TVVO MEDITATIONS 1. Of DEATH 2. Of LIFE ETERNALL By N. B. a Sequestred MINISTER OF JESVS CHRIST LONDON Printed in the Year 1648. To his dear Parents Mr. C. T. B. and Mrs E. B. increase of grace in this Life and everlasting glory in the life to come THat this world is Vanity and Vexation Eâ—les 1.1 is no need to tell your more then fourscore years apiece can preach Labour and Sorrow Psal 19.1 The Lord hath sufficiently weaned us if at least we will not be guilty of wilfull folly from the frothy milk of this world he hath not spared his mustard wormwood and gall And as if that were not sufficient to take off our doting appetites he hath even taken the world it self quite from us we have no breasts to suck no world to love Oh! what a sweet advantage have we now had we but wisdome and grace to improve it to fix our loves only upon God and Heaven now we are freed from other suitors Why doe we not advance our longings thither where we may be yet more secure from Plunder and Sequestration Here we have a little though a very little besides our lives there we shall have nothing that Theeves can medâ—le with We have I believe we have long agoe learn'd to be willing to live and yet content to die if God so please surely we have been trewants if by this time we cannot adde one line to that lesson and now be willing to die and yet content to live if God so please Tell me for ingenuously I know not what is there that may make us in love with Life or in fear of Death For the first love of the present world I do not much suspect you you have been sufficiently knock'd off from that dotage Against the second there is none but wants incouragements That King of feares and fear of Kings That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioâ— 18.14 That mighty Mawkin That terrible Scare-crow That ashcolour'd Vizard is many times ready to put us Children besides our little wits One good preservation against the frights of this Bug-bear is to get acquaintance with the Skeleton so have I known a fair Lady and a Coy by familiar converâ—e with an hard-favour at last by degrees to like and love Why not so here Surely ignorance of Death oftimes is one if not the only cause we are squeamish did we but know whence she is and whither she tends we should bid her better welcome These Meditations were my comfort as well as my imployment in my late long sicknesse I present them to you now as an expresse of my duty and thankes for your care and cost from my Childhood untill now for even yet such is the will of God whose justice I see quite through the malignity of the world I feed upon part of that little bread which is scarce sufficient for your own nourishment I hope and wish your Firkin and cruse may not be spent till the influence of Heaven send peace and prosperity to our King and Country I know this present will be pleasing for my sake I wish it may be profitable for your own You cannot but every day one way or other be put in minde of your dissolution you have pricks in the flesh the Messengers of Death to buffet you and no intreaty can take them off but they and you must remove together I wish you may improve these and other Meditations so to your comfort that at last even Death it self may be your consolation The God of Heaven blesse and keep you in his faith in his fear the Lord preserve and restore our King and in his good time send us peace in the mean time send us patience God forgive and convert our Enemies and once more look gratiously upon our Land and Nation Amen Amen N. B. Of Death 1. THe thoughts of Death are not alway pleasant alwayes profitable What Meditations more needfull O my soule or neerer allyed to wisdome then those of thy latter end what more uncertain then Life or more sure then Death Mine age is too little to learn to live not enough to learne to Die 'T is good then by frequent thoughts of Death to make her familiar that when she comes she may not looke strangely 2. And what is Death but the wink of life the rest of Nature the sleep of flesh and sence the taking downe these few sticks thy earthly tabernacle was built with the putting off and laying up thy garments of flesh and blood for a night till the great and joyfull day come the Farewell and goodnight of two old friends parted for a season Our journey and passage into that other world for which we and this world were made our souls Gaoles delivery from the prison of the body or birth delivery into a better world and so the way the gate of life 3. And this is that which we commonly call Death though there be others also of her name As There is a Death in sin Ephes 2.1 this is a miserable and yet this is thy condition O my soul Dead in trespasses and sins till thy mercy O God! Col. 2.13 in thy Son hath quickned me by a full remission And thus we come to another Death a Death to Sin or a Death of sin this may well be called the first Death for it is the best Death Happy is he that hath his part therein Rev. 20.6 for over him The last Death shall have no power And well may this be called last for it is lasting everlasting it is so great there can be none with it so infinite there can be none beyond it The horrours and terrours of this Death no mortall is able to see and live Oh! what horrour then is it to those that feel them But O Lord most holy O God most mighty O holy and mercifull Redeemer deliver me not unto the bitter paines of eternall Death Thy death O Christ hath saved me from this and thou wentest downe to hell that I might not goe thither â—â—m 6.4 and my first death and buriall with Thee by Baptisme which is my first Resurrection too shall be my passe port through and over the worst of Death 4. 〈◊〉 1.13 Thou O Lord mad'st not death but Man found it out by the works of his hands Man brought forth sin and sin brought forth death and no marvaile if the child be uglie that is begotten of such parents And this generation of vipers hath so thriven in this world â—â—n 1.18 as if Increase and multiply and Replenish the earth had been onely spoke to them What thing is there in the world that is not sin or oft-times a provocation thereunto What thing is there in the world that is not Death or oft-times an instrument thereunto Nothing so small but is big enough to hide a Death under it A Flie hath choakt one a Grape-stone another an haire of the head has done as much to a third
A prick of a thorne hath let in Death a point of a Sword could doe no more Death lurks sometimes in our meat and sometimes in our drink and sometimes in the very aire Man hath not more helps of living then he hath means of dying But O Lord how sweetly did thy Wisdome and Justice accord when thou madest Death the revenge of sin and so plagued us with a brood of our owne begetting But as the wages â—om 6.23 so the end of sin is death Thy Justice O God hath made it the wages thy Mercy hath made it the end Death came in by sin â—om 5.12 and sin goes out by death Sin is a Viper descended of the old Serpent and Death is her off-spring born to the destruction of her Mother Thy mercy O Christ that took away my sin could also have taken away my death but thy wisdome chose rather to alter then abolish it Cor. 15.55 Thou hast cut out the sting crost out the curse and now with Esau it meets not with frownes but kisses surely the bitternesse of death is over Gen. 33.4 Thou O Saviour by thy Death hast so sweetned Death Sam. 15.32 and perfum'd the Grave that it shall not grieve me when my Sun is set to sleep a while in that silent bed 5. Cor. 15.26 And thus our last enemy is become our first friend we meet with in our passage to that other world who as she leads thy body through corruption and rottennesse so she guides thy soule to life and happinesse as she closes the eye of thy body so she opens much more the eye of thy soule if thy friends mourne to see thee dead thy soule rejoyces much more to see him who was dead Rev. 1.18 and is alive Psal 41.5 thy Name and Memory perishes perhaps among the sons of men but is everlastingly recorded among the sons of God 6. Surely it is but the worst part of Man that is in the reach and power of death our soules are so far from damage that they gaine more then the body loses The worst of Death is but corruption and that works but upon a carkase that neither feels nor cares We carry heaven and earth about us while we live when we die each part returnes homewards Kings and Prophets Patriachs and Apostles have all gone the same way and who can be so fond as to hope exemption Whoever is cloathed with flesh and blood is engaged unto death for those garments and Death can distraine no farther then her owne these garments T is true she desires and a spires higher faine would she ravish the soule but our Joseph is too chaste for her embracements Gen. 39.12 and flyes away without his garments 7. The time of Death for her comming is uncertaine because she would alway be expected for sometimes she takes advantage and strikes suddenly though most times she sends her harbingers age and sicknesse to give notice of her comming The time of Death for her continuante when she comes is but guest-wise for a night and her first word is To bed she must be our bed-fellow for a night and the earth our bed where claspt in her cold armes we be til we be as cold as she This is cold news thinks flesh and blood who seldome bids her guest welcome fain would she make delaies she thinks the night will be long and therefore desires to sit up a little longer But Death though sometimes she seeme to admit of discourse yet she resolutely holds her conclusion and will not be denyed though still we desire such is our weaknesse to hug our diseases till they ravish us of all that is flesh and blood and leave us fit for none but Death And now Death will forbeare no longer but thrusts out sicknesse and enters the bed her selfe Yet she stayes not long there she and her bed-fellow are soone removed one Story lower to the floore and then one Story more to the grave And yet there is no abiding That which is to full of alteration cannot be permanent Psal 30.5 Death may endure for a night but lift commeth in the morning When that day breaks the shadowes fly away and Night and Death shall be no more But what company shall I meet with in the house of death What 〈◊〉 17.14 Corruption and Wormes These are my neere kindred Curruption was my mother and begat me she is now my daughter I beget her The wormes are my sisters by the mothers side they are now my children as a Mother I breed them as a Father I feed them a lusty kindred Surely they cannot but bid me welcome and be glad to meet me there Why should not I be so to them However I may be coy of their acquaintance here yet there we shall be more then intimate I shall embrace them in my armes and hug them in my bosome I shall feast them with my flesh yea with all my heart and my Liver too I shall give them free quarters for should I grudge they would be so bold as to take it But much good doe it them it is the last banquet I shall ever make them and the last time I shall ever meet them after this supper good-night kindred 8. We doe not then indeed and but scarcely in appearance seeme to lose by Death for what is the World and all that therein we leave behind us her best things are vanitie the rest vexation 〈◊〉 107.34 How is she falne since our fall from a fruitfull Land to a barren wildernesse how is she fruitfull now onely in thornes and troubles how are all her pleasures vaine and but in appearance while her sorrowes are reall What are all her pomps and honours but empty bubbles and baubles to please fond children And what is our flesh but a bundle of diseases a bladder full of muddy water a lumpe of rottennesse And what was that thing which we once call'd Life but a perillous pilgrimage a sea of troubles a labyrinth of perplexitie But that which is worse then all the rest without which the rest were not evill Rev. 4.40 that which is the death in the pot the leaven of the whole lump Cor. 5.6 and that which imbitters the whole life is sin and a necessity of so doing so that while we live we cannot but sin we are plunged into such an inevitable habit of mischiefe and and miserie that to live and to sin are of like necessity and we must leave off both or neither And that which makes full this part of our misery we delight in our prison we sing in our cage we are proud of our chaines and too often take pleasure in the jingling of our fetters Death now is our freedome from all these Why dost thou droop then â—â—ke 21.28 O my soule lift up thine head rather when thy redemption draweth neere when death shall open thy prison dores be not loath to goe at liberty
to bring thee to this Saviour he hath given thee his Word to bring thee to this Faith he hath given thee his Merit he hath given thee his Spirit he hath given thee the hive and the honey too Look up unto God then O my soul as the beginner and the finisher of thy Glory and when thou art ravished with the glory of the worke forget not to magnifie him who is the Authour And indeed he is both the Authour of thy glory and thy glory too it self in him is all thy happinesse Canst thou want any thing then O my soule that injoyest him who is all perfection Canst thou thirst while thou dwellest in the fountain and well-spring of living Waters Canst thou hunger whilst thou art filled with Manna and bread of life Canst thou be naked whilst thou art wrapt in glory 〈◊〉 6.11 Canst thou be sad O my soule whilst thou art in his presence where is fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore yea thou thy self art now sufficient in him who is All-sufficient 5. But what are the commodities of this kingdome of Glory surely the fruit must needs be both wholsome and pleasant that grows upon this Tree of life if the kingdome of God upon Earth be righteousnes and peace 〈◊〉 14. 〈◊〉 17. and joy in the Holy Ghost oh what is that kingdome then in Heaven All things must needs be pure there where no unclean thing can enter and they must needs also be as peaceable where there is no roome for jarre or discord and shall they not also be as pleasant 〈◊〉 21.4 when sorrow and sadnesse shall be no more shall not our eyes stand full with joy when all tears are wiped off When our hearts are then so merry how shall we chuse but sing or how can our mirth but be melodious and how can our songs but be continuall since our joyes are everlasting Our Hosannah's and Hallelujah's shal never cease because our joyes shall never end and our joyes are everlasting because our glory is eternall nor can we be weary of hearing or making that musick which none can beare a part in and not be happy 6. Who now are the Inhabitants of this happy Land the Inheritours of this blisse the Citizens and Subjects of this City of God who are they but Saints and Angels glorious Spirits or bodies transformed into a spirituall perfection Christ is King and God and he makes his subjects Kings 〈◊〉 1◠40 and as it were Gods too that they may reigne with him for ever and ever These bodies of ours which were earthy are now heavenly this terrestriall is become celestiall and this naturall body is made a spirituall And thus are we made fit to accompany Angels and hold fellowship with Prophets and Patriarchs these immortall crownes of glory are not onely prepared for us but we are also prepared for them and made able to receive that blisse of which before we were not onely unworthy but uncapable Our soule and body are not onely reunited but improved to such an inlarged perfection that they are able not onely to receive but retaine their fill their full of glory even of that transcendent glory which is so pure and bright that it would rather astonish then delight the best of mortalls What this blisse indeed is we doe not we cannot know untill we have it then shall we comprehend it as well as be comprehended by it here we know but in part then shal we know it fully and it is not lesse then half our happinesse that we are made so capable of knowing and receiving it 7. Nor is that a small blisse or glory that arises from the very place wherein we enjoy it The majesty even of earthly Princes is oft seen in their stately Palaces they have had their houses of Cedar and Ivory What is that Palace then that the God of Majesty hath made for himself when we say that this City of God hath her walls of Jasper Rev. 2 〈◊〉 her buildings of gold her foundations pretious stones her gates pearle these are but low expressions stooping to our weak capacities Psal 8 〈◊〉 Oh! how excellent things are spoken of thee thou City of God and yet all short of thy Excellency Even this world hath some glimpses and reflexions of glory her greatest is in her Canopie her sealed roofe that is so bespangled with glorious starres and yet even this is but the pavement of that City What then is her Canopie Blessed thrice-blessed ô God are they whom thou shalt count worthy to come under thy roofe And as the place so the Company much more adds to our felicity it is but halfe an happinesse to be happy alone Gen. 2 〈◊〉 When Adam had a Paradise to dwell in and a world besides to encompasse him yet he was not perfect till he had a Partner It is not so much a comfort to have Companiens of our miseries as of our joyes of which we lose the better part if we have not some to beare a part We have Friends and Companions in this life with whom sometime we have distasts and discontents yet when Death calls us how loath are we to go and leave them Death oft times hath not a greater grief then this to leave our Friends behind us Oh! how glad shall we be to meet again in that other world where our joyes and loves shall be redoubled to meet them in the midst of Myriads of Saints and Legions of Angels to meet them with God our Father and Christ our Saviour and that blessed Spirit who is the God of joy and love all which have their full of felicity and yet we have ne'r the lesse Their joyes and glories shall not over shadow or eclipse but adde to ours They shall joy in our happinesse and we rejoice in theirs for none shal think others much or their owne little The joy must needs be answerable to the glory of the sight to see the antient Kings and Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles in their glorious mansions to meet familiarly with the Fathers of the primitive and present Church to see those valiant and renowned troops of Martyrs and Confessors to see those squadrons of Angels marshalled in their glorious orders nay to see and be able to looke upon God himselfe Oh! my soule how canst thou think on this and not be ravish'd with desire to be added to this Company But that which crownes our comfort and fills our joy unto the brim is this our happinesse is eternall everlasting That is not halfe an happinesse that hath an end a period nay it adds unto our grief if we might have been to our misery if we have been happy and are not In this life our wine is mixt with teares our mirth with mourning 〈◊〉 14.13 we oft laugh and cry in lesse then an houre yea sometimes even in laughter the heart is sorrowfull and the end of mirth is heavinesse But our joyes in Heaven
and see darkly even the Apostles themselves though they had seen the transfiguration yet when they began to speak thereof talk they know not what And S. Paul when he had been in Paradice and returned though he wanted neither memory nor expressions 2 Co 〈◊〉 yet he can tell us only that he had been there but what he saw or heard was impossible toutter Content thy self then O my soul with thy glory in that manner and measure and method as God shall give it thee 10. How sweet a thing is Life even the naming of it invites to cheerfulnesse and its contrary is of a dull sound even this Life which is not only temporall but miserable too yet because it is a Life how loath are we to leave it How shall we joy in our life then when temporall shall be changed to eternall and misery to glory Eccle◠〈◊〉 How sweet a thing is Light how pleasant to behold the Sun how near are light and life of kind when even stones because they have light in them are said to be lively and are held for jewels How excellent is the eye which is not only the beauty of the face Mat. 〈…〉 but the light of the body what could we doe without it how much of our happinesse consists in light even here how much more hereafter How sweet a thing is glory even the painted glory of this world which most time is but a bare name and shaddow yet is oft preferred before life it self And yet how little a place doth this glory fill how short a time doth it last how hardly is it got how quickly forgot how subject to be mistaken fond man oft thinking he imbraces his honour when he hugs his shame Our glory here at beft is but a gloe-worme hereafter it shall excell the Sun How sweet a thing is our Country and is preferred before our Parents our Children or our selves How beloved a thing is our home he is senslesse or worse that doth not highly prize it And yet even in our Country here we are but Pilgrims at our home we are but strangers Heaven is our Country and our Home in comparison whereof the richest Palace on earth is homely How sweet a thing is a Crowne how desirable a Kingdome How eagerly doe ambitious men indanger their bodies and damne their soules to have a pull at one of them And yet what are Earthen Crownes but wreathes of thornes clouts stuft with cares and how oft have those weighty Caps broke the necks of those that wore them Not so with our Crownes of glory who as far excell these in security as they doe in majesty for none shall ever envy them but those that shall never come neere to trouble them Let the thought of these glories then O my soule be thy joy till the time come thou shalt enjoy them 11. We can but glance and guesse at these stately glories as eye hath not seene them nor eare heard them neither can the heart conceive them 〈◊〉 1.9 what good things be those that God hath provided for those that love him 〈◊〉 1.19 even before the sons of men to please the sense but cannot fill our little heart But what better things are those he hath provided for them before the sons of God to fil and satisfie their inlarged soules whereunto not our light afflictions only which are but for a moment 〈◊〉 8.18 but the greatest blessings this world hath are not worthy to be compared What can the heart desire more then to be rid of evil and enjoy good both are here 〈◊〉 6.11 here is fulnesse of that which causes fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore Here is none of that which may cause sorrow not onely all teares 〈◊〉 21.4 but all cause of teares shall be wiped away nor can any thing enter here that is soule or hurtfull Cease not these thoughts O my soule till they have raised thee to joy and thankfulnesse 12. Now farewell then fond pleasure thou painted Witch Farewell base earth 〈◊〉 13. 〈◊〉 46. thou unweildie bulk and farewell Flesh with thy filthy lusts Fly away vaine-glory with thy Peacock-feathers Avaunt sin Avoid Satan I have found a prize a Pearle I will sell all and buy it Oh come then into my armes my Deare draw neere my Joy and ravish him that cannot ravish thee Oh let my ravisht thoughts attaine some glimpses though at too far a distance of thy rare beauties Who can think on thee and not long for thee Who can hope for thee and not think those longings long Who can love thee and not be happy But how happy those be that enjoy thee no tongue can tell Oh beare me on thy wings Dear Love while I lightly trample over the dung of this world Smile but upon me and I shall cheerfully passe the gates of death He knowes thee not that loves thee not He loves thee not that will not die to come unto thee 13. 〈◊〉 26. But alas though the Spirit be willing the Flesh is weake whatever the matter be my soule is heavie as if there were some earth in that too Mine eyes are dim I cannot see those glaunces of thy beauty which I might see Mine ears are deafe too oft to thy sweet motions My pallate is dull when I should taste how gracious my Lord is My smell is not well taken with the favour of his precious ointments And all the Arteries of my soul are oft time so benummed they can neither feele themselves nor thee Oh heavens whence is the cause of all this coldnesse is my soul so much in love with my body it cannot leave it a little to enjoy it self alone is my body so much of kind unto the Earth that it must needes be more heavy then it and must my soul needs be heavy too for company Are the treasures and pleasures of this world such goodly things thou canst not sequester thy thoughts from them Or are the joyes of heaven so poore thou art loath to spend thy thoughts upon them Or dost thou beleeve there are none there or none for thee and therefore wilt not labour in vain Surely these are not the causes God and my soule know but either the graces of heaven withhold their dewes and veyle their beauty and their influence or else my stony leaden or at least my fleshly heart drawes not in their blessing Or else God that made heaven and gives it will give it freely we shall not be suspected to deserve it so much as in a strong desire Or else the Divine wisdome and goodnesse sees that if we should have these blessed visions and revelations in abundance we should be exalted above measure 2 〈…〉 and therefore sends this ballast in the flesh to humble us This is thy condition O my soul thou complainest not without a cause and mai'st well be sorry for thy heavinesse 14. Thou seest O Lord that I am so weary and
heavy laden I cannot travell upon this holy hill Oh! that thou wouldest ease me Mat. 〈…〉 2 as thou hast promised Oh! take off my burden adde to thy strength pluck off the plumets of my flesh and put to the feathers of thy spirit whose wings are silver and her feathers gold Psal 6. 〈…〉 57. Oh! that I had the wings of that Dove then should I flie away Oh! that I could but get up this Nebo and see my Canaan how dearly should I love Deut. 〈…〉 and long for her how boldly for her sake should I bid defiance unto whatsoever this wildernesse or world can tempt me with 15. But O Lord thou knowest my soul neither hath this happinesse nor can deserve it yea neither can deserve to have it nor to desire it But look not on my merits but on thy mercy if I had my desert I should have been long ere this past hope or help of Mercy That thou hast saved me from Hell is a Mercy no lesse then infinite but that thou shouldest also give me Heaven is a Mercy every way like thy self How can I deserve so great a Glory that am not able to aske or worthy to beg the least of thy Mercies How is my soul benummed with Flesh bemired with Earth besetted with Sin Lord thou art my hope my help help then thy servant that cannot help himself and as thou hast prepared glory for me so Lord prepare me for my glory 16. O God the Father of Light and Life from whom every good and perfect gift descendeth take this work into thine hand Iam. 1 〈…〉 and the glory of it perfect what thou hast begun O save my soul that putteth her trust in thee Wean her from the frothy milk of this world feed her with that Mannah that came down from Heaven thou that puttest Clay into the blind mans eyes and cured them 〈◊〉 9.6 wash out that clay in mine wherewith they are so bedaubed they can neither see Heaven nor thee It is thine hand that made the Heavens and it is thine hand that gives them and it is the same hand againe that lifts mine heart unto them O Lord though thou makest not mine heart heavy yet thou findest it so thou hast it in thine hand turn it and tune it as please thee make it light by the light of thy counteuance quicken it by thy Spirit take out her earth put in thy fire carry her up to Nebo shew her Canaan make her weary of this wildernesse and inlarge her longings after Heaven leave her not till thou make her pant after thee 〈◊〉 42. as the hart after the waters nor let her thirst ever be abated till she be filled with the presence of thee O God 17. 〈◊〉 18 〈◊〉 27. And since I have begun to speak unto the Lord of glory who am but dust and ashes pardon thy servant if while he plead with thee he urge thee with thy promise Hast thou not said O Lord that thou wilt give me life 〈◊〉 6.10 hast thou not bid me pray Thy kingdome come and hast thou not promised to give to them that ask and open to them that knock hast thou not alway declared thy self a God rich in mercy and delights to shew it I beg that which thou knowest I want I perish without it thou hast in abundance enough to spare to make Millions rich and happy I can have supply from none from nothing else the whole world besides is Misery if thou give not I shall never have it I beg no more but what thou hast given others how many thousand Saints and Martyrs hast thou crown'd with glory And pardon me O Lord and I shall speak once more hast thou not bought Heaven for me and paid for it a good price too and sufficient Oh! let these perswade with thee and let thy mercy in thy well-beloved Son prevaile in him look down on me and make me look up to thee with his blood cement and link all thy graces in a chain and let them down to me that laying hold thereon I may be drawne up to my glory 18. Yea be thou confident O my soule it shall be so Faithfull is he that hath promised â—or 1.9 â—or 1.20 〈◊〉 3.3 even God that cannot lie all thy sinnes cannot make his grace of none effect he counts his promise as a debt and will surely pay it yea he hath not onely bought Heaven for thee but bought thee also for Heaven and given earnest for thee the graces of his Spirit Be thou sure O my soule thy King and Saviour that hath fought so valiantly and paid so dearly for thy redemption 2 Cor. 〈…〉 will not now lose thee Who shall separate thee from this love of God Rom. 〈…〉 who can pull thee from thy glory if thy sinnes cannot thy afflictions shall not Go to thy rest then O my soule and there be thankfull 19. Now praise the Lord ô my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy name Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Ps 103 〈…〉 2 〈…〉 Who pardoneth all thy sinnes and healeth all thine infirmities which hath redeemed thy life from destruction and crowned thee too with everlasting mercies Oh! what shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me What shall I what can I render Ps 116 〈…〉 What can I give thee O God which is not thine owne already Thou askest mine heart thou hast it I give it thee and thanke thee too with all mine heart Oh! Pro. 23 〈…〉 that it were worthy thy acceptance O Lord thou dost accept it as it is and therefore My soule doth magnifie the Lord Luk. 1. 〈…〉 and my Spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour for he hath highly exalted the low estate of his servant he that is mighty hath done great things for me and holy is his name and blesse be that God who hath made me blessed to all eternity Amen FINIS