HEART-SALVE FOR A WOVNDED SOUL AND EYE-SALVE FOR A BLIND WORLD OR Meditations of comfort for the Holy Living and Happy Dying Christian either in the depths of dark Desertion or in the heighth of Heavens Glorious Union The Second Edition with an Addition of an Elegie upon an Eminent Occasion By Tho. Calvert Minister of the Gospel When he giveth quietness who then can make trouble When he hideth his face who then can behold him Job 34.29 O aeterna veritas vira charitas chara aeternitas Tu es Deus meus tibi suspiro die ac nocte Aug. Confes lib. 7. cap. 10. LONDON Printed by F. L. for Tho. Passenger at the Three Bibles on London-Bridge and William Thorpe in Ousegate in Yorke 1675. To the Beloved and Honoured Lady in the Lord Ursula Barwick Widow full of Grace and Gravity Madam I Have borrowed some confidence to set your name in the front of this Treatise and concionary discourses which my thoughts are you will freely vouchsafe me without grudge In this I put you not to be the lug or handle to a common Pot but to a choice and Golden Vessel and whom you know of old seasoned with Christs liquor for his service At first edition I did nominally affix no dedication there being some reasons preponderating in those wretched times full of the worst parts of Arithmatick Divisions Fractions of Church and State Now first press being all exhaust and some urging to have it in a 2d birth I have yielded it the liberty of coming into the World again Nor I hope you will be ashamed of publishing the holy life of your sanctified Neighbour Matters there are all over in print of several natures some Adoxa 〈◊〉 Zâ—zer in Chiliad 11. as pamplets in praise of Fornication Drunkenness of being in Debt in praise of Baldness of banishment c. Some are Amphilaxa praising things of a middle nature and indifferent in themselves neither good nor evil Some Paradoxa strange things cryed up and commended beyond all mens sound opinions Other writings are Eudoxa of good and stanch report withall are good and wise truly praise worthy as Grace St. Hieron in Psalm 147. Virtue Piety Sobriety c. What I here give out is of this last sort that will sute every good and holy palat as Jews fable that Manna answered every gust If they thought of Hony of Partrigdes of any desired dainty what they had in their minds Manna was the representative of it to their Mouths your Ladyship I choose for facing this Script 〈…〉 you are much 〈…〉 she was 〈…〉 much 〈◊〉 â—pon the delicate 〈…〉 one word and prayer pâ—â—â—â—â—ly privately secretly And truly I must needs approve of your diet for your body caring to live Epicratically rather than Hypocritically Studying a course dayly of slender sober and plain feeding though compast with much infirmity and indispositions rather then to live medically and Physically translating the Apothecaries Shop into your flesh Barrad in Itiner Israel in Dis The first mischief that let in all misery upon us was Eves and Adams ill diet neglecting the Tree of life to seek and taste the forbidden fruit Indeed all our sin misery sickness death wrath of God and Hell came in at this Gate of an ill diet for our first parents made it not their meat to obey and do the will of God which should have been their corporal spiritual diet But it is your spiritual order of diet I most aim at and commend the humble and quotidian feeding your Soul with waiting on God in the way he has commanded you and promised to bless you you well digesting that word of our best Lord Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that meat which endureth to everlasting life Aquin. pust 63. which the Son of man shall give unto you Other meat perishes and nourishes them that eat it to a perishing life but Christs spiritual food endures for ever abides with us and nourishes us to the growing up to eternal life Neither this meat nor the man perishes A modern Roman Doctor of Physick disputes the case Paul Zachias in Quest Medico-legal lib. 7. Tit. 2. Quest 2. whether a Popish clergy man be excused and without blame if sore troubled with the Asthma he abstain from his office of reciting divine things as Preaching Reading Praying Singing He indeed determines that unless a sore Paroxysm and a strong fit of the same be afresh come upon him his speaking singing and loud voycing will do him no harm for he saith all practical Physitians say it is profitable and helpful for them that are Asthmatick to read or speak with an high voyce that is if they be able and at the the instant not opprest with a violent assault for it helps to purge the lungs of the matter impacted in them But you look not to be ruled by him but in and out of the strong invasions of the disease you know how to breath high and loud in your Soul to God when you breath straitly and strainingly to those about you Madam go on in this wholesome diet for Body and Soul and if while you are here below you cannot in Body and Soul get into Heaven yet continue and abide on the threshold of this beautiful Gate of the Heavenly Temple of Gods mercy the Patient abiding of the meek shall not perish nay such shall be fatherly and sweetly supported to the end Physitians cannot speak so much of the advantage of good and orderly diet for Body but from the word of God we may reason as strong for the benefit of spiritual diet for the Soul Let them tell us from their puni-godling Hippocrat lib. de vet Med. that if the sick would use the same diet they do that are sound and whole the Art of medicines would fall to nothing Hereby he intimates that great is the dignity of exquisite looking to diet Aurel. Severin in Trin. Chit as if it were all medicine Wherefore they tell us that the right hand in diseases and wounds is Physick and Chyrurgery but the left hand is diet which doth very much Now if we would study the most necessary Physick by direction of divine Medicks then is nothing so necessary as to learn to know God and our Alâ—uinus Souls Philo the Jew tells us the Essens three Principles were these they studied wholly to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to season all their life and labours with love of God Philo. Jud love of men love of virtue But we have a full voice of direction Mic. 6.8 and better particulared to us from Micah in his Ternary He hath shewn thee O Man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly to love mercy and to walk humby with thy God Or take we St. Pauls three To live soberly Righteously and Godly Tit. 2. in this present world Or if we hearken to him he will
fierce wrath overwhelmâ— them it stays not long after hiâ— departure The Lord said before I can do nothing till thou come hitheâ— that is out of Sodom into Zoaâ— Why could the Lord do nothing while Lot was there Because 1. Either Lot with his prayers bound the Lords hands as it were that he should not smite 2. Or because the Lord will not destroy the righteous with the wicked Justice indeed crys against sinners Tumble them down into the Sea of thy wrath Mercy then stands up and saith nay Aut Serva aut fepata but rather save them for the righteous sakes or at least free them from the vengeance let not the Wheat be burnt with Chaff The like is manifest iâ— Josiah he is like Wheat among Tares The Lord purposes to burn the sinful Tares with a judgment but he first plucks up the Wheat from that evil to come I will gather thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be gather-into thy Grave in peace 2 Kings 22.20 and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place Josiah goes and Judgment comes When the Leaves fall fast off the Trees then we say Winter is at hand so when we see not Leaves only but the fruitfullest branches even righteous men cut off from the Tree of this life we may judge there is some Wiâ—ter-weather of Judgements aboâ— to fall on the World Reason We may take Solomons reasoâ— Righteousness exalts a nation Prov. 14.34 bâ— sin is a reproach to any people If thâ— Righteous and righteousness coâ—tinue in it it is likely to flourisâ— but if nothing but sin and sinneâ— be left wrath is not far off 〈◊〉 cannot prosper Weeds are fence about in a Garden for the Herâ— sake and wicked men may than God for the holy men that liâ— among them for they are bettâ— unto them than the Roman Tutelâ— Gods wrath is held off for the sakes they build Walls abouâ— the place where they dwell wiâ— their Prayers and Righteouness Q. It may be demanded Câ— there no wrath seize on a natioâ— or place or people while tâ— righteous are alive and remaâ— among them A. Yes But not upon tâ— righteous in that nation it is nâ— wrath to them and if it do fall upon the people or place First it is a long time deferred and kept off it comes not till after Gods long patience even for their sakes 2. When it comes it comes not so sore the cup of Gods fury is cast in a lesser mould and he puts in fewer dreggs gathers less Gall and Wormwood to imbitter it for their sakes 3. It continued the shorter for their sakes God sounds a reâ—â— at the sooner to the Hosts of his wrath for their prayers Esay 62.9 7. that are continually sounding in his Ears They will not let him alone untill he let the land alone and pull back his wrath Neither doth the death of the Righteous foretel Judgments but besides that look at their usage in the world and it will prove the best Almanack to prognosticate it fair or foul weather that is likely to come on the Church or Common-wealth Look we into the Skie of the Righteous it is an infallible Astronomy if their Skie be fair if the righteous and holy be advanced and honoured with high places either in Church or Weal-publick it is a sign of fair Weather God means a blessing to that land for they will maintain truth and equity that they shall like streams run in the streets when God means to bless a people he sets up such even Aegypt shall not want a blessing whilest Joseph is the Governour See Iere. 22.3 4. 2 Chron. 9.1 On the contrary if the Skie be lowring if good men be the dispised Branches of the Land if they that fear God be not set up and honoured but wicked Heads and Governours not fearing God get all the power into their hands foul-weather cannot be far off the Lord has a purpose to punish that people When aâ— King arose that knew not Joseph and he was not in favour in the Egyptian Court as before then the Egyptian Sun declined towards setting and not long ofter wrath fell on them and rooted them out in sore plagues and drowning in the Red Sea King Solomon has long since observed it who had the best insight into matters of kingdoms Pro. 22.2 When the Righteous are in Authority the people rejoyce God smiles upon that Land But when the wicked bear rule the people mourn some Judgment lies at the door The Application of this and the last conclusion shall be joyned together Doct. 5 The secure wicked world is little or nothing moved with the removal of the Godly None considers none lay it to heart and says to himself Sure these are taken away from some evil to come Our consideration is never so much to seek as in matters 'twixt God and us In a private loss of a dear friend we can mourn and take on and lay it to heart but in a publick dammage where Gods Church is cast into danger there we fear not at all take no care for it When we see one great stone after another fall out of the Wall we consider it and say This Wall will not stand long The righteous the best and strongest stones of ouâ— wall Esay 26.11 are dayly falling and dropping into the Grave and yet no man regards it sensual security still makes the land drunk It is the Lords complaint that we have no eyes his Judgments are far out of our sight Lord when thy hand is lifted up Jer. 5.4 they will not see Surely these are poor and foolish peole for they know not the way of the Lord nor the judgement of their God It is the plague of the world that they shall have Eyes and see not and hearts which consider not the things of God Has the World neither Eyes nor Heart yes but none for God These things are hid from their eyes and far from their Hearts Their Eyes and their Hearts are but for their coveteousness and for to purvey for these earthly things Jer. â—2 17 The Reasons among many may be judged these Reas 1 There is an evil disease of deep-sleep and security lies upon the World Am. 6.3 Esay 28.15 whereby they mind nothing of this nature and are prone to put far from them the evil day making covenants with death 2. Act. 17.21 There is the Athenians disease of curiosity which makes us inquire after novelties and the Lords dealings are altogether neglected not thought upon The Lord in Judgment suffers it 1 The. 5.4 that evils may overtake the wicked before ever they thought on them The righteoâ—s are not regarded in their lives Job 12.4 and therefore are dispised and little consideration had of them in their deaths So far are the ungodly from thinking they are taken away from evil to come that they lay it another
make a Christian a Dorcas to clothe and relieve to visit and refresh 2. To the Souls misery as ignorance of God impenitencie living in sin c. there mercy will be a counsellor to counsel them for God an instructor a reprover a builder pitying those blind Souls Briefly all misery is the object of mercy upon every occasion it has like Christ an open side to shew the bowels of compassion Use This will be of Use as if it were a Book with two leaves to let two several sorts of men read legibly in it their condition and estate thereby to learn what it is 1. If Righteous men be merciful men then here is a note to try our Righteousness by here in this Leaf mayest thou read thine estate towards God in thy piteous compassion towards man Art thou pitiful-hearted to any in necessity dost thou love to stretch forth thy hand reach out bounty to the poor Members of Christ Heb. 13.2 canst thou fee Christ in a stranger then art thou no stranger to Christ There are many notes of Righteousness the Lady and Queen of all is Faith yet Faith is dead if she want breath the breath of Faith is Love and Love is dead if it shew not Mercy How can any have a surer characteristick signe of his sins pardon than this that in injuries he can feelingly say I will pardon for Christ has pardoned me in poverty he can say I will help this miserable wretch for the Lord might have made me far more miserable Yea when he meets with these objects of pity The oppressor the only Cannibal by whom the poor and needy are crushed Amos 4.12 their skin pull'd from flesh and flesh from bones Mic. 3.22 chopt in pieces as flesh for the pot Mic. 3.3 eaten like a loaf of bread Psal 14.4 they are swallowed down like meat Amos 8.4 and quite devoured Hab. 1.13 he can say in himself Lo Christ has cast this man in my way to try my bounty and compassion I will not lose this opportunity If upon all occasions thou art ready to distribute to the necessity of Gods poor Children doubtless thou art one of Gods Children for he begets Sons like himself piteous and compassionate 2. If the Righteous be merciful then let us turn to the other leaf Look here churlish Nabal unmerciful Christian covetous Iron-bowel'd oppressor let me say as Christ What is writ in the Law how readest thou What is writ in this leaf this mayest thou read to the shame of thy face and terror of thine heart that such unmerciful men are unrighteous yea godless wretches Are there not some whom the Lord has filled with earths good things and yet the Box of Spikenard that those in necessity might smell the odour of Mercies Oyntment The Godly man puts his earthly trust in his hand Esa 3.15 it never comes in his heart the ungodly covetous put it in their hearts it never comes in their hands to distribute and can there be any room for Christ or his Grace in such earthly hearts where earthly metal takes up all the place Be not deceived you that have abundance and riot in that abundance never pitying nor rembring the afflictions of Joseph you that by oppression and hard dealing as Satans grindstones Oppessores Molaras Satanae do grind the faces of the poor shut your ears and hands at the cry of the needy and worse than Bethlemites will not help Christ in his Members to Stable-room you running in this course are strangers to righteousness Pro. 12.10 and enemies to mercy Doubtless such never tasted of Christ nor love Christ for who loves the Head which hates the Members If the righteous man be merciful to his beast then surely such are unrighteous and very beasts who will not shew mercy to man Learn of me saith Christ what will he teach pity compassion meekness love If we will not learn this of Jesus we may seek out another Master unmerciful men may go to School to Judas and profit under him he will of all men most unmerciful yet read unto them a Lecture of mercy might not this have been sold and given to the poor Joh. 12.5 sorry that the Oyntment was not better spent the lesson was good though his meaning was naught Little and slender are the hopes for Heaven who go on in the path of covetous mercilesness If unmerciful men ever come in Heaven then unrighteous men may come there also and then where will the truth of Gods Word appear Rom. 1. â—â— which threatens those who cast away all piteous affection anâ— consider not the cause of the pooâ— and needy Such may perswadâ— themselves with presumptuouâ— hopes that for all this they havâ— claim but sure they build 〈◊〉 goodly house which forget to laâ— the foundation Saint Paul hath herein given us the way to make sure hold and hopes of eternaâ— life 2 Tâ—m 6.18 19. by being rich in good works and ready to distribute this lays a sure foundation for time to come Mercy in one word marks us for God unmercifulness for Satan and is the cognizance of an unrighteous man Mic. 6.8 to do justly and love mercy and walk humbly with God must be found in him that belongs to God 2. Use Where might exhortation be better bestowed and largelier urged then in stirring up all men to let their light shine before men in works of mercy Col. 3.12 O that we would all put on these bowels of mercy â—and tender-heartedness clothes that wax not old which will keep us warm with a comfortable heat in the coldest day 〈◊〉 distress in life death and judgâ—ent The only way to be rich 〈◊〉 to be trading with the poor in â—cts of mercy and pity We take â—reat care to lay up our wealth â—ase it is never so safely laid up â—s when it is thus laid out in cloâ—hing the naked back and filling â—he empty belly and mainâ—aining the right cause of the Faâ—herless and Orphans So many â—s have been refreshed by our â—ounty are made our Intercessors â—n earth and are bountiful in â—heir prayers to us and for us that when we pray we have all their prayers joyned with an holy importunity overcoming God to grant our requests 2 Tim. 1.16 Happy was O ever nesiphorus that he lookt mercifully upon Paul in his Chain for he got Pauls prevailing prayer that for mercy to him the Lord would have mercy likewise on him at the last day Especially Learn we to pity sinners blind naked and beggarly Souls Save such ungodly wretches with fear Dubio procul flamma ignis five Gehennae intelligitur Phil. Pareus in Epist Jud. tom Jude vers 22 â—3 whâ— fear with fear lest thou suffâ— them to perish in their sins aâ— pull them out of the fire evâ— out of the fire of Hell towarâ— which every sin unrepented oâ— carries a man of such have coâ—passion by correcting them fâ— their evil course and
by directinâ— them into the way of Goâ— fear In four actions may we sheâ— our merciful disposition First In bearing for mercy hâ— an ingredient of patience to beâ— wrongs Secondly In forbearing revenge and shewing a meek and gentlâ— nature Thirdly In giving whetheâ— corporal or spiritual Alms. Fourthly In forgiving yea praying for our persecutors a high degree of mercy so to foâ— give as we can pray for God mercy to forgive our enemies Motives to this might be many but that one most powerful the the Judicatory Sentence of Christ Judging the world shall pass according to the works of mercy done or omitted Mat. 25.34 I was an hungry and you fed me naked and you clad me c. Therefore Come you blessed Children of my Father c. For the mercy of a crum you shall have the mercy of my Kingdom On the contrary how dreadful is that voice I was sick and you visited me not naked and you clad me not c. Therefore go you cursed c. you shall have Judgment without mercy because you have shewed no mercy Jam. 2.13 Canes ante mensam impastos esse non patimur homines extrudimus Ambros offic lib. 3. c. 7. How deeply will that wound the merciless heart when Christ shall lay it to his Charge The dogs were fed and my Children famisht These Actions of mercy are that which procures God to be our Orator when he in the general concourse of all them that ever lived upon earth will mention and declare the Alms and compassion of the good man to his Children What Abel suffered how Noah preserved the World Abraham kept the faith Christ tells not of these at the last day but Angels and all Saints shall hear of the bread that the poor have eaten of the clothes that have covered their nakedness of the drink which quencht the thirst of their throats Some wish the Crown of Jobs passion I desire the recompense rather of his compassion happy is he that hath skill to pronounce his language of mercy Job 29.12 13 15. I delivered the poor that cried the fatherless and him that had none to help him The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me and I caused the widows heart to sing for joy I was eyes to the blind and feet was I to the lame I was a father to the poor and the cause which I knew not I searched out Doct. 2 Gods Righteous and holy Servants must die as well as others At one common door all enter the Womb at one common door we all go out the Grave All men came upon the Stage of life upon this condition that having acted our parts we should go off There is a way that is called the way of â—ll flesh Christ himself if he take â—pon him mans flesh mortality â—eizes upon that which is mortal â—e dies I may take Davids words speaking of another Gate â—nd apply them to this Gate of â—eath This is the Gate of the Lord Psal 118. â—ven the Righteous shall enter in â—hereat Gods Servants even â—is best must be taken away and â—hat in a threefold respect In respect of Nature they must â—lie whose Candle is not infinite â—t cannot burn always it was â—ighted upon this condition that â—t should once die out The Week â—hich burns and the matter â—hich feeds it is elementary ends to corruption 1. This Candle is sometimes â—iolently dasht out as Abimelechs â—andle of life with a stone thrown â—t it Judg. 9.53 2. Sometimes a great winde lows it out as Herods breath pufâ—ed out John Baptists light 3. Sometimes it burns it self to â—e very last and spends it self in the Socket as Methusalem and Abraham dying in their old age and full of days 4. Yea often this Candle is no sooner lighted up In puncto temporis salâ—e pariter valeque dixerunt Hieron de Ausonio subito proficiscente Ad Julian epist 34. but it is presently thrown down and put out so died the Innocents and so many young Children the world had scarce bid them welcom and they turned their backs and bad it fareful The Clew of life though it were not violently cut yet voluntarily would it in time unwinde it self and let it appear that humane life is wound up but upon a bottom of Clay Righteous men in the world are Flowers among Grass and Weeds yet are they but Flowers these Lillies must wither these Roses must cast their leaves 1 Pet. 1.24 For all flesh is grass and the glory thereof as the flower of the field the grass withers the best flower will fade In respect of Grace it is necessary they die will God put off his Children with the first-fruits of his Spirit no he inâ—eads to perfect all Grace and to fill them with all Divine fulness to make them full Heirs in bringing them to the Fountain and Well-head of life Achsah gets the upper-Springs granted to her as well as the nether so God has upper-Springs of perfection for his Children whose best Graces are here mixt with many imperfections the Grace of Sanctification is here perfect for the nature Eph. 4.13 Prov. 4.18 Mors Hebraice Mavet Met. per Metathesin Tom Tam in nostra patria sonat apud sinceros maternae linguae scrutatores perfectum Innocens In hac enim vita nihil est perfectum sic Rabbi Jacobus apud Nic. Crogerum in Amphitheatr mortis conflict 13. because it is holy divine and comes from God but not for the stature the strength and growth of it it is always a growing here there is a perfect measure and stature of the fulness of Christ which once attained and must be attained by death it is ripe and grows no more then all planting and watring shall cease by Word and Sacraments the Tree of Grace being come to full growth It is called The righteous mans perfect day now thaâ— which is perfect cannot come till that which is imperfect 〈◊〉 done away which is by death that conveys us to our estate anâ— place of perfection so some havâ— drawn the Original of Death tâ— signifie that which is perfect Theâ— shall our Wheat grow without either Straw or Chaff when temptations and imperfections shall nâ— more trouble us all corruptioâ— being perfectly weeded out of thâ— heart which cannot be her whiles we are absent from thâ— Lord. 3. Lastly the Righteous muâ—â— die in respect of the miseries oâ— this life that their afflictions anâ— troubles may die and have an end The world laughs and the godlâ— weep But shall the Righteouâ— mans Cheeks always be an Islanâ— compassed with Tears No thâ— Lord has told of a time whereiâ— all tears shall be wiped from hâ— eyes Who is persecuted mockt scourged the Butt of Satans temptations the subject of the worlds â—corn but the Servants of Christ â—hall this time last always No â—urely the Lord has a time for â—hem called Rev. 21.4 The time of refresh â—ent