extracted Nay they may properly be called Good because they are God's Messengers and proceed from him who is the Fountain of all Goodness Moreover they lead us unto the chiefest Good even Life Everlasting Christ by his Passion entered into his Glory Luk. 24. 26. And Christians by Tribulations enter into Life Eternal Act. 14. 22. And consequently Sin is the chiefest Evil because it draws us from the chiefest Good VI. THE Sinner is accused by his Conscience which he hath defiled by his Creator whom he hath offended by the Sins he hath committed by the Creatures he hath abused and by the Devil who hath seduced him How saving then is Repentance which frees us from such Accusations Let us haste then with speed to such a soveraign Catholicon If thou deferr thy Repentance till Death thou do'st not forsake thy Sins but they forsake thee and it is very difficult to trace out an Example of sincere Repentance at the Hour of Death except that of the Thief upon the Cross. VII FOVRTEEN years have I served thee said Iacob to Laban it is time now that I should provide for my own house Gen. 31. 41. And if thou hast pursued the World and chased after the Vanities of it so many Years it is now high time to provide for thy Soul Every Day nay every Hour and Minute we accumulate Sin Oh let the Spirit every Moment wash it away with Tears of Repentance The Almighty infuses not the Oyl of Mercy but into the Vessel of a contrite Heart He first mortifies us by Contrition and then quickens us by his Spirit of Consolation He leads us into a deep abyss of Grief and brings us back by his Restraining Grace VIII Elias first heard a vehement Wind overturning Mountains and cleaving Rocks and after the Wind an Earthquake and after the Earthquake Fire 1 King 19. 11. At length there followed a still small Voice ver 12. From whence we may inferr That Terrour is the precursor of the Love of Omnipotency and Sorrow precedes Comfort God binds not up any Wounds that are laid open by Confession He Pardons and Justifies none except they Acknowledge and Condemn themselves He Comforts not unless they first Despond And this is the sincere Repentance which God by his Holy Spirit operates in us MED IV. Of Man's Salvation Tit. ii 11. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men WHY art thou perplexed O my Soul and why art thou dubious of the Mercy of God Remember thy Creator who created thee without thy Assistance who formed thee in secret in the lower parts of the earth Psal. 139. 15. He who took care of thee before thou wer 't born Will his Providence neglect thee now thou art fashioned after his own Image To Thee the Great Creator does thy unworthy Creature address himself Though my Nature is infected by Satan and wounded by Thieves which are my sinful Corruptions yet my Creator liveth II. HE which made me can renew me He that created me without any Evil can chase all Evil from me whatsoever hath gain'd admittance by the Devil's Suggestions Adam's Prevarication or my own Actions yea though it hath over-spread my whole Substance The Almighty never hated his own Workmanship We are before him like Clay in the Hands of the Potter Had he hated me certainly he would never have created me when I was nothing He is the Saviour of all men but especially of them that believe 1 Tim. 3. 10. He created me wonderfully and redeemed me miraculously but his Love was never so highly expressed than in his Wounds and Passion III. SURELY we were indulgently belov'd for whose sakes the only begotten Son of God is sent from the Bosom of his Father Dear was the Price of our Redemption and great was the Mercy of our Redeemer To make us Rich he embraced Poverty for he had not where to lay his head Mat. 8. 20. To make us the Sons of the Most High he condescends to become Man and doth not after he had accomplish'd our Redemption neglect us but still intercedeth for us Rom. 8. 34. IV. LET my Sins Satan and all the Powers of Darkness accuse me in Jesus my Mediator will I trust who is Greater than my Accusers Let my Weakness affright me yet in his Strength will I glory For the Sufficiency of my Merit I am familiarly acquainted my Merits is not sufficient it suffices me that he is propitious against whom I have sinned and whatsoever he hath decreed not to impute will be perform'd and all Guilt with the Price of his most precious Blood shall be done away V. LET it not then perplex me that my Sins though many and of such a magnitudâ— discomfort me For were I not oppress'd and heavy laden with Sins what need I earnestly request Christ's Righteousness Had I no Distemper I had no necessity to implore the Physician 's Help but I am spiritually sick and He who is the Lord our Righteousness is both our Saviour and Physician Lord I am Sick a Sinner and Condemned and upon the Grand Inquest of my Conscience pronounce my self Guilty but have Mercy on me O my Physician my Saviour and my Righteousness MED V. The Youth's Memento Eccles. xii 6. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth IT was both seasonable and profitable Advice and one of the elegantest and choicest Expressions in the Royal Preacher's Sermon For who is he which is now Young and Vigorous that is certain he shall live to be Old And yet that potent Voice which loudly proclaims to all the World and whose Sound will remain till Death shall be expired is scarce aucible in the Ears of thousands II. 'T IS one of this divine Chanters harmonious Lessons and yet the World thinks it too harsh a Note and is very much displeased with the Tune 'T is strange and an amazing Wonder That the Sweetest and Wisest of Preachers should have so slender a Train of Followers being his Oratory is so Rhetorical and Divine And yet it is so weighty a Text which though they shun to hear understand or read they cannot evade the seeing for the whole Universe is but a Comment on it every Creature we behold preaches this useful Doctrine which we so supinely sleep out with our Eyes open III. NATURE her self carries this Memento in her Forehead and the very Bruit Beasts in this Philosophy can reason with us And it is strange madness that Man should forget his Maker did he but remember himself But alas blooming Youth affects not to be put in mind of Heaven which he is not acquainted with 't would impair his Memory and make him think of his Prayers too often Piety will but chill his Blood Religion makes him look wither'd the Thoughts of Heaven and a Future-State will make him sager than his years requires his Blood informs him he is not yet qualified to turn Divine he may serve his Creator time enough when he is more at
clearing up the Omnipresence of the Almighty II. NEXT we must consider That the Almighty doth more peculiarly observe his Servants while they are performing of heavenly Duties Yet this is to be understood not as if God observ'd us more at one time than another in respect of his Omnisciency but we may inferr That God is much more offended with us if our Deportment and Frame of Heart be more irreverent and unholy in the Duty of Prayer and Meditation than in the Duties of our particular Calling III. WE may consider with our selves That Christ doth actually behold us especially in these Duties of Sanctity For it is not the remoteness of Place that doth obstruct Christ's Omnisciency and exact observing of us Little did Nathanael think that Christ saw him under the Fig-Tree Nathanael did not perceive Christ neither then was he corporally present yet Christ beheld Nathanael when he prayed So Christ beheld St. Stephen before the Heavens were opened and the opening of the Heavens was not that thereby Christ might be enabled the better to behold St. Stephen but that this holy Proto-Martyr might thereby be the better enabled to discern that Christ looked on him IV. AND without all controversie the Almighty observes and knows with what Reverence Faith and Love we address our selves to him for else our Prayers would be fruitless and our Faith ineffectual For how could he distribute to us according to our Faith if he knew not the extent of it If the inferiour frame of our Hearts were not observed by Omnipotency we may then inferr that an Hypocrite which can utter extraordinary Expressions should acquire more by his Addresses to the Almighty than a true Nathanael in whom there is no guile V. Suppose that thou hadst lived in that Age when Christ was upon Earth or that he were corpotally present now near thy Habitation consider with what Joy Reverence Alacrity and Assurance thou wouldst address thy self to him for the Pardon of thy Sins or for any other Mercy thou stoodst in need of After the same manner thou mayst now address thy self his remoteness from thee in respect of a Corporal Presence doth not diminish his Power to discern thy Wants or give an Audit to thy Petitions nor his being now glorified doth not derogate his Benevolence to grant thy Requests than if he were corporally present in the Room with thee in the form of a Servant as he was once at Ierusalem VI. THE Glory of Christ doth not slacken his Love and Goodness for Christ is the express Image of his Father and God's Attributes are all consonant The Majesty of Heaven doth not set Limits unto his Goodness and make that finite nor doth his Bounty make his Omnipotency less glorious His Goodness makes his Deity more amiable and his Omnisciency makes his Mercies more wonderful so neither doth the Exaltation of Christ excite him to abate or diminish his Goodness to any that serve him according to his divine Precepts VII BUT if in any method his Love is mutable it is by an Augmentation For when our blessed Lord was in the flesh you must have approached him by Faith or expected no Mercy and by Faith though he is inthroned in Heaven you may obtain Mercy in time of need Thus you may ponder upon any of these Considerations until your Heart be so convinced of and affected with the Presence of God that you thereby may be the better fitted for the carrying on the Duty of Meditation more effectually SECT VI. Of Preparatory Prayer Before Meditation THE next Preparatory Consideration is Prayer which thou mayst perform to this or the like purpose LORD my design at this time is not to be sequestred an Hour from worldly Enjoyments for that were to be guilty of a Cessation and to encrease the number of my Sins not my Graces but my Sollicitation at this time is to be so convinced and affected with those spiritual Verities revealed in thy Sacred Word that I may fully resolve by thy Strength and Power to reform my Life for I can neither understand the things that belong to my Peace not understanding them be convinced of the Certainty and Verity of them II. NAY Lord though my Understanding is illuminated yet without thee my Affections cannot be enflamed I can neither know resolve nor perform any Good without thee for from thee proceeds both the Will and the Benefit of thy good Pleasure Lord I humbly implore 〈◊〉 to replenish me with thy Grace that I may be consciencious in performing this Duty with my whole Strength and not negligently and inconsiderately And Lord do thou illuminate me and convince me with thy Sacred Truths and so affect my Heart with the Love of Sanctity and a Detestation of all Sin and Wickedness that I may thereby be fully and firmly resolv'd notwithstanding all the Oppositions that the Flesh the World or the Devil can procure to run the ways of thy Commandments with joy and celerity III. AND Lord grant that when thou hast operated in me the Will so to perform give me also the Benefit and let me not trust to the Strength of my Resolutions but to the continual gracious Assistance of thy holy Spirit for the Performance of those Duties that through thee I shall resolve to pursue Grant this O holy and blessed Father even for the Merits of thy dear Son who hath commanded me to approach to thee in his Name for any Mercies I stand in need of O let these my Petitions reach thy merciful Ears even for his sake who is my only Lord and Saviour Amen IV. THIS or the like Prayer thou art to send up to the Throne of Grace But this must be done with thy whole Heart for thou must believe that it is by the Strength which thou shalt acquire from God by Prayer whereby thou shalt be enabled to perform this or any other Duty profitably for it is he that teaches us to be Proficients Now he that begins a holy Duty without God will end it without him also It is a pernicious thing to imagine that we can by our Natural Parts Learning or by the strength of Grace already received without the Almighty's further Assistance perform any thing that can please him or edifie our own Souls for though our Mountain be made strong yet if he withdraws the Light of his Countenance we are in Obscurity V. WE may with much more reason declare Now the Sun is in his full Meridian and the Air is so serene that now we can transact well enough for a space though that Solar Luminary be eclipsed than to testifie though our Hearts be never so much inflamed with the Love of the Almighty now we are so supplied and inflamed with his divine Love we can subsist by our own Strength and for the present we want not God's further Assistance afford us but Subject Matter to meditate of and we shall be of Ability to continue and encrease our Flames Do not possess thy self
Darkness for my Sin that would not lay hold on the Means of Grace IV. NEXT The Four Elements in their order accuse me And First The Heavens acquaint me they have supplied me with Light to my Joy and Comfort The Air whispers me I have given thee all manner of Fowl my Region affords to be at thy Command The Water violently speaks I have given thee all manner of Fish to eat And the Earth opens her Mouth saying I have given thee Corn Wine and Oyl to nourish thee but how hast thou abused these Mercies to the Contempt and Dishonour of our Creation Therefore let our Benefits redound to thy Punishment let the Fire consume thee the Water overwhelm thee the Air fann and winnow thee the Earth swallow thee up and Hell devour thee V. THE Holy Angels which were appointed by the Almighty to minister unto me in this Life and to be my Comforts in the Life to come they accuse me for by my Sins I have deprived my self of their Ministry in this Life and Hope of their Fellowship in the World to come the Voice of God's Divine Law accuses me either I must fulfil it or perish to perform the one is impossible and to undergo the other is intollerable VI. GOD the most severe Judge and potentest Executer of his Eternal Law accuses me Him I cannot deceive who is Wisdom it self from him I cannot fly who is Power it self and reigns every where Whither then shall I fly Psal. 139. 7. Even to thee O Blessed Jesu my alone Redeemer and Saviour I hear a Voice which bids me hide my self in the clifts of the rock Cant. 2. 14. Thou art that Rock and thy Wounds are the Clefts in them will I hide my self against the Accusations of all the Creatures VII My Sins cry aloud even unto Heaven but thy blood which was poured forth for my sins cryes louder Heb. 12. 2â— My Sins are potent to Accuse me but thy Passion is effectual to Defend me the Unrighteousness of my Life is powerful to Condemn me but thy most perfect Righteousness is powerfuller to Save me I appeal therefore from the Throne of thy Justice to thy Mercy-Seat but I dare not appear before thy great Tribunal unless thy holy Merits interpose betwixt me and thy Judgment MED II. That the Cross of the Holy Jesus should excite us to Repentance Rom. v. 8. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us BEHOLD my Soul thy Saviour's Sufferings the Wounds of him that was crucified and the Torments of him that expired on the Cross That sacred Head at which Angels tremble is platted with a Crown of Thorns That Face which in Beauty exceeded all Mankind's is spit upon by the Ungodly Those Eyes brighter than the Sun in his Meridian are obscured in Death Those Ears which were accustomed to hear Angelical Anthems are infested now with arrogant Speeches and scornful Reproaches That Mouth from whence proceeded Divine Oracles and dictated to Angels their Celestial Lessons receives nothing but Gaul and Vinegar Those Feet which the devout Magdalen kissed and wiped with the Hairs of her Head are fastened with Nails Those Hands which stretched out the Heavens like a Curtain are now extended on the Tree of Shame II. THAT Body the Deity 's Temple is scourged and wounded with a Spear Nothing escap'd the malicious Jews but his Tongue and that was meekly exercised in Praying for his Persecutors And he who now Reigns in the highest Heavens underwent all this for lost Mankind He felt the Pains of Hell and cry'd out My God! My God! Why hast thou forsaken me Mat. 27. 46. So great was his Agony and Anguish that he which comforteth Angels stood now in need of one to comfort him III. IF this happens to the Just what shall become of wretched Sinners What measure shall the Almighty take with us for our Offences who is so wrathfully displeased with his well-beloved Son for the Sins of the whole World O God of infinite Mercy take from us these stony Hearts of ours and give us Hearts of Flesh that we may tremble at thy Word and melt at thy Judgments Lord let us not forget thy Acclamations and Tears Thou cryedst from the Cross Behold O ye Sons and Daughters of Men what I suffer for you Was ever Grief so great or any Sorrow like unto my Sorrow But O Thou whose Property it is to have Mercy convert our stubborn Hearts unto Thee MED III. Of the Fruits of Repentance Mat. iii. 8. Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance THE Foundation of a Holy Life is True Repentance and where that is acquired Remission of Sins and Eternal Life succeeds Why then do we deferr our Repentance and procrastinate it from day to day To Morrow is not in our possession and to Repent sincerely is not in our power but when the Judgment-Day is approach'd we must render an Account not only for one Day but for our whole Lives II. ACKNOWLEDGE and bewail thy Sins so shalt thou find God in Christ appeased towards thee I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions saith the Lord Isa. 43. 25. inferring our Sins are enrolled in the Court of Heaven Turn away thy face from my sins begs the Royal Prophet Psal. 51. 9. Demonstating that our Iniquities are in God's sight Be converted unto us O God prayeth Moses therefore our sins do separate us from God Isa. 59. 2. Our sins have answered us complaineth Isaiah ver 12. and do accuse us before God's Tribunal Cleanse me from my sins is the Psalmist's Petition Psal. 51. 2. Concluding our Sins in appearance are sordid in the Eye of the Almighty III. SIN is the Distemper of the Soul which moved David to cry out Heal my soul for I have sinned against thee Psal. 41. 4. It is for Sin that we are blotted out of the Book of Life So said the Eternal Whosoever shall sin against me I will blot him out of my book Exod. 32. 32. We are cast off by the Almighty for our Sins which made David deprecate Cast me not away from thy presence Psal. 51. 11. Sin torments the Mind and dries up the Moisture as the Psalmist experienc'd Restore me to the joy of thy salvation Psal. 47. 12. IV. Sin is infectious says the ProPrphet Isa. 24. 5. The earth is defiled by the inhabitants thereof which have transgressed the law Our Sins press us down to Hell else the Psalmist had not broke out saying Out of the deep have I cried to thee O Lord Lord hear my voice 130. 1. Sin is the spiritual Death of the Soul So says the Apostle We were sometimes dead in our sins Ephes. 2. 1. By mortal Sin Man loseth his Creator who is the infinite and Incomprehensible Good therefore to be deprived of him is an infinite and incomprehensible Evil. And as the Almighty is the chiefest Good so Sin is the chiefest Evil. V. CALAMITIES and Punishments are not absolutely Evil for many times from them Good is
up freely unto him for he that is unthankful for what he has received is unworthy of receiving more and the Gifts of Heaven cease to descend when the Incense of our Thanks leave off ascending VII WHATEVER happeneth to thee convert it to a good use as in Prosperity bless and praise God and exercise Charity according to thy Ability So in Adversity exercise thy Repentance for what Enormities thou hast committed which thou can'st not but imagine to be the Efficient Cause of what thou sufferest Let Humility keep thy Heart in Subjection that Arrogancy may get no possession of thee Judge God to be a Father for his Clemency Power and Gentleness a Lord for his Discipline Severity and Justice Love him piously as a Father for his Mercy and fear him and trust in him who abhors Sin in the least degree Ever humbly acknowledge thy own Misery but loudly proclaim his Mercy MED VII The Whole Duty of Man Eccles. xii 13. Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the Whole duty of man FEW there are which perform this Lesson which yet should not so much appear our Duty as it ought to be our Delectation He that hath but once acquired the habit of adoring his Maker will assideouslsly confess Religion the highest of Pleasures and that Legislative Power which seems so formidable and disgustful to the World will prove but recreative to his Immortal Soul But alas how little is there of the Royal Prophet's Piety now among us when instead of delighting in God's Law we obliterate it more and are so far distant from meditating in it either Day or Night that we never in the least think or consider of it at all II. 'T IS become a Custom now to Sin with Audacity and a Syllogism of much Valour to exile this timerous Religion or fearing either the Almighty or his Law which he hath given us The Royal Preachers edifying Doctrine is as obsolete and worser than a Paradox a meer Apocrypha and a Heresie to revive it To instruct us in our Duty is to scurrilize the Times whil'st we officiously unhinge Religion and it is no amazing wonder there are such swarms of Atheists but indeed there never was such a time to generate them as now trace Antiquity to its primitive Rise and this Age cannot be parallell'd III. THE World never encreased so much in Sin abominable Sects and disaffected Parties like Colonies new cultivate the Earth Profaneness is grown Hereditary and sprouts out by Propagation so that in process of time Posterity may perhaps become Ethnicks Were the Divine Wisdom and his Promise mutable a Deluge would prove but a slender Penalty We not only sin but exult in it more whil'st some not satisfy'd to be occult and silent Atheists proclaim it aloud and are fierce of acquiring the Reputation as if we could not render our Ingenuity enough without Denying our Maker IV. NO marvel Religion is out of Tune when a Harmony in Ecclesiasticks is wanting or that Christianity bears so faint a Sound when common Morality is not heard And yet it is a Lesson which we cannot learn too well a Tribute we cannot pay too often We owe our Breath to the Bounty of his Hand what Homage then can we better pay than that which by magnifying of him we purchase an Immortal Crown for our selves Tell me ye stupid Chasers of the World what ye aim at in all your Pretences Ye that scoff at Heaven and make Divinity a Garment for Unrighteousness That with the Pharisee embrace Formality for your Religion and make an external Piety your Duty V. ALAS Heaven is not gain'd by pious Fraudulency gilded Crimes or fortunate Transgressions nor the Eye of the Almigty to be deluded with a gaudy Zeal 'T is not a pretended Sanctity that can invest us with Immortality nor a modish Devotion only that will conduct us to Heaven How miserable is he who idolizes the World and embraces that Religion to neglect his Creator Therefore let us make that inquest of the Voice within us and then invoke the Almghty in these or the like Expressions VI. O GREAT Iehovah what did'st thou bestow our Reason on us but to diligently listen unto the Voice of thy Law that the Celestial Rhetorick of thy Word might at least attract from us an ignorant Profaneness Shall Ethnicks that had no other Scope no other Recompence for their Sanctity than some vain Applause or the internal Triumphs of their Spirits for their good Performances outvie us in the Splendours of a Moral Life and we that have sublimer and purer Hopes be scarce Obedient for Thy sake Shall they that are ignorant of Thee be more passionately Just than we that have traced out Heaven and expect Eternity to succeed VII THOUGH it was not in Man's Power to find Thee till Thou did'st reveal Thy Self in a Crucify'd Jesus yet now having so richly and in that Plenitude expressed to us the Treasures of Thy Love shall we not be excited to perform something for Thy Glory Incite us we beseech Thee to consider well the Advantages that are in Thy Service the Felicity that accompanies Obedience and thae Crown which is the Recompence of Faith that so our Affections being mortified unto these fading Objects here Below they may be enliven'd only with Desires after those Eternal Excellencies that are in Thee in Thy Heavenly Kingdom MED VIII The Vanity of the World 1 Joh. ii 15. Love not the world nor the things that are in the world SET not thy Affections upon the World for it shall pass away and all the things that are therein shall be consumed with fire 1 Cor. 7. 31. 2 Pet. 3. 10. Love that Felicity which is Eternal that so thou may'st enjoy it and live for ever Every Creature is subject to Vanity whosoever therefore idolizes the World shall also become vain himself Embrace that Good which is true and stable that thy Heart may be quiet and fixed VVhy doth mundane ambitious Honour delight thee He that seeketh Applause of Men cannot be Honour'd by the Almighty Ioh. 5. 44. For he that chaseth after this VVorld's Vanity must be conformable to it And the Apostle tells ye He that pleaseth men cannot please God Gal. 1. 10. II. HE that is Extoll'd yesterday perhaps to a high degree by the Applauses of Men may be levell'd to morrow by Disâ—race VVhat is mortal Man the better for gaining a Reputation of a greater value than others if he is disesteem'd in the sight of God Our blessed Saviour being sought for to receive a Kingdom fled from it but to be ignominiously Crucified surrendered himself He that despises not the VVorld to follow Christ how will he be qualify'd to lay down his Life for him Therefore there is no passage to true Happiness but by contemning the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked and fading World III. CHRIST that blessed Pattern taught us how we should value the World For if He who is Glory it self rejected
to perceive the Evacuity of those Enjoyments he hath so long rouled himself in to resist the enticing Advantages of Sin and disesteem the glittering Flashes of this Life for that Lustre of Glory Thou wilt impart My God instruct me so to use the World that I forget not Thee Let the Blessings Thou showerest down quicken and encrease not stupifie my Devotion Elevate my Obedience not overwhelm my Thankfulness that so the Follies of the World may become my Derision and the Glories of Heaven my only Ambition that I may never for a fading Fruition in this World hazard both my Soul and thy Saving-Grace together MED XXIV In time of Sickness Mat. viii 2. Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean THIS Prayer was effectual and all Petitions are answer'd by the Almighty if deliver'd with a sincere Faith and a good Assurance Let us now be upon the Grand Inquest Is not Sin a Leprosie Then every Sinner ought to make the same Deprecation He that had been a Spectator of the Leper's Body would not have been amaz'd at his Prayer and yet could he but have inspected his Soul might perhaps have beheld Objects more prodigious and horrible the Corruption of his Blood which had lost its Vigour and proved but an useless help to Nature every part without Vitality by so nauseating a Nutrition instructed his Tongue this necessary though doleful kind of Confident Prayer Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean II. CHRIST whose Bounty and Compassion never fails to demonstrate that the Fountain of his Love was as large as his Power was potent would not reject such a Suit wherein his tender Mercy was so much concern'd and those Members which might have been sooner immers'd than bath'd into a Cure re-assume new Vitality and Complexion by the liberal Bounty of a Touch. Thus the Leper receives a new Body but we read no Lecture of any Operation upon his Immortal Part which perhaps effectually required it But his Successor who was Bed-rid was in a far greater state of Happiness for his Sin and Disease were both healed together III. HOW many be found that like the Leper view no higher than their Corporeal Substance whole Exteriour Part is all their Principles of Religion whil'st the Immortal Part that Spring of Life lies all neglected under Epidemical Infection Our Blood shall enjoy all the Delights that Art can reach or the most Chymical Luxury can extract to supply its Flames whil'st our splendid Part the Divine and Celestial Fire which inspires us lies all extinguish'd and bereft of his Immortal Aliment and can reserve nothing but a dull and hectick Lustre to its Maker IV. THE Anguish of a Limb can attract us to more Devotion in one Hour than all the Concernments of our Souls can produce in a Year and the deformity of the meanest Part will appear an Object of more Disgrace and Dolour to us than those pallid and infernal Forms that attend Sin and disfigure Heaven in us Of all Pestilences this is the grandest and yet least regarded as if Hell were but a Trifle Everlasting Damnation a Pleasure and the Eternal Misery of our Souls a Diversion Shew me that exquisite Beauty that is not Leprous that Innocence which is so perspicuous that it is Immaculate that Pattern of Sanctity which may become a Saint that Infant Man or Woman which is a Stranger unto Sin and then I shall be hold an Amazing Wonder V. DID our curious Veins excell the fragrant Violet whose Odour perfumes the Chymistry of the Air the Dew of the blushing Morn Were our Ancestor Adam's Sin an Alien to our crimson Blood and the Day of our Nativity as perspicuuous as the splendidst Morn immaculate as the new-blown Rose yet the Pollution of our irregular Lives would soon discipline us in this Prayer and the blackness of our occultest Thoughts would silently proclaim our own Deformity and be ready to join with the Leper in this Petition Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean VI. AND yet was there not to be found in those Days a Generation of Vipers that were righteous and clean in their own Eyes that justify'd themselves in their own Impurity and reckon'd all the World but Lepers to them Was not the lofty Pharisee a greater Leper than the poor Publicane though so ambitiously he display'd his proud Plumes His soaring Pride carrry'd more contagious Infection along with it than the other Persons Sins could e'er pretend too He that trusts to the Merit of his own Illustration may infallibly lose Heaven and those Eternal Joys which an humble Assurance doth procure VII O LORD though I am not so vile as some yet I am so vile in my own Eyes that the Leper here is a Pattern of Perfection to my imperfect Soul Lazarus's Corps a Perfume to my ulcerated Heart yet were I far more impotent and fractured than the poor Cripple of Bethesda more spotted with Leprosie than the Nine Unthankful Lepers which were cleansed whose Ingratitude was more odious than their Disease were those Legions of Infernal Spirits ejected by Thy Sacred Word infused in me and were I as execrable as Satan could wish to make me yet I know Thy Paternal Goodness and I do not despond of Thy Almighty Power for Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean MED XXV Upon Death Rom. vi 21. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end of those things is death SINCE Sin must be destroyed who then would make choice of that for his Felicity which shall perish with himself whose End is not only Death but Hell and will be his Destruction not only now but hereafter Indeed were there no hopes that our Reliques should resuscitate again or the Ruines of our Frame resurrect to a politer Shape we might well plunge our selves in Enjoyments here and fix our Felicity in delectable Pleasures Every Person might then be tollerated without Sin to become an Epicure and he that could project new Modes of Luxry would not only pass for being Ingenious but be esteem'd Fortunate II. GOOD Morality would appear all Vice and yet Vice it self would be held no more a Crime but our Happiness not to be Lavish then were a Sin against Nature and he that excelled in Brutality would be render'd most Rational Legal Proceedings would then be a grand Enemy to Humanity there could be no Sociableness but in Confusion and were there no Heaven nor Hell we should pleasantly mingle to a Chaos and obey no other discipline but Riot every Person might then be Atheistical without Scandal To be without the Almighty and his Grace in the World would be render'd no Misfortune for then every Man might depend upon his own Merits without Blasphemy III. Could they which inhabit the Earth die like Bruits and Animals and revive no more the Hopes of not being Damn'd would be a greater Comfort than the Delights of Sin But alas he that enters the Grave now