all fulness with marrow What is Wines on the Lees what are all earthly royal dainties to these rich graces and Divine special favours and blessings offered and bestowed and participated of in the Sacraments At which sumptuous and delicious banquet every worthy receiver that has made due preparation by self examination is or should be much affected and ravished As the Divine Poet was who thus expresseth himself First as to the manner of Importation and submission Herb. H. Com. Not in rich Ornament or fine Aray Nor in a Wedge of Gold Thou who for me wast sold To me dost now thy self convey For so thou should'st without me stil have been Leaving within me Sin But by the way of nourishment strength Thou creepest into my Breast Making thy Way my Rest And thy small quantities my length Which spread their Forces into every part Meeting Sins force and art Yet can these not get over to my Soul Leaping the Wall that parts Our Souls and fleshly Hearts But as the out-works they may controll My Rebel-flesh and carrying thy Name Affright both sin and shame Only thy grace which with these Elements comes Knoweth the ready way And hath the Privy Key Op'ning the Souls most subtile Roomes While those to Spirits refin'd at Door attend Dispatches from their Friend Give me my Captive Soul or take My Body also thither Another life like this will make Them both to be together Before that Sin turn'd Flesh to stone And all our Lump to leaven A fervent sigh might well have blown Our innocent Earth to Heaven For sure when Adam did not know To sin or sin to smother He might to Heav'n from Paradise go As from one Room to another Thou hast restor'd us to this ease By this thy Heavenly blood Which I can go to when I please And leave the Earth to their food When he was pleased to go to this Heavenly Banquet and he was so pleased as oft as might be and so should every godly Christian hear him warbling this Divine Rapture Idem the Banquet Welcome sweet and sacred cheer Welcome deer With me in me live and dwell For thy neatness passeth sight Thy delight Passeth Tongue to taste or tell O what sweetness from the Bowl Fills my Soul Such as is and makes Divine Is some Star fled from the Sphere Melted there As we Sugar melt in Wine Or hath sweetness in the Bread Made a head To subdue the smell of Sin Flow'rs and gums and powders giving All their living Lest the Enemy should win Doubtless neither Star nor Flower Hath the Power Such a sweetness to impart Only God who gives perfumes Flesh assumes And with it perfumes my heart But as Pomanders and sweet Wood Still are good Yet being bruised are better sented God to shew how far his love Could improve Here as broken is presented c. Let the wonder of this pitty Be my ditty And take up my lines and life Hearken under pain of Death Hands and breath Strive in this and love the strife Nor found he this food beyond all degrees of comparison nourishing and strengthning but he feeleth it also most effectually healing Physick as appeares by what he speaks to his pratling Conscience which call'd every fair look sowl every sweet Dish sower If thou persist I will tell thee That I have Physick to expell thee And the Receipt shall be My Saviours Blood when ever at his board I do but taste it straight it cleanseth me And leaves thee not a Word No not a Tooth or Nail to scratch And at my actions carp or catch Here is therefore no such provision of food no such sumptuous fair in any House as this Solomon's so much admired was as Husks yea and stark hunger compared to this and each of the Houshold fares alike And they have both Dinner and Supper every Day of the same delicates that which Matthew calls a Dinner Luke calls a Supper And they are called upon to feed heartrly Eat O Friends Drink yea drink abnndantly O well-beloved Nor are there any such fellow-Commoners to Dine and Sup with any where as here These are all Noble Honourable Persons The choicest and most excellent Kings and Priests A chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood a Holy Nation a peculiar People Yea the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Dines and Sups with them Mephibosheth thought it no small honour that David set him among them that did eat at his own Table How great honour must it then be to sit at Christs Table who is David's Lord And to increase their comfort they have assurance of the same Session with him in the Kingdome of Glory I appoint you saith he a Kingdome as my Father hath appointed me that ye may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdome Nor are there any such servitures in any House as in this to wit the Holy Angels Are they not all Ministering Spirits sent forth to Minister for them who shall he Heirs of Salvation There are that make them both Cooks and Butlers that dress and dish up and bring in the provision of this continual Feast attend at Table and Minister Cups of Consolation And moreover wait upon every Member of this Family when they go abroad about the works of their Callings and in all the changes of their life who have care of them besides this common attendance a peculiar Guardian of Angels from their new birth at least as some probably gather from sundry Scriptures Nor are there any such Vessels in any House to serve up the Meat and Drink in as are in this The Dishes Spoons Covers and Bowles belonging to the Sanctuary were all of pure Gold so were all the Vessels of the pure Table All the drinking Vessels of King Solomon were of Gold and all the Vessels of the House of the forrest of Lebanon were of pure Gold At that Royal Feast which Ahasuerus made to all his Princes and Servants That lasted an hundred and fourscore Days They gave them Drink in Vessels of Gold The Vessels of this House wherein the Saints dwell and wherein they have their Meat and Drink served up are much more precious than the Gold that perisheth which is corruptible how pure soever even great and precious promises in which are contained all the choicest Viands that Earth and Heaven can yield both for the nourishment of Soul and Body For Godliness is profitable for all things having the promise of the Life that now is and that which is to come Nor are there any such Seats to rest both Souls and Bodies on in taking repast in any House as in this Kings have had their Seats for themselves and by them for their Children and Favorites on which they sate down to eat meat they were terrestrial these coelestial places We read of the great King sitting at his Table with his Spouse
I am dealing with may and ought to take comfort in this that they cannot deny but that they have been truly humbled though in a lower degree It being the truth and not the measure that warrants sinners to come to Christ and qualifie them for faith in him He saith not come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden in such a degree But all that labour and are heavy laden in a true degree Qu. What is the lowest degree of true Humiliation Answ It is that which brings him into the Beggars case Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the c. When is a Man so Answ When out of a sense of his own emptiness and apprehension of Divine Justice to which they are indebted he is wrought upon by God's gracious promises to seek supply from Christ's fulness As when a Man is extream poor and knows himself to be so having never a Penny in all the World and owes a very great Summe and that to such a one as will not abate one farthing of the Debt but exact the whole and for default of payment will cast him into Prison there to lye and rot nor has he a friend in all the World to help him only he hears of a rich Man that is able to pay all he owes who hath discharged the Debts of many in his case but alass he dares not adventure for a good while to go and speak with him because he hath no interest in him In this case he is exceedingly cast down not knowing what to do yet at last necessity forcing he is resolved to go to him and seek supply from him relying wholly upon his goodness having heard how mercifully he hath dealt with all that have so done Is not this thy case poor despondent Christian Hast thou not seen thy Soul totally empty of Grace yet indebted to God Ten Thousand Talents whose Justice thou knowest will exact the utmost Mite do'st not thou see fulness in Christ and all-sufficiency that he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him to discharge their debt were it ten thousand times greater Though thou did'st not dare to go to him for a while yet at last did'st adventure being encouraged by what others in as bad a condition have found and by sundry gracious invitations and promises excluding none that have an heart to come Upon which promises thou do'st in great humility roll thy Soul and resolvest therein to rest Thus the Prodigal saw an emptiness in himself knew there was fulness in his Fathers House was moved to go to him trusting in his gracious disposition So the Syrians Behold now we have heard that the Kings of the House of Israel are merciful Kings Let us put Sack-cloath upon our Loynes and Ropes upon our Heads and go to the King of Israel peradventure he will save thy Life So they put Sack-cloath upon their Loynes and Ropes upon their heads and begged their Masters Life Qu. How shall I know I have this poverty of Spirit Answ By the signes of a poor Beggar He is full of complaints to such as can relieve him full of requests No need to teach him rhetorick Industrious to get maintenance out he will though the Law be against it The Belly hath no Eares If he be blind he will get some to lead him if lame he will get a Crutch to uphold him He is more-over meek patiently bearing checks and reproaches content to stay his leisure of whom he begs and expects an Almes full of observance also towards him ready to obey his commands trembling at his frownes and greatly thankful if he give him but a Crumb And if he hath offended is at no rest till his anger against him be appeased and his favour and good will regained Thou canst not but finde all these signes in thy self in reference unto God and therefore mayest take comfort in thy poverty Add unto this another sure evidence of true humiliation namely thou esteemest sin the greatest evil and Jesus Christ the greatest good put naked Christ in one Scale and all the pomp and glory of the World in the other and whether of these would weigh the most in thy judgment and valuation Obj. But thou knowest not the time when thy heart was broken and humbled Ans Suppose thou sawest a good Crop of Corn upon a piece of Ground wouldst thou not think it had tillage good enough though thou sawest not when it was broken up Nor how deep the Plow went The fruits thou bringest forth of holiness righteousness sobriety and charity argue the fallow ground of thy heart to have had sufficient plowing Though thou know not the time when nor the means whereby this was done Thou walkest not in the counsel of the ungodly much less standest in the way of sinners least of all sittest in the seat of the scornful But thy delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law thou meditatest Day and Night As thy affections are such are thy words seasoned with salt such as discover Grace in the Speaker Minister Grace to the hearers and thy conversation accordingly and actions such as become the Gospel Herein thou exercisest thy self to have a Conscience void of offence towards God and toward Men. Thou dost good to all especially to the houshold of faith Art ready to distribute willing to communicate Ye shall know others by their fruits do Men gather Grapes of Thorns or Figges of Thistles even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit Thou mayest and oughtest to pass judgment upon thy self that certainly the Root of the matter is in thee That thou art a Tree of righteousness the planting of the Lord wherein he is glorified Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much Fruit so shall ye be my Disciples Ye shall shew your selves to be truly such doing acts worthy of such a Title And if you be indeed Christ's Disciples you need not question your dwelling in God Obj. 2. These Godly doubting Christians are so far from acknowledging any such fruits or taking comfort in them that they deny there is any good in them any good fruit brought forth by them They believe themselves would have you believe so too That their Vine is of the Vine of Sodom and of the Fields of Gomorrah Their Grapes are Grapes of Gall. Their Clusters are bitter their Wine of the poyson of Dragons and the cruel Venome of Asps instead of good fruits They will tell you your hearts and tongues and lives are full of evil fruits Vain and vile thoughts and idle and ungracious words unprofitable impious and unrighteous actions Fruits not tending to Life but Death That they are Trees not for fruit but for the Fire Corrupt Trees at best whose fruit withereth which have neither life nor sap to bring forth any fruit unto God Even like Trees after Autome Yea quite pluckt up by the Roots
this the Fathers of old time Of whom the World was not worthy quenched the violence of Fire and turned to Flight the Armies of the Aliens Faith is of that force that it is able to hold Argument even against the wrath of God to quench the fierceness of his Arrowes Though he slay me yet will I trust in him It s termed a Shield every faculty of the Soul is defended by it against all manner of temptations A Shield serves for defence of the whole Body and every part of it Other pieces of spiritual Armor the Girdle of Truth the Brest-plate of Righteousness the shews of Patience the Helmet of Hope are for particular parts and serve against particular sins and temptations but faith puts by and blunts all blows and as if this grace were all in all a Christians whole warfare is called the Fight of Faith This with the other now named are defensive only or mainly like to which none can be found in any other Armory And for offence here is a Sword of which it may be said as David did of Goliah's There is none like that the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God So called because the Holy Ghost hath framed it and put it into Believers hands and is of a Divine strength and temper to pierce and overthrow the spiritual Enemies With this Word which is sharper than any two edged Sword Christ himself defended himself against the Devil and with the invincible force thereof foyl'd him fulfilling in part that Prophesie In that Day the Lord with his sore and great and strong Word shall punish Leviathan the piercing Serpent even Leviathan the crooked Serpent and in that Day he shall slay the Dragon that is in the Sea Moreover Princes and great Mens Houses are stored with goods for Ornament as well as for necessity and conveniency serving to delight and please the outward Senses of Seeing Hearing Smelling and Feeling that of Tasting hath been spoken to Rich Hangings Curtains Carpets Images and pleasant Pictures Pourtrayed upon the Walls Instruments of Musick Oyntments Perfumes Treasures of Gold and Silver and precious Stone Hezekiah shewed the King of Babylon's Embassadors his House of precious things the Silver and the Gold and the Spices and the precious Ornaments and all that was found in his Treasures In Solomon's House were Hangings of Purple a rich and a beautiful Stuff of a red and bloody hue a dye of great esteem And in Ahasuerus's Palace where he feasted his Princes and Servants There were white green and violet Hangings fastned with Cords of fine Linnen and Purple to Silver Rings and Pillars of Marble The Beds were of Gold and of Silver upon a Pavement of red and blew and white and black Marble In the Houses of those unnatural sensuality we finde Women that wore Hangings to make them more delightful No less is implyed in that passage Let them stretch forth the Curtains of thine Habitation What Lamentation is made when these are harmed Suddenly are my Tents spoyled and my Curtains in a moment Or when they are not handsomely set up There is none to set up my Curtains The Tabernacle had great store of costly Hangings and Curtains to make it beautiful and glorious of cunning work woven but wrought to the Life with a Needle in manner of Pictures like Arras work or other Tapistry Solomon carved all the Walls of the Temple round about with Figures of Cherubims and Palm-Trees and open Flowers within and without Nor was hardly any goodly House without its pleasant Pictures Images of Men pourtrayed upon the Walls with Vermilion Nor without Musical Instruments The Viol the Tabret and Pipe are in their Feasts As the Prodigals Elder Brother drew nigh to the House he heard Musick and Dancing But money answereth all things By this Men furnish their Houses with all the foresaid Ornament and their Feasts with variety of all delights Thrice happy is that habitation thought to be where there is no want of this and blessed are those Children thought whose Parents go to the Devil to procure and leave them bags of theirs in abundance What shall we say to these things If God be ours how shall not all these things be ours They whose House the Lord is have all these and infinitely more to please and delight their inward Senses yea their outward also That one sight of Jesus Christ hanging upon the Cross with his hands stretched abroad to embrace them and his Head bowed down to kiss them and his pierced Side streaming forth blood to wash them from the guilt and filth of their sins evidently set forth lively and naturally represented unto them with his Death and Passion and the Virtue and use thereof is a Picture most pleasant to their Eyes So are the Portraictures of his holy Apostles and Martyrs with the description and history of their acts and passions seen and read of them And to please your Sense of Smelling the House is filled with the savour of Christs good Oyntments as that House was with the Odour of that Oyntment of Spiknard wherewith Mary anointed his Feet Those gifts of the holy Ghost wherewith the Father hath anointed him and which he poureth upon them by the preaching of the Gospel whereof take a taste only of two words and hereby judge of the rest Herb. Ch. the Odour How sweetly doth my Master sound my Master As Ambergrease leaves a rich sent Unto the Taster So doth these words a sweet content An Oriental fragrancy My Master With these all Day I do perfume my mind My mind even thrust into them both That I might find What Cordials make this curious broth This broth of smels that feeds fats my mind And farther for the Sense of Hearing if the Musick made by Organs in the Church so sounded in the Eares of that Divine Poet that drew a Song of Thanks-giving to it from his Tongue and Pen. Id. Ch. Mus Sweetest of sweets I thank you when displeasure Did through my Body wound my mind You took me thence in your house of pleasure A dainty Lodging me assign'd Now I in you without a Body move Rising and falling with your Wings We both together sweetly live and love Yet say sometimes God help poor Kings Comfort I le dye for if you post from me Sure I shall do so and much more But if I travail in your Company You know the way to Heavens Door How infinitely sweeter must that Musick be to the Eares of this Houshold which the Organ of the Holy Scripture the Keys whereof are stricken with the hand of the holy spirit makes with such strains as these Fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee with the right hand of my Righteousness When thou passest through the Waters I
excellencies and transcendent perfections of God So this especially of sublimity that he is most high This did David I will praise thee O Lord with my whole heart I will sing praise to thy Name O thou most high I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness and will sing praises to the most high As he did himself so he stirreth up all others to do so O clap your hands all People shout unto God with the voice of Tryumph for the Lord most high is terrible he is a great King over the Earth Let the Saints sing aloud upon their Beds Let the high praises of God be in their Mouth And this he tells us is a good thing at all times especially on the Sabbath Dayes It is a good thing to sing praises unto thy holy Name O most High His Universal Regiment is to be acknowledged This matter is by the Decree of the Watchers and the demand by the Word of the holy One to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the Kingdome of Men and giveth it to whomsoever he will and setteth up over it the basest of Men. 2. His wonderful humility and condescention The Lord is high above all Nations and his glory above the Heavens Who is like the Lord our God who is most High who humbleth himself to behold the things that are done in the Heaven and in the Earth He doth not disdain from his High Seat of Glory to provide for all Creatures both Terrestrial and Coelestial He hath a gracious and loving care of vile Wormes and grievous sinners yea vouchsafes to make their hearts if humbled and contrite for their sins his dwelling place For thus saith the High and lofty One that inhabiteth Eternity whose Name is high and holy I dwell in the high and holy Places with him also that is of an humble and contrite Spirit The humility of the Son of the most high God being the same in substance with him and equal in power and glory condescended to match with a Maid of our Family that had neither beauty nor dowry A greater condescention than if the greatest Emperor on Earth should marry the poorest and most deformed Virgin upon Earth assuming a humane Nature with his Divine Person In all things like unto Man excepting sin and in that nature to suffer poverty hunger thirst weariness and other humiliations even unto Death Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God made himself of no reputation Annihilated himself and brought himself as it were to nothing Took upon him the form of a Servant and was made in the habit of Men And being found in fashion as a Man he humbled himself and became obedient unto Death even the Death of the Cross 3. Consider the exceeding high honour he hath done you to be Servants in such a House to himself whom you have made your House by choosing him and cleaving to him Nebucadnezar could not desire a higher honour for the Three Worthies whom he saw walking in the midst of the Fire than to call them Servants of the most high God Nor the Angel that appeared to Daniel in the Vision of the Four Beasts and interpreted it to him for the Subjects of God's Kingdom than to call them Saints of the most high Yea the Angels themselves glory in this title I am thy fellow-servant and of thy Brethren And James stiles himself not the Lords Brother but the Servant of the Lord. And God himself Moses not King in Jesuran but my Servant My Servant Moses 2. In Prayers I will cry unto God most high Every good and perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights We are commanded to pray to God as being above in Heaven to teach us among many other things that our Prayers should be sent forth with such fervencies that they may reach and pierce Heaven where God is to cry as David did O my God I cry in the Day time in the day time and in the Night season He heard my cry My most earnest desires in Prayer arising from feeling and fear of misery And so did Moses Wherefore cryest thou unto me God seeming to chide him for so doing but it was not for his fervent praying but for his fearing and fainting his Faith beginning to fail and to let him know that he was more ready to hear than he to pray 2. Learn humility of the most high God Be ye followers of God as dear Children Beloved if God so loved us we ought also to love one another So if God have condescended unto us we ought to do the like to our Inferiours there being infinitely more distance and disproportion between God and us than there is between us were we the highest Princes on Earth and they poorest Beggars For they are all our Brethren Have we not all one Father hath not one God created us Be not therefore high-minded but condescend to Men of low Estate And learn of me saith the Son of the most High for I am meek and lowly in heart Lowliness of mind will make you high with God and meekness of word shall make you sink into the hearts of Men. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus You that are higher than others in gifts wealth or dignity disdain them not but demean your selves humbly toward them and honour shall uphold you 3. Take heed of provoking the most High or of contemning his Counsels least you provoke your selves to the confusion of your own Faces as the Israelites did of whom it is said That they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the Wilderness Yea they tempted and provoked the most high God kept not his testimonies They contemned the Counsel of the most High Therefore he brought down their heart with labour they fell down and there was none to help 4. If you have provoked him to anger against you as David did when Satan provoked him to number the People enquire and desire to know the true means to appease him and to be reconciled unto him Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the High God And turn ye to him with all your heart to him I say and not as Ephraim of whom it is said They returned but not to the most High Renew your purposes and resolutions and vowes of more wary walking for the future and when upon your humiliation and reformation he is returned unto you with mercies offer unto him thanks giving and pay your vowes unto the most High 5. Comfort your selves against all the injustice and disorders of the World and against all the Plots and Conspiracies of wicked Men against the Church and People of God Marvel not at it but look higher and expect seasonable relief
be Governours of Families set before you the example of the virtuous Woman Pro. 31. 13 28. If Servants Eleazar and Jacob Gen. 24. 31. 6 40. Col. 3. 22. to the end Remember the promise of protection of Angels while you are diligent in your Callings Psal 91. 11 12. and how God hath graciously and gloriously appeared unto them he found therein Exod. 31. 2. Judg. 6. 11. 2 Sam. 7 8. Amos 7. 14 15. And how he will welcome you with a well done good and faithful Servant Mat. 25. Only be sure to follow these Rules in your particular Callings 1. Labour principally for spiritual and heavenly things Mat. 6. 33. Esay 55. 2. Joh. 6. 27. 2. Let your end be right 1 Cor. 10. 31. Acts 20. 35. Eph. 4. 28. And 3. For the manner do your work without all carking care And without discontent of any providences and with a heavenly mind Phil. 3. 20. 3. Be alway rejoycing God hath declared abundantly his will and pleasure that you who dwell in him should be continually cheerful and comfortable in your Spirits and he hath in his Word as oft charged you to be so and he hath charged you to fear him and live a godly life Psal 119. Psal 2. 117. 32. 11. 33. 1. 48. 11. 5. 11. 68. 4. Mat. 5. 12. Phil. 3. 1. 1 Thes 5. 16. And he is delighted to see you cheerful and offended much when you are disconsolate and uncheerful Deut. 28. 47 48. You are the only People that have right and title to joy and comfort Psal 116. 15. 47. 11. 64. 10. 106. 4 5. Rom. 5. 1. 14. 17. 15. 13. The objects of your joy are such as have in every one of them force and power if seriously pondered to keep up your hearts in frame of comfort and so fill them with joy at all times Quest. What are these objects Answ 1. The Lord himself he is the prime main ultimate adequate object of your joy Phil. 4. 4. Psal 4. 6 7. Hab. 3. 17 18. Jesus Christ John 16. 33. Phil. 3. 3. 4. 13. The word of God Psal 119. 92. 94. 19. Rom. 15. 4. All the Ordinances of God especially Prayer Phil. 4. 6 7. The works of God these are also a great object of his Peoples joy both the internal eminent ones that werewrought within himself especially Election Luk. 10. 20. And the outward viz. Creation and providence Psal 107. 22. Especially the work of Redemption Psal 53. 6. 71. 23. 126. 1 2. All the gifts of God Faith Hab. 2. 4. 1 Pet. 1. 8. Hope Rom. 5. 2. The testimony of your sanctified Conscience 2 Cor. 1. 12. Experiences of the love of God Psal 63. 3. Remission of sins Mat. 9. â— Co-operation of all things for their good Rom. 8. 28. The Attendants of the holy Angels the immensity of their wages for their works which is from free grace 2 Tim. 4. 8. Heb. 11. 26. Rom. 8. 18. Afflictions themselves of all sorts both natural being prepared for them corrected with Lenitives one whereof is commonness 1 Cor. 10. 13. Another that they are love-tokens like the Rain-bow And another the effects they produce whereof you have heard much and much more accidental for Religion and Christianity sake Mat. 5. 11 12. Col. 1. 24. 1 Pet. 4. 13. 2 Cor. 12. 15. Acts. 5. 41. Jam. 1. 2. 4. Be alway praying opening your desires to God with reverence and confidence in the name of Christ for things agreeable to his will viz. That he will glorifie his own great name immediatly by himself and by all his providential Dispensations That his paternal Kingdom may be brought to perfection both by means and gifts of grace That his will may be done by your selves and others as the Angels in Heaven do it chearfully without murmuring speedily without delaying totally without mincing or reservation sincerely without self-seeking constantly without fainting That you your fellowes may enjoy all necessary temporal blessings personal domestical Political National have title to them leave to use them and comfort in the use of them That he will free you from the guilt of sin grant you remission free and full And that he will sanctifie you and them throughout giving you conquest over all temptations and perseverance to the end Neglect not to keep a constant course of praying twice a Day at least Morning and Evening and occasionally Day and Night sending up servent short Ejaculations Continue in Prayer and watch in the same with thanks-giving which is the next duty to be performed and the next which every Day must be payed duly 5. Be alway giving thanks 1 Thes 5. 18. In thanksgiving there is both the Memory Meditation and serious acknowledgement of God's blessings And in token of the truth thereof and dedication and consecration of our Bodies and Souls with all we have to divine use that is to the honour and service of God This was figured in the Sacrifices of the old Law which were first set before the Altar and so presented to God and then afterward were offered unto him This dedication is made when the intention of our mindes and purpose of our hearts and in all our affections we give up and set our selves apart This was first done in our Baptisme and is continually renewed in the Lord's Supper Thankfulness is all the Rent God requires of us for the House we dwell in and all the accommodations thereunto annexed Psal 5â— 15. We would not forfeit any thing we hold for non-payment of rent Take we heed lest for want of thankfulness we give God occasion to dispossess us of himself and of all the good things we enjoy in him 6. Be alway willing to remove from these lowest into higher Rooms in this House By Death we do no more but change our Lodging from lower to higher Rooms in the same House Be willing to dye at any time So Simeon was Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace So was Paul Having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Be alway prepared to dye by dying to sin and to the World continually And by making every Day your dying Day by breaking off sins and avoiding all occasions of sinning and embracing all occasions of doing good and doing all in such a manner as you would if you knew you should dye presently Making also to your selves Friends of the Mammon of Unrighteousness and setting your House in Order and praying to God continually To teach you to number your Dayes that you may apply your hearts unto Wisdom FINIS IMPRIMATUR Rob. Grove R. P. D. Humph. Episc Lond. a Sac. Dom. Mart. 9. 1668 9. Mat. 8. 20. P. 14. Psal 91. 1. 1 Joh. 3. 24. 4. 13. 15 16. Gen. 11. 4. Psal 144. 2. Esa 33. 15 16. Psal 61. 3. 71. 7. Prov. 15. 10. Esa 25. 4. Jer. 22. 14. Prov. 21. 9. Esa 28. 20 Job 11. 7 8 9. Psal 119. 69. Gen. 13. 17. Exod. 3.