and rest Secondly if wee consider this liquor running in the second current then wee shall finde it to bee muddy foule loathsome and the onely poysonous and soul-killing water in whose heart soever this carnall earthly and sinfull liquor springs shall ever thirst and never be satisfied he is in every thing contrary to the former lover hee is never contented with his estate In prosperity he is proud presumptuous and cruell and in adversity hee is desperate fretfull and envious His minde is onely upon earth and fading transitory riches hee careth for no heavenly grace so he may have carnall pleasure he takes no care for his soule but all his care is to pamper his body he accounteth the godly simple fooles and esteemes them as the off-scowring among the people he boasteth himselfe in the multitude of his riches and solaceth himselfe in his pleasures he thinkes hee shall live for ever upon eâ—â—th and puts the day of death a farrâ— off hee caâ—eth not by what meanes he getteth â—is riches so hee may goe bravely and fare deliciously every day Thus the lover of carnall and flâ—shly delights will not feare to commit adultery gluttony drunkennesse c. fulfill the dâ—sire or lust of the flesh And thus the lâ—ver of the world will venture to commâ—t coveâ—ousnesse oppression cruelty c. to fulfill and satisfie the lust of the eyes and pride of liâ—e The man thâ—t is inflamed with this love liveth upoâ—â—he earth as a Citizen in his owne C 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the world dandleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 child◠〈…〉 ding his desire with richâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 flâ—sh pâ—mpereâ—h him as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—eding his desire with plâ—â—sure and dâ—l 〈…〉 and the Devill fostereth him as his father by perswading him that he is in a happy condition yet he is in subjection to the world a servant to the flesh and a slave to the divell Thus he lives in seeming happinesse and dyes in reall misery and or one drop of the shadow of comfort loseth an Ocean of true consolation Thirdly and lastly if wee looke upon this liquor running in the third pipe wee shall finde it to be clean good and wholesome waâ—er Iâ— whose heart soever this humane â—viâ—l and naturall liquor springs may rest satisfied for a time but this cannot give the heart any true content except it proceed from the first love which in a good Christian are never separate for he that truly loveth God will love his brother also but he that hath not this charitable love for so we may terme it cannot have the first love as the Apostle testifieth saying If any man saith hee loveth God and hateth his brother he is a lyar for how can he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seene love God whom hee hath not seene Yet this love may be without the first as appeares in divers of the Heathen Philosophers who have exceeded many Christians in morall vertues yet were without the divine spirituall and heavenly love for they did not know God nor the mystery of godlinesse and therefore had no faith and consequently could not have the first love which proceedeth from faith The man that is inflamed with this love doth really fulfill the commandments of the second Table in the morall Law he loves his neighbour as himselfe this is a true charitable man he hath dispersed abroad and given to the poore hee doth much good in the world he relieves the needy helpes the oppressed feeds the hungry instructs the ignorant comforts the comfortlesse c. he layes for himselfe here a good foundation by good workes and shall at the last receive the reward of his labour if he faint not This love doth in large it selfe into three severall species or pipes In the first runnes that humane love wherewith we love all mankinde as they are men of one common nature with us In the second runnes that civill love wherewith wee love our owne Countrey and Nation as they are men brought up under one civill government in Lawes and Religion with us and in the third pipe runnes that naturall love wherewith we love our kindred or friends as they are of the bloud or to whom wee are bound by some speciall obligation of amity To let the humane and civill love runne out as men are pleased to convey it forth from the fountaine of their heart I will onely fix my meditations upon this naturall love and of that I will not write any thing of the love of parents to their children or brother to brother c. although I know their love may bee very great But I will onely insist to write what that natural love is wherewith a man is affected to a woman And herein I would not bee understood to meane that lustfull love which is commonly covered under this title although experience shewes that it is very powerfull in whose heart soever it is kindled and is a raging passion as all love is if it bee not kept in as fire within the chimny the sea within his bounds It is a foolish madnesse a labyrinth of errour and a miserable thraldome before it can be obtained But if the lover doth fulfill his desire what hath he got but a racke to his minde a torture to his soule a gibbet to his conscience a staine to his reputation and a pleasing yet fatall poyson This breeds a consumption in his purse rottennesse in his bones and a blot in his good name But if this love bee in the lawfull way of marriage as this kinde is seldome to that effect then if the lover doth make his choice onely for the beauty of the body without any respect to the qualities of the minde hee may finde one that may please his eye but commonly she proves a wanton Hellen or a trayterous Dallila one that will consume his wealth and worke his destruction or else such a one that will make him a scoffing stocke to the world by cunning planting upon his head Acteons livery Thus for pleasure he gets misery and for a beautifull outside embraceth a snake in his bosome poyson in his meat and gall in his drinke Againe I would not bee understood to meane that covetous desire which is also commonly clothed with this title and in these dayes chiefly embraced when a man doth onely chuse a wife for riches although hee cannot like her person much lesse love her Such may meet with one that may fulfill his desire with wealth but commonly she proves a scolding Xantippe one that will be alwayes scolding railing and taunting him and with whom hee shall never live one quiet houre Thus for a little wealth he is alwayes pinched with a strait shooe lives in continuall vexation and at the last is forced to leave her because he cannot live quietly with her But this is not the love which I purpose to describe for this is carnall earthly and sinfull but the other is naturall honest and commendable which is an honest desire of the
to bow or governe as Esau was for Iacob Hophni and Phinehas for Eli c. then I should thinke my selfe a happy man And this is the principall reason why I spend all this labour in looking after a discreet and vertuous woman to helpe mee as well in the education of these two Infants I have as those that it shall please the Lord to send me by her that so having for the duration of my service lived as Iacob I may likewise as hee become into two bands Thus have I given vent to this new wine and because it is new some flying lees may be found therein but if it bee well setled upon a sound judgement the lees will sinke to the bottome and being clearly rackt the pure liquor may bee exercised for many profitable uses The pure liquor if there be any found therein I doe humbly acknowledge is Gods worke but the filthy lees and unwholsome dregs is mine Let God have the praise of the good but let me have the blame and shame of what is ill done so shall the glory and praise of God be the Alpha and Omega of all my workes Therefore Oh! that God would worke in me both the will and the deed of his owne good pleasure that it would please him to grâ—nt the desires of my heart and request of my lips that all mens thoughts words and actions and mine especially may redound to the praise and glory of God and not for any vaine applause before men to the good and welfare of Gods chosen and not for any by-respects and to the joy and comfort of our owne soules in the day of the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ in glory when hee shall render to every one according to the workes hee hath done in this life that every conscionable Saint may then heare that joyfull welcome of his Saviour and Judge Well done good and faithfull servant enter into thy Masters joy Which blessed happinesse God in mercy grant to mee and all his chosen not for any merit of our owne which is nothing but damnation of soule and body for the best good that ever we have done oâ— can doe But for the alsufficiency and meritorious sufferings of Christ Jesus in our nature here upon earth To whom with his all-glorious Father and soule-sanctifying Spirit three Persons and yet but one true essentiall God be ascribed by me and all creatures as is most due all honour glory praise thanksgiving adoration and obedience from this time forth and for evermore Amen FINIS A STARRE OR Briefe and pleasant Meditations of Love Judg. 5. 20. The starres in their courses fought against Sisera Stella effulget in noctu The Proem Primo Die Januarii 1640. GReat Julius Caesar did ordain Compose and frame the Julian yeare And was the first that gave the name Vnto this day as may appeare And cald it New-yeares day thereby to show How we in Virtue should begin to grow Now of all Vertue Love 's the Queen Which is comprised in this Booke And in her Liverie I am seen Wherefore do not disdain to looke Into this same which is a New-yeares Gift From a kind friend whose love doth seldom shift Vale Invocation O Holy glorious ever loving God Who art the fountain and the living spring Of Godly Love distill it all abroad Into my Soule that I from thence may bring Such liquor good that I therewith may cheare My Godly friends that are to me most deare O thou that art the Sun of holy Love Inflame my heart by thy bright beames of light That I may sole delight in things above Let this same holy fire burn day and night Within my Soule that stubble chaff and hay Of hate and envie may soone wast away But what am I that dare so boldly write Vpon so holy and divine a thing I have no judgement or wit to indite O thou canst water out of hard Rocke bring Pardon my error guide me by thy sprite Direct my judgement in that I shall write Amen A STARRE A briefe Meditation of Gods Love in generall and in speciall to me OH what a taske have I here taâ—ne in hand Vnder whose waight Atlas could hardly staÌ„d No stout Alcides or great Sampson strong Were able to sustain this burden long Then What am I that I should dare to write Of the great Loâ—e oâ— God that 's infinite I might as well number the Oceans sand Count the grasse piles that grow upon the land Give the true sum of all the spangled starrs Or truly show the totall of our haires Nay I could sooner empty th' Ocean dry With a small spoone then tell this mistery Of Gods great Love to man how should I then With unlearn'd wit and an untutr'd Pen Dare to set forth ev'n in the least degree His Love to all but most of all to me And yet because God in his word hath showne His Love to man and therein made it knowne It is his will that we should make relation Of all his favours to the generation That shall succed us I will truly shew What I of Love out of Gods word do know And yet I cannot tell how to begin In such a Sea of Love I 'm plunged in For whether I looke on the â—arth below Or up to heaven God doth his great Love show In three great streams me thinks his Love doth run Vpon mankind in tâ—mporall blessings some Th 'others Spirituall Grace the third is Glory Oh where or how shall I begin this storie For if I should of earthly blessings speake My Brain 's too shallow and my wit 's too weake But much more unfit to relate a story Of spirituall Graces or eternall Glory Yet what unto my mind God hath me showne I hope he will assist me to make knowne And first of all there comes into my mind The wonderfull creation of mankind And here the Love of God did great appears Before mankinde was made a house to reare Like to a loving Friend unto his Guest He would prepare his house and sâ—e it drâ—st And all things very neate for his delight All this to welcome an unworthy wight For God made earth mans footestoole heav'nly light As a faire Canopie both day and night But when he was to make mans noble features He did not say as unto other Creatures Be made and it was so but he did call A Councell with himself and then he all Mans body made and did his breath infuse â—t upon what things speaks my unlearn'd Muse â—y that desire more of this thing to know â—armed Du-Bartas will divinely show â— is enough that my unlearned Pen â— this can shew Gods kindnesse unto men â—d unto me for he hath well endu'de â—y mind with knowledge his similitude â—stampt in me my bodi 's right and straight â—d every part though little hath its waight â—nd this by Gods great Love I do enjoy â—un many are perplext with much annoy â—e next great blessing that from Gods Love flowes
is his fatherly correction and a signe of his love because â—e chasteneth whom he loveth yea they receive their sicknesse as the Lords messenger speaking to their soules as the Prophet Isaiah did to Hezekiah Put thine house in order for thou shalt die and not live and therefore they prepare themselves for another world Yeâ— further in their sicknesse they can pray most fervently as King Hezekiah did Isaiah 38. and then they will give most fruitfull and comfortable instructions to those which they leave behinde As the Swan sings most sweetly a little before his death so the righteous speake most divinely a little before their end Whosoever searcheth the Scriptures may read the divine prophecy of Iacob unto the twelve Patriarches Genes 49. the holy blessing of Moses upon the twelve tribes Deut 33. the godly exhortation of Iosua to the people of Israel placâ—d by hâ—m in Canaan Ios 23. the wise counsell of David unto Salomon who was to succeed him in the kingdome 1 King 2. Whosoever readeth the Ecclesiasticall histories may not onely see the vertuous lives but also the Christian like ends of the Saints and Martyrs in the Church And whosoever will be present at the death of those which truly feare God may thereby learne how they themselves ought to die for when the outward man doth decay the inward man is renewed more and more They shew that the neerer they doe approach unto their end the neerer they draw toward heaven But in these our dayes many may be found who either do not at all consider the death of the righteous or else doe consider it amisse Though it bee a matter worth consideration yet some doe not consider it at all because they see so many dye they make the lesse reckoning of it till death knocke at their owne doores they never regard it they must needs dye themselves before they can bee brought to consider of death they care not who sinke so they swimme nor how many die so they may live yea this is greatly to be lamented that some doe regard the death of a Christian no more then they regard the death of a dog But seeing wee may learne so many profitable instructions by their death let us now begin to consider it better then ever we did before Others doe consider it but yet amisse either fondly or frowardly Fondly through naturall affection arising from kindred affinitie or familiaritie If a stranger die it nothing moves them but if one of their owne friends dye they sigh and sob they howle and lament If the father lose his son he cries most pittifully as David did for Absalom O my son Absalom my sonne my sonne Absalom would God I had died for thee O Absalom my sonne my sonne If the mother lose her children shee behaveth her selfe like Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they were not If children lose their parents they cry after them as Elisha did after Elias when he was taken up my father my father If a sister lose her brother she weepeth for him as Mary did for Lazarus If the husband lose his wife he weepeth for her as Abraham wept for Sarah yea he mourneth like a Turtle Dove which hath lost his marrow If the wife lose her husband shee dealeth like Naomi who would not be called Naomi that is beautifull but Mara that is bitter because the Lord had given her much bitternesse If one familiar friend lose another hee lamenteth his death as David did the death of Ionathan Woe is me for thee my brother Ionathan very kinde hast thou beene unto me thy love to mee was wonderfull passing the love of women Indeed I cannot deny but that we ought in a speciall manner to consider the death of those which are neere and deare unto us for it may be they are taken from us because wee were unworthy of them or because we gloried and trusted over much in them and were not so thankfull for them as we ought If we had any help by them we must consider whether God have not deptived us of them for the punishment of our sinnes as the widow of Sarepta did at the death of her sonne saying unto Eliah Art thou come unto me to call my sinne to remembrance and to slay my sonne Yet this consideration must bee ordered by wisedome it must not be joyned with excessive sorrow Neither must wee consider their death alone but also the death of others which dye in the Lord and to learne to make an holy use thereof For as Sampson found sweet honey in the carcasse of a dead Lion so wee may finde some sweet instructions in the dead corps of every righteous man yea the more righteous that they are which doe die the more should their death be considered because it may yeeld greater store of instruction unto us And it may bee that God doth take away those which are neare unto us because wee doe carelesly regard the death of those which be farre off Againe some consider the death of the righteous very frowardly and peevishly yea I may say malitiously and preposterously For if any of them bee taken away by a sudden and extraordinary death they presently censure them as plagued of God and condemne their former profession thinking that God would not have so dealt with them if hee approved either of them or their profession But they must bee instructed in this point by wise Salomon who saith that no man knoweth love or hatred of all that is before him All things come alike to all and the same condition is to the just and the wicked to the good and the pure and to the polluted to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not Eli was a Priest and a good man yet brake his necke by falling backward from his seat Ionathan was a sworne brother unto David a godly and faithfull friend yet was he slaine in battell by the hands of the Philistims That Prophet of God which came out of Iudah to Bethel to speak with Ieroboam and the altars which he had built for idolatry was no doubt an holy man yet was hee killed in the way by a Lion Iosiah was a good King like unto him there was no King before him neither after him rose any like him yet was he slaine in the valley of Megiddo by Necho King of Egypt Iobs children were well brought up by their godly father and it is said that before Iob offered sacrifice for them they were sanctified yet within a while after as they were eating and drinking in their eldest brothers house a violent winde overthrew the house and killed them all Wee must not therefore judge of men by their death but rather by their life Though sometime a good death may follow an evill life yet an evill death can never follow a good life Correct thine evill life and feare not an evill death he cannot die ill that lives well saith Augustine And afterward answers
Iacob and by his fathers words at the denouncing of his blessing By thy sword shalt thou live But as Nimrod so Esau for all his plotting and threatning was confounded in his enterprize for he was his brothers servant in posterity Againe Nimrod was a great and mighty King and his Territories of a large extent even from Babel to the end of the earth for ought I know because it is not specified and Esau was a mighty man the Captaine of foure hundred men a great company in those dayes and from him sprang many Dukes and Kings the first that I read of Dukes in sacred writ as appeares in his Genealogy so it is very conspicuous that Esau bent all his minde for the obtaining worldly honour and applause yet note it further in the story rather then he would want good cheare to fulfill his wanton appetite he would sell his birthright like many flourishing gallants in our dayes that rather then they will leave their lascivious courses in gaming revelling and swaggering will make sale of all that their parents and friends left them for what cared Esau for his fathers blessing so hee might fare well and goe bravely according to the fashion of the Countrey Here I might touch the vanity of phantasticke apparrell in these dayes but I know it is a thing indifferent and thererefore passe it over and come to consider how Isaac liked all this alas good man he could not perceive it the love of venison had blinded his eyes Now I would gladly know what venison it was that Isaac loved I read that Rebeccas savory meat was two Kids and for ought I know Esau launted for a Bucke or a Doe a Stag or a Hinde but because it is not expressed in a metaphoricall exposition I surmise it was his flattering insinuating and colloguing disposition for surely Isaac could not chuse but see that Esau was worldly minded both by his habit and behaviour but especially in the choice of his wife whose Idolatrous and rebellious courses were a griefe of minde to him and Rebecca so that she complained that shee was weary of her life for the daughters of Heth yet Isaac for the love of Venison so powerfull is naturall affection in the heart of mankinde called to give him the blessing of the elder brother and forgot Iacob who had before purchased that Birthright of which I beleeve his father was not ignorant like many rich men in these dayes that as the Proverb is love to have their elbows clawed and delight to thinke their posterity shall flourish in the world after their decease care not what they give to maintaine pride and prodigality but take little or no care at all for the poore and destitute In the last place I am to shew how Esau was prevented in that he intended and how Isaac rewarded him for his Venison for the first while Esau was hunting to get savoury meat such as his father loved Rebecca that knew her husbands appetite as well as Esau and could blinde his judgement as well as his sight daintily cheated him because she loved Iacob in whom she saw the graces of Gods Spirit shined bright and did beleeve that hee was the Sonne of Promise according as God told her at his birth That the elder should serve the younger and as she perceived by his religious and godly exercises in the course of his life therefore she prepared savoury meat such as she knew her husband loved and compelled Iacob her younger sonne to present it to his father in the name of his brother who very fearefull of a curse rather then a blessing did performe her will for hee knew such cunning plotting and indirect meanes by hypocrisie and dissimulation to accomplish their designes was both hatefull to men and abhominâ—ble in the sight of God yet I note it to shew the subtilty of a woman to obtaine her desires for it is very likely that shee perswaded Isaac that Iacob was her elder sonne though his voice declared the contrary But pâ—ssing by that also I am in the last place to demonstrate what was the reward that Esau received for his great labour in hunting It 's plaine he did desire with Balaam to have the blessing that Iacob supplanted him in and sought it with teares But seeing be could not obtaine that he desired one blessing of his father and so according to his request enjoyed the fatnesse of the earth and dew of heaven from above viz. he lived in a fertile and fruitfull countrey hee did not want for any earthly blessing and was a man of great power and authority for from his stocke came many famous Kings as is before expressed so that as he hunted for worldly honour he did enjoy it Now to make a conclusion of the whole matter I should show the love of Iacob toward Ioseph the first borne of Rachel his first love But what should bee the reason that Iacob fixed his love more on him then all his brethren Was it because he brought to their father their evill sayings No surely for Iacob as a godly man did not delight to heare any slanderous reports for he knew that tale-bearers and busie bodies in other folkes matters doe set houses and commonwealths in divisions The Text renders the reason thus because he begot him in his old age and that might very well be for experience showes old folke love little children more then young doe because there is a sympathizing affection betweene them as the proverbe is An old man is twice a child But the reason as I conceive why Iacob loved Ioseph more then all his brethren was because he saw in him a promptitude to the service of God and divine speculation more then in his brethren and that he was of a harmlesse innocent and sweet disposition appeares plainly for though hee knew his brethren hated him because of their fathers love towards him yet hee loved them and would bee telling them his dreames for which they hated him so much the more which in my opinion was very improvidently done for we ought to avoid and not to run headlong into danger and this rash conversing with his enemies almost cost him his life first by putting him into a pit and then selling him to perpetuall slavery Yet this is and was ever for the most part the practice of the most zealous godly to speake or doe something at which the worldly wise taking advantage of bring them into great persecution and trouble as it was here But what care they for such affliction if God see it good for them And what cared Ioseph for his brethrens spleene so his father noted his sayings Now if from hence I could learne according to Salomons rule to traine and bring up my children in the feare of the Lord in their youth that so they might not forget it when they be old to bend the twig while it is young lest when it is growne to a tree it be past my strength