to day are and to morrow are cast into the oven extend thy mercy to thy distressed servant O my God thou seest the nakednesse which I suffer and thou feelest the cold which my body endures for of thee ô Christ I am a part of thy mysticall body I am a member These meane and ragged coverings doe speake at once both my wants and my desires What shall I doe ô father Shall I noe longer believe thy providence Or shall I despaire of thy power O I dare not doe either for I know that thou canst and wilt relieve mee when thou in thy wisedome shalt see it requisite Blessed Lord subdue my heart as thou hast humbled my body and forgive the sinnes of pride and discontent which harbour therein Many of thy Saints have wanted the things of the outward man yet hast thou enriched their soules with the graces of thy Spirit I know Lord that thou delightest not in the ornaments of the body Thou canst give what thou wilt and withhold what thou pleasest Lu 16.22 Distressed Lazarus who for a while did lye at the gate of gorgeous Dives was caried by Angells into Abraham's bosome Enable mee with patience to suffer my wants and willingly to submitt to thy heavenly pleasure Ps 104 1. O thou that art cloathed with Majestie and honour vouchsafe to cover my naked soule Through the merits of thy Christ let it be presented to thee both cleane and unspotted Make mee to labour the purifying thereof with a flood of my teares Io. 11.33 and accept of my groanes through the righteousnesse of him who groaned in spirit when hee beheld the teares of lamenting Marie Holy father adorne thou my inward man with righteousnesse and holinesse that it may be acceptable unto thee when it shall come to thy tribunall Nothing can hide it from thy wrath ô father but the garment of the righteousnesse of Christ my brother Wrappe mee ô Iesus in that sacred mantle that I may be hid from the wrath of the reveng-full judg Is 50 3 O thou that cloathest the heavens with blacknesse and makest sack-cloth their covering doe thou apparell my soule with the blacknesse of sorrow and the sackcloth of mourning for my crying offences And so accept of my contrition that I may hereafter appeare in a long white robe with thy holy Saints Reu 7.9 and be admitted a member of thy church tryumphant there to reigne with thee world without end through Iesus Christ my onely Lord and Saviour Amen subject 8 THE EIGHTH SUBJECT A Virgin 's teares The Soliloquie Treating of the virginitie both of the body and the soule THE EjACULATION Psal 5. vers 1. Give eare to my words ô Lord consider my meditation vers 2. Hearken unto the voyce of my cry my king and my God for unto thee will I pray THe un-maried woman saith the faithfull Apostle careth for the things of the Lord 1. Cor. 7.25 vers 34 that shee may be holy both in body and spirit Such a one am I unmaried I am but am I such a one allso in my care Doe I care for the things of the Lord that I may be holy both in body and spirit This is a question not easily resolved it is a duety not ordinarily performed The externall forme doeth commonly borrow the howers of virgins the dresses and the ornaments of the fading body imploy our minuits and our care is generally more for the day of our mariage then the time of our account Seldome doe wee vallew religion above our dresses or the service of God above the ornaments of our selves But neither is the beauty of the countenance prevalent with the All-mighty nor the neatenesse of attire vallewed in his eyes Hee love's not that care which ariseth from pride but that which discovereth a zeale for his honour The most admired beauty shall be shriveled in the flames of eternall horrour unlesse the soule be more comely by farre then the countenance The exactest features of the outward man doe illest suite with a lascivious tongue or an immodest thought Devoutest virgins are allways fairest and borrow so much of the flowers of the spring as to weare a maidens blush in the seate of beauty My God hath given mee the honour of virginitie and expecteth to be honoured both in it and by it If my soule be as un-spotted as my body is un-defiled I may hope for a seate with the tryumphant virgins Reu 14.1 With the Lamb saith Saint Iohn were a hundred fortie and foure thousand having his fathers name written in their fore-heads vers 4. These are they which were not defiled with women for they are virgins these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever hee goeth That Lamb is Christ those hundred fortie and foure thousand virgins are the elect his name in their foreheads is their adoption by grace they follow the Lamb in the puritie of their soules and in their chast spirituall virginitie they are preserved from the pollutions and uncleanesse of the seducing tempter With these virgins I desire to sing my part for my sexe cannot hinder the hope of immortalitie With those saints which defiled not themselves with women shall accord those women not defiled with men It was an honour to our sexe and my present condition that my Saviour was borne of the virgin Mary But I must know that virginitie consisteth not so much in the chastitie of the body as the puritie of the soule Even those that are maried may have virgin soules and wee that are virgins may be spirituall adulteresses 1. Thes 4.4 Shee that preserve's her vessell in holinesse performeth a duety required by our maker but unlesse to this be added the chastitie of the soule both body and soule may suffer eternally The purest virgin is the loyallest wife for though wee never were engaged by mariage to a man yet all of us ought to be maried to Christ 2. Cor 11.2 Saint Paul saith that hee had espoused the Corinthians to one husband that hee might present them as a chast virgin unto Christ This husband is mine for to him am I espoused to him am I wedded But am I a loyall wife to this indulgent husband Doe I love him Doe I honour him Doe I obey him Have I beene allways true and faithfull unto him If every sinne be a spirituall adulterie if every transgression be a dishonour unto him ô then my conscience will write mee guilty O my sweete husband ô my Iesus what shall I say or pleade for my selfe I have forsaken my redeemer to sinne with the tempter I have declined my husband to committ un-cleanesse with that ugly serpent for hee enticed and I consented Lev 20.10 By the ould law an adulteresse was to suffer death That law doeth still remaine in force for death eternall is decreed as a punishment for those that dishonour my patient husband O what then shall I doe when hee shall question my disloyaltie
to submit with cheerefullnesse to this thy chastisement and to repent mee of my sinnes which brought this affliction Were it not just for mee to make my complaint in the bitternesse of my sorrowes thou wouldest not have commanded Zion to lament like a virgin girded with sack-cloth for the husband of her youth Thou Lam 1.8 ô Lord doest behould my sorrow and the griefe of my heart because thou hast taken from mee the desire of mine eyes Eze 24 16. and the joy of my heart Be pleased ô my God so to open the eyes of my soule and understanding that I may see as cleerely the cause of thy stroake as I am sensible of the losse of him that was my guide Though hee was sent to be the head of my body yet thou ô God didst offer thy selfe to be the husband of my soule but to my shame I must confesse that I followed the stepps of Samaria Eze 16 45. of Sodome and of Ierusalem and loathed thee my Lord and my husband justly therfore mightest thou say of mee as thou once didst speake of the church of the Iewes Hos 2.2 Shee is not my wife neither am I her husband But ô thou father of mercies for give my back-slidings and adde not affliction to affliction lest I faint under thy rod. Is 47.9 Spirituall widow-hood was a curse which once thou didst threaten unto Babylon ô let it not fall upon mee Allthough thou hast taken him that was my husband yet be pleased to betroth mee to thy selfe for ever Hos 2.19 Say unto mee Ruchama thou hast obtained mercy vers 16 vers 19 and let mee answer thee Baali and Ishi my Lord and my husband Betroath mee unto thee in righteousnesse and in judgment and in loving-kindnesse vers 20 and in mercyes and in faithfullnesse and make mee know thee to be my Lord. 2. Cor 11.2 Send a Paul to espouse mee to one husband that so I may be presented as a chast virgin unto Christ. Give mee grace to doe as once thou commandedst the widowes of Edom Ier 49.11 1. Tim 5.5 even to trust in thee Though now I am desolate yet make mee for ever to trust in thee my God and continue in supplications and prayers night and day Thus let my sorrow be sanctified and my trust and confidence reposed in thee that so I may serve thee with cheerefullnesse endure thy visitation with patience and in the end that I may goe to that place where I trust thou hast crowned my husband and where my Saviour is certainly gone before even to the Kingdome of happinesse and that through the merits and intercession of the same Iesus Christ my onely Lord and Saviour Amen subject 20 THE TWENTIETH SUBJECT A woman's teares at the funer all of her husband The Soliloquie THE EjACULATION Psal 5. vers 1. Give eare to my words ô Lord consider my meditation vers 2. Hearken unto the voyce of my cry my king and my God for unto thee will I pray WHen Sarah dyed in Kiriath-Arba Abraham stood up from before his deceased wife Gen 23 3. and spake unto the sonnes of Heth vers 4. saying I am a stranger and a sojourner with you give mee a possession and a burying place with you that I may bury my dead out of my fight Though hee so tenderly affected her whilest shee was living yet hee would not looke to long on her when shee was dead It is a duety as full of humanitie to interre with decency the bodies of the dead as it is of religion to love the persone when they are alive Yet vaine is man in this affection if hee fixeth his love onely on the beautie of the body This flesh which is so tender this skinne which I strive to preserve both smooth and white must one day be a banquet for the loathed wormes Noe greater priviledg belongeth to mee then did to my hushand for the time will come when I shall follow him to the earth Had I loved onely his outward forme my love should now either quite be forgotten or else I should fondly defire to deny it interment but it was his body enlivened with a rich and excellent soule which drew mine affection and commanded my desires Had that soule and body continued their societie I had beene freed from my laments but they have bid fare-well 'till the generall resurrection and hence am I enforced to utter my complaints I weepe for my losse because wee are divorced but ô what conflicts then can I imagine that hee had wheÌ„ hee was not onely to part from his indeared wife but likewise his soule was to leave this chillowed â—earth Oh for him for him for my losse of him doe I pay the tribute of these watering eyes Yet these teares must not flow in too greate aboundance lest by them I should seeme to envy his happinesse Even when his body shall be layed to sleepe in the grave if I mourne too much it will be justly suspected that too much I loved the worst of my husband His soule which was his best is now in perfection and may not be lamented his body which is the worse and grosser part of him is now to be committed to the earth whence it came Thither it must goe to that place I must commend it otherwise my former love may be turned into loathing and that which I esteemed when it was alive I shall be forced to abhorre if I keepe it from the grave O it grieveth mee each minuit that I thinke of my deerest it troubleth and perplexeth mee with disturbed thoughts when I consider how servently I loved him yet cannot enliven him But these are onely the fond conceptions of an erring phantisie and tell mee that I loved him more then I should or else now I would not grieve so much as I doe If my love to God be so greate as I pretend I shall thankfully acknowledg his love to the departed O let it never be said that my love was idolatrie in affecting him too much who is but dust and ashes But why sit I museing in these pensive thoughts when I should rather prepare for the buriall of the dead Have I taken a course for the place of his rest where his cold body may be layed to sleepe This is a duety which every age hath beene carefull to performe It was a greater argument of Iehojakim's furie against Vryah the Prophet Ier. 26.23 that hee cast his dead body into the graves of the common people then that hee slew him with the sword It hath allso beene a testimonie of God's revenge when hee suffered not the dead to have a decent interment Eccl 6.3 If a man beget an hundred children saith the Preacher and live many yeeres so that the dayes of his yeeres be many and his soule be not filled with good and allso that hee have noe buriall I say that an untimely birth is better then hee VVhen the
is it that Sun whose bright rayes and powerfull influences doe cherish my body which I long for Noe 't is the heaven of heavens which I desire Mal. 4.2 't is the Sun of righteousnesse which I long to behould This Sun which is so greate in comparison with the earth is not to be named in comparison with him This poore litle blushing Sun though now it pride 's it selfe in its tryumphant rayes shall at his appearing yea before his appearing even as a harbinger to prepare for his comming be mantled in mourning Act. 2.20 it shall be turned into darknesse and the Moone into blood before that greate and notable day of the Lord come And yet 'till then God hath appointed this greate Light greate to us the Sun to rule the day Ps 136.8.9 as well as the Moone and the Starres to governe the night for his mercy endureth for ever Even in this I see his mercy that by the light thereof the eyes of my body have the use of their faculties and can present their objects to my better part which may in her conternplations admire allways the mercies of God If any man walke in the day saith my Saviour hee stumbleth not Io. 11.9 because hee seeth the light of this world vers 10 But if a man waike in the night hee stumbleth because there is noe light in him Yet now I thinke of it there are some assuredly who walke in the day and yet they stumble yea they contrive a way how they may learne to stumble therfore that wine which should comfort the heart is purposely receaved to disturbe the braine Thus the superiour guide is mistied in a fogge lest it should direct the feete in the cariage of the body Is 5.11 Such are they against whom the Prophet pronounceth that Woe saying Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drinke that continue untill night 'till wine inflame them This is contrarie to the custome of those in Saint Paul's time for hee saith 1. Thes 5.7 They that sleepe sleepe in the night and they that are drunken are drunken in the night But it is not so now for wickednesse in our times hath assumed more impudencie that vice which formerly was deemed so shameful that the very wine it selfe enforced the sinner to some modestie in a blush even now by continuance is accounted but societie and to palliate the crime the collour of the offendour borroweth an excuse from the custome of inflammation Thus is nature constrained to pleade for wickednesse the corruption of the liver through immoderate drinking which discovereth it selfe in the staines of the countenance is noe longer abhorred as an effect of vice but rather 't is pittied as an infirmitie of the person The gray-eyed morning looke's upon my body and teacheth mee to view my hidden selfe my inner man This is a duety prescribed by religion and 't is a law of justice that before I walke abroade to behould my neighbours I first doe prye into the dresse of my selfe The All-mighty quesstion's Ephraim and Iudah by the mouth of his prophet saying Hos 6.4 O Ephraim what shall I doe unto thee O Iudah what shall I doe unto thee For your goodnesse is as a morning clowde and as the early deaw it goeth away This clowde and this deaw doe aptly resemble the goodnesse of hypocrities The clowde passeth the deaw drye's up Oh thus doe my promises and vowes unto God Thus doe my better actions where in I glorie Suddainly presently doe they vanish and disperse If I looke upon the skie I view the mirrour of my present thoughts for though for a time I meditate on God yet an empty clowde which rideth post and fleeth a way upon the wings of the wind Ps 18.10 is not so speedie as are these pensive and divine contemplations If I blush when I see the short continuance of these heavenly thoughts discovered in the speedie journie of a clowde with a dejected countenance let mee looke upon the ground Oh here againe I find the reflection of my short devotions These private cogitations which tend to religion are but like to the pearlie deaw that hang's on the grasse prompt and ready to drie and vanish Those very tufts of grasse those leaves of the trees seeme to lament the short continuance of my religious exercises as if they had spent the silent night in anguish and sorrow for feare lest my doome should be to a place below their abode The flowers have wept all night in their beds and the chillowed herbs have drooped in the darke and all of them together besiech mee with teares that my goodnesse may not resemble the jewells they weare Those pearles shall dissolve those teares shall be dryed at the appearance of the Sun even so soone as hee shall visit them with the warmth of his beames Thus thus though I mourne in secret for my sinnes yet so soone as I am warmed with the vaine delights of the enticing world I am apt presently to forget the bitternesse of my sorrowes and to sinne afresh lest I should not have cause to lament againe Lord I wish yet that I had but such and so many teares for my sinsull felfe as the tresses of the earth doe seeme to mourne out for mee Such ô such or none I desire to have None other will comply with my wishes They must be exhaled from the earth even the earth of my heart by the Sun of righteousnesse Thus they must rise that thus they may fall And when they are thus risen and when they are thus fallen then shall they be dryed by the comfortable rayes of that Sun of righteousnesse shining in my â—eart My sighes and my groanes which â— dispatch for my sinues shall ascend like â—apours up to my braine and by the secret inâ—uences of him that enlightens mee they shall have time alotted them to unite togeâ—her and then shall they fall in a deaw on nine eyes Now is the time that I thus should â—eepe now is the time I should thus lament for my sinnes must be purged with my morâ—ing teares My yester-day's follies my lastâ—ight's fantâ—sies this morning's thoughts which saluted my earthly vanities before I â—owed to my God even all advise mee to hye â—…y selfe and retire speedily into my private closet there to wash and rub and clense my soule in the cesterne of my teares and never leave rinsing 'till the staines are fetcht out But is this the taske of a morning shall I not be utterly unapt for the workes of my vocation when I have swelled mine eyes with the brinie drops O noe the aire is cleerest brightest when stormes are blowne over and content of mind and quiet thoughts will follow upon my mourning Besides there 's nothing in the world that dryeth sooner then teares for many times they are slunke in a moment into the dimple of a smile Nay
a Lamb Heb 9.28 an innocent Lamb a Lamb without blemish which once was offered to beare the sinnes of many I am one of those many who have sinned and why then should I not be one of those many too whose sinnes hee hath borne Lord make mee one of thy children through the merits of thy Sonne and cleanse the pollutions of my Soule by the blood of that Lamb even that Lamb of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world Io 1.29 But whilest I thus meditate upon the staines of my soule my body biddeth mec to looke upon these un-wonted blemishes Lord how blewish they appeare Surely if those doaters upon our sexe should see these spotts they would forget their idolatrie and tremble at the judgment When Mordecay was cloathed in his blew and white Est 8.15 it is sayd that hee went in royall apparell The apparell of my skinne mee thinks doeth seeme to resemble the covering of his body for here is the ancient white which nature conferred and here is the blew come now too sent mee from God It is royall apparell because it is sent mee by the King of glory and it is well come too 2. Cor. 1.3 because that glorious King is the father likewise of mercies and the God of all consolation Prov 20.30 The blewnesse of a wound cleanseth away evill saith the wise King Solomon Surely hee meant not such a wound such a spot as is each of these for allthough these are blew yet certainly they cleanse not or if they doe cleanse their cleansing concerneth nothing but my soule they put mee in mind of that duety for my time is short and suddenly shall my poore soule bid fare-well to this corrupted to this spotted body but as for this body it cannot be cleansed it may be ruined by these blewish wounds Christ saith to his church Thou art all faire my love Cant 4.7 there is noe spot in thee and Saint Paul telleth mee how it cometh to passe that it is freed from spotts for Christ saith hee gave himselfe for it Eph. 5.25 that hee might sanctifie it and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word vers 26 that hee might present it to himselfe a glorious church not having spott vers 27 or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Of this church am I a member a poore weake unworthy member and yet I have my spotts my corruptions in my soule which these in my body peepe out to remember mee of But why did I not keepe the commandements without spot 1. Tim. 6.14 and unrebukeable Why have I not kept my selfe un-spotted from the world Iam 1.27 O for this for this very cause am I now thus visited am I now thus stained and noe more am I able to take these prints out of my flesh then the Ethiopian is able to change his skinne Ier. 13.23 or the Leopard his spotts Yet I have comfort in my redeemer 1. Pet. 1 18. in him who hath redeemed mee not with corruptible things as silver and gold from my vaine conversation vers 19 but with the pretious blood of himselfe as of a Lamb without blemish and without spott Though my body therfore decay yet I have a confidence that my soule shall live I have an assurance of that for hee who bringeth mee to a sight of these spotts hath given mee likewise a sight of my sinnes his name be for ever magnified for it and mee think's they appeare a thousand thousand times more loathsome more ugly in my soule then these doe in my body They are ten million of times more certainly mortall in their owne condition to my soule with out the mercy of my Iesus then these are to my body Yet if it might be safe for mee to expostulate with my God I would say unto him in the lauguage of the Prophet Ier. 15.18 Why is my paine thus perpetuall and my wound in curable which refuseth to be healed Wilt thou be alltogether unto mee as waters that fayle Hast thou utterly rejected mee c. 14.19 Hath thy soule loathed mee Why hast thou smitten mee and there is noe healing for mee I looke for peace and there is noe good and for the time of healing and behould trouble But if I should thus expostulate in the phrase of the Prophet yet must I howsoëver conclude with the Prophet and say vers 20 I acknowledg ô Lord my wickednesse and the iniquity of my fathers for wee have sinned against thee Yet mee thinks these spotts will as hardly goe out of my mind as out of my body The expresse word of God to the Israelites was Yee shall not make any cutting in your flesh for the dead nor print any markes upon you Lev. 1◠28. I am the Lord. And good reason there was for this prohibition for they were very apt to be led by the heathens among whom it was a custome at the death of their friends to lament and cutt themselves it was their manner allso to make incisions in their flesh to fill up the wounds with Stibium or inke But I alas doe find here such prints and markes in my flesh as the very heathen themselves would have stood amazed at yet these are notcarved by the violence of my selfe but by the finger of my God I must therfore content my selfe and rejoyce at the sight of them Iam 1.17 since they proceede from him who is the father of lights allthough they presage darknesse unto mee for every good guift and every perfect guift is from above This guift does not seeme in it selfe to be either good or perfect but upon second more serious cogitations if my true repentance ensue upon them I shall find that they will hasten mee to the best good to the chiefest perfection even to the Kingdome which is purchased for mee by the blood of my Redeemer Iob 16.12 Alas I cannot choose but cry out with Iob and say I was at ease but hee hath broken mee asunder hee hath allso taken mee by my neck and shaken mee to pieces and set mee up for his marke Or with Ieremiah Lam 3.12 Hee hath bent his bowe and set mee as a Marke for the arrowe Or with Iob againe through the extreamitie of my sorrow I am enforced to expostulate with my God Iob 7.20 say Why hast thou set mee as a marke against thee so that I am a burden to my selfe But I will silence my selfe in his words againe and say I have sinned What shall I doe unto thee ô thou preserver of men When it pleased the All-mighty to preserve his children in the citty of Ierusalem when the rest should be destroyed hee commanded a man that was cloathed with linnen Eze 9.2 vers 4. and had a writer's inke-horne by his side to goe thorow the midst of the citty thorow the midst of
man of God had dis-obeyed his command the ould Prophet tould him saying Thy carkeise shall not come into the sepulcher of thy fathers 1. King 13.22 This curse was accounted as full of dread as any that was sent upon the sonnes of men When the young man the Prophet annointed Iehu King over Israë 2. King 9.7 hee tould him that hee should smite the house of Ahab his master and that the doggs should eate Iezebel in the portion of Iezreel vers 10 vers 7. and there should be none to bury her that the Lord might avenge the blood of his servants the Prophets and the blood of all the servants of the Lord at the hand of Iezebel VVhat Iehu was commanded hee did faithfully execute for when hee had caused the eunuches to throw that painted adulteresse out of the window from whence shee looked vers 3. some of her blood was sprinkeled both on the wall and on the horses and hee trod her under foote Afterward when hee had eate and dranke hee sayd vers 34. Gâ—e see now this cursed woman and bury her for shee is a King's daughter vers 35 And they went to bury her vers 37 but they found noe more of her then the skull and the feete the palmes of her hands sothat they could not say This is lezebel Ier. 22.17 Because the eyes of Iehojakim and his heart were not but for his coveteousnesse and for to shed innocent blood and for oppression for violence to doe it vers 18 therfore thus sayd the Lord concerning Iehojakim the sonne of Iosiah King of Iudah vers 19 Hee shall be buried with the buriall of an Asse drawne and cast forth beyond the gates of Ierusalem The Lord threatned the Princes of Iudah c. 34.19 and the Princes of Ierusalem and the Eunuches and the Priests all the people of the land which passed betweene the parts of the calfe vers 20 saying I will even give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of them that seeke their life and their dead bodies shall be for meate unto the fowles of heaven and to the beasts of the earth But on the contrarie Ahijah the Prophet telleth the wife of ieroboam concerning her sick sonne Abijah 1. King 24.12 vers 13 saying Arise get thee to thine house and when thy feete enter into the citty the child shall dye But all Israël shall mourne for him and bury him for hee onely of Ieroboam shall come to thegrave because in him there is found some good thinge towards the Lord God of Israel in the house of Ieroboam Againe wheÌ„ Huldah the Prophetesse did for etell the destruction of Ierusalem but a respite thereof in the time of Iosiah she tould him 2. King 22.20 saying Behould saith the Lord I will gather thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace Thus hath it often discovered the wrath of the All-mighty when the earkeises of the dead have beene denyed their funeralls and on the contrarie it hath sometimes manifested his love when they have peaceably beene brought to their longest home Buriall is the last of dueties which wee owe unto our friends to which both religion and nature and civilitie doe prompt us for ward When Isaak being ould and full of dayes Gen 35 29. did give up the ghost and dyed and was gathered unto his people his two sonnes Esau and Iacob buried him When Iohn the Baptist was beheaded in the prison Mat 14 12. his disciples came and tooke up the body and buried it The disciple that was willing to follow my Redeemer yet accounted it his duety to attend on the funerall of his deceased father and therfore desired saying c 8.21 Lord suffer mee first to goe and bury my father True it is that his request was denyed not as if Christ dis-liked his pietie but to teach him that nothing should hinder him from religion This was as greate an excuse as most that could have beene pleaded and yet even this had not force enough to prevayle for his departure Our father in heaven must be preferred in our service before the fathers of our flesh Againe it may be conceaved that the parent of the disciple dyed in un-beliefe it was therfore more proper that infidells should bury him who were dead to religion then that a disciple of Christ should mixe with the un-faithfull Howsoëver hee was not checked for desiring leave to bury his father but hee was commanded rather to follow his Master Even the glutton in the Gospel had so much favour as to be brought to his grave so saith the text The rich man allso dyed Lu. 16.22 Iob. 21.30 vers 32 vers 33 and was buried Though the wicked saith Iob is reserved to the day of destruction and shall be brought forth to the day of wrath yet shall hee be brought to the grave and shall remaine in the tombe The clods of the valley shall be sweete unto him and every man shall draw after him as there are innumerable before him Ps 49.14 Though death as the Psalmist speaketh doeth feede on the wicked and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning and their beawty shall consume from their dwellings yet in the grave shall it consume them and in the grave like sheepe shall they lye Thus the Prophet foretelling the buriall of my Redeemer Is 53.9 sayd Hee made his grave with the wicked the rich in his death It is then the duety of the living to provide even for the dead that they may be buried in peace But is it a matter of any moment in what place wee lay the bodies of our deceased friends Is it not all one whether in the fields or whether in our Golgotha's Noe doubtlesse for even the lawes of our land are so justly severe against idolaters that wee suffer not the convicted to be buried in our ground which is dedicated to this use Neither may they be permitted to mixe with our dead who have desperately become the murderers of themselves but they lye in the roades where a stake is set up to give notice to passengers that they unnaturally hastened their owne departure It is a matter of some moment to us who are living that wee lay our deceased friends in a place convenient for allthough it exteÌ„deth not to their knowledg yet it redoundeth to their honour When Iudas had given back the thirtie pieces of silver the price of him that was vallewed Mat 27 9. to the chiefe Priests that hired him they tooke counsell together and seing it was not fitt to mixe that money with the rest of their treasure because it was the price of blood vers 7. they bought the potter's field with it vers 6. to burie strangers vers 7. Thus they who would readily give a reward to a traitour were not so readie to be
minds that curse which wretched Ham the father of Canaan receaved from Noah when hee saw his nakednesse and tould his brethren Gen 9.25 Cursed said Noah be Canaan a servant of servants shall hee be to his brethren But because Shem and Iaphet tooke a garment vers 23 layd it upon their showlders and went backward and covered the nakednesse of their father and their faces were backward and they saw not their father's nakednesse therfore hee sayd Blessed be the Lord God of Shem vers 26 vers 27 and Canaan shall be his servant God shall enlarge Iaphet and hee shall dwell in the tents of Shem Canaan shall be his servant Consider with your selves that I am your mother Whatsoever imperfections yee have discovered in mee doe in some kind reflect even upon your selves for as your bodies were mine so my credit and good name you must account to be yours But I cannot thinke that yee will neede more advice for this which even nature it selfe should teach you to practise My time is but short my speech beginneth to saile mee I will not trouble you with much allthough something more I must say unto you which I hope yee will remember when I shall sleepe in the dust Your first and chiefest duety must allways be for the service of your God If yee will dayly observe the benefitts which hee sendeth you yee cannot choose but thanke him dayly for his blessings Let it be your care to ground your actions upon his written law Vnder-take nothing which is not warranted by his word and goe forward in nothing by unlawfull meanes or to a bad intent Beginne all in him and continue in him and end in him and hee himselfe will be your reward If yee allways preserve religion in your hearts yee will allways have quietnesse and content in your minds First make him your God and then distrust not his providence noe nor his love and compassion while yee remaine his children In whatsoever vocations yee shall leade your lives be sure that yee be conscionablie industrious and laborious in them then leave the event and the blessing to his good pleasure I would feine have you be his children much more then yee are mine for yee have nothing from mee but your sinne and corruption but from him you must expect both grace and glory If therfore yee strive to blesse and magnifie your God yee may be sure that your God will both blesse and glorifie you his children Prov. 10.22 Remember that the blessing of the Lord maketh rich and hee addeth noe sorrow with it Take heede therfore to your selves let him be in all your thoughts for even for them yee must account at his greate tribunall Take heede unto your words that they give none offence either to God or man Ps 62.4 There is a sort of people who blesse with their mouths but they curse in their inward parts I would not have you be of the number of them Ps 109 17. for as they love cursing so it shall happen unto them they delight not in blessing therfore shall it be farre from them vers 18 As they cloath themselves with cursing like as with a garment so it shall come into their bowells like water and like oyle into their bones Take heede allso unto your actions that there be not wickednesse in the intent nor sinne in the prosequution of them for howsoëver they shall appeare in the eye of the world they will be stricktly justly examined by the righteous judg First be yee sure that yee blesse your God and then yee may expect a blessing from him Deut 8 10. When yee have eaten and are full then yee shall blesse the Lord your God 1. Chrâ— 29.20 Remember the congregation of Israël how they blessed the Lord God of their fathers and bowed downe their heads and worshipped the Lord. Neh 9.5 Remember how the Levites encouraged the people unto it and said unto them Stand up and blesse the Lord your God for ever and ever and blessed be thy glorious name which is exalted above all blessing and praise Remember how the Psalmist moved them unto it when hee cryed Ps 66.8 O blesse our God yee people and make the voyce of his praise to be heard be thankfull unto him Ps 100.4 and blesse his name Remember how David resolved saying Ps 16.7 I will blesse the Lord which hath given mee counsell Remember how hee decreed saying I will blesse thee while I live Ps 63.4 I will lift up my hands in thy name Remember how hee encouraged his soule to this duety saying Ps 103 1. Blesse the Lord ô my soule and all that is within mee blesse his holy name vers 2. Blesse the Lord ô my soule and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine iniquities vers 3. who healeth all thy disease Remember how hee practised it when hee blesse the Lord before all the congregation 1. Chr 29.10 and sayd Blessed be thou Lord God of Israël our father for ever and ever vers 11 Thine ô Lord is the greatnesse and the power and the glory and the victory and the majestie for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine thine is the Kingdome ô Lord and thou art exalted as head above all vers 12 Both riches and honour come from thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and might and in thine hand it is to make greate and to give strength unto all Now therfore our God wee thanke thee vers 13 and praise thy glorious name And remember how Ezra blessed the Lord Neh. 8.6 the greate God and all the people answered Amen Amen with lifting up their hands and they bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground Thus if yee blesse him if yee love him if yee honour him if yee obey him hee will so blesse you that yee shall delight in his service and be filled with his goodnesse Carie in your minds those words of the Psalmist Ps 128.1 Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord that walkeeh in his wayes For thou shalt eate the labour of thine hands vers 2. happy shalt thou be Ier 17.7 and it shall be well with thee Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is Gen. 25 11. Remember how after the death of Abraham God blessed his Sonne Isaak So hee may you and so hee will you when I your poore feeble mother am streched forth and returned to the earth if yee will heare his â—…yce and observe his statutes If so yee will â—oe Deut 14.29 then the Lord your God will blesse you in â—ll the workes of your hands which yee shall doe Hee who created man in his owne image both â—ale and female and blessed them Gen. 1.27 even the same Lord will