of my mind For why doth my soule appointed for me only love thy Sonne why doth she thus hate mee why relinquisheth shee all things concerning me Behold how she swallowed up with the incomparable love of thy Sonne walketh as one without sense now there is nought else shee heareth nought else shee thinketh or tasteth nought else shee smelleth being alwaies desirous to rest in his armes There is shee joyed there is she cheered there abundantly delighted there made drunke with too much love is shee lodged Neither is it to be wondred at if this my Soule cleave so constantly to thy Sonne Because unlesse she were harder than stone and more insensible than iron seeing thy Sonne hath done such great things for her she can doe no lesse than this for him Yea where is that stone so hard which would not rend with the heat of so great love yea melt like wax if all these aforesaid benefits should be done it I doe not then complaine to thee O most benigne Father of my Soule for that shee hath done no more than she ought but of thy Sonne who hath so forcibly allured her with the benefits of his mercy and by that meanes left mee in so great misery An Answer of the Father to the Flesh. Cap. XV. ATtend and hearken what answer this most gracious Father makes to the Flesh. Forasmuch as thou art my creature I will shew thee Justice with Mercie Whereas then thou wert ordained to bee the Soules Hand-maid yet hadst ever a desire to play the Mistresse and demeaning thy selfe alwaies inordinatly hast caused her to serve thee and not mee by making her prone unto all evill and which is worse hast subjected her who was made after my image to the bondage of Satan Thou I say who hast made her worse than any brute beast being by thee defiled and abâ—ominably polluted yea above all darknesse blackned and so much altered as I cannot know that noble creature stamped and formed to so glorious a feature Needfull it was then because I loved her so much that was inclosed in thy Flesh that my Sonne should take Flesh upon him that so hee might allure her to his and my love And because the Soule by cleaving to thee her Flesh was become dead it was my will that my Sonne who became Flesh should be slaine for her that she might be quickned Neither was this in my Sonne any circumvention or deceiving but mine and his ineffable vouchsafing And because thou O Flesh hast done evilly ever from thy first infusion but my Sonne hath beene inflamed towards thy Soule with exceeding affection and hath wholly given himselfe up for her redemption therefore my justice exacteth many things especially that I wholly and totally resigne her unto him and that shee abhorre thee more than dung and that she desire that thou maist bee abhorred of all But forasmuch as thou hast be sought not onely my Iustice but Mercy it is my will that thou in some measure bee refreshed with that present sweetnesse which thy Soule feeleth in my Sonne yea more than all this I will hereafter endow thee most nobly and most perfectly and if thou beest truly obedient to thy Soule from henceforth deliver thee from eternall punishment and bring thee to an inheritance gloriously permanent where I live eternally resident A pithy Meditation upon this Expostulation and Answer to inflame the Soule with a devout fervour IS it so O my Soule that shee whom thou hast so daintily cockred with whom thou hast so familiarly conversed and to whom thou hast so easily consented is thy domestick Enemy and by so much more fearfull because domesticall Chastise her whoÌ„ thou hast cherished estrange thee from her with whom thou hast so freely consorted incline not to her to whose advice thou hast so freely condescended It is Ismael that playeth with thee who whilest she playes with thee playes upon thee Looke upon that gracious Shepherd who hath sought thee fix thine eye upon that precious price with which he bought thee The worth of the whole world comes farre short of the worth of that price be it then thine highest honour to advance his praise Let no sinne soile that image which is so richly beautified Let no cloud obscure that light which was so freely bestowed Hee that tooke on him Flesh for thee hee that in his Flesh suffered so much for thee hee that gave himselfe to gaine thee and shew'd himselfe so truly thine to retaine thee Let him solely and wholly have thee Suffer not thy Flesh to converse with thee till she become a true Convert in the practice of piety Better is it for thee by contempt of thy Flesh to augment thine owne honour than by obedience to thy Flesh to procure thy dishonour Short is the Fight but great is the Conquest Recoile not for thou hast him for thy Chiefetaine who hath vanquish'd that foe who to this houre hath given all Chiefetaines the foile Fight valiantly then under his banner embrace all contempts for his honour Erect the eye of thy Faith to Heaven while thou directest thy feet on Earth that after thy well-past pilgrimage on Earth thou maist bee rewarded with a lasting inheritance in Heaven Amen GENERALL Rules of living well The highest pitch of Wisdome's pieâ—y By which man 's taughâ— both how to live die EVery day drawest thou nearer than other to Death Judgement and Eternity Bethinke then with thy selfe every day how thou maist stand in the severe discussion of death and judgment and how thou maist eternally live Thou art to take an exact account of all thy thoughts words and deeds because an exact account is to be given of all thy thoughts words and deeds Thinke every evening that death is that night approaching Thinke every morning that death is that day accoasting Deferre not thy conversion nor the performance of any good action till to morrow because to morrow is uncertaine but death is ever certainly waiting There is nothing that hinders piety more than delay If thou contemne the inward calling of the holy Spirit thou shalt never come to true conversion Doe not defer thy conversion nor the practice of any religious action to thy old age but offer unto God the flower of thy youth Uncertaine is old age to the young but certaine destruction attendeth him that dieth impenitently young There is no Age more fit for the service of God than youth flourishing in abilities both of body and mind For no mans sake oughtst thou to take in hand an evill action for not that man which thou so respectedst but God in whose brest all the treasures of wisdome are stored shall in the end judge thy life Doe not then preferre any mans favour before the honour of thy Maker In the way of the Lord wee either increase or decrease Take examination then of thy life every day whether in the practice of piety thou increasest or decreasest To stand in the way of the Lord is
to goe back Let it not then delight thee to stand in the course of piety but endevour alwaies to walke in the way of the Lord. In thy conversation bee cheerefull to all distastefull to none familiar to few Live to Godward devoutly to thy selfe chastly to thy Neighbour justly Use thy friend as a pledge of affection thine enemy for a triall of thy patience all men to a well-disposed benevolence and wherein thou maist more effectually worke to beneficence While thou livest dye dayly to thy selfe and to thy vices So in thy death maist thou live to God Let meekenesse appeare in thy affection mildnesse in thy countenance humility in thy habit modesty in thy habitation patience in tribulation Let facility be in thine accesse decency in thy dresse humility in thy presence affability in thy discourse benignity in thy wayes charity in thy works Let constancy be in thine eie content in thy chest temperance in thy cup. Observe moderation in thy desires discretion in thy delights Think alwaies of those 3. things past Evil committed Good omitted Time mis-speÌ„ded Think alwaies of these 3. things present â—he shortnes of this present life the difficulty of being saved the fewnesse of those that are to be saved Think alwayes of these three things to come Death than which nothing is more horrible Judgement than which nothing is more terrible the paine of Hell than which nothing more intolerable Let thine Evening Prayers redeeme the sinnes of the forepast day let the last day of the weeke reforme the offences of the dayes gone before Thinke in the Evening how many soules are that same day thrown head-long into Hell and give thankes unto God for that hee hath given thee time to repent in There be three things above thee which ought never to depart from thy memory That Eye which seeth all things that Eare which heareth all things and those bookes wherein all things are recorded Wholly hath God communicated himselfe to thee communicate thy selfe likewise wholly to thy neighbour That is the best life which is wholly employed to the behoofe and benefit of others Render to thy superiour obedience and reverence to thy equall counsell and assistance to thy inferiour succour supportance Let thy body be subjected to thy mind and thy mind to God Bewaile thy evils past disesteeme thy goods present covet with all the desire of thine heart those goods to come Remember thy sin that thou maist grieve Remember thy death that thou maist cease from sinne Remember Gods justice that thou maist feare Remember Gods mercy lest thou despaire Withdraw thy selfe as much as thou canst from the World and devote thy selfe wholly to the service of God Thinke alwayes how chastity is endangerd by delicacy humility by prosperity and piety by employments transitory Desire to please none but Christ feare to displease none but Christ. Beseech God alwayes that as he bids what he would so he would doe what hee bids that hee would protect what is done and direct in what is to bee done Endevour thy selfe to bee what thou wouldst have thy self thought to be for God judgeth not according to the outward semblance but according to the inward substance In thy discourse beware of much speech because account shall be required of every vaine word Whatsoever thy works bee they passe not away but as certaine seeds of eternity are they bestowed if thou sow according to the flesh from the flesh shalt thou reape corruption if thou sow after the Spirit from the Spirit shalt thou reap the reward of eternall retribution After death neither shall the honours of this World follow thee nor heaps of riches favour thee nor pleasures enjoy thee nor the vanities of this World possesse thee but after the fatall and full period of this life all thy works shall follow thee As then thou desirest to appeare in the day of judgement appeare such in the sight of God at this present Thinke not with thy selfe what thou hast but rather what thou wantst Pride not thy selfe for that which is given thee but rather become humbled for that which is deni'd thee Learne to live now while thou maist live In this time is eternall life either got or lost After death there remains no time for working for then begins the time of rewarding In the life to come is not expected any worke but payment for the worke Holy Meditation may beget in thee knowledge knowledge compunction compunction devotion devotion may produce prayer Great good for peace of the heart is the silence of the mouth By how much more as thou art divided from the World so much more acceptable art thou unto God Whatsoever thou desirest to have aske it of God whatsoever thou already hast attribute it to God He is not worthy to receive more who is not thankfull for what he hath received Then stops the course or current of Gods grace to man when man makes no recourse by thankfulnesse to God Whatsoever befals thee turne it to good so often as prosperity comes upon thee thinke how occasion of blessing and praising God is ministred unto thee againe so often as adversity aâ—â—ayles thee thinke how these are admonitions for the repentance and conversion of thee Shew the force of thy power in helping the force of thy wisdome in instructing the force of thy wealth in releeving Neither let Adversity bruise thee nor Prosperity raise thee Let Christ be thy scope of thy life whom thou art to follow here in the way that thou maist come to him there in thy countrey Amongst all other things let profound humility ardent Charity be thy greatest care Let charity raise thine heart unto God that thou maist cleave unto him Let humility depresse thine heart lesâ— thou becom proud so leave him Esteem God a Father for his clemency a Lord for his discipline a Father for his sweet power a Lord for his severe power Love him as a Father devoutly feare him as a Lord necessarily Love him because he will have mercy Feare him because he will not suffer sin Feare the Lord and trust in him acknowledge thy misery and declare his mercy O God thou who hast given us to will give us likewise to performe THE SORROWFULL Soules solace Gathered from Saint Augustine in his Tract Upon the 62. Psalme Upon these words My Soule thirsteth for thee my Flesh also longeth after thee BEhold here how the Soule thirsteth and see how good it is for the Soule that thirsteth to wit because shee thirsteth after thee There are who thirst but not after God Every one that would in his owne behalfe have ought performed is in heat of desire till he have it effected and this desire is the thirst of the Soule Now see what various desires are in the hearts of men One desireth gold another silver one desireth possessions another inheritances one store of money another stock of cattle one a faire house another a wife one honours another children You see
Tinder-box and these gave light to my lighter discourses I held my pockets sufficiently stored if they could but bring mee off for mine Ordinarie and after dinner purchase mee a stoole on the stage I had cares enough besides hoording so as I held it fit to disburden my selfe of that and resigne it over to the worldling A long winter night seemed but a Midsummer nights dreame being merrily past in a Catch of foure parts a deep health to a light Mistresse and a knot of brave blades to make up the Consort I could jeere Him to his face whoâ— I needed most Ten at hundred I meane and he would not stick to pay mee in mine owne coyne I might beg a courtesie at his hands but to starve for 't never prevaile for herein I found this instrument of usâ—rie and the Devill to be of one Societie and that they craved nothing of any one save onely Sâ—ouritie A weake blast of light fame was a great part of that portion I aimed at And herein was my madnesse I held nothing so likely to make mee knowne to the world or admired in it as to be debauch't and to purchase a Parasites praise by my riot It is not in mee no it is far from mee and my memorie to recall to mind what miriads of houres that time mis-spended Scarcely one poore minute can I bethinke mee on wherein I did ought or exprest my selfe in ought that might redound to his honour whom now in mine age I have only sought How truly might I say in those daies in those many evill dayes I had beene secure if Society had not made me impure And yet must I be enforced to retract this too if I desire freely to lye open my selfe and speake what is true For of all those Consorts whose company I used I found no Consort worse than my selfe Yea I confesse and may this my confession be never without heartie contrition that it is impossible for mee to remember how many poore simple soules who when they scarce knew how to sin I taught them when they were willing to sin I perswaded them when they withstood sin I constrained them when they enclined to sin I consented to them Yea to how many I lay snares in the way where they walked for how many I made pit-fals in the way when they sought it And to the end I might not be afraid to commit I feared nothing at all to forget Aug. Med. c. 3. O how often have I returned after such time as I had mourned to that vâ—mit which I seemingly loathed and to that clay wherein I formerly wallowed How strong were my promises how weak my performance What lesse then can I doe than resolve my selfe into teares that my bespotted soule may be rinsed my many innumerably many sins may be rinsed my too secure soule from the grave of sin raised With anguish of heart and bitternesse of spirit will I therefore conclude calling on him who is my trust Lord forgive me the sins of my youth Of his Manhood MEMORIALL V. WHen I was a Childe I loved childishnesse when a Youth delicacie and wantonnesse But being now come to Man what can bee lesse expected than fruits of obedience Fruits Few God knowes and those bitter fruits Never did man reade man more and expresse man lesse A long time had I been a stranger to my fathers house Many yeares had I sojourned with the unwary Prodigall in a strange countrey I had spent my portion that faire portion of many rich graces which my heavenly Father had bestowed on me I was driven to such want as I was like to starve yet would I not acknowledge my poore estate Returne I would not to my father nor crave any succour though I was become a most miserable creature a foule uncleane Leper one utterly lost for ever had not some kind-hearted Samaritan relieved mee in such time of danger But Necessitie brings ever along with her some remedie I suffered my sore to be opened that it might bee cured I found my selfe sick I besought my Physician my heavenly Physician that hee would looke upon mee with the eyes of his compassion And he came unto me and healed mee yet with this condition that I should sin no more But I found the custome of sin too hard and the continuance thereof too sweet to bee left so soone No sooner had I recovered strength than I returned to my former state I found the abilities of nature too strong in me to leave sin so speedily No sentence in all the Scripture was so fresh nor frequent in my memory as At what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sin c. Ezek. c. 18. but I abused the Text and by it promised to my selfe more libertie I held it Security enough to sinne secretly As one retired from the sight both of God and man to promise more impunitie to sinne I stickt not to say Who seeth mee But woe is mee what was worst of all and what without griefe of heart I shall never remember Though I saw many eyes upon mee and that my example might have done good to many for that in the opinion of others I was ranked both for knowledge and condition before many others those whom I might by my uprightnesse have improved by my loosenesse of life I depraved Which made me call to minde with much heavinesse of heart what I had sometimes read Of so many deaths is every one worthy as he hath given evill examples to those that live with him or left evill examples to those that shall succeed him O my God thus would I many times commune with mine owne heart how many deaths have I deserved who held it not enough to undoe my selfe by taking upon me a liberty of sinning but to undoe others too by chalking them out a way by my unhappie example for the like freedom of traÌ„sgressing This I confesse could not chuse but make me to oâ—hers most hatefull my selfe to my selfe most distasteful And yet for all this swum I still in the same streame Truth it is that froÌ„ my youth up wheÌ„ as yet no early soft downe had cloathed my chin I had takeÌ„ a full perusall of my owne estate I found in me what of necessity might bee either corrected by me or nought could I looke for lesse than misery Some bosome sins likewise I fouÌ„d in me after I came to mans estate which ill became the condition of man and I sought for cure of them Amongst these one I culled forth more deare to me than the rest and which neither day nor night would afford mee any rest And I found meanes to remove it or to weane mee from it and I applyed them but got no helpe by them because I mis-applyed them for I well remember after such time as I had beene advised what directions to use to allay if not take away the poyson of that darling sin wherewith I was infected I tooke great care for a while