beautifull flowers are they quickly fade and fall away Whereby we are taught that how gawdily or gloriously soeuer we couet to beautifie our bodies wee make them neuer the more permanent but as these flowers wither and fall leafe after leafe through the defect of the sap that first caused them to flourish so man liue he neuer so long and neuer so full of glorie when the sap of nature begins to wax drie in him his most glorious leaues begin to fade and faile one after another the strong men his legs begin to weaken and falter the grinders his teeth fall out of the head the lookers the eyes wax dim one part after another decayes till the bodie totally comes to dust in the graue This is the glorie of the most glorious hee buds blossoms ripes rots as doth the flower in the garden the grasse of the field and as a shaddow a dreame and as a fancie flyes to his end and liue he neuer so long his life is but as a tale that is told Doe wee not daily see the youngest strongest among humane creatures liuely full of agilitie and corporall actiuitie in the morning who yet before night are eyther naturally or accidētally oftentimes cut downe and in their graues Why therefore should I or you that shall perchance suruiue me be so sollicitous and ouercarefull of worldly things especially seeintg he longest liuer cannot enioy what he desireth with any true contentment aboue fortie or fiftie yeeres for till he bee twentie hee is vnder gouernment not at his owne will after that he is wearied with labours and cares of the world when he comes to sixtie or seuentie yeeres hee be comes decrepit vnapt vnable to follow his owne occasions To bee in league with death as hoping he will forbeare the execution of his warrant vpon vs or by arte to indeuour to put off old age though many desire it none can doe it the richest by his gifts the strongest by his valour the wisest by his policie nor the most cunning by any artificiall deuice or stratagem he can contriue Who can free himselfe of a feuer who can rid himselfe of the gout of the stone or of any other inherent infirmitie of the bodie Surely none but death death is the Phisician that cures all the diseases present in the bodie yet we like not his phisick wee are contented to vse art money we willingly giue to auoyd it and yet it is commonly seene that hee that seekes and desires most to prolong his life is most suddenly taken by death and he that seekes most to flie from it him it followes euen at the heeles and hee that couets most to saue his life soonest loseth it I thinke it therefore greatest wisdome so farre to couet long life as it may stand a blessing of God during which life we are to meditate necessarily two especial points namely how to leade our liues how to entertaine death when it comes As touching the first we are inioyned therefore bound to liue godly which comprehendeth all the dueties of a Christian life which duties although they be many are all performed by holy obedience to God which consisteth in a perfect obseruing of his diuine Precepts namely in doing that which is good and auoyding that which is euill The good commanded cannot be done by nature which is corrupt but by grace freely giuen the euill which is forbidden comes and is done by nature The effects of good and ill affections consist in action by seuerall operations the good which we doe God worketh both in vs and by vs the euill which wee doe is of by our selues The like in suffering the good suffer euill with patience not the euill of doing but the bearing of euils and wrongs offerd without grudging The wicked suffer euen goodnesse as it were against their wils and commit euils against the good wittingly and with their wils The good endeuour to leade their liues vnspotted in the world not as did many Heathen Philosophers who had both the actiue and passiue parts of doing good and suffering euill that in great measure of patience wanting only diuine knowledge consequently faith which are no more ours by nature then they were theirs Therefore if I or you should onely indeuour a kinde of Philosophical outward and morall goodnes without the internal working of grace through faith wee should by our such doing and suffering gaine but that which they gayned a bare name of holinesse although wee as some of them did would voluntarily giue our bodies to death wee should thereby gain but the more future miseries In all our doings and sufferings wee must set GOD alwayes before the eye of our mindes taking hold of Christ by faith by whome hee hath reueiled himselfe vnto vs to be our louing Father not vnto them without Christ wee are euen as the former Gentiles were vnder the curse but by and through him made heires of the Kingdome of glorie whereof although these Philosophers were endued with humane wisedome farre aboue vs they had yet no vnderstāding of nor were partakers of that true glorie which is by Christ. Therefore must we that liue in the light of Truth striue to bee partakers of better things then they that liued in the darknesse of ignorance for vs to come short of their care of doing the good they suppos'd good in doing that wee know to bee good were most palpable idlenesse and seuerely punishable We must therefore while it is to day studie and practise to be holy in deede not in shew like the Pharises whose seeming sanctitic was all external and internally were prophane hypocrites As touching the second point of Meditatiō namely of the vncertayne comming and to be prepared for death cast your eye vpon the fore-part of the former treatie where you may peraduenture finde matter of Meditation touching this point In briefe Remember your ends namely death and if you haue any grace it will preuent sinne in you so walke in health as if you should presently die ye shall find it a remedy against the vanities of this life Who can thinke of present death and yet delight himselfe in the vncertayne things of this world Hee that is still dying begins his eternall life here and remembers that hee hath here no continuing Citie and therefore thinks of seekes that which is to come not liuing as the secure conetous man in the Gospell flattering his soule to remaine many yeeres in his bodie not hauing one night to liue Yee are poore I confesse I cannot enrich you and therefore to disswade you from couetousnesse may seeme superfluous yet I thinke not but a begger may be as couetous and as greedy to get hoord vp as the richest man flie it therefore in your smallest meanes it is the roote of all other sinnes it depriues men of the
sinners I had perished through thy iust iudgement long agone euen in my youth for as soone as I was able to speake though vnderstanding little I indeuoured to excuse my childly errors with vntruths falshood lying growing to mans estate and to the abilitie to act greater sinnes I omitted no one forbidden vanitie offered to any of my sences but greedily imbraced it and as I increased in yeeres and in strength to sinne so did I increase in cōmitting wickednesse neither reuerencing thee nor seeking to know thee or to obey thee according to my dutie but rebelled against thee and thy Lawes as if thy threats against sinne and sinners had been only to terrifie and not to punish them And thy promises of spirituall comforts and future happines had been only to withdraw mee from my carnall delights wherein I reposed all my felicitie perswading my selfe there was no danger in sin nor reward for well-doing Thus foolish was I and ignorant by nature shewing that I had no originall goodnesse in mee but corrupt in my conception sinfull in my birth and wicked in my life and consequently the childe of wrath This masse of miserie befell me by the fall of the first man ADAM in whom I was first good and pure and righteous and holy like vnto thee O God of heauen And had not Adam defaced that Image of sanctitie in himselfe I should haue remained holy as thou art holy for euer But by his disobedience I lost in him all obedience towards thee and became a Rebell like vnto him euen in his loynes for in him I was conceiued in sinne and through the corruption of that my conception I only bring forth iniquitie Beeing thus miserably cast downe from glorie to shame from light to darknesse from sanctitie to sin from Heauen to Hell to whom shall I appeale for reliefe whose aide shall I craue for the obtayning of thy fauour loue againe for being depriued of thee I am dead being aliue if I die without thee I die eternally But Lord now I know thee and whom thou hast sent IESVS CHRIST and I know that in thy seuere iustice through him thou remembrest mercie and in thy fierce wrath thou shewest compassion which in nothing appeareth so much as in the performance of thy promise in sending thy Sonne the Seede of the Woman who according to thy Couenant hath conquered Satan and trodden downe the Serpent by whome our first Parents were inuenomed and stung vnto death and I in them But now in and by that sacred Seede Iesus Christ that poysonous sting is remoued and all beleeuers restored to life Therefore Lord Iesu thou Lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world haue mercie vpon me take away my sins wash me and make mee cleane through thy bloud from all my filthinesse giue me a liuely faith to take hold of thy merits and to depend vpon thy promises of saluation And that I may apply thy salutarie death vnto my sicke and diseased soule wounded by the dart of sinne and guilt of disobedience set thy righteousnesse against my sins and thine obedience to my disobedience couer me with the Robe of thine owne Innocencie that the foulenesse of my deseruings may be hidden from mine highly-offended God who by promise will impute thy most absolute integritie to be mine as he imputed and laid all the sinnes of Adams posterity vpon thee as thine Lord now at the last lighten mine vnderstanding purifie my heart sanctifie my will order all mine affections and actions and rectifie so my conuersation as I may walke as thy truly adopted sonne in holinesse and true righteousnesse and be kept euer blamelesse vntill the glorious appearing of Christ my Sauiour in whose name I now come vnto thee most louing and mercifull Father beseeching thee for his sake that I feeling and confessing the hainousnesse of my sinnes past and groning vnder the burden of them may feele the release and ease of them in that I through thy holy Spirit am assured and stedfastly doe beleeue that CHRIST my most louing Redeemer hath borne the burden of them euen for me Grant deare Father that I being assured hereof in my conscience may be renewed in the inner man through thy grace that I may hate detest and abhor sinne and indeuour to liue according to thy will all the dayes of my life And for as much gracious Lord God as I must here continue during thine appointed time in this dangerous wildernesse of many vanities subiect to many troubles tryed with many temptations and compassed with many and infinite miseries and dangers hauing of my selfe no succour no defence no safetie but in thine alone fauour power and prouidence I humbly pray and beseech thee O mercifull Lord God to looke downe from heauen vpon me in mercy and louing kindnesse Shew mee thy wayes teach mee thy pathes leade mee euer in thy Truth and instruct me in the things that I ought to learne and learne mee how to practise to leade my life according vnto the same lest I follow vanities and delight in sinne lest I fall into troubles and there bee none to deliuer mee lest Sathan preuaile against me and I fall from thee and lest I fall into dangers and perish in my miseries Turne thy face towards me O Lord and cheere me with the brightnesse of thine amiable countenance for when thou turnest thy face from me I faint and when thou hidest thy countenance I fall fearefully As long as thou art with me I am safe when thou leauest mee then troubles afflict me enemies insult me and triumph ouer me I am then subiect to all miseries Satan with his temptations preuaileth my corrupt affections misleade me the world with vanities distract me and I am not able to looke vp my heart is cast downe my mind is estranged from all goodnesse and my will is carried into all forbidden things So that I am as a dead man or rather no man but the meere image of a man in whom dwelleth neither right reason nor humane vnderstāding a beast in thy sight Hide not therefore thy face from me O Lord nor cast thy seruant away in displeasure Thou hast been euer and in all things my succour leaue me not now O Lord nor forsake me O God of my saluation But continue thy loue and fauour towards mee that I may againe recouer my spirituall strength and be enabled to serue thee with a faithfull constant and obedient heart vnto the end In my necessitie furnish me O Lord with all competent meanes for the maintenāce of my present life and estate here in plen tie make me truly thankefull in want patient in sicknesse be thou my Physician and heale me and preuent Satan that he in the time of my finall visitation ouer charge me not laying before the eyes of my weake conscience my sins past but arme me with the assurance of thy mercies and with a liuely hope of future glorie with thee in the heauens
death are equally as vncertayne to man as is the Houre the Day the Weeke the Moneth the Yeere of Christs comming to Iudgement which that he will come is as certaine as death but as touching the time of the cōsummation of al things Christ as hee was man confessed he knew not the time yet was no earthly thing hid from him no not the thoughts of men But that Day is concealed in the generall as the houre of mans death in particular only to make vs and to keepe vs in such a continuall obedience as if death should suddenly steale vpon vs we may be readie to imbrace him in what manner soeuer hee should execute his seuerity vpon vs. Whereby I learne that as I tender mine own safetie So I should prepare me for that and to that which come it sooner or later cannot be auoyded It is then the principall point of diuine Wisdome to learne and to practize to liue well for without a godly life I cannot willingly and comfortably imbrace death which can neuer bee euill if a good life haue gone before As I shall dye so shall I rise If I dye iustified I shall rise to be glorified To liue well as some account it wealthily is not well And to dye rich is not to dye righteous for so should the rich Glutton haue beene carryed into Abrahams bosome with or before poore Lazarus The cōdition of worldlings no doubt is glorious were it good pleasant were it truly profitable It is high in conceit but not as it is taken true happinesse It is no higher then the Eye can see It consisteth but of the Earth and earthly things The Swine thinkes his condition happie yet only noozels in the Earth for Apples and Acornes neuer looking to the Tree from whence they fall So doe Worldlings wallow in all carnall care how to become great and glorious in this life seldome or neuer looking vp with the Eye of Faith to him from whom and from none else commeth the riches that maketh a man blessedly happie Contrarie is the condition of the Childe of God who loues God in feare and feares him in loue accepting euery smal gift as a great measure of his bountie resting content with whatsoeuer God will vouchsafe to bestow on him liuing in the world but dead to the World following with diligence and truth his Vocation be it neuer so base and contemptible receiuing with thankefulnesse to GOD whatsoeuer he enioyeth in this life not setting his affection vpon that which the World loueth but affecteth whatsoeuer hee hath for his sake that giues it hauing the Eye of his sanctified Soule alwayes and in all things in prosperity in aduersity in health in sicknesse in peace and persecution in fulnesse and in want and is alwayes conuersant as it were in Heauen desiring to bee dissolued to bee with Christ. These are the pleasures of that life that precedes a happie death My desire therefore and continuall indeuour shall be to learne and my care to practize the life and conuersation of a liuely Christian in continuall filiall obedience not after the flesh in shew only but after the Spirit in Truth not for the bodie only as doth the beast that perisheth but for the Soule which being safe the bodie cannot finally perish and safe I cannot bee in soule or bodie vnlesse I liue in Christ and Christ in me for I now find that as long as I liued without Christ I did but liue in shew as the Angell of Sardis who had the name to liue but yet was dead so I though I liued and breathed and had a naturall being yet was I dead spiritually without him as the wanton Widdow that was dead while she liued But by the Spirit of Christ I am now againe made aliue desiring to liue in him hee is life in deed to walke in him hee is the true way indeed and to beleeue in him he is truth in deed My former learning to liue was in carnall libertie which I now finde to bee but foolishnesse falshood and deceit I now seeke to learne to liue according vnto Christ though late though it bee the very euening of my day being called vnto and if I doe perseuere in my labour according vnto my dutie I doubt not but to receiue my penny as well as if I had carryed the burden of the whole day of my life for he that calleth me into his Vineyard is truly bountifull and respecteth not the quantitie but the qualitie of my worke not how much I doe but how well and willingly I doe it for he rewards none for merit but in mercie And now finding my selfe to be not only in the way but neere vnto the end of my day I desire so to finish it as I may liue in him vnto the end that is life eternall that as he is eternall I beginning here to liue in him I may liue eternally with him in Heauen after this death And therefore I doe heartily abhorre the life that I haue led with-out him desiring now a right preparation so to lay downe this mortall bodie as it may bee taken vp and raysed by the vertue of Christs Resurrection at the comming of him in the Cloudes and in the meane season I desire so to walke in my spirituall part as in his time also hee may againe receiue it that gaue it for I know that if my earthly house be destroyed I haue a building of God an house not made with hands but eternall in the Heauens And through the mercy of God in Christ I shall then remayne for euer in Abrahams bosome the Paradise of God a new and spirituall Ierusalem I confesse I ground not mine assurance of my future blessednesse vpon any worthinesse or merite of mine owne whose merits I acknowledge Gods mercies Therefore being dissolued I beleeue not that the Prayers of friends or mediation of Saints or Angels or any Missall Sacrifice after my soule hath left my bodie can auayle me any thing But doe contrarily beleeue Post-Prayers to bee meerely fruitlesse if not sinfull the intercessions of Saints or Angels to be needlesse if not fabulous I only relye vpon the Al-sufficient Sacrifice of the bloud of Iesus Christ shed vpon the Crosse for me and his merit and mediation to bee mine onely atonement with God for my sinnes being liuing and through his power my soule to bee transported to glorie my bodie being dead from whence neither sinne nor Satan principalities nor powers shall be able to remoue mee nor to take mee out of my Redeemers hands Glory therefore bee vnto God in Iesus Christ who hath deliuered mee from the power of Satan Death and Hell This mine assurance giueth mee peace in Christ yet doe I withall feele another law within mee stirring mee vp or rather casting mee downe into sundry corrupt motions tending to sinne and did not God assist me with
heart a sanctified spirit that I may walke here before thée and here doe thy will as thy Saints and heauenly Companies doe thy will in Heauen that in this earthly Pilgrimage I may bee numbred among thy Saints Militant that I may not feare to bee translated from this place of banishment vnto that Inheritance purchased by Christ my Redéemer where I shall partake of his glory with thy Saints now Triumphant in that most glorious new Ierusalem While I liue here let thy Word bée deare vnto me let the Crosse of my Lord and Sauiour Christ be euer before the eyes of my mind euer assuring my selfe that his death is my life make mee therefore holy as he is holy And as hee layd downe his most sacred bodie in the Earth for a time and rose againe to glorie and as hee resigned his afflicted yet innocent Soule into thy hands euen for me to follow him so grant that whensoeuer or howsoeuer my soule shall leaue this mortall bodie it may follow my Loue Iesus to the place to which hee is gone before While I liue here leaue me not Father vnto my selfe for I am weake and mine enemies are strong but thou art Truth the strongest kéepe mée vnder thy feathers and bind mée vp in the bundle of thine Elect neuer to be deuided or set apart from them that shall bee saued make my life perfect to euery good worke and worke in mee that which is pleasant in thy sight through Jesus Christ Amen Lord increase and euer confirme my faith MEDIT. III. THough death now be the end of my fleshly part it is sufficient that I am assured of the continuing life of my soule after the temporall death of my body which yet shall not so perish but it shall haue a future being and bee re-vnited to my soule and so bee made one glorified body by the glory of Christ my Redeemer The present consideration of death can therefore but put mee in minde of and giue mee desire to bee dissolued to enioy a better life And thereby so much the more mooue me to frame my life in my health as if I were presently dying Death is certaine common to all the time vncertaine to all yet all liue not as if their death were neer or that they did think that death would come at all But let no man deceiue himselfe by his long life that death is farre off or that it hath forgotten him it will come as a Thiefe suddenly to some sooner to some later to all when they least suspect it In the first Age of the World men liued long many hundred yeeres Methusalah almost one thousand yeeres Adam Noah and many others to an extraordinarie age In their dayes it might haue beene conceiued by the number of their yeeres that they might haue liued many thousand yeeres But being all seene in their times and turnes to dye the opinion of a perpetuall life in earth was found erronious As the World grew in age so decreased the ages of men In Dauids time the age of man was seldome aboue threescore and ten if hee liued to fourescore it was reputed a great age rare yet nothing pleasant to the partie for weaknesse and infirmities of so many kinds commonly possesse the bodies and mindes of that age as these dayes are but a burden vnto them yeelding only sorrow heauinesse griefes and miseries And yet many of that decrepit age are loth to dye which may argue no godly preceding life Moses before Dauids time liued one hundred twenty yeeres and was then in that state of strength and agilitie of bodie and perfection of his sences as in his best age and strongest yeeres yet he dyed Mine own naturall father liued one hundred and three yeeres lusty and strong much admired for his agilitie euen to that age yet I doe not by these precedents collect any probabilitie or hope that I shall liue much more then halfe his yeeres though I presently feele no apparant tokens but desire of my dissolution And therefore I account my life but a meere watch for the time of death If I had seene the man that had liued many thousand yeeres and were yet in health and strength I should bee farre from flattering my selfe that I might liue the longer for his long life yet I see that one man couets to attaine vnto the yeeres of the most aged The man of sixtie or seuentie yeeres desires to liue to eightie he of eightie to one hundred yet doe we scarcely see one man of ten thousand to see one hundred nor one of one hundred seuentie yeeres nor one of fiftie fortie yeeres If I should liue one hundred yeeres when death comes it is but as if I were in my Cradle Twentie yeeres in expectation seemeth farre more then one hundred yeeres past I thinke it therefore wisedome not to allow vnto my selfe the assurance of many yeeres not of many dayes nay not of one houre for I see some suddenly stricken dead yea in a moment a fearefull spectacle yet little moouing some beholders But this vse Wisedome teacheth me to make of other mens lots namely to keepe continuall watch ouer my desires wordes and wayes that I may so liue as if I saw Death with his Dart at my brest Death then being certaine and his comming vncertayne by the rule of right reason I should bee alwayes readily prepared for Death imports feare and Feare presupposeth danger Danger requireth watchfulnesse Watchfulnesse patience Patience Faith and Hope As touching the first namely feare it is both filial and son-like and seruile or slauish which last I exempt as not the feare required of mee in this expectation and watchfulnes for death But the feare which becomes a most dutifull sonne to a most louing father is it wherewith I desire alwaies to be truly qualified hauing an eye euer vnto God as the eye of a Mayden to the hand of her Mistris fearing in loue not louing for feare When Baruch read the booke of the curses against Iudah and Israel vnto the people both the good and the bad feared Some fearing as children desiring to be reformed according to the Law of the Lord some as slaues feared the horror of punishment threatned without eyther the loue of God or their owne reformation This is not the feare that Salomon prescribes where he saies Feare ye the Lord all his Saints and depart from euil He that sayes he feareth God and walketh not in his wayes feareth not at all as he ought to feare and that for want of Wisedome for as wisedome is giuen to them that feare God so doth the feare of God shew it selfe by wisedome namely by gouerning his life according to the Word of God Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and walketh in his waies So that it is not in mee nor of my selfe to feare God I must be first blessed of God before I can truly
true peace with or in the World and happie is hee that hath warres with it and peace with God But here is the miserie of miseries hence is griefe hence often vpbraydings especially domesticke the want of daintie fare gay and fashionable garments and the want of meanes to preferre and aduance Posterities is the Houshold Breake-peace and to auoid this miserie some runne into a mischiefe vsing sinister and vnlawful means to satisfie the World and worldly mindes displeasing God to please vaine fantasies yet for a time it is sweet and pleasant yeelding a kind of content and carnall comfort such as CHRIST fore-told that Worldlings should haue in this life as the Rich man in the Gospell had but GODS owne Children should haue contrarie enentertainmēt in the world they should want weepe and lament as Lazarus did and as their estates of wealth and want pleasure and paine faith and infidelitie doe differ so do their ends for fulnes and want mirth and mourning ioy and sorrow idlenesse and labour stand not together in this life neither yeeld they like comfort or calamitie after death There are but two extremes in riches and pouertie but their degrees are infinite so are there of pleasure and paine after this life The true vse of riches and the patient acceptance of a meane estate are equall and receiue eequall proportion of reward So the abuse of riches and the impatient vndergoing of a poore estate shall be equally punished whether therefore I bee poore or rich I am in neither happie but so farre as I walke in either of them in the feare and loue of God that giues both for the good of the good and to the reproofe of them that abuse either O happie is that heart that harbours the hope of heauenly things it is contentedly satisfied with the smallest portion the world doth yeeld and yet resteth not idle in well-doing but carefully indeuoreth so to liue as willingly not to be chargeabe to any desiring rather to bee able to helpe the needie and to owe nothing but good will to any Naked came I into the World poore and in a meane estate I liue and naked I must goe hence as touching my spirituall part I shall be clothed with the Robe of my Redeemers merits in the Heauens vntill my bodie shall be raysed againe and then reunited vnto my soule and both become one bodie clothed with eternall glorie And therefore Come Lord Iesus come quickly and finish these dayes of sinne that I may partake of thy glorie THE HVSBANDS Christian counsell to his Wife and Children left poore after his death PART 1. Death certaine his comming vncertaine BY the former Discourse ye may perceiue that Death will certainly come vpon mee and you as vpon all men but when where or how no man knowes and that after death all shall come to Iudgement and yeeld account for whatsoeuer they haue done in this life and therefore wee all should prepare vs against the time by continuall watchsulnesse in well-doing You may also conceiue and I know you haue too well experimented my poore estate to bee such as I cannot leaue behinde me such testimonies of my worldly happinesse as many other men doe to them they leaue behinde them that may challenge some remembrance by their worldly substance And therefore in stead of such commemorations I desire before I goe hence and bee no more seene to leaue such token of my loue towards you as I can that you may likewise remember mee in Christian imitation after my death wishing you to take that in good part at my hands that I shall giue you in counsell though words I know make none wealthy In stead therefore of Possessions and Pecuniary Portions I wish you euer to esteeme the fauor loue and prouidence of God your chiefest riches who as he hath been euer mine so will hee bee assuredly yours if in faith yee serue him and seeke him Bee yee therefore patient in that which in this life necessitie inforceth to be vndergone howsoeuer hard and vnsauourie it bee to flesh and bloud and make of that necessitie a vertue which if bee taken with grudging turnes into sinne The time will not bee long which will giue end to the greatest miseries then what difference can there bee obserued betweene them that haue abundance and them that haue least they shall carrie equall portions to their graues only nakednesse which both the rich and poore the glorious and the base brought into the World with them yet their future portions may differ as did the Rich mans and Lazarus Let vs therefore as long as we liue together couple and comfort our hearts together in the Lord whose pleasure it is and that in loue to keepe vs low in this World to the end wee should not be transported from the loue of heauenly to earthly things the best whereof is our bodie which yet is compared to a Flowre that fades and comes to nothing If therefore pouertie and afflictions continually possesse vs and presse vs downe euen vnto our liues ends Let vs rest euer faithfull cleauing constantly vnto God for hee careth for vs so shall wee bee the lesse carefull for worldly things Care not for your liues saith Christ namely what yee shall eate or what yee shall drinke nor for your bodies what yee shall put on for the bodie is more worth then meate and of more value then rayment bee it neuer so precious yet shall it naturally rot as the Garment doth but so much the more precious is the bodie though it perish by how much it shall bee futurely glorified But the bodies of the disobedient and wicked are so much the more base and vile then is a garment by how much it shall not so totally perish as the garment doth but bee reserued and raysed to endlesse torments The fowles of the ayre are brought in by Christ to teach man to cast his care vpon God Who careth for the verie fowles though they sow not nor reape nor carrie into barnes yet they are fedde and nourished by God but they are not idle for as God hath ordained food for them so are they to flye to and fro to seeke it teaching as not to rest careles of lawfull labours though Christ say Care not for to morrow but rather that we should bee so much the more industrious euery where by all meanes at all times in our lawfull callings omitting no opportunitie lawfully to encrease our store Christ likewise by way of comparison brings in the Lillyes of the field setting their glorie to the glorie of our corrupt bodies shewing that although wee labour and toyle and carke and care and busie our bodies and braynes about superfluous and vanishing things wee can neuer bee comparable to the glory of the Lilly other glorious beautifull flowers no not Salomon in his most glorious robes yet as glorious as these
sense of future good or euill auoid it left death steale vpon you and finde you so doing depend on Gods prouision blessing of your owne lawfull and laudable industries He is your heauenly Father and knoweth whereof ye haue neede seeke him hee will be found he will supply all your occasions if yee bee faithfull though yee were neuer so poore DAVID depending on God found by experiēce that the righteous were neuer left destitute nor their faithfull children to begge Cast then your care vpon God for hee careth for you And let not the care of the things of this life preuent your carefull preparation to a better life which you cannot attayne vnto but by death and therefore indeuour so to liue as God may bee glorified in your death not giuing your members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse vnto sinne here but giue your selues vnto God as they that are aliue from the dead and giue your members as weapons of righteousnesse vnto GOD. Striue against your owne corruption and let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodies that yee should obey it in the lusts thereof for When lust hath conceiued it bringeth forth sinne and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death not the death of the body only which is but a dissolution of the soule from it for a season but the death both of soule and body which is eternall Walke therefore in the Spirit saith Saint Paul and yee shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Ye haue the light walke not in darknes for he that walketh in darknesse walkes hee knowes not whither while yee haue the light therefore walke in it So walke as your hearts may mooue from euill to good from sinne to sanctitie cease to do euil learne to doe good and practise it Learne of Dauid to run the way of the Lords Cōmandements Walke not in the counsell of the wicked stand not in the way of sinners nor sit in the seate of the scornefull but delight your selues in the Law of the Lord and thereupon meditate day and night so shall yee bee blessed in life and death Yet thinke not to bee free from troubles enemies and crosses how sincerely soeuer yee liue nay the more carefull yee shall be to lead a holy and a godly life so much the more will Satan seeke to peruert you bee not dismaid cease not to walke honestly as in the open light that men may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heauen PART II. Gods prouidence towards his IF pouertie want oppresse you Let your Petitions bee vnto God who as he giueth seede vnto the Sower so shall he administer vnto you meat drinke and all things necessarie Remember the rich mercies of God which he hath euer shewed to his faithfull distressed children He sent his Prophet Abacuck to Daniel when hee was not only a prisoner and out of the reach of all his friends to releeue him but had for his companions the fearfull deuouring Lyons whose mouthes that most mightie God who will bee yours closed vp they could not hurt his seruant God might haue sustayned him with-out foode as he did Moses and Eliah but to shewe his secret mercies by visible meanes Remember also the miserable estate of that poore distressed woman Hagar ' who was so farre from any hope of worldly helpe in the barren wildernesse hauing a most heauie heart for her poore infant that with the mother was like to perish for want of a cup of cold water despairing as it were in her selfe laid away the childe from her forsooke it as loth to see the sorrowfull spectacle of its death and looked vp vnto GOD that saw her whose mercy and compassion was such towards her as hee opened a Well of water opened her eyes to see it whereby shee refreshed her selfe and relieued her child shewing thereby how carefull the Lord is of the distressed estates euen of such as are out of the couenant of grace how much more of such as take hold of him by faith in Christ namely of them that truly feare him faithfully beleeue in him and vnfainedly serue him When Samson had wearied himselfe combating with the Philistims became so weake and faint as hee was readie to perish for want of water to refresh him did not the same God yea our God the God of the faithfull giue him drinke out of the drie iaw-bone of an Asse Could he bring water sufficient to quench his great thirst out of so small and so drie a vessell yes for as long as hee desired to drinke so long it yeelded water like as did the oyle which by the power of the same God Eliah infused into the emptie vessels of the widdow of Sarepthah it ranne so long as shee had vessells to contayne it When Christ turned water into wine it ceased not till all the vessells were filled vp to the brim So doth the same God euen to this day deale with his children whom he neuer ceaseth to fill and feede as long as they haue faith to receiue his blessings and necessitie to haue them Hee fed foure thousand with seuen loaues and a few fishes and fiue thousand with fiue loaues and two fishes besides women and children hee could with the same meanes haue fed a more infinite number his power is so absolute what hee will hee works and what hee commands is done The hard Rocke must yeeld Riuers of water shewing that he can mollifie the heart of the most cruell Tyrant and in stead of afflicting to comfort his children The deuouring Rauen when God will vse him contrary to his nature shall carry foode to his distressed Eliah so doth hee at this day doubtlesse worke the hearts of most obdurate men to doe good as it were contrary to their condition to them that feare him and faithfully call vpon him in their distresses The examples of Gods presence with his loue vnto his and his power and prouidence ouer his faithfull children are in the Scriptures numberlesse The like are of his iudgements towards the wicked not only particular enemies of his as was Pharaoh Nebuchadnezzar Scnacherib Herod and others but against whole Kingdomes Cities Multitudes the Kingdomes of Israel and Iudah where are they Is not the Scepter departed from them for the wickednesse of the people that dwelt in them Sodom Gomorrah Zeboim Admah and Zegor where are they Came not fire brimstone from heauen vpon them How did the same God cōfound Ierusalem the slaughter-house as it were not only of his Prophets but of his owne innocent Sonne and doe wee not see daily GODS iust iudgements vpon diuers Countries People by fire inundations of water by pestilence warres and famine And is not the sudden hand of God vpon such as at this day blaspheme his Name Needes there examples of such as haue beene striken some
wants redeemeth your liues from the Graue and hath prouided for you a Crowne of Glorie And Wife although I your poore Husband shall leaue you a penurious and desolate Widdow hee will bee vnto you a prouiding Husband cleaue vnto him And though I shall leaue you poore fatherlesse children cast your care vpon him he will care for you hee will bee your Father and as a most louing and helping Father obey him as most dutifull and faithfull Children And when the time of my dissolution shall come which cannot be long I must obey and I am readie I shall goe a little before you and yee shall shortly follow if ye goe not before mee which is in God euen to the place of mine assured happines if with faith ye imbrace obey the wil of him that calleth you while ye yet liue as becommeth the Children of so Gracious a Father In the meane time the same God blesse you all with his true Feare continuall Peace and competent Plentie A briefe collection of Diuine comfort for mine owne and the incouragement of euery Christian to dye willingly FOr asmuch as death is the end of this life and this life duly considered an vnpleasant passage to a better and whether it shall bee long or short it behoueth vs to vndergoe with patience in hope whatsoeuer entertainment this World shall afford vs. Iob had as an inheritance the moneths of vanitie and painfull nights were appointed vnto him The dayes of Iacobs pilgrimage were few and euill yet some thinke their pleasantest dayes are here in the earth therefore desire no better not so with me knowing that after this life there is layd vp for me a crowne of righteousnes and not for me only but for all them that loue the appearing of the Lord Iesus There is little reason therefore that I or any other that haue tasted and do daily taste of the bitter cup of this liues vanities and miseries should desire longer to be pressed or oppressed there with but rather to comfort my selfe in a godly and patient expectation of the time when my dissolution may come desiring to bee dissolued and to be with Christ to whom no man commeth but he must remooue out of this house of clay and that cannot bee by any other meanes but by death that is by the destruction or change of this earthly Tabernacle either leauing it in the earth for a season or to be taken vp suddenly at Christs second comming but howsoeuer I know and am assured that both soule and bodie shall bee together and for euer be glorified in the end be clothed with a house not made with hands eternall in the heauens Who then can but sigh in desire to be an inhabitant in that house which is perpetuall and glorious I looke for it in hope confidently assuring my selfe that Christ shall bee then magnified in my bodie whether it bee by life or death for whether I liue I liue vnto him or whether I die I die vnto him whether therefore I liue or die I am the LORDS for I know that he whom I haue beleeued is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day wherein my mortall bodie shall bee quickned made like vnto his glorious bodie therefore will I willingly lay downe my life and commit my soule vnto God as vnto my most faithfull Creator A comfortable Meditation and Prayer to bee considered and said by euery Christian being neere the time of his dissolution NOw O Lord now draw néere vnto my soule and redéeme it for the time is at hand wherein I shall taste of the cup of death Now therefore is the acceptable time for thee to receiue my soule in the multitude of thy mercies which are wonderfull therefore doe I trust vnder the shaddow of thy wings my soule cleaueth vnto thée for thy right hand vpholdeth mée My soule thirsteth for thée my flesh longeth greatly after thée whose louing kindnesse is better to mee then life for from thée commeth my saluation Haue mercy vpon mée O God haue mercy vpon me for my soule trusteth in thée and vnder the shaddow of thy wings wil I trust till this my finall affliction be ouer-past My heart is prepared O God my heart is prepared to come vnto thée make it constant in thée because I know that although this body for a time shall wither yet it shall be in the house of my God as a gréene Oliue trée euer to flourish and be blessed Thou Lord thou hast chosen me and hast caused me to come vnto thée my saluation is of thine owne frée mercy and of thy frée and Fatherly election I shall dwell in thy Courts for euer and shall be satisfied with the pleasures of thine house euen of thy Kingdome of glorie I shall drinke of the Riuers of thy pleasures for with thée is the Well of life and in thy Light I shall sée light Let thy good Spirit leade mee in the Land of Righteousnesse and bring me by thy strength to thy holy and heauenly habitation plant mee in the Mountayne of thine inheritance euen in the place which thou hast prepared and in thy sacred Sanctuarie which thou hast established that I may sée thy goodnesse in the Land of the liuing Let mee behold thy face in righteousnesse and let me be satisfied with the fulnesse of the glorie of thy Countenance for in thy face is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand are pleasures for euermore Into thy hands oh Lord I commend my spirit for thou hast redéemed me O Lord God of truth shew a token of thy goodnesse and fauour towards me that they which wish euill vnto my soule may sée it and be ashamed and they that loue thy Name obserue it and be confirmed in thée who hast euermore holpen me and comforted mée Increase my faith and prepare my soule to come vnto thee AMEN To thee O Lord God only wise and only mercifull be ascribed all praise thanks dominion and glorie for to thee it only belongeth Priuate Prayers for Morning and Euening A Morning Prayer for priuate Families ALmightie LORD GOD most mercifull and louing FATHER Maker and Preseruer of all thy creatures but especially the Sauiour and Sanctifier of all them that beléeue in thée by the merit and vertue of the bloud of Iesus Christ Receiue at the hands of vs thine vnworthy seruants in the Name of Iesus Christ this our morning sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing for all thy mercies from time to time bestowed vpon vs for electing vs of thine owne free fauour before the world was made for creating vs of nothing in humane and not in the shape of brute creatures for redéeming vs with the most precious death of thine owne Sonne when wee were captiues and slaues vnto Satan for calling vs by the preaching of thy blessed Word and frée Spirit when we were strangers vnto thee for iustifying vs by the
prosperitie Teach mee good Father how to kéepe a diligent account of all the benefits and blessings I here receiue of thée and what vse I from time to time make of them knowing that there will come a day when I shall bee called to answere the same Grant therefore that I may so gourrne my selfe that I may bee able with boldnesse and truth to giue account of my time spent and my talents how I haue disposed them that I may bee found faithfull in my little and be made partaker of the greatnesse of thy Glorie in the Heauens Though I be a Stranger a Soiourner here in Earth yet grant Lord that I may haue my conuersation in Heauen Giue me Wisedome that I may finish this my Pilgrimage in thy fauour and for that I cannot so number my dayes that I can know how long I haue to liue let the residue of my life be a preparation to Death and the meditation of Death cause in mee continuall watchfulnesse for the comming of thy Sonne O God forsake mée not vnto the end so shall I neuer fall from or forsake thee Enable mee heere so to walke as becommeth thy sonne though in great weaknesse I haue finished my course to this day Grant Lord that I may bring forth better fruites from this day to the end of my dayes through thy Grace and in the end bée receiued to eternall Glorie through the merits of my alone Sauiour and Redéemer Jesus Christ to whom with thée O God the Father and the Holy Ghost be euermore ascribed all Power and Glorie Amen O Lord euermore increase my faith FINIS LONDON Printed by W. Stansby for Richard Meighen and are to be sold at his Shops at Saint Clements Church ouer against Essex house and at Westminster Hall 1619. Death certaine the time vncertaine Luk. 16. 22. Future ioy and paine in the extreme degree Body and Soule louingly linâ—kt Heb. 9. 27. Iob. 11. Io. 1. 1. Matt. 9. 25. 1. King 17. 22. 2. Kin. 4. 35 Dying twice 2. King 13. 21. Not necessarie to know the houre of death Time of the last Iudgment vnknown Mar. 13. 32 A good life must precede a happie death Luk. 16. 22. 23. Difference betweene Gods children and worldlings Phil. 1. A Christian resolution Gal. 2. 20. Reue. 3. 1. 1. Tim. 〈◊〉 Iohn 14. 6. What it is to liue carnally Matt. 20. 9. God is bountifull without our merit 2. Cor. 5. 1 2 Luke 16. 23 Our merit Gods mercies 1. Tim. 2. 5. Reue. 3. 11. Col. 2. 15. Satans policies No neede to feare Satan Iob. 26. Matt. 12. 29 Iob. 7. 1. Rom. 8. 33. 34. 1. Iob. 2. 10. Iob. 10. 28. Rom. 8. 34. The Christians hum blenesse Psal. 145. 9 Gods mer cies greater then our sinnes The assurance of a good Christian. Iudg. 15. 14 Iob. 19. 27. There is a sowing time and reaping time of bodies Life but lent vs. Christs death a Christians life 2. Pet. 3. 8. The bodie findes no tedious tarrying in the graue The graue a bed of rest Reue. 14. 13 Death a sleepe Mar. 9. 44. Death in shew more fearefull then in deede Rom. 2. 5. A spiritual and carnal life here Gal. 5. 19 20 21. Gal. 5. 19 20. Fruits of the flesh Fruits of the Spirit Counterfeit imitation of good men Hypocrisy most to be condemned Rom. 7. 16. How Will is free and not free 1. Cor. 2. 10. Mat. 7. 7 8 Prayer Psal. 25. 1 2 86. 4. Iam. 1. 6 7. Psal. 89. 48 Luke 12. 39 Iam. 4. 13. 2. Cor. 5. 6. Col. 2. 10. Col. 2. 15. The benefit of Christs death The best men often stagger at the consideration of death Ioh. 18. 17. Mat. 26. 39 Ecclus. 41. 1 Body and soule shal be glorified Death will come not looked for Gen. 5. 25. verse 4. Gen. 9. 29. Decrease of mens ages Deut. 34. 7. Not to depend on long life Time past short in expectation long Sudden death in others a fearefull spectacle Feare Mat. 14. 26 1. Pet. 2. 17. 1. Ioh. 4. 18. Col. 3. 22. Psal. 33. 18 DiffereÌ„ce of feare The want of wisedome the want of feare Hos. 14. 9. Psal. 128. 1. God must blesse vs before we can feare him Rom. 7. 18. Phil. 2. 13. Feare the gift of God Psa. 111. 10 Psal. Iob 1. 1. Reu. 14. 13. Psal. Rom. 12. 9. 1. Thes. 3. 15 1. Pet. 5. 8. 1. 2. Rom. 14. 12. 3. Eccles. 12. 14. We must giue account after death The heart the fountaine of al euill Iere. 17. 9. Gen. 6. 5. Satan watchfull ouer our inclinations aswell as actions Satan in his temptations steales vpon vs. The watch of a Christian Phil. 4. 8. Satan encounters vs not alone Our corrupt inclinations aduantage to Satan Eph. 5. 11. Tit. 2. 12. Rom. 13. 12 Rom. 12. 9. Though wee bee tempted we shall not fall Matt. 14. Act. 7. 59. Act. 12. 2. Mar. 13. 33 Mat. 24. 42. The Parable of the Thiefe Luk. 12. 39. 2. Cor. 6. 6. 1. Pet. 3. 10 11. Ecclus. 4. 20 The generall Audit is at hand therefore to prepare our account Mat. 18. 24 2. Pet. 3. 10 Mal. 4. 1. Zeph. 1. 14. 15 16. 2 Pet. 3. 10. Christs second comming fearfull None shal be able to answere the seuere Iudge 1. Cor. 1. 7. Phil. 3. 2. Tim. 4. 8. Luk. 21. 36. Ps. 50. 3 10. Ver. 11. Psal. 42. 5. Psal. 37. 34. Patience Matt. 6. 25. 1. Pet. 5. 7. Psal. 55. 22. 2. Cor. 11. 28 Heb. 13. 7. Matt. 6. 33 Pro. 10. 28. 1. Pet. 3. 9. 1. Pet. 4. 14. Esa. 30. 18. Attendance How feare and desire stand together Example The most diligent may bee found vnprofitable Attention two-fold 1. 2. Attention to selfe imperfections The Husband mans atteÌ„dance and attention Watchfulnesse in patience merits nothing because it is all vnperfect Correction necessarie Counterfeit patience True patience The place of freedome is heauen Gods forbearance to punish Rom. 7. 21 22 23. Verse 19. The opinion of Merit and Workes of Supererogation blasphemie They that can merit need no Repentance Psal. 43. 3. Heb. 11. 6. Iam. 2. 20. Rom. 11. Rom. 8. 24. The Fathers before Christ saw Christ to come Mat. 3. 17. Mat. 17. 5. 2. â—et 1. 17. Heb 9. 24. Patience in the husbandman Gal. 6. 8. Men most miserable but for the hope of another life Iude 20. 21. Vaine and carnall obiections against Faith and Beliefe Ro. 10. 9 10 Ia. 2. 18 19. Iam. 2. 21. Gen. 22. Iam. 2. 23. Faith the gift of God yet ours by imputation Iam. 2. 20. Rom. 14. 23 Heb. 11. 6. Sacrifice of the Masse Act. 7. 49. Heb. 4. 14. 1. Tim. 2. 5. The true vse of the SacrameÌ„t of the Lords Supper Rom. 7. 18 19. and 2. 13. Eph. 2. 8 9. Gal. 5. 4. We cannot suppresse sin but by grace Iob. 1. 16. The benefit of death The glory to come farre exceedes mans vnderstanding Wordes cannot expresse the glorie to come If worldly things be glorious how
An eye to Heauen in Earth A Necessarie Watch for the time of Death consisting in Meditations and Prayers fit for that purpose WITH The Husbands Christian counsell to his Wife and Children left poore after his Death PSAL. 65. 4. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to come vnto thee he shall dwell in thy Courts and be satisfied with the pleasures of thine House euen of thine holy Temple PSAL. 116. 15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints LONDON Printed by W. Stansby for Richard Meighen and are to be sold at his shops at Saint Clements Church ouer against Essex house and at Westminster Hall 1619. 1. Ianuarie called of the Latins Ianuarius â—ath 31. daies Graecians Gamelion Hebrewes Tebeth and is their 10. moneth 1 A Calends  2 b  The first day of this Moneth Christ was circumcised Luk. 1. 21. The tops of the mountaines appeared vnto Noah Gen 8. 5. The Israelites put away their wiues Ezra 10. 16. 3 c Nones of Ia. 4 3 4 d  5 e  6 f Day before the N. 7 g Nones of Ianuar. 8 A  9 b  The 5. of this moneth word was brought vnto Ezechiel the Prophet that the Citie Ierusalem was smitten Ezechiel 33. 21. 10 c Idus of Ianuarie 8 7 6 5 4 3 11 d  12 e  13 f  14 g Day before the Id. The sixth of this moneth Christ was worshipped of the wise men Mat. 2. 1. c. baptized Mat. 3. 15. turned water into wine Ioh. 〈◊〉 1. c. as testifieth Epiphanius 15 A Idus of Januarie 16 b  17 c  18 d  19 e  20 f  The 10. of this Month Nabuchadnezzar King of Babel moued therunto by the rebellion of Zedechiah besieged IerusaleÌ„ most fiercely as may appeare 2. Kings 25. c. Ier. 52. 4. Also Ezechiel was willed to vtter his parable Ezech. 2. c. 21 g  22 A Calends of Februarie 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 23 b  24 c  25 d  26 e  27 f  28 g  29 A  Paul called and conuerted the 25. of this moneth Acts. 9. 3. 30 b  31 c Day before the Calends of Feb. Festiual daies in this moneth be Circumcision the first day Epiphanie the sixth 2 Februarie called of the Latins Februarius hath 28 daies vnlesse it bee yere Bissextil and then 29. GraeciaÌ„s Elaphebâ—lioÌ„ Hebrews Shebat and is their 11. month 1 d Calends The first of this moneth Mose repeated the Law vnto the children of Israel Deut. 1. 3. 2 e Nones of Februar 4 3 3 f  4 g Day before the N. 5 A Nones of Februa The second of this month our Sauiour was presented to the Lord and Marie purified Luke 2. 22. 6 b  7 c  8 d Idus of Februar 8 7 6 5 4 3 9 e  The ninth of this month Noah 40. daies after he had seene the tops of the mountaines sent out of the Ark a Rauen afterward a Doue which returned Ge. 8. 6. c. 10 f  11 g  12 A Day before the Id. 13 b Idus of Februar 14 c  15 d  The 15 of this month the Iewes spend merily together for that the Spring of the yeare doth enter then as they thinke 16 c  17 f  18 g  19 A  20 〈◊〉  The 16. of this moneth Noah the second time sent out a Doue which returned with an Oliue branch in her bill Gen. 8. 10. 21 c Calends of March. 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 22 d  23 e  24 f  25 g  The 24. of this month Zechariah was commanded to prophecie Zechary 1. 7. Matthias was elected into the number of the Apostles Acts 1. 26. 26 A  27 b  28 c  29 d Day before the Calends of March.    Festiuall daies in this moneth be the 2. called the Purification of Saint Marie The 24. which is Saint Matthias day 3. March called of the Latins Martius hath 31. daies Graecians Mouuichyon Hebrewe Adar and is their 12. moneth 1 d Calends The Temple of Ierusalem was finished the 3. day of this month Esra 6. 15. In the 1. of Esdr. 7. 5. it is said to be the 23. of this moneth 2 e  3 f Nones of March 6 5 4 3 4 g  5 A  6 b Day before the N. The tenth of this month Christ was aduertised that Lazarus was sicke Ioh. 11. 3. 7 c Nones of March 8 d  9 e  A feast was celebrated among the Iewes for the ouerthrow of Nicanor the 13. of this moneth 2. Mac. 15 37 Also vpoÌ„ the same day al the Iews vnder Ashuerosh were commanded to bee put to death Esth. 3. 13. vpon the same day the Iewes had a priuiledge giuen them to slay all their enemies Est. 8. 12. This day also the Iewes solemnized for their ioifull deliuerance Est. 8. 17. 10 f Idus of March 8 7 6 5 4 3 11 g  12   13 b  14 c Day before the Id. 15 d Idus of March 16 e  17 f  18 g  19 A  20 b  21 c  22 d Calends of Aprill 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 23 e  The 14. day of this month was called of the Iews Mardocheus day 2. Macc. 15. 37. also Purim as may appeare Esth. 9. vers 21. 26. 24 f  25 g  26 A  27 b  28 c  The 15. also is another day of Purim Est. 9. 21. 29 d  30 e  The 16. of this Moneth Lazarus was raised from the dead Iohn 11. 43. 31 f Day before the Calends of April    This Moneth hath one festiual day called the Annunciation of Saint Marie celebrated the 25. of this moneth 4. April called of the Latins Aprilis hath 30 daies Grecians Thargelion Hebrewes Abib or Nisan and is their 1. moneth 1 g Calends The first of this Moneth Noah vncouered the Arke saw earth Ge. 8. 13. Moses reared the Tabernacle Exo. 40. 2. 17. the Temple began to be sanctified 2. Ch. 29. 17. 2 A Nones of April 4 3 3 b  4 c Day before the N. 5 d Nones of April 6 e  7 f  The 10. of this month the childreÌ„ of Israel passed thorow the riuer â—ordaÌ„ on dry foote Iosu. 4. 19. the Paschal Lamb was chosen Exo. 1 23. 8 g Idus of April 8 7 6 5 4 3 9 A  10 b  11 c  12 d Day before the Id. The â—3 of this moneth the edict of King Abashuerosh came out for the murthering of the Iewes Esth 3. 12. 13 c Idus of April 14 f  15 g  16 A  The 14 of this month the Passeouer was kept Exo. 12. 6. Leuit
If enemies rise vp against me to take away my life my goods or good name preuc̄t them of their purposes and make their counsels and practices like Achitophels If I bee persecuted for the testimonie of thy Truth giue mee perfect knowledge cōstancie courage and boldnesse through a liuely faith to suffer what it shall please thee shall be laid vpon mee In captiuitie banishment and whatsoeuer other tryalls be thou euer neere vnto me and ease me relieue me and comfort me and neuer lay more vpon mee then I shal be able to beare and in my troubles neuer leaue me nor for sake me and let all things worke for my comfort in thee Blesse and prosper vnto me my vocation giue mee wisedome and strength to execute the same and that sincerely without corruption let thine holy Angels goe with me take charge of me and defend and prosper me in all my iourneys trauailes labours enterprises and endeuours And let my conuersation be such so vpright vnblameable that the wicked haue no iust cause to carpe at the course of my life So will I giue thāks vnto thee thy praise shall be in my mouth continually The godly shall see it and reioyce and I will publish thy goodnesse towards me before the sons of men and will tell how readie thou art to help them that call vpon thee as for mee I will confesse that before I sought thee thou offeredst thy selfe to be found of me when I prayed vnto thee thou heardest mee when I came vnto thee thou reiectedst me not but pardonedst my sinnes and deliueredst mee out of all my feare Glorie bee to thy Holy Name O gracious Lord God in Iesus Christ and thy Name bee euer glorified my heart in thee comforted my sinnes by thee couered my necessities by thee truly relieued a competent estate vnto mee by thee euer preserued my hope in thee euer confirmed and all mine vndeserued enemies conuerted or confounded Make me wise O Lord to vnderstand and consider my latter end let my whole life be a preparation to death and the meditation of death the rule of my life let mee studie to bring forth good fruits in mine age and let my latter dayes bee the dayes of my chiefe spirituall comfort and mine obedience vnto thee more at the last then at the first enable me so to walke in mine old age as I may increase from strength to strength that at the length I may appear with the rest of thy Saints in that Kingdom of glorie which thou hast prepared for all them that loue the appearing of thy Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ whose comming grant to be quickly to finish these dayes of sinne AMEN Lord euermore increase my faith and multiply thy blessings vpon mee vnto the end An eye to Heauen in Earth A necessarie Watch for the time of death MEDITATION I. A Meditation concerning Death IT is a thing not seldom cōming into my mind that I must die that I haue but a short time to liue and that the Time when the Place where and the Manner how I shall dye is vtterly vnknown vnto me And that I shall come vnto Iudgement for all that I haue done or shall doe in the flesh These things I know yet haue I not learned what it is to die To die all men know is the separation of the soule from the bodie but what the soule and the bodie feele at the instant of separation may be coniectured but neuer vttered or conceiued I see men of all ages die and that by sundrie kindes of death and no doubt there is great difference of paines to the bodie for euery death is not alike tolerable nor euery humane creature of like resolution and patience which may somthing extenuate or aggrauate the paine And no doubt there is likewise great difference of the ioy or griefe of soules departing for according to the life and death of the partie so is the soule in hope or horror at the instant of separation for the Angels of God or Satan doe attend the instant of time to receiue it and to transport it to it place of diuine appointment and therefore is it sensible of present succeeding ioy or paine but in what degree of either either hath neuer any dying by whatsoeuer death returned to declare it As touching the future ioy and paine the rich man and Lazarus doe in part shew both in the extreme degree and so vnspeakeable as they cānot be truly conceiued nor expressed And whether the soule be sensible of any earthly or materiall thing in it passage from the bodie to it place as some without warrant haue dreamed is needlesse to dispute yet thus farre I am bold to affirme That the spirituall apprehension of the place whither it passeth swalloweth vp all sense affection and desire of visible creatures I leaue therefore to inquire and search into that which is no further reueiled then I haue warrant to beleeue and doe only desire to be prepared and to be readie when the time of my separation shall come A conflict no doubt I shal feele in the approching of death betweene my bodie which is earthly and my soule which is spirituall howsoeuer notwithstanding they differ in cōdition yet they are louingly linckt together and therefore vndoubtedly vnwilling to be sundred How and whatsoeuer I feele it shall bee vnto mee as is death it selfe aduantage It cannot bee auoided but a diuorce must be as testifieth the holy Ghost It is appointed that all men shall die once There is the separation and that but once It is not with the Soule and the Bodie as it is betweene Man and Wife who may admit a diuorce and yet bee conioyned againe So cannot the soule once seuered from the bodie vnlesse by speciall miracle as was that that Christ wrought vpon dead Lazarus who though he had beene so long dead as he stunke in the graue yet Christ by vertue of his Word which was God raised him soule and bodie so that he may be said to die twice which was an extraordinarie miracle to shew the glorie of God as was also that of the Rulers daughter whom Christ made to liue being dead This was by the power of the great Prophet And both Eliah and Elisha did the same thing by the power of the same GOD. The first in giuing life to the dead sonne of the Widdow of Sarepthah the other to the sonne of the Shunamite Woman these may bee also said to die twice But hath any man learned by their relations what it is to die Or may a man by their examples presume that though hee die hee may yet reuiue againe as did the Souldier cast into Elishaes graue And so by often dying learne to die better No it is neither permitted nor necessarie to fore-know the moment of our naturall death for the houre wherin are many minutes and the minute wherin are many moments as touching naturall
his Grace I could not but fall backe and runne the way wherein I walked before I was called and to that end Satan ceaseth not to apply all his malice and meanes to allure mee to doe those things I should not doe taking aduantage of my corrupt inclination and to hinder me from doing those things I should doe besetting mee with many feares as first of Death that is euery houre ready to seise vpon me Secondly by laying my sins before the eyes of my giltie conscience and lastly the darke and ougly graue that gapes to swallow vp my fleshly part But what of these should I be afraid of them no Satan himselfe I know is chained and the execution of his malice limited and beyond the compasse and extent of diuine permission hee can not doe And hee that keepeth the house of my soule is that absolute strong man that hath already conquered him in me and for mee and hath redeemed mee out of his power my ransome is paid and I am become a freeman in Christ who although he leaue me for a time here in a warfare against many enemies and many kinds of aduersaries of whom I may receiue some stripes sometimes wounds and many foyles yet shall I neuer be ouercome nor fall finally for he that fighteth for me hath chosen mee whose election is sure for whom he once receiueth hee loueth to the end And therefore I know that vnder his power and protection I shall maintaine that good fight of faith vntill I haue subiected all mine enemies and at length be renewed and enioy his full presence by whome I haue gotten the victorie Then who shall lay any thing to my charge Or who shall condemne me It is Christ which is dead yea rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request euen for me And where the iudge of Iudges iustifies no inferiour iudgement may condemne But I am so farre both from cause or conceit to iustifie my selfe as I acknowledge my sins so great and my wel-doing so weake as I vtterly condemne my self worthy not onely of infinite stripes but of eternall death yet I haue hope for hee that is Truth it selfe hath promised mercie to penitent sinners among whom I acknowledge my selfe the greatest Yet I know his mercie goodnesse to be greater whose manifold mercies shewed vnto others confirmeth my assurance that my sinnes great as they are are not onely pardonable but already pardoned in Christ his beloued my soules best beloued On him I fixe the eie of my soule in faith from his vertue I receiue the most salutarie oyle of grace whereby I am cured of all my death bringing diseases And from whom and by whom I haue tasted such an heauenly antidote that hereafter none of Satans poysonous confections shall re-inuenime my spirituall part Hee may take and tread on my heele But I shall trample on his head through the power of that great conqueror And therefore though his principall and chiefe Champion Death take me and bind me hand and foote I shall breake his cords as easily as Samson did his If he cast me bound into the graue couer me with dust and fill my mouth with clay shut mine eyes bereaue me of my sences and send mee into vtter obliuion out of the sight of all my naturall friends I shall rise come forth againe I shall see againe euen with these eyes and in despite of all his despite receiue a farre greater strength thē death can bereaue mee of here am assured that neither death nor the graue shall retaine me vnder their power for euer But as there is a sowing time of bodies in the earth so shall there come a reaping of them when they shall be carried into the Garner of euerlasting glorie Therefore I doe not only not feare this death this bodies dissolution but desire it rather when it shall please him that gaue mee my life to take it againe For I am not ignorant that it was but lent me at the first as a pledge of a better life after this death And therefore shall I most willingly restore it when it shall bee required Christ my Sauiour was once among the dead But his death is my life as to all also that beleeue By his death hee conquered death And by his rising againe made way for mee and them also to ascend where hee is ascended namely into the highest heauens into the bosome of his Father and my Father and their Father and there remaineth in our flesh glorified holding the possession of that heauenly Kingdome in the name of and for all his members Should I then or neede I to be afraid to lay downe this my mortall body also among the dead for a time My Sauior lay three dayes in the Graue and rose the third If I lie three thousand yeers it is but as three dayes for with him a thousand yeeres are but as one day And therefore as sure as hee rose in three dayes So in time though it bee according to the Suns reuolutiō after many yeeres yet I shall find no tedious tarying for the accomplishment of his promise touching my resurrection for the vttermost of this temporall death is but the separation of the soule from the body which lasteth but for a season finite and after they shall meete againe for a time infinite and without time And what is the Graue but a bed to rest me in A place of protection as it were to free my mortall body from danger from sicknesse from labour and carke and care and feare and griefe and enuies and crosses and sinne Blessed are they that die in the Lord for they rest from their labours and all inconueniences It is not so with all such as die not so with them that die but not in Christ whose labours doe then but beginne What then is death but a sleepe out of which I know I shall awake againe in the most glorious morning of the most ioyfull appearing of my Redeemer in the clouds This death then carryes a name farre more fearfull and more terrible then indeede it is rather to bee desired and willingly to be imbraced then to bee feared or fled from especially of them that truely vnderstand the benefit it bringeth and the discommodities that accompanie men in this life especially liuing after the flesh and not after the Spirit As there is a naturall and a Spirituall death so is there a Spirituall life and a carnall life and that in this Pilgrimage or Passage frō birth to buryall the first cannot bee properly called a naturall but a spirituall life though it partake of both The Bond-woman and her seed must awhile remayne with the Free-woman and her sonne the earthly body and the corruption thereof with the heauenly soule Though the fleshly part bee here maintayned by naturall
feare him then that feare being blessed and sanctified â—restraynes mee from sinne to walke in the wayes of God therefore I feare and walke because I am blessed and not blessed because I either feare or walk in his wayes for God by his blessing which is his grace giues mee the will without which the deede cannot follow so both the will and the deede the desire and the worke in me are of God He that feareth the Lord will neither speake nor do euill because both speaking doing good comes from the feare of doing euill which holy feare being the gift of God hath great commendation in the Scripture It is the beginning of wisedome saith Salomon and wisedome the end of all heauenly perfection and tendeth not only to restraine from euill for feare of Gods Iudgements as it wrought in Dauid when he said My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy Iudgements But to retayne me in the loue and fauour of God Iob was reputed a iust and vpright man because he feared God and in fearing God he eschewed euill Satan himselfe confessed that God preserued Iob blessed all that he had for that he feared God The feare of God then is that true rule of wisedom which directeth vnto a godly life a godly life an infallible forerunner of a happie death and to die in the Lord is chiefest blessednesse the passage from a miserable mortall to a blessed immortall being This feare then being the first steppe to a godly preparation to liue well and to die blessed is that true most precious Iem and Iewell which I seeke and desire to obtayne at the hands of God whose gift it is And therefore according as Salomon hath defined this feare of the Lord I will indeuour to abandon euill and to abhorre sinne Dauid also teacheth and I will desire to practice the same feare in keeping my tongue from euil and my lips that they speake no guile I will seeke to eschew euill and to doe good to seeke peace and to follow it for Who hath euer continued in the feare of the Lord and hath beene forsaken of him in life or in death A Prayer for the feare of God and wherein I may so liue as I may not be afraid to die The Prayer O Lord my God who hast made mée and fashioned mee of the dust of the earth and hast breathed into me the breath of Life here to trauaile vpon the face of the earth during a time appointed by thy Prouidence which I shall not passe for thou hast set down the number of my dayes which how many they shall bée I am vtterly ignorant giue me therefore a holy â—eare that I may thinke euery day to bee the day appointed for my death that I may so much the more warily walk in the wayes of true wisedome in a holy and sincere conuersation before the sons of men and in the sanctification of the inner man lest I be found more formall before men then faithfull in thée I beséech thée hearken to the prayer of thy Seruant who desireth vnfaynedly so to feare thée as I may not feare or be afraid of death Giue me that holy feare of thy Name which thou hast commanded that I may not erre from thy wayes nor harden my heart from thy feare for I know that great is thy goodnesse which thou hast layd vp for them that feare thee Knit my heart therefore vnto thée that I may fear thy Name and may receiue grace to serue thée so that I may so please thée with reuerence and feare that I not only may not feare to die but desire it rather passing all the time of my dwelling here in continuall meditation of thy future life sanctifying thee the Lord God of Hosts who art euermore my feare for thou only art able to kill and to make aliue to cast downe and to raise vp therefore art thou only to be feared like vnto whom there is none among al the gods so glorious in holinesse fearefull in praises and doing wonders I thanke thée gracious Father in Jesus Christ that in and by him I haue receiued the Spirit of re conciliation adoption whereby I am enabled to crie Abba Father and am freed from the spirit of seruile feare from the feare of Satan by thy Spirit Though for a little while O Lord thou maist séeme to forsake me and leaue mee to the spirit of bondage yet with great compassion according to thy wonted mercies I finde thée euer readie to receiue mee againe For a moment thou hidest thy face from mee but with euerlasting mercie thou wilt haue compassion vpon mee and after this my mortalitie receiue mee to eternitie who art my Lord my God my streÌ„gth and my Redéemer Lord increase my feare of thee my faith in thee and loue towards thee Amen MEDIT. IIII. Watchfulnesse THE second point of my preparation is to bee watchfull and that for three especiall causes The first for that I haue an Aduersarie who is maliciously watchfull therefore ought I to be religiously watchfull The second because death will steale suddenly vpon me as a Thiefe The third because of my generall account to which I know I shall be called as soone as my soule is gone from my bodie if then I bee not able to yeeld a â—ust reason how I haue spent the time of my life here I shall be cast into prison neuer to bee redeemed First then to apply my watchfulnes to the watchfulnesse of mine enemie it behoueth me euer to haue an eye vnto the thoughts motions and affections of my corrupt heart for from my heart proceed all the euils that by any part or member of my bodie are actually committed and all the thoughts of my heart are euill euermore yet thence is my tongue moued to speake how then can my words be holy proceeding from so polluted a fountayne I am often violently carried whither the thoughts of my heart doe moue me and am often incited to commit those things howsoeuer euill which my corrupt heart hath conceiued And mine enemie Sathan that thirsteth for my confusion takes aduantage by the inclination of my heart manifested by mine accustomed actions to frame his bayts according to my corrupt appetite coueting euer to draw actual euils out of the polluted puddle of sinne conceiued in my heart This do I find by the experience of his long practice and inferâ—all stratagems for vpon my committing of some sinne and hartily repenting the same with a resolution neuer to commit the like I haue as it were sensibly felt and plainly obserued how by little and little he hath endeuoured to lay snares to draw me to the same euil not as with a violent hand but as it were stealing vpon me like a flattering and deceitefull Theefe whose policies I haue no power to preuent but only by that promise which GOD made vnto
fit to stand alwayes vpon my Watch-towre in continuall Prayer that I bee not vnder the least power of any of mine enemies when my separation shall come I will indeuour to make vse of the Parable of Christ my Sauiour who by way of premonition saith Vnderstand this as being a matter of chiefe consequence for my safetie If the good man of the house which is the soule of euery man dwelling in the bodie knew at what houre the Thiefe namely Death would come hee would be readie to entertaine it And would not suffer his house his bodie to be digged thorow namely by violence to be surprized and to be desperatly spoyled of his goods his soule to be tormented perplexed by a guilty conscience and an vnrepentant heart for sinne committed against God but would bee still watching to preuent euery euill motion to sinne and wait for that Thiefe Death willingly to lay downe his bodie for a time in the graue and to yeeld vp his soule to God that gaue it in Christ who redeemed it As touching this watchfulnesse it is comprehended in a godly life and in a continuall serious obedience to God eschewing euill and doing good in seeking peace and following it This is true watchfulnesse and blessed is the man whom the Lord when hee commeth shall find thus waking For he that slumbreth in security carelesse of future dangers leding an vngodly life not remembring his end and what accoūt he is to make when Death comes vpon this man he shal be suddēly carryed to the place of ex treme and perpetuall torment neuer to bee relea sed I will therefore pray that I may retayne a continuall watchful heart and striue to liue soberly because I know not the time A Prayer that I may be alwayes readily prepared for Death The Prayer O Lord my God who hast created mee of nothing here to liue and breathe in the Earth for some few dayes few were the many thousand yéeres in comparison of thine Eternitie and yet the end of these my dayes altogether vnknowne vnto mee Therefore thou commandest me to watch and to awake to siue righteously and not to sinne and yet by nature I sléepe in carnall securitie Thou willest me not to sleepe as doe other but to watch and bee sober but alas I slumber in mine owne vanities the deceits of sinne True Wisedome willeth mée to watch because the time of my dissolution is at hand when I shall bee no more breathe no more but bee taken from all the pleasures and delights of this life Frame in me therefore I beséech thée good Father a watchfull heart Banish from me the darknesse of ignorance and all wicked affections by the knowledge of thy truth Giue mee grace to order my life according to that certaine and sure rule of all righteousnesse and sinceritie by the vertue of the Spirit of Iesus Christ. The darknesse of the night is past and I haue the light of thy Word giue me therefore the will and ablenesse to cast off the workes of darknesse and to put on the armour of light That I may henceforth walke honestly as in the day not in gluttonie and drunkennes nor in chambering and wantonnesse nor in strife and enuying but by putting on the Lord Iesus Christ and not to take thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof I am subiect O Lord to many temptations giue me therefore the Spirit of Wisedome and strength to resist and ouercome them And that I may kéep cōtinuall watch ouer all my thoughts words and wayes that I bée at no time idle in wel-doing that Death which standeth at my doore finde me not without the Lamp of Loue faith and Obedience burning in my heart Make mee holy and constant in all good and godly duties that with a pure and sanctified con science I may at all times and in all places serue thee walking before thee in truth and that with a perfit heart that I fall not into the power and lust of mine Aduersaries nor be ouer-swayed with the destres of my corrupt heart but bee found perfect to euery good worke for thou art my God Uigilant and watchful is Death still attending to seize vpon mée yet cannot before thine appointed time for my time is in thine hand Giue me therfore a watchful heart that I may liue to thée and die in thée that whensoeuer it shall come to passe that I must yéeld my body to the dust I may be sound waking my heart settled vpon Heauen and heauenly things So shall not this death be terrible but most acceptable vnto me being the way by which I shall enter into that holy place new and spirituall Ierusalem where the filthy garments of sinne shame and confusion shall bee taken from mee and the most glorious Robes of Righteousnesse in the merits of thy glorified Soune bée put vpon me neuer to war old which grant most louing father for his sake So be it O Lord increase my faith and giue mee euer a watchfull heart pure and holy MEDIT. VI. The third cause of watchfulnesse the vncertaine Comming of Christ to Iudgement THe third cause of watchfulnesse I find to be lest my finall iudgement come vpon me suddenly as by vnprouided Death and I be found not only idle in wel-doing but in doing that which is euill And if I should not though much vnlikely lay downe this mine earthly Tabernacle before that generall dissolution of all things being doubtlesse not farre off the sudden comming of that Day will not excuse me for as I shall bee then found I shall be iudged I shall receiue the sentence due vnto me either in mercie or seueritie at the instant of Christes appearing and yet shall not preuent them that haue slept euer since the death of innocent Abel So that whether I goe before or stay till hee come I shall finde no difference for in the graue there is no remembrance of good or euill no feare of future danger or hope of Happinesse to come and therefore the time of my bodies sleep in the Earth bee it long or short is not conceiued or felt Only my soule that shall goe before cannot but apprehend it selfe not fully perfect vntill that generall Day when my body shall bee raysed againe out of the dust and partake together with my soule the vnspeakeable glorie of Christ my Sauiour not that I haue deserued it but the prayse I yeeld vnto him that hath merited the same for mee euen by his death It much behoueth mee therefore to watch and to make mine account ready for I find that the generall Audit is at hand where I shall be strictly examined how I haue bestowed the talents which I haue receiued of my Lord. At which generall Audit all must appeare Emperours Kings Potentates Bishops yea from the greatest to the least all shall bee summoned with the fearfull sound of a terrible Trumpet sounding far lowder then the most
horrible thunder and all things shall bee suddenly surprized by the greatnesse of his Maiestie that shall appeare with flames of fire And many that shall liue to behold this fearefull Apparition as all men shall remayning aliue in that Day for none shall bee able to shut their eyes and the eyes of them that are now rotten in the graues shall be opened shall seeke to hide themselues from the face of that most terrible Iudge but in vaine The sight of the Iudge that can condemne but the bodie is fearfull to the offendor What then will the sight of this Iudge of Iudges bee vnto the wicked to sinfull and secure worldlings who comes not with a mortall Sherife accompayned with a Trayne of fantasticall Attendants but with millions of Angels at whose presence the Heauens shall shrinke away with a noyse the Elements shall melt with â—eate and the earth with the works thereof the great and glorious Buildings and the things therein shall bee burnt with vnquenchable Sulpher O who will not consider this who will not watch and be sober knowing that this great and terrible Day this Day of Wrath is comming and at hand a Day of Wrath to the wicked but to them that feare God in loue and liue in his feare a Day of ioy and gladnesse there fore shal they hold vp their heads for their redemption draweth neere Seeing then that all things that wee see and here enioy the Heauens aboue vs the Earth beneath vs the Seas and all things in them shall bee thus consumed and wee know not how soone nor when one particular iudgement namely the day of our death shall be What manner persons ought wee to bee appeare must euery man and answere answere alas what can we answere to him that comes not to iudge the bodie onely which yet is terrible but the soule and bodie not to a temporall punishment but to eternall torment The stoutest cannot but be stricken dumbe at the very sight of this great Iudge who will giue sentence according to that euery one hath done in the flesh good or euill O that I could therefore clense my heart from euill to good I cannot it is the worke of the Spirit of God in mee which hee worketh euen of his owne good pleasure freely therfore I pursuing this good begunne in mee daily going on from faith to faith from grace to grace I shall become fit through Gods acceptance in Iesus Christ to waite for the Day of death or the generall dissolution with gladnesse It is the rich grace of GOD bestowed on me whereby I haue my conuersation in Heauen from whence I looke for the comming of my Sauiour the Lord Iesus In whom and by whom there is laid vp for mee the Crowne of Righteousnesse and not for me only but for all them that loue and looke for his second appearing I will therefore watch and pray by the grace of GOD continually that I may bee counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that I may stand before the Sonne of man without feare A Prayer for continuall watchfulnesse that neither the generall nor the particular Day of Iudgement come vpon mee vnprouided The Prayer O Lord my God in Jesus Christ who art terrible and fearefull euen to them that séeke thée how much more fearfull wilt thou appeare when thou settest thy wrathfull countenance against the wicked such as now haue no feare of thy Name Giue me I pray thée a continual watchful heart euer to bée exercised in diuine and heauenly things and leaue mee nor vnto mine owne affections which are by nature full of corruption and sinne wherein if thou shouldest take mee suddenly I should be found a most vnprofitable seruant to bee bound hand and foot and east into vtter darknesse where shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth O hide thy face from my sin and blot out all mine iniquities Create in mee a cleane heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Restore to me the ioy of thy saluation and stablish me with thy free Spirit Why art thou cast down O my Soule and vnquiet within me waite on God he neuer faileth them that trust in him Waite thou on the Lord O my Soule keepe his way and he shall exalt thee that thou shalt inherit the Land euen the Land of Promise Spirituall Canaan new Ierusalem When the wicked shall perish thou shalt see it Such as are blessed of GOD shall inherit the Land And they that bee cursed of him shall be cut off Endue mee therefore good Father with thy grace that I may euer thinke of my end that I presume not vpon long life resting secure as if I had none account to make vnto thée of my time and talents heere receiued of thée and how they haue béene spent by me nor any holy duties required to bee performed in this my Pilgrimage and Banishment where I haue no continuing Citie but I séeke one to come Holy Father giue mée thy Spirit and Grace euer to bring forth heauenly fruits that whensoeuer wheresoeuer or howsoeuer I shall depart hence I may be yet found faithfull and of the number of them whom Christ when hee commeth may find waking in well-doing that the sentence Go ye cursed be not pronounced against me but bee of the societie of them that shall heare Come yee blessed Grant this for Jesus Christs sake in and by whom I haue the promise of eternall life to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost bee all power and praise ascribed for hee is worthie Lord increase my faith MEDIT. VII WAtchfulnesse then being a principall meane to preuent the sudden surprise that death might make vpon mee there followeth necessarily Patience an inseparable companion of Watchfulnesse which implies care attendance and attention The care here meant is not for any worldly thing for these I cast my care vpon God for he careth for me But such a care as Paul had of all the Churches 2. Cor. 11. 28. seeking the kingdome of God and the righteousnes thereof Matt. 6. 33. then will not God faile mee nor forsake me The care therfore that I couet to haue is how to preuent sinne and flye Securitie which are contrary to a godly care and consequently contrary to true watchfulnesse and therefore farre from true patience which worketh not vpon securitie and carnall peace but vpon wayting for the promise of Redemption This is the patience which the Children of God haue whose patient abiding shall be gladnesse I will not therefore render euill for euill nor rebuke for rebuke but contrariwise I will blesse knowing that I am thereunto called that I should be the heire of blessing 1. Pet. 3. 9. And if I be rayled on for the name of Christ shall I discouer my weakenesse through impatience no there is a blessing promised for the Spirit of glorie and of God resteth on
whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne And therefore the opinion of meritorious works and works of supererogation I beleeue cannot be grounded on a true sauing faith for to assume selfe-power to doe good and there-by to merit saluation is meerely against Christ and his merits as is also the pretēded propitiatorie sacrifice of the Masse and the reall being of Christs flesh in the Eucharist not onely not necessary to enter into my beliefe but rather that I beleeue that the death of Christ once for all apprehended by a liuely faith and his merits applyed for the pardon of my sinnes to my vnderstanding 〈◊〉 is a 〈◊〉 sufficient for the washing away of the sins of as many as doe truely beleeue and earnestly repent and doe receiue in that faith the sacramentall signes of the breaking of his body and sheading of his bloud vpon the crosse namely bread and wine faithfully I beleeue that Christ cōtinues really in heauen sitting at the right hand of God a continuall and alone Mediator euen for me and that the heauens shall so contayne him vntill his second comming vntill which time the Sacrament is left vnto all beleeuers to be a remembrance vnto them of his death which is a sufficient propitiation for the sinnes of all beleeuers I doe therefore beleeue that the holy Ghost possessing my heart at my participation of that holy Sacrament worketh faith in me which faith looketh backe vnto the death of Christ vpon the crosse beholding as it were by the eye of the same faith the breaking of his bodie and the powring out of his bloud euen then sacramētally represented vnto mee by the bread broken signifying his bodie and by the wine powred out signifying his bloud which I corporally eating and drinking I doe as verily taste of the vertue of Christs death in my heart by faith as I do taste in my mouth the bread wine And this I beleeue to be the true vse of this holie mystery whereof all faithfull receiuers do no otherwise partake of Christs bodie now crucifyed then the faithfull Iewes did partake of him in eating the Paschall Lambe prefiguring the death of Christ to come as now we solemnize the commemoration of his death past but that they had it vnder a more darke vayle which now being taken away appeareth to vs most perspicuously and cleerly MEDIT. X. Christ elected none for foreseene workes I Doe not beleeue that GOD elected me for the foreseen good works that I would doe for I disclayme all inherent goodnesse by nature and doe belieue that God giues me both will and the power to doe good and all the good that I doe I acknowledge to be of God and the euill that I doe to bee of my selfe therefore the good that I doe I doe not beleeue to be the cause but the effect of mine election I confesse that God did foreknow I would doe good not but that hee likewise forepurposed to indue me with his owne Spirit whereby I should doe it therefore is not the worke mine but the Spirits that God hath giuen me for if I should beleeue that God foresaw the good that I setting the Spirit of God aside should doe and therefore did elect mee were it not to beleeue that mine own workes were the cause of mine election and so assume vnto my selfe power to worke mine owne saluation which God forbid God giues the wil and the power to worke and rewards the worke not as a debt hee owes mee for my worke but as he first gaue me the will and the power freely so hee rewards not my work but manifesteth his mercie wherein hee likewise as hee freely elected mee so hee freely bestowes vpon me his saluation through his owne meanes and therefore I rather vtterly condemne my best works then to expect any meritorious reward for them I feele the force of mine owne corruption daily and that appeares in the whole course of my life by the fruits which of them-selues are euer euill which I cannot suppresse but by the grace of GOD in Christ. If I knewe nothing by my selfe to yeeld me cause of doubt yet were not I thereby iustified But I know no good in my selfe what shall I say then am I condemned God forbid for as God did freely elect mee so hee freely iustifies mee not for mine owne good workes the best of which are imperfect but of his owne free mercie by imputing Christs righteousnesse and merits vnto me in whom and with whom a Crowne of glorie is laid vp in heauen euen for mee from whose fulnesse I receiue euen here grace for grace whereby and not by any meanes of mine owne I doe grow and increase and the elder I waxe in Christ the more I fasten my roote and the more I flourish in the Spirit for They that are planted in the Courts of the Lord shall flourish in their age and bring forth fruit and happy are they that are in Christ Iesus whom neither life nor death nor things present nor things to come shall separate from the loue of God Shall not Death then separate me from Christ no it shall not only not separate me but it shall bring me into his Real and Royall presence into his Kingdome of glorie new Ierusalem where I shall see his Maiestie as farre to exceed the glorie of Salomon in the day of his magnificent Coronation as the Sunne exceedes in brightnesse the darkest and blackest cloud Is this then the hurt that Death can doe vnto mee and shall I feare it will a wise man refuse a rich possession for not passing to it by an ordinarie bridge by which hee hath seene millions goe before him And shall I desire to dwell in this base and beggerly cottage this ruined and rotten house of clay in labour trauaile care feare trouble enuie griefe and a thousand miseries rather then passing by the ordinaire way of death to inherit a glorious Kingdom God forbid I desire farre rather to be with CHRIST in glorie which glorie I beleeue farre surpasseth both what is or can be spoken or conceiued of it The very Angels that presently partake of it cannot expresse it nay the holy Ghost though hee doe assure vs that it is prepared for all Gods elect yet the very fulnesse of it is not reueiled words cannot so sufficiently declare it as that the most illuminate man can expresse it not Paul himselfe though hee were taken vp into the third Heauen where hee heard and no doubt sawe wonderfull things yet could hee not discouer them to the full apprehension of any mortall But by the glorie that God hath reueiled in his works by the Firmament the Sunne the Moone the Stars the Seas the Earth the order and course of all his creatures visible may leade vs to iudge by way of comparison That if the things for the vse of mortall men here bee so wonderfull and glorious what are they
dangerous thing to accompanie such as liue viciously and inordinately for of them yee shall but learne to be vicious and so to perish with them through GODS iust iudgement therefore if yee haue any fellowship with such come from among them returne to GOD that hee may returne to you trust in him that hee may protect you and direct you let your wils be guided and gouerned by his reueiled will and so with patience possesse your soules bee not led by your owne wisedome but apply your mindes and wills to his will who is wisedome it selfe Aske of him and he will giue you wisedome yea such wisdome as like as the Serpent which Aaron made of the rod did eate vp the Serpents of the Sorcerers shall preuent the circumuenting practices and policies of the hypocriticall flatterers and bring their counsels plotted against you to the like end as he brought Achitophels Hee will suppresse them that oppresse you will laugh them to scorne that haue you in derision therefore yet a little while wait and the wicked shall not appeare and your insolent enemies whatsoeuer they be shall be put to silence and if ye be meeke ye shall possesse a competent portion in the earth and shal haue your delight in the multitude of peace as worldlings haue in the multitude of plenty whose riches are seene and felt and gotten and lost but the riches that yee shall possesse are great yet not seene nor felt of any but of such as enioy them they are not gotten but freely giuen and cannot be lost for hee that giues them shal continue them in you to you and for you What are riches of the world honor of the person libertie of the body or pleasure of the minde they seem to be somthing for all the wise men of the world seeke after them but being duely considered they are found but shaddowes which wee see doe often-times suddenly vanish and he that enioyeth them most and longest is nothing the better and he that hath of them least and but a moment is nothing the worse And what is pouertie ignominie captiuitie miserie but seeming not necessarie causes of griefe vnder all which the minde of the sanctified man passeth the course of this life with farre more inward alacritie and true consolation then the worldly man that passeth his life in al carnall contentment and is more willing and readie to die hauing his cōscience cleer through faith in Christ then the carnall man can bee The godly poore haue their dependance on Gods prouidence for the supply of their wants and the godly rich accounts his wealth not his but Gods that gaue them and is readie to restore them and so to dispose them as GOD requireth him but the rich that haue their hope in earthly things haue no willing minde to leaue them but here to possesse them rather then to goe they know not whither after death Miserable riches that tye the mindes of the possessors of them to the loue of this vncertaine life and to an vncertaine knowledge of the life to come The defence of the poore and needie abused slandered oppressed and wronged by the worldlings consisteth in their faith in GOD through Christ. I will vp saith the Lord and will set them at libertie whom the wicked haue snared If worldly men bee wronged they will vp in their owne defence they wil bring forth the vveapons of their might their gold and siluer and be therewith reuenged against such as rise vp against them therefore is their pride as a chaine of gold about their necks at whose glorie the poore must bow and though he be content to become the rich mans foot-stoole yet many times the rich doe with the poore as Aesops Wolfe did with the Lamb who although hee dranke of the current below the Wolfe yet the Wolfe checkt him for troubling the water So oftentimes the rich picke causelesse quarrels against the poore when they cannot haue a cōfining Vineyard house or adiacent field that they desire of them I intimate this vnto you to the end that as much as in you shall bee you giue place to the wrath of wicked men not recōpensing vnto them euill for euill but rather good for euill knowing it is the will of your heauenly Father so to heape coles of fire vpon such wicked men among whom I know may also bee numbred many poore men that haue not in them faith the feare of God for as it is not riches that of themselues doe make a man euill so it is not pouertie of it selfe makes a man good PART IX More euill then good men in the world TO consider duely the estate of the world as common experience at this death findes it It may bee obserued that the world is more fraught with wicked then with men fearing God so that it followeth that there are more men apt and ready to hurt then able or willing to helpe the distressed and as the multitude is great so their actions and conditions are many diuers Some men seeme onely hurtfull vnto themselues according to a foolish prouerbe Hee is no mans foe but his owne as the drunkard speudthrift who yet are not only foes to themselues but to others notwithstanding the prouerbe drawing them into their companies and wicked societies by their examples many take the same most vngodly course with them following likewise forbidden excesse and riot Some are apparantly hurtfull to themselues and others as the enuious and malicious man who howsoeuer hee aymes to hurt another hee may misse of his purpose but neuer of wounding himselfe for his will to doe the euill he intended is imputed to him in diuine Iustice as the deede done God in his prouidēce preuenting the act for his sake to whom it was intended and howsoeuer God permit a wicked man to hurt one that feares GOD in body goods or reputation the hurt that he giues is onely outward and may worke to the good of him that is hurt but hee that hurts receiues a deadly wound within and so much the more grieuous by how much it is little felt for an enuious man hurts with desire and reioyceth in his wicked deede If therefore there come a Shemei to raile causelesse vpon you a Iudas to betray you a Cain causelesse to kill you false witnesses to accuse you as the wieked Iudges did Susanna or an Achab or a lezabel to wrest from you both life and liuing or whatsoeuer crosse or calamitie soeuer befall you through the malice of men grudge not thereat nor seeke despitefull reuenge but examine your consciences whether ye be guiltie of that which is laid to your charge if so confesse it and repent it or whether ye haue secretly offended GOD in some thing whereof yee were neuer accused or for which yee were neuer punished Thinke if ye finde any such thing in your selues though no man else knowes it
much more are heauenly Mat. 24. 29 Luk. 21. 25. Great difference betweene the beautie of the soule and body Eternall ioy cannot be had but by death The word Glorie what it imports Ion. 4. 6 7. The glory of the World what it is Future glorie Act. 12. 23. Luk. 14. 11. Gods wonderful fauours towards vs. The glory to come vnspeakeable Not to pāper the bodie The sum of a Christians care God will raise the body totally at the last Day Hard for naturall men to beleeue the Resurrection Rom. 10 9. 1. Pet. 1. 3. Iob 19. 26 27 and 14. 14. Esai 26. 19 20. Iohn 3. 25. The godly and the wicked shall rise but to contrarie ends The Resurrection of the iust vniust Psal. 14. 1. Psal. 119. 165. An obiection Answere Heb. 12. 6 7 8. Iob 5. 17. Rom. 8. Iob. 5. 18. Sinne the cause of affliction Hag. 2. Gods children haue inward comforts in outward crosses Spirituall wealth will not pay carnall debts A carnall opinion Carnall securitie of the rich and assurance and content of the poore Dan. 1. 8. Luk. 16. 19. Debt a heauy burden Al haue a corporall and aspirituall being The godly haue their conuersation in heauen Phil. 3 20. Though locall heauen be far aboue vs heauenly comforts are neere the earnest of our inheritāce Act. 6. 15. The glory of the godly is within Luk. 16. 20 Iob 2. 8. to 13. The miseries of Gods childrē great eased through hope Som grow somestand at a stay or wither Psal. 37. Psal. 37. In our dependance on Gods prouidēce wee must labour in our callings Nothing prospers without Gods blessing Feare of future want causeth mourning most Debt of a man dying is grieuous to him and his The effects of pouertie riches left to posteritie The benefit of pouertie the incōmoditie of riches left to children Vertue a great patrimonie Vertue riches of the mind not by propagation Pouertie in it selfe no fault Widdowhood a sorrowfull portion A taxation for pouertie in a seeming aduantagious calling Pro. 12. 11. Ecclus. 33. 26. Ecclus. 40. 14. Good and bad are blessed but to seuerall ends 2. Cor. 8. 21. Rom. 12. 17 The meaning of prouiding for families The care of brute creatures ouer their young The contrarie of the true meaning of prouiding for families Intayling possessions A kind of infidelitie in prouiding Riches without the feare of God quickly spent Honour maintayned by possessions but better by vertue A kind of preposterous dignifying Vertue not obserued in poore men The word Chance excludes diuine prouidence Worldly wisdome spirituall folly and contrarie 1. Cor. 3. 19. 1. Kin. 17. 8. Act. 8. 27. 1 King 21. 1. King 20. 23. All things are vnder Gods disposing Mat. 10. 30 Luk. 12. 7. He that hath done all that he can may be excused No doubt but many rich men may bee good Iosh. 7. 1. 2. Kin. 5. 22. A foolish proposition 2. Kin. 5. 15. He that gaue the spirit to Elisha knowes all things Offices colour Briberies God not ignorant of Briberies 2. Kin. 5. 27 Vnlawfull execution of a lawful calling dangerous and vnhappie 1. Tim. 6. 6. Phil. 4. 11. Mat. 6 25. 34. Gen. 28. 20. A godly care not forbidden so we shew no distrust in God Mat. 6. 11. Dan. 1. 8. Meane fare by Gods blessing nourisheth sufficiently Eccles. 1. 2. The rich are neuer satisfied yet euer poore As gaine so desire increaseth A true meane hard to finde God the World cannot dwell in one heart Luk. 16. 13. Matt. 6. 33 What are things necessarie Differēce betweene humane policie diuine wisedome Gen. 41. 47 48. Gen. 28. 20. A competent estate to the contented God in all things hath been my Schole master Gen. 4. 21. vers 22. A thankelesse profession A calling subiect to censure To be subiect to a double censure requires care of a mans carriage Not to relinquish our calling for false suggestions A cleere consciēce makes bold Pro. 28. 1. All men are subiect to euil toungs Is none so iust but conscience or wicked men will taxe for iniustice Obiection A slanderer woūds himselfe Best not to regard what the wicked say Esa. 51. 7 8 Pro. 12. 11. The idle are least at leisure to doe good Handie trade lawfully vsed can hardly purchase much Land Officers may Act. 18. 3. Mat. 4. 18. Mar. 2. 14. Col. 4. 14. All haue need to pray The cause of household troubles Some to auoide worldly miserie fall into mischief Luk. 16. 20. Two extremes of pouertie andriches He is happiest that seekes to be filled with heauenly things The loue of God in pouertie is greatest portion Death giues equall portions to poore and rich Mat. 16. 21 God keeps them low whom hee loues 1. Pet. 5. 7 Luk. 12. 22. Mat. 6. 26. Mat. 6. 26. The very brute beasts and fowles must trauaile for their food how much more man Mās beautie farre short of the flowres Matt. 6. 28. Mans estate like a flower here Esa. 40. 6. 1. Pet. 1. 24 Psal. 78. 39. The fragilitie of man Why we should not be too carefull of worldly things As no man cā put off death so can he not prolong life Death cureth all diseases How farre to couet long life Exo. 23. 26. First point to liue godly All duties performed by holy obedience 1. Sam. 15. 22 23. Hos. 6. 6. All good is of God euill of ourselues Outward vertues gaine but a bare name of holinesse We must haue God before our eyes both in doing and suffering We must striue to do better things then the Philosophers did Second point to prepare vs for death No continuing Citie here Needlesse to dissuade the poore from couetousnes To depēd on God The safest course to cast our care vpon God Rom. 6. 13. Vers. 12. Iam. 1. 15. Gal. 5. 16. Iob. 12. 35. We ought to walke from euill to good Psal. 1. 1. Vers. 2. The most godly haue most troubles Dan. 14. 33 Dan. 6. 16. Exod. 24. 18 1. Kin. 19. 8 Gen. 21. 19. God helpeth when most need is Ismael Iudg. 15. 18 19. Nothing so dry out of which God cannot bring water 1. Kin. 17. 9 Ioh. 1. 7 8. God feedeth his faithfull children as long as they haue neede God can feed many with a little Matth. 15. 33 34. Mar. 6. 38. to 45. Ioh. 6. 9. Exo. 17. 5 6 1. King 17. 46. Examples of Gods prouidēce numberlesse Gen. 15. Iudgements against the vniust Psal. 76. 7. Vers. 12. Act. 5. Ephe. 2. 1 2 Rom. 3. 19. We cannot suffer what we haue deserued 1. Cor. 15. 58. An vnwarrantable opinion against Gods working miraculously at this day answered Exod. 17. 6. and 4. 3. 2. King 1. 10 11 12. 2. Kin. 2. 14 Act. 16. 16. Act. 3. 4. Miracles to bee wrought by men are ceased but the same power of God remaynes Luk. 1. 46. If God were not powerfull and proui dent as in time past wee may pray in vaine All know why God afflicteth
I sought found that which I haue slender as it is at the hands of him that made Iubâ—l a pleasant Musician and Tubal a painfull Smith And to say as I find my professioÌ„ agrees little with the qualitie of the first but much with that of the last for it is mixed with farre more paine then pleasure and with more care then comfort and with more griefe then gaine and with more suspicion then thanks Can there be may some say a profession bringing with it such a troupe of incoÌ„ueniences yes though I be no publik Magistrate my calling is as subiect to censure for what man is hee that deales betweene two or more of contrarie desires that can truly giue them all contented satisfaction be he the most iudicious and iustest Iudge or Magistrate How much more to deale with multitudes of peruerse and preiudicate people yea if it be in a businesse that concernes their soules by the sincerest Minister of God will they not censure according to their seuerall coÌ„ceiued though corrupt and peruerse opinions But if the businesse concern their worldly estates much more will the most of them kicke against the most iust and most indifferent iudgement of the Agent who being tyed by the band of dutie and a good conscience to giue a true account of his imploymeÌ„ts to a second person the maintenance of whose dignitie and liuelyhood in some part consisteth in the iust execution of that wherein he is trusted caÌ„not yet escape their slanders deale he neuer so sincerely Need not I therefore to be carefull of my carriage being subiect to a double censure If I come short of mine expected dutie I may be taxed at home if I performe it truely I am condemned abroad and to arbitrate mine actions there are such sometimes as for their owne vaine popularitie among the multitude and to insinuate with the Honorable wise will rather adde a sentence of rash yea false condemnation then a sillable to excuse the smallest slip if any bee incensing so the waspish Hidra to a clamorous out-cry that I haue abused them who being thus seconded will not forbeare to disgorge their malicious hearts to the vttermost disgrace of him that with a most sincere conscience carryeth his desires neither to leane vnto the right hand partially to please his Master nor to the left hand iniuriously to wrong any whome his seruice concernes What then Shall I looke backe shall I leaue my plough for some rubs it meets withall in a rough and rugged soyle No I may not but rather indeuour so to carry my selfe in my calling as my conscience may still as euermore formerly it hath testifie with mee mine integritie whatsoeuer may be said or done against me I am not of my selfe ignorant but doe know and acknowledge that if I should rest either carelesse of my dutie on the one side or ouer-harsh or heauy on the other respecting onely my priuate salarie and extorted gaine forgetting dutie and charitie I should carry a greater charge of conscience not questioned then all the vniust calumniations and slanders of malicious men could cast vpon me I will therefore with patience goe on and vndergoe the burden of whatâ—oeuer crimination MEDIT. XIX Obiection SOme man may say To what end is all thiâ— Discourse touching the crosses falling vpon him in his priuate profession and calling What is his case to other men It concernes none but himselfe and therefore a relation needlesse and vnprofitable If it concerne none but my selfe as it profits none else it little hurts any else yet this may any man learne hereby that all possessions and imployments are not free from censure nor any man so iust and sincere in his calling in this life but is subiect to back-byting tongues yea such as thinke this my relation to concerne them nothing at all shall finde it a necessarie preuention of their too much securitie for I yet neuer knew the man of whatsoeuer Calling Trade Mysterie Profession or Imployment whom neither his owne conscience in some things could or malicious men would not slander backe-bite or accuse let him bee of what eminent place soeuer in Church or Common-wealth especially where he is to handle matter of difference betweene men hee shall hardly escape either temptation by reward or condemnation for iniustice deale hee neuer so iudiciously and iustly Doth this concerne none but my selfe yes but what then why should I vntimely discouer these common abuses offered to the good by the bad It is the meane to bring men into suspicion of doing euill that are free and to put men in minde to slander that thought not of it It were a happie forgetfulnesse But the World is not so sleepie but the least occasion awakes it to the vniust reproch of iustest men men of all degrees and qualities And therefore I thinke fit to let all such abusing tongues to know that their malice is in vaine towardes them they ayme to hit but they wound themselues and defile the cares that heare them therefore I feare them not but will goe on in my lawfull calling to day and to morrow and while it pleaseth God and leaue them and their tongues either to repent or to perish in their time I find the surest and safest defence against these dogged natur'de tongues that bite them that heare not their barking not to regard what they say or to whom or what they report For if I should feare to goe on in my calling because I am subiect to the mis-conceiuings and misreports of common Detractors I should seeme to feare more their slanders then the breach of Gods Precept who approoueth not but condemneth the life that is idle The World esteemeth them happiest men that in wealth pleasure and idlenesse liue without labour who haue most leisure to heare obserue and publish the defects of other men and yet haue no time to looke into or reforme their owne farre more grosse Errours or to serue him that will teach them better things The Holy Ghost approueth theÌ„ happiest that liue of the meane profit of their labours Thou shalt be blessed saith Dauid when thou â—atest the fruâ—â—s of the labors of thine owne hands though it bee no daintie fare by common experience that a man iustly may get by the meere labour of his owne hands excluding high Offices yet competent blessed by God How then can this poore industrie attaine the meanes to purchase Patrimonies for Posterities Paul by his Tent-making nor Peter by his fishing could grow great in the World but Matthew an Officer and Luke a Phisician were in the way of farre more profit Such are the different estates of men in this World some poore some rich some base some in honour not one without his crosses therefore not one without necessarie occasion to pray for a contented minde euer prepared for the time of death neuer looking for