make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. And he shall not judg after the sight of the eyes neither reprove after the hearing of the ears but with righteousnesse shall he judge the poâ—r and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked Gen. 18.19 For I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to doe justice and judgment Prov. 21.3 To doe justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice Ver. 1â— It is joy to the just to doe judgment but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity Jer. 31.30 Every one shall die for his own iniquity every man that eateth the sower grapes his teeth shall be set on edge Isa 51.1 Thus saith the Lord Keep ye judgment and doe justice And 59.4 None calleth for justice nor any pleadeth for truth they trust in vanity and speak lies they conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity Ver. 8. The way of peace they know not and theâ—e is no judgment in their goings they have made them crooked pathes whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace Ver. 9. Therefore is judgment farre from us neither doth justice overtake us We wait for light but behold obscurity for brightness but we walk in darkness Ver. 14. And judgment is turned away backward and justice standeth afarre off for truth is fallen in the streets and equity cannot enter 1 Chron. 16.10 Let the heart of them that seek the Lord rejoyce Deut. 26.11 And thou shalt rejoyce in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee Matth. 12.36 Every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment Heb. 3.7 13 15. Wherefore as the holy Ghost saith to day if ye will hear his voice Exhort one another daily while it is called to day least any of you be hardned through the deceitfullness of sinne Joh. 9.4 I must work the work of him that sent me while it is called to day the night cometh when no man can work Jam. 4.14 Whereas you know not what will be tomorrow for that is your life it is even a vapour it appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away Psal 1.2 His delight is in the Law of the Lord and therein doth he meditate day and night And 119.24 Thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellors Josh 1.8 This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to doe according to all that is written therein for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good success Psal 109.4 I give my self unto prayer Prov. 15.8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight Matth. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven Joh. 13.17 If ye know these things happy are ye if ye doe them Col. 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection evill concupisence and covetousness which is idolatry Ver. 6. For the which things sake the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience Prov. 2.6 7. For the Lord giveth wisdome out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding He layeth up sound wisdome for the righteous he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly And 3.21 My sonne let them not depart from thy house keep sound wisdome and discretion And 8.14 Counsell is mine and sound wisdome I am understanding and I have strength Hag. 1.5 Thus saith the Lord God Consider your wayes Ezra 10.16 And they sate down to examine the matter Joh. 7.14 Judg not according to the appearance but judge righteous judgment 2 Cor. 10.7 Doe you look on things according to outward appearance Prov. 29.20 Seest thou a man that is hasty of words there is more hope of a fool then of him Acts 19.36 Ye ought to doe nothing rashly Prov. 22.20 21. Have not I written unto thee excellent things in councell and knowledge that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee THus by the mercy of God we have setled our Plantation in a good and fruitfull soyl in a very pleasant place and by his good hand in mercy guiding and protecting us we may many years receive the comfortable fruit thereof We must in this ninth Age of our life with sound judgment and justice settle and order our affairs so that every one may with equity and right receive his portion in due season to this end it is not too late according to this method to discourse of justice and sound judgment what it is and first of Justice in generall Justice is to give to every man that which appertains to him to a mans self first and afterwards to others so that it comprehends all the duty and offices of every particular party Does as thou wouldest or rather as thou oughtest to be done to carries a man very farre but not through or to the utmost of this duty before we can well know how to command others we must know how to command our selves how to defend our selves from our selves reason must command the appetite desire and will must all be obedient to it this is the first originall inward proper and most beautifull justice that may be Equity and right reason is true justice which handleth and ruleth the Law as need requireth the Laws and justice must be handled justly both in rewards and punishments Justice cannot be executed by the lump or in gross but must be drawn out into particular dispensations according to the occasion The two parts and hands of Justice are punishment and reward but as it is usually ministred it is commonly lame at least in one of them Charity begins at home so must justice by it we may examine our selves how and to what end we live and spend our dayes surely it must not be to passe our short and pretious time carelesly by chance and by adventure as the most doe who live not seriously and attentively as indeed our duty is but vainly heedlesly from day to day and as it falleth out they taste not possesse not enjoy not their lives but use them only to make use of other things by this means they abuse themselves and many good things through their misuse they doe all things as I may say in good earnest but to live they are serious in the least and in the main and principall they are negligent We may and ought to live seriously attentively and cheerfully for that our life
or indeed the least sorrow Matth. 27.27 Then the souldiers of the Governours took Jesus into the Common-hall and gathered about him the whole band Ver. 28. And they stripped him and put upon him a scarlet robe Ver. 29. And platted a Crown of thorns and put it upon his head and a reed in his right-hand and bowed the knees before him and mocked him saying God save the King of the Jews Ver. 30. And spit upon him and took a reed and smote him on the head Ver. 31. Thus when they had mocked him they took the robe from him and put his own raiment on him and led him away to crucifie him Ver. 33. And when they were come unto the place called Golgotha that is to say the place of dead mens sculls Ver. 34. They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall and when he had tasted thereof he would not drink Ver. 35. And when they had crucified him they parted his garments and did cast lots that it might be fullfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Psal 22.18 They divided my garments amongst them and upon my vesture did cast lots Ver. 36. And they sate and watched him there Ver. 37. They set up also over his head his cause written This is Jesus the King of the Jews Ver. 38. And there were two thieves crucified with him one on the right hand and the other on the left Ver. 39. And they that passed by reviled him wagging their heads and Ver. 40. Saying Thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three dayes save thy self if thou be the Sonne of God come down from the crosse Ver. 41. Likewise also the High-Prists mocking him with the Scribes and Pharisees and Elders said Ver. 42. He saved others but he cannot save himself if he be the King of Israell let him now come down from the crosse and we will beleeve him Ver. 43. He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him for he said I am the Sonne of God Ver. 44. That same also the thieves that were crucified with him cast in his teeth Ver. 45. Now from the sixth hour was there darkness over all the land untill the ninth hour Ver. 46. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying Ely Ely lamasabachthani that is My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Ver. 47. And some of them that stood there when they heard it said This man calleth Elias Ver. 48. And straight way one of them ranne and took a spunge and filled it with vinegar and put it on a reed and gave him to drink Ver. 49. Others said Let be let us see if Elias will come and save him Ver. 50. Then Jesus cried with a loud voice again and yeelded up the ghost Now then let us be glad and rejoyce to goe to him our Saviour our joy our peace what way soever he is pleased to call us through the most bitter torments of minde or body by weaknesses sicknesses and imperfections and let us be most assured that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 2 Tim. 2.3 Let us therefore suffer afflictions as good souldiers of Jesus Christ For it is a true saying If we be dead with him we shall also live with him if we suffer with him we shall also raign with him if we deny him he also will deny us Yea 2 Tim. 3.12 All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecutions Here have we no continuing City but we seek one to come Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to him in well doing as unto a faithfull Creatour knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in our brethren which are in the world As many as our Saviour loveth he rebuketh and chasteneth Be zealous therefore in the truth and amend and rejoice alwayes that the will of God in Christ Jesus thy Saviour is therein done which is the best for thee Amen X. A fift Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our going from sorrow to joy Isa 17.1 The righteous perisheth and no man considereth it in heart and mercifull men are taken away and no man understandeth that the righteous is taken away from the evill to come 2 King 22.19 20. But because thy heart did melt and thou hast humbled thy self before the Lord when thou heardest what I spake against this place and against the inhabitants of the same to wit that it should be destroyed and accursed and hast rent thy clothes and wept before me I have also heard it saith the Lord behold therefore I will gather thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be put into thy grave in peace and thy eyes shall not see all the evill which I will bring upon this place this was the great love of God to King Josiah See 2 Chron. 34.28 Luk. 16.22 Lazarus by a blessed dissolution is eased of all his pains sores diseases fears and troubles is called for out of the prison of the body and presently by the happy messenger of death is made fit and carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome where all the elect are in joyes incomprehensible freed from sinne and sorrow forever Amen XI A sixth Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our being gathered to our nearest alliance our kindred and our parents 2 King 22.19 20. Josiah was gathered to his fathers in great abundant mercy as I mentioned before See the most sweet and gracious call of the eternall mercy to Moses Deut 32.48 49 50. which I lately mentioned And the Lord spake to Moses the self same day saying Goe up into the mountain of Abarim unto the mount Nebo which is in the land of Moab over against Jericho and behold the land of Canaan which I give to the children of Israell for a possession and die in the mount which thou goest up unto and thou shalt be gathered unto thy people as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor and was gathered to his people Gen. 25.8 The Abraham yeelded up the spirit and died in a good age an old man and of great years and was gathered to his people Numb 20.26 Almighty God commanded Moses to take Aaron and Eleazer his sonne and to bring them up into the mount Hor and to cause Aaron to put off his garments and to put them upon Eleazer his sonne saying Aaron shall be gathered to his fathers and shall die there Numb 30.1 2. Almighty God doth bid Moses avenge the children of Israel of the Mideanites and in token of acceptance and reward faith afterwards thou shalt be gathered to thy people Gen. 15.17 And Ishmaell yeelded up the spirit and died and was gathered to his people Chap. 35. ver 29. And Isaak gave up the ghost and died and
perfectly to serve thee the God of our Fathers although we be not clensed according to the purification of the Sanctuary O Lord we beseech thee let thy loving kindnesse and thy mercie to poor miserable sinners in Jesus direct our hearts as the hearts of thy elected servants to pray unto thy sacred Majestie in spirit and truth and we humbly beseech thee let thy ears hearken to our praiers and the praiers of all thy servants who desire to fear thy Name Two things we most humbly beg of thee O our mercy denie us not them before we die Remove farre from us vanity and lies Give us neither poverty nor riches feed us with food convenient for us least we be full and denie thee and say Who is the Lord or least we be poor and steale and take the Name of our God in vaine so we will praise thee O Lord in the power of thy might saying Thou wast angry with us because of our mighty sinnes provoking thee but thy wrath is turned away and thou comfortest us Thou art our preserver and our refuge we will trust and will not feare for thou Lord God art our strength and long and our salvation O our good and blessed Lord and King in the power of thy mercie we will extoll thee and will blesse thy Name for ever and ever Praise ye the Lord O our soules we will praise the Lord during our lives as long as we have any being we will sing unto our God O our God blessed is the man unto whom thou imputest not iniquity O teach us thy statutes Teach us to pray unto thee in a time when thou maist be found Thou art our secret place thou preservest us from trouble thou compassest us about with joyfull deliverance because thy mercie endures for ever O instruct us and teach us the way that we should goe and guide us with thine eye least we be like the horse and mule which have no understanding O our loving God give us grace to trust in thee that thy mercie may compasse us and that we may rejoice in thy salvation and give thee praise with all the faculties both of our souls and bodies continually O cause us to trust truly in thee for so we shall not perish Give us grace and strength O Lord by the power of thy saving spirit in Jesu truly to humble our selves for the afflictions and sinnes of our enemies so in thy mercie shall our praiers return into our own bosomes but doe thou save and comfort them O Lord for thy goodnesse and let it be thy will O God that our tongue utter thy righteousnesse and thy praise every day We desire to doe thy will O our God yea thy Law is within our hearts deale with thy servants according to thy mercies and teach us thy statutes we are thy servants grant us therefore understanding that we may know thy testimonies we love thy Commandements above gold yea above fine gold therefore we esteem all thy precepts most just and hate all false waies Thy testimonies are wonderfull therefore doth my soul keep them The entrance into thy word sheweth light and giveth understanding to the simple Look upon us O Lord and be mercifull unto us as thou usest to doe unto them that love thy Name Direct our steps in thy Word and let none iniquity have dominion over us shew the light of thy countenance upon thy servants and teach us thy statutes Righteous art thou O Lord and just in thy judgments Trouble and anguish are come upon us yet are thy Commandements our delight The righteousnesse of thy testimonies is everlasting O grant us understanding and we shall live Hear our voice O Lord according to thy loving kindnesse O quicken us according to thy judgments Great are thy tender mercies O Lord quicken us according to thy free mercy and thy goodnesse Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israell know us not yet thou O Lord art our Father and our Redeemer thy Name is for ever O give us thy saving spirit of life in Jesus from Heaven for we can receive nothing except it be given us from Heaven O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy waies and hardned our hearts from thy feare returne for thy servants sake and for our Saviour Jesus Christ his sake doe thou write our Names in the book of life with thy servants Let our complaints come before thee O Lord and give us understanding according to thy word Let our supplications come before thee O Lord and deliver us according to thy promise Our lipps shall speak thy praise O God when thou hast taught us thy statutes Our tongues shall treat of thy word for all thy Commandements are righteous Let thy hand help us for we have chosen thy precepts We have longed for thy salvation O Lord and thy Law is our delight Let our souls live and they shall praise thee and thy judgments shall help us We have gone astray like lost sheep seek thy servants for we doe not forget thy Commandements Our sinnes O Lord our sinnes they have taken hold of us that we cannot look up they are more in number then the hairs of our heads therefore our hearts have failed us Let it please thee O Lord to deliver us make haste O God to help us Our souls thirst for God even for the living God when shall we come and appear before the presence of God O God thou art our guide for ever have mercy upon us according to thy loving kindnesse according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away our offences Wash us throughly from our iniquities and cleanse us from our sinnes for we know our iniquities and our sinnes are ever before us Against thee against thee onely have we sinned and done evill in thy sight that thou mayest be just when thou speakest and pure when thou judgest behold we were born in iniquity and in sinne have our mothers conceived us Thou O Lord lovest truth in the heart therefore give us wisdome in our inward affections Purge us with hysop and we shall be clean wash us and we shall be whiter then snow make us to hear of joy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Hide thy face O Lord from our sinnes and put away all our iniquities Create in us clean hearts O Lord and renew right spirits within us O cast us not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from us Open thou our lips O Lord and our mouthes shall shew forth thy praise Deliver us from bloud O God of our salvation and from the secret trapps of our deadly enemy Have mercy upon us O God have mercy upon us for our soul trusteth in thee and in the shadow of thy wings will we trust till the afflictions of our sinning against thee be overpast We will call upon the most high God even to the God that performeth his promise towards us We will