Turning the curses which he deserved to crosses and fartherly corrections yea all things all calamities of this life Death it self yea his very sins unto his good 5. God gives him his Holy Spirit which 1. Sanctifieth him by Degrees throughout so that he doth more and more die to sin and live to righteousness 2. Assures him of his Adoption and that he is by Grace the Child of God 3. Encourageth him to come with boldness and confidence into the presence of God 4. Moveth him without fear to say unto him Abba Father 5. Poureth into his heart the gift of sanctified Prayer 6. Perswadeth him that both he and his Prayers are accepted and heard of God for Christ his Mediator's sake 7. Fills him with 1. Peace of Conscience 2. Joy in the holy Ghost in comparison whereof all earthly joys seem vile and vain unto him 6. He hath a recovery of his sovereignty over the creatures which he lost by Adam's fall and from thence free liberty of using all things which God hath not restrained so that he may use them with a good conscience For to all things in Heaven and Earth he hath a sure title in this life and he shall have the Plenary and peaceable possession of them in the life to come Hence it is that all Reprobates are but usurpers of all that they possess and have no place of their own but Hell 7. He hath the assurance of God's Fatherly care and protection day and night over him which care consists in three things 1. In providing all things necessary for his Soul and Body concerning this life and that which is to come so that he shall be sure ever either to have enough or patience to be content with that he hath 2. In that God gives his Holy Angels as Ministers a charge to attend upon him always for his good yea in danger to pitch their Tents about him for his safety where ever he be Yea GOD's Protection shall defend him as a cloud by day and as a pillar of fire by night and his providence shall hedge him from the power of the Devil 3. In that the eyes of the Lord are upon him and his ears continually open to see his state and to hear his complaint and in his good time to deliver him out of all his troubles Thus far of the blessed Estate of the Godly and Regenerate Man in this life Now of his blessed Estate in Death 2. Meditations of the blessed Estate of a Regenerate Man in his Death WHen GOD sends Death as his Messenger for the Regenerate Man he meets him half the way to Heaven for his conversation and affection is there before him Death is neither strange nor fearful unto him Not strange because he died daily not fearful because whilst he lived he was dead and his life was hid with God in Christ. To die unto him therefore is nothing else in effect but to rest from his labour in this world to go home to his Father's house unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem to an innumerable company of Angels to the general assembly and Church of the first-born to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just Men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant Whilst his body is sick his mind is sound for God maketh all his bed in his sickness and strengtheneth him with Faith and Patience upon his bed of sorrow And when he begins to enter into the way of all the World he giveth like Jacob Moses and Joshua to his Children and Friends godly Exhortations and Counsels to serve the true God to worship him truly all the days of their life His blessed Soul breatheth nothing but blessings and such speeches as savour a sanctified spirit As his outward man decayeth so his inward man increaseth and waxeth stronger When the speech of his Tongue faltereth the sighs of his heart speak louder unto God when the sight of the eyes faileth the Holy Ghost illuminates him inwardly with abundance of spiritual light His Soul feareth not but is bold to go out of the Body and to dwell with her Lord. He sigheth out with Paul Cupio dissolvi I desire to to be dissolved and to be with Christ. And with David As the heart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God He prayeth with the Saints How long O Lord which art holy and true Come Lord JESVS come quickly And when the appointed time of his dissolution is come knowing that he goeth to his Father and redeemer in the peace of a good Conscience and the assured perswasion of the forgiveness of all his sins in the blood of the Lamb he sings with blessed old Simeon his Nunc dimittis Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace c. And surrenders up his Soul as it were with his own hands into the hands of his heavenly Father saying with David Into thy hands O Father I commend my Soul for thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of truth And saying with Stephen Lord Jesus receive my spirit He no sooner yields up his sacred Ghost but immediately the holy Angels who attended upon him from his Birth unto his Death carry and accompany his Soul into Heaven as they did the Soul of Lazarus into Abraham's bosom which is the Kingdom of Heaven whither only good Angels and good works do accompany the Soul the one to deliver their charge the other to receive their reward The Body in convenient time as the sanctified Temple of the Holy Ghost the Members of Christ nourished by his Body the price of the blood of the Son of God is by his fellow Brethren reverently laid to sleep in his grave as in the Bed of Christ in an assured hope to awake in the Resurrection of the Just at the last Day to be partaker with the Soul of life and glory everlasting And in this respect not only the Souls but the very Bodies of the Faithful also are termed blessed Thus far of the Blessedness of the Soul and Body of the regenerate Man in death Now let us see the Blessedness of his Soul and Body after death 3. Meditations of the Blessed Estate of the Regenerate Man after Death THis Estate hath Three Degrees 1. From the Day of Death to the Resurrection 2. From the Resurrection to the pronouncing of the Sentence 3. After the Sentence which lasts eternally As soon as ever the regenerate Man hath yielded up his Soul unto Christ the holy Angels take her into their Custody and
estate for evermore Therefore it is termed everlasting life and Christ saith that our joy no man shall take from us All other joys be they never so great have an end Ahasuerus's Feast lasted an hundred and eighty days but he and it and all his joys are gone For mortal man to be assumed to heavenly glory to be associated to Angels to be satiated with an delights and joys but for a time were much but to enjoy them for ever without intermission of end who can hear it and not admire it who can muse of it and not â—e amazed at it All the Saints of Christ as soon as they felt once but a true taste of these eternal joys counted all the riches and pleasures of this life to be but loss and dung in respect of that And therefore with uncessant prayers fastings alms-deeds tears faith and good life they laboured to ascertain themselves of this eternal life and for the love thereof they willingly either sold or parted with all their earthly goods and possessions Christ calleth all Christians Merchants Luke 19. and Eternal Life a precious Pearl which a wise Merchant will purchase tho' it cost him all that he hath Matth. 13. Alexander hearing the report of the great riches of the Eastern Country divided forthwith among his Captains and Soldiers all his Kingdom of Macedonia He phaestion asking him what he meant in so doing Alexander answered That he preferr'd the riches of India whereof he hoped shortly to be master before all that his Father Philip had left him in Macedonia And should not Christians then preferr the eternal riches of Heaven so greatly renowned which they shall enjoy ere long before the corruptible trash of the Earth which lasts but for a season Abraham and Sarah left their own Country and Possessions to look for a City whose builder and maker is God and therefore bought no Land but only a place of Burial David preferred one day in this place before a thousand elsewhere yea to be a door-keeper in the house of God rather than to dwell in the richest Tabernacles of wickedness Elias earnestly besought the Lord to receive his Soul into his Kingdom and went willingly tho in a fiery Chariot thitherâ— St. Paul having once seen Heaven continually desired to be dissolved that he might be with Christ. St. Peter having espied but a glimpse of that eternal glory in the Mount wished â—hat he might dwell there all the days of his life saying Master it is good for us to be here How much better doth Peter now think it to be in Heaven it self Christ a little before his death prayeth his Father to receive him into that excellent Glory And the Apostle witnesseth that for the joy which was set before him he endured the Cross and despised the shame If a Man did but once see those joys if it were possible he would endure a hundred deaths to enjoy that happiness but one day Saint Augustine saith That he would be content to endure the torments of hell to gain this joy rather than to lose it Ignatius St. Paul's Scholar Being threatned as he was going to suffer with the cruelty of Torments answered with great courage of Faith Fire Gallows Beasts breaking of my bones quartering of my members crushing of my body all the torments of the devil together let them come upon me so I may enjoy my Lord Jesus and his Kingdom The same constancy shewed Polycarp who could not by any terrours of any kind of death be moved to deny Christ in the least measure With the like resolution answered Basil his persecutors when they would terrifie him with death I will never said he fear Death which can do no more than restore me to him that made me If Ruth left her own Country and followed Naâ—â—i her Mother-in-law to go and dwell with her in the land of Canaan which was by a type of Heaven only upon the fame which she heard of the God of Israel though she had no promise of any portion therein how shouldst thou follow thy holy Mother the Chruch to go unto Christ into the heavenly Canaan wherein God hath given thee an eternal inheritance assured by an holy Covenaâ—t made in the word of God signed with the Blood of his Son and sealed with his Spirit and Sacraments this shall be rhine eternal happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven where thy life shall be a communion with the blessed Trinity thy joy the presence of the Lamb thy exercise singing thy ditty hallelujah thy consorts Saints and Angels where youth flâ—urisheth that never waxeth old beauty lasteth that never fadeth love aboundeth that never cooleth health continueth that never slacketh and â—ife remaineth that never endeth Meditations directing a Christian how to apply to himself without delay the aforesaid knowledge of God and himself THou seest therefore O Man how wretched and cursed thy state is by corruption of â—â—ture without Christ insomuch that whereas the Scriptures do liken wicked men unto Lions Bears Bulls Horses Dogs and such like savage Creatures in their lives it is certain that the condition of an unregenerate man is in his Death more vile than a Dog or the filthiest Creature in the World For the Beast being made but for Man's use when he dieth endeth all his miseries with his death But Man endued with a reasonable and immortal soul made after God's image to serve God when he ends the miseries of this life must account for all his misdeeds and begin to endure these miseries that never shall know end No creature but man is liable to yield at his death an account for his life The brute creatures not having reason shall not be required to make any account for their deeds and good Angels tho' they have reason yet shall they yield no account because they have no sin And as for evil Angels they are without all hope already condemned so that they need not make any further accounts Man only in his death must be God's accountant for his life On the other side thou seest O Man how happy and blessed thy estate is being truly reconciled unto God in Christ in that through the restauration of God's Image and thy restitution into thy soveraignty over other creatures thou art in this life little inferiour to the Angels and shall be in the life to come equal to the Angels Yea in respect of thy Nature exalted by a personal Vnion to the Son of God and by him to the glory of the Trinity superior to the Angels a Fellow-Brother with Angels in spiritual Grace and everlasting Glory Thou hast seen how glorious and perfect God is and how that all thy chief bliss and happiness consisteth in having an eternal Communion with his Majesty Now therefore O impenitent sinner in the bowels of Christ Jesus I intreat thee nay I conjure thee as thou tenderest thy own salvation seriously
Journey towards God 2. If thou hast Children give to every one of them a Portion according to thy ability in thy life-time that thy life may seem an ease and not a yoak unto them yet so give as that thy Children may still be beholden unto thee and noâ— thou unto them But if thou keep all iâ— thy hands whilst thou livest they may thank Death and not thee for the portion that thou leavest them If thou hast nâ— Children and the Lord hath blest theâ— with a great portion of the goods of thiâ— World and if thou meanest to bestow them upon any charitable or pious uses put not over that good work to the trusâ— of others seeing thou seest how most oâ— other mens Executors prove almost Exeâ—cutioners And if Friends be so unfaithfuâ—â— in a man's life how much greater causâ— hast thou to distrust their fidelity afteâ— thy death Lamentable experience sheweth how many dead men's Wills have of laâ— either been quite concealed utterly overthrown or by cavils and quirks of Law frustrated or altered whereas by the Law of God the will of the dead should not be violated but all his godly intentions conscionably performed and fulfilled as in the sight of God who in the Day of the Resurrection will be just Judge both of the quick and dead And if any thing should hap in his Will to be ambiguous or doubtful it should be construed as it might come nearest to the Honour of God and the honest Intention of the Testator But let the vengeance due to such unchristian Deeds light on the Actors that do them not on the Kingdom wherein they are suffered to be done And let other rich Men be warned by such wretched examples not so to marry their Minds to their Money as that they will do no good with their Goods till Death divorceth them Considering therefore the shortness of thine own life and the uncertainty of others just dealing after thy death in these unjust days let me advise thee whom God hath blessed with ability and an intent to do good to become in thy life time thine own Administrator make thine own Hands thine Executors and thine own Eyes thy Over-seers cause thy Lanthorn to give her light before thee and not behind thee give God the Glory and thou shalt receive of him in due time the reward which of his grace and mercy he hath promised to thy good works 4. Having thus set thy House and Soul in order if the determined number of thy days be not expired God will either have mercy upon thee and say Spare him O killing Malady that he go not down into the pit for I have received a reconciliation Or else his Fatherly providence will direct thee to such a Physician and to such means as that by his blessing upon their endeavours thou shalt recover and be restored to thy former Health again But in any wise take heed that thou nor none for thee send unto Sorcerers Wizards Charmers or Inchanters for help for this were to leave the God of Israel and to go to Baal-zebub the God of Ekron for help as did wicked Ahaziah and to break thy Vow which thou hast made with the blessed Trinity in thy Baptism and be sure that God will never give a Blessing by those means which he hath accursed but if he permit Satan to cure thy Body fear lest it tend to the damnation of thy Soul Thou art tried beware 5. When thou hast sent for the Physician take heed that thou put not thy trust rather in the Physician than in the Lord as Asa did of whom it is said that he sought not to the Lord in his Disease but to the Physician which is a kind of Idolatry that will increase the Lord's anger and make the Physick received uneffectual Use therefore the Physician as God's Instrument and Physick as God's Means And seeing it is not lawful without Prayer to use ordinary food 1 Tim. 4. 4. much less extraordinary Physick whose good effect depends upon the blessing of God before thou takest thy Physick pray therefore heartily unto God to bless it unto thy use in these or the like words A Prayer before taking of Physick O Merciful Father who art the Lord of health and of sickness of life and of death who killest and makest alive who bringest down to the grave and raisest up again I come unto thee as to the only Physician who canst cure my Soul from sin and my Body from sickness I desire neither life nor death but refer my self to thy most holy Will For tho' we must needs die and being dead our lives are as water spilt on the ground which cannot be gather'd up again yet hath thy gracious Providence whilst liâ—â— remaineth appointed means which thou wilt have thy Children to use and by the lawful use thereof to expect thy blessing upon thine own means to the curing of their sickness and restitution of their health Aâ—d now O Lord in this my necessity I have according to thine Ordinance seâ—t for thy Servant the Physician who hath prepared for me this Physick which I receive as means sent from thy fatherly hand I beseech thee therefore that as by thy blessing on a lâ—â—p of dry Figs thou didst heal Hezekiah's sore that he recovered and by seven times washing in the river of Jordan didst cleanse Naaman the Syrian of his Leprosie and didst restore the Man that was blind from his birth by anointing his Eyes with Clay and Spittle and sending him to wash in the Pool of Siloam and by touching the hand of Peter's Wife's Mother didst cure her of her Fever and didst restore the Woman that touched the hem of thy Garment from her bloody Issue So it would please thee of thine infinite goodness and mercy to sanctifie this Physick to my use and to give such a blessing unto it that it may if it be thy Will and Pleasure remove this my sickness and â—ain and restore me to health and strength again But if the number of those days which thou hast appointed for me to live in this Vale of misery be at an end and that thou hast sent this sickness as thy Messenger to call me out of this mortal life then Lord let thy blessed will be done for I submit my will to thy most holy Pleasure Only I beseech thee increase my faith and patience and let thy grace and mercy be never wanting unto me but in the midst of all extremities assist me with thy Holy Spirit that I may willingly and chearfully resign up my Soul the price of thine own Blood into thy most gracious hands and custody Grant this O Father for Jesus Christ his sake to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory both now and evermore Amen Meditations for the sick WHilst thy sickness remaineth use often for thy comfort these
a bare remembrance What trust should a man repose in long life seeing the whole life of man is nothing but a lingring death so that as the Apostle protests a man dieth daily Hark in thine ear O secure fellow thy life is but a puff of breath in thy nostrils trust not to it Thy Soul dwells in a house of clay that will fall ere it be long as may appear by the dimness of thy eyes the deafness of thy ears the wrinkles in thy cheeks the rottenness of thy teeth the weakness of thy sinews the trembling of thy hands the kalender in thy bones the shortness of thy sleep and every gray hair as so many Summoners bids thee prepare for thy long home Come let us in the mean while walk to thy Fathers Coffin break open the lid see here how that corruption is thy Father and the worm thy Mother and Sister seest thou how these are so must thou be ere long fool thou knowest not how soon Thy Hour-glass runneth apace and in all places Death in the mean while waiteth for thee The whole life of man save what is spent in God's service is but a foolery for a man lives forty years before he knows himself to be a fool and by that time he seeth his folly his life is finished Hark Husbandman before thou seest many more crops of Harvest thy self shall be ripe and Death will cut thee down with his sickle Hark Tradseman ere many six months go over thy last month will come on after which thou shalt trace away and trade no longer Hark most grave Judge within a few terms the term of thy life approacheth wherein thou shalt cease to judge others and go thy self to be judged Hark O man of God that goest to the Pulpit preach this Sermon as it were thy last that thou shouldest make to thy people Hark Noble man lay aside the high conceit of thy honour Death ere it be long will lay thine honour in the dust and make thee as base as the Earth that thou treadest under thy feet Hark thou that now readest this book assure thy self ere it be long there will be but two holes where now thy two eyes are placed and others shall read the truth of this lesson upon thy bare Skull which now thou readest in this little book how soon I know not but this I am sure of that thy time is appointed thy months are determined thy days are numbred and thy very last hour is limited beyond which thou shalt not pass For then the first-horn of death mounted on his pale horse shall alight at thy door and notwithstanding all thy wealth and honour and the tears of thy dearest friends will carry thee away bound hand and foot as his Prisoner and keep thy body under a load of earth until that day come wherein thou must be brought forth to receive according to the things which thou hast done in the body whether it be good or evil O let not then the false hope of an uncertain long life hinder thee from becoming a present Practiser of religious Piety God offereth grace to day but who promiseth to morrow there are now in Hell many young Men who had purposed to repent in their old age but Death cut them off in their impenitency ere ever they could attain to the time they set for their repentance The longer a man runs in a disease the harder it is to be cured for custom of sin breeds hardness of heart and the impediments which hinder thee from repenting now will hinder thee more when thou art more aged A wise Man being to go a far and foul journey will not lay the heaviest burthen upon the weakest horse And with what conscience canst thou lay the great load of repentance on thy feeble and tired old age whereas now in thy chiefest strength thou canst not lift it but art ready to stagger under it Is it wisdom for him that is to sail a long and dangerous Voyage to lie playing and sleeping whilst the Wind serveth and the Sea is calm the Ship sound the Pilot well Mariners strong and then set forth when the Winds are contrary the Weather tempestuous the Sea raging the Ship rotten the Pilot sick and the Sailers languishing Therefore O sinful Soul begin now thy conversion to God whilst life health strength and youth last before those years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them God ever required in his service the first-boorn and the first-fruits and those to be â—ffered unto him without delay So just Abel offered unto God his firstlings and fattest Lambs and reason good that the best Lord should be first and best served All God's servants should therefore remember to serve their Creator in the days of their youth and early in the morning like Abraham to sacrifice unto God the Young Isaac of their Age. Ye shall not see my face saith Joseph to his Brethren except you bring your younger brother with you And how shalt thou look in the face of Jesus if thou givest thy younger years to the devil and bringest him nothing but thy blind lame and decrepid old age Offer it unto thy Prince saith Malachy If he will not accept such a one to serve him how shall the Prince of Princes admit such a one to be his servant If the King of Babel would have young men well favoured and such as had ability in them to stand in his palace shall the King of Heaven have none to stand in his Courts but the blind the lame such as the soul of David hated Thinkest thou when thou hast served Satan with thy prime years to satisfie God with thy dotage take heed lâ—st God turn thee over to thy old Master again that as thou hast all the days of thy life done his Work so he may in the end pay thee thy Wages Is that time fit to undertake by the serious exercises of repentance which is the work of works to turn thy sinful soul to God when thou art not able with all thy strength to turn thy weary bones on thy soft bed If thou find'st it so hard a matter now thou shalt find it far harder then For thy sin will wax stronger thy strength will grow weaker thy conscience will clog thee pain will distract thee the fear of death will amaze thee and the visitation of friends will so disturb thee that if thou be not furnished afore-hand with store of faith patience and consolation thou shalt not be able either to mediâ—ate thy self or to hear the word of comfort from others not to pray alone nor to joyn with others who pray for thee It may be thou shalt be taken with a dumb palsie or such a deadly senselesness that thou shall neither remember God nor think upon thine own estate and dost thou not well deserve
day 5. Praying for rest and protection that night 6. Remembering the state of the Church the King and the Royal Posterity our Ministers and Magistrates and all our Brethren visited or persecuted 7. Lastly commending thy self and all thine to his gracious custody All which thou maist do in these or the like words A Prayer for the Evening O Most gracious God and loving Father who art about my bed and knowest my down-lying and mine up-rising and art near unto all that call upon thee in truth and sincerity I wretched sinner do beseech thee to look upon me with the eyes of thy mercy and not to behold me as I am in my self For then thou shalt see but an unclean and defiled creature conceived in sin and living in iniquity so that I am ashamed to lift up mine eyes to heaven knowing how grievously I have sinned against heaven and before thee For O Lord I have transgressed all thy Commandments and righteous Laws not only through negligence and infirmity but oftentimes through willful presumption contrary to my knowledge yea contrary to the motions of thy Holy spirit reclaiming me from them so that I have wounded my conscience and grieved thy Holy Spirit by whom thou hast sealed me to the day of redemption Thou hast consecrated my soul and body to be the temples of the Holy Ghost I wretched sinner have defiled both with all manner of pollution and uncleanness My eyes in taking pleasure to behold vanity mine ears in hearing impure and unchaste speeches my tongue in leasing and evil speaking my hands are so full of impurity that I am ashamed to lift them up unto thee and my feet have carried me after mine own ways my understanding and reasoning which are so quick in all earthly matters are only blind and stupid when I come to meditate or discourse of spiritual and heavenly things my memory which should be the treasury of all goodness is not so apt to remember any thing as those things which are vile and vain Yea Lord by woful experience I find that naturally all the imaginations of the thoughts of mine heart are only evil continually And these my sins are more in number than the hairs upon mine head and they have grown over me like a loathsom leprosie that from the Crown of my head to the sole of my feet there remains no part which they have not infected They make me seem vile in mine own eyes how much more abominable must I then appear in thy sight And the custom of sinning hath almost taken away the conscience of sin and pulled upon me such dullness of sense and hardness of heart that thy judgments denounced against my sins by the faithful Preachers of thy Word do not terrifie me to return unto thee by unfeigned repentance for them And if thou Lord shouldest but deal with me according to thy justice and my desert I should utterly be confounded and condemned But seeing that of thine infinite mercy thou hast spared me so long and still waitest for my repentance I humbly beseech thee for the bitter death and bloody passion sake which Jesus Christ hath suffered for me that thou wouldest pardon and forgive unto me all my sins and offences and open unto me that ever streaming fountain of the blood of Christ which thou hast promised to open under the New Testament to the penitent of the house of David that all my sins and uncleanness may be so bathed in his blood buried in his death and hid in his wounds that they may never be more seen to shame me in this life or to condemn me before thy Judgment-seat in the World which is to come And for as much O Lord as thou know'st that it is not in man to turn his own heart unless thou dost first give him grace to convert and seeing that it is as easie with thee to make me righteous and holy as to bid me to be such O my God give me grace to do what thou commandest and then command what thou wilt and thou shalt find me willing to do thy blessed will And to this end give unto me thine Holy Spirit which thou hast promised to give to the world's end unto all thine Elect people And let the same thy holy Spirit purge my heart heal my corruption sanctifie my nature and consecrate my soul and body that they may become the temples of the Holy Ghost to serve thee in righteousness and holiness all the days of my life that when by the direction and assistance of thy holy Spirit I shall finish my course in this short and transitory life I may chearfully leave this world and resign my soul into thy Fatherly hands in the assured confidence of enjoying everlasting life with thee in thine heavenly Kingdom which thou hast prepared for thine elect Saints who love the Lord Jesus and expect his appearing In the mean while O Father I beseech thee let thy holy Spirit work in me such a serious repentance as that I may with tears lament my sins past with grief of heart be humble for my sins present and with all mine endeavour resist the like filthy sins in time to come And let the same thy holy Spirit likewise keep me in the Vnity of thy Church lead me in the truth of thy Word and preserve me that I never swerve from the same to Popery nor any other errour or false worship And let thy Spirit open mine eyes more and more to see the wondrous things of thy Law and open my lips that my mouth may daily defend thy truth and set forth thy praise Increase in me those good gifts which of thy mercy thou hast already bestowed upon me and give unto me a patient spirit a chast heart a contented mind pure affections wise behaviour and all other graces which thou feest to be necessary for me to govern my heart in thy fear and to guide all my life in thy favour that whether I live or die I may live and die unto thee who art my God and my Redeemer And here O Lord according as I am bound I render unto thee from the Altar of my humblest heart all possible thanks for all those blessings and benefits which so graciously and plentuously thou hast bestowed upon my soul and body for this life and for that which is to come namely for mine Election Creation Redemption Vocation Justification Sanctification and Preservation from my child-hood until this present day and hour and for the firm hope which thou hast given me of my Glorification Likewise for my health wealth food raiment and prosperity and more especially for that thou hast defended me this day now past from all perils and dangers both of body and soul furnishing me with all necessary good things that I stand in need of And as thou hast ordained the day for
I am fully O Lord assured that all the 〈◊〉 fare wherewith the disdainfull Phaâ—isee entertained thee at his Table did not so much please thee as those tears which penitent Mary poured under the â—â—ble I would therefore wish with Jeremy that my head were a fountain of tears that seeing I can by no means yield sufficient thanks for thy love to me yet I might by continual Tears testifie my love unto thee And though no man is worthy of so infinite a grace yet this is my comfort That he is worthy whom thou in favour accountest worthy And seeing that now of thy mere grace thou hast counted me among others thy chosen worthy of this unspeakable favour and sealed by thy Sacrament the assurance of thy love and the forgiveness of my sins O Lord confirm thy favour unto thy Servant and say of me as Isaac did of Jacob I have blessed him therefore he shall be blessed And that I may say unto thee with David Thou O Lord hast blessed my Soul and made it thy house and it shall be blessed for ever And seeing it pleased thee to bless the house of Obed-edom and all his houshold whilest the Ark of the Lord remained in his house I doubt not but thou wilt much more bless my soul and body and all that do belong unto me now that it hath pleased thy Majesty of thine own good will to enter under my roof and to dwell for ever in my poor cottage Bless me O Lord so that my sins may wholly be remitted by thy Blood my conscience sanctified by thy Spirit my mind enlightned by thy Truth my Heart guided by thy Spirit and my Will in all things subdued to thy blessed Will and Pleasure Bless me with all graces which I want and increase in me those good gifts which thou hast already bestowed upon me And seeing that I hold thee not by the arms as Jacob wrestling without me but inwardly dwelling by Faith within me surely Lord I will never let thee go except thou bless me and give me a new name a new heart a new spirit and strength by the power of God to prevail over sin and Satan And I beseech thee O Lord desire not to depart from me as thou didst from Jacob because the day breaketh and thy grace beginneth to dawn and appear But I from my soul humbly with the Emmauites intreat thee O sweet Jesus to abide with me because it draweth towards night For the night of temptation the night of tribulation yea my last long night of death approacheth O blessed Saviour stay with me therefore now and ever And if thy presence go not home with me carry me not from hence Go with me and live with me and let neither death nor life separate me from thee Drive me from my self draw me unto thee Let me be sick but sound in thee and in my weakness let thy strength appear Let me seem as dead that thou alone mayest be seen to live in me so that all my members may be but instruments to act thy motions Set me as a seal upon thine heart and let thy zeal be setled upon mine that I may be out of love with all that I may be only in love with thee And grant O Lord that as thou now vouchsafest me this favour to sit at thy Table to receive this Sacrament in thy house of grace so I may hereafter through thy mercy be received to â— eat and drink at thy Table in thy kingdom of Glory And for thy mercy I do here with the four beasts and twenty four Elders cast my self down before thy Throne of Grace acknowledging that it is thou that hast redeemed with thy blood and that salvation cometh only from thee And therefore unto thee I do yield all praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and might and Majesty O my Lord and my God for evermore Amen Thirdly Seeing Christ hath sacrificed himself for thee and all that thou canst give is too little therefore thou must offer thy self to be a living holy and acceptable sacrifice unto God by serving him in righteousness and holiness all thy days Thus Iertullian witnesseth that in his time a Christian was known from another man only by the holiness and uprightness of his life 2. Of the duties which we are to do after the Communion joyntly with the Congregation THE duties to be performed joyntly with the Church are Three First publick thanksgiving both by Prayers and singing of Psalms Thus Christ himself and his Apostles did Secondly joining with the Church in giving every man according to his ability towards the relief of the poor This was the manner of the Primitive Churches to make Collections and Love Feasts after the Lord's Supper for the relief of the poor Christians Thirdly when thanks and praise is ended then with all reverence to stand up and to receive the blessing of God by the mouth of his Minister and to receive it as if thou didst hear God himself pronouncing it unto thee from Heaven For by their blessing God doth bless his people Thus far of the Duties to be practised in the Church The Duties which thou art to practise after that thou art departed home are three First to observe diligently whether thou hast truly received Christ in the Sacrament Which thou maist thus easily perceive for seeing his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed and that he is so full of grace that no man ever touched him by faith but he received virtue from him it cannot possibly be that if thou hast eaten his flesh or drunk his blood but thou shalt receive grace and power to be cleansed from thy sins and filthiness For if the Hemorrhoise that did but touch his garment had her bloody issue that continued so long forthwith stanched how much more will the bloody issue of thy sin be stanched if thou then hast truly eaten and drunk the very flesh and blood of Christ But if thy issue still runneth thou maist justly suspect thou hast never yet truly touched Christ Secondly seeing thou hast now reconciled thy self to God and renewed thy Covenant and vowed newness and amendment of life thou must therefore have a special care that thou dost not yield to commit thy former sins any more knowing that the unclean spirit if ever he can get into thy Soul again after that it is swept and garnished he will enter forcible possession with seven other devils worse than himself So that the end of that man shall be worse than his beginning Be ye not therefore like the Dog that returns to his vomit or the washed Sow that walloweth in the mire again And return not to thy malice like to the Adder who laying aside her poyson while she drinks takes it up again when she hath done But when either the devil or thy flesh shall offer to
grace and mercy Yea we read of many in the Gospel that by sicknesses and afflictions were driven to câ—me unto Christ who if they had had health and prosperity as others would have like others neglected or contemn'd their Saviour and never have sought unto him for his saving health and grace For as the Ark of Noah the higher it was tossed with the Flood the nearer it mounted towards Heaven so the sanctified Soul the more it is exercised with affliction the nearer it is lifted towards God O blessed is that Cross that draweth a sinner to come upon the knees of his heart unto Christ to confess his own misery and to implore his endless mercy Oh blessed ever blessed be that Christ that never refuseth the sinner that cometh unto him though weather-driven by affliction and misery 7. Affliction worketh in us pity and compassion towards our fellow brethren that be in distress and misery whereby we learn to have a fellow-feeling of their Calamities and to condole their estate as if we suffer'd with them And for this cause Christ himself would suffer and be tempted in all things like unto us sin only excepted that he might be a merciful High Priest touched with the feeling of our infirmities For none can so heartily bemoan the misery of another as he who first suffered himself the same affliction Hereupon a Sinner in misery may boldly say unto Christ Non ignare mali miseris succurito Christe Our frailty sith O Christ thou didst perceive Condole our state who still in frailty cleave 8. God useth our sicknesses and afflictions as means and examples both to manifest unto others the faith and vertues which he hath bestowed upon us as also to strengthen those who have not received so great a measure of Faith as we For there can be no greater encouragement to a weak Christian than behold a true Professor in the extreamest sickness of his Body supported with greater patience and consolation in his Soul And the comfortable and blessed departure of such a man will arm him against the fear of death and assure him that the hope of the godly is a far more precious thing than that flesh and blood can understand or mortal eyes behold in this vale of misery And were it not that we did see many of those whom we know to be the undoubted Children of God to have endured such afflictions and calamities before us the greatness of the miseries and crosses which oft-times we endure would make us doubt whether we be the Children of God or no. And to this purpose St. James saith God made Job and the Prophets an example of suffering adversity and of long patience 9. By afflictions God makes us conformable to the Image of Christ his Son who being the Captain of our Salvation was made perfect through sufferings And therefore he first bare the Cross in shame before he was crowned with glory and did first taste gall before he did eat the honey-comb and was first derided King of the Jews by the Soldiers in the High-Priests Hall before he was saluted King of Glory by the angels in his Father's Court. And the more lively our Heavenly Father shall perceive the Image of his natural Son to appear in us the better he will love us and when we have for a time born his likeness in his sufferings and fought and overcome we shall be crowned by Christ and with Christ sit on his Throne and of Christ receive the precious white Stone and morning Star that shall make us shine like Christ for ever in his Glory 10. Lastly That the godly may be humbled in respect of their own state and misery and God glorified by delivering them out of their Troubles and Afflictions when they call upon him for his help and succour For though there be no Man so pure but if the Lord will straitly mark Iniquities he shall find in him just cause to punish him for his sin yet the Lord in mercy doth not always in the affliction of his Children respect their sins but sometimes layeth afflictions and crosses upon them for his glories sake Thus our Saviour Christ told his Disciples That the man was not born blind for his own or his Parents sin but that the work of God should be shewed on him So he told them likewise that Lazarus's sickness was not unto the death but for the glory of God O the unspeakable goodness of God which turneth those afflictions which are the shame and punishment due to our sins to be the subject of his honour and glory These are the blessed and profitable ends wherefore God sendeth sickness and affliction upon his Children whereby it may plainly appear that afflictions are not signs either of God's hatred or of our reprobation but rather tokens and pledges of his fatherly love unto his Children whom he loveth and therefore chasteneth them in this life where upon repentance there remains hope of pardon rather than to refer the punishment to that life where there is no hope of pardon nor end of punishment For this cause the Christians in the Primitive Church were wont to give God great thanks for afflicting them in this life So the Apostles rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ's Name Acts 5. 41. And the Christian Hebrews suffered with joy the spoiling of their goods knowing that they had in Heaven a better and an enduring substance Heb. 10. 34. And in respect of those holy Ends the Apostle saith That though no affliction for the present seemeth joyous but grievous yet afterwards it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousness to them who are thereby exercised Pray therefore heartily that as God hath sent unto thee this sickness so it would please him to come himself unto thee with thy sickness by teaching thee to make those sanctified uses of it for which he hath inflicted the same upon thee Meditations for one that is recovered from Sickness IF God hath of his mercy heard thy Prayers and restored thee to thy health again consider with thy self 1. That thou hast now received from God as it were another life Spend it therefore to the honour of God in newness of life Let thy sin die with thy sickness but live thou by grace to holiness 2. Be not the more secure that thou art restored to health neither insult in thy self that thou hast escaped Death but think rather that God seeing how unprepared thou wast hath of his mercy heard thy Prayer spared thee and given thee some little longer time of respite that thou maist both amend thy life and put thy self in a better readiness against the time that he shall call for thee without further delay out of this World For though thou hast escaped this it may be thou shalt not escape the next sickness 3. Consider how fearful a reckoning
day of affliction in the time of health think on sickness in the time of sickness make my self ready for death and when death approacheth prepare my self for Judgment Let my whole life be an expressing thankfulness unto thee for thy Grace and Mercy And therefore O Lord I do here from the very bottom of my heart together with the thousand thousands of Angels the four Beasts and twentâ— four Elders and all the creatures in heaveâ— and on the earth acknowledge to be due untâ— thee O Father which sittest upon the Throneâ— and to the Lamb thy Son who sitteth at thâ— right hand and to the Holy Spirit which proceedeth from both the holy Trinity 〈◊〉 Persons in unity of substance all praisâ— honour glory and power from this timâ— forth and for evermore Amen Meditations for one that is like to die IF thy Sickness be like to encrease unto Death then meditate on Three thingsâ— First how graciously God dealeth with theeâ— Secondly from what evils Death will freâ— thee Thirdly what good Death will brinâ— unto thee First Concerning God's favourable dealing with thee 1. Meditate That God useth this chastisement of thy Body but as a Medicine to cure thy Soul by drawing thee who arâ— sick in Sin to come by Repentance unto Christ thy Physician to have thy Soâ—â— healed 2. That the sorest Sickness or painfulleâ—â— Disease which thou canst endure is nâ—â—thing if it be compared to those dolours and pains which Jesus Christ thy Saviour hath suffered for thee when in a bloody sweat he endured the wrath of God the pains of hell and a cursed death which was due to thy sins Justly therefore may I use those words of Jeremy Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce wrath Hath the Son of God endured so much for thy redemption and wilt not thou a sinful man endure a little sickness for his pleasure especially when it is for thy good 3. That when thy sickness and disease is at the extreamest yet it is less and easier than thy sins have deserved Let thine own Conscience judge whether thou hast not deserved worse than all that thou dost suffer Murmur not therefore but considering thy manifold and grievous sins thank God that thou art not plagued with far more grievous punishments Think how willingly the damned in Hell would endure the extreamest pains a thousand years on condition that they had but the hope to be saved and after so many years to be eased of their eternal torments And seeing that it is his mercy that thou art not rather consumed than corrected how canst thou but bear patiently his temporal correction seeing the end is to save thee from eternal damnation 4. That nothing cometh to pass in this case unto thee but such as ordinarily befell to others thy Brethren who being the beloved and undoubted servants of God when they lived on earth are now most blessed and glorious Saints with Christ in Heaven as Job David Lazarus c. They groaned for a time as thou dost under the like burthen but they are now delivered from all their miseries troubles and calamities And so likewise ere long if thou wilt patiently tarry the Lord's leisure thou shalt also be delivered from thy sickness and pain either by restitution to thy former health with Job or which is far better by being received to heavenly rest with Lazarus 5. Lastly that God hath not given thee over into the hand of thine Enemy to be punished and disgraced but being thy loving Father he correcteth thee with his own merciful hand When David had his wish to chuse his own chastisement he chose rather to be corrected by the hand of God than by any other means Let us fall into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great and let me not fall into the hand of man Who will not take any affliction in good part when it cometh from the hand of God from whom though no Affliction seemeth joyous for the present we know nothing cometh but what is good The confideration hereof made David to endure Shimei's cursed railing with greater patience and to correct himself another time for his impatiency I should not have opened my mouth because thou didst it and Job to reprove the unadvised speech of his Wife Thou speakest like a foolish Woman What shall we receive good at the hand of God and not receive evil And though the Cup of God's wrath due to our sins was such a horror to our Saviour's humane nature that he earnestly prayed that it might pass from him yet when he considered that it was reached unto him by the hand and will of his Father he willingly submitted himself to drink it to the very dregs thereof Nothing will more arm thee with Patience in thy sickness than to see that it cometh from the hand of thy heavenly Father who would never send it but that he sees it to be unto thee both needful and profitable The second sort of Meditations are to consider from what evils death will free thee IT freeth thee from a corruptible Body which was conceived in the weakness of flesh the heat of lust the stain of sin and born in the blood of filthiness a liviâ—g Prison of thy Soul a lively instrument of â—in a very sack of stinking dung the exâ—â—ements of whose Nostrils Ears Pores and â—ther passages duly considered will seem more loathsome than the uncleanest sink â—r vault Insomuch that whereas Trees and Plants bring forth Leaves Flowers Fruits â—nd sweet smells man's body brings forth â—â—turally nothing but Lice Worms Rottenâ—ss and filthy stinks His affections are alâ—ogether corrupted and the imaginations 〈◊〉 heart are only evil continually Hence 〈◊〉 is that the ungodly is not satisfied with prophaneness nor the voluptuous with pleasures nor the ambitious with perferments nor the curious with preciseness nor the malicious with revenge nor the leacherous with uncleanness nor the covetous with gain nor the drunkard with drinking New passions and fashions do daily grow new Fears and Afflictions do still arise here Wrath lies in wait there Vain-glory vexeth here pride lifts up there disgrace casts down and every one waiteth who shalâ— arise in the ruine of another Now a Maâ— is privily stung with Back-biters like fiery Serpents anon he is in danger to be openly devoured of his enemies like Daniel's Lionsâ— And a godly man where ere he liveth shall ever be vexed like Lot with Sodom's uncleanness 2. Death brings unto the godly an end of sinning and of all the miseries which arâ— due unto sin so that after Death there shaâ—â— be no more sorrow nor crying neither shalâ— there be any more pain for God shall wipe aâ— way all tears from their eyes Yea by death we are separated from
cleansâ—th him from all his sins and either asswage his pain or else increase his patience to endure thy blessed will and pleasure And good Lord lay no more upon him than thou shalt enable him to bear Heave him up unto thy self with those sighs aâ—d groans which cannot be expressed Make him now to feel what is the hope of his Calling and what is the exceeding greatness of thy Mercy and Power towards them that believe in thee And in his weakness O Lord shew thou thy strength Defend him against the suggestions and temptations of Satan who as he hath all his life time will now in his weakness especially seek to assail him and to devour him O save his Soul and reprove Satan and command thy holy Angels to be about him to aid him and to chase away all evil and malignant Spirits far from him Make him more and more to loath this world and to desire to be loosed and to be with Christ. And when that good hour and time shall come wherein thou hast determined to call for him out of this present life give him grace peacefully and joyfully to yield up his soul into thy merciful hands and do thou receive her into thy mercy and let thy blessed Angels carry her into thy kingdom Make his last hour his best hour his last words his best words and his last thoughts his best thoughts And when the sight of his eyes is gone and his tongue shall fail to do its office grant O Lord that his Soul may with Stephen behold Jesus Christ in Heaven ready to receive him and that thy Spirit within him may make request for him with sighs which cannot be expressed Teach us in him to read and see our own end and mortality and therefore to be careful to prepare our selves for our last ends and put our selves in a readiness against the time that thou shalt call for us in the like manner Thus Lord we recommend this our dear Brother or Sister thy sick servant unto thy eternal Grace and Mercy in that Prayer which Christ our Saviour hath taught us saying Our Father which art in heaven c. Thy grace O Lord Jesus Christ thy love O heavenly Father thy comfort and consolation O holy Spirit be with us all and especially with this thy sick servant to the end and in the end Amen Let them read often unto the sick some special Chapters of the holy Scripture as The three first Chapters of the Book of Job The 14. and 19. Chapters of Job The 34. Chapter of Deuteronomy The two last Chapters of Joshua The 17. Chapter of the first of Kings The 2 4 and 12. Chapters of the Second of Kings The 38 40 and 65. Chapters of Isaiah The History of the Passion of Christ. The 8. Chapter of the Romans The 15. Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians The fourth of the first Epistle to the Thessalonians The fifth Chapter of the second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians The first and last Chapters of St. James The 11 and 12 to the Hebrews The first Epistle of Peter The three first and the three last Chapters of the Revelations or some of these And so exhorting the sick party to wait upon God by faith and patience till he send for him and praying the Lord to send them a joyful meeting in the Kingdom of Heaven and a blessed Resurrection at the last day they may depart at their pleasure in the Peace of God Consolations against impatience in sickness IF in thy sickness by extremity of pain thou be driven to impatience meditate 1. That thy sins have deserved the pains of hell therefore thou maist with greater patience endure these fatherly Corrections 2. That these are the scourges of thy heavenly Father and the rod is in his hand If thou didst suffer with reverence being a child the correction of thy earthly Parents how much rather should'st thou now subject thy self being the Child of God to â—he chastisâ—ment of thy heavenly Father seeing it is for thine eternal good 3. That Christ suffered in his soul and body far grievo ser pains for thee therefore thou must more willingly suffer his blessed pleasure for thine own good Therefore saith Peter Christ suffered for you leaving you an example that ye should follow hiâ— steps And Let us saith S. Pauâ— run with joy the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross c. 4. That these afflictions which now you suffer are none other but such as are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world as witnesseth Peter Yea Job's afflictions were far more grievous There is not one of the Saints which now are at rest in heavenly joys but endured as much as you do before they went thither yea â—â—ny of them willingly suffered all the torments that Tyrants could inflict upon them that they might come to those heavenly 〈◊〉 whereunto you are now called And you have a promise that the God of aâ—l grace after that you have suffered a while will make you perfect stablish strengthen and settle you And that God of his fidelity will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it 5. That God hath determined the time when thy affliction shall end as well as the time when it began 38 years were appointed the sick man at Beâ—hesda's Pool Twelve Years to the Woman with the bloody Issueâ— Three months to Moses Ten days tribulation to the Angel of the Church of Smyrna Three days plague to David Yea the number of the godly man's tears are registred in God's book and the quantity kept in his bottle The time of our trouble saith Christ is but a Modicum God's Anger lasts but a moment saith David A little season saith the Lord and therefore calls all the time of our pain but the hour of sorrow Daâ—id for the swiftness thereof compares our present trouble to a Book and Aâ—â—anasius to a Shower Compare the longest misery that Man endures in this 〈◊〉 to the eternity of heavenly joys and they will appear to be nothing And as the sight of a Son safe born makes the Mâ—ther forget all her former deadly pain so the sight of Christ in Heaven who was born for thee will make all these pangs of death to be quite forgotten as if they had never been like Stephen who as soon as he saw Christ forgat his own wounds with the horror of the grave and terror of the stones and sweetly yielded his soul into the hands of his Saviour Forget thine own pain think of Christ's wounds Be faithful unto the death and he will give thee the Crown of eternal life 6. That you are
now called to Repetitions in Christ's School to see how much Faith Patience and Godliness you have learned all this while and whether you can like Job receive at the hand of God some evil as well as you have hitherto received a great deal of good As therefore you have always prayed Thy will be done so be not now offended at this which is done by his holy will 7. That all things shall work together for the best to them that love God Insomuch that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord. Assure your self that every pang is a prevention of the pains of hell every resâ—ite an earnest of Heavens rest and how many stripes do you esteem heaven worth As your life hath been a comfort to others so give your friends a Christian example to die and deceive the Devil as Job did It is but the â—â—oss of Christ sent before to crucifie the love of the World in thee that thou mâ—â—st go eternally to live with Christ who was crucified for thee As thou art therefore a true Christian take up like Simon of Cyrâ—nâ— with both thy arms his holy Cross carry it after him 〈◊〉 him thy pains will shortly pass thy joys shall never pass away Consolations against the fear of Death IF in the time of thy sickness thou findest thy self fearful to die meditate 1. That it argueth a dastardly mind to fear that which is nor For in the Church of Christ there is no death Isa. 25. 7 8. And whosoever liveth and believeth in Christ shall never die Job 11. 26. Let them fear death who live without Christ. Christians die not but when they please God they are like 〈◊〉 translated unto God Their pains are but Elijah's fiery chariot to carry them up to heaven or like Lazarâ—â—'s sores sending them to Abraham's Bosom In a word if thou be one of them that like Lazarus lovest Jesus thy sickness is not unto the death but for the glory of God who of his love changeth thy living death to an everlasting life And if mans heathen men as Socratâ—s Câ—â—tiuâ— Seneca c. died willingâ—â— when they might have lived in hâ—pe of the immortality of the soul wilt thou being traiâ—â—d so loâ—g in Châ—â—st's Schâ—ol and now câ—llâ—d to the Marriage Supper of the blessed Lâ—â—h Rev. 19 7. be one of those Guests thâ—â— refuse to go to that joyful banquet God forbid 2 Remember that thy abode here is but the second degree of thy life for after thou hadst first lived nine Months in thy Mothers Womb thou wast of necessity driven thence to live here in a second degree of life And when that number of months which God hath determined for this life are expired thou must likewise leave this and pass to a third degree in the other world which never ends Which to them that live and die in the Lord surpasseth as far this kind of life as this doth that which one lives in his Mothers Womb. To this last and excellentest degree of life through this door passed Christ himself and all his Saints that were before thee and so shall all the rest after them and thee Why shouldst thou fear that which is common to all God's Elect Why should that be uncouth to thee which was so welcom to all them Fear not death for as it is the Exodus of a bad so it is the Genesis of a better World the end of a temporal but the beginning of an eternal life 3. Consider that there are but three things that can make death so fearful unto thee 1. The loss thou hast thereby 2. The pain that is therein 3. The terrible effects which follow after All these are but false â—res and causeless fears For the first if thou leavest here uncertain goods which Thieves may rob thou shalt find in heaven a true Treasure that can never be taken away these were but lent thee as a Steward upon accounts those shall be given thee as thy reward for ever If thou leavesâ— a loâ—ing Wise thou shalt be married to Christ which is more lovely If thou leavest Children and Friends thou shalt there find all thy religious Ancestors and Children departed yea Christ and all his blessed Saints and Angels and as many of thy Children as be God's Children shall thither follow after thee Thou leavest an earthly pâ—ssession and a house of clay and thou shalt enjoy an heavenly inheritance and mansion of glory which is purchased prepared and reserved for thee What hast thou lost Nay is not death unto thee gain Go home go 〈◊〉 and we will follow after thee Secondly For the pain in death the fear of death more pains many than the very paâ—gs of death for many a Christian dies without any great pangs or pains â—itch the 〈◊〉 of thy Hope on the firm ground of the Woâ—d of God who hath promised in thy weakness to perfect his strength and not to suffer thee to be tempted above that thou art able to bear And Christ will shortly turn all thy temporal pains to his eternal joys Lastly As for the terrible effects which follow after death they belong not unto thee being a member of Christ for Christ by his death hath taken away the sting of death to the faithful so that now there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus And Christ hath protested that he that believeth in him hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but haâ—â— passed from death unto life Hereupon the holy Spirit from Heaven saith Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord and that from thenceforth they rest from their labours and their works do follow them In respect therefore of the faithful death is swallowed up in victory and his sting which is sin and the punishment thereof is taken away by Christ. Hence death is called in respect of our bodies a sleep and rest In respect of our Souls a going to our heavenly Father a departing in peace a removing from this body to go to the Lord a dissolving of soul and body to be with Christ. What shall I say Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints These pains are but thy throes and travail to bring forth eternal life And who would not pass through Hell to go to Paradise much more through death There is nothing after death that thou needest feaâ— not thy sinsâ— because Chrâ—st hath payed thy ransom not the Judge for hâ— is thy loving brother not the grave 〈◊〉 iâ— is the Lord's bed not he for thy Redeemâ—r keeps the keys not the Devil for God's holy Angels pitch their Tents about thee and will not leave thee till they bring thee to Heaven Thou wast never 〈◊〉 etâ—â—nal life glorifie therefore â—â—ist by a
Israelites to convey them to Canaan's possession so death to the wicked is a sink to hell and condemnation but to the godly the gate to everlasting life and salvation And one day of a blessed death will make amends for all the sorrows of a bitter life When therefore thou perceivest thy soul departing from thy body pray with thy Tongue if thou canst else pray in thy heart and mind these words fixing the eyes of thy soul upon Jesus Christ thy Saviour A Prayer at the yielding up of the Ghost O Lamb of God which by thy blood hast taken away the sins of the world have mercy upon me a sinner Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Amen When the sick party is departing let the faithful that are present kneel down and commend his soul to God in these or the like words O Gracious God and merciful Father who art our refuge and strength and a very present help in trouble lift up the light of thy favourable countenance at this Instant upon thy servant that now cometh to appear in thy presence wash away good Lord all his sins by the merits of Christ Jesus's blood that they may never be laid to his charge Increase his faith preserve and keep safe his soul from the danger of the Devil and his Wicked Angels Comfort him with thy Holy Spirit cause him now to feel that thou art his loving Father and that he is thy child by Adoption and Grace Save O Christ the price of thine own blood and suffer him not to be lost whom thou hast bought so dearly Receive his soul as thou didst the penitent thief into thy heavenly Paradise Let thy blessed Angels conduct him thither as they carried the soul of Laâ—arus and grant unto him a joyful resurrection at the last day O Father hear us for him and hear thine own Son our only Mediator that sits at thy right hand for him and us all even for the merits of that bitter death and passion which he hath suffered for us In confidence whereof we now recommend his soul into thy fatherly hands in that blessed Prayer which our Saviour hath taught us in all times of our troubles to say unto thee Our Father c. Thus far of the Practice of Piety in dying in the Lord. Now followeth the Practice of Piety in dying for the Lord. THE Practice of Piety in dying for the Lord is termed Martyrdom Martyrdom is the testimony which a Christian beareth to the Doctrine of the Gospel by enduring any kind of death to invite many and to confirm all to embrace the truth thereof To this kind of death Christ hath promised a Crown Be thou faithful unto the death and I will give thee the Crown of life Which promise the Church so firmly believed that they termed martyrdom it self a Crown And God to animate Christians to this excellent prize would by a prediction that Stephen the first Christian Martyr should have his name of a Crown Of Martyrdom there are Three kinds 1. Solâ voluntate in will only as John the Evangelist who being boiled in a Cauldron of Oil came out rather annointed than sod and died of old age at Ephesus 2. Solo opere in deed only as the Innocents of Bethlehem 3. Voluntate opere both in will and deed as in the Primitive Church Stephen Polycarpus Ignatius Laurentius Romanus Antiochianus and thousands And in our days Cranmer Latimer Hooper Ridley Farrar Bradford Philpot Sanders Glover Taylor and others innumerable whose fiery zeal to God's Truth brought them to the flames of Martyrdom to seal Christ's Faith It is not the cruelty of the death but the innocency and holiness of the cause that maketh a Martyr Neither is an erroneous Conscience a sufficient warrant to suffer Martyrdom because Science in God's Word must direct Conscience in man's heart For they who killed the Apostles in their erroneous Consciences thought they did God good service and Paul of zeal breathed out slaughters against the Lord's Saints Now whether the cause of our Seminary Priests and Jesuits be so holy true and innocent as that it may warrant their Conscience to suffer death and to hazard their eternal salvation thereon let Paul's Epistle written to the ancient Christian Romans but against our new Antichristian Romans be judge And it will plainly appear that the Doctrine which St. Paul taught to the ancient Church of Rome is ex diametro opposite in 26 fundamental points of true Religion to that which the new Church of Rome teacheth and maintaineth For St. Paul taught the Primitive Church of Rome 1. That our Election is of God's free Grace and not ex operibus praevisis Rom. 9. 11. Rom. 11. 5 6. 2. That we are justified before God by faith only without good works Rom. 3. 20 28. Rom. 4. 2 c. Rom. 1. 17. 3. That the good works of the regenerate are not of their own condignity meritorious nor such as can deserve Heaven Rom. 8. 18. Rom. 11. 6. Rom. 6. 23. 4. That these Books only are God's Oracles and Canonical Scripture which were committed to the custody and credit of the Jews Rom. 3. 2. Rom. 1. 2. Rom. 16. 26. such were never the Apocrypha 5. That the Holy Scriptures have God's authority Rom. 9. 17. Rom. 3. 4. Rom. 11. 32. conferred with Gal. 3. 22. Therefore above the authority of the Church 6. That all as well Laity as Clergy that will be saved must familiarly read or know the Holy Scripture Rom. 15. 4. Rom. 10. 1 2 8. Rom. 16. 26. 7. That all Images made of the true God are very Idols R. 1. 23. R. 2. 22. conferr'd 8. That to bow the knee religiously to an Image or to worship any Creature is meer Idolatry R. 11. 4. and a lying service R. 1. 25. 9. That we must not pray unto any but to God only in whom we believe Rom. 10. 13 14. Rom. 8. 15 27. therefore not to Saints and Angels 10. That Christ is our only intercessor in Heaven Rom. 8. 34 Rom. 5. 2 Rom. 16. 27. 11. That the only Sacrifice of Christians is nothing but the spiritual Sacrificing of their souls and bodies to serve God in holiness and righteousness R. 12. 1 R. 15. 16. therefore no real sacrificing of Christ in the Mass. 12. That the religious worship called dulia as well as latria belongeth to God alone Rom. 1. 9. Rom. 12. 11. R. 16. 18. conferr'd 13. That all Christians are to pray unto God in their own native language R. 14. 11. 14. That we have not of our selves in the state of corruption free will unto good Rom. 7. 18 c. Rom. 9. 16. 15. That Concupiscence in the regenerate is sin Rom. 7. 7 8 10. 16. That the Sacraments do not confer grace ex opere operato but sign and seal that â—t is conferred already unto us Rom. 4. 11 12. Rom. 2. 28 29. 17. That every
with Filthiness outraged with Passions overcarried with Affections pining with Envy overcharged with Gluttony surfeited with Drunkenness boiling with Revenge transported with Rage and the glorious Image of God transformed into the ugly shape of the Devil so far as it once repented the Lord that he ever made Man From the former flows the other part of the Soul's Miseries called Cursedness whereof there are two degrees 1. In part 2. In fullness thereof 1. Cursedness in part is that which is inflicted upon the Soul in life and death and is common to her with the Body The Cursedness of the Soul in Life is the wrath of God which lieth upon such a Creature so far as that all things not only Calamities but also very Blessings and Graces turn to ruine Terror of Conscience drives him from God and his service that he dares not come to his Presence and Ordinances but is given up to the slavery of Satan and to his own Lusts and vile Affections This is the Cursedness of the Soul in life Now follows the Cursedness of the Soul and Body in Death Meditations of the Misery of the Body and Soul in Death AFter that the aged man hath conflicted with long sickness and having indured the brunt of pain should now expect some ease in comes Death nature's slaughter-man God's Curse and Hell's Purveyor and looks the Old Man grim and black in the face and neither pitying his age nor regarding his long endured dolours will not be hired to forbear either for silver or gold nay he will not take to spare his life Skin for Skin aud all that the old Man hath but batters all the principal parts of his Body and arrests him to appear before the terrible Judge And as thinking that the Old man will not dispatch to go with him fast enough Lord how many darts of Calamities doth he shoot through him Stiches Aches Cramps Fevers Obstructions Rheums Flegm Cholick Stone Wind c. O what a ghastly sight it is to see him then in his Bed when Death hath given him his mortal wound what a cold sweat over-runs all his body what a trembling possesseth all his Members the Head shooteth the Face waxeth pale the Nose black the nâ—ther Jaw-bone hangeth down the Eye-strings break the Tongue faltereth the Breath shortneth and smelleth earthly the Throâ—t â—aâ—tiâ—th and at every Gasp the Heart-strings are ready to break asunder Now the miserable Soul sensibly perceivâ—â— her Earthly Body to begin to die For â—owards the dissolution of the universal Frame of the great World the Sun 〈◊〉 be turned into Darkness the Moon into Blood and the Stars shall fall from Heaven the Air shall be full of Storms and flashing Meteors the Earth shall tremble and the Sea shall roar and mens hearts shall fail for fear expecting the end of such sorrowful beginnings So towards the dissolution of Man which is the little World his Eyes which are as the Sun and Moon lose their light and see nothing but blood-guiltiness of Sin The rest of the Senses as lesser Stars do one after another fail and fall his Mind Reason and Memory as heavenly powers of his Soul are shaken with fearful storms of Despair and fierce flashing of Hell-fire his earthly body beginneth to shake and tremble and the humours like an overflowing Sea roar and rattle in his Throat still expecting the woful End of these dreadful beginnings Whilst he is thus summoned to appear at the Great Assizes of God's Judgmentâ— behold a Quarter-Sessions and Gaol-Delivery is held within himself where Reason sits as Judge the Devil puts in a Bill of Indictment as large as that Book of Zechary wherein are alledged all thy evil deeds that ever thou hast committed and all the good deeds that ever thou hast omitted and all the Curses and Judgments that are due to every sin Thine own Conscience shall accuse thee and thy Memory shall give bitter Evidence and Death stands at the Bar ready as a cruel Executioner to dispatch thee If thou shalt thus condemn thy self how shalt thou escape the Just Condemnation of God who knows all thy misdeeds better than thy self Fain wouldst thou put out of thy mind the remembrance of the wicked deeds that trouble thee but they flow faster into thy remembrance and they will not be put away but cry unto thee We are thy works and we will follow thee and whilst thy soul is thus within out of peace and order thy Children Wife and Friends trouble thee as fast to have thee put thy goods in order some crying some craving some pitying some chearing all like Flesh-Flies helping to make thy sorrows more sorrowful Now the Devils who are come from Hell to fetch away thy Soul begin to appear to her and wait as soon as she cometh forth to take her and carry her away Stay she would within but that she feels the body begin by degrees to die and ready like a ruinous House to fall upon her head Fearful she is to come forth because of those Hell-hounds which wait for her coming O she that spent so many days and nights in vain and idle pastimes would now give the whole world if she had it for one hour delay that she might have space to repent and reconcile her self unto God But it cannot be because her body which joyned with her in the Action of sin is altogether now unfit to joyn with her in the exercise of repentance and repentance must be of the whole Man Now she seeth that all her pleasures are gone as if they had never been and that but only torments remain which never shall have an end of being Who can sufficiently express her remorse for her sins past her anguish for her present Misery and her terror for her torments to come In this Extremity she looketh every where for help and findeth her self every way helpless Thus in her greatest misery desirous to hear the least word of comfort she directs this or the like Speech unto her Eyes O Eyes who in times past were so quick-sighted can ye spy no Comfort nor any way how I might escape this dreadful danger But the Eye-strings are broken they cannot see the Candle that burneth before them nor discern whether it be Day or Night The Soul finding no comfort in the Eyes speaketh to the Ears O Ears who were wont to recreate your selves with hearing new pleasant Discourses and Musicks sweetest Harmony can you hear any news or tidings of the least Comfort for me The Ears are either so deaf that they cannot hear at all or the sense of hearing is grown so weak that it cannot endure to hear his dearest Friends to speak And why should those Ears hear any tidings of Joy in Death who could never abide to hear the glad tidings of the Gospel in this life The Ear can minister no comfort Then she intimates her grief unto the Tongue
immediately carry her into Heaven and there present her before Christ where she is crowned with a Crown of Righteousness and Glory not which she hath deserved by her good works but which God hath promised of his free goodness to all those who of love have in this life unfeignedly served him and sought his glory Oh what joy will it be to thy Soul which was wont to see nothing but misery and sinners now to behold the face of the God of glory yea to see Christ welcoming thee as soon as thou art presented before him by the holy Angels with an Euge bone serve well done and welcome good and faithful servant c. enter into thy Master's joy And what joy will this be to behold thousand thousands of Cherubims Seraphims Angels Thrones Dominions Principalities Powers All the holy Patriarchs Priests Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors and all the Souls of thy Friends Parents Husbands Wives Children and the rest of God's Saints who departed before thee in the true Faith of Christ standing before God's Throne in bliss and glory If the Queen of Sheba beholding the glory and attendance given to Solomon as it were ravished therewith brake out and said Happy are thy men happy are these thy servants which stand ever before thee and hear thy wisdom How shall thy soul be ravished to see her self by grace admitted to stand with this glorious Company to behold the Blessed face of Christ and to hear all the Treasures of his Divine Wisdom How shalt thou rejoyce to see so many thousand thousands welcoming thee into their Heavenly Society for as they all rejoyced at thy Conversion so will they now be much more joyful to behold thy Coronation and to see thee receive thy Crown which was laid up for thee against thy coming For there the Crown of martyrdom shall be put on the head of a Martyr who for Christ's Gospel-sake endured Torments the Crown of Virginity on the head of a Virgin who subdued concupiscence the Crown of Piety and Chastity on the head of them who sincerely professed Christ and kept their wedlock-bed undefiled the Crown of good works on the good Alms-giver's head who liberally relieved the Poor the Crown of incorruptible glory on the head of those Pastors who by their preaching and good example have converted Souls from the corruption of sin to glorifie God in holiness of life Who can sufficiently express the rejoycing of this heavenly company to see thee thus crowned with glory arraied with the shining robe of righteousness and to behold the Palm of Victory put into thy hand Oh what gratulation will there be that thou hast escaped all the miseries of the World the snares of the Devil the pains of Hell and obtained with them thy eternal rest and happiness For there every one joyeth as much in another's happiness as in his own because he shall see him as much loved of God as himself Yea they have as many distinct joys as they have co-partners of their joy And in this joyful and blessed state the Soul resteth with Christ in Heaven till the Resurrection when as the number of her fellow servants and brethren be fulfilled which the Lord termeth but a little season The second degree of Man's Blessedness after Death is from the Resurrection to the pronouncing of the final Sentence For at the last day 1. The Elementary Heavens Earth and all things therein shall be dissolved and purified with Fire 2. At the sound of the last Trumpet or voice of Christ the Archangel the very same Bodies which the Elect had before though turned to Dust and Earth shall arise again And in the same instant every Man's Soul shall re-enter into his own Body by virtue of the resurrection of Christ their Head and be made alive and rise out of their Graves as if they did but awake out of their beds and howsoever Tyran's be mangled their Bodies in pieces or consumed them to ashes yet shall the Elect find it true at that day that not an hair of their head is perished 3. They shall come forth out of their Graves like so many Josephs out of Prison or Daniels out of the Lion's Den or Jonahs out of the Whale's Belly 4. All the Bodies of the Elect being thus made alive shall arise in that perfection of Nature whereunto they should have attained by their natural temperament if no impediment had hindred and in that vigour of age that a perfect Man is at about 33 years old each in their proper sex Whereunto Divines think the Apostle alludeth when he saith Till we all come unto a perfect man unto the measure of the age or stature of the fulness of Christ. Whatsoever imperfection was before in the Body as blindness lameness crookedness shall then be done away Jacob shall not halt nor Isaac be blind nor Leah bleer-ey'd nor Mephibosheth be lame for if David would not have the blind and lame to come into his House much less will Christ have blindness and lameness to dwell in his heavenly Habitation Christ made all the blind to see the dumb to speak the deaf to hear the lame to walk c. that came to him to seek his grace on Earth much more will he heal all their imperfections whom he will admit to his glory in Heaven Among those Tribes there is not one feeble but the lame man shall leap as an Hart and the dumb man's tongue shall sing And it is very probable that seeing God Created our first Parents not Infants or old Men but of a perfect age or stature the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or new Creation from Death shall every where be more perfect than the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or first frame of Man from which he fell into the state of the dead Neither is it like that infancy being imperfection and old age corruption can well stand with the state of a perfect glorified Body 5. The Bodies of the Elect being thus raised shall have four most excellent and supernatural qualities For 1. They shall be raised in Power whereby they shall for ever be freed from all wants and weaknesses and enabled to continue without the use of Meat Drink Sleep and other former helps 2. In Incorruption whereby they shall never be subject to any manner of Imperfections Blemish Sickness or Death 3. In Glory whereby their Bodies shall shine as bright as the Sun in the Firmament and which being made transparent their Souls shall shine through far more glorious than their Bodies Three glimpses of which Glory were seen First In Moses's Face Secondly In the Transfiguration Thirdly In Stephen's Countenance Three Instances and Assurances of the glorification of our Bodies at that glorious Day Then shall David lay aside his Shepherd's Weed and put on the Robe of the King's Son Jesus not Jonathan's Then
by Faith only a carnal Christian gathereth That good works are not necessary He commends others that do good works but he persuades himself that he shall be saved by his Faith without doing any such matter But he should know that though good works are not necessary to justification yet they are necessary to salvation for we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath predestinated that we should walk in them Whosoever therefore in years of discretion bringeth not forth good works after he is called he cannot be saved neither was he ever predestinated to life eternal Therefore the Scripture saith that Christ will reward every man according to his works Christ respects in the Angels of the seven Churches nothing but their works and at the last day he will give the heavenly inheritance only to them who have done good works in feeding the hungry clothing the naked c At that day righteousness shall wear the Crown No righteousness no crown no good works according to a man's talent no reward from God unless it be vengeance To be rich in good works is the surest foundation of our assurance to obtain eternal liâ—e For good works are the true fruits of a true faith which apprehendeth Christ and his obedience unto salvation And no other faith availeth in Christ but that which worketh by love and but in the act of justification that faith which only justifieth is never alone but ever accompanied with good works as the Tree with his fruits the Sun with his light the fire with his heat the water with his moisture And the faith which doth not justifie her self by good works before men is but a dead faith which will never justifie a man's soul before God But a justifying faith purifieth the heart and sanctifieth the whole man throughout II From the Doctrine of God's eternal Predestination and unchangeable Decree he gathereth that if he be predestinated to be saved he cannot but be saved if to be damned no means can do any good Therefore all works of Piety are but in vain But he should learn that God hath predestinated to the means as well as to the end Whom therefore God hath predestinated to be saved which is the end he hath likewise predestinated to be first called justified and made conformable to the Image of his Son which is the means And the saith St. Peter who are elect unto salvation are also elect unto the sanctification of the spirit If therefore upon thy calling thou conformest thy self to the Word and Example of Christ thy Master and obeyest the good motions of the Holy Spirit in leaving sin and living a godly life then assure thy self that thou art one of those who are infallibly predestinated to everlasting salvation If otherwise blame not God's predestination but thine own sin and rebellion Do thou but return unto God and God will graciously receive thee as the Father did the prodigal Son and by thy conversion it shall appear both to Angels and Men that thou didst belong to his Election If thou wilt not why should God save thee III. When a carnal Christian hears that Man hath not free will unto good he looseth the reins to his own corrupt will as tho' it lay not in him to bridle or to subdue it Implicitly making God the Author of sin in suffering Man to run into this necessity But he should know that God gave Adam free-will to stand in his integrity if he would Man abusing his free-will lost both himself and it Since the Fall Man in his state of corruption hath free-will to evil but not to good for in this state we are not saith the Apostle sufficient to think a good thought And God is not bound to restore us what we lost so wretchedly and take no more care to recover again But as soon as a Man is regenerated the grace of God freeth his will unto good so that he doth all the good things he doth with a free-will For so the Apostle saith That God of his own good pleasure worketh both the will and the deed in us who as the Apostle expoundeth cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and finish our sanctification in the fear of God And in this state every true Christian hath free-will and as he increaseth in grace so doth his will in freedom for when the Son shall make us free then shall we be free indeed and where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty for the holy spirit draws their minds not by coaction but by the Cords of Love Cant. 1. 4. by illuminating their minds to know the truth by changing their hearts to love the known truth and by enabling every one of them according to the measure of grace which he hath received to do the good which he loveth but thou wilt not use the freedom of thy will so far as God hath freed it for thou dost many times wilfully against God's Law to the hazard of thy Soul that which if the King's Laws forbid under the penalty of death or loss of thy worldly Estate thou wouldst not do Make not therefore thy want of free-will unto good to be so much the cause of thy sin as thy want of a loving heart to serve thy heavenly Father IV. When the natural man hears that no man since the Fall is able to fulfil the Law of God and keep all his Commandments he boldly presumes to sin as others do he contents himself with a few good thoughts and if he be not altogether as bad as the worst he concludes that he is as truly regenerate as the best And every voluntary refusal of doing good or withstanding evil he counts the impossibility of the Law But he should learn that though since the Fall no man but Christ who was both God and Man did or can perfectly fulfil the whole Law yet every true Christian as soon as he is regenerated begins to keep all God's Commandments in truth though he cannot in absolute perfection Thus with David they apply their hearts to fulfil God's Commandments always unto the end And then the spirit of grace which was promised to be more abundantly poured forth under the Gospel helpeth them in their good endeavours and assisteth them to do what he commands them to do And in so doing God accepteth their good will and endeavour instead of perfect fulfilling of the Law supplying out of the merits of Christ who fulfilled the Law for us whatsoever wanteth in our obedience And in this respect Saint John saith that God's Commandments are not burthenous And St. Paul saith I am able to do all things through the help of him that strengtheneth me And Zachary and Elizabeth are said to walk in all the Commandments of the Lord
that God should forget to save thee in thy death who art so unmindful now to serve him in thy life the fear of Death will drive many at that time to cry Lord Lord but Christ protesteth that he will not then know them for his Yea many shall then like Esau with tears seek to repent and yet find no place of repentance For Man hath not free-will to repent when he will but when God will give him grace And if Mercy shewed her self so inexorable that she would not open her gates to so tender suitors as Virgins to so earnest suitors as kneâ—kers because they knocked too late How thinkest thou that she will ever suffer thee to enter her gates being so impure a wretch that nâ—ver thinkest to leave sin till sin first leaveth thee and didst never yet knock with thine own fists upon the breasts of a penitent heart and justly doth her grace deny to open the gates of Heaven when thou knockest in thine adversity who in thy prosperity wouldest not suffer Christ whilst he knocked to enter in at the door of thy heart Trust not either late repentance or long life not late repentance because it is much to be feared lest that the repentance which the fear of Death enforceth dies with a man dying And the Hypocrite who deceived others in his life may deceive himself in his death God accepteth none but free-will offerings and the repentance that pleaseth him must be voluntary and not of constraint Not long life for old age will fall upon the neck of youth and as nothing is more sure than Death so nothing is more uncertain than the time of dying Yea often times when ripeness of sin is hastened by outragiousness of sinning God suddenly cutteth off such vicious livers either with the sword intemperateness luxury surfeit or some other fearful manner of sickness Mayst thou not see that it is the evil spirit that persuades thee to deferr thy repentance till old Age when experience tells thee that not one of a thousand that takes thy course doth ever attain unto it Let Goa's holy Spirit move thee not to give thy self any longer to eat and drink with the drunken lest thy master send death for thee in a day when thou lookest not for him and in an hour that thou art not aware of and so suddenly cut thee off and appoint thee thy portion with the hâ—pocrites where shall be weeping aâ—d gnashing of teeth But if thou lovest long life fear God and long for life everlasting The longest life here when it is come to the Period will appear to have been but as a tale that is told a vanishing vapour a flitting shadow a seeming dream a glorious flower growing and flourishing in the morning but in the evening cut down and withered or like a Weavers shuttle which by winding here and there swiftly unwinded it self to an end It is but a moment saith St. Paul O then the madness of Man that for a moment of sinful pleasure will hazard the loss of an Eternal weight of glory These are the seven chief hinderers of Piety which must be cast out like Mary Magdalen 's seven Devils before ever thou canst become a true Practicer of Piety or have any sound hope to enjoy either favour from Christ by grace or fellowship with him in glory The Conclusion TO conclude all for as much as thou seest that without Christ thou art but a slave of sin Death's Vassal and Worms Meat whose thoughts are vain whose deeds are vile whose pleasures have scarce beginnings whose miseries never know end what wise Man would incurr these helâ—ish torments tho' he might by living in sin purchase to himself for a time the Empire of Augustus the riches of Croesus the pleasures of Solomon the policy of Achitophel the voluptuous fair and fine apparel of Dives for what should it avail a Man as our Saviour saith to win the whole world far a time and then to lose his soul in hell for ever And seeing that likewise thou seest how great is thy happiness in Christ and how vain are the hindrances that debar thee from the same bâ—ware as the Apostle exhorteth of the deceitfulness of sin For that sin which seems now to be so pleasing to thy corrupt nature will one day prove the bitterest enemy to thy distressed soul and in the mean while harden unawares thine impenitent heart Sin as a Serpent seems beautiful to the eye but take heed of the sting behind whose venomous Effects if thou knewest thou wouldest as carefully fly from sin as from a Serpent For 1. Sin did never any Man good and the more sin a Man hath committed the more odious he hath made himself to God the more hateful to all good Men. 2. Sin brought upon thee all the evil crosses losses disgraces and sicknesses that ever befel thee Fools saith David by reason of their transgressions and because of their iniquities are afflicted Jeremy in lamenting manner asketh the question Wherefore is the living man sorrowful The Holy Ghost answereth him Man suffereth for his sin Hereupon the Prophet takes up that doleful out-cry against sin as the cause of all their miseries Wo now unto us that ever we have sinned 3 If thou dost not speedily repent thee of thy sins they will bring upon thee yet far greater plagues losses crosses shame and judgments than ever hitherto befel thee Read Levit. 26. ver 18 c. Deut. 28 15 c. 4. And lastly if thou wilt not cast off thy sin God when the measure of thine iniquity is full will cast thee off for thy sin for as he is just so he hath power to kill and cast into hell all hardened and impenitent sinners If therefore thou wilt avoid the cursed effects of sin in this life and the eternal wrath due thereto in the world to come and be assured that thou art not one of those who are given over to a reprobate sense Let then O sinner my counsel be acceptable unto thee break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by shewing mercy towards the poor O let there at length be an healing of thine error Nathan used but one Parable and David was converted Jonas preached but once to Nineveh and the whole City repented Christ looked but once on Peter and be went out and wept bitterly And now that thou art oft and so lovingly intreated not by a Prophet but by Christ the Lord of Prophets yea that God himself by his Embassadors doth pray thee to be reconciled unto him leave off thine adultery with David repent of thy sins like a true Ninevite and whilst Christ looketh in mercy upon thee leave thy wicked companions and weep bitterly for thine offences Content not thy self with that formal Religion which unregenerated Men have framed to themselves instead of
iniquities are full he will make the land to spue out every Canaanite Religion then and the Service of God in a Family is the best building and surest entailing of House and Land to a Man and his Posterity for the righteous Man shall inherit the Land and dwell therein for ever As therefore thou desirest to have the blessing of God upon thy self and upon thy family either before or after thy own private devotions call every morning all thy family to some convenient room and first either read thy self unto them a Chapter in the Word of God or cause it to be read distinctly by some other If leisure serve thou maist admonish them of some remarkable notes and then kneeling down with them in reverent sort as is before described pray with them in this manner Morning Prayer for a Family O Lord our God and heavenly Father who art the only Creator and Governour of heaven and earth and all things therein contained we confess that we are unworthy to appear in thy sight and presence considering our manifold sins which we have committed against heaven and before thee and how that we have been born in sin and do daily break thy holy Laws and Commandments contrary to our knowledge and consciences albeit that we know that thou art our Creator who hast made us our Redeemer who hast bought us with the blood of thine only begotten Son and our Comforter who bestowest upon us all the good and holy graces which we enjoy in our souls and bodies And if thou should'st but deal with us as our wickedness and unthankfulness have deserved what other thing might we O Lord expect from thee but shame and confusion in this life and in the World to come wrath and everlasting condemnation Yet O Lord in the obedience of thy Commandment and in the confidence which we have in thy unspeakable and endless mercy in thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ we thy poor servants appealing from thy Throne of Justice where we are justly lost and condemned to thy Throne of grace where mercy reigneth to pardon abounding sin do from the bottom of our hearts most humbly beseech thee to remit and forgive unto us all our offences and misdeeds that by the virtue of the precious blood of Jesus Christ thine innocent Lamb which he so abundantly shed to take away the sins of the world all our sins both original and actual may be so cleansed and washed from us as that they may never be laid to our charge nor ever have power to rise up in judgment against us And we beseech thee good Fatherâ— for Christ his death and passions sake thaâ— thou wilt not suffer to fall upon us thaâ— fearful curse and vengeance which thy laâ—â— hath threatned and our sins have justly deserved And for as much O Lord as we arâ— taught by thy word that Idolaters Adulterrers covetous Men contentious Persons Drunkards Gluttons and such like inordinate livers shall not inherit the kingdom of God pour the grace of thy Holy Spirit into our hearts whereby we may be enlightned to see the filthiness of our sins to abhor them and may be more and more stirred up to live in newness of life and love of thy Majesty so that we may daily increase in the obedience of thy Word and in a conscionable care of keeping thy Commandments And now O Lord we render unto thee most hearty thanks for that thou hast elected created redeemed called justified and sanctified us in good measure in this life and given us an assured hope that thou wilt glorifie us in thy heavenly kingdom when this mortal life is ended Likewise we thank thee for our life health wealth liberty prosperity and peace especially O Lord for the continuance of thy holy Gospel among us and for sparing us so long and granting us so gracious a time of repentance Also we praise thee for all other thy mercies bestowed upon us more especially for preserving us this night past from all dangers that might have befaln our souls or bodies And seeing thou hast now brought us safe to the beginning of this day we beseech thee protect and direct us in the same Bless and defend us in our going out and coming in this day and evermore Shield us O Lord from the temptations of the Devil and grant us the custody of thy holy Angels to defend and direct us in all our ways And to this end we recommend our selves and all those that belong unto us and are abroad from us into thy hands and Almighty tuition Lord defend them from all evil prosper them in all graces and fill them with thy goodness Preserve us likewise this day from falling into any gross sin especially those whereunto our Natures are most prone Set a watch before the door of our lips that we offend not thy Majesty by any rash or false Oaths or by any lewd or lying Speeches give unto us patient Minds pure and chaste Hearts and all other graces of thy Spirit which thou knowest to be needful for us that we may the better be enabled to serve thee in holiness and righteousness And seeing that all Man's labour without thy blessing is in vain bless every one of us in our several places and callings direct thou the work of our hands upon us even prosper thou our handy-work for except thou guide us with thy grace our endeavours can have no good success And provide for us all things which thou O Father knowest to be needful for every one of us in our Souls and Bodies this day And grant that we may so pass through the pilgrimage of this short life that our hearts being not setled upon any transitory things which we meet with in the way our Souls may every day be more and more ravished with the love of our home and thine everlasting Kingdom Defend likewise O Lord thy universal Church and every particular Member thereof especially we beseech thee to continue the peace and prosperity of these Churches and Kingdoms wherein we live Preserve and defend from all evils and dangers our gracious King Charles Queen Mary the noble and hopeful Prince Charles with the rest of the Royal Progeny the Lady Elizabeth the King 's only Sister and her Princely Issue Multiply their days in bliss and felicity and afterwards crown them with everlasting Joy and Glory Bless all our Ministers and Magistrates with all graces needful for their places and govern thou them that they may govern us in peace and godliness and of thy mercy O Lord comfort all our brethren that are distressed sick or any way comfortless especially those who are afflicted either with an evil conscience because they have sinned against thy Word or for a good conscience because they will not sin against thy truth Make the first to know that not one drop of the blood of Christ was a drop of vengeance but all drops of grace powerful to procure pardon upon repentance for
and eyes unto the great Creator and Feeder of all Creatures and before Meat pray unto him thus Grace before Meat O Most gracious God and loving Father who feedest all creatures living which depend upon thy divine providence we beseech the sanctifie these creatures which thou hast ordained for us give them virtue to nourish our bodies in life and health and give us grace to receive them soberly and thankfully as from thy hands that so in the strength of these and other thy blessings we may walk in the uprightness of our hearts before thy face this day and all the days of our lives through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour Amen Or thus MOst gracious God and merciful Father we beseech thee sanctifie these Creatures to our use make them healthful for our nourishment and us thankful for all thy blessings through Christ our Lord and only Saviour Amen Another Grace before Meat O Eternal God in whom we live move and have our being we beseech thee bless unto thy Servants these Creatures that in the strength of them we may live to the setting forth of thy praise and glory through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour Amen After every meal be careful of thy self and family as Job was for himself and his Children Job 1. 4. lest that in the chearfulness of eating and drinking some speech hath slipped out which might be either offensive to God or injurious to man and therefore with the like comely gâ—sture and reverence give thanks unto God and pâ—ay in this manner BLessed be thy holy Name O Lord our God for these thy good benefits wherewith thou hast so plentifully at this time refreshed our bodies O Lord vouchsafe likewise to feed our souls with the spiritual food of thy holy Word and Spirit unto life everlasting Lord defend and save thy whole Church our gracious King Charles Queen Mary the noble and hopeful Prince Charles with the rest of the royal progeny the Lady Elizabeth the Kings only Sister and her Princely issue Forgive us our sins and unthankfulness pass by our manifold infirmities make us all mindful of our last end and of the reckoning that we are to make to thee therein and in the mean while grant unto us health peace and truth in Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour Amen Or thus BLessed be thy Holy name O Lord for these thy good benefits wherewith thou hast refreshed us at this time Lord forgive us all our sins and frailties save and defend thy whole Church our King and his Royal posterity and grant us health peace and truth in Christ our only Saviour Amen Or thus WE give thee thanks O heavenly Father for feeding our bodies so graciously with thy good creatures to this temporal life beseeching thee likewise to feed our souls with thy holy Word unto life everlasting Defend O Lord thine universal Church the King and his royal Posterity and grant us continuance of thy grace and mercy in Christ our only Saviour Amen The Practice of Piety at Evening At Evening when the due time of repairing to rest approacheth call together again all thy Family Read a Chapter in the same manner that was prescribed in the morning Then in holy imitation of our Lord and his Disciples sing a Psalm But in singing of Psalms either after Supper or at any other time observe these rules Rules to be observed in singing of Psalm 1. BEware of singing divine Psalms for an ordinary recreation as do men of impure Spirits who sing holy Psalms intermingled with prophane Ballads They are God's Word take them not in thy mouth in vain 2 Remember to sing David's Psalms with David's Spirit 3. Practise Saint Paul's rule I will sing with the spirit but I will sing with the understanding also 4. As you sing uncover your heads and behave your selves in comely reverence as in the sight of God singing to God in God's own words but be sure that the matter make more melody in your hearts than the Musick in your ear for the singing with grace in our hearts is that which the Lord is delighted withal according to that old verse Non vox sed votum non musica cordula sed cor Non clamans sed amans psallit in aure Dei 'T is not the voice but vow Sound heart not sounding string True zeal not outward show That in God's ear doth ring 5. Thou maiest if thou thinkest good sing all the Psalms over in order for all are most divine and comfortable But if thou wilt chuse some special Psalms as more fit for some times and purposes and such as by the oft usage thy people may the easilier commit to memory Then sing In the Morning Psal. 3. 5. 16. 22. 144. In the Evening Psal. 4. 127. 141. For mercy after a sin committed Psal 51. 103. In sickness or heaviness Psal. 6. 13. 89. 90. 91. 137. 146. When thou art recovered Psal. 30. 32. On the Sabbath day Psal. 19. 92. 95. In time of joy Psal. 80. 98. 107. 136. 145. Before Sermon Psal. 1. 12. 147. the 1. and 5. Part of the 119. After Sermon any Psalm which concerneth the chief argument of the Sermon At the Communion Psal. 22. 23. 103. 111. 116. For spiritual solace Psal. 15. 19. 25. 46. 67. 112. 116. After wrong and disgrace received Psal. 42. 69. 70. 140. 144. After the Psalm all kneeling down in reverent manner as is before described let the Father of the Family or the chiefest in his absence pray thus Evening Prayer for a Family O Eternal God and most gracious Father we thine unworthy Servants here assembled do cast down our selves at the footstool of thy grace acknowledging that we have inherited our Fathers corruption and actually in thought word and deed transgressed all thy holy Commandments so that in us naturally there dwelleth nothing that is good for our hearts are full of secret pride anger impatience dissembling lying lust vanity prophanâ—ness distruâ—â— too much love of our selves and the World too little love of thee and thy Kingdom but empty and void of faith love patience and every spiritual grace If thou therefore shouldst but enter into judgment with us and search out our natural corruption and observe all the cursed fruits and effects that we have derived from thence Satan might justly challenge us for his own and we could noâ— expect any thing from thy Majesty but thy wrath and our condemnation which we have long ago deserved But good Father for Jesus Christ thy dear Son's sake in whom only thou art well pleased and for the merits of that bitter death and bloody passion which we believe that he hath suffered for us have mercy upon us pardon and forgive us all our sins and free us from the shame and confusion which are due unto us for them that they may never seize upon us to our confusion in this life nor to our condemnation in the world
which is to come And for as much as thou hast created us to serve thee as all other Creatures to serve us so we beseech thee inspire thy holy Spirit into our hearts that by his illumination and effectual working we may have the inward sight and feeling of our sins and natural corruptions and that we may not be blinded in them through custom as the Reprobates are but that we may more and more loath them and be heartily grieved for them endeavouring by the use of all good means to overcome and get out of them O let us feel the Power of Christ's Death killing sin in our mortal Bodies and the vertue of his Resurrection raising up our Souls to newness of life Convert our hearts subdue our affections regenerate our minds and purifie our nature and suffer us not to be drowned in the stream of those filthy vices and sinful pleasures of thâ—s time where with thousands are carried headlong to eternal destruction but daily frame us more and more to the likeness of thy Son Jesus Christ that in righteousness and true holiness we may so serve and glorifie thee that living in thy fear and dying in thy favour we may in thine appointed time attain to the blessed resurrection of the just unto eternal life In the mean while O Lord increase our faith in the sweet promises of the Gospel and our repentance from dead works the assurance of our hope in thy promises our fear of thy name the hatred of all our sins and our love unto thy children especially those whom we shall see to stand in need of our help and comfort that so by the fruits of Piety and a righteous life we may be assured that thy Holy Spirit doth dwell in us and that we are thy Children by Grace and Adoption And grant us good Father the continuance of health peace maintenance and all other outward things so far forth as thy Divine Wisdom shall think meet and necessary for every one of us And here O Lord according to our bounden duty we confess that thou hast been exceeding merciful unto us all in things of this life but infinitely more merciful in the things of a better life and therefore we do here from our very souls render unto thee all humble and hearty thanks for all thy blessings and benefits bestowed upon our souls and bodies acknowledging thee to be that Father of lights from whom we have received all those good and perfect gifts and unto thee alone for them we ascribe to be due all glory honour and praise both now and evermore But more especially we praise thy divine Majesty for that thou hast defended us this day from all perils and dangersâ— so that none of those judgments which our sins have deserved have fall'n upon any one of us Good Lord forgive us the sins which this day we have committed against thy Divine Majesty and our brethren for Christ his sake be reconciled unto us for them And we beseech thee likewise of the same thine infinite goodness and mercy to defend and protect us and all that belong unto us this night from all dangers of fire robberry terrours of evil angels or any other fear or peril which for our sins might justly fall upon us And that we may be safe under the shadow of thy wings we here commend our Bodies and Souls and all that we have unto thine Almighty protection Lord bless and defend both us and them from all evil And whilst we sleep do thou O Father who never slumberest nor sleepest watch over thy Children and give a charge to thy Holy Angels to pitch their tents round about our House and Dwelling to gâ—ard us from all dangers that sleeping wiâ—h thee we may in the next morning be awakened by thee and so being reâ—reshed with moderate sleep we may be the fitter to set forth thy glory in the conscionable duties of our callings And we beseech thee O Lord to be merciful likewise to thy whole Church and to continue the tranquility of these Kingdoms wherein we live turning from us those plagues which the crying sins of this Nation do cry for Preserve our Religious King Charles Queen Mary the Noble and Hopeful Prince Charles with the rest of the Royal Progeny the religious Lady Elizabeth the King 's only Sister and her Princely Issue all our Magistrates and Ministers all that fear thee and call upon thy Name all our Christian Brethren and Sisters that suffer sickness or any other affliction or misery especially those who any where do suffer persecution for the testimony of thy holy Gospel grant them patience to bear thy cross and deliverance when and which way it shall seem best to thy Divine Wisdom And Lord suffer us never to forget our last end and those reckonings which then we must render unto thee In health and prosperity mâ—ke us mindful of sickness and of the evil day that is behind that these things may not overtake us as a 〈◊〉 but that we may in good measure like wise Virgins be found prepared for the coming of Christ the sweet Bridegroom of our Souls And now O Lord most holy and just we coâ—fess that there is no cause why thou who art so much displeased with sin shouldest hear the prayer of sinners but for his sake only who suffered for sin and sinned not In the only mediation therefore of thine eternal Son Jesus our Lord and Saviour we humbly beg these and all other graces which thou knowest to be needful for us shutting up these our imperfect requests in that most holy Prayer which Christ himself hath taught us to say unto thee Our Father c. Thy grace O Lord Jesus Christ thy love O heavenly Father thy comfort and consolation O holy and blessed Spirit be with us and remain with us this night and for evermore Amen Then saluting one another as becometh Christians who are the Vessels of grace and Temples of the holy Ghost let them in the fear of God depart every one to his rest using some of the former private Meditations for Evening Thus far of the Housholder's publick Practice of Piety with his Family every day Now followeth his Practice of Piety with the Church on the Sabbath-day Meditations of the true manner of practising Piety on the Sabbath-day ALmighty God will have himself worshipped not only in a private manner by private Persons and Families but also in a more publick sort of all the godly joyned together in a visible Church that by this means he may be known not only to be the God and Lord of every singular Person but also of the Creatures of the whole universal World Quest. But why do not we Christians under the New keep the Sabbath on the same seventh day whereon it was kept under the Old Testament I answer because that our Lord Jesus who is the Lord of the Sabbath and whom the Law
invention a greater measure of solemnity and sanctification than upon the Lord's day which is God's Commandment which in effect is to preferr Antichrist before Christ. Our Church hath justly abolished all superstitious and idolatrous Feasts and only retains a few Holy-days to the Honour of God alone and easing of Servants Deut. 5. 14. tho' long custom forceth to use the old Names for civil distinction as Luke used the prophane Names of Castor and Pollux Acts 28. 11. and Christians of Fortunatus 1 Cor. 16. 17. Mercurius Rom. 16. 14. and Jews of Mardochaeus's day 2 Maccab. 15. 37. 10. Lastly The Examples of God's Judgments on Sabbath-breakers may sufficiently seal unto them whose Hearts are not seared how wrathfully Almighty God is displeased with them who are wilful prophaners of the Lord's day The Lord who is otherwise the God of mercy commanded Moses to stone to death the man who of a presumptuous mind would openly go to gather sticks on the Sabbath day The fact was small true but his sin was the greater that for so small an occasion would presume to break so great a Commandment Nicanor offering to fight against the Jews on the Sabbath day was slain himself and thirty five thousand of his men A Husbandman grinding Corn upon the Lord's-day had his Mill burned to ashes Another carrying Corn on this day had his Barn and all his Corn therein burnt with fire from Heaven the next night after Also a certain Noble man prophaning the Sabbath usually in hunting had a Child by his Wife with a head like a Dog and with Ears and Chaps crying like a Hound A covetous Flax-wife at Kinstat in France Anno 1559 using with her maids to work at her Trade on the Lord's-day it seemed unto them that fire issued out of the Flax but did no harm the next Sabbath it took fire indeed but was quickly quenched but not taking warning by this the third Sunday after it took fire again burnt the House and so scorched the wretched Woman with two of her Children that they died the next day but through God's mercy a Child in the Cradle was taken out of the fire alive and unhurt On the 13th of January An. Dom. 1582 being the Lord's-day the Scaffolds sell in Paris Garden under the People at a Bear-baiting so that eight were suddenly slain innumerable hurt and maimed A warning to such who take more pleasure on the Lord's-day to be in a Theatre beholding carnal sports than to be in the Church serving God with the spiritual works of Piety Many fearful examples of God's Judgments by fire have in our days been shewed upon divers Towns where the prophanation of the Lord's day hath been openly countenanced Stratford upon Avon was twice on the same day twelve-month being the Lord's-day almost consumed with fire chiefly for prophaning the Lord's-Sabbaths and for contemning his Word in the mouth of his faithful Ministers Teverton in Devonshire whose remembrance makes my heart bleed was oftentimes admonished by her godly Preacher that God would bring some heavy Judgment on the Town for their horrible prophanation of the Lord's-day occasioned chiefly by their Market on the day following Not long after his death on the third of April Anno Dom. 1598 God in less than half an hour consumed with a sudden and fearful fire the whole Town except only the Church the Court-house and the Alms-houses or a few poor Peoples dwellings where a man might have seen 400 dwelling-houses all at once on fire and above fifty Persons consumed with the flame And now again since the former Edition of this Book on the fifth of August last 1612 fourteen years since the former fire the whole Towâ— was again fired and consumed except some thirty houses of poor people with the School-house and Alms-houses they are blind who see not in this the finger of God God grant them grace when it is next built to change their Market-day and to remove all occasions of prophaning the Lord's-day Let other Towns remember the Tower of Siloe Luke 13. 4. and take warning by their neighbours chastisements fear God's threatning Jer. â—7 27. and believe God's Prophets if they will prosper 1 Chron. 20. 20. Many other examples of God's judgments might be alledged but if these are not sufficient to terrifie thy heart from the wilful prophanation of the Lord's-day proceed in thy prophanation it may be the Lord will make thee the next example to teach others to keep his Sabbaths â—etter He punisheth some in this life to signifie how he will plague all wilful transgressors of his Sabbaths at the last day Thus we have proved that the Commandment of the Sabbath is Moral and that the change of it from the seventh to the first day of the week was instituted by the authority of Christ and of his Apostles But as in promulgating of the Law divers Ceremonies peculiar to the Jews were annexed the rather to bind that people to the more careful performance thereof as to the first Commandment their deliverance from Egypt shadowing their redemption from hell to the fifth Commandment length of days in Canaan typifying eternal life in heaven to the sixth Commandment abstinence from blood and things strangled figuring the care to abstain from all kind of Murther and to the whole Law the Ceremony of Parchment lace putting them in mind to keep within the limits of the Law so likewise to the fourth Commandment were added some ceremonies which peculiarly belonged to the Jews and to no other people as first the double Sacrifices appointed for them on the Sabbath day shadowing how God will be served on the Sabbath with greater obedience than on the week days 2 The rigid and strict ceasing from making of fire dressing of meat and all bodily labour both remembring them of their full deliverance by Moses's conduct from the fiery Furnaces and slavery of Egypt upon that day as also shadowing unto them the eternal redemption of their souls from Hell by the death of Christ. 3. The keeping of the Sabbath upon the precise seventh day in order of the creation shadowing to the Jews that Christ by his death and resting on their Sabbath in the grave should bring them rest and ease from the burthen and yoke of the Legal Ceremonies which neither they nor their Fathers were able to bear Act. 15. 10. Col. 2. 16 17. And howsoever in Paradise before Man's Fall the keeping of the Sabbath on the seventh day of the Creation was not a Ceremony but an Argument of perfection yet after the Fall it became Ceremonial and subject to change in respect of the Restauration by Christ. As man's life before the fall being immortal became afterwards mortal and nakedness being an ornament before became afterwards a shame and Marriage became a type of the Mystical Vnion betwixt Christ and his Church Ephes. 5. and to fulfill the Ceremonies added for the Jews sake
heavenly Presence The Mystical Vnion chiefly here meant is wrought betwixt Christ and us by the Spirit of Christ apprehending us and by our faith stirred up by the same Spirit apprehending Christ again Both which St. Paul doth most lively express I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus How can he fall away that holdeth and is so firmly holden This Union he shall best understand in his mind who doth most feel it in his heart But of all other times this Union is best felt and most confirmed when we duly receive the Lord's-Supper For then we shall sensibly feel our hearts knit unto Christ and the desires of our souls drawn by Faith and the Holy Ghost as by the cords of love nearer and nearer to his holiness From this Communion with Christ there follow to the faithful many unspeakable benefits As first Christ took by imputation all their sins and guiltiness upon him to satisfie God's Justice for them and he freely gives by imputation unto us all his righteousness in this life and all his right unto eternal life when this is ended and counteth all the good or ill that is done unto us as done unto his own person Secondly There floweth from Christ's Nature into our Nature united to him the lively spirit and breath of grace which reneweth us to a spiritual life and so sanctifieth our minds wills and affections that we daily grow more and more conformable to the Image of Christ. Thirdly He bestoweth upon them all saving graces necessary to attain eternal life as the sense of God's love the assurance of our election with regeneration justification and grace to do good works till we come to live with him in his heavenly Kingdom This should teach all true Christians to keep themselves as the undefiled members of Christ's holy body and to beware of all uncleanness and filthiness knowing that they live in Christ or rather that Christ liveth in them From this Vnion with Christ sealed unto us by the Lord's-Supper St. Paul draweth arguments to withdraw the Corinthians from the pollution both of Idolatry 1 Cor. 10. 16. and Adultery 1 Cor. 16. 15 16. Lastly From the former Communion 'twixt Christ and Christians there flows another Communion 'twixt Christians among themselves Which is also lively represented by the Sacrament of the Lord's-Supper in that the whole Church being many do all communicate of one Bread in that holy action We being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one Bread that as the Bread which we eat in the Sacrament is but one tho' it be confected of many Grains so all the faithful tho' they be many yet are they but one mystical body under one head which is Christ. Our Saviour prayed five times in that Prayer which he made after his last Supper that his Disciples might be one to teach us at once how much this Vnity pleaseth him This Vnion betwixt the faithful is so ample that no distance of place can part it so strong that death cannot dissolve it so durable that time cannot wear it out so effectual that it breeds a fervent love betwixt those who never saw one anothers face And this conjunction of Souls is termed the Communion of Saints which Christ effecteth by six special means First by governing them all by one and the same holy Spirit Secondly by enduring them all with one and the same Faith Thirdly by shedding abroad his own love into all their hearts Fourthly by regenerating them all by one and the same Baptism Fifthly by nourishing them all with one and the same spiritual food Sixthly by being one quickning Head of that one body of his Church which he reconciled to God in the body of his flesh Hence it was that the multitude of believers in the Primitive Church were of one heart and of one soul in truth affection and compassion And this should teach Christians to love one another seeing they are all members of the same holy and mystical Body whereof Christ is Head And therefore they should have all a Christian sympathy and fellow feelling to rejoyce one in anothers joy to condole one in anothers grief to bear with one anothers infirmity and mutually to relieve one anothers wants Of the fourth end of the Lord's Supper 4. To feed the Souls of the faithful in the assured hope of life everlasting For this Sacrament is a sign and pledge unto as many as shall receive the same according to Christ's Institution that he will according to his promise by the vertue of his crucified body and blood as verily feed our souls to life eternal as our bodies are by Bread and Wine nourished to this temporal life And to this end Christ in the action of the Sacrament really giveth his very Body and Blood to every faithful Receiver Therefore the Sacrament is called the Communion of the body and blood of the Lord. And Communication is not of things absent but present neither were it the Lord's Supper if the Lord's Body and Blood were not there Christ is verily present in the Sacrament by a double Vnion whereof the first is spiritual 'twixt Christ and the worthy Receiver the second is Sacramental 'twixt the Body and Blood of Christ and the outward signs in the Sacrament The former is wrought by means that the same holy Spirit dwelling in Christ and in the Faithful incorporateth the Faithful as Members unto Christ their Head and so makes them one with Christ and partakers of all the Graces Holiness and eternal Glory which is in him as sure and as verily as they hear the words of the promise and are partakers of the outwards signs of the holy Sacrament Hence it is that the Will of Christ is a true Christians will and the Christians life is Christ who liveth in him Gal. 2. 20. If you look to the things that are united this Union is essential if to the truth of this Union it is real if to the manner how it is wrought it is spiritual It is not our Faith that makes the Body and Blood of Christ to be present but the Spirit of Christ dwelling in him and us Our Father doth but receive and apply unto our Souls those heavenly Graces which are offered in the Sacrament The other being the Sacramental Vnion is not a Physical or Local but a Spiritual conjunction of the earthly signs which are Bread and Wine with the heavenly Graces which are the Body and Blood of Christ in the act of receiving as if by a mutual relation they were but one and the same thing Hence it is that in the same instant of time that the worthy Receiver eateth with his mouth the Bread and Wine of the Lord he eateth also with the mouth of his Faith the very Body and Blood of Christ.
believe life everlasting but also Edo vitam eternam I eat life everlasting And indeed this is the true Tree of life which God hath planted in the midst of the Paradise of the Church And whereof he hath promised to give every one that overcometh to eat And this Tree of life by infinite degrees excelleth the Tree of life that grew in the Paradise of Eden for that had his root in the Earth this from Heaven that gave buâ— life to the Body this to the Soul that did but preserve the life of the living this restoreth life to the dead The leaves of this tree heal the nations of believers and it yields every month a new manner of fruit which nourisheth them to life everlasting Oh blessed are they who often eat of this Sacrament at least once every month taste anew of this renewing fruit which Christ hath prepared for us at his Table to heal our infirmities and to confirm our belief of life everlasting Of the seventh end of the Lord's-Supper 7. To bind all Christians as it were by an oath of fidelity to serve the one only true God and to admit no other propitiatony sacrifice for sins but that one real sacrifice which by his death Christ once offered and by which he finishâ—d the sacrifices of the Law and effected eternal Redemption and Righteousness for all believers And so to remain for ever a publick mark of profession to distinguish Christians from all Sects and false Religions And seeing that in the Mâ—ss there is a strange Christ adored not he that was born of the Virgin Mary but one that is made of a Wafer Cake and that the offering up of this breaden god is thrust upon the Church as a Propitiatory Sâ—crifice for the quick and the dead all true Christians upon the danger of wilful perjury before the Lord Chief Justice of heaven and earth are to detest the Mass as the Idol of Indignation which is most derogatory to the all-sufficient world-saving merits of Christ's Death and Passion For by receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper we all swear that all real Sacrifices are ended by our Lord's death and that his body and blood once crucified and shed is the perpetual food and nourishment of our Souls 2. How to consider thine own unworthiness A Man shall best perceive his own unworthiness by examining his life according to the Ten Commandments of Almighty God Search therefore what duties thou hast omitted and what vices thou hast committed contrary to every one of the Commandments remembring that without repentance and God's mercy in Christ the Curse of God containing all the miseries of this life and everlasting torments in hell fire when this is ended is due to the breach of the least of God's Commandments And having taken a due survey both of thy sins and miseries retire to some secret place and there putting thy self in the sight of the Judge as a guilty malefactor standing at the Bar to receive his Sentence bowing thy knees to the earth smiting thy breast with thy fists and â—edewing thy cheeks with thy tears confess thy sins and humbly ask him mercy and forgiveness in these or the like words An humble confession of sins to be made unto God before the receiving of the holy Communion O God and heavenly Father when I consider the goodness which thou hast ever shewed unto me and the wickedness which I have committed against heaven and against thee I am ashamed of my self and confusion seems to cover my face as a veil for which of thy Commandments have I not transgressed O Lord I stand here guilty of the breach of all thy holy Laws For the love of my heart hath not so intirely cleaved unto thy * Majesty as to vain and earthly things I have not feared thy judgments to deterr me from sins nor trusted to thy promises to keep me from doubting of my temporal or from despairing of mine eternal state I have made the rule of thy divine worship to be what my mind thought fit not what thy Word prescribed finding my heart more prone to remember my blessed Saviour in a painted Picture of Man's device rather than to be behold him crucified in his Word and Sacraments after his own ordinance Where I should never use thy Name whereat all knees do bow but with religious reverence nor any part of thy worship without due preparation and zeal I have blasphemously abused thy holy Name to rash and customary oaths yea I have used oaths by thy sacred name as false covers of my filthy sins And I have been present at thy Service oft-times more for ceremony than conscience and to please Men more than to please thee my gracious God Where I should sanctifie thy Sabbath-day by being present at the publick exercises of the Church and by meditating privately on the word and works of God and by visiting the sick and relieving of my poor brethren alas I have thought those holy Exercises a burden because they hindred my vain sports yea I have spent many of thy Sabbaths in my own prophane Pleasures without being present at any part of thy divine worship Where I should have given all due reverence to my Natural Ecclesiastical and Politick Parents I have not shewed that measure of duty and affection to my Parents which their care and kindness hath deserved I have not had thy Ministers in such singular love for their works sake as I ought but I have taunted at their zeal and hated them because they reproved me justly And I have carried my self contemptuously against thy Mâ—gistrates and Ministers though I knew that it is 〈◊〉 ordinance that I should be obedient unto them Where I should be slâ—w to wrath and ready to forgive offences and not 〈◊〉 the Sun to go down upon my wrath but to 〈◊〉 good for evil loving my very enemies for thy sake I alas for one sorry word have burst out into open rage and harbouring thoughts of mischief in my heart I have preferred to feed on mine own malice rather than to eat of thy holy Supper Where I should keep my Mind from all filthy lusts and my Body from all uncleanness O Lord I have defiled both and made my Heart a Cage of all impure thoughts and my Mind a very stâ—e of the unclean Spirit Yea the remedy which thou Lord hast ordained for incontinency could not contain me within the bounds of Chastity for by doting on beauty whose grounds is but dust Satan hath bewitched my flesh to lust after strange flesh Where I should have lived in uprightness givâ—ng every Man his due being contented with mine own Estate and living consâ—ionably in my lawful Calling should be ready according to mine Ability to lend and give unto the Poor O Lord I have by oppression extortion bribes cavillation and other indirect dealings under
can there be fit under thy ribs for Christ's holiness to dwell in If the Blood-issued sick Woman feared to touch the hem of his garment how should'st thou tremble to eat his flesh and to drink his all-healing Blood Yet if thou comest humbly in Faith Repentance and Charity abhorring thy sins past and purposing unfeignedly to amend thy life henceforth let not thy former sins affright thee for they shall never be laid unto thy charge and this Sacrament shall seal unto thy Soul that all thy sins and the Judgments due unto them are fully pardoned aâ—d clean washed away by the Blood of Christ. For this Sacrament was not ordained for them who are perfect but to help penitent sinners unto perfection Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance And he saith that the whole need not the Physician but they that are sick Those hath Christ called and when they came them hath he ever helped Witness the whole Gospel which testifieth that not one Sinner who came to Christ for mercy went ever away without his errand Bathe thou likewise thy sick Soul in this fountain of Christ's Blood and doubtless according to his promise Zach. 13. 1. thou shalt be healed of thy sins and uncleanness Not Sinners therefore but they who are unwilling to repent of their sins are debarred this Sacrament Fifthly Meditate that Christ left this Sacrament unto us as the chief token and pledge of his love not when we would have made him a King John 6. 15 which might have seemed a requital of kindness but when Judas and the High-Priests were conspiring his Death therefore wholly of his mere favour When Nathan would shew David how intirely the poor man loved his sheep that was killed by the rich man He gave her saith he to eat of his own Morsels and of his own Cup to drink 2 Sam. 12. 3. and must not then the love of Christ to his Church be unspeakable when he gives her his own flesh to eat and his own blood to drink for her spiritual and eternal nourishment If then there be any love in thine heart take the Cup of Salvation into thy hand and pledge his love with love again Psal. 116. 11. Sixthly when the Minister beginneth the holy Consecration of the Sacrament then lay aside all praying reading and all other cogitations whatsoever and settle thy Meditations only upon those holy actions and rites which according to Christ's institution are used in and about the holy Sacrament For it hath pleased God considering our weakness to appoint those rites as means the better to lift up our Minds to the serious contemplation of his Heavenly Graces When therefore thou seest the Minister putting apart Bread and Wine on the Lord's-Table and consecrating them by Prayers and the rehearsal of Christ's Institution to be a holy Sacrament of the blessed Body and Blood of Christ then meditate how God the Father of his mere love to Mankind set apart and sealed his only begotten Son to be the all-sufficient means and only Mediator to redeem us from sin and to reconcile us to his grace and to bring us to his glory When thou seest the Minister break the Bread being blessed thou must meditate that Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God was put to death and his blessed Soul and Body with the sense of God's anger broken asunder for thy sins as verily as thou now seest the holy Sacrament to be broken before thine eyes And withal call to mind the heinousness of thy sins and the greatness of God's hatred against the same seeing God's Justice could not be satisfied but by such a Sacrifice When the Minister hath blessed and broken the Sacrament and is addressing himself to distribute it then meditate That the King who is the Master of the Feast stands at the Table to see his guests and looketh upon thee whether thou hast on thee thy Wedding-Garment Think also that all the holy Aâ—gels that attend upon the Elect in the Church and do desire to behold the celebration of these holâ— mysteries do observe thy reverence and behaviour Let thy soul therefore whilst the Minister bringeth the Sacrament unto thee offer this or the like short Soliloquy unto Christ. A sweet Soliloquy to be said betwixt the consecration and receiving of the Sacrament IS it true indeed that God will dwell on earth Behold the heaven and the heaven of heavens are not able to contain thee how much more unable iâ— the soul of â—uch a sinful Caitiff as I am to receive thee But seeing it is thy blessed pleasure to come thus to sup with me and to dwell in me I cannot for joy but burst out and say What is man that thou art so mindful of him and the son of man that thou so regardest him What favour soever thou vouchsafest me in the abundance of thy Grace I will freely confess what I am in the wretchedness of my Nature I am in a word a carnal Creature whose very soul is sold under sin a wretched man compassed about with a body of Death Yet Lord seeing thou callest here I come and seeing thou callest sinners I have thrust my self in among the rest and seeing thou callest all with their heaviest loads I see no reason why I should stay behind O Lord I am sick and whither should I go but unto thee the Physician of my Soul Thou hast cured many but never didst thou meet with a more miserable Patient for I am more leprous than Gehazi more unclean than Magdalen more blind in Soul than Bartimeus was in Body for I have lived all this while and never seen the true light of thy Word my soul runs with a greater flux of sin than was the Hemorrhoise Issue of blood Mephibosheth was not more lame to go than my Soul is to walk after thee in love Jeroboam's Arm was not more withered to strike the Prophet than my Hand is maimed to relieve the Poor Cure me O Lord and thou shalt do as great a work as in curing them all And though I have all their Sins and Sores yet Lord so abundant is thy grace so great is thy skill that if thou wilt thou canst with a word forgive the one and heal the other and why should I doubt of thy good will when to save me will cost thee now but one loving smile who didst shew thy self so willing to redeem me though it should cost thee all thy heart-blood and now offerest so graciously unto me the assured pledge of my Redemption by thy blood Who am I O Lord God and what is my merit that thou hast bought me with so dear a price It is merely thy mercy and I O Lord am not worthy the least of all thy mercies much less to be partaker of this holy Sacrament the greatest pledge of the greatest mercy that ever thou didst bestow upon those sons of men whom thou lovest
tempt and move thee to relapse into thy former sins answer them as the Spouse doth in the Canticles I have put off my coat of my former corruption how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them again Lastly If ever thou hast found either joy or comfort in receiving the holy Sacrament let it appear by the eager desire of receiving it often again For the Body of Christ as it was anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows so doth it yield a sweeter savour than all the ointments of the world The fragrant smell whereof allureth all Souls who have once tasted the sweetness thereof ever after to desire oftner to taste thereof again Because of the savour of thy good Ointments therefore do the Virgins love thee O taste therefore often and see how good the Lord is saith David This is the Commandment of Christ himself Do this in remembrance of me and in doing this thou shalt shew thy self best mindful and thankful for his death For as oft as ye shall eat this bread and drink this cup ye shall shew the Lord's death until he came And let this be the chief end whereunto both thy receiving and living tendeth that thou maist be a holy Christian zelous of good works purged from sin to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world that thou mayst be acceptable to God profitable to thy brethren and comfortable unto thine own soul. Thus far of the manner of glorifying God in thy life Now followeth the Practice of Piety in glorifying God in the time of sickness and when thou art called to die in the Lord. AS soon as thou perceivest thy self to be visited with any sickness meditate with thy self 1. That misery cometh not forth of the dust neither doth affliction spring out of the earth Sickness comes not by hap or chance as the Philistines supposed that their Mice and Emrods came but from mans wickedness which as sparkles breaketh out Man suffereth saith Jeremy for his sins Fools saith David by reason of their transgressions and because of their iniquities are afflicted As therefore Solomon adviseth a man to carry himself towards an earthly Prince If the Spirit of him that ruleth rise up against thee leave not thy place for gentleness pacifieth great sins so counsel I thee to deal with the Prince of Princes If the spirit of him that ruleth heaven and earth rise up against thee let not thy heart despair for repentance pacifieth great sins And who soever returneth in his affliction to the Lord God of Israel and seeks him he will be found of him 2. Shut to thy Chamber door Examine thine own heart upon thy bed search and try thy ways Search as diligently for thy capital sin as Joshua did for Achan till thou findest it For albeit God when he beginneth to chasten his Children hath respect to all their sins yet when his anger is incensed he chiefly taketh occasion to chasten and enter with them into judgment for some one grievous sin wherein they have lived without Repentance 3. When thou hast thus considered all thy sins put thy self before the Judgment-Seat of God as a Felon or Murtherer standing at the Bar of an earthly Judge and with grief and sorrow of heart confess unto God all thy known sins especially thy Capital Offences wherewith God is chiefly displeased Lay them open with all the circumstances of the time place and manner how they were committed as may most serve to aggravate the hainousness of thy sins and to shew the contrition of thy heart for the same Lift up thine hand and acknowledge thy self before the righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth guilty of eternal death and damnation for those thy hainous sins and transgressions And having thus accused and judged thy self cast down thy self before the Fcotstool of his Throne of grace assuring thy self that whatsoever the Kings of Israel be yet the God of Israel is a merciful God And cry unto him from a penitent and faithful heart for mercy and forgiveness as eagerly and earnestly as ever thou knewest a malefactor being to receive his sentence crying unto the Judge for favour and pardon vowing amendment of life and by the assistance of his grace never to commit the like sin any more All which thou maist do in these or the like words A Prayer when one begins to be sick O Most righteous Judge yet in JESUS CHRIST my gracious Father I wretched sinner do here return unto thee though driven with pain and sickness like the prodigal Child with want and hunger I acknowledge that this sickness and paiâ— comes not by blind chance or fortune but by thy divine providence and special appointment It is the stroke of thy heavy hand which my sins have justly deserved and the things that I feared are now faln upon me Yet I do well perceive that in wrath thou remembrest mercy when I consider how many and how hainous are my sins and how few and easie are thy corrections Thou mightest have strucken me with some fearful and sudden death whereby I should not have had either time or space to have called upon thee for grace and mercy and so I should have perished in my sins and have been for ever condemned in hell But thou O Lord visitest me with such a fatherly chastisement as thou usest to visit thy dearest Children whom thou best lovest giving me by this sicknes both warning and time to repent and to sue unto thee for grace and pardon I take not therefore O Lord this thy visitation as any sign of thy wrath or hatred but as an assured pledge and token of thy favour and loving kindness whereby thou dost with thy temporal Judgments draw me to judge my self and to repent of my wicked life that I should not be condemned with the godless and unrepentant World For thy holy Word assures me that whom thou lovest thou thus chastenest and that thou scourgest every son that thou receivest That if I endure thy chastening thou offerest thy self unto me as unto a son and that all that continue in sin and yet escape without correction whereof all thy children are partakers are bastards and not sons and that thou chastenest me for my profit that I may be a partaker of thy holiness O Lord how full of goodness is thy Nature that hast dealt with me so graciously in the time of my health and prosperity and now being provoked by my sins and unthankfulness hast such fatherly and profitable ends in inflicting upon me this sickness and correction I confess Lord that thou dost justly afflict my Body with sickness for my Soul was sick before of a long prosperity and surfeited with ease peace plenty and fulness of bread And now O Lord I lament and mourn for my sins I acknowledge my wickedness and mine iniquities
the company of wickâ—ed Men and God taketh away merciful 〈◊〉 righteous men from the evil to come So 〈◊〉 dealt with Josiah I will gather thee to thâ— Fathers and thou shalt be put into thy grâ—â— in peace and thine eyes shall not see all the 〈◊〉 which I will bring upon this place And Goâ— hides them for a while in the grave untill 〈◊〉 indignation pass over So that as Paradise 〈◊〉 the Heaven of the soul's joy so the Graâ—â— may be term'd the Heaven of the bodies 〈◊〉 3. Whereas this wicked Body lives in a world of wickedness so that the poor Soul cannot look out at the Eye and not be infected nor hear by the Ear and not be distracted nor smell at the Nostrils and not be tainted nor taste with the Tongue and not be allured nor touch by the Hand and not be defiled and every sense upon every temptation is ready to betray the Soul by death the Soul shall be delivered from this Thraldom and this corruptible body shall put on incorruption and this mortal immortality 1 Cor. 15. 53. O blessed thrice blessed be that Death in the Lord which delivers us out of so evil a World and freeth us from such a body of bondage and corruption The third sort of Meditations are to consider what good Death will bring unto thee 1. DEATH bringeth the godly Man's Soul to enjoy an immediate Communion with the blessed Trinity in everlastâ—ng bliss and glory 2. It translates the Soul from the Miseâ—ies of this world the contagion of sin and â—â—ciety of Sinners to the City of the living â—ed the Celestial Jerusalem and the comâ—any of innumerable Angels and to the assemâ—ly and congregation of the first-born which 〈◊〉 written in Heaven and to God the Judge 〈◊〉 all and to the Souls of just Men made perâ—ect and to Jesus the Mediator of the new â—ovenant 3. Death putteth the Soul into the aactual and full possession of all the inheritance and happiness which Christ hath either promised unto thee in his Word or purchased for thee by his blood This is the good and happiness whereunto a blessed death will bring thee And what truly Religious Christian that is young would not wish himself old that his appointed time might the sooner approach to enter into this celestial Paradise where thou maist exchange thy Brass for Gold thy Vanity for Felicity thy Vileness for Honour thy Bondage for Freedom thy Lease for an Inheritance and thy mortal State for an immortal Life He that doth not daily desire this blessedness above all things of all others he is less worthy to enjoy it If Cato Vticensis and Cleombrotus two Heathen-men reading Plato's Book oâ— the Immortality of the Soul did voluntarily the one break his Neck the other run upon his Sword that they might thâ— sooner as they thought have enjoyed those joys what a shame is it for Christianâ— knowing those things in a more excellent measure and manner out of God's owâ— Book not to be willing to enter into these heavenly Joys especially when their Master calls for them thither If thereforâ— there be in thee any love of God or desirâ— of thine own happiness or salvation wheâ— the time of thy departing draweth nearâ— that time I say and manner of Death which God in his unchangeable Counsel hath appointed and determined beâ—fore thou wast born yield and surrender up willingly and chearfully thy Soul into the merciful hands of Jesus Christ thy Saviour And to this end when the time is come as the Angel in the â—ight of Manoah and his Wife ascended from the Altar up to heaven in the flame of the sacrifice so endeavour thou that thy spirit in the sight of thy friends may from the altar of a contrite heart ascend up to Heaven in the sweet perfume of this or the like spiritual Sacrifice of Prayer A Prayer for a sick Man when he is told that he is not a Man for this World but must prepare himself to go unto God O Heavenly Father who art the Lord God of the spirits of all flesh and hast made us these souls and hâ—st appointed us the time as to come into this World so having finished our course to go out of the same the number of my days which thou hast determined are now expired and I am come to the utmost bounds which thou hast appointed beyond which I cannot pass I know O Lord that if thou enterest into judgment no flesh can be justified in thy sight And I O Lord of all others should appear most impure and unjust for I have not fought that good â—ight for the defence of thy Faith and Religion with that zeal and constancy that I should but for fear of displeasing the World I have given way unto sins and errours and for desire to please my flesh I have broken all thy Commandments in thought word and deed so that my sins have taken such hold on me that I am not able to look up and they are more in number than the hairs on my head If thou wilt straitly mark mine iniquities O Lord where shall I stand if thou weighest me in the balance I shall be found too light For I am void of all righteousness that might merit thy mercy and loaden with all iniquities that most justly deserve thy heaviest wrath Buâ— O my Lord and my God for Jesus Christ thy Son's sake in whom only thou art well pleased with all penitent and believing sinners take pity and compassion upon me who am the chief of sinners Blot out all my sins out of thy remembrance and wash away all my transgressions out of thy sight with the precious blood of thy Son which I believe that he as an undefiled Lamb hath shed for the cleansing of my sins In this faith I lived in this faith I die believing that Jesus Christ died for my sins and rose again for my justification And seeing that he hath endured that Death and born the burthen of that Judgment which was due unto my sins O Father for his Death and Passion 's sake now that I am coming to appear before thy Judgment-seat acquit and deliver me from that fearful Judgment which my sins have justly deserved And perform unto me that gracious and comfortable Promise which thou hast made in thy Gospel That whosoever believeth in thee hath everlasting life and shall not come into Judgment but shall pass from death unto life Strengthen O Christ my Faith that I may put the whole confidence of my salvation in the merits of thy obedience and Blood Encrease O holy Spirit my patience lay no more upon me than I am able to bear and enable me to bear so much as shall stand with thy blessed will and pleasure O blessed Trinity in Unity my Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier vouchsafe that as my
together and addest unto those the sins of Cain and Judas and puttest unto them all the sins of all the Reprobates in the World doubtless it would be a huge heap yet compare this huge heap with the infinite mercy of God and there will be no more comparison betwixt them than betwixt the least Mole-hill the greatest Mountain in a Country The cry of the grievous est sins that ever we read of could never reach up higher than unto Heaven as the cry of the sins of Sodom but the mercy of God saith David reacheth up higher than the Heavens and so overtoppeth all our sins And if his Mercy be greater than all his works it must needs be greater that all thy sins And so long as his mercy is greater than the sins of the whole world do thou but repent there is do doubt of pardon If â—â—tan shall object that thou hast many times vowed to repent and hast made a shew of repentance for the time and yet didst fall to the same sins again and again and that all thy repentance was but feigned and a mocking of God And that seeing thou hast so often broken thy vow therefore God hath withdrawn his mercy and hath changed his love c. mediâ—ate 1. That though this were true which indeed is hainous yet it is no sufficient cause why thou shouldst despair seeing that this is the common case of all the Children of God in this life who vow so oft to forbear some sin till perceiving their weakness nor able to perform it they vow that they will vow no more Their Vows shew the desires of their spiritual Man their breaking the weakness of their corrupt flesh And our oft slips into the same sins Christ foresaw when he taught us to pray daily Our Father forgive us our trespasses And why doth Christ enjoyn thee who art but a sinful man to forgive thy brother seven times in a day if he shall return seven times in a day and say it repenteth me But to assure thee that he being the God of mercy and goodness it self will forgive unto thee thy seventy times seven-fold sins a day which thou hast committed against him if thou return unto him by truâ— Repentance The Israelites were cured by looking though with weak eyes on the Brazen Serpent as oft as they were stung by the fiery Serpent in the Wilderness to assure thee that upon thy tears of repentance thou shalt be recovered by â—aith in Christ as often as thou are wounded to death by sin 2. That thy salvation is grounded not upon the constancy of thine obedience but upon the firmness of God's Covenant Though thou variest with God and the Covenant be broken on thy behalf yet it is firm on God's part and therefore all is safe enough if thou wilt return for there is no variableness with him neither shadow of change He hath locked up thy salvation and made it sure in his own unchangeable purpose and hath delivered to thy keeping the keys which are Faith and repentance and whilst thou hast them thou mayst perswade thy self that thy salvation is suâ—e and safe For whom God loveth he loveth to the end and never repenteth of bestowing his love on them who repent and believe Lastly If Satan shall perswade thee that thou hast been doubting a long time and that it 's best for thee now to despair seeing thy sins increase and thy judgment draweth near meditate 1. That no sin though never so great should be a cause to move any Christian to despair so long as God's mercy by so many millions of degrees is greater and that every penitent and believing Sinner hath the pardon of all his sins confirmed by the Word and Oath of God two immutable things wherein it is impossible that God should lye His Word is that at what time soever a sinner whosoever doth repent of his sin whatsoever for both time and sins and sinners are indefinite from the bottom of his heart God will blot forth all his sins out of his remembrance that they shall be mentioned unto him no more If we will not take his word which God forbid we should doubt of he hath given us his Oath As I live I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live As if he had said will ye not believe my Word I swear by my life that I delight not to damn any sinner for his sins but rather to save him upon his conversion and repentance The meditation hereof moved Tertullian to exclaim O how happy are we when God sweareth that he wills not our damnation O what miserable wretches are we if we will not believe God when he sweareth this truth unto us Listen O drooping Spirit whose soul is assailed with ways of faithless despair how happy were it to see many like thee and Hezekiah who mourn like Doves for the sense of sin and chatter like Cranes and Swallows for the fear of God's anger rather than to behold many who die like Beasts without any feeling of their own estate or any fear of God's wrath or Tribunal Seat before which they are to appear Comfort thy self O languishing soul for if this earth hath any for whom Christ spilt his blood on the Cross thou assuredly art one Chear up therefore thy self in the all-sufficient atonement of the blood of the Lamb which speaketh better things than that of Abel And pray for those who never yet obtained the grace to have such a sense and detestation of sin Thou art one indeed for whom Christ died and from whom a wounded spirit judging rather according to his feeling than his faith hath wrung that doleful voice of Christ My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And doubt not but ere long thou shalt as truly reign with him as now thou dost suffer with him for Yea and Amen hath spoken it No sin bars a man from salvation but only Incredulity and Impenitency nothing makes the sin against the Holy Ghost unpardonable but want of repentance Thy unfeigned desire to repent is as acceptable unto God as the perfectest repentance that thou couldest wish to pâ—râ—orm unto him Meditate upon these Evangelical comforts and thou shalt see that in the very agonâ— of death God will so assist thee with his spirit that when Satan looketh for the greatest victory he shall receive the foulest foil yea when thy eye-strings are broken that thou canst not see the light Jesus Christ will appear unto thee to comfort thy Soul and his Holy Angels will carry thee into his Heavenly Kingdom Then shall thy Friends behold thee like Manoah's Angel doing wonders indeed when they shall see a frail man in his greatest weakness by the mere assistance of God's Spirit overcoming the strength of sin the bitterness of death and all
blessed â—eath Say cheerfully Come Lord Jesus 〈◊〉 thy Servant cometh unto thee I am willing Lord help my weakness Seven sanctified Thoughts and mournful Sighs of a sick Man ready to die NOW forasmuch as God of his infinite mercy doth so temper ouâ— pain and sickness that we are not always oppressed with extremity but gives us in the midst of our extremities some â—espite to ease and refresh our selves thou mâ—st have an espâ—cial caâ—e considâ—ring how short a 〈◊〉 thou hast either for ever to lose or to obtain Heaven to make use of every breathing time which God doth afford thâ— and during that 〈…〉 time of ease 〈…〉 roweth with all his force to arrive at the wished Port and that the Traveller never resteth till he come to his Journeys end we fear to descry our Port and therefore would put back our Bark to be longer tossed in this continual tempest We weep to see our jorneys end and therefore desire our journey to be lengthened that we might be more tired with a foul and cumbersome way The Spiritual Sigh thereupon O Lord this life is but a troublesome pilgrimage few in days but full in evils and I am weary of it by reason of my sins Let me therefore O Lord intreat thy Majesty in this my bed of sickness as Elias did under the Juniper tree in his affliction It is now enough O Lord that I have lived so long in this vale of misery take my soul into thy merciful hands for I am no better than my Fathers The Second Thought THink with what a body of sin thou art loaden what great civil wars are contained in a little world the flesh fighting against the Spirit Passion against Reason Earth against Heaven and the World within thee bending it self for the World without thee and that but 〈◊〉 only means remains to end this conflictâ— death which in God's appointed time will separate thy spirit from thy flesh the pure and regenerate part of thy Soul from that part which is impure and unregenerated The spiritual Sigh upon the second Thought OWretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death O my sweet Saviour Jesus Christ thou hast redeemed me with thy precious blood And be cause thou hast delivered my soul from sin minâ— eyes from tears and my feet from falling I do here from the very bottom of my heart ascribe the whole praise and glory of my salvation to thy only grace and mercy saying with the holy Apostle Thanks be unto God which hath given me the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. The Third Thought THink how it behoves thee to be assured that thy soul is Christ's for death hath taken sufficient gages to assure himself of thy bodâ— in that all thy senses be all ready to die save only the sense of pain but sith the beginning of thy being began with pâ—in marvel the less it thy end conclude with dolours But if these temporal dolours which only afflict the body be so painful O Lord who can endure the devouring fire who can abide the everlasting burning The spiritual Sigh upon the third Thought O Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the living God who art the only Physician that caâ—st ease my body from pain and restore my soul to life eternal put thy 〈◊〉 Cross and Death betwixt my 〈◊〉 and thy Judgments and let the merits of thy obedience stand betwixt thy Father's justice and my disobedience and from these bodily pains receive my Soul iâ—to thine everlasting peace for I cry unto thee with Stephen Lord Jesus receive my Spirit The Fourth Thought THink that the worst that Death can do is but to send thy Soul sooner than thy flesh would be willing to Christ and his heavenly Joys remember that that Christ is thy best hope â—he worst therefore of death is rather a help than a harm The spiritual Sigh upon the Fourth Thought O Lord Jesus Christ the Saviour of all them that put their trust in thee fâ—rsake â—or him that in misery flâ—â—â—h unto thy graceâ— fâ—â— succour and mercy Oh sound that sweet Voice in the ears of my Soul which thou spakest unto the penitent thief on the cross This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise For I O Lord do with the Apostle from my Soul speak unto thee I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. The Fifth Thought THiâ—k if thou fearest to die That in Mount Sâ—on there is no Death for â—e that believeth in Christ shall never die And if thou desirest to live without 〈◊〉 the life eternal whereunto this 〈…〉 their miseries live with Christ in joys and thither shall all the godly which survive be gathered out of their troubles to enjoy with him eternal rest The Spiritual Sigh on the Fifth Thought O Lord thou seest the malice of Satan who not contenting himself like a roaring Lion all the days and nights of our life to seek our destruction shews himself busiest when thy Children are weakest and nearest to their end O Lord reprove him and preserve my Soul He seeks to terrifie me with death which my sins have deserved but let thy Holy Spirit comâ—ort my Soul with the assurance of eternal life which thy Blood hath purchased Asswage my pain increase my patience and if it be thy blessed will end my troubles for my Soul beseecheth thee with old blessed Simeon Lord now let me thy servant depart in peace according to thy word The Sixth Thought THink with thy self what a blessing God hath bestowed upon thee above many millions in the world that whereas they are either Pagans who worship not the true God or Idolaters who worship the true God falsly thou hast lived in a true Christian Church and hast grace to die in the true Christian Faith and to be buried in the Sepulchre of God's Servants who all wait for the hope of Israel and raising of their Bodies in the resurrection of the Just. The spiritual Sigh upon the sixth Thought O Lord Jesus Christ who art the Resurrection and the life in whom whosoever believeth shall live tho' he were dead I believe that whosover liveth and believeth in thee shall never die I know that I shall rise again in the Resurrection of the last day for I am sure that thou my Redeemer livest And tho' that after my death worms destroy this body yet I shall see thee my Lord and my God in this flesh Grant therefore O Christ for thy bitter death and passions sake that at that day I may be one of them to whom thou wilt pronounce that joyful sentence Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world The Seventh Thought THink with thy self how Christ endured for thee a cursed death and the wrath of God which was due unto thy sins and what
his sins unto his Pastor and that he desire his private endeavour for the application of some comfort unto his soul whose office it is both publickly and privately to administer Evangelical Consolation to God's People Beza highly commendeth this practice and Luther saith That he had rather lose a thousand worlds than suâ—â—er private confession to be thrust out of the Church Our Church hath ever most soundly maintained the truth of this Doctrine but most justly abolished the Tyrannous and Antichristian abuse of Popish Auricular Confession which they thrust upon the souls of Christians as an expiatory Sacrifice and a meritorious satisfaction for sin racking their Consciences to confess when they feel no distress and to enumerate all their sins which is imposâ—ible That by this means they might dive into the secrets of all Men which oft-times hath proved pernicious not only to private Persons but also to publick Estates But the truth of God's Word is that no person having received Orders in the Church of Rome can truly absolve a sinner for the Keys of Absolution are Two the one is the Key of Authority and that only Christ hath the other is the Key of Ministry and this he gives to his Ministers who are therefore called the Ministers of Christ the Stewards of God's Mysteries the Ambassadors of Reconciliation Bishops Pastors Elders c. But Christ never ordained in the new Testament any order of sacrificing Priests neither is the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth Sacerdos or sacrificing Priest given to any officer of Christ in all the New Testament Neither do we read in all the new Testament of any who confessed himself to a Priest but Judas Neither is there any real Priest in the New Testament but only Christ. Neither is there any part of his Priesthood to be now accomplished on Earth but that which he fulfilleth in Heaven by making intercession for us Seeing therefore Christ never ordained any order of sacrificing Priest and that Popish Priests scorn the name of Ministers of the Gospel to whom only Christ committed his Keys it necessarily followeth that no Popish Priest can truly either excommunicate or absolve any sinner or have any lawful right to meddle with Christ's Keys But the Antichristian abuse of this Divine Ordinance should not abolish the lawful â—se thereof betwixt Christians and their Pastors in cases of distress of conscience for which it was chiefly ordained And verily there is not any means more excellent to humble a proud heart nor â—o raise up an humble spirit than this spiritual conference betwixt the Pastors and the People committed to their charge If any sin therefore troubleth thy Conscience confess it to God's Minister ask his counsel and if thou dost truly repent receive his absolution And then doubt not in foro Conscientiae but thy sins be as verily forgiven on earth as if thou didst hear Christ himself in foro judicii pronouncing them to be forgiven in heaven Qui vos audit me audit he that heareth you heareth me Try this and tell me whether thou shalt not â—ind more ease in thy Conscience than can be expressed in words Did prophane Men consider the dignity of this Divine Calling they would the more honour the Calling and reverence the Persons The sick Man having thus eased his Conscience and received his absolution may do well having a convenient number of faithful Christians joyned with him to receive the holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to encourage him in his Faith and to discourage the Devil in his assaults In this respect the Council of Nice termeth this Sacrament Viaticum the Soul's proâ—ision for her journey And albeit the Lord's Supper be an Ecclesiastical action yet forasmuch as our Lord the first instituter celebrated it in a private house and that St. Paul termeth the houses of Christians the Churches of Christ and that Christ himself hath promised to be in the midst of the faithful where but two or three are gathered together in his Name I see no reason but if Christians desire it when they are not through sickness able to come to the Church but that they should receive and Pastors ought to administer unto them the Sacrament at home He sheweth more simplicity than knowledge who thinks that this savours of a Private Mass. For a Mass is called private not because it is said in a private house but because as Bishop Jewel teacheth out of Aquinas the Priest reciveth the Sacrament himself alone without distribution made unto others and then it is private although the whole Parish be present and look upon him There is as much difference between such a Communion and the Antichristian Idol of a private Mass as there is betwixt Heaven and Hell For at a Communion in a private Family upon such an extraordinary occasion Christ his Institution is observed Many faithful Brethren meet together and tarry one for another Christ his Death is remembred and shewed and the Minister together with the faithful and the sick party to communicate Mr. Calvin saith That he doth very willingly admit administring of the Communion to them that are sick when the case and opportunity so requireth And in another place he saith That he hath many weighty reasons to compel him not to deny the Lord's Supper unto the sick Yet I would wish all Christians to use to receive often in their health especially once every Month with the whole Church for then they shall not need so much to assemble their friends upon such an occasion nor so much to be troubled themselves for want of the Sacrament For as M. Perkins saith very well The fruit aâ—d efficacy of the Sacrament is not to be restrained to the time of receiving but it extends it self to the whole time of man's life afterwards the efficacy whereof did men throughly understand they should not need to be so often exhorted to receive it Pastores omnes hic exoratos vellem ut in hujus controversiae statâ—m penitiùs introspiciant nec fideles ex hac vita migrantes panem vitae petentes viatico suo fraudari sinâ—nt nè lugubris ista in iis adimpleatur lamentatio Parvuli panem petunt non sit qui fâ—â—ngat eis As therefore when a wicked liver dieth he may say to death as Ahab said to Elijah Hast thou found me O mine enemy So on the other side whâ—â— it is told a penitent sinner that Deaâ—â— knocks at the door and begins to look him in the face he may sâ—â— of Death as David said of Ahimaaz Let him come and welcome for he is a good man and cometh with good tidings he is the messengâ—â— of Christ and bringeth unto me the joyful 〈◊〉 of eternal life And as the Red Sea was a gulf to drown the Egâ—ptians to destruction but a passage to the
true believing Christian may in this life be assured of his salvation Rom. 8. 9 16 35 c. 18. That no man in this life since Adam's fall can perfectly fulfil the Commandments of God Rom. 7. 10 c. Rom. 3. 19 c. Rom. 11. 32. 19. That to place Religion in the difference of meats and days is superstition Rom. 14. 3. 5 6 17 23. 20. That the imputed righteousness of Christ is that only that makes us just before God Rom. 4. 9 17 23. 21. That Christ's flesh was made of the Seed of David by Incaâ—nation not of a Wafer Cake by Transubstantiation Rom. 1. 3. 22. That all true Christians are Saints and not those whom the Pope only doth Canonize Rom. 1. 7. Rom 8. 27. Rom. 15. 31. Rom. 16. 2. and 15. Rom. 15. 25. 23. That Ipse Christ the God of Peace and not Ipsa the Woman should bruise the Serpent's Head Rom. 16. 20. 24. That every soul must of conscience be subject and pay Tribute to the higher powers that is the magistrates which bear the Sword Rom. 13. 1 2. c. and therefore the Pope and all Prelates must be subject to their Emperors Kings and Magistrates unless they will bring damnation upon their souls as Traitors that resist God and his Ordinance Rom. 13. 2. 25. That Paul not Peter was ordained by the grace of God to be the chief Apostle of the Gentiles and consequently of Rome the chief City of the Gentiles Rom. 15. 15 16 19 20 c. Rom 11. 14. Rom. 16. 4. 26. That the Church of Rome may err and fall away from the true Faith as well as the Church of Jerusalem or any other particular Church Rom. 11. 20 21 22. And seeing the new upstart Church of Rome teacheth in all these and in innumerable other points clean contrary to that which the Apostle taught the Primitive Romans let God and this Epistle judge betwixt them and us whether of us both stands in the true ancient Catholick Faith which the Apostle taught the old Romans And whether we have not done well to depart from them so far as they have departed from the Apostles Doctrine And whether it be not better to return to St. Paul's Truth than still to continue in Rome's Error And if this be true then let Jesuites and Seminary Priests take heed and fear lest it be not faith but faction not truth but treason not Religion but Rebellion beginning at Tiber and ending at Tyburn which is the cause of their deaths And being sent from a troublesome Apostatical See rather than from a peaceable Apostolical Seat because they cannot be suffered to perswade Subjects to break their Oaths and to withdraw their Allegiance from their Sovereign to raise Rebellion to move Invasion to stab and poison Queens to kill and murther Kings to blow up whole States with Gun powder they desperately cast away their own bodies to be hanged quartered and their souls saved if they belong to God I wish such honour to all his Saints that sends them And I have just cause to fear that the miracles of Lipsius's Two Ladies Blunstone's Boy Garnet's Straw and the Maid's fiery Apron will not suffice to clear that these men are not Murtherers of themselves rather than Martyrs of Christ. And with what conscience can any Papist count Garnet a Martyr when his own conscience forced him to conâ—ess that it was for Treason and not for Religion that he died But if the Priests of such a Gunpowder Gospel be Martyrs I marvel who are Murtherers if they be Saints who are Scythians who are Canibals if they be Catholicks But leaving these if they will be filthy to their filthiness still let us to whose fidelity the Lord hath committed his true faith as a precious depositum pray unto God that we 〈◊〉 lead a holy life answerable to our holy faith in piety to Christ and obedience to oâ—r King that if our Saviour shall ever count us worthy that honour to suffer Martyrdom for his Gospel's sake be it by open burning at the stake as in Q. Mary's days or by secret murthering as in the Inquisition-house or by outragious massacring as in the Parisians Mattens in being blown up with Gun-powder as was intended in the Parliament-House we may have grace to pray for the assistance of his holy Spirit so to strengthen our frailty and to defend his cause as that we may seal with our deaths the evangelical truth which we have professed in our lives That in the days of our lives we may be blessed by his word in the day of Death be blessed in the Lord and in the day of judgment be the blessed of his Father Even so grant Lord Jesus Amen A Divine Colloquy betwixt the Soul and her Saviour concerning the effectual merits of his dolorous Passion Soul LOrd wherefore didst thou wash thy Disciples feet Christ To teach thee how thou shouldest prepare thy self to come to my Supper S. Lord why would'st thou wash them thy self C. To teach thee humility if thou wilt be my Disciple S. Lord wherefore didst thou before thy death institute thy last Supper C. That thou mightest the better remember my death and be assured that all the merits thereof are thine S. Lord wherefore would'st thou go to such a place where Judas knew to find thee C. That thou mightest know that I went as willingly to suffer for thy sin as ever thou wentest to any place to commit a sin S. Lord wherefore would'st thou begin thy passion in a Garden C. Because that in a Garden thy sin took first beginning S. Lord wherefore did thy three select Disciples fall so fast asleep when thou beganst to fall into thy agony C. To shew that I alone wrought the work of thy Redemption S. Lord why were there so many plots and snares laid for thee C. That I might make thee to escape all the snares of thy Ghostly Hunter S. Lord why would'st thou suffer Judas betraying thee to kiss thee C. That by enduring the words of dissembling Lips I might there begin to expiate sin where 〈◊〉 find brought it into the world S. Lord why would'st thee be sold for thiâ—ty pieces of Silver C. That I might free thee from perpetual bondage S. Lord why didst thou pray with such strâ—ng crying and tears C. That I might 〈◊〉 the fury of God's Justice which was so fiercely kindled against thee S. Lord why wast thou so afraid and cast â—nto such an Aâ—â—ny C. That 〈◊〉 the â—rath due to thy sins thou mightest be more secure in thy deâ—â—h and 〈◊〉 more comfort in thy crosse S. Lord wherâ—fâ—re 〈…〉 and so earnestly 〈…〉 〈◊〉 thee C. That 〈…〉 the horrour of that curseâ—◠〈…〉 being due to thy sin I was 〈…〉 and endure for thee S. Lord wherefore didst thou after 〈◊〉 wish submit thy will unto
hellish pains which I suffered to deliver thee from the endless pains of Hell and everlasting chains of darkness S. Lord why would'st thou have thine arms nailed abroad C. That I might embrace thee more lovingly my sweet Soul S. Lord why did the Thief that never wrought good before obtain Paradise upon so short repentance C. That thou maist see the power of my death to forgive them that repent that no sinner needs despair S. Lord why did not the other Thief which hanged as near thee obtain the like mercy C. because I leave whom I will to harden themselves in their lewdness to destruction that all should fear and none presume S. Lord wherefore didst thou cry with such a loud and strong voice in yielding up the ghost C. That it might appear that no man took my life from me but that I said it down of my self S. Lord wherefore didst thou commend thy soul into thy Father's hands C. To teach thee what thou should'st do being to depart this life S. Lord wherefore did the veil of the Temple rent in twain at thy death C. To shew that the Levitical Law should be no longer a partition-wall between Jews and Gentiles and that the way to Heaven is now open to all believers S. Lord wherefore did the earth quake and the Stones cleave at thy Death C. For horror to bear her Lord dying and to upbraid the cruel hardness of sinners hearts S. Lord wherefore did not the Soldiers break thy Legs as they did the thieves who hanged at thy right and left hand C. That thou mightest know that they had not power to do any more unto me than the Scripture had foretold that they should do and I should suffer to save thee S. Lord wherefore was thy side opened with a Spear C. That thou mightest have a way to come nearer unto my heart S. Lord wherefore ran there out of thy precious side blood and water C. To assure thee that I was slain indeed seeing my heart-blood gushed out and the water which compassed my heart flowed forth after it which once spilt man must needs die S. Lord wherefore ran the blood first by it self and the water afterwards by it self out of thy blessed wound C. To assure thee of two things 1. That by my blood-shedding Justification and Sanctification were effected to save thee Secondly that my Spirit by the conscionable use of the water in Baptism and blood in the Eucharist will effect in thee righteousness and holiness by which thou shalt glorifie me S. Lord wherefore did the graves open at thy death C. To signifie that Death by my death had now received his death's-wound and was overcome S. Lord wherefore woud'st thou be buried C. That thy sins might never rise up to Judgment against thee S Lord wherefore woud'st thou be buried by two such honourable Senators as Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea C. That the Truth of my Death the Cause of thy life might more evidently appear unto all S. Lord wherefore wast thou buried in a new Sepulchre wherein was never laid man before C. That it might appear that I and not another arose and that by my own power not by another's vertue like him who reviv'd at the touching of Elisha's Bones S. Lord wherefore didst thou raise up thy body again C. That thou mayst be assured that thy sins are discharged and that thou art justified S. Lord wherefore did so many bodies of thy Saints which slept arise at thy Resurrection C. To give an assurance that all the Saints shall arise by the virtue of my Resurrection at the last day S. Lord what shall I render unto thee for all these benefits C. Love thy Creator and become a new creature The Soul's Soliloquy ravished in contemplation of the Passion of our Lord. WHat hadst thou done O my sweet Saviour and ever blessed Redeemer that thou wast thus betrayed of Judas sold of the Jews apprehended as a Malefactor and led bound as a Lamb to the slaughter What evil hadst thou committed that thou shouldest be thus openly arraigned accused falsly and unjustly condemned before Annas and Caiaphas the Jewish Priests at the judgment-seat of Pilate the Roman President What was thine offence or to whom didst thou ever wrong that thou shouldest be thus pitifully scourged with whips crowned with thorns scoffed with flouts reviled with words buffeted with fists and beaten with staves O Lord what didst thou deserve to have thy blessed face spit upon and covered as it were with shame to have thy Garments parted thy hands and feet nailed to the Cross To be lifted up upon the cursed Tree to be crucified among Thieves and made to taste Gall and Vinegar and in thy deadly extremity to endure such a Sea of God's wrath that made thee to cry out as if thou hadst been forsaken of God thy Father yea to have thy innocent heart pierced with a cruel spear and thy precious blood to be spilt before thy blessed mothers eyes Sweet Saviour how much wast thou tormented to endure all this seeing I am so much amazed but to think upon it I enquire for thine offence but I can find none in thee no not so much as guile to have-been found in thy mouth Thy enemies are challenged and none of them dare rebuke thee of sin thy accusers that are suborn'd agree not in their witness the Judg that condemns thee openly cleareth thy innocency his wife sends him word she was warned in a dream that thou wast a just Man and therefore should take heed of doing injustice unto thee The Centurion that executed thee confessed thee of a truth to be both a just man and the very Son of God The thief that hanged with thee justifieth thee that thou hast done nothing amiss What is the cause then O Lord of this thy cruel ignominy passion and death I O Lord I am the cause of these thy sorrows my sins wrought thy shame my iniquities are the occasion of thy injuries I have committed the fault and thou art plagued for the offence I am guilty and thou art arraigned I committed the sin and thou suffer'st the death I have done the crime thou hangedst on the Cross Oh the deepness of God's love Oh the wonderful disposition of heavenly grace Oh the unmeasurable measure of divine mercy the wicked transgresseth the just is punished the guilty is let escape and the innocent is arraigned the malefactor is acquitted and the harmless condemned what the evil man deserveth the good man suffereth the servant doth the fault the master endures the strokes What shall I say Man sinneth and God dieth O Son of God! who can sufficiently express thy love or commend thy pity or extol thy praise I was proud thou art humbled I was disobedient and thou becam'st obedient I did eat the forbidden
thou hadst made before the Judgment-seat of Christ by this time if thou hadst died of this Sickness Spend therefore the time that remains so as that thou mayst be able to make a more chearful account of thy life when it must be expired indeed 4. Put not far off the day of Death thou knowest not for all this how near it is at hand and being so fairly warned be wiser For if thou be taken unprovided the next time thy excuse will be less and thy Judgment greater 5. Remember that thou hast vowed amendment and newness of life Thou hast vowed a vow unto God defer not to pay it for he delighteth not in fools pay therefore that thou hast vowed The unclean Spirit is cast out O let him not re-enter with seven worse than himself Thou hast sighed out the groans of Contrition thou hast wept the tears of Repentâ—nce thou are washed in the Pool of Bâ—thesda streaming with five bloody Wounds not of a troubling angel but of the Angel of God's presence troubled with the wrath due to thy sins who descended into Hell to restore thee to saving health and Heaven Return not now with the Dog to thine own vomit nor like the washed Sow to wallow again in the mire of thy former sins and uncleanness lest being intangled and overcome again with the filthiness of sin which now thou hast escaped thy latter end prove worse than thy first beginning Twice therefore doth our Saviour Christ give the same cautionary warning to healed Sinners First To the Man cured of his 38 years desease Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing fall upon thee Secondly to the woman taken in adultery Neither do I condemn thee Go thy way and sin no more Teaching us how dangerous a thing it is to relapse and fall again into the former excess of Riot Take heed therefore unto thy ways and pray for grace that thou mayest apply thy heart unto wisdom during that small number of days which yet remain behind And for thy present mercy and health received imitate the thankful Leper and return unto God this or the like Thanksgiving A Thanksgiving to be said of one that is recovered from sickness O Gracious and merciful Father who art the Lord of Health and Sickness of Life and of Death who killest and makest alive who bringest down to the Grave and raisest up again who art the only preserver of all those that trust in thee I thy poor and unworthy Servant having now by experience of my painful sickness felt the grievousness of misery due unto sin and the greatness of thy mercy in forgiving sinners and perceiving with what a fatherly compassion thou hast heard my Prayers and restored me to my health and strength again do here upon the bended knees of my heart return with the thankful Leper to acknowledge thee alone to be the God of my health and salvation and to give thee the praise and glory for my strength and deliverance out of that grievous Disease and Malady and for thus turning my mourning into mirth my sickness into health and my death into life My sins deserved punishment and thou hast corrected me but hast not given me over unto death I looked from the day to the night when thou would'st make an end of me I did chatter like a Crane or a Swallow I mourned as a Dove when the bitterness of sickness oppressed me I lifted up mine eyes unto thee O Lord and thou didst comfort me for thou didst cast all my sins behind thy back and didst deliver my soul from the pit of corruption and when I found no help in my self nor in any other creature saying I am deprived of the residue of my years I shall see man no more among the Inhabitants of the World then didst thou restore me to health again and gavest life unto me I found thee O Lord ready to save me And now Lord I confess that I can never yield unto thee such a measure of thanks as thou hast for this benefit deserved at my hands And seeing that I can never be able to repay thy goodness with acceptable works O that I could with Mary Magdalen testifie the love and thankfulness of my heart with abounding tears O what shall I be able to render unto thee O Lord for all these benefits which thou bestowedst upon my Soul Surely as in my Sickness when I had nothing else to give unto thee I offered Christ and his merits unto thee as a Ransom for my sins so being now restored by thy Grace unto my health and strength and having no better thing to give behold O Lord I do here offer up my self unto thee beseeching thee so to assist me with thy Holy Spirit that the remainder of my life may be wholly spent in setting forth thy praise and glory O Lord forgive me my former follies and unthankfulness that I was no more careful to love thee according to thy goodness nor to serve thee according to thy Will nor to obey thee according to thy Commandments nor to thank thee according to thy Benefits And seeing thou knowest that of my self I am not sufficient so much as to think a good thought much less to do that which is good and acceptable in thy sight assist me with thy grace and holy Spirit that I may in my prosperity as devoutly spend my health in thy service as I was earnest in my sickness to beg it at thy hands And suffer me never to forget either this thy mercy in restoring me to my health or those Vows and Promises which I have made unto thee in my sickness With my new health renew in me O Lord a right Spirit which may free me from the slavery of sin and establish my heart in the service of grace Work in me a greater detestation of all sins which were the causes of thy anger and my sickness and increase my Faith in Jesus Christ who is the Author of my health and salvation Let thy good Spirit lead me in the way that I should walk and teach me to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this world that others by my Example may think better of thy Truth And sith this time which I have yet to live is but a little respite and small remnant of days which cannot long continue Teach me O my God so to number my days that I may apply my heart to that spiritual wisdom which directeth to salvation And to this end make me more zealous than I have been in Religion more devout in Prayer more servent in Spirit more careful to hear and profit by the preaching of thy Gospel more helpful to my poor Brethren more watchful over my ways more faithful in my calling and every way more abundant in all good works Let me in the joyful time of prosperity fear the evil