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truth_n	add_v	evil_a	great_a	63	3	2.0729	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52818	A spiritual legacy being a pattern of piety for all young persons practice in a faithful relation of the holy life and happy death of Mr. John Draper / represented out of his own and other manuscripts containing his experiences, exercises, self examinations and evidences for heaven ; together with his funeral sermons ; published by Chr. Ness.	Ness, Christopher, 1621-1705.; Draper, John, d. 1682.	1684 (1684)	Wing N464; ESTC R29558	57,400	206

evil but as he was Israel so his Days were many and good He had two Names Jacob and Israel Genesis 49.1 2. both given him from his Wrestling the farmer Name was given him for wrestling with his Brother for the Birth-right in the Womb wherein he Miscarried but the latter for his Wrestling with his God for the Blessing at Penuel wherein his Valour through Divine Condescension obtain'd the Victory When the Messiah saw Jacob's undaunted Courage in resolutely detaining him Asks him his Name Gen. 32.24 26 27. As if he should say Thou art such a Fellow as I never met with who though thou be lamed and laid Hard at yet wilt not let me go without my Blessing Thou hast let thy Flocks go and thy Herds go Thou hast let thy Wives go and thy Children go yet thou wilt not let me go nor my Blessing go I will not let thee go except thou Bless me saith Jacob v. 26. Hereupon He Honours Him as it were with the Honour of Knighthood saying to him Kneel down Jacob Rise up Israel for as a Prince thou hast had Power with God and with Men and hast prevailed Gen. 32.28 Hos 12.3 4. Now Jacob is a Name of Weakness the poor Worm Jacob Isa 41.14 Trampled upon and trodden under foot This Afflicted State made Jacob sigh out those Sad Words All these things are against me Gen. 42.36 and those of my Text also Few and Evil have the Days of the Years of my Life been But so far as he had Princely Power as Israel signifies both with God and with Men In this Sence his Days were many and good One Day with God is a Thousand elsewhere VSE Hence learn we the Reason why the Church is called Jacob through out the Scriptures when Speech is of her Weakness and Calamity But she is frequently call'd Israel to signifie her Splendour and Glory and as it is thus with the Church of God in General so it is with the Children of God in Particular Some times they are run down with strange Temptations and with strong Tribulations then are they the poor Worm Jocob Isa 41.14 The Shulamite found two Armies Warring in her The Army of the Flesh and the Army of the Spirit Cant. 6.13 When the Army of the Flesh or Amalek prevaileth as Exod. 17.11 then the Seed of Jocob droops but when they are made strong in their Weakness 2 Cor. 12.9 Strengthned with all Might Col. 1.11 and made able through the Supplies of Christ's Spirit Phil. 1.19 to Tread down Strength as Judg. 5.21 even the strongest Temptation without then are they called the Israel of God Gal. 6.16 for their Prince-like prevailing over Flesh World and Devil III. Observation From the Circumstances of the Text. The Third Observation ariseth from the Conjunction of these two Parts This Question and the Answer to it which is 'T is a Duty Incumbent upon all Mankind to be Asking and Answering How the Days of the Years of their Lives do pass away It was Moses's Prayer Lord teach us to number our Days that we may apply our Hearts unto Wisdom Psal● 90.12 In which Psalm it being ● Meditation of Man's Mortality corresponding with my Text therefore Mark 1. Moses mentions the Brevity and Uncertainty of Man's Life comparing it to a Watch v. 4. which is but the fourth part of a Night Mark 13.35 Then he goes on and compares it to a Sleep to a Dream all vanishing things and to a Tale that is soon told and is as soon forgotten lastly to Grass which we well know if it be not cut down in Summer or Autumn doth wither in Winter So such Mortals as are not cut down with the Sithe of Death in their Youth do yet wither away in the Winter of Old Age. Quid est Vita nisi quidam Cursus ad Mortem said the Ancient Father Life is nothing but a Posting to Death The 2d Occurrence in this Meditation of Moses upon Man's Morality is his assigning the proper procuring Cause of this Humane Mise●y to wit Divine Displeasure ●gainst Sin which causeth God to ●urn Man to Destruction ver 7 8. Man at the first was made Immortal he had then an Immortal Body a Suitable Companion for his Immortal Soul These two Sweet Associates had never been severed each from other if Man had not sinned against his Maker Had Adam stood on his State of Innocency He should then have rendred to the Lord a time of perfect Obedience and Service here upon Earth and when that Homage to his Great Landlord had been accomplish'd he should then have been Translated from Earth without the least taste of Death to Heaven the Soul should never have been separated from the Body as now it is for the Wages of Sin is Death Rom. 6.23 It was that one Man's Offence that pulled up the Sluce and let in Death as a Deluge with a Regal Authority over all the World Rom. 5.14 to 17. and Sin did not only let in Death but also all sorts of Sicknesses Sorrows and Sufferings that are Forerunners of it Then 3ly Moses Condemns Mans Dulness in taking no more notice of this Divine Displeasure ver 11. All other Creatures know their Times and their Seasons Jerem. 8.7 but Man knoweth not the Day of his Visitation till He come to be Snared in an Evil Net c. Eccles 9.12 Though Man's Life be a Life full of all Inconveniencies of Indignities of Injuries of Infirmities and of Iniquities also yet such is the Stupidity of the Fall'n Nature that Man puts the Thoughts of these things far from him Amos 6.3 Fourthly Hereupon Moses begs God for Illuminating Grace wherewith to make a more Distinct Discovery of all Humane Frailty Lord teach w to number our Days c. ver 12. And the Sweet-Singer of Israel David will be of the same Chorus with Moses sighing as well as singing out these Synonimical Sentences Lord make me ●o know my end and the Measure of my Days what it is That I may know how frail I am c. Psal 39.4 5. Thus likewise Jacob in my Text carries on the like Concord and Consort to compleat the Harmony complaining here Few and evil have the Days of the Years of my Life been c. Adding only this one Note of Discord for making better Musick that God had taught him this great Truth concerning his own Frailty He had seen it for time past and He would be sensible of it for time to come his Days had been few and Evil Now they might be fewer and worse seeing He and all his were famished out of Canaan the Land of Promise into Egypt the place where his Posterity would be evilly intreated Gen. 15.13 VSE Moses teacheth us what use to make of the knowledge of our own Frailty It should strongly stir us up to an earnest imploring of Divine Mercy He maketh a loud Out cry after Mercy Crying Return O Lord How long c. Oh satisfie us early with thy Mercy

Days Job 7.1 and 14.13.14 A few Days are the number of his Life Psal 39.4 Yea the Days of an Hireling who is hired only for some few Days to do some Jobb of Work which requireth haste and is but for a Spurt not lasting Nay Sometimes the Hireling is hired but for one single Day as Matth. 20.1 2 c. where the Parable calls Man's Life but one particular Day consisting of twelve Hours And what a poor part of time is one Day especially when the Sun Sets at the Noon of that Day Amos 8.9 This makes it a very short Pilgrimage indeed as was that of this Young-man III. REASON The Third Demonstration is drawn from Scripture Metaphors which Illustrate the swiftness of Man's Life in its Passage through the World all implying the shortness of that Passage for the swifter that the Motion of the Runner is the shorter is the time wherein the Race is run I might Re-assume here the Philosophical Allusions of Man's Life As First Plato's Game at Dice is soon play'd out Secondly Seneca's Flash of Lightning soon vanisheth Thirdly Pythagoras's Stage play is soon Acted Fourthly Symonide's shewing his Face soon shewed his Back and was gone Fifthly Epictetus's Voyage is very short and all the former are short none of them long abiding So likewise the Theological As l. James's Vapour soon Evaporaeth 2. David's Smoak soon Dwindleth 3. Job's Shadow soon Vanisheth 4. Hezekiah's Tent is soon taken down 5. And both Job and Hezekiah's Shuttle hath both a swift and a short Motion c. 6. The Prophet's Grafs soon withereth and his Flower soon fadeth The Time for all these is but a short Time as saith the Apostle The time is short 1 Cor. 7.29 But to insist only upon those three great Metaphors that Job seriously plays upon all together a Post a ship and an Eagle Job 9. 25 26. to shew the swiftness and thereby the shortness of his own Life or Pilgrimage The Improvement of these three Points must stand here for a Third Application The First Simile The First Metaphor Resembleth Man Riding Post My Days an swifter than a Post c. which Allusion hath a fourfold Congruity First As the Post-Boy is one that Rides upon Swift Horses spurring them End-ways and sparing no Horse-stesh Riding always upon the Speed with Haste Haste Haste for His Majesties Service from City to Country and from one Kingdom to another carrying always Matters of Great Concern along with him So every Man is Riding Post in this Life carry'd in the Chariot of Time which is drawn by the swiftest Horses even such as be Winged Horses like Pegasus and so Flee faster than any Post according to Job's Phrase My Days are swifter than a Post They flee away c. They run faster and outrun the Post Oh that Men would consider the great Concern of the Pacquet they carry and the Tendency of their way c. Bethink your selves 2 Chron. 6.37 as the Hebrew Reading is and consider 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuagint Reads Psal 119.59 Make a Dialogue with your own Hearts commune with them upon your Beds as David did Psal 4.4 Excutite Excutite Zeph. 2.1 Shake your selves from Sluggishness as Sampson did Judg. 16.20 Consider and better consider Hagg. 1.5 7. do it not to half part Secondly The Post Rides Night and Day without either stop or stay making no long Meals any where but takes a Bit and away c. So Man's Life is ever in motion it makes no stands at any place or time but every Moment he is yielding some little unto Death his Life is passing towards it while he is sleeping in his Bed He is ever Riding Post be it Winter or Summer time or be his way and weather fair or foul in Prosperity or Adversity Oh that there were such an Heart in Men Deut. 5.29 to consider their latter end Deut. 32.29 Seeing every Year Month Week Hour and Minute you are riding Post to your Graves They that do not Remember their latter end are to be lamented because they will come down wonderfully Lament 1.9 Thirdly The Post is Betrusted with Matters of weightiest Moment sometimes the saving or sinking of a Kingdom depends upon the Posts Carriage or Miscarriage he therefore in such a Case is commanded to Ride upon pain of Death and dare not loiter or linger carelesly till he come at the end of the Stage and till his Pacquet be carefully delivered So Man in his Riding Post is betrusted with a concern of Infinite and everlasting Consequence to wit his Pretious Soul which is a Jewel of more worth than the whole World Christ who is Truth it self saith so and he is best able to know the worth of Souls because he alone paid the price of Souls Matth. 16.26 and 20.28 Oh consider how everyone of you are Riding Post with this Pearl of great Price in your hands take heed of scattering it or trucking it away for Trash and Trifles you Ride upon pain of Death be not careless your Life Spiritual and Eternal lies at Stake how can you be too careful beware of Spiritual Slumber until your pretious Pacquet be delivered upon a Dying Bed and you then be able to say with the Proto-Martyr Stephen Lord Jesus Receive my Spirit Act. 7.59 or better with your Blessed Redeemer saying Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit Luke 23.46 Thus David was careful to deliver his Pacquet into Right hands both Living and Dying Psal 31.5 c. Fourthly Some Posts Ride longer Stages than others and some shorter with their Mail and Errand yea some are stopp'd and Robb'd of their Charge c. Thus no Man knows the length of his Post-Stage We know that it is but short in General but alas we know not how short it may be in particular We are bid not to Boast of to Morrow for we know not what a Day may bring forth Prov. 27.1 Jam. 4.13 Matth. 6.34 We know not what lies hid in the Womb of Time one Big-belly'd Day may dismount us as young as we as strong as we have been dismounted yea some we see daily are unhorsed assoon as thy set out dying in their Child-hood God call'd from Heaven to Abraham saying Stay now thy striking Gent 22.10 11. and he may call upon any one of us this or the next Moment saying Stay now your Riding God indeed gives to some enough of Riding Post they are weary with Posting weary of the World and the World as weary of them they live undesired and die unlamented But all must wait till their change come Job 14.14 The Second Allusion in Job 9.26 is a Man Sailing in a Ship Mark the Gradation The Second Simile First A Ship is swifter than a Post and thence Job riseth higher there but an Eagle is swiftest of all the three A Ship passeth swiftly before the Wind and stoppeth stayeth not till she come to the Shore some one Port she is Bound for and rests not strikes not Sail

Word with him for his Promise is but with the Silver of this life but his Payment is with the Gold of a Better Life Solon said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom God Loves Dye Young He 's taken away from the Evil to come 2 Kings 22.20 Isa 57.1 He hath lived long enough that can say not I have Married my Children to good Husbands as Worldlings say but I have Married my precious Soul to the Blessed Bridegroom This was his Joy yet could be Content to pass out of the midst of this Joy on Earth to possess a Better and Greater i● Heaven And O that we may enter into our Masters Joy as he hath done As a Post that hath delivered his Pacquet to God a Ship that is laid up in the Haven of Heaven an Eagle now feeding on the Carcass of Christ FINIS A Brief Relation of the First Conversion and after that of the whole Conversation of that precious Young Man Mr. John Draper drawn out of his Experiences Exercises Examinations of Himself and his Evidences for Heaven all writ with his own hand in Characters c. CHAP. I. HAving diligently perused what a prodigious account he gives of himself with ●is own Hand-writing I could not but stand astonished that one so young and a servant too and who had so much business on Earth in his Masters service should redeem so much time to make Religion his business in serving his great Master Christ and in securing Heaven for his Soul Though it seems almost incredible yet it is most certainly true that he Mellowed much and Ripened fast for Abrahams Bosom as appears by the Sequel This Holy Young Man may be a very eminent Patern of Piety to Old as well as Young Men in a fourfold respect 1. for his Experiences 2. for his Exercises 3. for his Self-Examinations and 4. for his Excellent Characters and Evidences of his Interest in a better World All which I find very strenuously stated in his own Hand-writing though in Characters yet by the help of a Key is made both legible and intelligible and now published for publick good I. For his Experiences they fall under a twofold head the former relates to his first Conversion and the latter to his whole Conversation His Conversion I understand was effectually wrought notwithstanding his strict and Religious Education and former convictions hereafter mentioned c. by a Sermon preached from Matth. 5.25 26. Agree with thy Adversary quickly while thou art in the way c. About December the 8th 1678. From whence He learned those blessed truths following and not only had them fixed upon his Heart and sealed upon his Soul but also I find his own Soul fixed in wax upon them to express the great Veneration of them for their being so Ravishing and Refreshing in the Hand of Christ to his Spirit The Great Truths that had an abiding work upon his heart when this Time of Love came upon him were these I. That God and Man are at variance through sin they are at a distance II. 'T is mans wisdom to make his peace with God his Adversary III. This must be done quickly while Man is in his way before he be brought to the Judges House by death c. IV. There is great danger in delaying or deferring this agreement but sinners should take up with God before it be too late c. V. That God hath an Action of Debt for which to arrest every sinner c. VI. This Debt of sin is strangely circumstanced 1. 't is an Hereditary 2 an Vniversal Debt both every man is born in this Debt and no man living is exempted from it 3. 't is an increasing and a growing debt the longer it runs on in a mans life c. 4. 't is an infinite debt and therefore insoluble it cannot be paid c. no finite creature can ever pay this infinite debt to the infinite Creator Those blessed truths the Lord spake with a strong hand as Isa 8.11 to this Young Mans heart and made him consider First That till this Agreement be made my God is my Adversary and I had better have all the World my Enemy the Maker of the World who if a friend can make my Enemies Friends c. Secondly I cannot stand it out with the great God who will burn up those bryars that set themselves against him Isa 27.4 Thirdly 'T is no frivolous thing to be done or undone but 't is a matter of great moment Eternal weal and woe hangs upon it c. Fourthly I must agree c. because there is no other way in all the World to take up this prodigious debt but by agreement c. Fifthly It will not always be my priviledge to make an agreement Time will not last always for taking up the Controversy for when Death comes then it is to late c. Sixthly If my cause come before the Righteous Judge I am sure to be cast because 't is a bad cause and that Judge will not be bribed with any thing in the day of Judgment Seventhly It I be cast in my cause I shall be delivered up by the Judge to Gods Gaoler and Executioner to wit the Devil Eightly If I be Delivered over to Gods officer of Justice he will cast me into Prison that is Dragg me into hell Ninthly If once I be cast into the prison of Hell there must I lye till I have paid the uttermost Farthing which can never be done I must be always paying the Debt yet never have paid it By these Soul-awaking Considerations the Lord help'd him through his Grace to conclude with himself That it was the highest Wisdom in the World to agree quickly with God his Adversary as he was a child of Wrath by nature Eph. 2.3 and it would be the most sublime Folly for him any longer to deferr it c. Hereupon the Lord having thus opened his Eyes touch'd his Heart and broke down windows into his Dark Soul upon further inquiry he learned that this vast debt he was owing to Divine Justice no less than Ten thousand Talents Mat. 18.24 which is no less than a Kings Ransom could never be compounded for This just Judge will have either All or None and till an Agreement be made God is an angry Adversasary And better I should anger all the Witches in the World and all the Devils in Hell than anger the great God I must agree with Him Then the inquiry was made how this might be done The answer was there is something lays on Gods part and something on yours That on Gods part is 1. to find an Arbitrator or Days-Man one more than a man for what could a meer man do with an angry God 2. God found a Ransom a Surety to satisfy the debt with the Travel of his Soul Job 33.24 Heb. 7.22 and Isa 53.11 3. God makes the Sinners Heart wil●ing to accept of this way of Agreement Phil 2.13 That which ●ays on mans part is two