Prayers and Meditations before receiving the Lords Supper p. 36 A Prayer for the Grace of Repentance with a Confession of sins p. 47 A particular Meditation before receiving the holy Communion p. 51 A Prayer when thou art upon going to the Lords Table p. 59 An Ejaculation immediately before the receiving p. 60 Admonitions after receiving the holy Communion p. 61 A Prayer after you have received p. 63 In time of Persecution and Heresie p. 66 In Troubles occasioned by our Enemies p. 68 MAN in DARKNESSE or a Discourse of Death p. 71 A Prayer in time of sicknesse p. 127 A Prayer in the hour of Death p. 130 MAN in GLORY or a Discourse of the blessed estate of the Saints in Heaven p. 133 FINIS ADMONITIONS FOR Morning-Prayer THe night saith Chrysostome was not therefore made that either we should sleep it out or passe it away idly and Chiefly because we see many worldly persons to watch out whole nights for the Commodities of this life In the Primitive Church also the Saints of God used to rise at midnight to praise the Rock of their salvation with Hymns and Spiritual Songs In the same manner shouldst thou do now and Contemplate the Order of the Stars and how they all in their several stations praise their Creator When all the world is asleep thou shouldst watch weep and pray and propose unto thy self that Practise of the Psalmist I am weary of my groaning every night wash I my bed and water my Couch with my tears for as the Dew which falls by night is most fructifying and tempers the heat of the Sun so the tears we shed in the night make the soul fruitful quench all Concupiscence and supple the hardnesse we got in the day Christ himself in the day-time taught and preach'd but continued all night in prayer sometimes in a Mountain apart sometimes amongst the wild beasts and sometimes in solitary places They whose Age or Infirmity will not give them way to do thus should use all Convenient means to be up before the Sun-rising for we must prevent the Sunne to give God thanks and at the day-spring pray unto him Wisd. 16. It was in the morning that the Children of Israel gathered the Manna and of the Just man it is said That He will give his heart to resort early to the Lord that made him and will pray before the most high Eccl. 39. So soon therefore as thou dost awake shut thy door against all prophane and worldly thoughts and before all things let thy God be first admitted offer unto him thy first fruits for that day and commune with him after this manner When thou dost awake O God the Father who saidst in the beginning Let there be light and it was so Inlighten my Eyes that I never sleepe in death lest at any time my Enemy should say I have prevailed against him O God the Sonne light of light the most true and perfect light from whom this light of the Sun and the day had their beginning thou that art the light shining in darknesse Inlightning every one that cometh into this world expell from me all Clouds of Ignorance and give me true understanding that in thee and by thee I may know the Father whom to know is to live and to serve is to reigne O God the Holy Ghost the fire that inlightens and warms our hearts shed into me thy most sacred light that I may know the true Joyes of Heaven and see to escape the illusions of this world Ray thy selfe into my soul that I may see what an Exceeding weight of glory my Enemy would bereave me of for the meer shadowes and painting of this world Grant that I may know those things which belong unto thee and nothing else Inflame me with thy divine love that with a true Christian Contempt I may tread upon all transitory Pleasures and seek only those things which are eternal Most blessed Trinity and one eternal God! as thou hast this day awaked me from this bodily sleep so awake my soule from the sleep of sin and as thou hast given me strength after sleep now again to watch so after death give me life for what is death to me is but sleep with thee to whom be ascribed all glory wisdome majesty dominion and praise now and for Ever Amen When thou dost arise ARise O my soul that sleepest arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Arise O daughter of Sion O my soul redeemed with the blood of Christ sit no more in the dust of thy sins but arise and rest in that peace which is purchas'd by thy Saviours merits Christ Iesus my most merciful and dear Redeemer as it is thy meer goodness that lifts up this mortal and burthensome body so let thy grace lift up my soul to the true knowledge and love of thee grant also that my body may this day be a helper and servant to my soul in all good works that both body and soul may be partakers of those Endlesse Joyes where thou livest and reignest with the Faher and the Holy Ghost one true God world without End Amen As soone as thou art drest before thou comest forth from thy Chamber kneel down in some convenient place and in this or the like Prayer commend thy self for that day unto thy Creator's Protection ALmighty eternal God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ I blesse and praise thy holy name and with my whole heart give thee all possible thanks that out of thine infinite goodness thou wert pleased to watch over me this night to resist my adversary and to keep me from all perils of body and soul O thou that never slumbrest nor sleepest how careful hast thou been of me how hast thou protected me and with thy holy angels thy ministring spirits sent forth to minister for the heirs of salvation incompast me about yea with what unmeasurable love hast thou restored unto me the light of the day and rais'd me from sleep and the shadow of death to look up to thy holy hill Justly mighst thou O God have shut the gates of death upon me and laid me for ever under the barres of the Earth but thou hast redeemed me from Corruption and with thy Everlasting armes enlarged my time of Repentance And now O Father of mercies and God of all Consolation hear the voyce of thy Supplicant and let my cry be heard in thy highest heavens As I do sincerely love thee and beg for thy Protection so receive thou me under the shadow of thy wings watch over me with the Eyes of thy mercy direct me in the wayes of thy Law and enrich me with the gifts of thy Spirit that I may passe through this day to the glory of thy great name the good of others and the comfort of my own soul. Keep me O my God from the great offence quench in me all vain Imaginations and sensual desires sanctifie and supple my heart with the dew of thy
unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himselfe even unto Iesus Christ the Prince of the Kings of the earth and the first begotten of the dead be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen A Prayer when thou findest thy self sickly or when thou art visited with any Disease MOst merciful and wise God who bringest light out of darknesse and true comforts out of the greatest afflictions I do in all humility and with all my soule resigne my selfe unto thy divine pleasure and give thee most hearty and unfeined thanks for this thy present visitation an infallible argument of thy fatherly love and that tender care which thou hast of my salvation Thou gavest me health and I took no notice of thy gift and but very little of the Giver Thou gavest me dayes of gladnesse and I numberd them not Wherefore with most true sorrow for my unthankfulnesse and with all the sad Resentments of a most penitent heare I do acknowledge thy justice adore thy providence and beg thy mercy O righteous Father Though I have gone astray do not thou cast me off though I am no more worthy to be called thy son yet have thou a minde to the work of thine own hands Confirme my faith sanctifie my affections give me a lively and enduring hope with an unwearied patience And strengthen me in all my Agonies with the celestial assistance and inexpressible refreshments of thy overcoming spirit Thou that didst give to thy blessed and faithful Martyrs such a glorious measure of thy Almighty spirit as encouraged them for thy sake to be sawed asunder to be burnt stoned and beheaded give unto me now such a gracious portion of the same Comforter as may leade me through death unto life Or if thou wilt in mercy restore me again and enlarge my time give me I beseech thee a thankful heart holy resolutions and a stedfast spirit to performe them And for Iesus Christ his sake never suffer me to forget thy tender and fatherly compassion or to fall again into my old sins and heap up for my self thy eternal anger and most just indignation For what end soever thou hast sent this present sicknesse whether for my dissolution or for a temporal correction of my sinful life grant I beseech thee that both may be for thy glory and the salvation of my poore soule purchased with the precious blood of thine only Sonne and my dear Redeemer to whom with thee and the holy Ghost be ascribed by Angels and men all wisdome dominion and majesty for ever and ever Amen! A Prayer in the hour of Death O My most blessed and glorious Creatour that hast fed me all my life long and redeemed me from all evil seeing it is thy merciful pleasure to take me out of this fraile body and to wipe away all teares from mine eyes and all sorrowes from my heart I do with all humility and willingnesse consent and submit my self wholly unto thy sacred will I desire to be dissolved and to be with my Saviour I blesse and praise thy holy name for all thy great mercies conferred upon me from the first day of my life unto this present hour I give thee all possible thanks for this gracious kind visitation in which thou art mercifully pleased to order this last act of thy poor creature to thy glory and the fruition of those heavenly comforts which have already swallowed up my whole spirit O let all that come after me speak of thy wondrous mercies and the generations which are yet unborn give praise unto thy name Lord Iesus Christ my most loving Redeemer into thy saving and everlasting Armes I commend my spirit I am ready my dear Lord and earnestly expect and long for thy good pleasure Come quickly and receive the soul of thy servant which trusteth in thee Blessing and honour and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb and to the holy Ghost for ever and ever Amen Glory be to God on high and on earth peace good will towards men Blessed be God alone Thrice blessed three in one MAN IN Glory OR A Discourse of the blessed state of the Saints in the New JERUSALEM Written in Latin by the most Reverend and holy Father ANSELMUS Archbishop of Canterbury and now done into English Printed Anno Dom. 1652. To the Reader Reader ANSELMUS Archbishop of Canterbury lived here in Britaine in the reigne of Rufus and striving to keep entire the Immunities of the Church which the spirit of Covetousnesse and Sacriledge did then begin to encroach upon he was twice banished first by William the second called Rufus or red-hair'd and after by Henry the first his youngest brother and successor Men of fierce and unmanagable spirits they were and by so much the fitter for the throne The first was such an infamous lover of money that the Neophyte-Iews were at a constant fee with him for renouncing Christianity and the later like a true son of Ottoman caused his eldest brothers eyes to be pull'd out who was then his prisoner in the Castle of Cardiffe To avoid the fury of Rufus who had thus banished him our Author here retired into France and shelter'd himself in the Abbey of Clunie where by way of discourse with that reverend family he shed forth this Dissertation which at the same time it proceeded from him was exactly taken and put into writing by Eadinerus a Canon regular of the Church of Canterbury and his Amanuensis in his banishment Some brokages and disorderly parcels of it are to be found in his book De similitud but the entire and genuine discourse was first made publick at Paris 1639. where it took so well that it was presently translated into French This much I thought fit to acquaint thee with and so I shall leave thee to thy owne affaires which I wish to be such as may bring thee to the fruition of those joyes which are showne thee here through a glasse darkly and but in part untill that which is perfect shall come and this which is in part shall be done away Thy Friend HEN. VAUGHAN Here holy Anselme lives in ev'ry page And sits Arch-bishop still to vex the age Had he foreseen and who knows but he did This fatal wrack which deep in time lay hid Had never like Elias driv'n him hence A sad retirer for a slight offence 'T is but just to believe that little hand Which clouded him but now benights our land For were he now like the returning year Restor'd to view these desolations here He would do penance for his old complaint And weeping say That Rufus was a Saint Revel Chap. 7. 1. ANd after this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the Lamb clothed with white robes and palms in their hands 2. And cried
divine Spirit refresh it with the streams of thy grace that I may bring forth fruit in due season and not cumber the ground nor be cut off in thy anger And to this end I do here resigne my body and my soul with all the faculties thou hast bestowed upon both into thy Almighty hands Guide thou them in the works of thy Law turne my eyes from all transitory objects to the things which are eternal and from the Cares and Pride of this world to the fowles of the aire and the Lillies of the field And now O my God seeing I am but Dust and Ashes and my Righteousnesse a filthy Rag having no deserts in my self but what should draw Everlasting vengeance and the Vials of thy bitter wrath upon my body and soul behold I have brought with me thy first-born and onely begotten the propitiation for my sins the Incense I offer up with my prayers Rev. 8.3 my Redeemer and Mediatour in whom thou art well-pleased hear thou him O look not upon my Leprosie but on his beauty and perfection and for the righteousnesse of thy Son forgive the sins of thy Servant Grant this for his sake to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all glory and majesty Dominion and power now and for ever Amen Admonitions when we prepare for any farre Iourney WHen thou art to go from home remember that thou art to come forth into the World and to Converse with an Enemy And what else is the World but a Wildernesse A darksome intricate wood full of Ambushes and dangers A Forrest where spiritual hunters principalities and powers spread their nets and compasse it about wouldst thou then escape these ghostly snares this wickednes in high places and return home if not better and holier yet not worse then at thy setting out Wouldst thou with Iacob passe over these Waters with thy staffe onely and in thy return become two bands Gen. 32.10 Why then do as he did begin thy Journey with prayer and say If God will be with me and keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eate and raiment to put on so that I come again to my fathers house in peace then shall the Lord be my God Gen. 28.20 21. This was his practise and the practise of his fathers The Lord God of heaven saith Abraham who took me from my fathers house and from the land of my kindred c. he shall send his Angel before thee Nor must thou pray only at thy setting forth but all the way and at all times Thus Eliezer prayed at the Well Isaac in the field and Elias in his journey to Mount Horeb under a Iuniper tree in the Wildernesse This also if thou wilt imitate these holy men thou may'st do and for that pious purpose thou hast here these following Prayers When we go from home ALmighty and everlasting God who art the Way the Life and the Truth look down from heaven and behold me now betwixt the Assaults of the Devil the allurements of the World and my own inclinations I cannot look abroad but these flock about me But O thou that leadest Ioseph like a sheep thou most faithful and Almighty guide lend me thy hand open mine Eyes direct my steps and cause me to walk in thy fear Thou that didst go out with Iacob from Beershe-ba unto Padan-aran guiding him in the waste plaines and watching over him on his Pillow of stones be not now farre from me Leade me O Lord in thy righteousnesse make my paths straight and strengthen my goings that having finished my Course here I may sit down in thy Kingdome an Inheritance undefiled purchased for me with the blood of my Saviour and thy beloved Son Iesus Christ Amen II. O Thou that art every where Thou that sittest upon the Circle of the Earth and all the Inhabitants thereof are as Grashoppers before thee Whose Eyes discover the deep things of the night before whom Hell is naked and all the Devices of my spirituall Enemies Thou that didst leade Abraham thy chosen from Vr of the Chaldees into a land flowing with milk and honey favour I beseech thee the present harmlesse Enterprise and innocent purpose of thy servant be unto me in my Journey a Comfort in the heate a shadow in stormes a shelter and in adversity my protection That having finished my intended course I may return in peace full of thy praises who art near to all those that call upon thee Grant this for Christ Iesus his sake Amen Meditate in the way upon the sojournings and travels of the Patriarchs and Prophets the many weary journeys of Iesus Christ in the flesh the travels of his Apostles by sea and land with the pilgrimage and peregrinations of many other precious Saints that wandred in Deserts and Mountains of whom the world was not worthy Admonitions how to carry thy self in the Church HOlinesse saith the Royall Prophet becometh thy house for ever When thou art going thither then carry not the world with thee Let vain or busie thoughts have there no part Bring not thy Plough thy Plots thy Pleasures thither Christ purg'd his Temple so must thou thy heart All worldly thoughts are but Theeves met together To Cousin thee Look to thy actions well For Churches are either our Heav'n or Hell These reverend and sacred buildings however now vilified and shut up have ever been and amongst true Christians still are the solemne and publike places of meeting for Divine Worship There the flocks feed at noon-day there the great Shepherd and Bishop of their souls is in the midst of them and where he is that Ground is holy Put off thy shoes then thy worldly and carnall affections and when thou beginnest to enter in say with Iacob How dreadful is this place sure this is none other then the house of God and this is the gate of heaven Such reverence and religious affection hath in all ages been shew'd towards these places that the holy men of God detain'd either by Captivity or other necessary occasions when they could not remedy the distance yet to testifie their desire and longing for the Courts of the Lord Psal. 84. they would always worship towards them Thus Daniel upon the Idolatrous Decree signed by Darius goes into his house and his windows being open in his Chamber towards Ierusalem he kneeled upon his knees and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did afore-time Dan. 6.10 which fully proves it to have been his Constant manner of Devotion And of Iudith we read that about the time that the Incense of that Evening was offered up in Hierusalem she cried unto the Lord Iud. 9.1 But above all most pathetical and earnest is that crie of King David in the 85. Psalm How amiable are thy Tabernables O Lord of Hosts My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God Yea the Sparrow hath found an house and
the Swallow a nest for her selfe where she may lay her young even thine Altars O Lord of Hosts my God and my King Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praising thee For one day in thy Courts is better than a thousand I had rather be a doore-keeper in the House of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickednesse Let it be thy Care then when thou art there present to carry thy self like a true worshipper Give none offence neither outwardly to thy Brethren nor the Angels 1 Cor. 11.10 Nor inwardly to thy God whose Eyes shine within thee and discern thy reins and thy heart Look seriously about thee and Consider with thy self how many beauteous wittie and hopeful personages in their time lie now under thy feet thou canst not tell but thy turn may be next Humble thy self in this dust and all vain Imaginations will flie from thee Consider that thou art now in the Cave of Macpelah in a sacred Repositorie where the Bodies of Saints are asleep expecting that hour when those that are in the grave shall hear his voyce Do not then stop thy eares against the Charmer but give diligent attention and hear him while it is yet to day that in the day of thy death thou mayst rest there in the same hope When thy vessel is fill'd with this Manna and thy soul satisfied go not off without Thanksgiving Be not like those nine Leapers who never returned to give glory to God but come back with the thankfull Samaritane and receive another blessing Go in peace Saint Luke in the Acts of the Apostles making mention of the Ethiopian Eunuch who came up to Ierusalem for to worship tells us that in his returne he was reading in Isaiah the Prophet This blessed Convert I would have thee to imitate When thou hast fill'd thy Hin with this living water leave it not behinde thee at the Fountain spill not thy Milk and thy Wine because thou hast it without money and without price but carry it home and use it Thou mayest have need of it in six dayes and perhaps shalt not come to draw again untill thou drinkest it anew with thy Saviour in his Fathers Kingdom A Prayer before thou goest to Church LOrd Iesus Christ who out of thy Fathers bosome wert sent into this world to reveal his will unto sinners and to instruct them in the way of salvation behold I am now going to hear thy blessed word and these many yeers have so done expecting still thy good pleasure and the Consummation of thy sacred will in me I have come unto the bread of life and yet am hungry into the light and yet am blind unto the great Physician and yet my Issue runs The former and the later rain of thy heavenly Doctrine falls still without intermission upon my heart but this bad ground yeelds nothing but Thornes and Briers Many dayes many moneths and many yeers hast thou expected fruit and found nothing but leaves It is thy Infinite mercy O Lord that thou hast left unto us the seed of thy word and sendest into thy harvest such upright and faithful labourers but in vain O Lord shall they cry in our Ears unlesse thou openest and renewest our hearts Open then I beseech thee O blessed Jesu the eares of my heart that not onely the outward hearing but the inward also may be stirr'd up in me and what I hear with the eare I may understand with the spirit O thou most mild and merciful Lamb of God! the onely and the Almighty sower grant I beseech thee that the seed which falls this day upon my heart may never be choak'd with the Cares of this world nor be devoured by the fowles of the aire nor wither away in these times of persecution and triall but so Cherish it with the Dew of thy divine spirit that as in a good and faithful ground it may bring forth fruit unto eternal life to the glory of thy great name and the Comfort of my poor soul which thou hast bought with thy most precious and saving blood Amen Another when thou art come home or in the way if thou beest alone LOrd Iesus Christ my ever mercifull and most loving Redeemer I give unto thee most hearty thanks for this thy heavenly spiritual provision wherewith thou hast fed and refreshed my soul. Grant I beseech thee that this Celestial seed may take root in me and be effectual to my salvation Watch over my heart O Lord and hedge it in with thy grace that the fowles which descend in the shadows of the Evening may not pick it out But so prepare and fit me for thy love that I may never forget thy gracious words thy blessed and saving advice but may know in this my day what belongs unto my peace It is thy promise by thy holy Prophet That as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater So thy word that goeth forth out of thy mouth shall not return unto thee void but shall accomplish that which thou pleasest and prosper in the thing whereto thou sendest it Isai. 55. 10 11. Even so Lord Iesus let it be as thou hast promised Let the words I have heard this day out of the mouth of thy servant the Dispenser and Steward of thy Mysteries prosper in me and make my life answerable to his Doctrine that I may not onely know what thy blessed will is but performe also and fulfill it so that at last by thy mediation and mercies I may attain to thy eternal and most glorious Kingdom Amen Admonitions for Evening-Prayer REmember that in the Levitical Law there is a frequent Commemoration and Charge given of the two daily Sacrifices the one to be offer'd up in the morning and the other in the Evening Exod. 30.7 8. These offerings by Incense our holie harmlesse and undefiled High-Priest hath taken away and instead of them every devout Christian is at the appointed times to offer up a Spiritual Sacrifice namely that of Prayer for God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth John 4.24 At these prescribed times if thou wilt have thy Prayers to ascend up before God thou must with-draw from all outward occupations to prepare for the inward and divine To which end thou hast here this following Meditation that thou maiest therewith season and invite thy soul from thy worldlie imployments to her proper vocation and so come not altogether undrest into the presence of the King of glory A Meditation at the setting of the Sun or the Souls Elevation to the true light THe path of the Just O my God is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto a perfect day of eternity Prov. 4. But the wicked neither know nor understand they walk in darknesse
and from the inward darknesse of their minds passe at last into the outward eternal darknesse O most miserable and undone soul to whom thy Sunne is set that everlasting glorious Sun which in thy holy Elects never setteth but is alwaies at the height full of brightnesse and Consolation A heavie night sits in the noone-day upon those souls that have forsaken thee They look for light and behold darknesse for brightnesse and they walk in obscurity They grope for the wall like the blind as if they had no Eyes They stumble at noone-day as in the night they are in desolate places as dead men But on those that walk with thee an everlasting day shines This Sun of the firmament hath his Course it riseth setteth comes up again and again goes down But thou Lord knowest no vicissitudes thou art the Ancient of dayes thou art the Rock of ages from Everlasting to Everlasting O thou the same to day and yesterday and for evermore Thou bright and morning Starre springing from on high illuminate me who am now sitting in darknesse and in the shadow of death O light of light the brightnesse of thy Fathers glory inlighten all inward obscurities in me that after this life I may never be cast into the outward darknesse O most blessed most merciful and Almighty Iesu abide I beseech thee with me for it is towards Evening and the day is far spent Luke 24. As long as thou art present with me I am in the light but when thou art gone I am in the shadows of death and amongst the stones of emptinesse When thou art present all is brightnesse all is sweetnesse I am in my Gods bosome I discourse with him watch with him walk with him live with him and lie down with him All these most dear and unmeasurable blessings I have with thee and want them without thee Abide then with me O thou whom my soul loveth Thou Sun of righteousnesse with healing under thy wings arise in my heart refine quicken and cherish it make thy light there to shine in darknesse and a perfect day in the dead of night A Prayer for the Evening MOst gracious Almighty God! full of loving kindnesse and long-suffering whose mercy is above all thy works and thy glory above the heavens whose truth reacheth unto the Clouds and whose words shall never passe away forgive me I beseech thee my transgressions this day my vain thoughts idle words and loose conversation my exceeding neglect and forgetfulnesse of thee my headlong inclinations and lusting after the world preferring this land of Cabul before the snow of Lebanon and a broken Cistern before the Well of life Justly O Lord might'st thou have shewed me thy back this day and cut me off from amongst thy people Ier. 18.17 but thou hast had mercy and not sacrifice thou hast shed upon me the light of thy Countenance and removed my sins farre out of thy sight I know O my God it is not in man to establish his own ways it is thy Almighty arme must do it It is thou alone that hast led me through this day and kept me both from doing and from suffering evill And now O thou preserver of men What shall I do unto thee What shall I render unto my Lord for all the mercies and loving kindnesses shewed unto thy servant this day and all the dayes of my life hitherto I will offer unto thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call upon the name of the Lord. I will ever love thee fear thee praise thee and trust in thee My song shall be of thee in the night season and in the day time I will be speaking of thy wondrous works thy most merciful and liberal arme I will make thee my Delight in the house of my pilgrimâ—ge and I shall alwayes with all my strength with all my heart and with all my soul ascribe unto thee all glory wisdome majesty dominion and honour this day and for evermore Amen A Prayer when thou art going into bed MOst glorious and onely wise God! to whom the light and the darknes are the same whose dwellings are eternal and in whose Kingdome there is no need of Candles nor of the light of the Sunne look I beseech thee upon thy servant who tarries in this place all night Gen. 28.11 And forasmuch as thou out of thy tender love and Compassion on thy Creatures hast ordained this time for their repose and refreshing that having past through the Cares and dangers of the day they might under the shadow of thy wings finde rest and security keep me I most humbly beseech thee from the hours and the powers of darknesse watch over me this night in thy Almighty providence and scatter all the rebellions and devices of my Adversaries Inlighten my soul sanctifie my body govern my affections and guide my thoughts that in the fastest closures of my eye-lids my spirit may see thee and in the depth of sleep be Conversant with thee Suffer me not O my God to forget thee in the dark or to say The Lord seeth me not The Lord hath forsaken the earth Ezek. 8.12 but so keep me in thy fear and sanctifie me with thy grace that all the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart may be alwayes of thee Make my soul to thirst for thee and my flesh also to long after thee And at what time soever thou shalt awake me from this bodily sleep awake also my soul in me make thy morning-star to arise in my heart and let thy spirit blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out Quicken me O Lord according to thy wonted kindnesse so shall I seek thee early and make my prayer unto thee with joyful lips And now O my most loving and faithful Creatour take me I beseech thee into thy Almighty protection stretch over me the Arme of thy mercy let thine Eye be towards the work of thine own hands and the purchased possession of thy onely begotten and my most merciful Redeemer Iesus Christ Amen ¶ As often as thou dost awake in the night be sure to lift up thy heart unto God in this or the like short Ejaculation Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbath heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory By resorting thus unto God thou shalt finde a great furtherance and cheerfulnesse in thy spiritual exercises and besides it will keep always about thee the savour of life And because thou shalt not be unfurnished upon any incident occasions I have strowed here this handful of savoury herbs which thou mayest take up as thou findest them in thy way EIACULATIONS When the Clock strikes BLessed be the houre in which my Lord Iesus was borne and the houre in which he died O Lord Remember me in the houre of death When thou intendest any businesse or Journey O do well unto thy servant that I may live and keep thy Word When thou art persecuted Haste thee O God to deliver me
make haste to help me O Lord Upon some suddaine fear O set me upon the Rock that is higher then I for thou art my hope and a strong tower for me against my enemy Upon any disorderly thoughts Make me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Upon any occasions of sadnesse Thy rebuke hath broken my heart I am full of heavinesse but thou O Lord shalt lift me up again Upon any Diffidence Thou art my hope O Lord even from my youth through thee have I been holden up ever since I was borne though thou shouldst kill me yet will I trust in thee When thou dost any good work Not unto me O Lord not unto me but unto thy name give the praise When thou art provoked to anger Give thy peace unto thy servant O God let no man take away my Crown In patience O Lord let me possesse my soul. For thine Enemies Lord lay not this sinne to their Charge they know not what they do Upon any gracious deliverance or other mercies conferr'd upon thee The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want He maketh me to lie down in green pastures he leadeth me besides the still waters He hath prevented me with the blessings of goodnesse he hath granted me my hearts desire and not with-holden the request of my lips Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life And I will dwell in the house of my God for ever Upon any losses or other adversities Shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evill Naked came I out of my mothers womb and naked shall I return thither the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. When thou hearest that any is dead Teach me O Lord to number my dayes that I may apply my heart unto wisdome Upon thought of thy sins Turn away thy face from my sins O Lord and blot out all mine offences Praise the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thy sins and healeth all thine Infirmities When thou art weary of the cares and vanities of this world Like as the Hart brayeth for the water-brooks so thirsteth my soul after thee O God O who will give me the wings of a Dove that I may slie and be at rest ¶ Admonitions with Meditations and Prayers to be used before we come to the Lords Supper ALl the Sacraments of the New Testament in those that come to participate them require a most Exquisite and sincere preparation But this Sacrament of the Lords Table because in Institution and Effect it is the highest of all requires the most perfect and purest Accomplishments Our preparation to this Sacrament is not perfected by Contrition onely and Confession of sins both which are unavoidably requisite but if we will be worthy receivers and partake of those graces which are exhibited unto us in this heavenly banquet there are many other duties we must necessarily performe for this Sacrament is of an infinite vertue having in it the Wel-spring of all graces even Iesus Christ with all the merits of his most bitter passion which admit neither number nor measure Wherefore such as our pre-disposition is such also shall our proportion be of this spiritual Manna for as he that cometh to a Well to draw water takes no more thence then what his vessel contains which yet he cannot impute unto the Well but unto his Pitcher which could hold no more so they that come unto this glorious Sacrament receive onely so much grace as their preparation and holines makes them capable of Now there are required of us before we presume to lay hands upon this bread of life three things 1. Purity of Conscience 2. Purity of Intention 3. Fervent and effectual Devotion We must as far as it lies in us refrain from all actual sins in thought word and deed Secondly We must do it to a good end not for any private benefit not by compulsion or for fear of Censure or any other Ecclesiastical correction not out of Custome nor for any sensual devotion or joy because of the confluence and company at these love-feasts Thirdly and lastly we must watch over our owne souls and take heed that no wind blows upon our garden but the spiritual and eternal we must labour for an heavenly setlednesse sanctified affections holy hopes new garments a clean heart and a right spirit Cant. 2. The soul must be sick of love she must long for the banqueting house nothing now must appear but flowers nothing must be heard but the singing of birds and the voice of the Turtle Lord God saith S. Ambrose with what contrition of heart with what fountains of tears with what reverence fear with what chastity of body and purity of mind should this divin mystery be celebrated where thy flesh is the meat where thy blood is the drink where the creature feeds upon the Creatour and the Creatour is united unto the creature where Angels are spectators and God himself both the Priest and the Sacrifice what holinesse and humility should we bring thither O what pure things most pure must those hands be which bring my God to me As therefore some rich odoriferous water is distill'd out of many and several sorts of fragrant herbs and flowers so our devotion at this soveraigne Sacrament should be composed of many spiritual acceptable affections with God as amongst others are profound humility unmeasurable reverence ardent love firme faith actuall charity impatient hunger and an intollerable longing after this heavenly banquet And because we may not touch these white robes with dirty hands nor come neer the Rose of Sharon with ill sents and offensive fumes it hath been ever the Custom of Gods Church to injoyn and set apart a certain limited time of purification before this mysterious solemnity wherein all religious and worthy Communicants addressed and prepared themselves in some measure for this unmeasurable mercy Such was in our Church that more strict and holy season called Lent and such still are the preparation-dayes before this glorious Sabbath in all true Churches Two dayes were given the Israelites to sanctifie themselves and to wash their clothes that they might be ready against the third day upon which the Lord was to come downe in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai And this onely at the reception of the Law which was given by Angels much more then ought we to wash and cleanse our vessels from all vaine affections idle words and actions and to separate our selves from the world for three dayes at least that we may be ready against that great and blessed day wherein we are to come not to a mountain that might not be touched nor to the sound of a Trumpet nor to the voice of words spoken to us out of the midst of fire but to the general assembly and Church of the first-borne which are written in
heaven and to Iesus the Mediatour of the new Covenant and to â—he blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel See then that thou refuse not to come to this great marriage of the Kings Son with thy soul and see withall that thou comest not without a wedding garment that is to say unprepared For whosoever shall eate this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthâ—ly shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord But let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of that bâ—ead and drink of that cup of the Lord for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himselfe not discerning the Lords body 1 Cor 11.27 28 29. These are the words of a faithful witnesse and thou maiest beleeve them When therefore thou doest intend to be a partaker of this merciful and mysterious Sacrament be sure for three daies at least not to intermeddle with any worldly businesse but all that time redeeme those many daies which were vainly spent by thee enter into thine owne bosome examine what thou hast there and if thou findest any sons of darknesse lurking under those fig-leaves conceal them not but turne them out of doors and wash their Couch with thy teares have a care that in the Bridegroomes bed instead of myrrhe and flowers thou strowest not thornes and thistles The Evening before thou art to communicate feed but moderately and after supper use no corrupt communication but converse inwardly with thine own heart and meditate what an Almighty guest thou art to entertaine there next day Consider seriously thine own unworthinesse and desire of him that he would sanctifie and furnish the roome where he is to eate the Passeover with thee Intreat him to defend thee that night from all sinful Illusions and temptations and to keep the house cleane and garnished for himself When thou hast thus commended thy self into his hands let thy sleep that night be shorter then usual be up with the day or rather with thy Saviour who rose up early while it was yet dark Meditate with thy self what miracles of mercy he hath done for thee Consider how he left his Fathers bosome to be lodged in a manger and laid by his robes of glory to take upon him the seed of Abraham that he might cloath thee with Immortality Call to minde his wearisome journeys continual afflictions the malice and scorne he underwent the persecutions and reproaches laid upon him his strong cries and teares in the days of his flesh his spiritual agony and sweating of blood with the Implacable fury of his Enemies and his own unspeakable humility humbling himself to the death of the Crosse a death accursed by Gods own mouth Consider againe if thou canst of what unmeasurable love was he possessed who having designed and spent his time of life here for thy salvation did not onely leave thee those divine Oracles and Instructions to be guided by but to seale up the summe and make heaven sure unto thee did by his last Testament give himself with all the merits of his life and death to be wholly thine and instead of them took upon him all thy transgressions bore all thine iniquities and to appease the anger and satisfie the Justice of his Father became the holy harmlesse and undefiled sacrifice and perfect satisfaction for the sins of the world reconciling all things unto his Father whether they be things in earth or things in heaven When thou hast thus considered him in his acts of love and humility consider him again in his glory take thine Eyes off from Bethlehem and Golgotha and look up to the mount of Olives yea to heaven where he sits now upon the right hand of his Father Angels principalities and powers being made subject unto him Call to minde his Joyful resurrection his most accomplished conquest and triumph over the world death and hell his most gracious and familiar conversation with his Apostles before his Ascension with his most loving and comfortable carriage towards them at his departure leading them out as farre as Bethanie and lifting up his hands and blessing them Lastly close up these thoughts with a serious and awful meditation of that great and joyful though dreadful day of his second coming to judgâ—ment promised by himself and affirmed at the time of his Ascension by the two men in white apparel Yemen of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into heaven this same Iesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven Behold he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him and they also which pierced him and all kindreds of the earth shall waile because of him Amen! even so come quickly Lord Iesus ¶ These are the duties reqâ—ired of thee and which thou must faithfully and punctually performe if thou wouldst be a worthy Communicant and receive those sacred and mystical Elements to that blessed end for which they were ordained But when I speak of three dayes preparation I do not impose that proportion of time nor conclude it sufficient as if it were enough for thee to recede from thy corrupt inclinations and the myre of thy sins for such a terme with an intention to returne and wallow in it again when that holy season is over for our whole life had we the purity of Angels and the innocence of infants bears no proportion at all nor can it without an immediate sanctification from God himself any way qualifie or make us fit for the reception of this unmeasurable mercy But when I spoke of such a proportion of time I did onely propose it to my Readers for the performing of those holy and necessary duties which have particular relation to this solemne Feast and which indeed are required then from every Christian. And as for a regular sober and holy life we should in all places and at all times labour for it for without holinesse no man shall see the face of God much lesse be partaker of his merits and by this spiritual eating and drinking become a member of that body whose life and head he is A Prayer for the grace of repentance together with a Confession of sins O Holy blessed and glorious Trinity three persons and one eternal God have mercy upon me a miserable sinner O who will give mine head waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I may weep night and day for my infinite transgressions ingratitude and rebellion against my most milde and merciful Creatour O God my God be not farre from me hide not thy face from the work of thine hands reject not my sighing and mournful spirit nor the earnest endeavours and desires of mine undone and miserable soul O thou that breakest not the bruised Reede nor quenchest the smoking Flax quench not in me these weak sparks this dawne and beginnings of the promised earnest Take away O my God! this heart of stone and give
shall I attempt thy passion thy bloody sweat thy deep and bitter agony thy lingring peece-mealed death with all the lively anguishments and afflictions of thy martyr'd Spirit O my most loving and merciful Saviour It is onely thy own Spirit that can fully character thy own sufferings These miracles of love and most comfortable circumstances encourage me O my God to draw neer unto thee for it is not probable that thou wouldst have subjected thy self to such bitter reproaches blasphemies and torments had not thy love to man for whose redemption thou didst suffer them been as infinite as thy self And greater love then this hath no man that a man lay down his life for his friends And lay it down thou didst for no man could take it from thee Thou couldst have commanded twelve legions of Angels from thy Father and when thou wentest forth to meet thy murtherers they went backwards and fell to the ground and without thy permission in whose hand their breath was they could have done nothing These merciful passages together with thy own voice and frequent invitation much encourage me to draw neer unto thee Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Matth. 11.28 If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink John 7.37 These with many more are thy loving Invitations This is the voyce of the great Shepherd and thy sheep hear thy voyce Thus thou didst cry and these were the words thou didst speak while thou wert here upon earth and shall I then turn away from thee that speakest now from heaven Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech and thy preaching and Intercession shall last untill the heavens be no more and woe unto them that refuse to hear thee Wherefore most holy Iesus seeing thou dost invite sinners to thee and didst die to redeem them and art able to save them to the uttermost that come to God by thee and dost live for ever to make intercession for them Heb. 7.25 26. I the most wretched and the worst of sinners in full assurance of thy mercies and that thou art touched with the feeling of mine infirmities Heb. 4.15 and wilt have compassion upon my penitent soul draw neer to thy throne of grace that I may obtaine mercy and finde grace to help in time of need O Lord be merciful unto me forgive all my sins and heal all mine infirmities Cleanse my heart sanctifie my affections renew my spirit and strengthen my faith that I may at this great Feast discerne thy blessed body and eate and drink salvation to my self to the glory of thy great name and the comfort of my poor and sorrowful soul Amen Now unto him that hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen A Prayer when thou art upon going to the Lords Table IN the name of the Father and of the Son and the holy Ghost Amen! Iesus Christ the Lamb the Branch the bright and morning-Starre the bread of life that came down from heaven have mercy upon me It is thy promise that whosoever eateth thy flesh and drinketh thy blood he shall have eternal life in him and thou wilt raise him up at the last day Behold O God I am now coming to thee O thou fountain of purgation thou Well of living waters wash me cleane be unto me the bread of life to strengthen me in my pilgrimage towards heaven grant that I may suck salvation from thy heart that spring of the blood of God which flowes into all believers Thy flesh is meat indeed and thy blood is drink Indeed O give me grace to receive both worthily that I may never incurre thy anger and eternal condemnation Lord Iesus Christ I beleeve all that thou hast said and all that thou hast promised helpe thou mine unbelief thou art the Author be thou the finisher of my faith And for thy glories sake for thine own names sake leade me in the right way to this great mercy and mystery Amen! Immediately before the receiving say O Lord I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant all my life long unto this very day much lesse am I worthy thou shouldst come now under my roof but seeing it is thy institution and free mercy that will have it so be jealous O God of the place of thine honour cause me to remember whose Temple I am and suffer not my last state to be worse then the first Even so Lord Iesus come quickly Amen! ¶ Admonitions after receiving the holy Communion WHen you have received the Sacred Elements you should not presently after spit nor eate and drink but refraine untill they are perfectly digested and resolved You must lay aside all worldly communication and humane discourses though never so serious for judge of your self what an uncivil part it will be in you when you have received so great a guest as Iesus Christ with all his merits to turne your back upon him presently and neither to meditate of him nor to discourse with him and keep him company Wherefore you should all that day be instant in prayer meditations thanksgiving and good works you should consider and think upon the love of God who so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son to redeeme it You should meditate upon his birth life doctrine and passion his death and buriall resurrection and ascension and his second coming to judgement You should pray that you may be found blamelesse and without spot of him and so much the more because you see the day approaching Tread not under foot the Son of God and his precious blood wherewith you are sanctified and saved by returning again to your former sins like the dog to his vomit but be sure that you walk warily and fall not willfully into the myre Be not regular and holy for a day or two but all the dayes of thy life and number thy dayes that thou mayst apply thy heart unto wisdome Cast thy bread upon the waters be merciful to the poor and remember thy Creator for the dayes of darknesse are many but the outward darknesse is eternal and from it there is no redemption Instead of printed Meditations which are usually prescribed after communicating I would advise the pious receiver to read over all these following parcels of Scripture Iohn 6.22 to the end Iohn 17. Rom. 8.2 Cor. 5. Ephes. 1. 4. Heb. 10.1 Pet. 1. Rev. 5. A Prayer after you have received LOrd Jesus Christ very God and very man made in all things like unto us sin onely excepted I blesse and praise thy holy name and with all my heart with all my strength and with all my soul give thee all possible thanks for thy infinite love and pity towards
rate Our glory greatnesse wisdome all we have If misimploy'd but adde hell to the grave Onely a faire redemption of evill Times Finds life in death and buryes all our Crimes IT is an observation of some spirits that the night is the mother of thoughts And I shall adde that those thoughts are Stars the Scintillations and lightnings of the soul strugling with darknesse This Antipathy in her is radical for being descended from the house of light she hates a contrary principle and being at that time a prisoner in some measure to an enemy she becomes pensive and full of thoughts Two great extremes there are which she equally abhors Darkness and Death And 't is observable that in the second death when she shall be wholly mancipated to her enemies those two are united For those furious and unquenchable burnings of hell which the Scripture calls the lake of fire c. though they be of such an insuperable intense heat as to work upon spirits and the most subtile Essences yet do they give no light at all but burn blacker then pitch Cremationem habet lumen verò non habet Greg. Mor. c. 46. The Contemplatiō of death is an obscure melancholy walk an Expatiation in shadows solitude but it leads unto life he that sets forth at midnight will sooner meet the Sunne then he that sleeps it out betwixt his curtains Truly when I consider how I came first into this world and in what condition I must once again go out of it and compare my appointed time here with the portion preceding it and the eternity to follow I can conclude my present being or state in respect of the time to be nothing else but an apparition The first man that appeared thus came from the East and the breath of life was received there Though then we travel Westward though we embrace thornes and swet for thistles yet the businesse of a Pilgrim is to seek his Countrey But the land of darknesse lies in our way and how few are they that study this region that like holy Macarius walk into the wildernesse and discourse with the skull of a dead man We run all after the present world and the Primitive Angelical life is quite lost It is a sad perversnesse of man to preferre warre to peace cares to rest grief to joy and the vanities of this narrow Stage to the true and solid comforts in heaven The friends of this world saith a holy father are so fearful to be separated from it that nothing can be so grievous to them as to think of death They put farre away the evill day and cause the seate of violence to come neer They lie upon beds of Ivory and stretch themselves upon their Couches they eat the lambs out of the flock and the calves out of the midst of the stall They chant to the sound of the viol they drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the chief ointments they account the life of the righteous to be madnesse and his end to be without honour Amos 6. In this desperate and senselesse state they cast away their precious souls and make their brightest dayes but dayes of darknesse and gloominesse dayes of clouds and of thick mists They consider not the day that shall burne like an Oven when the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the Elements shall melt with a fervent heat when the wicked shall be stubble and all the workers of iniquity shall be burnt up Miserable men that knowing their masters pleasure will not do it that refuse Oyle and balsame to make way for poyson and corrasives And why will they call him Master Master whose precepts they trample on and whose members they crucifie It is a sad observation for true Christians to see these men who would seem to be Pillars to prove but reeds and specious dissemblers For what manner of livers should such professors be seeing they expect and beleeve the dissolution of all things With what constant holinesse humility and devotion should they watch for it How should they passe the time of their sojourning here in fear and be diligent that they may be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse What preparation should they make against the evill day What comforts and treasures should they lay up for that long voyage For what a day of terrors and indignation is the day of death to the unprepared How will they lie on their last beds like wilde Buls in a net full of the fury of the Lord When their desolation shall come like a flood and their destruction like a whirle-wind How will they say in the morning would God it were Even and at night would God it were Morning for the fear of their heart wherwith they shal fear and for the sight of their Eyes wherewith they shall see This is a truth they will not believe untill death tells it them and then it will be too late It is therefore much to be wished that they would yet while it is life-time with them remember their last ends and seriously question with themselves what is there under the Sun that can so justly challenge their thoughts as the contemplation of their own mortality We could not have lived in an age of more instruction had we been left to our own choice We have seen such vicissitudes and examples of humane frailty as the former world had they happened in those ages would have judged prodigies We have seen Princes brought to their graves by a new way and the highest order of humane honours trampled upon by the lowest We have seene Judgement beginning at Gods Church and what hath beene never heard of since it was redeem'd and established by his blessed Son we have seen his Ministers cast out of the Sanctuary barbarous persons without light or perfection usurping holy offices A day an hour a minute saith Causabone is sufficient to over-turn and extirpate the most settled Governments which seemed to have been founded and rooted in Adamant Suddenly do the high things of this world come to an end and their delectable things passe away for when they seem to be in their flowers and full strength they perish to astonishment And sure the ruine of the most goodly peeces seems to tell that the dissolution of the whole is not far off It is the observation of a known Statesman Sir Water Rawleigh That to all dominions God hath set their periods who though he hath given to man the knowlededge of those wayes by which Kingdoms rise and fall yet he hath left him subject unto the affections which draw on these fatal mutations in their appointed time Vain therefore and deceitful is all the pomp of this world which though it flatters us with a seeming permanency will be sure to leave us even then when we are most in chase of it And what comfort then or what security can poor man promise to himself whose breath
that are more permanent we may by the doctrine of contrarieties make them as useful as any of the former And this is elegantly done by the poet who was then serious and stayed enough though somewhat passionate Nam mihi quid prodest quod longo flumina cursu Semper inexhaustis prona feruntur aquis Ista manent nostri sed non mansêre parentes Exigui vitam temporis hospes ago What is 't to me that spacious rivers run Whole ages and their streams are never done Those still remain but all my fathers di'd And I my self but for few dayes abide Thus he of the water-course which he saw would out-run him and will do so with all that come after him But the quick tyde of mans life when it is once turned and begin to ebbe will never flow again The Spring comes constantly once a yeere and flowers when the frosts are past keep house no longer under ground but feel the Sun and come abroad The leaves come again to whisper over our heads and are as green and as gay as ever but mauâ—dieth and wastesh away yea man giveth up the ghost and where is he In these sad contemplations was the Brittish Bard when he broke out into this Eloquent complaint Mis mawrddh rhyddhig Adar Pob peth y ddhaw trwr ddhayar Ond y marw maur vy garchar In March birds couple a new birth Of herbs and flowers breaks through the earth But in the grave none stirs his head Long is th' Impris'ment of the dead The dayes of darknesse are many and he that goeth down to the grave shall not come up his place shall not know him nor shall he returne to his house he shall not be awaked nor raised out of his sleep untill the heavens be no more These last words were put in for our comfort and imply the resurrection or the time of restoring all things This was manifested to Ezekiel by the vision of dry bones with a noise and a shaking amongst them and they came together bone to bone and were clothed with sinews flesh and skin and the breath of life entered into them and they stood upon their feet an exceeding great army We have it also confirmed out of the mouth of Iesus Christ himself Iohn 5.28 29. his words are these Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the grave shall hear his voyce And they shall come forth that have done good unto the resurrection of life but they that have done evill unto the resurrection of condemnation The Scripture is every where full of these proofs But I shall insist only upon three 1. For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the later day upon the earth And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God Whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within me Job 19 25 26 27. 2. Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise Awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast out the dead Isa 26.19 3. Behold O my people I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves And ye shall know that I am the Lord when I have opened your graves O my people and brought you up out of your graves and shall put my spirit in you and yee shall live Ezek. 37.12 13 14. And thus have we most full and absolute promises from the divine spirit and from Iesus Christ who is the life of the world for the redemption of our bodies Nor are we left destitute of very clear and inexcusable demonstrations of it in nature We see mortal men when the body and substance of vegetables is consumed in the fire out of their very ashes to make glasse which is a very bright and noble body how much more shall the Immortal and Almighty God who created all things of nothing out of dust and corruption raise us up incorrupt and glorions bodies Thou fool saith St. Paul that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die first and that which thou sowest thou sowest not that body which shall be but bare grain but God giveth it a body as he pleaseth There are in nature many creatures which at certain seasons that their spirit is inconsistent with fall into a dormition or dead sleep which differs little from death and convey themselves into secret places as hollow trees or some desolate ruines where they may rest in safety during that season as being taught by some secret informant that they shall awake again Here have we a clear type of the resurrection for what else is death but sleep as the Apostle calls it A great Philosopher and Secretary to nature discoursing of the resurrection of the dead tells us that he oftentimes lighted upon some of those creatures in that dark state of dormition and did dissect some of them and cut off the limbs of others and yet saith he could I perceive no signe of life at all in them their arteries and flesh being as hard and as dry as a stick but casting them into a pot of seething water they would soften by degrees and shortly after stir about and those very parts which were dissected would give very clear and satisfactory Indications of life This is so strong a Symboll of the resurrection that I think it needlesse to make any application Onely this I shall adde that the curious observers of nature reckon these creatures amongst those of the lunar order And indeed if we consider well the nature of that planet whose sphere is the veil or partition drawn betwixt us and Immortality and whose relation to this lower world is more intimate and of a greater tye then any of the other six we shall finde that she exactly typifies and demonstrates unto us those two famous states of terrestrial bodies viz. their state of darknesse and their state of glory their dissolution and restoration for she doth agonizare and suffers a monethly recession of light and in a short time becomes full again And I pray are not light and life compatriots What else is death but the recession and absence of life or darknesse but the absence of light Sic nostros casus solatur mundus in astris So our decays God comforts by The Stars concurrent state on high Do not we see divets birds of this regiment such as are commonly known to us with other meaner Creatures as silk-worms and the humble-bee which yet are not so contemptible but they may serve us for noble instances in this point seeing there is in them a living spirit and that creatures of the same rank with them are recorded in Gods own word yea and are own'd by him as memorable and select Instruments of his service as Joshuah Cap. 24. ver 12. And