ãâã Christ art the Prince of peace thou o heaâenly and blessed Spirit art the Dove of âeace o thou united Trinitie give peace in his our land that wee may lie downe Lev 26 6. and âone may make us afraid O let not the âword any longer goe through our land but doe âhou walke among us and be our God vers 12 and let âs be thy people Give peace in our time ãâã Lord let the righteous flourish Ps 72.7 yea and âboundance of peace so long as the moone endureth Give the King thy judgments vers 1. ãâã God and thy righteousnesse unto the Kings Sonnes Let the mountaines bring forth peace vers 3. and the litle hills righteousnesse unto thy people O King of Kings and Lord of Lords doe thou in mercy direct and continue our Soveraigne Lord the King in the truth and purity of our religion without inclining either to the right hand or to the left Make him allways a Royall protectour a zealous professour and a constant practiser of the same Blesse him o thou God of blessings in his Royall Person blesse him in his Consort blesse him in his Issue blesse him in his Counsellers and blesse him in all his People even froÌ Dan to Beersheba Be propitious ô thou wonderfull Counsellâ in an especiall and peculiar manner unto thâ head and members of our high and most honââ¦rable Parliament Doe thou knitt and unâ them doe thou guide and direct them in aâ their counsells and consultations that they maâ unanimously joyntly conclude upon such who some lawes as may tend to the suppression oâ wickednesse and vice and the maintenance of thy true religion and vertue rooting up all atheisne and profanenesse all herefie and superstition all schisme and faction that both church and common wealth may be religiously and firmely knitted and tyed together in the unitie of the spirit Ps 85.11 by the bond of peace Let thy truth o Goâ of truth flourish out of the earth and righteounesse looke downe from heaven Doe thou Loâ shew thy loving kindnesse unto thy people vers 12 ãâã let our land give it's increase Let thy peopâ⦠dwell in peaceable habitations Isa 32.18 and in suâ dwellings and in quiet resting places Cauâ⦠thou us to beate our swords into ploâ shares c 2.4 and our speares into pruning-hookesâ and suffer us not to learne such civill warâ any more c 11.5 Let righteousnesse be the girdâ of our loynes and faithfulnesse the girdle of our reines vers 6. Let the wolfe allso dwell with tâ lamb and the leopard lie downe with the kiâ and the calfe and the young lyon and the fatling together and let a litle child leadâ them vers 8. Let a sucking child play on the hole of âhe aspe and a weaned child put his hand on the âockatrice denne Breake thou the bowe Hos 2.18 and the sword and the battell out of the earth and make us to lie downe safely vers 19 Betroth us unto thee for ever in righteousnesse and in judgment and in loving kindnesse and in mercies O let us sit downe every one under our vines Mic 4.4 and under our fig trees let there be none en make us afraid Glory be to thee ô God in the highest Luc 2.14 Io 14.27 1. Sam. 25.6 2. Thes 3.16 Rom 5.1 Eph. 2.14 and on earth peace and good will towards men Suffer not ô eternall peace the hearts of us to be troubled neither let us be afraid Peace be both to us and peace be to our houses and peace be to all that wee have and that in and through him who is the Lord of peace Iustifie us all by faith that wee may have peace with thee
I climb up into a tree for it Yea I doe climb and into a tree too O it is the tree of mine owne pride and vanitie which beareth leaves goodly broade shadowing leaves but it beareth noe fruit at all nothing but keyes and those keyes are fitted onely for the wide gate that leadeth to destruction Mat. 7.13 they will never un-lock the gates of heaven This child is young hee is a babe a babe in age a babe in growth I am a babe not in age not in growth but such a one as the Corinthians were to whom the Apostle wrote 1. Cor. 3.1 and sayd that hee could not speake unto them as unto spirituall but as unto carnall even as unto babes in Christ My child is young and tender and simple apt to be led with trifles to stragle abroad with children to be caried any whither at the pleasure of her to whose charge hee is left I am a child too a verier child then mine owne apt to be tossed to and fro Eph. 4.14 and caried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lye in wayt to deceave And now what shall I doe I am the verier child of the two the most sinfull of the two and yet my child is afflicted with sicknesse and to mee noe other punishment is at present alotted but the griefe which I have for the sicknesse of my child Hee still cryeth still must I therfore cry Hee groaneth and I must allso groane Yea I doe groane I groane in spirit that my Iesus may cure the diseases of my soule I groane too for my child my prettie sweete babe that my Iesus may howsoever cure the infirmities of his soule and if hee so pleaseth recover allso the health of his body This must be the way to him I must thus goe Io. 14.6 Ps 30.8 for hee himselfe hath styled himselfe the way I will therfore cry unto the Lord and get mee unto my Lord right humbly I will goe to the gate of the physitian the gate of mercy and there I will knock and call and cry for entrance I will fall upon my knees and wring my hands and smite my breast Is 38.14 and weepe and mourne like a Crane and chatter like a Swallow even untill mine eyes faile with looking upward and thus will I say unto him The Prayer GReate God whose power is irresistable and whose pleasure is the rule of thy servant's obedience bow downe thine eare to my sad intreaties Thou hast stricken mee with sorrow who have not mourned for the cause and by the sicknesse of mine infant thou hast taught mee the frailtie of our mortall bodyes I see that all flesh is as grasse 1. Pet. 1.24 and the glory thereof but as the flowre of the field Mine impenitent heart I must confesse deserveth thy justice and my sinfull life this punishment of my tender infant But thou ô Lord art mercifull though I am sinfull and art apt to forgive those that truely repent O my God I desire to be sorrowfull for mine offences and earnestly I besiech thee to give mee true contrition for all my sinnes Iob. 7.20 O thou preserver of men remitt both my sinnes and the punishment which is justly due unto mee for them that I may rejoyce in thy mercy and magnifie thee for thy goodnesse Looke gratiously upon this child who feeleth the scourge though gently of thy justice due both for his and for my transgressions O let not thy wrathfull displeasure continue upon him nor my greater crimes cause an addition unto his torments Thy servant David confessed his sinnes and submitted to thy rod but yet hee cryed concerning his people 2. Sam. 24.19 and sayd These sheepe what have they done I dare not justifie this thy patient but I must needes acknowledg that for mine iniquities as well as for his thou thus doest wound him But ô thou who didst once command Mat. 19 14. that litle children should be brought unto thee didst prefer them for patternes both of innocency and humilitie shew now thy power in the weakenesse of this child Enable him with patience to endure thy visitation and direct mee to the meanes which may conduce to his recoverie if thou in thy secret decree hast so determined it Ps 6.2 Have mercy upon him ô Lord for hee is weake ô Lord heale him and free him from his sufferings Thou art hee that tookest him out of my wombe Ps 22.9 Ps 9.13 Ps 41.2 and canst as easily if thou pleasest lift him up now from the gates of death Preserve him ô God if it may be thy heavenly pleasure and keepe him alive that hee may be blessed upon earth ô heale his soule and raise him up againe Give a blessing to the meanes which shall be used for his recovery Ps 119 91. Ps 56.8 that all things in their order may be knowne to serve thee O let the teares of mee thine afflicted supplicant be put into thy botle and let the cryes of mee thy mournefull hand-mayd who beg for this infant be heard in the eares of thee the Lord of hosts Thou thy selfe didst weepe ô Christ Io. 11.35 for the death of Lazarus take compassion therfore on the weeping mother of this diseased child O let not my teares be shed in vaine but mercifully free this infant from his anguish and sufferings Yet howsoëver thou hast decreed righteous father not my will Mat 26.39 Ier 10.24 but thy will be done Onely let mee besiech thee to visit him in mercy and not in thy fury lest he be consumed and brought to nought Make him able to beare what thou determinest to send and in thy good time raise him out of this miserie Lord give mee allso a willing submission to thy holy pleasure that so I may neither discover too much fondnesse of affection to this my beloved issue when I see him subject to frailtie and mortalitie nor too immoderately grieve if thou receavest him to thy selfe Forgive whatsoëver is amisse in him and let his soule de deare and pretious in thy sight O Let thy mercy pleade against thy severitie let thy gratious promises be had in thy remembrance and let thy Christ be heard in his intercession both for mee and mine To thy will ô Lord make mee readily submitt to thy holy pleasure make mee willingly yeeld Thine is this infant Ps 39.13 and thou lentest him mee ô spare him a litle that hee may recover his strength before hee goe hence and be noe more seene To thy pleasure ô heavenly father I willingly refer him besieching thee to send him thy grace while hee shall remaine upon earth and after that receave him into glory for the worthinesse of thine onely begotten Sonne Iesus Christ our onely Lord and Saviour Amen subject 17 THE SEAVENTEENTH SUBjECT Teares of a Mother for the death of her child The Soliloquie THE EjACULATION Psal 5.