remaining daies of our life seeing we are called to be heires of an heavenly inheritance shall we any longer minde and affect earthly things nay rather with the holy Apostle Philip. 3.8 9. Let us accompt all things to bee but dung in respect of the excellent knowledge and fellowship of the Lord IESUS Seeing CHRIST must be our comfort in death when all other comforts will forsake us let us make him out joy and pleasure and our portion in this life and so shall he be both in life and death an advantage unto us O most gracious Lord God and our mercifull heavenly father give us grace we most humbly beseech thee seriously to consider of this high calling of ours being by adoption made thy children members of CHRIST and heires annexed with him of glory of rebels and slaves of Sathan made the happie servants of our blessed Redeemer nay more then so his friends Iohn 14.15 Henceforth call I you no more servants but friends yea more then friends for he hath made us his brethren Heb. 2.11 He that sanctifieth and they which are sanctified are all one wherefore hee is not ashamed to call them brethren O transcendent and wonderfull comfort God the Father cries from heaven This is my beloved sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him The Sonne againe speaking unto us here on earth saith Iohn 20.17 I ascend unto my Father and to your Father and to my God and your God He that is my God and my Father is also your Father and your God Therefore goe ye unto him and with confidence cal upon him as your Father and your God and hee will heare you and helpe you O most glorious and most merciful heavenly Father confirm us more and more in the assurance of thy eternall love free grace and unchangeable mercies towards us in Christ Iesu that in lively sense and inward assurance thereof wee may with comfort and cheerfulnes waite for love and long for his appearing 2 Tim. 4.8 for our deliverance from this bondage of corruption and receiving of us to himselfe in glory To whom with thee O Father of mercies and God the Holy Ghost most holy glorious and ever blessed Trinitie in the unity of one only true and everliving God of incomprehensible glorious essence and most adored and coeternall Majestie be all glory praise dominion and thankesgiving ascribed for ever and ever Amen Amen Amen FOR A Seventh MEDITATION OF MOUNT TABOR NOw my soule having by our most gratious GODS fatherly indulgence and mercie had time and beene enabled though with much humane weaknesse to consider distinctly and severally of those sixe maine points of meditation propounded unto us for Mount Tabor the same indeed comprehending all manner of spirituall comforts and refreshings for the Christian soule wee are by course and order come to a seventh stepp which very name puts mee in minde of the seventh day of our weeke the fittest of all the rest for heavenly contemplations Almightie GOD after his six daies worke of wonder in the creation of the visible World consecrating the seventh day for a holy rest to himselfe and for his owne immediate worship and service which was the Iewes Sabbath and the glorious resurrection of God the Sonne manifested in the flesh for the most gracious worke of our redemption being also celebrated in the Church ever the seventh day of the week which is the Christians Sabbath and both of them types of that everlasting Sabbath which the triumphant Church shall celebrate for ever in the kingdome of Heaven The consideration of which particulars might bee a theme large enough and fit enough for a seventh Meditation of Mount Tabor But being sensible of my owne weaknesse I am resolved here to set up my rest and instead and place of this seventh and concluding Meditation of mine to set downe two exercises of this kind heretofore composed by me the one fitting the Christians Sabbath to the worlds end the other a contemplation of the new Ierusalem and heavenly Sabbath world without end recommending the foure other heads of meditation set downe by Master Downâ—m and the twelve priviledges of the faithfull set downe by Master Byfeild as fit arguments for divine contemplations to such as are better able to travell therein no day of the weeke no nor of our whole life being to bee exempted from that most necessary duty of daily renewing our faith and repentance whereof see Downam at large in his Guide to Godlinesse lib. 3. cap. 2. A MEDITATION On the Incarnation and Passion of our most glorious Saviour the Lord Iesus and our blessed union with him alluding to the song of Simeon called Nunc Dimittis SImeon was one of those which waited for the Messiahs comming Israels consolation Whom that himselfe should see before he died was shewed to him from God by revelation And when the Virgin mother brought her Son up to the Temple to present him there Simeon by motion of the Holy Ghost came in and praising God with joyfull cheere The blessed babe with arms he gently claspt about This Swan-like song divinely warbling out O Lord since thou hast let me live to see the Christ thy promised salvation Whom thou hast now prepar'd reveald to be before the face of every nation A saving light unto the Gentiles who in darknesse and in shade of death did dwell The glory and the way of peace unto thine owne beloved people Israel Now lettest thou thy servant blessed Lord Depart in peace according to thy word If Simeon at the sight of Christ a child new come into the world for our salvation That glorious work not then accomplished was yet so wrapt with joy and exultation As disesteeming all the world beside he had no mind of living longer here How then O Lord should I affected be who live in this thy Gospels light so cleare My Saviours acts and sufferings all to see And know the benefit therof belongs to me O thou divine peace-maker how shall I admiâ—e and praise thy mercy infinite That being God our nature wouldst assume and to thy sacred person it unite That so thou being God and man in one 〈◊〉 perfect Mediator might become To God for man who els had perished and without thee beene utterly undone Good Lord how should my soule affected be At this thy wonderfull humility That thou th' almighty maker of the world for by thy word all things at first began Should'st yeeld thy self a creature to become and to be made twise made for sinfull man Made of the blessed Virgin so to take with our fraile nature our infirmities And made under the law to undergo the burthen of our sinnes and miseries How then good Lord should I affected be To this great work of mercy towards me That thou to whom all powers in heaven did bow and thought it their honour to be serviceable Should for us wretched men descend so low as to be born heire in a homely stable Laid in a cratch pursued
also appeare with him in Glory Philippians 3.20 For our conversation is in heaven from whence also we looke for the Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ Verse 21. Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things to himselfe 1 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not unto me only but unto them also which love his appearing Titus 3.7 That being justified by his grace we should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life 1 Pet. 5.1 The elders which are amongst you I exhort who am also an elder and a witnesse of the sufferings of CHRIST and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed 2. Feed the flock of God 4. And when the chiefe Shepheard shall appeare yee shall receive a crowne of glory that fadeth not a way 10. But the God of all grace who hath called us into his eternall glory by CHRIST IESUS make you perfect 2 Pet. 1.3 According as his Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertaine unto life and godlin sse through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glorie and vertue 11. For so an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.3 If our Gospell be hid it is hid to them that are lost 4. Jn whom the God of this world hath blinded the eyes of them that believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospell of CHRIST who is the image of God should shine unto them 5. For we preach not our selves but CHRIST IESUS the Lord 6. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of IESUS CHRIST 7. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellencie of the power may be of God and not of us The sixth Meditation NOw my soul are we by Gods mercy come to the sixth and uppermost step propounded to us in these our meditations namely to â—onsider how rich and stately a thing it is to be an heire of glory And this indeed must needs be the most high and transcendent priviledge of all that can bee bestowed upon the children of men who being by nature children of wrath and in bondage to sinne death and damnation are by grace brought to this most blessed estate of changing sinne into righteousnesse death into life and hell and damnation into heaven and glory And how comes this blessed worke to bee effected for us most unworthy wretches but onely by that most blessed Saviour and redeemer of ours God in the flesh manifested who brought us up the first step of these our meditations and so from steppe to step all along to this the highest of heavenly glory For hee is the onely naturall sonne of GOD and thereby the onely proper and immediate heire to that blessed inheritance whereunto hee hath a twofold right one by his eternall generation and so hee is the heire of his Fathers Kingdome in a manner proper and peculiar to himselfe alone The other right hee hath by purchase for by the merit of his precious death and passion hee hath purchased eternall liâ—e for all the members of his Churcâ— whom having espoused unto himselfe by grace wee also by that â—lessed union with him became heires annexed with him of the same glory In the first right he can admit no companion in the second all the members of his mysticall body are made partakers with him O my soul what shall we say to this transcendent dignitie of all truly penitent believers but as the Psalmist saith Psalme 87.3 glorious things are spoken of thee ô thou Citie of God so may we say of every citizen of the holy City new Ierusalem the Lambs wife Rev. 21.3 For God will dwell with them and they shall bee his people and God himselfe shall bee with them and be their God 4. and God shall wipe away all their teares from their eyes and there shall bee no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there bee any more paine For Psalme 144.15 Blessed are those people whose God is the Lord and are called to this happie fellowship and union with him who is the king of Saints O my soul come let us with all humble reverence heartily love and adore the Lord who hath of his free grace made us partakers of this unspeakable mercy let us rejoyce and bee glad in the Lord and let my heart and mouth be filled with his praises for ever For Esay 1.9 except the Lord had reserved mercy for us wee had beene made like unto Sodome and Gomorah whereas by this blessed Saviour of ours our most gracious Lord and husband the lots are fallen unto us in pleasant places and we have a faire heritage Blessed be the God of our salvation for ever and ever And although all the adopted children of God members of Christ are heires of this glorious inheritance yet is not the same diminished to any one of them for the rich portion of one shall bee no prejudice to another but every one shall bee filled with the fulnesse of the glory of God But withall we are to observe that howsoever in earthly inheritances the father must first die before the sonne come to the full possession thereof yet for this heavenly inheritance wee our selves must first die that wee may possesse the same For our Father is the ancient of dayes the heavens are the worke of his hands they shall perish but hee doth remaine we all shall wax old as doth a garment but he is the same and his yeares shall not faile for he is the Father of eternitie in whom there cannot fall so much as a shadow of change But as for us our condition is such that by suffering death we must enter into the kingdome we cannot see him so long as wee live nor bee satisfied with his image till we awake in the resurrection Therefore should the day of death be a ioyfull day unto us because it is the day of our glorious inheritance Dies mortis aeternae vitae natalis est and as this serves unto us for a speciall comfort in the houre of temptation and day of death so it should provoke us to answer this our heavenly vocation by the holy and heavenly disposition of our minds and affections whiles we live and a gracious and Christian preparation from day to day for the time of our dissolution waiting for it with cheerfulnesse and joy Seeing we are the sonnes of God shall wee not make it our studie and care to use all blessed meanes for renewing his image in us which our former sins have defaced and to serve him in holines and righteousnes all the
by tyrants rage tempted by Sathan made of men a scorne Sold by thy servant arraigned and condemned grievously scourged then crowned with thorne Naild to the crosse twixt two thieves crucified Pierc'd through the heart opprest in soul beside Most blessed Iesu why shouldst thou endure thy precious body peerlesly innocent Yea sacred and holy by the cruell hands of sinfull wretches to be torne and rent Was there no way to expiate my sins but all these torments must be laid on thee O wretched caytive I that did offend most gracious Saviour thou thus pitying me O let my heart weep teares of blood within For these thy sufferings and my grievous sin And thou deare Lord whose love unutterable hath made thee undergo all this for me Inflame my heart with holy fire that I with awfull love againe may worship thee With true repentâ—nt teares and contrite heart prostrate thy precious bleeding wounds before My Lord my God thus crucified for me with humble faith and reverence to adore Hating my selfe for all my grievous sins Which caused those thy grievous sufferings O let mine eyes powre forth whole streames of tears my heart dissolv'd to sighs of true contrition So to bewaile my sins and wickednes and that most miserable and forlorn condition Which guilt of sin sight of the wrath of God desert of hell and utter condemnation Might threaten me but that my hope is fixt on thee my Iesus God of my salvation Thou only blessed Lord canst succour me O save my soule which only trusts in thee For when the people were in Moses time by fiery serpents wounded mortally The brasen serpent was lift up by him that such as looke up to it might not die If such great vertue in that figure were the type of this thy crosse and reall elevation How much more vertue shall thy precious blood afford my sin-sick soule for my curation Then let my humble faith cleave fast to thee Sweet Saviour let us never parted be For when I look up to this crosse of thine five glorious victories my meditation Observes thereon to be atchiev d by thee for making sure the worke of my salvation The law of grace against the law of workes prevailing so to work my liberty Against my sin thy selfe deere Lord made sin that it might righteousnesse become to me Thy death O Saviour mine abolishing My soule unto eternall life to bring And thou the Prince of darknesse conquering that I might still the child of God remaine And lastly overcomming hell it selfe that I might heavens blessednesse obtaine Thus by thy precious death and passion my soules maine enemies are vanquisht quite And I set free now under th' law no more but under grace by thy rich grace and might O let thy spirit of grace still governe me That I may die to sin and live to thee That whiles I live I may divide my time betweene true godly sorrow for my sinnes And faithfull praising of thy holy name from whence alone my hope of comfort springs And so by lively faith being knit to thee thou by thy spirit dwelling in my heart Soule of my soule mayst day by day to me thy spirituall life and quickning grace impart And I by mysticall injunction be Truly though spiritually made one with thee Of which sweet union thou hast made me sure by those maine seales of thine eternall love Thy word of truth thy Sacraments of grace thy spirit of peace inspired from above And so by matchlesse mercy on thy part most blessed Lord and humble faith on mine Thou hast betroth'd thy glorious selfe unto my poore believing soule and made it thine One of thine owne to be disjoyned neâ—eâ— But live in thee to thee with thee for ever Why then should any mortall thing detaine me longer in this vaile of teares and sin Whose whole desire with blessed Simeon is to contemne the world and all therein To lay aside this robe of earth I weare that my redeemed soule may come to thee Whose blessed will is so declar'd that where Thou art thine owne shall also be Call then sweet Iesu as it shall thee please Into thy hands receive my soule in peace When my appointed time of change shall be For which my soule shall daily wait on thee A Contemplative Meditation of the new Ierusalem and the triumphant Church celebrating an everlasting Sabbath in the kingdome of Heaven entitled by mee Halelujah to Heavens King LEâ—ve O my soule this restlesse vaile below Which sin and sorrow by turnes still overflow Raise up thy thoughts to that supernall rest Which maketh all the Saints and Angels blest Who altogether do for ever sing Halelujah's to Heavens King There is erect the Godheads glorious throne More bright than many thousand suns in one Where thy deare Saviours body glorified That body which for thee was crucified Now raigneth with the Dietie In soveraigne blisse and Majestie That sacred head which here was crownd with thorns A crown of heavenly glory now adornes That hand which here did hold the scornful reed Now weilds the Scepter of al power and dread Those feet once naild unto the tree Trample on death and hel in victorie â—he holy citie new Ierusalem Is there prepar'd for just and perfect men With great high wals of Iasper built foure square Whereof the length breadth depth all equall are Of twelve foundations precious stone The twelve Apostles names thereon In twelve gates of pearles a peece on each side three At which twelve Angels the attendants be The st eets pure gold all shining like the Sun Through which the crystal stream of life doth run From out the throne of glory flowing The Tree of life on both sides growing Within those gates of glorious habitation None enter may but heires of salvation The Lambs redeemed his espoused wife Whose names are written in his booke of life The Church triumphant there set free Forever from mortality There live those blessed troopes of purest spirits In such excesse of joyes and true delights As neither eare can heare nor eye perceive Nor can the heart of mortall man conceive Prepared by the Lord of blisse Before all worlds for all of his Who living here the blessed life of grace Are hence translated to that glorious place Where thy deare Saviour keepes a roome for thee Then looke and long for immortalitie Waite his good houre and in waiting sin Halelujahs to heavens King A Meditation of Mans mortality MAn unto whom each houre in changes preacheth That all this Globe earths glory shall decay Believs that doome to mightier creatures reacheth Yet dreames it cannot hold in brittle clay So dull and heavie is his heart in ease To think of ought that may the flesh displease Then neerer come to his dull senses cry All flesh is grasse worm-eaten flowers mans pride It 's true saith he but tell him that himselfe shall die He rather thinks it true in all beside So reason traind to be self-pleasures thrall He thinks that
of the lamb and by the word of their testimony And certainly that attempt of stealing me away as soone as I was born whatsoever the midwives talk of it came from the malice of that arch-enemy of mankind who is continually going about seeking whom he may betray and devoure But blessed be the Lord our most gracious God and mercifull father that disappointed them then and hath ever since preserved and kept mee from his manifold plots and stratagems of destruction so as now in the seventieth yeare of mine age I yet live to praise and magnifie his wonderfull mercies towards me in this behalfe O most blessed Lord Iesu our most gracious Saviour and Mediator one part of thy Church redeemed by thy pretious blood have already fought the good fight of faith and are translated hence into thine heavenly kingdome with Abraham the father of the faithfull and the rest of the glorified Saints to celebrate thy praises for evermore The other part of this Church is militant here upon earth striving against their owne naturall corruptions and the wiles and power of thine and their enemies Good Lord thou knowest the cunning power malice and crueltie of the adversary and the great weaknesse of â—â—â—e owne children and beholdeâ— their daily fightings and failings and how â—â—â—ble wee are to stand in our selves O mercifull Saviour strengthen us with thy grace and shew thine almightinesse in our weaknesse that fighting under thy banner who hast already in our flesh and for us conquered all our enemies to our hands we may be enabled to stand fast and unmoovable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord that so in the end we may bee more than conquerors through thee our glorious Captaine and Saviour and when wee have fought here below so long as thou wouldest have us wee may when thou shalt bee pleased to call us hence be translated unto the fellowship of thy Saints and Church triumphant in heaven there to joyne with them in the new songs of thy redeemed ones to magnifie and praise thy most holy and blessed name from everlasting to everlasting Amen 5 Vpon my breeding up at Schoole IT was not my happines to be bred up at the Vniversity but all the learning I had was in the free Grammar Schoole called Christs schoole in the City of Gloucester yet even there it pleased God to give mee an extraordinary helpe by a new schoolemaster brought thither one Master Gregory Downhale of Pembrook-Hal in Cambridge after I had lost some time under his predecessor This Master Downhale having very convenient lodgings over the school tooke such liking to me as he made me his bedfellow my fathers house being next of all to the schoole This bedfellowship begat in him familiaritie and gentlenesse towards mee and in mee towards him reverence and love which made me also love my book love being the most prevalent affection in nature to further our studies and endeavors in any profession hee came thither but Batchelour of Arts a good scholler and who wrote both the secretary and the Italian hands exquisitly well But after a few yeares that hee had proceeded Master of Arts finding the schooles entertainment not worthy of him hee left it and betook himselfe to another course of being Secretary to some noble man and at last became Secretary to the worthy Lord Chancellour Ellesmere and in that service as I think dyed And my selfe his scholler following his steps as neere as I could though furnished with no more learning then he taught mee in that Grammar Schoole came at last to be Secretary to the Lord Brooke Chancellor of the Excheqâ—er and after that to my â—â—â—ch honoured Lord the Earle of Middlesex Lord high Treasurer of England and lastly to the most worthy my most noble Lord the Lord Coventry Lord-keepper of the great Seale in whose service I expect to end my dayes And this I note that though I were no graduate of the Vniversity yet by Gods blessing I had so much learning as fitted me for the places wherunto the Lord advanced mee and which I thinke to bee very rare had one that was after a Lord Chancellors Secretary to be my Schoolemaster whom by Gods blessing I followed so close that I became a successor to his successors in the like place of eminent service and employment It is the almighty and al-governing hand of thy providence O most glorious Lord God whereby all things are disposed amongst the children of men let my soule for ever praise thee for this gracious work of thine towards me thine unworthy wretch whom thou hast preserved and enabled from my weake and small beginnings for those places whereunto I have beene called and which by thy grace I have with credit and comfort discharged O blessed Lord God who hast led mee from my youth up forsake mee not now in mine old age when I am gray headed and my strength faileth me but finish thy gracious worke of mercy and grace in me to the consummation of it in thy heavenly kingdome whereunto thou hast â—lected mee in IESUS CHRIST thine eternal Son the promised Messias God in the flesh manifested our most gracious Lord and Saviour unto whom with thee ô father of glory and mercies and God the Holy Ghost the most blessed spirit of grace and adoption most holy glorious and ever blessed Trinitie in the unity of one onely true immortall and everliving God of incomprehensible glory and most adored and coeternall Majestie be al praise glory dominion and thanksgiving for ever Amen 6 Vpon an accident to me when I was a Schoole-boy BEfore Master Downhale came to be our Master in Christ-school an ancient Citizen of no great learning was our schoolmaster whose manner was to give us out severall lessons in the evening by construing it to every forme and in the next morning to examine us thereupon by making all the boyes in the first forme to come from their seates and stand on the outsides of their desks towards the middle of the schoole and so the second forme and the rest in order whiles himself walked up and down by them and hearing them construe their lesson one after onother and then giving one of the words to one and another to another as he thought fit for parsing of it Now when the two highest formes were dispatched some of them whom we called prompters would come and sit in our seates of the lower formes and so being at our elbowes would put into our mouths answers to our masters questions as he walked up and downe by us and so by our prompters help we made shift to escape correction but understood little to profit by it having this circular â—e â—oâ— like the Mil-horse that travelâ— all day yet in the end finds himsâ—â—â— not a yard further then when he 〈◊〉 I being thus supported by my prompter it fell out one day thâ—â—â—â—e of the eldest schoâ—ler◠〈◊〉 one of the highest forme fell out with mee upon occasion of some boyes-play
abroad and in his anger to doe mee the greatest hurt hâ—e could which then he thought to be to fall under the rod he dealt with all the prompters that none of them should helpe me and so as he thought I must necessarily be beaten When I found my selfe at this strait I gathered all my wits together as we say and listned the more carefully to my fellowes that construed before me and having also some easie word to my lot for parsing I made hard shift to escape for that time And when I observed my adversaries displeasure to continue against me so as I could have no helpe from my prompters I doubled my diligence and attention to our masters construing our next lesson to us and observing carefully how in construction one word followed and depended upon another which with heedfull observing two or three lessons more opened the way to shew me how one word was governed of another in the parsing so as I needed no prompter but became able to bee a prompter my selfe and so the evill intended to mee by my fellow scholler turned to my great good Let all those who have found the like gracious worke towards themselves as many have in matters of more moment if they observe it come joyne with me in praising the Lord for the same whose providence governeth all things and who doth powerfully declare himselfe to bee the only true God by such over ruling the powers of darknesse and the malicious and evill intentions of men bringing light out of darknesse good out of evill life out of death and making all things worke together for the good and comfort of them that feare him O mercifull Lord God who even in my childhood didst shew mee this grace and favour as thou hast often done since in many cases of extremitie give mee grace to magnifie thy blessed name therefore and of thy free grace and unchangeable mercie continue thy goodnesse to mee thy unworthy servant for my support in my last need that death may not be death unto me but a passage from temporall to eternall life and a change of the one for the other as it is to all thine elect according to the mighty working of our Saviour dying for us whereby he hath purchased eternall life for every poore penitent soul that believes in him Blessed be the Lord our strength and our redeemer for ever Amen 7 Vpon six verses of the 12 Chapter of S. Luke IN one of my paper-books which I had when I was a school-boy I find this short note written with mine own hand at that time Lu. 12.35 to the 40. v. whether it was the text of some Sermon I then heard or upon what other occasion I then wrote it is forgotten as all worldly things must shortly be with me But now turning to the place of that Gospel I find it to be a part of our blessed Saviours Sermon to his Disciples not long before his passion and to contain a most waighty and necessary duty enjoyned to us all for our timely preparation for death and our Lords second comming in these words following Vers 35. Let your loynes begirded about and your lights burning Vers 36. And ye your selves like unto men that waite for their Lord when hee will returne from the wedding that when he commeth and knocketh they may open unto him immediately Vers 37. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he commeth shall finde watching verily I say unto you that hee shall gird himselfe and make them to sit downe to meat and will come forth and serve â—hem Vers 38. And if he shall come in the second watch or come in the third watch and find them so Blessed are those servants Vers 39. And this know that if the good man had known what houre the thiefe would come he would have watched and nâ—t have suffered his house to be broken thorough Verse 40. Be ye therefore ready also for the sonne of man commeth at an houre when you think not In which word our blessed Saviour requires of us for our own good and finall comfort an hourely watchfulnesse and preparation for the time of our change that we may be ready when it commeth telling us plainly that it will come at an houre we thinke not and therefore to be expected and provided for that houre if we will be safe urging this most needfull dutie by two examples or parables the one from the happie reward of so doing twise pronouncing those servants blessed whom the Lord when hee commeth shall find watching the other from the danger of neglecting this watch wherein we wilfully give the thiefe opportunity to breake our house thorough to our utter undoing That if the former reason of reward and blessing will not moove us out of love and dutie to see so gracious a Lord and for our owne finall glory to be ready with our loines girded all carnall and worldly affections suppressed and our lights burning in bumble 〈◊〉 repentance and obedience to open unto him at the first knock yet the very feare of being surprised by that cruell murthering thiefe our ghostly enemy who every houre watcheth to take us at advantage for bringing us to utter confusion should awaken us and make us careful to put this holy duty into serious and conti uall practise for our owne finall safety and peace and the glory of our most graâ—ious God in our salvation reckoning every day and houre to be our last and so graciously imploying our few remaining daies of mortality here as neither desiring nor needing any morrow that so whensoever wee shall be called hence we may be ready and enter into the joy oâ— our blessed Lord and Saviour and remaine with him where he is in glory for ever and ever Here this weake meditation of mine I will conclude with M George Withers prayer and meditation upon the 98. Psalme O Almighty Son of God we blesse and praise thee for the manifestation of thy mercy to the whole world is the miraculous work of our redemption thou didst come unto us in despised weaknesse yet hast thou therein shewen such unresistable power that it prevailed against the wisdome of the worldly wise and magnified thy derided crosse above all the most renowned deities of the Gentiles This thou didst by appearing in a contemptible state oh how glorious and how powerfull wilt thou be in thy second comming It now draweth niâ—h O let it not come upon us as a thief in the night but as the travaile upon a woman who keepeth a just reckoning and joyes in the hopes of her birth more then she feares the paines of her trâ—velling so according to the counsell of thy holy Spirit we may expect and receive thee with praises triumphs and rejoycings Amen Vpon a Stage-play which I saw when I was a child IN the City of Gloucester the manner is as I think it is in other like corporations that when Players of Enterludes come to towne they first attend
by it when the meanest scullion oâ— his kitchin and the poorest cripple at his gates were therby made their Lords Kinsmen being all Adams children as well as himselfe And what pitch of honour had he gotten from that common ancestor of al mankind but what we all his posterity by wofull experience finde to bee pitch indeed the guilt and infection of sin and the fruit of it death Objects proper for shame sorrow and humiliation no way for honour or vain-glory Adam himselfe being made but of red earth and he and his posterity to returne to earth againe O most blessed Lord God blessed and magnified be thy most holy and glorious name who after many generations hast raised up a mighty salvation for us in the Lord Iesus the second Adam sonne of thy servant David according to the flesh as thou didest speake by the mouth of all thy holy Prophets which have beene since the world began by whom we have redemption and deliverance from the guilt and punishment â—f the first Adams rebellion and from all the power and malice of that old wily serpent who overthrew him in the terrestriall paradise and are by the blessed promised seed of the woman the Lord our righteousnesse God manifested in the flesh for our redemption restored to a better inheritance even the Paradise of God his owne heavenly Kingdome Let all the Monarchs and States of the world fall downe before thy glorious foot-stoole O most blessed Lord and Saviour and worship and rejoyce in thee the only God of our salvation and let no man glory in the antiquitie of his noble ancestors for no man can goe higher then the Lord Lumleys Pedegree But let every true Christian how meane soever or wretched here and though by nature in the first Adam a child of wrath and perdition lift up his head with joy unspeakable and glorious being in and by this second Adam our blessed Saviour and his holy Spirit by adoption and grace made the child of the most High the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and thereby become truly noble indeed And let all the Potentates of the earth aspire to this spirituall honour by regeneration in CHRIST then to all the pompe and glories of a thousand worlds with the good Emperour Theodosius who thanked GOD more for his being made a member of CHRIST then the Emberour of the world for the best and noblest nature amongst the children of men brings forth nothing but corruption onely grace makes truly noble and everlastingly happy 13. Of a Felon making of a comfortable end at his Execution AMongst all other charitable deeds of that worthy man of God Master Perkins in the Vniversitie of Cambridgâ— his manner was as I have heard to visit the prisoners condemned at the Goale deliveries there not onely in the prison for their spirituall instruction and preparation before their execution but to accompanie them also at the place where they were to suffer whither divers schollers and others of good â—ancke also usually resorted one of which spectators a fellow of Trinitie Colledge made relation to mee of a comfortable worke upon one of the felons at one of the executions more remarkable then the rest to this eâ—â—ect The prisoner being a strong lustie fellow in the vigour of his youth in his going up the ladder discovered an extraordinary lumpishnesse and dejection of spirit and when he turned himselfe to sit upon an upper round to speake to the people looked with such a ruefull and heavie countenance as if hee had beene halfe dead already where good Master Perkins standing at the foot of the ladder laboured to cheere up his spirits and finding him still in agony and distresse of mind called upon him in words to this purpose what man what is the matter with thee art thou afraid of death Ah no said the prisoner shaking his head but of a worser thing Saist thou so said Master Perkins come downe againe man and thou shalt see what Gods grace will doe to strengthen thee whereupon the prisoner comming downe Master Perkins tooke him by the hand and made him to kneele down with himselfe at the Ladder foot hand in hand when that blessed man of God made such an effâ—â—tuall prayer in confession of sins and aggravating the same in all circumstances with the horrible and eternall punishment due for the same by Gods justice as made the poore prisoner burst out into aboundance of â—â—â—â—es as the fervencie of the prayer gave occasion and when the blessed Preacher found that he had brought him low enough even to hell gates hee proceeding to the second worke of his prayer to shew him being truly humble and unfainedly penitent the Lord Iesus the Saviour of all penitent and believing sinners stretching forth his blessed hand of mercy and power to save him in that distressed estate and to deliver him from all the powers of darknesse did so sweetly presse the same with such heavenly art and powerfull words of grace upon the soule of the poore prisoner as cheered him up againe to looke beyond death with the eyes of faith to see how the blacke lines of all his sinnes and debts owing to Divine Justice were crossed and cancelled with the red lines of his crucified Saviours precious blood so graciously applying it to the prisoners wounded conscience as made him breake out into new showers of teares for joy of the inward consolation which he found and gave such expression thereof to the beholders as made them lift up their hands and praise God to see such a blessed change in him who upon the prayer ended rose up from his knees cheerefully and went up the Ladder againe so cheered and tooke his death with such patience and alacritie of spirit as if he actually saw himselfe delivered from the hell hee feared before and heaven opened for the receiving of his soule to the great rejoycing of the beholders Blessed bee thy most holy and glorious name O Lord our good God for all those gracious endowments and abilities wherewithall thou hast and dost furnish thy Ministers of the Gospell of peace for the converting of sinners unto thee and for bringing home the wandring ones and rescuing their soules out of the Lions mouth not only amongst those many of the meaner sort that suffer in our ordinary Circuits and Goale deliveries but also amongst our great men and Nobles capitall offenders at the Tower some of whom the spectators seeing their Christian and gracious preparative for death and their behaviour in it have adjudged more happie in their ends then in all the glorious pompe of their greatnesse before Good Lord increase the number of thine able servants furnished both with gifts and willing mindes to visit comfort and help those poore children of death in that their greatest and last need that they may then by thy grace feele that which all thy children doe in their greatest distressesâ— that mans extremity is Gods blessed opportunitie for their finall comfort
to walke exactly Ephes 5.15 in a holy life have little store of that grace and little hold of that Saviour whereof they presume so much Shortly as it is our great comfort that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. So that which followes must bee our great care to walke not after the flesh but after the spirit That new and living way by the blood of Christ will guide us streight to heaven between those two dangerous rocks of despaire and presumption Rec. 4. Nov. 1630. In the conclusion of this Letter I was encouraged to continue my honourable Lords service which I did for the yeare following and then 30. Novemb. 1631. being suddainly taken with a disease called vertigo capitis which I doubted might turne to an Apoplexy I withdrew my selfe home and entred into a course of Physick under which I was holden so long as I was by GODS mercy taken off from my further worldly imployments and with my noble Lords extraordinary favour in my farewell retired my self into Northamptonshire since which time it hath pleased our most gracious Lord God to adde some more yeares to my life for my better preparation for the time of my change blessed be his most holy name for it and let his holy spirit of grace I humbly beseech him teach both my selfe and all others that shall read this worthy letter to learne and practise that most necessary and blessed lesson of joyning faith and obedience true beliefe and holy life together in the short race of our earthly pilgrimage that so being true children of grace here we may be assured to bee heires of glory in the life to come through Jesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour Amen 23. Vpon the words revealed to S. Augustine In te stas non stas IT is written of Saint Augustine that after his conversion to the faith he was grievously vexed with inward conflicts against his corrupt affections complaining of his inbred hereditary habituall inveterate vices and after long strugling with them by purposing and vowing strong resolution watching fasting selfe-revenging and other good meanes finding still hâ—s owne weaknesse and the encreasing violence of his owne corruptions as he was intentively musing and meditating what to doe more hee heard a voice speaking to him these words Jn te stas non stas Whereupon rightly apprehending that his owne strength of wit carnal I reason and other powers and helpes of nature could not serve the turne for effecting that which was the peculiar and proper worke of grace hee betooke himselfe to his Saviour by humble faithfull and fervent prayer and at last found such inward assistance from the holy spirit of grace as strengthened him to stand and make good his resolutions with more comfort then before Whether the Lord in speciall favour to this gracious servant of his did vouchsafe to give him this vocall instruction by words to his eares or howeveâ— the matter thereof was suggested or revealed to him by the Holy Ghost I enquire not but sure I am they are words of great use and warning to us all not to trust to our selves or any strength or power of nature for any spirituall worke to be wrought in us or by us but to have our recourse to our Saviour and to seeke helpe from him and his grace which cannot bee had elsewhere how often it falls out that selfe opinion of a mans owne wit makes his wit his owne overthrow and selfe-confidence of his owne strength in evill company instead of reclaiming others to make himselfe worse then they O blessed Lord Iesu our most blessed Saviour who knowest both the miserable infirmities and debilities of our depraved nature and the subtile and advantagious power of our ghostly enemies and having thy selfe in our flesh and for us overcome them in all their temptations dost best know Hebrews 2.18 to succour them that bee tempted have mercie upon us thy weake and unworthy servants and give us grace to learne that necessarie lesson of self-deny all and with humble faith to put our whole trust in thee for ever Esay 26.4 For in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength and Iude 24. thou only art able to keepe us from falling that so being weake in our selves wee may bee strong in thee and in the power of thy grace be enabled to stand fast in the evill day and in all things Romans 8.11 through thee who lovest us to hee more then conquerors for 2 Timothie 4.18 Thou O Lord hast delivered us and dost deliver us and we hope wilt deliver us from every evill worke and wilt preserve us unto thy heavenly kingdome to thee be all glory and praise for ever Amen 24. Vpon the building of Pauls Church in London WHensoever that goodly monument of antiquity was built it was evident to my understanding that the Christian Church of those times did hold that not Saint Peter but the holy Christian faith was the rocke or foundation whereupon the militant Church of CHRIST was to be founded for under the Chauncell of that mother Church of the chiefe Citie of England there is an under-Church built with strong arches and pillars called Sancta Fides usually called S. Faiths which is indeed the proper foundation of the Church of Paul's By which demonâ—â—rative argument it appeares that the good people in those dayes did better understand the true meaning of our blessed Saviour in the 16. Chapter and 18. verse of Saint Matthew's Gospell concerning the Rocke whereupon hee would build his Church then the Romanists of later times have done who would make the world believe that our Saviour did then appoint S. Peter and after him his successors in the Cathedrall Church of Rome to be that rocke of the Catholike Church of Christ and the supreme Vicar and head of the Church in whose breast all infallibilitie of judgment and power of determining in all matters of the Church should bee only resident For certainly if there had beene any such conceit broached at the building of Pauls the fundamentall Church of holy faith should have beene named Saint Peters as if our Saviour had meant to build his Church upon Saint Peter's person and not upon the Christian faith which hee as the mouth of all the Disciples professed that our Saviour was the true Messiah Christ the sonne of the living God our Saviours question being made expresly to all the Disciples verse 15. and hee answering for them all O most blessed Lord Jesu who art the way the truth and the life and seest into what miserable combustions the state of Christendome is brought by these antichristian wastings of thine owne blessed workes for maintenance of private supremacie and Soveraigntie here as if thy kingdome were of this world which thy self hast Ioh. 8.36 expresly disclaimed have mercy upon thy poore distracted and distressed Church and make up the breaches thereof against all the wicked plots and machinations of the adversary by inclining the
life separated from the joyfull presence of our glorified Saviour in whose face is perfect joy for evermore and if there were no further paine of sense in hell but this poena damni only this deprivation of God's presence that were a hell sufficient of it self wherunto there is added paines of sense fire eternall utter darknesse But withall this consideration of the Judgement which shewes such terrible things to the wicked brings the faithfull to another issue the blisse and heaven and everlasting salvation the comforts and joyes wherof it lyeth not in my power to declare nor in the heart of any man to conceive but there will bee the full fruition of what wee hope for here and an absolute deliverance from all those things which trouble or feare us here And yet I have not done one thing more this consderation of our end brings us to namely that wee must not end when we come to our end but there is an eternitie that attends us after-wards whether of life to salvation or of eternal confusion And this is a consideration of weight indeed I read of a good Christian in time of persecution who being condemned to die for his conscience his wife perswaded him to yeeld to the kings will and save his life why saith hee how long thinkest thou I may live if I should doe so shee answered twentie or thirtie yeares perhaps Alas saith hee and if it were so many thousand yeares what were that to eternitie O let us make use of this and consider sadly and seriously of this maine point that this thorâ— lifâ— of ours is but a moment whereupon eternitie depends and therefore it much concernes us all to listen to this wish of th Holy Ghost and to labour to bee wise and understand and consider our later end 26. Vpon the Turkies comming duly to their roost at night SEe how these silly fowles which at their owne libertie wander and feed abroad in Gardens Fields and Orchards all the day long and many times farre off from their usuall roosting places yet notwithstanding the company of other fowles of their owne kinde met abroad discovery of new places of better feeding and other enticements or impediments do ever towards Sunne-set draw themselves homewards before it be darke so to have time and daylight enough to flie up to their perches of roost where only they looke for safety and quiet in the night approaching This providence taught these sillie creatures by instinct of nature as it directly shames and condemnes some of us who when we are got abroad are easily drawne by ill company good-fellowship or other idle vanitie to deferre our comming home till we are not able to come home but must be led home like beasts or lie in a ditch by the way to the hazard of soule and body so it may bee a necessary remembrance usefull to us all that in all our worldly occasions of this life wee bethinke our selves of the Sun-setting with us I meane the houre of death which must as certainly come upon every one of us at one time or other as the Sun-setting closeth up every day that goes over our heads that like the sons and daughters of wisdome we may everyday remember that our last night is at hand and so provide to make our peace with God by Iesus Christ our only peace-maker whiles it is called to day that that night doe not surprise us or take us unprovided for it O mercifull Lord God strengthen my feeble soule by thy holy Spirit of grace that with the humble wings of true repentance and a lively faith J may before hand flie up into the Arke of my Saviours perfect righteousnes that whensoever that night shall come upon me I may bee found there in safetie and so received into thine everlasting peace Amen 27. Vpon the remove of houshold from one dwelling to another THe day appointed for this remoove was set downe many daies agoe and most of the stuffe packed up and made readie for carriage yet see how full of trouble and perplexitie the day it selfe is by taking leave of old friends and neighbours some things forgotten to bee done before some new interruptions falling out in the instant so that many times the carriages are benighted and fall short of getting to the new home in due time Wee are all in this world but sojourners and our home is not here but in Heaven for which wee should bee everyday so wise by preparing our selves that wee might not bee combred upon the day of our remoovall but to have them nothing to doe but to lift up our soules unto our Saviour the Lord Iesus and so depart in peace yet how contrary to this is the practice of many who leave all their busines to the very remoove-day the day of death not having so much as setled their outward estate or made their wils before wherby they grow so perplexed and distracted with thoughts of this world care of wife and children visitations of neighbours pangs and distresses of sicknes fear of death inward horrours and temptations aâ— makes their departure many times very discomfortable O most glorious Lord God I know not how sufficiently as I desire and ought to praise thy most holy name for thy great mercy towards me in this gentle visitation of sicknes which thy most gracious and tender hand hath laid upon me whereby I am taken off from all worldly cares and thoughts and have also of thine infinite goodnesse such gracious times and opportunities to prepare my selfe for my remove and change O let my soule for ever praise and magnifie thy holy name therefore And withall J most humbly beseech thee to stretch thy hand of mercy yet further upon me that as my body shall decay wherein I most humbly submit my selfe to thy blessed good will and pleasure my soule may be strengthened by thy powerfull spirit of grace and the good worke begun in me made more and more perfect that when this earthly tabernacle shall be dissolved my soule united by faith to my blessed Redeemer the Lord Iesus may bee then received of thee in peace through his precious merits and mediation who is our alone Saviour and peace-maker Amen 28. Vpon the casuall hearing of a verse in the new Testament read by a child AS I was to passe through the roome where my little grand-childe was set by her Grandmother to reade her mornings Chapter which fell out to bee the ninth of S. Matthews Gospell just as I came in shee was uttering those words in the second verse Jesus said to the sicke of the palsie sonne bee of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiven thee Which words sorting so fitly with my case whose whol left side is taken with that kinde of disease and whose soule desires nothing so much as such a gracious word from my Saviour I stood at a stand at the uttering of them and could not but conceive some joy and comfort in those blessed words
them to his dominion insomuch as he presumed to set upon the Lord Jesus God blessed for ever finding him cloathed in our flesh though to his owne utter overthrow in the combate our Saviour the second Adam becomming absolute conquerour and that for us also that doe believe in him who are thereby made partakers of his victorie In the young Cock me thinks I see the naturall and unregenerate man overladen with his owne originall corruption who endowed with many gifts of nature and helpes of good education presumes of himselfe to stand against the old cock in fight But the old murtherer who never shewes faire play but workes upon any base or villanous advantage hee can laying hold upon his naturall corruption and by help thereof gives him many a wound and is like to overcome and oppresse him through the treachery of his own flesh by the m ltitude of his sins when behold the Lord Jesus the blessed spectator of all our fights and combats and who is our only supporter and helper in them seeing the poore soule his souldier in this distresse and danger gives order by the work of his sanctifying spirit to cut off that traiterous corruption 〈◊〉 nature and by the supply of grace to renew his strength against the fiery assaults of the tempter who missing his wonted hold of corrupt flesh and finding a new influence of grace from the Spirit of the Lord Jesus which ever overcomes him wheresoever it meets him turnes the backe and flies away and so the man though but in part regenerate becomes more then conquerour through him that loved us Romans 8.37 Most blessed Saviour who seest our manifold weaknesses and the enemies great advantage over us in these spirituall combats strengthen us thy poore weaklings fighting under thy banner that by thy grace we may be enabled to stand fast and couragiously in the evill day and by the power of thy might put all temptations to flight and so finally obtaine the Crowne of victorie to thy glory and our everlasting peace Amen 31. Vpon a childes asking blessing in the morning WHiles I was busie one morning in writing my little grand child came into the roome where I was falling downe upon her knees and desired me to pray to God to blesse her and having so done knowing that I heard her she without expecting any verball answer from me out of the confidence of my fatherly love riseth up assureing her selfe of the blessing shee desired and so betaketh her selfe to the employments of the day O blessed Lord God our most gracious heavenly Father thy love is the only Fountaine of all true fatherly love and affection and the deerest love of the tenderest parent is but as a dropp from that ocean why then should not I with as much or rather much more confidence and assurance relie upon thy paternall love as the childe doth on mine Why should any doubtings interrupt my prayers when I knâ—w I put thâ—m up to so gracious a Father whose love is all infinite and unchangeable like thy selfe why should my sinnes or unworthinesse deterre me from that dutie when J know thy love and grace is free and freely bestowed out of thine owne goodnesse not for any merit of mine nay against my sinfull deservings O blessed Lord God seale up unto my conscience by thy pacifying spirit the assurance of mine adoption and strengthen mee by thy grace in all my poore prayers howsoever accompanied with humane infirmities to come unto thee with true filiall confidence and awfull reverence in the name of thine onely naturall and eternall Sonne my blessed Saviour and onely Mediator and so shall I be sure of thy Fatherly acceptance of me in him O then let my soule for ever rejoyce in this priviledge of thy children and cheerefully thankefully and constantly put my whole trust and affiance both in life and death in thine eternall and free love and mercy towards me in Christ Jesus Amen 32. Vpon one word attributed to God thrice in three verses together in one Chapter IN the last Chapter of Ionah it is said verse 6. that the Lord God prepared a Gourd verse 7. that the Lord prepared a worm vers 8 and the Lord prepared a vehement east-winde three workes of Gods omnipotent power as it were of three new creations from thence to draw a most demonstrative argument for convincing the Prophets erronious zeale and to manifest the glories of his owne infinite mercies above all his workes O most glorious Lord God did the Prophet know indeed verse 2. that thou art a gracious God and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and should hee now bee angry because thou wert slow to anger and would he needs die of the sullens because thou wouldest not destroy one hundred and twentie thousand infants when their parents repented what strange passions are these in a Prophet had he forgotten so soone his owne case when so late before for his rebellious flying from thee and thy word he was justly even by his own confession thrownover board into the sea and yet of thine infinite mercy by a miraculous deliverance was after three daies and three nights together lying in the deep brought in life and safety to dry land againe was hee glad and thankfull then for thy mercies in sparing of one rebell and hath he now so little pitie upon so many thousand innocents O blessed Lord God how transcendent are thy thoughts Esa 558 above ours and how contrary are our wayes unto thine Thine end in this Prophets employment was for the Ninivites conversion not for their destruction And when by thy blessed summons of prevention thou didst upon their repentance save them greater was thy glory thereby and the successe more pleasing to thy Majestie then it would have beene by their impenitencie and destruction let these two examples of thy mercie upon the fugitive Prophet and the repentant Ninivites teach us to put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercies for blessed are all they that put their trust in thee Psalme 2.12 and 34.8 O Lord strengthen us by thy grace to depend upon thee and thy goodnesse both in life and death through Iesus Christ our Saviour Redeemer and Mediator Amen And againe O Lord God didst thou here immediately prepare both the refreshing Gourd and the smiting worme and fainting heat for thine owne gracious end with the Prophet and doth any matter of comfort or affliction bâ—fall any of thy â—hildren but by the hand of thine al governing providence who in thine unsearchable wisdome knowest what is best for them and in thine unchangeable mercy disposest thereof accordingly O then blessed Lord give us grace withall meeknesse to humble our selves under thy mighty hand in all the occurrents of this mortall life and in all our troubles to depend and rest upon thy mercies for that blessed issue which thou in thy boundlesse goodnesse shalt produce for thine owne glory in our finall peace and salvation Amen 33. Vpon the