thou King of Saints Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name for thou only art holy and all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy judgments are made manifest Psal 112.6 The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance A fifteenth Comfort in Death We may well rejoyce at Gods gracious messenger of Death because it is the wiping of all tears from our eyes and the finall end of all our troubles and sorrows the world the flesh the devill shall no more oppresse distract and hurt us with their distractions delusions and deceits Eccl. 4.1 So I turned and considered all the oppressions that are wrought under the Sunne and behold the tears of the oppressed and none comforteth them Ver. 2. Wherefore I praise the dead which now are dead above the living which are yet alive Hos 13.14 Hear what comfort our loving God gives us I will redeem them from the power of the grave I will deliver them from death O death I will be thy destruction repentance is bid from mine eyes A sixteenth Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is the imitating of our Saviours passion as farre as we are able that we may see his glory Matth. 10.38 He that taketh not his crosse and followeth after me is not worthy of me And Chap. 16. ver 24. If any man will follow me let him forsake himself and take up his crosse and follow me And somewhat more Luk 9.23 If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his crosse daily and follow me And Chap. 14. ver 27. Whosoever beareth not his crosse and cometh after me cannot be my Disciple 2 Tim. 2.12 If we suffer we shall also raigne with him if we deny him he also will deny us Joh. 17.24 Father I will that they which thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world Matth. 10.24 The Disciple is not above his Master nor the servant above his Lord it is enough for the Disciple to be as his Master and the servant as his Lord. If they have called the Master of the house Belzebub how much more them of his houshold A seventeenth Comfort in Death It is our freedome from sinne death and hell and all our enemies The day of death saith Solomon is better then the day of birth therefore is that day a day of rejoycing to us St Paul desireth to be dissolved and to be with Christ and saith it is the best of all Rom. 6.7 He that is dead is freed from sinne Ver. 11. Likewise think ye also that ye are dead to sinne but are alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. An eighteenth Comfort in Death It is our taking possession of the fullnesse of rest in the communion of Saints in the love of the eternall God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost and therein peace for ever therefore rejoyce Lazarus is said to be presently carried into Abrahams bosome where most sure he had immediate possession in a high degree of eternall peace Gerrards Meditat. p. 25. Death is the beginning of a holy life Isa 57.1 2. The righteous perisheth and no man considereth it in heart and mercifull men are taken away and no man understandeth that the righteous is taken away from the evill to come Peace shall come they shall rest in their beds every one that walketh before him Matth. 11.28 29. Hear our gracious Saviour Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you Take my yoak on you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall finde rest unto your souls 2 Thes 1.7 And to you which are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall shew himself from Heaven with his mighty Angels And if then surely also from our severall changes till then Heb. 4.3 9. For we which have beleeved doe enter into rest There remains therefore a rest for the people of God for he that is entred into his rest hath also ceased from his own works as God did from his let us study to enter into that rest Job 3.12 13. Why did the knees prevent me and why did I such the breasts for so should I now have lyen and been quiet I should have slept then and have been at rest A nineteenth Comfort in Death Jesus Christ is in Death and Life to us gain and causeth death to be to us advantage the end of unexpressible evils the beginning of unexpressible and eternall joy Phil. 1.21 For Christ is to me both in life and death advantage All the miseries of Lazarus end in his death and his eternall joyes begin in Abrahams bosome Our Saviour Jesus entred by the gate of death into his glory and thereby hath prepared joyes 2 Cor. 2.9 such as eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive for them that love him Isa 35.10 Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with praise and everlasting joyes shall be upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladnesse and sorrow and mourning shall flee away A twentieth Comfort in Death Doubt not of the all-sufficient love of God to thee in his Sonne Jesus He that gave thee a body when thou hadst none can give thee a heavenly body so soon as thou art at liberty from this of earth and will most certainly dispose of thee in Jesus as of his servants which is the best for thee His power and his will is sufficient to give thee joyes beyond thy thoughts Have thou true faith and true belief that God is and that he is the rewarder of them that seek him Give him thy whole soul and spirit and humbly crave the assistance of the eternall God that he will for his Sonne Christ Jesus his sake fully and freely enable thee to give to the Sacred Trinity in Unity three Persons but one Almighty God Father Sonne and holy Ghost all honour glory and praise as his most obedient servant for ever And say with true faith and love O gracious Father Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven And in thy most free and gracious love to a poor sinner in Jesus Christ thy only Sonne my Saviour doe thou compell my unworthy and corrupted will to doe unto thy most Sacred Majesty true and perfect service Doe thou O blessed Father for thy free goodnesse sake convert me wholly into that service for thou art my only Lord God and I am thy servant so come Lord Jesus come quickly and receive my spirit Amen Amen Matth. 19.26 With God all things are possible Gen. 17.1 I am God all-sufficient walk before me and be thou perfect Chap. 15. ver 1. Fear not I am thy buckler and thy exceeding great reward Psal 50.7 Hear O my people and I will speake hear O Israell and I
and pleasing our naturall and corrupted affections Q. What is the principall gift of God to a man in this life A. True Wisdome Q. What is true wisdome A. To be wise to the soul Q. What is perfect folly A. Foolishnesse and neglect towards the soul Q. What are corrections A. They are the chastisements of almighty God and contrary to corrupted nature Q. What use are we to make of them A. To move us to a willing submission to the will and dispose of our Creator Q. Should they move us to contemn life and desire death A. No but rather to rejoice in the longest and hardest work of his sacred pleasure Q. Ought we most to rejoice when we enjoy the fullnesse of this world A. No but rather to fear it to be the portion of the ungodly Q. What understand you by almighty God A. I understand a Spirit not to be seen by the outward eye of the body Q. How is he to be seen and known A. By the eye of the soul Q. What is the eye of the soul A. Faith and reason Q. How shall Faith and reason be guided A. By the Law of Nature and by the holy Scriptures Q. What doth the Law of Nature shew us A. That there is one almighty God for ever to be worshipped and obeyed by us who hath created and made us and hath power ever our souls and bodies for ever Q. What further teacheth it A. That mortality belongeth to the body and immortality to the soul Q. What further A. That there is good and evil and that the good will be rewarded and the evil-doer will be punished by the Creator especially after this life is ended Q. What are the holy Scriptures A. They are sacred instructions and Lawes sent unto us by almighty God Q What is the scope and intent thereof A. To admonish teach and instruct us to holinesse and righteousnesse in life and conversation Q. What doe they further teach A. True Faith and saving belief Q. What is Faith A. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Q. What is belief A. It is a pure perswasion grounded on the word of almighty God Q. What is the true belief concerning the sacred Trinity A. That of the Apostles called the Apostles Creed Q. Rehearse that Belief A. I beleeve in God the Father Almighty c. Q. What doth this Faith and true belief shew us A. That there are three Persons but one Eternall God Q. How are these three persons named and divided A. Into the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Q What is the Father A. We beleeve that the Father is the incomprehensible begetter of the Sonne thereby fitting him to receive an earthly body like to ours sinne onely excepted that so he might therein and thereby satisfie the justice of his Father due for sinne by us committed in our earthly bodies which could no otherwise have been satisfied for but in the just destruction and damnation both of our bodies and souls for that the sinne of the body in its due desert slayeth the soul Q. What is the Sonne A. We believe that he is the only Mediator betwixt the Fathers justice and mans sinnes and that he intercedeth and maketh peace by his merits with the Father for us and that besides him we have no Mediator Q. What is the Holy Ghost A. We believe that he is the sacred Spirit of mercy proceeding from the Father and the Sonne whereby our hearts are guided unto all the true performances of saving duty Q. Are there not then three Gods A. No three Persons but onely one God Q. Is the power and operation of all the three Persons upon the creature one and the same A. We believe their power to be equall as one God but severally instrumentall to mans salvation as three Persons which seemeth plain by the holy Scriptures Q. Do the Scriptures then shew this sacred Trinity in Unity three Persons but one eternall God their power and proceedings towards the creature and the duty of the creature to this Creator A. Yes verily and there is no other means to know it more truly Q. Is it not then most necessary to be perfect in the Scriptures and to meditate on them continually A. Yes surely for thereby we are made wise to salvation Q. What is the Good of this life A. A free and joyfull submission to the good providence of almighty God and a diligent walking in his Lawes Q. What is the evill of this life A. An unsatiable desire of such things as will not satisfie the soul Q. What is the soul A. It is the unexpressible invisible immortall spirituall man Q. What will content the soul A. Things onely like it self pure spirituall and eternall Q. What is time A. It is the passage of our life and pilgrimage in this world Q. What is our chief work in our time A. To fit our selves by the assistance of the holy Spirit for a happy eternity Q. What is Eternity A. It is chiefly to us after this life it is entred into by us at our death and is without end Q What are earthly things A. The things visible in this world given us to use with praise and thanks to the giver Q. What are heavenly things A. All that we can conceive by happinesse but they are onely negatively demonstrated to us Eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can mans heart conceive these unexpressible mercies of our Almighty Creator Q. What is our duty in this life A. It is joyfully and willingly to bear the burden and heat of the day in the service of our Creator during his pleasure untill he call us to our rest Q. What is it to be dissolved and to be with Christ A. It is to be separated by death from this earthly tabernacle and to be received into the communion of the blessed souls who are dissolved from their earthly bodies and are with him Q. How ought we to use the present enjoyments of this life A. As if we used them not and to keep our selves unspotted of them Q. How are we to provide for the life to come A. By an humble diligent and watchfull walking in the wayes and Commandements of almighty God Q. What are the chief and summe of the Commandements of the Almighty A. Those which he gave to Moses written in Tables of stone Q. How many of them are there A. Ten. Q. Which are they Rehearse them A. The same which almighty God spake c. Q. What is Religion A. It is to extoll the Almighty above the highest and to cast down man below the lowest Q. What is pure Religion A. Pure Religion and undefiled before almighty God and the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and the widow in their necessities and to keep our selves unspotted of this world Q. Are we able of our selves to live unspotted A. No we must humbly crave the almighty power and strength of the holy
Consider the portion and Talent of our blessed Saviour and his Apostles in this world and their happy content therewith True peace and comfort is from the treasure in Heaven not in earth Disposement of Estate in life or death Respect the righteous In disposing of thy Estate either in life or death it is good to consider that order in which almighty God hath placed the world unto thee and let nothing save the houshold of faith break that order which order is first thy Wife as next thy self or rather equall with thee then thy Children in their birth-rights then Kindred then thy Servants according to their merit if they have spent their youth and strength in thy faithfull service then Neighbours of thy sober faith and lastly all men that desire to live soberly righteously and honestly in this present world Use the Creature modestly soberly Put them not to any unusual painfull death without great necessity Take heed thou do not tyrannize or oppresse the Creature in the Liberty of use I mean the sensitive who indeed are fellowes with us and exceed us more in sense then is cleerly made out we doe them in reason Our Creatour is one our bodies and our senses are alike we say they sinne not thus farre they equall or exceed us onely our reason makes the difference though some dispute because some sensitives prepare against a storme which onely is the true effect of sense however I advise you to use them very soberly with great care and moderation especially in killing them in taking away their lives to preserve thine own take heed in destroying their bodies thou ruine not thy own soul doe not put them to any unusuall painfull death to please thy palate or gain more health and strength thereby to consume it on thy lusts but if there be any necessity in such using to gain strength or health out of thy true desire better and longer to work in thy masters vineyard as a just servant Liberty in necessity thou maist out of such a true intent in any sort use them yet take heed of the innocent and helplesse cries of the meanest Creature and pitying them let it move thee to true repentance Thy sinne perhaps the cause of their punishment for that thy ill deserving sinne may cause their undeserving punishment therefore blesse our good God in the use of the Creature but abuse it not Comfort from Scripture both in Life and in Death I. Comfort To have true joy in long Life from our hearty desires of serving our God in all our appointed pilgrimage HAB. 2.14 15 16 17 18. FOrasmuch then as the Children were partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part with them that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the devill and that he might deliver all them which for fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage for he in no sort took the Angels but he took the seed of Abraham wherefore in all things it became him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be mercifull and a faithfull High priest in things concerning God that he might make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people for in that he suffered and was tempted he is able to succour those that are tempted 1 Cor. Chap. 15. 1 Thes Chap. 4. You shall finde admirable comfort by death and in death from the certainty of the resurrection and of our change therefore read them diligently Prov. 14.32 The wicked shall be cast away in his malice but the righteous hath hope in his death Eccl. 7.3 A good Name is better then a good oyntment and the day of death then the day that one is born Psal 116.15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Isa 57.1 The righteous perish and no man considereth it in heart and mercifull men are taken away and no man understandeth that the righteous is taken away from the evill to come Psal 63.3 4. For thy loving kindnesse is better then life therefore my lips shall praise thee Psal 104.33 I will sing unto the Lord all my life I will praise my God while I live II. Comfort Secondly Take comfort for that all our conditions both inward and outward sinne excepted are from the appointment of God and his will is therein dore Numb 20.23 24 25 26 27 28. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the mount of Hor near the coast of the Land of Edom saying Aaron shall be gathered to his people for he shall not enter into the Land which I have given unto the Children of Israel because ye disobeyed my Commandements at the waters of Meribah Take Aaron and Eleazar his sonne and bring them up into the Mount Hor. And cause Aaron to put off his garments and put them upon Eleazar his sonne for Aaron shall be gathered to his fathers and shall die there And Moses did as the Lord had commanded and they went up into the Mount Hor in the sight of all the Congregation And Moses put off Aarons cloathes and put them upon Eleazar his sonne so Aaron died there in the top of the Mount Chap. 33.38 Deut. 32.48 49 50. And the Lord spake unto Moses saying Go up into this mountain of Abrim unto the mount Nebo which is in the Land of Moab that is over against Jerico And behold the Land of Canaan which I give unto the Children of Israell for a possession and die in the mount which thou goest up into and thou shalt be gathered unto thy people as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor and was gathered unto his people Job 23.14 For he will perform that which he had decreed of me and many such things are with him Prov. 16.9 33. The heart of man purposeth his way but the Lord doth direct his steps The Lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposition thereof is from the Lord. The will and the deed of holinesse is from the Lord therefore we must truly pray for the sacred guidance of the holy Spirit Paul plants and Apollo waters but it is God that gives the increase Selah Therefore O my God for thy Sonne my Saviours sake and as thou delightest to shew mercy to the saving of a poor sinner that would truly serve thee from his deserved death teach me thy precepts and lead me in the way of thy Commandements Turn me unto thee O Lord and so I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God and I am thy servant though most unworthy of thy service I am thy unworthy prodigall sonne Lord make me return unto thee my blessed and mercifull Father in true and saving repentance Amen Jer. 15.2 3. Thus saith the Lord Such as are appointed to death unto death and such as are for the sword to the sword and such as are for the famine to the famine and such as are for the captivity to the captivity And
eternity To incorruptible felicity And though our call doth nature oft prevent Yet when shee 's let alone she fairly deales And though she fixt to warmed life be sent To fit our death yet see how oft she steales To us her warnings as with dimmed sight And theumy eyes instead of bright and cleare To make us see our death for want of light And let us know there 's no long being here Again she warnes by some decay in Teeth Or by a haire that turnes to Lilly white Or by some shaking Palsie which all seeth Or feeble knees or paines by day or night Or hands benum'd or hearing almost lost Or smelling gone which should refresh the braine Or relishing in taste whose choicest gust Is to prepare her guests to entertaine Of all her warnings the true meaning is To let us know shee 'le shortly lead us home And leave us in our woe or in our blisse As we to her have good or evill done As earthly pilgrims while she did sojourne And form her self according to our will With us in houses underneath the Sunne Obediently performing good or ill Then cheer my soul and doe not fear to live Nor will to die but take unto thy guard Securest diligence which doth alwayes give Assurance of hope and due reward In power of the merit of our Jesus And love of God shew'd in his onely Sonne By which dear love he never failes to ease us When earthly joyes and earthly friends are gone Then are we freed to all Eternity From sinne and death and hell and surely then Into true love we shall converted be Unto our God which Heaven is Amen The Offring I Will offer to my onely Good an humble and a contrite heart and my joyfull submission unto his dispose and pleasure for ever I will offer unto his most blessed Majesty his own most gracious love to the works of his own hands I will also offer the blessed conception birth life passion and merit of his sacred Sonne my Saviour Jesus in whom I beleeve O my Eternall Good helpe my unbeliefe and for thy mercy sake give and rightly perfect in me true and saving knowledge and assurance in the infinite mercy of thee my onely Good shewed by thy gracious reconcilement unto me in and through Jesus Christ I will most humbly offer a most willing heart humbly begging of my Eternall Good the blessed guidance of his sacred Spirit to conform and leade my weake and timorous belief aright and to satisfie settle and confirm it in his truth I will also offer unto his gracious goodnesse my most humble and joyfull submissive obedience unto the direction and commands of his most gracious Spirit which I humbly crave may be so powerfull and strong in me that the influence and advantage which the world flesh and devill have against me by reason of my sinne and corruption may not in the least sort be able to move or draw me from yeelding and giving all willing and joyfull submission and obedience thereto but that I may perfectly as I am wholly the creature of my Creator be converted into his perfect will and service and therein rest in perfect joy and peace for ever and this for his onely mercy and goodnesse sake Amen Therefore thus Faine would I have a Royall Sacrifice Worth the presentment to my sacred Good Faine would I finde the Pearle of precious price That by my Saviour so was understood I trust it was with which I 'le here commence An humble soul fram'd of obedience For sure all earthly things are much too vaine Too much corrupted by the fall of man Too much rebellion doth this earth sustaine Too much oppression underneath the Sunne Too little worth they are my Good did make And give me these what need he then retake So is the will and deed to work aright His onely gift but in another sense For outward gifts are unto all alike But holy will and deed arise from hence From God's free love on souls by sacred Spirit As new-born babes prepared to inherit Wherefore my Sacrifice is onely this An humble heart a broken contrite soule Cause me to know it is my onely blisse My onely happinesse without controle To doe thy will make me fit instrument I 'me thine and not my own I 'me full content Belief I do believe that Almighty God is and that he is the rewarder of all them that diligently seeke him I do believe he hath incomprehensible mercy and justice towards all the works of his own hands I do believe that they shall come from all quarters of the world and sit down at his Eternall Table and receive of his infinite bounty I do believe that Almighty God is perfect goodnesse and mercy and justice it self and whoever feareth him and worketh righteousnesse shall be accepted of him I do believe he is the Creator and disposer of all things and this after a manner wholly incomprehensible to mortality I do believe his own beeing and proceeding is onely from himself and is to mortality likewise incomprehensible I do also believe the Apostles Creed concerning the sacred Trinity the Confession of Athanasius and the Confirmation thereof by the Reformed Church of England whereof the providence of my good Creator hath made me a member but in these I must espcially say Good Lord help my unbelief and guide and hold me by thy good and unresistible power in thy blessed service for ever Amen I do believe that with almighty God all things are possible and that his gracious mercy is above all his works And therefore Jesus Christ may be and I believe but Lord help and direct aright my unbelief that he is his onely begotten Sonne and yet conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary that he suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried and descended into hell and the third day rose again from the dead and ascended into Heaven and siâ—teth there on the right hand of God the Father almighty from whence he shall come to judge both the quick and the dead I do believe there is a selected number of Saints in this world which may be comprehended by the holy Catholick Church and that they shall have an eternall communion and fellowship together after this life and that they shall have all their sinnes freely forgiven them and also shall rise together in eternall life at the generall resurrection of which number I believe and trust my self with ot ers more to be for which free and incomprehensible grace I desire with all Saints to give everlasting praise and thanks and to doe everlasting most perfect service unto my good Creator forever Amen I doe also believe in the Holy Ghost and that this sacred Spirit is proceeding from the sacred Deity of the Father and the Sonne which being sent to command and take possession of our souls for the use as it were of the sacred God head we are thereby made fit workers and labourers
22.30 He shall deliver the Iland of the innocent and it is delivered by the purenesse of thy hand Rom. 12.1 That you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God which is your reasonable service 1 Cor. 6.9 Know ye not that your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost that is in you a Gen. â— 27 God created man in his own Image b Heb. 13.15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips Matth. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Rom. 10.12 The same God over all is rich unto all that call upon him Psal 50.3 10. I will have no bullock out of thy house nor he-goat out of thy fold for every beast of the forrest is mine and the cattell upon a thousand hills Psal 109.22 For I am poor and needy and my heart is wounded within me Psal 22.22 I will declare thy Name unto my brethren and in the midst of the Congregation will I praise thee Ver. 25. My praises shall be of thee in the great Congregation I will pay my vowes before them that fear thee Psal 40.8 I delight to doe thy will O God yea thy Law is in my heart Matth. 6.10 Thy will be done O God in earth as it is in Heaven Heb. 10.7 I come to doe thy will O God Prov. 5.21 For the waies of man are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings And 15.3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good Exod. 20.7 Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vaine Psal 139.20 Thy enemies O God take thy Name in vaine And 145.2 Every day will I praise thee and I will blesse thy Name for ever and ever And 99.3 Let them praise thy great and terrible Name for it is holy Levit. 22.2 Speak to Aaron and to his sonnes that they profane not my holy Name for I am the Lord. And Psal 111.9 Holy and reverent is his Name And Ezek. 39.25 I will be jealoas for my holy Name Eccl. 8.2 I know it shall be well with them that fear God that fear before him Jer. 10.23 O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Prov. 29.25 The fear of man bringeth a snare but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe And 30.5 God is a shield to them that put their trust in him Rom. 8.28 We know that all things work together for good to them that love God Matth. 10.19 30. Are not two Sprrrowes sold for a farthing and one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father But the very hairs of your head are all numbred 2 Cor. 1.3 Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort Psal 23.4 Thou art with me thy rod and thy staff they comfort me Isa 66.13 As one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you and ye shall be comforted Isa 6.16 Thus saith the Lord Stand ye in the wayes and see and ask for the old pathes where is the good way and walk therein and you shall finde rest for your souls Rom. 8.10 And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sinne but the spirit is life because of righteousnesse Psal 119.71 It is good for me that I was afflicted that I might learn thy statutes And 126.5 Them that sowe in tears shall reap in joy Jer. 22.13 I will turn their mourning into joy and will comfort them and make them rejoyce for their sorrow Lam. 3.25 It is good for a man that he bear the yoak in his youth 1 King 3.9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart that I may discern betwixt good and bad Psal 119.34 Give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart And v. 73. Give me understanding that I may learn thy Commandements Dan. 12.10 None of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall understand Gal. 5.17 For these two are contrary one to another Job 9.20 If I justifie my self my own mouth will condemn me if I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse Psal 37.27 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way And 50. 23. Who so offereth praise glorifieth God and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Psal 119.67 71. Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I learned thy word It 's good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes Psal 68.3 Let the righteous be glad let them rejoyce before God let them exceedingly rejoyce And Prov. 29.6 In the transgression of an evill man there is a snare but the righteous doth sing and rejoyce Psal 38.13 For I will declare my iniquity and be sorry for my sinne 2 Cor. 7.9 10. Now I rejoyce not that you were made sorry but that you sorrowed to repentance for ye were made sorry after a godly manner For godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation not to be repented of but worldly sorrow worketh death Jer. 10.24 O Lord correct me but with judgment not in thy anger lest thou bring me to nothing Psal 119.33 Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it to the end And 143. 8. Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk for I lift up my soul to thee Deut. 8.5 Thou shalt also consider in thy heart that as a man chastiseth his sonne so the Lord thy God chastiseth thee Psal 94.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy Law Heb. 12.6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth Matth. 22.29 You erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Joh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures for in them you think you have eternall life and they are they which testifie of me 2 Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse 1 Cor. 2.10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his holy Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God Rom. 10.6 Say not in thy heart who shall ascend into heaven that is to bring Christ down from above who shall descend into the deep that is to bring Christ up from the dead but the Word is nigh thee the word of faith which we preach Matth. 7.15 Beware of false prophets Eph. 4.14 That we be no more children tossed to and fro by the sleight of men to every winde of Doctrine whereby they lie in wait to deceive
Correction is the sweet beams of Gods love to soften us that so we may receive the marks of his saving mercy take great heed thou be not as the Spider upon the Flower that gathereth poison nor as clay to the Sunne which is hardened by it but be thou as wax softned and fitted for impression and as the Bee that gathereth honey from the Flower I advise you to labour much in the Scriptures especially be very perfect in the new Testament they are the medicine of life and in them rightly understood is salve for every sore and sound counsell in all occasions Labour to be a good text-man for Scripture interprets it self although in some places there seems literall contradiction yet the holy Spirit trieth all and findes all holy right and good tending to the all and only good our temporall and eternall peace which cannot be taken from us Psal 34.10 The Lyons shall want and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any thing that is good that is to say they shall have all good spirituall and temporall including in this word good all such temporall things as may be necessary to salvation for whatsoever is contrary thereto is neither good nor profitable but bad and pernitious and therefore God doth not give temporall felicity to all his servants but only to such of them as he knowes with the help of his grace will use it well to his honour and glory and to such it is a furtherance of salvation whereas to wicked men though it be also Gods gift yet it is not properly counted Gods gift to them but evill and punishment not a blessing but a curse not felicity but misery by reason that it makes them more insolent proud and licentious and by consequence increaseth their damnation this is the plain meaning of the Psalmist and accordingly will one Scripture interpret another Again Psal 37.4 Delight thy self in the Lord and he shall give thee the desire of thine heart What is that think you plenty credit vain honour ease full tables riches c. No no but that in the want or fullnesse of these things you shall rest in God and therein have your full desire that your will being united to the will of God you shall desire nothing but what is sutable to his will and pleasure and wholly rejoyce in your will that the will of God is done which is only good and the best for you Search not too curiously into Gods Majesty and mysteries lest thou be oppressed with the glory of them Take great heed of infecting thy judgment with false doctrine be alwaies most humble in the sight of God and offer unto him the chastity of an inward minde Never cease from good works during life but lay up the treasure of all thy love in heaven and be assured that for thy well doing thou shalt have thy reward of true joy and peace in minde and conscience in this life as a heavenly gift when earth perhaps denies thee any and perfect peace for thy eternity and further know that who doth a work never so good and laudable in it self if he doe it to gain the applause of the world more then out of duty and obedience to almighty God he shall have his reward that is perhaps the vain-glory he looked for a worldly reward but not my reward that is the most blessed and glorious reward of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ a heavenly reward which he hath laid up eternally for his blessed Saints and servants in heaven My wishes to you are that you will every one of you seriously observe my drift herein and that you will not only read and practise it in the best construction for your souls good but that you will teach others so to doe especially your Children if God shall give you any and to this joyn hearing reading prayer meditation blessed alms and charity and all other Christian duties in true love to almighty God for his own sake to your neighbours for his Commandements sake and both for obedience sake unto his sacred Majesty Consider that as one generation goeth so another cometh and it shall be only well to the righteous be righteous then and our good God will surely blesse you and in the best time of his providence will bring us all together to eternall peace in Christ Jesus Children I do not command you to study read or love this book above others by far more learned Authors because of any oratory wit or learning there is shewed in it but because in its right construction I trust it is pious true and honest and comes from a near related heart that truly desires and hopes in the sweet and saving mercy of our good God to live with you all in the eternall and perfect welfare of your souls and bodies when our short dangerous and various conditioned pilgrimages in this world are ended and that truly endeavours and desires the perfect welfare of your souls and bodies and the true conversion of both into the sincere love of our Creatour more then all the world besides therefore seriously consider this and the Lord give you perfect wisdom from heaven in all things Amen Your Father H. M. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby Pet i. 2.2 Though infant vanityes doe vs accuse Yet humble innocence our God doth chuse Death watches time time parts with euery sand Death and our time are partners hand in hand And as the sands doe change theire glass Soe I in change my life must pass Advice or Admonition OF A FATHER There are three Ages principally distinguished in a Mans Life The first is Infancie Childhood Youth The second is Manhood The third is Old age The first to be spent in learning from others and therein our duty is to be diligent and love our Teachers For Youth well spent a true foundation is Of an immortall monument of blisse The second to be spent in more laborious learning both from our selves and others especially to know thy self for mans heart is deceitfull doe thou present thy strength unto the Lord For Thou canst not finde a better friend more fit To have thy strength then he that gave thee it The third to be spent both in teaching others and thy self for length of dayes increaseth wisdome and he that truly seeks in time may finde For When deaths pale face appears and wrinkled brow Thou knowst thy aâ—count is near not when nor how Infancy and Childhood Youth strength and hoary age if death prevent not make our pilgrimage Jer. 4.31 FOr I have heard a voice as of a woman in travell and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first childe Jer. 49.25 Anguish and sorrow have taken her as a woman in travell Deut. 12.30 Take heed to thy self that thou be not snared Eccl. 9.12 So are the sonnes of men snared in an evill time when it falleth suddenly upon them
which are as foggy mists which never surmount the Sunne to obtain this no labour is too great nor any pains too high a price to make us thus affected true worth is to be well composed unto Vertue all that is honourably performed one only Vertue doth it although it be by advice and counsell for there is an inseperable society of all Vertues when any endures affliction constantly Where with shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word Psal 119.9 When strength and health like to the loaded glass Are fall at height remember they must pass Since like this head thy head must bee Hate pride and loue humilitye Noe pas-time needs times steede is passing fleete Time present and time past each moment greete stantly perhaps he imployes all his Vertues although but one discovereth it self at hand which is his Patience Vertue is that which properly belongs to a wise man and cannot be taken from him bloudy Tyrants have no power over this those goods are true and only worthy our serious endeavours to obtain which cannot be taken from us as for riches honour precious-stones gold silver epicures feasts and such like they are but earthly burdens which a sincere minde and such as is not forgetfull of his nature cannot love because nature spiritualized is alwayes light and will mount as high as heaven as soon as it sees the gate open in the mean while as farre as these bonds of the body and masse of the flesh which environeth the same will permit upon the wings of a sudden and swift thought it visiteth and vieweth celestiall things and examineth both time past and that which is to come whereas this frail body the fetters and gives of the soul is tossed hither and thither punishments thefts and sicknesses are exercised upon it but a vertuous minde is sacred and eternall and wicked hands cannot lay hold to hurt it Endeavour to obtain and keep thy self very close to all kinde of Vertue which the holy Spirit shall upon any occasion dart into thy minde and take great heed thou quench not the holy Spirit in thee by sleighting neglecting refusing or delaying to make good use of the good motions thereof for doubtlesse lesse all men have at one time or other offers and opportunities of grace which if he make no good use of his damnation is surely just I will in this place only name and particularize some choice Vertues which I admonish you diligently to labour for and I will but name them as it were because I purpose God willing to discourse more fully of them hereafter The first is Wisdome which teaches all duty to thy Maker thy self and thy neighbour this is a principall thing therefore get wisdome and above all thy gettings get understanding then get Patience which conquereth the world and fits thee to receive all the sweet corrections of thy Maker with joy and comfort remember the patience of Job and the sweet and pleasant fruits thereof Then get Chastity whereby thy body and minde will be a fit Tabernacle for the holy Ghost to dwell in and in the power of the holy Spirit subdue naturall corruption to the blessed Law and rules of true piety and religion Next Meeknesse Moses was the meekest man upon the earth saith the Text Numb 12.3 Matth. 5.5 Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth and see his favour with almighty God Then Humility O remember how our blessed Saviour humbled himself for our salvation therefore there is no true Christian without true humility Next get Fortitude and true valour but be sure thy cause be religious right and good Then Sobriety and watchfullnesse especially over thy self and therein shew thy true fortitude and valour in conquering and controuling thy naturall passions subjecting them to the upright rules of reason and religion here is great use and need of temperance lest heady and self-conceited youth think and presume to run before he can goe Temperance gives a sweet rellish and seasoning to all the vertues and it is perpetually required in controversies and contestations trouble and divisions this vertue bridles pleasant things that deceive the senses and by serious consideration takes the good of things obdurate As true Fortitude is a spur in adversity so Temperance is a bridle in prosperity with these two we may subdue our passions and carry our selves wisely in all accidents which is a high point of wisdome This is the bridle of the soul and hereby we wean it from the sweet milk of the pleasures of this world and maketh it fit for better nourishment which heaven direct us in for the good mercy thereof Amen Numb 21.3 And the Lord hearkned to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites and they utterly destroyed them and their Cities Eccl. 8.11 Because sentence against an evill work is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the sonnes of men are fully set in them to doe evill And Chap. 9. ver 3. Also the hearts of the sonnes of men are full of evill and madnesse is in their hearts while they live Prov. 8.12 I wisdome dwell with prudence 2 Chron. 2.12 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that made heaven and earth who hath given to David the King a wise sonne endued with prudence and understanding Prov. 23.12 Apply thy heart to instruction and thy ears to the words of knowledge And 4.24 Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life 2 Cor. 8.12 For if there be a willing minde it is accepted according to what a man hath and not according to that he hath not Prov. 23.19 Hear thou my sonne and be wise and guide thy heart in the way Psal 73.24 Thou shalt guid me with thy counsell and afterwards receive me into glory Isa 2.5 O house of Jacob come ye let us walk in the house of the Lord. Isa 1.18 Come now let us reason together saith the Lord. Prov. 19.11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger and it is his glory to passe over a transgression And 27.4 Wrath is cruell anger is outragious Eccl. 7.9 Anger resteth in the bosome of fools Prov. 16.32 He that is slow to anger is better then the mighty and he that ruleth his spirit then he that taketh a City And 29.1 He that being often reproved hardneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy Psal 34.12 What man is he that desireth life and loveth many dayes that he may see good Ver. 13. Keep thy tongue from evill and thy lips that they speak no guile Ver. 14. Depart from evill and doe good seek peace and ensue it Eccl. 7.12 The excellency of knowledge is that wisdome giveth life to them that have it Prov. 12.28 In the way of righteousnesse there is life and in the path-way thereof there is no death Josh 1.8 This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein
not of God Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit Chap. 5. ver 6. This is he that came by water and bloud even Jesus Christ not by water only but by water and bloud and it is the spirit that beareth witnesse because the spirit is truth Prov. 16.17 The high-way of the upright is to depart from evill he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul 1 Pet. 2.11 I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which warre against the soul Ezek. 18.27 When the wicked man turneth away from his wickednesse that he hath committed and doth that which is lawfull and right he shall save his soul alive And 33. v. 5. He that taketh warning shall deliver his soul 2 Cor. 8.12 For if there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not Eph. 4.17 18 19 20. This I say therefore and testifie in the Lord that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanities of their minde having their understanding darkned through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnesse of their heart Who being past feeling have given themselves over to lasciviousnesse to work all uncleanness with greediness but ye have not so learned Christ Ver. 24. Put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Joh. 13.17 If ye know these things happy are ye if ye doe them Heb. 10.9 10. Then said he Loe I come to doe thy will O God By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all Psal 119.37 Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity and quicken thou me in thy Law And 101.3 I will set no wicked thing before my eyes And 78.1 Give ear O my people to my Law encline your ears to the words of my mouth And 39.1 I said I will take heed to my wayes that I offend not with my tongue I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked are before me Prov. 10.20 31. The tongue of the just is as choice silver The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdome but the froward tongue shall be cut out Prov. 16.20 He that handleth a matter wisely shall finde good and who so trusteth in the Lord happy is he Prov. 25.11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver Prov. 8.13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evill pride and â—rrogancy and the evill way and the froward mouth doe I hate And 11.2 When pride cometh then cometh shame but with the lowly is wisdome And 13.10 Only by pride comes contention but with the well advised is wisdome And 14.3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride but the lipps of the wise shall preserve them And 16.18 Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall And 29.23 A mans pride shall bring him low but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit Jam. 4.6 God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5.5 6. Be cloathed in humility for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time Matth. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall finde rest unto your souls 1 Cor. 12.25 That there should be no schisme in the body but that the members should have the same care one of another Prov. 3.9 Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the first-fruits of thy increase Exod. 20.17 Honour thy father and thy mother c. Joh. 5.4 I receive not honour from men And V. 44. How can ye believe which receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that comes from God only And Chap. 8. ver 54. Jesus answered if I honour my self my honour is nothing it is my Father that honoureth me of whom ye say that he is your God Rom. 2.7 10. To them which by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternall life Ver. 10. But glory honour peace to every one that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile Psal 119.36 Incline my heart unto thy testimonies and not to covetousnesse Isa 57.17 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him Luk. 12.15 Take heed and beware of covetousness for a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of things that he possesseth Heb. 13.5 Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have Prov. 8.9 He that is slothfull in his work is brother to him that is a great waster Luk. 15 13 14 15 16. The prodigall or younger sonne gathered all together and took his journey into a farre countrey and there wasted his substance with riotous living and when he had spent all there arose a mighty famine in that land and he began to be in want and he went and joyned himself to a Citizen of that Countrey and he sent him into his field to feed swine and he would faine have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat and no man gave unto him SEeing by the mercy of God we have obtained a happy plantation planted and nourished it so that the tender imps doe promise much content and profit it is now time to fence and defend it thereby preserving it from devouring and ravenous beasts with other dangers which if it lye open to the wildernesse of this worlds attempts and assaults it will thereby be subject to receive detriment and damage here is great need of carefull watchfullnesse least while we neglect or sleep the enemy enter sowe tares and destroy this falls out here in our discourse to be particularly treated on in this eighth Age of our life with this remembrance that what is duty in any part of our pilgrimage is requisite to be carefully looked unto and performed all our lives so farre and so long as our bodies and mindes are capeable of performing such duty and service to our Maker the benefit of which redoundeth wholly to our selves if truly with such duty and relation performed Under the protection of this secure watch we may passe all our dayes in safety therefore it is most necessary to make diligent search what this watch is and over what it is to be by this watch may be understood the sacred and holy Spirit of God moving us to doe right and holy duties and our care and watching ought to be at all times to take heed of quenching or neglecting the blessed motions of this sacred Spirit in us which is done by neglecting sleighting forgetting opposing or any want of executing the good motions Wee must all appeare before the Judgment seat of Christ Cor 2 5 10 What manner of persons then ought wee to bee In
them that goe down into the pit Cause me to hear thy loving kindenesse in the morning for in thee doe I trust cause me to know the way wherein I should walk for I lift up my soul unto thee Deliver me O Lord from my enemies viz. from my sinnes I fly unto thee to hide me teach me to doe thy will for thou art my God thy Spirit is good lead me into the land of uprightnesse Quicken me O Lord for thy Names sake for thy righteousnesse sake bring my soul out of trouble And of thy mercy cut off my enemies viz my sinnes and destroy all them that afflict my soul for I am thy servant I will rejoyce to work in thy vineyard O my creatour and in the strength of thy mercies will attend thy call to rest as thy most obedient servant Amen V. Comfort Take comfort in a constant thirsting to be dissolved and to be with Christ as his servants are who be already dissolved if almighty God in Christ Jesus were so pleased Read Gerrards Meditations Though death as to us is bitter yet in from pag. 268 unto pag. 302. our trust on almighty God in Christ it is sweet For who keepâ—th his word shall never see death Joh. 8.51 The misery of a Christian dieth but not the Christian man we lose not our friends at their death but they goe before us to the place of our enjoyment of them in Christ Jesus for ever as we may well beleeve Luk. 2.29 Simeon saith Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace And Phil. 1.23 The Apostle desires to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all Rev. 7.9 The elect have robes in token of innocency and palms in their hands in token of victory therein are all tears wiped away from our eyes Ver. 17. And therein is no mourning nor grief nor any cry heard but rest from labour Chap. 21. v. 4. and 14.15 Our blessed Saviour shews the great benefit of being dissolved when his Disciples were sad at it he said Joh. 14.28 If ye loved me ye would rejoyce rather Phil. 1.21 Death is gain The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement to his Sonne therefore rejoyce in thy true belief to goe to that judgement For Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne that who so beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Matth. 18.14 Neither is it the will of our Father that one of the little ones should perish Ver. 11. Our Saviour came to save that which was lost He takes away the sinnes of the world He died for the sinnes of the world He hath a gracious call for us as Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you He maketh intercession for us and hath blotted out the hand-writing which was against us Joh. 5.24 He that heareth his word and believeth on him that sent him hath life everlasting and shall not come into condemnation O my Saviour I beleeve yet help thou my unbelief and increase thou my faith Eph. 5.29 30. That I may truly and as I ought beleeve my self to be and be a member of thy body of thy flesh and of thy bones O my Saviour in the power of thy might and as thou diedst to save sinners make me holy is thou the Lord my God art holy The dayes of my pilgrimage are few and evill My conversation is in Heaven and I desire to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living When shall I appear before thy face O God As the Hart panteth after the fountain of water so doth my heart after thee O God At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore I shall be abundantly satisfied with the plentifullnesse of thy house and thou shalt give me to drink of the brook of thy pleasures for with thee is the fountain of life and in thy light shall we see light Thou O Lord art the portion of my inheritance and my exceeding great reward Thou shalt of thy free love to sinners shewed in Jesus Christ cover me with the garment of salvation and cloathe me with the white robe of righteousnesse where there is no hunger nor thirst nor scorching Sunne Of the fruit of the vine shall I drink in thy Kingdome for thy words are spirit and life therefore shall death be swallowed up in victory and thou O Saviour shalt for thy free merit in the blessed mercy of our eternall Father wipe away all tears from my eyes for ever for thou art my all-sufficient Lord God While we live we cannot hope to cease from sinne but when we die we hope to sinne no more which consideration doth administer great comfort in the remembrance and appearance of death to those that are truly weary of sinning against their God VI. The first Comfort in the pangs and passages of Death First Because the will of God is therein done in Jesus Christ which is certainly the best for us It is appointed to all men once to die and after that comes the judgment Heb. 9.27 2 Cor. 4.14 Knowing that he which hath raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise us up also by Jesus therefore we faint not but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed daily Ver. 17. For our light afflictions which are but for a moment causeth unto us a farre more excellent and an eternall weight of glory while we look not on the things that are seen but on the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporall but the things which are not seen are eternall Read Gerrards Meditations p. 109. praying for a blessed departure out of this life and a blessed resurrection unto life ever lasting And Read the fift Chapter of the 2d Cor. in which is admirable comfort in the passages of death that we may be present with the Lord. Jam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptations for when he is tried he shall receive the Crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Then present thy sould a true devotary unto our most gracious Father in Jesus Christ and say with David Psal 31.5 Into thy hands I commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth Ps 71.23 My lips will rejoyce when I sing unto thee and my soul which thou hast delivered And rejoyce with Paul Gal. 3.13 saying Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law when he was made a curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Then gathering thy spirit freeing thy soul of worldly thougths say in faith and true repentance in full assurance that our good God is all-sufficient and that his mercy endures for ever and that in Jesus thy Saviour he hath elected and adopted thee his sonne Come Lord Jesus my most dear Saviour come quickly Amen VII A second Comfort in the passages of Death Take
or indeed the least sorrow Matth. 27.27 Then the souldiers of the Governours took Jesus into the Common-hall and gathered about him the whole band Ver. 28. And they stripped him and put upon him a scarlet robe Ver. 29. And platted a Crown of thorns and put it upon his head and a reed in his right-hand and bowed the knees before him and mocked him saying God save the King of the Jews Ver. 30. And spit upon him and took a reed and smote him on the head Ver. 31. Thus when they had mocked him they took the robe from him and put his own raiment on him and led him away to crucifie him Ver. 33. And when they were come unto the place called Golgotha that is to say the place of dead mens sculls Ver. 34. They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall and when he had tasted thereof he would not drink Ver. 35. And when they had crucified him they parted his garments and did cast lots that it might be fullfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Psal 22.18 They divided my garments amongst them and upon my vesture did cast lots Ver. 36. And they sate and watched him there Ver. 37. They set up also over his head his cause written This is Jesus the King of the Jews Ver. 38. And there were two thieves crucified with him one on the right hand and the other on the left Ver. 39. And they that passed by reviled him wagging their heads and Ver. 40. Saying Thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three dayes save thy self if thou be the Sonne of God come down from the crosse Ver. 41. Likewise also the High-Prists mocking him with the Scribes and Pharisees and Elders said Ver. 42. He saved others but he cannot save himself if he be the King of Israell let him now come down from the crosse and we will beleeve him Ver. 43. He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him for he said I am the Sonne of God Ver. 44. That same also the thieves that were crucified with him cast in his teeth Ver. 45. Now from the sixth hour was there darkness over all the land untill the ninth hour Ver. 46. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying Ely Ely lamasabachthani that is My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Ver. 47. And some of them that stood there when they heard it said This man calleth Elias Ver. 48. And straight way one of them ranne and took a spunge and filled it with vinegar and put it on a reed and gave him to drink Ver. 49. Others said Let be let us see if Elias will come and save him Ver. 50. Then Jesus cried with a loud voice again and yeelded up the ghost Now then let us be glad and rejoyce to goe to him our Saviour our joy our peace what way soever he is pleased to call us through the most bitter torments of minde or body by weaknesses sicknesses and imperfections and let us be most assured that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 2 Tim. 2.3 Let us therefore suffer afflictions as good souldiers of Jesus Christ For it is a true saying If we be dead with him we shall also live with him if we suffer with him we shall also raign with him if we deny him he also will deny us Yea 2 Tim. 3.12 All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecutions Here have we no continuing City but we seek one to come Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to him in well doing as unto a faithfull Creatour knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in our brethren which are in the world As many as our Saviour loveth he rebuketh and chasteneth Be zealous therefore in the truth and amend and rejoice alwayes that the will of God in Christ Jesus thy Saviour is therein done which is the best for thee Amen X. A fift Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our going from sorrow to joy Isa 17.1 The righteous perisheth and no man considereth it in heart and mercifull men are taken away and no man understandeth that the righteous is taken away from the evill to come 2 King 22.19 20. But because thy heart did melt and thou hast humbled thy self before the Lord when thou heardest what I spake against this place and against the inhabitants of the same to wit that it should be destroyed and accursed and hast rent thy clothes and wept before me I have also heard it saith the Lord behold therefore I will gather thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be put into thy grave in peace and thy eyes shall not see all the evill which I will bring upon this place this was the great love of God to King Josiah See 2 Chron. 34.28 Luk. 16.22 Lazarus by a blessed dissolution is eased of all his pains sores diseases fears and troubles is called for out of the prison of the body and presently by the happy messenger of death is made fit and carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome where all the elect are in joyes incomprehensible freed from sinne and sorrow forever Amen XI A sixth Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our being gathered to our nearest alliance our kindred and our parents 2 King 22.19 20. Josiah was gathered to his fathers in great abundant mercy as I mentioned before See the most sweet and gracious call of the eternall mercy to Moses Deut 32.48 49 50. which I lately mentioned And the Lord spake to Moses the self same day saying Goe up into the mountain of Abarim unto the mount Nebo which is in the land of Moab over against Jericho and behold the land of Canaan which I give to the children of Israell for a possession and die in the mount which thou goest up unto and thou shalt be gathered unto thy people as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor and was gathered to his people Gen. 25.8 The Abraham yeelded up the spirit and died in a good age an old man and of great years and was gathered to his people Numb 20.26 Almighty God commanded Moses to take Aaron and Eleazer his sonne and to bring them up into the mount Hor and to cause Aaron to put off his garments and to put them upon Eleazer his sonne saying Aaron shall be gathered to his fathers and shall die there Numb 30.1 2. Almighty God doth bid Moses avenge the children of Israel of the Mideanites and in token of acceptance and reward faith afterwards thou shalt be gathered to thy people Gen. 15.17 And Ishmaell yeelded up the spirit and died and was gathered to his people Chap. 35. ver 29. And Isaak gave up the ghost and died and
will testifie unto thee for I am God even thy God Against Presumption and Despair at all times but especially upon the Death-bed Sathan that old and lying Serpents suggestion to Presumption COme now thou mayest eat drink sleep and be merry because thou hast lived according to Gods commands and now art going to thy masters rest whom thou hast truly and punctually served farre above the service of thousands that doubt not at all of their salvation the due reward of their godlinesse of living For thy Originall sinne which thy Father Adam committed thou didst it not therefore in justice God cannot charge thee with it and he will not visit the sinnes of the Fathers upon the children As for thy actuall sinnes of ignorance that cannot in justice be laid to thy charge which thou knewest not to be a sinne nor the time of its commission Thou hast lived so carefully to please thy God that few have been so strict in walking in his Laws thou maist professe to have kept all his Commandements from thy youth thou hast had no other God nor worshipped any graven Image and hast not delighted to take his Name in vain Thou hast constantly kept the Sabboth hast honoured thy Parents hast not murthered nor adulterized nor stollen nor borne false witnesse nor covered but hast been contented with thy portion therefore so long as life is in thee eat drink and be meery for certainly the Angels are charged to keep thy soul and body to eternall life as thy fellow servants of God for ever The Souls Answer Avoid thou old and lying Spirit truth cannot proceed out of thy mouth without defilement am not I from Adams loynes and can I then be clean Did not his sinne that thy envy brought him into corrupt his whole body and am not I as part of it proceeding from it Could I doe all that I am commanded of my God were I not still an unprofitable servant Doth not my least sinne in thought word or deed besides my originall corruption deserve punishment infinite as my God whom thereby I rebell against is infinite Can a clean thing proceed out of an unclean Instead of keeping have I not broken all the commands of my God times without number and in degrees infinite As thou wast a lyar to Adam the first man upon earth so thou art for ever and as it was then said The seed of the woman shall break thy head so shall it be for ever to my salvation in the free love and mercy death and passion merit and redemption of Jesus Christ my Lord. Sathan his motives to Despair I was deceived indeed and turning over another leaf in my black book there I finde a quite contrary character of thy life I see thou hast imitated and added to all Adams rebellions he disobeyed and broke one Commandement once and therefore had that terrible sentence pronounced against him by Gods own mouth to be cast from Paradice he and his posterity for ever But thou hast broken all Gods Commandements times without number and in degrees beyond expression infinite Thy life hath been nothing else but a constant breaking of them unlesse thou look for salvation from these breaches which is a way impossible thou hast no hope therefore satisfie thy self with what thou canst not help and cease to aske or seek or knock any more at Gods gate of mercy for it is fast shut against thee and sinners cannot enter in at it now thou and I must burn together in hell for ever from which there is no redemption for us I have recorded against thee in places infinite that thou hast made thee many Idoll gods in hearty seeking of vain earthly things and thou hast loved and worshipped them as Images of thy desired lusts The Name-of God thou hast repeated invain and no one Sabboth hast thou truly kept Thou hast not reverenced nor honoured thy Father and Mother but in thy thoughts at least hast them despis'd and murthered them or others Thou also hast adulteriz'd in heart and in thy faculties stollen thy neighbours goods Thou hast coveted and borne false witnesse too against thy neighbour Almighty God gave his Angels charge to keep his servants from wrongs and hurts but thou hast not served him therefore thou belongest only to me whom thou hast punctually served The Souls Answer O my Enemy thou sayest thou wert mistaken and so indeed thou wert and art and ever wilt be in seeking to snatch the servants of my God out of his hand for although my God suffer thee a while to walk the earth his pleasure is in a good time appointed to cast thy chains upon thee in a place prepared from which thou maist not move for ever I most humbly confesse and have so I trust confessed all my sinnes and more in number then what I can comprehend infinite such I acknowledge are my wounds my sore disease proceeding from thy hate and envious gulf Yet know I have a medicine I have a salve sufficient a Jordan stream to make me clean if not more clean then if I had not sinned and this my cleansing is more my certain life then was my standing clean if then I had not sinned so that thy envy now is my advantage thou knowest it well but lovest not to remember that my precious Antidote whereby I am secured from thy Aspish poison so closely carried under thy lying tongue it is that free redeeming love and bloud of that most valiant Sampson whose Name is Jesus Christ that quickly snapt in sunder thy treble corded lye of vain deceit he is my Captain that never lost nor will lose any of his souldiers without his word I move not at his command I le gladly meet thee with million of Juries of my sinnes before the judgment-seat of God and when thou hast proved me guilty as I doe confesse thou wilt soon appear the Serpent and principall authour of my great offence and I an accessary by thy deluding lies perswading and to thy uttermost power compelling me to doe the evill that I would not doe and hindring me from doing good therefore know that my Saviour Christ my Captain and my God will plead his death and then I live and thou shalt bear the due deservings of my sinnes for ever in eternall flames for they are thine therefore Sathan in humble reverence to my Saviour avoid get thee behind me my good God hath provided a place in Heaven with his servants for me that I may be even where he is and as his servant see his glory and this notwithstanding all my sinnes and ill deserts onely of his free love and mercy whereby he hath with his bloudy sufferings redeemed my soul from hell my just desert because he is good and his mercy endures for ever so come Lord Jesus come quickly even as thy will may be done with the Father and the holy Spirit three persons but one eternall God for ever Amen True Love 1. TO love our good God
though there were neither Hell of his justice nor Heaven of his mercy 2. True love will choose rather to serve our good God in Hell for ever if it could more fully and better do him perfect service in those flames then to be for ever in the highest joyes of Heaven these not to serve him as fully and as truly 3. To desire the eternall and whole conversion of thy soul and body for ever into the everlasting service of thy good Creatour in true love and to finde therein thy true peace is true love Love truly converted into the will of God is Heaven and those that are so converted may be said to be in Heaven upon earth for neither love nor Heaven can here be perfect but although they be still in their earthly tabernacles they have heavenly peace both of minde and conscience which cannot be quite taken from them although here must be no perfection whereby the whole will of almighty God without which either by appointment or permission nothing comes to passe is the true joy and content of their mindes wills and souls The love of our good Father is shown to us in his Sonne Jesus who as it were took satisfaction for our sinnes in his sufferings that his justice being satisfied in the sufferings death and passion of our Saviour Jesus we might have onely the mercy of our good Father to appear before which in his eternall love to us is sufficient for our Salvation when the justice of our good God could no other wayes be satisfied but by our damnation The great and unexpressible love prevailed with the sacred Deity for us when our Saviour Jesus could have been rescued from his sufferings for us with more then twelve legions of Angels and when he could have had as great honour if not greater in our condemnation then in our salvation Let our souls and bodies then with all their faculties be converted into the true love of our Saviour Jesus for ever For His 1. Coming down from his Fathers right-hand from his being God with his Father for ever 2. Poverty that thou mightest be rich 3. Not having whereon to lay his head 4. Wandrings and fastings and prayers for thee 5. Being betrayed 6. Being apprehended as a malefactor 7. Being fasly accused 8. Scarlet robe of derision 9. Crowne of Thornes 10. Being condemned 11. Nayling to the Crosse 12. Cruell thirst 13. Sweating bloud 14. Side stricken with a spear 15. Bleeding water and bloud at that wound 16. Sufferings from his cradle to his grave 17. Bitter passion causing him to cry My God my God why hast thou forsaken me 18. Lying in the grave 19. Resurrection 20. Now sitting at the right-hand of his Father and in him our Father in Heaven there asking the forgivenesse of all our sinnes of his Father who never denies him any thing Wherefore let us stand at the foot of the Crosse of this our Saviour weeping for sorrow that our sinnes caused his sufferings but for joy that through his infinite love shewed therein we are freed from sinne death and hell and have a place prepared in the power of his might where we shall see and partake of his blessed glory as his elected servants for ever Amen Thou needest not to fear death for thy Saviour hath destroyed the sting of death that is the Devill Read Heb. 2.14 15 16 17 18 verses there 's comfort enough in any condition the words are these Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him which had the power of death that is the Devill And deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham wherefore in all things it became him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a mercifull and a faithfull High-Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted See an admirable expression of the infinite love of God which may preserve us from despair and may give us true joy from our humble desires to serve him though we cannot desire much more perfectly serve him as we ought Isa 40.1 2. Comfort ye comfort ye my people will your God say speak comfortably to Jerusalem and say unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquities are pardoned From hence is sweet and solid comfort in all conditions An humble Prayer O Lord remember thy mercies draw me unto the Sonne of thy love Psal 139.23 24. and lead me in the way of thy precepts Try me O God and know my heart prove me and know my thoughts and consider if there be any way of wickednesse in me and lead me in the way for ever 5.8 Lead me O Lord in thy righteousnesse because of my enemies 27.11 make thy way plain before my face Teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a right path because of my enemies by enemies understand inward and outward of the soul and of the body but especially those inward enemies which are the ruin and destruction of both 31.3 For thou art my rock and my fortresse therefore for thy Name sake 43.3 direct and guide me Send thy light and thy truth let them lead me let them bring me unto thy holy mountains and unto thy tabernacles 143.10 Teach me to doe thy will for thou art my God let thy good Spirit lead me unto the land of righteousnesse Draw me O God and I will runne after thee Cant. 1.4 Psal 28.3 Job 7.16 Draw me not away with the wicked and with the workers of iniquity I shall not live alwaies O spare me then for my daies are but vanity I rejoice O Lord my God in thy love because thou art mercifull and wilt spare me as a man spareth his sonne that serveth him for thy mercy endures for ever Selah Thou art my good Father O my Creatour thou wilt not punish me nor impute to me my Originall sinnes which descended upon me from the wicked rebellion of my first parents even as my body is from them but the soul that sinneth and doth not look towards thee nor desire thy gracious gift of true repentance it shall die Yet art thou O my good Father wholly and only good and thy mercy endures for ever Selah Thou wilt not punish the presumptuous sinnes and vanities of my youth for thou art good and thy mercy endures for ever Selah Thou delightest not in the death of a sinner O God but wouldst that all should be converted from their evill waies and live Thou art my All-sufficient God of mercy whose will is all things both in Heaven and earth I trust in Jesus thy only Sonne my Saviour
perfectly to serve thee the God of our Fathers although we be not clensed according to the purification of the Sanctuary O Lord we beseech thee let thy loving kindnesse and thy mercie to poor miserable sinners in Jesus direct our hearts as the hearts of thy elected servants to pray unto thy sacred Majestie in spirit and truth and we humbly beseech thee let thy ears hearken to our praiers and the praiers of all thy servants who desire to fear thy Name Two things we most humbly beg of thee O our mercy denie us not them before we die Remove farre from us vanity and lies Give us neither poverty nor riches feed us with food convenient for us least we be full and denie thee and say Who is the Lord or least we be poor and steale and take the Name of our God in vaine so we will praise thee O Lord in the power of thy might saying Thou wast angry with us because of our mighty sinnes provoking thee but thy wrath is turned away and thou comfortest us Thou art our preserver and our refuge we will trust and will not feare for thou Lord God art our strength and long and our salvation O our good and blessed Lord and King in the power of thy mercie we will extoll thee and will blesse thy Name for ever and ever Praise ye the Lord O our soules we will praise the Lord during our lives as long as we have any being we will sing unto our God O our God blessed is the man unto whom thou imputest not iniquity O teach us thy statutes Teach us to pray unto thee in a time when thou maist be found Thou art our secret place thou preservest us from trouble thou compassest us about with joyfull deliverance because thy mercie endures for ever O instruct us and teach us the way that we should goe and guide us with thine eye least we be like the horse and mule which have no understanding O our loving God give us grace to trust in thee that thy mercie may compasse us and that we may rejoice in thy salvation and give thee praise with all the faculties both of our souls and bodies continually O cause us to trust truly in thee for so we shall not perish Give us grace and strength O Lord by the power of thy saving spirit in Jesu truly to humble our selves for the afflictions and sinnes of our enemies so in thy mercie shall our praiers return into our own bosomes but doe thou save and comfort them O Lord for thy goodnesse and let it be thy will O God that our tongue utter thy righteousnesse and thy praise every day We desire to doe thy will O our God yea thy Law is within our hearts deale with thy servants according to thy mercies and teach us thy statutes we are thy servants grant us therefore understanding that we may know thy testimonies we love thy Commandements above gold yea above fine gold therefore we esteem all thy precepts most just and hate all false waies Thy testimonies are wonderfull therefore doth my soul keep them The entrance into thy word sheweth light and giveth understanding to the simple Look upon us O Lord and be mercifull unto us as thou usest to doe unto them that love thy Name Direct our steps in thy Word and let none iniquity have dominion over us shew the light of thy countenance upon thy servants and teach us thy statutes Righteous art thou O Lord and just in thy judgments Trouble and anguish are come upon us yet are thy Commandements our delight The righteousnesse of thy testimonies is everlasting O grant us understanding and we shall live Hear our voice O Lord according to thy loving kindnesse O quicken us according to thy judgments Great are thy tender mercies O Lord quicken us according to thy free mercy and thy goodnesse Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israell know us not yet thou O Lord art our Father and our Redeemer thy Name is for ever O give us thy saving spirit of life in Jesus from Heaven for we can receive nothing except it be given us from Heaven O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy waies and hardned our hearts from thy feare returne for thy servants sake and for our Saviour Jesus Christ his sake doe thou write our Names in the book of life with thy servants Let our complaints come before thee O Lord and give us understanding according to thy word Let our supplications come before thee O Lord and deliver us according to thy promise Our lipps shall speak thy praise O God when thou hast taught us thy statutes Our tongues shall treat of thy word for all thy Commandements are righteous Let thy hand help us for we have chosen thy precepts We have longed for thy salvation O Lord and thy Law is our delight Let our souls live and they shall praise thee and thy judgments shall help us We have gone astray like lost sheep seek thy servants for we doe not forget thy Commandements Our sinnes O Lord our sinnes they have taken hold of us that we cannot look up they are more in number then the hairs of our heads therefore our hearts have failed us Let it please thee O Lord to deliver us make haste O God to help us Our souls thirst for God even for the living God when shall we come and appear before the presence of God O God thou art our guide for ever have mercy upon us according to thy loving kindnesse according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away our offences Wash us throughly from our iniquities and cleanse us from our sinnes for we know our iniquities and our sinnes are ever before us Against thee against thee onely have we sinned and done evill in thy sight that thou mayest be just when thou speakest and pure when thou judgest behold we were born in iniquity and in sinne have our mothers conceived us Thou O Lord lovest truth in the heart therefore give us wisdome in our inward affections Purge us with hysop and we shall be clean wash us and we shall be whiter then snow make us to hear of joy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Hide thy face O Lord from our sinnes and put away all our iniquities Create in us clean hearts O Lord and renew right spirits within us O cast us not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from us Open thou our lips O Lord and our mouthes shall shew forth thy praise Deliver us from bloud O God of our salvation and from the secret trapps of our deadly enemy Have mercy upon us O God have mercy upon us for our soul trusteth in thee and in the shadow of thy wings will we trust till the afflictions of our sinning against thee be overpast We will call upon the most high God even to the God that performeth his promise towards us We will
dwell in thy Tabernacles for ever and our trust shall be under the coverings of thy wings O God thou art our salvation and our glory the rock of our strength in thee onely is our rest We beseech thee put thy Law into our hearts and write it in our mindes and remember our sinnes and our iniquities no more O our good God we trust we have received the knowledge of thy truth deliver us from sinning against thee O Lord God of hosts hear our prayers hearken O God of Jacob thou art our shield look upon the face of thine anointed for a day in thy Courts is better then a thousand otherwhere I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God then to dwell in the tabernacles of wickednesse Thou art our Sunne and our shield and wilt give grace and glory and no good thing wilt thou with-hold from them that walk uprightly O Lord of hosts blessed is the man to whom thou givest grace to trust in thee and to whom thou imputest not his sinne so deale with us thy unworthy servants O our eternall mercie Nay we doubt not but in Jesus Christ thou wilt give us eternall life for in him there is sufficient that thou shouldest forgive and not impute our sinnes unto us Selah In whom we trust thou hast elected us to mercy as thy faithfull servants Amen O most powerfull Jehovah O Eternitie I am hungred and cannot be satisfied I am thirsty and cannot be quenched I am weary and can have no rest I mourne and cannot be comforted I am poor and have no helpe I sinne and cannot satisfie I am thy servant and cannot serve thee I am thy labourer and cannot work I am most vile and unworthy yet look thou upon me O God in Jesus and for the love of him only give me thy holy Spirit conduct and lead me in this my sinfull pilgrimage to thee my God my only joy and eternal repose even to the place of my Fathers who are dead in thee my God who rest from their labours and their desired work in thy gracious and loving acceptance of them in Christ Jesus follow them O give me thy love to poor sinners for that and that only is sufficient for me It is all joy to me to work in the vineyard of my Master and to see the Evening of his loving call to rest draw on I greatly rejoice in the love and service of my Saviour Jesus I rejoice to die because I know my Saviour liveth I rejoice to leave my Children because I know the mercies of my God preserveth his servants to the joyes of Eternity and to temporall peace also as it shall be best for their eternall happinesse I rejoice to leave the world because I finde it not a fit instrument to serve my Saviour and that I have cause to fear disserving him there with Pious Sentences GOD gives the cold according to the Cloth God knowes who is a good Pilgrim God Almighty and a Father have no requitall God worketh in a little time God kept nothing lost God raigneth where he pleaseth Gods servants have a good Master Job Ch. 14. V. 1. MAn that is Eves posterity hath short continuance Yet armies of his miseries continually advance 2 He shooteth forth as doth a fleure that 's presently cut down He vanisheth and in one houre the grave becomes his Crowne 3 And yet thou openest thine yes upon so vain a shade And causest him to enterprize in judgment ' gainst thy aide 4 O Lord who can bring a clean thing Or who dare look on thee O King if thou please not to smile 5 Thou hast determined his dayes his moneths are known to thee Thou hast appointed out his wayes how where his end shall be 6 O turn away thy angry rod O stay thy chastizing Untill my day desired when I shall cease to sinne 7 For there is hope that though a be cut and hewed down May have it's shading branchand be tree as formerly 't was known 8 Although the root of it wax old within its tombe or grave And though the slook of it be dead within its antient cave 9 Yet by the sent of water it may budde and bloome againe And bring forth boughs and become fit as plants for to remaine 10 But man is sick and dies and goes foes to his long biding place Man perishes from friends from where 's honour where 's disgrace 11 As the great waters part from sea and are not to be found And as the floods dry up and they become as parched ground 12 So man doth sleep and doth not rise he shall not wake againe He shall not from his sleep arise while Heaven doth remaine 13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave and secret chamber Untill thy wrath were past for sinne and then wouldst me remember 14 If a man die shall he here live oh all my wandring doome That thou hast pointed I will waite untill my changing come 15 Thou shalt call me and then I shall unto thee answer make Thou lovest thine own handy-worke for thine own mercy sake 16 But now thou numbrest all my steps and dost not stay my sinne As if I could pay all my debts in which I lived in 17 My sinnes and my iniquities thou hast fast sealed up As in a bagge whereof is fill'd my sinfull flowing cup. 18 And surely as the hills decay that from their place are found And as the rocks doe mould away that change their antient ground 19 And as the waters break the stones when thou dost overflew Even so thou dost destroy the hope that man hath here below 20 Thou dost prevaile against his soule so that he goes as clay He changes qâ—ite his countenance when thou casts him away 21 Ah! he knowes not whether his sonnes shall honourable be Nor doth he understand if they shall sit in low degree 22 But while his flesh is upon him he shall have sorrowes store And while his soule is bound in sinne he shall have more and more My GOD. O Guide me to thy dwelling place O lead my feet to thee O draw me hard for l'me o' th' race of poor mortalitie O punish not thy servants sinne though mad and wondrous vaine Remember in discharge of them thy only Sonne was flame O give me for to know my God though I' have not chosen thee Yet thou hast chosen me in him thy servant for to be O make me thirst to come to thee to that sweet place of rest Where are thy servants which of old thou freely lovedst best Amen O Saviour Jesus Righteous Hope I Am born and hope to die a Christian and I much rejoice to performe the sacred Law of Christ my Saviour to the utmost of my power knowledge and understanding Of all reformed and professed churches I acknowledge my self to be of the reformed Church of England which I take to be most consonant and agreeable to my Saviours institution yet dare I not affirm my
belief or Church to be perfect and infallible neither will I condemn a contrary humble serious and solemn belief to be wholly wicked and abominable but most humbly conceive that the best profession religion devotion and belief to be the most humble and carefull fearing of almighty God and working of righteousnesse which whosoever obediently endeavoureth shall be accepted in the mercy of the Almighty for although none of our works in a strict sense can be called the works of righteousnesse yet in some sort they may be reputed righteous though mixed with much sinne and imperfection as water muddy and mixt with earth is understood and reputed water Ephes 6. I dare not say my own belief is best Nor dare condemn as reprobate the rest All righteous wayes unto one gate doe leade Salvation free thus holy Wriâ— doth reade Who feareth God and worketh truth shall have A free acceptance from his gracious love Ephes 6 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 verses O Lord my God in th' power of thy love I le put on thy whole Armour of defence That in thy strength I may stand firme above the fierce assaults of Hells concupiscence For this I know I doe not enterprize against an enemy made of flesh and blood But against Powers Principalities and worldly Governours Princes of worldly good in darknesse spirituall wickednesse in the high-places fill'd with all excesse For that cause I will take a Cap a pee the whole approved Armour of my God That thence I may resist i' the evill day and having finisht stand against hells rod Lord I will stand with my loynes girt about with Verity in true obedience And I will have upon me paramount that righteous Brest-plate faithfull penitence and I will shooe my feet with preparation of Gospels peace assurance of Salvation And above all I 'le take the Shield of Faith which is sufficient for to quench the ire And to extinguish all those fiery darts whereby the wicked me to slay desire and I will take the Helmet of Salvation the Sword o' th Spirit Gods word from the Creation And I will alwaies with all manner prayers and supplications in truth in the spirit And I will watch against all false gain-sayers with perseverance till I life inherit from thee O Father who without degrees for every Childe hast a fit Legacy and all of us from thy most gracious care though single folke inheritours we are A Military Christian MY onely Lord of hoasts Lord Generall Unto my Captaine his all-conquering Sonne Hath given all power by whom I have a call To be his Souldier by Commission I have his promise that no Armes I l'e want But surely conquer if but valiant Then though I be most naked poor and weake I l'e from his magazine throughly be compleate Thou holy Spirit distributer of graces Fit me a Souldier for the highest places Give me my Helmet my Saviours first descent Give me my Beaver fixt in Virgins wombe Give me my Pendents which to John joy sent Give me my Gorget Salutation Give me that blessed birth my back and breast Give me my guard of reignes that manger rest Give me my Tasses those sweet swadling cloathes Give me my Curaces my Bethleem peace Give me my Knees and Ankle armes and those Give me my Spurros of speed in Egypts ease Give me my Gauntlet call'd a Nazaret Give me that Jordane Sword and I 'me compleate Yet being self-convicted vile and vaine I a blinde beggar humbly beg againe Mount me on Faiths true courage stately steed And give a trâ—â—le to my strugling wayes Give me the reignes of Graces at my need Give me a Saddle mounting me on baies Give me my Breast-plate and my Crooper strong And girt me to thy Saints in Union And give me Pistols that with fire and sword I may be ready to advance thy Word Thou being arm'd and being thus imploy'd Whilest any Judas dare himselfe discover Against my Captaine I 'le be overjoy'd Him to extinguish root and branch together My peace shall be my warre for to destroy The enemies of my God my King my joy Who before long shall all together meete In chainer appointed underneath his feete And then wee 'le march under our Captaines aide In glorious triumph Colours all displaide The vanity of Temporall things in respect of Eternall Desire to live no longer in this thy pilgrimage then thou canst doe Almighty God true faithfull and filiall service and let his testimonies be thy delight and counsellours Ps 119.24 We must through many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of God Let the wicked forsake his wayes Acts 14.22 and the unrighteous his own imaginations and returne unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he is very ready to forgive Isa 55.7 8 9 10 11. For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are my waies your waies saith the Lord For as the Heavens are higher then the earth so are my waies higher then your waies and my thoughts above your thoughts Surely as the raine comes down and the snow from Heaven and returneth not thither empty but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to him that eateth so shall my Word be that goeth out of my mouth it shall not return unto me void but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it therefore ye shall goe forth with joy and be led forth with peace Amen Temporall things are most vaine saving as they tend to the good of our Eternitie O My soul what 's thy body thy earthly house thy prison and what 's that slimie life that brittle fading shade that fashioneth thee a man Are not thy daies as a spanne and the end certaine the Goale set and every minute shortens thy appointed race Is not the will of the Eternall all things both in Heaven and earth and can his predestinated order change Serve the Lord thy God in his waies and pathes that he hath set thee for thy pilgrimage To what purpose is thy springing youth so strictly fettered with thy lettered chaines and what doth knowledge profit if grief be losse To what purpose are those endlesse toyles which sea and land makes way for to obtain the earth To what purpose doth the greedy wretch with broken sleep to fill his empty grave And to what purpose are the hidden mines and deepest pits sought for the secret Pearles And to what purpose is thy lawlesse sword that subdivides the earth unto thy babes And to what purpose are all elements call'd to circulize thy triple angler heart yet vacuums are found And to what purpose dost thou build thy house upon such sandy mountaines as the Earth those mouldring Tombes they hide but frothy mindes the soules contentments of the sacred Saints Seek for thy self a better resting place and be thou married to a meeter mate Long thou and
the glorious fact Of constant warfare and doth thereby gaine The blessed way to living streames of life It seemes but labour lost and all in vaine That she hath hazarded by eager strife To gain no more amidst the many years Which she hath run in danger of the goale Then she might fully had sans cares and fears If she from mothers wombe without controle Had been prevented by the tender knees And breasts had not afforded Childrens food And secret helps which onely nature sees Had been by her denyed that understood How vain it was for me to venture on So long a voyage from security When I was safe and setled well upon As good a stoole as ripe maturity Could give unto me yea and better farre For that the hazard of so long a time Is infinite if they no better are That have in holy strife oppos'd the crime That watcheth every moment to destroy Them in their passage if when best is done They have no more then without this annoy They'd not been born nor had not seen the Sunne Or that had nought to doe with time or age What reason is' t such should have like perfection With those who well doe spend their pilgrimage Hating all sinne by Heavens good direction It must not so be thought that ought in vaine Is done by nature reason is the eye That tells us it and shewes unto us plaine Nature doth nought but hath a reason why For if but die and live but end and enter Into the blisse of high eternity In perfect measure full as those that venture The longest life No! wherefore should it be To wish a moment of imployment here As earthly Pilgrims onely hazarding What sure before we had as 't doth appear Most void of gain though in well ordering This reason forc'd me to but still I must My quiet in my souls belief permit What it doth truly dictate is most just And perfect rule of the most sacred spirit If through devout and wary walking here We have of our Creatours grace obtain'd This holy Spirit from our blest Saviour deare As his last Legacy to us remain'd But O how blest a thing it is to see That our immortall souls possessed are Upon our entrance on Eternity Of perfect joyes and more without compare Then we are capable to comprehend While we are wrapped in this mansion What then shall be our height when we ascend And perfect are at resurrection This we refer to the Creatours will And joy that it and onely it is done And pray that we converted from all ill May in perfection ever serve his Throne Thrice happy moments which engrosse the soul Which circle it from all the worlds assaults Which doe ingraspe it and which doth controule The foul attempts proceeding from the vaunts Of fierce temptations ravishing all sense And singling out the soul unto it self While it in blisse his Ever doth commence And of all vanities is clear bereft Blest are those soul-contents and raptures high Which thus our sacred spirits do possesse And blessed is the soul eternally That so doth leave all sinne and wickednesse And thence is entertain'd amongst the Saints A listed servant to his sacred love Where though degrees yet none complains of wants But all are filled with the holy dove And thereby fitted in perfection To serve the high and uncontrouled good And this from perfect mercies free election Which by his Spirit 's onely understood But now me thinks I see a vanity Above what tongue can speak or heart conceive Desires great beyond humanity Beyond the blessed rules our God did give The longing thirsty wishings of those men Are for terrestriall shadowes seeming goods Which false deluding pleasures are but when The body 's strong the soul 's beneath the floods Of vain deceits which no enjoyment have Out of this body yet doth hazard much Losse of eternall good if they enslave Themselves into the company of such To their last home to their eternity I cannot judge but they most certainly Passe hence into eternall misery Then O my soul make it thy chiefest care Since most of multitudes are thus deluded It doth not fall to thy unhappy share With most of men from peace to be excluded For truly I conceive the knowing will And thirsty wish of earthly things and vaine Is perfect hell as freedome from all ill And full content is perfect Heavens gaine What multitudes of wretched men I finde Some fiercely thirsting after flesh and blood Others lye gaping for the empty winde Of worldly honour and ambitious food Others do covet earth of every kinde So that I see and sigh to see mans face Thus desperately turned to his woe And must beware least this unhappy race Of wicked mortals lead me wrong to goe Well I must try and well must weigh my soule I must examine all my secret selfe My words my wayes my works I must controule Least they me of my hoped blisse bereave Which best is done by contemplation In private place from troubles of this life And where thou findes by self-examination Wants in thy self fly on with eager strife To true repentance gainst all enemies That shall oppose thy good intent herein And hate the voice of all deceitfull lies Which would excuse or seem to hide thy sinne Goe quick about this work for sinne doth grow 'Till true repentance kill it at the roote It 's hard to get yet penitents do know It is obtain'd by prayer and earnest suite And must be had else the whole fault is ours It is our crooked wayes that holds us out Our want of truth doth keep from us the showers Which would with garlands deck us round about Take heed least death this needfull balme prevent This happy salve that cures the soul of sinne ' Least point of time if th' messenger be sent As the tree falls so Ever doth beginne True reason makes up for us our accounts And shews how empty fond allurements are And how the least that we may hope surmounts The most we can expect from earth by farre In this passage to make thy soul secure Let thy chief entertainments be thy paines And count it greatest joy and highest pleasure And that there 's nought sufficient for the gaines Of well preventing such a hazard great Count nothing long count nothing misery To gain by winters cold by summers heat A happy Ever and Eternity Then doubt not but thy care shall be respected Thy pains shall bring a hundred sold increase Thy debts are paid thou need 's not be dejected Thy Saviours pains hath purchased thy ease Now thou maist truly will to be dissolved To be with Christ thy Saviour most dear Of all thy doubts thou here shalt be resolved This ends disputes this puts an end to fear Then love long life and love those many dayes That like ripe fruit makes thee securely fall Into that passage which to thy Makers praise Being duly entred secures thee from thrall And thee delivers for
natures say That youth the aged should obey And doe them reverence But now fond youth condemns the wise And fools do wisdomes Laws despise By force and negligence The strongest hand doth call it right To cut down all with force might Their rage and will subdueth And if they call the evill good The truth must so be understood Or else their rage reneweth Eve What Husband then it seems the world Is topsie turvey tost and hurld And worst hath best subdued Adam Yes Wife it is decaid and old Truth and devotion 's very cold And soon will be renued Eve Renued or made new my Deare How shall I understand thee here Shall thee and I' gaine meete Shall we in ancient Paradice And in our blessed innocence Each other kindely greete Shall all the sinnes of us and ours Which truth and justice thus devours Be pardoned and forgiven Adam In part but how to tell none can It 's not the act of mortall man But the free gift of Heaven A Prayer O Eternall ever-living and all-sufficient Lord God who art the God of the spirits of all flesh to whom the grave is open from whom there is no covering for destruction I am thy poor wretched and unworthy servant and by reason of my sinne lesse then the least of all thy mercies unworthy so much as to think upon thee or to take thy blessed Name within my corrupted lips much more unworthy am I to have liberty to call upon thy sacred Majesty and to ask those things that I stand in need of with this gracious assurance that thou wilt give me those things that are best for me though I ask them not of thee and though I ask them so unworthily that thou maist justly refuse to give me them because I ask them of thee so unworthily so that I may with humble boldnesse pray Lord give me what is onely best for me though I ask it not and give me not what is evill for me though I ask it but thou art from everlasting to everlasting holy and just and good and thy mercies are above all thy works wherefore I come unto thee not in my own merits but in the merits of thy onely Sonne my onely Saviour Jesus Christ the righteous in whom I believe Lord help my unbelief humbly desiring thy sacred Majesty for his sake and for thy own goodnesse sake towards the works of thine own hands to pardon and passe by all my sinnes actuall and originall to blot them out of thy book of remembrance and to set them so behinde thy back that thou maist never call me to account for them either in this world to my shame or in the world to come to my utter condemnation Give me grace and strength to return unto thee O my God as the prodigall sonne to his father acknowledging my self unworthy to be called thy sonne or servant and give me I humbly pray wisdome which is about thy throne for all wisdome is from thy gracious gift that so I may rightly understand earthly things from heavenly things time from eternity and graciously give me the will and deed to lay up my treasure in Heaven and not on earth And I most humbly crave of thy sacred goodnesse the unresistible power of thy holy Spirit that thereby I may be built up and made perfect to every good work to the true and perfect serving of thee my good God and to the working righteousnesse as thy elected Saints by the powerfull and unresistible guidance of the holy Spirit doe and ought to doe both for and in their time and their eternity And O my good God because many are the controversies and disputes concerning thee thy word thy truth amongst poor mortality to the great destruction fear and trouble of thy poor willing and desiring servants Let thy sacred Spirit O my God speak the truth of thy will and of my duty to my conscience and then give me grace and strength to follow my conscience in the sacred way of thy holy Spirit that so I may keep a good conscience towards thee my God and towards men And I humbly pray that thy gracious Spirit may also reveale unto my soule what righteousnesse and what unrighteousnesse is what is truth and what is error what is the perfect duty of thy servant in all the passage of his pilgrimage under the Sunne and what is not the duty of thy servant to doe that so I may not onely perform unto thy sacred Majesty my present duty in thy blessed service but that I may doe it knowingly willingly and wittingly and that I may not only avoid all the appearances of evill but that I may doe it also knowingly willingly and wittingly as becomes the most faithfull and perfect servant of my Creator O give unto thy servant a discerning spirit inable him perfectly O my God to know good from evill and then give him grace and strength to doe the good and avoid the evill as becomes thy most blessed servants And give unto me thy servant O my good God a true principle of due obedient love in all my devotions and undertakings whatsoever towards thee my good God And for thy mercies sake teach me thy statutes and hide not thy precepts from me lead me in the way that I should goe and hold me in the living path of thy most joyfull servants Search my heart O God and try my wayes for there are wayes of iniquity in me and lead me in the way everlasting Let me have here in this life O my good God that and that only which may most perfect and fit me in soule and body for thy eternall and most sacred service Let the daily presidents of mortality O my good God move me to true repentance give me to know O my eternall Creator that I am no better then my parents but as they are returned with their bodies to the grave and their souls to thee the God that gave them so it must be with me Give me to know O Eternity that here is no abiding place here is no continuing dwelling give me grace and strength our good God to seek and finde one to come eternall in the Heavens Give thy servant O my gracious God true love to thee my God for thy own sake to my neighbour for thy Commandement sake and all for obedience sake unto thy blessed Majesty Give me to see O thou my only Good the blessed marks of thy sweet corrections both upon my body and soule in this life those glorious impressions by which thou sealest to thy self thy beloved children in whom thy soul delighteth O my most gracious God although I be most unworthy to be by thy good grace accounted such a childe such delight so beloved yet for thy own goodnesse sake let thy blessed seale of thy fatherly impression be upon me even what thou wilt for I assuredly know thou wilt with my most needfull saving Crosse give thy servant most needfull and saving strength to bear it
Give thou O God and frame thy servant thankfully to see his yearly gain for his hourly service his eternall joy for his temporall grief the infinite rest from his finite sufferings How fit is it O my Father that I should as well suffer as raigne with my Saviour and to know that the present afflictions of this life are unworthy of the joyes that in thy most free and gracious mercy shall be revealed and given unto me O my good Father give unto me thy most evill deserving childe all those sweet and blessed scourges crosses and afflictions even whatsoever is necessary and needfull to frame my impersect soul and body fit for thy eternall and most perfect service And truly O my Father although I were to have of thy justice my self-condemning sentence to all eternity so soon as this life is ended yet my serious thoughts would not make choice to spend my time in sinfull vain delights but would rather choose thy fatherly chastisement and corrections temporall although they also were to be as I deserve eternall for thy corrections as all that proceedeth immediately from thee my God are sweete they sad the countenance thereby making the heart better I submit wholly to thy will O my eternall Good To be thy servant is my Heaven for thou art the Lord my God and I am thine Thou art the will and the deed O my God guide me for thy Names sake to doe thee service and in thy goodnesse accept of my desire thy own most gracious gift suffer not sinne O my Father to raigne in my corrupted mortall body let not my soul offend my God however my body may offend him let not my will offend my God however my actions may offend thee but let the desires of my soul and the inclinations of my spirit be so commanded by thy sacred power that they may truly will and doe thee true and perfect service now and for ever and doe thou for thy own mercies sake to the works of thy own hands and for the merits of Jesus Christ thy onely Sonne my Saviour convert my most imperfect will into most perfect actions in thy most perfect and everlasting service And when these dayes of my sinfull pilgrimage are ended when I return to thee my God my hope my joy from this my earthly tabernacle doe thou O my blessed Creator re-create my soul and body that so thy blessed will may be my eternall perfect joy and comfort and that to be thy servant wheresoever and howsoever may be the blessed Heaven of my soul and body for ever O my Good Eternity I doe not onely humbly crave these mercies and what is necessary to salvation which is the perfect admittance into thy sacred service for my self and such as are near to me in this life but also that it be thy blessed will even for all that thou hast appointed to immortality in thy gracious converting of sinners from the wickednesse of their waies that so if it be thy blessed will to whom all things are possible we might be all as one flock under thee the great and gracious shepheard of our soules that so the number of thy elect being accomplished the blessed resurrection may appear before thee and we become fit inhabitants for that new Heaven and new earth which thou hast appointed and sinne and sorrow may cease from us thy unworthy servants And further my humble suit is that thou wouldest give us to see all thy gracious dispensations towards us in this life to know that nothing falls upon us by chance and fortune but by thy especiall providence and appointment Give us to know we are not our own but thine and that it is most right thou shouldest dispose of thy own for ever make us to rejoice onely in thy dispose for that thou art most good and gracious and knowest better what is best for us than we can know or aske Now O my good Creator take us into thy almighty protection and direction for ever thou hast been wonderfull in mercy and goodnesse to every one of us thou hast delivered infinite of us from infinite evils which we see others visited with which we may justly judge deserve better at thy hands then we have done we humbly beseech thee let this thy mercy lead us to repentance and make us to love thee as thou hast loved us that hath not spared thy Son to death for us that so thy justice being satisfied in his sufferings for our sinnes which could no otherwise have beene satisfied but in our damnation thy mercy may be sufficient for our salvation and although I have provoked thy justice by my daily sinnes to my just condemnation yet doe I cast my soul and body even for its eternity upon thy mercy and doe disclaime all other judgment then thy gracious pleasure in which I will in thy gracious strength with peace rejoice and therein rest for ever Wherefore to thee O gracious Father to thee O sacred Sonne to thee O eternall Spirit three persons but one everlasting God be ascribed as is most due all honour glory and praise by thy whole creation now and for ever Amen The Blessing O Blessed Childe whose parts his age out-run Whose vertues stile him man before his stature Each eye beholds him as ' the rising Sunne Each heart applauds him as a Pearle in nature Yea very strangers blesse his hopefull breeding And breathe out prayers to his happy speeding But when fresh springing budds proove canker-fretted With taint of vice or rust of happy sloth Their dearest friends that see their hopes defeated To speak them fair or deigne a look are loth But view such noysome weeds with nausious scorn Yea parents wish ill-thriving plants unborn The fear of God doth only guide aright The perfect way to sacred wisdom's treasure Then let this fear direct with powerfull might Thy twisted thred spun out by natures leasure So with thy daies thy saving health will grow To perfect joy in sins just overthrow Let Heavens powre down their sweetest influence let them enrich you with the earth's best treasures Let them withall instill Truths Quintessence heavens joyes doe far surmount all earthly pleasures Let the celestiall powers you guard and guide and countermine when wicked powers conspire Let spotlesse blood which ran from harmlesse side quench unto you the ever burning fire And let the winged Posts void of delayes from glorious Throne whom great Jehovah sendeth Translate your souls when death shall end your daies to that celestiall blisse which never endeth FINIS An Index or Table directing to severall Points and Discourses in this Book THe Authors Epistle Parents and Children travell together towards the grave Parents must give an account for their Children Children must herein assist their Parents We should live together here as we would live together hereafter Hence take comfort in the dissolution of godly friends that we shall goe to them and shall never part page 2. Our constant work Beware of
Spirit Q. What then are the best works of a man in this life A. Works of Charity Q. What is Charity A. To help them that need out of a true principle of obedience and love to almighty God Q. Doth Charity extend to all men A. Yea but especially to the houshold of faith Q. What shall be the justifying sentence of the Saints at the resurrection A. Charity See Matth. 25. For I was an hungred and ye gave me meat thirsty and ye gave me drink a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye cloathed me sick and ye visited me in prison and ye came unto me Q. What shall be the condemning sentence of the wicked A. Their want of Charity I was hungry and ye gave me no meate thirsty and ye gave me no drink a stranger and ye took me not in naked and ye cloathed me not sick and in prison and ye visited me not Q. How is the love of the Saints each to other in this life A. As is their hope to live together in their eternity Q. What is their comfort for eternity A. That they shall be converted into the perfect will and service of their Creator for ever Q. What is Prayer A. It is the pouring out the soul to almighty God requesting things lawfull with full submission to his holy will and pleasure Q. What is the best form of Prayer A. That which our Saviour himself hath taught us Q. What is that Rehearse it A. Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name c. Q. Is no other form of Prayer lawfull to be used A. Yes surely as also Prayers on the sudden and upon all occasions so as they be sincere and hearty Q. Are Prayers to be said onely at the Church A. No surely we may pray in any place or condition nay we must pray continually which we doe while we heartily desire and therein do our duty Q. What is truly a Church A. It is the communion of Saints on earth professing and practising the service of the Almighty Q. Which is the most pure and perfect Church on earth A. We beleeve the Christian Church professed under the Reformation of England Q. How many Sacraments hath Christ ordained in the Church A. Two Baptisme and the Lords Supper Q. What is Baptisme A. It is our first admittance into the Church the Water signifying our washing from sinne in the blood of Christ Q. What is the Lords Supper A. A Thankfull remembrance of his satisfying sufferings for our sinnes Q. How ought we to receive it A. Humbly thankfully preparedly Q. How often is it necessary to be received by us A. Four times ordinarily in the year besides upon extraordinary occasions Q. What if we think that we cannot prepare our selves so as that we may receive it faithfully and thankfully and as we ought A. We must by the help of godly Ministers and other pious persons instruct our selves and also by hearing reading fasting prayer and meditation and by all other helpfull wayes prepare and fit our selves for the worthy receiving of this token of our Saviours love and that at our perill Q. May it not then be wholly omitted A. No we ought hereby so to remember our blessed Saviour in our time as we would be remembred by him in our eternity Q. But is there such a necessity in receiving of it as if we doe it not we doe neglect and omit a most necessary duty to salvation whatsoever the occasion or reason be A. No Our blessed God never bindes his servants to impossibilities if lawfull occasions call and take us from necessary opportunity of receiving it so it be without all neglect or contempt on our part it must then be onely in our hearts and wills thankfully acknowledged by us which in his good mercy will be accepted of us for the deed Q. How ought we to carry our selves towards our Children A. With due admonition instruction and imployments Q. How to Servants A. With constant labour and instruction Q. How to the estate A. Not prodigally thereby making our selves uncapable of doing good with it nor too much sparingly to hoard it up from the good end it was created Q. May we give all to Children and Kindred without any respect to others A. No by no means for we are onely stewards to it and must give an account of it to almighty God who lends it us whose will it is that we take for our selves and families such an under proportion thereof that we may be sure to have sufficient relief and charity for the poor distressed Saints whensoever we meet with them that our estates may in some sort at least be helpfull to their necessities but the laying all upon the present and future provision for our selves and Children thereby wholly neglecting Charity is most abhominable Q. What is life A. It is that which preserveth and prepareth the body to be a fit and apt organ for the operations of the soul and chiefly said to abide in the blood Q. What is death A. It is the conclusion and end of all our dayes the master-piece of all our work as we are prepared to entertain it so we are prepared to receive and enter into eternity Q. Is there any change of that condition in which death sends us to our eternity A. No but as the tree falleth so it lies Q. What then is the one thing necessary for the whole course of a mans life A. To watch So saith our Saviour to all men Watch. A Discourse betwixt Adam and Eve Eve My dearest heart fain would I know How all our children down below Observe and keep our Lawes For oft me thinks I hear a cry As if our childrens cruelty Each tore like Lyons jawes Adam Yes truest Love I doe believe Those precepts we to them did give When we were once anseen They soon cast off that natures love Which we so strict to them did give As if it had not been Eve Dear Sir what should this noise afford Doth Cain or his wretched sword Command all humane race Doth he and all his cursed line Poor Abels off spring undermine And so the worst take place Adam Yes truly dear I doe perceive Our peacefull precepts we them gave They wholly leave undone And that which we knew to be worst Which kill'd just Abel O accurst Is chief under the Sun Thou knowest we said thou shalt not kill Nor to thy neighbour doe no ill In body goods or name Yet doth the glittering tyrant sword Destroy all peace and in a word Turnes honour into shame For whereas peace was Abel's crown And warlike Cain was cast down With sentence just ejected Now he that most of all doth ill He who the most doth slay and kill Is most of all respected The true obedience to our God Our duty to obey his word Which in our hearts doth sound They doe divide into such parts By Sophistry and cunning arts That truth is hardly found The government of