no profit but I beseech thee cause me to know thy hand and thy might and take not away thy peace from me even loving-kindness and Mercies Jer. 16. v. 19 21 5. 54. O Lord the Hope of Israel let no distress whatsoever make me forsake that blessed Hope which thou hast given me for all that forsake thee shall be ashamed and they that depart from thee shall be written in the earth because they have forsaken the Lord the Fountain of living waters O Lord I have often forsaken thee by my sins yet let me not be ashamed because I return again to thee by my Repentance O Lord I have often departed from thee by my transgressions yet let me not be written in the earth because I now at last thirst for thee the Fountain of living waters Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed save me and I shall be saved so shalt thou be my praise now and for evermore Jer. 17. 13 14. 55. O Lord my soul is heavy and my body is sick unto the death But do thou bring me health and cure and reveal unto me abundance of peace and truth cleanse me from all mine iniquities whereby I have sinned against thee cause my captivity to return and have mercy upon me according to thine infinite mercies in Jesus Christ Jer. 33. 6 8 26. 56. O Lord thou hast added grief to my sorrow for I have fainted in my sighing and I find no rest yet dost thou forbid me to add sorrow to my own grief and to say wo is me now because that which thou hast built thou hast broken down and that which thou hadst planted thou hast plucked up even this whole Land Therefore thou forbiddest me to seek great things for my self for behold thou hast brought evil upon all flesh and how shouldst thou not bring evil upon my flesh which is the most sinful of all O then suffer me not to be a seeker of mine own discontents rather then of thy redresses whiles I look after great and good things in such miserable and wretched times but make me thankful that thou hast hitherto given me my life as a prey unto me in all places whether I have gone that remembering what thou hast given me I may not repine for what others have taken from me assuring my self that there is yet another life to come which thou wilt give me not as a prey that I should fear losing it but as an inheritance that I should long to possess it in thee and with thee for ever Amen Jer. 45. 3 4 5. 57. O Lord bring my soul out of this prison of the flesh and the shackles of sin and misery that I may wholly and entirely give thanks unto thy holy Name for all thy Mercy and great Deliverances and most especially for this the greatest of all That thou wilt deliver me from my self from the burden of mine own flesh from the bondage of mine own corruption from the thraledom of mine own body And wilt set me at liberty that I may do nothing else but serve thee whose service is perfect freedom and whose wages are life and light and joy in beholding thy presence for evermore for I earnestly desire only those Mercies wherein thou dost infinitely delight who lovest to shew Mercy to penitent sinners in the Son of thy love our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 58. O Lord pour not out thine indignation upon me blow not against me in the fire of thy wrath but deliver me from this brutish and burning disease or if thou wilt in thy Justice make my body as fewel for the fire yet in mercy deliver my soul from the everlasting burnings Ezek. 23. 31 32. 59. Grant Lord that I being risen with Christ may seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God that I may henceforth set mine affection on things above not on things in earth alwaies remembering that I am dead and my life is hid with Christ in God and alwaies rejoycing that when Christ who is my life shall appear then shall I also appear with him in glory Col. 3. 1 2 3 4. 60. Lord make my tongue sing of thy praises whiles I have breath and when I shall be breathless make my heart bear two parts to fill up that blessed Harmony that my soul may praise thee whiles it is in the state of union with my natural body and much more when it shall be in the state of separation from it and shall be joyned in consort with the holy Angels and with the beatified spirits And most of all when it shall be in the state of re-union again with that same body being made spiritual That I being at last all spirit both in soul and body neither my heart may be wearied in thinking nor my tongue in speaking thy praises to all eternity Amen 61. I will thank thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will praise thy Name for evermore for great is thy Mercy towards me and thou hast delivered my soul from the neathermost hell and wilt receive my soul into the highest heavens there to give thee thanks and praises for evermore 62. All the daies of my appointed time will I wait till my change come Job 14. 14. Lord grant I may so wait that I may receive my wages and that my change may come seasonably speedily and happily A seasonable change not to find me unprepared for it A speedy change to deliver me from the pains of sickness and from the pangs of death And a happy change to let me in to the fruition of thy glory and eternal life Amen 63. By thine unknown sufferings O my blessed Redeemer intercede for me in all my pains and sufferings that I may find Mercy and obtain Relief And make me alwaies remember and confess that my sins are far above my sufferings so shall I suffer patiently and that thy Mercy is far above my sins so shall I suffer comfortably and hope for a joyful end of all my sufferings 64. Lord grant that my conversation may from henceforth be in heaven that my soul may be prepared to go thither and know how to busie it self there that I may with joy look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ from thence who shall change my vile body that it may be like his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself Phil. 3. 2. O Lord work that blessed change in my soul to subdue all its carnal affections by a heavenly conversation before thou workest that miserable change in my body to subdue its natural constitution by an unnatural destruction And according to that mighty working whereby thou art able even to subdue all things unto thy self in the first place subdue all my sinfulness 65. Lord speak the word only and thy servant shall be whole speak the word of comfort in my distress and the greatest comfort in my greatest
sure that it gives him Christ is my gain whether 〈◊〉 live or dye For whiles I live I live unto him the only Author Preserver and Redeemer of my life that when I shall dye I â—…ay die unto him the only Joy Comfort â—…nd Repairer of my Death that whether I â—…ve or dye I may still be his Thus did hoâ—…y Job comfort himself against the miseries â—…f his life and the terrors of his death â—…aying I know that my Redeemer liveth Job 19. 25. as if he had said I know that I â—…m as one forsaken and forlorn yet I â—…ave a Redeemer I know that I seem as â—…ne ready to be swallowed up by death yet he who swallowed death it self up in victory he liveth I know that my Redeemâ—…r liveth and hereupon do I ground my Faith my Comfort and my Assurance my Assurance is infallible undeniable for â—…t proceeds from knowledge I know I am as sure that my Redeemer liveth as that I shall die my faith is firm and immoveable for he is mine none shall ever separate me from him he is my Redeemer my comfort is heavenly and immortal answerable to those Divine fountains of Faith and hope from whence it floweth it is the comfort of eternal life for in that my Redeemer liveth I am most confident that in him and by him I shall also live for when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in Glory Col. 3. 4. An assured hope a constant faith an immortal comfort these were Jobs only supports in his greatest afflictions and his were so great that we can scarce imagine but sure we cannot endure greater never was his body in worse case never was his soul in better Afflictions in the body then have the right end for which they are sent when they make our souls magnifie the Lord and our spirits rejoyce in God our Saviour The devil intended to have added to Jobs misery by increasing the Torments of his body but he did indeed add to his happiness by increasing the Devotion of his soul Mans extremity is Gods opportunity he then most helps us when we can least help our selves when I am weak then am I strong 2 Cor. 12. 10. and by the Rule of Proportion when weakest then strongest when weakest in my self then strongest in my Saviour yet dare I not venter to stay till the weakness of my body give strength unto my soul. For had not Job been a man perfect and upright in his health he would scarce have shewed so much perfection and uprightness in his sickness What then should be the work of my health but to prepare for sickness what should be work of my sickness but to prepare death Then shall I so live as prepared death then shall I so die as prepared Judgement then shall I so live and die prepared for Christ and his Kingdom Grace in this world of Glory in the â—…ld to come Let me snatch away this â—…ry from my adversary Kingâ—…odom â—…odom say I have made Abraham Rich. 〈◊〉 14. 23. Lest hell and the grave say I â—…e thrown this man upon his knees no â—…nk to him for his devotion it is bare â—…ed and necessity meer extremity and â—…r that makes him devout Happy is â—…t man whom this worlds Afflictions â—…ve driven neerer to his God but much â—…ppier is he that hath made this approach his maker by voluntarily Afflicting mself for seldom is there so much sinâ—…rity but never is there so much Glory that Repentance and Devotion which oceeds rather from compulsion then â—…om election rather from necessity then â—…om choice Let the mercies of God inâ—…te me to Repentance and amendment of â—…e in my health and let me not expect his â—…dgements in my sickness lest instead of â—…eing amended I be confounded For if be afflicted in the flesh and not comforted in the spirit then will death wâ—… was appointed to the end be but the ginning of my afflictions For what 〈◊〉 we say was Jobs body now becomâ—… most as loathsome as the Dunghil wâ—… he sate upon a fit embleme of Immoâ—…lity and yet whosoever shall look into own soul with an impartial eye will 〈◊〉 there much less hope and comfort of eâ—…nity then Job found in his body 〈◊〉 how then can he contentedly compose hâ—…self for Death I answer he must do as did cast but one eye down upon himselâ—… lift up the other to his Redeemer when looks down upon himself he finds notâ—… but worms to destroy his body v. 26. 〈◊〉 when he looks up to his Redeemâ—… then in my flesh saith he shall I see Gâ—… What a strange contrariety is here Woâ—… and Flesh Death and Life Destructâ—… and seeing God! The Worms are 〈◊〉 loathsome that turn to Flesh The Deatâ—… not terrible that ends in Life The Dâ—…struction is most welcome that ends in â—…ing God but yet still worms in theselves are worms death in it self is deathâ—… and destruction is destruction and worâ—… as worms are loathsome death as deatâ—… terrible destruction as destruction canâ—… welcome and the body is invaded by â—…ms captivated under death and deâ—…ction when the soul is separated from and therefore we cannot but look on 〈◊〉 as a violent separation which comâ—…s a Rape upon Nature and conseâ—…ntly must needs be an unwelcome â—…est such as we are unable to exclude yet much more unwilling to entertain â—…erefore the soul while it is in the state conjunction with the body though it now by reason of sin in a miserable state is that state natural and consequentâ—… desirable nor is it easie to define how it need be made miserable before it can made not desirable for we may easily â—…ern a very great desire of life in most 〈◊〉 because the greatest miseries are not â—…e of themselves fully to expel that desire â—…t the soul whiles it is in the state of sepaâ—…ion from the body is in a state altogether natural or rather contra-natural for â—…s as long as she continues so she hath 〈◊〉 the perfection of her own nature it beâ—… as natural for humane spirits to be with â—…ies as for Angelical spirits to be withâ—… them which Aquinas hath excelâ—…tly proved in this manner Ia. p. q. 89. â—…all Intellectual Substances the Intellective Virtue or Facultie is from tâ—… fluence of the Divine Light which 〈◊〉 the farther it is diffused from God more it is divided in it self and the nâ—… is divided the more it must needs â—…minished Hence it is that those Intelleâ—… Substances which are farthest from 〈◊〉 such as are Humane spirits having thâ—… share of the Divine light havâ—… so the weakest Intellectuals and â—…quently are not able to understand 〈◊〉 by such universal forms and represeâ—…ons by which the Angels are able tâ—…â—…derstand them Therefore it is neceâ—… that the Souls of men be united untâ—…â—…dies thereby to be made capable oâ—… universal forms and representations such as are imprinted in the Angels had God given unto men
then to touch it and of a purer heart then to save it Lastly the undutifulness of the flesh hinders him as a Christ to instruct for he will teach none that saith not to him as Samuel did Speak Lord for thy servant heareth 1 Sam. 3. 10. I will therefore gladly put off my flesh that I may put off my unruliness my uncleanness my undutifulness Thus I will gladly put off my self my unruly my unclean my undutifull self that I may wholly put on my Saviour as Loâ—… as Jesus and as Christ as Lord to goveâ—… me as Jesus to save me and as Christ to iâ—…struct and to direct me Christus susceâ—… fidelem ad curandum docendum tuenduâ—… dirig endum saith Hugo Christ hath uâ—…dertaken the true Christian to heal him to teach him to defend him to direct him To heal him as Jesus to defend him aâ—… Lord to teach and to direct him as Christ I know that the Messias cometh which is called Christ when he is come he will teach uâ—… all things Joh. 4. 25. And all these mercieâ—… will he most readily bestow on me when 〈◊〉 most want them and fly to him to supply my wants when I am most sick he will most heal me when I am most weak he will most defend me when I am least capable of other instructions then will he most teach and instruct me when I am least able to guide my self then will he undertake to direct and lead me in the way everlasting There are some things that he hath to teach me which whiles my strength is in me I am not fit to learn I must therefore be content to lose my strength that I may gain these Instructions There are three impediments in men which either keep them from the knowledge of Gods Truth or hinder them in knowing it saith Aquinas hebetudo ingenii Occupationes Temporales torpor addiscendi Their naturall incapacity Their temporall distractions and their spiritual slothfulness All these proceed from the grossness of the flesh Let that vanish these will vanish with it The natural dulness as to heavenly things decaies with the nature The temporall distractions vanish with the time The spiritual slothfulness is shaken off with the flesh that brought it on the soul. Thus I must confess my flesh needs be much wasted to make me live well but much more to make me die well for whiles that is in its vigour and lustiness it will scarce afford me time to pray much less sincereness and fervency in my prayers I will then rejoyce in the wasting of my flesh because it will promote the working of Gods Spirit Nor is this my onely comfort that whiles I wast in flesh I grow in Grace but I am also comforted in this that whiles I wast in my flesh the shame wasts that deforms me the sin wasts that depraves me the burden wasts that depresseth me For mans flesh is Deformed Depraved and Depressed by the sin that dwelleth in it First Mans flesh is deformed by sin for had there never been sin in the flesh there would never have been deformity iâ—… it neither deformity from the want noâ—… from the indisposition of any member sâ—… brought in both deformities and though at the Resurrection God will take awaâ—… from the bodies of the wicked the deformity that is in them from want or defect of any of their members for he will justifie his own Creation yet he will not take away the deformity that is in their bodies proceeding from the indisposition or defect of a due proportion in their members for he will not justifie their sin and therefore not abolish that deformity which is in punishment thereof St. Paul tels us There is a natural and there 〈◊〉 spiritual Body 1 Cor. 15. 44. And yet he speaks of one and the same body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Epiphanius Haer. 64. not another but the same body which iâ—… now natural shall then be spiritual And indeed St. Paul himself speaks of the Individuum Demonstrativum This corruptible this mortall Magis enim expresse non poteraâ—… loqui nisi eutem suam manibus teneret saith Tertullian He could not have spoken more expresly unless he should have pinched up his flesh with his own fingers to shew it us Accordingly Ruffinus saith the Church did providently profess the Doctrine of the Resurrection in saying Huâ—…us carnis resurrectionem the resurrection of this body or of this flesh to wit this same flesh in Substance but not in Qualities It is now the flesh of a natural body and is accordingly clogged with corruption mortality infirmity and gravity or grossness It shall then be the flesh of a spiritual Body and accordingly Incorruptible Immortal full of Power and full of Activity For these are the four Properties assigned to the body at the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called by the School Impassibilitas Claritas Agilitas Subtilitas The contraries whereof are in the same body as long as it is a natural body to wit Corruption Dishonour Weakness and Grossness which are all as so many natural Deformities of or in the Body whereby it becomes unamiable to it self and unproportionable to the soul that doth inform and should govern it So that though the body be never so beautiful in outward appearance yet whiles it continues in the state of disobedience to the soul it continues also in the state of deformity And disobedience will not be out of it as long as sin is in it Corpus gloriosum est ex totali subjectionâ—… ad Animam saith Aquinas The body is not glorious till it hath learned a total subjection to the soul even as the soul is not glorious till it hath learned a total subjection to its God And the same Author asserting That the Body of man hath a most convenient disposition makes it good by this distinction Non simpliciter sed sâ—…cundum comparationem ad finem not simply but in comparison of the end for which it was made that is the operations of the soul Therefore though Heavenly Bodies are much more beautifull then is mans body yet a Heavenly Body had been less convenient for a man then an earthly body because a Heavenly Body had been impassible and consequently incapable of Sense And the soul of man knows nothing naturally but by and from the Senses Wherefore as an Artificer making a File or Saw to cut doth not make it of Glass but oâ—… Iron for he looks not after the beauty but after the use of it and cares not that it is the less beautifull so he may have it the more usefull So did God in making man not a Coelestial but a Terrestrial Body Wherefore if the necessity of Nature hath â—…ut mans body under a comparative deforâ—…ity to make it the less glorious How much more hath the corruption of Nature â—…ut the same Body under a positive Deformity to make it the more inglorious Secondly mans flesh is depraved by sin As it