and reliefe Amen 14. Vpon the words Hodie mihi cras tibi commonly used for an Embleme of our Mortality I Have often seene painted and set out for an Embleme of our mortalitie a naked boy with a dead skull in his hand sitting upon the ground with this motto subscribed Hodie mihi cras tibi To day for me to morrow for thee In which invention no doubt the Author intended well and right good use may bee made of it by the sober and humble minded that if wee should expect death to morrow wee should bee carefull to spend to day well But lately reading a Treatise intitled Learne to Dye written by that holy man of God Doctor Sutton and published Anno 1626. in the 3. Chap. and 28. page I found these words Thy neighbours fire cannot but give warning of approaching flames mihi heri tibi hodie yesterday for me to day for thee saith the wiseman whose turn is next God only knows who knowes all Wherupon finding those words differing from the motto of the old embleme I turned to the place there vouched Eccl. 38.22 and found the Doctors words agree with the text which faith Remember my judgement for thine also shall bee so yesterday for mee and to day for thee which saying brings the remembrance of death and judgement neerer home unto us as to be thought upon to day and not put off till to morrow for it is the tempters suggestion that cries Cras cras to have our conversation put off till to morrow well knowing the old saying Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit whereas the spirit of grace saith Heb. 3.7 To day if if you will heare his voice harden not your hearts least there be no after entring into his rest O blessed Lord what a little distance of time is between to day and to morrow and yet what weightie consequence depends upon it when it may so fall out that if wee use to day as the Holy Ghost requires we may be in heaven to morrow if we defer till to morrow we shall never come thither O most gracious Lord God who callest upon us to day not to harden our hearts mollifie them now even now O Lord by thy powerfull spirit of grace that being truly converted unto thee in this our day we may be for ever delivered from the law and bondage of sin and from henceforth become the true and faithfull servants of righteousnesse and so daily waiting for thy blessed call may be graciously fitted and prepared every day with comfort and humble confidence and thankefulnes to deliver up our soules into thy blessed arms of peace through Iesus Christ our most glorious Saviour and only peacemaker Amen 15. Vpon the observing of a Grave-stone in Pauls London REading over a Christian meditation of death in French upon the 12. verse of the 90. Psalme So teach us to number our dayes c. written by Francis Lansberque and reprinted the third time Anno 1624 I observed a place pag. 136. where the Author reprooving the vanity of some men that even when they are a dying take care of eternizing their names by sumptuous tombs and pompous burials instead of vertuous and honourable actions in their life-time hath a passage in these very words Poore bones and stinking prey of wormes what doth all this availe you you seek to eternize your name in things of frailtie and in forgetfulnesse it selfe to preserve your perpetuall memorie Thinke I pray you that the very stones which cover your rotten bones have their old age that the brasse and Iron of your graves will be eaten with rust that the magnificent inscriptions are by little and little worne out by the feet of those who walke over you Believe you not this goe to the Church and if you be not blinde you shall see this made good Which words pointing me as it were to Pauls for the proofe of that is there alleadged it brings to my minde an observation of mine owne concerning a grave-stone in that Church as if it had beene one of those very stones which the first author intended For at my first comming to London about fiftie yeares since I observed a very faire and large grave-stone of a brownish colour in the pavement of the middle walke of the body of that Church betweene the two pillars next the staires that goe up into the chancell wherein at the upper end therof was an inscription engraven in the stone in old Latine letters which I could then perfectly reade in these words Non aspecies hominem ultra and in the midst or heart of the stone this one word oblivio engraven in much larger and deeper letters About thirty years after I found out the same stone removed into another place in the same walk but the upper inscription so utterly worn out that I should hardly have knowne it but by that other word in the middle of the stone the letters whereof were about seven or eight inches long and that word oblivio was then to be read though it may bee worne out also by this time This observation of mine besides that it is a demonstrative proof of the French Authors proposition toâ—ching the decay and wearing out of such kind of monuments whereby wee seeke to perpetuate our memories may also bee the precedent of a strange kinde of Epitaph far differing from those large inscriptions approved by the Author this serving every mans turne and shewing us all what the greatest of us be when we once are dead covered with oblivion and never in this world to be seene againe And this meditation doth properly joyne with that forreigne author in producing this use of instruction for us all to leave those vaine and pompous follies and to draw neere in time before we go hence to get our names written in the Lambs booke of life in heaven and then we shall be sure to have an eternall name indeed amongst all the Saints and Angels for ever O blessed Lord for thine holy names sake guide us by thy spirit in that blessed way of grace whiles we live that we may be assuredly thine when we die and then how meane soever our names or Tombes be here we shall be sure to be raised againe unto glory to celebrate and praise thy holy and blessed name in the land of the living for evermore Amen 16. Vpon a short Inscription upon a great mans Tombe I Observed upon a tombe where lay interred one in Barons robes this short inscription Fuimus which puts every reader noble or of meane condition young or old in minde that howsoever wee are yet declining sum or sumus in the present tense ere long we must come to fui or fuimus the preterperfect tense as well as those that are gone before us and this gives us a proper lesson of our mortality and if we enquire further what was the honour high place or dignitie of those that are gone to the grave take but the least
Christum transit in Christum By the first CHRIST becometh ours by the second we resigne our selves unto CHRIST and become his And these are the two hands of faith By the one we receive mercy from God by the other wee render son-like obedience unto him and if we believe as we ought to do that God is become our Father and do so apprehend him in Christ then ought we again to shew by our chang of life and new obedience that wee have rendred our selves to be his For of all those that came to CHRIST in the Gospell none went away as they came and they that are truly in him get vertue from him which workes in them the similitude of his owne life so as this meditation O my soule doth properly spread it selfe into two branches First the glorious priviledges and comforts wee receive by our adoption and then our most bounden duties to our most gracious God for the same There is a naturall adoption which is defined to be a lawfull act imitating nature found out for the comfort of them who have no children of their owne but this spirituall adoption of us differs farre from it For it is a lawfull act transcending nature found out by the Lord our God for the comfort of children that want a father Wee being by nature miserable Orphans having no father to provide for us It pleased the Lord our God to become our father in Christ and to make us his sonnes and daughters by adoption not for any benefit he receives of us for nothing can arise by the meanes of any creature to that most high and alsufficient Majestie but that hee might have some upon whom to bestow his benefits for the declaration of the glory of his rich mercy Yet both adoptions agree in this that they flow from the pleasure and goodnesse of the adoptant and that there are given to him that is adopted the priviledges of a son which by nature he hath not but where the naturall adoptant cannot change the nature of the partie adopted It is otherwise with us For if God by the grace of adoption make us his sonnes he will also by the grace of regeneration make us new creatures and therefore whosoever continues in sinne cannot challeng any interest in this divine priviledge only the sanctified are entitled to it Here also let us to our unspeakable comfort observe that the sonnes of God know most certainly that God is become their heavenly Father For in this that they are taught of God by his owne spirit to acknowledge him and call upon him with boldnesse as upon their father they cannot be deceived of their generation but with more freedome of spirit yea and surer knowledge they call God their Father then any son of the world is able to call upon his earthly Father Here also we are taught that we cannot pray unto God but by the spirit of adoption who is the parent that begets prayer as the mother who conceives it is the humble and contrite heart For no proud uncleane or hard heart can pray unto God And certainly unlesse the holy spirit testifie unto us that God is our father and hath made us his children wee dare not goe neere him to crave good things from him and therefore herein appeareth the Fatherly indulgence of our God towards us We are here in the valley of death in heavines through continuall afflictions and temptations The time is not yet come wherin the Lord will communicate unto us his glorious presence to fil us with that fulnes of joy which is in that blessed vision The time is not yet come wherein we must ascend to our father yet to keep us in the meane time that wee faint not the Lord hath sent down his holy spirit into our hearts to comfort us O fatherly care O wonderfull love That spirit the comforter descended once according to CHRISTS promise upon the Apostles in a visible manner and doth daily descend in a secret and invisible manner into the hearts of the godly lest the children of the marriage chamber should be swallowed up with heavines through the want of their Bridegroome And this glorious Ambassador teacheth us to cry unto God as upon our Father which if we doe with this spirit of adoption it is effectuall enough to draw downe upon us all those blessâ—ngs which the Lord communicates to his children His name shall bee sanctified in us his kingdom shall be advanced in us we shall not want our daily bread he will forgive us all our sins and preserve us that we fall not into temptation and deliver us from evil For all comforts rest under this name of father if we can so call him in faith the riches of his mercies are ours O blessed Lord God what manner of man should I bee in holinesse righteousnesse and heavenly-mindednesse answerable to this high and holy calling and how unworthy a wretch have I shewed my selfe of so great mercy when instead of worshipping fearing loving and obeying this most gracious Lord and heavenly father in all things I have yeelded to the filâ—hy allurements of his and mine owne most malitious and accursed enemy in many vile pollutions of my prophane youth and the many rash indiscretions sinfull neglect of good duties unfruitfulnesse and unthankfulnesse of my after time Here here my soule is a fit opportunity for me to breake out into holy mourning and lamenting for the manifold sinnes and offences of my mispent life past which now appeare the more abominable and heynous in mine eyes when I look back and consider in what strict and precise humiliation with what universall holy obedience dutifulnes and carefull watching over my thoughts words actions I should have walked before this blessed God almighty mine heavenly father whom I have so ungraciously offended O most blessed spirit of adoption God the Holy Ghost most glorious sealer up of my precious salvation looke downe in thine infinite mercies upon my poore humbled and afflicted soule and have compassion upon me Descend ô Lord my God by thy heavenly grace into my heart and purifie and sanctifie it into a holy Temple for thine owne blessed residence for ever to mollifie and melt it into the sighs and teares of true contrition and repentance for the sinnes and iniquities of my life past and then withall to raise it up by faith to see my selfe fully acquitted and discharged from them all in the precious blood-shedding of my deare Lord and Saviour IESUS CHRIST the promised Messiah God in the flesh manifested and so to enable me with the hands of humble and true faith to lay fast hold upon him and his merits for me and upon this blessed priviledge of being in and by him the adopted son of my heavenly father unto the assurance of my finall and everlasting comfort and peace Quickning and strengthning me unto all holy duties all the remaining daies of my earthly pilgrimage whereby to glorifie my heavenly father as I
am most bounden and to assure mine owne conscience of the truth of mine adoption by the syncerity of my heart and thorough sanctification that so by the sweet beams of thy grace shining into my dull and feeble soule I may with cheerfulnesse and comfort wait the good houre when my blessed Saviour IESUS shall call me from hence home to himselfe peace in and I shall leave mortality and imperfection behind me for ever Amen The Fourth MEDITATION of Mount TABOR How happie a condition it is for thee upon thy perseverance in grace to be assured of thy salvation Places of Scripture shewing how this benefit and priviledge belongs to us EXod 15.2 The Lord is my strength and song he is become my salvation Esay 45.17 Jsrael shall bee saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation yee shall not be confounded nor ashamed world without end Jeremy 31.3 The Lord hath appeared unto me saying yea J have loved thee with an everlasting love therfore have I extended loving kindnesse unto thee Ioh. 4.42 And know that this is indeed the CHRIST the Saviour of the world Ioh. 14.1 IESUS having loved his owne which were in the world he loved them unto the end Ioh 15.16 You have not chosen me but J have chosen you and ordained you that you should goe and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remaine that whatsoever yee shall aske of the Father in my name hee may give it you 9 As my Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue ye in my love 11 These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remaine in you and that your joy might be full Romans 1.16 J am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth Romans 11.29 The gifts and calling of God are without repentance 1 Corinth 1.9 God is faithfull by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his sonne Iesus Christ our Lord 8. Who will also confirme you unto the end that yee may bee blamelesse in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ Galatians 2.20 Christ liveth 〈◊〉 me and the life which I now live iâ— the flesh J live by the faith of the son of God Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that he who hath begun a good worke in you will performe or finish it untill the day of Iesus Christ Acts 4.10 Bee it knowne unto you all that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom ye crucified whom God raised from the dead doth this man stand before you whole 11 This is the stone which was set at nought by you builders which is become the head of the corner 12 Neither is there salvation in any other for there in no other name given under heaven amongst men whereby we must be saved Acts 13.26 Whosoever among you feareth God to you is the word of this salvation sent 1 Tim. 1.5 Christ came into the world to save sinners Heb. 7 22. By so much was Iesus made a surety of a better testament 25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him The fourth MEDITATION of Mount TABOR NOw my soule hath the Lord in mercy brought us to a fourth step of these our meditations which is a blessed consequent of the three former For being redeemed from our sinnes which was our first step and in the second received to our heavenly Father and in the third made his children by grace and adoption we are thereby become sure upon our perseverance in grace of finall salvation which brings us to this fourth step making our condition even in this earthly pilgrimage most happy and safe notwithstanding any inward or outward afflictions temptations terrors torments we shall or may be exercised withall in our way to heaven For hee that is sure of grace here and glory hereafter what can possibly trouble him seeing Romans 8.18 the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall bee revealed in us and 2 Cor. 4.17 our light afflictions which is but for a moment worketh for us a farre more exceeding waight of glory And how is it O my soule that we are brought to this blessed condition of safety and happinesse even by the same our most blessed Saviour only with whom we began in the first step of these meditations For hee is Alpha and Omega the first and the last Heb. 12.2 the author and finisher of our faith neither is there salvation in any other as is before quoted and recited Oh then my soul here are we to renew our daily repentance for our offences past and our humble faith in our almighty Saviour who hath acquitted us from them all and is thus graciously pleased to goe along with us and will confirme us unto the end that wee may bee blamelesse in the day of the Lord IESUS O most gracious Lord and Saviour who hast begun thine owne good worke in me thy poore weake and unworthy servant finish the same for thine owne glorious names sake and by thy holy spirit dwell in my heart for ever that for being both in soule and body throughly purified and sanctified unto all holy duties of true humiliation and godly sorrow for my sins and corruptions and of new universal obedience in the remaining houres of this transitory life J may with cheerfulnesse and comfort passe over the same and not with patience only but with joy and thankefulnesse waite for the time of my change and dissolution when thou shalt be pleased to call me home to thy blessed selfe in glory Amen Amen The Fifth MEDITATION OF MOUNT TABOR How pleasant a state it is to live without feare of death and hell Places of Scripture shewing this comfort to belong to the fa thfull HOsca 13.14 I will ransome them from the power of the grave J will redeeme them from death O death J will be thy plagues O grave J will be thy destruction Esay 25.8 He will swallow up death in victorie and the Lord God will wipe away teares from all faces Mat. 16.18 Vpon this rocke viz. the faith of Christ will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death 25. I thanke God â—hrough Iesus Christ our Lord. Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus for the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death 1 Cor. 15.54 Death is swallowed up in victorie 55. O death where is thy sting O grave or ô hel where is thy victory 56. The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law 37. But thanks be to God who giveth us the victorie through Iesus Christ our Lord. 2 Timoth. 1.10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our
by tyrants rage tempted by Sathan made of men a scorne Sold by thy servant arraigned and condemned grievously scourged then crowned with thorne Naild to the crosse twixt two thieves crucified Pierc'd through the heart opprest in soul beside Most blessed Iesu why shouldst thou endure thy precious body peerlesly innocent Yea sacred and holy by the cruell hands of sinfull wretches to be torne and rent Was there no way to expiate my sins but all these torments must be laid on thee O wretched caytive I that did offend most gracious Saviour thou thus pitying me O let my heart weep teares of blood within For these thy sufferings and my grievous sin And thou deare Lord whose love unutterable hath made thee undergo all this for me Inflame my heart with holy fire that I with awfull love againe may worship thee With true repentâ—nt teares and contrite heart prostrate thy precious bleeding wounds before My Lord my God thus crucified for me with humble faith and reverence to adore Hating my selfe for all my grievous sins Which caused those thy grievous sufferings O let mine eyes powre forth whole streames of tears my heart dissolv'd to sighs of true contrition So to bewaile my sins and wickednes and that most miserable and forlorn condition Which guilt of sin sight of the wrath of God desert of hell and utter condemnation Might threaten me but that my hope is fixt on thee my Iesus God of my salvation Thou only blessed Lord canst succour me O save my soule which only trusts in thee For when the people were in Moses time by fiery serpents wounded mortally The brasen serpent was lift up by him that such as looke up to it might not die If such great vertue in that figure were the type of this thy crosse and reall elevation How much more vertue shall thy precious blood afford my sin-sick soule for my curation Then let my humble faith cleave fast to thee Sweet Saviour let us never parted be For when I look up to this crosse of thine five glorious victories my meditation Observes thereon to be atchiev d by thee for making sure the worke of my salvation The law of grace against the law of workes prevailing so to work my liberty Against my sin thy selfe deere Lord made sin that it might righteousnesse become to me Thy death O Saviour mine abolishing My soule unto eternall life to bring And thou the Prince of darknesse conquering that I might still the child of God remaine And lastly overcomming hell it selfe that I might heavens blessednesse obtaine Thus by thy precious death and passion my soules maine enemies are vanquisht quite And I set free now under th' law no more but under grace by thy rich grace and might O let thy spirit of grace still governe me That I may die to sin and live to thee That whiles I live I may divide my time betweene true godly sorrow for my sinnes And faithfull praising of thy holy name from whence alone my hope of comfort springs And so by lively faith being knit to thee thou by thy spirit dwelling in my heart Soule of my soule mayst day by day to me thy spirituall life and quickning grace impart And I by mysticall injunction be Truly though spiritually made one with thee Of which sweet union thou hast made me sure by those maine seales of thine eternall love Thy word of truth thy Sacraments of grace thy spirit of peace inspired from above And so by matchlesse mercy on thy part most blessed Lord and humble faith on mine Thou hast betroth'd thy glorious selfe unto my poore believing soule and made it thine One of thine owne to be disjoyned neâ—eâ— But live in thee to thee with thee for ever Why then should any mortall thing detaine me longer in this vaile of teares and sin Whose whole desire with blessed Simeon is to contemne the world and all therein To lay aside this robe of earth I weare that my redeemed soule may come to thee Whose blessed will is so declar'd that where Thou art thine owne shall also be Call then sweet Iesu as it shall thee please Into thy hands receive my soule in peace When my appointed time of change shall be For which my soule shall daily wait on thee A Contemplative Meditation of the new Ierusalem and the triumphant Church celebrating an everlasting Sabbath in the kingdome of Heaven entitled by mee Halelujah to Heavens King LEâ—ve O my soule this restlesse vaile below Which sin and sorrow by turnes still overflow Raise up thy thoughts to that supernall rest Which maketh all the Saints and Angels blest Who altogether do for ever sing Halelujah's to Heavens King There is erect the Godheads glorious throne More bright than many thousand suns in one Where thy deare Saviours body glorified That body which for thee was crucified Now raigneth with the Dietie In soveraigne blisse and Majestie That sacred head which here was crownd with thorns A crown of heavenly glory now adornes That hand which here did hold the scornful reed Now weilds the Scepter of al power and dread Those feet once naild unto the tree Trample on death and hel in victorie â—he holy citie new Ierusalem Is there prepar'd for just and perfect men With great high wals of Iasper built foure square Whereof the length breadth depth all equall are Of twelve foundations precious stone The twelve Apostles names thereon In twelve gates of pearles a peece on each side three At which twelve Angels the attendants be The st eets pure gold all shining like the Sun Through which the crystal stream of life doth run From out the throne of glory flowing The Tree of life on both sides growing Within those gates of glorious habitation None enter may but heires of salvation The Lambs redeemed his espoused wife Whose names are written in his booke of life The Church triumphant there set free Forever from mortality There live those blessed troopes of purest spirits In such excesse of joyes and true delights As neither eare can heare nor eye perceive Nor can the heart of mortall man conceive Prepared by the Lord of blisse Before all worlds for all of his Who living here the blessed life of grace Are hence translated to that glorious place Where thy deare Saviour keepes a roome for thee Then looke and long for immortalitie Waite his good houre and in waiting sin Halelujahs to heavens King A Meditation of Mans mortality MAn unto whom each houre in changes preacheth That all this Globe earths glory shall decay Believs that doome to mightier creatures reacheth Yet dreames it cannot hold in brittle clay So dull and heavie is his heart in ease To think of ought that may the flesh displease Then neerer come to his dull senses cry All flesh is grasse worm-eaten flowers mans pride It 's true saith he but tell him that himselfe shall die He rather thinks it true in all beside So reason traind to be self-pleasures thrall He thinks that
failes in one which holds in al Thus he whose life should be deaths meditation Waiting for future immortality Forgets the end of his divine creation And faine would finde on earth eternitie O man look up thou must this mortall leave Before thou canst th' immortall robe receive 1 Due thought of death and hell Would sinfull thoughts expell Who so with carefull thought Would ponder as he ought How fearefull 't is to flâ—t From bed to loathsome pit From pit to easelesse paine For ever to remaine Among the damned sprights Whose mercy never lights Would not commit one sin Though it the world might win 2 As certaine as it now is day so sure it will be night anon For time stands never at a stay but now is here and now is gone Such is our life whose minutes spend and every minute wasts the store Till all be out and then an end we cannot live one minute more 3 What thing is that each man doth chiefly crave Contentment in his fortune and his mind What thing is that man here can never have Contentment in his thoughts and state to find What 's cause of both That man who heaven minds not May strive to seek that there which here he finds not 4 Take from our life these threefold parts of time First what we idly spend and nothing do Then what we spend in evil and heaven-hâ—ted cryme Last what in things that us belong not to Alas how small remaine how quickly told Is left wel spent in doing what we should Occasionall Meditations Vpon a sad and unseasonable Raine translated out of Latine WHence comes it that this sad untimely showrs Do choak the earth and of our fruits bereave us Fâ—ther to shew in heavens angry lowres That God hath left us as the Sun doth leave us Or for that man his sins nor see nor feares The heavens for us powres out it selfe in teares 2 Vpon a LOOKING GLASSE Translated out of Latine MAke this use of thy Looking-glasse that if thy face seeme faire With vicious manners ô do not the grace thereof impaire Or if thou find thy countenance such gracefulnesse denyed Let that defect with inward grace and vertues be supplyed 3 Concerning an extraordinary veile which covered my body at my comming into the world THere be some things which belong to every child in the infancy whereof the certainty cannot be known but by relation of others as the day or houre of our birth who were our sureties at baptism and the like of which kind ther was one special remarkable thing concerning my self who being my parents first son but their second child they having a daughter before me when I came into the world my head face and fore parts of the body were all covered over with a thin kell or skin wrought like an artificiall veile as also my eldest sonne being likewise my second childe was borne with the like extraordinary covering our Midwives and Gossips holding such children as come so veyled into the world to be very fortunate as they call it there being not one childe amongst many hundreds that are so borne and this to fall out in the same manner both to the father and the sonne being much more rare But whatsoever old wives observations are let us both father and sonne with all humble thankfulnesse look up to our heavenly father who made us and formed us in the wombe and brought us from thence and doth preserve and governe us from the cradle to the grave to blesse and praise his holy name for the priviledge of our birth-right which his favour hath bestowed upon us above the rest of our brothers and to studie and endeavour to walke worthy of that dignitie in our care and endeavour to serve and please him who hath singled us out as fathers of the family in our severall generations to that purpose the first borne of the sonnes amongst the Israelites being to be given or consecrated to the Lord Exod. 22.29 Numbers 3.13 Luke 2.23 And from those veiles wherewithall wee were borne let us learne this Christian lesson to veile our heads and our hearts and all our affections from the witcheries and vanities of this world and to looke up beyond the things here to our Saviour IESUS CHRIST within the veile in heaven to long and wait for those blessed and unchangeable comforts which are there treasured up for us in him Not as wee came into this world hidden of nature but as wee are now born by his holy spirit children of grace and election O mercifull Lord God we bring nothing with us into this world but that which might condemne us in the next blessed be thy most holy name by whose eternall mercies wee are born again of the Holy Ghost and our begun regeneration here shall be consummated in the world to come ô sanctifie and establish us by thy free spirit that being by our new birth made children of grace and adoption in Christ we may mortifie all our old corruptions of nature and serve thee faithfully in new obedience in the short pilgrimage of this life and bee finally received in peace into thine everlasting kingdome as thine own redeemed ones through Jesus Christ our Saviour Amen 4. Vpon an extraordinary accident which befell me in my swadling cloaths WHen we come to years we are commonly told of what befel us in our infancie if the same were more than ordinary Such an accident by relation of others befell me within few daies after my birth whilst my mother lay in of me being her second child when I was taken out of the bed from her side and by my suddain and fierce crying recovered again being found sticking between the beds-head and the wall and if I had not cryed in that manner as I did our gossips had a conceit that I had been quite carried away by the Fairies they know not whither and some elfe or changeling as they call it laid in my room In the 12. Chap. of the Revelation we read of two great signs in heaven A woman cloathed with the Sunne great with child ready to be delivered and a great red dragon with seven heads standing before her ready to devoure the child assoon as it should be born but the child being câ—â—ght up unto God and the dragon disappointed of his prey cast downe into the earth was wroth with the woman and went to make warre with the remnant of her seed which kept the commandements of God and have the testimony of Iesus Christ By this woman I conceive the Church militant was prefigured whom the Dragon hath persecuted and doth continually labour to destroy in all her members that Dragon being there vers 9. expresly said to bee that old serpent called the Divell and Sathan which deceiveth the whole world and vers 10. is the accuser of our brethren whom hee accuseth before God day and night But to our comfort it is added in the next verse that they overcame him by the blood
of life and death of salvation and damnation at that Acts 2.20 great and terrible day of the Lord wherein 2 Pet. 3.10 the heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the workes that are therein shall be burnt up the dead raised the living changed and all mankinde brought together to give a most strict accompt not for their ill works alone but for their neglect of good duties not for actions alone but for their words and that not for filthy and mischievous words only but for every idle word and the thoughts of the heart And this my soule is that infinite almighty and most glorious and dreadful Majestie against whom we have rebelled in the highest treasons his wisdome power justice being incomprehensible and his wrath insupportable O come let us worship and fall downe prostrate with all aweful reverence trembling and feare and then in the second place consider how infinitely gracious and good this our most blessed God the King of eternall glory hath beene to such a worme and vile wretch as my unworthy selfe For besides those most blessed and extraordinary priviledges which I have with my countrey-men in being borne an Englishman in the time of the most glorious Sun-shine of the Gospell of grace seconded with such Halcyon daies of blessed peace the publike miracles of mercy which God hath wrought even in my life time in the preservation of this Church and Kingdome our gracious Princes our selves and our posterities specially in these two famous deliverances never to be forgotten by any true English heart from the Spanish invincible Armado and the Popish hellish Powder plot O blessed Lord God how infinitely good and gracious hast thou been unto me most unworthy in all the particular passages of my earthly pilgrimage First in spirituall blessings by thy preventing mercy keeping me from some grievous sinnes into which my owne wicked corruptions by Sathans damnable enticements had els drawne me In thy sparing mercies in my acting of other sins wherinto I was faln In thy pardoning mercies that miracle of miracles in translating me out of that damnable estate of mine unregenerate time into rhe glorious liberty of thine owne children of grace and adoption in IESUS CHRIST and for thy renewing mercies by the work of thy holy spirit making me to loath all sinne and to apply my selfe to all duties of holinesse and righteousnesse in universall new obedience to thy most holy will and a constant will and resolution to serve and please thee love feare adore and obey thee in all true repentance and sanctification all the remaining houres of my life and lastly for the assurance thou hast given me of the upshot of all thy finall and crowning mercies in the life to come Then again in temporall blessings by preserving mee from harme in most desperate dangers giving mee the helpe of good education blessing me with a most gracious and comfortable fellowship in marriage and us both with hopefull children and grandchildren especially for our eldest son the true staffe of our age and for thy bountifull providing for us and them in outward necessaries and shewing us mercy in all our occasions yea good Lord for thy fatherly chastisements sent amongst us and therein for that gentle paralyticall infirmity of mine owne aged body whereby I have beene gratiously taken off from worldly cares and employments and have held and still by thy goodnesse have this blessed time and opportunity for heavenly meditations and Christ in preparation of my self for my change and dissolution and my finall translation into those glorious mansions which our most blessed Saviour hath provided for us in his heavenly kingdome O most blessed Lord God how shall I poore weakling do to admire thy providence adore thy Majestie love feare serve and obey thee and glorifie thy most holy name as I am most bounden and heartily desire to do in all sincerity duty and thankfulnes for all thy numberles and incomprehensible mercies blessings comforts and deliverances vouchsafed unto me even in this fraile life and valley of teares and for the glorious upshot of all thy crowning mercies reserved for me in the life to come Oh fill my heart with thy gracious spirit for enabling me to pay my humble vowes unto thy Majestie in all true sanctified obedience and faithfull and serious endeavours of soule and body to walke acceptably before thee from henceforth and for ever Amen And now my soule should wee in the third place consider how wickedly and ungraciously I have misbehaved my self all the days of my flesh towards this most high glorious almighty and most dreadful Majestie and towards this most gracious and mercifull God and Saviour of ours But here alas I am confounded wâ—h shame astonishment of heart and horror of conscience but to think of the manifold frailties prophannes pollutions of my youth and the sinful negligencies rashnesses improvidence unfruitfulnes and unthankfulnes and other sins and transgressions of thought word or deed of my whole mispent life by past Yea O Lord my God in my ungrateful and froward neglect of thy gracious time of visitation graunted mee of thine unspeakable mercie these foure last yeares aswell for my sound humiliation and serious daily repentance for my manifold sins and corruptions as for improving that precious time in those gracious duties and spirituall exercises publike and private which my conscience tels me I should have performed with more fervour of spirit feare and trembling and syncerity and intention of heart then I have done But O Lord I finde that were mine eyes fountaines of teares powred out every moment of my life should my heart fall asunder into drops of blood in my brest for anger and indignation against my selfe for my grievous sins and transgressions yet should I come infinitely short of that sorrow and hearts griefe which mine offences would justly require and exact at my hands And therefore O Lord my God though it bee my most earnest suit and the earnest desire and constant prayer of my humble soule that my hard and dull heart may by thy grace be so softned and quickned as to be truly broken and dissolved into sighs of true contrition and that I may weepe day and night for my sinnes and offences all my life long unto my dying houre yet all could not serve to draw thy mercy upon me for the least of my transgressions for in the point of redemption of mankind and purgation of sinne nothing could serve the turn but the precious blood of IESUS CHRIST God and Man in one person blessed for ever Either the sonne of God must die or else all mankind be eternally damned and their sinnes only are properly said to have pierced him who at length are saved by his blood Come then my soule let us set our humble faith on worke to lay fast hold upon this blessed Saviour of ours who only is become our reconciliation and peace-maker
for us to God our heavenly father and alone câ—n helpe us in all our distresses This being a true principle in the heavenly art of comforting of afflicted consciences that so soone as a man is heartily humbled for all his sinnes and wearie of their waight though his sorrow bee not answerable to his owne desire yet hee shall most certainly bee wellcome to IESUS CHRIST for it is not so much the muchnesse and measure of our sorrow as the truth and heartinesse of it that fits us for the promise and comfort of mercie though withall it is true that hee that thinkes hee hath sorrowed enough for his sinnes never sorrowed savingly O most blessed and most gracious Lord God I beseech thee sanctifie my heart by thy holy spirit unto sound and syncere humiliation of soul that in the sight of my sinnes I may still grow viler in my owne eyes and bee more and more humbled in true repentance for them but yet withal by the hand of lively and saving faith upon the Lord Iesus dying and bleeding upon the crosse for my sake and for mine assured reconciliation with thy Majestie by whom alone thou art appeased towards me and made my most gracious and mercifull father for ever that so by thy grace I may ever keep in my bosome an humble soft and lowly spirit which may ever enable mee to live by faith more cheerfully to enjoy thee my most glorious Lord God more neerly to apply my Iesus to my soules comfort more feelingly and to wait for and long for his blessed comming more earnestly that so being graciously prepared and sanctified by thy holy spirit the soule of my soule governing comforting and supporting me I may with all alacrity and thankfulnes faith repentance and obedience to thy most holy will walke before thee in all holy fear all the dayes of mine appointed time till my change shall come In full assurance that no sooner shall this dark world and the shadow of it bee out of my bodily sight but the glorious light of the heavenly mansions of my Saviours Palace provided for mee and all the rest of his shall shine upon my soule in full brightnesse to mine everlasting joy comfort and finall peace through IESUS CHRIST my blessed Saviour and only peace-maker Amen The Third MEDITATION OF MOUNT TABOR How glorious a thing to be the child of God Places of Scripture shewing how this benefit belongs to us Ioh. 1.11 HE came unto his owne and his owne received him not Vers 12 but as many as received him to them gave he power or the right or priviledge to become the sonnes of God even to them that believe in his name Ioh. 12 3â— While you have light believe in the light that ye may be the children of the light For as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God Râ—m 8. â—â— 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage againe to feare but ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Vers 16. The spirit it selfe beareth witnesses with our spirits that we are the children of God For ye are all the children of God by faith in CHRIST IESUS Gaâ— â— â— When the fulnesse of time was come Gaâ— â— â— God sent forth his sonne made of woman made under the Law 5. to redeeme them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sonnes 6. And because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts 7 therefore thou art no more a servant but a son Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us Iohn 3. â— that we should be called the sonnes of God 2 Beloved now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appeare what we shall be The third Meditation Now my soul are we by Gods mercy come to the third step of these our Meditations which offereth to our consideration how glorious a thing it is to be the child of God In our first step when we lay first bound in the chains of our sins under the insupportable waight of numberlesse talents of debts oppressing us our most gracious Saviour the Lord Iesus blessed for ever became our surety took our nature upon him God manifested in the flesh paid all our debts satisfied divine justice for all our sinnes and so set us at liberty and made us freemen In our second step he brought us into a further degree of favour to make our God whom we had so grievously offended and provoked to become friends with us and appeased towards us And now in the third place wee are brought to bee more than friends children of the almighty and most glorious God himselfe whereby we are entitled to demand and challenge at his fatherly hands not only safe protection from al dangers and evils and carefull provision both for soul and body in this life but also an eternal inheritance of heavenly glory in the life to come And how comes it to passe ô my soul that so wretched and worthies a creature as my unworthy self should be advanced to those glorious priviledges and high dignity of being made and accepted a child of the most high our God hath but one only son by nature even G d the son very God of very God the second person of the most holy glorious and ever blessed Trinity in and by whom alone as in our former meditations I was redeemed from my sinnes and reconciled unto God so it is in and by him only that I and all the rest of his redeemed ones doe receive the adoption of sonnes even so O most blessed Lord God and heavenly father because it so pleaseth thee through IESUS CHRIST our Lord whom our humble and true faith apprehending we receive from him into our hearts the blessed spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father the same spirit bearing witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God by faith in CHRIST IESUS as in the severall places of holy Scripture before named appeareth O then my soule let us now also by this third step and meditation take this just and fit opportunity for renewing of our daily repentance and of our humble faith in this most gracious Saviour of ours for our laying fast hold upon him who by these blessed degrees hath brought us to this high priviledge of being the children of God And true faith I find to be thus defined Faith is a filiall confidence in God conceived of the knowledge of CHRIST and the love of the father in him whereby man runneth unto God and cryeth unto him Abba Father In which lively faith there is a twofold operation First an apprehending vertue by which the believer receives and applieth to himselfe IESUS CHRIST as he is offered in the word and sacraments Secondly a rendring vertue so to call it whereby the believer goes out of himselfe into the Lord. Qui credit in
of the lamb and by the word of their testimony And certainly that attempt of stealing me away as soone as I was born whatsoever the midwives talk of it came from the malice of that arch-enemy of mankind who is continually going about seeking whom he may betray and devoure But blessed be the Lord our most gracious God and mercifull father that disappointed them then and hath ever since preserved and kept mee from his manifold plots and stratagems of destruction so as now in the seventieth yeare of mine age I yet live to praise and magnifie his wonderfull mercies towards me in this behalfe O most blessed Lord Iesu our most gracious Saviour and Mediator one part of thy Church redeemed by thy pretious blood have already fought the good fight of faith and are translated hence into thine heavenly kingdome with Abraham the father of the faithfull and the rest of the glorified Saints to celebrate thy praises for evermore The other part of this Church is militant here upon earth striving against their owne naturall corruptions and the wiles and power of thine and their enemies Good Lord thou knowest the cunning power malice and crueltie of the adversary and the great weaknesse of â—â—â—e owne children and beholdeâ— their daily fightings and failings and how â—â—â—ble wee are to stand in our selves O mercifull Saviour strengthen us with thy grace and shew thine almightinesse in our weaknesse that fighting under thy banner who hast already in our flesh and for us conquered all our enemies to our hands we may be enabled to stand fast and unmoovable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord that so in the end we may bee more than conquerors through thee our glorious Captaine and Saviour and when wee have fought here below so long as thou wouldest have us wee may when thou shalt bee pleased to call us hence be translated unto the fellowship of thy Saints and Church triumphant in heaven there to joyne with them in the new songs of thy redeemed ones to magnifie and praise thy most holy and blessed name from everlasting to everlasting Amen 5 Vpon my breeding up at Schoole IT was not my happines to be bred up at the Vniversity but all the learning I had was in the free Grammar Schoole called Christs schoole in the City of Gloucester yet even there it pleased God to give mee an extraordinary helpe by a new schoolemaster brought thither one Master Gregory Downhale of Pembrook-Hal in Cambridge after I had lost some time under his predecessor This Master Downhale having very convenient lodgings over the school tooke such liking to me as he made me his bedfellow my fathers house being next of all to the schoole This bedfellowship begat in him familiaritie and gentlenesse towards mee and in mee towards him reverence and love which made me also love my book love being the most prevalent affection in nature to further our studies and endeavors in any profession hee came thither but Batchelour of Arts a good scholler and who wrote both the secretary and the Italian hands exquisitly well But after a few yeares that hee had proceeded Master of Arts finding the schooles entertainment not worthy of him hee left it and betook himselfe to another course of being Secretary to some noble man and at last became Secretary to the worthy Lord Chancellour Ellesmere and in that service as I think dyed And my selfe his scholler following his steps as neere as I could though furnished with no more learning then he taught mee in that Grammar Schoole came at last to be Secretary to the Lord Brooke Chancellor of the Excheqâ—er and after that to my â—â—â—ch honoured Lord the Earle of Middlesex Lord high Treasurer of England and lastly to the most worthy my most noble Lord the Lord Coventry Lord-keepper of the great Seale in whose service I expect to end my dayes And this I note that though I were no graduate of the Vniversity yet by Gods blessing I had so much learning as fitted me for the places wherunto the Lord advanced mee and which I thinke to bee very rare had one that was after a Lord Chancellors Secretary to be my Schoolemaster whom by Gods blessing I followed so close that I became a successor to his successors in the like place of eminent service and employment It is the almighty and al-governing hand of thy providence O most glorious Lord God whereby all things are disposed amongst the children of men let my soule for ever praise thee for this gracious work of thine towards me thine unworthy wretch whom thou hast preserved and enabled from my weake and small beginnings for those places whereunto I have beene called and which by thy grace I have with credit and comfort discharged O blessed Lord God who hast led mee from my youth up forsake mee not now in mine old age when I am gray headed and my strength faileth me but finish thy gracious worke of mercy and grace in me to the consummation of it in thy heavenly kingdome whereunto thou hast â—lected mee in IESUS CHRIST thine eternal Son the promised Messias God in the flesh manifested our most gracious Lord and Saviour unto whom with thee ô father of glory and mercies and God the Holy Ghost the most blessed spirit of grace and adoption most holy glorious and ever blessed Trinitie in the unity of one onely true immortall and everliving God of incomprehensible glory and most adored and coeternall Majestie be al praise glory dominion and thanksgiving for ever Amen 6 Vpon an accident to me when I was a Schoole-boy BEfore Master Downhale came to be our Master in Christ-school an ancient Citizen of no great learning was our schoolmaster whose manner was to give us out severall lessons in the evening by construing it to every forme and in the next morning to examine us thereupon by making all the boyes in the first forme to come from their seates and stand on the outsides of their desks towards the middle of the schoole and so the second forme and the rest in order whiles himself walked up and down by them and hearing them construe their lesson one after onother and then giving one of the words to one and another to another as he thought fit for parsing of it Now when the two highest formes were dispatched some of them whom we called prompters would come and sit in our seates of the lower formes and so being at our elbowes would put into our mouths answers to our masters questions as he walked up and downe by us and so by our prompters help we made shift to escape correction but understood little to profit by it having this circular â—e â—oâ— like the Mil-horse that travelâ— all day yet in the end finds himsâ—â—â— not a yard further then when he 〈◊〉 I being thus supported by my prompter it fell out one day thâ—â—â—â—e of the eldest schoâ—ler◠〈◊〉 one of the highest forme fell out with mee upon occasion of some boyes-play
by it when the meanest scullion oâ— his kitchin and the poorest cripple at his gates were therby made their Lords Kinsmen being all Adams children as well as himselfe And what pitch of honour had he gotten from that common ancestor of al mankind but what we all his posterity by wofull experience finde to bee pitch indeed the guilt and infection of sin and the fruit of it death Objects proper for shame sorrow and humiliation no way for honour or vain-glory Adam himselfe being made but of red earth and he and his posterity to returne to earth againe O most blessed Lord God blessed and magnified be thy most holy and glorious name who after many generations hast raised up a mighty salvation for us in the Lord Iesus the second Adam sonne of thy servant David according to the flesh as thou didest speake by the mouth of all thy holy Prophets which have beene since the world began by whom we have redemption and deliverance from the guilt and punishment â—f the first Adams rebellion and from all the power and malice of that old wily serpent who overthrew him in the terrestriall paradise and are by the blessed promised seed of the woman the Lord our righteousnesse God manifested in the flesh for our redemption restored to a better inheritance even the Paradise of God his owne heavenly Kingdome Let all the Monarchs and States of the world fall downe before thy glorious foot-stoole O most blessed Lord and Saviour and worship and rejoyce in thee the only God of our salvation and let no man glory in the antiquitie of his noble ancestors for no man can goe higher then the Lord Lumleys Pedegree But let every true Christian how meane soever or wretched here and though by nature in the first Adam a child of wrath and perdition lift up his head with joy unspeakable and glorious being in and by this second Adam our blessed Saviour and his holy Spirit by adoption and grace made the child of the most High the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and thereby become truly noble indeed And let all the Potentates of the earth aspire to this spirituall honour by regeneration in CHRIST then to all the pompe and glories of a thousand worlds with the good Emperour Theodosius who thanked GOD more for his being made a member of CHRIST then the Emberour of the world for the best and noblest nature amongst the children of men brings forth nothing but corruption onely grace makes truly noble and everlastingly happy 13. Of a Felon making of a comfortable end at his Execution AMongst all other charitable deeds of that worthy man of God Master Perkins in the Vniversitie of Cambridgâ— his manner was as I have heard to visit the prisoners condemned at the Goale deliveries there not onely in the prison for their spirituall instruction and preparation before their execution but to accompanie them also at the place where they were to suffer whither divers schollers and others of good â—ancke also usually resorted one of which spectators a fellow of Trinitie Colledge made relation to mee of a comfortable worke upon one of the felons at one of the executions more remarkable then the rest to this eâ—â—ect The prisoner being a strong lustie fellow in the vigour of his youth in his going up the ladder discovered an extraordinary lumpishnesse and dejection of spirit and when he turned himselfe to sit upon an upper round to speake to the people looked with such a ruefull and heavie countenance as if hee had beene halfe dead already where good Master Perkins standing at the foot of the ladder laboured to cheere up his spirits and finding him still in agony and distresse of mind called upon him in words to this purpose what man what is the matter with thee art thou afraid of death Ah no said the prisoner shaking his head but of a worser thing Saist thou so said Master Perkins come downe againe man and thou shalt see what Gods grace will doe to strengthen thee whereupon the prisoner comming downe Master Perkins tooke him by the hand and made him to kneele down with himselfe at the Ladder foot hand in hand when that blessed man of God made such an effâ—â—tuall prayer in confession of sins and aggravating the same in all circumstances with the horrible and eternall punishment due for the same by Gods justice as made the poore prisoner burst out into aboundance of â—â—â—â—es as the fervencie of the prayer gave occasion and when the blessed Preacher found that he had brought him low enough even to hell gates hee proceeding to the second worke of his prayer to shew him being truly humble and unfainedly penitent the Lord Iesus the Saviour of all penitent and believing sinners stretching forth his blessed hand of mercy and power to save him in that distressed estate and to deliver him from all the powers of darknesse did so sweetly presse the same with such heavenly art and powerfull words of grace upon the soule of the poore prisoner as cheered him up againe to looke beyond death with the eyes of faith to see how the blacke lines of all his sinnes and debts owing to Divine Justice were crossed and cancelled with the red lines of his crucified Saviours precious blood so graciously applying it to the prisoners wounded conscience as made him breake out into new showers of teares for joy of the inward consolation which he found and gave such expression thereof to the beholders as made them lift up their hands and praise God to see such a blessed change in him who upon the prayer ended rose up from his knees cheerefully and went up the Ladder againe so cheered and tooke his death with such patience and alacritie of spirit as if he actually saw himselfe delivered from the hell hee feared before and heaven opened for the receiving of his soule to the great rejoycing of the beholders Blessed bee thy most holy and glorious name O Lord our good God for all those gracious endowments and abilities wherewithall thou hast and dost furnish thy Ministers of the Gospell of peace for the converting of sinners unto thee and for bringing home the wandring ones and rescuing their soules out of the Lions mouth not only amongst those many of the meaner sort that suffer in our ordinary Circuits and Goale deliveries but also amongst our great men and Nobles capitall offenders at the Tower some of whom the spectators seeing their Christian and gracious preparative for death and their behaviour in it have adjudged more happie in their ends then in all the glorious pompe of their greatnesse before Good Lord increase the number of thine able servants furnished both with gifts and willing mindes to visit comfort and help those poore children of death in that their greatest and last need that they may then by thy grace feele that which all thy children doe in their greatest distressesâ— that mans extremity is Gods blessed opportunitie for their finall comfort
to walke exactly Ephes 5.15 in a holy life have little store of that grace and little hold of that Saviour whereof they presume so much Shortly as it is our great comfort that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. So that which followes must bee our great care to walke not after the flesh but after the spirit That new and living way by the blood of Christ will guide us streight to heaven between those two dangerous rocks of despaire and presumption Rec. 4. Nov. 1630. In the conclusion of this Letter I was encouraged to continue my honourable Lords service which I did for the yeare following and then 30. Novemb. 1631. being suddainly taken with a disease called vertigo capitis which I doubted might turne to an Apoplexy I withdrew my selfe home and entred into a course of Physick under which I was holden so long as I was by GODS mercy taken off from my further worldly imployments and with my noble Lords extraordinary favour in my farewell retired my self into Northamptonshire since which time it hath pleased our most gracious Lord God to adde some more yeares to my life for my better preparation for the time of my change blessed be his most holy name for it and let his holy spirit of grace I humbly beseech him teach both my selfe and all others that shall read this worthy letter to learne and practise that most necessary and blessed lesson of joyning faith and obedience true beliefe and holy life together in the short race of our earthly pilgrimage that so being true children of grace here we may be assured to bee heires of glory in the life to come through Jesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour Amen 23. Vpon the words revealed to S. Augustine In te stas non stas IT is written of Saint Augustine that after his conversion to the faith he was grievously vexed with inward conflicts against his corrupt affections complaining of his inbred hereditary habituall inveterate vices and after long strugling with them by purposing and vowing strong resolution watching fasting selfe-revenging and other good meanes finding still hâ—s owne weaknesse and the encreasing violence of his owne corruptions as he was intentively musing and meditating what to doe more hee heard a voice speaking to him these words Jn te stas non stas Whereupon rightly apprehending that his owne strength of wit carnal I reason and other powers and helpes of nature could not serve the turne for effecting that which was the peculiar and proper worke of grace hee betooke himselfe to his Saviour by humble faithfull and fervent prayer and at last found such inward assistance from the holy spirit of grace as strengthened him to stand and make good his resolutions with more comfort then before Whether the Lord in speciall favour to this gracious servant of his did vouchsafe to give him this vocall instruction by words to his eares or howeveâ— the matter thereof was suggested or revealed to him by the Holy Ghost I enquire not but sure I am they are words of great use and warning to us all not to trust to our selves or any strength or power of nature for any spirituall worke to be wrought in us or by us but to have our recourse to our Saviour and to seeke helpe from him and his grace which cannot bee had elsewhere how often it falls out that selfe opinion of a mans owne wit makes his wit his owne overthrow and selfe-confidence of his owne strength in evill company instead of reclaiming others to make himselfe worse then they O blessed Lord Iesu our most blessed Saviour who knowest both the miserable infirmities and debilities of our depraved nature and the subtile and advantagious power of our ghostly enemies and having thy selfe in our flesh and for us overcome them in all their temptations dost best know Hebrews 2.18 to succour them that bee tempted have mercie upon us thy weake and unworthy servants and give us grace to learne that necessarie lesson of self-deny all and with humble faith to put our whole trust in thee for ever Esay 26.4 For in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength and Iude 24. thou only art able to keepe us from falling that so being weake in our selves wee may bee strong in thee and in the power of thy grace be enabled to stand fast in the evill day and in all things Romans 8.11 through thee who lovest us to hee more then conquerors for 2 Timothie 4.18 Thou O Lord hast delivered us and dost deliver us and we hope wilt deliver us from every evill worke and wilt preserve us unto thy heavenly kingdome to thee be all glory and praise for ever Amen 24. Vpon the building of Pauls Church in London WHensoever that goodly monument of antiquity was built it was evident to my understanding that the Christian Church of those times did hold that not Saint Peter but the holy Christian faith was the rocke or foundation whereupon the militant Church of CHRIST was to be founded for under the Chauncell of that mother Church of the chiefe Citie of England there is an under-Church built with strong arches and pillars called Sancta Fides usually called S. Faiths which is indeed the proper foundation of the Church of Paul's By which demonâ—â—rative argument it appeares that the good people in those dayes did better understand the true meaning of our blessed Saviour in the 16. Chapter and 18. verse of Saint Matthew's Gospell concerning the Rocke whereupon hee would build his Church then the Romanists of later times have done who would make the world believe that our Saviour did then appoint S. Peter and after him his successors in the Cathedrall Church of Rome to be that rocke of the Catholike Church of Christ and the supreme Vicar and head of the Church in whose breast all infallibilitie of judgment and power of determining in all matters of the Church should bee only resident For certainly if there had beene any such conceit broached at the building of Pauls the fundamentall Church of holy faith should have beene named Saint Peters as if our Saviour had meant to build his Church upon Saint Peter's person and not upon the Christian faith which hee as the mouth of all the Disciples professed that our Saviour was the true Messiah Christ the sonne of the living God our Saviours question being made expresly to all the Disciples verse 15. and hee answering for them all O most blessed Lord Jesu who art the way the truth and the life and seest into what miserable combustions the state of Christendome is brought by these antichristian wastings of thine owne blessed workes for maintenance of private supremacie and Soveraigntie here as if thy kingdome were of this world which thy self hast Ioh. 8.36 expresly disclaimed have mercy upon thy poore distracted and distressed Church and make up the breaches thereof against all the wicked plots and machinations of the adversary by inclining the
life separated from the joyfull presence of our glorified Saviour in whose face is perfect joy for evermore and if there were no further paine of sense in hell but this poena damni only this deprivation of God's presence that were a hell sufficient of it self wherunto there is added paines of sense fire eternall utter darknesse But withall this consideration of the Judgement which shewes such terrible things to the wicked brings the faithfull to another issue the blisse and heaven and everlasting salvation the comforts and joyes wherof it lyeth not in my power to declare nor in the heart of any man to conceive but there will bee the full fruition of what wee hope for here and an absolute deliverance from all those things which trouble or feare us here And yet I have not done one thing more this consderation of our end brings us to namely that wee must not end when we come to our end but there is an eternitie that attends us after-wards whether of life to salvation or of eternal confusion And this is a consideration of weight indeed I read of a good Christian in time of persecution who being condemned to die for his conscience his wife perswaded him to yeeld to the kings will and save his life why saith hee how long thinkest thou I may live if I should doe so shee answered twentie or thirtie yeares perhaps Alas saith hee and if it were so many thousand yeares what were that to eternitie O let us make use of this and consider sadly and seriously of this maine point that this thorâ— lifâ— of ours is but a moment whereupon eternitie depends and therefore it much concernes us all to listen to this wish of th Holy Ghost and to labour to bee wise and understand and consider our later end 26. Vpon the Turkies comming duly to their roost at night SEe how these silly fowles which at their owne libertie wander and feed abroad in Gardens Fields and Orchards all the day long and many times farre off from their usuall roosting places yet notwithstanding the company of other fowles of their owne kinde met abroad discovery of new places of better feeding and other enticements or impediments do ever towards Sunne-set draw themselves homewards before it be darke so to have time and daylight enough to flie up to their perches of roost where only they looke for safety and quiet in the night approaching This providence taught these sillie creatures by instinct of nature as it directly shames and condemnes some of us who when we are got abroad are easily drawne by ill company good-fellowship or other idle vanitie to deferre our comming home till we are not able to come home but must be led home like beasts or lie in a ditch by the way to the hazard of soule and body so it may bee a necessary remembrance usefull to us all that in all our worldly occasions of this life wee bethinke our selves of the Sun-setting with us I meane the houre of death which must as certainly come upon every one of us at one time or other as the Sun-setting closeth up every day that goes over our heads that like the sons and daughters of wisdome we may everyday remember that our last night is at hand and so provide to make our peace with God by Iesus Christ our only peace-maker whiles it is called to day that that night doe not surprise us or take us unprovided for it O mercifull Lord God strengthen my feeble soule by thy holy Spirit of grace that with the humble wings of true repentance and a lively faith J may before hand flie up into the Arke of my Saviours perfect righteousnes that whensoever that night shall come upon me I may bee found there in safetie and so received into thine everlasting peace Amen 27. Vpon the remove of houshold from one dwelling to another THe day appointed for this remoove was set downe many daies agoe and most of the stuffe packed up and made readie for carriage yet see how full of trouble and perplexitie the day it selfe is by taking leave of old friends and neighbours some things forgotten to bee done before some new interruptions falling out in the instant so that many times the carriages are benighted and fall short of getting to the new home in due time Wee are all in this world but sojourners and our home is not here but in Heaven for which wee should bee everyday so wise by preparing our selves that wee might not bee combred upon the day of our remoovall but to have them nothing to doe but to lift up our soules unto our Saviour the Lord Iesus and so depart in peace yet how contrary to this is the practice of many who leave all their busines to the very remoove-day the day of death not having so much as setled their outward estate or made their wils before wherby they grow so perplexed and distracted with thoughts of this world care of wife and children visitations of neighbours pangs and distresses of sicknes fear of death inward horrours and temptations aâ— makes their departure many times very discomfortable O most glorious Lord God I know not how sufficiently as I desire and ought to praise thy most holy name for thy great mercy towards me in this gentle visitation of sicknes which thy most gracious and tender hand hath laid upon me whereby I am taken off from all worldly cares and thoughts and have also of thine infinite goodnesse such gracious times and opportunities to prepare my selfe for my remove and change O let my soule for ever praise and magnifie thy holy name therefore And withall J most humbly beseech thee to stretch thy hand of mercy yet further upon me that as my body shall decay wherein I most humbly submit my selfe to thy blessed good will and pleasure my soule may be strengthened by thy powerfull spirit of grace and the good worke begun in me made more and more perfect that when this earthly tabernacle shall be dissolved my soule united by faith to my blessed Redeemer the Lord Iesus may bee then received of thee in peace through his precious merits and mediation who is our alone Saviour and peace-maker Amen 28. Vpon the casuall hearing of a verse in the new Testament read by a child AS I was to passe through the roome where my little grand-childe was set by her Grandmother to reade her mornings Chapter which fell out to bee the ninth of S. Matthews Gospell just as I came in shee was uttering those words in the second verse Jesus said to the sicke of the palsie sonne bee of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiven thee Which words sorting so fitly with my case whose whol left side is taken with that kinde of disease and whose soule desires nothing so much as such a gracious word from my Saviour I stood at a stand at the uttering of them and could not but conceive some joy and comfort in those blessed words
great Clock in Westminster Palace THis Clock strikes foure and twentie times a day And every striking shewes one hower is past Thus houre by houre our daies do weare away And one those houres must shortly be our last But which we know not that poore sinners we In faith repentance and obedience From houre to houre by grace prepar'd may be For our last houre and happie going hence When our dear Saviour shall call us home in peace And sin death sorrow shall for ever cease 34. Home LOrd Iesu keepe my heart which by thy grace would faine keep thee excluding all beside O let thy spirit sanctifie the place and by his sacred influence still rule and guide My thoughts words actions studies and desires To heaven-ward whereto my soule aspires For thence it came I have no home but there and thitherward am travelling as I may A sojourner and wearied pilgrim here waiting my calling home from day to day Till mine appointed time of change shall come And thou dear Lord my soul shall welcome home Meane while thy grace increase my faith in thee with true repentance and obedience That these thy graces may abound in me and I may die in them when I go hence And so by grace prepar'd as I should be Sweet Saviour receive my Soule in peace to thee 35. A Dialogue betweene an old sick man and his neighbour visiting him Q. HOw do you Sir A. I praise God never better Because I never was so neere my home Q. What home mean yoâ— nature to death is debtor And old or young we all must thither come A. True deâ—th the common passage is betweene This mortall life and that which lasts for ever The body carries th' immortall soule unseene Along with it so far but their they sever The bodie dies the soule to heaven straight From whence it came and where its dwelling is And that 's the home I meane for which I waite The glorious mansions of eternall blisse Q But ere you can get thither you must die A. My body must indeed but that 's not I. Q. And should the bodies death so slighted be The king of terrour to all living things A. I slight not death Gods messenger is he And therefore welcome and good newes he brings T'uncloath me of this body that I may Be cloath'd upon with immortalitie And so brought home to dwell in heaven for ayâ— In glorious joyes and true felicitie And though death laies my bodie in the dust As if I never should behold it more Yet rise it shall and he restore it must In better plight then ere it was before The sooner I get home the better then Sweet Iesus take me home in peace Q. Amen 36. A Hymne for Christmas-day Gloria in excelsis Deo ALL glory be to God on high and peace on earth good will to men This was the Chore of Angels song at Iesus birth in Bethlehem For then the eternall sonne of God became the blessed virgins sonne God manifested in the flesh to save mankind els quite undone Come let us magnifie his name with Angels and Archangels still And sing All glory be to God and peace on earth to men good-will For by this worke of God made man both th' heavens and earth have cause of joy The heavens new glory have thereby the earth doth heavenly peace enjoy And both from Gods good will to man for loe this blessed heavenly child Hath sinfull Adam and his race redeem'd and to his Father reconcil'd Come let us magnifie his name with Angels and Archangels then And sing all glory be to God and peace on earth good will to man This babe though cradled in a cratch was yet the King of glory borne And came from heaven man to save who otherwise had beene forlorne He is our only peace on earth the conscience pacifier here He is our glory in the heavens our blessed glorifier there Come then above all creatures we should sing this Angels Antheme still All glory be to God on high and peace on earth to men good will But first from men on earth below should glory mount to God on high Then God from heaven would shower downe peace to men on earth abundantly For God being now at peace with man through Christ the Lord both God and man The heavens and earth are likewise friends as 't was when first the world began Come let us magnifie his name with Angels and Archangels then And sing All glory be to God and peace on earth good-will to men O what transcendent love was this of that great God to poore mankinde When men and Angels both were falne God tooke man up left them behinde And that man might be quit from hell and brought to heavens glorious blisse The Prince of heaven man became was ever mercy like to this Come then and let us praise his name with Angels and Archangels still And give God glory in the highest that shâ—wed to man such high good-will To thee O most Almighty Lord most holy gâ—â—â—ious Trinitie The Father Goâ—â—â—d Holy Ghost in ever blessed nâ—â—e From hearts and soules and all our powers all glory prâ—â—â—e â—â—â—nksgiving be As in beginning was is now and shall to all eternitie For Christ the Lord our Iesus borne at time prâ—fixt in Betâ—lehem Let heâ—ven and earth with all their hosts come joyne with us and say Amen A Prayer and Meditation for my wife and my selfe to joyne together she being in the 67. year of her age and I â—n the 74. of mine and both full of bodily infirmities for our daily waiting for the blessed houre of our dissolution 1 HEre at thy foot-stool blessed Lord do we â—calâ— Thy weak unworthy servants wait thy gracious Our work draws to an end and now we come to thee Whose blessed will is so declared we shall Blesse this our waiting time and by thy grace Support us joyfully to end our race 2 For thou already hast of thy good will In truth and mercy us espous'd to thee Although the mariage day must rest untill This mortall puts on immortality Meane while thou hast thy holy spirit us given To guide us all along our way to heaven 3 Whose sacred hand within the first degree Of life eternall hath already brought us â— Vniting us renewed by grace to thee Most glorious Saviour who hast deerly bought us And by this first degree assures the rest To make us finally for ever blest 4. The second step to lifes eternitie Is by deaths passage which we now attend Where laying down all our mortalitie Our soules by Angels conduct shall ascend Members of thy Church thine own espoused wife Into thy palace of eternall life 5. Where we instead of flesh that 's transitory And must be laid to sleep here in the grave Shall have new robes of everlasting glory As all our fellow members there shall have O what a blessed glorious change is this To leave this world for heavens endlesse blisse 6. And yet there rests behind a third degree When these fraile bodies rais'd from death agen Vnto eternall life rejoynd shall be Vnto our soules and glorified with them When all things shall receive their consummation Our soules and bodies both compleat salvation 7. Now whiles we wait in this our pilgrimage When our appointed time of chang shall come Lord Iesu help in this our lifes last stage And our redeemed soules bring safely home To that safe home of thine where al things bee In perfect peace and true securitie 8. For in this life such our corruptions are As hinder when we any good intend But headlong running into every snare To make us our most gracious God offend Vnder this bondage of corruption thus Lye we till thou good Lord deliver us 9. Here then with panting longings after thee Most glorious Saviour for our finall rest With sighs of hope and teares of joy do we Attend thy blessed call to make us blest Call then sweet Iesu when it shall thee please Into thy hands receive our soules in peace Amen Iob 14.14 All the daies of mine appointed time will I waite till my change shall come