in the dumbe choppe of the conscience The Pastour As I perceiue ye are in the storme of temptations As the shippe in a tempest goeth with a low saile So is it good and most sure in the tempest of temptations to take downe the top sailes of our owne worth But yet Sir in your humilitie beware to disprise and set at nought the graces of God that are within you Vertue standeth in the midst As the Publican would not brage vainlie with the Pharisee that he was not like other men so neither would hee desperatlie say with Cain Mine iniquitie is greater than that it may be forgiuen The sicke Man Alas Sir yee know not what weight hangeth vpon mine heart ye are not priuie vnto my secret sinnes which I thinke shame to vtter O these gnawings of my wormish Conscience hardlie can yee imagine what filthie thoughts haue beene into my heart since I came into this world Hitherto they haue all beene hidde from mine eyes But now I thinke that I see all my sinnes set in order before mee My Soule is poisoned with the stinke of such corruptions I abhorre my selfe and what wonder that God abhorre mee The Pastour The more a man abhorreth himselfe God who is milde mercifull loueth him the better It is good for a man to stinke in his owne nose A wicked man may bee well compared to the Latin Cimex French Punaise Tree Lice that stinke most vilelie and yet feele not the stinke of their own breath Laodicea thought her selfe happie and yet God said that he wold spew her out of his mouth Gods thoughtes are not mans thoughts Yee complaine Sir of the filthines of your bygone thoughts it is well done But heere is your comfort Now is that fountaine of God in Zachrie opened to the house of Dauid for sin and for vncleannesse Though through sin yee were lepper in soule as Na◅man was in bodie the Iordan of Christs Blood is able to mak you cleane The precept is not of hard practise Wash and bee cleane belieue and bee saued If yee would haue the Spirit of God to take a Chamber into your heart keepe your hearte cleane Gods house must be a cleane house it must often bee sweept If the dust or dirt of sinne defile the pauement thereof it must first bee watered with the teares of repentance The stoure dust must be laid with holie water then wee must sweepe out all filthinesse with the besome of godlie reuenge This doing Sir God shall delight to dwell in you If Sathan blow at the juniper coales of your sinnes kindled with sparkles of fierie wrath runne with the Bucket of Faith to the Blood of Iesus which is onelie able for to quenche that flamme The sicke Man My cheekes are watered with teares trickling downe both day and night * my moist eyes are soked in this salt brimie water O but they are comfortlesse teares The Pastour God at last shall make them comfortable like the bowle full of dewe which Gideon wrāg out of his Fleece Gods signe of Israels Saluation Haue patience a little Sir and your waterie eyes shall receiue the other dryē signe of the fleece all your teares shall bee dryed and wyped away so that yee shall neuer weepe any more The houre is fast comming that God shall wipe away your teares the waters of your weeping after that there shall bee no more death neither sorrow nor crying nor paine Seeke the Lord while hee may be found and call vpon him while hee is nigh To him alone in Iesus must yee haue all your recourse on him alone must yee relye The sicke Man I wote not where to goe I can neither sitte stand nor lye Mine heart alas is hardened yea hard like the heart of the Leuiathan which is hard like a piece of the nether milstone I thinke that such hardnesse is from the deceitfulnesse of sinne The Pastour It is a sort of softnesse when we feele our owne hardnesse He who hath begun such softning will bring his own work to perfectiō in his appointed houre The seedes of grace are like Corne they are not ripe the first day they are sowen but ripen by degrees From this is that saying Grace requyreth space or in space commeth Grace A reprobate sense is not so neare at anie time as when it is least suspected and most neglected Say in all patience with the Prophet Micah I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I haue sinned against him He will turne againe he will haue compassion vpon you Hee will subdue your iniquities cast them in the depths of the sea Holde vp your heart toward the Father of Lights the giuer of euerie good gift Let your foule flee vp to the Throne of his Grace The sicke Man My Soule is not fit for fleeing to the Heauens It is lik a pulled foule that wanteth the feathers It may well nod with its head and make a mint with the stumpts of its wings but can by no meanes hoise it selfe from the Earth All my comforts are clipped from me Sinnes heauy like milstones are hung about my necke Oh that I were cast into the sea with my sinnes there to be buried for euer farre if it were possible from the presence of my God Since yee came to mee mine heart was not in such a plounge of miserie as it is now There is nothing within me but wrath and woe warring against my Saluation Gods heauie hand hath distressed mine heart wonderfullie My Soule is so besieged with temptations that it may well be called Magor missabib feare round about This I feare that my name bee crossed out of the Booke of Life The Pastour I remember of a wise counsel which a learned Diuine gaue to a man sore assaulted vpon his death-bed with the temptations of the deuil When thou art tempted of Satā said he seest no way to escape euē thē plainly close vp thine eyes and answere nothing to his temptations But commend thy cause to God This said hee is a principall point of wisedome that we must follow in the houre of death That is That we daine not to giue Sathan an answere but say with Michael The Lord rebuke thee Sathan If thy flesh tremble and feare to enter into another life and if it doubt of saluation if thou yeeld to these things thou hurtest thy selfe therfore close thine eyes as before and say with S. Stephen Lord Iesus receiue my Spirit and then certainelie Christ will come vnto thee with all his Angels and bee the guider of thy way At the entrie of the red Sea when Israel enuironed on both sides with mountaines hauing the sea before and the Egyptians behind could see no meanes of escape Then Moses said to Israel The Lord shall fight for you and yee
Seruant fainting in great weaknesse of bodie But thogh flesh and friends health wealth and all should faile him thou LORD will neuer faile him Hee is thy Seruant he is thy Seruant the son of thy hand-maide Thou hast most powerfullie hitherto supported and vpholdeÌ„ him by thy mercifull hand Now leaue him not while he is drawing neare vnto his long home It is easie to perceiue that his age is departing from him like a shepheards tent and that thou art readie to cutte off his life like a weauer His desire LORD is to bee with Thee Thou hast heard the sighings of this prisoner and thou hast vnderstood the groanes of thine own Spirit As thou hast begunne the good worke in him so perfect it in due time As thou doest with the yeare crowne it with thy goodnesse with-draw not thy Grace from him till it bee made perfect in weaknesse Thou LORD hast manifested thy loue to him wonderfullie by putting into his minde and mouth such diuine preceptes and counselâ—… to his Friends Wife and Children that all that haue heard them haue beene forced to wonder at the glorie of thy grace Now deare Iesus let thy force be with him in his fainting but the nearer hee draweth vnto his end lâ—…t thy Spirit the Comforter enable him the more till victoriouslie hee hath put an end vnto this Battell As the strength of his bodie shall beginne to decrease let the comfortes of thy Spirit increase in his Soule Seale vp in his heart that peace which thou hast purchased by the blood of the Prince of peace Assure him of the rest of these joyes which are to bee reuealed whereof hee hath alreadie receiued the earnest O say vnto his Soule that thou shalt bee his Saluation In the silence of the night while deepe sleepe falleth on man make thou his reines to instruct him Suggest vnto his heart the sweetest wordes of thy comforts which may bee vnto him like apples of gold in pictures of siluer Waine his heart daylie more and more from the loue of things below Make thou his Soule to soare vp with Eagles wings towardes the heauenlie Mansions Prepare nowe his Soule to the last conflict Put vpon him all the Armour of God Strengthen his Faith that hee may holde fast by Thee yea so resoluedlie that though thou should slay him yet hee may trust in thee When the force of sicknesse shall tak away the vse of his tongue make his heart to groane vnto Thee in the secret language of thy Spirite â—…hat in thine hands he commenâ—… 〈◊〉 his Soule and that he desireth thee to come quicklie for his reliefe Let not the increasing throes and pangues of death discourage him In greatest anguish vphold his enfeebled heart with the hope of Glorie Look on him Lord with the eye of thy mercie incline thine eare to the sighes of his heart make haste to come for his Soule is longing for his appointed time till his change come As thou art the Lord of life so vnto thee belong the issues of death Let strength proceede from thee like vertue from Christes garment whereby hee may bee encouraged against the fearefull assaults of death which shortly in all appearance shall besiege his noble parts for to bring him vnto dust froÌ„ whence hee came Make thy Spirit to enter into his hearte for to vphold him against this feare smart of his last and most heauie houre Let him know that if the earthlie house of his Tabernacle bee dissolued that he hath a building of God an house not made with hand eternall in the heauen Make his Soule more and more earnestlie to groane for to bee cloathed vpon with his house which is from Heauen Seeing while hee is heere at home in the bodie hee is absent from the Lord make thou him confident and willing rather to bee absent from the bodie that hee may bee present with Thee in the Heauens Let the hope of the Resurrection vphold him against all the terrours of the Graâ—…e Perswade his Soule that at the sound of that shrill celestiall Trumpet his bodie shall arise and with these same eyes shall beholde his Redeemer and none other for him Innumerable euils Lord haue compassed him about Nowe the time approacheth that thou wilt deliuer him from all his feares Make haste Lord Come Lord Iesus come Rebuke Sathan wee intreat thee that in the darksome night he interrupt not the comforts of thy Spirit Suffer neuer that slie and craftie one to bereaue him of the pledges of thy loue Make him to holde fast that which hee hath that none bee able to take his Crowne O mercifull God take notice of all his wants and necessities and bee thou to him SHADAI GOD all sufficient for to supplie them Let him not want that Grace without the which hee cannot serue thee Through thy selfe make him to push downe all the enemies of his Saluation Through thy Name make him to treade them vnder foote that rise vp against him for he hath not forgotten the Name of thee his God neither hath hee stretched out his hands to a strange God While his eye-stringes shall bee broken and when the throes of death shall make his heart to tumble within him then bee thou the strength of his heart the health of his countenance and his God In his greatest griefes anoynt his Soule with some droppes of that oyle of gladnesse wherewith thou once anointed our Lord and Sauiour aboue his fellowes Let thy Graces like that precious ointment that ran downe vpon the beard of Aaron flowe down from thee aboundantlie vpon all the powers of his Soule Let spirituall vertues drop downe vpon him as the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended vpon the mountaines of Zion O thou the perfection of beautie shine vpon his Soule Indue him with a melting and relenting heart Bee mercifull to thy distressed Church comfort Her in all Her teares and troubles Pittie Her deformities Adorne Her with Puritie and Vnitie Though Shee bee outwardlie 1. duskie because the Sun hath withered Her yet Shee is the Kings Daughter whose 2. whole glorie is within 3 Awake O North Wind and come thou South blow vpon Her Garden that the spices thereof may flowe out Declare vnto Her enemies that if they 4 touch Her they shall touch the Apple of thine Eye Let them all know that it is 5 hard to kicke against prickes and that if they perlecute thee Thou wilt throw them to the ground Bee mercifull to our gracious SOVERAIGNE the Kings Majestie as by thy Grace thou hast made him a King so by thy Grace make Him a good King Powre down a princelie Spirit vpon his Soule that Hee may haue courage for the Trueth Make Him answerable to his most honourable Style Defender of the Faith Vouchsafe thy mercie vpon his Princelie Spouse Let the beautie of the Lord Her God bee vpon Her Make Her like
shall ye bee Mans life at the longest may bee measured with a spanne Behold said the Psalmest thou hast made my dayes of an hand-breadth Mine age is as nothing before thee Our life is but a vapour and a wind which once passeth away returneth not againe It should therefore bee your best in time to prepare your selues for a better life and not with many to relye securelie vpon a possibilitie of pardon If yee bee wise venter not vpon such broken staues which faile in greatest neede The carnall Friend Thinke not the worse of mee Sir if I desire you to be honoured with the best in Buriall bee not too precise I hope that wee all shall come to heauen at last wee are all sinners I hope before I die to repent mee of all my sins The sicke Man S. Augustins wordes are of great power Metuendum est ne te occidat spes cum multum speres de misericordia incidas in judicium It is to be feared that while men hope for nothing so much as mercy euen then they fall into damnation I pray God that such hopes deceiue you not Many foolishlie make a packe horse of Christs merites and Gods mercies not caring what burdens they lay on A broken heart is onelie an heart qualified for the pardons of heauen If Christ Iesus his wordes bee of anie credit among men this wee must hold that none shall come to heauen but by the narrow way Sathan with his temptations hath bored out the eyes of many as the Philistins did to Samson But alas who hath the courage of Samson to seeke to be ledde to the chiefe pillars that he may pull them down for to bee reuenged vpon his foes Alas this is the fashion of this world men like the sluggard liue in delayes in steepe and in sloth Yet a little while and yet a little while No man will build an Arke vntill the floode come Lot himselfe did linger to saue himselfe from a brime stone fyre Men haue no leasure to bee saued so hard is it for the most part to pluke their feete out of the clouches of this world If wee could ouercome the loue of this worlde which is the great Goliah of our enemies then shuld we easilie ouercome the pride of the Philislins and the feare of Israel But carnall men know not what it is to mortifie olde Adam with his corrupt lustes Fooles feede on folies and tickle their fond fancies with imagined contentments not knowing the strick narrow course of sanctification Such mens speach is often both vnseemelie and vnseasonable Blessed bee my God who hath giuen mee the staffe in the hand and the stone in the scrippe wherewith I haue stricken all my strongest corruptions in the temples Sathan is tread vnder foote my flesh is subdued mine heart is in Heauen I care for the worlde no more neither desire I to speake anie longer of clay or of anie thing below My minde is aboue farre from the dirt drosse of all earthlie thoughts O my heauenlie Father wrap my Soule wrappe it vp in the righteousnesse of thy Sonne Let that bee the white long robe of my Soule while my body wrapt in its winding sheete shal lye rotting into the graue O my God fill my fainting heart with a joyfull confluence of the precious sufferings of Iesus of the promises of life of the joyes of heauen mak mine ende with that of the vpright man to bee peace Bee not cast downe my Soule neither bee thou disquieted within mee Hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Oh but mine heart is sicke Oh where is my deare and louing Pastour His conference is most comfortable vnto my Soule The Pastour I am heere Sir waiting till I see the end of your Battell I haue heard all your wordes with great contentment I haue plainelie perceiued that Gods Angels these noble Spirits attend both to guide to guarde you God by the arme of his power hath brought you out of the thicket of thornes and pricking thistles of monie temptations He who hath made all things in number weight and measure hath not surcharge your Soule aboue that which he hath made you able to beare God in great grace hath made you first to know your selfe in your offences and miserie and after that to know him in his Majestie and mercie The Lord God in great kindnesse hath furnished you with firme Faith constant Hope and sincere Loue He hath led you thorow many trauerses and perplexities Now haue ye passed the most dreadfull darkest houre of all your temptations Now the dawning of a new day approacheth now labour might maine to be prepared for you God within a short space Christ the Sun of Righteousnesse that day spring from on high shall arise vpon your Soule neuer for to goe downe Continue in your prayers to God that he wold possesse your Soule with true hearted holinesse without which no Soule shall see Gods face What now Sir are yee doing The sicke Man My sillie Soule is heere waiting till Death come and open the prison doore that she may flee to her God to her Contrie from whence she came Fogs mists arise before mine eys O my God from the Throne of thy Grace râ—…ine downe vpon my wearied Soule the refreshing showrs of thy most iender mercies Vouchsafe vpon mee some crummes of thy comforts Oh that I had the wings of a doâ—…e for to flee to the woundes of Iesus as to the holes of the Rock My poore Soule in this bodie is like a Bird in a Cage looking through the wyres Faine would it bee free of this sinfull captiuitie O but my Soule panteth fast after my Sauiour What now shall stay mee from my God from my Christ from my Father my brother and my Comforter my dearest Darling of delight I long to bee in Heauen the place of my rest My desire is to goe to Goshen the Land of light of Life and of Libertie Mine heart is fast linked vnto Christ in loue O Lord what is man that thou art so mindfull of him O man what is God that thou art so forgetfull of him O my GOD prepare mee to meete thee with a bruised Spirit Melt my sinnes into sighes and my troubles into teares Let thy good Spirit leade mee into the Land of vp rightnesse Lord let neuer this clay returne to clay till my Spirit be readie to goe to him that gaue it O quicken sharpen my care of heauen dulled and blunted with earthlie thoughts Make sound wisedome and discretion to bee life vnto my Soule and grace to my necke Make my Soule trimme with that costly wedding Garment bought with thy Blood O Iesus the blessed Bridegroome who hast by thy Gospel of Grace betrothed my Soule vnto
Nowe graunt that the hope of that glorie which is to bee reuealed may bee so strong in his Soule that it may shield and fence him from the force and furie of the last assaults The nearer he draweth vnto death inlarge the chanell of thy graces like a Riuer which is broadest towards the end of its course Make his heart in the ◅orest pangs of death to bee still lifted vp towards thee And seeing Death and the Deuill mans two last enemies are euer busie the one for to fright the other for to tempt Prepare him Lord and furnish him so with thy Graces that hee may proue victorious in this last assault O gracious GOD assist him by thy force against the most violent blustering winds of the last and most fearefull temptations If Satan looke in at the doores of his heart seeking for an entrie let him neuer get so much as one chamber-roome set a part for his sojourning Make thy grace vnto him like a Sunne like a Bridegroome comming out of his Chamber to disperse the darknesse of his mistie minde Vnto his last gaspe direct him so by thy good Spirit that his Soule may cleaue so fast vnto thee that neither sinne nor sicknesse life nor death may bee able to separate him from thee Thogh thou shuld slay him yet wil hee trust in thee Faile him not now in time of neede vphold his heart in this heauie houre Let his Soule lurke vnder the winges of thy mercie till the tempest of wrath bee calmed past ouer Bee thou to him a shelter against the heauie showers of the last agonie O gracious Lord in wrath remember mercie In the multitude of thy compassions blot out his transgressions and that for the dearest drops of that sacred Blood that gushed vpon the cursed crosse Rinse and cleanse his heart from all vncleannes Giue him courage in his greatest fears Let not Death bee vnto him as a king of feare nor hee as one of the wicked whose hope doeth perish with their breath O Lord let thy Name bee vnto him like a strong tower for to hid him into the time of trouble Let this bee the cleare candle of his comfort neuer to bee quenched that Christ by his death hath for him and all the Faithfull ouercome Death and disarmed it of its sting Declare by the inward motion of thy Spirit to his Soule that the nature of death by the death of Christ is changed into a sleepe vnto all the friends of Christ who by the infinite power of his diuine Nature hath swallowed it vp in victorie and hath so digested it that now the bitternesse thereof is past As the Arke was to Noah and Zoar vnto Lot so bee thou a refuge to this faithfull Soule fighting thy battels not onelie against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers against the gouernours of darknesse of this world and against spirituall wickednesse in high places Let thy strength bee made perfect in his weaknesse As thou hast vp holden him hitherto by the strength of thy Spirit so continue with him vntill the end The battell is the Lords fight Lord for thine own cause euē for this Soule one of thy redeemed Ones obtaine thou the victorie and take the glorie to thy selfe O God both of grace and glorie seale surely vp in his bosome the pardon of all his iniquities Perfect the comfortes which thou hast begunne say vnto his Soule That heauen is not so high nor hell so low nor the world so wide as are thy mercies towards him All thy creatures haue their owne dimensions but thy mercie Lord like thy selfe is without measure Out of these infinite compassions make this sillie Soule partaker of the dearest mercies that euer rould together the relenting bowels of thy tenderest loue Heare vs Lord in all these our sutes and that for the sake of thy best beloued and onelie begotten Sonne the Lord Iesus Christ in whose Name and at whole command wee powre out our heartes to thee in that prayer which by his own sacred and most blessed mouth hee hath taught vs Our Father c. The sicke Man Lord heare thou in Heauen Blessed for euer be thy Name for such spirituall comfortes for so manie mercies I can rander nothing but the little mites of praise and thankesgiuing Mine heart is filled with songs of Gods mercie If his Spirit of grace had not vpholden mee in my first feares while as I thought I was wrapped into an infinite wrath I had certainelie beene swallowed vp with ouermuch sorrow But now blessed eternallie bee the Lord who hath made the earth to swallow vp all the floodes of temptations and tribulations which that red Dragon the Deuill a bloodie murtherer hath cast out of his mouth after mee for to carrie my Soule down head-longs to perdition Now finde I Gods word to bee true that hee is ouercome by the Blood of the Lambe Except that the Lord had beene on my side O in what a dumbe dumpe had my poore Soule beene driuen into ere now The Pastour Hee who followed Adam thorow the thicke bushes and Ionas in the bottome of the sea Hee who blessed the crooked man and made the barren fertile and the dumbe to speake the deafe to heare and the blind to see hath made his grace perfect in your weaknesse He best feeleth the pulse of our heartes and the force of our life Loth would hee bee to breake the bruised reede or to quench the smoking flaxe All men by nature are but like an vncleane Dung-hill of drosse their heartes at the first are but a den of Dragons But so soone as the Spirit of grace hath begunne to drawe the draughts and lineamentes of Gods image within the soule of a man nothing shall bee able to deface or mangle that liuelie image To all sorts of temptations Gods wisedome shall finde an out-gate Neither the traines of Sathan nor the treason of our bosome sinnes nor the terrors of hell nor the trashes of the world shall euer be able to preueale against Adirim Gods excellent Ones According as Zacharias filled with the holie Ghost prophecied It is granted vnto vs that wee beeing deliuered out of the handes of our enemies may serue him without feare The sicke Man I blesse God for such inestimable comforts Sathan hath shrewdlie assaulted mee but could not preuaile My corruptions haue beene subdued and awed by the Majestie of the Spirit of Iesus My Soule rejoyceth in GOD In the merites of Christ as in a glasse I see him a meeke a mercifull Father I am not now afraide to come to a tryall at his Tribunall I am no more dismayed for the vnquencheable flammes of the fierie lake I thinke certainelie that there was neuer a man so much beholden to my God as I am Truelie may I sing with the Psalmest I waited patientlie or the Lord and hee inclined vnto mee and heard my cry Hee
A man brought from age of yeeres vnto eternitie is like Dauid a shepheard brought from the Ewes for to bee made a King What regret should a man haue for to change a little Lodge for a London What is this life but a daylie dyeing The sicke Man But alas I haue cut off like a weauer my life Hee will cut mee off with pinning sicknesse from day euen to night hee will make an end of mee The Pastour Take heede Sir what yee say Your meaning is that by your sins yee haue abridged and cutte short your dayes or that yee haue prouocked God by your sinnes to take away your Life from you If it be so that like a weauer yee haue cut your dayes by your sinnes breake off now these sinnes by repentance If by your sinnes yee haue cut like a weauer the threeds of this mortall life beginne now by repentance to spinne the webbe of a new life some threeds of life eternall Let now the rotten thrummes of the vices of your life fall downe to the ground While yee haue time weaue into your life graces thorow graces as warpe and woft Weaue on still till from grace yee worke in into the eternitie of glorie The sicke Man But alas Hee will cut mee off with pynning sicknesse I feare greatlie that the paines of Death put mee out of all patience The Pastour Take courage Sir The paine shall not bee so great as yee feare God will lay no more on you than yee shall bee able to beare He shall weigh all your paines in his mercifull Ballance before that hee laye them vpon you Hee knoweth that your strength is not like the strength of a Whale hee breaketh not the bruised ◅eede God is so bent vnto mercie that while he scourgeth sinners for their faults hee is said to bring to passe his strange worke and his strange act The sicke Man But I feare his cutting Gods cuts are verie sensible I feare to bee◅ cut off with pyning sicknesse The Pastour Feare not God is cunning in his cutting Hee will not cut into the quicke like an ignorant Surgeon The mercifull God taketh no pleasure to cut you off with pyning sicknesse but hee will cut off your corruptions with such paines In such paines should bee pleasure The bluenesse of the wound purgeth away euill Pleasant should be that paine which is Gods Raser for cutting off mans ◅ptions Away with the pleas◅es of this ◅otten flesh Such in the beginning though lawfull ◅re burning and bloodie pleasures vnlawfull end into hellish torments feare not pyning sicknesse The sicke Man But alas from day euen to night he will make an end of mee The Pastour I know Sir that the night is wearisome and that sicknesse some what light in the day waxeth heauy in the night From day to night the sicknesse increaseth The remeede is this bee strong in God whose strength is made perfect in weaknesse If dolours increase in the night heere is a comfort The night time is a most fitte time for prayer The time of silence is most conuenient for speaking vnto God The night time is a speciall time whereof God hath made choise for in it to speake secretlie vnto men It was in the night that Eliphaz saw the vision and heard the voyce of instruction In thoughts said hee From the visions of the night wh◅ deepe sleepe falleth on men feare came vpon mee and trembling which made all my bones to shake Then a Spirit passed before my face the haire of my flesh stood vp it stood still but I could not discerne the forme thereof An Image was before mine eyes there was silence and I heard a voyce c. See how in ◅e visions of the night while there was silence Eliphaz heard the voyce of God Let no sicke man be afraid for the night it is the time of silence the chiefe time of cōference with God Whē Creatures are most silent then is a time for man to speake to God and for God to speake to man The din of the day marreth our meditatiōs The sicke Man But alas from day to night he will make an end of mee The Pastour It is better that hee make an end of you than that any other should doe it If hee make an end of you pray earnestlie for a good end If the end be well all is well Your complaint is that from day to night hee will make an end of you Bee thankefull to God for his mercie toward you in that he hath giuen you so long a time to repent as from day to night Hee might haue made you sinke downe thorow the Earth vnto hell in a moment with Dathan and Abiram Hee might haue burnt you with fire from Heauen in a thunder clappe with Corah Hee might haue drowned you into the Sea with Pharaoh Hee might haue slaine you vnder a Tower with these eighteene at Siloe Hee might haue sent a winde for to smite the foure corners of your house while yee had beene at a banket with Iobs Children What if the goodnesse of God had deserted you and taken his free Spirit frō you What if hee should doe so to the best of vs Certainelie we◅ should either make away our selu◅ with Saule by the sword or with Iudas and Ahitophel by the cord o◅ with Zi◅rie by the fire Many others haue in an instant beene snatched away in the verie swea◅e of their sinnes First then I say That is a grea◅ mercie of God vnto man that God himselfe maketh an end of him and not suffereth him to fall into the hands of his mercielesse creatures Secondlie in that from day to night hee delayeth it is a mercyfull patience Take heede Sir what I say Count this a great mercie of your God though yee should die this night thanke God for his patience that it was from day to night before that hee would make an end of you It is a great benefite of God to get but so much time wherein wee may once cry Lord haue mercie vpon mee No man can sufficientlie esteeme the high price of a dayes laiser vnto night Heere is the patience and the long suffering of God Now Sir consider and weigh well what hath beene said Is it not now your desire that yee bee dissolued Are yee not as yet resolued It would seeme that there bee some thing that yet troubleth you As for the wordes of Hezekiahs chattering which hath beene the wordes of your mourning I hope that in some measure ye haue beene cleared with some contentment The sicke Man I confesse Sir that yee haue pertinentlie made answere to all these difficulties But alas what shall I say The Pastour What aileth you Bee plaine with mee I pray you Sir thinke no shame to tell mee what is into your minde If the Patient couer his
By his Blood the Bill and Bond of the Law is crost and cancelled Hee is that Carkasse wherevnto all faithfull Soules like Eagles must resort Hee is our refuge against the dint of Gods wrath The Spouse could not come vp from the wildernesse but by leaning vpon her beloued Christ. As the Propitiatorie couered the Tables of the Law that were in the Arke so Christ couered our sinnes against these Tables As the cloud couered the Israelites from the fight of Pharaoh hotelie following after them so Christs righteousnesse like a cloud couered vs from the judgements of God his fierie wrath pursuing vs. Let men couer themselues neuer so carefullie still some part of them shall peepe bare vntill Christ come with the couering of his righteousnesse If by the temptations of Sathan your Soule hath beene ruffled or galled vpon the sore The best balme that euer dropped from the pen of Gods Spirit vpon the leaues of his Sacred Booke is the Historie of Christs Bloodie passion There wee may see the dearest mercies that euer moued the relenting bowels of Gods tenderest compassions Behold the Sacred Blood of that vnspotted Lambe which saued the Soules of those that spilt it If yee bee pined with Corrasius of terrour in him are Cordials of compassions the onelie salue for the sores of the Soule Though ye were couered with scarlet abominations heere is vertue whereby yee shall be made whiter than the snow Did hee not pray for them yea did hee not saue them who by bitter railing discharged vpon him the vtmost of their gall The sicke man Such men at last were pricked in their heartes they truelie repented Their sighes and sobs were supported sinewed with the strength of Grace Such men became godly indeede But I did neuer passe the pitch of formall pietie I euer desired more to seeme godlie than so to be I haue beene betimes sore shaken with awfull terrours But I neuer yet could say that the softening blood of Iesus did melt my marble heart What euer had I but some light of reason glimmerings of generall grace which cannot soare so high as to conuoy the soule to the doores of Heauen The word of sauing grace implanteth it selfe into the heart of the godlie man Hee onelie is furnished with a resolute vnswayed vprightnesse Alas alas alas mine heart is throwen with a sore wringing There is a large haruest for Hell many called but few chosen The Pastour What shall I say Mans thoughts are framed into a sinfull mould The sillie sonnes of Adam are wonderfullie tossed with the contrarie Tyd◅ of Satans temptations Some he benumeth with the sweetnes of Sec◅ritie others hee troubleth with the tartennesse of terrours O but Sathans Balow is sweete to the Soule in the craddle of Securitie But O how dreadfull shall hee bee when hee appearing grieslie and fierce vnto the Soule shall waken it with a cry and a glowre saying Damned soule come out to fire faggot come out to vnqueancheable brimstone beames come out to weeping and gnashing of teeth A man after this manner wakened in conscience is like a man wakened out of his sleepe on a sudden At the first hee is in such a maze that till hee bee better wakened he cannot well vnderstand what is said to him All his thoughts are into an hurlie burlie Then his outward rebellions and his inward repynings with all his abominations seeme to fall downe vpon him like cloudes of blood There bee no comforts that can settle his feares till the Spirite of grace appeare vnto him in the calme Looke vp with your eye Sir and seeke a blinke of the face of Iesus Hee onelie is the Prince and Pryce of our Peace our joye and our libertie If the Sonne make vs free wee shall bee free indeede Wrestle with him vse violence in an holie boldnesse vis Deo grata In him are the lasting treasures of mercie and immortalitie Hee it is onelie who can make this biting Conscience to bee toothlesse he onelie can command this raging sea I know Sir that your sorrowes are sore and my Soule pittieth you for I see you in the verie pangs and terrours of the new birth I perceiue your Soule gasping for grace as the drie and thirstie ground for droppes of raine The sicke Man O the boisterous blastes of temptations able to make the tallest and deepest rooted Cedars to stagger yea the Sirion to skippe like an Vnicorne What shall I doe The Pastour Seeing Christ alone is our protection and perfection let all your courage bee in him In him yee must bee valiant for none but the valiant can by violence enter into the Kingdome of God If a man know Christ well hee shall not be discouraged though hee were cast into a raging sea of temptations Though a mā were cast into a gulfe of twenty fathome deepe if hee can keepe his head aloft he cannot be drowned So as long as Christ our Head is aboue wee his members may well bee dowked but wee cannot bee drowned All Christian comforts runne vpon him like the title of a Booke wherein is contained the substance of the whole If Christ Sir bee yours yee cannot perish Hee who is rooted in him can neuer bee rooted out The sicke Man But how can Christ bee mine seeing I am but a bagge of corruption a bodie of Death What hath mine heart beene but like a vipers bellie filled with a deadly brood Miserable man that I am will Christ euer daine to looke vpon such a vile wretch as I am who hath turned my Christian libertie in a fleshlie licence The Pastour These who are least into their own eyes are in greatest account with him When yee heare of the wandring sheepe brought home and of the lost groat found and of the forlorne Sonne returned to his Father Ye should cast your figure say Of whom is this written but of mee for whom is it written but for mee If yee sticke fast by him no perrell shall make an haire of your head to perish Bee of good comfort for your life is hid with Christ in God The sicke Man I am so vile that hardlie darre I presume to think that Christ would die for such a filthie rotten creature as I am who from the sole of tbe foote to the crowne of the head is filled with botches boiles and putrifying sores When I behold my selfe into the glasse of Gods Law I abhor the monstrous face of my Soule I am one of those in whom Satan hath parbreaked and spewed the spawne of all sorts of sinne Of all sinners I am the first For I haue not sinned of ignorance but of knowledge against the light of my mind against the voyce of my God against the workings of his Spirit against the cryes of
mine owne Conscience This is my greatest feare that I haue done despite vnto the Spirit of Grace This striketh widest wounds into my Soule and maketh all the bowels of my bellie to wamble O fye fye what a filthinesse is within this heart of mine The small moats moue not thicker in the Sunne than sinnes of all sortes haue reeled to and froe in this wicked heart of mine which is nothing but a nest of Spiders and a cage of corruptions O what a shamefull discouerie should this bee if mine heart were as well seene as my face If all the monsters of my meditations were set in open view if the eyes of men could spie out what thoughts haue beene within my breast since I was borne If all the men of Africke a place most fertile of Monsters were taken to bee witnesse they would plainlie declare that the Earth cannot bring foorth such Monsters as are bredde into the heart of man O the great mercie of God who to the ende that man may liue with man hath hidde the heart of man from men O my God though thou hast sieled the eyes of man that hee cannot see within my breast thine eyes which see our thoughts a far off perceiue most clearlie all my bygone abominations To Thee alone belongeth the discouerie of a closed heart Would I bee dashed if the eye of a sinner tooke mee at an euill turne and shall I not bee ashamed when I remember how the eye of my God hath followed me in all mine euill wayes Alas my deare Pastour yee speake much to mee of Christ and of his death but what portion can such a vile stinking creature as I haue with Christ I haue delayed all to the after-noone and now my Sun is readie for to set The blacke night of darknes is posting vpon my soule My Soule refuseth all sortes of comforts I thinke that it shall die in the verie grippes of such bloodie temptations Behold and consider if there bee anie sorrow like vnto my sorrow The Pastour I know Sir that no sort of men are sooner or sorer touched for their sinnes than are the best children of God Sathan is most busie to blow at the coale of their corruptions And againe there bee no sort of men more readie to appropriate to themselues the comforts of God than they to whom they least belong But yet Sir seeing yee are sicke in Soule yee must not refuse spirituall Physicke Christ is the onelie comfort against the guilt of sinne His blood is the onelie trayacle against the poyson of this pest But can any comfort auaile to him that will not receiue it As meate set vpon the Table cannot nourish except that it bee put into the mouth and from thence bee sent downe to the stomacke So neither can the wordes of comfort feede the heart Nitraijciantur in viscera nostrae animae transeant in affectiones nostras except that they enter into the bowels of our Soule and passe thorow vnto our affections Your Spirit is so knappish and way-ward that it will not admit the most solide comforts The marke of Christs Lambes is an eare-marke My sheepe heare my voyce The sicke Man But thinke yee Sir that I can bee one of Gods who haue beene so great a sinner My Soule is sicke to the death with surfets of sinne Can Gods Spirit abide where there is so great corruption Can two Guestes of so contrarie nature dwell together in one man The Pastour They may indeede though they cannot agree Grace and corruptions may be into the heart of a mā as Israel was with the Iebusites Hiuites and Perezites into Canaan But as Israel wasted these Nations by litle litle so the Spirit of God with grace by little and litle rooteth out wasteth and foileth these nations of sinne that are within vs But not all at once Lest wee should grow idle and roust for want of such spirituall exercise The heart of a godlie man is like the house of Abraham where Isaac and Ismael lodge together Though for a space they tarie together at death the olde scorning Ismael shall bee cast out Hee shall not inherite the promise with Isaac the laughing man If Sir yee finde a wresling within your heart some newe working which once yee did not perceiue it is a token that grace is conceiued in your soule After that a womā hath conceiued she wil find some times a working about the heart prouoking to vomite It is so with the heart of a regenerat mā so soone as grace is conceiued into it it wil ouercast til it cast and vomite out many filthy corruptions Though Iacob be little and weake at the first seeme not to be a peregall vnto the rugh man who is full of strength yet at last hee shall catch him by the heele and ouerturne him in a moment Waite but a litle and yee shall bee vtterlie out of the reach of all the powers of Hell The sicke Man I tremble all with feare that the Lord cast mee off and banish out of the Land of the liuing this filthie festered Soule The Pastour God is more mercifull than man can conceiue him to bee Can a mother forget her Childe that shee haue no compassion saith the Lord A louing Father will bee loth to cast his Childe out of doores in a deadly disease If these who are euill can giue good things vnto their Children how much more will that Father who is goodnesse it selfe giue the holie Spirit with all other good thinges to these who will seeke then cry to God in prayer The sicke Man Alas the sorrow of mine heart lameth the liberty of my tongue my wordes cannot expresse the groanes of my griefe The Pastour Though yee bee not able to vtter words sigh with your hearte vnto God God heard Moses his sighs like cryes Why cryest thou to mee said God to the sighing man A sigh out of a soft melting heart is a powerfull prayer before God The sicke Man I am both sinfull and senslesse Though I haue sinned most hainouslie yet I finde no melting in mine heart All the teares of my repentance within mee are become like a frozen moisture I cannot so much as wring out one drop thereof Oh that they were so melted that they might rush out at the flood-gates of mine eyes that thereof I might with the sinfull woman make a bath for the feete of my Lord Oh that mine heart were formed into another mould Oh that I could in his presence drench my Soule in a showre of teares O how precious is the sense of a reuealed and a reconcealed God! I find my selfe so ycie and colde yea so benummed and blockish as though I were voide of all sense of grace What can this bee The Pastour He who findeth himselfe benummed is not altogether senslesse
In such a man there must bee some stirring of the pulse of a spirituall life A dead man knoweth not that hee is dead no more doeth a dead soule A seared conscience feeleth not defertions That man hath the beginning of grace who can say from his heart I haue no grace in my selfe but onelie to finde that I haue no grace This wee must all know that the best of Gods Sainctes will bee troubled with temporall desertions as Ionah was while hee was wrapt with waues and with weedes in the bottome of the sea Out of this bellie of hell they will cry to God Why hast thou made vs to erre from thy wayes and hardned our heart from thy feare Most godlie Soules may swarfe in sinne but they cannot die in their sins A spirituall man may be do◅ked in a sea of sin or sorrow but can neuer be drowned At last God shall make him sing with Ionah Yet hast thou brought vp my life from corruptions O Lord my God The spirituall life and light which God hath once put into the Soule of man can neuer be totallie extinguished Gods graces and his giftes are without repentance Iudas from horrour may rin to the halter but Peter cannot perish The Sicke Man Thinke yee then Sir that a man cannot fall from the grace of God if once hee hath beene receiued in Grace may not Grace like some plants for a space take roote and thereafter wither May not God begin a good worke into a man and after leaue it imperfect The Pastour Gods working in the godlie is not like the doing of him that beginneth to build an house before hee count his cost but is not able to finish it I am confident of this verie thing said S. Paul that hee which hath begunne a good worke in you will performe it vntill the day of Iesus Christ Gods spirituall gifts and graces which are without repentance come neuer within the compasse of Gods Reuocation * God will make Saul a King and againe repent that euer hee was crowned and thereafter will put him frō his kingdome Hee will lend out a Talent and after take it backe againe Hee will giue to man a tongue and thereafter make him dumbe Hee will giue Health Wealth Riches and after take all backe againe The Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken may be said of al things except of his spirituall and speciall graces These hee giueth once but neuer taketh them backe againe Sinne indeed will waken and diminish the sense and feeling of their operation but can neuer take them quite away Grace in a godlie Soule will bee betimes like flaxe smoking without a flamme or like embers vnder an heape of ashes Though all seeme to bee dead out yet there is some little secret spunke within which shall neuer bee quenched New sinnes I confesse are verie dangerous they will wonderfullie impaire the sense of mercie into faithfull Soules yea so that to their judgement the Spirit of God will seeme altogether to haue forsaken them But yet into their most desperate-like-cry there is a My of Faith in their prayer My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Grace in a godlie Soule will be like sappe into an Oake or Elme in the frostie dayes of December hidde close within the barke While Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse remoueth his hote beames from the faithfull Soule the Soule drouppeth like an Herbe into a winter day Grace like sappe runneth in to the heart and there lurketh for a spake But againe so soone as this Sunne beginneth to returne with the heat health of his countenance in a new Spring-time then will appeare againe first bude then blossomes then flourishes and after fruites That which was hid of before is incontinent perceiued As seede now cast into the ground seemeth to bee a dead thing and yet hath life in it so is Gods grace aliue and quickening when it seemeth farre otherwise In a sowne a man liueth though hee seeme to bee dead The life of God in a man can neuer altogether bee choaked with sinne Our miserie is not able to ouer-reach his mercie A sparkle of fire should be more able to burne vp the sea than mans sinnes for to dry vp the blood of his mercie Where grace is begunne a man may fall but hee can neuer fall away If Sir ye haue found once the life of God within your Soule yee haue receiued a sure pledge pawne of immortalitie say to your Soule And now my Soule returne vnto thy rest The sicke Man There is no rest within mee I am alas as a man vpon a raging Sea tumbled and tossed with such fearefull temptations which make all the bowels of my bellie to wamble The Pastour Sea sicknesse Sir is sore while it lasteth But many seeke this sicknesse for to cure them of a worse Take courage God hath imbarked you into this temptation for to cause you caste out some corruptions which lye lurke about your heart Bee content to tarie a little space vpon the Firth till the filth of you stomacke bee cleane purged away Assure your selfe that all this sore sicknesse shall worke your health in the latter end which shall cause your to sing For his mercie endureth for euer In the shadow of Gods wings mak your refuge vntill these calamities passe ouer The sicke Man I am euer in great doubt of my selfe The Pastour Though ye doubt of your selfe yee must not doubt of Gods kindnesse and compassions If ◅e doubt that God can bee mercifull to your sinnes yee deny your Creede wherein yee see forgiuennesse of sinne to bee an expresse Article of Faith Though for some space yee be troubled with doubts at last ye shall knowe by his Spirite within that Christ was no more willing to suffer for sinners than hee shall proue both willing and able to saue you Gods custome is to choose the hardest way for the best end partlie for to proue his power partlie for to try our trust The sicke Man I wish it be so But for the present I finde a feare within mee which maketh my Soule to tremble I euer thinke that hardlie can it bee that the Spirit of God would dwell into mine heart which is a very cage of corruption If the men of God when they see bordels abhor them and goe by them shall not the Spirit of God much more passe by mee yea abhor me who of mine heart haue made a most filthy stew Moreouer Satan is busie with his Bellowes blowing at the juniper coales of Gods wrath that against mee may be kindled a consuming fire The frowne of a Prince may bee the fauour of God But when God frowneth who shall shew fauour O what a cry is
I will let down the net What ensued vpon his obedience they inclosed such a multitude of fishes that for the weight thereof their nette brake the aboundance was so great that they beckned to their partners which were into another ship that they shuld come to helpe them And they came and filled both the shippes so that they beganne to sinke Let your wearied Soule learne of Peter to obey Christ though they had toiled all the night and had taken nothing and had lost all hope of any taking yet at Christs word they let downe the net Christ in his Miracle would not cause the fish to leape into their Shippe but hee would haue them to launch and labour yea and seeke helpe of others Moreouer before Christ did this they had toiled all the night before without anie profit Christ came not to abrogat the Law by feeding idle men but hee came to fulfill the Law and to giue a blessing to these that did eate their bread in the sweate of their face Trust first in God Sir and at his word launch in the deepe Labour in the sweat of your face seeke aske knocke and bee assured to finde and receiue for yea and Amen hath spoken it Though your sinnes bee great if yee belieue his word hee hath giuen both his word and his oath to forgiue two immutable things wherein it is imposible that God should lie O the vnlimited boundlesse bowels of his mercie The sicke Man I haue alreadie rapped at the doore of grace but I haue gotten none answere God will not cast vp his gates to let in such a rotten ra◅call as I am The dinne of temptations within mee is like the rumbling of a Linne wherein waters rush with a ◅oise I by my sinnes haue growne so heauie vpon the Lord that I presse him as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaues While I pray Christ letteth not on him that hee either heareth or seeth mee The Pastour Though at the first prayer ye receiue not yet cry againe againe The poore receiue not almes at your doore at the first cry and therefore they cry againe and againe till their almes come That Cananitish woman that came from the costes from Tire and Sidon for to seeke helpe of Christ for her Daughter troubled with a deuill was not heard at her first prayer shee receiued none answere at all at the secōd she receiued a verie hard answere viz That hee was sent vnto others than to the like of her viz. Vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel At the third prayer shee receiued the hardest answere of all viz. That shee and her Daughter were but dogs to whom the Childrens bread did not belong What did shee then Shee tooke the buffet for the bit Wee are but dogs said shee why then let vs eate the crumbes At that worde Christ could refuse her no more but gaue her all her will O Woman said hee great is thy Faith bee it vnto thee euen as thou wilt Though while yee cry Christ make none answere yet cry againe If hee call you a dogge cry for a crumbe Often his comforts are folded in his Iudgements S. Paul prayed th◅ise before God gaue to him an answere While the angel of the Deuill did buffet him hee cryed for helpe once againe after the third time God made answere that his grace should bee sufficient for him Iacob got not his blessing at the first sute no not at last it came to worsling and weeping and wresting he wept made supplicatiō and then the Lord blessed him Did not Christ himselfe in his great agonie pray and after one prayer pray againe for the remouing of the painfull cuppe If yee haue prayed pray yet againe were it in the same prayer as Christ did of whom it is said That againe he went away prayed spak the same words God may let his owne cry and cry aga ne but hee will not let them cry ◅ill they be confounded At last when his time is come hee will arise to their helpe Hee can not sit the importunate cryes of wearied spirites Because of the importunitie of the seeker that neighbour in the Gospel could not get his friend refused the one friende came to the other friendes doore but for the lend of three loaues tor to set downe before another friende who was in his journey came late vnto his house A friend of mine said he in his journey is come to mee and I haue nothing to set before him From within the other answered that hee should not trouble him because the doore was shute and his Children were with him into the bed I say vnto you said Christ Though hee will not rise and giue him because hee is his friend yet because of his importunitie hee willrise and giue him as many as hee needeth The spirituall vse of this is subjoyned vnto the verse following Aske and it shall bee giuen you seeke and yee shall finde c. Because of the earnest sute of the poore Widow the euill Iudge who neither feared God nor respected man was forced to doe her justice These thinges are writen for our learning not to take a refusell from our God in any thing that may bee good for our Soule mans importunitie in seeking is Gods opportunitie in giuing The Sicke Man These things cannot bee written for mee What doeth Christ care for mee haue not I treade vnder the filthie feete of mine affections that precious Blood Haue not I counted that Blood f the Couenant as an vnholie thing My Spirit is in a feare that it hath done dispight vnto the Spirit of grace This is the chiefe gash and wound of my Soule this is a gangrene which eateth out mine heart the temptation is come from the barke to the bone The Pastour If yee were guiltie of that sinne yee would not bee so grieued for it These who doe despight vnto the Spirit of grace mourne not for that siane as it is an hainous offence against God but as it procureth the wages of euerlasting woe In such a man the feare of judgement is greater than the hatred of sinne Iudas could say Oh I haue sinned in betraying the innocent Blood The feare of judgement not the loue of Christ made him bewaile his treason The sinne against the holie Ghost is not so great but God could forgiue it if the sinner could repent The bosome of Gods mercy is not so streightned that it cannot receiue a sinner because of the hudge greatnesse of his sinnes There was no disease which Christ could not cure in the dayes of his flesh But because of the vnbeliefe of men in some partes hee could not doe manie miracles Obserue a strange word spoken of God by God himselfe Hee could
Alas that wee gaze so greedilie vpon the painted and varnished vanishing glorie of things below which all perish with the vsing If men knew what relish is into these dainties that are aboue prepared for the Sainctes they would not so glut themselues with the swinish â—…uskes of earthlie thinges but would reserue their lust for that whereof there is no loathing Fye on men that for follie should losse such an inheritance that fadeth not away In this world wee haue Bethel the house of God but aboue is Peniel the place of Gods face wherein are pleasures for euermore Below all pleasures ebbe and flow with discontent and comfort But aboue is an euerlasting full sea of joyes which could neuer enter into the heart of man Vnder the Law God was hid vnder a vaile In the Gospel wee see him in a glasse But in heauen we shall see him face to face and that indeede euen as hee is The sicke Man Mine heart by these wordes is possest with a secret louelier auishment Continue I pray you to declare what more beaucie is within that Paradise Let me heare of these pleasures which the Sainctes there haue in the presence of their God and what bee the order and chiefe ornaments of that Palace what bee the attyre of these that follow the Lambe what be the forme of their feasting at table with Abraham Isaac Iaacob The Pastour Such things are transcendent to all the wits of Nature and to all created inuentions It is good that wee beware to launch too farre into such a boundlesse and bottomelesse Ocean What is the compasse of mans braine little like a Nut-shell that it should containe conceptions of that which is infinit God who killed the Bethshemites for looking into his Arke and reproued the Galileens gazing vp to the Heauens will not allow men to pierce and prye curiouslie into his misteries which surpasse all created capacitie Our greatest wisedome shall bee to wonder at that which passeth the reach of all reason and reuelation It may well content the most curious Soule to bee of Gods Court though it be not of his secret Counsell In nothing mans reason appeareth more reasonable than to cease from reasoning in that which is aboue his reach The matter is heere so high that all words forsake mee as it were confessing that they are neither fit nor able to expresse such wonderfull misteries As the heauens could not bee measured but with a Reede of gold so cannot these heauenlie things bee declared but in the golden language of heauen which our sinfull mortalitie can neither speake nor vnderstand It is dangerous for man to be curious to learne what God esteemeth not necessarie to teach Man must not haue eares to listen where God hath not a tongue to speake Gods silence should teach all men sobrietie in searching In that royall Palace of pleasures aboue without doubt bee comfortes contentments yea and such I am perswaded as greater the Sunne and Moone the two eyes of Heauen neuer saw What say I greater The image of such thinges could neuer enter into the heart of man In my judgement all the Godlie at the first sight of heauens glorie shall bee like men in a dreame As it is written of Gods people When the Lord brought againe the captiuitie of Zion wee were like them that dreame All such glorie beautie and pleasure shall bee things so excellent and beyond expectation that for a space they shall seeme to the Saincts incredible for a space in my judgement the Godlie shall bee like these that dreame wondering how so great a glorie can possiblie bee My minde is now dazeled with such high considerations O O O these so vnspeakable beauties that are within that Holie of holies O the order that is there O the dainties that are on these Tables O the Table of that Ruler where all may take of all without Putting a knife 〈◊〉 their throat O the apparell of Gods seruaÌ„ts there O these fairest flowers which shall decke their garlands of Majestie O these peerelesse Pearles of price O these louelie Iemmes O these celestiall crownes spangled with jewles more glistering than â—…tarres O yee Angels and Archangels O yee all of that heaueÌ„ly Queire Cherubins Seraphins Princes Powers Thrones Vertues and Dominions all inflammed with most glorious diuine beames of light O yee Noble followers of the Lambe all decked with glorie and garlands of immortalitie O the amazing beauties of these celestiall Mansions O ye blessed eternized Denizens who liue there into an eternall vnitie of loue which no jarres strife or debate shall for euer be able to vntwine O purest Spirits purged from all drossie mood of sinfull mortalitie O Palace of pleasures wherin Angels Sainctes all around with celestiall Harpes make all to ring with Holie Holie Holie Halleluiah Halleluiah Halleluiah O yee purest pleâ—…sures of perfection which no fretting canker of time shall bee able to out-weare or to cancell the owlish eyes of my mind are not able to reach within the bounds of so bright an Horizon The most I can conceiue is lesse than the least and lightest glory that shall bee there where Soules are solaced without stresse or strife in immortalitie O glorie glorie glorie without any veine of vanitie Mine heart is rauished and is no more within me When the Queene of Shebah came to Ierusalem to see the glorie of Solomon after that shee had considered the meate of his Table and the sitting of his seruants and the attendance of his Ministers and their appâ—…rell his Cup bearers it is said That there remained no more spirit in her All her spirits in a manner ran out of her by the holes of her senses for to come sit downe wonder at the glorie of the man Thus wondering shee remained for a space as if shee had beene amazed till her stupified spirit returned into her againe then shee began to speake It was a true report that I heard in mine owne Land of thine actes and of thy wisedome howbeit I belieued not the wordes vntill I came and mine eyes had seene it And behold the halfe was not told mee Thy wisedome prosperitie exceede the fame which I haue heard Happie are thy men happie are these thy seruantes which stand continuallie before thee and that heare thy wisedome Consider how the glorie of a man in its greatest not comparable to the glorie of a Lillie drew the spirite so out of the Queene of Shebah that for a space shee was not able to speake Shee wondered at that which shee saw but what shee had seene shee could not vtter in words buâ—… onelie said in generall that shee had heard a true report which she could not belieue vntill shee came and her eyes had seene it And nowe wheâ—… shee hath seene shee declareth that the halfe had not beene tolde
drawe the desires of his heart to abide into that P◅lace of pleasures where there is Light without Darknesse Mirth without Sadnesse Health without Sicknesse Wealth without want Beautie without blemish For the sake of thy dea◅e Selfe seale vp into his Soule the assurance of thy loue that in all bol◅nesse through the bleeding bowels of Christes compassions hee may come to the Throne of thy grace frō thence he may enter into glory O LORD the comfort the joye and the glorie of Israel Bee fauourable to thy distressed Sainctes dispersed vpon the Earth Thy Church here below is like a shippe on the sea Though it floate aloft it is fore tossed to and f◅o with wind and with waue thou therin seemeth whiles to sleep Now LORD at last awake in these boisterous blastes Master Master saue vs for wee perish Awake O LORD and rebuke the winds Alas O LORD thou seemeth now to lowre in thy wrath by driuing all our petitions from Thee with a darke and cloudie countenance so that these that trust in Thee are cleane dashed out of countenance while they heare the scorninges of the aduersaries who nowe waste and hauocke thy Vine Arise O LORD as a man of war Awake as one out of sleepe and like a mightie man that shouteth by reason of Wine Smite thou all the enemies in the hinder partes and put them to a perpetuall reproach Take the Cudgell into thine hand and stricke a way these Dogges which follow Thee but for crustes Let vs neuer bee colde or carelesse in the distresse of others but for to assure vs that wee are all members of one Bodie giue vs this pledge of mourning with these that mourne Make vs all to bee grieued for the affliction of Ioseph Blesse our gracious SOVERAIGNE with the Spirit of Wisedome and of Grace Rescue Him from all dangers both bodilie ghostlie Thogh Hee bee a Prince among men yet Hee is thy Subject Thou who by Grace hast made Him to reigne ouer thy people on earth at the end of his appointed time when the dayes of His Reigne shall bee happilie finished exalt Him highlie in the heanens among thy Sainctes and Angels So long as Hee is heere let Him know that it standeth Him fast in hand to bee an Hornager vnto Thee Direct him so in all His cariage that His whole life may bee to all His Subjects an holy patronage of good example Let Him neuer retract nor repeale that vow which Hee made at His Coronation for to maintaine the puritie of thy Gospel and for to bee a louing Father vnto thy people Cloth his enemies with shame but vpon Himselfe make His Crowne to flourish Blesse His Royall Match Make Her to striue stretch all the powers of Her Soule by prayer in searching the sincere knowledge of thy truth LORD in Her carefull search make Her to say at last with the Spouse I haue found him whom my Soule loueth I will not let him goe Thou LORD louest Trueth in the inward partes and therefore so sanctifie Her Hearte that She may day lie thriue in the power of Godlinesse Though all outward meanes should faile Her bee Thou to Her in stead of all meanes aboundantlie supplying Her with the power and presence of thy Spirit Leuell LORD Her Heart directlie to the loue of Christ of him crucified that by a true liuelie Faith in him Shee may shine among the Sainctes in Heauen like one who in a great measure hath beene receiued in Grace on earth Let thy Preastes bee cloathed with righteousnesse Blesse all our Nobles mak them truelie noble not like Ephraim whose righteousnesse was like the morning dew Let them neuer for feede or fauour slinke or shrinke back from the puritie of thy Gospel established in this Land Giue vnto vs all courage for the Trueth that wee may bee bold to resist euen vnto the blood not beeing like these who at the first in an hote and hastie zeale promise faire with Peter but anone at the first womanlie temptation start aside like deceitfull bowes Suffer no sinne to goe current with vs without check Let vs neuer follow the sway of tymes with sewed Cushions vnder our Elbowes LORD abide with vs this night As thou hast drawne the night Curtaine of darknesse vpon the face of the earth so bee thou a pillar of the cloude betweene vs and our enemies Hide our soules from Sathans temptations as by the cloudie pillar thou hid the Israelites from the Egyptians Make vs this night to sleepe softlie and soundlie in thine Armes that our bodies beeing refreshed with sleepe may bee the better enabled to morrow for to sette foorth thy Glorie in the work of our Vocation LORD let these our weake prayers come vp before Thee like Pillars of smoke perfumed with the liuelie sauoure of thy Son To whom with Thee and the Spirit of Grace bee endlesse Glorie and Dominion for euer Now Sir wee haue recommended you God to who is stretching out the Armes of his mercie readie for to receiue your Soule into the bosome of his Loue Make you nowe readie for him for in all appearance ye are not farre from the doores of death Bee vigilant in prayer lest Satan yet put in his leauen into the Spirites dough and so by sowring it make it distastfull to the Lord By a little droppe of filth the pure webbe of the Spirit will become a menstruous cloath The sicke Man The lost Sheepe is found I giue you most heartie thankes for that feruent prayer I pray God that it be heard in the Heauen as Solomon prayed for these that prayed in the Temple which he had builded saying Then heare thou in Heauen Lord graunt that these comforts and contentments bee not deceiuable feelinges and flashings of joye O Lord let not the Spirit of Grace in this new birth recoyle as once Zarah in Thamars wombe Seeing God hath furnished me with a new spirituall strength I wish that I culd imploy it well for the short space that I haue to liue among mortall wightes in this region of corruption O Lord stirre all the streames of mine affections toward thy selfe Wound ward weaken wasle all my delightfull and darling sinnes that my whole joye may rest on Thee command confine all my thoghts to thy selfe that by Faith my Soule may seaze and lay hold on the merits of Christ the celestiall Pearles of price Disburthen my soule of euerie weight that hangeth so fast on lest that thereby it should bee swayed away from Thee I finde mine hearte stirred with a feruent desire to powre out it selfe in prayer before God I pray you all that sit by to joyne your affections with mine into this worke The sicke mans Prayer for himselfe O LORD the Father of mercies and GOD of all Consolation bee present in thy great mercie with mee thy vnworthie seruant into this time of trouble suffer mee earth and ashes to speake
when it shall please his Majestie That which is the gift of Gods good pleasure is not a thing which a man may haue wheÌ„ he pleaseth Youth is lik the time of the stirring of the poole a gracious time if it be wel imployed Christ I knowe may cure a Soule that hath beene sicke of the palsey of sinne eight and thirtie yeeres but that must bee counted a most rare miracle Late repentance is seldome sound But alas though a man were assured that in his olde dayes he should repent truelie of all the folies of his youth how bitter a thing is that which Gods word calleth Repentance A Pagan hauing gotten some little glimpse thereof while he conferred the pleasures of sin with the paines of repentance refused to bargaine for his pleasures saying plainelie Non emeâ—…im tanti poenitere that hee would not buy repentance so deare Most men in the heat of their sinnes lay about them to finde some pretence for the lessening therof lest they seeme vgelie Oh that youth would bee wise our youth is either a great friend or a great foe vnto our olde age If we get a fill of Gods mercie in the morning of our age wee shall bee glad and rejoyce all our dayes The rememberance of a well spent youth is in olde age lik the casting of the Eagles bill whereby its age is renewed O the siluer coloured gray head of that olde man who from his youth in the maine of his life hath walked in the wayes of righteousnesse Grace froÌ„ the Cradle is of great expectation Happie is that youth which is old in grace If yee get grace to your youth yee shall get glorie after age God it is who giueth both grace and glorie which two I may call the euerlasting twinnes conceiued into the breast and bowels of that Mercie that is aboue Take heede my Children In your first dayes striue to bee like the Auncient of dayes A good Conscience well kept in youth is a perpetuall feast for olde age That mans youth is a great friend to his old age who can say with Obadiah I feare the Lord from my youth A well spent youth is a blessed seede time for Heauen A well spent youth is spirituall physicke vnto olde age which of it selfe on Earth is a sicknesse drawing vnto Death As the well spent youth is a friend vnto old age so if it bee euill spent it is a most fearfull foe a foe full of woes woe to him whose old bones are sores with the sins of his youth the Lord hath taken the penne in his hand wherewith after he that hath narrowly searched his wayes hee shall write bitter thinges against him and shall make him possesse the iniquities of his youth * Beware therefore to set your corruption to worke for to giue the Prime of your life vnto pleasures Bee wise in time lest Sathan shely foist in and closelie conuay corruptions into your young and tender heartes by tickling and tempting you to folie It is more easie while it is time to spend well the time than after to redeeme the mispent time Why would yee trouble your olde age with young folies If yee sawe the seede of folie in your youth ye shall vndoubtedly reapesheaues of sorrows in your old age It is a sore troublé to sow in laughter reape in teares In the best man that liueth there is sufficient mater of mourning for his cloudie and rainie yeares The old man hath enough to suffer vnder sicknes though hee had no cumber of his sinnes O how pleasant is the bitter haruest of a foolish youth O folie hath not olde age paines sufficientlie in the bodie though it bee not surcharged with the troubles of the Spirit What wisedome is this to surcharge the weakest age with the heauiest burden Thinke chieflie vpon this seeing the goodnesse of God followeth the whole life of man from his mothers bellie to his buriall it is reason that his whole life as well youth as olde age bee framed for to expresse his thankfulnesse My first and chiefest direction to you is that yee giue to God the first fruites of your age Suffer not sinne in your tender yeeres to get hold haunt in your heartes A godlie Youth hath a speciall promise 〈◊〉 God these that seeke mee earelie 〈◊〉 finde mee This parable was forged in Hell young Saincts old Deuils that is A good Lad will bee an euill man And this is turned ouer againe by the prophane world viz. An euill Lad will bee a good man Nay but an euill Lad is in the way to proue an olde wag-string A young scoffing Ismael will become an olde swaggering reueller Children in Scripture are called Plants If in the Moneth of May a 〈◊〉 bee without leafes or buddes we conceiue little good hope of anie fruites to bee had in the haruest time thereafter will a tree bring foorth fruites before it flourish When flourish time is past without anie blossome shall wee looke for anie fruite for that yeare Learne of the trees to know your seasons Solomon sent the sluggard to Doctour Pismires schoole for to learne wisedome to prouide for the euill day Striue with the trees in your youth to get a spring of grace which may appâ—…are in the sprout and blossome of dispositions vnto vertues Muâ—…ium est assâ—…escere a teneris To beginne well or euill is to bee in the midst of the journey Most powerfull are the first impressions lik the loue of women which ordinarlie is greatest towards her first Match the guide of her youth who tulit primos amores hath gorten the prime of her loue It is hard to fall from her first loue See what a liking these who are in Kings Courts will haue to remember of the Cottage or rurall village whereinto they were borne and brought vp The secret draught is so powerfull that hardlie can anie expresse the cause This made a Pagan to say Nescio qua natale soluÌ„ dulcedine cuÌ„ctos Ducit immemores non sinit esse sui By this yee may see how by a certaine secret instinct wee euer loue the places where wee haue beene borne brought vp Obserue the lesson of this if yee passe your youth in sin in the pleasures therof hardly shal yee euer forget that company doe what ye can ye shall euer haue a certaine secret loue which your Soule darre not auouch toward that which yee once loued while ye were yong If your sinnes bee your Companions in your vouth they will bee your Counsellers in olde age Rehoboams fall was in this that he took counsell of the young men that were growne vp with him If sinne bee brought vp with you in your youth there is danger that ye take its counsell in your olde age The time of youth is most dangerous for in it the affections