Mercy and to obtain Grace in the time of need MEDITATIONS Upon Unity in the Publick Worship of God SUch as be truly members of Christs mystical body The holy Catholick Church do conceive that they ought to be unanimous in the service of God as the only way upon earth to partake of the benefits of the Communion of Saints That we should all joyn in Prayers unto God after one way and one manner is not only Commanded by our Lord Mat. 6.9 but also in the use of the same words Luk. 11.2 whereunto also we are admonished Rom. 15.6 that ye may with one mind and with one mouth glorifie God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 'T is observable by sad experience that variety of Prayers in Publick by Ministers of the same Church hath bred and so doth still foment variety in opinions and various opinions in Religion have bred such a contrariety of affections as hath dissolved all the bonds of Christian Charity Under the sad pressure of this Schism we have a long time groan'd and been brought even to the last gasp of exspiration nor can we hope to have the still bleeding wounds of our Divisions healed whatever other remedies may be prescribed till waving that fondness which most men have for private Prayers in a Publick Congregation we do all joyn with Reverence and Devotion in those Holy Prayers and divinely inspired Praises of God which are prescribed and have been practised in the Church of Christ in all the Ages thereof We cannot reasonably imagine that our various and multitudinous private Prayers in Publick do conduce to the more pleasing of God who requires no such service from us and cannot be pleased with such Prayers as are breaches of our solemn promises when ordained Ministers of the Church no alas such prayers are not to please God but to please men to tickle the itching Ears of men of corrupt minds and 't is the scratching of these Ears that hath brought such a scab upon the Church as hath fester'd and eaten into her bowels and endanger'd the very life and being thereof We all profess to worship one God in Trinity and this Trinity in Unity but this we do not nay this we cannot do without Unity and Unanimity and Uniformity in our divine Worship but this Unity is destroyed by dividing from that Sound and Orthodox Worship which the Church of Christ exhibits to her Lord whilst each man advances his own private conceptions in Prayer above if not in opposition to the publick commanded Forms God whose very Being is Unity is the Author and great lover of Unity especially in the Worship of his divine Majesty and the Devil is the author and great promoter of all Division 't is his very Being as he is a Devil for he became so by dividing from the Church of God viz. from the Church which is now Triumphant in Heaven and therefore his Instruments they are who either in Doctrine or Worship divide from the true Church of Christ here Militant upon Earth The CXXXIV Psalm PARAPHRASED verse 1 BEhold how good and joyful a thing it is both profitable and pleasant for brethren Sons of one God the Father and of one Church the Mother to dwell together in Vnity in the house of God to joyn as members of the same mystical body in the profession of the same Doctrine and Practice of the same Worship verse 2 'T is like the oyntment which being compos'd of many rich perfumes sent forth a most sweet odour fitly representing that sweetness of joy and complacerce which flows from the Union of many hearts and voices in the service of God Vpon the head which went down to the beard even Aarons beard Aaron was a type of Christ and the oyntment upon his head typified the spiritual Unction of Christ our head Psal 45.7 Heb. 1.9 which Unction of the Spirit from him descended upon his Disciples mystically signified by the High Priests beard and from thence went down to the skirts of his clothing even to all the other parts and members of his mystical body for of his fulness we have all received Grace for Grace Joh. 1.16 verse 3 As the dew of Hermon which fell on the hill of Sion as both these hills become fruitful by the dew of heaven descending on them so the sons of Sion or people of God become fruitful in the gifts and graces of Gods holy Spirit through their Unity and Unanimity in the devout service of God for whilst they glorifie God with one heart and with one mouth after one way and one manner they mightily prevail with the one only God to dwell amongst them according to his promise 2 Cor. 6.16 and so it follows verse 4 For there the Lord promised his blessing in all assemblies thus united in the service of his Majesty Mat. 18.19 20. which is undoubtedly the way to life for evermore which is the height and perfection of all the blessings of God in the Quire of Heaven to sing with concordant hearts and voices Glory to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer O God who art the author of Peace and lover of Concord who makest men to be of one mind in a house and art best pleased with the unanimous agreement of thy people in thy House of Prayer that it may please thee to rebuke that foul spirit of discord and division intermixt amongst us which dictates the building of Babel by the confusion of Languages in our addresses to the Throne of Grace And vouchsafe to send the Holy Ghost the Spirit of love and unity to unite our hearts and tongues in the publick Service of thy Sacred Majesty make us all as brethren to dwell together in Unity to joyn in our Prayers in one way and after one manner to glorifie thee with one heart and with one mouth that the celestial dew of thy blessing may descend upon us so plentifully to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit that we may reap in time of harvest life for evermore through Jesus Christ MEDITATIONS WITH PSALMS Illustrated or Paraphras'd Upon the Four last Things I. Death II. Judgment III. Hell IV. Heaven By the Author of the PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Deut. 32.29 LONDON Printed for Richard Royston Bookseller to His most Sacred Majesty 1675. OF The Four last Things in GENERAL THe clean Beast which was only commanded to be offered in Sacrifice unto God under the Law was such as chewed the Gud Lev. 11.3 and divided the Hoof mystically representing the qualifications of the clean and pure Christian who is himself that spiritual Sacrifice God requireth under the Gospel Ro. 12.1 1 Pet. 2.4 5. By chewing the Cud holy and divine Meditation is intimated by dividing the Hoof may be mystically meant the last end of man which is a dividing asunder the Soul from the Body by Death and
the change of a troublesome for a quiet life of a frail for a fixed and permanent being of an uncertain for a certain abode and of a temporary for life everlasting 'T is but the falling in pieces of an earthly Tabernacle and when it is dissolved 2 Cor. 5.1 thou hast a building of God a house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens The Prayer O Almighty God who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men grant unto thy people and to me with them to love the thing which thou commandest and desire that which thou dost promise that so among the sundry and manifold changes of the world our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found through Jesus Christ MEDITAT III. Of the frequent Remembrance of Death 1. CLimacus records a story of a Brother that had lived negligently for many years Clim scal grad 6. and was at last surprized with such a desperate disease that he continued for a long space of time deprived of his senses and supposed to be dead but recovering again he immediately secluded himself from all society and continued for twelve years together which was the remainder of his life lamenting the sins and negligences of his by-past life and seriously pondering the sad condition of all such persons as dye in their sins unrepented And when the time of his death indeed approached many of his fraternity flockt to him desiring to hear some more than ordinary instructions and directions from him for the good of their Souls but all that he would say unto them was this as the sum of Christian wisdom If you desire so to live that ye may dye happily then meditate continually upon death for 't is scarce possible for that man to sin who with due regard remembers Death the wages of sin This is also the advice of the wise Syracides Remember thy end Ecclus. 28.6 and let enmity cease Remember corruption and death and abide in the Commandments 1 Cor. 15.31 And 't was surely thus S. Paul dyed daily 2. To dye the death of the righteous is the desire even of the wicked but his last end shall be very unlike the others for he that will dye the death must live the life of the righteous The only way to dye well Numb 23.10 is to live well and he that will live well must live by dying principles saying with holy David Psal 119.109 My Soul is continually in my hand and for ought I know it may expire at my next breathing since many thousands in this very moment do breath their last And 't is only this moment I can call mine what is past cannot return to be again enjoyed and what 's to come is not in mine but in the Lord's hand Ps 31.17 Act. 17.28 My Time is in thy hand In him we live and move and have our Being Ask thy self then in every thing thou dost Would I now do this were I ready to dye 'T is the Wise mans advice Ecclus. 7. ult Whatsoever thou takest in hand Remember the end and thou shalt never do amiss From the forgetfulness of my end and of the uncertainty of my Life from every evil work and from a sudden and an unprovided death good Lord deliver me 3. The Lord clothed our First Parents with the skins of beasts to put them in mind of that mortality and corruption of the flesh they had contracted by their disobedience to his Commandments The which as we their sinful off-spring do dayly bear about us so ought we also to have the same in a continual remembrance for the keeping under the unruly lusts of the flesh that we pass not from a spiritual to death eternal And thus O that I may thus daily remember the imminent the unavoidable death of my corruptible body so as to keep my Soul unspotted of the world and alive from the death of sin continually mortifying all my evil and corrupt affections and daily proceeding in all vertue and godliness of living 4. With the holy Apostle of our Lord to dye daily is not only daily to remember death but also so to dye unto sin and live unto righteousness as thereby to live up to the hopes of eternal life and happiness slighting all the false and flattering felicities of this fawning world as being not only empty and unsatisfying but also mortal and dying A holy confidence to dye well De imit Christi lib. 1. ca. 23. and in hopes to enjoy eternal life after death is begotten in the heart saith the spiritual Akempis 1. By a perfect contempt of the world 2. By a through self-denyal 3. By a fervent desire and endeavour of proficiency in Grace 4. By the love of Discipline or strict corporal austerities 5. By the unwearied labour of true Repentance 6. By a willing and ready obedience to all Gods Commands 7. By suffering contentedly and joyfully all adversities for the love of Christ And thus prepare for thy Change to come looking not as becomes an Immortal Soul at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal The Prayer O God the Protector of all that trust in thee without whom nothing is strong nothing is holy Increase and multiply upon us thy mercy that thou being our Ruler and Guide we may so pass through things temporal that we finally lose not the things eternal Grant this O heavenly Father for thy Son Jesus Christ MEDITAT IV. Of the Horror of Death 1. SAint Augustine being with his Mother Monica invited to Rome by Pontianus the Prefect to view the stately Edifices and ancient Monuments of that eminent City amongst other rarities he saw the great Caesars Sepulchre and therein his Carcase of a livid ghastly colour his Face faln away to such a meagre leanness as scarce of skin and bone consisting his Lips being rotted his Teeth were seen black and corrupted his Nose so consumed that only the wide hollows of his nostrils appeared his Belly burst and swarming with Worms and Serpents his Eyes sunk into his head and in the two holes thereof two loathsome Toads were feeding Then turning towards his Mother he said What now dear Mother is become of the great Caesar whose Pomp Power and Policy whose Riches Honour and Dignity whose many Victories Conquests and Triumphs rendred him the most admired Heroe the world afforded Where now is all his glory where the conquering Armies he commanded The Nations Countries Cities he subdued The numerous train of Nobility Gentry Souldiery that attended him The vast Riches and boundless Authority he acquired Whereunto the pious Matron answered O my Son no sooner did his spirit fail and his breath expire but all his splendid enjoyments all his flattering worldly felicities forsook him his Riches his Friends his Attendants all his Conquests and Triumphs all the Honour
which through so many perils he acquired have all now left him alone in this ghastly silent Sepulchre accompanied only with Worms Stench and Corruption Such is the end of all flesh 'T is as true of the greatest Prince as of the meanest Peasant When a man is dead Ecclus. 10.11 he shall inherit creeping things beasts and worms All the difference in the grave betwixt the dust of the rich and of the poor of the honourable and the base is this that the dust of the rich through the luxury lasciviousness and intemperance of their life is more corrupt and loathsome after their death than is the dust of the poor whose food and nourishment was more course and sparing Why then my Immortal Soul art thou so fond of thy corruptible companion the Body Remember its beginning is uncleanness and its end rottenness 'T is thy servant for the present but if thou too much cocker and pamper it 't will rebel subdue and lead thee captive to a worse death than that whereunto its self is lyable even the death of the nether Hell Mar. 9.44 where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched 2. Death is the wages of Sin And I have sinned vile wretch that I am I have sinned and what shall I do or what shall I say unto thee O thou preserver of man Job 7.20 All that I can say is the same still I have sinned and as long as I have a day I will say it I will confess my wickedness and be sorry for my sins Mercy 21. good Lord mercy I humbly beg O why dost thou not pardon my transgression and take away mine iniquity Are not my dayes few Job 10.20 cease then and let me alone that I may bewail my sins and take comfort a little in the hopes of the pardon of them through Faith in the blood of my Redeemer before I go from whence I shall not return 21. to the land of darkness and the shadow of death 3. Job 18.14 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. Heb 2.14 I know that to flesh and blood death is of all terribles the most terrible but my blessed Redeemer by his bitter death hath pulled out the sting and quelled the terrors of death and hath also enchained him who hath the power of death the devil so that now when death approacheth through Faith and a good Conscience I shall have hope with all patience and contentment to drink off that Cup how bitter and painful soever saying with my blessed Lord and Master upon his approaching death Mat. 26.42 Father not my will but thine be done The Prayer ASsist me mercifully O Lord to subject my rebellious flesh to the guidance of the Spirit and my spirit to the laws of my Redeemer that when my body shall be the inheritance of worms and creeping things my Soul-may possess an inheritance uncorruptible and undefiled 1 Pet. 1.4 that fadeth not away reserved in the heavens through Jesus Christ MEDITAT V. Of the uncertainty of Death and preparation for it 1. AS there is nothing more certain than death Ps 89.47 for what man is there that liveth and shall not see death So there is nothing more uncertain than the Time Mat. 24.36 for of that day and hour knoweth no man the uncertainty of Death engageth every wise man to a certainty in his preparation and provision for it Remember that death will not be long in coming Ecclus. 14.12 and that the covenant of the grave is not shewed unto thee Do good unto thy friend before thou dye 13. put it not off to thy last Will and Testament but according to thy ability stretch out thy hand and give unto the poor That the poor when charitably relieved are our best friends and that thus we are to prepare for death is commanded by our Lord Luk. 16.9 Make to your selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness in the pious charitable distribution of your worldly goods Luk. 16.9 that when you fail your bodies corrupt and moulder into dust your Souls may be received into everlasting habitations 2. In this life our condition is changeable from better to worse and from worse to better but in death all hopes of bettering our condition are buried with the liveless corps 2 Cor. 6.2 Now is the acceptable time now is the day of Salvation i. e. the day of this life wherein I am commanded to work out my Salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 for the night of death cometh wherein no man can work Eccl. 9.10 There is either work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave where thou goest It follows therefore whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with all thy might be active be vigorous be zealous Col. 1.10 be fruitful in every good work 'T is the Soul that is laden with the fruits of well-doing 1 Pet. 4. ult Rev. 14.13 Luk. 16.9 which in deaths approach may chearfully commit her self unto the will of God as to a faithful Creator 'T is these good works that follow the Souls of the righteous to the Tribunal of Heaven to plead for their admission into celestial habitations And these are 1. Devout Prayers Mat. 6.1.5.16 which do indeed and more immediately commend our Souls unto God and render them amiable in his sight especially when accompanied 2. With Religious Fastings often Ro. 12.1 whereby we present our bodies also unto him and withal do 3. Heb. 13.15 16. By charitable Alms-deeds dispense our Goods to our wanting brethren for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased Lord I pray thee that thy Grace may alway prevent and follow me and make me continually to be given unto all good works which are the never failing fruits of a true Christian Faith and by these inseparably conjoyned to make my Calling and Election sure sealed in the blood of my dear Redeemer 3. There are three general messengers of Death 1. Chance 2. Sickness 3. Old age Chance renders the life of man doubtful and uncertain Sickness makes it grievous and troublesome Old age makes life tedious and death inevitable Some persons are stifled in their mothers womb and dye before they see the light of life some dye in their Infancy some in their youth some in their mans estate And some there be but these are of all others the fewest in number that dye in their old age and yet most of men do not only desire but fondly conceit they shall live to be old and yet never think themselves old enough to dye which makes so many millions of men dye unpreparedly and so pass from a Temporal to death Eternal For the prevention of so great and general a mischief and perdition of ungodly men the all-wise and good providence of Heaven hath ordained that in all ages estates and conditions of men this life shall take end that so none how young and lusty
which from thy Wounds and Stripes and Bonds does flow Ps 25.14 Pluck my feet out of the net of every temptation to finfulness and error Ps 119.48 and let my hand be continually lift up unto thy Commandments to do them that I be not lyable to be bound by any of the spirits of vengeance in the fiery chains of the nether Hell where is weeping and wailing MEDITAT VI. Of the Laments of Hell THere shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Mat. 25.30 They shall deservedly weep in Hell whose eyes upon earth have been full of Adultery 2 Pet. 2.14 lasciviousness and greediness of the creature whose eyes have been set upon their covetousness Pro. 30.13 and their eye-lids lifted up with scorn and contempt of others who have been guilty of any of these or of any other sinful pollutions and have not wept and bewailed the same with the tears of Repentance Wo unto you that laugh now in your sinful pleasures Luc. 6.25 for ye shall mourn and weep either here or hereafter And 't is sad and sottish to put off this necessity of weeping to the other world where the tears of sorrow and sad Repentance shall avail nothing And this is all the water that Hell affords Luc. 16.24 not a drop to cool the tongue tormented in those scorching flames only those driesly tears which the violence of her torments do extort which being salt and brinish and spent in vain shall the more increase the bitterness and augment the miseries of the condemned sinner O that now my head were waters Jer 9.1 and mine eyes a fountain of tears by weeping here to prevent the weeping in Hell hereafter now to bewail my sins that I sorrow not when 't is too late where weeping and wailing shall not asswage but augment my sorrows Lament O sinner and gnash thy teeth through a holy indignation to be so foolish and mad as for a little sinful pleasure or dirty delight to run the hazard of being obnoxious to never ending pains and sorrows Blessed are they that mourn Mat. 5.4 both for their own sins and for the sins of others through the fear of Hell and desire of Heaven for they shall be comforted their fears prevented their desires obtained A broken and a contrite heart Ps 51.17 O God thou wilt not despise A heart broken with godly sorrow for sin and venting it self in tears with Prayers Humiliations and Confessions mixt with Faith in the blood of my dear Redeemer Thus Lord thus I humbly beg to be delivered from thy wrath and from the deplorable wailings of a sad eternity Amen MEDITAT VII Of the perpetuity of Hell Torments THe Perpetuity of Hell torments is in the thought thereof a Torment unspeakable for in every instant of the Sufferings of the damned they suffer all the torments of those infinite thousands of years to come the continuance whereof is not measured by Time but by the bottomless abyss of eternity and the immutability of divine justice and what is time to eternity Behold as a drop of water is to the sea Eccl. 18.10 and a gravel stone in comparison of the sand so are a thousand years to the dayes of etcrnity In this life fear hath torment but torment hath no fear but hope rather of release and delivery but in Hell the damned both fear what they suffer and also suffer what they fear even the everlasting duration of their sufferings They that are cast into the Lake of fire and brimstone shall be tormented day and night for ever Rev. 20.10 and ever Are not they then without understanding that work wickedness Ps 14.4 who being endued with Reason and capable of counsel who knowing the shortness of this life and the uncertainty of the same and withal believing the everlasting duration of the life to come do nevertheless bend all their thoughts and endeavours upon what concerns this present remporary Being even to the great hazard of being obnoxious to the Pains and Inrments of a sad eternity such madness in the hearts of men can never be throughly bewail'd even with tears of blood Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come Mat. 3.7 That there is a wrath to come every Christian believes and 't is a fierce wrath and a terrible even indignation and wrath Rom. 2.8 9. tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil and hath not repented him of the evil and of the iniquity he hath done Of the coming of this wrath also frequent warning is given both by the works and by the word of God by the Ministers of his Church but who takes warning given who regards the power of this wrath very few regard it though the less it be regarded the more fierce it will be for even thereafter as a man feareth so is thy displeasure Ps 90.11 Fear thou the Lord Pro. 3.7 O my Soul fear the Lord and depart from evil Thou Ps 76.7 O Lord thou alone art to be feared and who may stand in thy sight when thou art angry The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life Pro. 14.27 to depart from the gates of death Fear not them that can kill the body Mat. 10.28 but are not able to kill the Soul but fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Heb. 12.28 For our God is a consuming fire 29. The LXXXVI Psalm PARAPHRASED verse 1 BOw down thine ear to him who now bowes down his heart and bear me O Lord confessing for I am poor extremely wanting of the graces of thy Spirit which should make me rich towards God I have little or no treasures laid up in Hearen and therefore I am in misery lyable to the eternal miseries of Hell But verse 2 Preserve thou my soul from that dismal place of torments for I am heby separate and devoted to thy service though a poor unprofitable servant and upon this account I make bold to call thee my God whom I worship and serve and humbly beseech thee to save thy servant who putteth his trust in thee for the riches of grace and salvation wherein verse 3 Be merciful unto me O Lord who art rich in mercy for I will call dayly upon thee that it may please thee in great mercy to deliver me from that misery whereunto my poorness in grace but abounding sins make me obnoxious verse 4 Comfort the soul of thy servant that the sorrows of death overwhelm me not For unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul being hereunto encouraged by thy grace and goodness verse 5 For thou Lord art good even the inexhaustible fountain of goodness and gracious propitiously inclined to hear the supplications of thy people and of great mercy against the greatness of iniquity unto all them that
put thy self on manfully to resist the Devil and all his works of temptation unto sin Thou needest not to be afraid of all his fiery darts for these cannot pierce but when enflamed by the fire of thine own concupiscence Covetousness and Pride or the Pomps and vanities of this wicked world with Luxury and Voluptuousness or the sinful lusts of the flesh these are the weapons wherewithal the enemy wars against the Soul By the stedfast belief of all the Articles of the holy Christian Faith and a constant obedience to God's holy will and Commandments they are renounced resisted beaten back and overcome This thou hast solemnly vowed in the open face of Christs Church whosoever thou be that art rightly called Christian and though thy Christendome was not thus right Orthodox and Legal yet this must be performed if thou wilt be or being continue within the Covenant of Grace to the eternal Salvation of thy Soul Raise up O Lord we pray thee thy power and come amongst us and with great might succour us that whereas through our sins and wickedness we are sore let and hindred in running the race that is set before us by thy bountiful grace and mercy we may be enabled to withstand the temptations of the Devil the world and the flesh and with pure hearts and minds to follow thee the only God through Jesus Christ our Lord MEDITATION Of the Cure of the Soul before that of the Body THere is a vast difference betwixt the Soul and Body in the dignity of their nature the Soul is of a heavenly descent and original but the body is of earthly mould and making the Soul is framed by the hands of the Almighty after his own Image but the Body is begotten of earthly parents after the likeness of sinful flesh the Soul is of the same nature with the Angels of Heaven but the Body is of kind and constitution with the beasts of the earth the Soul being the infusion of Heaven represents the beauties and perfections of the most high and holy God but the Body being the result of carnal copulation assimilates only the fading shadows of beauty in irrational beings Lastly whatever beauty strength motion or Life it self the Body enjoys is by the vertue vigor and actuation of the Soul which manifests its immortality and separate subsistence from the dying Body Very pertinent then is that question of S. Augustine to fond senseless man Laboras ut non moriatur homo meriturus non laboras nè peccet in aeternum victurus Why art thou so solicitous to preserve the body from death which must dye and dost not endeavour rather to preserve from sin thy Soul which will live for ever If but a finger of the Body ach 't is bemoaned and lapt and every petty sore is salv'd and carefully kept from the least touch that may annoy it and to cure the diseases of the Body no cost or pains is spar'd the most bitter drugs are swallowed lancing burning fasting any trouble or torture is willingly endur'd but the sores of sin are suffered to fester and the diseases of the Soul are slighted without any regard had to the devout use of those holy means which the great Physician of Souls hath prescribed for their recovery O remember and wisely consider that by how much thy Soul transcends thy Body in purity of nature and dignity of condition by so much thy spiritual diseases are more mischievous and destructive than any bodily distempers can be The ilness of the Body tends only to the disanimation of the corruptible flesh but the maladies of the Soul render her both loathsome in the eyes of God and all good men and also obnoxious to the Second death the unsupportable torments of the nether hell O that the blessed Spirit of God would vouchsafe to anoint the eyes of my mind with the eye-salve of celestial grace Rev. 3.18 that mine eyes may be opened to see mine own vileness and nakedness and to discover all the sad distempers of my Soul to see them in their stain guilt and pollution in the loathsome and destructive nature of them that seeing I may wash them with my tears lance them with the knife of holy Mortification rip them up by Confession and lay them open to the view of the great lover of Souls and pray Arise blessed Jesus Mal. 4.2 Arise thou Sun of righteousness upon my darkned diseased Soul with healing in thy wings whither shall I fly for spiritual health but to the God of the spirits of all flesh Num. 16.22 1 Sam. 2.6 Ps 147 3. who killeth and maketh alive who bringeth down to the gates of death and bringeth up again who healeth those that are broken in heart and giveth medicine to heal their sickness Whither shall I go for health and salvation but to the Saviour of the world who came to visit the sons of men when sick in sin and sick unto death the wages of sin who is both our Physician and our physick both our Doctor and healing medicine who after a wonderful manner has made a salve for the sores of sin of his own stripes and wounds and bloud Through Faith in this bloud intermixt with my penitent tears will I bathe my diseased Soul and ever pray by these stripes to be healed 1 Pet. 2.24 I said and I will ever say it whilst I have a day to live Ps 41.4 Lord be merciful unto me and heal my Soul for I have sinned against thee MEDITATION Upon the Tears of the devout Soul MY Tears have been my meat day and night Ps 84.6 this present life is to the truly devout Christian a valley of Tears whose broken heart is the Well from whence the Pools are filled with water the eyes with Tears wherewithal the religious soul is fed and fatned as is the body with meats and drinks These Soul-saving waters are of two sorts 1. Such as flow from the heart wounded with the love of Christ and enflamed with desires of a nearer and more immediate union and communion with the Triune God saying Ps 42.2 My Soul is a thirst for God even the living God when shall I come to appear before the presence of God when shall I be so happy as to see my God not as now in a glass darkly but face to face to the ravishing of my Soul with joy unspeakable and glorious Or 2. Such Tears as do flow from the heart pierced with godly sorrow for sin which separates and exiles the Soul from God whilst the Devil and his Angels insulting dayly say unto me Where is now thy God ver 3. Both these sorts of Tears S. Augustine humbly beg'd of God under the notion of the upper and lower springs Jos 15 19. both Tears of divine Love and Devotion to Heaven above and Tears of godly sorrow for sin upon earth below Blessed are they that thus sow in tears Ps 126.6 for they shall reap
THE THIRD PART OF THE PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN Consisting of Meditations and Psalms illustrated with Notes or Paraphrased relating to the Hours of Prayer the ordinary Actions of Day and Night and several Dispositions of Men. By R. SHERLOCK D. D. Rector of Winwick Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous Judgments Psal 119.164 LONDON Printed by R. Flesher for R. Royston Bookseller to His most Sacred Majesty at the Angel in Amen-corner MDCLXXV THE PREFACE OF Continuing in Prayer and frequent Meditation and the Design of this Second Part. THAT holy Catholick Church which is one of the XII Articles of the holy Christian Faith is partly Triumphant in Heaven and partly Militant on Earth both make but one Spouse of Christ and therefore the true Members of both are alike minded and alike employed in reference to the worship of the common Lord of both They who are true Members of Christs Church below are conform to the glorious Saints in Heaven above a Exod. 25.40 Act. 7.44 Heb. 6.11 They do the will of God on earth as 't is done in heaven b Mat. 6.11 and that 's undoubtedly the way to Heaven we cannot possibly lose our way thither whilst we follow their steps who are thither gone before us Those Triumphant Saints in Heaven rest not day nor night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty c Isa 6.3 Rev. 4.8 Whereunto conforms the man after God's own heart saying O Lord God of my Salvation I have cryed day and night before thee d Ps 88.1 Our Lord commends it as a Duty incumbent that men ought always to pray e Luk. 18.1 And by his Apostle commands it positively Pray without ceasing f 1 Thesl 5.13 Giving thanks always g Eph. 5.20 Praying alway with all Prayer and Supplication h Eph. 6.18 But these Examples and Commands are not so to be understood as if we should do nothing else but pray S. Aug. l. de haer Theod. Eccles hist l. 4. c. 10. which was an old Heresie of the Messalians and Euchites long since condemned by the Church of Christ as being a thing impossible to pray without ceasing in the bare literal sense because this corruptible body presseth down the Soul and corporal necessities do call for supply Neither yet That we should make long Prayers which is the new Error and great mistake of these Times The which though generally the most used and best liked as being set off with the paint of seeming zeal and pretense of the Spirit yet the unlawfulness of such long Prayers will appear if we will without prejudice and partiality consider that 1. They are forbidden by our Lord saying When you pray use not vain repetitions Matth. 6.7 in which words our Lord means not the same Prayers repeated as is falsly objected against the Prayers of the Church for thus our Lord prayed himself Matth. 26.39 44. Where his Prayer was short and three times repeated And therefore undoubtedly by vain repetitions in Praying is understood multitude of words and variety of expressions to the same purpose or rather to no purpose since our desires both may and ought to be expressed in few words and pertinent according to the Pattern our Lord hath given us And that 't is the meaning of our Lord when he saith After this manner pray ye that our Prayers should be generally formed to the length of his Prayer prescribed will appear 1. From the Context if seriously weighed and rightly understood wherein is manifest that the manner of Praying by such a short Form is commanded in opposition to the heathenish use of much speaking in Prayer 2. From the parallel Text in the Margin Eccles 5.2 Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in Heaven and thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few 3. From the Prayers of Christs Church which are in all Liturgies of the Christian World for the most part of the same length and surely the general practice of the Church is the best interpreter of holy Scripture 4. Such are generally also all the Prayers of the holy Spirit of God which stand upon record in holy Writ viz. the Book of Psalms with many more we meet with none that are of such a continued length as are in use amongst us but they are all divided by distinct Verses into so many several shorter Prayers Long Prayers are forbidden by our Lord because such is the custom of the Heathen Matt. 6.7 as the Heathen do who mind more the Oratory and Language Tone and Pronunciation than the Humility and Devotion of the Soul in Prayer and 't is much misbecoming Christians to worship the true God as the Heathen do their false and feigned Deities And Because they imply a false Notion of the Majesty of Heaven and a misbelief of his divine perfections as if he were asleep and must be awakened or did not understand our wants and desires or being otherwise imployed he could not intend our petitions except in multitude of words exprest and loud talking for audience So prayed the Priests of Baal 1 King 18.27 and so saith our Lord of all Heathen people That they think they shall be heard for their much speaking which is directly contrary to the true Faith of a Christian who believeth and acknowledgeth the Omniscience and Omnipresence of God as it follows in the 8. vers Your heavenly Father knoweth what things you stand in need of before you ask which divine Truth is implicitly denied by loud and long Prayers Long Prayers are not only forbidden by our Lord Matt. 6.5 cap. 23.14 Mark 12.40 Luk 20.47 Joh. 12.43 as the custom of the Heathen but also frequently reproved by him as the practice of Hypocrites who love to stand praying in the Synagogues and in the corners of the Streets that they may be seen of men that they may be taken notice of for godly men desiring rather to seem than really to be religious loving the praise of men more than the praise of God To pray continually then is neither to be understood of doing nothing else but pray nor yet of using long Prayers the one being prohibited by our Lord and the other condemned by his Church but in this and the like expressions is commanded The intense Devotion of the Soul in prayer So our Lord expounds his own Cammand that men ought always to pray viz. that they faint not a Luk. 18.1 to wit for want of that holy fervour and devout Zeal which is the Life and Soul of an effectual Prayer and this same celestial fire of holy zeal in Prayer spends not it self in multitude of words and much babling of the lips but is expressed in sighs and groans which cannot be uttered b Rom. 8.26 which are tru◠〈◊〉 breathings of the holy Spirit of God in Prayer who dwells not upon the Tongue but in the
Dictates of Heaven when they come in competition with the conceived Notions of their own brain which they call a praying by the Spirit But that you may truly and indeed pray by the Spirit and pray with the Understanding also and which is all one you may sing with the Spirit and sing with the Understanding also for the Psalms whether said or sung are the same Prayers when they are rightly Translated is the great reason of many Psalms paraphrased and illustrated with Notes and Prayers And these Psalms also are not of my own choice affixed to any of the ensuing Chapters of Meditation but such as have been so selected and disposed either by the Church of Christ or some of the most eminent Governours and Fathers of the Church The Reader may take notice that in the last Chapter of this PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN imprinted are many of the general Heads and hints of several the ensuing Chapters of this SECOND PART and therefore he cannot but meet with several expressions formerly published but revised and more methodically disposed both for use and memory PAge 310. line 3. read where thou art absent THE CONTENTS The Preface of continuing in Prayer of frequent Meditation with the design of the following Meditations I. CHapt Of Meditations and Psalms for the Morning Page 1. II. Chap. Meditations for the Third hour of Prayer p. 21 III. Chap. Of Meditations for the Sixth hour p. 41 IV. Chap. Of Meditations for the Ninth hour p. 61 V. Chap. Of Meditations for the Evening p. 81 VI. Chap. Of Meditations for Bed-time p. 101 VII Chap. Of Meditations for the Night-season p. 121 VIII Chap. Of Meditations fitted to every days ordinary actions c. viz. When you go forth of your Chamber I p. 151 When you walk abroad I. p. 152 When you stand upon soms high place I. ibid. When you behold pleasant Fields I. p. 153 When you hear or see any thing extraordinary I. p. 155 When you hear or see the time of the day I. ib. When you go to read or study I. p. 156 When you are wearied therewith I. p. 157 When you go about any worldly Employployments I. p. 158 When you are sad or discontented I. p. 159 When you sit idle I. p. 160 Vpon wandring and wanton eyes I. ibid. When you are tempted to any sin IV. p. 161 164 When Temptations prevail I. p. 165 When you have escaped a. Temptation I. p. 166 When you hunger or thirst III. p. 167 168 After you have eaten or drunk III. 169 170 When you are asked an Alms II. p. 171 When you hear others evil spoken of I. p. 172 When you hear your self reproached p. 173 When you are cross'd in any your worldly desires or interests p. 174 When you suffer several kinds of trouble p. 175 When you suffer any bodily pains p. 176 When you are sensible of your want of Knowledge and Wisdom 177 When you are dull and averse from holy Duties p. 179 When sensible of your sins and the mispending your time p. 180 When you resolve to be more religious for the future p. 181 Holy Breathings of the Soul after God II. p. 183-186 A Meditation of Fasting Alms giving to be joyned with Prayers p. 187 Meditations upon Vnity and the Publick Worship of God p. 171 OF the Four last things in general p. 201 Of the shortness and frailty of this present Life p. 205 Of the frequent remembrance of Death p. 210 Of the Horror of Death p. 215 Of the uncertainty of Death and preparation for it p. 219 The 39. Psalm illustrated with notes 226 The 90. Psalm illustrated with notes 230 The 2. general Head Of Judgment Of particular Judgment III. 235-242 Of the general Judgment V. 243-253 The 26. Psalm paraphras'd 254 The 43. Psalm paraphras'd 258 The 3. general Head Of the pains of Hell 263 Of the pain of loss 264 Of the darkness of Hell 267 Of the fire of Hell 270 Of the extent of Hell pains 273 Of the bonds and chains of Hell 277 Of the Laments of Hell 279 Of the perpetuity of Hell torments 282 The 86. Psalm paraphras'd 285 The 88. Psalm paraphras'd 291 The 4. general Head Of the joys of Heaven 297 Of the place call'd Heaven 300 its greatness its brightness and splendor its tranquillity and peace 300-303 Of the good things of Heaven 1. Honour 2. Power 3. Riches 4. Pleasure 304-308 Of the Company of Heaven 1. Gods presence there 2. of the Angels of Heaven 3. of the Saints in Heaven 309-316 Of the perpetuity of heavenly Joys 316 The 24. Psalm paraphras'd 321 The 84. Psalm paraphras'd 326 Meditation upon the Vow in Baptism 333 Meditation of the cure of the Soul before that of the Body 336 Meditation upon the Tears of the devout Soul 340 Meditation of the dwelling of God in the hearts of his people 344 CHAP. I. Of Meditations and Psalms for the Morning WHen I awake up Psal 139.18 I am always with thee who sleeping and waking am preserved by thee And 't is just and my bounden duty to return back my first breath in praise to him from whom I have received it So the Angels of Heaven those Morning-stars being first made even in the Morning of the worlds Creation no sooner received their Being but all with one accord sang with joyful acclamations the praises of their Creator Job 38.7 When the Morning-stars sang together and all the Sons of God shouted for joy Say then As soon as you awake Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity now and for evermore and thrice blessed be the great and glorious Majesty of Heaven who hath preserved me the Night past and sav'd me from the sleep of death 'T is of the Lords mercy that we are not consumed Lam. 3.22 23. even because his Compassions fail not they are new every morning Great is thy faithfulness II. O holy Jesus the Morning-star the day-spring from on high who came down to visit us Luk. 1.78 79. to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace Mal. 4.2 Arife thou Sun of Righteousness upon my darkned Soul with healing in thy Wings 1 Thess 5.5 make me a child of the light and of the day not of the night nor of darkness Let the Light of thy Truth direct me and the Light of thy Grace support me in the way to Light and Life everlasting Amen III. Lighten mine eyes O Lord Psal 13.3 that I sleep not in death either spiritual in sin or eternal for sin but from all sin and wickedness from thy wrath and from everlasting damnation good Lord deliver me Shew thy servant the light of thy Countenance Psal 31.18 and save me for thy mercies sake O let me hear thy loving kindness betimes in the morning Psal 143.8 for in thee do I trust Shew thou me that I should walk in for unto thee O Lord
I have acknowledged my wayes and thou heardest me O teach me thy Statutes After confession of sin and prayer for pardon new obedience is required 3. Make me to understand the way of thy Commandments and so shall I talk of thy wondrous works To talk of Religion without a right Understanding is but vain babling 4. My soul melteth away for very heaviness Comfort thou me according to thy Word Godly sorrow is the inlet to divine Consolation 5. Take from me the way of lying and cause thou me to make much of thy Law Errors in judgment must be corrected and abandoned that we may obey God sincerely and cordially 6. I have chosen the way of truth and thy judgments have I laid before me What the Word of God doth judge to be true or false is to be ever chose or refused 7. I have stuck unto thy testimonies O Lord confound me not Stedfastly to cleave unto what God hath testified to be the way of truth and holiness is a sure way to avoid confusion 8. I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou hast set my heart at liberty While the heart is enfettered with sensual or worldly lusts we can neith run nor walk in the ways of God's Commandments we ought Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer O Raise up my Soul blesse Lord out of the dust and rubbish of earthly desires quicken my dulness in thy service comfort me in all my sadnesses dispel all those mists of Ignorance and Error which cloud my Understanding enlarge my heart from the bondage of Sin and Satan and out of the fetters of all Temptations unto evil and so strengthen me to run in the ways which thou hast Commanded that I may obtain what thou hast promised through Jesus Christ Our Father which art in c. CHAP. II. Of Meditations for the Third Hour of Prayer or Nine a Clock in the Morning THis is called The holy hour in the Decrees of the Church and generally the hour of publick Assemblies in the Worship of God and not without very great reason For 1. Matth. 27.20 'T was at this hour my blessed Redeemer underwent the bitter sentence of death whilest Barabbas a Thief a Rebel and a Murderer was acquitted And I vile wretch am as guilty as Barabbas in many respects and justly obnoxious to the dreadful sentence of condemnation to death eternal but by the infinite Merits and Mysteries of thy Condemnation Good Lord deliver me 2. Matth. 27.26 'T was at this hour of the day my blessed Redeemer exposed his tender breasts and delicate back and shoulders to be rased rent and torn with forked whips by cruel blood-thirsty souldiers until his innocent Body was all over gore blood And my sins deserve the scourges and mine offences the rod of the Almighties just indignation but blessed Lord I humbly beg that I may so wash my polluted soul with the penitent tears of holy compunction through Faith in the blood of my Saviour and so chastise and keep under that body of sin which is and too much reigneth in my Members Eccles 39.28 that being delivered from the guilt and tyranny of sin in this life I may escape those fiery whips and scourgings of the spirits of vengeance which are the portion of the disobedient and impenitent in the other life 3. Act. 2.15 'T was at this hour of the day the Holy Ghost descended upon the holy Apostles and Disciples of Christ and by his celestial influences replenished them with extraordinary Gifts and Graces for the propagation of his holy Gospel and the plantation of his Church through the World And Vouchsafe holy God vouchsafe unto me also thy unworthy servant the guidance of the same spirit by whose Illumination and Sanctification I may both perceive and know what things I ought to do and also may have Grace faithfully to perform the same through Jesus Christ And the Earth was without form and void Gen. 1.2 darkness was upon the face of the deep And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the Waters Such was thy condition O my Soul in thy state of Nature without form or comeliness the image of God wherein thy beauty consists was defac'd by original corruption void both of Grace and Truth an Abyss of darkness and in the shadow of death till the all-quickning Spirit of God moving upon the hallowed waters of Baptism caused the light to appear But still the dregs of thy natural corruption remain and the darkness of ignorance ever hovers upon the face of the Deep But where the Spirit of God is there is liberty both rightly to understand and acceptably to perform his Will COme Holy Ghost eternal God Proceeding from above Both from the Father and the Son The God of Peace and Love Visit my Mind and into me Thy heavenly Grace inspire That in all Truth and Godliness I may have the desire Kindle my heart with fervent love To serve God day and night Strength and stablish all my weakness So feeble and so frail That neither flesh the world nor devil Against me do prevail And grant O Lord that thou being My Leader and my Guide I may eschew the snares of sin And from thee never slide ALmighty God unto whom all hearts are open all desires known and from whom no secrets are hid cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy holy Spirit that we may perfectly love thee and worthily magnifie thy holy Name through Jesus Christ Glory be to God on high on earth peace This Hymn is prescribed to be used in the Morning by the Apostolical Constit l. 7. c. 47. and at the Third Hour of the Morning because then the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles and replenished them with glory exultation and joy Dur. Rat. l. 4. c. 13. good will towards men We praise Thee we bless Thee we worship Thee we glorifie Thee we give thanks to Thee for thy great Glory heavenly King God the Father Almighty O Lord the only begotten Son Jesus Christ O Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father that takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon us Thou that takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon us Thou that takest away the sins of the world receive our prayers Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father have mercy upon us For Thou only art Holy Thou only art the Lord Thou only O Christ with the Holy Ghost art most High in the Glory of God the Father Amen PSALMS for the Third Hour Legem pone Psal 119. Part. 5. Horâ tertiâ Psalmus Legem pone dicitur quia tunc lex nova data est Apostolis Dur. Rat. l. 5. c. 6. Verses 1. TEach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end The Understanding must first be enlightned that the Affections of the Heart
ruine delight the righteous not for the destruction of their persons but for the justice of God thereby testified 8. My flesh trembleth for fear of Thee and I am afraid of thy judgments The best of men do most fear the judgments of God as being most sensible of their sins Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer GIve me a heart O Lord I beseech Thee detesting all sinfulness and error and inflamed with the love of holiness and truth to trust in thy mercies and stand in fear of thy judgments incline my will and affections to live the life of obedience to thy Word that I may not be disappointed of my hopes to live with thee for ever through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The Sixteenth Part. Verses 1. I deal with the thing that is lawful and right O give me not over to mine oppressors He must deal righteously with all men who desires not to be oppressed by any 2. Make thou thy servant to delight in that which is good that the proud do me no wrong To delight in what is good is a sure preservative against all the assaults of the spirits of pride and wickedness 3. Mine eyes are wasted away with looking for thy health and for the word of thy righteousness We must wait diligently upon all the blessed means of that grace and Salvation God hath promised in his word how troublesome soever this may be to the flesh 4. O deal with thy servant according to thy loving mercy and teach me thy Statutes 'T will be sad if God deal not with the best of us after his loving mercies and not after our deserts 5. I am thy servant O grant me understanding that I may know thy Testimonies 'T is impossible to be the true servant of God without understanding aright the service he requires 6. It is time for Thee to lay to thine hand for they have destroyed thy law When he Laws of God are trampled under foot he will not long forbear his punishing judgments 7. For I love thy Commandments above gold and precious stone When wickedness most abounds the righteous do most value the Laws of God even above all earthly treasures 8. Therefore hold I straight all thy Commandments and all false ways I utterly abhor They that are most sincere in the service of God do most abhor what is false and contrary thereunto Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer I Am thy devoted servant O Lord and that I may serve thee acceptably give me a right understanding of all the ways and parts of thy service and an upright heart in performing the same abhorring all falsehood both in opinion and conversation O deal not with me after my sins neither reward me after mine iniquities but according to thy loving mercy in Jesus Christ our Lord to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour glory c. Our Father which art in c. CHAP. IV. Of Meditations for the Ninth Hour of Prayer or Three a Clock IT is very seasonable at this Hour to pay thy Devotions to thy blessed Redeemer as the necessary effects of true Faith and Repentance since I. 'T was at this hour the Thief upon the Cross believing and repenting received the joyful promise from the mouth of the Lord Luk. 23.43 This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise And my life I confess has been no better than the life of this Thief even my whole life has been a trade of robbery robbing God of his honour and of that obedience which I owe to his holy Laws and robbing my self also of peace of Conscience here and of the hopes of Heaven hereafter Blessed Jesu who hadst mercy on the Thief even in the very hour of his death repenting have mercy upon me even upon me also who now though too too late repent me of my manifold misdoings Shut not up the gates of Paradise against me when I shall depart hence since having overcome the sharpness of death thou hast opened the kingdom of Heaven to all Believers II. 'T was at this hour the Son of God made man commended his spirit of man into the hands of God the Father Luk. 23.46 And into thy hands O Lord do I now commend my spirit my soul my body my all for thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of Truth And the very God of peace vouchsafe to sanctifie me wholly 1 Thess 5.23 And I pray God that my whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ Amen III. 'T was at this hour wherein my blessed Redeemer Mat. 27.46 50. after he had cryed with a loud voice gave up the Ghost and dyed for us miserable sinners 'T was for me and my sins my dearest Saviour both suffered and dyed he having no sins of his own to suffer or dy for but He was wounded for my transgressions Is 53.5 He was bruised for mine iniquities And now then remember holy Jesus in great mercy remember that hour wherein with a torn body and broken heart Thou didst shew forth the bowels of thy mercy in dying to deliver me both from spiritual and eternal death Pardon good Lord pardon all my sins the cause of all thy painful sufferings and grant that both I and all who love thy Cross and Passion in a devout thankful remembrance may by the vertue and power thereof crucifie the old man and utterly abolish the whole body of sin that being dead unto sin 1 Pet. 2.24 we may live unto righteousness and by thy stripes be healed IV. Upon the death of my Saviour S. Mat. 27.51 the Earth quaked the Rocks clave asunder the veil of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom And yet upon the meditation hereof my heart is not broken within me 't is harder than the stones of that Temple which was a figure of it harder than those Rocks that rent upon the expiration of my Lord more insensible and stupid than the Earth that quaked at the death of her Maker O Blessed Jesus let thy precious blood shed for me soften my stony heart into tears of Compassion to bewail thy Passion into tears of Compunction for my sins the cause of thy Sufferings and wholly melt my Soul into a throughout Devotion to the love and service of thy Sacred Majesty who hast so infinitely loved me as to dy for me V. At this hour the side of our Lord was pierced whence issued the two Sacraments of his Church the Water of Baptism and the Blood of the Eucharist And O that that precious blood and water which is the price of my Redemption may be the meritorious cause of my sanctification in this life and eternal Salvation in the life to come Amen PSALMS For the Ninth Hour Psal CXIX Part 17. Verses 1. THy Testimonies O Lord
way may be known upon earth thy saving health among all nations verse 3 Let the people praise thee O God yea let all the people praise thee verse 4 O let the nations rejoyce and be glad for thou shalt judge the folk righteously and govern the nations upon earth verse 5 Let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee verse 6 Then shall the earth bring forth her increase and God even our own God shall give us his blessing verse 7 God shall bless us and all the ends of the world shall fear him and with one heart and with one mouth glorifie the Lord and say Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. II. 'T was at this Hour my blessed Lord having first washed his disciples feet did institute consecrate and administer the blessed Sacrament of his most holy body and blood and the next day at the same hour he was taken down from the Cross I have very great reason then at this hour with all thanksgiving and devotion to commemorate the infinite love of my Redeemer in giving himself to be not only the price of my Redemption by his death upon the Cross but also to be the food of my Soul in that blessed Sacrament humbly beseeching his gracious Majesty that the merits of the one may be applied to my Soul in the devout and reverent participation of the other But I will not presume to come to thy Table O merciful Saviour having not first washed my polluted feet and the disordered affections of my soul with the tears of godly sorrow having not by true Repentance taken down the pride of this corruptible flesh laid aside and abjured all my sins that so with clean hands and a pure heart I may receive the holy Communion of thy precious Body and Blood not to my condemnation but to the eternal salvat on of my Soul O blessed Jesu Saviour of the world save me and deliver me from all mine offences nail them to thy Cross bury them in thy grave that they never rise in judgment against me at the last great day And O that now upon the remembrance of my dearest Saviours burial in the grave I could from the bottom of my heart bid adieu to the world and to all the pomps and vanities of this life to the assured hopes of the joyes of the life to come The XV. Psalm PARAPHRASED verse 1 LOrd who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle be entitled to the solemn worship of thy house and continue a true member of thy Church militant here below or who shall rest upon thy holy hill be admitted into the rest and felicity of thy Saints in heaven above verse 2 Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life unspotted of the world unstained by the flesh uncorrupted by the Devil and doth the thing that is right Beneficence or to do good as Innocence to do no evil are equally necessary to Salvation and speaketh the truth from his heart whose heart thinketh and whose mouth speaketh the truth without which knowledge and profession of the truth there can be no righteousness either of Innocence or of Beneficence in the actions of life verse 3 He that hath used no deceit in his tongue nor done evil to his neighbor who hath neither in his words deceived nor in his deeds wronged any and hath not slandered his neighbor either First being too credulous to believe an evil report of any or Secondly aggravating and making worse the mistakes and miscarriages of others or Thirdly blazoning them abroad to his disgrace verse 4 He that setteth not by himself is not conceited of his own worth or esteem wisdom or holiness but is lowly in his own eyes hath a mean and low opinion of himself of his deserts parts and performances or as according to another reading discountenanceth a vile person in his wickedness and maketh much of them that fear the Lord by commending and giving all respects and encouragement to such verse 5 He that sweareth to his neighbour in the promise of any benefit whether by love or gift and disappointeth him not but is as good as his word unto him though it be to his own hinderance in respect of his present worldly interests verse 6 He that hath not given his money upon usury neither lending nor giving ought unto any upon the hopes of temporal advantage thereby forbidden by our Lord Luk. 6.35 nor taken reward against the Innocent that will not be fee'd or bribed to speak or act any thing against truth and Innocence verse 7 Whoso doth these things carefully conscientiously constanly shall never fall from the state of Grace but pass through that to the state of Glory to rest upon Gods holy hill or to enjoy eternal rest in the high and holy Heavens where the Language constantly used is Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. III. 'T was at this time of the day my Blessed Lord being risen from the dead appeared to two of his Disciples going to Emaus Luk. 2.13 ad 31. with whom discoursing and by whom being entertained he was known of them by breaking of bread O how good and profitable a thing it is to speak of the holy Jesus with affectionate desires and devotions but much more effectual are good deeds than good words Friendly discourses upon Divine subjects are profitable but charitable entertainments are more acceptable to the Court of Heaven To hear from the blessed mouth of our Lord himself the holy Scriptures expounded did undoubtedly ravish the minds of these Disciples but yet their eyes were not opened to know the Lord till charity enlarged their hearts to invite nay to compel their fellow traveller to eat bread and lodge with them Tene hospitem si vis agnoscere Salvatorem Aug. 'T is divine Charity that passeth all things for illumination were my heart throughly infir'd with this Celestial flame I could not be destitute of the light of Truth for fire and light both spiritual and material are inseparable To these hospitable Disciples our Lord was known in the breaking of bread and thus he is especially known and entertained also in that Celestial bread of the blessed Eucharist to the great and endless comfort of every worthy Communicant Lord evermore give us this bread feed our Souls with thy most precious Body and Blood as a pledge and assurance to eat bread with Thee in the Kingdom of God for ever Amen IV. An evening Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving is due unto thy God as well as the morning Praise and a better Sacrifice cannot be offered unto him either evening or morning with the calves of our lips than in the words of the CXLV Psalm which is an Epitome of the Praises of God diffused through the whole Book of God and 't was therefore one part of the dayly service of God in his Temple and therefore 't is most meet it should daily by
feet All the apostate crew of evil angels with all their poysonous infusions thou shalt overcome and subdue so the Lord promises also Luk. 10.19 Behold I give you power to tread on Serpents and Scorpions And the reason is added in the name of the Lord saying verse 14 Because he hath set his love upon me therefore will I deliver him All things work together for good to them that love God Rom. 8.28 I will set him up above his enemies round about because he hath known my name his knowledge being enspirited with love and obedience verse 15 He shall call upon me to have a heart to pray rightly and reverently is a great blessing and I will hear him so as to grant the requests of such as call upon me faithfully yea I am with him in trouble and when his faith and patience humility and obedience is throughly tryed I will deliver him out of all his troubles and bring him to honour promote him in the land of the living for verse 16 With long life will I satisfie him a life replete with all fulness of satisfaction and shew him my Salvation or manifest my self unto him in whose presence is fulness of joy O remember me according to the favour thou bearest unto thy people and visit me with thy Salvation That I may see the felicity of thy chosen and rejoyce in the gladness of thy people and give thanks with thine inheritance who cease not day and night saying Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. THE SONG of SIMEON Which is said by the Church at this hour as wherein we commend our selves unto the Lord and desire we may both sleep and dye in Peace 1. Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace (a) Peace in life and death sleeping and waking is the portion of the Lords servant alone for there is no peace saith the Lord to the wicked Isa 48. according to thy Word 'T was Gods promise he should not dye till he had seen the Messias in the flesh 2. For mine eyes have seen thy Salvation The Saviour of the world is seen as Man only with the eyes of Flesh but as both God and Man by the eye of Faith 3. Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people God was made man that the eyes of all flesh might see in whom to believe and whom to follow as the light of the world 4. To be a light to lighten the Gentiles (e) Who sate in darkness and in the shadow of death and to be the glory of thy people Israel The greatest of all the wonderful mercies shewed by God to his old people the Israelites was that of them Christ was born and exhibited in the flesh Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer LIghten my darkness O Lord whose mysterious Incarnation and Nativity is the Light of the Gentiles and the Glory of Israel and by thy great mercy defend me from all the perils and dangers of this night O blessed Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world grant me thy Peace even peace with God and peace with man peace of Conscience at home upon Earth and the peace of the long home of Heaven Such a peace the world cannot give 't is only attainable from thee and by thee and through thee the Prince of peace who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost one God c. IN the order of our Church Devotions after this Song of Simeon follows the Creed for since the end of our Faith is the Salvation of our Souls it is very fit then that we both begin and end the day in the Confession of the Faith And as the Church in publick so every devout Christian in private who resolves to dye in the true Faith will not go to sleep without it but will say before he go to bed not slightly and customarily but reverently and understandingly I Believe in God the Father Almighty maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ c. All this I stedfastly believe into this Faith I was baptized and in this Faith 't is the hearty desire of my Soul and shall be my constant endeavour to continue unto my lifes end Grant me blessed Lord in the profession of this Faith to war a good warfare and to finish my course that after this mortal life is ended I may receive from the author 2 Tim. 4.7 8. and finisher of our Faith the crown of righteousness which is laid up I believe and hope for me as for all those that love his appearing After these or other Bed-time Meditations your usual Prayers Confessions and Thanksgivings relating to the day past Meditate As you Vndress your self This Body of mine I am now striping of its clothing is but the clothing of my Soul that 's the man in me my body is but the garment my soul doth wear And 't is not long ere I shall put off this body of flesh as I now do the garments which cover its nakedness And that I may do this in peace and to my future happiness my soul must be stript and put off concerning the former conversation the old man Eph. 4.21 22. which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts and put on that new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Put on the Lord Jesus Ro. 13.14 That 's thy clothing that 's thy ornament O my Soul to obey the doctrine and follow the example of the holy Jesus making no provision to fulfil the lusts of the flesh For Gal. 6.8 he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting When you lay aside your Garments Assist me blessed Lord wholly and altogether to cast away the works of darkness and to put on the armor of Light that when my Body shall lye down in its bed of darkness my Soul may pass into the Regions of Light to live and reign with Thee for ever When you go into Bed I will lay me down in peace and take my rest for 't is Thou only that makest me dwell in safety Or II. In the Name of my Lord Jesus Christ who was Crucified on the Cross and laid in the Grave for me I lay me down to rest and to sleep He vouchsafe to bless me save and defend me sleeping and waking And may I evermore blessed Jesus rest in thy Peace live in thy Fear dye in thy Favour and be raised by thy power unto life everlasting Amen CHAP. VII Of Meditations and Psalms for the Night season I. 'T Was in the Night the Angel of the Lord destroyed all the first-born in the Land of Egypt Exod. 12.29 Wisd 18.14 15. 2 Kin. 19.35 And the host of Senacherib that besieged Hierusalem Now then arise from thy bed of sloth and
Souls This is the Bread that came down from Heaven verse 50 that a man might eat thereof and not dye Lord evermore give me this Bread 'T is thy blessed self Holy Jesus I humbly beg to be the Food of my Soul in Grace here in Glory hereafter III. The Souls of just men made perfect hunger not thirst not but are as the Angels in Heaven who neither eat nor drink as we mortals do upon earth And yet they feast continually being satisfied with the blissful presence of God 'T is thy imperfection and infelicity O my Soul to desire corporal meats and drinks to sustain thy frail tabernacle of flesh But blessed be the Lord my God who hath not made me like the beasts that perish capable only of a sensual happiness in sowing to the flesh from whence only corruption is reaped but of a felicity perfect solid everlasting in the beatifical vision and fruition of his divine goodness in whose presence there is fulness of Joy and at whose right hand there is pleasure for evermore After you have Eaten or Drunk I. I have now allayed the importunate craving of my appetite and my body is satisfied with material food but nothing can satisfie my Soul but to behold the presence of God in righteousness Awaken blessed Lord awaken up my Soul after thine own likeness for that only can give me a true and lasting satisfaction Ps 17 ult when I awake up after thy likeness I shall be satisfied with it II. Praise the Lord Ps 103.1 O my Soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things 4. making thee young and lusty as the Eagle O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness Ps 107.8 and declate the wonders that he doth for the children of men For he satisfieth the empty Soul 9. and filleth the hungry Soul with goodness But I am less than the least of all the mercies shewed unto thy servant unworthy to have my heart filled with food and gladress having too frequently abused thy good creatures of meats and drinks to Riot and Excess therein O satisfie me with thy mercy Ps 19.14 and that soon so shall I rejoyce and be glad all the days of my life When you are asked an Alms being able to Relieve I. How much am I bound to the good providence of my heavenly Father who hath raised my condition in this world to be of the number of those that abound and not of them that want Act. 20.35 since 't is more blessed to give than to receive Blessed Lord vouchsafe to give me a heart full of Compassion an eye full of pity and a hand open and bountiful according to my ability towards my poor needy Brethren 2 Cor. 9.6 He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully II. I have not deserved to enjoy more worldly wealth than this poor person who now begs to be supplied out of my store But such is the great goodness of my God towards me that he hath not only given me Food and Rayment but also wherewithal to express my gratitude and love to God by my ready relief of my Christian Brethren Blessed be God who hath not only given me ability but this opportunity also to lay up in store for my self a good foundation against the time to come that I may lay hold on eternal life When you hear others evil spoken of Lord if I be not as bad or worse than these persons I now hear traduced I have the more reason to praise thee who by thy grace and goodness hast preserved me from such miscarriages But did I truly reflect upon mine own misdemeanors I should have little reason to intend the reproaches of others Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle or who shall rest upon thy holy hill He that hath used no deceit in his tongue Ps 15 3. nor done evil to his neighbour and hath not slandered his neighbour When you hear your self reproached As for me I was even as a deaf man and heard not Ps 38 13 and as one that is dumb that doth not open his mouth I became as one that heareth not 14. and in whose mouth are no reproofs I will patiently bear my reproach because I have sin'd against the Lord. The Disciple is not above his Master nor the servant above his Lord. Mat 10.25 It is enough for the Disciple to be as his Master 26. and the servant as his Lord if they have called the master of the house Beelzebub how much more shall they call them of his houshold For what glory is it 1 Pet. 2.20 if when you be buffeted for your faults you take it patiently But if when you do well and suffer for it ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God For even hereunto were ye called 21 because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps Who did no sin 22 neither was any guile found in his mouth Who when he was reviled 23. reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously When you are crost in any your worldly desires or interests Whatsoever is brought upon thee take chearfully Ecclus. 2.4 and be patient when thou art changed to a low estate For gold is tried in the fire 5. and acceptable men in the furnace of adversity Blessed Jesus since thy kingdom is not of this world let not me thy devoted servant and subject either desire or hope to be happy upon earth but grant me so to love what thou commandest and desire what thou dost promise that among the sundry and manifold changes of the world my heart may surely there be fixed where true joyes are to be found When you suffer several kinds of Affliction This O Lord is the portion of thy people and I know O Lord and do verily believe 't is of thy goodness thou hast caused me to be troubled But far very far short are my sufferings to those of thy blessed Apostle professing of himself 2 Cor. 11.23 In labours abundant in stripes above measure in prisons more frequent in deaths often Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one 24 Thrice was I beaten with rods 25 once was I stoned thrice I suffered shipwrack a night and day I have been in the deep In journeyings often 26 in perils of waters in perils of Robbers in perils by my own Countreymen in perils by the Heathen in perils in the City in perils in the Wilderness in perils in the Sea in perils among false Brethren In weariness and painfulness 27. in watching often in hunger and thirst in fastings often in cold and nakedness Such a heap of troubles betiding an innocent active blessed man may surely move me to bear patiently my smaller proportion of
affliction Ro. 8.28 remembring that all things work together for good to them that love God When you suffer any bodily Pain Both this and the greatest of the pains my corruptible fiesh can possibly suffer are but as a Hea-biting to the least of the pains of the nether hell And these my sins have justly deserved but blessed Lord let me have my punishment in this life and spare O spare me in the life to come I am not master of my self except in patience I possess my Soul in spite of what flesh can do unto me A furious man cannot be justified Ecclus. 1.22 or escape punishment for the sway of his fury shall be his destruction A patient man will bear for a time 23 and afterwards joy shall spring up unto him He will hide his words for a time 24. and the lips of many shall declare his wisdom I know O Lord that thou dost not willingly afflict the Sons of men S. Paul had his thorn in the flesh 2 Cor. 12.77 but 't was to prevent the swelling of his heart with spiritual pride and vain-glory And I humbly beg O Lord that my present pain in body may through my patient sufferance conduce to the better health of my Soul And O that I were as feelingly sensible of the many sores and diseases of my Soul as I am now of my bodily pains I should then more affectionately and with greater devotion apply my self to the great Physician both of Soul and Body Being sensible of your want of Knowledge and Wisdom Who will set scourges over my thoughts Ecclus. 23.3 2 and the discipline of wisdom over my heart that they spare me not for mine ignorances and pass not by my sins Lest mine ignorances increase 3. and my sins abound to my destruction That it may please thee O Lord to forgive me all my negligences and ignorances and to endue me with the Grace of thy Holy Spirit to amend my life according to thy Word O God of my Fathers Wisd 9.1 4 and Lord of all mercy give me wisdom that fitteth by thy Throne and reject me not from among thy Children O send her out of thy holy Heavens 10. and from the Throne of thy Glory that being present she may labour with me that I may know what is pleasing unto thee Though I have the gift of Prophecie 1 Cor. 13.2 and understand all mysteries and have all knowledge and though I have all Faith so that I could remove mountains and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing Being dull and averse from holy Duties How long wilt thou forget me Psal 13.1 O Lord for ever how long wilt thon hide thy face from me How long shall I seek counsel in my Soul 2 and be so vexed in my heart how long shall mine enemies triumph over me Consider and hear me O Lord 3 my God lighten mine eyes that I sleep not in death Lest mine enemy say 4 I have prevailed against him for if I be cast down they that trouble me will rejoyce at it But my trust is in thy mercy 5 and my heart is joyful in thy Salvation I will sing of the Lord 6 because he hath dealt so lovingly with me yea I will praise the Name of the Lord the most high Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. Upon the sense of your Sins and the mispending of your Time When I call to mind the dayes of my vanity and the sins of my younger and wanton years when I commune with mine own heart and search out my spirits When I remember how little a portion of my Time hath been employed in the service of my God and how much hath been spent in the service of Sin and Satan and the fulfilling of mine own unruly Lusts When I consider how small or no treasure of good works I have laid up in Heaven and what a mass of sinful works I have treasured up against the day of wrath my spirit is wounded within me and my heart within me is desolate my flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy Judgments Call to remembrance Psal 25.5 O Lord thy tender mercies and thy loving kindness which have been ever of old Oh remember not the sins and offences of my youth nor of my riper years 6. O deal not with me after my sins neither reward me after mine iniquities but according to thy mercy think thou upon me O Lord for thy goodness And as thou tellest my flittings Ps 56.8 so put my tears into thy bottle that as my sins so my sorrows for sin may be noted in thy Book Assist me to redeem that precious time which I have too much mis-spent in vanity and iniquity Oh spare me a little Ps 39.13 that I may recover my strength before I go hence and be no more seen Holy Resolves of future Holiness Unto thee O God Ps 56.12 will I pay my vows unto thee will I give thanks For thou hast delivered my Soul from death and my feet from falling 13. that I may walk before God in the light of the living that enlightned with divine Grace I may enjoy the light of life immortal before God for ever Teach me thy way Psal 86.11 O Lord and I will walk in thy Truth O knit my heart unto thee that I may fear thy Name I will thank thee 12 O Lord my God with all my heart and will praise thy Name for evermore For great is thy mercy toward me 13. and thou hast delivered my Soul from the nethermost hell adding day after day unto my life and space for repentance unto my days O God my heart is ready Ps 108.1 my heart is ready I will sing and give praise unto the Lord Rom. 2.4 for the riches of his goodness forbearance and long-suffering leading me to repentance And my heart is ready O God my heart is ready to do thy will and to keep thy Commandments only strengthen me with thy divine Grace to do what thou Commandest and then Command whatsoever pleaseth thee My heart is ready both to serve thee in all the duties of holy Religion and to serve my neighbour also in the duties of Innocence and Beneficence and to watch over myself against all irrational desires that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts I may now for the future Tit. 2.12 live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Looking for that blessed hope 13. and the glorious appearance of the great God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ Holy Breathings of the Soul after God As the Hart hunted and wearied panteth after the water brooks for refuge and refreshment Psal 42.1 so my Soul in her weary pilgrimage pursued by her ghostly enemies longeth after thee O God in whom the weary findeth rest and the persecuted succour and support My Soul
is a thirst for God 2. even for the living God the fountain of living waters when shall I come to appear before the presence of God Oh my God when will that happy hour come wherein I shall be fatisfied with thy presence wherein I shall praise thee according to my duty and desire wherein thou wilt be all in all to my Soul When I awake up after thy likeness I shall be satisfied with it till then I must not hope to enjoy any real solid contentment For Whom have I in heaven but thee Ps 73.24 and there is none upon earth that I defire in comparison of thee There is none in heaven or earth that can satisfie the desires of my Soul which being stampt after the image of God and capable of her Creator cannot be filled with the greatest sufficiency of all created Beings My heart and my flesh faileth 25. my flesh will soon wither and fail to be the habit tion of my Soul and my heart will be also swallowed up of sorrow and despair but that God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever II. O God Psal 63.1 thou art my God my God and my All all that I am and all that I have and all that I hope to be and therefore early will I seek thee in the morning of the day in the morning of my life in the morning or light of divine Grace for 't is thereby I am excited both early and late to seek thee My Soul thirsteth for thee 2 my flesh also longeth after thee my flesh that being in subjection to the Spirit both Soul and Body may rejoyce in thee in whom alone true joy and satisfaction is attainable for I am here in a barren and dry land where no water is such is the wilderness of this world it affords no waters of refreshment to satisfie the desires of the immortal Soul Thus have I waited for thee in holiness 3 And O that I could wait for thee and wait upon thee with such separate affections from all sensuality and earthiness that I might behold thy power which is chiefly manifested in shewing mercy and pity and thy glory even the Glory of thy Grace and Favour For thy loving kindness is better than the life it self 4 without thy loving kindness O my God my life of nature is but a living death and my life of Grace with the hopes of the life of Glory are but the glimpses and scattered raies of thy loving kindness and therefore my lips shall praise thee and this also is an effect of thy loving kindness that my heart dictates to my lips to praise thy Name Blessed is the people Ps 89.16 O Lord that can rejoyce in thee they shall walk in the light of thy Countenance Their delight shall be daily in thy Name 17 and in thy righteousness shall they make their boast For thou art the glory of their strength 18 and in thy loving kindness thou shalt lift up our horns For the Lord is our defence 19. the holy one of Israel is our King Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting and world without end and let all the people say Amen even so Amen Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. MEDITATIONS Of Fasting and Almsgiving to be practised with holy Prayer and Meditation THat my Prayers and Meditations may ascend into Heaven and be there treasur'd up to my comfort in the day of my account 't is necessary that the Christian duties of Fasting and Almsgiving be frequently intermixed for these are the Two Wings whereupon Holy Prayer is mounted into Heaven and graciously accepted in the presence of God These Three are those spiritual Sacrifices acceptable unto God by Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 whereby every sincerely devout Christian as a member of the holy mystical Priesthood sacrificeth all that he is and all that he has unto God from whom he hath received all Heb. 13.15.16 Ro. 12.1 Phil. 4.18 His Soul is poured forth by Prayer his Body is sacrificed by Fasting and his Goods are offered by Almsgiving We have no more to give and not in some considerable proportion to give them unto God is to rob him of that tribute which is due unto him as an acknowledgment that all we are and all we do possess is held from him in Capite as the chief Lord of all To pretend that all these Christian duties are implied and may be supplied through the fulness of Faith in Christ is a false and mistaken notion of the holy and true Christian Faith which both Commends and Commands not the aiery empty notions but the real performance of all these Religious duties Our blessed Lord in his heavenly Sermon on the Mount joyns these together and we may not without danger to our Souls presume to part them or vainly conceive that any one without the other will be accepted of God but being all sincerely practised as our Lord directs Mat. 6.1 5.16 we shall then as he Commands lay up for our selves treasure in Heaven where are neither moth nor rust ver 20. Thus devout Cornelius sent up such a plentiful treasure into Heaven Act. 10.2 3. v. 30. as brought down thence one of those Celestial Spirits for his guidance and direction in the ways of life Holy Prayer is that whip which drives the Devil and all his Temptations out of the Temple of the heart leaving it to the possession of the Holy Jesus and Fasting is as that Scope or Besom which sweeps and keeps clean this spiritual Temple of the Lord Mar. 9.29 by both conjoyned the strongest Devil is master'd and ejected Prayer is as the Chain which tyes up Satan and by Fasting the Chain is strengthned and made to hold But a Three-fold Cord is not easily broken if with your Prayers and Fastings you conjoyn the Christian acts of holy Charity also a Chain of these several links composed will not only tye up the Devil that his temptations shall not reach to hurt your Soul but also secretly bind the hands of the Almighty that they be not stretched out for the punishment of your by-past Transgressions for Charity shall cover a multitude of sins 1 Pet. 4.8 Let not the lust of the flesh or the lust of thine eyes so bewitch thee O my Soul as to rob thy God of what is due unto Him both from thy Body and Estate Whilst thou courtest thy God with Prayers alone thou servest him with what doth cost thee nothing nothing but the labour of thy lips 'T is my self my whole self the Lord requires with my Prayers my Soul in its devoutest affections my Body in the mortification of all its exorbitant Lusts my Goods in the relief of my wanting Brethren otherwise my Prayers will flag and grovel here below when they want these spiritual Wings whereupon to mount to the Throne of Grace to find
a separation of the holy from the wicked by Judgment which shall assign to either their everlasting habitations either in Heaven or in Hell Of the Four last things S. Bernard saith that First Death is of all thidgs to flesh and blood most formidable Secondly Judgment than the which there is nothing more terrible and dreadful Thirdly Hell the Torments whereof are insupportable Fourthly Heaven the Joys whereof are beyond apprehension most Blissful and Ravishing And these subjects of holy Meditation would prove the most prevalent to turn all persons professing Christianity from all the errors of their ways whether in opinion or conversation would they but seriously consider the punishments that attend the erroneous and sinful and the blessings wherewith all the Orthodox and Holy shall be Crowned everlastingly The wicked shall be turned into hell Ps 9.17 and all the people that forget God But the Souls of the righteous are in the hand of God Wisd 3.1 and there shall no torment touch them They that have done good Ath. cr Mat. 25. ult shall go into everlasting life and they that have done evil into everlasting fire This Faith is professed by many but by few believed with the heart for he that cordially believes these principles of his Religion will stand in awe and sin not he will not dare in defiance of this Faith knowingly and willingly to transgress the Laws of the great Majesty of Heaven and 't is such a Faith attended by Fear and this Fear by Care and Caution that must preserve the Soul from the Torments and entitle the same to the Joyes of the other world O that they were wise Deut. 32.29 that they understood this that they would consider their latter end It is the greatest and most comprehensive of all the parts of true wisdom so to consider as rightly to prepare for our latter end for to end well is the sum of all our hopes and of all the happiness we can hope for MEDITAT I. HAve mercy upon me Ps 9.13 O God and consider the trouble I suffer of them that hate me my spirit is troubled for the daily incursions of my ghostly enemies Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death Such is this frail mortal life all the ways whereof are vanity and iniquity even gates leading to death eternal From the which I humbly beg to be raised up and exalted by thy right hand That I may shew all thy praises within the ports of the daughter of Sion 14. glorifie thee with thy Church Triumphant in Heaven I will rejoyce in thy Salvation to be thus lifted up and sav'd is a joy unspeakable and glorious Remember me Ps 106.4 O Lord according to the favour thou bearest unto thy people and visit me with thy Salvation That I may see the felicity of thy chosen 5. and rejoyce in the gladness of thy people and give thanks with thine inheritance MEDITAT II. Of the Shortness and Frailty of this present Life MAn that is born of a woman is of few days Job 14.1 and full of trouble He cometh forth like a Flower 2. and is cut down he fleeth as a shadow and continueth not In the midst of life we be in death whilst every day we live is one day nearer to the end of life For what is your life Jam. 4.14 't is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away For all flesh is grass 1 Pet. 1.24 and all the glory of man as the flowers of grass the grass withereth and the flower fadeth Not to consider this shortness and frailty of humane life is to make my life yet more short and frail Lord make me to know mine end and the number of my days that I may be certified how long I have to live that the length of my days is of the shortest measure for behold thou hast made my days as a span Verily every man living is altogether vanity The most high and mighty the most honourable and wealthy are not exempt from this character for Honours Riches Friends all the Delights of the Sons of men with all the Pomp and Pleasure and power of the world depending upon the Shortness and frailty of humane life renders every man in all that he is in all that he has and in all that he hopes for in this world a vanity of vanities an universal vanity St. Augustines Meditations on this Subject THe time of my pilgrimage here upon earth is tedious wearisome for this is a miserable life a frail life an uncertain life a bitter life a laborious life a sinful life 't is the mistress of error and sinfulness and the handmaid to death and hell This life is rather to be called death than life as being through the whole course thereof a passing from Life to Death for whilst we pass from Infancy to Childhood from thence to Manhood and so to Old age every such change in Life is but a passage to Death There is no condition in this life certain and setled now we are glad and anon sad now we are well and anonsick now we are at ease and anon in pain now we laugh and anon weep now in hunger and thirst anon in fulness and excess in honour and dishonour in wealth and poverty in heats and colds in evil report and good report in fear and terror and much amazement and all this and much more than can be exprest is too often attended by a sudden unexpected death and which is yet more miserable though there be nothing more certain than death yet vain foolish man knoweth not considereth not his end So the Preacher Eccl. 9.12 For man also knoweth not his time as the fishes that are taken in an evil not and as the birds that are caught in the snare so are the sons of men snared in an evil time when it falleth suddenly upon them O senseless mortals especially being called Christians and yet to be of so little Faith as to doat upon a life so frail short and uncertain so changeable and calamitous in defiance of what we daily profess to believe Life Everlasting Blessed are they and they are but a few who in hopes and desires to enjoy the unchangeable blessings of the life to come do slight and despise the fallacious flattering enjoyments of this world lest being deceived by the charms and fawnings thereof the Deceiver and the deceived perish together 'T is a general complaint that the world is deceitful and unsatisfying in all her most alluring enjoyments and yet so mightily the flesh prevaileth against the spirit that most men love and I am a great fool among the rest yea dotingly love to be thus deceived too passionately desiring to injoy still this mortal life how frail soever and attended with a numerous train of miseries But forget not O remember and forget not that thou art Immortal O my Soul and that death is but
soever with his bone full of marrow might yet dare to live unprepared for death presuming still upon further time and space for Repentance and amendment Lord make me ever mindful of my latter end that I may so live in thy fear as to dye in thy favour and a well grounded hope to live with thee for ever 'T is to little purpose to remember my death except I remember also the sins of my by-past life both the sins of my youth and of my riper age mine ignorances my negligences my manifold omissions of my duty towards God towards my neighbour towards my self and these to bewail with the tears of godly sorrow that my polluted Soul being washed I may through Faith in the blood of my Redeemer chearfully commend the same into his merciful hands and say Into thy hands I commend my Spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of Truth Every change in my frail constitution every little pain and ache in my corruptible flesh all distempers diseases are as so many memorials of my mortality but the older I grow the nearer still is the approach of my dissolution by the hand of death Heb. 8. ult for that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away The Prayers LOok graciously upon me O Lord I beseech thee in the time of my approaching dissolution and the more the outward man decayeth strengthen me so much the more continually by thy Grace and Holy Spirit in the inner man give me unfeigned repentance for all the errors of my life past and a stedfast Faith in thy Son Jesus that my sins may be done away by thy mercy and my pardon sealed in Heaven before I go hence and be no more seen II. IN the midst of life we be in death of whom may we seek for succour but of thee O Lord who for our sins art justy displeased Yet O Lord God most holy O Lord most mighty O holy and most merciful Saviour deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death Thou knowest Lord the secrets of our hearts shut not up thy merciful ears to our Prayers but spare us O Lord most holy O God most mighty O holy and most merciful Saviour thou most worthy Judge eternal suffer us not at our last hour for any pains of death to fall from thee III. IN my last hour O Lord I humbly beg thy protection from the busie suggestions and direful insultings of my grand enemies the Devil and his Angels Oh let not then my Faith fail or my Hope wither or my Charity wax cold with the waining flesh But when all my joynts shall tremble by the batteries of death mine eyes be darkned and my tongue falter then O then let my heart be enlarged towards my God waiting upon thee longing for thee and incessantly praying shew me thy mercy O Lord and grant me thy Salvation The XXXIX Psalm Verses 1. I Said I will take heed to my wayes that I offend not in my tongue The meditation of death makes every wise man careful of all his wayes and more especially to avoid the offences of the tongue 2. I will keep my mouth as 't were with a bridle while the ungodly is in my sight The tongue is an unruly evil and must be tam'd as a wild horse with a bridle when provok'd by captious contentious and quarrelsome persons 3. I held my tongue and spake nothing I kept silence yea even from good words but it was pain and grief unto me Reproaches are best answered with a discreet silence so was our Lord as a Lamb dumb before the Shearers 4. My heart was hot within and while I was thus musing the fire kindled d To abstain from good words is sometimes necessary for the avoiding of an evil construction but such silence is grievous to the pious Soul which burns with the fire of divine love and zeal to God's glory The zeal of thine house bath even eaten me and at the last I spake with my tongue Though it be often inconvenient to speak before wicked men yet 't is alway necessary to speak unto God by Prayer 5. Lord let me know mine end and the number of my daies that I may be certified how long I have to live 'T is a blessing we ought alway to pray for to be feelingly sensible of the shortness of our life 6. Behold thou hast made my dayes as 't were a span long and mine age is nothing in respect of thee and verily every man living is altogether vanity The life of man if compar'd with God's everlasting being is rather to be called a death than a life a vanity not a verity of being 7. For man walketh in a vain shadow he disquieteth himself in vain he heapeth up riches and cannot tell who shall gather them The hearts of men are darkned with the shadows of happiness whilst they vainly care for worldly wealth which is as transitory and uncertain as the life it self 8. And now Lord what is my hope truly my hope is even in thee 'T is not in riches nor in all the world affords but in God alone that all hope of true happiness is attainable 9. Deliver me from all mine offences and make me not a rebuke to the foolish Our sins deprive us of all true weh-grounded hopes in God and make us lyable to the scorn even of foolish men 10. I became dumb and opened not my mouth for it was thy doing We must with a patient silence suffer the reproaches of others because occasioned by our offences and because sent from God for our amendment 11. Take thy plague away from me I am even consumed by the means of thy heavy hand And confess withal that we deserve to be consumed by the just judgments of God 12. When thou with rebukes dost chasten man for sin thou makest his beauty to consume away as 't were a moth fretting a garment every man therefore is but vanity Whose lightest chastisements do easily deface the beauty and decay the strength of this corruptible body 13. Hear my prayer O Lord and with thine ears consider my calling hold not thy peace at my tears Therefore the devout Soul is poured forth in Prayers with tears of godly sorrow for her offences from whence all the miseries of this life do flow 14. For I am a stranger with thee and a sojourner as all my fathers were The earth is a strange land to the Immortal Soul whose native home is heaven where she was framed by the hands of the Almighty after his own Image 15. O spare me a little that I may recover my strength before I go hence and be no more seen Which Image being defaced by her sins she humbly begs with tears time and space by Repentance Faith and new obedience to recover her native strength and beauty before she leave her tabernacle of flesh Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer SInce my
dayes are but as a span short and uncertain I humbly beseech thee O Lord to wean my heart from the disquietude of worldly cares and that I may be fruitful in all the good works of obedience and charity to repair the breaches of thy blessed image which mine offences have made before my departure hence that so recovering the spiritual health and strength of my Soul I may dye in thy Grace and favour through Jesus Christ The XC Psalm Verses 1. LOrd thou hast been our refuge from one generation to another Holy men have in all ages of the world applied themselves unto the Lord for succor support and protection in all conditions 2. Before the mountains were brought forth or ever the earth and the world were made thou art God from everlasting and world without end Who being eternal is also immutable in his mercy goodness power and providence over all 3. Thou turnest man to destruction again thou sayst Come again ye children of men Dispensing both health and sickness prosperity and adversity life and death to the sons of men according to his all just all merciful all wise good pleasure 4. For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday seeing that is past as a watch in the night The longest course of mans life in respect of Gods eternal praevision is but as a day that is already past or as one of the night-watches which is both swift and short and also dark and gloomy through frequent cross and adverse occurrents 5. As soon as thou scatterest them they are even asleep and fade away suddenly as the grass As sleep is the image of death so the life of man is but the image or shadow of life for as a shadow it fleeth the pursuer and fadeth as the grass 6. In the morning it is green and groweth up in the evening it is cut down dried up and withered Which the same day beholds both growing and cut down flourishing and withered 7. For we consume away in thy displeasure and are afraid at thy wrathful indignation This frailty of humane life is the punishment of sin which incurs most justly God's indignation and wrath 8. Thou hast set our mis-deeds before thee and our secret sins in the light of thy countenance Whose eyes are ten thousand times brighter than the Sun both seeing and recording the most secret of our sinful waies 9. For when thou art angry all our days are gone we bring our years to an end as it were a tale that is told 'T is through Gods just anger for our sins that our dayes are shortned and our years are spent in vanity and trouble 10. The dayes of our age are threescore years and ten and though men be so strong that they come to fourscore years yet is their strength then but labour and sorrow so soon passeth it away and we are gone The miseries of mans life are not so great through the shortness thereof as that his sorrows and troubles are increased with his daies 11. But who regardeth the power of thy wrath for even thereafter as a man feareth so is thy displeasure Gods displeasure for our sins is either more or less according as we do less or more stand in awe thereof 12. So teach us to number our daies that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom True wisdom is attained by the serious contemplation of the frailty of life and certainty of death 13. Turn thee again O Lord at the last and be gracious unto thy servants Intermixing with our meditations devout Prayers for the propitious grace and favour of God 14. O satisfie us with thy mercy and that soon so shall we rejoyce and be glad all the daies of our life Which alone can satisfie the desires of the immortal soul and throughly rejoyce the same 15. Comfort us again now after the time thou hast plagued us and for the years wherein we have suffered adversity We may reasonably alledge our sufferings though for our sins as motives to implore the consolations of Gods Spirit 16. Shew thy servants thy work and their children thy glory Gods proper work is mercy and 't is his glory to be gracious for the which the righteous do pray both for themselves and their children 17. And the glorious Majesty of the Lord our God be upon us prosper thou the work of our hands upon us prosper thou our handy work God's glorious Majesty appears by the gracious influences of his holy Spirit whereby we work the works of God to his glory and our own eternal happiness Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer ALmighty God the fountain of all Wisdom grant me so wisely to number and compare the short and sorrowful daies of this mortal life with that joyful and never ending day of a blessed eternity that despising the vanities of the one I may zealously aspire to the happiness of the other O satisfie the panting desires of my Soul with the sense of thy mercy in the pardon of my sins and let the glory of thy grace appear in prospering me to perform all those good works of Faith and Obedience which conduce to my eternal Salvation through Jesus Christ THE Second general Meditation Upon JUDGMENT And first the PARTICULAR JUDGMENT IT is appointed unto man once to dye and after that the Judgment Heb. 9.27 no sooner shall this house of flesh wherein the immortal Soul doth now inhabit be shattered in pieces by the hand of death but in the same moment the departing Soul shall be conveyed by the Angels of God before his Judgment-seat and this is call'd The particular Judgment that shall pass upon every person in particular immediately upon his death Eccl. 12.7 when the dust shall return to the earth as it was then shall the Spirit return unto God that gave it 14. To give an account of the works done in the body whether they be good or whether they be evil That grand enemy of man Ille enim tunc saeviens capit quos nunc blandiens decipit Greg. the Devil awaits thy Souls departure hence to dog thee to the great Tribunal of Heaven In this life he fawns to seduce but in the other he will roar to devour as a Lyon over his prey to this end he will vehemently accuse thee aggravating all thy miscarriages through his suggestions committed and claiming thee as one of the subjects of his kingdom of darkness saying to the great Judg of all as several Fathers observe This person thou Judge of the world Euseb Emiss Hom. Aug. orat cont Judaeos Bag. though he be thine by Creation yet he is mine by Depravation He is thine by nature but mine by sin for he has obeyed my suggestions and disobeyed thy laws and therefore though he belong to thee by right yet he is faln to me by default he is thine in respect of his workmanship but mine by the rebellion of
God and the deplorable sorrow of its loss and absence I have called but ye have refused Pro. 1.24 Ezck. 33.11 saith the Lord called saying Turn ye turn ye unto me with all your heart Come unto me all ye that are weary But we vain men slight and neglect Mat. 11.28 Joh. 6.37 44 56. nay too many contemn such gracious invitations they are not affected or delighted with the presence of God or if they come to his house approach his presence there 't is not either with that internal Devotion and external Reverence 't is not with such pure hearts and clean hands as becomes the presence of so great and glorious so holy and pure a Majesty and is it not then most just and equal that all such irreligious irreverent and profane persons be banisht the blissful presence of God for ever But though this be the guise of the multitude to walk every one after the lusts of their own hearts and to follow their own imaginations in the contempt of the Lords admonitions and commands Ps 5.7 yet as for me whilst I have life and liberty I will come into thy house even upon the multitude of thy mercies and in thy fear will I worship towards thy holy Temple My heart hath talked of thee and of this gracious command of thine Ps 27 9. Seek ye my face Thy face Lord will I seek 10. O hide not thou thy face from me under the cloud of my sins and the thick cloud of my transgressions nor cast away thy servant in displeasure but vouchsafe that my approaches to thy divine Majesty may be so frequent and fervent and with such Humility Reverence and Devotion performed that my person and my services may in this life be accepted before thee that I hear not at the last day that dismal doom of the wicked Depart from me ye cursed MEDITAT II. Of the Darkness of Hell TO be banished the presence of God who is the Fountain of Light is to be involved in the terrors or Darkness and therefore after Take him away it follows Mat. 22.13 cast him into outer darkness And so is the place of Hell described ca. 25.30 A land of darkness and of the shadow of death a land of darkness as darkness it self and of the shadow of death Job 10.21 22. without any order and where light is as darkness And this must needs be so because Hell is farthest remote from Heaven the Region of Light being seated as 't is generally believed in the centre of the earth where neither Sun Moon nor Stars display the least ray or glimmering of their Light There is Fire indeed in Hell but such a Fire as burns without shining a Fire without light not unlike whereunto is the fire of blind Zeal Jam. 3.6 the tongue whereof setteth on fire the course of nature and is set on fire of Hell All the light which the sulphureous Fire of Hell affords serves only to discover the ghastly sight of infernal Fiends reviling scourging tormenting the damned without mercy without intermission and there perhaps may the wicked see some of their friends and acquaintance and of their companions in their sins involv'd with them in the same punishment which are sights so dreadful as shall augment their torments This dismal darkness of Hell is call'd The outward darkness respecting the inward darkness of humane Souls and those manifold deeds of darkness which issue from the one and run headlong to the other If then thou hast followed the lusts of thine own darkned heart and obeyed the suggestions of Satan the Prince of darkness if thou hast loved and acted the works of darkness of sinfulness and error more than the sacred acts and influences of Grace and Truth it is most just that thy portion be with blackness of darkness for ever Joh. 3.19 Vouchsafe blessed Lord of light and life vouchsafe to display the sacred beams of thy Celestial light into my darkned Soul dispel and dissipate thence all the black stain and guilt of sin contracted by my dayly backsliding from thee all those clouds of ignorance and error which darken my understanding all those noysome lusts of the world and of the flesh which incessantly infest and infect my Soul that I pass not from these inward to that outward darkness where is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth MEDITAT III. Of the Fire of Hell OF all the torments invented and practised by the malice of men or devils that by Fire is the most fierce and frightful How does it amaze the minds of men when they see it flaming in their houses and consuming their habitations and estates and yet the Fire of Hell is far more dreadful and tormenting as differing from our ordinary fire especially in three respects 1. Our fire feeds only upon gross and corporeal substances but Hell fire feeds upon spirits and damned souls and 't is therefore as much more fierce and piercing than our fire as a spirit is more quick and active than a gross heavy body Be not deceived O my Soul with any fond conceits of vain men that this fire is only metaphorical or phantastical or poetical because 't is prepared for the Devil and his Angels who are spirits and not lyable to visible flames But the word of God which cannot lye and many undeniable reasons by the learned deduced thence do confirm it to be a real yea a material fire Mat. 3.12 ca. 13.42 ca. 25.41 Mar. 9.43 47. Mat. 3 12 Isa 66. ult Isa 30. ult but more spiritual and refined and so more eating piercing and tormenting than the fire which burns upon our hearts 2. Our fire may be quenched nay 't will quench it self when its fuel is wasted but the fire of Hell is unquenchable because First The breath of the everlasting God like a stream of Brimstone doth enkindle it Secondly The fuel that feeds this fire shall never be consumed viz. Immaterial immortal Beings of whom being tormented in these flames 't is affirmed that they shall seek death Rev. 9.6 and shall not find it they shall desire to dye but death shall fly from them Miserable wretches whilst they had time and leisure to seek life they neglected it nay it is too common that when life in Christ is offered unto many in the blessed food of their Souls they slight and contemn it Vt cujus vita mortua fuit in culpa illic mors vivat in poena Greg. and therefore 't is most just as the Father observes that they whose life in this world was no other than a death in sin their death hereafter should be a life in punishment for sin everlastingly But as to the unquenchable fire of Hell Remember O my Soul that there is now a fire within thee the which if it be not quencht in this life will bring thee to fire unquenchable in the other world and this is the rank and fulsome fire of
concupiscence Thy carnal lusts and thy worldly lusts being now followed and fulfilled are the fuel that feeds that dismal fire of the infernal lake and the Worm also that never dieth is bred of the same corruption even in the dunghil lusts of the heart actuated by the hot suggestions of Sathan And as the fire of concupiscence doth now more or less rage in thy heart so as to follow the sway thereof so shall the fire of hell be more or less raging hereafter if these lusts do not dye within thee before the death of nature seize thee Take then the advice of the wise Syracides Eccl. 7.17 Humble thy self greatly for the vengeance of the wicked is fire and worms And of S. Paul Col. 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members that are upon earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousness which is Idolatry For which things sake the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience Blessed Jesus by the merits and mysteries of thy Circumcision I humbly beg the true Circumcision of the spirit and by the virtue of thy Crucifixion strengthen me to crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts lest any of those exorbitant fires being not opportunely quenched involve me in those flames of hell which are unquenchable MEDITAT IV. Of the extent of Hell pains WHen I consider righteous Job on the dunghil Greg mor. the holy Baptist hungring in the wilderness S. James beheaded S. Peter crucified the Torments and deaths of innumerable Martyrs the manifold afflictions of the holy and elect people of God I cannot but consider and know assuredly that very great and many shall be the torments of the wicked in the world to come since God suffereth those whom he dearly loves to be so much afflicted in this life The Pains of Hell in the extent of them do herein differ from all present bodily pains that these are partial only in some particular parts joynts and members of the body whilst other parts are free from pain But in Hell the whole man in all the senses internal and external in all the parts of his body and powers of his soul yea the most spiritual faculties shall be tormented with Fire and Brimstone rage and despite grief and anguish misery and malediction The pains of Hell are a concourse of all kinds of pain and of all at the same time and of all of them for ever The Taste shall be punished with bitterness the Appetite with hunger and the Tongue with thirst the Sight with horror the Hearing with astonishment the Smell with stench the Heart with anguish the Imagination with fear the Reason with madness the Judgment with confusion and in the very Bowels fire unquenchable And this is most just that as the wicked have employed all the powers and parts both of Soul and Body as weapons of unrighteousness unto sin so should their punishment be in all their senses members faculties that as each hath transgrest by sinful pleasure and inordinate delight so each should have its peculiar afflicting torment 'T is undoubtedly true that all persons condemned to the flames of the nether hell are not equally tormented therein for though the fire of hell be one and the same yet it torments not all after the same manner nor in the same degree of torture but every man shall therein more or less feel the smart of its fury as by the nature quality and frequency of his sin he hath less or more deserved the same Gen. 18.25 for shall not the Judge of all the world do right The more high peremptory and presumptuous as also the less obstinate and impenitent sinner shall both suffer under the torment of the same fire but not in the same degree of pain and suffering But alas the lowest degree of suffering in that place of horror is punishment enough if seriously considered to affright the sinner from all the errors of his ways There be many who now think this or that to be severe commands Love your enemies Deny thy self Fast and Watch and Pray Take up thy Cross but surely 't will be much more hard and bitter to hear Tho. Ã Kemp. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire O let not then the severest commands of the Gospel nor the difficulties and labors of Repentance startle and affright thee let not the breach or neglect thereof seem a light and a small thing unto thee but Remember that to endure the pains of Hell but one hour is more exceeding painful and afflicting than a thousand years of the most strict and severe austerities in Fasting and Sackcloth and Ashes Here blessed Lord here in this life let me be punished for my sins but spare O spare me in the life to come and from those intolerable pains of the nether Hell good Lord deliver me through Jesus Christ MEDITAT V. Of the Bonds and Chains of Hell RIghteous art thou O Lord Ps 119.137 and upright are thy Judgments 'T is a justice becoming the just Judge of the world that the licentious and prophane who in this life would not be bound up nor restrained from following and fulfilling their exorbitant lusts but have walked in the counsel of the ungodly and stood in the way of sinners that they who bound up their hands from doing the works of Gods Commandments and bound up their feet from walking in the paths of his most holy Laws that they whose sins are bound upon their Souls and not loosed by true Repentance through Faith in the Blood of Christ 't is just I say that such should incur this sad and dismal sentence Mat. 22.13 Bind him hand and foot To be bound to one place though in silken Cords or chains of Gold though 't were on a bed of Roses or the sweetest perfumes to be so tyed as not to be able to stir hand or foot is a very great punishment to the free active and stirring soul of man How much more then a sorer punishment is it to be bound in fiery chains eating through the flesh into the very bowels nay through all the most hidden and deepest recesses of the Soul and be forced to lye down in a bed of Flames and therein not to be able to stir either hand or foot not to move or change from side to side for the least ease or mitigation of torment He must have a heart of stone or rather of flint the hardest of stones who in remembrance of his sins is not greatly terrified and humbled in the very thought and apprehension of these fiery tormenting chains of Hell Blessed Jesus whose innocent tender hands were rudely seiz'd and bound with cords of injustice and violence vouchsafe to loose all the bonds and chains of my sins wherewith both my hands and feet affections and actions are infettered and infested and grant that the wounds they have made in my soul being washed with my tears may be healed by the soveraign balsome
into Heaven if thou tread them under thy feet For every sin and vanity trodden down Gen. 28.12 subdued and mortified is one step one scale or round of that celestial Ladder which being set upon the earth reacheth up unto Heaven which the Angels of heaven rejoyce to behold Luc. 15.7 And may the right hand of God assist me to lay aside every weight Heb. 12.1 and the sin that doth so easily beset me and to run with patience the race that is set before me Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our Faith 2. who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross and despised the shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God Blessed Lord who hast made me after thine own Image to attain the perfection and felicity of my Being in the beatifical vision and fruition of thy Majesty in heaven vouchsafe here to guide me with thy Counsel and after that to receive me with glory through the merits and mediation of thy blessed Son and my dearest Saviour Jesus Christ Our Father which art in c. The XXIV Psalm PARAPHRASED verse 1 THe earth is the Lords and all that therein is the compass of the world and they that dwell therein The heavens are the Lords chief dwelling place the earth and all the nations thereof he hath given to his Son Jesus as he is Redeemer of the world as Ps 2.8 Desire of me and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession verse 2 For he hath founded it upon the seas and prepared it upon the flouds As God hath so wisely ordered the earth and the water that the one may refresh not overflow the other so he hath founded his Church upon a rock above the flouds of secular cares and turmoils and all the rising waves of this worlds vast sea which is signified by the scituation of his Temple on a hill And verse 3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord or who shall rise up or stand in his holy place who is he that shall be qualified to appear and stand in the presence of God and to joyn with his people in that solemn worship which in his holy Temple is exhibited unto him Such a one is also qualified to ascend and raise up his Soul to those mountains of joy in the celestial Sion verse 4 He that hath clean hands The works of whole hands are clean from all injustice and impurity and washed with the tears of true penitence from the filth of all former pollutions And a pure heart to all outward an inward holiness is required which consists in the purity of the heart viz. to be pure from all sordid and vile affections to be sincere and without hypocrisie in all Religious performances that hath not lift up his mind to vanity who follows not those pomps and vanities of this wicked world which he once so solemnly renounced nor sworn to deceive his neighbour that will not say much less swear an untruth nor yet break his word especially when confirmed with an oath Such is the holiness and innocence that entitles a people to the presence of God in his Temple upon earth and in his House in heaven 1 the holiness of the heart 2. of the hands 3. of the tongue or Holiness in thought word and deed verse 5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord The blessings of the Lord shall descend upon him when he ascends into the hill of the Lord and righteousness or mercy in the pardon of his sins or the reward of righteousness i. e. Salvation not of or from himself or from any but from the God of his Salvation verse 6 This is the generation of them that seek him these are those holy and happy people who so faithfully seek the Lord that they find him viz. in grace here in glory hereafter which is the double blessing of them that seek thy face O Jacob All that be true Israelites indeed thus make their holy and humble addresses to the God of Jacob for his grace and favour verse 7 Lift up your heads O ye gates or lift up your gates O ye Heads or Princes of the heavenly Hierusalem and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors which open the passages to life everlasting and the King of glory shall come in he who hath vanquished and gloriously triumphed over the gates of everlasting death over all the spirits and powers of darkness is ascended to open the gates of the kingdom of heaven to all Believers verse 8 Who is the King of glory in whose glorious conquests we may glory and in whose righteousness we may make our boast it is the Lord strong and mighty who although he submitted himself to be betray'd apprehended arraigned and condemned to death yet is he even the Lord mighty in battle who naked and unarmed hath vanquished by his sufferings and by his death overcome death and him who hath the power of death the Devil for which victory he rides in Triumph upon the clouds of Heaven and therefore verse 9 Lift up your heads O ye gates of the celestial paradise which have been shut against the sons of men from the fall of the first Adam and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors Raise up your selves ye immortal souls open and be enlarged in your desires and affections unto him who hath opened unto you the everlasting doors of glory and the King of glory shall come in He who is ascended will also descend into you if pure and heavenly minded and thither enwrap and raise you whither himself is gone before if yet for your further satisfaction you desire to know verse 10 Who is the King of glory by whose triumphant ascent into Heaven we believe and hope thither to ascend also It is even the Lord of hosts he who hath the command of all the powers of Heaven Earth and Hell who hath the command especially of all the powers and operations vertues and graces of the Holy Spirit of God and dispenseth them accordingly unto all that love and fear his name He is the King of glory he is glorious indeed above all and God over all blessed for ever and therefore to him as is most meet be all glory ascribed Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The LXXXIV Psalm PARAPHRASED verse 1 O How amiable are thy dwellings especially in the high and holy place thou Lord of Hosts even of the numerous troops of Angels and Archangels and of all the powers of Heaven verse 2 My soul hath a desire which is more than ordinary 't is a longing even to a separation from its self to enter into the Courts of the Lord to view those several Mansions of glory and the blissful condition wherein all the Courtiers of the King of Heaven do praise him for ever my heart and my flesh when
subdued to the spirit rejoyce in the living God there 's no joy like the joy of his presence who giveth life and a heart to pant and breath after the joys of life eternal verse 3 The sparrow hath found her a house and the swallow a nest where to lay her young even thy Altars And O that my Soul could mount as doth the Sparrow upon her wings with inflamed affections after the pleasures of thy house and that my flesh might be instrumental to my Soul in bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit to be sacrific'd upon the Altar of Praise and Thanksgiving unto thee O Lord of hosts my King and my God whom alone I desire to adore worship and obey verse 4 Blessed are they here in hope hereafter in fruition who dwell in thy house of Grace below of Glory above They will alwayes be praising thee 'T is our principal errand to the house of God upon earth and shall be our only employment in his house of Heaven always to praise the Lord. But we of thy house and family here below like the young birds near thine Altar are unfledged and empent in the nest of this corruptible body which weigheth down the Soul so that mount to Heavenward we cannot without the divine assistance therefore verse 5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee who derives strength of Grace from thee to praise and glorifie thee and this not only with their mouths but in whose heart are thy ways cordially resolving and uprightly walking in the wayes of thy service and of their own salvation verse 6 Who going through the vale of misery in their pilgrimage through the miseries of this sinful life below use it for a Well even the deep fountain of a broken heart from whence the Pools are filled with water the eyes flow with tears of that godly sorrow which worketh Repentance unto Salvation not to be repented verse 7 They will go from strength to strength from one degree of grace to another adding to Faith Vertue to Vertue Knowledge to Knowledge Temperance to Temperance Patience to Patience Godliness to Godliness Brotherly kindness and to Brotherly kindness Charity 2 Pet. 1.5 Vnto the God of gods appeareth every one of them in Sion each person thus qualified shall appear in the presence of the supreme Majesty of Heaven which being the felicity whereunto I am created and earnestly long for I therefore humbly beg verse 8 O Lord God of hosts hear my prayer thou art the Donor of all those powerful Graces which mount up our Souls to Heaven and the Lord of all those hosts of Heaven amongst whom my Soul longeth to be enroll'd Hearken O God of Jacob assist me in all my wrestlings with my ghostly enemies that I may prevail and obtain thy blessing which is to be call'd Israel Seeing God the felicity of Heaven verse 9 Behold O God our Defender against all the crafts and assaults of the Devil the world and the flesh Look upon the face of thine anointed our blessed Redeemer sitting on thy right hand and interceeding for us and may the sacred beams of his celestial light shine in our hearts and appear in the holiness and righteousness of our lives that going from strength to strength we may appear before the Lord in Sion verse 10 For one day in thy Courts amongst the Quires of Heaven where the day is but one as knowing no morrow day is better than a thousand of the fliting transitory dayes of this mortal life verse 11 I had rather be a door-keeper lye at the threshold submit to the lowest condition in the house of my God the place where his Honor dwelleth who is the God of my worship and joy than to dwell in the tents of ungodliness be conversant amongst the ungodly of this world in the most splendid condition with all the delights of the sons of men for 't is not all the pomp and glory all the pleasures and treasures of this life can give any solid satisfaction to the vast desires of my immortal Soul verse 12 For the Lord is a light and defence a light for direction in the way of peace and a defence for perfection against all whomsoever or whatsoever might disturb the innocence and peace of my Soul He will give grace and worship Grace to serve him truly here and Worship or Glory to crown our services hereafter and no good thing will he withhold from them that lead as godly life who truly love and fear God and wait for his promises in the obedience of his precepts shall enjoy all that is truly good or conducible to their eternal happiness in heaven And therefore verse 13 O Lord God of hosts blessed is the man that putteth his trust in thee not roving in his hopes and desires after the exterior empty transitory consolations of the creature but among the sundry and manifold changes of the world hath his heart surely fixed there where true joyes are to be found which is alone in the presence of the God of Heaven where all do rejoyce together and sing for ever Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. AS an Earnest of this everlasting joy and felicity One thing have I desired of the Lord which I will require Ps 27.4 even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the fair beauty of the Lord and to visit his Temple A MEDITATION Upon the VOW in BAPTISM Out of S. Chrysostome de Martyribus SERM. II. REmember the Covenant Attend the Condition Acknowledge the Warfare The Covenant thou hast made with God the Condition whereby thou wast received into this Covenant the Warfare unto which thou art hereby engaged The Covenant is to be a member of Christ a child of God and an heir of Heaven or the Covenant of Grace and Salvation the Condition is to renounce the Devil and all his works the pomps the Warfare thou hast undertaken is manfully to fight under the banner of Christ against these ghostly enemies to this end thy Christian name is enroll'd amongst the musters of the Church Militant wherein thou hast promised to continue Christs faithful servant and souldier unto thy lifes end Thou art too delicate a Christian to dream of a Victory without fighting for it of a Conquest without exercise of armes of a Triumph without tryal of strength Phil. 3.14 The price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus is not to be obtained but by contest with and mastery over all our ghostly adversaries Rev. 2.7 17 26. ch 3.5 To him that overcometh only is the promise made Rowse up then thy self thou secure and slothful Christian stir up the Grace of God within thee and which was communicated unto thee when first by holy Baptism thou wast enlisted a Christian soldier under the Captain of our Salvation draw not back thy foot from the combate but take courage and