promises of the Gospell and our repentance from dead workes the assurance of our hope in thy promises our feare of thy name the hatred of all our sinnes and our loue vnto thy children especially those whom we shall see to stand in neede of our helpe and comfort That so by the fruits of piety and a righteous life we may bee assured that thy holy spirit doth dwell in vs and that wee are thy children by grace and adoption And grant vs good Father the continuance of health peace maintenance and all other outward things so farre forth as thy diuine wisdome shall thinke meet and necessary for euery one of vs. And heere O Lord according to our bounden dutie we confesse that thou hast beene exceeding mercifull vnto vs all in things of this life but infinitely more mercifull in the things of a better life and therefore wee doe heere from our very soules render vnto thee all humble and hearty thankes for all thy blessings and benefits bestowed vpon our soules bodies acknowledging thee to be that Father of lights from whom we haue receiued all these good and perfect gifts and vnto thee alone for them wee ascribe to be due all glory honour and praise both now and euermore But more especially wee praise thy diuine maiesty for that thou hast defended vs this day from all perils and dangers so that none of those iudgements which our sinnes haue deserued haue fallen vpon any one of vs. Good Lord forgiue vs the sinnes which this day wee haue committed against thy diuine Maiesty and our Brethren and for Christ his sake be reconciled vnto vs for them And wee beseech thee likewise of the same thine infinite goodnesse and mercy to defend and protect vs and all that belong vnto vs this night from all danger of fire robbery terrours of euill Angels or any other feare or perill which for our sinnes might iustly fall vpon vs. And that wee may be safe vnder the shadow of thy wings we heere commend our bodies and soules and all that wee haue vnto thine Almighty protection Lord blesse and defend both vs and them from all euill And whilest wee sleepe doe thou O Father who neuer slumbrest nor sleepest watch ouer thy children and giue a charge to thy holy Angels to pitch their tents round about our house and dwelling to guard vs from all dangers That sleeping with thee wee may in the next morning be wakned by thee and so being refreshed with moderate sleepe we may be the fitter to set foorth thy glory in the conscionable duties of our callings And we beseech thee O Lord to bee mercifull likewise to thy whole Church and to continue the tranquillity of these Kingdomes wherin we liue turning from vs those plagues which the crying sinnes of this Nation doe cry for Preserue our religious King Iames from all dangers and conspiracies blesse and prosper the Queene our hopefull Prince Charles The Princely Palsgraue of Rhene and the gracious Princesse Elizabeth his deare wife all our Magistrates and Ministers all that feare thee and call vpon thy name all our Christian brethren and sisters that suffer sickenesse or any other affliction or misery especially those who any where doe suffer persecution for the testimony of the holy Gospell grant them patience to beare thy crosse and deliuerance when and which way it shall seeme best to thy diuine wisdome And Lord suffer vs neuer to forget our last endes and those reckonings which then we must render vnto thee In health and prosperity make vs mindefull of sickenesse and of the euill day that is behinde that these things may not ouertake vs as a snare but that we may in good measure likewise Virgins be found prepared for the comming of Christ the sweet bridegroome of our soules And now O Lord most holy and iust we confesse that there is no cause why thou who art so much displeased with sinne shouldest heare the praier of sinners but for his sake onely who suffered for sinne and sinned not In the onely mediation therefore of thine eternall Sonne Iesus our Lord and Sauiour wee humbly begge these and all other graces which thou knowest to be needfull for vs shutting vp those our imperfect requests in that most holy praier vvhich Christ himselfe hath taught vs to say vnto thee Our Father c. Thy grace O Lord Iesus Christ thy loue O heauenly Father thy comfort and consolation O holy and blessed Spirit be with vs and remaine with vs this night and for euermore Amen Then saluting one another as becommeth Christians who are the vessels of Grace and temples of the holy Ghost Let them in the feare of God depart euery one to his rest vsing some of the former priuate meditations for Euening Thus farre of the Householders publike practise of Piety with his Family euery day Now followeth his practise of Piety with the Church on the Saboth day Meditations of the true manner of practising Pietie on the Sabbath day ALmighty God will haue himselfe worshipped not onely in a priuate manner by priuate persons and Families but also in a more publike sort of all the godly ioyned together in a visible Church that by this meanes he may be knowne not onely to be God and Lord of euery singular person but also of the Creatures of the whole vniuersall world Quest. But why doe not we Christians vnder the new keepe the Sabbath on the same seauenth day vvhereon it was kept vnder the Old Testament I answere because that our Lord Iesus who is the Lord of the Sabbath and whom the Law it selfe commands vs to heare did alter it from that seauenth day to this first day of the vveeke whereon wee keepe the Sabbath For the holy Euangelist notes that our Lord came into the middest of the holy assembly on the two first dayes of the two weekes immediately following his Resurrection and then blessed the Church breathed on the Apostles the holy Ghost and gaue them the ministeriall Keyes and power of binding and remitting sinnes And so it is most probable he did in a solemne manner euery first day of the weeke during the fortie dayes hee continued on earth betweene his Resurrection and Ascention for the fiftieth day after being the first of the weeke the Apostles were assembled during which time hee gaue Commandements vnto the Apostles and spake vnto them those things which appertaine to the Kingdome of God that is instructed them how they should throughout the Churches vvhich were to be conuerted change the Sabbath to the Lords day the bodily sacrifices of beasts to the spirituall sacrifices of praise prayer and contrite hearts the Leuiticall Priesthood of the Law to the Christian Ministry of the Gospell the Iewish Temples and Sinagogues to Churches and Oratories the olde Sacraments of Circumcision and Passeouer to Baptisme and the Lords Supper c. as may appeare by the like phrase Acts 19.8 and Acts 28.23
Col. 4.11 put for the whole summe of Pauls doctrine by which was wrought all these changes where it tooke effect So that as Christ vvas fortie dayes instructing Moses in Sinai what hee should teach and how hee should rule the Church vnder the Law So hee continued fortie dayes teaching his Disciples in Sion what they should preach and how they should gouerne the Church vnder the Gospell And seeing it is manifest that within those fortie dayes Christ appointed vvhat Ministers should teach and how they should gouerne his Church to the worlds end it is not to be doubted but that vvithin those fortie dayes hee likewise ordayned on what day they should keepe their Sabbath and ordinarily doe the vvorkes of their Ministerie especially seeing that vnder the olde Testament GOD shewed himselfe as carefull both by his Morall and Ceremoniall Law to prescribe the time as well as the matter of his vvorship Neyther is it a thing to be omitted that the Lord who hath times and seasons in his owne power appointed this first day of the weeke to be the very day wherein hee sent downe from heauen the holy Ghost vpon the Apostles so that vpon that day they first beganne and euer after continued the publike exercising of their Ministerie in the preaching of the Word the administration of the Sacraments and the loosing of the sinnes of penitent sinners vpon these and the like grounds Athanasius plainly affirmeth that the Sabbath day was changed by the Lord himselfe As therefore our Communion is tearmed the Lords Supper because it vvas instituted of the Lord for the remembrance of his death so the Christian Sabbath is called the Lords day because it was ordained of the Lord for the memoriall of his Resurrection And as the Name of the Lord honoureth the one so doth it the other And as the Lord of the Sabbath by his royall prerogatiue and transcendent authority could so hee had also reason to change the holy Sabbath from the seauenth day to this whereon wee keepe it For as concerning that seauenth day wee followed the sixe dayes wherein God finished the Creation there was no such precise institution or necessitie of sanctifying it perpetually but such as by the same authoritie or vpon greater reason and occasion it might very well be changed and altered vnto some other seauenth day For the Commandement doth not say Remember to keepe holy the seauenth day next following the sixt day of the creation or this or that seauenth day but indefinitely remember that thou keepe holy a seauenth day And to speake properly as wee take a day for the distinction of time called eyther a day naturall consisting of 24. houres or a day artificiall consisting of 12. houres from Sun-rising to Sun-setting and withall consider the Sun standing still at noone in Ioshuahs time the space of a whole day and the Sunne going backe tenne degrees viz. fiue houres almost halfe an artificiall day in Ezechias time the Iewes themselues could not keepe their Sabbath vpon that precise and iust distinction of time called at the first the seuenth day from the Creation Adde hereunto that in respect of the diuersitie of Meridians and the vnequall rising and setting of the Sunne euery day varyeth in some places a quarter in some halfe in other a whole day Therefore the Iewish seauenth day cannot precisely be kept at the same instant of time euery where in the world Now our Lord Iesus hauing authoritie as Lord ouer the Sabbath had likewise novv farre greater reason and occasion to translate the Sabbath from the Iewish seauenth day vnto the seauenth day whereon Christians doe keepe the Sabbath 1 Because that by his Resurrection from the dead there is wrought a new spirituall creation of the World without which all the sonnes of Adam had beene turned to euerlasting destruction and all the workes of the first creation had ministred no consolation vnto vs. And in respect of this new spirituall Creation the Scripture saith that Olde things are passed away and all things are become new new creatures new people new men new knowledge new Testamant new Commandement new names new vvay new song new garment new Wine new vessels new Ierusalem new Heauen and a new Earth And therefore of necessitie there must be in stead of the olde a new Sabbath day to honour and praise our Redeemer and to meditate vpon the vvorke of our Redemption and to shew the new change of the olde Testament 3 Because that on this day Christ rested from all the sufferings of his Passion and finished the glorious Worke of our Redemption If therefore the finishing of the work of the first Creation whereby GOD mightily manifested himselfe vnto his creatures deserued a Sabbath for to solemnize the memoriall of so great a worke to the honor of the vvorker and therefore cals it mine holy Day much more doth the new creation of the world effected by the resurrection of Christ whereby he mightily declared himselfe to be the Sonne of God deserue a Sabbath for the perpetuall commemoration thereof to the honor of Christ and therefore worthily called the Lords day For as the deliuerance out of the captiuitie of Babilon being greater tooke away the name from the deliuerance out of the bondage of Egipt so the day whereon Christ finished the redemption of the world did more iustly deserue to haue the Sabath kept on it then on that day wherein GOD ceased from creating the world As therefore in the Creation the first day wherein it was finished was consecrated for a Sabbath so in the time of Redemption the first day wherein it was perfected must be dedicated to a holy rest But still a seuenth day kept according to Gods morall cōmandement The Iewes kept the last day of the weeke beginning their Sabath with the night when GOD rested but Christians honour the Lord better on the first day of the weeke beginning the Sabath with the day when the Lord arose They kept their Sabath in remembrance of the worlds Creation but Christians celebrate it in memoriall of the worlds redemption yea the Lords day being the first of the Creation and Redemption puts vs in minde both of the making of the olde and redeeming of the new world As therefore vnder the old Testament God by the glorie consisting of 7. Lampes 7. Branches c. putting them in remembrance of the Creations light and Sabbaths rest So vnder the new Testament Christ the true light of the world approaceth in the middest of the 7. Lampes and 7. golden candlestickes to put vs in minde to honour our redeemer in the light of the Gospell on the Lords seuenth day of rest And seeing the Redemption both for might and mercie so farre exceedeth the creation it stood with great reason that the greater
worke should carie the honour of the day Neither doth the honourable title of the Lords day diminish the glory of the Sabbath but rather being added augments the dignity thereof as the name Israel added vnto Iacob made the Patriarch the more renowned The reason taken from the example of Gods resting from the worke of the creation of the world continued in force till the Sonne of God ceased from the worke of the Redemption of the world and then the former gaue place to the latter 4 Because it was foretold in the olde Testament that the Sabath should be kept vnder the New Testament on the first day of the weeke For first in the 110. Psalme which is a Prophesie of Christ and his kingdome it is plainely foretold that there should be a solemne day of Assembling wherein all Christs people should willingly come together in the beauty of holinesse Insomuch that no raine of peace shall be vpon those Families that in that feast will not goe vp to Ierusalem the Church to worship the King the Lord of Hoasts Now on what day this holy feast and assembly should bee kept Dauid sheweth plainlie in Psal. 118. which was a prophesie of Christ as appeares Matth. 21.42 Act. 4.11 Ephes. 2.20 as also by the consent of all the Iewes as Ierome witnesseth For shewing how Christ by his ignominious death should be as a stone reiected of the builders or chiefe rulers of Iudea and yet by this glorious resurrection should become the chiefe stone of the corner hee wisheth the whole Church to keepe holy that day wherupon Christ should effect this wonderful worke saying This is the day which the Lord hath made let vs reioyce be glad in it And seeing that vpon this day that which Peter saith of Christ appeareth to be true That God made him both Lord and and Christ. Acts 2.36 And therefore the whole Church vnder the New Testament must celebrate the day of Christs resurrection Rabbi Bachay also saw by the fall of Adam on the 6. day that on the same day Messias should finish the worke of mans redemption And alluding to the speech of Boaz to Ruth Sleepe vnto the morning that Messias should rest in his graue all their Sabbath day And he gathereth from that Speech Gen. 1. on the first day Let there be light that the Messias should rise on the First day of the weeke from death to life and cause the spirituall light of the Gospell to enlighten the world that lay in the shadow of darkenesse and death The Hebrew author of the Booke called Sedar Olam Rabba cap. 7. recordeth many memorable things which were done vpon the first day of the weeke as so many types that the chiefe worship of God should vnder the New Testament be celebrated vpon this day As That on this day the cloude of Gods Maiesty first sate vpon his people Aaron and his children first executed their Priesthood God first solemnly blessed his people The Princes of his people first offered publikely vnto God The first day wherein fire descended from heauen The first day of the world of the yeere of moneths of the weeke c. All shadowing that it should be first and chiefe holy-day of the New Testament Saint Austen prooueth by diuers places and reasons out of the holy Scripture that the Fathers and all the holy Prophets vnder the Old Testament did foresee and know that our Lords day was shadowed by their 8. day of Circumcision And that the Sabath should be changed from the 7. day to the 8. or first day of the weeke And Iunius out of Cyprian saith that Circumcision was commanded on the 8. day as a Sacrament of the 8. day when Christ should arise from the dead The Councell Foro Iuliense affirmes that Esay Prophesied of the keeping of the Sabath vpon the first day of the weeke If this mystery was so clearely seene by the Fathers vnder the shaddowes of the Old Testament sure the God of this world hath deepely blinded their mindes who cannot see the truth thereof vnder the shining light of the Gospell Therefore this change of the Sabath day vnder the New was nothing but a fulfilling of that which was prefigured and foreprophesied vnder the old Testament 5 According to their Lords minde and commandement and the derection of the holy Ghost which alway assisted them in their Ministeriall office the Apostles in all the Christian Churches which they planted ordained that the Christians should keepe the holy Sabath vpon that seauenth day which is the first day of the weeke Concerning the gathering for the Saints as I haue ordained in the Churches of Galatia so doe yee also Euery first day of the weeke c. When ye come together in the Church being the Lords day to eate the Lord Supper to remember and shew the Lords death till he come c. In which words note 1 That the Apostle ordained this day to bee kept holy therefore a diuine Institution 2 That the day is named the first day of the weeke therefore not the Iewish seauenth or any other 3 Euery first day of the weeke which sheweth a perpetuity 4 That it was ordained in the Churches of Galatia as well as of Corinth and hee setled one vniforme order in all the Churches of the Saints therefore it was vniuersall 5 That the exercises of this day were collections for the poore which appeares by Act. 2.42 and Iustine Martyrs testimony Apolog. 2. were gathered in the holy Assembly after Prayers Preaching of the Word and administration of the Sacraments therefore it was spirituall 6 That he will haue the collection though necessary remoued against his comming lest it should hinider his preaching but not their holy meeting on the Lords day for it vvas the time ordained for the publike worship of the Lord which argueth a necessity And in the same Epistle Saint Paul protesteth that he deliuered them none other ordinance or doctrine but what hee had receiued of the Lord. Insomuch that hee chargeth them that If any man thinke himselfe to bee a Prophet or spirituall let him acknowledge that the things that I write vnto you are the commandements of the Lord. But he wrote vnto them and ordained among them to keepe their Sabbath on the first day of the weeke therefore to keepe the Sabbath on that day is the very commandement of the Lord. And how can hee be eyther a true Prophet or haue any grace of Gods Spirit in his heart who seeing so clearely the Lords day to haue beene instituted and ordained by the Apostles vvill not acknowledge the keeping holy of the Lords day to be a Commandement of the Lord The Iewes confesse this change of the Sabbath to haue beene made by the Apostles Pet. Alphons in Dialog contr Iudaeos tit 12. they are therefore more blinde and sottish then the Iewes who prophanely denie it At Troas likewise
Saint Paul together with seauen of the chiefe Euangelists of the Church Sopater Aristarchus Secundus Gayus Timotheus Tichicus and Trophimus and all the Christians that were there kept the holy Sabbath on the first day of the weeke in praying preaching and receiuing the Lords Supper And as it is a thing to be noted that Luke saith not that the Disciples were sent for to heare Paul preach but the Disciples being come together to breake bread vpon the first day of the weeke that is to be partakers of the holy Communion at what time the Lords death vvas by the preaching of the word shewed 1 Cor. 11.26 Paul preached vnto them c. And that none kept these meetings but Christians who onely are called Disciples Act. 11.26 But at Philippi vvhere as yet there were no Disciples Paul is said to goe on their Sabbath day to the place where the Iewes and their Proselites were wont to pray and there preached vnto them Acts 16.12.13 so that it is as cleare as the Sun that it vvas the Christians vsuall manner to passe ouer the Iewish seauenth day and to keepe the Sabbath and their holy meetings on the first day of the vveeke And why doth S. Iohn call this the Lords day but because it was a day knowne to be generally kept holy to the honour of the Lord Iesus who rose from death to life vpon that day throughout all the Churches which the Apostles planted Which Saint Iohn calleth the Lords day the rather to stirre vp Christians to a thankefull remembrance of their Redemption by Christ his Resurrection from the dead And vvith the day the blessing of the Sabbath is likewise translated to the Lords day because that all the sanctification belonging to this new world is in CHRIST and from him conuayed to Christians And because there cannot come a greater authoritie then that of Christ and his Apostles nor the like cause as the new creation of the vvorld therefore the Sabbath can neuer be altered from this day to any other vvhilest this vvorld lasteth Adde hereunto how the Scripture noteth that in the first planting setling of the Church nothing was done but by the speciall order and direction of the Apostles 1 Cor. 11.34 1 Cor. 14.36.37 Tit. 1.5 Acts 15.6.24 and the Apostles did nothing but what they had vvarrant for from Christ 1 Cor. 11.23 To sanctifie then the Sabboth on the seauenth day is not a ceremoniall Law abrogated but the morall and perpetuall Law of God perfected So that the same perpetuall Commaundement which bound the Iewes to keepe the Sabbath on that seauenth day to celebrate the worlds creation bindes Christians to solemnize the Sabbath on this seauenth day in memoriall of the worlds Redemption for the fourth Commandement being a Morall Law requireth a seauenth day to be kept holy for euer And the Moralitie of this as of the rest of the Commandements is more religiously to be kept of vs vnder the Gospel then of the Iewes vnder the Law by how much we in Baptisme haue made a more speciall Couenant vvith God to keepe his Commandements and God hath couenanted vvith vs to free vs from the Curse and to assist vs vvith his spirit to keepe his Lawes And that this Commandement of the Sabbath as vvell as the other nine is Morall and perpetuall may plainely appeare by these reasons Tenne Reasons demonstrating the commandement of the Sabbath to be Morall 1 BEcause all the reasons of this Commandement are morall and perpetuall And God hath bound vs to the obedience of this Commandement with more forcible reasons then to any of the rest First because he did fore-see that irreligious men vvould eyther more carelesly neglect or more boldly breake this Commandement then any other Secondly because that in the practise of this Commandement the keeping of all the other consisteth vvhich makes GOD so often complaine that all his worship is neglected or ouer-throwne when the Sabbath is eyther neglected or transgressed It vvould make a man amazed saith Mr. Caluin to consider how eft and vvith what zeale protestation God requireth all that will be his people to sanctifie the seauenth day Yea how the God of mercy mercilesly punisheth the breach of this Commandement with cruell death as though it were the summe of his vvhole honour and seruice And it is certaine that hee who makes no conscience to breake the Sabbath will not to serue his turne make any conscience to breake any of the other Commandements so hee may doe it without discredit of his reputation or danger of mans law Therefore God placed this Commandement in the middest of the two Tables because the keeping of it is the best helpe to the keeping of all the rest The conscionable keeping of the Sabbath is the Mother of all Religion and good discipline in the Church Take away the Sabbath and let euery man serue God when hee listeth and vvhat vvill shortly become of Religion and that peace and order which God will haue to be kept in his Church The Sabbath day is Gods Market day for the weekes prouision wherein hee vvill haue vs to come vnto him and buy of him without siluer or money the Bread of Angels and Water of life the Wine of the Sacraments and Milke of the Word to feede our Soules tryed Gold to enrich our Faith precious eye-salue to heale our spirituall blindenesse and the white rayment of Christs righteousnesse to couer our filthy nakednesse Hee is not farre from true Pietie who makes conscience to keepe the Sabbath day but he who can dispense with his conscience to breake the Sabbath for his owne profit or pleasure his heart neuer yet felt what eyther the feare of God or true Religion meaneth For of this Commandement may that speech of S. Iames be verified he that faileth in one is guiltie of all Seeing therefore that GOD hath fenced this Commandement vvith so many morall reasons it is euident that the Commandement it selfe is morall 2 Because it vvas commanded of GOD to Adam in his Innocencie vvhilest holding his happinesse not by Faith in Christs Merits but by Obedience to Gods Law hee needed no Ceremonie shadowing the Redemption of Christ. A Sabbath therefore of a seauenth day cannot be simply a Ceremonie but an essentiall part of Gods worship enioyned vnto man vvhen there vvas but one condition of all men And if it was necessary for our first Parents to haue a Sabbath day to serue GOD in their perfection much more neede their Posteritie to keepe the Sabbath in the state of their corruption And seeing God himselfe kept this day holy how can that man be holy that doth wilfully prophane it 3 Because it is one of the commandements which God spake with his owne mouth and twice vvrote with his owne Fingers in Tables of stone to signifie their authoritie and perpetuitie All that God wrote were morall and perpetuall commandements and
those are reckoned tenne in number If this were now but an abrogated ceremony then there were but nine commandements The Ceremoniall that were to be abrogated by Christ were written all by Moses But this of the Sabbath with the other nine written by GOD himselfe were put into the Arke where no Ceremoniall Law was put to shew that they should bee the perpetuall rules of the Church yet such as none could perfectly fulfill and keepe but onely Christ. 4 Because Christ professeth that hee came not to destroy the morall law and that the least of them should not bee abrogated in his kingdome of the new Testament Insomuch that Whosoeuer breaketh one of the least of these tenne commandements and teacheth men so hee should be called the least in the kingdome of heauen that is hee should haue no place in his Church Now the Morall Law commandeth one day of seuen to bee perpetually kept a holy Sabbath And Christ himselfe expresly mentioneth the the keeping of a Sabbath among his Christians at the destruction of Ierusalem about 42. yeeres after his Resurrection By which time all the Mosaical ceremonies except eating of bloud and things strangled were by a publike decree of all the Apostles quite abolished and abrogated in Christian Churches And therefore Christ adomonished his Disciples to pray that their flight bee not in the Winter nor on the Sabbath day Not in the winter for that by reason of the foulnesse of the waies and weather their flight should be more painefull and troublesome vnto them not vpon the Sabath because it would bee more grieuous to their hearts to spend that day in toyling to saue their liues which the Lord had commanded to be spent in holy exercises to comfort their soules Now if the sanctifying of the Sabaoth on this day had bene but ceremoniall it had beene no griefe to haue fled on this day no more then on any other day of the weeke But in that Christ doth tender so much this feare and griefe of being driuen to flye on the Sabath day and therefore wisheth his to pray vnto God to preuent such an occasion hee plainely demonstrates that the obseruation of the Sabbath is no abrogated ceremony but a Morall commandement confirmed and established by Christ among Christians If you would know the day whereupon Christ appointed Christians to keepe the Sabbath Saint Iohn will tell you that it was on the Lords day Apoc. 1.10 If you will know on what day of the weeke that was Saint Paul will tell you that it was on euery first day of the weeke 1 Cor. 16.1 As Christ admonished so Christians pray and according to their praiers GOD a little before the warres beganne warneth by an Oracle all the Christians in Ierusalem to departe thence and to goe to Pella a little Towne beyond Iorden and so to escape the wrath of GOD that should fall vpon that City and Nation If then a Christian should not without griefe of heart flye for the safety of his life on the Lords day with what ioy or comfort can a true Christian neglect the holy exercises of Gods worship in the Church to spend the greatest part of the Lords day in prophane and carnall sports or seruile labour And seeing the destruction of Ierusalem was both a type and an assurance of the destruction of the world who seeeth not but that the holy Sabbath must continue till the very end of the world 5 Because that all the ceremoniall Law was inioyned to the Iewes onely and not to the Gentiles but this commandement of the holy Sabbath as Matrimony was instituted of God in the state of innocency when there was but one state of all men and therfore inioyned to the Gentiles as well as to the Iewes So that all Magistrates and Housholders were commanded to constraine all strangers as well as their own Subiects and Family to obserue the holy Sabath as appeares by the fourth commandement and practise of Nehemiah All the Ceremonies were a partition wall to separate Iewes and Gentiles But seeing the Gentiles are bound to keepe this commandement as well as the Iewes it is euident that it is no Iewish ceremony And seeing the same authority is for the Sabbath that is for marriage a man may as well say that marriage is but a ceremonial law as the Sabath And remember that where mariage is termed but once the couenant of GOD because instituted by GOD in the beginning So the Sabbath is euery where called the Sabbath of the Lord thy God because ordained by God in the same beginning both of time state and perpetuity therefore not ceremoniall The corruption of our nature found in the manifest opposition of wicked men and in the secret vnwillingnesse of good men to sanctifie sincerely the Sabbath sufficiently demonstrateth that the commandement of the Sabbath is spirituall and morall 7 Because that as God by a perpetuall decree made the the Sunne the Moone and other lights in the Firmament of Heauen not onely to diuide the day from the night but also to bee for signes and for seasons and for daies and for yeeres so hee ordained in the Church on Earth the holy Sabbath to be not onely the appointed season for his solemne worship but also the perpetual rule and measure of time So that as seauen daies make a weeke foure weekes a moneth twelue moneths a yeere so seuen yeeres make a Sabbath of yeeres seuen Sabbaths of yeeres a Iubilie or 80. Iubilies or 4000 yeeres or after Ezechiel 4000 cubits the whole time of the old Testament til Christ by his Baptisme and preaching began the state of the new Testament Neither can I here passe ouer without admiration how the Sacrament of circumcision continued in the Church 39. Iubilies from Abraham to whom it was first giuen vnto the Baptisme of Christ in Iordan which was iust so many Iubilies after Bucholcerus compt as the world had continued before from Adam to the birth of Abraham Moses began his Ministry in the 80. yeere of his age Christ enters vpon his Office in the 80. Iubile of the worlds age Ioseph was 30. yeere olde when he began to rule ouer Egypt Gen. 41.46 and the Leuites began to serue in the Tabernacle at 30. yeeres old so Christ likewise to answere these figures beganne his Ministrie in the 30. Iubile of Moses and when he began to be 30. yeeres of age Luk. 3.23 in the middest of Daniels last weeke and so continuing his ministry on earth 3. yeeres and a halfe finished our redemption and Daniels period by his innocent death vpon the Crosse. The most of all the great alterations and strange accidents which fell out in the Church came to passe either in a Sabaticall yeere or in a yeere of Iubilie For example The 70. weekes of Daniel beginning the first yeere of Cyrus and 3430. yeere of the World containe so
Sabbath vvhich wee call the Lords day and which he himselfe ordained according to Christs commandement in the same Churches of Galatia and Corinth kept himselfe in other Churches but he speakes of the Iewish daies and times and yeeres and the keeping of the Sabbath on the seauenth day from the Creation which he tearmeth shadowes of things to come abolished now by Christ the body and in the Law are called sabbaths but distinguished from the morall Sabbaths 2 That of Paul to the Colossians let no man therfore condemne you in meate or drinke or in respect of an Holy-day or of the new moone or of the Sabbath dayes But here the Apostle meaneth the Iewish ceremoniall Sabbaths not the Christian Lords day as before 3 That of the same Apostle to the Romanes This man esteemeth one day aboue another day and another counteth euery day alike c. But Saint Paul makes no such account For the question there is not betweene Iew Gentiles but betweene the stronger and weaker Christian The stronger esteemed one day aboue another as appeares in that there vvas a day both commanded and receiued in the Church euery where knowne and honoured by the name of the Lords day And therefore Paul saith here that hee that obserued this day obserued it vnto the Lord. The obseruation whereof because of the change of the Iewish seuenth day some weake Christians as many now a dayes thought not so necessary so that if men because the Iewish day is abrogated will not honour and keepe holy the Lords day but count it like other dayes it is an argument saith the Apostle of their weaknesse whose infirmitie must be borne till they haue time to be further instructed and perswaded Other obiections are friuolous and not worth the answering The true manner of keeping holy the Lords day NOW the sanctifying of the Sabbath consists in two things First In resting from all seruile and common businesse pertaining to our naturall life Secondly In consecrating that rest wholy to the seruice of God and the vse of those holy meanes which belong to our spirituall life For the first 1 The seruile and common workes from which wee are to cease are generally all ciuill workes from the least to the greatest More particularly First from all the workes of our calling though it were reaping in the time of haruest Secondly from carrying burthens as Carryers doe or riding abroad for profit or for pleasure GOD hath commanded that the beasts should rest on the Sabbath day because all occasion of trauailing or labouring vvith them should be cut off from man GOD giues them that day a rest and he that without necessitie depriues them of their rest on the Lords day the groanes of the poore tyred beasts shall in the day of the Lord rise vp in Iudgement against him Likewise such as spend the greatest part of this day in trimming painting and pampering of themselues like Iezabels doing the Diuels worke vpon Gods day Thirdly from keeping of Fayres â—r Markets which for the most part God punisheth with pestilence fire and strange flouds Fourthly from studying any books or science but the holy Scriptures Diuinity For our studie must be to bee rauished in spirit vpon the Lords day In a word Thou must on that day cease in thy calling to doe thy worke that the Lord by his calling may doe his worke in thee For whatsoeuer is gotten by common working on this day shall neuer be blessed of the Lord but it will prooue like Achans golde which being got contrary to the Lords commandement brought the fire of Gods curse vpon all the rest which hee had lawfully gotten And if Christ scourged them out as theeues who bought and sold in his Temple which was but a ceremony shortly to be abrogated is it to bee thought that hee will euer suffer those to escape vnpunished who contrary to his commandement buy and sell on the Sabbath day which is his perpetuall law Christ calleth such sacrilegious Theeues and as well may they steale the Communion Câ—p from the Lords Table as steale from GOD the chiefest part of the Lords day to consume it in their owne lasts Such shall one day finde the Iudgements of God heauier then the opinions of men Fiftly from all recreations and sports which at other times are lawfull for if lawfull workes be forbidden on this day much more lawfull sports which do more steale away our affections from the contemplation of heauenly things then any bodily worke or labour Neither can there bee vnto a man that delighteth in the Lord any greater delâ—ght or recreation then the sanctifying of the Lords day For can there be any greater ioy for a person condemned then to come to his Prince his house to haue his pardon sealed For one that is deadly sicke to come to a Phisitian that can cure him Or for a Prodigall childe that fed on the huskes of Swine to bee admitted to eate the bread of life at his Fathers Table Or for him who feares for sinne the tydings of death to come to heare from God the assurance of eternall life If thou wilt allow thy selfe or thy seruant recreation allow it in the sixe daies which are thine not on the Lords day which is neither thine nor theirs No bodily receation therefore is to bee vsed on this day but so farre as it may helpe the soule to doe more cheerefully the seruice of the Lord. Sixtly from grosse feeding liberall drinking of wine or strong drinke which may make vs either drowsiâ— or vnapt to serue GOD with our hearts and mindes Seuenthly from all talking about wordly things which hindreth the sanctifying of the Sabbath more then working seeing one may worke alone but cannot talke but with others He that keepes the Sabbath onely by resting from his ordinary worke keepes it but as a beast But rest on this day is so farre commanded to Christians as it is an helpe to sanctification and labour so farre forbidden as it is an impediment to the outward and inward worship of GOD. If then those recreations which are lawfull at other times are on the Sabbath not allowed much more those that are altogether at all times vnlawfull Who without mourning can endure to see how in most places Christians keepe the Lords day as if they celebrated a feast rather to Bacchus then to the honour of the Lord Iesus the Sauiour and Redeemer of the world For hauing serued God but an houre in outward shew they spend the rest of the Lords day in sitting downe to eate and drinke and rising vp to play First balasting their bellies with eating and drinking and then feeding their lusts with playing and dancing Against which prophanation all holy Diuines both old and new haue in their times most bitterly inueighed Insomuch that August affirmeth that it was better to plough
a spoonefull of supping to releeue languishing nature The wretched soule seeing her selfe thus desolate and altogether destitute of friēds helpe and comfort and knowing that within an houre shee must be in euerlasting paines retires her selfe to the heart which of all members is Primum viuens vltimum moriens from whence shee makes this dolefull lamentation with her selfe O miserable caitiffe that I am How doe the Sorrowes of death compasse me How doe the floudes of Belial make me afraid Now haue indeed the snares both of the first and second death ouertaken me at once Oh how sodainlie hath death stollen vpon me with insensible degrees Like the Sunne which the eie perceiues not to mooue though it bee most swift of motion How doth Death wreake on me his spite without pitty The GOD of mercie hath vtterly forsaken me and the Deuill who knowes no mercy waites for to take me How often haue I been warned of this dolefull day by the faithfull Preachers of Gods word and I made but a iest thereat What profit haue I now of all my pride fine house and faire apparell what 's become of the sweet relish of all my delicious fare All the wordly goods which I so carefully gathered would I now giue for a good conscience which I so carelesly neglected And what ioy remaines now of all my former fleshly pleasures wherein I placed my cheefe delight Those foolish pleasures were but deceitfull dreames and now they are past like vanishing shadowes but to thinke of those eternall paines which I must endure for those short pleasures paines me an Hell before I enter into Hell Yet iustly I confesse as I haue deserued I am serued that being made after Gods Image a reasonable soule able to iudge mine owne estate and hauing mercy so often offered and I entreated to receiue it I neglected Gods grace and preferred the pleasures of sin before the religious care of pleasing GOD lewdly spending my short time without considering what accounts I should make of my last end And now all the pleasures of my life being put together counteruaile not the lest part of my present paines My ioies were but momentany and gone before I could scarse enioy them my miseries are eternall and neuer shall know end Oh that I had spent the houres that I consumed in carding dicing playing and other vile exercises in reading the Scriptures in hearing Sermons in receiuing the Communion in weeping for my sins in fasting watching praying and in preparing my soule that I might haue now departed in the assured hope of euerlasting saluation Oh that I were now to beginne my life againe how would I contemne the world and the vanities thereof how religiouslie and purely would I leade my life how would I frequent the Church and sanctifie the Lords day If Satan should offer me all the treasures pleasures and promotions of this world he should neuer entice mee to forget these terrors of this last dreadfull houre But O corrupt carkasse and stinking carrion How hath the Deuil deluded vs and how haue we serued and deceiued each other and pulled swift damnation vpon vs both Now is my case more miserable then the beast that perisheth in a ditch for I must goe to answere before the iudgement seate of the righteous Iudge of heauen and earth where I shall haue none to speake for mee and these wicked fiends who are priuy to al my euil deeds will accuse me and I cannot excuse my selfe My owne heart already condemnes mee I must needes therefore be damned before his iudgment seat and from thence be carried by these infernall fiendes into that horrible prison of endlesse torments and vtter darkenesse where I shall neuer more see light that first most excellent thing that God made I who gloried heretofore in being a libertine am now inclosed in the very clawes of Satan as the trembling Partriges within the griping talents of the rauenenous Falcon. Where shall I logde to night and who shall be my companions Oh horror to thinke Griefe to consider Oh cursed be the day wherein I was borne let not the day wherin my mother bare me be blessed Cursed be the man that shewed my Father saying a child is borne vnto thee and comforted him Cursed be that man because he slew mee not Oh that my mother might haue beene my graue or her wombe a perpetual conception How is it that I came forth of the wombe to endure these hellish sorrowes and that my daies should thus end with eternall shame Cursed be the day that I was first vnited to so lewd a body O that I had but so much fauour as that I might neuer see thee more Our parting is bitter and dolefull but our meeting againe to receiue at that dreadfull day the fulnesse of our deserued vengeance will be farre more terrible and intollerable But what meane I thus by too late lamentation to seeke to prolong time My lost houre is come I heare the heart strings breake this filthy house of clay fals on my head heere is neither hope helpe nor place of any longer abiding And must I needes be gon Then filthy carkase Oh filthy carkasse with fareill farewell I leaue thee And so all-trembling shee commeth foorth and foorthwith is seised vpon by Infernall fiendes who carry her with violence torrents simil◠to the bottomlesse lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Where she is kept as a prisoner in torments till the generall iudgement of the great day The loathsome carkase is afterwards laid in the graue In which action for the most part the dead bury the dead that is They who are dead in sinne bury them who are dead for sinne And thus the godlesse and vnregenerated wordling who made earth his Paradice his belly his God his lust his law as in his life he sowed vanitie so he is now dead and reapeth misery In his prosperity he neglected to serue GOD In his aduersity GOD refuseth to saue him And the Deuill whom he long serued now at length paies him his wages Detestable was his life damnable his death The Deuill hath his soule the graue hath his carkasse in which pit of corruption den of death and dungeon of sorrow let vs leaue the miserable caitiffe rotting with his mouth full of earth his belly full of wormes and his carkasse ful of stench expecting a fearefull resurrection when his shall be reunited with the soule that as they sinned together so they may be eternally tormented together Thus farre of the miseries of the soule and body in death which is but cursednesse in part Now followes the fulnesse cursednesse which is the misery of the soule and body after death Meditations of the misery of a man after death which is the fulnesse of Cursednesse THe fulnesse when it fals vpon a Creature not able to beare the burnt thereof presseth him down to that bottomlesse deepe of the endlesse wrath of Almightie God which is called
thy name is a strong tower of defence vnto all those that trust therein I here recommend my selfe and all that doe belong vnto me vnto thy holy protection and custodie If it be thy blessed will to call for me in my sleepe O Lord for Christ his sake haue mercy vpon me and receiue my soule into thy heauenly Kingdome And if it be thy blessed pleasure to adde more dayes vnto my life O Lord adde more amendement vnto my dayes and weane my mind from the loue of the world and worldly vanities and cause mee more and more to settle my conuersation on Heauen and heauenly things And perfect daily in mee that good worke which thou hast begun to the glory of thy Name and the saluation of my sinfull Soule O Lord I beseech thee likewise saue and defend from all euill and danger thy whole Church the Kings Maiestie the Queene the Prince Charles together with the Princely Count Palatine of Rhene and the religious Princesse Elizabeth his Wife keepe them all in the sinceritie of thy Truth and prosper them in all grace and happinesse Blesse the Nobilitie Ministers and Magistrates of these Churches Kingdomes each of them with those graces which are expedient for their place and calling And be thou ô Lord a comfort and consolation to all thy people whom thou hast thought meete to visit vvith any kinde of sicknesse crosse or calamitie Hasten O Father the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Make mee euer mindfull of my last end and of the reckoning that I am to make vnto thee therein And in the meane while carefull so to follow Christ in the regeneration during this life as that with Christ I may haue a portion in the resurrection of the iust when this mortall life is ended These graces and all other blessings which thou O Father knowest to be requisite and necessary for me I humbly beg and craue at thy hands in the Name and mediation of Iesus Christ thy Sonne and in that forme of Prayer which hee himselfe hath taught me to say vnto thee Our Father which art in Heauen c. Another shorter Euening Prayer O Eternall GOD and heauenly father if I were not taught and assured by the promises of thy Gospell and the examples of Peter Magdalene the Publicane the Prodigall childe and many other penitent sinners that thou art so full of compassion and so ready to forgiue the greatest sinners who are heauiest laden with sinne at what time soeuer they returne vnto thee with penitent hearts lamenting their sinnes and imploring thy grace I should despaire for mine owne sinnes and be vtterly discouraged from presuming to come vnto thy presence considering the hardnesse of my heart the vnrulinesse of my affections and the vncleannesse of my conuersation by meanes whereof I haue transgressed all thy lawes and deserued thy curse which might cause my body to be smitten with some fearefull disease my soule to languish with the death of sinne my good name to be traduced with scandalous reproaches and make mine estate lyable to all manner of crosses and casualities And I confesse Lord that thy mercy is the cause that I haue not beene long agoe confounded But O my God as thy mercy onely staied thy iudgement from falling vpon mee hitherto so I humbly beseech thee in the bowels of the mercy of Iesus Christ in whom onely thou art well pleased that thou wilt not deale with mee according to my deserts but that thou wouldest freely and fully remit vnto mee all my sinnes and transgressions and that thou wouldest washe them cleane from me vvith the vertue of that most precious blood which thy sonne Iesus Christ hath shed for me For hee alone is the Phisition and his bloud onely is the medicine that can heale my sickenesse And he is the true brazen Serpent that can cure that poison wherewith the firy Serpents of my sinnes haue stung and poisoned my sicke and wounded soule And giue mee I beseech thee thine holy spirit which may assure me of mine adoption and that may confirme my faith encrease my repentance enlighten my vnderstanding purifie my heart rectifie my will and affections and so sanctifie me throughout that my whole body soule and spirit may be kept vnblameable vntill the glorious comming of my Lord Iesus Christ. And now O Lord I giue thee hearty thankes and praise for that thou hast this day preserued me from all harmes and perils notwithstanding all my sinnes and ill deserts And I beseech thee likewise defend me this night from the roaring Lion which night and day seeketh to deuoure me Watch thou O Lord ouer me this night to keepe mee from his temptations and tyrannie and let thy mercy shield me from his vnappeaseable rage and malice And to this end I commend my selfe into thy hands and protection beseeching thee O my Lord and God not to suffer Satan nor any of his euill members to haue power to doe vnto me any hurt or violence this night And grant good Lord that whether I sleepe or wake liue or die I may sleepe wake liue and die vnto thee and to the glory of thy name and the saluation of my soule Lord blesse and defend all thy chosen people euery where Graunt our King a long happy raigne ouer vs. Blesse the Queene Prince Charles the Prince Palatine of Rhene and the vertuous Princesse Elizabeth his wife together with all our Magistrates and Ministers comfort them who are in any misery neede or sickenesse Good Lord giue me grace to be one of those wise Virgins which may haue my heart prepared like a Lampe furnished with the Oyle of Faith and light of good works to meet the Lord Iesus the sweet bridegroome of my soule at his second and sodaine comming in glory Grant this good Father for Christ Iesus sake my only Sauiour and Mediator in whose blessed name and in whose owne words I call vpon thee as he hath taught me Our Father which c. Afterwards say Thy grace O Lord Iesus Christ thy loue O heauenly Father thy comfort and consolation O Holy and blessed spirit be with me and dwell in my heart this night and euermore Amen Then rising vp in a holy reuerence meditate as thou art putting off thy cloathes Things to be Meditated vpon as thou art putting off thy cloathes 1 THat the day is comming when thou must be as barely vnstript of al that thou hast in the world as thou art now of thy cloathes thou hast therefore heere but the vse of all things as a Steward for a time and that vpon accounts Whilest therefore thou art trusted with this Stewardship be wise and faithfull 2 When thou seest thy bed let it put thee in minde of thy graue which is now the bed of Christ For Christ by laying his holy body to rest three daies and three
many yeers as the world did weekes of yeeres vnto that time and so many weekes of yeeres as the world had lasted Iubilies Daniels 70. weekes of yeeres contained 490. single yeeres the World before that time 490. weekes or Sabbaths of yeeres Daniels period 70. weekes the worlds 70. Iubilies So that to comfort the Church for their 70. yeeres captiuity which they had now according to Ieremies Prophesie endured in Babylon Gabriel tels Daniel that at the ende of 70. weekes or Sabbaths of yeeres that is 70. times seuen yeeres or 490. yeeres their eternall redemption from hell should be effected by the death of Christ as sure as they were now redeemed from the Captiuitie of Babilon This period of Daniel containing 70. Sabbaths or 10. Iubilies of yeeres beganne at the first libertie granted the Iewes by Cyrus in the first yeere of his raigne ouer the Babilonians mentioned Hezr 1.1 and ends iustly at the time that Christ dyed vpon the Crosse. From the death of Christ or the last ende of Daniels weekes to the 71. yeere of Christ the world is measured by seauen seales or seauen Sabbaths of yeeres making one compleate Iubilie From the end of those 7. seales the World is measured to her end by 7 Trumpets each containing 245. yeeres as some coniecture about 440. yeeres hence the truth vvill appeare Enoch the seauenth from Adam hauing liued so many yeeres as there are dayes in the yeere 365. vvas translated of God in a Sabbaticall yeere Moses the seauenth from Abraham as an other Enâ—ch is buried of God but borne in a Sabbaticall yeere of the world 2373. and in the 777. yeere since the Floud after Broughtons Computation is saued as a new Noah in a Reede Arke and liueth a Builder of the Church so long as Noah was building the arke 120. yeeres The promise was made to Abraham in a Sabbaticall yeere being the 2023. of the World The sixt yeere of Iosua being the 2500. yeere from the Creation of the world wherein the Land was possessed diuided among the Children of Israel was a Sabbaticall yeere and the 50. Iubilie from the Creation of the world At this yeere Moses beginnes his Iubilie by vvhich as with a chaine of 30. linckes he tyeth the parting of Canaans possession to the Israelites by Ioshua to the opening of the Kingdome of Heauen to all beleeuers by Iesus And so carryeth the Church of the Iewes by a ioyfull streame of Iubilies from the Type to the substance from Canaan to Heauen from Ioshua to Iesus for Christ at the end of Moses 30. Iubilies and the beginning of the 30. yeere of his age at his Baptisme openeth heauen and giues the clearest vision of the blessed Trinitie that was seene since the world began And by the siluer Trumpet of his Gospell proclaimes according to the Prophesie of Isay eternall redemption to all that repent and beleeue in him And the yeere of our Sauiour Christs birth being the 3948. of the World vvas at the ende of a Sabbaticall yeere and the 524. Septenarie of the World Moses maketh the common age of all men to be tenne times seauen Psal. 90. euery seauenth yeere commonly produceth some notable change or accident in mans life And no wonder for as Hypocrates affirmeth that a child in his mothers wombe on the seauenth day of his conception hath all his members finished and from that day groweth to the perfection of birth which is alwayes eyther the ninth or seauenth moneth At seauen yeeres old the childe casts his teeth and receiues new And euery seauenth yeere after there is some alteration or change in mans life especially at nine times seauen the Clymactericke yeere which by experience is found to haue been fatall to many of those learned men who haue beene the chiefest lights of the world And if they escaped that yeere yet most of them haue departed this life in a septenary yeere Lamech dyed in the yeere of his life 777. Methusalem the longest liuer of the sonnes of men died when hee began to enter his 900. and 70. yeere Abraham dyed when hee had liued 25. times 7. yeeres Iacob when hee had liued 21. times 7. yeeres Dauid after hee had liued tenne times 7. yeeres So did Galen so did Petrarch who as Bodin noteth dyed on the same day of the yeere that hee vvas borne so did the Maiden-Queene Elizabeth of blessed and neuer dying memorie vvho came into this world the Eue of the Natiuitie of the blessed Virgin Mary and went out of this world on the Eue of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary Hypocrates dyed in his 15. septenarie Hierome and Isocrates in their 13. Plinie Bartolus and Caesar in their 8. septenarie And Iohannes de temporibus vvho liued 361. yeeres dyed in the 53. septenary of his life The like might be obserued of innumerable others And indeed the whole life of a man is measured by the Sabbath for how many yeeres soeuer a man liueth here yet his life is but a life of 7. dayes multiplied so that in the number of 7. there is a mysticall perfection which our vnderstanding cannot attaine vnto All which diuine disposition of admirable things so oft by seauens call vpon vs to a continuall meditation of the blessed seauenth day Sabbath in knowing and worshipping GOD in this life that so from Sabbath to Sabbath wee may be translated to the eternall glorious Sabbath of rest and blisse in the life to come By the consideration wherof any man that looketh into the holy Historie may easily perceiue that the whole course of the world is drawne and guided by a certaine chaine of Gods prouidence disposing all things in number measure and waight All times are therefore measured by the Sabbath so that time and the Sabbath can neuer be separated And the Angell sweares that this measuring of time shall continue till that Time shall be no more And as the Sabbath had his first institution in the first Booke of the Scriptures so hath it its confirmation in the last and as this Booke doth authorise this day so this day graceth the Booke in that the matter thereof was reuealed vpon so holy a day the Lords reuelation vpon the Lords day As well therefore may they pull the Sunne Moone and Stars out of the heauens as abolish the holy Sabbath times meterod out of the Church seeing the Sabbath is ordained in the Church as well as the Sunne and Moone in the Firmament for the distinction of times 8 Because that the whole Church by an vniuersall consent euer since the Apostles time haue still held the commandement of the Sabbath to be the morall and perpetuall Law of God and the keeping of the Sabbath on the first day of the weeke to be the institution of Christ and his Apostles The Synode called Synodus Coloniensis saith that the Lords day hath beene famous
in the Church euer since the Apostles time Ignatius Bishop of Antioch liuing in S. Iohns time saith Let euery one that loueth Christ keepe holy the Lords day renowned by his Resurrection which is the Queene of dayes in which death is ouercome and life is sprung vp in Christ. Iustine Martyr vvho liued not long after him sheweth how the Christians kept their Sabbath on the Lords day as we doe Origen who liued about 180. yeeres after Christ shewes the reason why the Sabbath is translated to the Lords day Augustine saith that the Lords day was declared vnto the Church by the Resurrection of the Lord vpon that day Et ex illo caepit habere festiuitatem suam and by Christ it was first ordained to be kept holy And in another place that the Apostles appointed the Lords day to be kept with all religious solemnitie because that vpon that day our Redeemer rose from the dead which also is therefore called the Lords day As therefore Dauid said of the Citie of God so may I say of the Lords day Glorious things are spoken of the day of the Lord for it vvas the birth-day of the vvorld the first day vvherein all Creatures beganne to haue being In it Light was drawne out of darknesse In it the Law vvas giuen on Mount Sinai In it the Lord rose from death to life In it the Saints came out of their graues assuring that on it Christians should rise to newnesse of life In it the Holy Ghost descended vpon the Apostles And it is very probable that on the seauenth day when the 7. Trumpets haue blowne the cursed Iericho of this world shall fall and our true Iesus shall giue vs the promised possession of the heauenly Canaan He that would see the vniforme consent of Antiquity and practise of the Primitiue Church in this point let him reade Eusebius Ecclesisticall history Lib. 4. cap. 23. Tertullian lib. de Idololatria cap. 14. Chrysost. Serm. 5. de resurrectione Constiâ—â—â— Apost lib. 7. cap. 37. Cyrill in Iohan. lib. 12. cap. 58. Of this iudgement are all the sound new writers see Fox on the Apoc. 1.10 Bucer in Mat 12.11 Gualt in Malach. 3. hom 23. Fulke on the Rhemish Test. Apo. 1.10 Chem. Exam. Conc. Trid. par 4. de diebus festis Wolph Chronol lib. 2. cap. 1. Armin Thes. in 4. precept and innumerable others Learned Iunius shal speake for al. Quamobrâ—m cum dies dominicus c. Wherefore seeing the Lords day is both by the fact of Christ viz. his resurrection and of often appearing to his Disciples vpon that day by the example and institution of the Apostles and by the continuall practise of the Ancient Church and by the testimony of the Scripture obserued and substituted into the place of the Iewish Sabbath Inepté faciunt they doe foolishly who say that the obseruation of the Lords day is of Tradition and not from the Scripture that by this meanes they might establish the traditions of men And againe The cause of this change is the resurrection of Christ and the benefit of the restoring of the Church by Christ the remembrance of which benefit did succeede into the place of the memory of the creation Non humana traditione sed Christi ipsius obseruatione instituto not by the tradition of man but by the obseruation and appointment of Christ who both on the day of his resurrection and on euery eight day after vnto his ascention into heauen did appeare vnto his Disciples and came into their assemblies 9 Because that the Lord himselfe expoundeth the end of the Sabath to bee a signe and document for euer betwixt him and his people that he is Iehouah by whom they are sanctified and therefore must only of theÌ„ be worshipped and vpon the paine of death chargeth his people for euer to keep this memoriall vnuiolated But this end is morall and perpetuall Therefore the Sabath is morall and perpetuall What God hath perpetually sanctified Let â—â— man euer presume to make common or prophane Vpon this ground it is that the Commandement termes this day the Sabbath of the Lord thy God And GOD himselfe cals it his holy day And vpon the same ground likewise the oldâ— Testament consecrated all their Sabaths and Holy daies to the worship and honour of God alone To dedicate therefore a Sabbath to the honour of any creature is grosse Idolatry For the first Table makes it a part of Gods worship to haue a Sabbath to his honour So doth Leuit. 23.3.37.38 c. and Ezek. 20.20 Neh. 9.14 the Sabbath is put for the whole worship of GOD. And our Sauiour teacheth that We must worship the Lord God onely Matth. 4. and therefore keep a Sabbath to the onely honour of GOD. The holy Ghost notes it as one of Ieroboams greatest sinnes That he ordained a feast from the deuise of his owne heart 1 King 12.33 And God threatneth to visit Israel for keeping the daies of Baalim That is of Lords as Papists doe of Saints Hos. 2.13 but saith that such forget him And so indeede none are lesse carefull in keeping the Lords Sabbath then they who are most superstitious obseruers of mens holy daies The Church of Rome therefore commits grosse Idolatry First in taking vpon her to ordayne Sabbaths which belongs onely vnto the Lord of the Sabbath to doe Secondly in dedicating those Holy-daies to the honour of Creatures which in effect is to make them sanctifying Gods Thirdly in tying to these daies Gods worship Praiers fasting and merit Fourthly in exacting on these daies of mens inuention a greater measure of solemnity and sanctification then vpon the Lords day which is Gods commandement which in effect is to preferre Antichrist before Christ. Our Church hath iustly abolished all superstitious and Idolatrous Feasts and onely retaines a few holy dayes to the honour of God alone and easing of seruants Deut 5.14 though long custome forceth to vse the olde names for ciuill distinction as Luke vsed the profane names of Castor and Pollux Act. 28.11 and Christians of Fortunatus 1 Cor. 16.17 Mercurius Rom. 16.14 and Iewes of Mardocheus day 2 Macab 15.37 10 Lastly the examples of Gods Iudgements on Sabbath-breakers may sufficiently seale vnto them whose hearts are not seared how wrathfully Almighty God is displeased with them who are wilfull profaners of the Lords day The Lord who is otherwise the GOD of mercy commanded Moses to stone to death the man who of a presumptuous minde would openly goe to gather sticks on the Sabbath day The fact was small True but his sinne was the greater that for so small an occasion would presume to breake so great a commandement Nichanor offering to fight against the Iewes on the Sabath day was slaine himselfe and 35000. of his men A husband man grinding Corne vpon the Lords day had his Meale burned to ashes Another carrying Corne on this
then to dance vpon the Sabbath day Now in the name of Almighty God who rested hauing created Heauen and Earth and of his eternall Sonne Iesus the Redeemer of his Church who shall shortly come on the dreadfull day of doome to iudge all men according to the obedience which they haue shewed to his commandements I require thee who readest these words as thou wilt answere before the face of Christ and all his holy Angels at that day that thou better weigh and consider whether dauncing stage-playing masking carding dicing tabling chesse-playing bowling shooting Beare-baiting carowsing tippling and such other fooleries of Robbin-Hood Morrice-daunces Wakes and May-games be exercises that GOD will blesse and allowe on the Sabbath day And seeing that no action ought to bee done that day but such as whereby we either blesse God or looke to receiue a blessing from God how darest thou doe those things on that blessed day on which thou darest not to pray to God to bestow a blessing on it to thy vse Heare this and tremble at this O prophane youth of a prophane age O heart all frozen and voide of the feeling of the grace of God! that hauing euery day in sixe euery houre in euery day euery minute in euery houre so tasted the sweet mercy of thy God in Christ vvithout which thou haddest perished euery moment Yet canst not finde in thy corrupt and irreligious heart to spend in thy Masters seruice that one day of the weeke which he hath reserued for his owne praise and worship Let men in defence of their prophanenesse obiect what they will and answere what the Diuell puts in their mouthes yet I would wish them to remember that seeing it is an ancient Tradition in the Church that the Lords second comming shall be vpon the Lords day how little ioy they should haue to be ouertaken in those carnall sports to please themselues when their Master should finde them in spirituall exercises seruing him The prophanest wretch would then wish rather to be taken kneeling at prayers in the Church then skipping like a Goate in a daunce If this cannot moue yet I would wish our impure gallants to remember that whilest they thus daunce on the Lords day contrary to the Lords commandement they doe but daunce about the pits brinke and they know not which of them shall first fall therein Whereinto being once fallen without repentance no greatnesse can exempt them from the vengeance of that great GOD whose commandement contrary to their knowledge and conscience they doe thus presumptuously transgresse If then Gods commandement cannot deterre thee nor Gods word aduise thee I say no more but what Saint Iohn said before me he which is filthy let him be filthy still For the second 2 The consecration of the Sabbaths rest consists in performing three sorts of duties First before Secondly at Thirdly after the publike exercises of the Church The duties to be performed before the publike exercises are 1 To giue ouer working betimes on the Eue that thy body may bee the more refreshed and thy minde the better fitted to sanctifie the Sabbath on the next day For want of this preparation thy selfe and thy seruants being tyred with labour and watching the night before are so heauy that when you should be seruing God and hearing what his spirit saith vnto the Church for your soules instruction you cannot holde vp your heads for sleeping to the dishonour of God the offence of the church and the shame of your selues therfore the Lord commands vs not only to keepe holy but also to remember afore-hand the Sabbath day to keepe it holy by preparing our harts remouing all busines that might hinder vs to consecrate it as a glorious day vnto the Lord. Therefore vvhereas the Lord in the other Commandements doth but eyther bid or forbid hee doth both in this commandement and that with a speciall memorandum As if a Master should charge his Seruant to looke well vnto tenne things of great trust but to haue a more speciall care to remember one of those ten for diuers vvaightie reasons should not a faithfull Seruant that loues his Masteâ— shew a more speciall care vnto that thing abouâ— all other businesse Thus Moses taught the people ouer-night to remember the Sabbath and it vvas a holy custome among our fore fathers when at the ringing to Prayer on the Eue before the Husbandman would giue ouer his labour in the field and the Tradesman his worke in the Shoppe and goe to Euening Prayer in the Church to prepare their soules that their minds might more cheerefully attend Gods worship on the Sabbath day 2 To possessâ— that night thy vessell in holinesse and honour that thou maist present thy Soule more purely in the sight of GOD the next morning 3 To rise vp earely in the morning on the Sabbath day Be carefull therefore to rise sooner on this day then on other dayes by how much the seruice of GOD is to be preferred before all earthly businesses For there is no Master to serue so good as God and in the end no worke shall be better rewarded then his seruice 4 When thou art vp consider with thy selfe what an impure sinner thou art and into what an holy place thou goest to appeare before the most holy GOD vvho seeth thy heart and hateth all impuritie and hypocrisie Examine thy selfe therefore before thou goest to Church what grieuous sinnes thou hast committed the weeke past confesse them vnto God and earnestly pray for the pardon and forgiuenesse of them And so reconcile thy selfe with God in Christ Renew thy vowes to vvalke more conscionably and pray for an increase of those graces which thou hast and a supply of those which thou wantest But especially pray that thou maist haue Grace to heare the Word of God read and preached vvith profit and that thou maist receiue the holy Sacrament vvith comfort If it be a Communion day that God by his holy Spirit vvould assist the Preacher to speake something that may â—ill thy sinne and comfort thy soule which thou maist doe in this or the like sort A Morning Prayer for the Sabbath day O Lord most high O God eternall all whose Workes are glorious and whose Thoughts are very deepe there can be no better thing then to praise thy Name and to declare thy louing kindnesse in the morning on thy holy and blessed Sabbath day For it is thy will and commandement that wee should sanctifie this day in thy seruice and prayse and in the thankefull remembrance as of the creation of the World by the power of thy Word so of the redemption of mankind by the death of thy Sonne Thine O Lord I confesse is greatnesse and power and glory and victory and praise for all that is in heauen and earth is thine Thine is thy Kingdome O Lord and thou excellest as head ouer all both riches and honour come of thee
and thou raignest ouer all and in thine hand is power and strength and in thine hand it is to make great and to giue grace vnto all Now therefore O my God I praise thy glorious Name that whereas I a wretched sinner hauing so many vvayes prouoked thy Maiesty to anger and displeasure thou notwithstanding of thy fauour and goodnes passing by my prophanenesse and infirmities hast vouchsafed to adde this Sabbath againe vnto the number of my dayes And vouchsafe O heauenly Father for the merits of Iesus Christ thy Sonne whose glorious Resurrection thy whole Church celebrateth this day to pardon and forgiue mee all my sins and misdeeds Especially O Lord clense my soule from those filthy sinnes with the bloud of thy most pure and vndefiled Lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the world And let thy holy Spirit more and more subdue my corruptions that I may be renewed after thine owne Image to serue thee in newnesse of life and holinesse of conuersation And as of thy mercy thou hast brought me to the beginning of this blessed day so I beseech thee make it a day of Reconciliation betwixt my sinfull soule and thy Diuine Maiestie Giue mee grace to make it a day of Repentance vnto thee that thy goodnesse may seale it to be a day of pardon vnto me and that I may remember that the keeping holy of this day is a Commandement which thine owne finger hath vvritten That on this day I might meditate on thy glorious workes of our Creation and Redemption and learne how to know and to keepe all the rest of thy holy Lawes and Commandements And when anon I shall with the rest of the holy Assembly appeare before thy presence in thy house to offer vnto thee our morning sacrifice of praise and Prayer and to heare what thy Spirit by the preaching of thy Word shall speake vnto thy Seruant Oh let not my sinnes stand as a Cloud to stoppe my Prayers from ascending vnto thee or to keepe backe thy Grace from descending by thy Word into my heart I know O Lord and tremble to thinke that three parts of the good Seede falles vpon bad ground O let not my heart be like the High-way which through hardnesse and want of true vnderstanding receiues not the Seede till the euill one commeth and catcheth it away nor like to the stony ground which hearing with ioy for a time falleth away as soone as persecution ariseth for thy Gospels sake nor like to the thorny ground which by the cares of this world and the deceitfulnesse of riches choaketh the Word which it heareth and makes it altogether vnfruitfull but that like vnto the good ground I may heare thy Word with an honest and good heart vnderstand it and keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience in that measure that thy Wisedome shall thinke meete for thy glory and mine euerlasting comfort Open likewise I beseech thee O Lord the doore of vtterance vnto thy faithfull Seruant whom thou hast sent vnto vs to open our eyes that wee may turne from darkenesse to light and from the power of Sathan vnto God that wee may receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes and inheritance among them which are sanctified by Faith in Christ. And giue me grace to submit my selfe vnto his Ministerie as well when hee terrifieth mee with iudgements as when hee comforteth mee with thy Mercies And that I may haue him in singular loue for his workes sake because hee watcheth for my soule as he that must giue an account for the same vnto his Master And giue mee grace to behaue my selfe in the holy Congregation with comelinesse and reuerence as in thy presence and in the sight of thy holy Angels Keepe mee from drowsinesse and sleeping and from all vvandering thoughts and worldly imaginations sanctifie my Memorie that it may be apt to receiue and firme to remember those good and profitable doctrines which shall be taught vnto vs out of thy Word And that through the assistance of thy holy spirit I may put the same lessons in practise for my direction in prosperity for my consolation in misery for the amendment of my life and the glory of thy Name And that this day which godlesse and prophane persons spend in there owne lusts and pleasures I as one of thy obedient seruants may make my chiefe delight to consecrate it to thy glory and honour not doing mine owne waies nor seeking mine owne will nor speaking a vaine word but that ceasing from the workes of sinne as well as from the workes of mine ordinary calling I may through thy blessing feele in my heart the beginning of that eternall Sabbath which in vnspeakeable ioy and glory I shall celebrate with thy Saints and Angels to thy praise and worshippe in thy heauenly kingdome for euermore All which I humbly craue at thy hands in the name and mediation of my Lord Iesus in that forme of prayer which he hath taught me Our Father which art in Heauen c. Hauing thus in priuate prepared thine owne soule if thou hast the charge of a Family call all thy houshold together reade a Chapter and pray as in the weeke dayes but remember so to dispatch these priuate preparations and duties as that thou and thy family may be in the Church before the beginning of praiers Else your priuate exercises are rather an hinderance then a preparation And as thou and thy houshold doe goe in all reuerence towards the Church let euery one meditate thus with himselfe Things to be Meditated as thou goest to the Church 1 THat thou art going to the Court of the Lord and to speake with the great GOD by Praier and to heare his Maiesty speake vnto thee by his Word and to receiue his blessing on thy soule and thy honest labour in the sixe daies last past 2 Say with thy selfe by the way As the Heart braieth for the Riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God My soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God When shall I come and appeare before the presence of God For a day in thy Courts is better then a thousand other where I had rather be a doore-keeper in the House of my God then to dwell in the Tabernacles of wickednesse Therefore I will come into thy House in the multitude of thy mercies and in thy feare will I worship toward thine holy Temple 3 As thou entrest into the Church say How fearefull is this place this is 〈◊〉 other but the house of GOD this is the gate of Heauen Surely the Lord is in this place God is in this people indeed and prostrating with thy face downeward being come to thy place say O Lord I haue loued the habitation of thy house the place where thy honor dwelleth One thing therefore haue I desired of thee that I will require euen that I may dwell in thy house al the daies
enuied to be taxed with such a blemish though I knew that otherwise the graces of God shined in him in aboundant measure I made â—ests of officious and aduantage of pernitious lyes herein shewing my selfe a right Cretian rather then an vpright Christian. And lastly O Lord where I should haue rested fully contented vvith that portion which thy Maiestie thought meetest to bestow vpon me in this Pilgrimage and reioyced in an others good as in mine owne Alas my life hath beene nothing else but a greedy lusting after this neighbours house and that neighbours land yea secretly vvishing such a man dead that I might haue his liuing or office coueting rather those things which thou hast bestowed on another rather then being thankefull for that which thou hast giuen vnto my selfe Thus I O Lord who am a carnall sinner and sold vnder sinne haue transgressed all thy holy and spiritual commandements from the first to the last from the greatest vnto the least and here I stand guiltie before thy Iudgement-seate of all the breaches of all thy lawes and therefore lyable to thy Curse and to all the miseries that Iustice can poure forth vpon so cursed a creature And whither shall I goe for deliuerance from this miserie Angels blush at my rebellion and will not helpe mee Men are guilty of the like transgression and cannot helpe themselues Shall I then despaire vvith Caine or make away my selfe with Iudas No Lord for that were but to end the miseries of this life and to beginne the endlesse torments of Hell I will rather appeale to thy Throane of Grace where Mercy raignes to pardon abounding sinnes and out of the depth of my miseries I will cry with Dauid for the depth of thy mercies Though thou shouldest kill me with afflictions yet will I like Iob put my trust in thee Though thou shouldest drowne me in the Sea of thy displeasure with Ionas yet will I catch such hold on thy Mercy that I will be taken vp dead clasping her with both my hands And though thou shouldest cast mee into the bowels of Hell as Ionas into the Belly of the Whale yet from thence would I cry vnto thee O God the Father of Heauen O Iesus Christ the Redeemer of the World O Holy Ghost my Sanctifier three Persons and one eternall God haue mercy vpon mee a miserable sinner And seeing the goodnesse of thine owne nature first moued thee to send thine onely begotten Son to dye for my sinnes that by his death I might be reconciled to thy Maiestie O reiect not now my penitent Soule who being displeased with her selfe for sinne desireth to returne to serue and please thee in newnesse of life and reach from Heauen thy helping hand to saue mee thy poore seruant who am like Peter ready to sincke in the Sea of my sinnes and miserie Wash away the multitude of my sinnes with the merits of that bloud which I beleeue that thou hast so abundantly shed for penitent sinners And now that I am to receiue this day the blessed Sacrament of thy precious body and bloud O Lord I beseech thee let thy holy Spirit by thy Sacrament seale vnto my soule that by the merits of thy Death and Passion all my sinnes are so freely and fully remitted and forgiuen that the curses and Iudgements which my sins haue deserued may neuer haue power eyther to confound me in this life or to condemne me in the world which is to come For my stedfast faith is that thou hast dyed for my sinnes and risen againe for my iustification This I beleeue O Lord helpe mine vnbeliefe Worke in mee likewise I beseech thee an vnfained Repentance that I may heartily bewaile my former sins and loath them and serue thee hence forth in newnesse of life and greater measure of holy deuotion And let my soule neuer forget the infinite loue of so sweete a Sauiour that hath laid downe his life to redeeme so vile a Sinner And grant Lord that hauing receiued these seales and pledges of my Communion with thee thou maist henceforth so dwell by thy Spirit in mee that I so liue by Faith in thee and that I may walke all the dayes of my life in godlinesse and pietie towards thee and in Christian loue and charitie towards all my neighbours that liuing in thy feare I may dye in thy fauour and after death be made partaker of eternall life through Iesus Christ my Lord and onely Sauiour Amen 3 Of the meanes whereby thou maist become a worthy Receiuer THese Meanes are dueties of two sorts the former respecting GOD the later our Neighbour Those vvhich respect GOD are three first sound knowledge secondly true faith thirdly vnfained repentance That which respecteth our neighbour is but one sincere Charitie 1 Of sound knowledge requisite in a worthy communicant Sound knowledge is a sanctified vnderstanding of the first Principles of Religion As first of the Trinity of Persons in the vnity of the Godhead Secondly of the Creation of Man and his fall Thirdly of the curse and misery due to sinne Fourthly of the natures and offices of Christ and redemption by faith in his death especially of the doctrine of the Sacraments sealing the same vnto vs. For as an house cannot be built vnlesse the foundation bee first laid no more can Religion stand vnlesse it bee first grounded vpon the certaine knowledge of Gods word Secondly if wee know not Gods will we can neither beleeue nor doe the same For as wordly businesses cannot be done but by them who haue skill therein so without knowledge must men be much more ignorant in diuine and spirituall matters And yet in temporall things a man may doe much by the light of nature But in religious mysteries the more we relye vpon naturall reason the further we are from comprehending spirituall truth Which discouers the feareful estate of those who receiue without knowledge and the more fearefull estate of those Pastors who minister vnto them without Catechising 2 Of sincere faith required to make a worthy communicant Sincere faith is not a bare knowledge of the Scriptures first grounds of Religion for that Diuels and Reprobates haue in an excellent measure and doe beleeue it and tremble But a true perswasion as of all those things whatsoeuer the Lord hath reuealed in his word so also a particular application vnto a mans owne soule of all the promises of mercy which God hath made in Christ to all beleeuing sinners And consequently that Christ and all his merits doe belong vnto him as well as to any other For first if wee haue not the righteousnesse of Faith the Sacrament seales nothing vnto vs and euery man in the Lords Supper receiueth so much as hee beleeueth Secondly because that without Faith we communicating on earth cannot apprehend Christ in heauen For as he dwelleth in vs by faith so by faith we must likewise eate him Thirdly because
man hath conflicted vvith long sicknesse and hauing endured the brunt of paine should now expect some ease in comes Death Natures slaughter-man Gods curse and Hels purueyor and lookes the olde man grimme and blacke in the face and neither pitying his age nor regarding his long-endured dolours will not be hyred to forbeare eyther for siluer or gold nay he will not take to spare his life skin for skin and all that the olde man hath but batters all the principall parts of his body and arrests him to appeare before the terrible Iudge And as thinking that the olde man will not dispatch to goe with him fast enough Lord how many darts of calamities doth he shoot through him stitches aches crampes feauers obstructions rhewmes flegme collicke stone wind c. Oh what a ghastly sight it is to see him then in his bed when Death hath giuen him his mortall wound what a cold sweat ouer-runnes all his body what a trembling possesseth all his members the head shooteth the face waxeth pale the nose blacke the neather law-bone hangeth down the eye-strings breake the tongue faltreth the breath shortneth and smelleth earthy the throate ratleth and at euery gaspe the heart-strings are ready to breake asunder Now the miserable Soule sensibly perceiueth her earthly body to beginne to dye for as towards the dissolution of the vniuersall frame of the great world the Sunne shall be turned into darknesse the Moone into bloud and the Stars shall fall from heauen the Ayre shall be full of stormes flashing Meteors the Erath shall tremble and the Sea shall roare and mens hearts shall faile for feare expecting the end of such sorrowfull beginnings So towards the dissolution of man which is the little world his Eyes which are as the Sunne and Moone lose their light and see nothing but bloud-guiltinesse of sinne the rest of the Senses as lesser Starres doe one after another faile and fall his Minde Reason and Memorie as heauenly powers of his Soule are shaken with fearefull stormes of despaire and first flashings of Hell-fire his earthly body beginnes to shake and tremble and the humours like an ouer-flowing Sea roare and rattle in his throate still expecting the wofull ends of these dreadfull beginnings Whilest he is thus summoned to appeare at the great Assizes of Gods Iudgement behold a Quarter-Sessions and Gaole-deliuery is held within himselfe where Reason sits as Iudge the Diuell puts in a Bill of inditement as large as that Booke of Zacharie wherein is alledged all thy euill deeds that euer thou hast committed and all the good deedes that euer thou hast omitted and all the curses and iudgements that are due to euery sinne Thine owne Conscience shall accuse thee and thy Memory shall giue bitter euidence and Death stands at the Barre ready as a cruell Executioner to dispatch thee If thou shalt thus condemne thy selfe how shalt thou escape the iust condemnation of God who knowes all thy misdeeds better then thy selfe Faine wouldest thou put out of thy minde the remembrance of thy wicked deeds that trouble thee but they flow faster into thy remembrance and they will not be put away but cry vnto thee Wee are thy workes and we will follow thee And whilest thy Soule is thus within out of peace and order thy children wife and friends trouble thee as fast to haue thee put thy goods in order some crying some crauing some pittying some cheering all like Flesh-flies helping to make thy sorrowes more sorrowfull Now the Diuels who are come from hell to fetch away thy soule beginne to appeare to her and wait as soone as she comes forth to take her and carry her away Stay she would within but that shee feeles the body beginne by degrees to dye and ready like a ruinous house to fall vpon her head Fearefull shee is to come forth because of those Hell-hounds which wait for her comming Oh shee that spent so many dayes and nights in vaine and idle pastimes would now giue the whole world if she had it for one howres delay that shee might haue space to repent and reconcile her selfe vnto GOD. But it cannot be because her Body which ioyned with her in the actions of sin is altogether now vnfit to ioyne with her in the exercise of repentance Repentance must be of the whole man Now she seeth that all her pleasures are gone as if they had neuer beene and that but onely torments remaine which neuer shall haue end of being Who can sufficiently expresse her remorse for her sinnes past her anguish for her present miserie and her terror for the torments to come In this extremitie shee lookes euery where for help and shee findes her selfe euery way helplesse Thus in her greatest miserie desirous to heare the least word of comfort shee directs this or the like speech vnto her Eyes O Eyes who in times past were so quicke-sighted can yee spie no comfort nor any way how I might escape this dreadfull danger But the Eye-strings are broken they cannot see the Candle that burneth before him nor discerne whether it be day or night The Soule finding no comfort in the Eyes speakes to the eares O earaes who were wont to recreate your selues with hearing new pleasant discourses and Musickes sweetest harmonie can you heare any newes or tydings of the least comfort for mee The Eares are eyther so deafe that they cannot heare at all or the sense of hearing is growne so weake that it cannot endure to heare his dearest friends to speake And why should those eares heare any tydings of ioy in Death who could neuer abide to heare the glad Tydings of the Gospell in his life The Eare can minister no comfort Then shee intimates her griefe vnto the Tongue O Tongue who wast wont to brag it out vvith the brauest where are now thy bigge and daring words now in my greatest need canst thou speake nothing in my defence Canst thou neyther daunâ— these Enemies with threatning wordes nor entreat them vvith faire speeches Alas the Tongue two dayes agoe lay speechlesse it cannot in his greatest extremitie either call for a little drincke or desire a friend to take away with his finger the flegme that is ready to choake him Finding here no hope of helpe shee speakes vnto the feete Where are yee O feet which sometime were so nimble in running can you carry me no where out of this dangerous place The feete are stone dead already If they be not stird they cannot stirre Then shee directs her speech vnto her hands O hands who haue beene so often approued for manhood in peace and warre and wherewith I haue so often defended my selfe and offended my foes neuer had I more need then now Death lookes mee grimme in the face and kils mee Hellish fiends waile about my bed to deuoure mee helpe now or I perish for euer Alas the hands are so weake and doe so tremble that they cannot reach to the mouth
affrighted with hydeous noyse of howling diuels and the gnashing teeth of damned Reprobates thy dainty Nose shall be cloyed with noysome stench of Sulphur thy delicate Taste shall be pained with intollerable hunger thy drunken Throate shall be parched vvith vnquenchable thirst thy Minde shall be tormented to thinke how for the loue of abortiue pleasures which perished ere they budded thou so foolishly lost Heauens ioyes and incurred hellish paines which last beyond eternitie thy Conscience shall euer sting thee like an Adder vvhen thou thinkest how often Christ by his Preachers offered the remission of sinnes and the Kingdome of Heauen freely vnto thee if thou wouldest but beleeue and repent and how easily thou mightest haue obtained mercy in those dayes how neere thou vvast many times to haue repented and yet diddest suffer the deuil and the world to keepe thee stil in impenitency and how the day of mercy is now past and wil neuer dawne againe How shall thy vnderstanding be racked to consider how for momentany riches thou hast lost the eternall treasure and changed heauens felicity for hels misery where euery part of thy body without intermission of paine shall be continually tormented alike In these hellish torments thou shalt be for euer depriued of the beatificall sight of GOD wherein consists the soueraigne good and life of the soule Thou shalt neuer see light nor the lest sight of ioy but lye in a perpetuall prison of vâ—ter darkenesse where shall be no order but horror no voice but of blasâ—hâ—mers howlers no noise but of torturers and tortured no societie but of the Deuill and his Angels who being tormented themselues shall haue no other ease but to wreake their furie in tormenting thee Where shall be punishment without pitty misery without mercy sorrow without succour crying without comfort mischiefe without measure torment without ease where the worme dyeth not and the fire is neuer quâ—nched where the wrath of God shall sease vpon thy soule and body as the flame of fire doth on the lumpe of pitch or brimestone in which flame thou shalt euer be burning and neuer consumed euer dying and neuer dead euer rowing in the panges of death and neuer ridde of those panges nor knowing end of thy paines So that after thou hast endured them so many thousand yeeres as there are grasse on the Earth or sands on the Sea-shore thou art no nearer to haue an end of thy torments then thou vvast the first day that thou wast cast into them yea so farre are they from ending that they are euer but beginning But if after a thousand times so many thousand yeeres thy damned soule could but conceiue a hope that those her torments should haue an end this would be some comfort to thinke that at length an end vvill come But as oft as the Minde thinketh of this word Neuer it is as another Hell in the middest of Hell This thought shall force the damned to cry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as much as if they should say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Lord not euer not euer torment vs thus but their Conscience shall answere them as an Eccho 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euer euer Hence shall arise their dolefull 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 woe and alas for euermore This is that second death the generall perfect fulnesse of all cursednesse and misery vvhich euery damned reprobate must suffer so long as GOD and his Saints shall enioy blisse and felicitie in heauen for euermore Thus farre of the miserie of man in his state of corruption vnlesse that he be renued by Grace in Christ. Now followes the knowledge of Mans selfe in respect of his state of regeneration by Christ. Meditations of the state of a Christian reconciled to GOD in Christ. NOw let vs see how happie a godly man is in his state of renouation being reconciled to GOD in Christ. The godly man whose corrupt nature is renued by grace in Christ and become a new creature is blessed in a three-fold respect First in his life Secondly in his death Thirdly after death 1 His blessednesse during this life is but in part and that consists in seuen things 1 Because he is conceiued of the spirit in the wombe of his mother the Church and is borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of GOD who in Christ is his father So that the Image of God his father is renewed in him euery day more and more 2 He hath for the merits of Christs sufferings all his sinnes originall and actuall with the guilt and punishment belonging to them freely and fully forgiuen vnto him And all the righteousnesse of Christ as freely and fully imputed vnto him and so God is reconciled vnto him and aprooueth him as righteous in his sight and account 3 Hee is freed from Satans bondage and is made a brother of Christ a fellow heire of his heauenly kingdome and a spirituall King and Priest to offer vp spirituall sacrifices to GOD by Iesus Christ. 4 God spareth him as a man spareth his owne sonne that serueth him And this sparing consists In 1 Not taking notice of euery fault but bearing with his infirmities Exod. 34.6.7 A louing father will not cast his childe out of dores in his sicknesse 2 Not making his punishment when hee is chastened as great as his deserts Psalm 103.10 3 Chastening him moderately when he seeth that he will not by any other meanes be reclaimed 2 Sam. 7.14.15 1 Cor. 11.32 4 Graciously accepting his endeauours notwithstanding the imperfection of his obedience and so preferring the willingnesse of the minde more then the worthinesse of the worke 2 Cor. 8.12 5 Turning the curses which he deserued to crosses and to fatherly corrections yea all things all calamities of this life death it selfe yea his very sinnes vnto his good 5 God giues him his holy spirit which 1 Sanctifieth him by degrees throughout so that he doth more and more die to sinne and liue to righteousnesse 2 Assures him of his adoption and that he is by grace the childe of God 3 Encourageth him to come with boldnesse and confidence into the presence of GOD 4 Moueth him without feare to say vnto him Abba Father 5 Powreth into his heart the gift of sanctified praier 6 Perswadeth him that both he and his praiers are accepted and heard of God for Christ his Mediators sake 7 Fils him with 1 Peace of conscience 2 Ioy in the holy Ghost in comparison wherof all earthly ioyes seeme vilâ— vaine vnto him 6 He hath a recouery of his soueraignty ouer the creatures which he lost by Adams fall from thence free liberty of vsing all things which God hath not restrained so that he may vse them with a good conscience For to all things in heauen and
rebuke me of sinne yet euery regenerated Christian can say of himselfe which of you can rebuke mee of being an Adulterer whoremonger swearer drunkard theefe vsurer oppressor proud malicious couetous profaner of the holy Saboth a Lyer a neglecter of Gods publike Seruice and such like grosse sinnes else hee is no true Christian. When a man casts off the conscience of being ruled by Gods Law then GOD giues him ouer to be led by his owne lusts the surest signe of a reprobate sense Thus the Law vvhich since the Fall no man by his owne naturall abilitie can fulfill is fulfilled in truth of euery regenerated Christian through the gratious assistance of Christs holy Spirit And this Spirit GOD will giue to euery Christian that will pray for it and incline his heart to keepe his Lawes V. When the vnregenerated man heares that GOD delighteth more in the inward minde then in the outward man Then he faineth vvith himselfe that all outward reuerence and profession is but eyther superstitious or superfluous Hence it is that hee seldome kneeleth in the Church that hee puts on his hat at singing of Psalmes and the publike Prayers vvhich the profane varlet would not offer to doe in the presence of a Prince or a Noble-man And so that hee keepe his minde vnto GOD hee thinkes hee may fashion himselfe in other things to the World Hee diuides his thoughts and giues so much to GOD and so much to his owne lusts yea hee will deuide with GOD the Sabboth and vvill giue him almost the one halfe and spend the other wholy in his owne pleasures But know ô carnall man that Almightie GOD will not be serued by halfes because hee hath created and redeemed the whole man And as GOD detests the seruice of the outward man without the inward heart as Hypocrisie so hee counts the inward seruice without all externall reuerence to be meere profanenesse hee requireth both in his worship In prayer fore bowe thy knees in witnesse of thy humiliation lift vp thine eyes and thy hands in testimonie of thy confidence hang down thy head smite thy breasts in token of thy contrition but especially call vpon God with a sincere heart serue him holy serue him wholy serue him onely for GOD and the Prince of this world are two contrary Masters and therefore no man can possibly serue both VI. The vnregenerated Christian holdes the hearing of the Gospell preached to be but an indifferent matter which he may vse or not vse at his pleasure but whosoeuer thou art that will be assured in thy heart that thou art one of Christs elect sheepe thou must make a speciall care and conscience if possibly thou canst to heare Gods word preached For first the preaching of the Gospell is the chiefe ordinary meanes which GOD hath appointed to conuert the soules of all that hee hath predestinated to be saued therefore it is called the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth And where this diuine ordinance is not the people perish and whosoeuer shall refuse it it shall be more tollerable for the Land of Sâ—dome and Gomorrha in the day of Iudgement then for those people Secondly the preaching of the Gospel is the standard or ensigne of Christ to which all Souldiers and elect people must assemble themselues When this Ensigne is displayed as vpon the Lords day hee is none of Christs people that flockes not vnto it neyther shall any drop of the raine of his Grace light on their soules Thirdly it is the ordinary meanes by which the holy Ghost begetteth Faith in our hearts without which wee cannot please God If the hearing of Christs voyce be the chiefe marke of Christs elect sheepe and of the Bridegroomes friend then must it be a fearefull marke of a reprobate Goate eyther to neglect or contemne to heare the preaching of the Gospell Let no man thinke this position foolish for by this foolishnesse of preaching it pleaseth GOD to saue them which beleeue Their state is therefore fearefull who liue in peace vvithout caring for the preaching of the Gospell Can men looke for Gods Mercy and despise his meanes He saith Christ of the Preachers of his Gospell that despiseth you despiseth mee Hee that is of God heareth Gods words yee therefore heare them not because ye are not of God Had not the Israelites heard Phineas message they had neuer wept Had not the Baptist preached the Iewes had neuer mourned Had not they who crucified Christ heard Peters Sermon their hearts had neuer beene pricked Had not the Nineuites heard Ionas preaching they had neuer repented and if thou wilt not heare and repent thou shalt neuer be saued VII The opinion that the Sacraments are but bare signes seales of Gods promise and grace vnto vs doth not a little hinder Pietie whereas indeede they are seales as well of our Seruice and obedience vnto GOD which seruice if wee performe not vnto him the Sacraments seale no grace vnto vs. But if wee receiue them vpon the resolution to be his faithfull and penitent Seruants then the Sacraments doe not onely signifie and â—ffer but also seale and exhibite indeede the inward spirituall grace vvhich they outwardly promise and reprâ—sent And to this ende Baptisme is called the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost and the Lords Supper The communion of the body and bloud of Christ. Were this truth beleeued the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper would be oftner and with greater reuerence receiued VIII The last and not the least blocke whereat Pietie stumbleth in the course of Religion is by adorning vices with the names of Vertues as to call drunken carowsing drinking of health spilling innocent bloud valor Gluttonie hospitalitie Couetâ—ousnesse thriftinesse Whoredome louing a Mistresse Symonie gratuâ—â—â— Pride gracefulnesse dissembling complement children of Belial good-fellowes Wrath hastinesse ribauldry mirth So on the other side to call Sobrietie in words and actions Hypocrisie Almes-deedes vaine-glory Deuotion Superstition Zeale in Religion Puritanisme Humilitie crouching scruple of Conscience precisenesse c. and whilest thus wee call euill good and good euill true Pietie is much hindered in her progresse And thus much of the first hinderance of Pietie by mistaking the true sense of some speciall places of Scripture and grounds of Christian Religion The second hinderance of Pietie 2 The euill example of great persons The practise of of whose prophane liues they preferre for their imitation before the precepts of Gods holy word So that when they see the greatest meÌ„ in the state many chiefe Gentlemen in their Countrey to make neither care nor conscience to heare Sermons to receiue the Communion nor to sanctifie the Lords Sabbaths c. But to be swearers adulterers carowsers oppressours c. Then they thinke that the vsing of these holy ordinances are
let thy care be greater for heauenly then earthly things and be more grieued for a dishonour done to GOD then for an iniurie offered to thy selfe But if any priuate iniurie be offered vnto thee beare it as a Christian with Patience Neuer was an innocent man wronged but if patiently hee bare his crosse he ouercame in the end But thy good name in the meane while is wounded beare that also with Patience And hee that at the last day will giue thy Body a Resurrection will as sure in his good time grant a resurrection to thy good name If impatiently thou frettest and vexest at thy wrongs the hurt which thou doest thy selfe is more then that which thine Enemie can doe vnto thee Neither canst thou more reioyce him then to heare that it throughly vexeth thee But if thou canst shew Patience on earth GOD will shew himselfe iust from Heauen Pray for him for if thou be a good man thy selfe thou canst not but reioyce if thou shouldest see thy worst enemie to become a good man too But if hee still continueth in his malice and increaseth in his mischiefe giue thou thy selfe vnto Prayer committing thy selfe and commending thy cause vnto the Righteous Iudge of Heauen and Earth saying with Ieremy O Lord of hoasts that iudgest righteously and tryest the reynes and the heart vengeance is thine and vnto thee haue I opened my cause In the meane while waite with Dauid on the Lord Be of good courage and hee shall comfort thine heart 8 The more others commend thee for any excellent act be thou the more humble in thine owne thoughts Affect not the vaine praises of men the blessed Virgin was troubled when shee was truely praised of an Angell They shall be praised of Angels in Heauen who haue eschewed the praises of men on Earth Neyther needest thou praise thy selfe deale but vprightly others vvill doe that for thee Be not thou curious to know other mens doings but rather be carefull that no man knowes any ill dealings by thee 9 Esteeme no sinne little for the curse of GOD is due to the least and the least would haue damned thee had not the Sonne of God dyed for thee Bewaile therefore the miserie of thine owne state and as occasion is ministred mourne for the iniquitie of the time Pray to God to amend it and be not thou one of them that make it worse 10 Lastly thinke often of the shortnesse of thy life and certaintie of Death and wish rather a good life then a long For as one day of mans life is to be preferred before the longest age of a Stagge or Rauen so one day spent religiously is to be higher valued then a mans whole life that is consumed in profanenesse Cast ouer therefore once euery day the number of thy dayes by substracting those that are past as being vanished like yesternights dreame contracting them that are to come sith the one halfe must be slept out the rest made vncomfortable by the troubles of the world thine owne sicknesse and the death of friends counting onely the present day thine which spend as if thou wert to spend no more Secondly for thy Words 1 REmember that thou must answere for euery idle word that in multiloquie the wisest man shall ouer-shoote himselfe Auoid therefore all tedious and idle talke whereof seldome ariseth comfort many times repentance especially beware of rash answeres when the tongue out-runs the minde The word was thine whilest thou keptst it in it is anothers as soone as it is out O the shame when a man 's owne tongue shall be produced a witnesse to the confusion of his owne face Let then thy wordes be few but aduised fore-thinke whether that which thou art to speake be fit to be spoken affirme no more then what thou knowest to be true and be rather silent then speake to an ill or to no purpose 2 Let thy heart and tongue euer goe together in honestie and truth hate dissembling and lying in another detest it in thy selfe or GOD will detest thee for it for he hateth the lyar and his father the Diuell alike And if once thou be discouered to make no conscience of lying no man will beleeue thee when thou speakest a truth but if thou louest truth more credit will be giuen to thy word then to a liars oath Great is the possession which Sathan hath in those who are so accustomed to lying that they will lie though they get nothing by it themselues nor are not compelled vnto it by others Let not thine anger remaine when thou seest the cause remoued and euer distinguish twixt him that offendeth of infirmitie or against his will and him who offendeth maliciously and of set purpose let the one haue pittie the other iustice 3 Keepe thy speech as cleane from all obsenitie as thou vvouldest thy meate from poyson and let thy talke be gracious that hee that heares thee may grow better by thee and be euer more earnest vvhen thou speakest of Religion then when thou talkest of worldly matters If thou perceiuest that thou hast erred perseuere not in thine errour reioyce to finde the truth and magnifie it Study therefore three things especially to vnderstand well to say well and to doe well And when thou meetest with Gods Children be sure to make some holy aduantage by them learne of them all the good that thou canst and communicate vvith them all the good things that thou knowest The more good thou teachest others the more will God still minister vnto thee For as the gifts of men by much vsing doe perish and decrease so the gifts of God by much vsing doe the more grow and increase like the Widowes Pitcher of Oyle vvhich the more it poured to fill other vessels the more it vvas still replenished in it selfe 4 Beware that you beleeue not all that is told you that you tell not all that you heare for if you doe you shall not long enioy true friends nor euer want great troubles Therefore in accusations be first assured of the truth then censure And as thou tenderest the reputation of an honest heart neuer let malice in hatred make thee to reueale that which loue in friendship bound thee a long time to conceale But for feare of such afterclaps obserue two things First Though thou hast many acquaintance yet make not any thy familiar friend but he that truly feares God Such a one thou neuer needest to feare For though you should in some particulers fall out yet Christian loue the maine ground of your friendship will neuer fall away and the feare of God will neuer suffer him to doe thee any villainy Secondly doe nothing in the sight of a ciuill friend for which thou canst not be safe vnlesse it
presumption contrary to my knowledge yea contrary to the motions of thy holy spirit reclaiming me from them so that I haue wounded my conscience and grieued thy holy spirit by whom thou hast sealed mee to the day of redemption Thou hast consecrated my soule and body to be the temples of the holy Ghost I wretched sinner haue defiled both vvith all manner of pollution and vncleannesse My eyes in taking pleasure to behold vanitie mine eares in hearing impure and vnchaste speeches my tongue in leasing and euill speaking my hands are so ful of impuritie that I am ashamed to lift them vp vnto thee and my feet haue carried mee after mine owne wayes my vnderstanding and reasoning which are so quicke in all earthly matters are only blinde and stupide when I come to meditate or discourse of spirituall and heauenly things my memory which should be the treasurie of all goodnesse is not so apt to remember any thing as those things vvhich are vile and vaine Yea Lord by wofull experience I finde that naturally all the imaginations of the thoughts of mine heart are only euill continually And these my sinnes are more in number then the haires which grow vpon mine head and they haue growne ouer me like a loathsome leprie that from the crowne of my head to the sole of my feet there remaines no part vvhich they haue not infected They make mee seeme vile in mine owne eyes how much more abhominable must I then appeare in thy sight And the custome of sinning hath almost taken away the conscience of sinne pulled vpon me such dulnesse of sense and hardnesse of hart that thy iudgements denounced against my sinnes by the faithfull Preachers of thy Word doe not terrifie me to returne vnto thee by vnfained repentance for them And if thou Lord shouldst but deale with me according to thy iustice and my desert I should vtterly be confounded and condemned But seeing that of thine infinite mercie thou hast spared mee so long and still waitest for my repentance I humbly beseech thee for the bitter death and bloudy Passionâ— sake which Iesus Christ hath suffered for mee that thou wouldest pardon and forgiue vnto mee all my sinnes and offences and open vnto mee that euer-streaming fountaine of the bloud of Christ which thou hast promised to open vnder the New Testament to the penitent of the house of Dauid that all my sinnes and vncleannesse may be so bathed in his bloud buried in his death and hid in his wounds that they neuer be more seene to shame me in this life or to condemne mee before thy Iudgement-seate in the world which is to come And forasmuch O Lord as thou knowest that it is not in man to turne his owne heart vnlesse thou doest first giue him grace to conuert And seeing that it is as easie with thee to make me righteous and holy as to bid mee to be such O my God giue mee grace to doe what thou commandest and then command what thou wilt and thou shalt finde me willing to doe thy blessed will And to this end giue vnto me thine holy spirit which thou hast promiseâ— to giue to the worlds end vnto all thine elect people And let the same thy holy spirit purge my heart heale my corruption sanctifie my nature and consecrate my soule and body that they may become the Temples of the holy Ghost to serue thee in righteousnesse and holinesse all the dayes of my life That when by the direction assistance of thy holy spirit I shall finish my course in this short and transitory life I may cheerefully leaue this world and resigne my Soule into thy Fatherly hands in the assured confidence of enioying euerlasting life with thee in thine Heauenly Kingdome which thou hast prepared for thine elect Saints who loue the Lord Iesus and expect his appearing In the meane while O Father I beseech thee let thy holy spirit worke in mee such a serious repentance as that I may with teares lament my sinnes past vvith griefe of heart be humbled for my sinnes present and vvith all mine endeuour resist the like filthy sinnes in time to come And let the same thy holy spirit likewise keepe mee in the vnitie of thy Church Leade mee in the truth of thy Word and preserue me that I neuer swarue from the same to Poperie nor any other error or false worship And let thy Spirit open mine eyes more and more to see the wondrous things of thy Law and open my lips that my mouth may daily defend thy Truth and set forth thy Praise Increase in me those good gifts which of thy meâ—cy thou hast already bestowed vpon mee and giue vnto mee a patient spirit a chaste heart a contented minde pure affections wife behauiour and all other graces which thou seest to be necessary for me to gouerne my heart in thy feare and to guide all my life in thy fauour that whether I liue or dye I may liue and dye vnto thee who art my God and my Redeemer And here O Lord according as I am bound I render vnto thee from the Altar of my humblest heart all possible thankes for all those blessings and benefits which so graciously plentifully thou hast bestowed vpon my soule and body for this life and for that which is to come namely for mine Election Creation Redemption Vocation Iustification Sanctification and Preseruation from my childe-hoode vntill this present day and houre and for the firme hope which thou hast giuen me of my Glorification Likewise for my health wealth food raiment and prosperitie and more especially for that thou hast defended mee this day now past from all perils and dangers both of body and soule furnishing mee with all necessary good things that I stand in neede of And as thou hast ordained the day for man to trauaile in and the night for him to take his rest so I beseech thee sanctifie vnto mee this nights rest and sleepe that I may enioy the same as thy sweet blessing and benefit That so this dull and wearied body of mine being refreshed with moderate sleepe and rest I may be the better enabled to vvalke before thee doing all such good workes as thou hast appointed when it shall please thee by thy diuine power to waken mee the next morning And whilest I sleepe doe thou O Lord who art the keeper of Israel that neuer slumbrest nor sleepest watch ouer mee in thy holy prouidence to protect mee from all danger so that neyther the euill Angels of Sathan nor any wicked enemy may haue any power to doe me any harme or euill And to this end giue a charge vnto thy holy Angels that they at thine appointment may pitch their tents round about me for my defence and safetie as thou hast promised that they should doe about them that feare thy Name And knowing that
thoughts and sighes The first thought SEeing euery man enters into this life in Teares passeth it in sweate and ends it in sorrow ah what is there in it that a man should desire to liue any longer to it oh what a folly is it that vvhen the Mariner roweth with all his force to arriue at the wished Port and that the Traueller neuer testeth till hee come to his iourneyes end wee feare to discrie our Port and therefore would put backe our Barke to be longer tossed in this continual Tempest we weepe to see our iourneyes end and therefore desire our iourney to be lengthened that vvee might be more tyred with a foule and cumbersome way The spirituall sigh thereupon O Lord this life is but a troublesome Pilgrimage few in dayes but full in euils and I am weary of it by reason of my sinnes Let me therefore O Lord entreate thy Maiestie in this my bed of sickenesse as Elias did vnder the Iuniper tree in his affliction It is now enough O Lord that I haue liued so long in this vale of miserie take my fâ—ule into thy mercifull hands for I am no better then my Fathers The second thought THinke with what a body of sinne thou art loaden vvhat great ciuill warres are contayned in a little world the flesh fighting against the spirit Passion against Reason Earth against Heauen and the world within thee â—anding it selfe for the world without thee and that but one onely meane remaines to end this conflict Death which in Gods appoynted time will seperate thy Spirit from thy flesh the pure and regenerate part of thy soule from that part which is impure and vnregenerated The spirituall sigh vpon the second thought O Wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death O my sweete Sauiour Iesus Christ thou hast redeemed me with thy precious bloud And because thou hast deliuered my soule from sinne mine eyes from teares and my feete from falling I doe here from the very bottome of my heart ascribe the vvhole praise and glory of my Saluation to thy onely grace and mercy saying vvith the holy Apostle Thankes be vnto GOD which hath giuen mee the victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. The third thought THinke how it behooues thee to be assured that thy soule is Christs for death hath taken sufficient gages to assure himselfe of thy body in that all thy senses beginne already to dye saue onely the sense of paine but sith the beginning of thy being beganne with paine meruaile the lesse if thy end conclude with dolours But if these temporall dolours which onely afflict the body be so painefull O Lord who can endure the deuouring fire who can abide the euerlasting burning The spirituall sigh vpon the third thought O Lord Iesus Christ the Sonne of the liuing GOD vvho art the onely Physitian that canst ease my body from paine and restore my Soule to life eternall put thy Passion Crosse and death betwixt my Soule and thy Iudgement and let the merits of thy Obedience stand betwixt thy Fathers Iustice and my disobedience and from these bodily paines receiue my soule into thine euerlasting peace for I cry vnto thee with Stephen Lord Iesu receiue my spirit The fourth thought THinke that the worst that death can doe is but to send thy soule sooner then thy flesh would be willing to Christ and his heauenly ioyes Remember that that worst is thy best hope The worst therefore of death is rather a helpe then a harme The spirituall sigh vpon the fourth thought O Lord Iesus Christ the Sauiour of all them that put their trust in thee forsake not him that in misery flieth vnto thy grace for succour and mercy Oh sound that sweet voyce in the eares of my soule which thou spokest vnto the penitent theefe on the Crosse this day thou shalt be with mee in Paradise For I O Lord doe with the Apostle from my soule speake vnto thee I desire to be dissolued and to bee with Christ. The fifth thought THink if thou fearest to dye that in Mount Sion there is no death for he that beleeueth in Christ shall neuer die And if thou desirest to liue without doubt the life eternall whereunto this death is but a passage surpasseth all There doe all the faithfull departed hauing ended their miseries liue with Christ in ioyes and thither shall all the godly which suruiue be gathered out of their troubles to enioy with him eternall rest The spirituall sigh on the fift thought O Lord thou seest the malice of Satan who not contenting himselfe 〈…〉 all the daâ—es and nights of our life to seek our destruction shewes himselfe most bâ—siest when thy children are weakest and neerest to their end O Lord reprooue him and preseâ—ue my Soule Hee seekes to terrifie me with death which my sins haue deserued but let thy holy spirit comfort my soule with the assurance of eternall life which thy blood hath purchased Asswage my pain encrease my patience and if it be thy blessed will end my troubles for my soule beseecheth thee with olde blessed Simeon Lâ—rd now let me thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word The sixth thought THink with thy selfe what a blessing God hath bestowed vpon thee aboue many millions of the world that whereas they are either Pagans who worship not the true GOD or Idolaters who worship the true GOD falsely Thou hast liued in a true Christian Church and hast grace to dye in the true Christian faith and to be buried in the sepulchres of Gods seruants who all waite for the hope of Israel the raising of their bodies in the resurrection of the iust The spirituall sigh vpon the sixt thought O Lord Iesus Christ who art the resurrection and the life in whom whosoeuer beleeueth shall liue though hee were dead I beleeue that whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in thee shall neuer dye I know that I shall rise againe in the resurrection at the last day for I am sure that thou my Redeemer liuest And though that after my death wormes destroy this body yet I shall see thee my Lord and my God in this flesh Grant therefore O CHRIST for thy bitter death and passions sake that at that day I may bee one of them to whom thou wilt pronounce that ioyfull sentence Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you before the foundation of the world The seauenth thought THinke with thy selfe how Christ endured for thee a cursed death and the wrath of God which was due vnto thy sinnes and what terrible paines and cruell torments the Apostles and Martyrs haue voluntarily suffered for the defence of Christs faith when they might haue liued by dissembling or denying him how much more willing shouldest thou be to depart in the faith of Christ hauing lesse paines to torment thee
phrase of laying by in store comprehendeth al the other exercises of the Sabath and why should the Apostle require the collections to be made on the first day of the weeke but because that on this day the holy assembly were held in the the Apostles time 1 Cor. 11.33 15.1.2 1 Cor. 14.37 Acts 20.4.5.6 c. a Acts 21.4 c. b Apoc. 1.10 Mos Christianus c. It is the manner of Christians to call it the Lords day Beda in Luc. cap. 24.1 Heb. 2.5 Heb 2.11 and 5.9 * Ier. 17.22 Ezech. 20.19.20.21.24 Ezec. 23.38 Nehe. 9.14 Ex. Bodin de Repub. lib. 4. cap. 2. 1 Cor. 14.33 40. Esa. 55.1.2 Apoc. 3.18 Iames 2.9 Gen. 2 3. Exod. 34.1 c. Deut. 4.13 Deut. 4.4 1 Reg. 8.9 Heb. 9.4 Rom. 5.17 Matth. 5.19 Acts 15.20.24.28.21 Mat. 24.20 Euseb. hist. Eccles. lib. 3. cap. 5. It is probable that this oracle was that voice migremus hinc which with an earthquake was heard by night in the temple mentioned by Iosephus de bello Iudaico lib. 7. cap. 12. Mat. 24.35 Isa. 56.6 Nehem. 13.11 c. Eph. 2.14 Pro 2.17 Mat. 19.6.8 Nitimur in vetitum Hor. Rom. 7.14 Gen. 1.14 Iob. 9.9 Iob 38.31 Amos 5.8 a To distinguish twixt Spring and Haruest Summer and Winter and to foreshew Iudgements to come b Moaedim sig Sacred times appointed for Gods holy worship hauing special significations and promises c One of the 7. daies of the week from the other d Solar Sabbatary and Iubilie Ex. 23 11.12 Index Chron. apup Anno Mundi 1998. After M. Rob. Pont. his computation Treatise of the last decaying age of the world published Anno Dom. 1600. R. Pont. tr of the last age pag. 17. Ier. 25.11.12 Hezr 1.1 * Apoc. 8.2 and 9.7 Napier on the Apoc. Proposition 6.8.9 hiâ— Resolution Apoc. 5. Pont. Of the last age of the world pag. 12. Buchol 2. Index Chron. Broughton Consent A.M. 2430. Deut. 34. Pont. ibid. Scaliger Bucholzer * Pont. p. 21. Buch. Index Cronol apud A.M. 2500. * Iubilie some deriue of trumpets or Rammes-hornes wherewith the Iubilie was sounded others from Jubal a streame because they carry vs to the death of Christ the author of our eternall rest ioy Isay 61. Luke 4. * Pont. of the last decaying age of the world pag. 12.13.21 a Expertum est in plerisque omnibus 63. annum cum periculo cladâ— aliqua venire aut corporis morbique grauioris aut vitae interitus aut animi agritudinis Agellius lib. 1.15 c. 7. Augustus in ep ad Caiâ—n nepotem exultat s◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commâ—â—em senâ—orum omnium 63. euasisse Bodin de Repub. lib. 4. cap. 2. * Aristotle Cicero Bernard Bocace Erasmus Luther Melancthon Sturmiâ—s c. * She was she is what can there more be said In earth the first in heauen the second Maide Bodin Bucholz Climax vitae virorum ferè septenariis aut nouenariis Faeminarum verò senariis d finitur Bodin de Rep. lib. 4. cap. 2. Wisd. 11.17 Wolph praem chron Apoc. 10.6 Tempus est reruÌ„ mundanarum duratio extrinsecuâ— obseruata H. Wolph Chron. cap. 1. Tempus cum mundo caepit una desiturum est ibid. Gen. 2.3 Apoc. 1.10 * Si quid horuÌ„ tota die per orbem frequentat Ecclesia Nam hoc quin ita saciendum sit disputare insolentissimae insaniae est August Ep. 118. ad Ian. Synod Col. part 9. cap. 9. Ignat. ad Magnes Apolo 2. Origen homilia 7. super Exod. 1. Epistol ad Ianuar. 119. cap. 13. ad Cassul Epi. 86. August de temp Ser. 251. Psal. 87.3 Aug. de temp ser. 251. 154. Conc. Const. Can. 8. Wolphius Chron. lib. 2. cap. 1. Muss Bipont postill Dom. Pasc. Mat. 27.52 Codoman Aâ—nat An. Munâ— 2515. Iosh. 6.13 Apo. 10.7 Aug. ad Casulan ep 86. ad Ianuar 119. cap. 13. Aug. Serm. de temp 251. 154. Conc. 6. Constant cau 8. * Non dubiâ—amus quin variè apud Christianos Sabbathum violetur non abstinendo ab iis quae aliis diebus licita sunt Armin. Iunius praelect in Gen. 2.3 Exod. 31.13 14. c. Ezek. 20.12.20 Ezek. 46.1.2.3 c. Exod. 35.2 Armin. disput Theolog. in praecep 4. Thes. 14. Act. 10.15 Isa. 58.13 Read H. Wolphins Cronolog de Temp. lib. 2. cap. 4 pag. 118. and cap. 7. pag. 140. c. Num. 5.32 2 Mac. 27.28 Cent. Magdol 12. cap. 6 Discip. de tempore Ser. 117. Tho. Cantiprat lib. 2. de apib Tympiâ— admiran vindict diu Theus hist. Iohan Finc lib. 3. de miraculis Stowes A. bridgement Anno 1582. Discite iam moniti Dominum non temnere Christum Whilest the Preachers cryed in the church prophanenesse prophanenesse Gaine would not suffer them to heare therefore when they cryed fire fire in the streets God would not suffer any to helpe * Numb 15.38 a Num. 28.9.10 b Exo. 35.2.3 c Exo. 16.23 d Deu. 5.15 e It was the Sabbath day on which Moses and the Children of Israel sang to God wheÌ„ Pharaoh and his hoast were drowned in the sea Exod. 15. See Trem. Iun. notes on Deu. 5.15 on Exod. 12.15 Obiect â— Gal. 4.10 1 Cor. 16.1 and 14.37 Act. 20.7 Col. 2.17 Leuit. 23.37 38. Obiect 2. Col. 2.16 Obiect 3. Rom. 14.5 Rom. 15.1 Apoc. 1.10 * Exo. 31.29 30. Exod. 31.12 13. Exod. 31.15 c. Exod. 34.21 Nehe. 13.15 Ier. 17.21.22.27 Deut. 5.14 Rom. 8 22· Deut. 25. â— â— Cor. 9.9 Neh. 15.15.16.19 Apoc. 1.19 Isa. 58.13.14 Psal 37.4 Ephes. 5.18.19 Rom. 12.11 Deut. 28.47 Isa. 58.13 1 Cor. 10.7 Exod. 32.6.18.19 Melius enim arare quam saltare in Sabato Aug. in tit Psal. 91. Act. 17.31 Rom. 2.12 c. 2 Thes. â— 8 c. Lactan. lib. 7. cap. 19. Apo. 12.11 * This was the last and heauiest curse that Saint Iohn wished spirituall Babylon Apo. 2. 3. Isa. 56.2 c. and 58.13 c. Exod. 16.23 c. Exod. 19.15 1 Cor. 7.5 Gen. 35.2 1 Thes. 4.4 1 Sam. 21.5 Exod. 19.16 Psal. 92.2 Eccles. 417. Col. 4.3 Psal. 91.1.2.5 1 Chron. 29 11. c. * Here thou maist confesse whatsoeuer sinne of the last weeke clogs thy conscience Iohn 1.29 Mat. 13.1 Luke 8.25 Col. 4.3 Act. 26.18 1 Thes. 5.13 Heb. 13.17 1 Cor. 11.10 Eph. 3.10 1 Pet. 1.12 Esa. 58.13 Esa. 66.23 Psal. 104.4 Psal. 42.1.2 Psal. 84.10 Psal. 5.8 Gen. 28.26.17 1 Cor. 14.25 Psal. 26.8 Psal. 27.4 Psal. 27.6 Psal. 23.6 Eccl. 4.17 1 Cor. 12.12 Act. 2.2.46 4.32 Eccle. 5.1 Eze. 46.10 Psal. 110.3 * Cum Romam venio Jeiuno Sabbato cum hîc sum non Ieiuno Sic tu ad quam fortè Ecclesiam veneris eius morem serua si cuiquaÌ„ non vis esse scandalo nec queÌ„quam tibi Amb. consil August ep ad Ianuar. Luk. 4.20 Luk. 19.48 Isa. 2.3 Act. 10.33 1 Chr. 17.25 Gal. 4.14 1 Thes. 2.13 Apoc. 2.7 Luk. 24.32 Luk. 11.28 Rom. 15.16 Deut. 33.3 Ioh. 10.27 Ioh.