it makes them cry out of Prosperity as captived Craesus did of Solon O Solon Solon had I hearkned to thy premonitions I had never been so unprovided for bonds and captivity Of these then that which the Apostle saves of the Unchaste widdow is most true they are dead when they live 1 Tim. 5.6 But to the Godly it is far otherwise their peace outward is ever sanctified not as to the present use of it for they may faint in the Sunshine they may be lifted up through abundance of Revelation but as to the Sacred end and ultimate result of it God shall turn this by the Sacred Chymistry of Omnipotency into Good Rom. 8.28 This is within the pale of All things work together for good to them that love God Away then thou Accuser of the Brethren avoid thou Tempter to Evil and thou Mortar Piece of Divine Fury Satan Away yee children of Darkness who hate those of Light because your deeds are evil forbear your tauntings of those whom the Lord hath smitten justifie not those whose Iniquitous Ballances have made themselves onely weighty and all others too light the Standard of Justice is coming round Dan. 5.25 your doom is Mene tekel Vphursin the glory of your forged Sanctimony is defaced God will humble the pride of men and polish his rusted Saints by the arising beams of the Sun of Righteousness The Churches Soveraigne is at hand and though his first coming was in humilitie his next will be in glorie to ride in triumph over all feigned Piety and to set these Goats of Lust and Rage on his left hand Lift up O holy ones your heads Your Redemption draws nigh Hee that dyed for you will owne you and expects you should owne him in preserving his seamlesse coat from rents and in keeping unity of Spirit though there be difference of Language Peace be O holy souls to you the peace of this world not by its gifts but by Donation of him who hath subjected all things prepare your selves by holy love to deal out your Riches to those that want freely ye receive freely give O far be it from you to give vinegar and gall to your brethren since your Father in Heaven gives you the generous liquor of Love and bids you do as you would be done by Take your fils of the waters of outward plenty Marah is cured the bitterness of death is past Christ hath by his Cross so crucified the world to you that it is now become your Vassal not your Lord remember there is the portion of Peace annexed to Acquaintance with God So do and so have But is this all are the grains of allowance only in Externals Is my Carcass more worthy then my Soul What shall be done to that animula blandula 2 Pet. 1.4 which is after a sort Partaker of the DIVINE Nature is there no accrewment to that Doth God take care of Sparrowes and of the haires of our heads and is there no provision made for that which is the Nightingale of Eternity Surely yes two for one the double portion for this first-born One portion respects its conjunction here with the body and the other its separation from and glorification with the body in Heaven the first in Grace the second in Glory the first in via the Comfort and Peace of a good Conscience and the latter and better in Patria of a good God in a glorious Kingdom Heaven 2 Peace Internal not Physical sans Palpitation of the Heart sans exclamation of the Passions or their crowing shrils in the brain but peace Metaphysical the peace of God in the brest of man God as it were incarnate sitting on the Tribunal of a Mortal Judicatory Now the winter is past the stormes are over the singing of birds is come the voice of the Turtle of the Primum Mobile is heard O Extatick Elamire O Seraphick Ela O Note stept aside from the Quire of Angels to entice our Admirations Doth God dwell with man can these houses of clay contain him that is whatever is Infinite and Incomprehensible which he is Be thou O Lord with my pen and let it be thine Instrument to decipher this which is so rare which is whatever Nature can aspire to value Peace of Conscience a Jewel which abates not price a child of light admired in all Ages Persons Countries sought after when not had cherished where possessed deplored when lost whom Patriarks Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors Christians valued and to which they peered nothing Peace of conscience the Salt that seasons Mirth sweetens Sorrow and the Plummet that sounds the bottom of every coast and discovers Shipwrack and safety Peace of Conscience the Touchstone of our innocency the probate of our Zeal the Furnace of our Charity for then only can we love God and our Neighbor when his love is shed abroad in our hearts by his holy Spirit who works this peace in us Peace of Conscience that Phenix nest made up of the Persumes of Graces out of which expiring rises peace of Eternitie Peace of Conscience heaven on earth glory in weakness light in obscuritie Abrahams bosom in Lazarus sores Peace of Conscience Goshen in Egypt Gods Segullah to the Alchimy of the worlds Admirables the fat kine of holy serenity that by a miraculous transposition swallow up all the lean kine of worldly cares and confounds the wisdom of secular interests Peace of Conscience the Lily of the vallies in which Christ nestles the Rose of Sharon on which the Sun of Righteousness smiles to which Solomons bravery is but Beggery and Herods oratory but babling Peace of Conscience compared with which Balm of Gilead is but like the trifling Compound of a Quack Salve and the Gold of Ophir but as dross and dung Peace of Conscience to which Power and Policy Arts and Armies Councels and Senates are but as Molehils to Mountains Ants to Men Atomes to the body of this earth and the dwindling light of the candle to the center of light enveloped in the Sun Peace of Conscience the Musick to which Orpheus his Harp and Arions Pipe helped on with Syrens voice are but so many straines of perfect discord and displeasing Harmony Peace of Conscience the best companion of life the sweetest Confessor at death the noblest Memorial after death nay the souls prodomus next under Christ to Heaven for thither it ran on Cornelius his errand to display his Almes and thither it must go to the credit and comfort of all that have it For there is none of this peace to the wicked saith my God Here O profane worldlings here O wretched Politico's yee are outstripped pleasures profits honors have no suffrage in this confistory they cannot make their Masters partakers of this delight to which all others are but shadowes as far beneath them as drops to the Ocean Neither Alexanders Power nor Solomons Wisdom nor Mithridates his Wealth nor Justinians Learning nor Galens Receipts nor Archimedes his Experiments can
may say to thee Well done good and faithful servant and continue thee ruler in thine own house which many thy betters are not who yet are not greater sinners then thou though greater sufferers His usages varyed from Hosannahs to Crucifige's bids thee not marvel If the same breath blows hot and cold or that Favour hath a dark and bright side to thee He died lastly a shameful death do not thou defeat a noble death by a shameless life Thou O holy Soul hast met with disappointments here Who hath not Let thy comfort be that thou art or oughtest to be above all this world can afford Perhaps thy crosses have been in those things thou most admiredst Thou art well served who lovest any thing passionately but God whom thou shouldst love with all thy heart with all thy minde and with all thy might thy defeats are in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of thy hoped for fruition God sees thou art too indulgent to flesh and he loves to abase confidence in it What to others proves Gold to thee becomes drosse Comfort thy self thy best advantage is to come Heaven makes amends for all those manageries thou thinkst wise and wary succeed not when as thou wouldst wait upon God there is more in the lot cast into the lap then thou art aware of honest indeavors in the end have sure pay Patence though late profligates difficulty and disarms petulant resolution Mercy often forms noble Mercuries of rude logs and the greatest designs of beauty from the dull lowrings of mortal opposition That which is sowen in weaknesse shall in Gods time rise in power and bear down all that stand against it Thou lastly art out of love with thy self because thou canst not have thy will of this world study to prepare for that better before thou desire a cal from this death is a terror to those who have not part in the first Resurrection And if O holy soul thou findest thy comforts come in and thy God gives thee access to him with boldness then despise whatever would part thee and thy joyes chear up thy selfe with this that Christ is thine in his life thy pattern in his Spirit thy Comforter in his Word thy Rule in his death thine Attonement and in his glorious Session in Heaven thy Triumph that he is thy Sun by whose influence thou shalt be drawn up after him that he is thy sheild to defend thee from evil that he will give thee grace to glorifie him in a holy life before men and grace thee with glory before his Pather and his holy Angels But O holy soul all is not Gold that glisters all sufferings are not sanctified to sufferers because Pride and Folly has Martyrs which Christ crowns not Christs slock hear his voice and not a strangers keep in the fold not wander into by-wayes Let it be thy care to suffer not as a busie body not as an enemy to Government and a subverter of Order and civil Peace Non erga qui propter iniquitatem et propter Christianae unitatis impiam divisionem sed qui propter justitiam persecutionem patiuntur â—bi Martyres veri suns S. Aug. Ep. 50. ad Bonifac. Countem in these mistakes sober and prudent Christians ought not to be involved nor can any from just grounds of Magistratick severity against offenders take comfort in sufferings but as a Christian Martyr not with clamour but meekness Ann. 33. Q. Eliz Acts 7. last not reviling Powers as did Hacket but praying for persecuters as did Stephen Lord lay not this sin my suffering to their charge See O holy soul thou cleanse the inside of the cup and keep thy heart upright and trim Christ cares not for Pharisaicall outsides and ceremonious pomps he delights in the inner man in those addresses that are made to him from a pure heart and faith unfained to evidence which to men who judg by outward appearance the bodies concurrence in all devout and lowly demeanour is requisite And since thou knowest him a Spirit fear nothing more then a spiritlesse offering and beleeve nothing less acceptable to him then to be denyed the Male of thy Flock thy best and ripest parts Take heed thou mistake not Leah for Rachel and chuse the blear-ey'd world before Christ the Word that from the beginning to this moment speaks life and love to thee And who in all holy reverence be it written drank the health of Eternity to thee in his own bloud Matth. 26.58 and invites thee to pledg him in that Eucharistick Nectar which our holy Mother the Church fils out to all worthy Communicants and in which 1 Cor. 11.25 by command of him they celebrate the memoriall of his Passion And if O holy Soul the sorrows of thy life are too pressing for thee to prevail against Call thy Saviour to thy rescue He is a ready help in trouble He is a door of hope in the valley of Achor Hos 2.15 Achor vallis turbationis Gloss He that was thine Antisignanus in sorrow expects thou shouldest follow his Colours There is no fear of suffering and dying with this Phocion of Eternity who for his Martyrs hath Comforrs in Nolitimere mori cum Phocione and Crowns after torments This this held up Primitive Saints even to generous contempt of Death Saint Jerome reports that Hylarion being to die with eyes fixed on heaven thus spake My soul go forth of thy prison the body Egredere quid times egredere anima mea quid dubitas Septuaginta prepe aunis servisti Christo et mortem times In vita Hylar what fearest thou wherein doubtest thou Thou hast served Christ almost 70 years and dost thou now fear to dis I know it is a great work to obtain this Conquest Turkish Hist p. 220. to bring a Bajazet of mortal pride into the Cage of Self-denyall yet the Scholar of Christ must be this Tamberlaint and con this Part exactly Plus debet Christi Discipulus praestare quam mundi Philosophus S. Hieron Epist 26. ad Pammachum Christians who excell Philosophers in their Wages must also go beyond them in their Work And if O holy Soul thou retreatest and darest not enter the lists 't is a sign thou art unsatisfied of thy duty and settest light by thy birth-right Heb. 11.8 which is no better evidenced to thee then by Afflictions the badg of Legitimation Consider therefore that whatever trouble befalls thee is to file off thy pollution to give thy Vertue a transparency and to make thee more like him who is far above the Powers and Principalities of this vain World and its dulling and dangerous â—nvie Bid therefore defiance to all that would either court or compell thee to resigne Faith Hope Charity Patience Perseverance or any other piece of thy holy Armour to diffidence and impsous despair Consider every thing in this world shall have end and then if not before thy frailties and thine enemies injuries
Lord speaks of who sell all to purchase the Jewel of Divine Intercourse these are they that cry out for the light of Gods countenance Psalm 4. and care not what they suffer so they have it To these humble prostrates are the Doles of Heaven dealt out on these that cry out as Rachel did to Jacob Give me Grace or else I dye doth God give the blessing of Acquaintance and for these and these only hath he a Reserve a Mansion in his Kingdom Jerusalem above which is the vision of Peace and in the fruition of which by holy Acquaintance with God as the way and means we shall obtain adunition to God as the end and fruition of Peace in that felicity for so saith the next words Acquaint now thy selfe with God and be at peace But stay man a while There is somewhat intercurrent 'twixt Acquaintance and Peace there are bars and bounds to keep the Stage free from pester God hath appointed Means and Degrees by which to come at length to this Culmen this top of the Mount on which shall be our Transfiguration Christ Moses and Elias are to be met with when we can say our Christian Alphabet roundly when we can say not only as Saint Paul Phil. 3 12. Rev. 5.9 10. Nondum attigimetam but sing that Epinichyon Thou art worthy O Lord for thou hast redeemed us from sin sorrow the world and made us Kings and Priests to thee Till then there is aliquid agendum if ever thou wilt come to the end of thy race it must be by the Means ordained to that end which is the second Scruple to be explicated Scruple 2 2 What are the Meanes of obtaining this Acquaintance The Solution of this is partly done in the foregoing Consideration and therefore will require the less answer here the prescribed Steps of assent are also many several Paces towards it what is necessary to be added by way of Illustration is only this God requires of every Acquaintance 1. Reconciliation to Christ 2. Resignation to his holy Spirit 3. Adoration of his Ordinances 4. Admiration of his Works 5. Renovation of life 1 Reconciliation to Christ All sin is Hostility against him 't is Rebellion against the Prince of Peace and folly against him the Wisdom of the Father He came to unite God and thee and thou O man labourest the Defeat of his advent the end of his descent from Heaven to earth was to draw men after him thou in stead of coming to him that thou mayest have life John 5.40 runnest away from him in stead of casting down thy self at his feet and craving his pardon thou holdest up Weapons of unrighteousness against him Is this thy kindness to thy friend Is this thy Loyalty to thy Prince Is this the Badge of Acquaintance and friendly intimacy Dost thou crown Christ with thorns and expect he should kiss thee with the kisses of his lips Dost thou deliver him to the Corss and lookest from him for a place in Paradise Do these rough hands of Esau deserve from Isaak any Blessing O man mistaken erring thorow the Delusion of thy Prospect and the Temptation incumbent on thy heart Return and seek to him by tears whom thou hast provoked by Treachery crave his blood thine Attonement which thou hast shed in triumph to thy Lusts thou hast made him thine Adversary by sin humbly prostrate thy self as his Purchase and Penitent Let him see thy tears trickle down thy tender cheek from a pensive heart and a gracious eye that now lookest upon thy self with greater scorn then ever sinfully thou didst upon him when wickedly thou saidst I will not have this man raign over me and let no hour day moment pass without some earnest Petition for Reconciliation That he would cease to be what thou hast deserved thine Upbraider Accuser severe Judge and be what he hath promised to all that turn to him with all their hearts an Advocate a Load-stone the Way the Truth and the Life An Advocate to plead thy Cause a Load-stone to touch thy heart the Way in which and Truth by which thou shouldest walk and the Life to crown thee after thy work done But perhaps thou concludest thy self at too great a loss to recover too far out of favour to be re-ingratiated Why so If where sin abounds Rom. 5 2◠Grace superabounds there is hope for thee Bespeak not O man thy denyal do not stay thy career towards heaven because thou fearest the door of Grace is shut Such Conclusions may hinder thy endeavour they cannot add to thy comfort therefore covet in the second place the Holy Spirit to thy comfort entertain him kindly grieve him not by reiterated sins quench him not by averse obstinacy An nescis anima te verecundum habere sponsum This holy Dove sent from the Deity brings the Olive Branch with him the Peace is bought by Christ but the Spirit seals and applies the Purchase the Salve is rare but works not kindly except that hand layes on the Plaister therefore resign thou thy self to the Spirit of God let him rule in thee and by his Steerage be thou acted follow this Star it ever leads to Christ hearken to his voice it is vox dilecti it s a clam sweet lovely lightsome voice be ravished with this Musick which with Hyper-Syrene notes charms most wisely give up thy self soul and body to this Besieger that summons thee to deliver up the strong Holds of Sin and Satan to Christ the King of Saints and the Saviour of his Body the Church Make no terms with him the Holy Ghost will not be tyed to Articles He is free to intercede and thou must be free to render as he will have good quarter so gives he sure comfort The soul that receives him is Scot-free from Terror and Fear of Divine displeasure for this Guest secures his Quarters yea the power of the Almighty overshadoweth those with Grace whose hearts are prepared to cry Veni Spiritus Sancte And till O man this be thy temper thou art as unfit for Acquaintance with God as for Heaven of which it is a real Type and to which it is the Baptist for as into Heaven flesh and blood quà such cannot enter so into familiarity with God can none be admitted who have not the Test of this Comforter who never beares witnesse that they are the sons of God who rest unreconciled to Christ unresigned to him But how may these Graces appear in me may the soul say God Christ and the Holy Ghost have their Court in Heaven I am in the Valley of Bochim in the frigid Zone of earthly vanities where dust and ashes wormes and no men live and acclamate the Diana of Pomp and splendid nothing my bucket is not deep enough my stature not high enough to reach Heaven my bulk will not bear those breadthy Sails which that Glory fils What shal I do How may I contract acquaintance with God by union with Christ
how fearfully and how wonderfully am I made for who can confess less then this The Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament shewes his handy work But O man wander not too wildly in this wilderness wherein are beasts of Prey uncouth paths dismal upshots thine errand and end is to admire the works of God that thou maist do it is thy duty and Gods exact of thee so to do and thou thy selfe art a fair Text to such pious Meditations God created thee something of nothing a Man not a Toad a Christian not a Heathen of clear intellect not brutish of right shape not deformed and consider this calls for Gratitude God hath beautified thee with a bright Sun refreshed thee by a sweet gale of wind in thy sayls thou art at the wished Port supported by a miraculous hand of Providence he hath discovered to thee thy dangers conducted thee in thy way ministred to thy wants when others not less his nor less themselves then thou go mourning all the day long are on their duty John 5.4 waiting with the Cripple when the good Angel will come to their comfort but all in vain No Butter sticks on their bread their cake is dough as the Proverb is All is fruitless Remember the more thou receivest the more thou must return Cui plus datur ab illo plus exigitur in fine rather labour to improve wel that thou hast then to covet more to misuse it and abuse thy soul for God expects from all men as he sowes so to reap and thou art an Unthrift on his Bounty if thou returnest him not obedience and love who hath crowned thee with Honour and Plenty above thy fellowes But O man above all things Deut. 32.15 be not like Jesurun spurn not with the heel when thou art fat forget not the hand that feeds thee and the paps of Providence that suckle thee nor let thine hornes be exalted to worry and plague thy fellow servants of a lower Form then thou art This is not to be like God good gentle and nigh unto all those that call upon him but liker the servant in the Gospel Matth. 32.32 who took his fellow servant by the throat when he himself was forgiven by his Lord the greater Debt yea this is not to admire God but to reproach him as misgiving Power and Greatness and trusting it in the hands of those who by it prey upon not protect the Sheep This is not to admire the Works of God but to admire thy self and to sacrifice to thine own Ambition and inordinacy and so to dishonour God who commands Phil. 4.5 Our Moderation should be known to all men yea this is to be unworthy of Acquaintance with God who is Shepherd of his Sheep and delights in Lillyes things harmless and benigne and those that are not such shall do well to consider that of the Prophet Jer. 30.16 I will spoil the Spoiler and steer another course for the future even to emendation of life which brings up the rear of what God requires from those that wil be acquainted with him and calls for my next Meditation 5. Lastly Renovation of Life is a chief adjunct to Acquaintance with God Light and darkness Christ and Belial Dagon and the Ark do not agree new cloth and old garments sute not nor will generous Wine endure crazy bottles nor a Kingly mind brook the thatched cottage There is nothing more averse to the pure Nature of God then the impure life of a sinner his eye loathes his hand corrects his heart relucts his Word reproves his Spirit labours against it he cannot but call with a loud voice Jer. 44.4 Rom. 1.18 O do not that abominable thing which I hate and correct by revealing his wrath from Heaven against the ungodliness of men Till thou O man return to him by Repentance there is no peace with God to be hoped for no amity to be attained The means to gain God is to own thy self and to return to thy fathers love Luke 15.18 to weep over thy wandrings and to drown thy sins in penitent tears as did Mary Magdalen and Peter Then then only are we worthy to be friends of God when we are not profane as Esau but holy as Abraham not rude as Nimrod but meek as Moses not rebellious as Absolom but devout as David not treacherous as Judas but penitent as Peter not vexatious as Saul but couragious as Paul not embracing the world as did Demas but contemning it and our selves as ought the Disciple of Christ who must deny himselfe and take up the Cross This this is to be born again Mark 8.34 John 3.3 Ephes 4.23 Isai 1.16 Rom. 13.14 Ephes 5.11 Nichodemus his lesson this is to be renewed in the spirit of our minds this is to cease to do evil and learn to do well this is to put on the Lord Jesus and to take no thought for the flesh this is to have no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness but rather to reprove them this is to put off the old man and to put on the new man Ephes 4.22 24 which after God is created in Righteousnesse and true Holinesse this is to lay the burthen of our sins upon Christ and to take the beauty of Holiness from him this is to gain heavens amnesty to remove our sins far from us as the East is from the West and to cause them to come no more in remembrance before God yea this is to be throughly acquainted with God and to have him the souls Sun and Shield who will give Grace and Glory Psal 34.11 and withhold no good thing from it These are the bona notabilia which God keeps as the reward of Piety as his secrets so his comforts are with those that fear him Clusters of Canaan grow not upon Crabstocks of Sodom Divine familiarity is not with mortal foedity They which will have God their Lord must have his Rule for their Guide Penitence must supply the want of Innocence or else God will deny acceptance It is not for me to say I will return after and be received first God will have his Doles of Mercy distributed to Pennancers and the Oyle of Gladness returned to those faces whose heads were covered with ashes A weeping eye is no small Favourite with a merciful God who not only greets with an Euge Luke 15 7. returning sins but commands an Exultate in Heaven amongst the Angels for it and those that sow their wild oats in tears shall reap their wages in due time namely Mercy and Joy in Come ye Blessed of my Father receive the Mansion prepared for you by Acquaintance with God namely Peace which is the third hinge of my Meditation and followes in the Scripture Acquaint now thy self with God and be at peace The third Quere is Quest 3 What Peace it is those have who are acquainted with God And here silet lingua stispet animus deficit
suaviloquius charmes and compleasant influences his Pharisees that swallow downe Widowes houses in the hollow of long Prayers that are all to all men that they might reduce all men to be nothing to any but themselves his Saduces that deny Resurrection Angels Spirit but what is theirs those they cry up as Ocular execrating all that are not of their party and cry not Grace Grace to this Apollyon of their designing Lord what a Gallamaufry of Frauds hath this great Engineere on foot How is he furnished to deceive who hath not only the tongues and pens of many men Learned but lying Wonders and miraculous Artifices at his service But we know his methods and may see this Apicius gaping to devour all contented with nothing but ruine and disorder though he cry out with Jehu Behold my Zeal And it were well if men would try the spirits that now are abroad for Satan is often a Lying spirit in the mouth of Prophets and a Prophecying spirit in the mouth of Lyers and if he durst mingle himself with the Sons of God when they came before him of old may he not now be well mistrusted Job 1.6 though he quote Scripture with the zeal of a Seraphim and in the meetings of Christians pray and speak with notable evidence he who durst appear before Christ with Scripture abused to his own purpose Matth. 4.6 dare do the like to Christians whose weakness is more opportune to his Conquest He is that Evil one who in his whites is a Divel of Deceit in his blacks a Divel of Malice in his Crimsons a Divel of blood a Divel in all shapes actions senses and happy is it for us that we know his Methods And Agents not men of triffling talents who need vulgar helps to make them eminent but men of great parts noble wits yea often noted lives speaking to wonder writing to amazement living to envy and example the Leaders of Israel sometimes caused them to err Isai 9.16 The Priests divined a falsehood the Divel of Sauls heart in Samuel flesh as it were is potent enough to misguide millions O Lord what a Progress hath the mystery of iniquity made when the Serpent stings the Dove to death Religion becomes politized What an Egypt will Gunaan be when Mannah is exchanged for Garlick and Onions when the Screech Owl extrudes the Turtle and that be upon us which the Jewes feared John 11.48 The Romane come and take away our Religion and I pray God not our place and Nation Is not this evil of the Divels designing Is not the hand of hells Joab Satan in it but the sword of the Lord and of his Gideon Christ Jesus shall prevent this though none stand in the gap no Moses intercedes no Phineas executes Judgment yet this Plague shall cease God for his own namesake will turn those Locusts the Jesuits back to their quarters and make their Design as a red sea to bury themselves in The Thumbs of these Adonibezeks shall be cut off the Pride and Policy of these Absoloms become their ruines So let all thine enemies perish O Lord. Well we have a sight of Satan in his power and agents now see him in his Policy and end which is to cut off Samsons locks to destroy the Males of Israel to ruine all the Smithes and Forges by which our Spiritual weapons should be edged to oppose him and defend our selves against his assaults thus did the Philistims of old to Israel 1 Sam. 13.9 But I hope God will turne this Wisdom into Folly and this Babel of Hope into a Babel of Defeat yea I will bespeak these Gates of Hell to give way to the Rock of Ages and to Christ the Corner stone who is with his Church to the end of the world and I will pray that the iniquity of their hearts may be forgiven them who hate the Church of England without a cause and endeavour to subvert the Religion of it against Scripture that asserts it And now is not custody from this evil an unspeakable Blessing Is it not as rain to the parched grass and ought we not to receive this Mercy with the joy of Harvest Is it not a serious collect which deprecates Satans success while he with Herod acts a Tragedy on Innocents and labours to steal away the Babe Christ out of his mothers lap the Church his mother the Church not to rob the blessed Virgin of her Crown All Generations call her Blessed because she bare his body in her womb but to right the Church against her Rival the Synagogue of Satan which disowns her and seeks Christ out of her who spiritually is only formed in her from which evil and the infatuation of it good Lord deliver us This is the first Evil Satan from which the Peace of God shields us the next is from Sin like father like child a chip of the old block a branch of that Lye which was from the beginning From sin the evil of inquination that which defiles the man defaces Gods image passes an eternal exile twixt the soul and him for he hath no fellowship with unfruitful works of Darkness His eye is on them that are upright Prov. 2. ult but he cutteth off the wicked from the earth and rooteth out the Transgressors From sin the Evil of Angels for because of folly beheld in them they were cast from Heaven 1 Pet. 2.4 Isai 30.33 the evil of Kings and great men for whom Tophet is prepared of old Sin the evil of men of low degree sin the evil of all 1 John 5.19 for the whole world groaneth under it and lies in it From sin the eyes grief Gen. 3.6.66 because by that it prevailed against Eve by that against the sons of God of the old world Sin the hearts ake thus in Saint Paul crying out Rom 7.24 Psal 39. â— O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Sin the feets snare against which David cautions I said I wil take heed to my ways Sin the tongues temptation to speak unadvisedly Sin the Catholick Cross to all that are crucified with Christ and mystical members of him Sin the breach of Gods Law the grief of his Spirit the price of his Son the torment of his Combatant and the triumph of his Crowned ones Sin the Monster of Paradise for there it was plotted the first born of life for therein it is acted the plague of this world on whose Stage it is attyred and thence maturated Sin something of nothing a tumourous bubble of pestilent pride scorching Lust and empty vanity evaporating in nothing but the Lust of the flesh Lust of the eye and the Pride of life Sin an evil inward in the thought outward in the act upward against God whom it contemnes and downward against earth whom it burthens and all to gratifie him who is Prince of the Air and rules in the hearts of the Children of disobedience Sin against
the Creation whom it disorders against Redemption which it frustrates against Sanctification which it defies against Preservation which it contradicts against Salvation which it abjures Sin against which as the greatest evil God protests to prevent which Angels watch to recal from which the Spirit sollicites to direct how to avoid which the word is positive against which to practise the holy men of all ages are presidents yea to expiate which the blood of Christ the Lamb of God was shed and his soul for it made an Offering What shall I say more against this which is so dishonourable to God and ought to be execrable to his people but in the words of Moses Cursed be he that continues not in all the words of the Law to do them that is who desires not to give sin the foil by a contrary and constant course of virtue according to the will of God in his Word and the assistance he hath from God in this Race to complete this resolution for without that we can do nothing Wel then to be helped from this evil is a mercy a consequent of Gods peace with the soul that is clear from the Prophet Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace or neerer the Original in peace peace whose heart is stayed on thee because hee trusteth in thee He O holy soul that keepeth thee never slumbereth his eye is on thy feet to keep them He keepeth the feet of his Saints saith Hannah On thine eye to hinder thy lust on thy hand to prevent thy cruelty on thy tongue to suspend thine obscenity on thy whole man to keep thee from sin that it raign not in this mortal body of thine He was with Noah in the Ark to keep him from despair of out-living the Floud which drowned the world with Moses in the wilderness to preserve him from disbanding his rude multitude whom God designed for Canaan and inclining him to bear the petulancies of popularities rather then chuse the contents of a private retirement He was with David in his flights from Saul and fights with Philistims And kept him from desponding upon assurance of a Kingdom for his reward He was with Jeremy in the Dungeon and with Jonah in the Whales belly to sweeten straights to his and to make them more pure in their enlargements He was with Peters tongue converting thousands at a Sermon and making his pride do pennance where it offended yea weep out its own retraction He was with Paul by grace sufficient for him when he saw the messenger of Satan tempted him by abundant revelations to be lifted up above measure In the fire he is with his and in the water he is with his yea with you O holy souls he is alwayes to the end of the world With you O holy souls to keep you in all your wayes to secure you in all your dangers to resolve you in all your doubts to support you under all your sufferings and with you to deliver you out of them With you as a Sun to enlighten as a sheild to defend as an Anchor to rest on as a Pilot to guide you and as a Champion to overcome your feares With you to keep you in your Race that you faint not and with you to reward you with fulness of joy in his presence This is second to the former priviledge the peace of God keeps from Evil. 1. Satan 2. Sin The third Viol is not yet past but behind that is Sorrow and Sufferings those it also preserves against not that they dash not on us but that they overwhelm us not not that they come not nigh but that they come not over us to overcome us Christ in the Ship priviledgeth not from tossing but drowning I will not fear the ranting Seas if my rebuking Saviour whose voice those waves and winds obey be embarqued with me Mistake not O holy soules your Lesson it is the voice of your Beloved that sayes In the world yee shall have Tribulation Job 16. last the Cross is your Saviours Sheep-mark and those that are of his flock brook his Eare mark their ear must not refuse the Tryal Christs side had if that was pierced they must expect like measure and those that will not follow him in the Regeneration have little cause to conclude him theirs in his Kingdome What O man wilt thou with thy Saviour wear the Crown of Glory and refuse that other of Thornes with him Wilt thou be acclamated for a Co-heir a King and Priest with Christ and not be spit upon and derided with him here Wilt thou drink the new wine with him in his Kingdom and decline the Vinegar and Gall here given him Dost thou hope to be drawn up after him and not resolve here to tread the Wine-press of wrath to endure the contradiction of sinners with him If this thou lookest for thou art on thy wander far from thy Mark thou art of the rich young mans pack who would keep Christ and his Wealth too or no Christ Cresianus es non Christianus there is one thing necessary which thou needest Deny thy self take up the Cross and follow Christ to Mount Calvary before thou come to Mount Zion And O that this Meditation were but canon with many such Zelots as Julian was who grasp Power and worldly greatness with as eager tallons as Lions and Panthers do Lambs and Infants and think they never have enough till they have too much Mammon for Christ to cohabit with These are they that are Saints as Peter was a Penitent after many denyals and perjuries not Saints because penitent as was he whom a Cock wakened when these stop their eares against good counsel and harden their hearts against reproof yea hate him that reproveth in the Gate These are they who love Christ when he is with those in Princes Courts cloathed in soft Rayment sat in Royal Apparel on the Throne when the people cry him up but when he is traduced when in the High Priests Hall when trampled upon then they are gone like Summer birds in Winter they are all for a Pompous Reign on earth before that more glorious Reign in Heaven and therefore they will secure themselves by might and main against all danger and diminution here Do these consider Christ had never been glorious but by sufferings nor the Church been victorious but by the red Cross How much of holy Writ do these men make Apocryphal while they entail external prosperity to Saintship and think none worthy to live but those who look upon the Cross as a curse servile supplicium What think they of those words of the Lord Jesus In the world yee Who my holy Apostles as pure Saints as any such none excepted nay to whom compared those are but as Jewish Sepulchers shall have affliction not be afflicted but have affliction in the Abstract there shall be a kind of connaturality betwixt you and affliction What judge they of Saint Pauls peremptory position All that will live godly