for us to God our heavenly father and alone câ—n helpe us in all our distresses This being a true principle in the heavenly art of comforting of afflicted consciences that so soone as a man is heartily humbled for all his sinnes and wearie of their waight though his sorrow bee not answerable to his owne desire yet hee shall most certainly bee wellcome to IESUS CHRIST for it is not so much the muchnesse and measure of our sorrow as the truth and heartinesse of it that fits us for the promise and comfort of mercie though withall it is true that hee that thinkes hee hath sorrowed enough for his sinnes never sorrowed savingly O most blessed and most gracious Lord God I beseech thee sanctifie my heart by thy holy spirit unto sound and syncere humiliation of soul that in the sight of my sinnes I may still grow viler in my owne eyes and bee more and more humbled in true repentance for them but yet withal by the hand of lively and saving faith upon the Lord Iesus dying and bleeding upon the crosse for my sake and for mine assured reconciliation with thy Majestie by whom alone thou art appeased towards me and made my most gracious and mercifull father for ever that so by thy grace I may ever keep in my bosome an humble soft and lowly spirit which may ever enable mee to live by faith more cheerfully to enjoy thee my most glorious Lord God more neerly to apply my Iesus to my soules comfort more feelingly and to wait for and long for his blessed comming more earnestly that so being graciously prepared and sanctified by thy holy spirit the soule of my soule governing comforting and supporting me I may with all alacrity and thankfulnes faith repentance and obedience to thy most holy will walke before thee in all holy fear all the dayes of mine appointed time till my change shall come In full assurance that no sooner shall this dark world and the shadow of it bee out of my bodily sight but the glorious light of the heavenly mansions of my Saviours Palace provided for mee and all the rest of his shall shine upon my soule in full brightnesse to mine everlasting joy comfort and finall peace through IESUS CHRIST my blessed Saviour and only peace-maker Amen The Third MEDITATION OF MOUNT TABOR How glorious a thing to be the child of God Places of Scripture shewing how this benefit belongs to us Ioh. 1.11 HE came unto his owne and his owne received him not Vers 12 but as many as received him to them gave he power or the right or priviledge to become the sonnes of God even to them that believe in his name Ioh. 12 3â— While you have light believe in the light that ye may be the children of the light For as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God Râ—m 8. â—â— 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage againe to feare but ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Vers 16. The spirit it selfe beareth witnesses with our spirits that we are the children of God For ye are all the children of God by faith in CHRIST IESUS Gaâ— â— â— When the fulnesse of time was come Gaâ— â— â— God sent forth his sonne made of woman made under the Law 5. to redeeme them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sonnes 6. And because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts 7 therefore thou art no more a servant but a son Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us Iohn 3. â— that we should be called the sonnes of God 2 Beloved now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appeare what we shall be The third Meditation Now my soul are we by Gods mercy come to the third step of these our Meditations which offereth to our consideration how glorious a thing it is to be the child of God In our first step when we lay first bound in the chains of our sins under the insupportable waight of numberlesse talents of debts oppressing us our most gracious Saviour the Lord Iesus blessed for ever became our surety took our nature upon him God manifested in the flesh paid all our debts satisfied divine justice for all our sinnes and so set us at liberty and made us freemen In our second step he brought us into a further degree of favour to make our God whom we had so grievously offended and provoked to become friends with us and appeased towards us And now in the third place wee are brought to bee more than friends children of the almighty and most glorious God himselfe whereby we are entitled to demand and challenge at his fatherly hands not only safe protection from al dangers and evils and carefull provision both for soul and body in this life but also an eternal inheritance of heavenly glory in the life to come And how comes it to passe ô my soul that so wretched and worthies a creature as my unworthy self should be advanced to those glorious priviledges and high dignity of being made and accepted a child of the most high our God hath but one only son by nature even G d the son very God of very God the second person of the most holy glorious and ever blessed Trinity in and by whom alone as in our former meditations I was redeemed from my sinnes and reconciled unto God so it is in and by him only that I and all the rest of his redeemed ones doe receive the adoption of sonnes even so O most blessed Lord God and heavenly father because it so pleaseth thee through IESUS CHRIST our Lord whom our humble and true faith apprehending we receive from him into our hearts the blessed spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father the same spirit bearing witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God by faith in CHRIST IESUS as in the severall places of holy Scripture before named appeareth O then my soule let us now also by this third step and meditation take this just and fit opportunity for renewing of our daily repentance and of our humble faith in this most gracious Saviour of ours for our laying fast hold upon him who by these blessed degrees hath brought us to this high priviledge of being the children of God And true faith I find to be thus defined Faith is a filiall confidence in God conceived of the knowledge of CHRIST and the love of the father in him whereby man runneth unto God and cryeth unto him Abba Father In which lively faith there is a twofold operation First an apprehending vertue by which the believer receives and applieth to himselfe IESUS CHRIST as he is offered in the word and sacraments Secondly a rendring vertue so to call it whereby the believer goes out of himselfe into the Lord. Qui credit in
our sinnes or fearing his justice against us which our Saviour the Lord IESUS hath already satisfied for us to our finall peace and salvation Let us then cheere up our selves in this blessed comfort of all comforts our debts are all paid and cancelled our Paschall Lambe is slaine CHRIST IESUS hath made all our dayes holy-dayes have any more cause to bee merrie then wee Away then with droopings and mistrustfulnesse for the Lord hath turned our sorrow into joy and such joy as shall never bee taken from us Blessed be the name of the Lord our God for ever And now O most glorious and gracious Redeemer who art the author and finisher of my faith perfect the good work of thy grace begun in me that by daily renewing of my humble faith and repentance by these weake and unworthy meditations of mine I may with joy and gladnesse comfort and cheerfulnesse walk before thee this day and all the remaining dayes of my earthly pilgrimage waiting for thy blessed calling of me to thy selfe in glory when my faith shall bee turned into fruition and I shall leave imperfection and mortality behinde me for ever The Second MEDITATION of Mount TABOR How sweet a thing it is to have God appeased towards thee Places of Scripture shewing how this benefit belongs to us THus saith the high and mighty one that inhabiteth eternitie Isa 57.15 whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Ver. 16 For I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwayes wroth for the spirit should faile before me and the soules which I have made Vers 17 For the iniquitie of his covetousnesse was I wroth and smote him J hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart Vers 18. I have seene his wayes and will heale him I will lead him also and restore comforts unto him and unto his mourners Vers 19. I create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is afarre off and to him that is neere saith the Lord and I will heale him Who is a God like unto thee Micah â— 18 that pardoneth iniquitie and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage hee retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Vers 19. He will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sinnes into the depth of the sea For when wee were yet without strength Rom. 5. â— in due time CHRIST died for the ungodly Verse 8. But God commendeth his love towards us in that whiles we were yet sinners CHRIST died for us Ver. 9. Much more then being justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him Vers 10. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled shall we be saved by his life Vers 11. And not only so but we also rejoyce in God through our Lord IESUS CHRIST by whom we have now received the attonement Ioh. 16.33 These things have I spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace 1 Cor. 5.18 All things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Iesus Christ and hath given unto us the ministery of reconciliation 19 To wit that God was in CHRIST reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation Vers 20. Now then we are Ambassadors for CHRIST as though God did beseeâ—h you by us we pray you in CHRIST his stead be ye reconciled unto God 21. For hee hath made him to be sinne for us that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him For now in CHRIST IESUS Ephes 2.1 ye that sometime were far off are made nigh by the blood of CHRIST Vers 14. For he is our peace Ver. 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the Crosse For it pleased the Father Colos 1 â—â— that in him should all fulnesse dwell Vers 20 And having made peace through the blood of his Crosse by him to reconcile all things unto himselfe by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven Vers 21. And you who were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled Vers 22. In the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblamable and unreproovable in his sight And to wait for his sonne from heaven whom he raised from the dead 1 Thes â—â— even IESUS which hath delivered us from the wrath to come 1 Thes 3 â— For God hath not appointed us to wrath but to attaine salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ Vers 10. Who died for us The second Meditation NOw my soule having formerly considered the great benefit of having all our bebts cancelled our second remembrance points us to a blessed consequence thereof how sweet a thing it is to have our God appeased towards us which will the better appeare for our instruction and comfort if we seriously take into our humble consideraâ—ion these three points 1. The infinite power and greatnesse of the Almighty whom our sinnes have provoked to wrath against us 2. His graciousnesse and goodnes towards our selvs in particular 3. The hainousnesse of our offences by which we have justly incurred his displeasure For the first The Lord our God is the great and the terrible God Nah. 1.5 The great and dreadfull God Daniel 9.4 The Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth and all things therein contained and disposer of all things by his eternall and al-governing providence who hath ever at his commandement innumerable hosts of Angels one of which 2 King 19.35 killed 1850000. of his Churches enemies in one night Nah. 9.3 who hath his way us the whirl-wind and in the storme and the clouds are the dust of his feet Nahum 14. He rebuketh the sea and maketh it dry the mountains quake at him and the hils melt and the earth is burnt up at his presence yea the world and all that dwel therein v. 5. Who can stand before his indignation who can abide in the fiercenesse of his anger Verse 6. The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6.15 A great God and a great King above all gods Psal 9.13 The great and mighty God the Lord of Hosts is his name Jeremy 32.18 Great in counsell and mighty in workes for his eyes are open upon all the wayes of the sonnes of men Vers 19. to give to every one according to his wayes and according to the fruit of his doings who shall judge the quicke and the dead 2 Tim. 4.1 For he is the judge of the whole world and will hold his grand Sessions
Christum transit in Christum By the first CHRIST becometh ours by the second we resigne our selves unto CHRIST and become his And these are the two hands of faith By the one we receive mercy from God by the other wee render son-like obedience unto him and if we believe as we ought to do that God is become our Father and do so apprehend him in Christ then ought we again to shew by our chang of life and new obedience that wee have rendred our selves to be his For of all those that came to CHRIST in the Gospell none went away as they came and they that are truly in him get vertue from him which workes in them the similitude of his owne life so as this meditation O my soule doth properly spread it selfe into two branches First the glorious priviledges and comforts wee receive by our adoption and then our most bounden duties to our most gracious God for the same There is a naturall adoption which is defined to be a lawfull act imitating nature found out for the comfort of them who have no children of their owne but this spirituall adoption of us differs farre from it For it is a lawfull act transcending nature found out by the Lord our God for the comfort of children that want a father Wee being by nature miserable Orphans having no father to provide for us It pleased the Lord our God to become our father in Christ and to make us his sonnes and daughters by adoption not for any benefit he receives of us for nothing can arise by the meanes of any creature to that most high and alsufficient Majestie but that hee might have some upon whom to bestow his benefits for the declaration of the glory of his rich mercy Yet both adoptions agree in this that they flow from the pleasure and goodnesse of the adoptant and that there are given to him that is adopted the priviledges of a son which by nature he hath not but where the naturall adoptant cannot change the nature of the partie adopted It is otherwise with us For if God by the grace of adoption make us his sonnes he will also by the grace of regeneration make us new creatures and therefore whosoever continues in sinne cannot challeng any interest in this divine priviledge only the sanctified are entitled to it Here also let us to our unspeakable comfort observe that the sonnes of God know most certainly that God is become their heavenly Father For in this that they are taught of God by his owne spirit to acknowledge him and call upon him with boldnesse as upon their father they cannot be deceived of their generation but with more freedome of spirit yea and surer knowledge they call God their Father then any son of the world is able to call upon his earthly Father Here also we are taught that we cannot pray unto God but by the spirit of adoption who is the parent that begets prayer as the mother who conceives it is the humble and contrite heart For no proud uncleane or hard heart can pray unto God And certainly unlesse the holy spirit testifie unto us that God is our father and hath made us his children wee dare not goe neere him to crave good things from him and therefore herein appeareth the Fatherly indulgence of our God towards us We are here in the valley of death in heavines through continuall afflictions and temptations The time is not yet come wherin the Lord will communicate unto us his glorious presence to fil us with that fulnes of joy which is in that blessed vision The time is not yet come wherein we must ascend to our father yet to keep us in the meane time that wee faint not the Lord hath sent down his holy spirit into our hearts to comfort us O fatherly care O wonderfull love That spirit the comforter descended once according to CHRISTS promise upon the Apostles in a visible manner and doth daily descend in a secret and invisible manner into the hearts of the godly lest the children of the marriage chamber should be swallowed up with heavines through the want of their Bridegroome And this glorious Ambassador teacheth us to cry unto God as upon our Father which if we doe with this spirit of adoption it is effectuall enough to draw downe upon us all those blessâ—ngs which the Lord communicates to his children His name shall bee sanctified in us his kingdom shall be advanced in us we shall not want our daily bread he will forgive us all our sins and preserve us that we fall not into temptation and deliver us from evil For all comforts rest under this name of father if we can so call him in faith the riches of his mercies are ours O blessed Lord God what manner of man should I bee in holinesse righteousnesse and heavenly-mindednesse answerable to this high and holy calling and how unworthy a wretch have I shewed my selfe of so great mercy when instead of worshipping fearing loving and obeying this most gracious Lord and heavenly father in all things I have yeelded to the filâ—hy allurements of his and mine owne most malitious and accursed enemy in many vile pollutions of my prophane youth and the many rash indiscretions sinfull neglect of good duties unfruitfulnesse and unthankfulnesse of my after time Here here my soule is a fit opportunity for me to breake out into holy mourning and lamenting for the manifold sinnes and offences of my mispent life past which now appeare the more abominable and heynous in mine eyes when I look back and consider in what strict and precise humiliation with what universall holy obedience dutifulnes and carefull watching over my thoughts words actions I should have walked before this blessed God almighty mine heavenly father whom I have so ungraciously offended O most blessed spirit of adoption God the Holy Ghost most glorious sealer up of my precious salvation looke downe in thine infinite mercies upon my poore humbled and afflicted soule and have compassion upon me Descend ô Lord my God by thy heavenly grace into my heart and purifie and sanctifie it into a holy Temple for thine owne blessed residence for ever to mollifie and melt it into the sighs and teares of true contrition and repentance for the sinnes and iniquities of my life past and then withall to raise it up by faith to see my selfe fully acquitted and discharged from them all in the precious blood-shedding of my deare Lord and Saviour IESUS CHRIST the promised Messiah God in the flesh manifested and so to enable me with the hands of humble and true faith to lay fast hold upon him and his merits for me and upon this blessed priviledge of being in and by him the adopted son of my heavenly father unto the assurance of my finall and everlasting comfort and peace Quickning and strengthning me unto all holy duties all the remaining daies of my earthly pilgrimage whereby to glorifie my heavenly father as I
failes in one which holds in al Thus he whose life should be deaths meditation Waiting for future immortality Forgets the end of his divine creation And faine would finde on earth eternitie O man look up thou must this mortall leave Before thou canst th' immortall robe receive 1 Due thought of death and hell Would sinfull thoughts expell Who so with carefull thought Would ponder as he ought How fearefull 't is to flâ—t From bed to loathsome pit From pit to easelesse paine For ever to remaine Among the damned sprights Whose mercy never lights Would not commit one sin Though it the world might win 2 As certaine as it now is day so sure it will be night anon For time stands never at a stay but now is here and now is gone Such is our life whose minutes spend and every minute wasts the store Till all be out and then an end we cannot live one minute more 3 What thing is that each man doth chiefly crave Contentment in his fortune and his mind What thing is that man here can never have Contentment in his thoughts and state to find What 's cause of both That man who heaven minds not May strive to seek that there which here he finds not 4 Take from our life these threefold parts of time First what we idly spend and nothing do Then what we spend in evil and heaven-hâ—ted cryme Last what in things that us belong not to Alas how small remaine how quickly told Is left wel spent in doing what we should Occasionall Meditations Vpon a sad and unseasonable Raine translated out of Latine WHence comes it that this sad untimely showrs Do choak the earth and of our fruits bereave us Fâ—ther to shew in heavens angry lowres That God hath left us as the Sun doth leave us Or for that man his sins nor see nor feares The heavens for us powres out it selfe in teares 2 Vpon a LOOKING GLASSE Translated out of Latine MAke this use of thy Looking-glasse that if thy face seeme faire With vicious manners ô do not the grace thereof impaire Or if thou find thy countenance such gracefulnesse denyed Let that defect with inward grace and vertues be supplyed 3 Concerning an extraordinary veile which covered my body at my comming into the world THere be some things which belong to every child in the infancy whereof the certainty cannot be known but by relation of others as the day or houre of our birth who were our sureties at baptism and the like of which kind ther was one special remarkable thing concerning my self who being my parents first son but their second child they having a daughter before me when I came into the world my head face and fore parts of the body were all covered over with a thin kell or skin wrought like an artificiall veile as also my eldest sonne being likewise my second childe was borne with the like extraordinary covering our Midwives and Gossips holding such children as come so veyled into the world to be very fortunate as they call it there being not one childe amongst many hundreds that are so borne and this to fall out in the same manner both to the father and the sonne being much more rare But whatsoever old wives observations are let us both father and sonne with all humble thankfulnesse look up to our heavenly father who made us and formed us in the wombe and brought us from thence and doth preserve and governe us from the cradle to the grave to blesse and praise his holy name for the priviledge of our birth-right which his favour hath bestowed upon us above the rest of our brothers and to studie and endeavour to walke worthy of that dignitie in our care and endeavour to serve and please him who hath singled us out as fathers of the family in our severall generations to that purpose the first borne of the sonnes amongst the Israelites being to be given or consecrated to the Lord Exod. 22.29 Numbers 3.13 Luke 2.23 And from those veiles wherewithall wee were borne let us learne this Christian lesson to veile our heads and our hearts and all our affections from the witcheries and vanities of this world and to looke up beyond the things here to our Saviour IESUS CHRIST within the veile in heaven to long and wait for those blessed and unchangeable comforts which are there treasured up for us in him Not as wee came into this world hidden of nature but as wee are now born by his holy spirit children of grace and election O mercifull Lord God we bring nothing with us into this world but that which might condemne us in the next blessed be thy most holy name by whose eternall mercies wee are born again of the Holy Ghost and our begun regeneration here shall be consummated in the world to come ô sanctifie and establish us by thy free spirit that being by our new birth made children of grace and adoption in Christ we may mortifie all our old corruptions of nature and serve thee faithfully in new obedience in the short pilgrimage of this life and bee finally received in peace into thine everlasting kingdome as thine own redeemed ones through Jesus Christ our Saviour Amen 4. Vpon an extraordinary accident which befell me in my swadling cloaths WHen we come to years we are commonly told of what befel us in our infancie if the same were more than ordinary Such an accident by relation of others befell me within few daies after my birth whilst my mother lay in of me being her second child when I was taken out of the bed from her side and by my suddain and fierce crying recovered again being found sticking between the beds-head and the wall and if I had not cryed in that manner as I did our gossips had a conceit that I had been quite carried away by the Fairies they know not whither and some elfe or changeling as they call it laid in my room In the 12. Chap. of the Revelation we read of two great signs in heaven A woman cloathed with the Sunne great with child ready to be delivered and a great red dragon with seven heads standing before her ready to devoure the child assoon as it should be born but the child being câ—â—ght up unto God and the dragon disappointed of his prey cast downe into the earth was wroth with the woman and went to make warre with the remnant of her seed which kept the commandements of God and have the testimony of Iesus Christ By this woman I conceive the Church militant was prefigured whom the Dragon hath persecuted and doth continually labour to destroy in all her members that Dragon being there vers 9. expresly said to bee that old serpent called the Divell and Sathan which deceiveth the whole world and vers 10. is the accuser of our brethren whom hee accuseth before God day and night But to our comfort it is added in the next verse that they overcame him by the blood
and reliefe Amen 14. Vpon the words Hodie mihi cras tibi commonly used for an Embleme of our Mortality I Have often seene painted and set out for an Embleme of our mortalitie a naked boy with a dead skull in his hand sitting upon the ground with this motto subscribed Hodie mihi cras tibi To day for me to morrow for thee In which invention no doubt the Author intended well and right good use may bee made of it by the sober and humble minded that if wee should expect death to morrow wee should bee carefull to spend to day well But lately reading a Treatise intitled Learne to Dye written by that holy man of God Doctor Sutton and published Anno 1626. in the 3. Chap. and 28. page I found these words Thy neighbours fire cannot but give warning of approaching flames mihi heri tibi hodie yesterday for me to day for thee saith the wiseman whose turn is next God only knows who knowes all Wherupon finding those words differing from the motto of the old embleme I turned to the place there vouched Eccl. 38.22 and found the Doctors words agree with the text which faith Remember my judgement for thine also shall bee so yesterday for mee and to day for thee which saying brings the remembrance of death and judgement neerer home unto us as to be thought upon to day and not put off till to morrow for it is the tempters suggestion that cries Cras cras to have our conversation put off till to morrow well knowing the old saying Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit whereas the spirit of grace saith Heb. 3.7 To day if if you will heare his voice harden not your hearts least there be no after entring into his rest O blessed Lord what a little distance of time is between to day and to morrow and yet what weightie consequence depends upon it when it may so fall out that if wee use to day as the Holy Ghost requires we may be in heaven to morrow if we defer till to morrow we shall never come thither O most gracious Lord God who callest upon us to day not to harden our hearts mollifie them now even now O Lord by thy powerfull spirit of grace that being truly converted unto thee in this our day we may be for ever delivered from the law and bondage of sin and from henceforth become the true and faithfull servants of righteousnesse and so daily waiting for thy blessed call may be graciously fitted and prepared every day with comfort and humble confidence and thankefulnes to deliver up our soules into thy blessed arms of peace through Iesus Christ our most glorious Saviour and only peacemaker Amen 15. Vpon the observing of a Grave-stone in Pauls London REading over a Christian meditation of death in French upon the 12. verse of the 90. Psalme So teach us to number our dayes c. written by Francis Lansberque and reprinted the third time Anno 1624 I observed a place pag. 136. where the Author reprooving the vanity of some men that even when they are a dying take care of eternizing their names by sumptuous tombs and pompous burials instead of vertuous and honourable actions in their life-time hath a passage in these very words Poore bones and stinking prey of wormes what doth all this availe you you seek to eternize your name in things of frailtie and in forgetfulnesse it selfe to preserve your perpetuall memorie Thinke I pray you that the very stones which cover your rotten bones have their old age that the brasse and Iron of your graves will be eaten with rust that the magnificent inscriptions are by little and little worne out by the feet of those who walke over you Believe you not this goe to the Church and if you be not blinde you shall see this made good Which words pointing me as it were to Pauls for the proofe of that is there alleadged it brings to my minde an observation of mine owne concerning a grave-stone in that Church as if it had beene one of those very stones which the first author intended For at my first comming to London about fiftie yeares since I observed a very faire and large grave-stone of a brownish colour in the pavement of the middle walke of the body of that Church betweene the two pillars next the staires that goe up into the chancell wherein at the upper end therof was an inscription engraven in the stone in old Latine letters which I could then perfectly reade in these words Non aspecies hominem ultra and in the midst or heart of the stone this one word oblivio engraven in much larger and deeper letters About thirty years after I found out the same stone removed into another place in the same walk but the upper inscription so utterly worn out that I should hardly have knowne it but by that other word in the middle of the stone the letters whereof were about seven or eight inches long and that word oblivio was then to be read though it may bee worne out also by this time This observation of mine besides that it is a demonstrative proof of the French Authors proposition toâ—ching the decay and wearing out of such kind of monuments whereby wee seeke to perpetuate our memories may also bee the precedent of a strange kinde of Epitaph far differing from those large inscriptions approved by the Author this serving every mans turne and shewing us all what the greatest of us be when we once are dead covered with oblivion and never in this world to be seene againe And this meditation doth properly joyne with that forreigne author in producing this use of instruction for us all to leave those vaine and pompous follies and to draw neere in time before we go hence to get our names written in the Lambs booke of life in heaven and then we shall be sure to have an eternall name indeed amongst all the Saints and Angels for ever O blessed Lord for thine holy names sake guide us by thy spirit in that blessed way of grace whiles we live that we may be assuredly thine when we die and then how meane soever our names or Tombes be here we shall be sure to be raised againe unto glory to celebrate and praise thy holy and blessed name in the land of the living for evermore Amen 16. Vpon a short Inscription upon a great mans Tombe I Observed upon a tombe where lay interred one in Barons robes this short inscription Fuimus which puts every reader noble or of meane condition young or old in minde that howsoever wee are yet declining sum or sumus in the present tense ere long we must come to fui or fuimus the preterperfect tense as well as those that are gone before us and this gives us a proper lesson of our mortality and if we enquire further what was the honour high place or dignitie of those that are gone to the grave take but the least
as it is appointed unto men once to die but after this the Judgement Verse 28. So CHRIST was once offered to beare the sins of many and unto them that look for him shall he appeare the second time without sinne unto salvation Who his own self bare our sins in his owne body on the tree 1 Peter 2.24 by whose stripes ye were healed He is the propitiation for our sins 1 Iohn 1â— â— The Sonn of man came to give his life a Ransome for many Mat. 20.28 Mark â—â— â—3 There is one God 1 â—â—m â— â— and one Mediator betweene God and man the man CHRIST IESUS Who gave himselfe a ransome for all to be testified in due time Verse â— My first MEDITATION of Mount TABOR NOw my soule that by Gods mercy and goodnesse we are withdrawen from the world into this solitary Mountaine where our blessed Saviour the Lord IESUS was transfigured in divine glory before his suffering in his humanitie that his Disciples thereby discerning both his natures in one person might be assured that he was that true promised Messiah God manifested in the flesh for the redemption of mankinde Let our meditations be employed in the consideration of those glorious benefits which the faithfull soule receiveth from this blessed Saviour of the world wherein our first remembrance propounded unto us is How excellent a thing it is to have all our debts cancelled that is to say to have all our sinnes discharged and so the Gospell comparing Matthew 6.12.14 with Luke 11.4 expounds the same for every sinne is a grievous debt indeed and a debt upon record in Gods owne debt-booke which he hath committed to the keeping of our own consciences as a trustie register betweene him and us aswell that we should not be able to deny oâ— wage our law for the least parcell there entred as that our selves may see h w we grow every day more and more into debt and being thereby privie to our owne miserable and wretâ—hed estaâ—e o not being able to make satisfactiâ— may seriously and seasonably lâ—â—oâ—â— to gâ—t our debts cancelled befo e we be called to reckoning â—n the XVIII Chapter of S. Matthew we read of a King that would take accompt of his servants Vers XXIV and when he had begun to reckon one was brought unto him that owed him a thousand Talents and having not to pay his Lord commanded him to be sold and his wife and children and all that hee had and paiment to be made Such a miserable debtor O Lord my God and Saviour am I my debts being not of pence but of talents and that not single but thousand-fold and all of them of such nature as the world if I had it in my power to dispose of cannot satisfie divine justice for the least of them and yet there can be no discharg of the debt no remission of my sinnes without satisfaction For mercy and justice are in our God both essentiall neither can the one exceed the other where they are both infinite Oh then where shall I wretched creature finde in heaven or earth a paiment of infinite value to answer and satisfie this infinite justice for my manifold and grievous offences What surety will come in to be my baile in this desperate and forlorne condition this satisfaction can no way be made but by thine own blessed selfe O most gracious Lord IESUS one only Saviour who being God and Man in one person hast vouchsafed out of thine infinite mercy and goodnesse together with our fraile nature to take also our debts all our sinnes upon thy selfe and so as my most glorious surety and Redeemer to free me from that insupportable burthen which otherwise had pressed me downe to the nethermost hell It being not possible that the blacke lines of my debts of sinne could bee crossed or blotted out of Gods debt-booke by any other meanes then by the red lines of thy most precious blood For thou only O Lord art the alsufficient and propitiatory sacrifice whereby divine justice is fully satisfied for all the sins of every true penitent that believes in thee Therefore in all true humiliation of soule hungring and thirsting after thy salvation O blessed IESUS my Lord and my God thus crucified for me doe I prostrate my self at thy glorious foot-stoole beseeching thee by thy grace to strike my heard and stonie heart that in all contrition of soule I may spend my selfe into the tears of unfained repentance for the manifold sins and wickednes ignorance prophannesse unthankfulnes and unfruitfulnes of my life past and then withall by the same thy gracious spirit to lift up my penitent and afflicted soule by the hands of an humble and lively faith to lay fast hold upon thee my blessed Saviour and most glorious Redeemer that so this alsufficient satisfaction of thine applyed to my soule and conscience and by faith become mine may make me assured that all my huge and burthensome debts are cancelled and my sins remitted that they may never affright my conscience any more For I know O Lord and assuredly believe that how great or grievous soever my sinnes have beene yet there can be no sins unpardonable to an infinite mercy nor any sins so hainous or multiplyed but the infinite merit of thy precious death and passion can and doth fully expiate and discharge the same for ever to every true penitent and believing soule Oh then most blessed Saviour quicken I beseech thee and strengthen my weak and feeble faith by thy gracious spirit to make such a powerfull and effectuall application of this thy most gracious satisfaction for me to my wounded and fearefull conscience as may quiet the same for ever In assurance that all my debts are paid and crossed out of GODS Debt-booke by thee my most blessed surety never to bee demanded of mee againe Give mee grace O Lord IESUS not to stand onely poring and gazing upon my sinnes the objects of confusion but to lift up the the eyes of my soule unto thee my gracious Saviour the proper object of consolation and to be so wholly and truly enflamed with thy love as that I may for ever with al awful reverence and devout adoration blesse praise and magnifie thy most holy name for this eternall love and incomprehensible mercy of thine towards me in freeing and acquitting me from all my sinnes And now O my soule let us rouze up our dull and heavie spirits and rejoyce together with joy unspeakable and glorious let us sing and be merrie in the Lord for he is the Lord our God even the God of our salvation And we shall tenne times more honour him in obeying his commandement by believing in him whom hee hath sent into the world for our redemption and shall much better please him in trusting to his mercy and sealing to his truth in the blessed performance of his covenant of grace in the promised Messiah then in doubting of his mercie by reason of
of life and death of salvation and damnation at that Acts 2.20 great and terrible day of the Lord wherein 2 Pet. 3.10 the heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the workes that are therein shall be burnt up the dead raised the living changed and all mankinde brought together to give a most strict accompt not for their ill works alone but for their neglect of good duties not for actions alone but for their words and that not for filthy and mischievous words only but for every idle word and the thoughts of the heart And this my soule is that infinite almighty and most glorious and dreadful Majestie against whom we have rebelled in the highest treasons his wisdome power justice being incomprehensible and his wrath insupportable O come let us worship and fall downe prostrate with all aweful reverence trembling and feare and then in the second place consider how infinitely gracious and good this our most blessed God the King of eternall glory hath beene to such a worme and vile wretch as my unworthy selfe For besides those most blessed and extraordinary priviledges which I have with my countrey-men in being borne an Englishman in the time of the most glorious Sun-shine of the Gospell of grace seconded with such Halcyon daies of blessed peace the publike miracles of mercy which God hath wrought even in my life time in the preservation of this Church and Kingdome our gracious Princes our selves and our posterities specially in these two famous deliverances never to be forgotten by any true English heart from the Spanish invincible Armado and the Popish hellish Powder plot O blessed Lord God how infinitely good and gracious hast thou been unto me most unworthy in all the particular passages of my earthly pilgrimage First in spirituall blessings by thy preventing mercy keeping me from some grievous sinnes into which my owne wicked corruptions by Sathans damnable enticements had els drawne me In thy sparing mercies in my acting of other sins wherinto I was faln In thy pardoning mercies that miracle of miracles in translating me out of that damnable estate of mine unregenerate time into rhe glorious liberty of thine owne children of grace and adoption in IESUS CHRIST and for thy renewing mercies by the work of thy holy spirit making me to loath all sinne and to apply my selfe to all duties of holinesse and righteousnesse in universall new obedience to thy most holy will and a constant will and resolution to serve and please thee love feare adore and obey thee in all true repentance and sanctification all the remaining houres of my life and lastly for the assurance thou hast given me of the upshot of all thy finall and crowning mercies in the life to come Then again in temporall blessings by preserving mee from harme in most desperate dangers giving mee the helpe of good education blessing me with a most gracious and comfortable fellowship in marriage and us both with hopefull children and grandchildren especially for our eldest son the true staffe of our age and for thy bountifull providing for us and them in outward necessaries and shewing us mercy in all our occasions yea good Lord for thy fatherly chastisements sent amongst us and therein for that gentle paralyticall infirmity of mine owne aged body whereby I have beene gratiously taken off from worldly cares and employments and have held and still by thy goodnesse have this blessed time and opportunity for heavenly meditations and Christ in preparation of my self for my change and dissolution and my finall translation into those glorious mansions which our most blessed Saviour hath provided for us in his heavenly kingdome O most blessed Lord God how shall I poore weakling do to admire thy providence adore thy Majestie love feare serve and obey thee and glorifie thy most holy name as I am most bounden and heartily desire to do in all sincerity duty and thankfulnes for all thy numberles and incomprehensible mercies blessings comforts and deliverances vouchsafed unto me even in this fraile life and valley of teares and for the glorious upshot of all thy crowning mercies reserved for me in the life to come Oh fill my heart with thy gracious spirit for enabling me to pay my humble vowes unto thy Majestie in all true sanctified obedience and faithfull and serious endeavours of soule and body to walke acceptably before thee from henceforth and for ever Amen And now my soule should wee in the third place consider how wickedly and ungraciously I have misbehaved my self all the days of my flesh towards this most high glorious almighty and most dreadful Majestie and towards this most gracious and mercifull God and Saviour of ours But here alas I am confounded wâ—h shame astonishment of heart and horror of conscience but to think of the manifold frailties prophannes pollutions of my youth and the sinful negligencies rashnesses improvidence unfruitfulnes and unthankfulnes and other sins and transgressions of thought word or deed of my whole mispent life by past Yea O Lord my God in my ungrateful and froward neglect of thy gracious time of visitation graunted mee of thine unspeakable mercie these foure last yeares aswell for my sound humiliation and serious daily repentance for my manifold sins and corruptions as for improving that precious time in those gracious duties and spirituall exercises publike and private which my conscience tels me I should have performed with more fervour of spirit feare and trembling and syncerity and intention of heart then I have done But O Lord I finde that were mine eyes fountaines of teares powred out every moment of my life should my heart fall asunder into drops of blood in my brest for anger and indignation against my selfe for my grievous sins and transgressions yet should I come infinitely short of that sorrow and hearts griefe which mine offences would justly require and exact at my hands And therefore O Lord my God though it bee my most earnest suit and the earnest desire and constant prayer of my humble soule that my hard and dull heart may by thy grace be so softned and quickned as to be truly broken and dissolved into sighs of true contrition and that I may weepe day and night for my sinnes and offences all my life long unto my dying houre yet all could not serve to draw thy mercy upon me for the least of my transgressions for in the point of redemption of mankind and purgation of sinne nothing could serve the turn but the precious blood of IESUS CHRIST God and Man in one person blessed for ever Either the sonne of God must die or else all mankind be eternally damned and their sinnes only are properly said to have pierced him who at length are saved by his blood Come then my soule let us set our humble faith on worke to lay fast hold upon this blessed Saviour of ours who only is become our reconciliation and peace-maker
without interruption in the straight paths of grace and vertue unto eternall glory And so much more need have wee to looke well to our way and arme our selves well for it if wee consider how dangerous a companion the soule carrieth with it or rather is carried by in this dangerous race even our owne sinfull and sensuall flesh and withall how many ambushments of thieves murtherers and robbers lye in the way hunting for our soules as wee passe by and offering to the flesh any manner of sensuall delights to betray the precious soule which it should carrie straight to heaven by getting it to turne aside into some other crooked and by-paths of sinne and wickednesse Via vna multa de via How many by-paths crosse the way of grace to draw the soul out of the way of life by the allurements of honour pleasure profit worldly-preferment ease good fellowship and a thousand varieties to make the soule neglect that unum necessarium of walking in Gods feare and keeping constant in the way to heaven wee must not therefore thinke of sitting downe or standing still or frisking out and in up and downe at our owne pleasure or leasure But the pace hee required is running the most violent earnest and speedy pace of all whereby wee are put in mind that as our li e runs away without ceasing so our labour speed and endeavour should be constant and perpetuall after that better life which shall never fade and to contemne this to obtaine that Notwithstanding every speedy or hastie running in the race of this life brings not to heaven but though we must runne yet wee should so run that we bee sure to obtaine There is a speciall manner of running required a singular and precise manner which how contrary soever to flesh and blood must bee undertaken and pursued or els all is amisse For there is a headlong running downe to hell Facilis descensus Averni and this is the way of good-fellowship as it is called wherein a man shall bee sure of companie enough but of such as forget God following the broad way of vanity which brings to destruction And there is a sidelong running of the hypocrite who runnes byas as if hee would keepe out of the broad way of destruction but falls into it at the last But our running should bee upright towards Heaven up the hill in the narrow strict and craggie way which leadeth unto life wee must runne to obtaine what we runne for and minde nothing else but to keepe our selves in that right way which will bring us to that end happie then is the soule that declines the many by-paths of sinne and vanitie and keepes constantly and carefully that one strict way of holinesse righteousnesse and sobrietie which certainly leads to eternall peace O mercifull Lord Jesu who are the way the truth and the life and knowest whereof wee are made and how unable to stand of our selves or to runne the way of thy Commandements assist and strengthen us by thy blessed Spirit of grace to finde out that gracious way of truth which assuredly tendeth unto life and then constantly to keepe in it all the daies of our pilgrimage that living and dying in faith and obedience wee may finally obtaine that crowne of righteousnesse which thine owne blessed selfe hast purchased and prepared for us in thine heavenly kingdome Amen Eamus post Christum quia veritas per Christum quia via ad Christum quia vita Bernard 22. Vpon a worthy Divines Letter resolving me in a case of conscience WHen it had pleased God to prolong my life beyond the great Climactericall yeare as it is called I thought it high time for mee to retyre my selfe from worldly employments that I might the better prepare my selfe for the time of my change and thereupon imparted my minde for ghostly counsell therein to a worthy and reverend Divine of my inward acquaintance who returned me such a gracious and learned answer by Letter for directing the Christian pilgrim into the right and safe way to eternall life amongst the divers opinions of thâ—se later and worst times as I thought fit to register it amongst the private meditations of mine that so pious a resolution in so weightie a case which in mine opinion might bee of good use to Gods Church might not die with me in a private Letter the words whereof are here faithfully set downe as followeth Sir I sent you in a Letter by my brother c. In meane while to your case of conscience if I understand it aright I thinke thus in few words The Gospell is a doctrine of mercy but not of liberty The Morall law though it cannot save or condemne us who are in Christ yet it still obligeth us no lesse if not more then others to all acts of pietie and justice Our redeemer freed us not from the obedience but from the penaltie of it the rigorous sanction of it is mitigated by the new covenant of grace for to us is no condemnation and if any man sinne we have an Advocate But the new Covenant is so far from dissolving of any commandement that it adds to them the more of faith and repentance And faith it self though it assure us of comfort in Christ yet it is under condition of our allegiance to God not only in some feeble good purposes and desires but in a constant universall actuall obedience For faith in the very nature of it implies obedience Romanes 1.5 and 16.26 1 Peter 1.14 and verse 22. It purifies the heart Acts 15.9 It worketh by love Galatians 5.6 And without doubt the faith which is not thus obedient purging working is but a fancie T is true the most holy Christian may sometimes by his frailtie or negligence be surprised by a suddaine temptation or foiled y a violent Jn that ease his comfort is in the merits of Christ But t is withall his duty speedily to recover himselfe and to walke afterwards more warily with his God Good will or good wishes are not enough where there is no more I feare there is little grace which where it is enables us to overcome the world 1 Ioh. 5.4.5 To resist the Divell Iam. 4.7 nay to overcome him 1 Io. 4.4 Ephes 6.11.13 to doe all actions of pietie in good measure Phil. 4.13 Mar. 9.23 Ephes 3.20 Iud. 24. verse to mortifie the deeds of the flesh Romans 8.5.13 briefly in spirituall conflicts to bee more then conquerors Rom. 8 37. T is true the best of men are but men at the best now and then sinning but then quickly repenting and for the most part carefully and conscionably walking And if you please to view and consider well these passages in Gods book Col. 3.9.10 Eph. 1.18 and 4.21.23.24 2 Cor. 3. â—8 Galat. 2.20 and 15.24.25 and â— 14. Philip. 2.13 Romans 8.2 wherein the truly regenerate is described by his Caracters and properties you will feare that many howsoever they seeme to themselves and others taking little care
great Clock in Westminster Palace THis Clock strikes foure and twentie times a day And every striking shewes one hower is past Thus houre by houre our daies do weare away And one those houres must shortly be our last But which we know not that poore sinners we In faith repentance and obedience From houre to houre by grace prepar'd may be For our last houre and happie going hence When our dear Saviour shall call us home in peace And sin death sorrow shall for ever cease 34. Home LOrd Iesu keepe my heart which by thy grace would faine keep thee excluding all beside O let thy spirit sanctifie the place and by his sacred influence still rule and guide My thoughts words actions studies and desires To heaven-ward whereto my soule aspires For thence it came I have no home but there and thitherward am travelling as I may A sojourner and wearied pilgrim here waiting my calling home from day to day Till mine appointed time of change shall come And thou dear Lord my soul shall welcome home Meane while thy grace increase my faith in thee with true repentance and obedience That these thy graces may abound in me and I may die in them when I go hence And so by grace prepar'd as I should be Sweet Saviour receive my Soule in peace to thee 35. A Dialogue betweene an old sick man and his neighbour visiting him Q. HOw do you Sir A. I praise God never better Because I never was so neere my home Q. What home mean yoâ— nature to death is debtor And old or young we all must thither come A. True deâ—th the common passage is betweene This mortall life and that which lasts for ever The body carries th' immortall soule unseene Along with it so far but their they sever The bodie dies the soule to heaven straight From whence it came and where its dwelling is And that 's the home I meane for which I waite The glorious mansions of eternall blisse Q But ere you can get thither you must die A. My body must indeed but that 's not I. Q. And should the bodies death so slighted be The king of terrour to all living things A. I slight not death Gods messenger is he And therefore welcome and good newes he brings T'uncloath me of this body that I may Be cloath'd upon with immortalitie And so brought home to dwell in heaven for ayâ— In glorious joyes and true felicitie And though death laies my bodie in the dust As if I never should behold it more Yet rise it shall and he restore it must In better plight then ere it was before The sooner I get home the better then Sweet Iesus take me home in peace Q. Amen 36. A Hymne for Christmas-day Gloria in excelsis Deo ALL glory be to God on high and peace on earth good will to men This was the Chore of Angels song at Iesus birth in Bethlehem For then the eternall sonne of God became the blessed virgins sonne God manifested in the flesh to save mankind els quite undone Come let us magnifie his name with Angels and Archangels still And sing All glory be to God and peace on earth to men good-will For by this worke of God made man both th' heavens and earth have cause of joy The heavens new glory have thereby the earth doth heavenly peace enjoy And both from Gods good will to man for loe this blessed heavenly child Hath sinfull Adam and his race redeem'd and to his Father reconcil'd Come let us magnifie his name with Angels and Archangels then And sing all glory be to God and peace on earth good will to man This babe though cradled in a cratch was yet the King of glory borne And came from heaven man to save who otherwise had beene forlorne He is our only peace on earth the conscience pacifier here He is our glory in the heavens our blessed glorifier there Come then above all creatures we should sing this Angels Antheme still All glory be to God on high and peace on earth to men good will But first from men on earth below should glory mount to God on high Then God from heaven would shower downe peace to men on earth abundantly For God being now at peace with man through Christ the Lord both God and man The heavens and earth are likewise friends as 't was when first the world began Come let us magnifie his name with Angels and Archangels then And sing All glory be to God and peace on earth good-will to men O what transcendent love was this of that great God to poore mankinde When men and Angels both were falne God tooke man up left them behinde And that man might be quit from hell and brought to heavens glorious blisse The Prince of heaven man became was ever mercy like to this Come then and let us praise his name with Angels and Archangels still And give God glory in the highest that shâ—wed to man such high good-will To thee O most Almighty Lord most holy gâ—â—â—ious Trinitie The Father Goâ—â—â—d Holy Ghost in ever blessed nâ—â—e From hearts and soules and all our powers all glory prâ—â—â—e â—â—â—nksgiving be As in beginning was is now and shall to all eternitie For Christ the Lord our Iesus borne at time prâ—fixt in Betâ—lehem Let heâ—ven and earth with all their hosts come joyne with us and say Amen A Prayer and Meditation for my wife and my selfe to joyne together she being in the 67. year of her age and I â—n the 74. of mine and both full of bodily infirmities for our daily waiting for the blessed houre of our dissolution 1 HEre at thy foot-stool blessed Lord do we â—calâ— Thy weak unworthy servants wait thy gracious Our work draws to an end and now we come to thee Whose blessed will is so declared we shall Blesse this our waiting time and by thy grace Support us joyfully to end our race 2 For thou already hast of thy good will In truth and mercy us espous'd to thee Although the mariage day must rest untill This mortall puts on immortality Meane while thou hast thy holy spirit us given To guide us all along our way to heaven 3 Whose sacred hand within the first degree Of life eternall hath already brought us â— Vniting us renewed by grace to thee Most glorious Saviour who hast deerly bought us And by this first degree assures the rest To make us finally for ever blest 4. The second step to lifes eternitie Is by deaths passage which we now attend Where laying down all our mortalitie Our soules by Angels conduct shall ascend Members of thy Church thine own espoused wife Into thy palace of eternall life 5. Where we instead of flesh that 's transitory And must be laid to sleep here in the grave Shall have new robes of everlasting glory As all our fellow members there shall have O what a blessed glorious change is this To leave this world for heavens endlesse blisse 6. And yet there rests behind a third degree When these fraile bodies rais'd from death agen Vnto eternall life rejoynd shall be Vnto our soules and glorified with them When all things shall receive their consummation Our soules and bodies both compleat salvation 7. Now whiles we wait in this our pilgrimage When our appointed time of chang shall come Lord Iesu help in this our lifes last stage And our redeemed soules bring safely home To that safe home of thine where al things bee In perfect peace and true securitie 8. For in this life such our corruptions are As hinder when we any good intend But headlong running into every snare To make us our most gracious God offend Vnder this bondage of corruption thus Lye we till thou good Lord deliver us 9. Here then with panting longings after thee Most glorious Saviour for our finall rest With sighs of hope and teares of joy do we Attend thy blessed call to make us blest Call then sweet Iesu when it shall thee please Into thy hands receive our soules in peace Amen Iob 14.14 All the daies of mine appointed time will I waite till my change shall come