place a Memento in the midst and as it were in the front thereof Further thy holy Spirit in the Prophet doth brand and note this privation as the root and cause of all Rebellions Because saith he my People have forgotten me they have burnt Incense unto vanity Lastly which adds to and most aggravates this my languor wicked Men are in thy Word thus described and painted out To be without God in the World and not to have thee in all their ways to cast thy Laws behind them and to forget thee as I have done O Lord since I have lost this precious gift in the first Adam let me receive it again in thee the second that my Soul being adorned with holy impressions may become the Temple of thee my Saviour Strengthen thy self in Me O dejected Soul and in these thy wants Look unto me who works in thee both the will and the deed of my good pleasure and will my self also freely give thee all things As I am not ignorant of thy defects so I am not to seek of thy cure I know there is a double forgetfulness in corrupted nature the one of thy sins to repent the other of my Word and Laws to practice But know thou this also that although for a time my Elect may forget me yet they shall never be forgotten of me Can a Woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her Wombe yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee for I will remember my Covenant with thee and will establish unto thee an everlasting Covenant And because I will do thus thou shalt also remember thy ways and be ashamed and thou shalt loath thy self in thy own sight for all the evil which thou hast committed And as for the other defect be assured that the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom my Father will send in my name he shall teach thee all things and bring all things into thy remembrance whatsoever I have said unto thee For This is the Covenant that I will make with thee I will put my Law into thy inward parts and write it in thy Heart and will be thy God and thou shalt be my Servant O my Lord I can never sufficiently admire thy power thy free Love and the healing vertue of thy sacred and refreshing word But what sweetness or relief what hope of remedy and recovery can my diseased Soul receive from it that wants a will to receive or apply thy comfortable Plaisters unto my festred sores Can the knowledge and sight of Meat feed the hungry Can the beholding of riches satisfie the needy or the Physicians Medicament cure without application No Lord they cannot How then can thy Holy Word work upon me any gracious effects that have a wretched will refractory to hearing reading meditation or any good use thereof If the mind and understanding be evil the will which is their servant and agent must needs be so also And if it hath its work in all evil actions it must not be left out nay cannot be idle or wanting in those that are good But my will is continually opposite to thine which is the rule of equity and justice and therefore cannot work the works of God It is true thou canst not For as I said before I work in thee both to will and to do But because thou canst not wilt thou limit my power also Cannot I that at first gave thee a will now at the last give thee a good will Is it not as easie for me to bend move and change thy nilling will into a willing one as to enlighten and quicken the other dead faculties of thy Soul Or is my free grace and love less benevolent unto it than unto the rest No surely It is not for my honour nor is it in thy power to be primarily and voluntarily assistant in this work For of my own will I beget my Children that those that glory may glory in the Lord humbly confessing that it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Mercifull Saviour I know thou canst cure dangerous yea desperate diseases But Lord I fear that I am too far gone that I have lost and let slip my opportunity and time of grace even that Day wherein thou wilt speak and be spoken to So that now I may justly expect that thou wilt swear in thy wrath that I shall not enter into thy rest And that this my fear may not seem groundless be thou pleased to feel the Pulses of my corrupted Soul and thou shalt finde that they beat not at all or if they do their motion is either exorbitant or full of intermissions Is it not thy command that I should love thee love my God with all my heart with all my soul with all my minde For thou wilt love them that love thee Is it not negative also thus Love not the World neither the things that are in the World For if thou lovest the World the love of the Father is not in thee What then Lord will become of me who have loved darkness rather than light and have been a lover of pleasures more than a lover of thee my God Further if at any time I be in love or ravisht with thee as beholding that excellent beauty which streams forth from all thy glorious attributes especially thy mercy how weak and of what short continuance are these flashes being like lightning which gone make but the night the darker So that in their so long absence I have just cause to fear their return doubting lest thou wilt say of me as once of the Laodiceans that because I am neither hot nor cold but luke-warm thou wilt therefore spite me out of thy mouth Again doth not thy Kingdome within us consist in righteousness in peace and in joy of the Holy Ghost which kinde of joy for the excellency thereof thou callest thine as also because of its procession from thee and from thy spirit it being that unparallel'd and unconceivable mirth which admits no mixture of sorrow no higher pitch of solace This this was it which so ravisht thy holy ones making them breath forth seraphically with Habakkuk I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation with the Spouse we will be glad and rejoyce in thee with David in thy presence is fulness of joy and with Peter we rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious Now O Lord in what ranck shall I place my self who being carnal and sold under sin savours not the things that be of God but those that be of Men not rejoycing in thee but in my own vain and sinfull imaginations proudly boasting and rejoyceing with those reprehended by the Apostle in those few gifts thou hast indued me with as
exhorting you to repentance towards God and faith to our Lord Jesus Christ. And now behold I am as one bound a Prisoner and a banished man separated from you not knowing what things shall further befall me But none of these things move or grieve me neither count I my life dear unto my self so that I might finish my course with joy For I am perswaded and assured that neither Tribulation or Distress Persecution or Famine nakedness or peril or Sword Death or Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus my Lord or cause to cease my love to him As therefore loving him because he hath loved me first Yea I am further assured that when I have finished my course a Crown of righteousness is laid up for me which my Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that Day and not to me only but unto all those that love his appearing And now my dearly beloved ones I know not God he only knows whether we shall see the Face of one another any more Wherefore that living or dead I may discharge my duty as a Husband and as a Father I take you to record this Day that I am pure from the blood of you all For I have not shunned to declare unto you the counsel of God Take heed therefore to your Souls which God hath purchased with his own blood for I know that after my departure grievous Wolves and Enemies such as the mighty Powers of Darkness the numerous tempting and malicious men of the World and that out of your own selves which therefore are the most dangerous of adversaries will arise strong innumerable and impetuous Lusts all endeavouring to draw you from the Faith and to destroy your most precious Souls Therefore watch and remember that by the space of these many years I have not ceased to warn every one of you Night and Day with tears Therefore my dearly beloved and longed for my Joy and Crown stand fast in the Lord my dearly beloved And I intreat thee also true Yoke-fellow help counsel and encourage our Children in the way of godliness and righteousness which is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come Hide not thy talent nor neglect the gifts that are in thee until I come again unto you Give attendance to reading to exhortation meditate upon these things that I have written and give thy self wholly to them that thy profiting may appear to all Be an example to our Children in Word in Conversation in Chastity in Spirit in Faith in Purity For in doing this thou shalt both save thy Self and Family now solely under thy charge and as to the care of whose Soulâ— thou must shortly be accountable at God's Tribunal O ye that are my precious Jewels my chief and only riches upon Earth my mouth is open to you my heart is enlarged ye are not straitned in me be ye not therefore straitned in your own bowels Now for a recompence in the same I speak unto you as unto my Children be ye also enlarged And now dear and beloved Christians for this is the highest and shall be my concluding Title and sweetest compellation as therein not knowing you after the Flesh I commend you unto God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build up and to give you an Inheritance among all them that are sanctified Ceasing not to give thanks for you making mention of you in my Prayers That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ The Father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdome and revelation in the knowledge of him The Eyes of your understanding being enlightned that ye may know what is the hope of his calling And what the riches of the glory of his Inheritance in the Saints And what is the exceeding greatness of his Power to us-ward that believe Your most affectionate Husband and Father J. H. From Antwerpe the First of January 1665. A Directory Letter Mutatis Mutandis sent by the Author to every one of his Twelve Children prefixt to the Manuscript of the following Epistle now Printed for the use and benefit of other Christian Families Dear Daughter Mary I Commend unto your serious and often Reading and Meditation this following Epistle a Work which cost me much labour study and time in the Collection yet performed with much delight and chearfulness as moved to write it to all my Relations by the good Spirit of the Lord as the best means I could use to counsel stir up and advise them with Mary to choose the better part which shall never be taken from them Wherefore loving Daughter let me lay this Paternal Charge upon you as I shall do upon the rest of your Brothers and Sisters for whom I am preparing Transcripts out of the Original written by my own hand That you read it over at least once a Quarter as long as you live as being not mine but the Epistle of our most dear Lord and Saviour presented to you only by my hands his most unworthy Instrument The subject matter thereof being his most sacred Word who is the Lord God of all the holy Prophets the Pen-men hereof And the great Prophet of his Church whose Word whosoever will not hear and obey are threatned to be destroyed My design herein I hope through the grace and mighty power of the most holy Spirit of Christ will be prosperous and effectual as being not only a Letter of advice and counsel from an earthly Father whom I am confident you love and will obey in the Lord But the Epistle and most powerful Exhortations of your heavenly Father yea the love-letter of your Head and Spouse the Lord Jesus Christ who hath married you unto himself in holiness and everlasting righteousness Dear Daughter the holy Scriptures being the Foundation of all saving knowledge and true Religion I have by the direction and assistance of the Lord skim'd off for you the Cream thereof and given you a few proofs of many holding forth as from his own mouth First The excellency of his Person Secondly The Fundamental Articles of the Christian faith and belief in the words of the holy Scripture only Thirdly what things are to be practised by you held forth in God's holy Law Fourthly what evil things are to be eschewed either respecting Doctrine or manners wherein you have the Lord Jesus Christ's encouragement and exhortation to the attaining of all saving graces and virtues and his Dehortation from all errors in Doctrine especially those that are sowen and profest in these worst of times and from all sins and vices in practice Fifthly You have herein many of his Holy Counsels directing
not less loving But O merciful Creator thy love met with hatred the very object of thy favour was thy Enemy whom thou didst not reconcile with a gift as fearing his power or ability to resist thee since he was thy Creature thy Prisoner thy just sentence of Condemnation waiting but the watch-word of thy will to execute him O unexhausted Fountain of wisdome there was no weakness or deficiency in thee which Man destroyed might any whit disable or diminish thy workmanship in a second Creation since all thy works keep time with thy Word What caused thee then O powerful Maker to give Life where Death was due Heaven where Hell was deserved Pleasure and Joy where Pain and Torment was incurred Why didst thou give mercy and forgiveness to Man and denyedst it to Angels honouring the Humanity with a Personal Union which in Adam was a Traytor by Rebellion Lastly Why gavest thou thy only begotten Son to Death that we might be thy Adopted Sons in Life Lord my Soul shall answer with St. Paul God who is rich in Mercy for his great Love wherewith he loved Vs even when we were dead in Sin hath quickened Vs together in Christ by Grace we are saved O only begotten Son of the Father the Word by which all things were made O light of the World God equal with the Father in Majesty why from such a height of Glory didst thou descend to this Vale of Misery forsaking Heaven for Earth making thy Foot-stool thy Throne being included in the Virgins Womb though the vast Universe cannot comprehend thee Lord thy own Spirit can best express the reason of this thy wonderful humiliation Jesus Christ came into this World to save Sinners Behold here God made Man Lord how low is the Foundation of thy Mercy laid although the height reach above the Clouds gracious Saviour who doth not in this Mirrour of thy Love perceive the powerfulness of thy Divinity as being the first and self-mover in this work of compassion thy mercy having its first motion from thy self according to that thy own protestation made unto thy Children I will love them freely But O my Soul now thou hast viewed this beautiful Gate of the Temple with admiration reverence and affection proceed for the birth of thy Saviour is but the beginning of his mercies All Princes are but Vice-Royes God only is King of Kings and Lord of Lords Yet who amongst them is not welcomed into his Kingdome with joyful Acclamations and royal Solemnities But loe here not only the King of Israel but the great Emperor of Heaven and Earth born in Bethelem the least of the Cities of Judah a City and yet affords no place but a Stable to lodge and entertain the Worlds Monarch Heaven must point him out by a Star Angels must preach him before any of his own acknowledge him and then Shepheards are his Heralds to Proclaim him The sequel and after-story of his Life is no less reproachfully miserable than this Prologue of his birth Poverty clothes Him with obscurity and affliction 30. Years in which space his very Infancy is not free from Persecution by Herod witness those Innocents of Bethelem who suffered for him who came to dye for them he flying into Aegypt from the wrath of Man that he might undergo the anger of God preserving himself not from pain but for pain O Lord had thy Loves Foundation been laid in Earth the hatred and ungratefulness of Man might have ruined thy proceedings and induc'd thee to have retrograded from thy purposed design but behold the Root of thy Mercy was in thy Self which brought forth the fruits of thy sufferings thy love being natural therefore immutable none of thy grievous pressures were obscured from thy view for thy praescience beheld as present all fore-past actions and future events so that thou wert not ignorantly or contrary to thy will overtaken by them no necessity did enforce thee to undergo so difficult a Task since constraint is only prevalent in a finite nature but thou art infinite comprehending all things circumscribed by nothing Lord Jesus let me admire since I cannot express this thy love and make me to love thee again in some measure that thus hast loved me without measure Here whilest my Soul full of wonder desires to stay and meditate thy goodness leads me still forwards and as it were reproves my lingring thus O Man bound not thy thoughts progress with the first mercies of thy Saviour to wit that Light shined in Darkness The Word became Flesh yea that the life of all things received life and the Son of God became the Son of Man behold more misteries of love not regarded the Creator rejected of his Creature He came unto his own and his own received him not He who ordained Holes for the Foxes Nests for the Birds of the Aire he who measured the Earth as with a span and clothes the Heavens as with a Garment he who is a self-moving Sphear whose Centre is every where whose circumference is no where He even the Saviour and Creator of Man hath not amongst Men whereon to rest his Head O admirable and unconceivable humiliation of greater force because not enforced freely not reciprocally undertaken being therefore of infinite merit before God and worthy of Man's eternal acknowledgment what could Man suffer which the Son of Man did not undergo nay what anger torment punishment or affliction could an infinitely inraged Deity inflict which God made Man did not endure for behold no sooner doth this Son of Righteousness whose light is in himself arise to be a light unto the Gentiles dissipating the mists of Superstition and Ignorance the morning of the Gospel succeeding the Evening of Idolatry no sooner did he appear to the glory of his People Israel dispersing those Clouds of Ceremonies which Vail'd the mercy Seat but that present Generation prefering Darkness before Light interposed unbelief to Eclipse his splendour witness John 3.19 And this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men loved Darkness rather than Light Also they retorted the beames of his Priestly Office saying None but God hath Power to forgive Sins They shuned the Light of his Gospel-Prophesie and Teaching witness that loving Lamentation O Jerusalem Jerusalem which killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy Children together as a Hen her Brood under her Wings but ye would not Lastly they denyed and rejected his Dominion with that abnegation We have no King but Caesar. Lord were the Children of Israel so severely punished for repining against Aaron though but a â—igure of Thee Was Heliodorus so suddenly and fearfully tormented for resisting the High Priest And doest thou who thus revengedst and defendest thy substitutes whilest thou wert in Heaven as being the summe of all Figures the substance of all shadows and an Eternal High-Priest according to the
to me my confiscated Estate but greatly increased it giving to me four good Houses most pleasant Seats which I built and planted not as thou didst once to Israel together with a revenue of about Three Thousand Three Hundered Pounds a Year Lands of Inheritance And now Lord which is a favour above all the rest thou hast been pleased to exchange my earthly possession for an Eternal Inheritance purchast for me by the infinitely precious blood of thy own Son the Lord Jesus Christ And made sure unto me by thy deed and new Covenant of Grace Witnessed Sealed and delivered to me by the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Truth Thus Lord hast thou made my loss my gain and converted my earthly poverty into the riches of Heaven made me to thy people and to after Ages a Monument of thy mercy and a witness of thy faithfulness in preserving me when thou leadest me through the Fire and through the Water and deliverest me in Six and Seven troubles Yea whatsoever thou didst so largely promise to thine in the Ninety first Psalm by thy Prophet thou hast graciously fulfilled to me Wherefore I will take the Cup of Salvation and call upon thy Name O Lord and pay my Vowes unto Thee in the mid'st of the Congregation of thy People Yea by this Paper-Herald I will proclaim and transmit to posterity the many great and unparallel'd favours to me and mine that so the future Generations of those that love and fear thee may trust in thee and praise and serve thee also until time shall be no more Amen The ROYAL EXCHANGE A Corolary Poem upon the former Subject WHen the Almighty Power the Eternal Light The Abyss of Wisdome living Spring Of Life and Goodness out of Nothing 's Night Brought forth the Seeds of every thing All Creatures were Created good no change From their first Law did then produce Any defect in all this lower Range Of Works prepared for Man's Vse Till Man their Lord by Deviation From God's blest Rule brought through his Curse A Change upon this Worlds Creation Yea Death of all things the worst Hence is it that the once pure Elements Corrupt imperfect are yea fight With one another not at all content With Natures bounds and their first right Yea limping Age succeeds our frolick Youth And poverty a prosp'rous State Disgrace high honours and disasters doth Dog our delights now love then hate Affects Vs This Day we speak high The next we cause have for to mourn Now we are well to Morrow sick and die Like Seas our Calmes fore-go a storm Thus living Creatures and Inanimate Prove and obey God's just Decree That Man that was unstedfast and ingrate Might plagu'd be with Inconstancy Of theirs and of his own Condition And as in a cleer Mirror see In order unto his Conversion Their Emptiness and Vanity These are Gods Hieroglyphicks in which we By a conjunct Experience May read all Creatures Mutability If fixt not in the Eternal Ens. Blest be our great Mathematician That from this low'r circumference Drawes all these lines and makes them meet again Fixt in our Centre God Immense Lord to my self and others thou hast me Order'd to be a Map of Change One of these teaching Figures never free From some removes These last more strange Then all forepast As from the second place Of honour in three Nations State To be the Object of this Worlds disgrace Of obliquy and highest hate That after Twenty Years hard service done Vpon my Countreys call wherein I lost Five Thousand Pounds yet askt no boon Nor wages whil'st I sate therein Should now a Prisoner be for life and dead As to the World to Children Wife From Saints and publick Worship separated My food and comfort joy and life That after divers Thousand Pounds a Year Possession in a Moments time I should deprived be of all and fear A starving both of me and mine That of four noble houses and sweet Seats In the prime places of this Ile I should no Hive have for my swarmes receit But live abroad as an Exile Dear Lord am I Elisha-like beset With Troops of troubles doth the World Like to his Servants crie He 's lost a Net Of Misery is on him hurl'd Lord open thou their Eyes and they shall see That more is with me than against That Changes have Exchanges sent from Thee By which my State is much advanst Instead of Mundane honors buble thou Hast me Adopted for thy Son And granted me to know it and to bow Both Knee and Heart for what is done Impris'nment for life and long restraint Thou hast converted made to be A freedome much inlarg'd of which I vaunt As now enjoying more of Thee For Thousands loss of Pounds and annual Rents And Houses like to Paradise Thou hast a Hundred-fold freed from events Giv'n me and life that never dies An House not made with Hands which is above Eternal built by Thee yea more A Crown a Kingdome where there 's no removes Assur'd reserv'd for me in store O! who is like to thee who but a God Can gifts confer so rich as these Who would not service do to thee whose Rod Is dipt in Hony and whose fees Are for our weakness sake set forth compar'd To Empires pretious Diadems But do as far exceed Terrene rewards As Monarchs do our common Men Let Worldly Princes then set a great rate Vpon their Crowns and Signories Wallow in pleasures I 'le not change my State Nor Prison for their Royalties Much less my future hopes and sure intaile On me O Lord through thy free grace Of an Eternal Kingdome not to faile In Heaven at th' end of my short Race Vntil which blessed Hour for which I wait The Dayes of my appointed time With Job my Prison I will dedicate Vnto thy Service as a place Divine To sing thy praises in for this Exchange Of Earth for Heaven So shall I be On Earth in Heaven until I change My Place but not my Company Amen Soli Deo Gloria AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE Containing the Subject Matter of the foregoing Treatise to direct the Reader by the Folio to finde readily any of the distinct Meditations and Poems set forth therein Occasional Meditations Corolary Poems upon each immediatly foregoing Subject A Abortion COncerning the Authors Recovery from the danger of an Abortion and untimely Birth The New Birth folio 348 B Breaches Burning Concerning God's gracious prevention of Breaches betwixt him and his own Father and betwixt him and his Father-in-Law The Vmphire folio 381 Vpon God's preservation of him and his Servant from being Burnt in their Lodgings in Sommerset-House The Deliverance folio 410 C Coach Cough Children Concerning his preservation from any harm when being alone in a Coach he was violently cast out by the Jolt of the Coach-whâ—el upon a Stone The Huricane folio 355 Vpon his Recovery from a dangerous Cough and
Lord knowest the thoughts of man For what end therefore O Ananias tends the subtil compact with thy Wife The strength and ripeness of Sin hastens the harvest of Judgment wherefore then this bare notion of Religion This worst Sin hath Hells worst Punishment What serves for O Sapphira the impudent defence of this act which is as lightning before the thunder-clap of Justice since the spirit searches all things yea the secret things of God He knew thy untruth thy lie and therefore at once pronounced and executed the truth of thy Judgement Behold the feet of them that have buried thy Husband are at the dore and shall carry thee out Whereupon she fell down at the Apostles feet and yeilded up the Ghost Justice depriving those of life Gods gift which any way detain mans gift to God to wit their Offerings or whatsoever else is set apart for an Holy employment The indulgent Parent fears that the life story of that child will prove but a compendium whose Infant years are an Abridgment of Mans stature The like observation will be proved true if doubted in many preposterously forward Christians who are like to Childrens Bubbles which while they last are but Topographies to the Beholders Or like Lightning which though it invelop Heaven hath nought remaining yea scarcely time and place to bear witness of its glory So these hypocritical and temporary Professors seem a perfect Map of Christianity the splendor of Religion Yet at the appointed time they vanish becoming so much further off by how much nearer they seemed to Heaven View the experiment of this truth in the Scribes and Pharisees from the opinion of whose Righteousness the Jews drews this Maxim That if any two on Earth should be glorified in Heaven the one must be a Scribe the other a Pharisee That their Purity was but a Blaze this vulgar conceit a Falsehood Hear and believe the Word yea the Word of Truth concluding these Wise men Fools these Guides Misleaders these Patrons of the Common-wealth unnatural Vipers sealing them up with a seven fold Woe for manifest an hypocrisie to eternal Damnation Our Saviour was many times guarded with troops and multitudes of Disciples whose momentary affections proffered Him an Earthly Crown Yet he which knew all Hearts knew the unconstancy of theirs and therefore committed not himself to them For had they been as Powerful as Willing had their affections been as sincere and durable as they were fervent yet could not any earthly Monarchy allure him to Reign who lest his Heavenly Throne to Suffer exchanging a crown of Glory for a Crown of Thornes that his Humiliation might be be mans Exaltation O here behold the Unchangeableness of Gods Love the Vanity and Unsteadfastness of Mans best Resolution Those Disciples which even now would have Crowned him those which traced him through Sea and Land and having found him said What should we do that we might work the Works of God yea those who as it were filled with a passionate desire of possession prayed Lord evermore give us this Bread these now instead of honouring him with a Diadem deny his Regal descent saying Is not this Jesus the son of Joseph These whose appetites desired evermore to enjoy this Bread of Life think there is now no living with this Food as being too hard for their digestion their tongues testifying their distate saying This is an hard saying who can hear it To conclude they that so fast followed him now as fast depart from him Witness our Saviours question to his Chosen ones Will ye also go away O blessed Saviour Let my Soul be a follow respondent with Peter and say Lord to whom shall I go Thou hast the Words of Eternal Life My Meditations have spent much time in the discovery of this out-side of Faith I should now proceed did not the hateful example of Apostating Demas stand branded in Holy-Writ for my observation and conclusion of this Point Knowledge is the foundation of Faith but God only is the Master builder of it Christians are Priests imputatively and derivatively from our Saviour as offering up the Evangelical sacrifices of Prayer and Praise but the Ministers of the Gospel in a more especial manner Demas was a Priest because a Christian Learned as being without doubt a Teacher Pauls scholler and companion one whose eyes were daily witnesses of Signes and Miracles whose ears were frequent auditours of Gods Word yet this man wanted the witness of the Spirit in his Conscience Therefore no marvail if his actions were destitute of its power The Wisdom of this world is Foolishness with God and proves at length so to Man Demas's worldliness discovers his Folly and his second choice shews the Hypocrisie of the first That affection which towards Christ hath an end had never a beginning The Love of God is Lasting And though our weak understanding through the interposition of some great Afflictions may conceive it to be extinct yet that eclipse past this overture of falling out proves the renewing of Love He that perseveres to the end shall endlesly be Beloved But he that grants God the Major his youth and strength and of his full age the Minor the lesser part of that time and yet at last doth in fact deny the conclusion is as little a Christian as a Logician The Word of God as it is the great luminary of Divinity so likewise the Sun of our Souls which discovers unto us those glittering counterfeits which the false and weak lights of our depraved understandings would present as blameless This is that Star which guides all Wise men to Christ. A Pole Star directing only all Heavenly Observers being either unknown or else not useful to worldly Stargazers This Word as it makes us know our selves which is the principal of wisdom so it makes us discern in some sort others which is the Divinity of Knowledge Which of the Devout Jewes would have thought the Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites had not the Word of that All-creating Word Christ Jesus anatomised their shameful Corruption Who amongst us would have judged a Miraculous Faith less than a Saving had not the same Verity assured us That many which have Prophesied cast out Devils and done many wonderful Works in his Name should be excluded Heaven with a Nunquam novi vos Depart from me ye workers of Iniquity That a man may be a Conduit-pipe to convey Water of Life to others and yet prove a vessel of Dishonour the Religious care of Paul witnesseth who subjected his body lest when he had Preached to others be himself should become a Reprobate But that they whose Word aided by the power of Faith was mighty to cast Sathan out of others should be possessed themselves is both Lamentable and Wonderful These indeed have cropt the Leaves of Faith leaving the Fruit and Root behind seeking therewith like Adam presumptuously to hide their Nakedness and want both of
That when there was no King in Israel every Man did that which was good in his own eyes In this last Scripture the truth of my former discourse is observable and confirmed as that a natural Mans will usually attends his judgment so that the minde and understanding being totally depraved and corrupted as before hath been declared it must consequently yea impulsively follow that the activity of the will keeps the same position In Adams Sons there is a continued Earth-quake The debauched faculties of the Soul being as so many pestilent and tumultuous Ayres within the Bowels of this wretched Microcosme which together with the impetuous violence of the will rends us belching forth continually Mans actual sins which are not only dead in themselves but also to others by example Doth a â—ountain send forth at the same place sweet Water and bitter Can the Fig-Tree bear Olive-berries or a Vine Figs They cannot Neither can an unsanctified minde be fâ—llowed with a will free and full of good resolutions Hence therefore O my Soul with all ability in thy self lessen not thy loss and poverty lest by such a proud and presumptuous bragging thou lose thy gain and forestall Gods charitable benevolence Lord I account my self to have no will because not a good one Therefore let thy own will anew beget me with the word of truth that I may be a kind of first fruits of thy Creatures Lord it is thou which workest in Men both to will and to do of thy good pleasure Therefore let me rather in an humble ignorance bury what proud Men say is Mans right for love it I cannot if mine Thy perfect justice giving to every one his due then for the nothing of my merit to lose the infiniteness of thy mercy To derogate from my own desert had I any is a plausible error a commendable humility But to detract or steal from thee horrible sacriledge and abominable heresie Let my humility strive to make proud natures something nothing rather than to suffer any vain boasting to arise from such imaginary abilities worth nothing So that though both shall as in themselves they are nothing end in nothing yet the company of a vertue shall in thy sight make the one to me something when the other shall be by thee adjudged as full of sin as it is wanting in worth Man in his first Creation was like to a strong and beautifull Cyttadell whose external and carnal part I may terme and that not unfitly a defencible Rampire or Earth-work his sences the Cinque-ports of this fortification his Soul an incorporeal part me-thinks resembles the habitable and innermost part of the Fort or to speak more plainly the Pallace of the Governour the Court of the Prince for so indeed it was even of the King of Kings before its unhappy and accursed defection Herein the principal faculties as so many expert Commanders did exercise their several offices The affections also the subject of my ensuing thoughts had their places of eminency and authority Love being the Leader of the Band or the Ensign-bearer and Fear the Sentinel to prevent sudden surprisals In this happy order freedome and condition was Man at first until the Apostate-Angel Sathan envying that felicity in others which himself had lost unlocked the sences by the beauty of the forbidden Fruit and after parly with the Guardians of the Soul tempted them with the fair promise of Dii eritis to be Traytours to their Soveraign that had made them little less than so For In his own Image created he them This beautiful structure being become the Cage of unclean Birds no wonder if the Holy one of Israel refuse to dwell there If the glory of Israel departed when the Ark was taken from amongst them sure I am the glory of Man vanishes when God forsakes him Histories and Politicians have observed the misery 〈◊〉 that Country I dare not call it a Government 〈◊〉 the Hydra-headed multitude give Laws unto themselves Experienced Souldiers can bear witness what Floods Tragedies and Disorder follows the unheading of 〈◊〉 Army and the Regiments Such Men for only he thâ—â— hath been delivered from such calamities can best judge of them will confess that both these are but weak deâ—scriptions of the wretchedness of the Soul deprived 〈◊〉 the life of God Nay the small remainders of those disâ—orders and corruptions which in comparison are but 〈◊〉 scars of those great wounds will inforce the best dayly with Holy Paul to cry out O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death This misery of Man this his civil War hath been briefly touched and discovered already in the former faculties of the Soul It now remains that I observe and that with brevity how the affections particularly stand affected O Love which weart once the Spirit the fervour the marrow of the Soul Its Embassadour to her Creator lying Ledger in the Court of Heaven as long as that happy and mutual amity remained unviolated How art thou now degenerated yea how wretchedly hast thou lost thy happiness by changing thy object There is no whit of life spirit or freedome in thee now For thou art dead and entombed in Earth nor neerness or relation to God no not in the least degree for the wicked saith the Apostle are haters of God Thou art now so far from being Mans Agent to God that if God in the infiniteness of his mercy would renew his peace with Man he must be his own Agent and thou his Patient witness St. John We love Him because he first loved us How comes it to pass that thou hast forsaken the living Fountain and hewen out unto thy self Cesterns that will hold no Water Is Earth to be compared with Heaven or the Creature with the Creator that thou hast forsaken the one to embrace and marry the other The Mole that of all other Creatures delights to undermine and root within the Earth wants the Organ of sight thereby illustrating this truth that where a carnal earthly or sensual love is there must needs be a blinde and ignorant understanding O Lord is this affection of love being rightly placed the Prince of all other our affections Is it the summe and compendium of thy whole Law Is it that which gives life to the actions of the Soul Is it the tryal of our Adoption That by which faith works Is it an old Commandement as being from the beginning a new Commandement as being renewed and straitly enforced in the Gospel Is it the mark of our perfection and of the truth O give me sighs give me words yea give me those unutterable groans of my Spirit raised by thy Spirit wherewith I may daily importune thy Majesty for the right fixing and direction of this affection of my Soul That so my love inflamed by thee may not henceforth be sub-lunary but like the Sun sending forth beams
being no Man that sinneth not whose best self-righteousnesses are not as filthy rags Would we therefore as our due presume to sit down with thee in thy Kingdome Lord let such pride be far from us and do thou cause us in an humble acknowledgment of our wants and merit readily to confess that we are unprofitable Servants having done that which was our duty to do Now if of Servants we are made Friends of Bastards we are Adopted Sons of Bond-slaves we are appointed Heirs shall we not cry out that our merit is thy grace and that thou O Jesus Christ art the Lord our righteousness Art made unto us righteousness And art the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth Question not here my Soul why God doth not by his omnipotent and supreme Power in one and the same instant Call justifie sanctifie and glorifie his Elect since as he did not condemn us so he will not save us without our selves Saves us without our merits indeed not without our work He hath therefore in his infinite wisdome annexed conditions to his Covenant and ordained faith repentance and all other good works to be as so many degrees in our ascent to happiness That so Earth might be our School to fit us for Heaven and the life of grace which is imperfect glory might prepare us for the life of glory which is grace in perfection Neither be thou too curiously inquisitive to ask the reason why the Lord God in this his gracious looking back upon us doth not again build up that wide breach which Sin hath made in Mans nature That so according to our first beginnings in Adam we might have continued that course enjoying happiness here and attaining after translation glory hereafter Since that the Lord the great Architector suffered this specious yet brittle building of unstable Man to fall down flat that upon its foundation he might raise up to the glory of his grace a more beautifull edifice in which admirable structure he uses the same matter and that it might be stable for ever he Himself becomes the Head of the Corner Further the Builders of this spiritual Temple are Gods Spirit and Ministers the cement faith and all other graces the Buttresses or Pillars his Election and the tegment or covering his Providence In all this Man as of himself hath no work other ways grace would be no grace The perfect work of Redemption like that of the Creation being as above the resistance so without the assistance of the Creature Again had Man been only placed in a renued estate there would have been a possibility of falling and of plunging Himself into a double curse whereupon Sathan and evil Men would have taken an occasion to derogate both from the mercy and power of God according to those Objections of the Heathen rehearsed by Moses That because the Lord would not or could not save them he suffered them to be destroyed But some will say he might have confirmed them as he did the Elect Angels I answer that if it should have pleased God thus to have bestowed his mercy towards us his Children yet the Devil and wicked Men if in these days of our weakness much more in those of our perfection would have derogated from Gods grace that they might have attributed all or the best part to Mans merit Lastly in this our Justification by Christ mercy counterpoises justice yea in these there are to the eternal praise of our all wise God an admirable and due proportion The spirit of God observes it and shall not we in whom it is wrought with unspeakable joy and thankfulness remember That as by the offence of one judgment came upon all Men to condemnation Even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all Men unto justification of life O the miserable necessity of our nature the boundless compassion of God's Doth Man want holiness merit and obedience and will his Lord confer purity and offer up his own Life for him will no other security but himself be accepted for the payment of sin Surely this will serve not only to express his love but to informe our judgments how impossible it was considering Gods holiness the Laws rigour and the least imperfection for Man to be justified before God This work belongs to the Creator not to the Creature If in our first beeing the glorious Trinity were in an especial manner sole Agents much more in this our Eternal well-Beeing Wherein God the Father imputes and accepts God the Son becomes Man obeys and fulfills and God the Holy Ghost calls and sanctifies That Man in the last place may apply and put on by faith this spotless Robe and Imperial Crown of Righteousness To whom it may be said as of Mordecay Thus shall it be done to him whom the King of Kings delights to honour I should now proceed to observe what streams and blessed effects flow from this Priestly Fountain did not the neer and inseparable relation of the Prophetical Office unto it sweetly invite me to unite them also in my Meditations I am assured that every true Christian Soul that hath followed me hitherto in my weak yet sincere Meditations is here together with me ravisht in the apprehension of these infinite Priviledges and in tasting of these Waters of Life which flow from the Throne of God and of the Lamb. Is any so welcome to the poor indebted Widdow as mercifull Elisha Is any so to be esteemed of rebellious Israel as interceding Moses Was there any Speech so pleasing to the Paralitique as Man thy Sins are forgiven thee Or any vesture so needfull and acceptable to those naked Beggars in the Gospel as the Wedding Garment And is not Christ who unto us is all these even the welcome Man the only Intercessor the Word remitting Sins the Royal Cloâ—thing our Wish our Aim our Crown our Glory No doubt but he is Why go we not then on to possess him O Lord we are all like unto those unbelieving Israelites that are over joyed with the good report of the Land of Canaan and delighted with the taste of the pleasant Fruit thereof and yet stand still even at the border discouraged As they cryed out because of the Sons of 〈◊〉 so we of our Gyant-like corruptions those opposed them theâ—e us Thou hast shewed us and we have read this thy gracious Covenant and we know thee both willing and able to perform thy part thereof But alass when we descend to the conditions on our part what have we or what can we do Thou requirest faith in us but behold doubting Repentance and behold hardness of heart O wretched Men that we are who shall deliver us from this Body of Death O let all that have such hungry Souls thank God for our Lord Jesus Christ. Who is a Joshua to overcome all these our mighty
adversaries an Angel pointing out a living Fountain to all thirsty Hagars even that Spring of grace his Prophetical Office Thirsty I say for none but such taste present and perfect comfort and refreshâ—ing from hence Encouragement indeed all others may have from this Office which are not yet called to enâ—deavour and exercise themselves in the means which beget faith and repentance notwithstanding the resisting impossibility of their nature as beholding the free promise and enabling gift of God in Christ. But the Covenant and the blessing belongs and is effectual to those sensibly and chiefly That hunger and thirst after righteousness For they shall be filled To proceed then let all Men observe with me two spiritual streams or works flowing from this Office The first is the Divine Revelation of the will of God so far as it was necessary for his Church by the Mouths and Pens of the Prophets and Apostles and that through the immediate inspiration and instinct of the third Person in Trinity his most Holy Spirit All which issuing from the living Fountain the Lord Jesus who is in the midst of his Garden the Church as so many Rivolets do make glad the City and water the Paradise of God This is that work that is wâ—ought without us yet with an end to work within us and upon us all being according to St. Paul that Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles upon which the Church is built Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-stone O Eternal Beeing who art as mercifull as great a Father God to me thy unworthy Creature should I in this prospect of my weak faith carelesly oâ— silently pass by so high a favour so gracious a work of thine as this towards my Soul Thou mightest justly take my object or my sight or both from me for such unthankfulness Is the revelation of secrets the greatest expression of friendship And to be of the Kings Council the chiefest honours And shall not I as a Christian apprehend apply and be gratefull for such â—avours as these confer'd by a far greater Person in a far greater manner and measure upon a far unworthier object than ever they can sample If the Letters and mandates of Princes are received with so much reverence preserved with so much care esteemed honoured and obeyed How much more the Words and Scriptures of God the Prince of Princes Are Books but the Soul in Print the Beams of Mans wisdome what is this but the life of the Soul the Book of Wisdome and the Book of Books Here is the height of Metaphysicks as revealing what so ever can be known either of God or Angels The use and summe of both Phylosophies in the Creation and Decalogue The knowledge of Astronomy in Job The exactest Geography and truest Chronology in Genesis and Chronicles The mystery of Numbers in the Levitical Ceremonies Daniel and the Revelations The exercise of Rhetorick throughout the Prophets especially in Esay The marrow and art of Logick in Saint Paul's Epistles and in all which is above all as the Sun amongst the Planets the whole Body of Divinity Here are Politicks for the Statist in Ecclesiastes Oeconomicks for the House-keeper in Proverbs Instruction for the Woman from Solomon's Mother And David's Poesie for the Poets Lastly here 's wisdome for the ancient for it maketh wise unto Salvation Here 's a beautifull Spouse and love Canticles for the youthfull and religious Amorist And here is Milk from the Sacramental Teaâ—s for the new-born Babe Yea what can my heart seek Lord which thou hast not placed in this Book of Life in this library of my Soul It remains nâ—w only that I beseech from thee the true use thereof viz. the knowledge and worship of thee So shall I be not only a hearer and Reader but a doer of thy Word not deceiving my own Soul From this work of Gods Spirit iâ— the Word without us I proceed to that second work of the Spirit wrought within us viz. Sanctification being a conformation of our willâ— unto his O my Soul here is that thou seekest for The knowledge of the greatest happiness without possibility of fruition is not the least of torments And to behold the Crown Robes and Priviledges of a Christian without either visible means to obtain or a true propriety of weaâ—ing them makes but our misery more miserable Thou weart even now lifted up and cast down exalted with joy and humbled with sorrow For looking upward thou beholdest with holy Stephen Heaven open and the Lord Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of God But alass whilst thou weart ravisht with this Vision a multitude of thine Enemies not much unlike nor less cruel than his Persecutors thy original Corruptions have blind-folded thy eyes and manacled thy hands separating for the present both it from thee and thee from it But now be of good comfort though thou liest dead in sin and intranc'd in astonishment the Lord of life is come down unto thee Who manger all these Hell-hounds that watch over thee will give thee part in the first Resurrection He is thy spiritual Elisha and the Prince of the Prophets who will lay his Mouth to thy Mouth that so thou maist praise and confess him his Eyes to thy Eyes that thorough faith thou maist behold him his Hands upon thy Hands that in deeds thou mayest obey him yea his whole and living Body upon thy dead Body that so thou maist revive and live in him Behold there Him of whom his own saying concerning John the Baptist is evidently verified A Prophet yea and more than a Prophet even the God of the Spirits of all Prophets Who least thy weak and sinfull nature should fear to approach unto or lend an Eare unto his Word hath vailed his glorious Deity with humanity therein being typified by Moses when he covered his shining Face as well as prophesied of him saying A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you amongst your Brethren like unto me Like unto Moses indeed as being a Man an Israelite a Prophet full of Miracles meekness of the Spirit yet with this difference of degrees the one was comparatively the other perfectly full the one a Vessel the other a Fountain the one the Servant the other the Son according to that of the Apostle This Man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses in as much as he who hath builded the House hath more honour than the House Moses being faithful as a Servant but Christ as a Son Next whereas O my Soul thou objectest the deadness of thy nature thy sleeping in sin I confess indeed thou art so But hearken unto thy Saviours Tryumph which doth not only pierce but give thee Eares Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light The hour being come and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live
to be sick and heavy with Ahab yea to grieve and die with Nabal and Achitophel for being crossed in momentary honours in covetous desires in my estate or any other my designs And whereas the filial fear of God should be continually in my heart and before my eyes for Happy is the Man that feareth always following herein the blessed example of holy David whose daily Song was Fear the Lord all yee his Saints of pious Joshuah whose tender Heart feared and trembled at the words of the Law and of Religious Nehemiah who was zealous for the Commandements of the Lord. I have with those Collonies of strangers planted in the City of Samaria Feared the Lord and served my Gods that is My pleasures and vain lusts Or if at any time I have dreaded thee or been humbled it hath been either whilst thy Judgments have been threatned with the numerous Ninivites or when they have layn sore upon me with the Philistines or until they were removed with wicked Pharaoh Thus dear Saviour do all my affections degenerate and erre from that end for which thou hast plac'd them in my Soul O thou which by thy omnipotency didst convert Water into Wine work the like miracle in me also So changing me in quality relish and use that I may both now and hereafter be thought worthy to be admitted unto thy Table O spiritual Bridegroom Raise up thy dejected Spirits and disconsolate Soul For such is the goodness of my nature and the infiniteness of my mercy that these thy grievous maladies instead of provoking my displeasure move me unto pity and convert my justice into compassion I am the Physician of the Soul and come to heal not the whole but the sick I am he that grants Resurrection to the Dead in Sin as well as to the dead for sin And am as able to give Manasseth newness of life as Lazarus a new life Therefore be not faithless but believe Thou complainest to me of an evil and degenerated hatred that is ready upon all occasions to take up armes against God Good-men and goodness Indeed this is dangerous but not incurable Was not my Servant Paul a cruel Persecuter before a zealous Martyr yea and thousands of the Jews my Murderers before my Converts Be confident then that my love is also able to swallow up thy hatred and to perfect this grace of love in thy life which it hath begun in thy desires Further whereas thou art troubled and molested with the frequent inundations of carnal and worldly sorrows Know that the reason therof is the want of depth or scowring of the lower water-course even that Channel of thy Repentance which is as it were the drayn of this filthy Lake and muddy affection To the performance of which duty that thou maist be enabled and assured Know it is I that gives Repentance unto life not willing the death of a sinner but rather that he should repent and live Lastly Let not thy former slavish fear discourage thee since all things even these thy corruptions through my mercy shall work together for thy good My Law having by these terrors prepared thee for my Gospel which seeing by my grace thou hast received be assured that that perfect love which it produces casteth out fear and will free thee from all such base affrightments possessing thee of that legitimate fear which flows from duty and adoption In further assurance of which receive and apply this my promise They namely thee and all my faithfull shall be my People and I will be their God and I will give them one Heart and one Way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and their Childrens children O thou my spiritual Elisha what shall I render unto thee for this thy great cure wrought upon my Soul for this thy miraculous cleansing of my sinfull Leprosie Are the Talents of Ophir the fruit of my Body of my ground or of my Flocks a fit Sacrifice for thee No Thine is the Earth and the fulness thereof I will therefore imitate that religious Proselite Naaman and give Glory to the Lord God of Israel I will offer unto thee thanks-giving and pay my vows unto thee O most High Yea my understanding which thou hast enlightned my minde which thou hast instructed my conscience which thou hast pacified my memory which thou hast strengthened my affections which thou hast ordered and my stony heart which thou hast mollified and all things else that are within me shall bless thy Holy Name Yea I will invert the speech of thy Servant David and say who am I and what is my poor Soul that I should be able to offer unto thee thus willingly and after this sort Lord I confess all things come of thee and of thine own have I given unto thee wherefore let what 's mine of grace and thine of merit be thy only glory And now since I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord which am but dust and ashes Let not the Lord be angry and I will speak yet again Thou hast been pleased to give unto me light in darkness and to make known unto me thy great Salvation Thou hast filled me with thy goodness and mercy and laid up in my heart the infinite treasure of thy promises But what avails all this Lord when as the Thief Sathan may break through and steal the Moth my inâ—bred corruptions may devour and consume these my spiritual riches there being no defence nor power in me to resist For those Cinque ports and Windows of my Soul my sences stand wide open not only admitting but inviting my cruel Enemies to enter Yea every Member of my body is not only assistant to my adversaries Sin the World and the Devil but also takes up armes against me and seeks my destruction My eyes which from outward objects even thy beautifull works should be instruments of begetting admiration praise and worship to thee in my heart are full of vanity lust and adultery My eares which should only be open to thy Word are thereto deaf and receptacles of oaths blasphemies lies slanders and all obscenity And those other sences of tasting smelling touching which thou hast given to be helps in piety and thanksgiving through the more ample fruition of thy Creatures are become the factors of pride covetousness and epicurisme Further my Tongue which should speak of thy praise all the day long and sing aloud of thy righteousness hath mischief under it and speaketh proud things Is full of flattery and frames deceit And is fraught with naughtiness and lying Yea it is a Fire a World of iniquity setting on Fire the course of nature and is set on Fire of Hell So that that Member which was once my glory is now my shame Lastly my hands and feet which ought to be Barnabasses and Barjonasses Brethren and Sons of consolation
But now thou art delivered from the Law that being dead wherein thou weart holden that thou shouldest serve me in newness of Spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter as being a Member of my Body of my Flesh and of my Bones Lastly Art thou ashamed of the nakedness of thy Body as being the Mirrour yea the effect of thy Souls wants Know that thou in the loynes of thy first Parents weart not more willing to lose and cast off that robe of righteousness than I am to restore and give thee a better As I then cloath'd thy naked Body so I will now cloath thy naked Soul Hast thou been a Prodigal behold thy Heavenly Father for my sake doth embrace thee in the armes of his mercy and covers thee with the best robe of my righteousness Hast thou been a vagrant and wanderer in the High-ways of sin and by-paths of iniquity an Alien to the Common-wealth of England Loe now thou art an invited Guest unto my Heavenly Pallace Eternal Feast and endless Nuptials being arrayed with the Wedding and glorious Garment of my Immaculate Holiness These are those Garments whose smell is like the smell of Lebanon and whose sent is Myrrh Aloes and Cassia Whose excelling sweetness doth overcome the stench of thy sins perfumes thy best actions and makest thee an acceptable Sacrifice to God Yea it makes thy Body like Moses and Stephen's face glorious upon Earth Is it not I that gives beautifull Garments to Sion and that cloath her Priests with Salvation That councel Men to buy of me white Rayments that they may be cloathed and that the shame of their nakedness do not appear That have promised to Him that overcometh The same shall be cloathed with white Rayment That appoint unto them that mourn in Sion to give unto them beauty for ashes the oyl of joy for mourning the Garment of praise for the Spirit of heaviness Wherefore O my redeemed be thou no longer solicitous and doubtfull of thy blessed estate only believe and thou shalt see the Salvation and glory of God O Lord thou hast opened my Lips therefore my Mouth shall shew forth thy praise I will greatly rejoyce in thee O Lord my Soul shall be joyfull in thee my God for thou hast cloathed me with the Garments of Salvation thou hast covered me with the Robe of Righteoousness Even as a Bridegroom decketh himself with Ornaments and a Bride adorneth her self with Jewels Therefore as thou hast freely given me all so I desire thankfully to enjoy all to thy glory To which end assist me with thy grace that these Eyes which thou hast enlightened may always devoutly behold and admire thy works That these Eares which thou hast opened may be for ever dutifully attentive to thy words And that these other sences which thou hast rightly disposed and ordered may continually obey thy will and exalt thy praise Yea these my weak hands which thou hast lifted up my feeble knees which thou hast strengthned my sliding feet which thou hast kept from falling shall readily observe thy precepts and run in the way of thy Commandments because thou hast enlarged my heart Finally Not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give glory For of thee through thee and to thee are all things to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen I have here Dialogue-wise for the more profitable and particular handling of things briefly and plainly shewed how many rare and precious gems are treasured up in this Ark of the Covenant the Prophetical office of our Saviour as also how graciously and comfortably they are offered to and received by the hand of faith to the benefit and Jubile of every true Believer It remains now that according to my former method my Meditations pass on unto the last object and foundation of faith the Kingly office of our Saviour which is as it were the tegment and compleatment of our salvation For we are therefore reconciled and justified by our Priest taught and sanctified by our Prophet that we may obey and be protected and governed in this life by our King and be for ever glorified with him in the life to come If Men enter the presence of Earthly Princes with much civil reverence with what divine worship honour adoration and admiration O my Soul oughtest thou to enter the presence of the King of Kings and meditate upon his wonderfull acts and office This is one of those glorious mysteries which the Holy Angels desire to look into yea with which their sublime understandings are and shall be for ever delighted busied and ravished How fervent then should thy thoughts be yea in humility how earnestly shouldst thou like Jacob strive with God by Prayer to give thee this blessing also that with the Eye of thy faith together with those blessed spirits thou maist prie into this Supream and perfect Monarchy of the Prince of peace and righteousness A King is the desire of most Nations yea those Barbarians which are ignorant of all other rules of life and civility do notwithstanding acknowledge the Maxime of a Soveraignty and as bound by a Cannon Law of nature do willingly subject their Necks to this Yoak Is rule and dominion then necessary so desirable and profitable in civil societies So much conducing to the flourishing of a Common-wealth Surely it is much more requirable and beneficial for the well-governing and flourishing of the Church In which as in a Kingdome there is a mixture of good and bad Enemies within and without and those the most powerfull pernicious and malitious of all others As also many Laws to be observed rewards to be conferred corrections and punishments to be inflicted Granted then it must needs be for these respects sake that the Universal Church which is a Body a spiritual holy and glorious Monarchie must have a glorious a wise and omnipotent King and Protector Wouldst thou now O my Soul see him and know him Loe thy Mother and his Spouse calls thee and all other longing Souls to view his tryumphs in these words Goe forth even with fervent affections O yee Daughters of Zion that is all yee pure and fruitfull ones in the Church of God and behold that is apprehend with a lively faith King Solomon that is the Lord Jesus Christ the true Solomon with the Crown wherewith his Mother crowned him in the day of his espousals that is in his glorious state wherewith his Father hath invested him after that by his death and resurrection he hath redeemed and married us unto himself in holiness and righteousness And that thou maist have further knowledge assurance and testimony of this thy King and Saviour hear the joyfull Predictions and unerring demonstrations of the Prophets In the life of old Jacob we have that he spake at his death these faithfull words The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his Feet
own Proclamation He came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance as also that Prophesie of his Office That he should be a light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death to guide their erring Feet into the ways of peace Since then my Lord the King I have ten parts in thee and thou art Bone of my Bone and Flesh of my Flesh. Since thou tookest not on thee the nature of Angels but the Seed of Abraham that thou mightest be as a mercifull High Priest so a true and natural head of thy Body the Church that King that shall reign in righteousness and whom God hath set upon his holy Hill of Zion Let me finde favour in thy sight and be inrolled as one of thy Servants Let thy glorious Scepter moderate me and let me be acknowledged one of thy Subjects Then shall I sit under my own Vine and my own Fig-tree then shall I be truly happy yea my Soul shall be filled as with marrow and fatness for what King is like unto thee in all the Earth The Walls and Rampiers of a Common-wealth are good Laws by which as by a fortified horn-work or Cyttadel the good are preserved and the enemy hindered and repulsed Is this an approved truth How happy and how safe then is the Flock of Christ the Monarchie of the Messias the Common-wealth of Christians the spiritual Jerusalem to whom that promise is made good as signifying the presence and righteous government of our Emanuel That the Lord will be unto her a Wall of Fire round about and will be the glory in the middest of her The Statutes of other People are but the weak inventions of Men. But the Ordinances by which we are swayed are the words of holiness of wisdome even of the Lord himself So that no desirable quality can be wanting in such Laws wherein exact justice and religious policy kiss each other So that to us now made one Church with the believing Jews may those gracious speeches of Moses be applyed Surely this great Nation is a wise and understanding People For what Nation is there so great that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as his Laws which he hath set before us or who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for Yea he loved his People all his Saints are in his hand they sate down at his feet every one shall receive of his words For the Lord came from Sinai and rose up from Seir unto them he shined forth from Mount Paran and he came with ten thousand of Saints from his right hand went a firery Law for them The Heathen gave no small honour to Antiquity as supposing it had something in it of Divinity and therefore they would willingly forget the Original both of themselves and of their Laws that to after Ages they might set upon them the stamp of a Deity What they affected vainly we must affirm truly both of our selves and Laws For the proof of the first we have not only a sure word viz. that God made Man of the dust of the Earth after his own Image and breathed into his Nostrils the breath of life But also the witness of their own Poets honourably backt by an Apostle In Him we live move and have our beeing for we are his off-spring For the other I will not only say what Laws but what Learning exprest in characters can be voucht so ancient as the Penteteuch of Moses Wherein observe not only our Laws of venerable Antiquity but also most clear manifest and undeniable proofs and demonstrations of their Divine fluence and constitution As the burning and quaking of the Mount Sinai the summons of the Heavenly Trumpet the visible presence of the Lord God like consuming Fire on the top of the Mount But above all the audible voice of God pronouncing those ten words by which we are governed as containing his whole will and our whole duty Lastly all these wonders are not confirmed unto us by the bare witness of Moses only although he being Gods Pen-man had been sufficient but as then six hundred thousand souls were Auditors and Spectators so ever since that whole Nation and now the Universal Church do receive believe and reverently obey them as the undoubted truth of God and rule of holiness Now that these happy Laws recorded in the whole Book of God are not only the first ancientest and therefore the foundation original and fountain of all other constitutions but also the best and holiest as being the lively Oracles of prudence and sanctifie it self appears first by the matter which is perfect according to that sweet Psalmist The Law of the Lord that is the whole Word of God is perfect If perfect then free from all carnal imperfections Here 's no Political winking at the least or at some commodious offences nor hiding places for any sinner nor exception and prerogative for Kings and Princes The wilely head of Man cannot invent sins without its precinct neither can the critical wits of Atheists or worldly wretches blemish it with the least aspersion of injustice or severity So that as there is in them no defect so no redundancy being profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction and for instruction in righteousness That the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished to all good works Further as they are perfect so are they sure so that holy Singer The Testimonies of the Lord are sure makeing wise the simple The Ordinances of the World are subject to change as being the inventions of unconstant Man and not only in their frame and substance but also in their number construction and execution So that true experimental wisdome can never be learned from them But the Laws of God as flowing from an everlasting and wise essence who is without change or shadow of change admits of no alteration mis-interpretation sleeping or repeal And therefore teaches a Man wisdome a priori in the cause of punishment Sin So Solomon A prudent Man fore-sees the evil and hides himself Again The Commandement is a Lamp and the Law is light and reproofs of instruction the way of life In the last place let holy David as he began to prove this truth so conclude it even upon his own experience Through thy Commandements thou hast made me wiser than my Enemies for they are ever with me I have more understanding than all my Teachers for thy Testimonies are my Meditation Again as the Laws of God are sure and perfect so they are right as sings the same Prophet The Statutes of the Lord are right And can there be a greater excellency since the justice of a Law is the sinnues thereof they binding but so far forth as they are righteous Who is there then amongst the Rulers of the Earth that in
his faithfull Saints and Servants For there as my Meditations must cease because faith shall be then fruition so also the Kingdome of Grace and Mediatorship shall determine according to that of the Apostle Then cometh the end when he shall have delivered up the Kingdome to God even the Father when he shall have put down all Rule and all Authority and Power Then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that puts all things under Him that God may be all in all To proceed then the Christian Soul being about to take her Heavenly flight upon the apprehension of her particular together with the General Judgment starts back and trembling with a sudden fear thus revolves and laments Alas why haste I so fast unto the dreadfull Tribunal of a just and sin-revenging God Am I not an infinite offendor indited by Sathan witnessed against by conscience yea found guilty and convicted by self-confession Why flye I then so speedily to hear that sentence of condemnation Goe yee cursed into everlasting Fire Is not this that terrible day of the Lord spoken of A Day of trouble of distress of wastenesse and desolation a day of darkness and gloominess of Clouds and thick darkness The day of Battel the great Day of Gods wrath Surely if it be not it is the parallel the preludium thereof for as the Tree falls so it lies As Death leaves Judgment findes Oh how am I astonished when I but think of the horror and torment of that Hellish Tophet those everlasting burnings merited for me by my sins roomthy enough for Worlds of sinners For God hath made it deep and large never ceasing in its fiery vengeance for want of fuel as sometimes the burnings of Aetna for the Pile thereof is Fire and much Wood ever abounding and continuing in its fury and rigour of punishing For the breath of the Lord doth kindle it There 's weeping wailing and gnashing of Teeth The Worme that gnaws the Chain that enthrals the contempt that vilifies the Fire that torments and burns is without consumption All which therefore are infinite because everlasting Justice requiring that our deficient nature should for our infinite debt be thus eternally extended Nor is this Paena sensus this positive misery although endless easiless remediless all Is there not a far greater because more spiritual and intrinsical that Paena damni that death of the Soul the banishment separation and privation of Gods blessed face and of all hope of happiness for ever O the torture of these premeditations Lord if the thoughts of Hell be a Hell what will the infliction be Blest Saviour which once prayedst to be saved from this hour as being in all things tempted like us sin only excepted be my mercifull high Priest and royal Champion to deliver me in this hour and from this temptation yea let my faith in this her last act and motion be swiftest and strongest because neerest to thee her Centre O my Soul have not I often seen one small Cloud to hide the Sun from our Eyes and finde I not it true spiritually also that one dram of sorrow embitters a great measure of joy A few doubtings to eclipse and for a time obscure the bright beams of true believing But no wonder for this is the hour of darkness therefore the fittest time for the power of darkness to act its part Corruption and infidelity are now to bid adieu and to raise their Siege from the Soul and therefore give the sharpest assault and battery to the Bulworks of thy faith Wherefore let not thy vain fear betray the succours which both faith and reason offer but recollect thy self and consider Is not thy Saviour and King the same yesterday to day and for ever Are not his promises yea and Amen Are not his gifts and callings without repentance Hath he loved thee and will he not love thee to the end Hath he begun and is he not able to perfect Will he even at the point and in the height of his tryumph be overcome in thee one of his Members Hath he made thee yea new-made thee Hath he paid thy ransome with his precious heart-blood Yea with infinite sufferings preserved thee all thy life past from many-fold dangers and Enemies by his gracious providence And will he now to the dishonour of his omnipotency deliver up his glory his prize to his expiring and almost vanquisht adversary O far be from thee such weak and groundless imaginations but because infidelity and temptation are often-times deaf and seem to be of proof even against undeniable arguments and demonstrations mount against all thy scruples and timorous unbeliefs the Canon of Gods word which will quickly level all impediments and through the strongest barrocadoes of Sathans suggestions make way for a safe a happy passage and exit to thy Soul As an Introduction to which let these holy Lights and examples of departing Saints be premeditated of Such as that speech of dying Jacob Lord I wait for thy salvation such the obedience and chearfull dissolution of those two unparalleld Levites Moses and Aaron they went up to the tops of the Mount Hor and Nebo and dyed there such the cruel and voluntary Martyrdome though inspired by an extraordinary Spirit of valiant Sampson such also the last words of royal David He hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered and sure for this is all my salvation The expressions also of Job Paul and others might be instanced but I will conclude with pious Simeon's devout wish Lord let thy Servant depart in peace for mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation Further to thy establishment and comfort in that day when God shall judge the secrets of all Men by Jesus Christ according to the Gospel consider what firme assurance thou hast of the favour and how neer relation thou hast to the Person of thy Judge For herein as the Apostle speaks is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of Judgment because as he is so are we in this World Is not the same Lord Jesus Christ that sole and universal Tribune to whom the Father hath committed all Judgment and to whom all power is given both in Heaven and in Earth As being that Man whom God hath ordained to judge the World in righteousness even the Quick and the Dead And before whose Judgment Seat all must stand Is not he I say by the witness of his own word and undeniable truth so neerly allyed and endeared to thee that the strongest tyes of nature are by him figuratively taken up to shadow out rather then to fully express his indissoluble affection As that he is thy Master nay more O infinite love and humility thy servant That he is thy friend yea more O ineffable honour and exaltation thy brother yea more if this be not enough he
to make all good in few words hear thy King by the Prophet Isaiah The Lord of Hosts will be for a Crown of glory and for a Diadem of beauty unto his People and for a Spirit of Judgment to him that sits in Judgment and for strength to them that turn the Battel to the Gate But this World is a Bed of Vipers a bundle of snares a stage of dangers True yet if thou trust in him he shall deliver thee from the snare of the Fowler from the noysome Pestilence Thou shalt tread upon the Lion and Adder the young Lion and the Dragon shalt thou trample under feet O read yee faithfully and digest this whole Psalme which I may truly stile the City of David for strength and beauty the fortress yea Paradise of every true Christian. But the godly have but a few friends I answer Comparatively they have but a few Enemies the whole Creation except Sathan and sinners being at peace with a reconciled Soul such as Job speaks of being in League with the very Stones and Beasts of the Field And the malice of the malignant turns all to their good Yea more if a Mans wayes please the Lord he will make even his Enemies to be at peace with him But to conclude a good Wife and good Children are amongst the chief blessings upon Earth They are so and have not the Saints strong and comfortable evidences for them if the Lord see them good witness those twine-like Psalmes the 117. and the 118. which for their excellency and comfort sake deserve the Readers more full and perfect Observation I will not be further tedious for the Lord God is a Sun and a Shield the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly O Lord of Hosts blessed is the Man that trusteth in thee Having given my Soul by faith a taste of some few of those many temporal promises treasured up in the Scripture being they are to be but as Sallets to provoke my spiritual appetite I will return to feed upon Eternity O my Soul what surer Antidote against the apprehension of the last Judgment whose sting is Eternal Death than the Meditation and assured hope of Eternity of life which is Glory in grain and the deifying of Humanity Surely if there be any Spiritual weight that depresseth the Soul it is Judgment If there be any Heavenly Magnes that attracts and quickens it 't is Immortality For toucht with this though encircled with corruption thou shalt continue moving with the Needle until fixed upon the lines of life thou constantly adhearing to the true Flower-de-luce Christ Jesus Amongst Moses unfeigned Metamorphoses we finde the Rod chang'd to a Serpent a devourer of the Magitian delusions So this hope a branch of the Tree of Life springing from the Root of Jesse swallows up Death in victory in Eternity What seems yea is a fearfull truth to all unbelieving Egyptians becometh a Chimera a Phantasme to every true Israelite If any word is expressive or an Epitome of God of Heaven of Glory and consequently of all felicity it is this of Life I am the way the truth and the life I am the Resurrection and the Life saith our Saviour and he that hath the Son that is believes in him hath life saith St. John Since then God is life he that hath life hath God and he that hath God hath all things even the conflux of simple and unmixt happiness And therefore most wisely and succinctly those holy Men Penners of the Creed called the Apostles have coucht and exprest the excessive treasures and immense pleasures of the Heavenly Paradise under that one word life everlasting Herein O my Soul is included and assured unto thee the sublimest of Heavenly fruitions called by the School-men the beatifical Vision Which so far as I am able to express it is the Souls full repletion and apprehension of the excellencies of the Divine Essence not by the back-parts only and mediately as Moses but primarily and immediately in himself Yea also the Body being in the very moment of its resurrection spiritualiz'd as witnesseth the Apostle shall there with open face see and look upon the word of life receiving fulness of pleasure and satisfaction by those sences which now are unprofitable and uncapable of such glorious manifestations Here since this last act of our faith and last Article of our Creed is so full of comfort and unspeakable animation after the hearty and humble acknowledgment of my ignorance and fervent supplicating the assistance of the only illuminating Spirit I will more largely and particularly eye this Crown this unvaluable price even so far as my faith hath visual beames from Scripture or consequent demonstration If the Soul of Man in this state of her nakedness and deformity hath been by some Christians though therein Heretical deifyed and by most of the Heathen Magi magnifyed even to the heighth of created excellencies surely in her renovation and perfect reassumption of that her first Image and those first created Ornaments she must needs be more splendid and more to be admired But is this beauty of the first Adam in his innocency the heighth of a Christians hope No. As our second Adam in his divine descent and generation infinitely transcends our first Parent in Nature so he hath prepared a far more excellent weight of glory for his Children by Adoption his Members by Spiritual mystical and supernatural union Witness his own Oracle and declarative rather than necessary Petition The glory which thou gavest me I have given them Blessed Lord what a word is this What a communication my minde is entraunced and my weak Meditations swell even to an Impossibility of expression Can I not now know my Soul in her humiliation in the weakness of a Creature How can I then describe and conceive of her in her exaltation in the glory of her Creator Let this be sufficient for me to believe hence that that glory with which she shall be filled according to her Spiritual Nature is for quality infinitely excellent because Gods yet allayed and fitted to be received for quantity finite and limited as in her Not as divided from the Divine Fountain but by vertue of Inhabitation in a gracious real and inseparable union communicated to and made hers according to our Saviours Prayer That we all may be one as the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father that we may be one in them as also that the love wherewith the Father hath loved the Son may be in us and he in us Thus then the Souls of the Saints before the Resurrection and both Souls and Bodies after the Resurrection according to their several measures of grace here shall then have their divine plenitudes of Glory every Vessel being filled that is thrown into that Ocean of Life and Glory Further as a Wedge of
a Hell of unclean lusts But labour as much to be like Christ in holiness and righteousness as thou hopest and desirest to be like him in glory Let thy Members be spiritualized and heavenized and made Members of holiness unto righteousness And let thy conversation be in Heaven where thy habitation shall be For our life is hid in Christ with God and when he appeares we shall appear also with him in glory and be ever with the Lord. O omnipotent God and gracious Father in my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who in the beginning madest Man after thy own Image in holiness and in righteousness of body and soul as having from everlasting decreed that thy only begotten Son the Eternal Word should be made Flesh and become Man And therefore thou saidest let us make Man in our Image after our likeness for to thee all things past and future are as in their present being in thy great goodness pitty and with infinite compassions behold what a sad and miserable change Sathan and Sin have made in thy Image and Creature Thou hast made Man upright but they have sought out many inventions Yea every imagination of the thoughts of Mans heart are only evil continually Their hearts are deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked who can know them Their bodies are become so like Sathan that they may well be called Devils incarnate Their Heads imagine mischief continually their Eyes are altogether set upon vanity their Eares are soon set open to let in all verbal uncleanness their Smell is fum'd with pride their Pallates are fur'd with gluttony and excess and their touch is the pander of lust and lasciviousness their Mouths Tongues and Throats are open Sepulchres their right hands are full of bribes iniquity and oppression and their Feet walk in the way of sinners and are swift in running to mischief In summe the whole Body is a Cage of unclean lusts and the wicked Instruments of all ungodliness and unrighteousness O mercifull Creator this is our sinfull condition by nature But thou hast promised to change these vile bodies and to make them glorious bodies like the body of our Lord. O begin I beseech thee this change and new Creation upon my body here since they only that are sanctified and made new Creatures shall be glorified They only that are raised and have part in this first Resurrection from sin shall be raised and have part in the second Resurrection to Glory Let it appear that I am born again of Water and the Spirit and that Christ is already formed in me and let all those senses and Members which have been the Members of uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity be now the Members and Servants of righteousnes unto holiness so shall my glory begin here in holiness and righteousness and be compleated hereafter in the perfection of Glory Amen I proceed next to the second excellency of our Bodies at the Resurrection They shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and as the Stars for ever and ever Yea our blessed Saviour far transcends these expressions of the Angel in Daniel and saith The righteous shall shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdome of their Father Yea far higher yet They shall partake of the Glory of God which is far above all created Glory he declaring that The glory God hath given him he had given them All which is comprehended in the fore-recited Texts He shall make our vile Bodies like unto his glorious Body And that when he shall appear we shall be like him To this great truth the Apostle Paul further beares witness saying Whom he justifies them he also glorifies That those that suffer with Christ shall also be glorified together with him And that our light affliction which is but for a Moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and Eternal weight of Glory That when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with Him in Glory Of this excelling and blessed state of the People of God in the darker times of the Church under the Law the Psalmist gives testimony saying Let the Saints be joyfull in Glory And of himself in particular Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and after receive me into Glory I shall conclude the proofs of this most comfortable encouraging and ravishing Doctrine with the evidence of blessed Peter When the chief Shepward shall appear ye shall receive a Crown of Glory that fades not away The God of all grace hath called us into his Eternal Glory by Jesus Christ. Our blessed Saviour in his great love to us and for our encouragement in his service hath not only from his own Mouth and by his Spirit in the Mouths of his Ministers as hath been shewed verified this precious truth and illustrated it by sensible similitudes such as the Sun Stars and Firmament but became himself even in his state of humiliation a Sign Figure and example of this glorious shining condition and change of the Bodies of his Saints at the Resurrection in that his wonderfull and miraculous transfiguration in the presence of Peter James and John upon the Mount when his Face did shine as the Sun and his Rayment was white as the Light A sight so ravishing and delightfull that it made Peter although but a Spectator to forget Wife and Family and to look upon this World as a Dunghill saying unto our Lord Jesus Lord it is good for us to be here if thou wilt let us make here three Tabernacles one for thee and one for Moses and one for Elias Consider then was this glorious change in our Saviour so superlatively delightfull to Peter to behold What shall it be to us in the fruition Certainly true is that Word of the Lord Eye hath not seen Ear hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of Man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Our Souls are now immund or rather imprisoned with in a fleshly Wall or Jaile of whited Earth and like a poor Prisoner hath only the liberty to peep and look out at the Cinque-ports or windows of the sences Neither is it or can it now be seen or truly known by our selves or others But then that Image of God that Angel-like Spirit that most rich and inestimable Jewel purchased with the infinite precious blood of the Son of God and valued by him to be more worth than the whole World shall dwell and be housed in the body glorified as in a shining pure and transparent Chrystal Cabinet And shall be seen and known by Saints our selves and Angels as to its forme to its glorious operations and perfect beauty The resplendent body like a Concave Mathematical Glass not deminishing but magnifying and adding to its excellent glory and brightness And moves according to its
other Members as looking upon this weak diseased and aged Body as upon an old and weather-beaten Tent. Knowing that If the Earthly House of this my Tabernacle were dissolved I have a building of God an House not made with Hands Eternal in the Heavens Groaning earnestly and desiring with the Apostle Paul to be cloathed upon with my House which is from Heaven with which if I be cloathed I shall not be found naked That this Mortality may be swallowed up of Life Let me not O Lord with the Worldling who hath his Portion only in this Life be troubled at the Knell of every passing Bell sigh at every striking of the Clock nor be afraid or unwilling to number my Days or to cast up the accompt of my years but greatly rejoyce at the end of every hour day and year as hastning my approach to and the enjoyment of Eternity Being most willing to have my Body interred that after a long time like the matter of China Vessels it may be raised and made lucid transparent and a Vessel of honour fit to be made use of in the Palace of Heaven Shall my Body be shining and glorious like the Sun let it not now O Lord be spotted with sin and changeable and inconstant in its motion and conversation like the Moon Shall it be bright like the Firmament and Stars O Lord let it be a fixt and not a falling Star nor cast down to the Earth by the Taile of the old Serpent the Devil neither let me be a Meteor and seem to out-shine others in a Religious profession and in a short time vanish only leaving behind me an hypocritical and pestilential stench like those wandering Stars to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever O gracious and mercifull Redeemer shall this corruptible put on incorruptibility and this mortal put on immortality Let this supernatural change begin here as it doth in all thy sanctified ones and let even my Body as well as my Soul be thy dwelling place and the Temple of thy holy Spirit in which let no unclean lust lurk or wicked Spirit enter Make me holiness unto thee O Lord and perfect holiness in thy fear Give thy Angels charge over me to keep me in all my ways Let them bear me up in their hands lest I dash my Foot against a Stone cause me to tread upon the Lyon and the Addar the young Lyon and the Dragon Yea let them according to thy promise be shortly trampled under my Feet Let sin dye in me by vertue of thy Death and let the life and immortality of holiness spring up and flourish in me by vertue of thy Resurrection Hast thou O Lord stiled thy Church thy Dove thy undefiled one And declared that she is fair and that there is no spot in her And is that which is spoken of thy Church applyable to every living Member thereof O thou that art the Eternal truth make good this thy Word unto thy poor Servant thy Spouse although most unworthy to wash the Feet of the Servants of my Lord. And since thou hast promised that all things shall become new And declared that those that are in thee are new Creatures and hast covenanted to give me a new Heart and a new Spirit and to take out my Heart of Stone and to give me a Heart of Flesh to pour clean Water upon me and to make me clean and hast testified that thy blood doth cleanse me from all sin and that by thy righteousness alone I am justified O let all these true and precious promises be fulfilled in me and to me So shall the incorruptibility of my Person as in respect of sin usher in and assure me of the incorruptibility of my Soul and Body in glory Let me dye daily with blessed Paul as to all the evil lusts of the Flesh that I may not dye Eternally but live everlastingly in glorified Flesh. O Lord who art the life and my life let my sinfull mortality even here put on a spiritual and heavenly immortality For thou hast proclaim'd it whil'st thou wert upon Earth That the Day comes yea now is when the Dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live even to Eternity For He that believeth in thee hath already everlasting life Let my union and communion with thee through faith and the in-dwelling of thy holy Spirit begin to make my Face to shine here as did the Face of Moses and thy Proto-Martyr Stephen since thou hast declared that a Mans wisdome maketh his Face to shine Yea we are said to shine here also in a holy conversation since thou commandest us To let our light shine before Men. And hast held forth in thy Word that the path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect Day and hast promised in thy Book That if we let not wickedness dwell in our Tabernacles our Age shall be cleerer than the Noon-day and we shall shine forth and be as the Morning Lord although I now live in the Flesh yet let me not I humbly and with importunity beseech thee live unto or after the Flesh since such are said to be dead while they live yea twice dead and pluckt up by the Roots And thou hast justly threatned that those that live after the Flesh shall dye and that Eternally But they that live in and after the Spirit shall live and that for ever and ever But since after this life there shall be no Devil to tempt no World to allure or persecute nor Sin to intice or corrupt Let me with mortified Paul desire to depart and to be with thee which is far better Yea since to live is Christ and to dye is gain Let me with perfect Job all the Dayes of this my appointed time humbly patiently and believingly wait until my glorious change come Amen Having exercised my faith and contemplation upon this ravishing and pleasing subject the glorification of the Bodies and Members of the Saints in general and in the Gross I shall now lastly proceed beseeching the assistance of his most Holy Spirit who is my light the light of Men and he who alone enlighteneth every one that cometh into the World to speak particularly though with much brevity of the glorification of the Five Sences I shall go so far as I shall receive light from the Scriptures and right reason taking that sober and lawfull liberty that is granted to all those that have meditated upon the like subjects where some things are more obscure than others and not so clearly and fully held forth in Gods Word humbly to offer what probably and rationally although not positively may be the truth as not repugnant to Scripture right reason or the Analogie
but such as shall be exceeding ravishing and delightfull and as Musick to the Soul even such unspeakable words as blessed Paul heard when he was caught up into Paradise Then shall we being placed in glory at the right hand of our righteous King and Saviour hear with boldness and without fear or astonishment that most joyfull sentence Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the World Then shall we hear that great voice of God the Father who sits upon the Throne saying Behold I make all things new the Tabernacle of God is with Men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his People and God himself shall be with them and be their God Then shall these words which are faithfull and true be fulfilled God shall wipe away all teares from their Eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end I will give unto him that is athirst of the Fountain of the Water of Life freely he that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son To conclude I shall not say any thing as to the Musick of the Sphears as esteeming them to be only groundless dreams and phantasies of Heathens and Phylosophers I humbly conceive that as far as the glorious Heavens and Angels transcend and excells the nâ—w Earth and the Inhabitants thereof so far shall the ravishing and musical voices and sounds in this glorified state of the Saints excell all the pleasures and delights of this kind in this our low and corruptible condition O my Soul shall the sense of Hearing in the next life be as comprehensive and perfect in its kinde as the sense of Sight Shall it be made capable not only of Hearing and that with understanding also the Musick of Heaven the all-ravishing Hymns the mellifluous speech and voices of Angels the Language of Glory as also to hear him whose voice is as a Trumpet and as the noise of many Waters of him who is the Judge of Heaven and Earth the King of Kings the King of Saints and the King of Nations the Eternal Word the Lord Jesus Christ God-Man blessed for ever Yea shalt thou then O my Soul by the assistance of this glorified sense hear not as now the dreadfull and killing but the all delighting reviving exalting and transporting voice of the ever glorious Trinity even of the Eternal God Himself O let not this so excellent and usefull a sense be deboist so much as to be the Gate or in-let of vain and unprofitable discourses of wanton and lascivious words or of any kind of false slanderous or evil speeches all which are as so many Traytors to thee and Enemies unto thy God and Soveraign Nor let thy Eares be â—urfeited and excessively glutted with any kind of earthly Musick or with the pleasing sounds or voices of any of thy fellow-Creatures which although lawfull delightfull and refreshing to the natural and animal Spirits as being neer a Kin to them yet by the subtilty of Sathan the World and thy Flesh do frequently become snares and an undiscernable flattering and therefore the more dangerous Enemy and means to pollute thee with sin or to introduce some kind of fleshly lust or other But begin even now O my Soul to exercise every sense and member upon such objects and in such employments and actings as come neerest to those of Angels and glorified Saints This is to make this Earth a Paradise and to have even whilst thou art in this World as the Apostle exhorts thy conversation in Heaven To this end let thy delight be with holy David in the converse of the excellent ones upon Earth yea watch dayly at the Gates of Wisdome and wait at the Posts of her Doors yea with attention hang upon the Lips of her Teachers Be much in the exercises of the Church Tryumphant in praising God in the Assemblies of his Saints in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs singing with grace and making Melody in your heart So shalt thou O my Soul by a sanctified spiritual and internal sense heâ—e frequently even in this thy state of humiliation the counsels and instructions of blessed Angels the voice of God and of his holy Spirit viz. thy Father and Comforter behind thee saying This is the way walk thou in it And the loving expressions and invitations of thy most sweet and gracious Spouse and Saviour who standing behind the Wall of thy Flesh and looking forth at the Windowes of several Providences and shewing himself through the Lattess of thy intervening and impeding weakness and infirmity will often speak unto thee saying Arise up my love my fair one and come away For loe the Winter is past of thy doubts fears sufferings and temptations The rain of thy teares and mourning is over and gone The Flowers of my saving gifts which evidence the Spring of my Grace appears on the Earth of thy renewed nature The time of the singing of Birds the earnest and witness of my Spirit and of thy conscience assuring thee of my love and salvation is come and the voice of me the true Turtle is heard in the Land even in thy Soul my Habitation The Figg-Tree putteth forth her green Figges and the Vines with the tender Grapes give a good smell viz. thou art fruitfull in all holy and good works Now therefore arise my love my fair one and come away and inherit the Kingdome prepared for thee before the Foundation of the World O my gracious Lord and Saviour who when thou wert upon Earth in the zeal of thy Spirit cryed out unto thy Auditors He that hath Eares to hear let him hear and didst declare and expound the Words of thy Prophet That there should be many that hear but understand not intimating to us thereby that there is a spiritual and internal sense of hearing that many want that have the bodily sence and Organ O thou which openedst the heart of Lidia as well as her Eares when she gave attention to Paul's preaching and said to the deaf Man in the Gospel Ephtata and his Eares were opened give me an understanding Eare as well as thou hast given me an Ear of Flesh that I may both hear and understand know and obey thy will declared unto me by the Ministers of thy Word Yea let my Eares be always open to receive entertain and retain the holy instructions consolations reproofes and encouragementâ— of any of thy faithfull Servants and my fellow-members and Brethren But let them through thy grace be turned away sealed up and guarded against the Syrene Songs of all Sin and Sinners And if by force or surpriâ—e oaths curâ—ing lying slandering blasphemies vain
and drink as our Saviour did thrice after his Resurrection probably to shew not only that his Body was truly raised and that his stay upon Earth was a figure and pattern of his Saints first degree of Glory here after their Resurrection as his was his first degree of glory and exaltation after his but also that they should accidentally and at pleasure as he did although not out of a positive and natural necessity eat drink and make use of the Creatures Shall thy body not only have a kinde of secondary nourishment as our first Parents had in Paradise conveighed unto it with a far more exceeding and extraordinary delight that they had because of the excelling transcendency of the subjects and their much more sanctified and spiritualiz'd condition But shall the Taste also administer to thee continually much delight and knowledge from the unexpressible sweetness and wonderfull variety of innumerable Vegitives as to their admirable natures and qualities to thy great content and ravishment and thy Creators glory O do not therefore now vitiate and pollute it with gluttony or drunkenness nor make it a slavish Handmaid to any fleshly and inordinate appetite Be wise and guide thy heart in the way be not amongst Wine-bibers amongst riotous eaters of flesh for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty Who hath woe who hath sorrow who hath contentions who hath babling who hath wounds without cause who hath redness of the Eyes They that tarry long at the Wine they that go to seek mixt Wine Look not thou upon the Wine when it is red when it giveth its colour in the Cup when it moveth it self aright at the last it biteth like a Serpent and stingeth like an Adder Thine Eyes shall behold strange Women and thy Heart shall utter perverse things yea thou shalt be as he that lyeth down in the midst of the Sea or as he that lyeth upon the top of a Mast They have striken me shalt thou say and I was not sick they have beaten me and I felt it not when I shall awake I will seek it yet again O my Soul in that new life thou shalt only eat and drink as the Apostle exhorts to the glory of God and more for pleasure and delight and that as to spiritual ends than for necessity but in this sinfull life if thou be given to appetite put a Knife to thy throat and watch over thy gust eating and drinking more for necessity than for pleasure as one that eats to live not lives to eat not making like those wicked ones reproved by the Apostle Paul thy Belly thy God But like thy for ever glorious and blessed Saviour at all seasonable Feastings do thou turn Water into Wine that is be a holy and Christian Phylosopher or Chymist extracting Life and Spirits out of every thing thou eatest or drinkest as tasting in the various gusts sweetness and vertues of the Creature the super-excelling sweetness wisdome and goodness of thy God the bountifull giver and the wonderfull Creator Do not with the Swinish and dropsical Drunkard turn Wine into Water but in thy Non-age so train up this Childish sense in all holy temperance and sobriety that it may be prepared and fitted for its sublimer exercise in thy Man-hood of Glory O my Lord and Saviour who art both our example and our Law-giver and therefore hast commanded us not to labour for the Meat that perisheth but for that Meat which endureth unto everlasting life and doth exhort and precaution us to take heed to our selves that our hearts be not over-charged with surfeiting and drunkenness lest that Day either of Death or Judgment come upon us unawares and hast also declared by thy Apostle that Meats are for the Belly and the Belly is for Meats but God shall destroy them both and therefore didst exhort and teach us how to purify and spiritualize our fleshly gust and appetite by faith offering thy self to be drunk and eaten by us when thou saidest My Blood is Drink indeed my Flesh is Meat indeed affording to us such an excellent nourishment that who so by faith spiritually eateth thy Flesh and drinketh thy Blood shall not dye but live to Eternity Yea further thou holdest forth to us that thou art that Bread that camest down from Heaven of which the Manna in the Wilderness was but a Type which whosoever eateth by faith that is by believing in thee shall not dye but live for ever as also that thou art that Water of Life of which whosoever drinketh shall thirst no more O Lord I cry unto thee with the Emauites Lord ever give unto me to eat of this Bread and to drink of this living Spring then shall I be so fully satisfied that I shall never hunger or thirst more after any of the things of this World The lusts of the Flesh the lusts of the Eyes or the pride of life yea Lord I shall not only have enough for my self but such plenty as there-with to feast others also as being enabled to say with thy beloved Apostle That which was from the beginning which we have heaâ—d which we have seen with our Eyes which we have looked upon yea that which we have tasted and our hands have handled of the Word of Life declare we unto you that yee may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and his Son even with thee O Lord Jesus Christ Lord give unto thy Servant an internal taste as well as thou hast given me an external sense that I may with holy David both taste and see how good the Lord is and binde the one Apprentice to the other making it serviceable to my Soul and unto thee Then shall I enjoy a double relish and sweetness in every drop of drink and bit of meat as being a love-token from thee and an earnest of Eternal Life and nourishment in thee so shall my Earthly Pallate at no time injure deceive or pollute my spiritual sense as Noah's and Lot's did by ignorance surprise and the sweetness of the Grape but be kept in order and in obedience sharpning not blunting the edge of my Meditation and Charity as the full Meats of Nabal and Dives did watering and enlivening not drowning my piety and obedience as it is probable Wine and strong Drink did Nabal and Abihu O Lord it is true that the Beasts of the Field partake and have the use of this sense as well as Man O that they might not one Day shame and rise up in Judgment against the Epâ—curisme of many Men Doth nature moderate the Horse and the Oxen as to their eating and drinking O let the addition of thy grace so order and sanctify my taste and appetite that in their sweetness I may admire thy delectableness mercy wisdome and goodness so shall this sense begin my glory
Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for 〈…〉 Created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were Created Thou O blessed Saviour art worthy to take the Book of the Providential Decrees and actings of the Father as concerning thy Chuâ—ch and to open the Sealâ— and to discover the meaning thereof for thâ—â— wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation And hast made 〈◊〉 unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall 〈…〉 the Earth Worthy 〈…〉 O Lamb â—hat was 〈◊〉 to receive power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing Blessing â—â—nour glory and power be unto thee O Father That 〈◊〉 upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for eâ—er and ever Great and marvailous are thy works Lord God Allmighty just and 〈◊〉 are thy ways O King of Saints who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorify thy Name for thou only 〈◊〉 holy For all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy Judgments are made manifest and thy 〈◊〉 in the raising thy Witnesses thy Magistracy and Ministry and pouring forth thy wrath upon the Beast the Man of Sin that Western Anti-christ the Pope and upon that Mystery of Iniquity Babylon the great the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth which is also spiritually called 〈◊〉 and Egypt and literally Rome the Throne and Seat of the Beast and two-horned Beast the false Prophet which is come now into remembrance before thee O God to give unto her the Cup of the Wine of the fierceness of thy wrath she saith now in her heart I sit iâ— Queen and am no Widdow and shall see no sorrow therefore shall her Plagues 〈◊〉 in owâ— Diâ—â—y Death and Mourning and Famine and she shall be utterly 〈◊〉 with Fire for strong are thou 〈◊〉 God that Judgeth her And the Beaâ—â— the Pope that was and is not that is the Eight Head and is of the Seventh shall go into Perdition and be taken and with him the false Prophet the Roman Church and Hierarchy that wrought Miracles before him with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the Beast and them that worshipped his Image These both shall be cast alive into a Lake of Fire burning with Brimstone First in this life by a direfull excommunicaâ—tion by all the Churches of Christ and after this life 〈◊〉 the Fiery Lake of Hell O Almighty Saviour who 〈◊〉 King of Kings and Lord of Lords shall my Tongue 〈◊〉 my glorified condition as hath been shewed sing thy praises declare and perpetuate the memory of these thy wonderfull actings after thou hast done them O 〈◊〉 me now before thou doest them as beholding 〈◊〉 very neer through the Perspective of thy Word by the Eye of my Faith Sing that new Song of praises before thy Throne concerning thy great and marvellous proâ—idences with the hundred forty and four thousand thy Virgins and redeemed ones that stand with thee oâ— Mount Sion the Figure of thy Church and tryumphingly declare with the Angel that the Hour of thy Judgment is come and that Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City because she made all Nations drink of the Wine of the wrath of her Fornication Let me also as by the same prospect of Faith beholding the Call and Conversion of thy antient People Israel and scattered Jewes to be at hand and the total destruction of Gog and Magog the blasphemous Mahumetan Turk by their Sword and in their Land and bless and praise thy Name for it is wonderfull fearfull and glorious O my Lord hast thou also declared and promised by thy Holy Apostle John that thou wilt shortly Lay hold on the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Devil and Sathan and bind him for a thousand years Casting him into the bottomless Pit and shutting him up and setting a Seal upon him that he should deceive the Nations no more untill the thousand years shall be fulfilled And that then all the ends of the World shall remember and turn unto thee O Lord and all the Kindreds of the Nations shall worship before thee And the Kingdomes of this World shall become the Kingdomes of Thee our Lord and of thy Christ and He shall raign for ever Lord shall I we see such a blessed and happy age as this when as a natural and rational effect of Sathans binding and thy casting him and all his Legions of Devils into the local Hell and of thy plentuous pouring forth of the gifts and graces of thy Spirit according to the Prophets the whole World shall be converted to Christianity all Wars and Contentions shall cease Swords shall be turned into Plow-shares and Speares into Pruning-hooks and the Nations shall learn Warre no more And long life and peace and plenty shall Crown this Orbe when all Idolatry Ignorance open profaneness and wickedness shall be laid aside and purity light and unity in life and doctrine worship and discipline shall shine forth throughout the Earth even above the Primitive times when saving knowledge and a Salomonial wisdome shall cover the Earth even as the Waters cover the Seas Shall I I say behold all this by faith through the gracious illumination of thy blessed Spirit in thy Word of Truth And shall I not cry out with holy David Lord open thou my Lips and my Mouth shall shew forth thy praise yea often glorify thee in singing the 96. Psalme which being a clear Prophesie of this time thy Spirit indited to that purpose as also the 97. the 98. the 99. and the 100. Psalmes O Lord hast thou foretold and promised by thy Prophet Daniel That Judgment shall be given unto the Saints of the most High and that the Saints shall possess the Kingdome That then Righteousness shall be the Girdle of thy Loynes and faithfulness the Girdle of thy Reines That thou wilt give us Judges as at the first and Counsellers as at the beginning and that thou wilt make our Exactors righteousness That the Judgment shall fit and the Kingdome and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdome under the whole Heaven shall be given to the People of the Saints of the most High whose Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome and all Dominions shall serve Him Yea is this that fift and universal Monarchie and victorious Kingdome which is by thy Almighty Power and Spirit to be acted and carryed on by thy Saints when as it is witnessed by the Prophets and thy Servant David Thou shalt break thy Enemies with a Rod of Iron and shalt dash them in pieces like a Potters Vessel when the Lord at thy right hand shall strike through Kings in the Day
of his wrath and shalt Judge amongst the Heathen and shall fill the places with the dead Bodies and wound the Heads over many Countries When thou shalt put a two-edged Sword into the Hand of thy Saints to execute vengeance upon the Heathen and punishment upon the People to bind their Kings with Chains and their Nobles with Fetters of Iron to execute the Judgment written this honour have all the Saints Yea is this thy victorious Kingdome and Government wherein righteousness peace holiness and purity shall be so greatly exercised and exalted by and under thy Saints upon Earth confirmed by thee in a Vision to thy Apostle John who declares that after Sathan was bound by thee a thousand years He saw Thrones and they to wit thy Saints sate upon them and Judgment was given unto them The Prodromus to which Sessions he saw Revelations the 19. from Verse the 11. unto the end of that Chapter And shall not both my Tongue and Heart in the certain belief that these wonderfull prophetical promises shall yea are now at the point to be made good unto thy Church and to be fulfilled praise and glorifie thee in the joyfull expectation thereof in those words which thy own Spirit Indicted on this subject and for this purpose O clap your Hands all yee People shout unto God with the voice of Tryumph for the Lord most High is terrible he is a great King over all the Earth He shall subdue the People under us and the Nations under our Feet he shall choose our Inheritance for us the excellency of Jacob whom he loved For God is the King of all the Earth sing yee praises with understanding God raigneth over the Heathen God sitteth upon the Throne of his Holiness The Princes of the People are gathered together even the People of the God of Abraham for the Shields of the Earth belongeth unto God he is greatly exalted O blessed Saviour who art that great Prophet promised by Moses yea the Lord God of the Prophets Hast thou foretold to us by them that after the binding and sealing up Sathan and all the Powers of Darkness in Hell the bottomless Pit thy Saints thy Church shall enjoy a Sabatisme a thousand years of rest and peace upon this Earth which I humbly expect when their six thousand years of trouble labour and persecution shall be expired typified and prefigured as I in all humility conceive in the Arks resting the 17. Day of the 7. Month as a Type of this rest in the six Days Creation and thy seventh Days rest and in thy appointing us a laborious Week and six Days of Work and every seventh Day to be a Sabbath a Day of rest to us and the Creatures And in the seventh Years rest to the Field and release to Servants the righteousness and holiness peace plenty and happiness of which their raign and Kingdome I but lately mentioned and evidenced by a few Scriptures of many that clearly hold it forth to us O let my Heart and Tongue in the assured faith of thy accomplishing this great work sing with joy the seventy-second Psalme The lively Prophesie of this thy peaceable Kingdome under thy Saints upon Earth under the Type of Solomon concluding with the Holy Psalmist Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who only doth wonderous works And blessed be his glorious Name for ever And let the whole Earth be filled with his Glory Amen O Lord the Judge of all the Earth hast thou promised to come unto us the second time without Sin unto Salvation but in flaming Fire to take vengeance of all that know thee not Hereby destroying them and Hypocrites together with the Apostatizing Nations called Gog and Magog as Sprung from a Scythian Root seduced from the true Faith by the deceits of Sathan at his loosing for a season The number of whom is as the Sand of the Sea and by him gathered together to incompass the Camp of thy Saints and the holy City thy true Church made up of Gentiles and Israelites Hast thou then promised a Resurrection of the Just even of all thine Elect ones and Martyrs and that They shall be Priests of God and of thee O Christ and that they shall raign with thee a thousand years For thou hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall raign upon Earth Even in that new Heaven and new Earth which thou wilt create shall our Salvation be then perfected and compleated in that first Resurrection the Redemption of our Bodies now sowen in Corruption but then raised in Incorruption sowen in dishonour but raised in Glory sowen in weakness but raised in Power sowen a natural Body but raised a spiritual Body and glorious like unto thee O Lord. For ever blessed Redeemer shall I according to Scripture-Chronology probably about twelve hundred and thirteen years hence with holy Daniel stand in the Lot at the end of the Days and in my glorified Body with the many myriades of Angels and glorious Saints upon the renewed Earth behold and enjoy thee personally a thousand years shall my Tongue then declare thy Acts and the wonders of thy love mercy and truth and praise thee with them for this thy great salvation as being in a sure possession of Glory O let my Heart and Tongue now praise thee in faith and assurance thereof Since Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Yea let me with thy Prophet and Apostle Tryumph over that last Enemy Death and singing say O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory The Sting of Death is Sin and the strength of Sin is the Law Death is swallowed up in Victory Thanks be to God which giveth us the Victory through thee our Lord Jesus Christ. O thou whose Name is called the Word of God who art the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the only Potentate to whom all Judgment is committed by the Father and who art ordained of God to be the Judge of the quick and of the dead we must therefore all appear before thy Judgment Seat when thy righteousness shall shine forth as the Light and thy Judgment as the Noon-Day in giving to every one according to their works And to all thine Elect called thy Sheep at thy right hand who are freely justified by thy righteousness according to the goodness of their thoughts words and deeds which and not any of their sins as being fully satisfied for and blotted out by thy Death and Merits shall then be remembred as being the fruits of thy own Grace That so thy Saints may be gradually rewarded according to their works not for their works both in the new Earth and highest Heavens with Eternal Life and Glory And inherit the Kingdome prepared for them before the Foundation of
the World After which act of thy remunerative Justice and thy Raign upon the renewed Earth with thy Saints a thousand years thou wilt I believe raise and Judge all the wicked called the Goats at thy left hand and the Apostate Angels according as thou hast declared in thy Word of Truth when every ungodly one shall be sentenced and punished proportionable and according to the evil of their thoughts words and actions then being all made manifest who with the Devils their Tempters and Tormenters shall by thy mighty Angels be cast into the Lake of Fire the Locall Hell unto Eternity This is the second Death O my King my Judge my Spouse shall this dreadfull time of Judgment fearfull indeed to the wicked but a most joyfull Day to the Godly certainly come upon the World according to thy Word Shall there be a long tract of time measured out in the acting and manifesting thy Judgments and magnifying the glory of thy remunerative and vindicative Justice to the World as well as there hath been a long space of proclaiming and holding forth the Golden Scepter of thy free Grace and incomprehensible love and mercy to the Sons of Men Is this truth one of the Articles of the Christian Faith and as certain to us as the Day of our death according to that unrepealable Statute It is appointed to Men once to dye and afterwards comes the Judgment Shall the Crowns dignities and rewards conferred upon thy Saints be one chief subject of praise and fill the Mouths of Men and Angels with continual Hallelujahs unto God not only whilst they rest upon the renewed Earth but also in the highest Heavens after the end of this long Day and the pouring out of thy wrath and execution of thy righteous Judgments upon wicked Men and Devils when thy glorious justice in both the parts thereof shall be finished and compleated according to that Prophesie of the Psalmist then perfectly fulfilled Verily there is a reward for the righteous Verily he is a God that judgeth in the Earth O let both my Heart and Tongue now inure themselves to this Subject since I live by faith and not by sense and sing with the Elect ones in the Revelations that prophetical Song calculated for this time saying Hallelujah Salvation and Glory and Honour and Power unto the Lord our God for true and righteous are his Judgments Praise our God all yee his Servants and yee that fear him both small and great Hallelujah for the Lord reigneth Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the Marriage of the Lamb is come and hiâ— Wife hath made her self ready And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine Linnen clean and white for the fine Linnen is the righteousness of Saints Blessed are they that are called to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. O King of Saints and King of Nations our Almighty Saviour and Conquerer who hast fulfilled the Law satisfied Divine Justice overcome the World Crucified Sin spoiled Principalities and Powers and wilt at the Resurrection of the Just and the Redemption of our Bodies destroy our last Enemy Death and after the Judging and Hellifying of wicked Men and Devils wilt in Tryumph ascend on high with thy Elect and lead Captivity Captive that the Glory which thy Father gave thee may be given them that they may be with thee where thou art and may behold the Glory which he hath given thee and possess an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for us where we shall be ever with thee our Lord and see God face to face and in thee the perfections of all Creatures as in their first cause And know thee according to our measure as we are known by thee Blessed Mediator this is that time when all rule all authority and power being put down and under thee in the Kingdome of thy Saints and under thee in thy personal and glorious raign upon Earth All Enemies even Death it self being destroyed and put under thy Feet thou shalt deliver up the Kingdome so far as it is Mediatory personal and singly acted and managed by thee in thy humane appearance and Man-hood to God even the Father That so thou the Son as being also as Man the Son of God might be subject as to thy present kinde of administration unto him that put all things under thee that God may be all in all And the whole Universe and Creation both in Heaven and Earth especially thy spiritual Body thy Church may be immediately governed and influenced by him who is three in one God-blessed for ever To which mystical Body thy Spouse and Church as also to Angels thou still remainest Head and Lord for ever which being now perfectly and inherently sanctified and graciously admitted through the glorious inhabitation and communion of thy most holy and eternal Spirit to an immediate fellowship real and spiritual union although not essential with the Father Son and holy Ghost one God blessed for ever shall live eternally in the life of God and in whole and in part as respecting every individual Member and Vessel be always full yet always increasing in knowledge grace and glory as Eying and enjoying continually the Divine Nature and cast into an Ocean of infiniteness unto Eternity This is the Generation of them that seek thee that seek thy face O God of Jacob. Therefore let both my Heart and Tongue even now O Lord prepare and begin to praise thee as from Pisgath with beholding Canaan and by faith the eye of my Soul from the raised hill of holy Contemplation viewing this Saint Paul's third Heaven the Throne of God and of his glory and the many yea innumerable shining and starrified Mansions in thy Fathers house the places prepared by thee for thy Saints as also their Kingdome and State of endless glory happiness and blessedness In the ravishing Meditation of these things their translation and thy second most glorious and tryumphant Assention O let me sing and rejoyce in the words of thy Prophet David foretelling both thy Ascentions God is gone up with a shout the Lord with a sound of a Trumpet sing praises to God sing praises sing praises to our King sing praises Lift up your Heads O yee Gates and be yee lift up yee everlasting Doors and the King of Glory shall come in Who is this King of Glory the Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in Battel Lift up your Heads O ye Gates even lift them up ye everlasting Doors and the King of Glory shall come in Who is this King of Glory the Lord of Hosts He is the King of Glory Selah I have now by Divine assistance according to my weak-sightedness for all Men here know but in part and as in
a Glass darkly and imperfectly taken a view of the Land of Promise the Inheritance of the Saints in light and presented to the Lord and to his Spouse the Church what discoveries he hath in great mercy given me as concerning Eternal Life that last and great Article of the Christian faith begun visibly in the Saints glorified condition in the new Heaven and new Earth and continued unto Eternity in the Heaven of Heavens Wherein concluding with the glorification and blessed use and exercise of our Tongues in that happy state I thought it proper both as to the general subject I have been upon as being the Vision exercise and Tryumph of Faith and as to the subject matter both lauditory to God and declarative to one another about which our Tongues shall in our renewed life be imployed to declare in this life with all humility and thankfulness of Heart and Tongue to both which my Pen is but the Secretary in the Ejaculatory part of that Meditation what by faith I behold and am assured from the Word of Truth shall come to pass here and be injoyed by me and all Gods Elect in the life to come and shall be there a blessed Subject of our praises to all Eternity In which Song of 12. parts or Jacobs Laddar of 12. Staves whose foot stands upon Earth and top reaches to Heaven we may by faith ascend beginning here upon Earth in this present Year of our Lord 1666. by twelve successive Steps wonderfull and most signal periods noted afore in the Margint to the last and highest ascent the Glorification of the Saints in the Heavens Being now come to Hercules Pillars the Ne-plus ultra of Faith beyond which all sacred Scripture the light of Faith is silent I can proceed nor walk any further in these Contemplations lest walking without a Light I fall into the Darkness of Error It being alike sinfull curiosity and presumption to inquire what God will do after this silence When time shall be no longer as to ask what he did before time was and before this World was Created Wherefore I shall here conclude these my imperfect Meditations and with all humility and reverence return all Honour Glory and Praise to thee O glorious Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost one God blessed for ever for thy most gracious assistance by the light of thy Word and Spirit in this great Work a subject too weighty for Angels how much more for me a simple sinfull and weak Worm Lord I acknowledge that whatsoever is good right and true in this Treatise is of and from thee who art Goodness Light and Truth and to thee alone belongs the praise and that whatsoever therein is Hay or Stuble is mine who humbly takes shame therefore and Petitions for thy free pardon in my Lord Christ Jesus beseeching thee that in the assurance of thy love and mercy in him and in the faith light and assurance of thy glorious Truths herein declared out of thy Word I may with Holy Job all the Days of my appointed time wait until my Change come And with zealous Paul desire to depart and to be with Christ that so my faith and hope may be swallowed up in the possession of thee and Vision may be changed into fruition Thy Spirit and thy Bride say come And let him that heareth say come Thou O Lord that testifieth these things sayest Surely I come quickly Amen Even so come Lord Jesus The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all Amen Soli Deo Gloria An Advertisement by the Author to the Reader FOr the more cleer and fuller proof of the Twelve great things mentioned in the Conclusion of this Work I refer the Reader to my Treatise almost ready to be published Entitled An humble Exposition of most of the Scripture-Prophesies concerning Twelve great Periods to be fulfilled to the Church beginning to be manifested in the Year 1666. and concluding with the end of our Lords Mediatory Kingdome and the Translation of the Saints to the highest Heavens FINIS AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE Of the Things contained in the TREATISE Intitulated MEDITATIONS ON FAITH A. THe Affections lose their appetite if ye do but change the object viz. Spiritual for Temporal Page 4 Christs Agony as described should much act upon our spirits Page 27 The use and abuse of the Affections Page 45 46 All Arts and Sciences are in the Scripture as Metaphysick Phylosophie Astronomy Chronologie Rhetorick c. Page 71 Christs answer to the soul complaining of her Affections Page 81 The Antiquity of the Scriptures Page 102 Of the Affections glorified Page 151 Of holy Anger glorified Page 160 A Soliloquium upon it Page 161 An Ejaculation upon it Page 161 A caution against blotting Assurance Page 185 B. The Body of man like the pool of Bethesda with its five Porches Page 22 The curse and judgement of the Body Page 52 The Souls complaint against the Body with Christs answer Page 88 89. c. Of the Body glorified Page 164 Of the spirituality and swiftness of our Bodies at the Resurrection Page 169 A soliloquium and ejaculation on those two qualities of the Body Page 170 The glorious shining of the Body at the Resurrection Page 171 A soliloquium on that shining of the Body Page 173 Item an ejaculation upon it Page 174 Of the Immortality of the Body glorified Page 175 C. The Certain condition of man is to be uncertain Page 8 A man may be a Conduit-pipe to others and be a Vessel of dishonour himself Page 15 17 Of Christs Death and Burial Page 33 34 His victory over Hell Page 35 His Resurrection Page 36 His Ascension Page 38 Man in respect of Conscience is as one possessed Page 42 A Contemplation on love Page 47 A Contemplation on the insatisfaction in Riches Honours Pleasures Wisdom Page 49 A Contemplation on fear Page 51 A Contemplation on the sinfulness of the Eyes Ears Nostrils Taste and Touch Page 56 Of Christs Priestly Office Page 57 The occasion of Christs Priest-hood Page 58 A Contemplation upon Christs Priest-hood Page 60 Of Christs satisfaction Page 61 Christs answer to the poor soul complaining of his Conscience Page 75 The souls general Complaint answered by Christ Page 85 86 The souls Complaint against her Senses Tongue and Members of her body and Christs answer to it Page 88 89 A meditation on the excellency of Christs person Page 99 Against Coveteousness Page 123 An Ejaculation upon the glorious Change of the body at the Resurrection Page 185 D. Demas described Page 14 A Dialogue between Christ and the poor complaining soul in many particulars which Christ answers and satisfies Page 74 Our victory by Christ over Death Page 130 Our victory over the fear of Death Page 132 Our victory over the pain and separation by Death Page 133 All things fall short of the Duration of glorified Bodies and Souls and the high
they may have a like effect upon you as to your spiritual food and edification as the â—irst and second concoction hath in the stomack as to a good and perfect digestion and turning the Meat into a fit Chile to be sanâ—â—fied and made good blood and spirits besides an after chewâ—ng of the Cud by remeditation and practice in a Gospel and spiritual signification will much difference and distinguish you that 〈◊〉 clean Christians from those that are unclean who for want of the heat of Divine affections devour but not digest holy things To include I desire my great suffering condition abounding with sorrows hopes and fears and all kinds of Tentations discomforts and distractions my above Twenty removes to several Residences and more than seven years Exile and separation from my â—ooks dearest Friends and Relations my ignorance infirmities and sinfulness as being the greatest of sinners the least of Saints 〈◊〉 excuse and apologize for me to any of my Brethren of the â—hurches of Christ that shall with you read these Contemplations â—â— to any defects or errors therein as being one of the lowest â—â—rms in the School of Christ and therefore ready in all humility to submit any thing herein contained to the Judgement of the Saints that are learned or judicious and to give or receive light or satisfaction to or from any that differ from me in Opinion Which I cannot but expect because of the diversity and rarity of a great part of this subject which may be a reason that plowing with no man's Heifer in some things I may walk alone yet left not in the dark and without as seems to me a clear light of holy Scripture hoping that this Essay of mine as to those great future mysteries and periods of the Churches state may give some new light through the free condescention of God's spirit to me his poor Exile in Patâ—os as to the understanding of many Scripture Prophesies in my Judgment much mistaken by former Expositors both ancient and modern and that though my weak light be but as a rush Candle yet it may be an occasion of the inflaming and lighting up of great and shining Tapers both in this generation and in the Age to come Most loving gracious and faithful Consort and hopeful Children whom I greatly long after in the bowels of Jesus Christ And for whom in the words of the Apostle Paul I frequently pray that your love may aboâ—nd yet more and more in knowledge and in all Judgment that ye may approve things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence until the day of Christ Being filled with the Fruits of Righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God Phil. 1.8 9 10 11. For this cause I bow my Knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner Man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heigth and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God Ephes. 3.14 15 16 17 18 19. Having the Eyes of your understanding enlightened that ye may know what is the hope of his Calling and what the Riches of the glory of his Inheritance in the Saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us wards who believe according to the working of his mighty Power Ephes. 1.18 19. That you all with open Face beholding as in a Glass the glory of the Lord may be changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 Finally my dear Brethren Sisters and Fellow members in Christ for all other Relation and Denomination shall shortly be laid aside Farewell be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace And the God of peace and love shall be with you 2 Cor. 13.11 Amen Yours in all sincere and tender affection as doubly Obliged by Nature and by Grace W. W. This 29th of June 1666. Sweetnese of Forme Feature Heere 's Combinde Yet much below the Beautie of her minde The True Effigies of the Lady Katherine Harington Wife to Sir James Harington and Baronet AN EPISTLE TO THE ELECT LADY And her Children My true Yoke-fellow and Dearly beloved Children Whom I love in the Truth HEar ye the Instruction of a Father and attend to know understanding forget it not neither decline from the words of my Mouth First seek the Kingdome of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you Wisdome is the principal thing the one thing needful and with all your gettings get understanding forsake her not and she shall preserve you Love her and she shall keep you Exalt her and she shall promote you she shall bring you to honour when you do embrace her she shall give to your Head an Ornament of grace a Crown of Glory shall she deliver unto you and the Years of your Life shall be many When you go your steps shall not be straitned and when you run you shall not stumble Take fast hold of Instruction let her not go keep her for she is your life Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ who is the power of God and the wisdome of God God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past to the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last Days spoken unto us by his Son who he hath appointed Heir of all things by whom also he made the Worlds Therefore ye ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that ye have heard lest at any time ye should let them slip For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward How shall you escape if you neglect so great salvation If he that despised Moses Law dyed without mercy under two or three witnesses See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on Earth much more shall not ye escape if ye turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven Hear ye therefore the word which the Lord Jesus speaketh unto you who spake by the Prophets and is the Lord God of the Holy Prophets since all Scripture is given by Inspiration of God even from him who is the Eternal Word of God and is profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works Counsel is mine
and found wisdome I am understanding I have strength I love them that love me and those that seek me early shall finde me A SCRIPTVRE-CATECHISME I am the only begotten Son of the Father the brightness of his glory the express Image of his Person upholding all things by the Word of my Power I was by him as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight rejoycing always before him rejoycing in the habitable parts of his Earth and my delights were with the Sons of Men. Blessed is the Man that heareth me waiting daily at my Gates waiting at the Posts of my Doors For who so findeth me findeth life and shall obtain favour of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me sinneth against his own Soul all that hate me love death But if ye set at naught my counsel I also will laugh at your Calamity I will mock when your fear cometh when your fear comes as Desolations and your destruction comes as a whirl-wind Then shall ye call upon me but I will not answer for that you hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord Therefore shall you eat of the fruit of your own way and be filled with your own devices But who so hearkneth to me shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear of evil Believe in God believe also in me I and the Father am one There are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one For though there be many that are called Gods whether in Heaven or in Earth The Lord your God is one Lord and to you there is but one God the Father of whom are all things who Created the Heaven and the Earth And one Lord Jesus Christ the Saviour of the World by whom are all things and you by him And one Spirit the Holy Ghost by whom you are sanctified I am the Way the Truth and the Life the Word of God that in the beginning was with God and was God the life and light of Men while ye have light believe in the light in me the Eternal Word that was made flesh and dwelt amongst you was conceived by the Holy Ghost and made of a Woman born of the Virgin Mary of the Seed of Abraham and of the Seed of David The beloved and only begotten Son of the Father full of grace and truth This is the work of God that ye believe on me whom he hath sent that was delivered to Pontius Pilate the Governor of Judea who gave Sentence scourged me and delivered me to be Crucified who that I might sanctifie you with my own Blood Suffered without the Gate being obedient unto Death even the Death of the Cross dyed for your sins was buried and rose again the third Day according to the Scriptures for your Justification O look upon me whom you have pierced and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the Day of his fierce anger whose Soul being in an Agony in the Garden was exceeding sorrowful even unto death so that my sweat was as it were great drops of blood And I cryed out upon the Cross my God my God why hast thou forsaken me my Soul being then made an offering for sin yea sin for you and upon me the Lord laid the iniquities of you all Yet did he not leave my Soul in Hell nor suffer his holy one to see corruption To as many of you as receive me and believe on my name I will give power to become the Sons of God For I the Lord am risen indeed And am ascended unto my Father and to your Father and to my God and your God and have led Captivity Captive spoyled Principalities and Powers and made a shew of them openly tryumphing over them am received into Heaven and sit at the right hand of God having all power given me in Heaven and in Earth where I ever live to make intercession for you until I come in the Clouds in the same manner as I was taken up from you into Heaven the second time without sin unto salvation as being ordained of God to be the Judge of the quick and dead For my Father judgeth no Man but hath committed all judgment unto the Son I am the head over all things to the Church which is my Body the fulness of him that filleth all in all The House and Church of the living God The Pillar and ground of the truth As your Body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many are one Body so also is Christ. Therefore by one spirit be ye baptized into one body and be made to drink into one spirit the Cup of blessing which you bless is it not the Communion of my blood And the Bread which you break is it not the Communion of my Body For you being many are one Bread and one Body Wherefore let there be no schisme in the Body but let each of you as Members have the same care one for another to the increase of the body unto the edifying it self in love Be it known unto you that through me is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by me you that believe and are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses For God hath exalted me with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance unto Israel and forgiveness of sins and redemption through my blood according to the riches of his grace I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live And who so ever liveth and believeth in me shall never dye For the hour cometh in the which all that are in the Graves shall hear my voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of Damnation If you then will be my Sheep hear my voice and I will know you and you shall follow me and I will give unto you eternal life and you shall never perish neither shall any Man pluck you out of my hand My Father which gave you unto me is greater than all and no Man is able to pluck you out of my Fathers hand For God so loved the World that he gave me his only begotten Son that who so ever of you believes in me should not perish but have everlasting life If ye love me ye will keep
my words Faith without works is dead therefore follow peace with all Men and holiness without which no Man shall see God And be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves Ye know the Commandments I am the Lord thy God thou shalt have no other Gods before me 2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven Image or any likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above or that is in the Earth beneath or that is in the Water under the Earth thou shalt not bow down thy self to them nor serve them c. 3. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain c. 4. Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy six Days shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh Day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God 5. Honour thy Father and thy Mother c. 6. Thou shalt not kill 7. Thou shalt not commit Adultery 8. Thou shalt not steal 9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour 10. Thou shall not covet thy Neighbours House c. This is the great Commandment That you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul with all your mind and with all your strength and your Neighbour as your self Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that Men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets He that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Verily verily I say unto you except you be born again of Water and the Spirit you cannot enter into the Kingdome of God For that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day For my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me even he shall live by me I am the Bread of Life that came down from Heaven not as the Fathers did eat and are dead He that eateth this Bread shall live for ever What though I am ascended where I was before It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you are spirit and they are life I the Lord Jesus took Bread and blessed it and gave it to my Disciples and said Take eat this is my body And I took the Cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying Drink ye all of it For this is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins This do in remembrance of me For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup you shew my Death till I come Lay up my word in your heart and in your soul And you shall teach them your Children speaking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way when you lye down and when you rise up And you shall write them upon the Door-posts of your houses and upon your Gates That your days may be prolonged and the days of your Children in the Land as the dayes of Heaven upon Earth Blessed are ye that read and hear my words my Sheep hear my voice Yea blessed are they that hear my word and keep it Let every one of you be swift to hear slow to wrath If any of you hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Wherefore he that hath Eares to hear let him hear My Mother and Brethren are ye that hear the Word of God and do it Be ye that good ground who with honest and good hearts having heard my word keep it and bring forth fruit with patience Let not the Book of my Law my Word depart out of your mouth but you shall meditate therein day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein for then shall you make your way prosperous then shall you have good success Meditate also of all my works Pray without ceasing And when you pray say Our Father which art in Heaven c. Also after this manner pray ye Ask and it shall be given you seek and ye shall finde Knock and it shall be opened unto you Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my Name according to his will he will give it unto you Therefore be careful for nothing but in every thing by Prayer and Supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God But ask in faith nothing wavering And when you pray enter into your Closet and when you have shut your Door pray to the Father which is in secret and your Father who seeth in secret shall reward you openly Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give an account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you Moreover if your Brother shall trespass against any of you go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother But if he will not hear thee then take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established And if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen Man and a Publican Verily I say unto you whatsoever my Church shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever they shall loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven I gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of my Body Let the Elders that Rule well be counted worthy of your double honour especially they that labour in word and doctrine Also they that have used the Office of a Deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree and great boldness in the faith which is in me Repent ye and be converted that your sins may be blotted out Be afflicted and mourn and weep humble your selves in my sight and I will lift you up Can Man
peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no Law The joy of the Lord is your strength Therefore rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous for praise is comely for the upright Rejoyce in the Lord always again I say rejoyce Delight your selves also in the Lord and let his Commandements be your delights and he shall give you the desires of your heart Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing Sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himself and let him be your fear and let him be your dream and he shall be unto you for a Sanctuary Be ye in the fear of the Lord all the day long For it is the beginning of knowledge a Fountain of life to depart from the snares of death Yea by the fear of the Lord are riches and honour and life Work out therefore your own salvation with fear and trembling perfecting holiness in the fear of God Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear Therefore fear not their fear for perfect love casteth out such fear But ye have received the spirit of Adoption whereby ye cry Abba Father It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing for I gave my self for you that I might redeem you from all iniquity and purifie unto my self a peculiar People zealous of good works Let therefore after my example and David's the zeal of my House eat you up and consume you And be like Phineas who was zealous for his God Be angry for sin as Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel but sin not Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath For whoso is angry with his Brother without a cause shall be in danger of Judgment Ye that love the Lord hate evil yea they hate those that hate me with a perfect hatred All that hate me love death Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the Flesh For the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would But if ye be led by the Spirit ye are not under the Law Now the works of the Flesh are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Uncleanness Lasciviousness Idolatry Witchcraft hatred variance emulation wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murthers drunkenness revellings and such like of the which I tell you before as I have also told in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God He that believeth not shall be damned Therefore ye ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that ye have heard lest at any time ye should let them slip For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward How shall ye escape if you neglect so great Salvation which at the first began to be spoken by Me the Lord and was confirmed unto you by them that heard Me God also bearing them witness both with signes and wonders and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will Take heed that your portion be not among the Unbelievers in the Lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone Nor say with the Fool in your heart there is no God and the Lord will not do good neither will he do evil He that sacrificeth or gives worship unto any God save unto the Lord only he shall be utterly destroyed You shall have no other Gods before me Ye shall make you no Idols nor graven Images neither shall you set up any Image of them in your Land to bow down unto it For I am the Lord your God He that blasphemeth the Name of the Lord shall surely be put to death all the Congregation shall stone him Thou shalt not prophane the Name of thy God I am the Lord. It is a snare to the Man which devoureth that which is holy and after vowes to make inquiry An Hypocrite shall not come before God His hope shall perish The Congregation of the Hypocrites shall be desolate For what is the hope of an Hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his Soul If you turn away your Feet from the Sabbath from doing your pleasure on my Holy Day and call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shall honour him not doing your own ways nor finding your own pleasure nor speaking your own words Then shall you delight your selves in the Lord and I will give you to ride upon the high places of the Earth and feed you with the heritage of Jacob my Servant for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Ye shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary I am the Lord. I conceive that in all things some are superstitious therefore ye are my friends if ye do what I command you Ye shall not add unto the word that I command you neither shall ye diminish ought from it that ye may keep the Commandements of the Lord your God which I command you But shall with my Servant David hate every false way I know there are many that are neither cold nor hot and I will spue them out of my mouth He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy Happy is the Man that feareth always but he that hardneth his heart shall fall into mischief The Soul that doth ought presumptuously the same reproacheth the Lord and that soul shall be cut off from his People As also the Man that will do presumptuously and will not hearken to the Priest that standeth to minister before the Lord your God or unto the Judge even that Man shall die Wherefore pray with my Servant David Lord keep back thy Servants from presumptuous sins let them not have dominion over us so shall you be innocent from the great Transgression Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain Let your communication be Yea yea Nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil He that being often reproved hardneth his Neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his Servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light let him
it is common among Men A Man to whom God hath given riches wealth and honour so that he wanted nothing for his Soul of all that he desireth yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof but a stranger eateth it this is vanity and it is an evil disease Let every Man abide in the same Calling in which he was called Let none stand idle all the Day For an idle Soul shall suffer hunger And by much sloathfulness the building decayeth and through idleness of the hands the House droppeth through Behold this was the iniquity of Sodom abundance of idleness Avoid ye therefore their sin lest ye be consumed as was that City upon which the Lord rained Brimstone and Fire from the Lord out of Heaven Seest thou a Man diligent in his business he shall stand before Kings he shall not stand before mean Men But drowsiness shall cloath a Man with rags Wherefore be not sloathful in business as private Persons Let him that Ruleth do it with diligence lest when I come and reckon with you the sloathful and unprofitable Servant be cast into utter Darkness where shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth Be ye angry but sin not let not the Sun go down upon your wrath Like Simeon and Levy Instruments of Cruelty are in their habitations for in their anger they slew a Man and in their self-will they digged down a wall Cursed be their anger for it was fierce and their wrath for it was cruel I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel Therefore be not hasty in Spirit to be angry for anger resteth in the bosome of fools Whosoever is angry with his Brother without a cause shall be in danger of the Judgment One of the works of the Flesh is hatred therefore thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy heart They that hate the righteous shall be desolate He that faith he is in the Light and hateth his Brother is in darkness even until now Whosoever hateth his Brother is a Murderer and ye know that no Murderer hath Eternal Life abiding in him Woe to them that hate good and love evil All they that hate me love death Use not your liberty for a Cloke of maliciousness But let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil-speaking be put away from you with all malice and be ye kinde one to another tender-hearted forgiving one to another even as God for my sake hath forgiven you The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out Water therefore leave off contention before it be medled with Walk honestly as in the Day not in strife and envying Let nothing be done through strife For where strife and envying is there is confusion and every evil work The Spirit that is in you lusteth to envy which slayeth the silly one and is the rottenness of the bones Charity suffereth long envyeth not Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evil speaking as new born babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby Dearly beloved avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay it saith the Lord. Therefore if thine Enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink for in so doing thou shalt heap Coals of Fire on his head Be not over-come of evil but overcome evil with good Pride and arrogancy and the evil way and the froward mouth do I hate Only by pride cometh contention and where it cometh there cometh shame But with the lowly is wisdom Wherefore let him that standeth take heed lest he fall Be not high-minded but fear For who maketh thee to differ from another And what hast thou that thou hast not received Now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as though thou hadst not received it Thus saith the Lord let not the wise Man glory in his wisdome neither let the mighty Man glory in his might let not the rich Man glory in his riches But let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord that exercise loving kindness Judgment and righteousness in the Earth For in these things I delight saith the Lord. Pride cast the Angels out of Heaven Your first Parents out of Paradice and the wicked World into Hell For the wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God Behold that which I have built I will break down and that which I have planted will I pluck up And seekest thou great things for thy self seek them not For behold I will bring evil upon all flesh How can ye believe who receive honour one of another and seek not the honour which comes from God only He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord for not he that commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall finde rest to your Souls Whosoever shall humble himself as a little Child the same is greatest in the Kingdome of Heaven Whosoever exalts himself shall be abased and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted Be ye not ambitious like Absalon and Adonijah least ye partake of their Judgments and violent deaths Give thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in my Name For it is good to sing praise unto our God for it is pleasant and praise is comely Be ye not therefore guilty of the great sin of ingratitude with Hezekiah and the nine Lepers who rendered not again according to the benefits done unto them In these last times Men shall be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud blaspheamers disobedient to Parents unthankful unholy without natural affection despisers of those that are good Traytors from such turn away Whoso rewardeth evil for good evil shall not depart from his House Example in King Joash who remembred not the kindness which Jehojada the Father of Zacharias had done unto him but slew his Son Therefore his Servants conspired against him for the blood of the Son of Jehojada the Priest and slew him on his Bed Whoso loveth pleasure shall be a poor man he that loveth Wine and Oyl shall not be rich Woe unto the Land whose Princes eat in the morning But blessed is the Land whose Princes eat in due season for strength and not for drunkenness Woe unto you that are full for ye shall hunger Woe unto you
me you shall also Raign with Me. Lift up therefore the Hands that hang down and feeble Knees and make streight Paths for your Feet Ye have not resisted unto blood striving against Sin Wherefore consider me the Captain of your Salvation that was made perfect by sufferings and that endured such contradiction of sinners against my self lest you be weary and faint in your minds For the Disciple is not above his Master nor the Servant above his Lord. Stand fast therefore in that liberty in which I have made you free only use not your liberty for an occasion to the Flesh nor to the offence of your weak Brother but by love serve one another All things are lawful to you but all things are not convenient Continue not in sin that Grace may abound Nor do evil that good may come whose damnation is just neither turn my Grace into Lasciviousness Watch unto Prayer Deny your selves and take up your Cross and follow Me. He that endureth unto the end shall be saved Give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure Add to your Faith Vertue to Vertue Knowledge to Knowledge Temperance to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly kindness and to Brotherly kindness Charity For if you do these things ye shall never fall For so an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into my everlasting Kingdom Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they be of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the World And my Spirit speaketh expresly that in these latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils Speaking lies in hypocrisie having their Consciences seared with an hot Iron Forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from Meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth For every Creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving Let no Man therefore deceive you by any means neither by Spirit nor by Word nor by Letter For that wicked one is now revealed whom I the Lord have bgan to consume with the Spirit of my Mouth and will destroy with the brightness of my coming Even him whose coming hath been after the working of Sathan with all Power and Signs and lying Wonders And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved And for this cause God hath sent them strong Delusions that they should believe a lie That they all might be Damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness This is that Spirit of Anti-Christ whereof you have heard that it should come and even now already it is in the World That Son of Perdition who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped So that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God the Christian Church shewing himself that he is God The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them and they that exercise Authority upon them are called Benefactors But ye shall not be so But he that is greatest among you let him be as the Younger and he that is Chief as he that doth serve Be not ye therefore called â—abbi for one is your Master even Christ and all ye are Brethren And call no man your Father upon Earth for one is your Father which is in Heaven Nor be ye called Masters nor be ye as Lords over Gods Heritage For one is your Master even Christ But he that is greatest amongst you shall be your Servant And he that Exalteth himself shall be Abased and he that shall humble himself shall be Exalted None is Good save one that is God There is not a Just man upon Earth that doth Good and sinneth not Therefore if ye say that ye have not sinned you make God a Lyar and his Word is not in you Be not therefore many Masters knowing ye shall receive the greater Condemnation For in many things ye offend all The Contention was sharp betwixt Paul and Barnabas that they parted asunder And John fell down to Worship before the Feet of the Angel Ye know in part and Porphesie in part Even Fâ—â—er who was first and whom I called Cephâ—â— by Interpretation a Stone and who seemed to be a Pillar walked not Uprightly according to the Truth of the Gospel And before the Cock mowed twice denied Me thrice How much more Fallible is his pretended Successor Why also doth this Man of sin both speak and act Blasphemies Who can forgive sins but God only It is I the Lord the Lord God forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin that have Power on Earth to forgive sins And in Me ye have Redemption through my Blood even Forgiveness of sins Again ye have heard that it hath been said to them of Old time Thou shalt not Forswear thy self thou shalt performe unto the Lord thine Oathes And that if a man Vow a Vow unto the Lord or Swear an Oath to bind his Soul with a Bond He shall not break his Word he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth But in these last dayes the Beast that ascendeth out of the Bottomeless Pit is a Truce-breaker and with perfidious Zedikiah a Dispiser of Oaths and a Breaker of Covenants Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least of these my Commandments and shall teach men so He shall be called the least in the Kingdome of Heaven Every Word of God is pure and the Law of the Lord is perfect that the Man of God may be perfect throughly Furnished unto all good Works Add thou not unto his Words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a Lyar. For neither Peter nor Paul much less the Pope nor the False Prophet the Roman Church that other Beast coming out of the Earth that hath Two Hornes like a Lambe but speaks like the Dragon the Devil hath any Dominion over your Faith But are Helpers of your Joy For by Faith you stand For though they or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel than that which my Apostles have preached unto you let him be accursed Whatsoever things I command observe to do them you shall not add nor diminish from them For if any man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the Plagues that are written in this Book And if any man shall take away from the Words of the Book of this Prophesie God shall
take away his part out of the Book of Life In Vain therefore do they worship Me who teach for Doctrines the Commandments of men drawing neer unto Me with their mouths and Honouring Me with their Lips but their Hearts is Farr from Me Ful-well they reject the Commandments of God that they may keep their own Traditions Let no man therefore Judge you in meat or drink or in respect of an Holy-day for you are dead with Me from the Rudiments of the World Neither be you subject to Ordinances such as these Touch not Taste not Handle not which things indeed have a shew of Wisdome in Will-worship and Humility and neglecting of the body not in any Honour to the satisfying of the Flesh For the Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drink but Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost And ye are built upon the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles I my self being the Cheif corner Stone No man can come unto Me except the Father which hath sent Me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day All that the Father giveth Me shall come unto Me and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out My Father which gave them Me is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand VVoe then to the Idol Shepheards that leaveth the Flock and hath the Instruments of a Foolish Shepheard in whom now is fulfilled what I foretold by my Prophet For I will raise up a Shepheard in the Land which shall not visit those that be cut off neither shall seek the young One nor heal that which is broken nor Feed that that standeth still but he shall eat the flesh of the Fat and tear their Claws in pieces The Sword shall be upon his Arme and upon his right Eye his Arme shall be dried up and his right Eye shall be utterly darkened VVherefore rejoyce because your Names are written in Heaven And fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the Soul But rather fear Mee who am able to destroy both Soul and Body in Hell The Foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth who are his It is I only that giveth to him that overcometh to eate of the hidden Manna and a white Stone and in the Stone a new Name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it But this Diotrepsiâ— who loveth to have the Preheminence amongst them receiveth Me not neither doeth he receive the Brethren and forbideth them that would and casteth them by his own power out of the Church But he shall proceed no further for his folly shall be manifest to all Men. A Bishop then must be blameless not given to Wine no striker not greedy of filthy lucre but patient not a Brawler not covetous Even when Peter drew his Sword in a far better quarrel then his pretended Successor fights for I said unto him put up again thy Sword into his place for all they that thus without Commission from Me take the Sword shall perish with the Sword He that leadeth into Captivity must go into Captivity and he that thus killeth with the Sword must be killed with the Sword For I am righteous who have judged thus That they that have shed the blood of the Saints and Prophets shall have given them blood to drink for they are worthy This is that evil Servant which hath said in his heart my Lord delayeth his coming and doth begin to smite his fellow-servants and to eat and drink with the drunken I the Lord of this Servant will come in a Day when he looketh not for me and in an Hour that he is not aware of and will cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with Hypocrites there shall be wailing and gnashing of Teeth I am he that died unto sin once And by my own blood entred in once into the holy place having obtained Eternal Redemption for you who need not Daily as those High Priests to offer up Sacrifice for my own sins and then for the Peoples For this I did once when I offered up my self Woe to the bloody City that is filthy and polluted Mistery Babylon the great the Mother of Harlots and abominations of the Earth That saith to the wood of my Cross awake to the dumb Stone and wafer Cake it shall teach Behold it is laid over with Gold and Silver and there is no breath at all in the midst of it For although I took Bread saying This is my Body and the Cup and said This is my Blood Do this in remembrance of me And my Flesh is Meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed I explained my self and added Doth this offend you What and if ye shall see the Son of Man ascended up where he was before It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you are spirit and they are life Every Priest therefore of that Apostate Church which daily minister and offer up often-times the same Sacrifices which can never take away sins But after I had offered one Sacrifice for sins for ever I sat down at the right hand of God I am the Propitiation for your sins I by my self have purged your sins and by one Offering have perfected for ever those that are sanctified Yea this is the Covenant that I have made with you your sins and iniquities will I remember no more Now where remission of these is there is no more offering for sin Much-less is there need of a Purgatory-Fire to purge the Souls of any redeemed ones Enoch was translated that he should not see Death Elijah went up by a Whirl-wind into Heaven Lazarus the Beggar died and was carried by the Angels into Abraham's bosome The Thief dying was that Day with Me in Paradice And blessed are they that dye in the Lord that they may rest from their Labours and their works follow them But the wicked shall be turned into Hell Where is then to be found in God's Word this third place for the tormenting and purifying of the Saints I am he that heareth Prayer unto me shall all flesh come unto me shall the Vow be performed Wait you therefore only upon God for your Expectation is from him You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve Then not Saints and Angels as doth the Romane Whore The Woman arrayed in Purple and Scarlet colour and decked with Gold and precious Stones and Pearl having a Golden Cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her Fornication Further consider
unthankful unholy without natural affection truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good Traytors heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God having a forme of Godliness but denying the Power thereof from such turn away For of this sort are they which creep into Houses and lead Captive silly Women laden with sins led away with divers lusts ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth Now as Jannes and Jambres with-stood Moses so do these also resist the truth Men of corrupt mindes reprobate as concerning the faith But they shall proceed no further for their folly shall be manifest to all Men as theirs was The Fool hath said in his heart there is no God they are corrupt they have done abominable works there is none that doth good Therefore the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men who hold the truth in unrighteousness Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them For God hath shewed it unto them For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are cleerly seen being understood by the things that are made even his Eternal Power and God-head so that they are without excuse O righteous Father the World hath not known Thee but I have known Thee No Man cometh to the Father but by Me. No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son who is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father For I and the Father am one Believe also my works that ye may know and believe that the Father is in Me and I in him For in the beginning was I the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God All things were made by Me and without Me was not any thing made that was made In me was life and the life was the light of Men. I the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst you and ye beheld my glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth I am the image of the invisible God By me were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers All things were created by Me and for Me I am before all things and by me all things consist There are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one I spake unto my Apostles and true Ministers saying Go ye therefore and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost What high blasphemers then are they that deny the Holy Ghost to be God The Spirit of God moved upon the Waters And by the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the Host of them by the Spirit of his Mouth The Spirit of Truth which proceedeth from the Father He shall testifie of Me. For he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak He shall glorifie Me for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you Peter said unto Ananias In that thou hast lied to the Holy Ghost thou hast not lied unto Men but unto God Wherefore I say unto you all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto Men But the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto Men. The Grace of me the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost the Comforter Preserver and Sanctifier be with you all This is the will of God even your Sanctification that you should abstain from Fornication and that every one of you should know how to possess his Vessel in Sanctification and Honour Not in the lust of Concupiscence as the Gentiles that know not God Wherefore to avoid Fornication let every Man have his own Wife and every Woman her own Husband Have you not read that he that made Man in the beginning made them Male and Female I the Lord will bear witness against them that deal treacherously with the Wife of their Youth Is she not thy Companion and the Wife of thy Covenant And did not I make one yet had I the residue of the Spirit And wherefore one that I might seek a godly Seed Therefore take heed to your spirit and let none deal treacherously against the Wife of his Youth For I the Lord God of Israel hate putting away Therefore I say unto you whosoever shall put away his Wife except it be for Fornication and shall marry another committeth Adultery and whosoever marrieth her that is put away committeth Adultery The Husband is the Head of the Wife not of Wives as I am the Head of the Church Let every one therefore in particular so love his Wife even as himself And the Wife not the Wives see that she reverence her Husband Despise not Prophesyings quench not the Spirit He that heareth you that are my true Ministers heareth Me and he that despiseth you despiseth Me and he that despiseth Me despiseth him that sent Me. He that is of God heareth God's words My Sheep hear my voice He that knoweth God heareth my Ministers but he that is not of God heareth them not And as oft as you eat the Bread and Drink of the Cup in my Sacraments ye do it in remembrance of Me and shew my Death until I come Pray without ceasing The workers of iniquity call not upon the Lord. Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfill For verily I say unto you till Heaven and Earth pass one jot or one title shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandements and shall teach Men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdome of Heaven But whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the Kingdome of Heaven Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are Gods Let every Soul be subject unto the higher Powers For there is no Power but of God The Powers that be are ordained of God Whosoever therefore resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God And they that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation For Rulers are not a terror to good works but to the evil Wilt thou then not be afraid of the Power Do that which is good and
continue you in the things that ye have learned and have been assured of knowing of whom ye have learned them For evil Men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived Consider one another to provoke to love and to good works not forsaking the assembling of your selves together as the manner of some is But exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the Day approaching Endeavouring to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace For there is one Body and one Spirit even as you are called in one hope of your Calling One Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Since then you are the Body of Christ and Members in particular let there be no Schisme in the Body Now I hear that there be divisions amongst those that call themselves Christians For there must be Heresies also among you that those that are approved may be manifest among you which were spoken before of my Apostles that there should be mockers in the last time who should walk after their own ungodly lusts These be they who separate themselves sensual having not the spirit Now by my Name I desire you that you all speak the same thing and that there be no Divisions amongst you but that you be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgment If you say then I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Cephas and I of Christ Are ye not carnal Is Christ divided Who then is Paul And who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believed Even as the Lord gave to every Man If then such an one as was Paul plants or as Apollo was watereth It is God that giveth the increase Therefore let no Man glory in Men But do you mark them which cause Divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine you have learned and avoid them For they that are such serve not Me but their own Belly and by good words and fair Speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Finally whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any Virtue and if there be any praise think on these things And those things which ye have both known and received and heard and seen in me do And the Father himself that loveth you the God of Peace shall be with you Holy Father who hearest me always This is Life Eternal to know Thee the only true God and Me whom thou hast sent Keep through thy own Name those that thou hast given Me that they may be one as we are one That they all may be one as thou Father art in Me and I in Thee that they also may be one in us And the glory which thou gavest Me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one And that the World may know that thou hast sent Me and hast loved them as thou hast loved Me. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which Thou hast given me I have given to them the words which Thou gavest me and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from Thee and they have believed that Thou didst send me I pray for them I pray not for the World but for those that thou hast given me For they are Thine and all mine are thine and thine are mine and I am glorified in them I pray that thou wouldest keep them from the evil of the World and that my joy may be fulfilled in them Sanctifie them with thy truth thy word is truth Finally Beloved Wife of my Youth and dear Children Farewel be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of peace and love shall be with you For this cause I bow my Knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named That he would give you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthned with might by his spirit in the inner man That Christ may live in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heighth and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with the fulness of God The God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepheard of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is most pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ. Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us to him be glory in the Church by Jesus Christ throughout all Ages World without end The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen A Post-script of the Father to his Wife and Children concerning the foregoing Epistle with some further Exhortations to the practice thereof MY dearest heart and intirely affected Children the good and salvation of whose Souls I pray for and labour for as for my own I have I trust by the direction of the holy Spirit chosen in this manner to write unto you as hoping that what is delivered to you in the Person and words of our Lord and beloved Saviour For such is every word in the Epistle except some words not substantial necessary for connexion explanation and application requisit in a subject of such various matter You will with the more reverence and affection delight and obedience attend to and receive For although all the words therein were not uttered by his own mouth upon Earth yet were they all indited by his holy Spirit who spake by the Prophets and Apostles and is the Lord God of the holy Prophets So that if ye will not hear and obey him herein speaking to you by himself and by them Neither will you be perswaded though one arose and spake to you from Hell and from the dead Ye know after what manner I have been with you at all seasons And how I have kept nothing back that was profitable unto you but have shewed you and have taught you both in private and more publiquely Testifying unto you and
how to walk holily righteously circumspectly and unblameably in your life and conversation together with the holy means and Ordinances ordained by him for the obtaining and strengthning his graces in you which is concluded with his Prayer and mine to our Heavenly Father for a blessing O let not then much beloved Child This Letter should you neglect the counsel given you therein after my decease bear witness against you But let it be a Record and lasting Legacy read and practised by you and your Childrens Children which is the fervent Prayer of your Most affectioned Father J. H. Antwerpe this first of January 1665. An INDEX of the CONTENTS of this EPISTLE And of the Scripture-Catechisme materially contained in it THe Salutation and Exhortation of the Father to his Wife and Children Page 259. The Praise and Commendation of the Lord Jesus Christ under the Name and Title of Wisdome as being and that essentially the Wisdome of God Eadem The danger of neglecting to hear and obey the Voice and Counsel of Christ. P. 260. B. An Exhortation of the Father to his Wife and Children to hearken to the Word and Counsel of Christ. Ead. C. The Speech of the Lord Jesus Christ as speaking in his own Person to those to whom this Epistle is directed and is applicable to all other Christians P. 261. A. The Danger of Rejecting Christ. Ead. B. The Confession of Faith commonly called the Apostles Creed held forth by Christ in Scripture Expressions Ead. C. 1. Article The Doctrine of the Trinity Eadem 2. Article That Jesus Christ is the Eternal Son of God and our Lord. 3. Article As to the Incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ who was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary P. 262. A 4. Article Concerning Christ's Condemnation by Pontius Pilate his Crucifixion Death and Burial and all other Sufferings in Soul and Body Eadem 5. Article Of Christ's Resurrection 6. Article Of Christ's Ascention 7. Article Of Christ's coming to Judgment 8. Art Concerning the Holy Ghost is proved in the first Article concerning the Trinity Pag. 263. 9. Article Concerning the Catholick Church and the Communion of Saints Ead. C. 10. Article Concerning forgiveness of Sins 11. Article Concerning the Resurrection of the Body Ead. 12. Article Concerning Life everlasting P. 264. A. Ead. C. The Preface to the Decalogue or Ten Commandments Ead. B. C. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. Commandments The Conclusion of the Ten Commandments Note That the Promises c. are omitted for brevity 265 A The Exhortation of the Lord Jesus to the use of Gospel-Ordinances Viz. 1. To Baptism 2. To the Lord's Supper Ead. C Page 266 A B C 3. To the reading of the Scriptures 4. To the hearing of the Word of God preached 5. To Meditation of the Word of God and of his works 6. To Prayer in publick and private 7. To Obedience to Church-Governors and Discipline P 267 B C The Exhortation of the Lord Jesus to Gospel-saving Graces Viz. 1. To Repentance 2. To Faith P 268 C Page 270 A B C 3. To Hope 4. To Charity 5. To holy Courage or Fortitude 6. To Christian Temperance 7. To holy Patience 8. To Divine Wisdome Page 271 A B Ead. C 9. To Christian Humility 10. The Exhortation of the Lord Jesus to several saving Graces commonly called the Beatitudes 11. To Religious Chastity P 272 C P 273 A 12. To Christian Justice and Righteousness 13. To Gospel sincerity uprightness and truth P. Ead. C. 14. To godly thankfulness and praising of God Ead. C. P. 274 The Exhortation of the Lord Jesus to Divine affections Viz. 1. To holy joy and delight 2. To filial fear of God 3. To holy zeal and anger 4. To holy hatred P 275 A The Preface to the Dehortations of the Lord Jesus from several principal vices Ead. 275 276 The Dehortation 1. From Vnbelief 2. From Atheisme 3. From Polutheisme 4. From Idolatry 5. From Blasphemy 6. From Prophaness 7. From Sacriledge 8. From Hypocrisie 9. From Sabbath-breaking 10. From Superstition 11. From Lukewarmness Page 277 A B 12. From hard-heartedness 13. From presumptuous sinning 14. From sinful swearing 15. From incorrigibleness A Preface to the Dehortation against despair 16. From Despair A Dehortation from Vncharitableness P 278 A B 1. General Branch of Vncharitableness as to the Souls of others 1. By tempting 2. By evil example Ead. B 3. By not reproving 4. By Flattering 5. By not Instructing 6. By persecuting for Conscience Ead. C P 279 A 2d General Branch of Vncharitableness as to the Persons of others 1. By Murder 2. By Maiming 3. By unjust Imprisonment 4. By not relieving Ead. B P 180 A 3d. General Branch of Vncharitableness as to the estates of others 1. By oppression 2. By stealing 3. By defrauding 4. By contentiousness 5. By usury or extortion Ead. A. B 6. By Depopulation 7. By false witnessing 8. By cursing or evil Imprecations 4. General Branch of Vncharitableness as to the good name of others 1. By slandering and back-biting and tale-bearing Ead. C A Dehortation from Intemperance 1. From Drunkenness 2. From Gluttony 3. Fâ—om Insobriety P 281 B C A Dehortation from sinful fear A Dehortation from Ignorance 1. Affected 2. Natural 3. Wilful P 282 A B A Dehortation from Injustice 1 In Magistrates 2 In private Persons 3 By not giving obedience justly due to Superiors 1 As Magistrates 2 As Ministers of the Gospel 3 As natural Parents Ead. C. A General Dehortation from fleshly uncleanness 1 From Buggery 2 From Sodomy 3 From Whoredome 4 From Incest 5 From Polygamy 6 From Adultery 7 From Fornication P 283 C P 284 A B A Dehortation from Lasciviousness 1 In wanton thoughts 2 In wanton words 3 In wanton looks 4 In wanton actions Ead. C. P 285 C A Dehortation from Lying 1 By denying the truth 2 By breach of Covenant to God 2 Of vows to God 3 Of promises and Covenants to Men. Ead. B C and P 286 A Dehortation from Covetousness 1 In the heart 2 In action 3 From worldliness and carking cares 4. From Nigardliness P 286 C P 287 A A Dehortation from Idleness 1 By having no Calling or by neglecting a Calling P 287 C 288 A 2. Idleness in private Persons 3 Idleness in publick Persons Ead. B. The Dehortation of the Lord Jesus from sinful passions 1. From rash anger 2 From causless anger Ead. C. Ead. C A Dehortation from sinful hatred 1 Of Persons 2 Of good things Eadem C A Dehortation from Malice Ead. C A Dehortation from strife and contention P 289 A A Dehortation from envy A Dehortation from revenge Ead. C A Dehortation from Pride 1 Branch from spiritual Pride 2 Branch from Worldly pride 3 Branch from Ambition Ead. C Ead. C P 290 A Dehortation from Ingratitude 1 Towards God 2 Towards Men. Ead. C. A Dehortation from sensuality or voluptuousness P 291 A A Dehortation from inconstancy 1 Branch
Tun'd Unto thy Praise and thy Great NAME Be blest by ALL that read the same Who shall by Favours shew'd to MEE Be mov'd to Love and Trust in THEE Accept dear Lord in Goodness what 's here Thine And in Thy MERCY Pardon what is Mine Yea Let this Humble Work a future BASIS be For SAINTS to raise Colums of Glory unto Thee Place this afore Occasional Meditations at Folio 347 AN EXHORTATORY EPISTLE TO THE Nobility and Gentry of Great Britain Right Honorable NOble and generous Spirits of this famous Island Whose Persons I truly love and honour both as Christians and of the same Nation with me as also for your excellent wits parts and gifts who equallize Tully and Virgil in Eloquence and Poetry Witness your many Romances Comedies Tragedies and amorous Works now extant O consider all you that are thus rarely accomplisht both by Art and Nature that you must shortly give an account of these deposited Talents and of your mis-spent time and stewardships at the neer approaching Sessions and Goal-delivery of your Souls out of the Prison of your Bodies and at the great Assize the dreadful Day of Judgment to our great God and to the Lord Jesus the Judge of the quick and the dead Who hath made all things for his Glory and the wicked for the Day of his Wrath. O will you not then blush for shame and be confounded at what you now pride your selves in when Sathan your Maecenas shall then be your Accuser and produce as evidence against you Item so many precious Hours lost such high strains and Veines of Witrun wast such excellent Language defiled and abused and such and such a happy Muse ravisht and debaucht in the compiling and publishing so many false and unhallowed Legions to stir up and inflame your own Lusts and the sleeping passions and corruptions of the Youth of both Sexes in these Nations So many Stage-Playes the Scoffers of goodness and holiness of conversation the Consumers of useful time and of the innate Virtue Modesty and Estates of all kindes of Persons as also so many Frothy and Airy amorous Verses Ditties and Songs the Nurses and Panders of all manner of loosness and uncleanness in all sorts of People Had these precious Stones and Gems these sparkling Diadems I mean your choice Indowments been set in Aaron's Brest-plate or been offered up as a gift to God who gave you them to be for the Ornament and praise of his Church his Temple How brightly would they have shin'd as in their proper Sphear for which he created them Whereas they are now by their fall from their Heavenly Orbe to this vile Earth of sin and vanity become like so many sliding Stars which whilst they pass through the darkned Aire of corrupted and deceived Observers give forth a false Light and suddenly are extinct leaving behind them nothing but a corrupting Belly and a Hellish and sulphurious stink to the view and in the Nostrils of all Divine Astronomers Is it your highest honour to be stiled Christians have you at your Installment in Baptisme vowed and promis'd to resist the Devil the World and the Flesh And will you by your wanton Poems and vain Sonnets offer Sacrifices to Sathan the God of this World and to his Idol the World and blot and blur your sacred and glorious Title and dishonour and prophane that holy Name by which you are called Hath the Lord Jehovah your gracious God and Almighty Saviour who was the first great Orator and Poet that wrote upon Earth given you an unparallel'd Example by the Pen of Moses in the whole Book of Deuteronomy the very Marrow of Divine Eloquence Deut. chap. 1. vers 3. and in that Elixar of Poesie that Song of the Lord 's own composing Deut. 32. to the end of the 43. vers Hath his choicest Saints lest you sublime patterns of Heavenly Poesie Witness the Songs of Moses and Meriam Exod. 15. unto the 22. vers and Psal. 90. Of Deborath and Barak Jud. 5. to the end Of King David 2 Sam. 22. from Vers. 2. to the end Besides his Book of Psalms upon divers subjects witness also the 11. Psalmes of Asaph beginning with the 73. Psal. and ending with the 82. Psal The Psalmes of Heman and Ethan the Ezrahites Psal. 88. and 89. The Canticles or Song of Songs written by King Solomon besides One Thousand and Five other Songs 1 Kings 4.32 The Songs written by the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 5.1 and Chap. 26.1 the Song of Habakkuk Chap. 3. to the end And in the New Testament the Song of the blessed Virgin and of Simeon and the many Angelical and Heavenly Hymnes wherewith the mysterious Book of the Revelations is gloriously imbroidered Besides these excellent Presidents and Examples the sacred Scriptures are full of Precepts enjoyning and commanding this thankfull chearfull and singing temper to be in all his Saints in these words and the like Whosoever offereth praise glorifieth me Psal. 50.23 O come let us sing unto the Lord let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our Salvation Psal. 95.1 The like Psal. 96.1 98.1 Praise the Lord for it is good to sing praises unto our God for it is pleasant and praise is comely Psal. 147.1 In the New Testament we are commanded to rejoice ever-more 1 Thes. 51.6 and to sing with Grace in our hearts Psalmes and Hymnes and Spiritual Songs Col. 3.16 In which holy exercise our blessed Saviour hath given us his Example after his last Supper Math. 26.30 And that blessed Poet and singer of Israel that Man after God's own heart King David Who upon divers gracious providences deliverances and mercies as well private as publick penned many Psalmes As upon the occasion of his flight from his Son Absolon the slanderous words and treacherous actings of Cush the Benjamite the Psalm of thanksgiving before mentioned for his many deliverances from Saul and all his Enemies And at the Dedication of his House To these I shall add the Psalm penned by him when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech alias Achish King of Gath His Song of loves or commendation of Solomon's Queen the Egyptian The Tipe of the Gentile Church his penitential Psalm when Nathan had been with him after he had gone into Bathsheba his Poem concerning Doeg's false accusation of Abimelech the High Priest his Psalm upon the Ziphims discovery of him to Saul another when the Philistims took him in Gath Also his two thankful Memorials of his deliverance from Saul in the Cave and another for his preservation when Saul sent and they watched his House to kill him A third upon his Victory over Aram Naharaim Aram Zobath and against the Edomites A fourth concerning his abode in the Wilderness of Judah to these may yet further be observed the Song written for his Son Solomon and his Psalm for the Sabbath Day To these Scripture examples which are indeed the very sacred Rhetorick and Poesie of the
upright Thus sad Was that my Youthful State when from above Thou didst in thy Caroche of Faith and Love Dear Father draw me home and for my good Balsom'd and heal'd my wounds with thy Sons Blood O let those parts which thou hast doubly cur'd Be doubly thankful and hence-forth impour'd To contemplate walk in and act thy will Since real praise is thy Word to fulfill Amen ARGUMENT Vpon God's gracious preserving of me from any harm by Eight several Falls from my Horse Soliloquium or Discourse MY whole Life O Lord hath been a Circle a Map fill'd full with thy loving and extraordinary Providences which should I at any time forget I might justly deserve to be forgotten of thee In these eight merciful deliverances I bear witness and seal to that great and comfortable truth the constant and powerful Ministration of thy glorious Angels for the preservation of thy Children according to those comfortable promises That thy Angels are ministring Spirits for the good of thy Elect And that they shall hold them up in their hands lest they should dash their Feet against a stone Who else but they as thy blessed Instruments did put under their Hands and aleviate such and so many down-falls that they broke not into many pieces such a Venice Glass as my frail Body nor dislocated in the least any of the many wheels of so curious a Watch That is so soon and easily put into disorder as appears in the frequent and sad disasters of others that by such overthrows have lost their lives or the use of their Limbs O Lord great and special mercies call for from me great and singular praises which after the example of the Man after thy own heart I humbly offer to thee in this Psalm and thankful memorial of these thy many Preservations The OCTONARY Ejaculation or Hymn upon the former Subject DEar Lord our Sins according to thy Curse Have burthened Earth and Creatures yea far worse Our God no wonder then thy Subjects pay Vengeance on them that do thee disobey And that the Horse so oft his Rider throwes For to regain his Freedome from such Foes Trampling them under Feet that he might see That which is burthensome to him Earth thee Eight times O Lord have I thus humbled lain Prostrate As oft Thou hast me rais'd again In goodness safe and sound O let these falls Be both from Sin and Mercy blessed calls Remembrancers The one these dangers brought And by the other my Salvation's wrought Blest Love and Wisdome that thus throwes me down To raise me up again unto a Crown Lord let this close be the Eccho of that sound Where Sin exceeds thy Grace much more abounds Amen ARGUMENT Vpon God's merciful Preservation of me from any Harm when being a Childe and alone in my Fathers Coach the Horses running down a steep Hill the Boot flew open by a jolt in the way and I was cast out of the Coach upon the Ground and taken up without any the least hurt or maim Soliloquium or Discourse O Lord God who hast been a gracious Father to me in my Childhood as well as now in my elder Years How great cause have I to trust in thee continually and to celebrate thy praise to future Generations O that Men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the Children of Men. Although violent motions are not perpetual yet are they very often hurtful and destructive as is evidenst by the sad effects of Earth-quakes Whirl-winds and Hurricanes Thunders and Lightning yet all these yea Fire and Hail Snow and Vapour stormy Wind fulfilling O Lord thy Word shall praise thee and declare thy gracious Presence with thy Children as once in the Red Sea the Fiery Furnace and now with me the greatest of Sinners the least of Saints yea unworthy to be called thy Son else when I was cast violently out of a Coach by a Jolt that forc'd open the Boot the swifter and violent motions of the hinder Wheels had taken advantage of the much slower and heavy motion of my falling Body and run over and broken my Bones or pitcht me upon my Head to the destruction of my sense or life as hath often happened by such accidents But if an evil spirit was in the Horses as once in the Gadarine Swine which is frequently the occult cause of such sudden and usual frenzies of Beasts although taken notice of or observed by few Persons yet I am assured O Lord thy good Angels and providence was present to preserve me from any hurt in so eminent a danger Wherefore with thankful David all my Bones shall praise thee yea those Bones which thou hast kept from breaking shall rejoyce yea I will further record this thy great goodness in this following Hymn to all future Ages The HURRICANE Ejaculation or Hymn on the former Subject THy Mercy Lord is a continued Act As well as is thy self witness this Fact Of Love which doth succeed the four Last mention'd Blessings ush'ring many more O let my constant Praises imitate Thee in thy Daily goodness that Ingrate I may not prove yea let this Providence Make me more thankful as reminding hence Thy higher favours for my Soul hath bin Shut up and hurred in a Coach of Sin My Flesh full-oft in which my sinful Will As Charrioteer hath drove me down the Hill Of Worldly Pleasures on swift moving Wheels Of raging Passions Steeds whose Mouth neer feeles Religious Bit Pride Lust This Chariot mov'd With feerless speed Till Grace in thy Belov'd Cans'd thee as oft to scotch it on Some Stone some blest affliction By which thrown out cast down upon the Ground Thy Childe hath lain as in a spiritual swound From which thou still hast raised me by the Arme Of Mercy and Me sav'd from lustful harme O let me run no more in Sins career But draw me to Thee by thy Love and Fear Nor suffer me for to run down the Hill Again of Earths delights but let thy will Be mine so shall my changed Soul aspire Heaven like Elijah in a Coach of Fire True holy Zeal letting my Garment fall Of Sin that thou mayest be my All in All. Amen ARGVMENT Vpon God's gracious preserving and preventing me from falling Horse and Man into a deep Pit when I was riding in the Night the Moon only shining to a Horse-Race when being upon the brink of it I was stopt suddenly by the Call of my Friend that accompanied Me. Soliloquium or Discourse DAy unto Day and Night unto Night teacheth knowledge Thy Mercies O Lord are renewed to me every Morning and thy Providences are circular and without an end therefore let nulla Dies be sine linea no Day pass without my thankful remembrance and recording of thy many great and undeserved mercies Worldly yea too often sinful Pleasure is the Dallilah and flattering Mistriss of our Youth so that slavishly and unweariedly we court it Day
and Night else I would not have lost my sleep nor travelled all Night only to see such a transitory delight as a Horse Race where usually our precious time our wisdom and our Moneys run faster away from us than our Horses The night of Ignorance and the Moon-shine of Unsanctified Reason is of all times most dangerous to Youthful Travellers who when they dream that they are galloping on the palfrey of Pleasure towards Paradice are before they so much as think of it upon the edge yea often fall head-long into that bottomless Pit of Hell Lord thy Word saith It is not good for a Man to be alone yet Experience teaches me also that Companions in sinful Vanities are great Incendiaries Thy merciful Providence Lord at this time mad'st my Companion in Vanity the Instrument of this great Deliverance and also made thy Word good for had not my friend whose Elder Years and Experience gave him knowledge of the way and danger even in that instant of time cried out and stopt my career I had unrecoverably fallen both Horse and Man into a deep and horrible Pit even into Death Wherefore dear Lord let me hence-forth never be alone but let a truly enlightned Conscience which is my best and intimate Friend be alwayes present with me especially in the Night of Temptation to fore-warn me from falling into the dangerous Pit of Sin which to all thine is the Figure as well as the deserver of the bottomless Gulph of Hell Amen The PIT Ejaculation or Hymn on the former Subject LOrd in this Night-peece there is drawn to Life The Day-peece of our Youth wherein most rife It is for Vs to travel in the Night Of Ignorance and by the Moon-shine light Of our unhallowed reason After Sin And Pleasures till we fall are taken in Their Gulph and snares how oft in Holy Writ Is Death Hell and Affliction call'd a Pit Yea every Sin especially a Whore Which Man and Beast Soul Body doth devour What cause have I that in my Youthful Days Have scap't these dangers for to render praise To Thee Preserver of Body and Soul From Death Hell trouble and from Sins controul Thou went the Voice behind me that cryed stay Avoid each sinful Pit This is the way Conscience thou also gav'st me to fore-warn Me as a trusty Friend of every harm Wherefore I offer Soul and Body both A living Sacrifice to thee by Oath Covenanting for to serve Thee whil'st I live That doest new Life from Sin and danger give ARGUMENT Vpon God's merciful deliverance of me in Three great dangers of Drowning twice upon the River of Thames and a third time in Rutland when being a fishing alone I slipt from off a Tree into a River Soliloquium or Discourse O Incomprehensible Creator and loving Father how delightfully ravishing and comfortably supporting is the Meditation and experimental knowledge of thy gracious Omnipresence to thy Children whereas the thought and belief of it to the wicked thy Enemies is most terrible for to all such our God is a consuming Fire O Lord thou art not only the God of the Mountains and of the Vallies of the Earth but of the Rivers also and hast been mercifully present to deliver and preserve me as thou didst thy Servant David and Paul in Perils of Land and in Perils of Water else had I sunk down into the deep Waters Yea the Floods had gone over my Head and Soul as well as in these three dangers they fearfully washt my Body and Cloaths In the two distresses upon the Thames when the Water-men were all at a non-plus thy only powerful providence preserv'd steer'd and rowed me into safety In the third when my own Feet slipt and betrayed me and the Tree I held by broke and fail'd me thy Hand alone saved and drew me out of a watry muddy and perilsome Pit If every lesser mercy O Lord calls for a tribute of praise how much more such as these which are thy so suddain and opportune reprieves from Death since it is a truth although spoken by the Father of lies Skin for skin and all that a Man hath will he give for his life Wherefore since our lives preservation is the greatest corporal mercy open thou my Lips O Lord and my Mouth shall shew forth in these Lines yea sing forth thy praise for three so great deliverances in this following Psalm of Thanksgiving The TEMPEST Ejaculation or Hymn on the former Subject NOt humane Courage Wisdome did direct To use or build Boats Ships The Architect Of these our floating Chariots was the Lord Who fram'd the Earth Heavens he by his word To Noah first i' th Ark a Pattern drew Vnparallel'd that we might it renew In little which is now so often done That in one first bold Drake durst like the Sun Incircle Earth and Seas live and lie Within an Intch of Death and yet not die Vpon a spawn of one of these I plow'd The back of Themasies when loe aloud The Wind beats up a charge on Sins old Jar Retwixt these Elements Renews the War I interpos'd by chance these Combitants As strangers often fall into made Rants By which rash act the force and strokes I bore Of both Maâ—gre two seconds arm'd with Oares Who spent and wearied gave up to the Wind My wooden Fort who entring us to bind And drive along Thames jealous grew Of such bold Seasures claim'd us as her dew And enters with a troop of Waves our Hull Erects her watry Streamers fills us full With churlish Billowes ordering us to lie In her deep muddy Dungeon till we die The Wind inrag'd with this affront us tore From out her Bands and drove us to the shore Thereby declaring the third Elements right To us her Subjects as it were in spightâ— Thus far I take a Poet's liberty To shaddow forth my danger Now unty O Lord my Sailes the affections of my Soul That fill'd with thy free spirit without controle Of an unthankful calme I may lanch forth Into thy Sea of Mercy praise thy worth O Lord my Soul iâ—barkt in Flesh sailes in Continually a Sea of Lust and Sin On which the Prince of th' Aire that evil spright Blowes raiseth fearful Stormes by Day by Night Filling the Sailes of my Affections With evil Aires raising my Passions Like swelling Billowes sometimes watry Waves Of Worldly sorrow fills me then the braves Of Earthly joyes o're lades me till a Train Led by mad Anger casts them out again Next in the Whirl pool of sad doubts and fears My Bark is whirl'd about neer drown'd with tears But if a calme succeeds these stormes then he Sends forth his Sirens Women-like to me His Tritons â—errâ—ne Pleasures and Delights That harkning to their Songs and Charms I might In such security run foule upon The shelves of Lust call'd Love Presumption And Prides high Rocks or if I take not care Be swallowed up
in the Gulph of Despair Lord is it thâ—â— experimentally With my poor Soul are all these dangers nie Incumbent â—â— me during such sad stormes Sleep not dear Saviour in me command Calmes Be thou my Pilot Let thy Spirit Gales Fill constantly all my affections Sailes Let Faith my main most hope my Anchor be And all my Passions quieted by thee So sâ—all I scape all shelves all Syrens charmes All Rocks and Gulphs as imbrac'd in thy Armes Till that my â—ark brought in my Soul on shore May praise thee both for mercies evermore Amen The ANGLER O Lord thy third and great deliverance Of me from Drowning not the Lady chance The wicked's Goddess for my Tribute calls Of Pâ—â—ise deservedly since such sad falls Have Coffin'd Men in Water mud and Death Whereas 〈◊〉 thou gavest me a new breath Even then when Angling Tree Hands Feet betraid And cast me in a watry Pit no Aid Being neer and I alone then did thy Hand Double my strength and drew me out to Land Blest be thy Name for this and what thou didst So often for my Soul when that amidst Hâ—r Angling after Worldly pleasures she Did fall from her false Confidences Tree Into the deep and filthy Pits of sin And Vanity a state neer perishing Yea when unto this dangerous fall My Hands Feet Members did contribute all Then didst thou Lord appear to me alone And helpless Renew'd grace and heard'st my moane Gave to my hand of Faith thy hand of Love In Christ to draw and lift me out above Such dangers That with the wise Merchant I May fish for gems and the best Pearl buy Lord since in thee both soul and body live Accept these double Praises which they give Amen ARGUMENT Vpon a great Snow and God's gracious deliverance of Me and my Servant from being smothered and lost when many others perished therein in our Travel and return Home Soliloquium or Discourse PRaise the Lord Fire and Hail Snow and Vapour stormy Wind fulfilling his word what means this second deluge of Snow burying our Iland as it were in an Alablaster Sepulchre Why are the shewers of mercy descending in Earths refreshing Veins through the cold of the middle Region of the Air or rather of our evil hearts frozen and turned into Snow into a Judgment the Earth seeming to do Pennance for our sins and uncleanness Is our Land become a Romanist and Prelatick that she Cloaths her self with and so much delights in Surplices and white Vestures or hath the Sun as in Hezekiah's time reverted ten degrees whereby our Northern temperate Zone is become a frozen Polar clime Hath any Venetian Artist that can make Glass malliable in a few Hours christalliz'd the fluid Rivers and hardned soft Snow to bear without sinking the pulsation and burthens of Horse and Man or are the Clouds turn'd Levellers as having covered ditches and hedges the distinction of every Man's propriety and turned the surface of our Lands into a Salisbury Plain a Berry as well for Sheep as Rabbets Whence was that faith and courage that spirited me upon the providential call of my necessary return home like as Peter's walking upon the Water to amble over yea gallop upon the hollow Snow not fearing Pit Ditch or danger whence all these Wonders and above all my Preservation when so many perished and were smothered not in Beds of Feathers as by Tyrants some have been but in Beds of Snow Are they not from thee O Lord the great Creator and prime Agent in all the works and admirable Prodigies of nature the only Saviour and Preserver of Man and Beast and of me thy most unworthy Servant Who therefore desires Grace from thee to exalt thee and to perpetuate thy Praises in my own heart and in the hearts of others to all succeeding Generations that shall read this Memorial and sing this Song of Thanksgiving The SNOWIE LANDSKIP Ejaculation or Hymn upon the former Subject LOrd let my Souls Eyes open be As well as Lips to praise That in each mercy I may see Thy Presence all my Days Thou wast my Guide o're snowie Plains Where was no track nor way Thou mad'st the sugarfied Rain As solid as the Clay On which I travell'd many Miles In safety without fear O're Hedge and Ditch o're Gates and Stiles For thou wast with me there Although I past o're many a Pit Fill'd and smooth'd o're with Snow Thou would'st not let me fall in it Though sin deserves a woe Yea many perishing that Day Were buried above Ground Loosing their Lines as well as way Being choaked smother'd drown'd Through all these dangers thou me led Secure unto my place With goodness as with Manna fed Thy Monument of Grace O Lord this World 's a Ball of Snow In Hand it melts away Full of deep Pits which overthrow All those that go astray Cover'd they are also from sight By Sathan and Men's guile With Snow that is pretence of right White Devils most beguile Wherefore O Lord let not my Eye Be dazled with such light But be enabled to espie Their Pits and works of Night Let not my Soul now travelling home Venture without a Guide Thy spirit and Word nor walk where none Of thine have gone aside Nor let me ride o're Hedge and Ditch I mean the sacred Bound Of righteous Laws which Devilish Itch Whole Nations doth confound Lord let these Prayers and Praises be Accepted in thy Son So shall my Soul and Body see Thy great Salvation Amen ARGUMENT Vpon the Lord's Deliverance of Me from a Company of Robbers when I and my Servant having a great Charge of Money was Way-laid by them at my return home in the Forrest of Rockingum about the Moneth of May. Soliloquium or Discourse IN the space of time in which the Sun had almost twice measured the vast Concave of Heaven and taken an exact and curious surveigh of both the Hemispheres of Sea and Land I poor slow Worm and Pilgrim had only paced about thirty Miles towards my home Rackt with my Journey roasted with heat and flowr'd over with sweat and dust when on the suddain my way led me into a most pleasant plain a second Temple or Arcadia for delight and pleasure to guard which from the hot Invasion of the Sun or the suddain irruption of Storms stood round in Rank and deep Filles Armies of sturdy Oakes over-lookt by their tall Chieftains bauld-headed with Age yea some of them possibly free Britains before the Conquest and never since subdued nor subjected instead of the harsh and War-like sounds of Drums and Trumpets there were elevated in their Armes as being Dwarfs several sets of Nature's Musitians cloathed with coloured Liveries of several sorts of Feathers after the America fashion whose diversity and sweetness of Notes and Songs warbled forth through living Cornets and intrals as much excells that of dead Sheeps Guts as the animate the inanimate and Nature doth Arâ—
her Ape and imitatrix As for the Plain it self which I may well call Nature's great Oval Table because there she Daily teasted her Guests and off-spring it was most beautifully spread as it were with a green Carpet of unshorn Velvet imbroidred with many coloured and Gold like Flowers For it was now about the Moneth of May the gladsome and concluding time of her anniversary Feast in remembrance of her Creation the Beasts we call wild as though they had been metamorphized Acteons and had still retained his reason seem'd tame and civiliz'd feeding upon her Varieties cookt and prepared for them there without intemperance or gluttony But O how short and temporary are all Earthly delights and refreshments for no sooner was I cheared contented and revived after about ten Hours travel with this new Scene of things pleasant change and sweet prospect but the carreering of four Horse-men issuing out of several quarters of the Woods alarm'd me to prepare for an on-set and to alight with my Servant that drawing our Swords and cocking our Pistols and backt by our Horses we might not be surpriz'd but secure our selves and a considerable sum of Money This our prepared vigilancy as I conjecture being at a neer distance perceived by our adversaries they stopt united and wheeled about retreating into the Woods again thereby encouraging us to remount and to return that Night with safety home But the true cause of this great deliverance as being from thee O Lord is only known to thee who struck the Sodomites and Syrians with an intellectual rather than with an organical blindness that thou mightest preserve safe thy Lot and Elisha and caused the numerous Army besieging Samaria for the sake of a few there and to make thy Word good and thy Power known to be abused and deceived also by their other Sence of Hearing and to fly when none pursued them How and by what means these Robbers were diverted I know not but this I know that it is my duty O Lord greatly to praise thee for this preservation and to commemorate it to Posterity for ever which accept I beseech thee in this my poor Sacrifice of Thanks-giving and never-dying Record dedicated to thy Glory Amen The RESCVE Ejaculation or Hymn on the former Subject MY Life from first to last O Lord's A Pilgrimage a Journing tow'rds My home few evil are my Dayes As wrackt with sickness scortcht with Raies Of Earthly and Coelestial Suns Wearied with care dusted undone With slanders sweating all my race Vnder sad troubles and disgrace Amidst these travels thou didst please Good God to give to me some ease An interval wherein I did A sweet refreshing take and rid As on a Plain adorn'd with store Of Flowry blessings green all o're With mercies then I Brutes did see Grown tame and civiliz'd by Thee Yea there encompast with thy Armes I was from Sun and other harmes Secur'd then did I often hear Musick beyond that of the Spheres Without within me But alas This lasted not for soon I was Assailed by a Troop of slie And Hellish Thieves powers in high Places spiritual wickedness Skilfully arm'd none weaponless One Fiend as I remember well Had Darts of Lust inflam'd from Hell Another Bow and Arrowes on Feather'd with Pride Ambition A third was arm'd Cappee point Vâ—e With a Coat-Male of Avarice The last with Sword and Lance excess Of Pleasures and Voluptuousness O Lord I bless thee who didst then And since counsel even when I knew not how for to defend My Soul and Treasures from these Fiends Thou didst advise me to dismount From my own strength and to account Humility the surest Ground On which to stand and to confound These Robbers yea thou did'st prepare And cockt my heart full-charg'd with prayer Thou help'st me to draw out thy Sword The Devil-daunting written Word They thus repulst fled gave me space For to proceed on tow'rds my Place Of rest and peace That Tower wherein No fear of Sathan World or Sin The Soul and Body both which thou Didst and dost still preserve shall bow Vnto thy Praise Eternally And Triumph in thy Victory Amen ARGUMENT Vpon God's good Providence over me and his Preservation of me from the Vices of the times when I was left by my Parents to my liberty and alone in the Cities of Westminster and London young and about Seventeen Years of Age. Soliloquium or Discourse O How early even in the Spring of my Youth did sin and vanity bud flower and bring forth clusters of Sodom and Apples of Gomorah no sooner was I mounted for London about the year 1625. but a Troop of Lusts were on Horse-back also ready to attend me thither Viz. Pride in a disguise and Garment of neatness Lust in a light riding suit of love and amorousness Lying in a divers coloured Coat of Complement and good language and Idleness in a wide-made Suit slasht and open-sleeved of recreation upon which was a travelling Cloak of friendly Visits seventy miles as to my labour seem'd but a short stage but as to my longing desires five hundred until I got a fight of the Southern constellation of the English Geminy Peter and Paul's Churches and the united Cities of London and Westminster where I was no sooner setled but I found my self unsetled through the multitude of temptations and incitations to sin and vanity Being almost suffocated with ill scent of pride and vanity I rode out for Recreation to a Park neer it to find out sweeter Air but there me thought the Proverb was verified The World runs upon Wheels which raised up Clouds of dust as though the Earth against Nature would take place of the Element of Air There I saw many Inchanters of both Sexes raise their familiars and command and charm them within multiplied circles of Coaches wherefore I returned from thence to walk as I conceived in a more private and reserved Paradice called therefore the Springs Garden but that I was so crowded and shouldred with the Gallants of both Sexes which as so many moving Groves fill'd up and replanted the Walks that the whole Garden was me thought changed into a wild Wood and Wilderness wherefore to avoid this throng through some solitary Meddowes and winding Paths I sought in the Centre of the Wood for some place of privacy and found some little Hermitages where I hoped to have discoursed with some sober or devout Persons but found them to be Chapels of ease dedicated to Bacchus Ceres and Venus which made me think of the truth and reason of that Sentence Sine Cerere Bacho friget Venus The Lord's Day being come I thought to spend that Day better than the Days of the Weeks past and therefore Visited the Church of Peter's Westminster which to say no more in its commendation according to Relations I found to be in some things like St. Peter's Church in Rome This being I was a Protestant and in a Protestant City
review how I There plighted troth to thee and did denie All other loves save thine nor was this Act My single deed alone but a compact For why so free 's thy grace Man so accurst That none can love except thou lov'st them first Thou art my Head O Christ can I then be A living Member and not part of thee The Heavens high distance doth not dim the Eye Of Souls nor can it lessen or untie Thy Spirits union now nought wants but this To be unbod'ed where my Saviour is O let me be uncloath'd then And by Angels led To thee my Spouse To Heaven my Nuptial-Bed Amen ARGUMENT Vpon God's all wise and gracious Providence in ordering of Affairs for the preserving and continuing love and peace betwixt me and my own Father and Father-in-Law in danger to have been interrupted by reason of some differences arising from a dispute in point of my Right as to the one and from an act of love towards my Family as to the other Soliloquium or Discourse AS false Ground under the Foundation of a Building a crack in a Master-beam of an House and a breach in a Wall of a City is very dangerous and destructive So are distances differences and divisions in Families and betwixt neer Relations This truth O Heavenly Father thou gavest me even in my blooming Manhood to know and to obviate when as from two very neer Relations my own Father and Father-in-Law upon two different accounts I had deeply suffered both as to profit and affection and that for the defence of what I conceived to be my right and for well doing Hadst not thou O Lord been to me a Father Judge and Friend to preserve love and to order and reconcile us as to the things in difference O Lord thou hast tried me at all times in all places by all Persons that I poor Creature might prove and have a full and sweet experience of thee also as to thy gracious Immutability Omnipresence and All-sufficiency in all things concerning me For thou hast thou doest and I trust wilt deliver me in and from the evil of all Temptations and according to thy faithful Word and promise cause all things to work together for my good To thee therefore O infinite wisdome and goodness do I offer up the Calves of my Lips and the praises of my Soul for these thy merciful preventing restraining and commenting providences in this and the following Psalm as a living Sacrifice Amen The VMPHIRE Ejaculation or Hymn upon the former Subject SAthan the first divider of himself And Man from God is still a forward Else To ruine all things by Division As doth the Jesuit Pope his Eldest Son Yea to this truth of Christ he sets his hand Kingdomes within divided cannot stand Of these his Wyles thou warnest me O Lord And taught me how to cement a discord 'Twixt me and neer Relations by love Which beareth all things rather than remove Or break domestick Bonds since such a rent Of Friends widens in time growes permanent Yea as a broken Bone well set doth grow Far stronger than it was before Ev'n so Through thy wise ordering and providence These breaches made to me a better fence Working together for my future good According to thy Word now understood In that Instead of losing what was got Thou chang'd my part gav'st me a better lot Lord since Parental loves thus ebb and flow Give me thy love which doth for ever grow Let not my Crimes make mortal my sins wounds Since their increase makes Grace much more abound O bring me to that place of rest and ease Of Charity and Everlasting Peace Where Devils World Sin cannot divide me From Parents Fellow-Members nor from Thee Amen ARGUMENT Vpon God's most gracious Answer of our Prayers in giving Rain after a great Draught threatning a Famine in Three Summers successively Viz. In the Years 1637. 1638 1639. Soliloquium or Discourse O Lord as sin is the substance so affection and judgment is the dark shaddow that alwayes attends and accompanies it as the effect doth the cause This truth was verified to this Nation of England in the Years 1637 1638 1639. When according to thy Word a fruitful Land was turned into barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein As the first Rebellion of Adam brought a curse upon the whole lower Creation so this wicked off-spring by sin often invert the order and harmony of the Elements and makes malignant the influence of the higher Orbes causing those Coelestial Planets which were Created for blessings to Man-kinde to be Executors of thy righteous Judgments Of this these Three Years Prodigies are clear and sufficient witnesses when as that only Magazin of light and heat to the Universe thy glorious Sun which chears and delights Man and Beast and gives in our Northern Regions in the Spring as it were new life to Vegatives was made by thee for England's iniquities a terrible Curse as occasioning deadly Diseases Feavers and Murrains upon Men and Beasts through its constant and excessive heat and like a Globe and Furnace of Fire withered and burnt up all Grass and Vegitives especially our Grain the staff of life destroying by this Heavenly Fire our Earthly blessings As thy Sun so thy watering Pots the Clouds which like swelling Pappes used to distil streams of fruitful Rains according to thy Ordinance were now vanisht or rather banisht to the Antipodes or if any appeared they were but dry breasts and true symptomes of the barren Womb of England yea thou madest the Heavens contrary to their Nature to become as Brass and the Earth as Iron that the one might be as the Hammer the other the Anvil whereon to forge thy many Darts and sharp Arrowes of insuing Plagues As thy Rod of Justice O Lord hath three Cords or Lashes which thou callest thy three sore or greatest Judgments Viz. War Pestilence and Famine whereof this last is the greatest as being usually the dregs and the effect of the two former So thy mercy also hath a three-fold time or Plea as in the Gospel Lord let the Fig-Tree alone this third Year also to try it whether or no it will bring forth Fruit before thou cuttest it down Lord as England's sin called for and deserved this greatest Judgment Famine so thy mercy did during these three Years successively threatning this grievous Plague give her three years warning and space of Repentance Yea did offer thy Peoples Prayers unto thee by the hand of our Mediator for a reprieve and obtained it and which is much more wonderful a pardon and dismission of so justly deserved and so long impending a Judgment for which great condiscention I will bless thee as long as I have a beeing And that the Generations to come may praise thee also I have in all humility and thankfulness returned and recorded in this and the following Meeters thy never to be
Almighty Saviour who delivered me out of the Belly of this Whale and gave me a reprieve from Death stood by me as he did by Paul in the storm and bad me be of good comfort since Sathan the Accuser of the Saints was cast out and overcome in his Victory his Indictment and Role of my Sins conceal'd and nailed upon his Cross That my Conscience was both cleansed and pacified through the washing of his all purifying blood And that Divine Justice was satisfied to the uttermost by his active and passive obedience and sufferings he being made sin for me that I might be made the righteousness of God in him Yea that he was made unto me of God righteousness and sanctification wisdom and redemption That my life was hid in him with God And that he had given unto me Eternal Life And that when he shall appear I shall appear also with him in Glory Blessed Saviour with these Cordials thou didst thou dost revive and rejoyce my Soul and in great mercy didst answer my Prayer and restored both my mind and body to perfect health For which I bless thy name and record thy praise here and in this following Hymn The REPRIEVE Ejaculation or Hymn LOrd how uncertain full of change Is our lives state now well anon Deaths Image as though man O strange Was Natures true Camelion Our Youth and Beauty like a Flower Withers as soon as lookt upon Much like the Gourd of Jonah's Bower An one Day liv'd Hephemeron Sin is the Nimrod and the first Tyrant that did both Worlds subject To Floods Stormes Earth-quakes and accurst Mutations Wars that Royal Theft My Microcosme a witness oft Was and is still of this sad truth Shaken and under Water brought With coughs rheums even from my Youth The effect of this Earth-quake at last Like others which presage no good Was to make Chasmes and Waters cast Out of my entrails ting'd with blood At which agast I trembling fell Into a clammy and cold sweat Was wrackt with thoughts of Death and Hell Of Sin and God's dread Judgment Seat Then my Physitian Lord thou wast Stopt by opening a Vain Of thy own Blood and my Soul cast Into that Bath which cur'd my pain Thus Gallen Esculapius Thou far excel'st mad'st me all whole And by o're-coming Death for us Cur'd both my Body and my Soul Thou gavest to both new life that I Being freed from fear of shame and death Might live in thee and never die And praise thee whil'st I have my breath Thou art Lord my Catholicon A certain Cure of each Disease The only Rock I rest upon My Joy my Cordial and my Peace Amen ARGUMENT Vpon God's Fatherly and manifold goodness in delivering me from Death and giving me a merciful recovery out of five several dangerous sickness Viz. From a deadly Surfeit in my Childhood from an inclination to a Consumption for many Years in my Youth And in my elder days from a painful Cough and Plurisie From two dangerous Agues And from many other like Disasters Soliloquium or Discourse THe tremendious curse for Man's sin and rebellion against God his Creator is Death temporal and Eternal The Quarter-Master and Harbinger of Death is sickness who prepares as soon as we were born for even then we begin to die matter or food corrupt humors and innumerable diseases for this all devouring Monster together with unremovable quarters until according to the Proverb He hath eaten us out of House and home So that this our dying Life is but a living Death Lord as all have sinned in Adam so all in him are dead witness that thy just Statute and Sentence It is appointed unto all Men once to dye To which Law as acknowledging my self a sinful Son of Adam I humbly submit and have these five times entertained Deaths fore-runners or Vanguard The first of his Messengers was a short yet dangerous Surfeit in the time of my Childhood out of which by thy blessing upon the means used by a friendly Physitian I was speedily recovered The second was a continued defluxion of Rheum which caused a constant Cough and inclined me for many years in the entrance of my Manhood unto a Consumption By this correction Heavenly Father thou didst most wisely bridle order and allay the strong and indomitable Lusts of my Youth that beholding daily Death thy Sergeant at the Door I might fear to act wickedness and submit to thy Discipline This friend of Death which thy mercy and wisdome made in a sence a friend unto me by thy special providence and ordering me to use fit means was after many years space and at a time and in a place where that Disease was always before dangerously afflictive discharged also and I wonderfully and perfectly recovered The third assailant was a deadly Plurisie the consequent and usual effect of a long and violent Cough which by a terrible pain and stitch made my breathing the necessary Servant and Bellowes of Life painful which after divers Moneths suffering and fruitless use of many remedies Thou O Lord that hearest and answerest Prayer heard mine and by thy blessing upon a Plaister laid to my Stomack and a Purge didst in one Night and a Day free me from all pains Coughs and Distempers to the admiration of my self and Relations The fourth Allie and Spie of Death was a violent Ague whose eight Hours hot fits might well deserve the Name of a Feaver This ceaz'd upon me at Homby where thy providence O Lord by this thy Attachment freed me from a worse because illegal detainure These fiery Fits the very shaddows of Hell at a certain Hour every other Day for some Weeks like a well-ordered Regiment made their assaults and as so many Roman Rams or whole Cannon battered all my Rampires of Earth the out-works of Nature preparing and making a breach for their General Death to enter at But even then also O most gracious God and Father the only expert Physitian that curest both Body and Soul Thou freely without any Fee for alas I had nothing of merit to give thee Visited me and didst attend to my cry and pittied my many sighs and groans walking with me in this Fiery Furnace so that although I was often burning like Moses Bush yet I was not consumed Yea thou mad'st these Brats of sin and death instead of Destroyers my Refiners Diseases and afflictions being not punishments to thine and beginnings of Hell as to the wicked But like the Purges Vomits and Blood-lettings of a skilful and loving Father and Physician for prevention and for the cure not for the destruction of thy Children and Patients according to thy Word this shall be the fruit to take away their Sin Praised be thy Name O Lord that in much loving kindness and faithfulness hath alwayes afflicted me and didst then also after a few Weeks give me a perfect
contrariety of Providences and opposition of Sin and Sathan make more for thy Glory the Chiet Just and Soveraign end of all thy Works Who but thou O Lord who art the God of Nature canst change and unnaturalize Nature So that hungry Lyons shall not devour thy Daniel Fire shall not burn thy Three Children A Whale shall not smother and concoct thy Jonah nor the fluid Sea flow over and drown thy Israel Who but thou O Lord at this time didst forbid a Sulphur Stone to spit forth Fire at the collition and motion of the wheel of my Pistol or extinguisht its sparks with Gun-Powder that thou mightest preserve my Hand from the guilt my Conscience from the trouble my Heart from the grief and my good Name from the reproach of Man-slaughter Who but thou O Lord did cause Man with naked Swords to recoil and valiant Souldiers to turn their backs and to flie from two naked Men provoking them and in part disarmed that so Friends might not act as Enemies nor pour forth the blood and destroy the lives of one another Who was it but thou Almighty Saviour that gave a right understanding betwixt us and turned our feares and dangers into a Happy deliverance and thanksgivings Which then and now accept O Lord who at this time didst mercifully prevent my friends at other times didst powerfully restrain my Enemies from taking away my life And as thy goodness hath been continued so let my praise be perpetuated in this Memorial to future Generations even till time shall be no more Amen The INVISIBLE GVARD A Corolary Poem upon the former Subject MAn's Life is wholly unsecure Vpon him dangers do attend As Shades on Substances As sure As Sparks flie up from Foes from Friends Asleep awake early and late In Sickness Health In every State Instance Loyal Mephibosheth By slandring Ziba spoil'd the ends Murders of sleeping Ishboseth And Abner by their seeming Friends Of sick Benhadad Amasa Of healthful Ammon Sisera This Axiom oft hath been prov'd true In and by me Witness this Role Full fraught with dangers old and new And this which Mercy did controle Else had I Kill'd or Killed bin Or both without malicious sin That Leaders should by Day-light take A Palace for a Tenement That Friends like Enemies should break Ope Doors not shewing their intent Assault as Foes no words exchange But Swords and Pistols was most strange But this most wonderful of all A Fire-stone struck no sparks confer Or if it did should vainly fall Into a Bed of Gun-Powder As upon Snow that Powder drie Should be more merciful than I. That Souldiers and their Officer That fear'd not thundring Cannons Crack Should flie from naked Men as 't were Afrighted with one Pistols knack That this should end without all harme Was only God's restraining Arme. O Lord though danger is sins Lot By thy Decree like Persian Law Reversless yet this Haman's Plot 'Gainst Isr'el thou dost over-awe And by assisting Providence Vs safe-guard gives in thy defence Wherefore Purin-like Feasts of Praise I will keep Daily unto Thee Who hast been gracious all my Days In Peerless Mercies unto me That all things work as saith thy Word Good unto thine I here Record Amen ARGUMENT Vpon God's gracious preserving Me from the Infection of the loathsome and dangerous Disease of the small Pox Four times and of my Wife Six times when some Persons in the Houses in which we lived in were sick of it Soliloquium or Discourse AS Sin is the Distemper of the Soul so is Sickness of the Body both Maladies ending in Death the one Temporal the other Eternal As every Sickness is the sad effect of Sin so every Disease Herogliphical and Sumetomical of some Sin or other discovering as well as punishing it So the Tun-bellied Dropsie is both the figure and scourge of Drunkenness The inflaming Feaver of Fiery anger and passions The noisome French-Disease of filthy Lust and the fulsome Face ingraving and marring small Pox of Pride O how doth our righteous God humble affright and punish the proud wanton and beautiful Persons of our times by this Tyrant Who as the Lord's Bayliff having seiz'd their whole Bodies upon Execution for the Debt of Sin and baffled and fool'd their expected Rescuers their deified Physicians binds his Prisoners Hand and Foot unto their Beds Regards not their groans sighs and teares that falls from their late amorous and lascivious Eyes which he seales up with a scab singing off as Peasants do their Swine even unto baldness their curiously curled powdered and abused Hair swells up and greatens their Heads and Faces beyond all proportion even unto monstrousness Cloaths their Idoliz'd and beautiful Faces and Bodies instead of Silk and Tissues of curious paints promates and costly washes at first with Job-like Boiles and Ulcerated Carbuncles afterwards with a loathsome ugly and stinking temporary Leprosie and when that shakes off he brands and stigmatizes them with most dis-figuring Marks that so all may know that looks on them under whose Tyranny they have been As for their smiling and inticing Lips their false Tongues and Epycurian Throats the Instruments of Voice by all which they used to quaver and warble forth wanton Aires and deluding words He commands to silence and binds them by the strict and sore Bonds of outward and inward Tumors and Imposthumations to be dumb and quiet scarcely permitting them so much liberty as to send relief and nourishment to their almost-starved and languishing Mother-Nature O Lord hast thou no less than four times delivered my self and six times my second-self my dear Wife from this painful dangerous loathsome unsatiable and dis-figuring Malady even when it seized upon others of our Family Hast thou fore-told and fore-threatned as I humbly conceive this destructive Disease by thy Prophet Isaiah as thy most just Judgment for pride Chap. 3. Vers. 7. held forth in these words The Lord shall smite with a Scab the Crown of the Head of the Daughters of Zion and the Lord will discover their secret parts yea hast thou set down and ennumerated the many Instruments of Israel's pride and ours Vers. 18 19 20 21 22 23. A Scripture worthy to be seriously read and considered by the proud Gallants of both Sexes in our times Concluding thus Vers. 24. And it shall come to pass that instead of a sweet smell there shall be a stink and instead of a Girdle a Rent and instead of well-set Hair baldness and instead of a Stomacher a girding of Sack-cloth and burning instead of beauty Judgments that seemes to me to be the very lively Characters of the small Pox. O let me to whom thou mayest say as once my Saviour did to the Scribes and Pharisees If thou beest without sin throw the first Stone at the proud Offenders of these times After my humble and penitent acknowledgment of my manifold offences of this kind Bless and praise thy Name for these thy so often reiterated
that a general Assembly differs but in Name from a Conclave of Cardinals or Prelatical Synod that every Member of the Church is free and ought not in matters of Faith to conclude himself by Proxy that no Church hath power over another or brethren since the Apostles have dominion over the Consciences of their brethren that their platform of Church Government ought to be and is Jure Divino that the Evangelical Scripture sets forth theirs and no other Now dear Brethren give me your pardon and leave with Moses to step in betwixt your Combatings with his Abraham's words Why do ye contend being ye are Brethren it may be God giving a blessing and each of you in his hand I shall in my Preposition be a Medium to unite you only despise not my endeavours since the Lord hides many things from the wise and prudent and reveales them to Babes But to proceed I observe neither of you arrogate to your selves an infallibility but piously seek an Orthodox and prudential way of Government for the attaining and preserving GOD's truth blessed are your endeavours yea they shall be blessed Wherefore I ask the Presbiterians Why do ye extol and lift up a general Assembly above the rest of the Flock of Christ To the Independents I say Why do ye prefer the Judgment of one particular Congregation before the joynt Votes of all refined Christian Churches of the Kingdome surely the first will yield to me that where most of God's People are in their judgment there is the greatest measure of his Spirit and to such Assemblies principally and to their Votes are made all those gracious promises I need not quote the places concerning Christ's Spirit and Presence I mean to such a Multitude not of Men only but of purged and visible Believers The other I presume both from Grounds of Scripture and Reason will grant that could the Votes of all the reputed and received Members of Christ of their several Churches be joyntly taken and in one place they must be accepted and are but as the Vote of one great Congregation which though it hath an increase of Ministers and Elders yet according to a true definition for Essence is a Church and that more eminently though not more truly than the particular Congregations of whom it consists even as an Assembly made up of many Families called by the Apostles Churches of God is more excellent than its subdivisions But that I may make good by Scripture this incorporaing of Churches conjuncture and union of Votes I shall remember you of these Three Chief Proofs and Lights of Church Government both for Doctrine and manners The first shewes the Primitive and Apostolique way of ending Controversies in Doctrine by the summoning that great Assembly of the Members of the Churches of Jerusalem and Judea of which Churches read Acts 11.1 and Gallat 1.22 Therefore called a Multitude Acts 15.12 In which the Apostles although indued with an infallible Spirit and the Elders of the Churches did not only Vote and Decree matters though that in many cases wherein the People consents such Votes may be and are necessary expedient and lawful but the whole Church Verse 22. which compared with Acts 2. Verse 41. wherein Three Thousand are said to be converted and with Acts 4. Verse 4. wherein Five Thousand were by One Sermon converted clearly demonstrates that this Assembly was composed of many Congregations as further appeares from the Apostles Teaching and Preaching in every House Acts 5.42 How else could Eight Thousand Men besides Women and Children be taught and edified The like is proved from the Election and choice of the Seven Deacons by the Vote of the Multitude Acts 6.5 where the Apostles and Elders also were present yea those whom the Holy Ghost Acts 2.47 calls a Church in a Nationall respect he calls Churches Acts 9.31 in a Congregational consideration And lastly in Corinth there more than probably appeares to be many Congregations else whence or where were these discentions and divisions some saying I am of Paul others I am of Apollo of Cephas 1 Cor. 1.12 All the Members of which were commanded to meet in one Assembly for the Excommunication of the incestuous Persons 1 Cor. 5.4 Where note they were to meet to whom the Epistle was directed and who are admonished to mourn But the Epistle and Exhortation was directed to the whole Church of Corinth and not to the Elders only Ergo the whole Congregation when they shall desire it have a right to a Vote and censure Having thus fully proved by Scripture that in Cities and Provinces and consequently in Kingdomes the Members of particular Congregations may and were by command to meet for the deciding of any great difference yea the Apostles though of an infallible Spirit did not contradict but gave both approbation and institution to that liberty I shall with humblest submission offer this following preposition as a right and fit Medium of reconciliation That in all great Schismes and Heresies over-spreading whole Churches if the breach cannot be made up by advice argument and subordinate Discipline either Congregational or Presbyterian an Appeal be made to a general Assembly who after the stating disputing and voting such Points in difference together with the merit of the offence the Recusant Church or Churches notwithstanding continuing unsatisfied that then the Assembly adjourn that Sessions for Three Moneths in which time the Assembly Members of each Congregation to be ordered after Fasting and Prayer to state the Question and declare their Arguments and Judgment of the General Assembly to their particular Churches and so accordingly at that Meeting receive and bring up each Churches Vote and Sentence with the number because of the disproportion of Parishes summ'd up of those that affirm and those that discent that so at the next Session the Question may be decided and concluded by the major Vote both of Churches and Members which Scripture-way will not only by a Religious Policy from time to time discover the temper pulse and inclination of the whole Kingdome and consequently administer a great help and direction to Government but will give full satisfaction to all unless to obstinate Hereticks as being the Judgment and Vote even by the Pole of all the visible and undividual Christians of the Kingdome politically united as in one Congregation yea the disobedient will be left without excuse and justly lyable to their Sentence of Excommunication But put the Question a considerable number of Churches in the Kingdome give in their Vote with a new opinion hazarding a rent and division in the Nation I Answer that upon so sad an occasion our Church in imitation of the ancient calling of General Counsels upon the over-flowing of Heresie ought to desire the Judgment and assistance and that by additional Votes if it may be of all the reformed Churches in the World which comes neerest to the Judgment of the holy Catholick
Acts 3.21 Math. 17.11 Gen. 1.31 Isay. 65 17. 2 Pet. 3.13 Acts 3.21 Revel 20.4 Soliloquium Colos. 2.21 Rom. 8.13 Prov. 5.20 Prov. 6.29 Prov. 5.5 Prov. 23.27 Isai. 5.20 2 Thes. 1.8 2 Pet. 3.7 12. Ejaculation John 17.17 Revel 21.5 Jerem 8.22 Hebr. 12.2 Rom. 11.29 Zach. 13.1 1 John 1.7 Jerem. 50.5 2 Sam. 23.5 Isay. 55.3 Cant. 2.16 Cant. 1.2 Cant. 2.4 Cant. â— 4 Cant. 8.6 7. 10. Gal. 5.10 Rev. 22.15 Of the Tongue Glorified Psal. 30.12 Psal. 108.1 Rev. 19.16 1 John 1.3 Rev. 5.10 Rev. 20.6 Heb. 12. 22 23. Psal. 7.5 6 7. 8. Psal. 44.8 Psal. 115.18 Heb. 13.15 Genes 18.1 2. Genes 19.1 2. Gen. 32.1 2. Joshua 5.13 Judg. 6.12 Judg. 13.13 2 Sam. 24.17 2 King 6.17 18. 1 King 19.5 7 Dan. 9.21 Luke 1.28 Luke 2.9 Revel 1.7 Mark 12.25 Revel 21.22 Revel 19 10. the 22. chap. verse 9. matth 28.28 Math. 28.28 Luke 13.28 1 Thes. 4.17 1 Tim. 3.16 Ephes. 3.18 19. Ephes. 3.16 Jude 9. 1 Thes. 4.16 Revel 5.11 Philip. 1.16 Colos. 1.16 1 Pet. 3.22 Ezek. 10.1 3 20. Isay. 6.2 6. Gen. 2.15 1 Cor. 15.41 Revel 5.10 Luke 12.32 Luke 22.29 Luke 19.19 Isay. 54.13 1 Cor. 12.12 to vers 27. 1 Tim. 6.15 Revel 19.16 Psal. 58.5 Heb. 1.2 Rom. 8.17 Revel 20.4 Revel 20.6 Rom. 8.21 Gen. 2.19 20. Revel 20.6 Soliloquium Psal. 141 3. Matth. 12.37 Matth. 12.36 matth 12.34 James 3.2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. James 1.26 Titus 3.2 Ephes. 4.29 Ephes. 5.4 1 Cor. 15.33 Nehe. 13.24 Ephes. 5.19 Psal. 14.7 Psal. 103.1 2 3 4 5. Psal. 66.16 Psal. 108.1 Psal. 45.2 Psal. 49.3 Psal. 143.5 Psal. 145.5 6 7. Psal. 146.2 Acts 13.36 matth 25.25 Mark 4.21 Math. 7.6 1 Cor. 14.3 1 Cor. 14.12 1 Cor. 12.28 31. 1 Cor. 12.4 7 8 9 10 11 12 19 21 27. matth 10.8 Prov. 1â— 10 Exod. 23.12 Rom. 8.21 Read Job chap. 38. chap. 39. chap. the 40. Cant. 4. throughout Ejaculation Psal. 22.6 Ephes. 2.4 5 6. 1 Pet. 1 2. Ephes. 2.10 〈…〉 Ephes. 2.1 4 5. Rom. 1.6 Rom. 8.15 Rom. 15.16 Rom. 8.9 Rom. 3.24 25 26. Jerem. 13.6 〈…〉 John 6.54 Luke 14.14 Psal. 116.12.108.1 2. Jerem. 17.10 Rom. 7. â—â— John â— â—6 Phil. 2.13 Luke 16.14 Rev. 4.8 11. Revel â— 8 10 12 13. Rev. 15.3 4. Twelve wonderfull actings or works of God to be fulfilled Revel 11 3 4 5 6 7. 1. The raising of the witnesses Rev. 11.11 13. Rev. 13.1 2. Rev. 17.5 2. The ruine of Rome Revel 11.8 Revel 1â— 10 Revel 13.11 Revel 19.20 Revel 16.19 Revel 1◠〈…〉 3. The ruine of the Papacy Revel 17.11 Rev. 13.12 13. Revel 19.20 Revel 19.16 Revel 14.1 2 3 4. Revel 14.7.8 Read Rom 9. Verse 25 26 27 28 29. 4. Israels Conversion Read Rom. 11. v. 25. to v. 33. Read Ezekiel chap. 37. unto chap. the 40. 5 ly The Destruction of the great Turk 6 ly The binding of the Devil for 1000. Years Rev. 20.23 7 ly The Conversion of the World Psal. 22.27 Rev. 11.15 Joel 2.28 29. Isay 54.13 Isay 32.15 16 17 18. Isay 44.3 Psal. 72 11 17. Psal. 82.8 Psal. 86.9 Isay 60.3 Isay 2.2 Jerem. 27.7 Dan. 7.14 Hag. 2.7 Isay. 2.4 Psal. 29.11 Psal. 27.11 Psal. 72.3 7. Isay. 9.7 Isay. 65.20 22. Isay 54.13 Isay 66.12 Jerem. 31.12 13 14. Isay. 2.18 60 17 20. Read for further proof of this peaceable Kingdome of Christ. Isay. cap. 60.65 from the beginning to the end Zeph. 3.9 Zach. 14.9 Isay. 11.6 Zach. 12.8 Psal. 51.15 Read these Psalms being a clear Prophesie of the victorious and peaceable Kingdome of Christ. 8 ly The Destruction of all Christs enemies under his victorious Kingdom Dan. 7.22 Isay. 11.5 Isay 1.26 Isay. 60.17 Dan. 7.26 27. Psal. 2.9 Psal. 110.5 6. Psal. 149.6 7 8 9. Rev. 20.4 Revel 19. Verse 11. to the end Psal. 47.1 2 3 4 7 8 9. Deut. 18.15 18 19. Revel 22.6 Revel 20.1 2 3. Heb. 4.9 9 ly The Saints peaceable raign for 1000 years Gen. 2.1 2 3. Exod. 20.8 9 10 11. Psal. 72.18 19 Gen. 18.25 Heb. 9.28 1 Thes. 1.8 10 ly The Destruction of Gog and Magog and the VVorld by Fire at Christs second coming Revel 20.7 8 9 10. Rev 20.4 5. compared with Luke 14.14 1 Cor. 15.23 1 Thes. 4.16 Rev. 20.6 Rev. 5.10 Isai. 65.17 2 Pet. 3.13 1 Cor. 15.23 1 Thes 4.16 Rev. 20.5 1 Cor. 15.42 43 44. Phil. 3.21 1 Joh. 3.2 Vid. my Chronology of the Age of this World taken out of the Scripture which will shortly be published Dan. 12.13 Heb. 11.1 2 Tim. 1.10 Hos. 13.14 1 Cor. 15.54 55 56 57. 11 ly The Day of Judgment beginning with the rewarding the Saints And ending with the Judging the wicked and Devils Rev. 19.13 16. 1 Tim. 6.15 John 5.22 Acts 10.42 2 Cor. 5.10 Psal. 37.6 Mat. 16.27 Mat. 25.33 Isai. 53.11 Rom. 3.26 Isai. 44.22 Acts 3.19 Rom. 4.25 1 Cor. 15.3 Rom. 5.17 Rom. 12.6 Rom. 2.6 Revel 2 23. Rom. 2.7 10. Mat. 25.34 Revel 20.4 Mat. 25.33 Revel 20.5 1 Cor. 6.3 Revel 20.12 Luke 12.2 mat 25 41. Rev. 20.14 15. Luk. 21.26 28. mat 25.30 Heb. 9.27 Psal. 58.11 Rom. 1.17 Revel 19.1 2 5 6 7 8 9. 12 ly The end of Christs Mediatory Kingdome and the translation of the Saints to Heaven there to be for ever Revel 15.3 Rom. 8.4 Rom. 5 9. John 16.33 Rom 6.6 Colos. 2.15 Luke 14.14 Rom 8.23 1 Cor. 15.26 Psal. 68.18 Joh. 17.22 24. 1 Pet. 1.4 1 Thes. 4.17 1 Cor. 13.12 1 Cor. 15.24 1 Cor. 15.24 25 26. 1 Cor. 15.28 mat 1.18 Luke 1.32 1 Cor. 15.28 Ephes. 1.20 21 22 23. Colos. 1.10 Ephe. 2.18 22. 1 John 1.3 1 Cor. 6.17 1 Cor. 12.13 Joh. 11.25 26. John 8.12 Colos. 3.3 Rom. 5.17 John 6.57 Joh. 14.19 Psal. 24.6 Numb 23.14 2 Cor. 12.2 Psal. 47.5 6 Psal. 24.7 8 9 10. 1 Cor. 13.9 12. Colos. 1.12 Revel 10.6 Psal. 25.8 John 14.6 1 Cor. 3.12 Job 14.14 Phil. 1.23 Rev. 22.17 20 21. 3 Joh. 1. 2 Cor. 6.14 1 Pet. 1.14 3 Joh. 1. The Salutation 〈◊〉 Exhortation of the Father to his Wife and Children pro. 4.1 The Praise and Commendation of the Lord Jesus Christ under the Name and Title of Wisdome as being the Wisdome of God Mat. 6.33 pro. 4.7 Luk. 10.42 pro. 4.6 8 9 10 12. 13. Act. 16.31 1 Cor. 1.24 Heb. 1.1 2. The danger of neglecting to hear and obey the voice and Counsel of Christ. Heb. 2.1 2 3. Heb. 10.28 Heb. 12.25 An Exhortation of the Father to his Wife and Children to hearken to the word and counsel of Christ. Jer. 10.1 Heb. 1.1 Rev. 22.6 2 Tim. 3.16 Rev. 19.13 2 Tim. 3.17 Prov. 8.14 17. Here begins the speech of the Lord Jesus Christ as speaking in his own Person to those to whom this Epistle 〈◊〉 directed and 〈◊〉 applicable to all other Christians Joh. 1.14 Heb. 1.3 Prov. 8.30 31 34 35 36. The danger of rejecting Christ. prov 1.25 26 27 28 29 31 33. The Confession of faith commonly
particular The same Rules bound our understanding the perspective of our Souls For look we on God that Infinite being further then our limits in his gracious revelation our sight is cataracted and dimned with ignorance View we him too neer in the attribute of his mercy we grow presumptuously blind Or place we terrene vanities in our affections as worthy to be equally gazed on with him our reason will prove both purblinde and false-sighted rendring an untrue and unprofitable discovery to our Souls The last of these Rules let me first apply then follow here the objects proposed to my present Meditation which are the Principal and Evangelical Vertues Shall I then at once superficially glance over them No rather view thou my Soul each grace apart that so thou mayest better discern the dignity of each particular And as Faith hath the preheminence amongst them and the first place in us at our regeneration so in thy Contemplation Phylosophers are beholding to Aristotle for most of their Definitions the Christians to the Scripture as being the truth and so no error in it as being the Foundation and therefore no building without it Wouldst thou know then O my Soul what Faith is Search the Scriptures and thou shalt find that Faith is the Substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen O perfect figure O true Effigies of that Heavenly Grace drawn even to the Life by that only great Arts-Master the Spirit of God! Frail Mortals that we are extraordinary need have we of such exact Descriptions since like weak-sighted Men we multiply our object grasping frequently the shadow in stead of the substance Thus being often times deceived in our judgments by the many counterfeits of Faith Let us upon some Professors thereof that even falshood may not want a witness cursorily gaze as Passengers use to do on executed Traytors learning wisdome from others harms rather pitying their folly than following their example The Sun may rise gloriously and yet suffer an Eclipse before it mount the Meridian Good beginnings may make us expect cannot assure us of good proceedings Many run in a race but he which perseveres to the end obtains the prize Man-kinde doth commonly ascend one degree towards Heaven where frozen with ignorance and folly they afar of with the Owle wonder at the Light not caring by their approach to enjoy its heat or to be enlightned with its brightness like silly Birds hovering over the Devils blaze that fowler of Souls or with ignorant Travellers eying and following that false and wandering Light of Worldly Vanities until they be plunged in their own destruction Amongst these give me leave to point out the Historical Believer who hath waded and in the deep in Ezekiel's River hath ascended one step of Jacob's Ladder yea with the Serpent in Paradise that Devil incarnate hath found out the Tree of whose sweetness he shall never be a happy partaker O the folly and madness of rational Souls who having spyed out the good Land of Canaan choose rather with the murmuring Israelites to wander in the Wilderness of Vanity the Deserts of Evil not only Forty Years but their whole life time then to go in to possess that fruitfull Soile with faithfull Joshuah Tell me O Man why the affection doth as it were loose its appetite change his Channel and dissent from that Rule in Heavenly things which in terrene objects it both allows and follows The Covetous Man having begun but to tast of Riches continues a Midas ever after wishing to touch and feed on nothing but Gold The Voluptuous Man having had but an Airy view of Pleasure is enamoured with it and devotes his strength his time his life to its service And the Ambitious Man having once kneeled on the Foot-stool of honor never rests until he hath ascended the Throne On the other side change we but the Place Earth for Heaven although the objects differ much in worth and our minds change also The Historical Believer by his general knowledge and observation of the Principles of Nature and Justice cannot but confess a God next that his Eternal Beeing is only the unexhausted Ocean from whence all Rich Streams of Graces and Rivers of Life proceed The everlasting Mine and Treasure of Treasures which are as infinite in their quantity as their value Yet for all this proficiency in the theory of Divinity he still remains a drone like a lazie Mathematician only viewing upon his Globe those magazins of wealth the Indies without endeavouring or taking pains to enjoy them He knows that Princes are but Vice-royes Tenants at will Commissioners whose Power lasts not beyond Gods will or the date of their life The Almighty only being the Fountaine of Honour according to that of the Psalmist Promotion cometh neither from the East nor West nor from the South but God is the Judge he putteth down one and setteth up another Notwithstanding this knowledge of Gods preheminence he either like the Barbarians exchanges Gold for Glass his golden Hours for frail and glassy Titles terrene and empty favours which are but the counterfeits of true honour a row of Characters by which we should spell out Heavenly things the substance of these shadowes All Earthly honours are either mediately that is by course of Blood derived from our Parents to us or else immediately by the present favour of the Prince conferred upon Us the worth of them consisting in the height of Title Place or Priviledges above others not so dignified Look then O Glow-worm towards Heaven and thou wilt soon confess how infinitely all Earthly vanities are overmatched they being but rude Patterns helping us to judge of the Original degrees to raise not weights to depress our Meditations a Mount Nebo to view Mount Sion Have we on Earth Kings to create us honourable Behold their Breath is in their Nostrils whereas in Heaven the Lord is King for ever and ever who hath said and verified it that though they are Gods yet they shall die like Men. Further the World gives to its favourites large and magnificent Titles adorning them with splendid Robes which are as it were the Superscription of their Place and Estimation Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphnath Paaneah which signifies Prince Daniel is named Belteshazzar according to the name of the Caldeans God David must be stiled the Kings Son in Law Mordecai goes out from the presence of the King in Royal Apparel of blew and white and with a great Crown of Gold and with a Garment of fine Linnen and Purple We see here how liberal Earthly Kings yea Kings of the Earth have been in the expression of their favours and can any conjecture the eternal God the only Jehovah and King of Heaven and Earth can or will be wanting to his favourites No his Word which is truth it self shall be our assurance Fear not little Flock for it is your Fathers pleasure to give you the
Kingdome Nor are we only Kings but dignified above such expressions the Image of the only true God being renued and imprinted in us For through our Lord Jesus Christ 's most great and precious promises are given unto us that by them we should be partakers of the Divine Nature Hath Saul chosen David to be his Son in Law yea and he esteemed it an honour worth the hazarding of his life But behold what love the Father hath given to us that we should be called the Sons of God Was Mordecai so publickly honoured by Ahasuerus God doth far exceed in his free favours towards his Witness St. John saying I saw round about the Throne four and twenty Seats and upon the Seats four and twenty Elders sitting clothed with white Rayment having on their Heads Crowns of Gold Come hither O thou loytering Soul that carest not to ascend the Mount with Abraham and Isaac but stayest below with his Servants and Asses that choosest rather to stand still and become a barren and unmovable Pillar of Salt with the faithless Wife of Lot then with no less hast than good speed to travel toward Zoar a place of safety with her righteous Husband The Poets tell us a Fable of one Tantalus whose hunger-starved Mouth covetously gasped after Golden Apples which continually fled from him I would O half Believer thou hadst his hunger his thirst then would our Saviours loving invitation be joyfully obeyed If any Man thirst let him come unto me and drink such living Waters which shall not flie from but into the longing Soul Art thou Adam's Son O here behold a Tree of Life whose Root is only transplanted from Paradise to Heaven that so the Fruit might hang down to Earth Here is now no prohibition to restrain thy ambition but a commission to warrant thy affection Take and eat O take it even Christ in his Word and Sacraments not carnally as Adam but spiritually with the hand of thy Soul which is a saving and applying faith Next relish it by Meditation and digest it by prayer Then shall thine eyes be enlightned and thou shalt perceive thy nakedness that so Christ may cloath thee with his righteousness here and his glory hereafter Then shalt thou behold the vanity of earthly pleasures riches and honours confessing that God is all these yea all in all unto thee That the happiness of Divine knowledge consists most in fruition That it is better to acknowledge God to be Immanuel with Isaiah then Daniel's God with Darius To imbrace Christ in our armes by faith with Simeon than to see his Star afar of with Balaam To rejoyce in God our Saviour with the blessed Virgin then to confess Jesus to be the Son of the most high God with the Legion of Devils Then shall that virtual and spiritual Figure of God which according to our capacity the holy Spirit hath shadowed out by attributes in his Word and Works be appropriated unto us by Faith That so those glorious rayes of his to wit his Holiness his Justice his Power which before our Souls were Eagle-fighted our minds illuminated rather scortcht than cherished dazled than enlightned us meet all in the centre of his mercy Jesus Christ and from him as it were by reflection powerfully work upon us and comfortably refresh the whole Man renewing justifying and sanctifying thee here and glorifying thee hereafter All this while O my Soul thou hast been viewing the first draught of Faith rudely painted after a Landskip fashion and therefore ever beheld at distance Now observe a second model limb'd out more exactly having in every part a seeming perfection O that the Colours would be but as lasting as lively The defect then of this Pourtraiture is a false ground manifested and proved by its short continuance The truth of which since it cannot aptly or charitably be demonstrated or discovered by any extant piece I know lest I should seem to be my own Judge or judge my Brother I will with reverence look into our Ark the sacred Scriptures wherein as there is the two Tables of the Law for our instruction so there is a Pot of Manna to encourage and strengthen our obedience An Aaron's Rod to tell us what we have been are and should not be There I doubt not but to finde some Antiquities of the infant Age before the Law or the middle Age under the Law and some in the old Age of the World that last measure of time under the Gospel Which although dusted by death survived in those living characters for instruction and our purpose All humane judgments may erre Neither is there any Seat of Judicature upon Earth no not Peter's Chair altogether free from injustice and false opinions If it be the certain condition of Man to be uncertain in all his ways Nam humanum est errare it is his Custome to erre How can he then which is a stranger at home make a true discovery abroad He that stumbles in a known and even path cannot choose but fall headlong if he ascend craggy passages He that is ignorant of earthly things cannot be spiritually judicious The best oft-times are deceived by their own hearts For the heart of Man is deceitfull above all things who can know it much more by others Those which in the false Ballance of our understanding have seemed down weight being placed in the Scales of the Sanctuary have been found wanting as may appear in these following examples Who although they out-went the prospect of Men in the right way towards Heaven in the outward acts of Faith yet afterwards either stood still or wanting Oyl for their Lamps were benighted and strayed in the broad Paths of prosperity Cain the first draught of humanity that ever Man drew the first born to whom hereditarily belonged the blessing and the double portion the fourth part of the then visible Church and a sacrificing Priest before God viz. by his birth education offering proved to be a Member of the Church a Professor by his Prayers implyed as the inseparable Companions of Sacrifices the fruits of that profession are manifest so that to the superficial view of Man he seems not only practically Religious but also to parallel faithful Abel Yet behold in process of time his want of perseverence shewes his defect of Sincerity the murder of his Brother his former Hypocrisie and afterwards concluded of and punished with the Curse of God the Hatred of good men and his self Despairation Lots Wife was a member of the apparent Church and as it is probable forsook her native Country her Fathers Gods to be a sojourner a stranger in a remote Land with Abraham And no doubt while she lived in that sinful Sodom was a frequent Hearer of that Doctrine of Repentance which her Righteous husband Preached with so unhappy success Yea in conclusion she forsakes Sodom being not only aided by the presence but led by the hand of an Angel
until Shilo come and unto him shall the gathering of the People be Now it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda. Further Moses drawing neer to his dissolution Prophesies and that from the Mouth of God That God will raise them up a Prophet like unto him Now Moses was not only a Prophet but a King He was King in Jesurun In the next place hearken to the mellodious and foretelling Hymns of the royal Psalmist David who knowing that God had sworn with an Oath to him that of the Fruit of his Loynes according to the Flesh he would raise up Christ to set on his Throne At once beholds his Seed his Saviour and becomes the Herald of his King his Son thus Proclaiming I have set my King upon my holy Hill of Sion And again The Lord said unto my Lord set thou on my right hand until I make thine Enemies thy Foot-stool Of him also the Prophet Esay thus Prophesieth Vnto us a Childe is born unto us a Son is given and the Government shall be upon his Shoulders and his Name shall be called Wonderfull Counseller the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace of the increase of his Government and peace there shall be no end Zachary also remarkably points him out and that not only verbally but by certain actions of our King Rejoyce O Daughter of Sion behold thy King cometh unto thee he is just and having Salvation lowly and riding upon an Ass and upon a Colt the Fole of an Ass. Lastly lest the testimonies of Men should seem weak the premulgation of Angels shall conclude and that undeniably this holy and comfortable truth Behold saith the Angel Gabriel to the blessed Virgin Thou shalt conceive in thy Wombe and bring forth a Son and shalt call his Name Jesus he shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David And he shall reign over the House of Jacob for ever And of his Kingdome there shall be no end Again as his Birth and Kingdome over the Jews yea over the whole World was foretold by the Angel so correspondently they were proclaimed by an Angel and seconded by a multitude of the Heavenly Host saying unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. O my Soul I have hitherto like John by the finger of the Prophets pointed out unto thee thy King thy Saviour The Lamb of God which taketh away the Sins of the World It is expedient and time now that with Andrew thou follow him home and by the eye of thy faith takest a particular view of his excellencies administrations and government That thy heart being bedewed with those many comforts benefits and blessings which descend therefrom may with those ravished Jews in the Gospel cry out Hosanna blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord Blessed be the Kingdome of our Father David that cometh in the Name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest And also sing with that Heavenly multitude Salvation unto our God which sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lamb Blessing and glory and wisdome and thanks-giving and honour and power and might be unto our God for ever and ever Amen Proceed then O my Soul and diligently consider first how thy King governs amongst his Subjects Secondly how he rules and reigns over his Enemies and lastly how in that great Assize he shall execute his last Judgment and translate his Kingdome on Earth to Heaven there establishing and fixing a glorious and tryumphant Monarchy even for Eternity The wisest Heathen whose choisest flowers of learning and knowledge were gathered out of our Paradise of God the Scriptures stiled their Kings Pastors of the People That the Spirit of God useth the like Metaphor and that it might well be that they stole it from thence may be supposed from these places amongst others The Psalmist glorifying God for the deliverance of his People out of Egypt concludes thus Thou leddest thy People like a Flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron And the same Moses neer the ending of his life desires God to appoint his Successor That the People be not as Sheep which have no Shepward Michaiah Prophesying of Ahab's death and the overthrow of his Army saith That in a Vision he saw all Israel scattered a Sheep that have no Shepward And the Lord by the Prophet Esay promising his People a deliverance from their Captivity by the means of Cyrus even many years before his birth â—aith thus of him He is my Shepward and shall perform all my pleasure Surely as there is good cause to commend the Heathens choice and application of this Metaphor So a-above all to admire the infinite wisdome of the Spirit of God as the Original who under this similitude comprehends and discovers the whole duty of a religious Prince and Governor as that like a Shepheard he is to feed his People to lead them to fold and keep them from straying and to protect them from those Wolves and wicked Enemies that seek to destroy them See all this exprest in that woe pronounc'd by the Spirit of God against the Shepward of Israel that do feed only themselves Should not the Shepwards feed the Flock The diseased have yee not strengthned neither have you healed that that was sick neither have yee bound up that that was broken neither have yee brought again that that was driven away neither have yee sought that that was lost But with fierceness and with cruelty have yee ruled them Seeing then that the Lord himself commends unto us this humble vocation offering it as a Glass unto Princes his Vice-roys upon Earth therein to see their duties It will neither be unfit nor unprofitable to meditate and consider the office and actions of the Lord of Lords even our Lord Jesus Christ under the same Metaphor And the rather because St. Peter gives us a Precedent who stiles him the chief Shepward and Bishop of our Souls and more especially for these reasons First because God the Father so calls him often in Scripture witness that Prophesie of Ezekiel saying I will set up one Shepward over them he shall feed them Secondly he so names himself and with abundance of affection and delight and prosecutes and applies the similitude saying I am the good Shepward and know my Sheep and am known of mine And lastly whatsoever he in that Chapter or elsewhere applies to himself in the office of a Shepward doth most aptly agree with his Kingly administration But to make this more cleer Is it the duty of a King to govern and direct his People by good Laws Which though written yet are as it were his lively fixt and continued voice And is not this verified of our King the Shepward of
prime Of wit in Sonnets or such Rhime As leaves behind The Savour of a tainted mind Maâ—gre their Witts I tell you true I enjoy none but such as you Not that I know your Birth and Blood Springs high but that I see a good That sets you off Beyond the bitter reach or scoffe Of those loose Tongues Which blast it in their drunken Songs Think no work lovely sweet or witty That is not tun'd to Cupids Ditty On Lovely Sir I speak the truth From Him you think on in your Youth Hee 'l not forget This Labour or Essay but set A mark of note Vpon those Hours which you devote Vnto his Service and will Pay Richly at All-Saints Holy-Day Mean while he pawns his Word to be A Friend unto your hopes and he That never Rights The meanest of his Favourites Will raise your Stock And prove your Sun your Shield your Rock Perfume your Name and make 't as dear As his that dyed the Hopeful Peire Long may the Noble Paire to whom You own your Breath next God become Sutors for you That labour to repay the due You owe to them From whom you Sprang a hopeful stemm To which you have the Heart and Hand Of him that rests Yours to Command W. Mewes MEDITATIONS UPON THE CREATION MANS Fall and Redemption BY CHRIST Presented to his Parents in the XXI Year of his Age. Anno Dom. 1627. London Printed in the Year 1669. Prayer and Meditation are Twins therefore A Preparative Prayer O Almighty God and most gracious Father from thy goodness I acknowledge all good gifts do proceed therefore I humbly and earnestly do beseech thee to illuminate my Soul by thy Spirit that my Vnderstanding being raised above all Earthly Cogitations may through thy merciful assistance so meditate of thee and thy wonderful Works that contemâ—â—ng all Worldly Vanities my delight may only consist in beholding of thy Majesty The Consideration of it being best able both to humble my proud Heart and create in it a love and fear to all thy Precepts that so I beginning although in weakness to live the life of grace here I may through thy favour in Christ live the Life of Glory with thee hereafter Amen DIVINE MEDITATIONS OF GOD'S Majesty IN THE CREATION ALL sublunary things tend and press towards their Centre The Sea-man's Needle always points North and South Nature thereby as it were Lecturing our Souls to behold and move towards none but thee O God our North-Star our Centre Lord I confess it had been a vain presumption in Mortality being defiled with sin to have once conceived a thought of thy Holiness had not thy mercy in Jesus Christ revealed unto us in thy word and promises not only to give us leave but commanded us to know thee that conceiving of thee aright we might love thee with all our hearts fear thee in all our actions and serve thee with our best endeavours Why madest thou Man with his Face erected towards the Heavens when Beasts walk groveling upon the Ground unless thou hast ordained that all Eyes contemning Earth as tramled under Feet should stand open towards the Skies that our Souls through those Casements might behold the Starry out-side of the â—irmament though but a dark reflexion of thy brightness and might view in the Suâ—s splendour a petty Embleme to lead us to the Infiniteness of thy Glory and beautifulness of that new Jerusalem in which thou crownest the Inhabitants with a perpetual Day of Happiness These Objects O Lord damme up the Mâ—uth of Wickâ—dness being sufficient though dumb Witnesses to condemn the wilful ignorance of Senceless Atheists Who behold much Art in a costly Fabrick and applaud not the skill of the Architector Who sees exquisitness in any work and is not forc'd to acknowledge the Work-mans perfection and what Eyes can be so purblinded with folly and perverseness as not to spell out in each Leaf of Natures Book thy Divinity Open thou my Lips O Lord and my Mouth shall shew forth thy Praise Of the Creation THe beginning of all Created Substances was nothing who but thou O Lord Infinite in Power of no Materials could frame so vast a Chaos Before each particulars composure darkness as a Canopy covered the confused Lump of intermixed Bodies when by thy Word O Father of Light was light created the happy Morning to so great a Night the huge Concave of the Firmament being the purest extraction of that gross heap is made to Circle the Earth separating the Waters above from those below by thy Command Where was the naked Earth visible when the Waters covered the Face thereof untill thy will gave them both name and bounds How rude an object were the Towring Hillâ— and humble Valleys then destitute of thy Livery their Ornament until Grass Herbs and fruit-bearing Trees clothed them by thy Ordinance When the Heavens wanted their Ornament the Times and Seasons their Order and distinguishments thou madest two great Lights the Sun to Rule by Day the Moon and Stars to Rule by Night For thy Mercy endureth for ever Were the waste Places of the deep inhabited or the Regions of the Aire fathâ—med before thy Power made the Seas bring forth all manner of Fowles and Fish even that Leviathan whose Scales are his Pride shut up together as with a close Seal which by his neesing a Light doth shine and his Eyes are like the Eye-lids of the Morning upon Earth there is none his like who is made without fear Did not thy Wisdome O God fill the Desarts with wilde Beasts the Earth with creeping things Who made Behemoth which moveth his Tayl like a Cedar His Bones are as strong Pieces of Brass his â—â—â—es are like Barres of Iron he is the chief of thy ways O God thou that madest him canst make thy Sword approach unto him What shall I say Who can express thee which art far beyond expression I will conclude with the conclusion of thy Works the â—â—â—ation of Man In his Body rightly termed a little World as â—â—ing a mixture of the four Elements who can 〈…〉 â—â—e symmetry and proportion of each Member and comâ—linâ—ss of â—â—ch part so â—urious a structure being only a â—iâ— manâ—â—on 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Tenant as the Soul in whose praise which speakâ— thy pâ—â—ise I will only say two words calling it according to thy Word thy â—â—â—ge What is Man that thou art mindful of him or the Son of â—â—an that thou visitest him Thou hast made him little lower â—â—an the Angels and hast Crowâ—â—d him with glory and honour â—â—ou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands â—â—ou hast put all things under his Feet Therefore bless the Loâ—d O my Soul all that is within mâ—â—less his holy name bless the â—ord in all his works in all places of his Dominion bless the Lord O my Soul Of Man's Fall and of God's Mercy and Goodness in our Redemption THe
Object of misery is mercy Diseases if known and felt 〈◊〉 often obtain remedies when insensible maladies make Men â—â—glect the opportunity of recovery Man's worst Disease is sin â—â—iginally rooted in us in Adam nourisht and made fruitful by our 〈◊〉 actual transgressions the feeling and knowledge of whiâ—â—â— â—â—st first make us witnesses and publishers of our dangers and 〈◊〉 before God's mercy can be the prospect of our wretchedness 〈◊〉 goodness our healing Wherefore O my Soul let thy followâ—â—â— Meditations triply divide themselves First behold what thou 〈◊〉 in thy fall with the fearful adjuncts thereof that a true huâ—â—â—ation may make thee plyable to receive the happy impression 〈◊〉 God's Seal Secondly what thou art through the mercy of 〈◊〉 in Jesus Christ that thy heart being fraught with thankfulâ—â—ss may praise him both in word and action Thirdly what 〈◊〉 shalt be The consideration of which may make thee perseâ—â—â—â— and press towards the mark only Desiring to be dissolved 〈◊〉 to be with Christ. The judgments best evidence to conclude the praise or difâ—â—ise of things is by contraries therefore the view of our creaâ—â—d happiness will most aptly confirm and discover the infinite â—â—supportableness of our loss which a particular demonstration will better illustrate than a general surview The principal parts in the composure of Man is a Soul and Body of which the Soul as first in degree so in our Discourse The Heathens esteem'd the derivation of their Pedigree from famous Ancestors their chiefest honour some even coveting to line out their Originals from the shameful Adulteries of their imaginary Gods but let us in looking back to our Souls Original glorifie our Creator one not 〈◊〉 not fictitious as theirs but the God of Gods the Lord of Lords Thus the Soul in its Creation hath its beginning from God For in him we live and move and have our Beeing Nay Paul further adds that we are his Off-spring What Creature can be capable of more Honour more Glory The Soul is God's off-spring not in respect of its substance but its qualities even so far forth as it was then adorned by him with Divine gifts and therefore called his Image in respect of the whole Man but especially of the Soul created of a spiritual and immortal Essence as St. Augustine divinely glosses consisting and endued with three supream faculties the Memory Imagination and Will that these yet but one Soul might symbolize the Trinity in Unity The Memory could not then be over-burthened but like a constant good Soyle naturally received all Seeds of goodness and returned them with a plentiful encrease The Phantasie and intellect was as apprehensive as the Memory trusty like a mirrour as it were bâ— reflection discovering to the Souls sight the highest of revealâ—d mysteries being then a fit perspective to appropriate and distinguish all far distant and supream Contemplations The will wâ—â— constant like the Sun in a course of goodness and as a shadow followed the substance of vertue bowing with Mordecai to 〈◊〉 but God Thus in respect of himself was Man the Image of 〈◊〉 Creator behold him so in his domination over the Creatures God saying Let them have dominion over the Fish of the Sea and 〈◊〉 the Foul of the Aire and over the Cattel and over all the Earth As if he should say He is my Likeness my Vicegetent you inferiour Creatures obey him but let him love fear and look only towards me O inestimable favour O unvaluable priviledge and yet behold not valued neglected of Man all Earthly objectâ— quickly satiate the sight but who can sufficiently behold thee O Lord Thus have we glanced over the Compendium of the Souls Happiness a brief indeed For who can express it at large Rare objects are most attractive The Eye of my weak Meditations hath so long gazed on this now Eclipsed Sun that it hath almost forgot the Sphear wherein it is fixt the Body then a Chrystaline Lanthorn fit for such a Lamp now a Prison of a twilighted Soul Here needs not much illustration we may guess at Hercules Stature by his Foot but easily of his Foot by the rest of his Body God's works are all full of perfection the whole Creation had not one lame part In the Souls eminence view the Bodies excellence Man was Gods Image not the Soul only the Body was not God's Image in respect of its Forme since he is invisible incomprehensâ—ble and cannot be by us defined but as it is the inferiour part of Man and inseparable Companion of the rational Soul so it also enjoyed a right in the same Attributes and Priviledges the â—â—ul then giving a Majesty to the Face and being made more â—â—plendent by the fellowship and harmonious marriage with the â—â—dy the Body being necessarily most obvious to be imployed 〈◊〉 all terrene and inferiour actions as the other in Heavenly Conâ—â—mplations Thus with comfort have we gazed upon Man gloâ—â—ous in his Creation as the Sun ascending from Earth 2 ly As 〈◊〉 object to move a religious gratefulness shining in his Meridian of Happiness Let us now in the third place with shame and conâ—â—sion of Face and hearty humiliation of Soul behold him sitting 〈◊〉 darkness quenching his Light in the Ocean of sin and misery Which declining subject that we may more clearly perceive Let 〈◊〉 first consider the causes of our loss 2 ly The fall or act it self dly The fearful effects of so cursed a breach Almighty God â—â—ving Created the great World and lastly Man as an Epitome 〈◊〉 the whole Plants a Garden therein placing him both to be a â—â—esser and Surveyor of those rarities that with pleasure each â—â—ce might view in their Nature the Wisdome in their Forme 〈◊〉 Power of his Creator The merciful Lord makes him and â—â—â—ves him a Free-holder in this Eden this Heaven upon Earth â—â—ly reserves to himself this small Royalty the two Trees the one 〈◊〉 Life the other of good and evil in the midst of the Garden 〈◊〉 we may see it included in that first and general deed of gift â—elivered to Adam And the Lord God commanded the Man â—â—ying Of every Tree of the Garden thou mayst freely eat But of â—he Tree of Knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it 〈◊〉 in the Day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye O â—â—all command O easie Yoke O the free and infinite mercy of â—hee O Almighty Creator What hast thou made Man and 〈◊〉 the World for Man and yet for all this tyest him to no more â—â—vitude than the obedience of one sence Thou shalt not eat O â—â—retched Adam Why didst thou entertain such a cursed credulity believing rather thy Slave than thy Lord an inferiour Creaâ—ure before thy Creator the Father of Lies before the Truth it self Was thy free judgment thus soon captivated Lord leave not us weaklings to our selves but magnifie thy power in our imbecility Surely
Then to Heaven thy Marriage â—ed ARGUMENT Vpon God's goâ—dness and gracious Providence to me in his choice and gift of a rich beautiful fruitful and which is above all faithful and religious Wife Soliloquium or Discourse HAving expended above the third part of my life in a single condition both God and Nature taught me that it was not good for Man to be alone no not in innocency much less in a state of corruption and temptation Wherefore after many motions interviews and disappointments the good and all-wise ordering Providence of my most gracious God and Father chose for and gave to me as a fit loving and helpful consort and yoke fellow The eldest Daughter and Co-heir of a worthy Person that was a Knight Alderman and Lord-Major of London a Wife not only fruitful in Children but in many other blessings As being a builder up of my Family by a large Portion One of Natures best Pieces for beauty and proportion The Psalmists Olive and Vine for fruitfulness And which is above all and the rarest perfection of that Sex a Person chast faithful and religious For favor is deceitful and beauty is vain but a Woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised Of whom as far as my Observation reaches at this Day I can truly say with Solomon Many Daugâ—ters have done virtuously but she hath excelled them all An eminent Witness of this her Vertue was her publick spirit care and love to me and her family In her voluntary sale and parting with her Jointure and own Land yielding a considerable Revenue and an unparallel'd House and Seat for the payment of Debts and making provision for our Children yea which is much more to her perpetual honour she was blessed be God to be his great and chiefest Instrument for the restoring part of the estate to the Heir and for the maintenance of the Family to which during my above Eight Years separation she remains to be under God a most careful Supportress Which great blessing O Lord continue to me and the Family in giving her health and long life that she may eat the labour of her hands and see her Childrens Children and peace upon Israel And as my thankful and perpetual acknowledgment and remembrance of such a plenitude of blessings Accept this my humble Hymn of Praise in the hand of my dear Saviour in whom thou hast given me these and all other Mercies Amen The Good WIFE Ejaculation or Hymn upon the former Subject O Lord that out of Man the Woman made And in blest Marriage her to him repaid Making two one a new That he and she Might be one Cabinet of Chastity A choice Elixar of Society And fruitful Seed plot of Posterity I bless thy Name that dost me dignifie Not only to declare and testifie Thy gracious wisdome in this mysterie Of Wedlock But me Tenant made in Fee To these rich blessings by thy choice and lone Of all these Mercies Treasur'd up in one When in this Worlds couzening Lottery Where for one Prize a hundred Blanks do lie My self I ventur'd Thou O Lord draw'st out For me a Ring of Gold set all about With precious Stones One was a Diamond Of Chastity next it in the same round Saphires of Faith and Hope with the Onyx Stone Of Sun-like Charity divinely shone A fift was a fair Rubie of sweet modesty Joyn'd with a Jasper of Fidelity An Emrauld next was set of Constancy With a rich Topaz of true Prudency Sweet Ametists of Loves which loyal are Incircled this Ring and Jewel rare And for to give a splendor to each Eye All those were fill'd with much Humility With this thou didst me Wed givest me to wear Till now neer Six and Thirty Year Blest be thy Grace no Hearts dividing far Disturbing Vs by a Domestick War She is O Lord that blessed Vine by which Thou dost o're-spread my House and it inrich With Sixteen hopeful Branches unto whom Drie Breasts thou gavest not nor miscarrying Womb Yea thou allaidst to her the curse of Sin The pains of births and breeding she was in And which doth much exceed all Earthly wealth Thou gavest Vs both a great degree of health Pelican-like thy Instrument of good Did feed her young ones thrice with her own Blood When others lessen portions through expence She made hers greater by her Providence And was thy help during my happy faâ—e To more than double our Patern Estate And when thou mouldrest it to nought her pains Was thy blest means for to restore again A part of what was lost that she might be Mother and Father to her Family To Vs from Parents Lord descends our Land But prudent Wives are gifts from thy own Hand What 's wanting here to her perfection View in her Picture drawn by Solomon Lord hast thou multiplied thy loves And thus By doubling Vnits caus'd an Overplus Of blessings Let me not divide by Sin Thy Mercies nor substract them in And by Ingratitude Let my sum be Addition of Praises unto Thee And pious fruits so shall my Tongue and Life Be one like Soul and Body Man and Wife A living Sacrifice of Thankfulness A free-will Offering till I thee possess And in that Vnion there most clearly see Of holy Marriage the great Mystery Amen ARGUMENT Vpon the great and Holy Mystery held forth to Vs by God in Marriage Soliloquium or Discourse MArriage is honourable amongst all Men and the Bed undefiled but Whoremongers and Adulterers God will Judge Wherefore Wives submit your selves unto your own Husbands as unto the Lord For the Husband is the Head of the Wife as Christ is the Head of the Church Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ so let Wives be unto their own Husbands in every thing Husbands love your Wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it so ought Men to love their Wives as their own Bodies For no Man ever hated his own Flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it even as the Lord the Church For we are Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones For this cause shall a Man leave his Father and Mother and be joyned unto his Wife and they two shall be one Flesh. This is a great mystery but I speak of Christ and his Church Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his Wife even as himself and let the Wife see that she reverence her Husband Thus far the Apostle Eph. chap. 5. vers 22 23 24 25 28 29 30 31 32 33. From whose words especially his conclusion This is a great mystery I infer that Marriage although not in a strict and Popish sence yet as to a larger meaning and construction of the Word may be called a Sacrament as holding forth by outward and visible signes and things spiritual mysteries and instructions Of this nature in Scripture and many instances as the Ark Rain-bow Red Sea Rock Manna
and other such like Is it so O my Soul And hath the Lord so extraordinarily and abundantly blessed this Ordinance and condition unto thee as thou hast declared in thy foregoing Memorial and thankful Acknowledgment Let upon this occasion thy Meditation be further stirred up and inlarged and from this great temporal blessing and mystery behold declare and point out the far greater and excelling blessings which are and shall be enjoyed by thee and the Church the Spouse of Christ by our spiritual Marriage and Union unto Him As Marriage in the Institution and in the particular Application is the Holy Ordinance of God and the blessed effect of his gracious Providence and Eternal Decree All Marriages according to the Proverb being made in Heaven so is that great Architype thereof the Marriage of the Church and in it of every true believer unto Christ. The Father bringing every one of us to him as he did Eve to Adam For none comes to me but whom the Father draws saith our Saviour Christ yea our Election effectual Calling and Regeneration together with our Union by Faith and spiritual Espousal to Christ our Heavenly Husband is of and from the Eternal Decree Love and Election of God our Father As the Woman was of the Man and not the Man of the Woman and the Woman was Created for the Man and not the Man for the Woman so was the Church typified by Eve taken out of the side of the second Adam the Lord Jesus Christ that she might be made as being his Rib Beloved and neer to his heart Flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone his only Spouse and one with him as the Apostle Paul asserts Eph. the 5. ver 30. This was effectually done when being asleep in Death upon the Cross the Beeing and Redemption of his Church arose and sprung forth of his side in a Flood of infinite precious and Cordial Blood and Water To conclude this our spiritual Union and Marriage is by the Apostle called a great Mystery as being the blessed effect of the free grace of God who is assentially love and therefore it is as to the heighth and depth length and breadth thereof Incomprehensible and passing all understanding By vertue of this Espousal in Baptisme we as Wives amongst us change our names into his and instead of Adamites are called Christians And on our part promise to forsake Father and Mother and all things else for him and to honour love and obey him On the other part the Lord Jesus Christ thus betroth'd to us in holiness and everlasting righteousness becomes thereby our Lord Law-giver and Spouse our Pattern Protector and Saviour as in the Type Husbands amongst us are or ought to be unto their Wives and as they so he endowes us here not only with all temporal blesings so far as shall be for our good For Godliness hath the promises of this Life and of that Life which is to come But with the rich dowry of all the saving Graces of his holy Spirit Cloathing us with the white Robes of his perfect and immaculat righteousness As being made of God unto us righteousness wisdom sanctification and redemption Yea the Lord our righteousness And as for hereafter he gives us the earnest and assurance of being Co-heirs with him of Eternal Life and Glory Amen EPITHELAMIVM Ejaculation or Hymn upon the former Subject BReath not this Aire Men of unchast desires No Fewels here for your unhallow'd Fires Lord I adore thy wisdome and thy love That shadow'st in blest Wedlock things above Teaching Vs that this Vnions Mystical And sets forth thine with Vs Before the Fall A crooked Kib thou streightnest gav'st it Life Mad'st it a Virgin pure first Adam's Wife That she of thy dear Spouse the Type might be Once crookt by sin but now made streight in Thee Yea in the chast delights of Marriage-Bed Her union thou holdst forth with thee her Head In which thou giv'st to her thy loves that she Be'ng first belov'd might flame in love to Thee Kissing her with the kisses of thy Mouth Quickned with sp'rit and life thy sacred Truth Thou also her incirclest in the Armes Of thy protection And her frees from harmes For why thy right hand-power doth her o're-spread And left hand-care supports her graceful head Her sp'rit'al senses ear tast smell touch sight Thou satisfi'st with ravishing delight Her piercing eye of Faith sees and applies Thy excellency hid from Worldly eyes Her eares be'ng fill'd with Musick of thy Voice Doth in thy Word and promises rejoyce Thou altogether lovely art unto Her inward touch whence mutual love doth flow She tasts thy Spice Myrrh Hony Milk and Wine Of Hope Joy Peace Delight all sweets Divine Thy Spicknard Camphire fills her smelling sence Also thy Cassida Aloes Frankinsence And fragrant Oyntments All which well express Thy love truth mercy wisdome holiness Thy power and goodness grace and righteousness Sweet Oders which her cherish and refresh In fine thy Nuptial-Bed is covered o're And pav'd with love and fill'd with Graces store Here in her thou shed'st incorrupted Seed Begets in her a Christ-like forme indeed Whence follows that which joyes both Heaven and Earth Divine Conception and thy Saints new-birth So that one Christ one Sp'rit one flesh and bone One Body is thy Church thus 't was made one Hence as of Faith and mutual love the effects Thou rul'st and in her dwell'st and her protects Cloaths her with Golden Robes thy righteousness Mak'st her within glorious through holiness Giv'st her the promises of this World's life And of that life to come and as thy Wife Crown'st her with Glory sets her on thy Throne With thee on Earth as thy beloved One Next to thy Fathers Kingdome her translates To live with God Thy Churches highest State Another Hymn upon the same blessed Subject being Meditations upon my Marriage-Day The TYPE BLest Miracle of Love whose sacred Rights Restores to Man his own and re-unites Natures Division Two Bodies were combin'd In Adam once Loe here two Souls I find Knit in a purer union How doth the smile of one Attend the others joy her sighs my groane If absence parts us like as though one breath Did fan two hearts both seem to suffer Death If distance Clouds our view the strength of Love Doth make our thoughts as well as Bodies move In visits to each other So though two parts We seem to be we still are one in Heart The Anti Type or Application MY Love my Spouse my Sav'our Can the Fires Sprung from weak Natures notions and desires Produce such Sympathies O let thy flame Spir'd by a purer spirit effect the same In my unworthy Soul The Loves of all Compar'd with that of thine the Original Are but as shades to substances the Ray Vnto its Globe of light as Night to Day Lord in my Baptisme
Mercies and Deliverances O Lord thy many favours have so indebted me that I am a Bankrupt and unable to repay Wherefore I humbly beseech thee to seize upon all that I am and have to thy use and service yea nail my Ear to the Door of thy House that I may be thy Servant for ever so shall I still be a great gainer for thy service is perfect freedom And I had rather with King David be a Door-keeper in thy House than to dwell in the Tents of Wickedness or to sit upon the Thrones of the KINGS of the Earth Gracious God and Father let me not here forget that when thou didst thus frequently preserve us from the Infection of this Disease thou didst then at several times deliver from Death and dis-figuring Eleven of our Children even when some of them were in great danger thereof by this Malady Lord are my Children living Images and legible transcripts of my self yea self-multiplyed Then surely their Reprieves from Death and danger is mine and so to be acknowledged by me Wherefore in all Gratitude I offer them up to Thee as living Sacrifices of Praise Humbly intreating that my Sons and Daughters may be thine here in all fillial Obedience and that thou wilt please to be mine my Wife and Childrens Portion in this thy Kingdom of Grace and our Eternal Inheritance in thy Kingdom of Glory Amen The HOVSE of CORRECTION A Corolary Poem on the former Subject COme hither proud white Clay and sadly view Pride plum'd of all her Feathers in her new Denuded of her Silks and Sattins Webs of Worms Imbroideries Tissues and her rich Perfumes Her precious Jewels Pearles Her Lovers pawnes Her o're-fine Hollands Cambricks Cobweb-lawnes Her Flanders Lace all which poor Tenants wrack She carrying Farmes yea Mannors on her back This is that Day that fearful Malady In and by which the sinful Bravery Of Zion's Daughters shall be tain away As saith the Lord Their Ornaments most gay Tinklings about their Feet their Cawles round Tires Much like the Moon their Chaines Bracelets Attires Call'd Mufflers Bonnets Adornments of Legs Their Head-bands Tablets and those other dregs Of Pride their Ear-Rings and Nose-Jewels Rings Their divers sorts of Clothing Mantles Crisping-Pins Wimples fine Linnen Glasses Hoods and Vailes And whatsoever fills Prides swelling Sayles Tell me ye vaunting Nebuchadnezars Proud Herods and ambitious Caesars Ye painted Jesabels Herodiases False Delilahs and unchast Bernices Of our worst times What will you trembling say When Sergeant Pox arrests you And that Day Confines you to your Chambers binds you fast Vnto your sickly Beds long time then cast You into Burnings like to Hell next spots Your Body like a Toad confounds besots Your mind and senses makes you speechless lie Extending Tongue and Throat to strangling nie Shuts up your Eyes with Scabs denies your sight As clowding quite its Medium the Light Next he scalds-off your Absalon-like Hair That hath so oft been wanton with the Aire And nobler Creatures swells your Head and Face Big like your mindes and the Gigantick race Covers your Face with a corrupted Mud Which eats out your Complexion all that 's good And least it should a Resurrection have He buries it in Pits as in a Grave Yea your whole Body he scurffs o're with Scabs To teach you Pride shall cloth'd be with such Rags Lord hast thou me preserv'd unto this Day And my Consort from this deform'd Hidra Of pain and evils this Complication Of Maladies to Admiration Yea when thou Four and Six times visited Mine and her dwelling freely ransomed Eleven Children from dis-figuring Although the fruit of theirs and of my sin Who have been and still am most apt to be Guilty and sick of Pride Idolatrie As to all Gifts and Graces Children Wife House Land and other good things of this Life Which are thy Tallents put into my Hand To use and to repay at thy Command Not mine who now can nothing call my own But sin and its wages Hell Death Corruption O Lord accept my thankful heart thy Gift Which I return with Eyes and Hands up lift For thy Protections Ten-fold Antidote 'Gainst these infections ne're to be forgot Wherefore let my whole Man my Life my Pen Thy Praises Register for aie Amen ARGUMENT Vpon God's gracious Preservation of Me and my Wife from Poysoning or any Distemper after we had drank off a Tankard of Beer at the bottom of which we found dead a great venemous Spider Soliloquium or Discourse AS in my former Recovery from a Surfeit of Meat There was Mors in Olla Death in the Dish so here also Death lay in ambush in the Cup. For no sooner was Nature plentifully refresht but that at the sight of a great venemous Spider which lay dead at the bottom of the Por we had reason to fear that our Refresher would prove our Destroyer and our Drink our Poison At the discovery of this Enemy we were both afrighted and the more which may seem extraordinary and strange because it was dead whereas usually living not dead Adversaries are hurtful Whither this black and ugly Creature was as full of Malice as Poison and therefore burst her self in the Beer in a kind of Revenge For or as the effect of her drowning I know not nor had we time to be Coroners since our present danger did not admit of any delay as to the seeking for and taking an Antidote Our fear as is usual not neglecting or betraying such means and succors as reason offered Viz. The taking a good draught of the Oyle of Olives which by the blessing of our gracious God drown'd both our fear and danger we both remaining without the least Distemper in perfect health O Lord how true is that Proverb Latet Anguis in Herba that poysonous Asps lie covered in Cleopatra's Basket of Fruit and Flowers and that in a spiritual sense as well as corporal When hath my Soul been more in danger of the sting and venome of sin than in prosperity and in the sweet enjoyments of the lawful and necessary delights and refreshments of this life Such as Meat Drink and Cloathing Wife Children Relations great Offices and Preferments Riches Friends and Recreations Honors stately Houses and great Revenues In and under all which sin and deadly corruptions lurk and lie hid Wherefore blessed Lord and Saviour who art the power and wisdome of the Father and art by him made unto me Wisdom Teach me that in the use and enjoying of all these thy temporal blessings I may neither be superstitiously abstemious nor presumptuously secure that so whensoever I shall discover the venomous Spider of Sin lie in the bosome of any Earthly delights or refreshments I may instantly resort to my Antidote the Oyle Olive of thy Grace called in thy Word the Oyle of Gladness the Anointing So should sin break and cast out its Poison in any vicious temptation
it shall be corrected and repelled and at the worst be but as a dead Spider a mortified Lust. Blessed and praised be thou O Lord who only art the all-curing Physician and hast given to me thy sick Patient For thou comes to heal such Antidotes both for Body and Soul against both kinds of poisons for both which experimental Receipts and merciful Recoveries and Deliverances I praise thy Name with my whole Man and here declare thy gracious goodness to me and my dear Yoke-fellow in this and other thy Preservations to all that fear thee in and to all Ages Amen The PRESERVATIVE A Thankful Poem upon the same Subject AS Sathan is the Father of all Sin So Sin the Mother is of dangers and of death Both which he acts as he did first begin Vnder the specious shew of good on Earth Which though he hates yet under that disguise This Jugling Cheator ushers in his Lies Thus his deluded Agents falsly stile To save more than is meet a virtuous thrift And to be prodigal in things most vile A gentle spending and a liberal Gift Heresie they call new Light Idolatry A Medium of Worship and true Piety Pride neatness Swine-like drunkenness And beastly Gluttony good fellowship Deceit Trades mystery Voluptuousness Christian Refreshment Ruining suertiship A friendly Office murderous Duelling True Valour Justice right determining Lust and Lasciviousness his Factors name Love-Courting Amorousness Affection Hell's Patches Beauties spots Painting no stain But a good Art to help Complection Legends of Lies a pious fraud base Guile Good Language and a Complemental Stile As moral Crimes so often poenal ill Dangers and mischiefs like the Crocodile Lie cover'd under sensual Pleasures still As under Water till they Vs begâ—ile And ceize upon Thus Tomaris rich Tent Was Cyrus Sepulchre and Monument And Jael's Lordly Dish of cooling Drink Lull'd Sisera into a deadly sleep Thus Ammon Haman when they least did think Of danger Death did their own Funerals keep And the Whores Vassailes drink her filthy Wine Out of her Golden Cup of Jus Divine Sweet Lord thus also in the lawful Tast Of thy good Creature in a silver Cup I and my dearest might have drunk our last Had'st thou not seasoned our poisonousâ—Sup Elisha-like cast out by thy Command Its Venome as the Viper from Paul's hand In both fulfilling what thou promised At thy Ascention as of Faith a sigue That such of thine should not be poisoned Nor hurt by Serpents or by deadly Wine Blest be thy Name who by one act of Love Both strengthened Faith and thus preserv'd thy Dove Sin Lord of all things here 's most venomous As swell'd and badg'd with deadly poisonous Lusts. Lies in my Heart not dead but vigorous As was that Spider ready for to burst O let thy Grace by Oyle prefigured Preserve my Soul as that my Body did So shall I live here blest with sprit'all health And cast out from the bottome of my heart All spider-like vil'd thoughts dead which by stealth Creep in and poison would my better part Yea ever live to praise thee in that place Where sin shall be no more nor want of Grace Amen ARGUMENT Vpon God's merciful preservation of some of our Family from being kill'd or hurt by a Fowling-Piece full laden and unawares discharg'd by an unskilful Person carelesly medling with the Cock thereof in the Room wherein they were diversly Imployed Soliloquium or Discourse NO Person time place or Company upon Earth is free from danger not Julius Caesar who was stab'd and slain in the Senate-House of Rome although a Person as fortunate as great in a time of Peace and in a Place that was the richest and strongest Piece of the Worlds head therefore called the Capitol and in the mid'st of an Assembly of the justest gravest wisest greatest richest and valiantest Men of the whole Earth But it may be Objected that although civil Persons times places and Senates may be unsecure yet Ecclesiastical are not so and therefore they their times of Worship and Assemblies are at the least by the papal Cannon-Laws stiled and made spiritual and priviledged their Synods and Counsels sacred and their Churches and Monasteries Sanctuaries not only for themselves but for the most flagitious Persons such as Traitors and Murderers I answer that as I deny that De Jure they have any such security or priviledge so De Facto they and others have found it otherwise to their cost instance in the three Cerberus-like Heads of the Roman Catholick Church as they falsly and nonsensically call it Gregory the XII Benedict the XIII and John the XXIV all Three Elected and acknowledged Popes at one time and deposed by the Council of Constance called by the Emperor Sigismund who there chose Martin the V. Pope in their Room which Election is the present Foundation of all the succeeding Popes and their actings which if the Papists and their Champions the Jesuits deny to be legal where will they finde a Pope Papacy and Succession ever since Peter or since John the XXIV yea all actings by and since Pope Martin the V. are illegal and therefore Null If they affirm it legal then they confess their Church had three Heads or Popes at once that the Emperor of Germany hath a right to call together when he pleases a General Council that such a General Counsel hath a right to Depose Pope or Popes And lastly that he and they did lawfully then Elect their Pope without his Concave of Cardinals But leaving them this Bone to pick I proceed in my Meditations and instance together with this as a clear proof and Example besides many others like as to the Popes the sad fate of others Jewes and Pagans slain in their holy places as of Senacherib slain by his Sons in the Temple of Niscoch his God Of Queen Athaliath attached in the Temple and afterwards slain Of Joab slain by Benajath at the Horns of the Altar I might here add many more but I conceive these are sufficient to prove my assertion and to answer the Popish objection That no Ecclesiastical Persons holy times or places are free and priviledged from danger If it be lawful that is fit according to the Proverb to compare small things with great This truth and observation that all Persons times places and Companies are subject to danger was verified to our Family where Persons of the better rank and Servants being together in the Kitchin upon several employments a Fowling-piece laden with great shot Bullets or Slugs was involuntarily discharged without the hurt of any Person it 's deadly burden being by the great force of the Powder buried as in a Grave in a large Hole in the Wall That it might be a Daily remembrancer of God's gracious providence and our deliverance and excite continually our thankfulness Lord thy Word likens Mens Mouthes to Bowes or Quivers of Arrowes which many times unwarily