neither Money nor Moneys-worth worth with thee as a Dowry yet will he make thee the largest Joynture his Covenants will be only to carry thy self to him as a loving and obedient Wife ought to do to her Husband to love him above all to obey all his Commands and to submit thy self to his dispose leave the Sin he forbids do the Duties he commands and forsake all others for his sake resolve thus to do give up thy self thus to him and thou needest not fear death for it cannot hurt thee for 't is but his Pursivant he sends to fetch thee home to his Fathers house where all things are made ready for thy Marriage with the Lamb when thou canst say Cant. 6.3 My beloved is mine and I am his thou art fit to Live and fit to Dye and not till then such a man that hath gotten a full gripe of Christ is sure that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities Rom. 8.38 nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor Heighth nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to seperate him from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord 1 Cor. 6.17 for he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit As truely one as those members are one Body that are animated by the same Soul or as Husband and Wife are one flesh All that I am and have saith the Soul is his and all he hath is mine he that hath this full assurance of Faith looks death undauntedly in the face and goes gallantly to Heaven 5 Direct If you would Dye well your way is to Live well for a holy life alwayes ends in an happy death Heb. 12.14 and a sinfull life if true repentance prevent not alwayes hath a Tragical end for without holiness no man shall see God and how can such a man think then to come to Heaven when the beatifical vision of God is Heaven it self but no unclean thing Rev. 21.27 1 Cor. 6.10 no unrighteouss person shall ever enter there no dirty Dog shall tread upon that pavement As the tree falleth so it lyeth Eccles 11.3 and as death leaves us so Judgment shall find us Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap Gal. 6.7 for he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap Life everlasting He that sails towards Hell is not like to land in the Port of Heaven if he change not his course the way of Sin is the direct road to Hell and those that follow the broad Way will ere long enter the wide Gate but the way to Heaven is narrow and the gate strait he that swims down the stream is not like to find the fountain-head and he that goes down the hill is not like to come to the top but most men like dead Fish swim down the stream even into the dead Sea of Eternal perdition Exo. 23.2 Take heed therefore of following a multitude to do evil for the way to Hell is Broad and well trodden beware of evil Company lest thou learn to swear with Joseph to curse with Peter but be couragious for Heaven and valiant for the Truth 'T is better go to Heaven alone than to Hell with company to be with Noah in the Ark than with all the World in the Flood the way of Holiness I know is not in fashion but 't is never the more to be shunned for the small company that walks in it nor is the way of wickedness the more eligible because 't is thronged the way of Holiness haply may seem rugged and perplexed by reason of the stumbling-blocks laid in it 1 Sam. 14.4 13. like unto that of Jonathans and his Armor-bearers way that had sharp rocks on either side that they were forced to go upon hands and feet yet consider it leads to Happiness and who will not take pains for profit Sic petitur Coelum sed facilis descensus averni Heaven is got by pains and patience but a man may wink and go to Hell To come to Heaven Opus est pulveris non pulvinaris as one saith those that trade in Righteousness and Holiness are most likely to treasure up Happiness those that live uprightly to men holily to God and walk as Zachary saith Lu. 1.75 in Righteousness and Holiness before him all the dayes of their lives men may befool them but God will never condemn them these men never need to fear Death or any Messenger God sends Act. 23.1 24.16 the that hath made his peace with God and with Paul keeps a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards Men though he may meet with troubles in his life he shall meet with Comfort at death when those that think to dance with the Devil all day and Sup with Christ at night to do the Devils work and to receive Gods wages that will not enter into the Vineyard and yet expect the penny will find themselves under a great mistake for his servants you are to whom you obey and from him you work for you may expect wages you will find at last that a Lord have mercy upon you will not serve turn Mat. 7.21 22. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out Devils and in thy Name done many wonderful works and then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity The like we see by the foolish Virgins that cried Lord Lord open to us but the door was shut against them and they kept out such mens hope will prove like the Spiders-web or the giving up the Ghost and but serve them as Absaloms Mule did him bring them to destruction and there leave them yet many verbal Professors we have that if Heaven will be had for fair words will have it but this is their best bid as Epictetus complained in his time That many would be Philosophers as far as a few good words would go but no further but it be those and those alone that make Christianity their daily trade and to please God their great design that are worthy the name of Christians when the heart is upright God accepts the Sacrifice as he did Abels when the heart is rotten he disowns it as he did Cains Those fly-blown Sacrifices such as the Pharisees offered will not down with God But when the chief design is to glorifie God Mat. 6.1 c. and that with a perfect heart like Josiahs with such Sacrifices God is well pleased such a man though he may lose something for Christ will never lose any thing by Christ death which sets a period
can do The Pharisees could fast Mat. 6.1 2. and pray and give Alms and what dost thou more The Apostle tells believers that to them it is given not only to believe on Christ Phil. 1.29 but to suffer for his sake and how wilt thou prove thy self a Believer if thou refuse to suffer Wouldst thou receive a Souldiers wages and not do his work wilt thou list thy self and indent with thy Captain that thou wilt not fight are all thy graces counterfeit if not why are they not reduced into act will the Sword in the scabbard secure thee why dost not finish thy course with joy that a Crown of life may be laid up for thee must God save thee whether thou wilt or no and pluck thee hence by violence to receive thy Reward or if he will not he may keep Heaven to himself for thee Doth thy faith and thy other graces now stand thee in no stead hast thou no Oyl when the Bridegroom comes or if thou hast dost thou refuse to enter to what end then serves thy Lamp what mattereth it for a Wedding-garment if when thou art invited to the Feast thou refusest to come Hast thou no Armour on when thou art cal'd to fight and thy enemy is in the field or wilt thou cowardly turn thy back and fly or suffer thy self to be captivated and inslaved hast thou no Armour to defend thy heart is no Cordial to keep thee from fainting to be found in God no promise in his Word which may be a foundation of comfort what then is the difference between thee and the Epicure nay his condition is much better he hath something that he calls Pleasure to solace himself with Are these anxious thoughts and fears suitable to a Christian to a Minister to one that hath made Forty years profession of Religion hast thou in all this time made no increase of thy Grace no improvement of thy Talent hast not yet learnt self-denyall which is the first lesson in the School of Christ and is it not yet taken out hast not yet attained the lowest measure of true grace to hate Father and Mother Wife and Children and thy own Life for him without which thou canst not be his disciple Is it suitable for a child of God to turn his back upon his Father when he calls him and like guilty Adam hide himself is it suitable for the Spouse of Christ to deny to come when her Husband sends for her Art thou yet unresolved whether Christ or Life be the sweeter whether Heaven or Earth be the better or whether the Creature or the Creator be to be chosen If so never call thy self a Christian more never dishonour Christ more by thy profession Was ever Heir afraid of receiving his Inheritance yet this is thy condition thou rather choosest a miserable life attended with eares and fears with griefs and sorrows rather than to dye and come to Christ Thou hast devoted thy self to him as a Spouse to her husband and hast formerly gloried in thy choice and art now afraid of the time when the marriage shall be consummate and thou shalt be lodg'd in his bosom if so 't is no wonder if he give thee a bill of Divorce and put thee away and what Condition art thou then in where wilt thou find such another Match nay there is no other in Heaven or Earth that can boot thy needs pay thy debts and save thy soul the Angels themselves cannot do it Esth 1.10 c. If Vasti the Queen were put away for refusing to come at her Husbands call much more dost thou deserve a Divorce if thou refuse to come at Christs call If thou go to him thou leavest a vain sinful miserable and treacherous world which hath laid many a snare in thy way and more will do if thou live in it longer and dost grieve at parting and put it upon the debate whether it be best to go or no and art ready to pass sentence in the Negative art afraid of being put above all fear and dread and wilt not go to Heaven because the way is not strewed with roses or because 't is a little up the hill thou hast but one stile to thy Fathers house if thy Breakfast be bad thy Dinner will make amends Are the suares which the Devil the world and the flesh have laid for thee so strong and thy Faith so weak that thou art now leaving God and choosing something else for thy portion and that thou art detained in this Harlots arms when thine own husband calls thee Art thou willing to lose all the pains thou hast taken in Heavens way rather than go one step more hast ascended all the steps of Jacobs ladder but one till thy head be in Heaven and art now returning down again because 't is a little more difficult than the rest wilt thou now take up with these things for thy portion and art busily seeking after content in them in which thou couldst never find satisfaction in thy life hast exercised so much self-denial for Christ hast thou forsaken Father and Mother Wife and Children Brothers and Sisters yea thy Estate in the world and exposed thy self to want and penury to labour and travel to scoffs and scorns yea to persecutions and trials and now wilt break with Christ for a trifle and lose the reward of what thou hast done wilt thou now prefer thy life before him that is Life it self hast thou bid so much for Christ and now dost stick at the price if thou now forsake him all is lost that thou hast paid But what cause hath God given to forsake him hath he ever failed of his word hath he imposed upon thee or foisted in any condition in the Covenant that was not mutually agreed upon if not what makes thee boggle at it if Religion were not good why didst thou profess it if it be why dost leave it if Heaven be not worth what thou must pay for it why didst not consider of it before and if it be why dost stick at the rates or dost thou think that God will amend thy bargain and let thee have it at Cheaper rates If these be thy thoughts thou art much mistaken Mat. 13.45 if thou wilt have the Pearl thou must sell all to purchase it 't is thy self and all thou hast that is the price he sets upon Christ and Heaven and Glory If thou think him not worth it thou maist let him alone and no harm done but assure thy self there is no indenting with Christ This I will do and that I will not this sin I will leave but not that thou must not like Naaman the Assyrian expect a toleration in any sin or in the neglect of any duty Well whatever thy thoughts be God will not abate one farthing Gal. 6.7.8 If thou sowest to the flesh thou wilt of the flesh reap corruption if thou sowest to the Spirit thou wilt of the Spirit reap life
in riches sometimes in one thing sometimes in another as may most suit with thy inclinations sometimes the world smiles upon thee and so seeks to ensnare thee by her Syren song Sometimes she frowns upon thee to make thee despond and sometimes threatens thee to drive thee from thy duty and thy own heart is the most treacherous enemy ready to open and to let them in Now in this desperate danger who is it can live delightfully who is it can delight in such a Neighbourhood when the most righteous is a thorn and the most upright is as a thorny hedge Can any wise man delight to live among such mortal enemies whom nothing will satisfy but the souls ruine canst contentedly suffer atheistical thoughts darted into thy soul concerning God under-valuing thoughts of Christ of Scripture of divine Providence c. If thou give them no entertainment they must needs be thy trouble but the danger is if the Devil find thee unarmed and so thou close with his temptations Is it not much better for thee to be where the Devil the world and the flesh cannot reach thee and shall never more molest thee now this is in Heaven for he is cast out thence and his place is no more found thou maist bid them defiance for they cannot reach thee now when death comes thy victory is won the battel is over and the Crown is thine and the enemy will quit the field Now thy life is tormenting by reason of sin and the consequent of sin and 't is no small mercy to be delivered from the danger which while thou art on this side Heaven thou canst not be and then there shall be no corruption within and so no danger of temptation without the Devil himself as well as sin is there cast out and his place is found no more there here he is alwaies casting floods out of his mouth to drown the woman and though he cannot drown the Church he may affright her Christ that Man-child was not free from his temptations though he was well able to resist them but he layes many a stumbling-block in thy way and many times thou hast stumbled at them and much ado thou hast had to keep on in that path which is called holy that narrow path that leadeth unto life many times thou treadest beside it sometimes on the right hand and sometimes on the left and 't is well if at last thou thred the narrow and strait gate which thou art not like to do if thou deny Christ to save thy life thou canst not open thy eyes but the Devil presents some object or other to divert thy mind he fits his baits according to mens dispositions he baits his hooks to take the wanton with a beautiful harlot he hath a Bathshebah for David a wedge of Gold for Achan a Companion for the Drunkard one vanity or other draws away the heart from God as the Indians are inticed with Feathers and Shells and other Gewgaws to part with their more rich Merchandize Job 31.1 Well may Job make a covenant with his eyes not to look upon a maid for by looking many times comes lusting and if thou open thy ears thou let'st in some sin or sorrow to the heart for either thou wilt hear something that may excite some lust or other pride passion covetousness uncleanness c. or thou wilt hear swearing ribald talking lying slandering or such like which may provoke thee to indignation or sorrow and thy other senses also are Floodgates to let in sin or sorrow yea 't is much adoe to use lawful things lawfully thy table thy meat and thy drink the cloaths thou wearest the house thou livest in the means thou enjoyest all become snares and every sense becomes a caterer for the flesh latet anguis in herbas danger lies in all these and poyson is mixt with all our dainties and hadst thou more the danger would be more for the Devil will use his utmost endeavour to make it all to be Fuel for pride or lust or some other filthy vice he can bait his hooks and that to purpose with any thing lawful or unlawful licitis perimus omnes for if he can perswade us either to use unlawful things or lawful things in an unlawful way he hath his desire and we are taken in his snares but when thou comest to Heaven thou art freed from all these Temptations Well may he bark at thee as a Dog barks at the Moon but cannot reach thee or pull thee out of thy Orb he may shake his Chain but he can neither hurt thee nor fright thee And thus thou seest Death cannot hurt but will much advantage thee it will free thee from thy sin and from thy sorrow and put thee out of the reach of all thine Enemies for neither the Devil nor his Instruments can then do thee hurt thou art set out of the reach of wicked men as Lazarus was out of the reach of Dives What sayest thou wilt yield to go when God calls thee and welcome the Messenger that is sent for thee O my God let me not make a foolish choyce let me not undo my self I am too apt to indulge the Flesh and too apt to venture the Soul upon the Pikes of danger I am too apt to live by Sense and not by Faith my reason tells me I should go when thou callest my Faith tells me I shall lose nothing by it Lord the Spirit is willing but the Flesh is weak I live among many Enemies and those perswade me to favour my self but I know those that are Friends to my sin are Enemies to my Soul Lord I have devoted my life and all that mine is and pass'd away mine Interest in it for Christ Lord take what thine is and dispose of me and mine as thou seest fit only Lord give me in suitable Qualifications for what I have to do or Suffer and then command what thou wilt prepare me for Heaven and then send for me when and by whom thou pleasest MEDITAT IX Of Hell Torments the Reward of denying Christ OH my Soul art thou yet at a stand and knowest not yet whether 't is best to lose Christ or to lose thy Life to go to Heaven or to stay upon the earth to forsake the Creator or the Creature stand still a little and let us better consider it whether is it better lose the Soul or the Body the Jewel or the Box the Wine or the Cask but lose the body thou wilt not but only lay it to sleep a little the sooner but consider also what will be the reward of the one and of the other of dying for Christ and of denying him and as thou likest thewages make choice of the work If thou put thy hand to the Plow and look back assure thy self God will take no pleasure in thee if thou beginnest in the Spirit and endest in the Flesh of the Flesh thou wilt reap corruption but if thou sow to the Spirit
Jonah out of the Whales Belly or Joseph or Jeremy or Paul or Silas or Peter to come out of Prison when the time of deliverance came was ever fick man afraid of Health or Lame man of being restored to his Limbs or a Blind man of being recovered to his sight was ever Hungry man afraid of his meat or thirsty man unwilling to drink or weary man unwilling to rest or was ever Turkish Slave unwilling to leave his Oars or enjoy his freedom yet have none of these so much cause to rejoyce in their freedom as the poor Soul hath in the freedom purchased by Christ and to be enjoyed at death Doth not the Husbandman long for the Harvest when he shall receive the fruits of the Field the reward of his labour doth not the Souldier long for the Victory when he shall receive the Crown doth not the Traveller desire his Journeys end and the Mariner his wished Port and the Labourer for the Sun-setting when his work is done and his wages is due and wilt thou only be afraid of the time when thy misery shall end and thy Joyes commence and all because there is a little dirty though not dangerous way to pass though there be an eternal reward for a temporal yea momentany Pain yea a thousand weight of pleasure for an ounce of grief Oh foolish Soul hast thou fought the fight and won the day and is it but stooping down and take up the Crown and wilt not be at so much pains Is there but one stile more to thy Fathers house and wilt thou sit down here and go no further but one hour between thee and Glory and hast thou spent so many years in reference to it and now wilt not add that hour to the rest hast thou almost run the race and shall one Lake in the way make thee to retire when the end is in sight hast subdued all the Enemies but one and is he disarmed also and lyes prostrate at thy feet and yet faintest and forsakest the Field dost thou fly from the Serpent when the sting is out hast thou vanquished the Flesh the World and the Devil and yet fearest Death which is a reconciled Friend hast thou overcome him that hath the power of Death and fearest thou Death it self Hast thou overcome the substance and dost quake at the shadow many thousand lose their Lives upon lower ends and venture them for a lower reward than here is propounded some for vain glory others for a corruptible Crown and wilt not venture thy life for Eternal glory and to secure thy Soul some venture Life and Soul and all in a Whores Quarrel or a Drunkards fray and wilt thou not in the cause of God and vindication of the truth and that when thy Captain stands by thee are the Gates of the Heavenly Jerusalem open and wilt not enter wilt lose all rather than strike one stroak more O my God let not the Flesh the World nor the Devil deceive me let me not faint under the burden nor ever turn my back upon thee Lord strengthen me and I will suffer for thee MEDITAT VI. What hurt can Death do a Believer OH my Soul what makes thee yet draw back are not all these foregoing considerations enough to satisfie thee but yet the thoughts of Death do appale thee and the thoughts of the Grave make thee to shiver heretofore thou hast even courted Death and solaced thy self with the Meditation of the Grave and the forethought of the time when Sin and Sorrow should be no more and now dost quake at the apprehension of it and art frighted at his grim countenance Consider a little what he is whence he comes and what message he brings and then see if he be so formidable as he seems he is but a Messenger and comes not upon his own errand neither runs he before he be sent he comes not from an Enemy but a friend yea from one that loves thee yea from that friend that sent Jesus Christ to dye for thee and the same love is exercised in the one as in the other he sent first to purchase an Inheritance for thee and now sends to thee to receive it He comes to tell thee the Great King of Heaven and Earth Greets thee and invites thee to the Marriage Feast to the Wedding Supper to drink Wine with Christ in his Fathers Court he comes to tell thee thou hast fought the good fight thou hast finisht thy course and from henceforth is laid up for thee a Crown of righteousness which Christ the Righteous Judge shall give thee at the last day that thou hast been faithfull over a few things and shalt be Ruler over many things and shalt enter into thy Masters Joy He comes to tell thee thou art at Age and must receive thine Inheritance that thou hast been long enough tossed to and fro upon the Waves of trouble and now must enter into the desired Port that thou hast long enough fed upon husks and now must come to thy Fathers house where there is bread enough and to spare he comes to tell thee thy Warfare is accomplished the race is run the prize is won and from henceforth the Crown of Glory is thine own and what hurt is in all this or why is such a Messenger to be feared he comes not as haply thou mayst suppose to break thy peace with thy God no but to make an everlasting peace which shall never be broken to assure thee God and thy departing Soul are at peace and all controversies are ended and that thou shalt never more see one frown in the face of God nor one wrinkle in his forehead he comes not for thy hurt but thy good not to hinder thy promotion but to promote it not to destroy thy body but only sow it in the Earth that it may spring forth a glorious body that corruption may put on incorruption 1 Cor. 15.55 and the mortal may put on immortality that Death may be swallowed up of Victory He comes not to make thee miserable Rev. 14.13 but happy Blâ—ssed are the Dead which dye in the Lord even so saith the Spirit for they rest from their labours and their works follow them He comes not to separate thee from God this he cannot do For neither Death Rom. 8.28.29 nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. No Death brings us into a nearer Union and more close Communion 'T is not come to make void the Covenant with God but to make it good for God hath promised in the Covenant to give Christ and Heaven and Glory to thee and how can this be made good till Death and though the body lye for a season in the Grave as Israel did in Egypt after Gods Covenant with Abraham yet shortly Death like
thou wilt of the Spirit reap Life Everlasting though thou hast Preached the Word to others thou thy self mayest be a Cast-away Thou maist be like to the Builders of Noah's Ark and make a Ship to save others and thy self be in the Flood or like unto the Sign at the Ale-house door that tells the Passenger where he may have shelter and yet thy self remain in the storm if thou turn thy back upon Christ notwithstanding all the Profession thou hast made he will turn his back upon thee If thou deny him before men and deny him thou dost if thou wilt not lose thy life when his cause requires it he will deny thee if thou be ashamed of him he will be ashamed of thee and he will never admit such to the Wedding if thou knock he will not open but bid thee an eternal farewell with a Verily I say unto you I know you not View a little the place appointed for Backsliders and see how thou likest of it Jude 6. The Angels that kept not their first Station but left their Habitation are reserved under blackness of darkness for ever and dost believe God will have more Mercy upon thee than upon them if thou commit the like sin 't is a folly for those that remain all the day idle and will not go into the Vineyard and yet expect wages at night but 't is egregious folly for thee that hast born the burden and heat of the day and when the shadows of the evening are stretched out and the Sun is almost set to depart in a pet and leave thy Master and lose thy wages God hath plainly told thee Ezek. 33.12 that if a Righteous man shall leave his Righteousness and do that which is evil all his Righteousness shall not be remembred in his sin he shall dye If now thou revolt all thy pains for Heaven is lost and wilt thou wilfully lose forty years work and wages he that runs a race though he run never so well if he stop before he come to the end or turn back will lose the Race as sure as if he had never set out he that acts his part never so well upon the Stage and fail in the last act will miss of his applause If thou deny Christ thy life thou wilt lose it but if thou be willing to sacrifice thy life for his sake it may be he will never require it yet shalt not thou lose thy reward but if thou deny it thou wilt lose it and thy self with it if God be not glorified by thee he will be glorified upon thee in thy destruction if thou lose thy Soul to save thy life thou makest a bad bargain The loss of a Joint or Limb may haply bring tears from thy eyes Mat. 16 2â— but what is this to the Soul and this will necessarily follow upon denying of Christ The essence and being of the Soul will not be lost this will be thy misery it shall not be annihilated or come to nothing this would be good news to a wicked man and the Atheist would willingly court himself into the belief that the Soul of man is breathed out as the Soul of a beast but this will not be nay happy would it be for them if the Soul were divisible as the body and the infernal Spirits should rend it into a thousand peices till it were rent to nothing this then were the worst it could suffer but there is a living death and a dying life if the Soul of man did expire with his breath as the soul of a beast and the whole compositum the whole man were reduced into the horrid estate of nothing to feel neither weal nor wo as the Atheist and Epicure perswades himself it were not so much but it must run parallel with the longest line of eternity and shall neither dye nor sleep with the body for this Lamp of Gods own lighting this fire of his kindling will not out the matter of it cannot be consumed hell fire will soon awaken those Atheists and light them to see their own folly and mistake yet the flame thereof cannot consume the Soul for it will prove fuel to feed those infernal and eternal flames the fire whereof never goeth out neither will the powers and faculties thereof be lost the fire will not consume them but they will be heightned and made capable of these eternal miseries and hellish torments the understanding which now is dark and by them purposely blinded shall then be inlightened they shall then better know the worth of the things they have slighted the vanity of the things they have chosen the Happiness they have lost and Misery that they are like to suffer The memory then will be enlarged and tell them of the means of Grace they have had and slighted the motions of the Spirit they have rejected the sins they have committed the duties they have omitted the covenants they have made the resolutions they have had of better obedience and by how weak temptations they have been overcome the threatnings they have had if they went on in a sinful way all which are now made good on them their conscience then will fly in their face and will not be quiet then will their evil deeds stare them in the face and say we are thy works and we will follow thee then they will call to mind at how low a rate Heaven and happiness God and glory were sold by them then their sins will cry out we are thine Jer. 17.1 and they will be ingraven upon the conscience with a pen of iron and the point of a diamond which cannot be blotted out Now thou canst lull conscience asleep or check it that it may hold its peace but then it will not be bribed but will be like a waking Lion rending the very caul of the heart and prove a never dying worm which shall feed upon thee for ever All the faculties of thy soul will then bear a part in this tragedy these will then tell thee thy God thy Saviour thy Redeemer thy Heaven thy happiness thy All is gone everlastingly gone past all hopes of recovery and all thy hopes are dasht and nothing left but endless easless and remediless torments This is the news that will continually ring in thine ears Oh what a sad what a sorrowful parting will there then be between the Soul and Body expecting a sad meeting O cursed body may the soul say for thy sake and at thy request I have denyed my God and now will he deny me I was so indulgent to thee I have undone my self to spare thee I have wounded my self to save thee a little longer I have procured eternal torments to us both to save a temporal life we are like to dye eternally Oh my soul if by denying to dye for Christ thy natural life be prolonged yet thy spiritual death will be hastned and after a few dayes this natural life which now thou purchasest at so dear
how confounding art thou to the workers of Iniquity but how amiable and delightful are the thoughts of thee to the godly for they have Eternity added to their Happiness the other to their Misery Oh what a long Lease will this be of Heavens glory that shall never expire the want of duration makes the worlds glory of little worth but Eternity makes Hells torments so Tormenting and Heavens Joy so desirable these shall never wax old nor know end Here thou â—eedest not weary thy self in Counting he fleeting hours or the return of weeks or months or years here is neither Clock nor Watch nor Dial to observe Time by nor Sun nor Moon nor Stars to distinguish Day from Night or Summer from Winter for Time shall be no more it will be swallowed up of Eternity one day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day God reckons not time as we do their Sun shall know no Eclipse nor their Moon no Change When death opens the door for the soul to enter into Eternity it shall not float there but be immediately posted into glory the Spirit shall return to God that gave it where it shall enjoy for ever those good things which it hath laboured for and thirsted after and reap the fruit of all the pains it hath taken for Heaven Oh my soul Eternity will be the very Crown of thy Crown and the Crown of Heaven it self for if thou didst certainly know thy Joyes would expire Heaven would be filled with sad thoughts and sowre sawce to thy sweet meat and spoil all thy mirth Oh my soul thou hast noâ— a price put into thy hands the Lord give thee a heart to get wisdom let not the thoughts of a short trouble or a little pain make thee loâ—e the race and mis the prize but rather suffer any temporal pain than eternal and suffer any loss rather than the loss of thy soul the loss of thy God thy Heaven and thy happiness Thou hast seen what death is both to the godly and wicked that it is common to both but no enemy to a Believer that there is nothing in the world of equal value with celestial Treasures that Death can do thee no hurt but much good in freeing thee from evil and putting thee into the possession of all that is really good thou hast seen the reward of Obedience and the punishment of denying Christ what is thy resolution Wilt thou be faithful to the death then here is offered a Crown of life Rev. 2.10 If thou wilt prove an Apostate thou must have thy portion with Judas and go down to thy place Heaven and Hell Life and Death are set before thee choose which thou wilt Oh my God I see reason sufficient why I should give up my Life to thy dispose I am convinc'd that it is my Duty and my Interest Lord suffer not this treacherous heart to deceive me let me consult with Faith and not with Sence let me never trust in my own strength neither distrust thine Lord through thy strength I can do all things but without thee I can do nothing Lord I believe help my unbelief let me honour thee both by my life and by my death if thou wilt thou canst let this Cup pass from me yet not my will but thine be done Lord fit the back before thou lay on the burden enable me to obey and then command what thou wilt if it be thy will I shall be sacrificed Lord accept of the Sacrifice and thy will be done let thy strength be seen in my weakness and Lord Jesus receive my Spirit FINIS ERRATA PAge 24. line 25. add some P. 36. l. 24. for may r. many P. 79. l. 6 blot out to P. 114. l. 30. blot out the p. 117. l. 9. add or p. 145. l. 22. for they were r. thou wert p. 147. l. 24. add out p. 188. l. 28. blot out from p. 195. l. 22. for defirmity r. deformity p. 212. l. 27. for stench r. stink p. 214. l. 22. for him r. it p. 229. l. 29. add he p. 236. l. 23. no comma after in p. 241. for transfigurati r. transfiguration p. 254. l. 20. blot out have a p. 267. l. 10. for it r. thee p. 268. l. 23. blot out nay l. 27. for be r. by p. 282. l. 19. for ignotus r. ignotis EPISTLE DEDICATORY Page 3. line 18. for triffs r. trifles p. 10. l. 16. add si p. 17. l. 10. for nescit r. scivit TO THE READER Page 15. line 12. for parllael r. parallel p. 23. l. 10. for iguotus r. ignotis Books Sold by Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheap-side near Mercers Chappel DAille on the Colossians Taylor on Christs Temptations Burgess on the Third Chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians Pareus on the Revelations One hundred select Sermons By Dr. Horton Quarto Scandret against Quakerism Bulkly on the Covenant Elton on the Commandements The Fiery Jesuit Morgan of Dialling Separation no Schism Dr. Collings upon an Opining Conscience Hodges's Creatures Goodness Considerations for Peace By the same Author Mr. Janeways Funeral Sermon The Morning Exercise against Popery Four useful Discourses By Mr. Burroughs Dr. Wilds Letter of Thanks Brightman on the Revelations Large Octavo Heywoods Sure Mercies of David Cobbet on Prayer Polwheils Quenching of the Spirit Sober Singularity Heaven taken by Storm Lye's Spelling Book Aesops Fables Doolitels Catechise Whitakers 18 Sermons Dr. Stauntons Life Venning of Sin Normans Cases of Conscience Swinnock on the Attributes Hurst of Grace Calamy's Art of Meditation Shepperdice Spiritualized Wadsworths Remains Lewis's Grammar A POEM wherein is set forth the Vanity Frailty and Brevity of Mans Life as also the Certainty of Death with the Benefit of it to Believers THE Life we live resembles much a Play Where each man acts his part and so away The best act Comedies which Joyfully end Most Tragedies which to confusion tend Men are the Actors and the World 's the Stage Whereon appears persons of every age The good the bad the noble and the base Both Males and Females even all Adams race None are exempt each have some part to play Yet some have lesser some have more to say Some Childrens parts do play they cry and then March off when others act the parts of Men. Some on the Stage do fetch a turn or two Some look about them and no more adoe Some act their own and some anothers part In a disguise they 're honest Knaves in heart The worst in Royal Robes sometimes do dress them Those that their inside view have cause to bless them In their disguise like painted Tombs they shine They 're fair without but foul enough within In Silks and Sattins many men are clad When Dunghill-rakers are not half so bad But when Death comes in their own shape we find them Their borrowed Robes they then must leave behind them Some act in thred-bare Coats