into thy bed-chamber by these glories and ioies to the ioies and glories of heauen Why hast thou changed thine old way and carried vs by the waies of discipline and mortification by the waies of mourning and lamentation by the waies of miserable ends and miserable anticipations of those miseries in appropriating the exemplar miseries of others to our selues and vsurping vpon their miseries as our owne to our owne preiudice Is the glory of heauen no perfecter in it selfe but that it needs a foile of depression and ingloriousnesse in this world to set it off Is the ioy of heauen no perfecter in it selfe but that it needs the sourenesse of this life to giue it a taste Is that ioy and that glory but a comparatiue glory and a comparatiue ioy not such in it selfe but such in comparison of the ioilesnesse and the ingloriousnesse of this world I know my God it is farre farre otherwise As thou thy selfe who art all art made of no substances so the ioyes glory which are with thee are made of none of these circumstances Essentiall ioy and glory Essentiall But why then my God wilt thou not beginne them here pardon O God this vnthankfull rashnesse I that aske why thou doest not finde euen now in my selfe that thou doest such ioy such glory as that I conclude vpon my selfe vpon all They that finde not ioy in their sorrowes glory in their deiections in this world are in a fearefull danger of missing both in the next 17. PRAYER O Eternall and most gracious God who hast beene pleased to speake to vs not onely in the voice of Nature who speakes in our hearts and of thy word which speakes to our eares but in the speech of speechlesse Creatures in Balaams Asse in the speech of vnbeleeuing men in the confession of Pilate in the speech of the Deuill himselfe in the recognition and attestation of thy Sonne I humbly accept thy voice in the sound of this sad and funerall bell And first I blessethy glorious name that in this sound and voice I can heare thy instructions in another mans to consider mine owne condition and to know that this bell which tolls for another before it come to ring out may take in me too As death is the wages of sinne it is due to meâ— As death is the end of sicknesse it belongs to mee And though so disobedient a seruant as I may be afraid to die yet to so mercifull a Master as thou I cannot be afraid to come And therefore into thy hands O my God I commend my spirit A surrender which I know thou wilt accept whether I liue or die for thy seruant Dauid made it when he put himselfe into thy protection for his life and thy blessed Sonne made it when hee deliuered vp his soule at his death declare thou thy will vpon mee O Lord for life or death in thy time receiue my surrender of my selfe now Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit And being thus O my God prepared by thy correction mellowed by thy chastisement and conformed to thy will by thy Spirit hauing receiued thy pardon for my soule and asking no reprieue for my body I am bold O Lord to bend my prayers to thee for his assistance the voice of whose bell hath called mee to this deuotion Lay hold vpon his soule O God till that soule haue throughly considered his account and how few minutes soeuer it haue to remaine in that body let the power of thy Spirit recompence the shortnesse of time and perfect his account before he passe away present his sinnes so to him as that he may know what thou forgiuest not doubt of thy forgiuenesse let him stop vpon the infinitenesse of those sinnes but dwell vpon the infinitenesse of thy Mercy let him discerne his owne demerits but wrap himselfe vp in the merits of thy Sonne Christ Iesus Breath inward comforts to his heart and affoord him the power of giuing such outward testimonies thereof as all that are about him may deriue comforts from thence and haue this edification euen in this dissolution that though the body be going the way oâ— all flesh yet that soule is going the way of all Saints When thy Sonne cried out vpon the Crosse My God my God Why hast thou forsaken me he spake not so much in his owne Person as in the person of the Church and of his afflicted members who in deep distresses might feare thy forsaking This patient O most blessed God is one of them In his behalfe and in his name heare thy Sonne crying to thee My God my God Why hast thou forsaken me and forsake him not but with thy left hand lay his body in the graue if that bee â—hy determination vpon him and with thy right hand receiue his soule into thy Kingdome and vnite him vs in one CoÌ„munion of Saints Amen 18. At inde Mortuus es Sonitu celeri pulsuque agitato The bell rings out and tells me in him that I am dead 18. MEDITATION THe Bell rings out the pulse thereof is changed the tolling was a faint and intermitting pulse vpon one side this stronger and argues more and better life Hiâ— soule is gone out and as a Man who had a lease of 1000. yeeres after the expiration of a short one or an inheritance after the life of a Man in a Consumption he is now entred into the possession of his better estate His soule is gone whither Who saw it come in or who saw it goe out No body yet euery body is sure he had one and hath none If I will aske meere Philosophers what the soule is I shall finde amongst them that will tell me it is nothing but the temperament and harmony and iust and equall composition of the Elements in the body which produces all those faculties which we ascribe to the soule and so in it selfe is nothing no seperable substance that ouer-liues the body They see the soule is nothing else in other Creatures and they affect an impious humilitie to think as low of Man But if my soule were no more than the soule of a beast I could not thinke so that soule that can reflect vpon it selfe consider it selfe is more than so If I will aske not meere Philosophers but mixt Men Philosophicall Diuines how the soule being a separate substance enters into Man I shall finde some that will tell me that it is by generation procreation from parents because they thinke it hard to charge thâ— soule with the guiltinesse of Originall sinne if the soule were infused into a body in which it must necessarily grow foule and contract originall sinne whether it will or no and I shall finde some that will tell mee that it is by immediate infusion from God because they think it hard to maintaine an immortality in such a soule as should be begotten and deriued with the body froÌ„ Mortall parents If I will aske not a few men but almost whole
many Simples euen froÌ„ the beginning didst thou meane that wee should be sicke wheÌ„ thou didst so when thou madest them No more then thou didst meane that we should sinne when thou madest vs thoâ— fore-sawest both buâ— causedst neither Thoâ— Lord promisest heeâ— trees whose fruit shall bâ—â— for meat and their leaâ—â— for Medicine It is thâ— voyce of thy Sonn Wâ—â— thou bee made whole That drawes from thâ—â— patient a coÌ„fession thaâ— hee was ill and coulâ— not make himsâ—lfe wâ—â— And it is thine ownâ— voyce Is there no Phisiâ—cian That inclines vs disposes vs to accepâ— thine Ordinance Anâ— â—t is the voyce of the Wise man both for the matter phisicke it selfe The Lorde hath created Medicines out of the Earth and hee that is wise shall not abhorre them And for the Arte and the Person The Phisician cutteth off a long disease In all these voyces thou sendest vs to those helpes which thou hast afforded vs in that But wilt not thou auowe that voyce too Hee that hath sinned against his Maker let him fall into thâ— hands of the Phisician anâ— wilt not thou affoorâ— me an vnderstanding oâ— those wordes Thoâ— who sendest vs for â— blessing to the Phisicâ—â—an doest not make it â— curse to vs to go wheâ— thou sendest Is not thâ— curse rather in this thâ—â— onely hee falls into thâ— hands of the Phisician that casts himself whoâ—ly intirely vpon the Phiâ—sician confides in him relies vpon him attend all from him and negâ—lects that spirituall phiâ—icke which thou also hast instituted in thy Church â— so to fall into the â—ands of the Phisician is a sinne and a punishment of â—ormer sinnes so as Asaâ—fell who in his disease sought not to the Lord butâ—â—o the Phisician Reueale therefore to me thy meâ—hod O Lord see whether I haue followed it â—hat thou mayest haue glory if I haue and I pardon if I haue not helpe that I may Thy Method is In time of thy sicknesse be not negligent â— VVherein wilt thou haue my diligence expressed Pray vnto thâ— Lord and hee will makâ— thee whole O Lord â— doe I pray and pray thy Seruaunt Dauidâ— prayer Haue mercy vpâ—on mee O Lord for I aâ— weake Heale mee O Lord for my bones arâ— vexed I knowe that euen my weakenesse is a reason a motâ—ue to induce thy mercie and my sicknes an occasion of thy sending health When art thou so readie when is it so seasonable to thee to commiserate as in miserie But is Prayer for health in season as soone as I am sicke Thy Method goes further Leaue off from sinne and order thy handes aright and cleanse thy heart from all wickednesse Haue I O Lord done so O Lord I haue by thy grace I am come to a holy detestation of my former sin Is there any more In thy Methode there is more Giue a sweet sauorâ— and a memoriall of finâ— flower and make a fat ofâ—fering as not being And Lord by thy grace I haue done that sacrificed â— little of that litle whicâ— thou lentst me to them for whoÌ„ thou lentst it and now in thy methoâ— and by thy steps I am come to that Then giâ—â— place to the Phisician foâ— the Lord hath created him let him not goe from theâ— for thou hast need of him I send for the Phisiciaâ— but I will heare him enâ—ter with those wordes of Peter Iesus Christ maketh thee whole I long for his presence but I lookâ— that the power of the Lord should bee present to heale mee 4. PRAYER O Most mightie and most merciful God who art so the God of health strength as that without thee all health is but the fuell and all streÌ„gth but the bellows of sinne Behold meâ— vnder the vehemencâ— of two diseases and vnâ—der the neceâ—sity of twâ— PhisiciaÌ„s authorized bâ— thee the bodily and thâ— spiritual Phisician I comâ— to both as to thine Ordiâ—nance blesse and gloâ—rifie thy Name that iâ— both cases thou hast afâ—forded help to Man by the Ministery of manâ— Euen in the new Ierusaâ—lem in Heauen it selfe iâ— hath pleased thee to discouer a Tree which iâ— a Tree of life there buâ— the leaues thereof are for the healing of the Nations Life it selfe is with thee there for thou art life and all kinds of Health wrought vpon vs here by thine Instruments descend from thence Thou wouldest haue healed Babylon but she is not healed Take from mee O Lord her peruersenesse her wilfulnesse her refractarinesse and heare thy Spirit saying in my Soule Heale mee O Lord for I would bee healed Ephraim saw his sickenesse and Iudah his wound then went Ephraim to the Assyrian and sent to King Iareb yet could noâ— hee heale you nor cure you of your wound Keepe me back O Lord from them who mis-professe artes of healing the Soule or of the Body by meanes not imprinted by thee in the Church for the soule or not in nature for the body There is no spirituall health to be had by superstition nor bodily by witchcraft â— thou Lord and onely thou art Lord of both Thou in thy selfe art Lord of both and thou in thy Son art the Phisician the applyer of both With his stripes wee are healed sayes the Prophet there there before hee was scourged wee were healed with his stripes how much more shall I bee healed now now when that which he hath already suffred actually is actually and effectually applied to me Is there any thing incurable vpon which that Balme dropps Any vaine 〈◊〉 emptie as that that bloâ—â— cannot fil it Thou proâ—misest to heale the earâ—â— but it is when the iâ—â—habitants of the eartâ— pray that thou wouldeâ—â— heale it Thou promiâ—sest to heale their Wâ—â—ters but their miery plâ—â—ces and standing waters â— thou sayest there Thoâ— wilt not heale My retuâ—â—nâ—ng to any sinne if should returne to the aâ—bilitie of sinning ouer all my sins againe thou wouldest not pardonâ— â—eale this earth O my â—od by repentant tears â—nd heale these waters â—hese teares from all bitâ—â—rnes froÌ„ all diffidence â—rom all deiection by eâ—â—ablishing my irremoâ—able assurance in thee â—hy Sonn went about heaâ—â—ng all manner of sickeâ—esses No disease incuâ—able none difficult he â—ealed them in passing â—ertue went out of him â—nd he healed all all the â—ultitude no person inâ—urable he healed them â—uery whit as himselfe speaks he left no relike of the disease and wiâ—â— this vniuersall Phisiciâ—â— passe by this Hospital and not visit mee noâ— heale me not heale mâ— wholy Lord I lookâ— not that thou shouldeâ— say by thy Messenger tâ— mee as to Ezechias Bâ—â—hold I will heale thee anâ— on the third day thou shaâ—â— goe vp to the house of thâ— Lord. I looke not thâ—â— thou shouldst say to mâ—â— as to Moses in Miriamâ— behalfe when Mosâ—â— would haue had heâ—â— heald presently If her â—ather had but spit in her â—ace
againe Hee that collects both calls this feare the root of wisdome And that it may embrace all hee caâ—ls it wisedome it selfe A wise man therefore is neuer without it neuer without the exercise of it Therefore thou sentâ—st Moses to thy people That they might learneâ— feare thee all the dayes â— their liues not in heâ—â—uy and calamitous buâ— in good and cheerfâ—â— dayes too for Noâ—â— who had assurance 〈◊〉 his deliuerance yet mâ—â—ued with feare preparâ— an Arke for the sauingâ— his house A wise man 〈◊〉 feare in euery thing Anâ— thâ—refore though I prâ—â—tend to no other degreâ— of wisedome I am aâ—bundantly rich in thiâ— that I lye heere posseâ—â— with that feare which â—s thy feare both that â—his sicknesse is thy immediate correction and â—ot meerely a naturall â—ccident and therefore â—earefull because it is a â—earefull thing to fall into â—hy hands and thâ—t this â—eare preserues me from all inordinate feare arising out of the infirmiâ—ie of Nature because â—hy hand being vpon me thou wilt neuer let me fall out of thy hand 6. PRAYER O Most mightie God 〈◊〉 mercifull God 〈◊〉 God of all true sorrow 〈◊〉 true ioy to of all feare â— of al hope to as thou haâ—â— giuen me a Repentanâ—â— not to be repented of 〈◊〉 giue me O Lord a feaâ—â— of which I may not bâ— afraid Giue me tendeâ— and supple and confoâ—â—mable affections that 〈◊〉 I ioy with them that iâ—â— and mourne with them that mourne so I maâ— feare with them that feare And since thou hast vouchsafed to discouer to me in his feare whom thou hast admitâ—ed to be my assistance â—n this sickenesse that â—here is danger therein â—et me not O Lord go aâ—out to ouercome the sense of that fear so far as to pretermit the fitting and preparing of my selfe for the worst â—hat may bee feard the passage out of this life Many of thy blessed Martyrs haue passed out of this life without aâ—â— showe of feare But thâ— most blessed Sonne himâ—selfe did not so Tâ—â— Martys were knownâ— be but men and therfoâ—â— it pleased thee to fill tâ—â— with thy Spirit and thâ— power in that they dâ—â— more then Men Thy Sâ—â— was declard by thee 〈◊〉 by himselfe to be Gâ—â— and it was requisite thâ—â— he should declare himâ—selfe to be Man also iâ— the weaknesses of maâ—â— Let mee not therefoâ—â— O my God bee ashameâ— of these feares but let me feele them to determine where his feare â—id in a present submitâ—ing of all to thy will And when thou shalt â—aue inflamd thawd my former coldnesses â—nd indeuotions with â—hese heats and quenchâ—d my former heates with these sweats and â—nundations and rectified my former preâ—umptions and negligences with these fears â—ee pleased O Lord as one made so by thee to thinke me fit for thâ—â— And whether it be thâ— pleasure to dispose 〈◊〉 this body this garmeâ—â— so aâ— to put it to a faâ—â—ther wearing in thâ— world or to lay it vp iâ— the common wardrope thâ— graue for the next gloâ—rifie thy selfe in thâ— choyce now glorifâ—â— it then with that glory which thy Son our Sâ—â—uiour Christ Iesus hatâ— purchased for them whome thou makeâ— partakers of his Resuâ—â—rection Amen 7. Socios sibi iungier instat The Phisician desires to haue others ioyned with him 7. MEDITATION THere is more feare therefore more cause If the Phisician desire help the burden grows great There is a grouth of the Disease then But â—here must bee an Auâ—umne to But whether an Autumne of the disease or mee it is not my paâ—â— to choose but if it bee of me it is of both My disease cannot suruiuâ— mee I may ouer liue iâ— Howsoeuer his desiring of others argues his caâ—â—dor and his ingenuitie 〈◊〉 the danger be great heâ— iustifies his proceedingâ— he disguises nothing that calls in witnesses â— And if the danger be not great hee is not aâ—â—bitious that is so readâ— to diuide the thankes and the honour of thâ— work which he begâ—â— alone with others It diminishes not the dignitie of a Monarch that hee deriue part of his care vpon others God hath not made many Suns but he hath made many bodies that receiue and giue light The Romanes began with one King they came to two Consuls they returned in extremities to one Dictator â— whether in one or many the soueraigntie is the same in all States and the danger is not the more and the prouidence is the more wheâ— there are more Phisicians as the State is the happier where businesses are carried by more counsels then can be in one breast how large soeuer Diseâ—ses themselues hold Consultations and conspire how they may multiply and ioyn with one another exalt one anothers force so and shal we not calâ— Phisicians to consultations Death is in an old mans dore he appeareâ— and tels him so deaâ—â— is at a yong mans backe and saies nothingâ— Age is a sicknesse and Youth is an ambush and we need so many Phisicians as may make vp a Watch and spie euery inconuenience There is scarce any thing that hath not killed some body a haire a feather hath done itâ— Nay that which is our best Antidote against it hath donn it the best Cordiall hath bene deadly poyson Men haue dyed of Ioy and allmost forbidden their friends to weep for theÌ„ wheÌ„ they haue seen theÌ„ dye laughing Euen that Tiran Dyâ—â—nisius I thinke the sameâ— that suffered so much aâ—â—ter who could not dâ—â— of that sorrow of thaâ— high fal from a King tâ— a wretched priuate maâ— â— dyed of so poore a Ioy as to be declard by the peoâ—ple at a Theater that heâ— was a good Poet. We saâ— ofteÌ„ thâ—t a Man may liâ—â— of a litle but alas oâ— how much lesse may a Man dye And therfore the more assistants thâ— better who comes to a day of hearing in a caus of any importaÌ„ce with one Aduocate In our Funerals we our selfs haue no interest there wee cannot aduise we cannot direct And though some Nations the Egiptians in particular built theÌ„selues better Tombs then houses because they were to dwell longer in them yet amongst our selues the greatest Man of Stile whom we hane had The Conqueror was lest as soone as his soule left him not only without persons to assist at his graue but without a graue Who will keepe vs then we know notâ— As long as we can lâ—t vs admit as much helpe as wee can Another and another Phisician is not another and another Indication and Symptom of death but an otherâ— and another Assistant and Proctor of life Noâ— doe they so much feed the imagination with apprehension of danger as the vnderstanding with comfort Let not one bring Learning another Diligence another Religion but euery one bring all and as many Ingredients enter into a Receit so may many men make the Receit But why doe I exercise my Meditation so long vpon this of hauing plentifull helpe in time
of need Is not my Meditation rather to be enclined another way to condole and commiserate their distresse who haue none How many are sicker perchance then I and laid in their wofull straw at home if that coâ—ner be a home and haue no more hope of helpe though they die then of preferment though they liue Nor doe no more expect to see a Phisician then then to bee an Officer after of whome the first that takes knowledge is thâ— Sexten that buries themâ— who buries them in obliuioâ— too For theâ— doe but fill vp the number of the dead in the Bill but we shall neuer heare their Names till wee reade them in the Booke of life with our owne How many are sicker perchance then I and thrown into Hospitals where as a fish left vpon the Sand must stay the tide they must stay the Phisicians houre of visiting and then can bee but visited How many are sicker perchaunce then all we and haue not this Hospitall to couer them not this straw to lie in to die in but haue theiâ— Graue-stone vnder them and breathe out theiâ— soules in the eares and in the eies of passengers harder then their bed the flint of the streâ—tâ— That taste of no part of our Phisick but a sparing dyet to whom ordinary porridge would bee Iulip enough the refuse of our seruants Bezar enough and the off scouâ—ing of our Kitchin tables Cordiall enough O my soule when thou art not enough awake to blesse thy God enough for his plentifull mercy in affoording thee many Helpers remembâ—r how many lacke them and helpe them to them or to those other things which they lacke as much as them 7. EXPOSTVLATION MY God my God thy blessed Seruant Augustine begg'd of thee that Moses might come and tell him what heâ— meant by some place of Genesis May I haâ—â— leaue to aske of thâ— Spirit that writ thâ— Booke why when Dâ—â—uid expected newes fiâ—â— Ioabs armie and that thâ— Watchman tolde him that hee sawe a man ruâ—â—ning alone Dauid concluâ—ded out of that circumstance That if hee caâ—â— alone hee brought 〈◊〉 newes I see the Graâ—â—mar the word signifie so and is so euer accepâ—ted Good newes but I see not the Logique nor the Rhetorique how Dauid would prooue or perswade that his newes was good because hee was alone except a greater coÌ„pany might haue made great impressions of danger by imploring and importuning present supplies Howsoeuer that bee I am sure that that which thy Apostle sayes to Timothy Onely Luke is with me Luke and no body but Luke â— hath a taste of coÌ„plaint sorrow in itâ— Though Luke want no testimony of abilitie oâ— forwardnes of constancie perseuerance in assisting that great building which S. Paul laboured in yet S. Paul is affected with that that ther was none but Luke to assistâ— We take S. Luke to haue bin a Phisician it admits the application the better that in the presence of one good Phisician we may bee glad of more It was not only a ciuill spirit of policy or order that moued Moses father in law to perswade him to diuide â—he burden of GouernmeÌ„t Iudicature with others take others to his assistance but it was â—lso thy immediat spirit O my God that mou'd Moses to present vnto â—hee 70 of the Elders of Israel to receiue of that spirit which was vpon Moses onely before such â— portion as might ease â—im in the gouernmeÌ„t of that people though Moses alone had indowments aboue all thou gauest him otheâ— assistants I consider thâ— plentifull goodnesse 〈◊〉 my God in employing Angels more then onâ— in so many of thy remarkable workes Oâ— thy Sonne thou saist Iâ— all the Angels of God wâ—â—â—ship him If that bee iâ— Heauen vpon Earth hâ—â— sayes that hee could coâ—â—maund twelue legions 〈◊〉 Angels And when Hâ—â—uen and Earth shall bâ— all one at the last dayâ— Thy Sonne O God the Sâ—â— of Man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him The Angels that celebrated his birth to the Shepheards the Angels that celebrated his second birth his Resurrection to the Maries were in the plurall Angells associated with Angels In Iacobs ladder they which ascended and descended maintain'd the trade between Heauen and Earth between thee and vs they who haue the Commission and charge to guide vs in all our wayes they whâ—â— hastned Lot and in himâ— vs from places of danger and tentation theâ— who are appoynted to instruct gouerne vs in thâ— Church heere they who are sent to punish the disobedient and refractarâ—â— they that are to be the Mowers and haruest meâ— after we are growne â—p in one field the church 〈◊〉 the day of IudgmeÌ„t they that are to carrie oâ—â— soules whither they caâ—â—â—ed Lazarus they who attend at the seueral gateâ— of the new Ierusalem to admit vs there all these who administer to thy seruants from the first to their last are Angels Angels in the plurall in euery seruice Angels associated with Angells The power of a single Angell wee see in that one who in one night destroyed almost 200. thousand in Sennacheribs army yet thou often imployest many as we know the power of saluation is abundantly in any one Euangelist and yet thou hast afforded vs foure Thy Sonne proâ—claimes of himselfe thâ— thy Spirit hath annoynteâ— him to preach the Gospelâ— â— yet he hath giuen otheâ—s for the perfiting of the S. in the worke of the Miâ—â—â—stery Thou hast made him Bishop of our soules but there are others Biâ—shops too Hee gaue the holy Ghost others gaue it also Thy way O mâ— God and O my God thoâ— louest to walk in thine own waies for they are large thy way from thâ— beginning is multiplication of thy helps and therfore it were a degree of ingratitude not to accept this mercy of affording me many helpes for my bodily health as a type and earnest of thy gracious purpose now and euer to affoord mee the same assistances That for thy great Helpe thy Word I may seeke that not froÌ„ corners nor Conuenticles nor schismatical singularities but froÌ„ the assotiation communion of thy Catholique Church and those persons whom thou hasâ— alwayes furnished thâ— Church withall And that I may associate thâ— Word with thy Sacrâ—â—ment thy Seale with thy Patent and in that Sâ—â—crameÌ„t associate the sigâ—â— with the thing signified the Bread with the Bodâ— of thy Sonne so as I maâ— be sure to haue receiuâ—â— both and to bee maâ—â— thereby as thy blesseâ— seruant Augustine sayes the Arke and the Monâ—â—ment the Tombe of thâ— most blessed Sonne that hee and all the merits of his death may by that receiuing bee buried in me to my quickning in thiâ— world and my immortall establishing in the next 7. PRAYER O Eternall and most gracious God who gauest to thy seruants in
mold any form and to spend it selfe in any function As therfore thy Son did vpon the Coyne I look vpon the King and I askâ— whose image whose inscription hee hath and he hath thine And I giue vnto thee that which iâ— thine I recommend his happines to thee in alâ— my sacrifices of thanks for that which hee enioyes and in al my praiers for the continuance and inlargement of theÌ„ But let me stop my Gâ—d and consider will noâ— this look like a piece of art cunning to conuey into the world an opinion that I were more particularly in his care then other men And that heerein in a a shew of humilitie and thankefulnesse I magnifie my selfe more then there is cause But let not that iealousie stopp mee O God but let me go forward in celebrating thy mercy exhibited by him This which hee doth now in assisting so my bodily health I know is common to me with many Many manyâ— haue tasted of that expression of his gracioâ—snes Where hee â—an giue health by his owne hands hee dothâ— and to more then any of his predecessors haue done Therefore hath God reserued one diseasâ— for him that hee onely might cure it though perchance not onely by one Title and Interest nor only as one king To those that need it not in that kind and so cannot haue it by his owne hand he sends a donatiue of health in sending his Phisician The holy King S. Lewis in France our Maud is celebrated for that that persoÌ„ally they visited Hospitals assisted in the Cure euen of loathsome Diseases And when that religious Empress Placilla the wife of Theodosius was told that she diminished her â—elfe to much in those personal assistances might doe enough in sending â—eliefe shee said Shee would send in that capacitie as Empresse but shee would go to in that capacitie as a Christian as a fellow member of the body oâ— thy Son with them So thy seruaÌ„t Dauid applies him selfe to his people so he incorporates himselfe in his people by calling them his brethren his bones his flesh and when they fel vnder thy hand euen to the pretermitting of himselfe he presses vpon thee by prayeâ— for them I haue siâ—â—ned but these sheepe what haue they donne let thine hand I pray thee be against me and against my fathers house It is kingly to giue wheÌ„ Araumah gaue that great free present to Dauid that place those instrumeÌ„ts for sacrifice and the sacrifices themselues it is said there by thy Spirit Al these things did Araumah giue as a King to the King To giue is an approaching to the Condition of Kings but to giue health an approching to the King of Kings to thee But this his assisting to my bodily health thou knowest O God and so doe some others of thine Honorable seruants know is buâ— the twy-light of that day wherein thouâ— thorow him hast shind vpon mee before but the Eccho of that voyce whereby thou through him hast spoke to mee before Then when he first of any man conceiu'd a hope that I might be of some vse in thy Church and descended to an intimation to a perswasioÌ„ almost to a solicitatioÌ„ that I would embrace that calling And thou who hadst put that desire into his heart didst also put into mine an obedience to it and I who was sicke before of a vertiginous giddines and irresolution and almost spent all my time in consulting how I should spend it was by this man of God and God of men put into the poole and recouerd when I asked perchaÌ„ce a stone he gaue me bread when I asked perchaÌ„ce a Scorpion he gaue me a fish wheÌ„ I asked a temporall office hee denied not refused not that but let mee see that hee had rather I took this These things thou O God who forgettest nothing hast not forgot though perchance he because they were benefits hath but I am not only a witnesse but an instance that ouâ— Iehosophat hath a care to ordaine Priests as well as Iudges and not only to send Phisicians foâ— temporall but to bee the Phisician for spirituall health 8. PRAYER O Eternall and most gracious God who though thou haue reserued thy tresure of perfit ioy and perfit glory to be giuen by thine own hands then wheÌ„ by seeing thee as thou art in thy selfe and knowing thee as we are known wee shall possesse in an instant and possesse for euer all that can any way coÌ„duce to our happinesses yet here also in this world giuest vs such earnests of that full payment as by the value of the earnest we may giue some estimat of the tresure humbly and thaÌ„kfully I acknowledge that thy blessed spirit instructs mee to make a differeÌ„ce of thy blessings in this world by that difference of the Instruments by which it hath pleased thee to deriue them vnto me As we see thee heere in a glasse so we receiue froÌ„ thee here by reflexion by instruments Euen casual things come from thee and that which we call Fortune here hath another name aboue Nature reaches out her hand and giues vs corne and wine and oyle and milk but thou fillest her hand before and thou openest her hand that she may rain down her showres vpon vs. Industry reaches out her hand to vs and giues vs fruits of our labor for our selues our posteritie but thy hand guides that hand when it sowes and when it waters and the increase is from thee Friends reach out their hands prefer vs but thy hand supports that haÌ„d that supports vs. Of all these thy instruments haue I receiued thy blessing O God but bless thy name most for the greatest that as a member of the publike and as a partaker of priuate fauours too by thy right hand thy powerfull hand set ouer vs I haue had my portion not only in the hearing but in the preaching of thy Gospel Humbly beseeching thee that as thou continuest thy wonted goodnes vpon the whol world by the wonted meanes instruments the same Sun and Moon the same Nature and Industry so to continue the same blessings vpon this State and this Church by the same hand so long as that thy Son when he comes in the clouds may find him or his Son or his sonnes sonnes ready to giue an account able to stand in that iudgmeÌ„t for their faithfull Stewardship and dispensation of thy taleÌ„ts so abuÌ„dantly coÌ„mitted to them be to him O God in all disteÌ„pers of his body in all anxieties of spirit in all holy sadnesses of soule such a Phisician in thy proportion who art the greatest in heauen as hee hath bin in soule body to me in his proportioÌ„ who is the greatst vpon earth 9. Medicamina scribuÌ„t Vpon their Consultation they prescribe 9. MEDITATION THey haue seene me and heard mee arraign'd mee in these fetters and receiu'd the euidence I haue cut vp mine own Anatomy diffected my selfe and they
sin together Yet O blessed and glorious Trinity O holy whole Colledge and yet but one Phisician if you take this confession into a consultâ—â—â—on my case is not despâ—rate my destructioÌ„ is not decreed If your consultation determin in writing if you refer mee to that which is written you intend my recouery for al the way O my God euer constant to thine owne wayes thou hast proceeded opeÌ„ly intelligâ—bly manifestly by the book From thy first book the book of life neueâ— shut to thee but neuer throughly open to vs froÌ„ thy second book the booke of Nature wher though subobscurely and in shadows thou hast expressed thine own Image froÌ„ thy third booke the Scriptures where thou hadst writteÌ„ all in the Old and then lightedst vs a caÌ„dle to read it by in the New Testament To these thou hadst added the booke of iust and vsefull Lawes established by them to whom thou hast committed thy people To those the Manualls the pocket the bosome books of our own Consciences To â—hose thy partcular books of all our particular sins and to those the Booke with seuen seales which only the Lamb which was slaine was found worthy to opeÌ„ which I hope it shall not disagree with the meaning of thy blessed Spirit to interpreâ—e the promulgation of their pardon and righteousnes who are washed in the blood of that Lambe And if thou refer me to these Bookes to a new reading a new triall by these bookes â— this feuer may be but a burning in the hand and I may be saued thogh not by my book mine own conscience nor by thy other books yet by thy first the book of life thy decree for my election and by thy last the book of the Lamb and the shedding of his blood vpon me If I be stil vnder coÌ„sultation I am not coÌ„demned yet if I be sent to these books I shall not be condem'd at all for though there be somthing written in some of those books particularly in the Scripturâ— which some men turne to poyson yet vpon these consultations these confessions these takings of our particular cases into thy consideration thou intendest all for phisick euen from those Sentences from which a tooâ—late Repenter will sucke desperation he that seeks thee early shall receiue thy morning dew thy seasonable mercy thy forward consolation 9. PRAYER O Eternall and most gracious God who art of so pure eyes as that thou canst not look vpon sinn and we of so vnpure constitutions as that wee can present no obiect but sin and therfore might iustly â—eare that thou wouldst turn thine eyes for euer from vs as though we cannot indure afflictions in our selues yet in thee we canâ— so thogh thou canst not indure sinne in vs yet in â—hy Sonn thou canst and he hath taken vpon him seâ—fe and presented to thee al those sins which might displease thee in vs. There is an Eye in Nature that kills assoon as it sees the eye of a Serpent no eye in Nature that nourishes vs by looking vpon vs But thine Eye O Lord does so Looke therefore vpon me O Lord in this distresse and that will recall mee from the borders of this bodily death Look vpon me and that wil raise me again from that spirituall death in which my parents buried me when they begot mee in sinne and in which I haue pierced euen to the lawes of hell by multiplying such heaps of actuall sins vpon that foundation that root of originall sinn Yet take me again into your Consultation O blessed and glorious Trinitie thogh the Father know that I haue defaced his Image receiued in my Creation though the Son know I haue neglected mine interest in the Redemption yet O blessed spirit as thou art to my ConscieÌ„ce so be to them a witnes that at this minute I accept that which I haue so often so often so rebelliously refused thy blessed inspirations be thou my witnes to them that at more poores then this slacke body sweates teares this sad soule weeps blood and more for the displeasure of my God then for the stripes of his displeasure Take me then O blessed glorious Trinitie into a RecoÌ„sultation and prescribe me any phisick If it bee a long painful holding of this soule in sicknes it is phisick if I may discern thy hand to giue it it is phisick if it be a speedy departing of this Soule if I may discerne thy hand to receiue it 10. Lentè Serpenti satagunt occurrere Morbo They find the Disease to steale on insensibly and endeauour to meet with it so 10. MEDITATION THis is Natures nest of Boxes The Heauens containe the Earth the Earth Cities Cities Men. And all these are Concentrique the common center to them all is decay ruine only that is Ecoentrique which was neuer made only that place or garment rather which we can imagine but not demonstrate That light which is the very emanation of the light of God in which the Saints shall dwell with which the Saints shall be appareld only that bends not to this Center to Ruine that which was not made of Nothing is not threatned with this annihilation All other things are euen Aâ—gels eueÌ„ our soules they moue vpon the same poles they bend to the same Center and if they were not made immortall by preseruation their Nature could not keepe them from sinking to this center Annihilation In all these the frame of the heuens the States vpoÌ„ earth Men in them comprehend all Those are the greatest mischifs which are least discerned the most insensible in their wayes come to bee the most sensible in their ends The Heauens haue had their Dropsie they drownd the world and they shall haue their Feuer and burn the world Of the dropsie the flood the world had a foreknowledge 120 yeares before it came and so some made prouision against it and were sauâ—dâ— the feuer shall break out in an instant consume all The dropsie did no harm to the heauens froÌ„ whence it fell it did not put out those lights it did not quench those heates but the feuer the fire shall burne the furnace it selfe annihilate those heauens that bâ—eath it out Though the Dog-Starre haue a pestilent breath an infectious exhalation yet because we know when it wil rise we cloâ—he our selues wee dieâ— our selues and wee shadow our selues to a sufficient preueÌ„tion but Comets and blazing starres whose effects or significations no man can interrupt or frustrat no man foresaw no Almanack tells vs when a blazing starre will breâ—k out the matter is carried vp in secret no Astrologer tels vs when the effects wil be accomplishd for that 's a secret of a higher spheare then the other and that which is most secret is most dangerous It is so also here in the societies of men in States CommoÌ„wealths Twentie rebellious drums make not so daÌ„gerous a noise as a few whisperers and secret plotters in corners The Canon
mention the Flea as the Viper because the Flea though hee kill none hee does all the harme hee can so euen these libellous and licentious Iesters vtter the venim they haue though sometimes vertue and alwaies power be a good Pigeon to draw this vapor from the Head and from doing any deadly harme there 12. EXPOSTVLATION MY God my God as thy seruant Iames when he asks that questioÌ„ what is your life prouides me my answere It is euen a vapor that appeareth for a little time then vanisheth away so if he did aske me what is your death I am prouided of my answere It is a vapor too And why should it not be all one to mee whether I liue or die if life and death be all one both a vapor Thou haâ—t made vapor so indifferent a thing as that thy Blessings and thy Iudgements are equally expressed by it and is made by thee the Hierogliphique of both Why should not that bee alwaies good by which thou hast declared thy plentifull goodnes to vs A vapor went vp from the Earth and watred the whole face of the ground And that by which thou hast imputed a goodnes to vs and wherein thou hast accepted our seruice to thee sacrifices for Sacrifices were vapors And in thâ—m it is said that a thicke cloude of incâ—nce went vp to thee So it is of that wherein thou comst to vs the dew of Heauen And of that wherein we come to theeâ— both are vapors And hee in whom we haue and are all that we are or haue teÌ„porally or spiritually thy blessed Son in the persoÌ„ of wisedome is called so to she is that is he is the vapor of the power of God and the pure influence froÌ„ the glory of the Almighty Hast thou Thou O my God perfumed vapor with thine own breath with so many sweet acceptations in thine own word and shall this vapor receiue an ill and infectious sense It must for since we haue displeased thee with that which is but vapor for what is sinne but a vapor but a smoke though such a smoke as takes away our sight and disables vs from seeing our danger it is iust that thou punish vs with vapoâ—s to For so thou dost as the Wiseman tels vs Thou canst punish vs by those things wherein wee offend thee as he hath expressed it there Bâ— beasts newly created breathing vapors Therefore that Commination of â—hine by thy Prophet I will shew wonders in the heauen and in the Earth bloud and fire and pillars of smoke â— thine Apostle who knewe thy meaning best calls vapors of smoke One Propheâ— presents thee in thy terriblenesse so There went out a smoke at his Nostrils and another the effect of thine anger so The house was filled with smoake And hee that continues his Prophesie as long as the world can continue describes the miseries of the latter times so Out of the bottomlesse pit arose a smoke that darkened the Sunne and out of that smoke came Locusts who had the power of Scorpions Now all smokes begin in fire all these will end so too The smoke of sin and of thy wrath will end in the fire of hell But hast thou afforded vs no means to euaporate these smokes to withdraw these vapors When thine Angels fell from heauen thou tookst into thy care the reparatioÌ„ of that place didst it by assuming by drawing vs thitherâ— when we fel from thee here in this world thou tookst into thy care the reparation of this place too and didst it by assuming vs another way by descending down to assume our nature in thy Son So that though our last act be an ascending to glory we shall ascend to the place of Angels yet our first act is to goe the way of thy Sonn descending and the way of thy blessed spirit too who descended in the Doue Therefore hast thou bin pleased to afford vs this remedy in Nature by this application of a Doue to our lower parts to make these vapors in our bodies to descend and to make that a type to vs that by the visitation of thy Spirit the vapors oâ— sin shall descend we tread them vnder our feet At the baptisme of thy Son the Doue descended at the exalting of thine Apostles to preach the same spirit desceÌ„ded Let vs draw down the vapors of our own pride our own wits our own wils our own inueÌ„tions to the simplicitie of thy Sacraments the obedience of thy word and these Doues thus applied shall make vs liue 12. PRAYER O Eternall and most gracious God who though thou haue suffred vs to destroy our selues hast not giuen vs the power of reparation in our sâ—lues hast yet afforded vs such meanes of reparation as may easily and familiarly be compassed by vs prosper I humbly beseech thee this means of bodily assistance in this thy ordinary creature and prosper thy meanes of spirituall assistance in thy holy ordinances And as thou hast caried this thy creature the Doue through all thy wayes through Nature and made it naturally proper to conduce medicinally to our bodily health Through the law and made it a sacrifice for sinne there and through the Gospel and made it thy spirit in it a witnes of thy sonnes baptisme there so carry it and the qualities of it home to my soule and imprint there that simpliciâ—y that mildnesse that harmelesnesse which thou hast imprinted by Nature in this Creature That so all vapours of all disobedience to thee being subdued vnder my feete I may in the power and triumphe of thy sonne treade victoriously vpon my graue and trample vpon the Lyon and Dragon that lye vnder it to deuoure me Thou O Lord by the Prophet callest the Doue the Doue of the Valleys but promisest that the Doue of the Valleyes shall bee vpon the Mountaine As thou hast layed mee low in this Valley of sickenesse so low as that I am made fit for that question asked in the field of bones Sonne of Man can these bones liue so in thy good time carry me vp to these Mountaynes of which euen in this Valley thou affordest mee a prospect the Mountain where thou dwellest the holy Hill vnto which none can ascend but hee that hath cleane hands which none can haue but by that one and that strong way of making them cleane in the blood of thy Sonne Christ Iesus Amen 13. Ingeniumque malum numeroso stigmate fassus Pellitur ad pectus Morbique Suburbia Morbus The Sicknes declares the infectionâ—â—nd malignity thereof 〈…〉 13. MEDITATION WEe say that the world is made of sea land as though they were equal but we know that ther is more sea in the Western theÌ„ in the Eastern Hemisphere â— We say that the Firmament is full of starres as though it were equally full but we know that there are more stars vnder the Northerne then
We scarce heare of any man preferred but wee thinke of our selues that wee might very well haue beene that Man Why might not I haue beene that Man that is carried to his graue now Could I â—it my selfe to stand or sit in any Mans place not to lie in any mans graue I may lacke much of the good parts of the meanest but I lâ—cke nothing of the mortality of the weakest Thâ—y may haue acquired better abilities than I but I was borne to as many infirmities as they To be an incumbent by lying down in a graue to be a Doctor by teaching Mortiâ—ication by Example by dying though I may haue seniors others may be elder than I yet I haue proceeded apace in a good Vniuersity and gone a great way in a little time by the furtherance of a vehement feuer and whomsoeuer these Bells bring to the ground to day if hee and I had beene compared yesterday perchance I should haue been thought likelier to come to this preferment then than he God hath kept the power of death in his owne hands lest any Man should bribe death If man knew the gaine of death the ease of death he would solicite he would prouoke death to assist him by any â—and which he might vse But as when men see many of their owne professions preferd it ministers a hope that that may light vpon them so when these hourely Bells tell me of so many funerals of men like me it presents if not a desire that it may yet a comfort whensoeuer mine shall come 16. EXPOSTVLATION MY God my God I doe not expostulate with thee but with them who dare doe that Who dare expostulate with thee when in the voice of thy Church thou giuest allowance to this Ceremony of Bells at funeralls Is it enough to refuse it because it was in vse amongst the Gentiles so were funeralls too Is it because some abuses may haue crept in amongst Christians Is that enough that their ringing hath been said to driue away euill spirits Truly that is so farre true as that the euill spirit is vehemently vexed in their ringing therefore because that action brings the Congregation together and vnites God and his people to the destruction of that Kingdome which the euill spirit vsurps In the first institution of thy Church in this world in the foundation of thy Militant Church amongst the Iewes thou didst appoint the calling of the assembly in to bee by Trumpet and when they were in then thou gauest them the sound of Bells in the garment of thy Priest â— In the Triumphant Church thou imploiest both too but in an inuerted Order we enter into the Triumphant Church by the sound of Bells for we enter when we die And then we receiue our further edification or consummation by the sound of Trumpets at the Resurrection The sound of thy Trumpets thou didst impart to secular aâ—d ciuill vses too but the sound of Bells onely to sacred Lord let not vs breake the Communion of Saints in that which was intended for the aduancement of it let not that pull vs asunder froÌ„ one another which was intended for the assembling of vs in the Militant and associating of vs to the Triumphant Church But he for whose funerall these Bells ring now was at home at his iournies end yesterday why ring they now A Man that is a world is all the things in the world Hee is an Army and when an Army marches the Vaunt may lodge to night where the Reare comes not till to morrow A man extends to his Act and to his example to that which he does and that which he teaches so doe those things that concerne him so doe these bells That which rung yesterday was to conuay him out of the world in his vaunt in his souleâ— that which rung to day was to bring him in his Reare in his body to the Church And this continuing of ringing after his entring is to bring him to mee in the application Where I lie I could heare the Psalme and did ioine with the Congregation in it but I could not heare the Sermon and these latter bells are a repetition Sermon to mee But O my God my God doe I that haue this feauer need other remembrances of my Mortalitie Is not mine owne hollow voice voice enough to pronounce that to me Need I looke vpon a Deaths-head in a Ring that haue one in my face or goe for death to my Neighbours house that haue him in my bosome We cannot wee cannot O my God take in too many helps for religious duties I know I cannot haue any better Image of thee than thy Sonne nor any better Image of him than his Gospell yet must not I with thanks confesse to thee that some historicall pictures of his haue sometimes put mee vpon better Meditations than otherwise I should haue fallen vpon I know thy Church needed not to haue taken in from Iew or Gentile any supplies for the exaltation of thy glory or our deuotion of absolute necessitie I know â—hee needed not But yet wee owe thee our thanks that thou hast giuen her leaue to doe so and that as in making vs Christians thou diddest not destroy that which wee were before naturall men so in the exalting of our religious deuotions noâ— we are Christians thou hast beene pleased to continue to vs those assistances which did worke vpon the affections of naturall men before for thou louest a good man as thou louest a good Christian and though Grace bee meerely from thee yet thou doest not plant Grace but in good natures 16. PRAYER O Eternall and most gracious God who hauing consecrated our liuing bodies to thine owne Spirit and made vs Temples of the holy Ghost doest also requirâ— a respect to bee giuen to these Temples euen when the Priest is gone out of them To these bodies when the soule is departed from them I blesse and glorifie thy Name that as thou takest care in our life of euery haire of our head so doest thou also of euery graine of ashes after our death Neither doest thou only doe good to vs all in life and death but also wouldest haue vs doe good to one another as in a holy life so in those things which accompanie our death In that Contemplation I make account that I heare this dead brother of ours who is now carried out to his buriall to speake to mee and to preach my funerall Sermon in the voice of these Bells In him O God thou hast accomplished to mee euen the request of Diues to Abraham Thou hast sent one from the dead to speake vnto mee He speakes to mee aloud from that steeple hee whispers to mee at these Curtaines and hee speaks thy words Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth Let this praier therfore O my God be as my last gaspe my expiring my dying in thee That if this bee the houre of my transmigration I may die the
waters must we looke to bee drowned are they bottomlesse are they boundles That 's not the dialect of thy langauge thou hast giuen a Remedy against the deepest water by water against the inundation of sinne by Baptisme and the first life that thou gauest to any Creatures was in waters therefore â—hou doâ—â—t not â—hrâ—â—ten vâ— wiâ—h an irremâ—diablenesse when our affliction is a Sea It is so if we consider our selues so thou callest Gennezareth which was but a lake and not salt a Sea so thou callest the Mediterranean Sea still the great Sea because the inhabitants saw no other Sea they that dwelt there thought a Lake a Sea and the others thought a little Sea the greatest and wee that know not the afflictions of others call our owne the heauiest But O my God that is truly great that ouerflowes the chanâ—ell that is really a great affliction which is aboue my strength but thou O God art my strength and then what can bee aboue it Mountaines shake with the swelling of thy Sea secular Mountaines men strong in power spirituall mountaines men strong in grace are shaked with afflictions but thou laiest vp thy sea in store-houses euen thy corrections are of thy treasure and thou wilt not waste thy corrections when they haue done their seruice to humble thy patient thou wilt call them in againe for thou giuest the Sea thy decree that the waters should not passe thy Commandement All our waters shal run into Iordan thy seruants passed Iordan dry foot they shall run into the red Sea the Sea of thy Sons bloud the red Sea that red Sea drownes none of thine But they that saile in the Sea tell of the danger thereof I that am yet in this affliction owe thee the glory of speaking of it But as the wise man bids me I say I may speak much and come short wherefore in summe thou art all Since thou art so O my God and affliction is a Sea too deepe for vs what is our refuge thine Arke thy ship In all other Seas in all other afflictions those meanes which thou hast ordained In this Sea in Sicknesse thy Ship is thy Physitian Thou hast made a way in the Sea and a safe path in the waters shewing that thou canst saue from all dangers yea though a man went to Sea without art yet where I finde all that I finde this added Neuerthelesse thou woulâ—est not that the worke of thy wisdome should be idle Thou canst saue without meanes but thou hast told no man that thou wilt Thou hast told euery man that thou wilt not When the Centurion beleeued the Master of the ship more than Saint Paul they were all opened to a great danger this was a preferring of thy meanes before thee the Author of the meanes but my God though thou beest euery where I haue no promise of appearing to me but in thy ship Thy blessed Sonne preached out of a Ship The meanes is preaching he did that and the Ship was a type of the Church hee did it thereâ— Thou gauest S. Paul the liues of all them that saild with him If they had not beene in the Ship with him the gift had not extended to them As soone as thy Son was come out of the ship immediatly there met him out of the tombes a man with an vncleane spirit and no man could hold him no not with chaines Thy Sonne needed no vse of meanes yet there wee apprehend the danger to vs if we leaue the ship the meanes in this case the Physitian But as they are Ships to vs in those Seas so is there a Ship to them too in which they are to stay Giue mee leaue O my God to assist my selfe with such a construction of these words of thy seruant Paul to the Centurion when the Mariners would haue left the Ship Except these abide in the Ship you cannot bee safe Except they who are our ships the Physitians abide in that which is theirs and our ship the truth and the sincere and religious worship of thee and thy Gospell we cannot promise our selues so good safety for though we haue our ship the Physitian he hath not his ship Religion And meanes are not meanes but in their concatenation as they depend and are chained together The ships are great saies thy Apostle but a helme turnes them the men are learned but their religion turnes their labours to good And therefore it was a heauy â—â—â—se when the third part oâ— the ships perished It is a heauy case where either all Religion or true Religion should forsake many of these ships whom thou hast sent to conuey vs ouer these Seas But O my God my God since I haue my ship and they theirs I haue them and they haue thee why are we yet no neerer land As soone as thy Sonnes Disciple had taken him into the ship immediatly the ship was at the land whither they went Why haue nor they and I this dispatch Euery thing is immediatly done which is done when thou wouldst haue it done Thy purpose terminates euery action and what was done before that is vndone yet Shall that slacken my hope Thy Prophet from thee hath forbid it It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the saluation of the Lord. Thou puttest off many iudgements till the last day many passe this life without any and shall not I endure the putting off thy mercy for a day and yet O my God thou puttest me not to that for the assurance of future mercy â—s present mercy But what is my assurance now What is my seale It is but a cloud that which my Physitians call a cloud in that which giues them their Indication But a Cloud Thy great Seale to all the world the raine-bow that â—ecured the world for euer from drowning was but a reflexion vpon a cloud A cloud it selfe was a pillar which guided the church and the glory of God not only was but appeared in a cloud Let me returne O my God to the consideration of thy seruant Eliahs proceeding in a time of desperate drought he bids them look towards the Sea They looke and â—ee nothing He bids theÌ„ againe and againe seuen times and at the seuenth time they saw a little cloud rising out of the Sea and presently they had their desire of raine Seuen dayes O my God haue we looked for this cloud and now we haue it none of thy Indications are friuolous thou makest thy signes seales and thy Seales effects and thy effects consolation and restitution whersoeuer thou maiest receiue glory by that way 19. PRAYER O Eternall and most gracious God who though thou passedst ouer infinite millions of generations before thou camest to a Creation of this world yet when thou beganst didst neuer intermit that worke but continuedst day to day till thou hadst perfited all the worke and deposed
it in the hands and rest of a Sabbath though thou haue beene pleased to glorifie thy selfe in a long exercise of my patience with an expectation of thy declaration of thy selfe in this my sicknesse yet since thou hast now of thy goodnesse afforded that which affords vs some hope if that bee still the way of thy glory proceed in that way and perfit that worke and establish me in a Sabbath and rest in thee by this thy seale of bodily restitution Thy Priests came vp to thee by steps in the Temple Thy Angels came downe to Iaacob by steps vpon the ladder we finde no staire by which thou thy selfe camest to Adam in Paradise nor to Sodome in thine anger for thou and thou oâ—ely art able to doe all at once But O Lord I am not wearie of thy pace nor wearie of mine owne patience I prouoke â—heâ— not with a praier not with a wish not with a â—ope to more haste than consists with thy purpose nor looke that any other thing should haue entred into thy purpose but thy glory To heare thy â—steps comming towards mee is the same comfort as to see thy face present with mee whether thou doe the worke of a thousand yeere in a day or extend the worke of a day to a thousand yeere as long as thou workest it is light and comfort Heauen it selfe is but an extention of the same ioy and an extention of this mercie to proceed at thy leisure in the way of restitution is a manifestation of heauen to me here vpon earth From that people to whom thou appearedst in signes and in Types the Iewes thou art departed because they trusted in them but from thy Church to whom thou hast appeared in thy selfe in thy Sonne thou wilt neuer depart because we cannot trust too much in him Though thou haue afforded me these signes of restitution yet if I confide in them and beginne to say all was but a Naâ—urall accident and nature begins to discharge her selfe and shâ—e will perfit the whole worke my hope shall vanish because it is not in thee If thou shouldest take thy hand vtterly from me and haue nothing to doe with me Nature alone were able to destroy mee but if thou withdraw thy helping hand alas how friuolous are the helps of Nature how impotent the assistances of Art As therefore the morning dew is a pawne of the euening fatnesse so O Lord let this daies comfort be the earnest of to morrowes so fâ—rre as may conforme me entirely to thee to what end and by what way soâ—uer thy mercie haue appointed mee 20. Idâ—agunt Vpon these Indications of digested matter they proceed to purge 10. MEDITATION THougâ— counsel seeme rather to consist of spirituall parts than action yet action is the spirit and the soule of counsell Counsels are not alwaies determined in Resolutions wee cannot alwaies say this was concluded actions are alwaies determined in effects wee can say this was done Then haue Lawes their reuerence and their maiestie when wee see the Iudge vpon the Bench executing them Then haue counsels of warre their impressions and their operations when we see the seale of an Armie set to them It was an ancient way of celebrating the memorie of such as deserued well of the State to afford them that kinde of statuarie representation which was then called Hermes which was the head and shoulders of a man standing vpon a Cube but those shoulders without armes and hands All together it figured a constant supporter of the state by his counsell But in this Hierogliphique which they made without hands they passe their consideration no farther but that the Counsellor should bee without hands so farre as not to reach out his hand to forraigne tentations of bribes in matters of Counsell and that it was not necessary that the head should employ his owne hand that the same men should serue in the execution which assisted in the Counsell but that there should not belong hands to euery head action to euery counsell was neuer intended so much as in figure and representation For as matrimonie is scarce to bee called matrimonie where there is a resolution against the fruits of matrimonie against the hauing of Children so counsels are not counsels but illusions where there is from the beginning no purpose to execute â—he determinaâ—ions of â—hose counsels The arts and sciences are most properly referred to the head that is their proper Element and Spheare But yet the art of prouing Logique and the Art of perswading Rhetorique are deduced to the hand and that expressed by a hand contracted into a sist and this by a hand enlarged and expanded and euermore the power of man and the power of God himselfe is expressed soâ— All things are in hiâ— hand â— neither is God so often presented â—o vs by names that carry our consideratioÌ„ vpon counsell as vpon execution of counsell he is oftner called the Lord of Hosts â—han by all other names that may be referred to the other significationâ— Herebyâ— therefore wee take into our meditation the slipperie condition of man whose happinesse in any kinde the defect of any one thing conducing to that happinesse may ruine but iâ— must haue all the peeces to make it vp Without counsell I had not got thus farreâ— withouâ— action and practise I should goe no farther towards health But what is â—he present necâ—ssary action purging A withdrawing a violating of Nature a farther weakening O deare price O strange way of addition to doe it by substraction of restoring Nature to violate Nature of prouiding strength by increasing weaknesse Was I not sicke before And is it a question of comfort to be asked now Did your Physicke make you sicke Was that it that my Physicke promised to make me sicke This is another step vpon which we may stand and see farther into the miserie of man the time the season of his Miserie It must bee done now O ouer-â—â—nning ouer-watchfull ouer-diligent and ouer-sociable misery of man that seldome comes alone but then when it may accompanie other miseries and so put one another into the higher exaltation and better â—eart I am ground euen to an attenuation and must proceed to euacuation all waies to exinaniâ—ion and annihilation 20. EXPOSTVLATION MY God my God the God of Order but yet not of Ambition who assignest place to euery one but not contention for place when shall it be thy pleasure to put an end to all these quarrels for spirituall precedences when shall men leaue their vncharitable disputations which is to take place faith or repentance and which when we consider faith and works The head and the hand too are required to a perfit naturall man Counsell and action too to a perfit ciuill man saith and works too to him that is perfiâ—ly spirituall But because it is easily said I beleeue and because it doth not easily lie in proofe nor is easily demonstrable by any euidence taken from my heart for
who sees thâ—â— who fâ—â—rches those Rollsâ— whether I doe beleeue or no is it not therefore O my God that thou dost so frequently so earnestly referre vs to the hand to the obseruation of actions There is a little suspition a little imputation laid vpon ouer-tedious and dilatorie counsels Many good occasions slip away in long consultations and it may be a degree of sloth to be too long in mending nets though that must bee done He that obserueth the wind shall not saw and he that regardeth the â—â—ouds shall not reape that is he that is too dilatorie too superstitious â—n these obseruations and â—tudies but the excuse of his owne idlenesse in â—hem But that which â—he same wise and royall seruant of thine saies in â—n other place all accept â—nd aske no comment vpon it He becommeth poore that dealeth with a slacke handâ— but the hand of the diligent maketh rich All euill imputed to the absence all good attributed to the presence of the â—and I know my God and I blesse thy name for knowing itâ— for all good knowledge is from thee that thou considerest the heart but thou takest not off thine eie till thou come to the hand Nay my God doth not thy spirit intimate that thou beginnest where wee beginne at least that thou allowest vs to beginne there when thou orderest thine owne answer to thine owne question Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord Thus he that hath cleane hands and a pure heart Doest â—â—ou not at least send 〈◊〉 first to the hand â—nd is not the worke of â—heir hands that declaâ—â—tion of their holy zeale 〈◊〉 the present execution â—f manifest Idolatrers â—â—lled a consecration of â—â—emselues by thy holy â—pirit Their hands are â—alled all themselues for â—uen counsell it selfe goes â—nder that name in thy word who knowest best â—ow to giue right names â—ecause the counsell of the â—riests assisted Dauid Saul saies the hand of the Priest is with Dauidâ— And that which is often said by Moses is very often repeated by thy other Prophets These and these things the Lord spake and the Lord said and the Lord commanmanded not by the counsels not by the voice but by the hand of Moses and by the hand of the Prophets Euermore we are referred for our Euidence of others and of our selues to the hand to action to works There is something before it beleeuing and there is some thing after it suffering but in the most eminent and obuious and conspicuous place stands doing Why then O my God my blâ—ssâ—d God in the waies of my â—pirituall strength come â—l so slow to action I was whipped by thy rod before I came to consultation to consider my state and shall I goâ— no farther As hee that would describe a circle in paper if hee haue brought that circle within one inch of finishing yet if he remoue his compasse he cannot make iâ— vp a perfit circle excepâ— he fall to worke againe to finde out the samâ— center â— so though setting that foot of my compassâ— vpon thee I haue gonâ— so farre as to the consideration of my selfe yet iâ— I depart from thee my center all is vnperfitâ— This proceeding to action therefore is a returning to thee and a working vpon my selfe by thy Physicke by thy purgatiue physicke a free and entire euacuation of my soule by confession The working of purgatiue physicke is violent and contrary to Nature O Lord I decline not this potion of confession how euer it may bee contrary to a naturall man To take physâ—cke and not according to the right method is dangerous O Lord I decline not that method in this physicke in things that burthen my conscience to make my confession to him into whose hands thou hast put thâ— power of absolution â— know that Physicke may be made so pleasant as thaâ— it may easily be taken buâ— not so pleasant as the verâ—tue and nature of the meâ—dicine bee extinguished I know I am not subâ—mitted to such a confession as is a racke and torâ—ture of the Conscience but I know I am not exempt from all If it were meerely problematicall left meerely indifferent whether we should takâ— this Physicke vse thiâ— confession or no a great Physitian acknowledges this to haue beene his practise To minister many things which hee was not sure would doe good but neuer any other thing but such as hee was sure would doe no harme The vse of this spirituall Physicke can certainly doe no harme and the Church hath alwaies thought that it might and doubtlesse many humble soules haue found that it hath done them good I will therefore take the cup of Saluation and call vpon thy Name I will fill this Cup of compunction as full as I haue formerly filled the Cups of woâ—ldly confections that so I may scape the cup of Malediction and irrecouerable destruction that depends vpon that And since thy blessed and glorious Sonne being offered in the way to his Execution a Cup of Suâ—pefaction to take away the sense of his paine a charity afforded to condemned persons ordinarily in those places and times refused that ease and embraced the whole torment I take not this Cup but this vessell of mine owne sinnes into my contemplation and I powre them out here according to the Motions of thy holy Spirit and any where according to the ordinances of thy holy Church 20. PRAYER O Eternall and most gracious God who hauing married Man and Woman together and made them one flesh wouldest haue them also to become one soule so as that they might maintaine a simpathy in their affections and haue a conformity to one another in the accidents of this world good or bad so hauing married this soule and this body in me I humbly beseech thee that my soule may looke and make her vse of thy mercifull proceedings towards my bodily restitution goe the same way to a spirituall I am come by thy goodnesse to the vse of thine ordinary meanes for my body to wash away those peccant humors that endangered it I haue O Lord a Riuer in my body but a Sea in my soule and a Sea swoln into the depth of a Deluge aboue the Sea Thou hast raised vp certaine hils in me heretofore by which I might haue stood safe from these inundations of sin Euen our Naturall faculties are a hill and might preserue vs from some sinne Education study obseruation example are hills too and might preserue vs from some Thy Church and thy Word and thy Sacraments and thine Ordinances are hills aboue these thy Spirit of remorse and compunction repentance for former sin are hills too and to the â—op of all these hils thou hast brought mee heretofore but this Deluge this inundation is got aboue all my Hills and I haue sinned and sinned and multiplied sinne to sinne after all these thy assistances against sinne and where is there water enough to wash away
this Deluge There is a red Sea greater than this Ocean and there is a little spring through which this Ocean may powre it selfe into that red Sea Let thy Spirit of true contrition and sorrow passe all my sinnes through these eies into the wounds of thy Sonne and I shall be cleane and my soule so much better purged than my body as it is ordained for a better and a longer life 21 Atque annuit Ille Qui per eos clamat Linquas iam Lazare lectum God prospers their practise and he by them calls Lazarus out of his tombe mee out of my bed 21. MEDITATION IF man had beene left alone in this world at first shall I thinke that he would not haue fallen If there had beene no Woman would not Man haue serued to haue beene his owne Tempter When I see him now subiect to infinite weakenesses fall into infinite sinne without any forraine tentations shall I thinke hee would haue had none if hee had beene alone GOD saw that Man needed a Helper if hee should bee well but to make Woman ill the Deuill saw that there needed no third When God and wee were alone in Adam that was not enough when the Deuill and wee were alone in Eue it was enoughâ— O what a Giant is Man when hee fights against himselfe and what a dwarfe when hee needs or exercises his owne assistance for himselfe I cannot rise out of my bed till the Physitian enable mee nay I cannot tel that I am able to rise till hee tell me so I doe nothing I know nothing of my selfe how little and how impotent a peâ—ce of the world is any Man alone and how much lesse a peece of himselfe is that Man So little as that when it falls out as it falls out in some cases that more misery and more oppression would bee an ease to a man he cannot giue himselfe that miserable addition of more misery â— A man that is pressed to death and might be eased by more weights cannot lay those more weights vpon himselfe Hee can sinne alone and suffer alone but not repent not bee absolued without another Another tels mee I may rise and I doe so But is euery raising a preferment or is euery present preferment a station I am readier to fall to the Earth now I am vp than I was whâ—n I lay in the bed O peruerse way irregular motion of Man euen rising it selfe is the way to Ruine How many men are raised and then doe not fill the place they are raised to No corner of any place can bee empty there can be no vacuity If that Man doe not fill the place other men will complaints of his insufficiency will fill it Nay such an abhorring is there in Nature of vacuity that if there be but an imagination of not filling in any man that which is but imagination neither will â—ill it that is rumor and voice and it will be giuen â—ut vpon no ground but Imagination and no man knowes whose imagination that hee is corrupt in his place or insufficient in his place and another prepared to succeed him in his place A man rises sometimes and stands not because hee doth not or is not beleeued to fill his place and sometimes he stands not because hee ouer-fills his place Hee may bring so much vertue so much Iustice so much integrity to the place as shall spoile the place burthen the place his integrity may bee a Libell vpon his Predecessor and cast an infamy vpon him and a burden vpon his successor to proceede by example and to bring the place it selfe to an vnder-value and the market to an vncertainty I am vp and I seeme to stand and I goe round and I am a new Argument of the new Philosophie That the Earth â—oues round why may â— not beleeue that the â—hole earth moues in a round motion though that seeme to mee to stand when as I seeme â—o stand to my Compaâ—y and yet am carried in a giddy and circular motion as I stand Man hath no center but misery there and onely there hee is fixt and sure to finde himselfe How little soeuer he bee raised he moues and moues in a circle giddily and as in the Heauens there are buâ— a few Circles thâ—t goe about the whole world but many Epicicles and other lesser Circles but yet Circles so of those men which are raised and put into Circles few of them moue from place to place and passe through many and beneficiall places but fall into litâ—le Circles and within a step or two are at their end and not so well as they were in â—he Center from which â—hey were raised Eueâ—y thing serues to exemâ—lifie to illustrate mans â—isery But I need goe â—o farther than my selfe â—or a long time I was not â—ble to rise At last I â—ust bee raised by oâ—hers and now I am vp I am ready to sinke lower than before â—1 EXPOSTVLATION MY God my God how large a glasse of the next World is this As wee haue an Art to cast from onâ— glasse to another and so to carry the Species a great way off so hast thou that way much more wee shall haue a Resurrection in Heauen the knowledge of that thou castest by another glasse vpon vs here we feele that wee haue a Resurrection from sinne and that by another glasse too wee see wee haue a Resurrection of the body from the miseâ—ies and calamities of â—his life This Resurreâ—tion of my body shewes me the Resurrection of â—ny soule and both â—ere seuerally of both â—ogether hereafter Since â—hy Martyrs vnder the Altar presse thee with â—heir solicitation for the Resurrection of the body to glory thou wouldest pardon mee if I should presse thee by Prayer for the accomplishing of this Resurrection which thou hast begunne in me to blessed and glorious Trâ—â—nity was none to heare but you three and yoâ— easily heare one anoâ—ther because you saâ— the same things Buâ— when thy Sonne camâ— to the worke of Reâ—demption thou spokest and they that heard it tooke it for Thunder and thy Sonne himselfâ— cried with a loud voice â— vpon the Crosse twiceâ— as hee who was to prepare his commingâ— Iohn Baptist was thâ— voice of a cryer and â—ot of a Whisperer Still â—f it be thy voice it is a loud voice These words â—aies thy Moses Thou â—okest with a great voice â—nd thou addest no more â—aies hee there That which thou hast said is â—uident and it is euident â—hat none can speake so â—oud none can binde vs â—o heare him as wee â—ust thee The most high vttered his voice what was his voice The Lord â—â—undred from heauen it might bee heard But â—his voice thy voice is also a mightie voice not onely mightie in power it may be heard nor mightie in obligation it shoulâ— be heard but mightie in operation it will beâ— heard and therefore hasâ— thou bestowed a wholâ— Psalme vpon vs to leadâ—
vs to the consideration of thy voice It is such a voice as that thy Sonne saies the dead shall hearâ— it and that 's my state â— And why O God doest thou not speake to meâ— in that effectuall loudnesse Saint Iohn heard a voice â—â—d hee turned about to see â—he voice sometimes we â—â—e too curious of the â—â—strument by what man â—od speakes but thou â—peakest loudest when â—hou speakest to the â—eart There was silence â—nd I heard a voice saies â—ne to thy seruant Iob. I â—earken after thy voice 〈◊〉 thine Ordinances and â— seeke not a whispering â—n Conuenticles but yet O my God speake louder â—hat so though I doe â—eare thee now then I may heare nothing but thee My sinnes crie aloud Cains murther diâ— so my afflictions criâ— aloud The flouds hauâ— lifted vp their voice anâ— waters are afflictions buâ—â—hou O Lord art mighâ—tier than the voice oâ— many waters than maâ—ny temporall many spiâ—rituall afflictions thaâ— any of either kinde and why doest thou noâ— speak to me in that voice What is man and whereto serueth he what is hiâ— good and what is his euill My bed of sinne is noâ— â—uill not desperatly euill for thou doest call mee out of it but my rising out of it is not good not perfitly good if thou call not louder and hold me now I am vp O my God I am afraid of a fearefull application of â—hose words when a man â—ath done then hee beginâ—eth when his body is vnable to sinne his sinfull memory sinnes ouer his old sinnes againe and that which thou wouldest haue vs to remember for coÌ„punction wee remember with delight Bring him to me in his bed that I may kill him saies Saul of Dauid Thou hast not said so that is not thy voice Ioasb his owne seruants slew him when hee was sicke in his bed Thou hast not â—uffered that that my seruants should so much as neglect mee or be wearie of mee in my sicknesse Thou threatnest that as a shepheard takes out of the mouth of the Lion two legs or a peecâ— of an eare so shall the children of Israel that â—well in Samaria in the corner of a bed and in Daâ—ascus in a couch bee taâ—en away That euen they that are secure from danger shall perish How much more might I who was in the bed of death die But thou hast not dealt so with mee As they brought out sicke persons in beds that thy seruant Peters shadow might ouer-shadow them Thou hast O my God ouer-shadowed mee refreshed mee But when wilt thou doe more when wilt thou doe all when wilt thou speake in thy loud voice when wilt thou bid mee take vp my bed and walke As my bed is my affections when shall I beare them so as to subdue them As my bed is my afflictions when shall I beare them so as not to murmure at them When shall I take vp my bed and walke not lie downe vpon it as it is my pleasure not sinke vnder it as it is my correction But O my God my God the God of all flesh and of all spirit too let me bee content with that in my â—ainting spirit which thou declarest in this decaied flesh that as this body is content to sit still that it may learne to stand and to learne by standing to walke and by walking to trauell so my soule by obeying this thy voice of rising may by a farther and farther growth of â—hy grace proceed so and bee so established as may remoue all suspitions all iealousies betweene thee and mee and may speake and heare in such a voice as that still I may bee acceptable to thee and satisfied from thee 21. PRAYER O Eternall and most gracious God who hast made little things to signifie great and conuaid the infinite merits of thy Sonne in the water of Baptisme and in the Bread and Wine of thy other Sacrament vnto vs receiue the sacrifice of my humble â—hanks that â—hou hast not onely afâ—orded mee the abilitie â—o rise out of this bed of wearinesse discomâ—ort â—ut hast also made this bodily rising by thy grace an earnest of a second resurrection from sinne and of a third to euerlasting glory Thy Sonne himselfe alwaies infinite in himselfe incapable â—f addition was yet pleased to grow in the Virgiâ—s wombe to grow in stature in the sight of men Thy good puâ—poses vpon mee I â—now haue their determination and perfection in thy holy will vpon mee there thy grace is and there I am altogether but manifest theÌ„â—o vnto me in thy seasons and in thy measures and degrees that I may not onely haue that comfort of knowing thee to be infinitely good but that also of finding thee to bee euery day better and better to mee and that as â—hou gauest Saint Paul â—he Messenger of Satan to humble him so for my â—umiliation thou maiest giue me thy selfe in this â—nowledge that what â—race soeuer thou afâ—ord mee to day yet I â—hould perish to morrow if I had not to morrowes grace too Therefore I begge of thee my daily bread and as thou gauest mee the bread of sorrow for many daies and since the bread of hope for some and this day the bread of possessing in rising by that strength which thou the God of all strength hast infused into me so O Lord continue to mee the bread of life the spirituall bread of life in a faithfull assurance in thee the sacramentall bread of life in a worthy receiuing of thee and the more reall bread of life in an euerlasting vnion to thee I know O Lord that when thou hadst created Angels and they saw thee produce fowle and fish and beasts and wormes they did not importune thee and say shall wee haue no better â—reatures than these no better companions than these but staid thy leisure and then had man deliuered ouer to them not much inferiour in nature to themselues No more doe I O God now that by thy first mercie I am able to rise importune thee for present confirmation of â—ealth nor now thaâ— by thy mercie I am brought to see that thy correction hath wrought medicinally vpon mee presume I vpon that spirituall strength I haue but as I acknowledge that my bodily strength is subiect to euery puâ—â—e of wind so is my spirituall strength to euery blast of vanitie Keepe me therefore still O my gracious God in such a proportion of both strengths as I may still hâ—â—e something to thanke thee for which I haue receiued still something to pray for and aske at thy hand â—â— Siâ— morbi fomes tibi cura â—he Physitians consider the root and occasion the embers and coales and fuell of the disease and seeke to purge or correct that â—2 MEDITATION HOw ruinous a farme hath man taken in â—aking himselfe how â—eady is the house eueâ—y day to fall downe and how is all the grounâ— ouer-spread with weeds â— all the