or indeed the least sorrow Matth. 27.27 Then the souldiers of the Governours took Jesus into the Common-hall and gathered about him the whole band Ver. 28. And they stripped him and put upon him a scarlet robe Ver. 29. And platted a Crown of thorns and put it upon his head and a reed in his right-hand and bowed the knees before him and mocked him saying God save the King of the Jews Ver. 30. And spit upon him and took a reed and smote him on the head Ver. 31. Thus when they had mocked him they took the robe from him and put his own raiment on him and led him away to crucifie him Ver. 33. And when they were come unto the place called Golgotha that is to say the place of dead mens sculls Ver. 34. They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall and when he had tasted thereof he would not drink Ver. 35. And when they had crucified him they parted his garments and did cast lots that it might be fullfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Psal 22.18 They divided my garments amongst them and upon my vesture did cast lots Ver. 36. And they sate and watched him there Ver. 37. They set up also over his head his cause written This is Jesus the King of the Jews Ver. 38. And there were two thieves crucified with him one on the right hand and the other on the left Ver. 39. And they that passed by reviled him wagging their heads and Ver. 40. Saying Thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three dayes save thy self if thou be the Sonne of God come down from the crosse Ver. 41. Likewise also the High-Prists mocking him with the Scribes and Pharisees and Elders said Ver. 42. He saved others but he cannot save himself if he be the King of Israell let him now come down from the crosse and we will beleeve him Ver. 43. He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him for he said I am the Sonne of God Ver. 44. That same also the thieves that were crucified with him cast in his teeth Ver. 45. Now from the sixth hour was there darkness over all the land untill the ninth hour Ver. 46. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying Ely Ely lamasabachthani that is My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Ver. 47. And some of them that stood there when they heard it said This man calleth Elias Ver. 48. And straight way one of them ranne and took a spunge and filled it with vinegar and put it on a reed and gave him to drink Ver. 49. Others said Let be let us see if Elias will come and save him Ver. 50. Then Jesus cried with a loud voice again and yeelded up the ghost Now then let us be glad and rejoyce to goe to him our Saviour our joy our peace what way soever he is pleased to call us through the most bitter torments of minde or body by weaknesses sicknesses and imperfections and let us be most assured that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 2 Tim. 2.3 Let us therefore suffer afflictions as good souldiers of Jesus Christ For it is a true saying If we be dead with him we shall also live with him if we suffer with him we shall also raign with him if we deny him he also will deny us Yea 2 Tim. 3.12 All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecutions Here have we no continuing City but we seek one to come Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to him in well doing as unto a faithfull Creatour knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in our brethren which are in the world As many as our Saviour loveth he rebuketh and chasteneth Be zealous therefore in the truth and amend and rejoice alwayes that the will of God in Christ Jesus thy Saviour is therein done which is the best for thee Amen X. A fift Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our going from sorrow to joy Isa 17.1 The righteous perisheth and no man considereth it in heart and mercifull men are taken away and no man understandeth that the righteous is taken away from the evill to come 2 King 22.19 20. But because thy heart did melt and thou hast humbled thy self before the Lord when thou heardest what I spake against this place and against the inhabitants of the same to wit that it should be destroyed and accursed and hast rent thy clothes and wept before me I have also heard it saith the Lord behold therefore I will gather thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be put into thy grave in peace and thy eyes shall not see all the evill which I will bring upon this place this was the great love of God to King Josiah See 2 Chron. 34.28 Luk. 16.22 Lazarus by a blessed dissolution is eased of all his pains sores diseases fears and troubles is called for out of the prison of the body and presently by the happy messenger of death is made fit and carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome where all the elect are in joyes incomprehensible freed from sinne and sorrow forever Amen XI A sixth Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our being gathered to our nearest alliance our kindred and our parents 2 King 22.19 20. Josiah was gathered to his fathers in great abundant mercy as I mentioned before See the most sweet and gracious call of the eternall mercy to Moses Deut 32.48 49 50. which I lately mentioned And the Lord spake to Moses the self same day saying Goe up into the mountain of Abarim unto the mount Nebo which is in the land of Moab over against Jericho and behold the land of Canaan which I give to the children of Israell for a possession and die in the mount which thou goest up unto and thou shalt be gathered unto thy people as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor and was gathered to his people Gen. 25.8 The Abraham yeelded up the spirit and died in a good age an old man and of great years and was gathered to his people Numb 20.26 Almighty God commanded Moses to take Aaron and Eleazer his sonne and to bring them up into the mount Hor and to cause Aaron to put off his garments and to put them upon Eleazer his sonne saying Aaron shall be gathered to his fathers and shall die there Numb 30.1 2. Almighty God doth bid Moses avenge the children of Israel of the Mideanites and in token of acceptance and reward faith afterwards thou shalt be gathered to thy people Gen. 15.17 And Ishmaell yeelded up the spirit and died and was gathered to his people Chap. 35. ver 29. And Isaak gave up the ghost and died and
counsell thou shalt make thy warre and in multitude of Counsellors there is safety Deut. 4.39 Know therefore this day and consider it in thy heart that the Lord he is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath there is none else And 32.29 O that that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter ends Prov. 22.3 A prudent man foreseeth the evill and hideth himself but the simple passe on and are punished Acts 2.25 I foresaw the Lord alwayes before my face Job 37.14 Hearken unto this and consider the wondrous works of God Psal 8.3 4. When I considered the heavens the works of thy hands the Moon and Starres which thou hast ordained What is man that thou art mindfull of him and the sonne of man that thou visitest him Hag. 1.7 Thus saith the Lord Consider your wayes And 2.15 And now I pray you consider from this day upward from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the Temple of the Lord. 2 Tim. 2.7 Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things Eph. 4.26 Be angry but sinne not let not the Sunne goe down upon your wrath Psal 37.8 Cease from anger and for sake wrath fret not thy self in any wise to doe evill Prov. 19.11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger and it is his glory to passe over a transgression Eccl. 7.9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry for anger resteth in the bosome of fools Col. 3.8 Put off all these anger wrath malice Ver. 10. Put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him 1 Chron. 28.7 I will establish his kingdome for ever if he be constant to doe my Commandements Col. 3.2 Set your affections on things above and not on things below Eph. 6.10 Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Ver. 11. Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devill Ver. 12. For we wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against Principalities against Powers against the Rulers of the darknesse of this world against spirituall wickednesse in high places Psal 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word Ver. 71. It is good for me that I was afflicted that I might learne thy statutes Job 5.17 Happy is the man whom God correcteth therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty Prov. 3.12 For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth even as a father the sonne in whom he delighteth Lam. 3.39 40 41. Wherefore doth a living man complaine a man for the punishment of his sinnes Let us search and try our wayes and turn again unto the Lord. Let us lift up our hearts with our hands unto God in the heavens Psal 141.3 Set a watch O Lord before my mouth keep the door of my lips Prov. 10.19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sinne but he that refraineth his lips is wise Eccl. 5.3 A fools voice is known by the multitude of words Prov. 6.16 These six things doth the Lord hate Ver. 17. A proud look a lying tongue c. Psal 31.6 I have hated them that regard lying vanities Ver. 18. Let the lying lips be put to silence Prov. 13.5 A righteous man hateth lying 1 Tim. 4.7 Refuse profane and oldwives fables and exercise thy self rather unto godlinesse Psal 26.4 I have not sate with vain persons neither will I goe in with dissemblers Psal 119.113 I hate vain thoughts but thy Law doe I love Eph. 5.4 Neither filthinesse nor foolish talking nor jesting which are not convenient but rather giving of thanks Matth. 1â— 16 Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves be ye therefore wise as serpents but innocent as doves Eph. 4.29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers 1 Co. 9.18 What is my reward then verily that when I preach the Gospel I may make the Gospel of Christ without charge that I abuse not my power in the Gospel Prov. 16.32 He that is slow to anger is better then the mighty and he that ruleth his spirit then he that taketh a City Isa 3.25 Thy men shall fall by the sword and thy mighty in warre Prov. 30.8 Remove farre from me vanity and lies give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with food convenient for me least I be full and deny thee and say who is the Lord or least I be poor and steale and take the name of my God in vain 2 Cor. 10.3 For though we walk in the flesh we doe not warre after the flesh Ver. 4. for the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds Ver. 5. Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Eccl. 10.10 Wisdome is profitable to direct And 7.19 Wisdome strengtheneth the wise more then ten mighty men that are in the City Psal 138.3 In that day when I cried thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul Psal 119.33 Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end Ver. 34. Give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart Ver. 38. Stablish thy word unto thy servant who is devoted unto thy feare Now thou hast by Gods gracious assistance obtained a good plantation and planted it there must be a time of weeding nourishing and preserving it that so we may know the best way to improve our Talent in our heavenly Masters service In this time which is the seventh Age of a man is required fortitude gravity and sobriety a stayednesse and serious consideration of all our undertakings a wise take-heed and foresight into the event of a businesse Past and present things every man declares but solid wisdome only shewes the event of things to come which although it sometimes faile because the eternall God hath so decreed that man should not know what should be after him yet to us it is the Candle of the Lord and being rightly used it is a glimmering of the heavenly light and excelleth folly and unadvisednesse as light excelleth darknesse To what purpose doth he plant that doth not well preserve but suffers savage Bores to root and spoyl and who so vain as he that builds a house and doth not well repair and keep the same The very microcosme of our body teacheth us to have a fore sight into our affairs and dealings for we have two Ears to receive direction by and two Eyes to look before us whereas of other members we have but one where the use is more single I advise thee to determine of nothing in a passion if anger
of our Fathers for we have sinned against thee 1 Cor. 2.11 For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man which is in him 1 Sam. 7.3 And Samuel spake to all the house of Israel saying If you doe return unto the Lord with all your hearts then put away the strange god Ashteroth from among you and prepare your hearts to the Lord and serve him only 1 Cor. 28.7 I will establish his Kingdom if he be constant to doe my Commandements and my judgments as at this day Prov. 4.5 Get wisdom get understanding forget not neither decline from the words of my mouth Ver. 6. Forsake her not and she will preserve thee love her and she will keep thee Ver. 26. Ponder the pathes of thy feet and let all thy wayes be established Eccl. 5.13 There is a sore evill which I have seen under the Sunne namely riches kept by the owners thereof to their hurt And Chap. 8. Ver. 9. There is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt 1 Tim. 6.9 They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition 1 Joh. 2.16 For all that is in the world the the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but of the world Ver. 17. And the world passeth away and the lusts thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever Isa 1.3 The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters cribbe but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Job 16.3 Shall vain words have an end Josh 1.8 This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to doe according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good success Jer. 6.16 Thus saith the Lord Stand in the wayes and see and ask for the old pathes where is the good way and walk therein and you shall finde rest for your souls Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our wayes and turn again unto the Lord. 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith prove your own selves know you not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates Mich. 7.19 He will turn again he will have mercy upon us he will subdue our iniquities and cast all our sinnes into the depth of the sea 2 Cor. 10.4 5. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing thot exalteth it self against the knowledge of God Matth. 7.7 Aske and it shall be given you seek and ye shall finde knock and it shall be opened unto you And 18. Ver. 14. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little childe the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven James 4.10 Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up Job 22.9 When men are cast down then thou shalt say there is lifting up and he shall save the humble person Deut. 30.15 19 20. See I have set before thee this day life and good death and evill I call Heaven and earth to record this day against you that I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed may live that thou maist love the Lord thy God and that thou maist obey his voice and that thou maist cleave unto him for he is thy life Matth. 17.27 Notwithstanding least we should offend them goe thou to the sea and cast in a hook and take up the fish that first cometh up and when thou hast opened his mouth thou shalt finde a piece of money that take and give unto them for me and thee Phil. 1.27 Only let your conversation be is becomes the Gospell of Jesus Christ Amos 4.12 Prepare to meet thy God O Israell Psal 40.1 I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined unto me and heard my cry Psal 106.13 They soon forgot his works they waited not for his counsell Isa 25.9 Loe this is our God we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation Sam. 2.15.26 Behold here I am let him doe unto me what seemeth good unto him Psal 89.30 If his children forsake my Law and walke not in my judgements Ver. 31. If they breake my Statutes and keepe not my commandements Ver. 32. Then will I visit their transgressions with a rod and their iniquities with stripes Psal 74.19 O deliver not the soul of thy Turkle Dove unto the multitude of the wicked Exod. 23.2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to doe evill Numb 11.4 And the mixed multitude fell a lusting Prov. 24.1 My sonne feare thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change Ver. 22. For their calamity shall rise suddenly and who knowes the ruine of them both Gen. 2.18 It is not good for man to be alone Matt. 4.4 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wildernesse to be tempted of the Devill Joh. 6.14 And Jesus departed into a Mountaine himselfe alone And c. 8. v. 16. I am not alone but I and the Father that sent me And c. 16. v. 32. Ye shall leave me alone and yet I am not alone because the Father is with me Phil. 4.11 I have learned in what estate soever I am in therewith to be content Eccl. 6.9 Better is the sight of the eyes then the wandring of the desire 1 Tim. 6.9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition Eccl. 7.3 Sorrow is better then laughter for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better 1 Tim. 1.8 The Law is good if a man use it lawfully Prov. 15.2 The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright but the mouth of the foolish poureth out foolishnesse Psal 50.23 To him that ordereth his coversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Psal 15.5 He that doth these things shall never be moved And 16.8 I have set the Lord alwaies before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved Psal 101.2 I will behave my selfe wisely in a perfect way And 119.98 Thou through thy Commandements hast made me wiser then my enimies Prov. 10.19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sinne but he that refraineth his lips is wise And 26.12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a foole then of him And 10.14 Wise men lay up knowledge but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction Psal 11 â—5 A good man sheweth favour and lendeth he will guide his affairs with