upbraiding them for the injuries they have done us that we may have cause to believe probably speaking they will become our Friends but if not let us not be discouraged from forgiving them as oft as they offend as we hope God will forgive us farre greater offences let us in all things endeavour to doe our Duties and leave the successe to God As for the second part of our Charity Commiserating and relieving our brethren in distresse God will reward it plentifully in this World and in the world to come infinitely with a Go ye blessed c. as we find in Scripture besides the great satisfaction which must necessarily arise to any good-natur'd man to be the occasion of doing good with small Gifts so much to revive and rejoyce the disconsolate spirits of suffering persons The Italian poor man sayes Sir doe good to your self and bestow something on me and certainly if truely considered we doe ourselves more good then those we relieve XXX IT hath pleased God heavily to afflict my extraordinary Friends in depriving them of their onely Son Leves loquuntur Ingentes stupent God intends this as a great trial of the Patience and Piety of the Parents now God calls upon them to rein their Wills to his readily and contentedly without excessive sinfull Lamentation not to grieve as without hope they may goe to him he cannot come to them Let them consider Heaven is the best Inheritance God hath given them his Son to redeem them from their sins and the just punishment of them therefore certainly 't is their Duty and I hope and believe it is their Inclinations not to repine that God hath taken away their Son from the Evil to come Let them be comforted that he died of a natural Disease not occasioned by vicious Disorder but departed penitently willingly submitting to the Will of God as I pray we may all doe at all times both living and dying All things work for good to those that love God together if not singly every individual thing yet jointly if we love God And because it was the will of the good God it was better so then if it had been otherwise All good Christians wisely acquiesce in God's Providence he knows what is best for us I hope God may restore to them his Blessings as he did to his Servant Job with a great increase if not let them remember the blessed Angels have no Off-spring XXXI WE can never be enough thankfull to God for his Mercies to us especially for that Great transcendent one the Mercy of all Mercies in sending his Son to die for us to redeem us from the Slavery of Sin that we may live and not die eternally that we may live happily here and hereafter In the Obedience of his Commands is great delight They that are of a contrary opinion it is because they are unexperienced in his service in whose Service is perfect Freedome For to obey Sin and the Lusts of the Flesh is the greatest Vassalage in the world and he is a greater man who subdues his vile Affections then if he were a victorious Conqueror over all the World For God doth not account of us by our outward Greatness but by our inward Goodnesse All humane Greatnesse however idolized by worldly men is a Pageantry and a mere Representation acted upon the Theatre of the World which quickly disappears and the Scene si changed and withdrawn when the Play is done Farther to advance the Mercies of God to us Let us consider God might have commanded us to have sacrificed an Isaac to have lived all the time of our lives in painfull and vexatious Trouble exercising our selves in Acts contrary to our natural and reasonable appetites and yet after an Obedience to such seeming severe commands for an hundred years or more if he should give us Heaven at last we had great reason to be thankfull But now on the contrary he onely commands us to live chastly and temperately not to deceive our Neighbours but to love them as our selves to keep up a good report to endeavour to doe all the good we can and to refrain from evil to forgive our Enemies and not to be of contentious natures but as much as lies in us to live peaceably with all men which Commands if we endeavour to conform to it will conduce to a temporall as well as an eternall Felicity When we digresse from such Rules given us by our great Law-giver we find sad effects as consequential Punishments of our Disobedience as Losse of Reputation many ill Casualties and Diseases many times hastening our end by vicious Excesses These Inconveniences to a rational and considering person were sufficient if there were no higher to deterre him from evil practices XXXII I Being sick and under some dejection of spirit opening my Bible to see what place I could first light upon which might administer Comfort to me casually I fixed upon the Sixth of Hosea the first three verses are these 1. Come let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will bind us up 2. After two days he will revive us the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight 3. Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord his going forth is prepared in the morning and he shall come unto us as the Rain as the latter and former Rain unto the Earth I am willing to decline Superstition upon all occasions yet think my self obliged to make this use of such a providentiall place of Scripture First by hearty repenting me of my sins past Secondly by sincere reformation for the time to come desiring to turn from the evil of my ways to serve the living God that so long as he spares me life I may live as in his sight and presence XXXIII Upon the 29th day of May THis day is an Holiday a day of Congratulation upon a double account First of the King's Birth Secondly of his Restauration The first was great cause of rejoycing That so Brave a Prince was born the Heir apparent to three great Kingdomes and an universal Joy to all good Subjects He was an high Blessing to the Excellent Monarch his Father and to his sweet and Pious Consort Daughter of the Great Henry the IVth of France The second was the greatest That his Majesty after so much unjust Suffering and Banishment by his Father's Murtherers and his Rebellious Subjects should by the miraculous Providence of God Almighty be restored to his own Dominions by the unanimous Consent of all his Subjects nemine contradicente without the effusion of one drop of bloud These so transcendent Mercies to so distressed a Nation ought to be had in continual remembrance Our thankfulnesse to God Almighty and our Serving him ought to be in some measure proportionable to our Mercies nor ought we to provoke him to wrath by our Sins as we have done which God grant we
be granted let us raise our Meditations higher and consider how advantageous it will be for us to meditate of the God of Nature to advance his Glory expressing our Love to him by singing his praises while we have a being here which is the delight and employment of Beatified Souls to all Eternity II. LEt us consider why so many of us so often miscarry in the Designs and actions of this Life even when we have most confidence and assurance The Reason is very obvious We place too much trust in secondarie Causes and in the son of man whose breath is in his nostrils but in the beginning of every enterprise neglect to implore the Divine assistance and wholly to rely upon his Wisdome with an humble and dutifull acquiescence in his will whether he shall please to blast our purposes or to prosper the action God knowing what is better for us then we do for our selves If so we are sure our Designs and endeavours will be successfull or we shall have as much reason to be satisfied as if they were being free from all repining murmuring thoughts because we submit to his Providence who is the sole disposer of all persons actions and times which is the happy priviledge as well as duty of a Christian. III. O Lord I confesse because I slept unquietly the last night being troubled with melancholick Dreams and found my body indisposed this morning I was more discomposed in my mind then when I have wilfully offended thy Divine Majestie by sinning against thee thus sinfully preferring the health of my Body before the quiet and tranquillity of my Soul perishing things before eternal I beseech God to forgive me this and all other my offences and for the time to come give me grace that I may be but little concerned for my Body making it my great interest as it ought to be to take care for the eternal welfare of my Soul which is best secured by a good imployment of my Time and Talent looking upon it not onely as the Design and businesse of my life but to be my greatest pleasure and delight to doe thee service in whose service is perfect freedome Amen IV. O Lord how short and momentany is this Life in respect of Eternity and yet what great care do we take to provide for the things of this Life as if all our Eternity were here and not hereafter However we must look upon Death which is natural and must come it may be to morrow as the greatest Good to us which is to be desired or as the greatest Evil to be feared Fear it we may but we cannot avoid it and therefore it is in vain to be transported with a foolish fear which disquieteth our thoughts but no way secures us from what we fear but by arming against it which thus a good Christian ought to do To arme himself by putting on the Breast-plate of Righteousnesse and flying for Sanctuary to him who hath had victorie over death by a lively Faith in his Merits Then the King of Terrors cannot be able to hurt us but will doe us great service in giving us a passage to the enjoyment of a blessed Immortality where we shall enjoy rest and ease and happinesse unspeakable such as Ear hath not heard nor Eye hath seen neither hath it entred into the Heart of man to conceive To which place God of his mercy bring us for his sake who hath so dearly bought us our blessed Saviour Christ Jesus Amen V. MY Soul and Body are two great Friends having been Companions many years and therefore are unwilling to part But let us consider Friends are most sad who fear when they are parting they shall never meet more But O my Soul 't is certain at the last day there must be a conjunction between thee and my Body though you part for a season yet when you meet again after this life you shall never part more Therefore be not dejected to separate when the Body dies which must of necessity be according to the inevitable decree of Nature nay of the God of Nature but be careful so to demean your selves while you both live together here that you may both part willingly and meet joyfully hoping for a blessed Immortality which God of his infinite mercy grant for Christ Jesus his sake Amen VI. IT is said of Plutarch that he should say of himself It were better there had never been such a man as Plutarch then that they should justly report him unmercifull and unjust It was a worthy saying of an heathen and might well become the meditation of a Christian. There are many who go under the notion and profession of Christians few are really such comparatively but better were it we never were born then that we should be Christians onely in profession not in practice having a Form of Godliness but denying the Power of it in our lives and conversations For then we have cause to fear the pronouncing of the sad Sentence Go ye cursed c. for we have but little hopes of finding Christ our Saviour at our Deaths if we do not own him for a Sovereign while we live VII IT is reported in story of a great Politician at Rome That he made it his whole Design for many years to secure the election of his intimate Friend to the Popedome after the death of the present Pope who was very aged and having for some considerable time impatiently expected an happy issue to his so much desired hopes the Pope dies his Friend succeeds Now he accounts himself a happy man It is but ask and have of what is within the Pope's power and this is confirmed to him by a solemn promise from the mouth of his Holinesse But mark the unhappy issue Whilst our Politician is considering what places of Honour or Profit will be most gratefull to his Ambitious mind his Friend the Pope dies too and he finds all his endeavours are rendred fruitlesse Upon the news of his death he vainly laments his losse and says it was not in his power to secure himself against such a misfortune Thus it fares very often with the men of the World who put their trust and confidence in Princes and in the Son of man whose breath is in his nostrils If we wholly rely upon our earthly Friends when they die we lose our expectation of what advantage their friendship and kindnesse can afford us But if we rely upon God and secure him to be our Friend he will comfort us when our Friends fail when they die he can raise us new ones he will be our Friend when we have most need of him not onely in our lives but at our Deaths and continue so to all eternity O what an unspeakable honour and happinesse is it to gain God to be our Friend even the highest frail man is capable of It is our greatest Concern to make Friendship with the Almighty Was it not a great honour for Abraham the Father of the
care lest while they inrich themselves with worldly Treasure they neglect to labour after the gaining eternal Riches If so at the last they will be accounted unwise Merchants who have been guilty of a foolish Exchange losing their own Souls for drosse and perishing dung For what shall a man give in exchange of his Soul Lose that and lose all It was the saying of a pious Minister Mr Dod that no man was undone untill he was damned Losse of temporal Goods Liberty nay Life it self may be gain to us if we suffer for Conscience sake taking up Christ's crosse But he is lost without Redemption who loseth his Soul XV. IT is a constant custome among Merchants at Sea that when they apprehend their Ship much indangered by a violent Storm for fear their Ship should be overladen and that the Goods in her should occasion the sinking they fling them over-board hoping by this means to preserve their Ship and what is more precious the Lives of the Mariners and Passengers I wish we were as spiritually wise that we had a discerning spirit when our Souls are in danger of being overset by the wealth and cares and pleasures of this World that we may be more willing then the Merchant at sea to part with these earthly Goods lest they should indanger the sinking our Souls in the bottomlesse pit of perdition I pray God we may make a just distinction between Earthly and Heavenly Riches momentany and eternal that we may esteem Godlinesse the greatest gain and not make gain of the pretension of Godlinesse Amen XVI IT is reported of the Primitive Christians that when by a strict Edict of an Emperor they were prohibited to meet and assemble together in their publick Worship and Devotions they obeyed the Command Though they were troubled at the Imposition yet they esteemed it their Duty to obey the Authority God had set over them in all things wherein they did no violence to their Consciences which in this they were free from for they were still allowed to serve God in their private houses and retirements This Liberty ought to satisfie the Dissenters from the Church of England in case no other shall be permitted them by the Supreme Authority for though I have been and shall alwaies be willing to promote so far as lawfully I may Indulgence to all honest peaceable men of what Perswasion so ever so farre as is consistent with publick safety yet untill the King shall be pleased to give libertie for several distinct meetings it is the Duty in my opinion of all His Majestie 's Subjects to obey His Proclamations prohibiting their Meetings and most agreeable to Christian Principles XVII IT is a Poeticall fiction of Erasmus that he hung when dead between Heaven and Hell There are many men when alive appear to hang between Heaven and Hell Some faint desires they have tending towards Heaven at the same time their evil inclinations and actions carry them into the paths that lead to Hell and destruction They are long in suspense which way to take the narrow or the broad path but by not chusing the first they must necessarily fall into the last In the waies of Goodnesse whose paths are pleasantnesse non progredi est regredi they that proceed not forward must go backward Many who have had good resolutions may be now in Hell He that resolves to goe a journey is never the nearer performing it by intending it if he does not go the journey I pray God give us to will and to doe of his good pleasure XVIII A Good man should have no other exception against the Shortnesse of our lives but this that there is so little time for us to enumerate God's Blessings and Providences and to return him thanks for all his Mercies and Benefits which he from time to time so largely and liberally hath bestowed upon us who deserve not the least of them It ought not to afflict us that our time is so short to recreate our senses and delight our selves in sensual injoyments for this is a cause of joy While we live here either through wilfulnesse or humane frailty we shall offend God who hath been so gracious to us but the time is at hand when at the period of our days there will be a period set to our sinning all Tears shall be wiped from our Eyes and we shall sin and sorrow no more XIX IT is said of a wicked man who dies full of years Diu fuit non vixit He hath been a great while upon the face of the Earth but he hath not lived at all for we should onely account that living which is to God-ward the other being but a dead life he is dead while he is yet alive Happy are we if we die to sin and live to righteousness if we so live in this World that we may not die eternally walking with God truly fearing him and obediently loving him not with a servile love but with a filial not worshipping him as the Parthians do the Devil that he should doe them no hurt but because the love of Christ constrains us 2 Cor. 5. 14. for a true Christian loves Christ more then he fears Hell XX. IT is reported of a Florentine that upon his Death-bed he sent for his Children and told them It comforted him very much in his dying condition that he should leave them rich He had indeed reason to thank God that he was inabled to leave to them good fortunes which they might by God's grace imploy to his Glory and their good but he had much greater cause of rejoycing if he could truely have said As for me and my familie we have constantly served the Lord our God And therefore my dear Children I hope both my self when my life is ended and you all in good time after me shall be partakers of those joyes which God hath out of his abundant mercy prepared for them that love him XXI IT was the constant Principle and Practice of the Primitive Christians to resist their Tyrant-Governors as well as others with no other weapons but preces lacrymae Prayers and Tears I wish no other Armes of late years or at any time had been made use of against our lawfull Kings Charles the First of blessed memory had not then been murthered before his own Doors dying the Martyr of his People and made the more glorious by the infamie of so many unparallel'd Villanies All Principles contrary to this of Obedience to Magistrates may be condemned as inconsistent with Piety and Policy With Piety for the Precepts and Example of our Blessed Saviour and his Apostles teach us other Doctrines with Policy for if we allow that a Prince is to be resisted in any case every Factious party who can get armes into their hands will pretend that to be the cafe when-ever they have a mind to incite the People to rebel though as contrary as Light is to Darknesse for 't is too easy as late experience
hath demonstrated to delude the people under specious pretences and upon this Maxime no Kingdome or Common-wealth is safe XXII A Painter who was esteemed a good Artist being asked why he painted so slowly he answered Pingo aeternitati I paint for eternity If we did consider our Eternity of happinesse or miserie depends upon the well or ill spending our time here we should then take greater care of our actions and not hastily doe amisse XXIII WE are not naturally apt to content our selves here in this World with any one constant place or the same company We find no perfect contentment in any of our setled affairs and therefore we indeavour to find it in variety but all in vain Onely this use we may make of it Let us consider with our selves the things of this World may satiate us cannot satisfie what appertains to a better life may satisfie us and not satiate Therefore being our Souls are of such immortal capacities as not to be contented with nor confined to terrestrial things let us make it our great design to provide for the eternal Felicity of our Souls XXIV EDe bibe lude post mortem nulla voluptas inquit Epicurus This is the vulgar Tradition concerning Epicurus and yet it cannot be proved that he ever said or writ any such thing totidem verbis onely in effect he said it for he denied the Immortality of the Soul and consequently every one is by that Position left at liberty to doe as he pleases si post mortem nulla voluptas Thus if many of us were to be judged of by our practices many abominable Principles would be layd to our charge which in words and outward profession we wholly disown and detest But what a deplorable thing is it that there should be such contrariety between our Opinions and our Actions that the latter should give the first the lie which we account a word of greatest disgrace and reproach to us if given by another and yet contentedly and frequently we give it our selves XXV PRaedicat vivâ voce qui praedicat vitâ voce He preaches with a loud voice who preaches with his Life and Voice That Minister whose Life is in good measure proportionable to his Doctrine prevails much with his Auditory and converts many Souls otherwise the people are apt to say 'T is true he preaches well but why should I believe him who does not appear to credit himself for he says one thing and practises another And if we condemn this in a Preacher we must not approve it in our selves The moral Heathens will rise up in judgment against us at the great Day if we shall rely upon a bare Form and outward profession of Godlinesse but deny the Power of it in our lives and conversations for to whom much is given of them much is required It was a wise saying of a natural Fool when he lay upon his Death-bed Lord require no more of me then thou hast given me Let this be remembred to humble the wise men Many have been the wise sayings of Fools but not so many as the foolish actions of Wise men XXVI IT is reported in storie of a great Emperor who had made large promises that when his faith was suspected because his Predecessors had broke theirs so frequently he replied That if faith and truth were no-where else to be found but in his breast there they should remain This I am well assured may without flattery be justly applied to our gracious Sovereign CHARLES the Second whom I beseech God to blesse with a long and happy Reign His sweet obliging mild disposition is more agreeable to the English temper then to any Nation whatsoever our Climate being so justly famed for producing in all Ages so many good-natured people What the Emperor said of himself every one in particular ought to make applicable and not to follow the Generality who constantly doe amisse and thus argue Tell not me what vain fashions or customes others follow how perfidious they are in their promises I will keep my word and doe my duty leaving the successe to the wise Disposer of all things endeavouring to walk unblameably both in the sight of God and men XXVII IT is reported of the Lacedemonians that they had this fond Ceremony at the Death of their Kings That all both men and women mangled their Foreheads and in their Lamentations cried out that their deceased King how wicked soever he were was the best Prince they ever had In all times there want not some or other who will praise those that are great and in power giving them high applauses for their Vertues and deserts though they be never so deformed with the Leprosy of Vicious enormities but such servile spirits will be despised by good men nay at last abominated even by those they so unworthily flatter and shall receive one of the Punishments of Liars which is Not to be believed when they speak truth XXVIII HOnesty is the best Policy it is simple and innocent like a true Story or Narrative natural and easy that needs no defence and a good Conscience is a continual Feast He that in all his actions deals plainly and honestly gains such a reputation that all persons both believe him and believe well of him and therefore in all the affairs of the World he meets with many friends and chearful assistances whereas those that have used great artifices to deceive and undermine are soon found out seldome trusted We have an English Proverb to this purpose Once a Knave and alwaies suspected If any of the most vertuous gentlest mildest and fairest Sex shall by any act of great Immodesty and Indiscretion expose themselves to the just censure of the World it will be difficult to recover their fame lost by after-acts of Sobriety and Modesty but this should not discourage any to attempt it but the best way is to preserve a good Conscience which is a Feast prepared for us by the God of Heaven to be fed on at all times and in all conditions it is introductive of the Peace of God which is an happinesse so great that it passeth humane under standing and is a blessing of a vast magnitude such as the World can neither give to us nor take from us when God in mercy has afforded it to us When a man's ways please God he makes his very enemies to be at peace with him so that many times their hearts being turned they perform offices of friendship and great kindnesse to us XXIX OUr Christian Charity which consisteth partly in forgiving our Enemies returning good for evil and partly in giving to all who are the objects of Charity more especially to those of the houshold of Faith is not onely a Charity to them but our selves too The first part being devested from any vindicative spirit is the most lawfull and most politick way of Revenge the Holy Writ saies it is an heaping Coals of Fire upon their heads so justly