to the lips in water yet they are slaine with thirst as the Poets in times past fabled of TANTALVS But though many and great be the troubles of the Righteous yet the Lord delivereth them out of all For the eyes of the Lord is over the Righteous and his Eare is open to theyr cry but the Face of the Lord is against them that do evill Psalm 3 4 to cut off theyr Remembrance from the Eatth Who would be unwilling then to suffer ignominies and scornings rather then with the wicked to injoy the pleasures of Sin for a season Revel 2â— God himselfe will wipe all teares from theyr eyes hee will give them Ioyes for theyr Sorrowes as hee sayth Blessed are yee that now Weepe for yee shall Rejoyce troubles in this life are badges of Gods Children Whom the Lord loveth Prov. 3. hee chastiseth and correcteth every Sonne that he chuseth with Patience Luke 21. Therefore possesse your Soules Iohn 15. and remember who it is that sayd You are not of the World as I am not of the World the world hateth you because it hated mee first if you were of the world the world would love you Oh blessed Sufferings that makes us like to God himselfe if wee had the Wisedome of SALOMON the Treasure of CRoeSVS and the long life of METHVSALEM and out of the favour and love of God our Wisedome were Foolishnesse for to know him is perfect wisedome our Riches were drosse for riches will not avayle in the day of Wrath and that life so long and wickedly led no better then a man that dreames hee is a King honoured of all and wanting nothing when waking hee findes himselfe hated of all and wanting all things III. Of the Peace of a good Conscience and the Ioyfull end of the Godly SALOMON having set himselfe to behold all things that were under the Sun having taken to himselfe all that could bee delightfull for what can he doe more that commeth after the King at last concludeth Eccles 2. That all the dayes of Man are sorrowes and his travailes griefe therefore sayth he I hated life for all is Vanity and vexation of Spirit and perceiving how apt men were to follow what delights this world could affoord them scoffes at theyr folly and by way of derision sayth Rejoyce O young man in thy Youth Eccles 11 let thy heart cheare thee in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes yet would hee not let them goe on thus but gives them an Jtem saying But know that for all these things God will bring thee to Iudgement for though sayth hee A Sinner doe evill an hundred times and his dayes bee prolonged yet surely I know that it shal be well with them that feare God These Caveats the godly man placeth before his remembrance least hee should fall into errors and making his life of no value to him hee despiseth all things onely ayming at that may make him happy which is a good Conscience for that will bring him peace at the last death being to a godly man the ending of Sorrowes and the beginning of Ioyes he doth then begin to live with God when hee dyes to the World Eccles â— as it is sayd in Ecclesiastes Who so feareth the Lord it shall goe well with him at the last and in the day of his Death hee shall be blessed And St. IOHN was commanded to Write Blessed are the Dead Revel 14. that dye in the Lord even so sayth the Spirit that they may rest from theyr labours their works follow them How can that man bee discouraged that heareth this of the Lord in the houre of his Death when he findeth himselfe hasting thither where hee shall receive that which he hath all his life-time desired And Saint AVGVSTINS speaking of the Death of a Good man sayth He that desireth to bee dissolved be with Christ dyeth not Patiently but liveth Patiently and dyeth delightsomely and it may be sayd That like a Swan he dyeth singing yeilding the glory to God which calleth him With what joy doth that Soule behold his end who hath all his Life-time possessed a good Conscience nothing fearefull can present it selfe before him he sees all his sinnes not of a Crimson die but White as wooll washed by the blood of Christ he beholds him not as his Iudge but his Sauiour and Mediatour his Iudge is his Brother God in Christ is become his Father hee hath no debts to pay Christ Iesus on the Crosse hath Cancelled the hand writing that was against him and hath not onely made him free but also an heyre of the Kingdome of Heaven The presence of Death is not terrible to him for he feareth not Death because hee feared GOD and hee that feareth him need feare none other hee feareth not Death because he feared Life but feare of Death are the effects of an evill Life hee feareth not Death because through all his life hee learned to dye and prepared himselfe to dye but a man prepared and provident need not feare his Enemy he feareth not Death because so long as he lived he sought for those things that might helpe him that is for Vertues and good Workes hee feareth not Death because to a Righteous man Death is not death but a sleepe it is not Death but an end of all labours it is not Death but away unto life and a Ladder unto Paradice for hee knoweth that Death hath lost all the bitternesse of Death after it hath passed through the veynes of Life and that it hath received the sweetnesse of life hee feareth not the presence of Divels because he hath CHRIST his defender and Captaine he feareth not the horror of the grave because he knoweth that his body is sowne a corrup tible body but shall rise againe in incorruptible body often boasting in the strength hee hath gained by Christ saying with cheerefulnesse of spirit O Death where is thy sting 2. Cor. 15. O Grave where is thy victory The strong man death comes not upon him unawares for hee hath layd up in store for himselfe a good foundation against this time 1. Tim. 6. which was to come that hee might lay hold on Eternall life Even the brest-plate of righteousnesse Ephes 5. the shield of Faith the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit having his loynes girt about with verity and his feete shod with the preparation of the Gospell of Peace what hope now hath his enemy of any advantage though helped by the weakenesse of his owne flesh Death was ever expected and therefore provided for he alwayes lived as in the presence of GOD having a strict eye over all his actions and though now Satan bend all his Forces against him because hee hath but a small time before his siege must bee raysed and therefore presents that before him which he dearest loued his Wife
Children Father and Friends with his whole Estate Honour Riches Youth Health Strength and Life it selfe thereby thinking to shake his hold for this subtill enemy knoweth they are not lost without griefe which are possessed with Love yet fayles he of his purpose for it is certaine hee that in this life knoweth of fewest delights least of all other feareth Death so he having never prized them otherwayes then they were in themselves parteth from them with the lesse trouble yet weake nature strugling with him may a little dazle him but calling to minde the Words of his Saviour who sayth Mark 10. He that forsaketh Father Mother Wife Children house and lands for my sake shall receive an hundred fold hee gaines strength and with the greater joy his Soule answers Oh sweet IESVS I shall I not willingly forgoe all these who for my sake suffered the Viols of thy Fathers wrath due to me for sinne to be powred out upon thee and in thy body indured that which I deserved It was for my sake thou wast borne in a Stable and layd in a Cratch for me thou flying into Egypt livedst seaven yeares in banishment for me thou didst fast thou didst watch thou didst run hither thither thou didst sweate Water and Bloud thou didst Weepe and thou didst prove by experience those miseries which my sinnes deserved and yet thou wast without sinne neyther was there guile found in thy mouth neyther hadst thou offended but wast offended for me thou wast taken forsaken of thine denyed sold beaten with fists spet upon mocked whipped crowned with Thornes reviled with blasphemies hanged upon the Crosse Dead and Buried thou wert not onely forsaken of all externall things but also of the Divine comfort as thy owne Mouth testified when thou cryedst out My God my God Math. 27. why bast thou forsaken mee Oh the height of Loved Oh the depth of unmeasurable humility Oh the greatnesse of Mercy Oh the bottomlesse Pit of incomprehensible Goodnes Oh Lord if I be so greatly indebted to thee because thou hast redeemed mee what doe I not owe thee for the manner by which thou hast redeemed mee thou hast redeemed mee with most great dolours with contumelies and ignominies not to be borne insomuch that thou wast made a reproach of men and the scorne of the whole world through thy reproaches thou hast honoured me through thy accusations thou hast defended me through thy bloud thou hast washed me through thy death thou hast raysed me and through thy teares thou hast freed me from everlasting weeping and gnashing of teeth thine were the Wounds that healed my sores thine was the backe that bare my sorrowes thine was the prize that quit my scores thou assumedst my flesh to redeeme me here and thou raignest as King to crowne me hereafter Thus by those miserable Torments thou didst free me from all evill and shall I be unwilling to suffer the deprivation of a little happinesse and the induring of a few paines to come unto thee who hast thus dearely purchased me for thy selfe these Meditations so ravished his soule that with aint PAVL he thinkes himselfe in the third Heaven hee hath drunke so freely of the River of Paradice one drop of which is greater then the Ocean which alone is able to quench the thirst of the whole World that he loatheth these puddell Waters accounting all things but drosse and dung in respect of Christ all is to him in comparison no more then the light of a Candle is to the glorious beames of the Sunne he is now so farre from esteeming eyther them or life that he desires to be dissolved and be with Christ he longs for the day of his dissolution life being to him a Prison and with often groanes and sighes cryoth Come Lord Jesus come quickly and with DAVID hee sayth O how I long to appeare before GOD. If life were offered him with all the pleasures thereof hee would despise it for hee is fitted for God he is no man for the World his Soule hath too exactly looked into the worth of it to be deceived with all the glithering shewes thereof the which hee findes to bee vayne and fleeting and nothing permanent in this Life IIII. Of the deferring of Repentance how dangerous it is and of the deceiveablenesse of worldly Pleasures HAving now seen the quiet Happinesse and happie Blessednesse of the Godly at the houre of his Death mee thinkes it should incourage every man to prepare himselfe for his end in the time of Prosperity least when the time of changing shall come they bee found naked and bare and so lye open to all the assaults and batteries of Sathan many there bee to whom the Day of Iudgement seemes terrible not remembring the day of theyr Death which is the first Iudgement the which whosoever passeth on such the second shall have no power as Saint IOHN sayth in the Revelation The deferring of Repentance proves dangerous Yet some inreligious man will say When I am come to old Age I will runne to the remedy of Repentance Dare mans frailtie presume thus much of himselfe seeing hee hath not one day of all his Life in his owne power for though God hath promised Pardon to the Penitent yet he hath not promised to morrow to a sinner therefore whilst it is called to day Hebr. 5. heare his voyce and hearden not your hearts least you enter into temptation Follow the counsell of that Kingly Preacher make no tarrying to turne unto the Lord Eccles 5. and put not off from day to day for soda nly shall his wrath come and in the time of vengeance he shall destroy thee besides there is another evill sinne having no restraint but free liberty to runne on in his owne current how dangerous doth it proove and how hard is it to stop the course thereof being once growne to a custome Is it not usually knowne that hee that driveth a Nayle into a Post fasteneth it at the first stroke that he giveth it but more firmely at the second stroke but so fast at the third that it can hardly bee pulled out againe and the oftner he striketh it the faster it sticketh and is pulled out againe with the greater difficulty So in every one of mans wicked actions vice is driuen deepely into their soules as if it were with a Mallet and there it sticketh so fast that it can by no meanes be pulled foorth but by the bitter teares of Repentance which are seldome and very hardly found this same thing our Saviour shewed in the raysing of LAZARVS being foure dayes dead whom he called foorth Ioh. 1. with groaning of spirit whereas he raysed others that were dead with farre easier tokens of difficulty signifying to us thereby how great a myracle it is that God should convert one buried in the custome of sinning yet not considering these things how doth time passe on and what numberlesse sinnes are committed without feare to offend or care
wretched state The more he rues his fact but all too late Whereas he was created King of all The Creatures God on Earth created had His Glory bated is by this his Fall No creature now on Earth remaines so bad The sencelesse Beast the sence of this hath found And having Man possest with death doth wound The Earth disdaines to yeeld to him her strength But pricking Thornes and Brambles forth doth send Till with his sweat and labours she at length Onely for sustenance some food doth lend Thus he that was a heauenly Creature form'd By disobedience to a wretch is turn'd Of all the Trees that in the Garden grew He onely was forbidden that alone His Wife from that obedience soone him drew And taste thereof he did although but one O wretched man what hast thou lost hereby Wicked woman to cause thy husband dye T' is not saying the Serpent thee deceiu'd That can excuse the fault thou didst commit For of all Ioyes thou hast thy selfe bereau'd And by thy Conscience thou dost stand convict Thy husband not alone the fault must rue A punishment for sinne to thee is due For as thou now conceiues thy seed in sinne So in great sorrow thou must bring it foorth The gaine which thou by that same fruit didst winne Thou now dost find to bee but little worth Obedience to thy Husband yeeld thou must And both must Dye and turned be to Dust The Truth sometimes is vsed by the Divell When as he sayd Your eyes should opened bee And that you should discerne the good from euill When you the Fruit had tasted of that tree But hee told not your actions should be sinne And Death should be the good which you should winne For now your strength to weakenesse turned is You know the Good but have no powre to chuse't Your eyes is ope to see your owne amisse And to behold the blisse you have refus'd You see your nakednesse made vilde by Sinne And now seekes for a place to hide you in But O alas your deeds discover'd are You naked lye to those all-seeing eyes He viewes your actions and doth see you bare Bare of all Goodnesse vilde deformities And in your selves you have no power to mend For all your strength is sinne Sathan doth lend Now seizes on your sicknesse Griefes and Feares Which night and day with trouble will torment Your sweet Delights are turned all to teares And now what you haue done with woerepent Nothing but Griefes and Feares and sad annoyes You now possesse in stead of endlesse Ioyes You were immortall but are mortall made You were created pure but now are vilde Your splendant Glories turned all to shade Your Innocence the Deuill hath beguilde You were created Children of the Lord But now are loathsome Dung to be abhorr'd Which way can you recouer this your losse What friend have you that will this great debt pay Can you gaine pure gold from filthy drosse Or have you power to call againe that Day No you are in a laborinth of woe And endlesse is the maze in which you goe Yet courage Woman whose weake spirit 's dead GOD in his love a helpe for thee hath found Bee sure thy Seed shall bruise the Serpents head CHRIST by his Death shall Sathan deadly wound This Lyon of Iudea resist who can In him is blest the whole Off-spring of man This Promise in due time fulfill'd hath GOD Vnto the comfort of each mortall weight CHRIST payes our Debt hee 's beaten with that rod That doth belong vnto our Soules of right His Fathers wrath was powred vpon him Which doth belong as due to vs for Sinne. Hee dy'd vpon the Crosse and conquered Death That though wee dye yet live againe wee must He buried was and risen is from Earth And raignes with God in Heaven amongst the Iust With him our Soules and Bodies rais'd hath hee And from deaths thraldome now hath set vs free This causeth Sathan stir himselfe amaine To see if he can winne what he hath lost He strives to make our overthrow his gaine He stormeth now that he by CHRIST is crost And to his ayde he all his forces drawes That he may cause vs to obey his Lawes Whole Armies of his Furies forth he sends In shape transformed to delude our mindes And vnto them his greatest force he lends To seize where fittest for his turne he findes He marks to what men are by nature given And vnto that he turnes his Compasse euen Sathan's deceipts are covered all with smiles That sinne seemes pleasing which our Soules destroyes With quaint allurements hee man still beguiles With sweet delights he breeds Mans sad annoyes He imitates a Poyson rarely framed But once being taken all the life blood 's stained Old and craftie is our Enemy growne He knowes all Fish at one baite will not bite Hee 'l try a thousand wayes to gaine his owne He will not leave till he the marke hits right Some with Drunkennesse Murders Lust beside Others with Idlenesse exessive Pride BACCHVS that drunken God from Hell comes forth And reeling here and there few scapes his knockes Who shunnes his blowes esteem'd are of no worth One Drunkard at anothers weakenesse mockes What ISAIAH saith thereon they never thinke Woe bee to them are strong to pw'r in drinke GOD in his love form'd all things for mans vse That for his Comfort they might daily be But they prove poyson through mans vilde abuse Sinne changeth all into deformity PAVL for mans health to drinke Wine doth advise But through excesse both Soule and Body dyes Man by this Sinne more vile is than a Beast For but sufficient they will never take Mans sences fayles him sinnes are still increast He tracing vices doth all good forsake In Drunkennesse LOT doth to Incest fall NOAN in his Wine his secrets shewes to all Then Lust and Murther hands together take Like full fed Beasts they neigh at neighbours wife Stolne bread is sweet hid water theyr thirsts slake They fall to Murther through discord and strife For when mans reason fayles to guide his will He into mischiefe runneth headlong still Most people takes Idlenesse for no sinne Thus in Simplicitie Sathan deludes That precious time is lost that Grace might winne And want of action many sinnes includes That minde which vnto Idlenesse giues way Doth open lye to bee the Devils prey When DAVID vnto ease himselfe had giuen His eyes extravagantly looke about VRIAH's wife he spyeth in the Even He must and did enioy her without doubt Sathan by this his fall more strength doth gaine For DAVID bids VRIAH should be slaine Thus by one meanes or other Sathan snares Mans soule in Sinne and hudwinck'd tills him on His cup of Gold is filled vp with teares A bitter pittance to theyr sweetes belong Pride in it selfe doth beare a poyson'd breath No Sinne so small but punisht is with Death That sinn's thought least that 's spent in trimming fine That Carkasse vilde on which the Wormes