that Couenant commeth these waters diuide themselues Let mee see the high Priest of my profession who is the Arke himselfe carying that Arke before mee Where hee setteth his feete there is dry ground to passe through the midst of dangers O Sonne of God shew thy propitiation to the Father to appease him To me to encourage mee To these waters that they may flee away and to mine enemies that they may bee destroyed Let mee see thee as I did long since at the like sentence of Death interponing thy selfe betwixt the wrath of God and mee securing me from sinne punishment and all that worke of Iustice When thou turned wrath in mercie and the Iustice Seate in a Throne of Grace And setting thy selfe as a sconse between GODS wrath and mee made mee as posedlie and calmelie to stand before God vnder the sentence of Death as euer I did in the sweetest meditations motions of thy Spirit That former proofe yet fresh in my minde confirmeth mine hope in the expectation of the like peace when Death shall come indeede All this I know this I beleeue and hope for and feele alreadie begunne in mee in some measure and perswade my selfe as now I thinke it and write it that in due time I shall finde it and praise thee in Heauen eternallie for it when thou hast crowned thy mercies in mee The sense of thy presence doth now delight mee but I rest not on it As it giueth mee vnspeakable contentment so it pouseth mee fordward to thy perfect presence I must euer bee in mouing till I bee perfected in thee Though thy presence coÌ„fort me now in these my Soules-speaches with thee aâ—d refresh my wearie heart both vnder present paine and foreseene paines of death yet I stay not there These cooling tastes doe rather inflame my desire than quench it and increase my longing for the Well it selfe That I may bee satisfied aboundantlie with the fatnesse of thine House and drinke of the Riuer of thy pleasures For with thee is the Fountaine of Life and in thy Light I shall see light Psal. 36. 8. 9. All my joyes in the way cannot satisfie mee till I bee in that Citie whereof the Lord God Almightie the Lambe is the Temple That new Ierusalem that hath no neede of the Sunne nor of the Moone for the Glorie of GOD doeth inlighten it and the Lambe is the Light of it Reuelat. 21. 22. 23. I long for that pure Riuer of the water of Life cleare as crystall proceeding out of the Throne of God and the Lambe I long for the fruite of the Tree of Life that bringeth fruite euery Moneth euer constant and new joyes that I may see the face of the Lambe and haue his Name written in my forehead and follow him vvhither soeuer hee goeth Revelat. 22. 1. 2. 4. Till I come to this estate my Soule will euer thirst for thee more than the thirstie land doth for raine or the chased Hart panteth for the riuer of vvaters My Soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God Oh vvhen shall I come and appeare before God Psal. 42. 2. None hath wrought or can worke this great Desire in me but thou onelie none can or shall satisfie it but thou and that by none of thy giftes but by thy selfe alone It is a desire of thy selfe aboue all and cannot rest without thy selfe It is stronger than all other desires in mee they are all silent when it raigneth they cease willinglie and quite their priuate contentment and seeke it in the satisfaction of this greatest One. Come therefore O thou whom my Soule loueth and satisfie my Soule in her greatest desire of thee This is for the present by the worke of thy Spirit I trust shall be my last ardent affection to thee in the houre of my Death mine eternall condition in the Heauens Then the greatest satisfactioÌ„ of my greatest desire shall work my greatest delight Sight and Sense and FruitioÌ„ shall then teach mee that which now the eye hath not seene not the eare heard nor the heart of man conceiued But when I shall see thee as thou art shall know thee as I am known then I shall see that which now I beleeue and hope for euen mine happinesse in thee perfectlie When the end of thy loue to mee and of my desire of thee doe meete in that glorious perfection there shall neither be matter nor place for more desire The infinite weight of Glorie The eternall indurance of it The constant freshnesse and continuall newnesse of it in my neuer-loathing nor decaying feeling excludeth both the increase and beeing of any desire WheÌ„ thy delight in mee and my delight in thee doe concurre then my glorified delight shall rest on thee and thy delights contentedlie I cease now to write but not to think of and affect thee as mine onelie happines Let thy good Spirit O Lord keepe my Soule vnder the sense of these delights or vnder the memorie of them or the fruite of them that I may walk in the strength of their coÌ„solations delighting my selfe in thee and in that mine happinesse which is thy selfe till I perfectlie enjoy Thee Into thine Hands I commit my Spirit for Thou hast redemed mee O LORD GOD of Trueth COME LORD IESVS AND TARIE NOT. AMEN FINIS The Table of these OBSERVATIONS A ACcidents rare make many Prophets Obser. 51 Affections right placed 46 Afflictions great profite 69 Athiesmes poyson 27 Ambitious men die of their disease 48 B Our Bodies spiritualitie 40 The Bodies tendernesse a blessing to the godlie 80 C Callings are our tryall 35 Gods Calling a sufficient warrand 26 Fruitefull labour in our Calling 8 Calumnies Comfort 87 Christian Furniture 1 Combat betweene the Earth the Wretch 17 Companie usuallie hurtfull 15 Complementing is a windie fulnesse 82 Contemplation and practise ought to bee ioyned 47 Conceate of VVisedome is great folie 44 Conscience Exercise 79 Conscientious Knowledge 83 Constant inconstancie 30 Corruptions Danger 56 Corruptions Remeede 90 Credulitie and Confidence 41 D Death surpriseth the most part of men 6 Deuotion and Obedience are twinnes 12 E Eiaculations continuall 81 Experience fruitfull 14 F Phantasies Tyrannie and Remeede 94 Faults with the World but not with God 23 Feares needlesse are fruitfull to the godlie 85 Flesh and Spirit discerned 58 G God alone better than all 50 God mercifull presence 59 The sight of a present God-head 42 Gods best giftes 57 God seeth the Heart 67 Gods Beggers are best heard 72 How to please God and man 33 God the dwelling place of the godlie 100 God and Sathan contrare in ends wayes 60 The godlies warre in peace 91 H Concerning happines we are greatest fooles 5 Hearts discouerie 10 Hearts hardnesse 75 I Iniuries inflame our corruption 32 Insolent fittes 29 Iudging wrong 31 L Short life ought a short care 20 Loue of good and hatred of euill 54 The best Lotte hath some want 55 M Mans threefold perfection 97 Man most disobedient of all creatures 70 Man both blind and quicke sighted in his owne cause 88 Mankinds wise temper 84 Best men most iniured 71 Mankinds threefolde respect 96 Meditations profite 39 The Merchant wise and foolish 53 Good Motions are of God 73 N Holie Necessities are no distractions 13 Thirst of News 86 O Obseruations right vse 74 Operations of the holie Spirit 2 P Particulars are mixed with common causes 89 Passions disease and Remeede 22 Patrons of Grace and Nature 43 Peace of God a sweete Vade-mecum 4 Perplexities disease and Remeede 21 Politickes secrecie is open 62 Predominant vertue and vice 93 Prayers great profite 7 Prouidence particular to the godlie 98 Rest on Prouidence 68 R Religious Religion 82 Refuge of the Christian. 95 Resolution performed 34 S Saluation of God alone 24 Scriptures vnspeakable profite 65 Securitie in God 38 Selvishnesse damnable 52 Sense of weaknesse 62 Sinne an euill Guest 28 Proud Sinners post to Hell 25 Soules life 63 Soules Foode 36 The stamppe of God in the Soule 77 Great worldlie Spirits 78 Good Spirits most free of Passions 49 T Our Thoughts fruitfull worke 3 The godlie Traueller 16 Tryall of Trueth 61 Tryall of our Tyme 19 W VVarres fearefull calamities 66 VVayes of God well expounded 18 VVorld worse and worse 9 Dead to the world 45 A new better world in this old bad one 99 VVorship of God done as his worship 76 Constant dyet in Gods worship 37 Y Youth and olde Age. 11 FINIS Faults escaped in the printing in the Obseruations Page Line Fault Corrected 53. 1. delate deleete 57. 1. friend frrine 68. 2. adde Post. 79. 5. wrath worth 87. 17. craueth carueth 111. 21. coÌ„uersatioÌ„ couersioÌ„ 113. 1. craue carue 152. 14. to in 157. ult dele him 180. 10. calamities calumnies 212. 19. taker tacke 218. 11. titling tilting In the Resolution 2. 3. reproach approach 39. 10. it is 49. 2 secure serue
to life eternall Occasionall errors come in at a side and wrest some part of our course and beeing discouered are easilie remeeded But this is a fundamentall error to place our happinesse in the Earth and to seeke it therein It peruerteth all the course of their wayes and the greatest conuiction of it is when tyme of amendement is past wheÌ„ that consuming fire at the last day destroyed all which they haue scraped together they will then see their error I thinke it great wisedome to carâ—e our cares according to the things themselues If Eternitie were heere mens scraping and raking of the earth might seeme reasonable but since our time in this life is but short at the longest and shorter possiblie than I know I will set all mine heart for heauen and a short life shall haue as short a care 21. Perplexities disease and remeede PErplexities in our adoes are a torture to our Soule With great difficultie wee resolue on the end And when that is fixed what tossing haue wee to choose the meanes that are most expedient for it And scarcelie are our Spirits deliuered of these two burthens of purposing the good end and choosing the best meanes when the feare of the euent tormenteth vs worse It seemeth heere to bee better to the rash and senslesse man than to the wise The wise man multiplieth his griefes and by foresight maketh his way more perplexed to him wheras the rash man and senslesse bringeth out some birth without conception and trauell The stupide man is meerelie passiue and letteth all things come as they will his senslesnesse disposeth him for any thing not because of resolution but for lacke of it Hee hath no more of matters but their fruite and euent Hee is a witnesse to the Childe but neither father nor mother to it The hastie man is so in his actions and euerie part of them at once that he is in none of them his doing is as swift as his thought and oft-times anterior to to his thinking as his tongue so his hand and foote out-runne his minde Hee is out of them by temeritie before hee bee in them But true wisedome saueth vs from all these errors It looketh to God in whom are the ends of all things and aduiseth with his worde about the meanes to bring vs to the end and resteth on prouidence about the euent Thereby wee are more in God than in our businesse and committe them to him that hee may doe them Full dependence on him cutteth the throate of all these perplexities 22. Passions Tyrannie and Remeede PAssions are justlie so named though they breed in vs yet wee suffer of them and that in such violence as scarcelie either allurement of sinne or prouocation of injurie can worke It were nothing to see vs by outward folie drawen out of our selfe but to suffer that of any inward power is more strange and that not so much a power as an impotencie It is not strength but weaknesse in vs that breedeth Passions and yeeldeth to them a weake defender maketh a feeble assaulter proue strong And there is yet worse in it wee know not either how to punish or to remeed it Both parties are in our selfe the doing and suffering of Passion is both of vs and in vs and when wee presse to mend it new Passions arise in vs both of griefe that such Passions should bee in vs and of feare of wrath for them I will not excuse my selfe because of Passions but rather accuse mee Excuses of that kinde are as they who excuse their fault by drunkennesse the purgation is fouler than the sinne purged Passion in it selfe is punishment eneugh if it lacketh guiltinesse It so disturbeth man and transporteth him that the violence of it is a sufficient chastisement for it It is a naturall impotencie and must bee cured by a supernaturall Grace When God in whom is no Passion reneweth vs to his Image and wee in all our actions set him as a Paterne before vs wee shall finde a restraint of them I doubt if any Passion can aryse in that Soule so long as it seeth an vnpassionate God in the face of his meeke Sonne Iesus Christ Wee are as farre separated from the meeknesse of Christ as wee are transported by Passion 23. Three faultes with the world but not with God THese three things are counted faults in the world yet no man needeth to repent him of them The modest Shifting of occasioned honour and riches the patient Disgesting of great wrongs And the not following of the fashions of the world Who so art disposed are counted Dolts but that sentence falleth on the Iudge The first is counted Basnesse of Spirit The second an euill Conscience He swalloweth Injuries so patiently that hee incurreth the suspition of senslesnesse and stupour And the third a saucie singularitie But such a Spirit beareth out that censure vpon better grounds The first commeth of true Contentment in God The second of a care to keepe himselfe in peace with God And the third of a just contemning of the world True Honour followeth the modest Shifter of it and the riches of true Contentment are treasured in the heart that hungreth for no more Hee is truelie content who hath fixed a period to his desires and doeth not so much as loose them to a racklesse wishing of further And the best way to keepe peace in our Soule is not to frette at injuries it is a token that hee who dwelleth in vs is greater than the world when we count the worlds fashions a witlesse folie Hee who is so possessed in his choise securelie indureth that ignorant censure and hath indeede attained the trueth of that which they are seeking imaginarlie Hee seeth that by Time they will either applaude him in his course or else fall short by the way to their greater losse If the world can shewe mee where I shall finde it or what fixed Paterne and exampler of good it followeth with some reason it might exact of mee an imitation But since it can neither tell where to finde it selfe neither hath any Paterne but it s owne new fangle vanitie it is shamelesnesse for it to sute and madnes in mee to giue it obedience It must bee a bad stuffe that keepeth not the colour And a bad colour that changeth euery day Stuffe and colour of so changeable a stampe agree well together But the renewed man dyed with the vnchangeable colour of Grace contemneth them both I will not render my selfe to that Schoole where posed sodilitie is counted a vice and newe fangled folies are counted perfection 24. Saluation is of Grace alone THe Grace of God in man hath no greater enemie than man himselfe Sathan hath his name from Inimitie to God and good and the world commeth in vnder his Standard in that warre But they cannot all hurt vs so as wee our selfe Their businesse is without and cannot preuaile except our corruption bring it within and partie it against
vanities and that far more because her applause is her vainest vanities And others possiblie shift themselues both of her vanitie and loue and yet are not fastned on a better Hee is foolish who loseth one thing findeth not another But the truelie godly man seeth and followeth a better world in this wicked one wee haue in this visible world an Heauen and Starres Earth Aire and Creatures for our temporall vse But the spirituall eye taketh vp an higher one Hee seeth GOD for his Sunne and from his Face taketh his Light from his Loue his Warmenesse from his Presence his Seasons It is light and Day when he shyneth on our Soule in the Face of Christ It is Night horrible darknesse when he hydeth his Face The course of his times run not as in the world The heauenly Day may fall at the midst of the naturall night heauenly Summer and Haruest in the midst of the naturall winter Euen at mid-night it is mid-day in that Soule where God maketh our reines to teach vs knowledge All Seasons are numbered by his Fâ—ce allcaneâ—lie The earth of this world is the Rocke of Syon Iesus Christ. No stabilitie or rest to the Soule but in him The Aire is the sense of his Fauour and the comfortable Creatures are his Saintes who walke with him in righteousnesse and holinesse This heauenlie world is better than that visible one and will remaine when the other is destroyed It is a strange conceate in them who by an odde Prospect seeth an earth and cities and men in the Moone That fiction and fansie is verified in this Trueth The spirituall man seeth this heauenly world in the temporall one And with that same light hee seeth an hellish world in this visible one For what is Sathan abusing the world and leading it in euill but erecting of a world of his owne in the defacing of this created world These are solide groundes to make vs strangers on earth and Burgesses in Heauen when wee take vp these worlds distinctlie And the more cleerelie wee see them there will bee lesse difficultie to forsake the euill and â—eeke the good one Let the men of this world reckon their Seasons Tymes and Occasions by this world that they see Our reckoning is better and surer by that supernaturall one They change their Almanackes from time to times But our Sun of Righteousnesse shall distinguish our Seasons and shine vpon vs both in this life and in Heauen This sight is the worke of a new light and is to be found only in the new man whom God hath ordained for the new Heauen and for the new Earth His Calender is neither directed by Starres in heauen nor Tydes in the Sea nor Horologes on the Earth His Sunne and starres is Gods Face his Tydes are the ebbing and flowing of the influences of Grace And his Horologe the secret yet the strong motions of Gods Spirit showing the increase of Grace in the owne periods though the promouing of it bee oft-ten hid from vs. This Earth is a sort of mids betweene Heauen and Hell and yet both of them haue their image beginning in it We are called to forsake the euill and seeke the good and what worse than Satan and sinâ—e and the wicked And what better than GOD his Grace and his Sainctes If wee see these distinctlie we shal be the more enabled to moue our selfe from the euill to the good This sight is the worke of Grace but the naturall man taketh all confusedly he neither seeth nor seeketh better than the world And if he make any distinction it is false hee forsaketh good as an euill and cleeueth to euill as his happinesse 100 God is the dwelling place of the godly Soule EVerie Creature hath the owne element and rest for dwelling securitie and delight therein they are both frequentlie and pleasantlie It is a meanes to try our state by our resort and rest The Worldling is euer in the world there is no difference betweene him and the Earth but that the one liueth and the other doth not and this that liueth is worse than the other because hee liueth in sinne The godlie Soule resteth on God in all businesse it looketh to him and all the thoughts of it end in him to him aboue all it returneth resteth pleasantlie in him and from him it can not bee rent All beeing and businesse out of him is a vexation and our greatest labour is sweete by this onelie that it goeth to him and is acceptable to him God dwelleth in that Soule that cannot rest but in him hee hath loued it from eternall and called it in time to himselfe that is so taken with him and his delights No rendeuous is so known to any Creature and vsed of it as God is to that Soule that resteth in him A proofe of this rest is God resting in vs In all the world he found not rest but in man When he created the Heauen and the Earth all Beasts and Fowles he rested not til he created man his Benjamin his last Creature in worke but his first in affection there hee rested as in the end of his Creation His delight is to dwell with men and among men with the godlie for them onely of all mankinde hath hee assumed to union in Christ. If we find him dwell in vs then surely we dwell in him we may easilie know if Christ dwell in vs except we bee Reprobats 2. Cor. 5. There is great wisdome in choosing the best Lodging We lodge now conuenientlie in our Bodie but at Death it will cast vs out and the worlde our pleasant House will decay Wee rest now in our contentmentes but must flitte from them But God can neither decay nor cast vs out and at Death wee shall still abide in him We neede not then flitte from him but ascend and bee more joyned to him Wee cannot haue Tabernacles heere nor abide no not in the beginnings and growth of Grace which is now our contentment but shall bee receiued and bide in euerlasting Mansions that are in him Man naturallie inclineth to two things his beginning and end His beginning recalleth him by right of his Originall The fishes will visite the place of their spawning yeerelie And men of an hurte health returne to their natiue soyle as the aire which they took in at their birth gaue them the first outward matter of their naturall Spirits so the vse of it may bring them backe againe to their first integritie The end calleth vs to it by right of perfection the pryse of the runner the house of the Traueller are earnestlie desired So is it to the godly Our beginning in Grace is in God The Riuer of liuing waters flowe out from the Sanctuarie from vnder the Throne of GOD and the Lambe The Grace of election hath no latter beginning than eternitie nor lower discent than heauen and turneth vs vp to it againe The waters of life which Christ giueth vs
of vs in our tyme Hee fulfilled the Law tooke away Sinne satisfied Gods Iustice and so brak the jawes of Death Shall I then feare to follow such a Captaine Hee hath made Death but a carcase of an enemie I haue neither to feare in it Sinne which is pardoned nor Law which is fulfilled nor Iustice which is satisfied It is a Serpent without the Sting a Gyant without bones or armes though it swallow mee vp in a naturall dissolution it shall cast mee out as the Whale did Ionah in an immortall condition when this mortalitie shall bee swallowed vp of life When Dauid had killed Goliah the Israelites ranne as fast to see him as they fledde before from him beeing aliue Doubtlesse they contemned that sometimes terrible Gyant they trod vpon him with their feete and cut him with there swords They did that securelie because hee was dead Hee who was euen now the matter of their feare his lifeles carcase is turned a matter of their contempt and his death a cause of their joye Death may separate thee from this Bodie but neither from God nor his life in thee it shall the more vnite thee to him this Bodie that dyeth by thy departing shall liue in Death It dyeth as a creature the part of such a one but it liueth as a member of Christ and the Temple of the holie Spirit both because it is separate from all spirituall corruption of Sinne and quickened spirituallie by the holy Ghost who departeth not from it and in the Spirit of Iesus who remaineth our Head euen in Death And lastlie because thou my best part shall bee in libertie with God Death may destroy naturall life but not the Spirituall neither in Grace nor Glorie It can sease on no more than I had when I sinned in Adam I got nothing then but a sinfull body but now in Christ I haue a new bodie created to his Image who is Life it selfe so farre is it from either destroying mee or dissoluing my union with him that it both saueth mee setting mee at libertie from sinne and perfecteth mine union absolutelie with him It rusheth indeede furiouslie on mee but grippeth nothing but my shaddow I am in God in Christ as I am beloued and chosen called and sanctified As I am such Death cannot finde nor grippe mee While hee grippeth nothing but this bodie of dust as Potiphars wife laying hold on Ioseph I goe to God and leaue my garment in his hand I am dead to the world and sinne and my life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ my Life shall appeare then shall I in Soule and Bodie appeare with him in Glorie Resent thine owne estate and thou shalt finde what I say Hast thou not dyed to the world and left it before it left thee And hast thou not left the bodie before it leaue thee If thou had not come to God till the world had forsaken thee and the bodie chased thee out hee had found just cause to forsake thee and send thee backe in disdaine to these thy beloued false friends But now since in thy prosperitie thou renounced the worlde and in thine health and strength thou went daylie to God choosing rather to bee in him than in the bodie Surelie hee will welcome thee That is a token of thy liuing in him and his liuing in thee Marke how thou hast euen in this life preuented the buriall of thy bodie Hast thou not with Ioseph of Aramathea hewen thee a Sepulchre in the Rock And cropen in by the holes of that Rocke that was pearced for thee How oft hast thou gone in by these wounds of Christ to his heart by his suffering to his loue and the loue of God in him and washen thy selfe in the blood of his satisfaction Hast thou not also prepared the fine Linnen and wrapped thy selfe in the winding-sheete of his righteousnesse Thy sinnes are buried in the Seas of his mercie and thy selfe is hid in him before euer thy bodie be layed in the dust And hast thou not prouided Oyle for thy Lampe that when thou goest out of this bodie thou wander not in darknesse but enter streight way in Heauen All thy care in this life hath beene to get Oyle and to make it shine to find light and walke in that light The Rock thy Sepulchrie hath inclosed thee the Linnen of his Righteousnesse couered thee and that burning Oyle in thy Lampe shall not waste till thou enter in Heauen Since God euen thy God hath anointed thee with some measure of the Oyle of gladnesse hee hath prepared thee for his Heauenlie buriall and the smell of his Oyntments powred out on thee hath wrought a distaste of all worldlie pleasures Foure speciall thinges bring solemne joyes in this life and if we bee in Christ they all meete in vs at Death Birth Mariage Triumph and Coronation Death is my best Birth day If the childe in the wombe knew that hee were comming foorth to a free light hee would not weepe at his birth but Nature in him taketh his deliuerie for destruction so maketh him mourne at the just cause of his joye My first birth brought me out of the prison of the wombe My second brought mee out of Nature and Sinne This third and last shall bring mee perfectlie out of the world and all miserie It is my Mariage day with Christ mine Husband he hath loued mee with euerlasting loue and betrouthed mee to himselfe in righteousnesse and trueth And our Bandes are daylie proclaimed in his worshippe his Gospel preached is the signification of his loue on his part and our Prayers and desires are the signification on our part since I am glad of the Match and rejoyce at the proclaiming of these Bannes why should I fray at the solemnizing of the Mariage God sendeth out Pastors as Abraham did his seruant to choose a wife to Isaak These Messengers haue found me continuallie about the well of liuing waters The sight of Abrahams riches euen the chose Graces of God haue wone mine heart to Isaak and I haue gladlie condescended to forsake all and goe to him Though I finde him at the Euening and Sun-sette of my life I shall enjoy with him an euerlasting day of heauenlie contentment Esther was not sorrowfull but rejoyced to be takē by Ahashuerosh to wife and should not I rejoyce when the Lambe of God Christ Iesus sendeth for mee It is an glorious triumph Dauid was glad whē he heard the people sing of his victorie ouer Goliah shall I not rejoyce when God hath stramped all mine enemies vnder my feete when the deuils are howling for their defeate and the good Angels◠and Spirits doe welcome mee with joyfull Acclamations It is more seemelie that I put in my part with the glorious Spirits in the heauenly harmonie than with the euill ones in howling To bee dashed in Death is to let the present victorie goe out of mine hands Sathan shall then ouercome mee when