Patriarchs and Apostles Martyrs and Confessors and all the Quire of Heaven desire thy company and art thou loath to goe Away for shame ô my soul away rouze up thy self and let it never be said that Heathen and Heretiques have imbraced Death more cheerfully then thou let it never be said Thou hast incouraged others and art thy self a coward Away then with all unchristian diffidence and addresse thy self with joy and thankfulnesse to thy glory 14. But O Lord it is thou only that canst make me willing thou by thy Mercies canst draw me and by thy judgements canst drive me thou canst wooe me to a better world and weane me from this Oh prepare my Soul so far for thee then that it may bid thy messenger welcome Now that thou O Saviour hast tasted Death and so sweetned that cup let not me be loth to pledg thee Thou that givest both to will Phil. 〈…〉 and to doe give them both to me that I may not only die but doe it willingly 15. But O Lord though the spirit be willing yet the flesh is weak Mat. 〈◊〉 41. my soul would draw near with courage and comfort but my body boggles so many hindrances and hang-backs so many clogs and temptations within me without me about me that if thou O Lord leave me but to my self I shall shame my selfe and that name of thine that I have professed Oh! I cannot welcome Death so heartily so worthily as I ought instead of cheerfull imbracements I shrink inward and am scarce ashamed to let Death hale me as if I would make the world belive that I durst not die Lord how shall I shame and befoole my self if thou but leave me to my self 16. Now whither shall I goe for succour but unto thee O Lord O God of all Spirits and of all Flesh too make thou willing both my spirit and my flesh to come unto thee Oh! weaken my flesh to receive incourage my spirit to contemne Death The nearer I draw unto my end let my joyes be the clearer and my desires inlarged Oh draw this dark veile a little that I may see my glory and then I cannot but desire it And O God most holy O God most mighty O holy and mercifull Redeemer suffer me not at my last hour for any fear or paine of Death to fall from thee 17. 〈◊〉 4. 〈…〉 O Lord thou seest how soon I sink in these waters unlesse thou help and hold me up Oh! shew thy strength then in my weaknesse help him that cannot help himself and let all the praise and glory be thine owne I aske no more then what thou hast given to others and promised to me and hast given many earnests by many former deliverances perfect the work thou hast begun that thy praise and my happinesse may be consummate together 18. Yea O Lord I know it shall be so I cannot only build upon thy promise but prove by former deliverances that thou wilt save me now I cannot fear drowning in these waters while my head is above O Saviour thou hast conquer'd and triumph'd over Death how can I then fear a vanquish'd adversary Thou hast overcome Death both for thy self and me how then can I miscarry O Death then where is thy sting 〈◊〉 15. 〈◊〉 55. 〈◊〉 21 〈◊〉 4.7 〈◊〉 4.8 O Grave where is thy victory O my soul thou hast marched valiantly Thou hast fought a good fight and hast finished thy course henceforth is laid up for thee a crown of glory I will lay me down therefore and sleep in peace since thou O God makest me to dwell in safety 19. 〈◊〉 15.57 And now thanks be unto God who hath given me victory through Jesus Christ our Lord And blessed be that Redeemer who hath bought off the bitterness and torments of my Death with his own Blessed be he that hath made the bed of sickness tollerable of Death easie Blessed be that strength of my salvation who hath covered my head in the day of battell 〈◊〉 140.7 O Lord thou art my God and I will thanke thee thou art my King 〈◊〉 1.8.28 and I will praise thee Of Life Eternall 1. WHat wilt thou muse on O my soule what imployment shall I find thee or thou find thy self what meditations more worthy thy self next the glory of thy Maker then the glory of thy self Ascend then O my soule in thy thoughts to that Nebo and Pisgag Deut. 〈…〉 whence thou maiest descry a glimpse of that Land of blisse and promise which thy faith believeth and thy heart desireth 2. And what is that life of glory but a full fruition of God and thy self with the society of Saints and Angels the blessed vision of the all-glorious Deity Thy union to him thy enjoying of him and rejoycing in him A life that is all life and hath nothing of death or sorrow in it where are fulnesse of joies and pleasures for evermore Psal 〈…〉 A life whose glory cannot be described till it be injoyed 1 Cor. 〈…〉 for eye hath not seen nor eare heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive those treasures of happinesse that God hath laid up for them that love him A life whereunto not our light afflictions onely which are but for a moment Rom. 〈…〉 but whereunto the best things of this life yea our life it self is not worthy to be compared 3. And this is the last of lives and is a life everlasting Our first Life is a life of Nature the marriage of soule and body together Our next Life is a life of Grace an espousing of the Soule to Christ Our last Life is a life of Glory when Soul and Body are married unto God for ever The Soule is begotten to this life at our regeneration it is borne at our death or separation of Soule and Body from thence to the resurrection and re-union of the Body to the Soule it is in its childhood and then enters it into its full perfection In this glory there may be degrees there can be no imperfection though some shine like starres of greater some of lesser magnitude yet all shall shine some shal hold more glory some lesse yet all shall be full he that hath least shall neither want himself nor annoy him that hath a larger portion 4. And whence is this life eternal but from him who is the fountain both of life and of eternity The Father hath made it and decreed it The Son hath merited and procured it The Holy Ghost hath sealed and delivered it Not thy Free-will in doing good but his free Mercy in Electing thee is that which gives thee title to this Glory Thou art not happy because thou hast been holy but thou art holy because thou art ordained to be happy And as this Glory so all things tending thereunto are from God he that ordained thee to Glory hath given thee a Saviour to give thee this Glory he hath given thee Faith
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
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