Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	body_n	death_n	separation_n	20,420	5	10.8447	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56309	The weavers shuttle displayed and the swiftness thereof unfolded, or, The words of a dying man to a dying people, in the midst of a dying nation wherein is held forth I. That the time is short, the way is narrow, the prize is great, the runners are many, the obtainers few, II. That repentance and turning to God is not in one call or command, wherefore wait upon the means appointed by God to work it, and that diligently and constantly this work deferred will be still greater, the time to do it wil[l] be shorter, the strength to do it by wil[l] be less, III. If we endeavour to the uttermost to improve the present opportunity and ability that the Almighty gives us, we shall, for ought I know, live with more comfort here and die in full assurance hereafter, for the greatest evil threatned or feared, may through wisdom be timely prevented / by Robert Purnel.	Purnell, Robert, d. 1666.	1652 (1652)	Wing P4244; ESTC R32258	54,417	168

THE Weavers SHUTTLE DISPLAYED And the Swiftness thereof Unfolded Or the Words of a Dying man to a Dying People in the midst of a Dying Nation Wherein is held forth I. That the time is short the way is narrow the Prize is great the Runners are many the Obtainers are few II. That Repentance and turning to God is not in one Call or Command wherefore wait upon the means appointed by God to work it and that diligently and constantly this Work deferred will be still greater the Time to do it in wil be shorter the strength to do it by wil be less III. If we endeavour to the uttermost to improve the present opportunity and ability that the Almighty gives us we shall for ought I know live with more comfort here and die in full assurance hereafter for the greatest evil threatned or feared may through wisdom be timely prevented By Robert Purnel Job 14. 1. Man that is born of a Woman is of few days and full of trouble Psal 39. 5. Verily every man at his best estate is altogether vanity Job 7. 6. For his days are swifter then a Weavers Shuttle London Printed for Giles Calvert and are to be sold at his Shop at the black spred Eagle neer the West end of Pauls 1652. The Epistle to the Impartial READER Courteous Reader AS death is the King of Terrors to Christless Souls who have made the World their portion and Lyes their Refuge c. To Christians it is but a Servant sent from their Father to put them to Bed or sleep for a little time till Corruption put on Incorruption and Mortality Immortality to the first Death comes in full Power Force and Vertue to execute all the Plagues written so puts a period to all his good things But to the latter it puts a period to all his Troubles of what kinde or nature soever they are for Christ hath born all their griefs iniquities transgressions sorrows stripes and chastisements c. Fear not me saith death to a Saint I come from your Father who hath taken away my sting I am come to tell you that God and Christ doth love you and they love you so well that they can not suffer you any longer to be out of the full enjoyment of their love I have but one thing more in my Commission and that is only to crack the clay Walls which is the Prison that you may flie home and be at rest and this will be to the advantage both of thy body and soul thy body shall be healed of all its diseases of what nature or kind soever Death puts an end to all hunger and thirst cold or nakedness labour and weariness and then thy soul shall be taken up into the perfection of Gods eternal Love free Grace full Glory and everlasting Purity and so be for ever with the Lord in a word Death comes to put an end to a dying life which finisheth that work which begins so soon as we begin to live for the whole life is but a progress of death all the time we live we die invisibly and when we die indeed it is but a compleating of what we have been doing all our life long So that all the sons of men may say as once Iacob to Pharaoh Gen. 47. 9. Few and evil have the days of my life been few in comparison of his forefathers evil in the respect of his manifold crosses first in his Infancy secondly in Youth thirdly of Manhood fourthly of old Age each of those states accompanied with as many miseries as an hour is with minutes as doth appear by those words of Christ Mat. 6. 34. Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof c. And as for the things of this life when we have taken all the pains we can to rake and scrape them together it will be with us as with the children of Israel they that gathered little had no lack and those that gathered much had nothing over The Scripture tells us that the World was made of nothing Heb. 11. 3. and Iob telleth us it doth hang on nothing Iob 26. 7. Therefore to depend upon it is to depend on nothing Prov. 24. 5. VVilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not I have endeavoured in this Treatise to hold forth the frailty of man and the miseries that do accompany all men and women that do take up their rest in any thing beneath God I have exhorted all to improve the present opportunity and ability to the best advantage that all their good meanings and purposes might end in speedy performances in all which I do not say or mean that man should or could act without the Lords enabling him for we cannot get life by any action as it is mans without God for there is a flaming sword so that there is no coming to the Tree of Life but by Iesus Christ the new and living Way the true and only way We may assoon stand upon the Earth and touch the Sun in the Firmament as perform any Spiritual action without him or have any Acceptance either of our persons or performances but only in him Look upon whatsoever I have written as my thoughts or judgement who am a man knowing but little I must confess I rather lisp then speak plain in the things of God wherefore cover all my imperfections with a Mantle of Love this Piece is the only Work of a few redeemed hours compiled in the midst of many personal tryals if thou finde any imperfections yet let not the Truth of God suffer through my weakness but ascribe them to me even to me to whom of due they belong wherefore to the Law and to the Testimonies wherein I come short of speaking according to that Rule it is for want of light I am content to decrease so the glory of God may increase let my name perish so his may flourish let me cut off like a Weaver and die so his Name and Glory may live R. P. THE Weavers Shuttle Displayed And the Swiftness thereof Unfolded Job 7. 6. My days are swifter then a Weavers Shuttle THE Book of Job whereof this Text is a Part in general lays before us these things viz. 1. Gods Omnipotency 2. Mans uncharitableness 3. Jobs Patience and Thankfulness arising from his living in the will of God He giveth and takes away blessed be his name Job 1. 21. Now there were many things very eminent in Job 1. Uprightness of life in these words And Job was an upright and just man one that feared God and hated evil Job 1. 1. 2. Patience in Affl●ction Shall we receive good at the hands of God and not evil Job 2. 10. Job further holds forth viz. 3. The vanishing frailty of mans Nature 4. The envy of the Devil Job 1. 11. 5. The mercy of Almighty God in these words He maketh the wound and bindeth it up Job 5. 18. In the first of these to wit the Uprightness of his Life there are these

why we have many put offs the business concerning our souls must wait upon us from day to day from week to week from moneth to moneth nay sometimes from year to year before we be at leisure to take that into our consideration it is easier for a man to prefer a Petition to the Parliament and to get a promise of taking ones business into serious consideration and to answer our desires then it is to get our stubborn hard hearts so glewed to the World to be at leisure to consider the state of our souls we think every minute spent about that to be an hour and every hour a whole day and every day a year I remember the words of a man now with the Lord speaking to this from that Gen. 27. 38 39. You shall find there that Isaac blessing of Jacob and Esau he blest them both but see with what difference he blessed Jacob v. 28. God give thee of the dew of heaven and the fatness of the earth Then look to Esau's blessing Behold saith Jacobs father thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth and of the dew of heaven from above v. 39. Mark they were both blessed with the dew of heaven and fatness of the earth but now in Jacobs blessing the dew of heaven is first and the fatness of the earth is in the second place but in Esaus blessing the fatness of the earth is first and the dew of heaven in the second place Noting this that a godly man indeed the greatest thing that he should mind in the first place is the dew of heaven and then in the second place the blessing of the earth But an earthly man in the first place seeks for the fatness of the earth and in the next place the dew of heaven Hence it is that the choisest of our thoughts are carried forth and busied about earthly things c. And in order thereunto how will men rise early and lie down late and eat the bread of carefulness and travail night and day far and near through heat and cold thick and thin deprive themselves of sleep and many times of necessary food and all to gather a little Moths-nest together which once gotten the Moths soon consume it unless it takes wings and flies away before the Moths can enter as in Prov. 23. 5. Are not most men and women in England like Corah Dathan and Abiram we read of them that they were swallowed up of the earth and so at this day there be many millions of souls both rich and poor old and young male and female swallowed up of the earth for they make it their great business and therefore the strongest endeavours of their spirits are employed to effect and accomplish their own carnal ends yea the whole man both soul and body is laid out to the uttermost they will neglect no time spare no pains to increase their earthly treasure Indeed I have stood almost amazed when I have a little considered the temper of my own heart the state of others wherein I find that we are very diligent and ready to do that which we have no command for and that which we have warrant for we are negligent to do As to instance We have no command as I can remember to make the things of this life so sure to us and our posterity although in a moderate sense it may be lawful and expedient so to do but for our Evidence for Heaven and our assurance of our interest in God to this we have many commands Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure as 2 Pet. 1. 10 And again 2 Cor. 13 5. Examine your selves whether you be in the faith prove your own selves know you not your own selvs how that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates 1 Col. 23. Continue in the faith grounded and setled and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel which ye have heard c. Now for our assurance of earthly things men never think them sure enough but how careful are we to make all things infallible as there can be no way as we think wherein we can be deceived And to secure this earthly treasure how do men toile and labour and their thoughts run in the night and as soon as you arise in the morning you run headlong about the world having so many things to do you know not which to do first But the business of our souls and the assurance for heaven we either think not of it at all or if we do we make that but a business by the by but as for the matters of the earth men will go from this Lawyer to another to ask counsel and to see whether it be sure and to see whether there can be any thing done to make it more sure so that most men never think it to be sure enough but as for our assurance in spiritual things either we are contented with none at all or else any slender assurance will serve the turn Go from one seat to another and enquire of the People what evidence have you of Peace made between God and your souls What evidence have you that you are gone beyond any formal Professour What assurance have you that the saving work of God is wrought in you Why these be either Paradoxes or Mysteries the people know not what this doth mean many of them saying in effect it is an impossible thing for a man upon earth to have assurance of his salvation and so poor souls they drop into the grave one after another having no more assurance of Gods love to them or of their interest in him then the beasts of the field they came first from the earth and all the while they lived their hearts were upon it and so they die and return unto it never obeying that voice Ier. 22. 29. O earth earth earth hear the word of the Lord. These men have denyed Christ here while they lived in the body now he will deny them Mat. 10. 33. 2 Tim. 2. 12. They were ashamed to own him in his people here now he will not own them Luk. 9. 26. Christ called upon them to repent and they would not and now they shall not repent if they would They would none of his ways here and he will not accept of their persons hereafter Mat. 7. 23. O then let Religion be our business Let us seek the Kingdom of Heaven in the first place Mat. 6. 33. And again 3 Ep. John ver 2. I wish even above all things thou mightst prosper in thy body even as thy soul prospereth Mark here was a soul flourishing growing and thriving and that in the first place and next unto that is the moderate care of the body and this is Gods order but mans care is most for the body first and then a little for the soul afterwards when thou hast nothing else to do but know God will have the first fruits or none all

thy after-services are but like Cain's Sacrifices procuring a curse rather then a blessing In a word we were not made to serve the world the world was made to serve us and we were made to serve God Let every creature especially Man continue in his place for man is the most excellent creature of all on earth Let him then transcend all in his holy obedience to his Maker We are not our own we ought not to live to our selves we have forfeited our lives many a time the wages of the least sin is death and cursedness and yet our lives have been restored to us again For what end why saith the Scripture that we might not live to our selves but unto God Oh how often times doth he call how earnestly doth he knock at the door of our hearts how powerfully doth he strive how long doth he wait upon us to get us to yield unto him namely to have our hearts dis-ingaged from all things beneath himself and yet such wretches as we are we will not yield What is become of that frame of Spirit that was upon the Saints in former days Nathan used but one parable to David and he was converted Jonah preached but few days to Nineveh and they repented Christ looked back once upon Peter and he wept bitterly but there is such a spirit of slumber fallen upon most of the people in these days that nothing will prevail unless it be that place Rev. 21. 11. He that is unjust let him be so still and he which is filthy let him be filthy still And so they make good this place as it is spoken by way of precept and not by way of caution never considering what will become of them in the end thereof O ye sons and daughters of men did not our tender loving Lord God make us Lords of the Creation and are not we become Servants unto it Did not he make man the wisest of all Creatures and is there any Creature under the whole Heaven so unwise as man Did he not put a fear and a dread upon every creature Gen. 9. 2. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every fowl of the ayr and upon all that moveth on the earth and upon all the fishes of the sea into your hands are they delivered But how is poor silly man afraid of and become a Servant to the meanest of all these Creatures in a Spiritual sense These were made our servants and have been faithfull in their service to us we were Created in the Image of God and appointed by him to be serviceable unto him and yet the whole Creation are more serviceable unto him and do not dishonour him as man doth Jer. 8. 6 7. I hearkened saith the Lord and heard but the most excellent piece of my workmanship man spake not aright no man repented him of his wickedness saying what have I done So I was fain to repent my self that ever I made man for every one runneth into sin as the horse rusheth into the battel Yea the Stork in the heavens knows her appointed times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the time of their coming but my People know not the judgments of the Lord. Man that was made the wisest of all is become the variest fool of all And oh that we saw it 1 Cor. 3. 18. Let no man deceive himself If any man among you seemeth to be wise let him become a fool that he may be wise We like fools take a great deal of pains to make our selves miserable We forsake the Fountain of living endurable waters and ride and run through thick and thin labour and toyl dig and hew unto our selves Cisterns yea broken Cisterns that will hold no water Jer. 2. 12 13. If John were to write an Epistle to the Professors of our dayes as once he did to Gaius 3 Ep. Joh. v. 1 2. Beloved I wish above all things that thou mayst prosper be in health even as thy soul prospereth I say if he were to write to us he would undoubtedly change his voice and say O ye Professors now extant in the English Nation I wish above all things that ye may prosper in your souls even as your bodies prosper O thou hast a flourishing body but a starved soul thy eyes stare out with fatness thou hast more then heart can wish thou art like the green Bay tree or the Willows by the water side thou hast given thee thy hearts desire but thou hast a lean famished starved soul and I could wish above all things that thy soul prospered as thy body prospereth Oh is it not better to go to Heaven with poor Lazarus then to Hell with rich Dives Is it not better O sons and daughters of men to be often saying with our head Christ The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head then to be saying in effect as most do at this day with that rich man Luk. 12 17. 18 19 20. Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry but God said unto him Thou fool this night shall thy soul be required of thee c. We have forgotten those words 1 Joh. 2. 15. Love not the world neither the things of the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him O how few such can we find in a whole Parish in a whole City in a whole Shire nay how many think you are there in a whole Nation that love the world and so have not the love of the Father abiding in them In this Epistle of John the Spirit of the Lord in the mouth of his servant cals to all the sons of men and craves their diligent attention I have written to you Fathers I have written to you Children I have written to you Young men Why what is the Spirit of the Lord about to make out unto us Only here is the sum ver 15. Love not the world nor the things of the world for if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Object But some will be apt to say We do love God we do not love the World Answ How shall that appear If I should try thy practice by the Scriptures I shall find that thou dost love the world and not God 1 Ioh. 3. 17. Whoso hath this worlds good and seeth his brother in need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion how dwelleth the love of God in him That thou hast faith shew it to me by thy works and if thou hast love shew it by its fruits Indeed there is abundance of Faith and Love in the Nation but I can find but little in my self and others in the powerful operation The Power of Godliness is but here and there in a corner and when it doth

shall beg in harvest The diligent hand maketh rich But these are not diligent and therefore are poor See 1 Tim. 5. 8. He that provideth not for those of his own house by his lawfull Calling mark that man he hath denyed the faith and is worse then an infidel 3. Be diligent in your particular Calling as first and chiefly in obedience to the Command of God and secondly that so you might provide for your own selves and families thirdly so be diligent in it that you may be helpfull to others in their needs and wants Eph 4. 28 Let him that stole steal no more but labour working with his hands that he may have to give to him that needeth or to distribute as in the margent next to our selves and families we are to look to others for although charity begins at home it should spread abroad only in giving observe the Rule Gal. 6. 10. Do good unto all but especially to them that are of the houshold of faith and for thy incouragement herein read these and the like Scriptures Luk. 6. 38. Mat. 25. 34 35 36. Fourthly and lastly be sure that you follow this earthly Calling with an heavenly minde when thou lookest upon the world or any thing therein consider it is a natural Book wherein thou mayst read God thou mayst see him learn of him something in al thou puttest thy hand unto A man meerly natural is earthly in Spiritual things but a godly man is Spiritual in earthly things An earthly man when he is hearing praying or reading his thoughts and affections are upon the things of the earth but a godly man when he is about his Calling though the meanest as Weaving Spinning Hedging Ditching or using his Ax or Hammer he is more Spiritual then I say then a wicked man is when he is praying or hearing or preaching or administring or receiving Sacraments that it is so I know by wofull experience and thou whosoever thou art that readest these lines shalt shortly know it if thou dost not already to be true or else by wofull and most wofull experience in the highest degree it will appear to thee to be so at the day of Judgment when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed Truly I conceive that there is no one thing under Heaven that a man puts his hand unto or beholdeth with his eyes but we might behold our Creator in it and learn something from it I will instance in a few Callings leaving the industrious Reader to instance in the rest as occasion offers it self I will begin with the Husbandman as he in ploughing up the grounds to prepare it for feed the ground doth even tell him that the fallow ground of his heart must be ploughed up and fitted to receive Spirital seed Jer. 4. 3. Hos ●0 12. And as he is sowing the Corn even the grain doth preach to him saying I must die before I can bring forth fruit and so must you that sowe me die to the flesh before you can bring forth fruit unto God Rom. 7. 4. Then when a man comes to pluck up the weeds every weed tells him the ground was cursed for his sake and that there be many spiritual weeds in his soul that must be plucked out or it will undo him in the end Mat. 5. 29 30. Then when he hath reaped and is making a separation between the Tares and the Wheat this doth preach to him so will the Lord of Heaven and earth shortly put a difference between the godly and the wicked Mal. 3. 17. 18. and Mat. 3. 12. Come to those that spin and enquire of them and they will or might tell thee that they may see and learn by the thred they spin as in Mat. 6. 18. Luk. 12. 27. Consider the Lillies of the field for they toyl not neither spin and yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these Then the Weaver as he is Weaving may think as if his Shuttle running should say unto him as in Job 7. 6. Thy days are swifter then the Weavers Shuttle and when he hath woven out his Piece is cutting it off he may thereby learn that as he is come to the end of his piece so he shail shortly come to the end of his life and so cut off like a Weaver as in Isa 38. 12. I have cut off like a Weaver my life I might instance in every state in every condition in every particular Calling in every particular Creature but for brevity sake I shall leave it to the prudent Reader NOw that we may make Religion our business indeed and so have our conversation in Heaven whiles we live on the earth and that we might be freed from all distracting cares and so use the world as if we used it not that we might I've above the world even whiles we are in the world and that our chief trading might be for heaven that so our portion and treasure might be there that our hearts might be there also Consider seriously these ensuing particulars viz. 1. That we are all in the presence of God always who takes a view of all our thoughts words and deeds 2. That we have but few days to live in the body and they flie away swifter then the weavers Shuttle wherefore if there be any thing for us to do do it whiles it is called to day Heb. 3. 13. 15. 3. If we make not Religion our business we shall lose much of our comfort here in point of our well being for if we were not wanting to our selves we might live in Heaven whiles our bodies were upon the earth Consider that the Lord that made us hath undertaken the care of us He bids us wait on him and he will feed us and clothe us 5. Consider that this God that hath taken the care of us by way of promise is a faithful God he cannot deny himself 6. If we do belive this we shall with Job and Paul behold a hand of Providence in and read love under every dispensation First of the first of these 1. That we are always in the presence of Almighty God who takes a view of all our thoughts words and deeds and if this were believed by us we should do all things as in his presence endeavouring to behave our selves so as is not onely good and commendable in the sight of men but of God also who looks not only on the outward action but at the inward intention Also this will cause us not only to put a watch over the door of our mouth but also to put another watch over the thoughts of our hearts that so we may with Enoch walk with God that is set him before us See Psal 16. 8. I have set the Lord always before me that I might not fall There are two things to be considered for the clearing of this first point 1. That the Almighty God doth fill heaven and earth with his presence 2. That it is

40. 7. Psa 102. 3. Job 7. 7. 2 Sam. 14. 14. Hos 10. 7. Jam. 4. 14. 1 Chron. 29. 15. Ps 39. 5. 3. If we make not Religion our business we shall lose much of our comfort here in point of our well being for if we were not wanting to our selvs we might live in heaven while our bodies were here upon earth Phil. 3. 20. For our conversation is in heaven and this caused the Saints exceedingly to rejoyce 2 Cor. 1. 12. For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world Psa 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I shall have respect unto all thy Commandments What is the matter that one is crying another is sighing and a third perplexed and a fourth in despair why sin is the cause if a man made Religion his business so that his ways did please the Lord even his enemies should be at peace with him Prov. 16. 7. Nay further He shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall be no evil touch thee in famine he will preserve thee from death and in war from the power of the sword thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field and the beasts of the earth shall be at peace with thee thy tabernacle shall be at peace and thou shalt not sin Job 5. 19 20 21 22 23 24 c. In a word what brings all the miseries upon our bodies and plagues upon our souls but sin and how shall we refrain from sin unless we make Religion our business which if we did do we should 1. Not fear the faces of men Mat. 10. 28. 2. When we did suffer either in our bodies or estates we should be so far from murmuring or complaining that our hearts would be taken up altogether with singing praising and rejoycing Acts 6. 25. Luk. 6. 22. 23. 1 Pet. 3. 14 17. 1 Pet. 12 13 14 15 16. 3. We should have a fellowship with Christ in all our sufferings as in Phil. 3. 10. 4. We should be great gainers by all our sufferings Rom. 5. 3. 1 Pet. 2. 19. 20. 5. We should accompt the worst of them both light and short 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light afflictions which are but for a moment work for us a far more excellent and eternal weight of glory Rom. 8. 8. If we made Religion our business with Paul we should should say in our sufferings as he did 2 Cor. 4. 8 9. We be troubled on every side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed c. In a word I know nothing that keeps all good things from us and brings all miseries upon us but sin Jam. 4. 1. From whence come wars and fightings among you Come they not hence even of your lusts that war in your members Oh then let Religion be thy business and not sin 1. Because sin is contrary to the nature of God it doth dishonour him 2. It 's most injurious to thy self as hath been proved for it brings all the miseries upon thee that have do or shall ever befall thee As soon as ever thou sinnest the punishment lieth at the door Oh then if the love of Christ will not constrain yet let the fear of punishment compel thee and me to refrain from sin Rom. 2. 9. Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil both of the Iew and the Gentiles Oh let us not do that abominable thing which the Lord doth hate Sin maketh a man abominable both in the sight of God and good men Better it were to suffer a thousand wrongs then to commit one sin Thou mayest have comfort in thy sufferings wrongfully thou oughtest to rejoyce in it but when thou doest sin thou shalt suffer as an evil doer thou art buffeted for thy faults in this thou canst not glory but blush with shame Wherefore if thou art not able to say with Joseph How shall I do this great evil sin against God yet say with Thamar How shall I do this evil and cause my name to slink among the sons and daughters of men Do but a little mark diligently and thou shalt find if thy Conscience be not feared as soon as ever sin is committed thy conscience checks thee thy heart smites thee thy foes laugh at thee thy friends grieve and pitty thee nay more then this thou dost crucifie afresh Christ Jesus and puttest him to an open shame as Heb. 6. 6. What is the reason thou hast so many enemies and so few friends Sin is the cause as Prov. 16. 7. Iob 5. 20 21 c. Thou art deprived of many comforts that others do enjoy Why sin is the cause of it Ier. 5. 25. Doth the Almighty hide his face from thee Why what is the cause Your sins and iniquities have made him to hide his face Wherefore doth the living man so complain but for the punishment of his sin Lam. 3. 39. Wherefore is there so much weeping in this Nation One weeps for his father another for his mother one for his brother another for his sister some for one Relation some for another Why dost thou weep for them Oh they be be dead or dying Why what brought this unavoidable Death into the world Ans It was sin it was sin The wages of sin is death Rom. 6. 23. In a word Sin hath slain our father deceived our mother cheated almost undone all our brethren and defiled our sisters wounded our children and plundered all our kindred to the skin and left them as poor as Iob. One sin caused Adam to fall and so infected the whole world One sin caused the Angels to be cast out of Heaven One sin caused Saul to be utterly cast off from being King although he was anointed King by the Lord his special appointment Ananias and Sapphira for one lye were stricken with present death Besides sin defiles a man totally it beginneth at the understanding and so to the will and affection it will take in every faculty of the soul and endeavour to act in every member of the body it doth defile a man eternally it robs us of the Image of God it robs us of his presence it will promise us peace and bring us into trouble it will promise us honour and bring us into disgrace it will promise us liberty and bring us into bondage it will promise us life and bring us to death it will hide Pride under the name of decencie it will bring in Covetousnes under the name of good husbandry it will clothe Drunkenness Gluttony under the name of good-fellowship it will hide Frowardness under the name of zeal In a word as the acts of sin be numerous so the

effects of sin are viperous Sin was the first founder of hell and laid the first stone thereof and is the sole cause of all the torments therein and yet all this is but the effect of sin the essence of it which is the cause of all these evils must needs be much more abominable hence sin is called poyson and sinners are called serpents sin is called mire sinners swine sin sinners are called darknes blindnes shame nakedness folly madness In a word whatsoever is filthy defective infective painful and hurtful proceeds from this nasty filthy and stinking fountain and one sin vertually more or less containeth in it the nature of all sin No sooner did one sin sit upon our father Adam his heart but he had all sin in him which infected him and all his posterity and so defiled him and all his posterity eternally so that as I said before nothing can wash away the stain thereof but the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ shall we then live in that for which Christ died shall that be our life which was his death shall we indeed enjoy the pleasure of sin and Christ undergo the torment of sin No no let us improve the present motions of the Spirit in us against sin least the Spirit of God cease striving with thee and me and so we shall fall to commit sin with greediness without any reluctancy O all ye sons and daughters of men put on all the armour of God stand on your guards make ready for your soul-murthering enemy whose name is Legion never be at peace with him maintain a continual war against him acquaint all the men and women in the world of his base deceitful cheating tricks that their ill savour in the nostrils of all men and women under the Sun may make them loath it and stand upon their guards to oppose it and if the love of Christ doth not constrain you yet let the fear of punishment compel you to refrain from that abominable thing called sin If thou canst not say with Joseph Gen. 39. 9. How shall I do this great evil and sin against my God Yet thou canst say with Thamar 2 Sam. 13. 12. 13. verses If I should commit this sin whither should I cause my shame to go So much shall serve at present to be written of the third particular to wit that if we made it our business to follow the Lord and were not wanting to our selves we might have our conversations in heaven even whiles we live upon the earth and be more then Conquerors over those sins that do often conquer us 4. That Religion may be our main work let us consider that the Lord that made us hath undertaken the care of us He commands us to wait on him and he will feed us and cloath us We have but a body and a soul and both we received from the Almighty God who hath undertaken to provid● for not only the being but also the wel-being of both only he requires of us to seek unto him and to wait upon him in the use of those means instituted by himself without too much carefulness 1 Cor. 7. 32. But I would have you without carefulness that is so to use this world as if we used it not ot not so using it as most do by too much doting upon it and cleaving unto it as Martha did but rather with Mary choose the better part and so much the rather because of those many promises of so many legacies left us by the Lord in his word as to instance in a few Psal 37. 5. Commit thy way unto the Lord trust in him and he shall bring it to pass Commit or roll thy way upon him Psal 55. 22. Cast thy burther upon the Lord. Prov. 16. 3. Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established 1 Pet. 5. 7. Cast all thy care upon him for he careth for thee and hath said that He will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. 5. Some Expositors upon this Text do affirm that the Greek word hath five times together I will never never never never never fail thee nor forsake thee to assure us of the truth of this O my friends doth God take care for Oxen and feed Ravens and clothe Lillies and take care of Sparrows and will he not much more take care for Man whom he hath made Lord of all these creatures Read and well consider from the 19. to the 34. verse of Matth. 6. There we find in that one Chapter ten arguments that Christ hath laid down to assure us that he taketh care of us Psal 27 3. Trust in the Lord and do good and verily thou shalt be fed and so shalt thou dwell in the land See 1 Tim. 6 7 c. We brought nothing into the world and it is certain we can carry nothing out and having food and raiment let us be therewith content But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and noisom lusts which drown men in perdition and destruction For the love of money is the root of all evil c. But thou O man of God flee these things and follow after righteousness godliness faith love patience meekness c. 5. Consider that this God that hath undertaken the care of us is a faithful God and will make good every tittle promised He hath not only said but sworn and sealed that oath with his blood to assure us that he will make good whatsoever he hath promised Besides that he is a faithful God keeping promise in every tittle to a hairs breadth both Old and New Testament doth abundantly declare and testifie so that we have not only witnesses but clouds of witnesses besides our own experiences and inward evidences that we have not only read but experimentally found him to be a God keeping covenant a God keeping promise yea a God giving more then we were able to ask or think so that we can truly say we never found him worse then his word but often better for he never said unto us Seek ye me in vain He hath often knocked at the door of our hearts and waited upon us to shew mercy to us there is no one thing that he hath promised either for soul or body for our being or well being but shall be made good to us in its time And that he hath promised to give us food and raiment and all things necessary for us you may see it doth cleerly appear in the foregoing head to wit the 4. particular And that he is faithful and true and will make it good doth clearly appear by these and the like Scriptures 1 Tim. 1. 15. Heb. 10. 23. Mat. 24. 35. Luk. 16. 17. Tit. 1. 2. 1 Cor. 10. 13. Deut. 7. 9. 1 Cor. 1. 9. 1 Thes 5. 24. 2 Thes 3. 3. 2 Tim. 2. 13. Heb. 11. 11. 1 Joh. 1. 9. 6. If we consider these five things seriously it

will beget in us this unspeakable benefit namely To behold a hand of Providence in and read love under every dispensation You and I should say with Iob when we loose all blessed be the name of the Lord and with Paul Phil. 4. 11. I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be contented and so we shall serve him without fear and not be afraid of Armies of men and Legions of Devils Psal 3. 6. He will not fear death and hell Why because he will see both overcome by Jesus Christ Death that was the King of terrours hath now lost his sting 1 Cor. 15. 56. and the Devil hath lost his power as to one that is in Christ for he is overcome by Christ Heb. 2. 14. Sin also the cause of death which did shut the door of Gods mercy and grace upon us is overcome for us by Christ upon whom it was laid Isa 53. 6. And so he made an end of transgression and sin The world also that did so often deceive us and perplex us is overcome for us by Jesus Christ Joh. 16. 33. The Law also which brought in many Bills of Indictment against us is fulfilled by Christ for us Rom. 10. 4. The Justice of the Almighty that did lie in the way of our peace and quiet untill it was satisfied is now taken away quite and appeased towards all true Believers by the Lord Iesus Christ Psal 85. 10 So that now come what will come all shall work together for the good of those that love God If prosperity come let us behold God smiling upon us and trying of us If imprisonment come let us with Paul and Silas sing Psalms if tribulation come let us rejoyce knowing that tribulation shall work patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed In a word if our wills were resigned up into his will we should be saying such words Good is the word of the Lord let him do what seemeth him good for nothing can separate me from the love of God in Christ Rom. 8. 38 39. Neither can any thing do me harm Rom. 8. 28. 7. This is the way to have our conversation in Heaven whilest we live on the earth Now what makes Heaven but Union and Communion with God in Iesus Christ now this being attainable in this life what hinders but a Christian may live in Heaven whilest he lives upon earth 1 Ioh. 1. 3. Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Iesus Christ Phil. 3. 20. Our conversation is in heaven again I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God Gal. 2. 20. All these were men on earth subject to infirmities as we are and yet they lived in Heaven and these things are left written in the Scriptures for our learning to wind up our hearts to the like frame Let Religion be our business then and more time spent on that and less time on the world For as hath been said before the time is short the remainder of our season is now folding up as a Sail or Curtain into a narrow room time is short and life shorter and the end of all things is at hand Thus have I endeavoured as briefly as I could to lay before thee whosoever thou art that readest these lines viz. the shortness of mans life or fewness of his days and the many miseries that do befall him and how a Christian might if not escape them yet have them lessened and sweetned unto him so that he might walk through these Seas of troubles and winds and floods of afflictions and fiery trials by open secret buffettings from thy many enemies and sometimes from pretended friends and neer relations with comfort c. Was not Abel murthered by his brother Noah mocked by his sons Job and David scoffed by their wives was not Iacob threatened by his brother banished from his Father abused by his uncle in the day he was consumed with heat Gen. 31. 40. in the night with frost then there arose a division betweeen his two wives two sisters brawling for one husband after this they both run from their father now see a fresh pursuit behinde him Laban following him with an hue and cry before him Esau coming with four hundred men to go forward intolerable to go backward unavailable then a little after his wife Rachel dies his daughter Dinah is ravished his son Reuben lies with his Concubines then his son his Ioseph they report is lost and now see a man of sorrows indeed I will go down saith he to the grave unto my sons mourning after this a Famine begins and another of his sons in prison and nothing can redeem him but his only Benjamin here was loss of son after son Ioseph is not Simeon is not saith he and now ye take away Benjamin all these things are against me Thus every Christian more or less though he be a few days yet they are full of trouble and both flie away faster then the Weavers shuttle which if well considered will rouze up those many sleepy professors living in these crazy times and slippery days wherein both lives and liberties health friends wealth pleasures honours and priviledges are in such extremity of extraordinary uncertainties I say the serious consideration hereof might serve to rouze up all sorts of men to improve the present time to the best advantage that so they might have an unshaken foundation of true spiritual peace and consolation For we must al die and that speedily our days flie away swifter then the weavers Shuttle It is said that when the Egyptians found their first born dead in their Families there was a great cry throughout Egypt a great cry in every Family Now were we as sensible of our souls as we are of our bodies oh what a great cry would there be in most of our Families one crying out and saying O Lord I have a dead childe another O Lord I have a dead servant another O Lord I have a dead wife in my Family whose soul is dead another I have a dead husband a dead friend and if the Lord doth not raise them speedily I fear they will die the second death from whence there is no redemption for they shall be cast into everlasting fire which is an intolerable eternity our life is like a candle in a paper Lanthorn there 's but a breath between us heaven or hel Wherefore O earth earth earth hear the voice of the Lord even while it is called to day which is swifter then the weavers shuttle FINIS