before the Holy Ghost proceeding from both This Order serues to set forth vnto vs two things first the manner how the Trinitie worketh in their externall actions as that the Father worketh of himselfe by the Sonne and the holy Ghost the Sonne from the Father by the holy Ghost the holy Ghost from the Father and the Sonne Secondly to distinguish the first and immediate beginning from vvhich those externall and common action do flow Hence it is that for as much as the Father is the fountaine and originall of the Trinitie the beginning of all externall working the Name of God in relation and the title of Creator in the Creede are giuen in a speciall manner to the Father Our Redemption to the Sonne and our Sanctification to the person of the Holy Ghost as the immediate agents of these actions And this also is the cause why the Sonne as he is Mediator referreth all things to the Father not to the Holy Ghost and that the Scripture so often saith that we are reconciled to the Father This diuine order or oeconomie excepted there is neyther first nor last neyther superioritie nor inferioritie among the three Persons but for Nature they are coessentiall for Dignitie coequall for Time coeternall The whole diuine Essence is in euery one of the three Persons but it was incarnated onely in the second Person of the Word and not in the Person of the Father or of the Hâ—ly Ghost for three reasons First that GOD the Father might the rather set forth the greatnesse of his loue to Mankinde in giuing his first and onely begotten Son to be incarnated and to suffer death for mans saluation Secondly that hee vvho was in his Diuinitie the Son of GOD should be in his Humanitie the Sonne of Man lest the name of Sonne should passe vnto another vvho by his eternall natiuitie was not the Sonne Thirdly because it vvas meetest that that Person who is the substantiall Image of his eternal Father should restore in vs the spirituall Image of GOD which we had lost In the Incarnation the God-head was not turned into the Man-hood nor the Man-hood into the God-head but the God-head as it is the second Person or Word assumed vnto it the Man-hood that is the whole nature of man body and soule and all the naturall properties and infirmities therof sinne excepted The second Person tooke not vpon him the Person of man but the Nature of man So that the humane nature hath no personall subsistence of it owne for then there should be two Persons in Christ but it subsisteth in the Word the second Person for as the soule and body makes but one Person of Man so the God-head and Man-hood makes but one Person of Christ. The two natures of the God-head and Man-hood are so really vnited by a Personall vnion that as they can neuer be separated asunder so are they not confounded but remaine still distinguished by their seuerall and essentiall proprieties which they had before they were vnited As for example the infinitâ—nesse of the Diuine is not communicated to the humanâ— nature nor the finitenesse of the Humane to the Diuine nature Yet by reason of this personall vnion there is such a communion of the proprieties of both natures that that which is proper to the one is sometimes attributed to the other Nature As that God purchased the Church with his owne bloud And that he will iudge the world by that man whom he hath appointed Hence also it is that though the Humanitie of Christ be a created and therefore a finite and limited nature and cannot be euery where present by actuall position or locall extension according to his naturall being yet because it hath communicated vnto it the personall subsistence of the Sonne of God which is infinite and without limitation and is so vnited with God that it is no where seuered from God the body of Christ in respect of his personall being may rightly bee said to be euery where 3 The Actions by which the three Persons be distinguished THe Actions are of two sorts either Eternall respecting the Creatures and those are after a sort common to euery one of the three Persons or Internall respecting the Persons onely amongst themselues and are altogether incommunicable The Externall and communicable Actions of the three Persons are these The creation of the World peculiarly belonging to God the Father The redemption of the Church to God the Sonne And the sanctification of the Elect to God the holy Ghost But because the Father created and still gouerneth the World by the Sonne in the holy Ghost therefore these external actions are indifferently in Scripture oftentimes ascribed to each of the three Persons and therefore called communicable and diuided Actions The Internall and incommunicable Actions or proprieties of the three Persons are these 1 To beget and that belongeth onely to the Father who is neither made created nor begotten of any 2 To be begotten and that belongeth only to the Sonne who is of the Father alone not made nor created but begotten 3 To proceede from both and that belongeth onely to the holy Ghost who is of the Father and the Sonne neither made created nor begotten but proceeding So that when wee say that the diuine essence is in the Father vnbegotten in the Sonne begotten and in the Holy Ghost proceeding wee make not three Essences but onely shew the diuers maners of subsisting by which the same most simple eternall vnbegotteÌ„ Essence subsisteth in each Person namely that it is not in the Father by generation that it is in the Sonne communicated from the father by generation and in the holy Ghost communicated from both the Father and the Sonne by proceeding These are incommunicable Actions and doe make not an Essentiall accidental or rationall but a reall distinction betwixt the three Persons So that he who is the Father in the Trinity is not the Son he who is the Son in the Trinity is not the Father hee who is the holy Ghost in the Trinity is neither the Sonne nor the Father but the Spirit proceeding from both though there is but one and the same Essence common to all three As therefore wee beleeue that the Father is God the Sonne is God and the holy Ghost is God so we likewise beleeue that God is the Father God is the Sonne and God is the holy Ghost But by reason of this reall distinction the Person of the one is not nor neuer can be the person of the other The three Persons therefore of the Godhead doe not differ from the Essence but formally but they differ really one from an other and so are distinguished by their hypostaticall proprieties As the Father is God begetting God the Sonne the Sonne is God begotten of God the Father and the holy Ghost is God
qualities but the same still in substance And howsoeuer sinne and corruption makes a man in this state of mortality lower then Angels yet surely when God shall thus Crowne him with glory and honour I cannot see how man shall be any thing inferiour to Angels For are they Spirits So is Man also in respect of his soule yea more then this they shall haue also a spirituall Body Fashioned like vnto the glorious body of the Lord Iesus Christ in whom mans nature is exalted by a personall vnion into the glory of the Godhead and indiuiduall society of the blessed Trinity An honor which he neuer vouchsafed Angels And in this respect man hath a prerogatiue aboue them Nay they are but spirits appointed to be ministers vnto the Elect and as many of them who at the first disdained this office and would not keep their first standing were for their pride hurled into hell This lesseneth not the dignity of Angels but extols the greatnesse of Gods loue to Mankinde But as for all the Elect who at that second and sodaine comming of Christ shall be found quicke and liuing The fire that shall burne vp the corruption of the world and the workes therein shall in a moment in the twinkling of an eye ouertake them as it findes them either grinding in the mill of prouision or walking in the fields of pleasure or lying in the bed of ease and so burning vp their drosse and corruption of mortall make them immortall bodies and this change shall be vnto them in stead of death Then shall the Soule with ioyfulnesse greete her body saying Oh well met againe my deare sister How sweet is thy voice how comely is thy countenance hauing lyen hid so long in the clifts of the rockes and in the secret places of the graue Thou art indeed an habitation fit not onely for me to dwell in but such as the Holy Ghost thinkes meete to reside in as his Temple for euer The Winter of our affliction is now past the storme of our misery is blowne ouer and gone The Bodies of our Elect Brethren appeare more glorious then the Lilly flowers on the earth the time of singing Halleluâ—ah is come and the voyce of the Trumpet is heard in the Land Thou hast beene my Yoâ—ke-fellow in the Lords labours and companion in persecutions and wrongs for Christ and his Gospels sake now shall we enter together into our Masters ioy as thou hast borne with mee the crosse so shalt thou now weare with mee the Crowne as thou hast with mee sowed plenteously in teares so shalt thou reape with mee aboundantly in ioy O blessed aye blessed be that GOD who vvhen yonder reprobates spent their whole time in Pride fleshly lusts eating drinking and profane vanities gaue vs grace to ioyne together in watching fasting praying reading the Scriptures keeping his Sabboths hearing Sermons receiuing the holy Communion relieuing the Poore exercising in all humilitie the workes of Pietie to God and vvalking conscionably in the duties of our calling towards men Thou shalt anone heare no mention of thy sinnes for they are remitted and couered but euery good worke vvhich thou hast done for the Lords sake shall be rehearsed and rewarded Cheere vp thy heart for thy Iudge is flesh of thy flesh and bone of thy bone Lift vp thy head behold these glorious Angels like so many Gabriels flying towards vs to tell vs that the day of our Redemption is come and to conuey vs in the clouds to meete our Redeemer in the Ayre Loe they are at hand arise therefore my Doue my Loue my faire One and come away and so like Roes or young Harts they runne with Angels towards Christ ouer the trembling mountaines of Bâ—ther 6 Both quicke and dead being thus reuiued and glorified shall forth-with by the ministery of Gods holy Angels be gathered from all the quarters and parts of the world and caught vp together in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Ayre and so shall come with him as a part of his glorious traine to iudge the Reprobates and euill Angels The twelue Apostles shall sit vpon twelue Thrones next Christ to iudge the twelue Tribes who refused to heare the Gospell preached by their Ministerie And all the Saints in honour and order shall stand next vnto them as Iudges also to iudge the euill Angels and earthly-minded men And as euery of them receiued grace in this life to be more zealous of his glory and more faithfull in his Seruice then others so shall their glory and reward be greater then others in that day The place whither they shall be gathered vnto Christ and where Christ shal sit in Iudgement shall be in the Ayre ouer the valley of Iehosaphat by mount Oliuet neere vnto Ierusalem East-ward from the Temple as it is probable for foure reasons 1 Because the holy Scripture seemes to intimate so much in plaine wordes I will gather all Nations into the valley of Iehosaphat and pleade with them there Cause thy mightie ones to come downe O Lord let the Heathen be wakened and come vp to the valley of Iehosaphat for there will I sit to iudge all the Heathen round about Iehosaphat signifieth the Lord will iudge And this valley was so called from the great victory vvhich the LORD gaue Iehosaphat and his people ouer the Ammonites Miabites and Inhabitants of Mount Seir. Which victory was a Type of the finall victory which Christ the supreame Iudge shall giue his Elect ouer all their Enemies in that place at the last day as all the Iewes interprete it See Zach. 14.4 5. Psal. 51.1.2 c. all agreeing that the place shall be thereabouts 2 Because that as Christ was there-abouts crucified and put to open shame so ouer that place his glorious Throne should be erected in the Ayre when hee shall appeare in Iudgement to manifest his Maiestie and glory for it is meete that Christ should in that place iudge the world with righteous Iudgement where he himselfe was vniustly iudged and condemned 3 Because that seeing the Angels shall be sent to gather together the Elect from the foure windes from one end of heauen to the other It is most probable that the place whither they shall be gathered to shall be neere Ierusalem and the valley of Iehosaphat which Cosmographers describe to be in the middest of the superficies of the Earth I the termini a quibus be the foure parts of the World the terminus ad quem must be about the Center 4 Because the Angels tolde the Disciples that as they saw Christ ascend from Mount Oliuet which is ouer the valley of Iehosaphat so hee shall in like maner come downe from Heauen This is the opinion of Aquinas and all the Schoolemen except Lombard and Alexander Hales 7 Lastly when Christ is set in his glorious
through Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour Amen After euery meale be carefull of thy selfe and Familie as Iob was for himselfe and his Children Iob 1.4 least that in the chearefulnesse of eating and drinking some speech hath slipped out which might be eyther offensiue to God or iniurious to Man And therefore with the like comely gesture and reuerence giue thankes vnto God and pray in this manner BLessed be thy holy name O Lord our GOD for these thy good benefits wherewith thou hast so plentifully at this time refreshed our bodies O Lord vouchsafe likewise to feede our soules with the spirituall foodâ— of thy holy Word and spirit vnto life euerlasting Lord defend and saue thy vvhole Church our gracious King Queene our Noble Prince the Prince Palatine of Rhene and the Lady Elizabeth his Wife Forgiue vs our sinnes and vnthankefulnesse passe by our manifold infirmities make vs all mindfull of our last ends and of the reckoning that wee are to make to thee therein And in the meane while grant vnto vs health peace and truth in Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour Or thus BLessed be thy holy name O Lord for these thy good benefits vvherewith thou hast refreshed vs at this time Lord forgiue vs all our sinnes and frailties saue defend thy whole Church our King Queene and royall posteritie and grant vs health peace and truth in Christ our onely Sauiour Amen Or thus WE giue thee thanks O heauenly Father for feeding our bodies so gratiously with thy good Creatures to this temporall life beseeching thee likewise to feede our soules with thy holy Word vnto life euerlasting Defend O Lord thine vniuersall Church the King Queene and their royall Posteritie and graunt vs continuance of thy grace and mercy in Christ our onely Sauiour Amen The Practise of Pietie at Euening At euening when the due time of repairing to rest approacheth call together againe all thy Family Reade a Chapter in the same manner that was prescribed in the morning Then in the holy imitation of our Lord and his Disciples sing a Psalme But in singing of Psalmes eyther after Supper or at any other time obserue these Rules Rules to be obserued in singing of Psalmes 1 BEware of singing diuine Psalmes for an ordinary recreation as doe men of impure spirits vvho sing holy Psalmes intermingled with prophane Ballads They are Gods word take them not in thy mouth in vaine 2 Remember to sing Dauids Psalmes with Dauids spirit 3 Practise Saint Pauls rule I will sing with the spirit but I will sing with the vnderstanding also 4 As you sing vncouer your heads and behaue your selues in comely reuerence as in the sight of God singing to God in Gods owne words But be sure that the matter makes more melodie in your hearts then the Musicke in your eares for the singing with a grace in our hearts is that which the Lord is delighted withall according to that olde verse Non vox sed votum non musica chordula sed cor Non clamans sed amans psallit in aure Dei T' is not the voyce but vow Sound hart not sounding string True zeale not outward show That in Gods eare doth ring 5 Thou maist if thou thinke good sing all the Psalmes ouer in order for all are most diuine and comfortable But if thou vvilt chuse some speciall Psalmes as more fit for some times and purposes and such as by the oft vsage thy people may the easilier commit to memorie Then sing In the Morning Psal. 3.5.16.22.144 In the Euening Psal. 4.127.141 For mercy after a sinne committed 51.103 In sicknesse or heauinesse Psal. 6.13.88.90 91.137.146 When thou art recouered Psal. 30.32 On the Sabbath day Psal. 19.92.95 In time of ioy Psal. 80.98.107.136.145 Before Sermon Psal. 1.12.147 The 1. and 5. Part of the 119. After Sermon any Psalme which concerneth the chiefe argument of the Sermon At the Communion Psal. 22.23.103.111.113 For spirituall solace Psal. 15.19.25.46.67.112.116 After wrong and disgrace receiued Psal. 42.69.70.140.144 After the Psalme all kneeling downe in reuerend manner as is before described let the Father of the Familie or the chiefest in his absence pray thus Euening Prayer for a Familie O Eternall GOD and most graciour Father wee thine vnworthy Seruants here assembled doe cast downe our selues at the foote-stoole of thy grace acknowledgeing that wee haue inherited our Fathers corruption and actually in thought word and deed transgressed all thy holy commandements So that in vs naturally there dwelleth nothing that is good for our hearts are full of secret pride anger impatiency dissembling lying lust vanity prophanenesse distrust too much loue of our selues and the world too little loue of thee and thy Kingdome but empty and voide of faith loue patience and euery spirituall grace If thou therefore shouldest but enter into iudgement with vs and search out our naturall corruptions and obserue all the cursed fruits and effects that we haue deriued from thence Satan might iustly challenge vs for his owne and wee could not expect any thing from thy Maiestie but thy wrath and our condemnation which we haue long agoe deserued But good Father for Iesus Christ thy deare Sonnes sake in whom onely thou art well pleased and for the merits of that bitter death and bloody passion which wee beleeue that he hath suffered for vs haue mercy vpon vs pardon and forgiue vs all our sinnes and free vs from the shame and confusion which are due vnto vs for them that they may neuer seaze vpon vs to our confusion in this life nor to our condemnation in the world which is to come And forasmuch as thou hast created vs to serue thee as all other creatures to serue vs so wee beseech thee inspire thy holy Spirit into our hearts that by his illumination and effectuall working we may haue the inward sight and feeling of our sinnes and naturall corruptions and that wee may not be blinded in them through custome as the Reprobates are but that wee may more and more loath them and be heartily grieued for them endeauouring by the vse of al good meanes to ouercome and get out of them Oh let me feele the power of Christs death killing sinne in our mortall bodies and the vertue of his resurrection raising vp our soules to newnesse of life Conuert our hearts subdue our affections regenerate our mindes and purifie our nature and suffer vs not to be drowned in the streame of those filthy vices and sinfull pleasures of this time wherewith thousands are caried headlong to eternall destruction but dayly frame vs more and more to the likenesse of thy Sonne Iesus Christ that in righteousnesse and true holinesse wee may so serue and glorifie thee that liuing in thy feare and dying in thy fauour we may in thine appointed time attaine to the blessed resurrection of the iust vnto eternal life In the meane while O Lord increase our faith in the sweet
which was the Lord. Some receiue the spirituall grace without the outward signe as the Saint-Theefe on the Crosse and innumerable of the faithfull who dying desire it but cannot receiue it through some externall impediments but the worthy Receiuers to their comfort receiue both in the Lords Supper Christ chose Bread and Wine rather then any other Elements to be the outward signes in this blessed Sacrament first because they are easiest for all sorts to attaine vnto secondly to teach vs that as mans temporall life is chiefely nourished by bread and cherished by wine so are our soules by his body and bloud sustained and quickned vnto eternall life Hee appointed Wine vvith the Bread to be the outward signe in this Sacrament to teach vs first that as the perfect nourishment of mans Body consists both of meate and drinke so Christ is vnto our soules not in part but in perfection both saluation and nourishment secondly that by seeing the Sacramentall Wine apart from the Bread wee should remember how all his precious bloud was spild out of his blessed body for the remission of our sinnes The outward Signes the Pastor giues in the Church and thou dost eate vvith the mouth of thy body the spirituall grace Christ reacheth from Heauen and thou must eate it with the mouth of thy Faith 3 Of the Ends for which this holy Sacrament was ordained The excellent and admirable Ends or fruits for vvhich this blessed Sacrament vvas ordayned are seauen Of the first end of the Lords Supper 1 To keepe Christians in a continuall remembrance of that propitiatory sacrifice which Christ once for all offered by his death vpon the crosse to reconcile vs vnto GOD. Doe this saith Christ in remembrance of me And saith the Apostle As oft as yee shall eat this bread and drinke this cup yee doe shew the Lords death till hee come And he saith that by this Sacrament and the preaching of the word Iesus Christ was so euidently set forth before the eies of the Galathians as if he had beene crucified among them For the whole action representeth Christs death the breaking of the bread blessed the crucifying of his blessed body and the pouring forth of the sanctified wine the shedding of his holy bloud Christ was once in himselfe really offered but as oft as this Sacrament is celebrated so oft is hee spiritually offered by the faithful Hence the Lords Supper is called a propitiatorie sacrifice not preperly and really but figuratiuely because it is a memoriall of that propitiatory Sacrifice which Christ offered vpon the Crosse. And to distinguish it from that reall sacrifice the Fathers call it the vnbloudy Sacrifice It is also called the Eucharist because that the Church in this action offereth vnto God the sacrifice of praise and thankesgiuing for her redemption effected by the true and onely expiatory sacrifice of Christ vpon the Crosse. If the sight of Moabs King sacrificing on his walles his owne sonne to moue his gods to rescue his life 2 King 3.27 mooued the assayling Kings to such pitty that they ceast their assault and raised their siege how should the spirituall sight of God the Father sacrificing on the Crosse his onely begotten sonne to saue thy soule mooue thee to loue God thy Redeemer and to leaue sinne that could not in iustice be expiated by any meaner ransome Of the second end of the Lords Supper 2 To confirme our faith for God by this Sacrament doth signifie and seale vnto vs from heauen that according to the promise and new couenant which he hath made in Christ he will truely receiue into his grace and mercy all penitent beleeuers who duely receiue this holy Sacrament and that for the merits of the death and passion of Christ hee will as verily forgiue them all their sinnes as they are made partakers of this Sacrament In this respect the holy Sacrament is called the seale of the new Couenant and remission of sins In our greatest doubts wee may therefore receiuing this Sacrament vndoubtedly say with Sampsons mother If the Lord would kill vs hee would not haue receiued a burnt offering and a meat-offering at our hands neither would he haue shewed all these things nor would at this time haue told vs such things as these Of the 3. ende of the Lords Supper 3 To bee a pledge and symbole of the most neere effectuall communion which Christians haue with Christ. The cuppe of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ that is a most effectuall signe and pledge of our Communion with Christ. This vnion is called abiding in vs ioyning to the Lord dwelling in our hearts and set forth in the holy Scriptures by diuers Similies First of the Vine and branches Secondly of the head and body Thirdly of the foundation and building Fourthly of one Loafe confected of many graines Fiftly of the matrimoniall vnion twixt man and wife and such like And it is threefold betwixt Christ and Christians The first is naturall betwixt our humane nature and Christs diuine nature in the person of the vvord The second is mysticall betwixt our persons absent from the Lord and the person of Christ God and Man into one mysticall body The third is celestiall betwixt our persons present with the Lord and the person of Christ in a body glorified these three coniunctions depend each vpon other For had not our nature beene first hypostatically vnited to the nature of GOD in the second person wee could neuer haue been vnited to Christ in a mysticall body And if wee be not in this life though absent vnited to Christ by a mysticall vnion wee shall neuer haue communion of glory with him in his heauenly presence The mysticall communion chiefly heere meant is wrought betwixt Christ and vs by the Spirit of Christ apprehending vs and by our faith stirred vp by the same spirit apprehending Christ againe Both which Saint Paul doth most liuely expresse I follow after If that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Iesus How can hee fall away that holdeth and is so firmely holden This vnion he shall best vnderstand in his minde who doth most feele it in his heart But of all other times this vnion is best felt and most confirmed when wee doe duely receiue the Lords Supper For then we shall sensibly feele our hearts knit vnto Christ and the desires of our soules drawn by faith and the holy Ghost as by the cordes of loue neerer and neerer to his holinesse From this Communion with Christ there followeth to the faithfull many vnspeakeable benefits As first Christ tooke by imputation al their sinnes and guiltinesse vpon him to satisfie Gods iustice for them and he freely giues by imputation vnto vs all his righteousnesse in this life and all his
Christ her Sauiour 1017 THE PRACTISE OF PIETIE Directing a CHRISTIAN how to walke that hee may please GOD. WHo euer thou art that lookest into this Booke neuer vndertake to read it vnlesse thou first resoluest to become from thy heart an vnfained Practitioner of Pietie Yet reade it and that speedily least before thou hast read it ouer God by some vnexpected death cut thee off for thine inueterate Impietie The practise of Pietie consists 1 In knowing 1 The essence of God that in respect of 1 The diuers manner of being therin which are 3. persons 1 Father 2 Sonne 3 H. Ghost 2 The Attributes therof which are either Nominall or Reall 1 Absolute 1 Simplenes 2 Infinitenes 2 Relatiue 1 Life 2 Vnderstanding 3 Will. 4 Power 5 Maiestie 2 Thy owne selfe in respect of thy state of 1 Corruption 2 Renouation 2 In glorifying God aright 1 By thy life in dedicating thy selfe deuoutly to serue him Ordinarily 1 Priuately in thine owne person 2 Publikely 1 With thy familie euery day 2 With the Church on the Sabboth day Extraordinarily by Fasting Feasting 2 By thy death in dying 1 In the Lord. 2 For the Lord. VNlesse that a man doth truely know God hee neyther can nor will worship him aright for how can a man loue him whom hee knoweth not and vvho will worship him whose helpe a man thinkes he needeth not and how shall a man seeke remedie by Grace who neuer vnderstood his miserie by Nature Therefore saith the Apostle Hee that commeth to God must beleeue that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seeke him And for as much as there can be no true Pietie without the knowledge of GOD nor any good practise without the knowledge of a mans owne selfe wee will therefore lay downe the knowledge of Gods Maiestie and mans miserie as the first and chiefest grounds of the practise of Pietie A plaine Description of the Essence and Attributes of GOD out of the holy Scriptures so far forth as euery CHRISTIAN must competently know and necessarily beleeue that will be saued ALthough no Creature can define vvhat God is because hee is incomprehensible and dwelling in inaccessible light yet it hath pleased his Maiestie to reueale himselfe in his Word vnto vs so farre as our weake capacitie can best conceiue him Thus God is that one spirituall and infinitely perfect essence whose beeing is of himselfe eternally In the Diuine Essence we are to consider two things first the diuers manner of being therein secondly the Attributes thereof The diuers manner of being therein are called Persons A Person is a distinct subsistence of the whole God-head There are three Diuine Persons the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost These three Persons are not three seuerall substances but three distinct subsistences or three diuerâ— manner of beeings of one and the same Substance and Diuine Essence So that a Person in the God-head is an indiuiduall vnderstanding and incommunicable Subsistence liuing of it selfe and not sustained by another In the vnitie of the God-head there is a pluralitie which is not accidentall for GOD is a most pure act and admits no accidents nor essentiall for God is one essence onely but personall The Persons in this one essence are but three In this Mysterie there is alius alius another and another but not aliud aliud another thing and another thing The Diuine Essence in it selfe is neyther diuided nor distinguished But the three Persons in the diuine Essence are distinguished among themselues three manner of wayes 1 By their Names 2 By their Order 3 By their Actions 1 By their Names thus THe first Person is named the Father first in respect of his naturall Sonne Christ secondly in respect of the Elect his adopted sons that is those who being not his sonnes by Nature are made his Sonnes by Grace The second Person is named the Sonne because hee is begotten of his Fathers substance or nature and he is called the Word first because the conception of a word in mans minde is the neerest thing that in some sort can shadow vnto vs the manner how hee is eternally begotten of his Fathers substance and in this respect he is also called the Wisedome of his Father Prou. 8.12 Secondly because that by him the Father hath from the beginning declared his Will for our saluation hence called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Person speaking with or by the Fathers Thirdly because hee is the chiâ—fe argument of all the Word of God or that Word whereof GOD spake when he promised the blessed Seede to the Fathers vnder the old Testament The third Person is named the holy Ghost first because hee is spirituall without a body secondly because hee is spired and as it were breathed from both the Father and the Sonne that is proceedeth from them both And he is called holy both because he is holy in his owne nature and also the immediate sanctifier of all Gods Elect people 2 By their Order thus THe Persons of the God-head are eyther the Father or those vvhich are of the Father The Father is the first person of the glorious Trinitie hauing neyther his beeing nor beginning of any other but of himselfe begetting his Sonne and together vvith his Sonne sending forth the Holy Ghost from euerlasting The Persons which are of the Father are those who in respect of their Personall existence haue the whole Diuine Essence aeternally communicated vnto them from the Father and those are either from the Father alone as the Son or from the Father and the Sonne as the Holy Ghost The Sonne is the second person of the glorious Trinitie and the onely begotten Sonne of his Father not by Grace but by Nature hauing his beeing of the Father alone and the whole beeing of his Father by an eternall and incomprehensible generation and with the Father sendeth forth the Holy Ghost In respect of his absolute Essence he is of himselfe but in respect of his Person hee is by an eternall generation of his Father For the Essence doth not beget an Essence but the person of the Father begetteth the Person of the Sonne and so he is God of God and hath from his Father the beginning of his Person and Order but not of Essence and time The holy Ghost is the third Person of the blessed Trinitie proceeding and sent forth equally from both the Father and the Sonne by an eternall and incomprehensible spiration For as the Sonne receiueth the whole diuine essence by generation so the H. Ghost receiueth it wholy by spiration This Order betwixt the three persons appeares in that the Father begetting must in order be before the Sonne begotten and the Father and Sonne
in the life which is to come Lastly this discouers how few there are who doe truely know God for no man knoweth God but hee that loueth him and how can a man choose but loue him being the soueraigne good if hee knew him Seeing the nature of God is to enamour men with the loue of her goodnesse and whosoeuer loueth any thing more then God is not worthy of God and such is euery one who setles the loue and rest of his heart vpon any thing besides God If therefore thou dost beleeue that God is Almighty why dost thou feare Diuels and enemies and not confidently trust in God and craue his helpe in all troubles dangers If thou beleeuest that God is infinite how darest thou prouoke him to anger If thou beleeuest that God is simple with what heart canst thou dissemble and play the hypocrite If thou beleeuest that God is the Soueraigne good why is not thy heart more setled vpon him then on all Worldly goods If thou dost indeede beleeue that God is a iust Iudge how darest thou liue so securely in sinne without repentance If thou dost truely beleeue that God is most wise why dost not thou referre the euents of crosses and disgraces vnto him vvho knoweth how to turne all things to the best vnto them that loue him If thou art perswaded that God is true why dost thou doubt of his promises And if thou beleeuest that God is beautie and Perfection it selfe why dost not thou make him alone the chiefe end of all thine affections and desires for if thou louest beautie hee is most faire If thou desirest riches hee is most wealthy if thou seekest Wisedome hee is most wise Whatsoeuer excellencie thou hast seene in any creature it is nothing but a sparkle of that which is in infinite perfection in GOD and when in Heauen wee shall haue an Immediate communion vvith God wee shall haue them all perfectly in him communicated vnto vs. Briefely in all goodnesse he is all in all Loue that one good God and thou shalt loue him in whom all the good of goodnesse consisteth He that would therfore attaine to the sauing knowledge of God must learne to know him by loue For God is loue and the knowledge of the loue of God passeth all knowledge For all knowledge besides to know how to loue God and to serue him onely is nothing vpon Salomons credit but vanitie of vanities and vexation of spirit Kindle therfore O my Lady nay rather O my Lord Charity the loue of thy selfe in my soule especially seeing it was thy good pleasure that being reconciled by the blood of Christ I should be brought by the knowledge of thy grace to the communion of thy Glory wherein onely consists my soueraigne good and happinesse for euer Thus by the light of his owne word we haue seene the backe parts of Iehoua Elohim the eternall Trinity whom to worship is true Piety whom to beleeue is sauing faith and veritie And vnto whom from all creatures in heauen and earth bee all praise dominion and Glory for euer Amen Thus farre of the knowlege of God Now of the knowlege of a Man selfe And first of the state of his miserie and corruption without renouation by CHRIST Meditations of the misery of a Man not reconciled to GOD in Christ. O Wretched man where shall I beginne to describe thine endlesse miserie who art condemned as sonne as conceiued and adiudged to eternall death before thou wast borne to a temporall life A beginning indeed I finde but no end of thy miseries for when Adam and Eue being created after Gods owne Image and placed in Paradise that they and their posterity might liue in a blessed state of life immortall hauing dominion of all earthly creatures and onely restrained from the fruit of one tree as a signe of their subiection to their Almightie Creator Though God forbad them this one small thing vnder the penalty of eternal death yet they beleeued the diuels word before the word of God making God as much as in them lay a lyer And so being vnthankefull for all the benefits which God bestowed on them they became male-contented with their present state as if God had dealt enuiously or nigardly with them and beleeued that the Diuel would make them pertakers of farre more glorious things then euer God had bestowed vpon them and in their pride they fell into high treason against the most high and disdayning to be Gods subiects they affected blasphemously to bee Gods themselues equals vnto God Hence till they repented losing Gods Image they became like vnto the Diuell and so all their posterity as a traiterous broode whilest they remaine impenitent like thee are subiect in this life to all cursed miseries and in the life to come to the euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuel and his Angels Lay then aside for a while thy doating vanities and take a view with me of thy dolefull miseries which daily suruayed I doubt not but that thou wilt conclude that it is far better neuer to haue natures being then not to be by grace a Practicioner of religious Pietie Consider therfore thy misery 1 In thy life 2 In thy death 3 After death In thy life 1 The miseries accompanying thy body 2 The miseries which deforme thy soule In thy death the miseries which shall oppresse thy body and soule After death the miseries which ouerwhelme both body and soule together in Hell And first let vs take a view of those miseries which accompanie thy body according to the foure ages of thy life 1 Infancy 2 Youth 3 Manhood 4 Olde age Meditations of the misery of Infancy WHat wast thou being an Infant but a bruit hauing the shape of a man was not thy body conceiued in the heate of lust the secret of shame and staine of originall sinne And thus wast thou cast naked vpon the earth all imbrued in the blood of filthinesse fithy indeed when the Sonne of God who disdained not to take on him mans nature and the infirmities thereof yet thought it vnbeseeming his Holines to be conceiued after the sinfull maner of mans conception So that thy mother was ashamed to let thee know the manner thereof What cause then hast thou to boast of thy birth which was a cursed paine to thy mother and to thy selfe the entrance into a troublesome life the greatnesse of which miseries because thou couldst not vtter in words thou didst expresse as well as thou couldest in weaping teares 2 Meditations of the miseries of youth WHat is Youth but an vntamted beast all whose actions are rash and rude not capable of good counsell when it is giuen and Ape-like delighting in nothing but in toies and bables Therefore thou no sooner beganst to haue a little strength and discretion but foorthwith thou wast kept vnder the rodde and feare of parents and masters as if thou hadst beene borne to
liue vnder the discipline of others rather then at the disposition of thine owne will No tired Horse was euer more willing to be rid of his burthen than thou wast to get out of the seruile state of this bondage A state not worth the description 3 Meditations of the miseries of Man-hood WHat is Mans-state but a Sea wherein as waues one trouble ariseth in the necke of another the latter worse then the former No sooner diddest thou enter into the affaires of this world but thou wast enwrapped about with a cloud of miseries Thy Flesh prouokes thee to lust the World allures thee to pleasures and the Diuell tempts thee to all kinde of sinnes feares of enemies affrights thee suites in Law doe vexe thee wrongs of ill neighbours do oppresse thee cares for Wife and Children doe consume thee and disquietnesse twixt open foes and false friends doe in a manner confound thee Sinne stings thee within Sathan layes snares before thee Conscience of sinnes past dogges behinde thee Now aduersitie on thy left hand frets thee anone prosperitie on thy right hand flatters thee ouer thy head Gods vengeance due to thy sinnes is ready to fall vpon thee and vnder thy feete Hell-mouth is ready to swallow thee vp And in this miserable estate whither wilt thou goe for rest and comfort the house is full of cares the field full of toyle the country of rudenesse the citie of factions the Court of enuy the Church of sects the Sea of pirates the Land of robbers Or in what state wilt thou liue seeing wealth is enuied and pouertie is contemned wit is distrusted and simplicitie is derided Superstition is mocked and Religion is suspected vice is aduanced and vertue is disgraced Oh with what a body of sinne art thou compassed about in a world of wickednesse What are thine Eyes but windowes to behold vanities What are thine Eares but floud-gates to let in the streame of iniquitie what are thy Senses but matches to giue fire to thy lusts what is thine Heart but the Anuill whereon Sathan hath forged the ougly shape of all lewde affections Art thou nobly descended thou must put thy selfe in peril of forraine wars to get the reputation of earthly Honour oft times hazard thy life in a desperate combate to auoid the aspersion of a Coward Art thou borne in meane estate Lord I what paines and druggerie must thou endure at home and abroad to get maintenance and all perhaps scarce sufficient to serue thy necessitie and when after much seruice and labour a man hath got something how litttle certaintie is there in that which is gotten seeing thou seest by daily experience that he who was rich yesterday is to day a begger hee that yesterday was in health to day is sicke he that yesterday was merry and laughed hath cause to day to mourne and weepe hee that yesterday vvas in fauour to day is in disgrace and he who yesterday was aliue to day is dead and thou knowest not how soone nor in what manner thou shalt die thy selfe And who can enumerate the losses crosses griefes disgraces sicknesses and calamities which are incident to sinfull man To speake nothing of the death of friends and children which oft times seemes to be vnto vs farre more bitter then present death it selfe 4 Meditations of the misery of old age WHat is old age but the receptacle of all maladies for if thy lot be to draw thy dayes to a long date in comes olde-bald-headed age stooping vnder dotage with his wrinckled face rotten teeth and stinking breath iesty with choler withered with drynesse dimmed vvith blindnesse absurded with deafenesse ouerwhelmed with sicknesse and bowed together with weaknesse hauing no vse of any sense but of the sense of paine which so racketh euery member of his body that it neuer easeth him of griefe till hee hath throwne him downe to his graue Thus farre of the miseries which accompanie the body Now of the miseries which accompany chiefly the soule in this life Meditations of the miserie of the soule in this life THe miserie of thy Soule will more euidently appeare if thou wilt but consider 1 The felicitie shee hath lost 2 The misery which shee hath pulled vpon her selfe by sinne 1 The Felicitie lost was first the fruition of the Image of God whereby the soule was like vnto GOD in knowledge enabling her perfectly to vnderstand the reuealed will of GOD. Secondly true Holinesse by which shee was free from all prophane errour Thirdly Righteousnes whereby she was able to incline all her naturall powers and to frame vprightly all her actions proceeding from those powers With the losse of this diuine Image shee lost the Loue of GOD and the blessed communion which she had with his Maiestie wherein consisted her life and happinesse If the losse of earthly riches vexe thee so much how should the losse of this diuine treasure perplexe thee much more 2 The Misery which shee pulled vpon her selfe consists in two things 1 Sinfulnesse 2 Cursednesse 1 Sinfulnesse is an vniuersall corruption both of her Nature and Actions for her Nature is infected with a pronenesse to euery sinne continually the Minde is stuffed with vanitie the Vnderstanding is darkened with ignorance the Will affecteth nothing but vile vaine things All her Actions are euill yea this deformitie is so violent that oftentimes in the regenerated soule the Appetite will not obey the gouernment of Reason and the Will wandreth after and yeelds consent to sinfull motions How great then is the violence of the Appetite and Will in the reprobate Soule which still remaines in her naturall corruption Hence it is that thy wretched Soule is so deformed with sinne defiled with lust polluted with filthinesse outraged with passions ouer-carryed with affections pining with Enuy ouercharged with gluttony surquedred with drunkennes boyling with reuenge transported with rage and the glorious Image of GOD transformed to the ougly shape of the Diuell so farre as it once repented the Lord that euer he made man From the former flowes the other part of the Soules misery called cursednesse wherof there are two degrees 1 In part 2 In the fulnesse thereof 1 Cursednesse in part is that which is inflicted vpon the Soule in life and death and is common to her with the body The Cursednesse of the soule in life is the wrath of God which lyeth vpon such a creature so farre as that all things not onely calamities but also very blessings and graces turne to ruine Terrour of Conscience driues him from from GOD and his seruice that he dares not come to his presence and ordinances but is giuen vp to the slauerie of Sathan and to his owne lusts and vile affections This is the Cursednesse of the Soule in life now followes the Cursednesse of the Soule and body in death Meditations of the misery of the body and soule in death AFter that the aged
these thy Seruants which stand euer before thee and heare thy Wisedome How shall thy Soule be rauished to see her selfe by grace admitted to stand vvith this glorious companie to behold the blessed Face of Christ and to heare all the Treasures of his diuine Wisedome How shalt thou reioyce to see so many thousand thousands wel-comming thee into their heauenly Societie for as they all reioyced at thy conuersion so vvill they now be much more ioyful to behold thy Coronation and to see thee receiue thy Crowne which vvas laid vp for thee against thy comming For there the crowne of Martyrdome shall be put on the head of a Martyr vvho for Christs Gospell sake endured torments the Crowne of virginitie on the head of a Virgin vvhich subdued Concupiscence the Crowne of Pietie and Chastitie on the head of them who sincerely professed Christ and kept their wedlocke-bed vndefiled the Crowne of Good-workes on the good Almes-giuers head vvho liberally relieued the poore the Crowne of incorruptible glory on the head of those Pastors vvho by their preaching and good example haue conuerted soules from the corruption of sinne to glorifie God in holinesse of life Who can sufficiently expresse the reioycing of this heauenly Company to see thee thus crowned with glory arrayed with the shining Roabe of righteousnesse and to behold the Palme of victory put into thy hand Oh what gratulation will there be that thou hast escaped all the miseries of the World the snares of the Diuell the paines of Hell and obtained with them thy eternall rest and happinesse for there euery one ioyeth as much in anothers happinesse as in his owne because hee shall see him as much loued of GOD as himselfe Yea they haue as many distinct ioyes as they haue compartners of their ioy And in this ioyfull and blessed state the Soule resteth with Christ in Heauen till the Resurrection when as the number of her Fellow-seruants and Brethren be fulfilled which the Lord termeth but a little season The second degree of mans blessednesse after death is from the Resurrection to the pronouncing of the finall sentence For at the last day 1 The Elementary Heauens Earth and all things therein shall be dissolued and purified with fire 2 At the sound of the last Trumpet or voyce of Christ the Archangell the very same bodies which the Elect had before though turned to dust and earth shall arise againe and in the same instant euery mans soule shall re-enter into his owne body by vertue of the Resurrection of Christ their head and be made aliue and rise out of their graues as if they did but awake out of their beds And howsoeuer Tyrants bemangled their bodies in pieces or consumed them to ashes yet shall the Elect finde it true at that day that not an haire of their head is perished 3 They shall come forth out of their graues like so many Iosephs out of Prison or Daniels out of the Lyons Dens or Ionahs out of Whales bellies 4 All the bodies of the Elect being thus made aliue shall arise in that perfection of nature whereunto they should haue attained by their naturall temperment if no impediment had hindered and in that vigor of age that a perfect man is at about three and thirtie yeeres old each in their proper sexe Whereunto Diuines thinke the Apostle alludeth when he saith till wee all come vnto a perfect man vnto the measure of the age or stature of the fulnes of Christ. Whatsoeuer imperfection vvas before in the body as blindnesse lamenesse crookeâ—nesse shall then be done away Iacob shall not halt nor Isaac be blinde nor Leah bleare-eyed nor Mephibosheth be lame for if Dauid would not haue the blinde and lame to come into his house much lesse will Christ haue blindnesse and lamenesse to dwell in his heauenly Habitation Christ made all the blinde to see the dumbe to speake the deafe to heare the lame to walke c. that came to him to seeke his grace on earth much more will hee heale all their imperfections whom hee will admit to his glory in Heauen Among those Tribes there is not one feeble but the lame man shall leape as an Hart and the dumbe mans tongue shall sing And it is very probable that seeing GOD created our first Parents not infants or olde men but of a perfect age or stature the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or new creation from death shall euery way be more perfect then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or first frame of a man from which he fell into the state of the dead Neither is it like that Infancy being imperfection and olde age corruption can well stand with the state of a perfect glorified body 5 The bodies of the Elect being thus raised shall haue foure most excellent and supernaturall quallities For 1 They shall be raised in power wherby they shall for euer be freed from all wants and weakenesse and enabled to continue without the vse of meate drinke sleepe and other former helps 2 In incorruption whereby they shall neuer be subiect to any manner of imperfections blemish sickenesse or death 3 In Glory whereby their bodies shal shine as bright as the Sunne in the firmament and which being made transparant their soules shall shine through farre more glorious then their bodies Three glimses of which glory was seene First in Moses face Secondly in the transfiguration Thirdly in Stephens countenance Three instances and assurances of the glorification of our bodies at that glorious day Then shall Dauid lay aside his Shepheards weede and put on the roabe of the Kings sonne Iesus not Ionathan Then euery true Mordecai who mourned vnder the Sakecloth of this corrupt flesh shall be arrayed with the Kings royall apparell and haue the Crowne royall set vpon his head that all the world may see how it shall be done to him whom the King of kings delighteth to honour If now the rising of one Sun makes the morning so glorious how glorious shall that day be when innumerable million of millions of bodies of Saints and Angels shall appeare more glorious then the brightnesse of the Sunne the body of Christ in glory surpassing all 4 In Agility whereby our bodies shall be able to ascend and to meete the Lord at his glorious comming in the ayre as Eagles flying vnto their blessed Carkase To this agility of the Saints glorious bodies the Prophet alludes saying They shall renewe their strength they shall mount vp with winges as Eagles they shall runne and not be weary they shall walke and not faint And to this state may that saying of Wisdome be referred In the time of their vision they shall shine and runne too and fro as sparkes among the stubble And in respect of these foure qualities Paul calleth the raised bodies of the Elect Spiriâ—ualâ— for they shall be spirituall in
which a wise Merchant will purchase though it cost him all that hee hath Mat. 13. Alexander hearing the report of the great riches of the Eastern country diuided forth-with among his Captaines and Souldiers all his Kingdome of Macedonia Hephoestion asking him what hee meant in so doing Alexander answered that he preferred the riches of India whereof hee hoped shortly to be Master before all that his Father Philip left him in Macedonia And should not Christians then preferre the eternall riches of Heauen so greatly renowned vvhich they shall enioy ere long before the corruptible trash of the earth which last but for a season Abraham and Sarah left their owne Country and possessions to looke for a Citie whose builder and maker is God and therefore bought no land but onely a place of buriall Dauid preferreth one day in this place before a thousand else-where yea to be a doore-keeper in the house of God rather then to dwell in the richest tabernacles of wickednesse Elias earnestly besought the Lord to receiue his soule into his Kingdome and went willingly though in a fiery Chariot thither Paul hauing once seene heauen continually desired to be dissolued that hee might be with Christ. Peter hauing spyed but a glimpse of that eternall glory in the Mount wished that hee might dwell there all the dayes of his life saying Master it is good for vs to be here How much better doth Peter now thinke it to be in heauen it selfe Christ a little before his death prayeth his Father to receiue him into that excellent glory And the Apostle witnesseth that for the ioy which was set before him he endured the Crosse and despised the shame If a man did but once see those ioyes if it were possible hee would endure an hundred deaths to enioy that happinesse but one day S. Augustine saith that he would be content to endure the torments of hell to gaine this ioy rather then to lose it Ignatius Paules Scholler being threatned as hee vvas going to suffer vvith the crueltie of torments answered with great courage of Faith Fire Gallowes Beasts breaking of my bones quartering of my members crushing of my body all the torments of the Diuell together let them come vpon me so I may enioy my Lord Iesus and his Kingdome The like constancie shewed Polycarpe who could not by any terrors of any kinde of death be moued to deny Christ in the least measure With the like resolution answered Basil his persecutors when they would terrifie him with death I will neuer said hee feare death which can doe no more then restore mee to him that made me If Ruth left her owne country and followed Naomi her Mother in Law to goe and dwell with her in the Land of Canaan which was but a type of heauen onely vpon the fame which she heard of the God of Israell though shee had no promise of any portion therein how shouldest thou follow thy holy mother the Church to go vnto Christ into the heauenly Canaan wherin God hath giuen thee an eternall inheritance assured by an holy Couenant made in the words of God signed with the bloud of his Sonne and sealed with his Spirit and Sacraments This shall be thine eternall happinesse in the Kingdome of heauen where thy life shall be a communion with the blessed Trinitie thy ioy the presence of the Lambe thy exercise singing thy ditty Alleluiah thy consorts Saints and Angels where youth flourisheth that neuer waxeth olde Beautie lasteth that neuer fadeth loue aboundeth that neuer cooleth health continueth that neuer slaketh and life remaineth that neuer endeth Meditations directing a Christian how to apply to himselfe without delay the fore-said knowledge of GOD and himselfe THou seest therefore O man how wretched and cursed thy state is by corruption of nature without Christ insomuch that whereas the Scriptures doe liken wicked men vnto Lyons Beares Buls Horses Dogges and such like sauage Creatures in their liues it is certaine that the condition of an vnregenerated man is in his death more vile then a Dogge or the filthiest Creature in the world for the Beast being made but for mans vse when hee dyeth endeth all his miseries with his death But man endued with a reasonable and an immortall Soule made after Gods Image to serue God when hee ends the miseries of this life must account for all his misdeedes and begin to endure those miseries that neuer shall know end No creature but man is liable to yeeld at his death an account for his life The bruite Creatures not hauing reason shall not be required to make any account for their deedes and good Angels though they haue reason yet shall they yeeld no account because they haue no sinne And as for euill Angels they are without all hope already condemned so that they neede not make any further accounts Man onely in his death must be Gods accountant for his life On the other side thou seest O Man how happy and blessed thy estate is being truely reconciled vnto GOD in Christ in that through the restauration of Gods Image and thy restitution into thy soueraigntie ouer other Creatures thou art in this life little inferiour to the Angels and shalt be in the life to come equall to the Angels yea in respect of thy Nature exalted by a personall vnion to the Sonne of God and by him to the glory of the Trinitie superiour to the Angels a Fellow-Brother with Angels in spirituall grace and euerlasting glory Thou hast seene how glorious and perfect GOD is and how that all thy chiefe blisse and happinesse consisteth in hauing an eternall communion with his Maiestie Now therefore O impenitent Sinner in the bowels of Christ Iesus I entreat thee nay I coniure thee as thou tenderest thy owne saluation seriously to consider with mee how false how vaine how vile are those things which still retaine and chaine thee in this wretched and cursed estate wherein thou liuest and doe hinder thee from the fauour of God and the hope of eternall life and happinesse Meditations on the hinderances which keepe backe a sinner from rhe practise of Pietie THose Hinderances are chiefely seauen I. An ignorant mistaking of the true meaning of certaine places of the holy Scripture and some other chiefe grounds of Christian Religion The Scriptures mistaken are these 1 Ezek. 33.14.16 At what time soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinne I will blot out all c. Hence the carnall Christian gathereth That he may repent when hee will It is true Whensoeuer a sinner doth repent GOD will forgiue but the text saith not that a sinner may repent whensoeuer he will but when GOD will giue him grace Many saith the Scripture when they would haue repented were reiected and could not repent though they sought it carefully with teares What comfort yeelds this Text to thee who hast not repented nor knowest whether thou shalt
in the truth of his heart in all the Commandements of GOD alike for saith Saint Iames he that shall offend in one point of the Law wilfully it guiltie of all And Peter bids vs lay aside not some but all malice guile and hypocrisies c. One sin is enough to damne a mans Soule without Repentance dreame not to goe to heauen by any neerer or easier vvay then Christ hath trained vnto vs in his Word The way to Heauen is not easie or common but straite and narrow yea so narrow that Christ protesteth that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdome of Heauen and that those who enter are but few and that those few cannot get in but by striuing and that some of those vvho striue to enter in shall not be able This all Gods Saints whilest they here liued knew well when with so often fastings so earnest prayers so frequent hearing the word and receiuing the sacraments and with such abundance of tâ—ares they deuoutly begged at the hands of GOD for Christs sake to be receiued into his Kingdome If thou wilt not beleeue this truth I assure thee that the Diuell which perswades thee now that it is easie to attaine Heauen will tell thee hereafter that it is the hardest businesse in the world If therefore thou art desirous to purchase sound assurance of saluation to thy Soule and to goe the right and safe way to Heauen get forth-with like a wise Virgin the Oyle of Pietie in the Lampe of thy Conuersation that thou maist be in a continuall readinesse to meete the Bride-groome vvhether hee commeth by Death or by Iudgement Which that thou maist the better doe let this be thy daily practise How a priuate man must beginne the morning with Pietie AS soone as euer thou awakest in the morning keepe the doore of thy heart fast shut that no earthly thought may enter before that GOD be come in first and let him before all others haue the first place therein So all euill thoughts either will not dare to come in or shall the easier be kept out and the heart vvill more sauour of Pietie and godlinesse all the day after But if thy heart be not at thy first waking filled with some meditations of GOD and his Word and dressed like the Lampe in the Tabernacle euery morning and euening with the oyle Oliue of Gods word and perfumed with the sweet incense of praier Satan vvill attempt to fill it with vvorldly cares or fleshly desires so that it vvill grow vnfit for the seruice of God all the day after sending foorth nothing but the stench of corrupt and lying vvordes and of rash and blasphemous oathes Beginne therefore euery daies worke with Gods word and prayer And offer vp vnto God vpon the Alter of a contrite heart the groanes of thy spirit and the calues of thy lippes as thy morning sacrifice and the first fruits of the day and as soone as thou awakest say vnto him thus A short Soliloquie when one first wakes in the Morning MY soule waiteth on thee O Lord more then the morning-watch watcheth for the morning O God therefore be mercifull vnto mee and blesse me and cause thy face to shine vpon me fill me with thy mercy this morning so shal I reioice and be glad all my daies Meditations for the Morning Then Meditate 1 HOw Almighty GOD can in the resurrection as easily raise vp thy body out of the graue from the sleepe of death as hee hath this morning wakened thee in thy bed out of the sleepe of nature At the dawning of which resurrectiâ—n day Christ shall come to be glorified in his Saints and euery one of the bodies of the thousands of his Saints being fashioned like vnto his glorious body shal shine as bright as the Sunne All the Angels shining likewise in their glory the body of Christ surpassing them all in splendor and glory and the God-head excelling it If the rising of one Sunne make the morning skie so glorious what a bright shining and glorious morning will that be when so many thousand thousands of bodies farre brighter then the Sunne shall appeare accompany Christ as his glorious traine comming to keepe his generall Session of righteousnesse and to iudge the wicked Angels and all vngodly men And let not any transitory profit pleasure or vaine-glory of this day cause thee to lose thy part and portion of the eternall blisse and glory of thaâ— day which is properly tearmed the resurrection of the iust Beasts haue bodilie eies to see the ordinary light of the day but endeauour thou with the eies of faith to foresee the glorious light of this day 2 That thou knowest not how neere the euill spirit which night and day like a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking to deuoure thee was vnto thee whilest thou sleptst and wast not able to helpe thy selfe and that thou knowest not what mischiefe he would haue done to thee had not God hedged thee and thine with his euer-waking prouidence and guarded thee with his holy and blessed Angels 3 If thou hearest the Cocke crow remember Peter to imitate him and call to minde that Cocke-crowing sound of the last Trumpet which shall waken thee from the dead And consider in what case thou art if it sounded now and become such as thou wouldest wish to be then Lest at that day thou wilt wish that thou hadst neuer seene this yea curse the day of thy naturall birth for want of being new borne by spirituall grace When the Cocke crowes the Thiefe despaires of his hope and giues ouer his nights enterprize So the Diuell ceaseth to tempt or attempt any further when he heares the deuoute Soule wakening her selfe with morning prayer 4 Remember that Almighty God is about thy bed and seeth thy downe lying and thy vprising vnderstandeth thy thoughts and is acquainted with all thy wayes Remember likewise that his holy Angels who guarded and watched ouer thee all night doe also behold how thou vvakest and risest Doe all things therefore as in the awefull presence of GOD and in the sight of his holy Angels 5 As thou art putting on thine apparell remember that they were first giuen as couerings of shame being the filthy effect of sinne and that they are made but of the offals and excrements of dead beasts Therefore whether thou respect the stuffe or the first institution thou hast so little cause to be proude of them that thou hast great cause to be humbled at the sight and wearing of them seeing the richest apparels are but fine couers of the foulest shame Meditate rather that as thine apparell serues to couer thy shame and to fence thy bodie from cold so thou shouldest be as carefull to couer thy soule with that wedding garment which is the righteousnesse of Christ and because apprehended by our
man hath conflicted vvith long sicknesse and hauing endured the brunt of paine should now expect some ease in comes Death Natures slaughter-man Gods curse and Hels purueyor and lookes the olde man grimme and blacke in the face and neither pitying his age nor regarding his long-endured dolours will not be hyred to forbeare eyther for siluer or gold nay he will not take to spare his life skin for skin and all that the olde man hath but batters all the principall parts of his body and arrests him to appeare before the terrible Iudge And as thinking that the olde man will not dispatch to goe with him fast enough Lord how many darts of calamities doth he shoot through him stitches aches crampes feauers obstructions rhewmes flegme collicke stone wind c. Oh what a ghastly sight it is to see him then in his bed when Death hath giuen him his mortall wound what a cold sweat ouer-runnes all his body what a trembling possesseth all his members the head shooteth the face waxeth pale the nose blacke the neather law-bone hangeth down the eye-strings breake the tongue faltreth the breath shortneth and smelleth earthy the throate ratleth and at euery gaspe the heart-strings are ready to breake asunder Now the miserable Soule sensibly perceiueth her earthly body to beginne to dye for as towards the dissolution of the vniuersall frame of the great world the Sunne shall be turned into darknesse the Moone into bloud and the Stars shall fall from heauen the Ayre shall be full of stormes flashing Meteors the Erath shall tremble and the Sea shall roare and mens hearts shall faile for feare expecting the end of such sorrowfull beginnings So towards the dissolution of man which is the little world his Eyes which are as the Sunne and Moone lose their light and see nothing but bloud-guiltinesse of sinne the rest of the Senses as lesser Starres doe one after another faile and fall his Minde Reason and Memorie as heauenly powers of his Soule are shaken with fearefull stormes of despaire and first flashings of Hell-fire his earthly body beginnes to shake and tremble and the humours like an ouer-flowing Sea roare and rattle in his throate still expecting the wofull ends of these dreadfull beginnings Whilest he is thus summoned to appeare at the great Assizes of Gods Iudgement behold a Quarter-Sessions and Gaole-deliuery is held within himselfe where Reason sits as Iudge the Diuell puts in a Bill of inditement as large as that Booke of Zacharie wherein is alledged all thy euill deeds that euer thou hast committed and all the good deedes that euer thou hast omitted and all the curses and iudgements that are due to euery sinne Thine owne Conscience shall accuse thee and thy Memory shall giue bitter euidence and Death stands at the Barre ready as a cruell Executioner to dispatch thee If thou shalt thus condemne thy selfe how shalt thou escape the iust condemnation of God who knowes all thy misdeeds better then thy selfe Faine wouldest thou put out of thy minde the remembrance of thy wicked deeds that trouble thee but they flow faster into thy remembrance and they will not be put away but cry vnto thee Wee are thy workes and we will follow thee And whilest thy Soule is thus within out of peace and order thy children wife and friends trouble thee as fast to haue thee put thy goods in order some crying some crauing some pittying some cheering all like Flesh-flies helping to make thy sorrowes more sorrowfull Now the Diuels who are come from hell to fetch away thy soule beginne to appeare to her and wait as soone as she comes forth to take her and carry her away Stay she would within but that shee feeles the body beginne by degrees to dye and ready like a ruinous house to fall vpon her head Fearefull shee is to come forth because of those Hell-hounds which wait for her comming Oh shee that spent so many dayes and nights in vaine and idle pastimes would now giue the whole world if she had it for one howres delay that shee might haue space to repent and reconcile her selfe vnto GOD. But it cannot be because her Body which ioyned with her in the actions of sin is altogether now vnfit to ioyne with her in the exercise of repentance Repentance must be of the whole man Now she seeth that all her pleasures are gone as if they had neuer beene and that but onely torments remaine which neuer shall haue end of being Who can sufficiently expresse her remorse for her sinnes past her anguish for her present miserie and her terror for the torments to come In this extremitie shee lookes euery where for help and shee findes her selfe euery way helplesse Thus in her greatest miserie desirous to heare the least word of comfort shee directs this or the like speech vnto her Eyes O Eyes who in times past were so quicke-sighted can yee spie no comfort nor any way how I might escape this dreadfull danger But the Eye-strings are broken they cannot see the Candle that burneth before him nor discerne whether it be day or night The Soule finding no comfort in the Eyes speakes to the eares O earaes who were wont to recreate your selues with hearing new pleasant discourses and Musickes sweetest harmonie can you heare any newes or tydings of the least comfort for mee The Eares are eyther so deafe that they cannot heare at all or the sense of hearing is growne so weake that it cannot endure to heare his dearest friends to speake And why should those eares heare any tydings of ioy in Death who could neuer abide to heare the glad Tydings of the Gospell in his life The Eare can minister no comfort Then shee intimates her griefe vnto the Tongue O Tongue who wast wont to brag it out vvith the brauest where are now thy bigge and daring words now in my greatest need canst thou speake nothing in my defence Canst thou neyther daunâ— these Enemies with threatning wordes nor entreat them vvith faire speeches Alas the Tongue two dayes agoe lay speechlesse it cannot in his greatest extremitie either call for a little drincke or desire a friend to take away with his finger the flegme that is ready to choake him Finding here no hope of helpe shee speakes vnto the feete Where are yee O feet which sometime were so nimble in running can you carry me no where out of this dangerous place The feete are stone dead already If they be not stird they cannot stirre Then shee directs her speech vnto her hands O hands who haue beene so often approued for manhood in peace and warre and wherewith I haue so often defended my selfe and offended my foes neuer had I more need then now Death lookes mee grimme in the face and kils mee Hellish fiends waile about my bed to deuoure mee helpe now or I perish for euer Alas the hands are so weake and doe so tremble that they cannot reach to the mouth