in a blind man Light and life are best together The first is the sweete eating of the Booke Ezech. 3. 3. The second is the bitter disgesting of it The one giueth Grace contentment in secret the other proueth the sinceritie of that Grace to man For our owne joye the first hath a sufficiencie but for the edification of others and our confirmation in our calling and election The second is necessar If naked knowing bee sufficient Sathan is a most perfect creature Hee excelleth all men in the knowledge of good euill but is behind all men in affecting them He knoweth not good to loue seeke it nor euill to hate and flee from it but his affections actions are set crosse to his knowledge Hee is in that same degree of wickednesse that hee is in excellencie of vnderstanding His searching and pearcing wit hath purchased him the name of an vnderstanding Spirit but his wickednesse calleth him Sathan an enemie to God The union and worke of both craueth some solide and inward ground Outward meanes may occasion them and inward motions set them on worke but they cannot haue a constant byding in vs without a byding ground and principle The life of God is this ground What supernaturall thing we doe without it is but hypocriticall or occasionall and easilie intermitted The Fountaine of this life is God himselfe and where this Fountaine is there is sufficiencie for Theorie practise Without him our professing is hypocrisie our minting vanitie and our actions will die and end in their beginning Wee can doe nothing that is good without him and with him wee shall bee able to approue our selfe in a liuely Theorie and a well grounded practise As without Christ wee can doe nothing Ioh. 15. 5. So I am able to doe all things through the helpe of Christ who strengtheneth me Philip. 4 13 Yet not I but the grace of God which is with me 2. Cor. 15. 10. 48. The ambitious man dieth of his disease DOubtlesse Ambition is foolish and God in Iustice doeth crosse it in the greatest designes But the humble man is truely wise and God casteth more humane respect on him than hee desireth The Ambitious man hunteth after honour but it flyeth from him What euer bee his worth in this hee is vnworthie that hee thirsteth honour It is not guided by blind Fortune but by a seeing prouidence and flyeth from them who proudlie affect it and waiteth on them who modestlie decline it He fetcheth and sucketh wind out of euery Airth but when he seekth it most there is greatest calme both in respect of his desire and indeed What is lacking that way hee supplyeth it by his owne breath of vntymous selfe praise but that auaileth not all mens breathing in a shippe will not fill the sailes hee is the more vile in the eyes of the wise the lowder hee proclaime his owne supposed vertues The humble man neither intendeth nor affecteth honour yet it followeth him As the shaddow followeth the bodie so doth true honour to true worth Hee hath more of that gale of winde than hee craueth and the more it blow hee is the more dejected his care is to keepe him from schelues and rockes before so faire a winde God is witnesse to his Soule that heerein hee hath a secrete dejection and still compting himselfe the vilest sinner in the earth Hee wonders at that mercie that hath so vndeseruedlie blessed him and knoweth not how to beginne to bee thankfull Hee is more pensiue how to pay the debt of gratitude to God than puft vp in taking it on And saith with Dauid Who am I Lord God and who is my Fathers house that thou hast brought mee hitherto And finding himselfe vnable to thanke God as hee ought and would hee calleth God to witnesse his earnestnesse to honour God What can Dauid say more to thee For thou Lord knowest the heart of thy seruant And the more hee is swallowed vp in that sweet drowning sense of Gods loue hee is the nearer to true exaltation Hee feeleth then the trueth of that Martyrs word who said HEE THAT PRAISETH MEE SCOVRGETH MEE of the word of God That hee resisteth the proude and giueth grace to the humble 49. Good Spirits are most free of passions GReat Spirits haue least passions but base Spirites are most passionate The first is aboue their businesse and not soone moued the other is vnder all accidents and perplexed in euery thing The one as a large vessell containeth easilie water cast in it and the other as a small vessell runneth ouer If the power of Princes were in the hands of priuate men or the passions of priuate men in the hands of Princes the world could not stand But God hath wisely separate them that power without passion may bee profitable and passions without power may bee harmelesse The highest Mountaines haue least storme and wind on their tops but the raines and tempest ouer-run the low hilles valleyes There are few worldly Princes but in Grace wee are called to this heauenly principalitie to command our passions The holy Spirit maketh the Soules of the truelie sanctified as the fleece of Gideon They are free of passions and perturbations while others are drowned in them Broken water is in the shallow Seas But the deepe Seas haue a soft swelling and not these violent breakings If wee bee translated from Nature to Grace wee are aboue the surprysing of accidents and bitternesse of injuries and so are secured from the violence of our owne passions Our heart is in the secret of God and our head aboue the Heauens while our state or body is buffeted on earth our Soules enjoye a pleasant serenitie in the face of GOD. 50. God alone better than all HEe shifteth much needlesse labour and prouideth great contentment who closeth himselfe with God alone To deale with man alone beside God is both an endlesse fruitlesse labour If we haue coūsel to aske helpe or benefite to obtaine or approbation to seek there is none end with man For euery man we must haue sūdrie reasons motiues and what pleaseth one will offend twentie as many heads as many wits and fansies No man can giue contentment to all or change himselfe in so many fashions as he shall encounter humours And yet it is more easie to take sundrie fashions than to bee actiue in them Hee preasseth to lift water in a sife and sand in open fingers who thinketh so to carrie himselfe as to please all He is prodigall of the peace of his soule and carelesse of good successe who maketh man either his rule or his rewarder That Spirit must bee rent asunder that applyeth it selfe to the contrarietie of mens opinions Mans bodilie senses both ruleth and ouerruleth his reason therefore as hee seeth men and not God so he preferreth seene man to an unseene GOD But when hee shall see God in the clouds at the last day all mankynd present they shall all bee
I am triumphing ouer him And while I am breaking his power his policie supplanteth mee if I bee dejected for that which is my glorie It is my Coronation day why should I be ashamed of it Ioseph and Mordecay were not so base minded as to sorrow at their preferment and why should I not rejoyce at this my greatest exaltation to bee taken vp to Heauen and honoured to an equalitie with Angels and conformitie with Christ. Arise therefore O my Soule and make thee for thy last birth day Come foorth of this Bodie wherein thou dwellest and out of this greater Tabernacle from this visible worlde and goe to God So long as thou art inclosed in the straite bounds of the creature thou cannot enjoy freely thy Creator Arise and mak thee readie to meete thy Bridegroome hee is comming to thee and his reward is with him prepare thy Lampe powre out thine Oyle make thee to meete him who is comming to thee and hath wooed thee to himselfe Lift vp thine eares and heare the howling of euill spirites triumphed and subdued and the encouraging shouting of the glorious Spirites how all that Queere of Heauen doe gladlie desire to take thee in their number to keepe thy part of their harmonie of the new Song to the praise of God And lift vp thine head now full of hope to receiue that Crowne of Glorie which Christ hath purchased to thee and is readie to set vpon thee O Lord I haue foughten my fight I haue finished my race and keeped the Faith hencefoorth is laide vp for mee the Crowne of Righteousnesse which God the Righteous Iudge will giue to mee and not onelie to mee but also to all that loue his glorious comming 2 Timoth. 4. Will thou know what is this noyse about thee it is the hand of thy Lord softlie loosing the pinnes and slakening the coards of thy Tabernacle it is the noyse of his Chariots that hee hath sent from Heauen to bring thee to him Olde Iakob reuiued when he saw Iosephs Chariots to bring him to Egypt though his posteritie were thereafter in thrall shall thou not bee glad to goe vp in these Coaches to Heauen where thou shalt euer bee with Ioseph and vnder a good King who knoweth Ioseph and will neuer die This noyse is nothing but the sound of Christs key opening thy prison and fetters Lift vp thine head and rejoyce for thy Redemption is at hand hee that is to come will come and not delay Behold hee commeth and his reward is with him Thou shall heare in due time the voyce of thy beloued crying Arise my spouse my beloued arise and come away for the winter of thy calamitous life is gone the raines of thine affliction are passed Cant 2. Fearefull indeede are the cryes which torment the wicked at Death The cry of their sinnes accusing them the Law condemning them the Conscience tormenting them the Gospel testifying their contempt of it Sathan insulting ouer them and of a craftie tempter become a cruell tormenter The creature cursing them for wearying it with sinne and vanitie The Heauen debarring them and the hells gapping for them But I thanke God in Christ I haue a better cry in some measure and hope to heare it more at the last My Conscience comforting mee in the peace of God The Law absoluing mee because it is satisfied for mee in Christ my Cautioner The Gospel testifying my delight in it and care to beleeue and obey it Sathan and his Angels lamenting their disappointment The Heauens opened to receiue my Soule and Angels readie to carie it to Heauen So long as thou hearest these sweete voyces the noyse of Death shall not trouble thee All this noyse of a decaying bodie is for thy libertie as it decayeth thou shalt increase as it goeth to the Earth thou goest to Heauen You came from diuerse beginnings the bodie of the Earth and God put thee in it in your loosing you seeke backe to these beginnings the bodie to the dust and thou to God that gaue thee thou wilt bee stronger freer cleanner when thou can not vtter thy selfe to man than euer thou was before The Ballance are well casten when the more the body returneth to dust the more thou ascendest to God thy Sauiour I finde a change whereof I neuer thinke to repent a great change without losse My bodilie eyes waxe dimme but my minde seeth God more cleerely Mine eares are slow of hearing men but my Spirit quicke in hearing the consolations of the holy Spirit My taste distasteth meate but the delight in tasting the sweetenesse of God increaseth All my naturall powers are failing but my Spirit is more vigorous in affecting and more peaceable in resting vpon God and his happinesse It it a fearefull change which goeth all to the worse and in end to destruction but this change is all to the better and shall end in Saluation This is a sure token that as I haue not enjoyed mine happinesse heere so I haue not lost it heere But liuing in the hope and beginnings of it I am now going to the possession of it This my change tendeth to happinesse though the body by dissolution seeme to goe farre about yet it is in the way to its owne perfection And thy change is directlie for it from Faith to sight from hope to possession and both Soule and bodie in their seuerall perfections shall bee in the last day conjoyned to make vp my compleatest perfection There shall neither bee sinne nor paine in bodie or Spirit all miseries of both shall bee gone and happinesse of both shall bee compleate That worke of Gods Grace perfected in glorie and his hand crowning my desires with enjoying himselfe Many unions hath thou with the bodie and but one separation In our creation in Adam an union in innocencie in my birth an union in vncleannes I am begotten and borne according to the image of Adam fallen and sinfull in the resurrection I shall haue a glorious union in Christ and but onelie one separation in Death This separation is now needefull it was threatned in Paradice if wee offended and now I cannot enter in Heauen without it except I either liue till the last day and be changed or be translated as Enoch and Elias To hold all mankind aliue till the last day is against GODS appointment who hath drawne our dayes to an hand-breadth To bee translated is the priuiledge of a few and cannot bee the lot of all Therfore the separation is in mercie that the Soule may enter in Glorie and the bodie rest in hope for a time It is not casten away but laide vp and God hath a speciall care of the dust of it to raise it vp againe When our friends and neighbours haue laide it in the cold clay they leaue it there but God leaueth it not but keepeth it till the last day Since there can neither goodly be an holding of Soule and bodie together till the last day neither a translating
sinne in Christ and in a good Conscience What wonder that the godlie and wicked vpon so contrare grounds and respects haue so contrare thoughts and desires of Death Thou hast builded my Soule vpon these best grounds and filled it with consideration of the best respects of Death therefore it is that I loue it and desire it as thy Messenger in mercie for mine eternall good As Laban welcomed Abrahams seruant and said Come in thou blessed of the Lord so I sette mee not to flee but occure to it not to shune it but to welcome it Nothing affrayeth man more at the sight of Death than vncertaintie of his estate after it Euerie one at death is as a man on an edge of an high Hill all must leepe but euerie one knoweth not where he shall light To the wicked the valley is darke and mistie they know not what shall become of them after Death dulefull is the parting of that Soule and bodie that part vnder sinne and wrath At best they are in this confused vncertaintie not knowing their future estate and if they haue any knowledge it is all spent in mutuall accusing coÌ„demning at the last day and mutuall tormenting in Hell as authors and furtherers of sin Their Soule curseth their bodie because it was too readie an instrument to execute the wicked desires of it And the bodie shall curse the Soule because it was an euill guide to misleede it in sin They liue now in coÌ„cord mutuall flatterie of other which is nothing but their conspiracie against God But when both are sensible of their estate they shall curse other mutuallie As they part at Death so shall they bee joyned at the last day and curse other eternallie in the Hell vpon the same grounds But to the godlie all things are contrare They know whither they goe after Death and their Soules and Bodies at their parting blesse one another for their joynt happinesse in the state of Grace and in mutuall testifying of their seuerall labour in the Lord for attaining that happinesse They part full of the peace of God full of the desire of their reunion and full of the hope of it and eternall Glorie thereafter Thou hast blessed mee with this certainetie For my bygone condition thou perswadest me of my Calling and Election and hast made them sure in me by thy constant working since thou called mee to Grace For my present estate I finde my selfe vnder thy fauour in Christ reconcealed to thee in him as one of thy called and chosen Ones For my future estate I know that my Redeemer liueth and that hee shall stand at the latter day vpon the Earth And though after my skinne wormes consume this bodie yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my selfe and not another for mee though my reines bee consumed within mee Iob. 19. 25. I know that if the earthlie house of this Tabernacle were dissolued I haue a building of God an house not made of hands in Heauen 2. Cor. 5. 1. Many seeke certaintie of vncertainties to secure their worldlie state on Earth and neglect their spirituall state in thee But all fastening in the world is loosnesse and a losing of a better But I seeke for a certaintie of that better substance By the Grace working Faith in mee thou hast made mee more certaine what shall become of my Soule and bodie after Death than I am of my goods in the world I haue no promise of their particular state thy Prouidence will secure it selfe of them and they may possiblie fall in the hand of mine enemies But as for my Bodie I know it shall rest in hope in the dust till the Resurrection and my Soule shall bee carried to Abrahams bosome Thou hast tolde mee whither I shall goe when I die euen to that Land of Light and Libertie to these Mansions which Christ in the Heauen hath prepared for mee And for thy loue and desire to bee with thee in them I visite them daylie When at euening morning and midday yea seuen times a day I call on thee my Father in Heauen then am I visiting these Mansions I cannot bow my knee religiouslie to thee but mine heart is then with thee adoring thee in the Heauen of heauens In the time of thy worshippe when I seeke thy face though my Bodie bee on the Earth yet my Soule is beholding thy face thereby acquainting my selfe with the light of thy countenance which I hope to enjoye for euer Thou knowest I counted not these for dayes of my life wherein I did not often draw neare to thee on the throne of Grace almost continuallie setting thee before mee and disposing my Soule and bodie as worthie of thy sight Shall I not then know that way after Death which I daylie haue troden in my life Or shall that light which now leadeth mee in the darknesse of this life be put out at Death I must die but it will not die to mee Thy face that now inlightneth mee shall send out a more glorious splendour in the houre of my Death than euer it sent in this life There is no feare of darknesse in the path of Death when the discouered face of God in mercie shineth on mee and perfectlie inlighteneth mee in that glorious light When bodilie senses doe faile the spirituall sense and sight succeed in their perfection I haue in this life but a small candle lighted at the meanes of Grace in reading hearing and meditation But when these meanes end and mine outward senses doe cease from their work I shall take light immediatelie from God himselfe hee worketh by his ordinance so long as their necessitie or vse remaineth but when these end he commeth in himselfe and worketh more fullie I neede not bee grieued nor my friends cry out in the bitternes of heart when my senses faile The light that I looke for in Death shall as farre exceed my present light as the Sunne in his full beautie at mid-day exceedeth the light of a small candle I shall finde no darknesse in the passage of Death since I am in Christ Hee who is in him shall not walke in darknesse but shall haue the light of Life The immediate â—ight of God needeth not the use of outward meanes It shall bee no losse to mee when perfection supplieth and succeedeth imperfection Thou hast also acquainted mee with Death and made mee feele in some beginnings and resemblance that same which I will finde at his dint that sentence of Death putteth mee to the hight of Resolution and I am vnder thine hand as Isaak vnder the hand of Abraham bound and layed on the Altar and know nothing but that the stroke will come I am readie for it and looke for none other than dissolution But thou knowest thy thoughts concerning mee If thou spare mee at this time this lesson is profitable that thou hast shewed mee the face of Death and yet brought mee backe againe As tender and louing
desires of a breathing and the dimensions of a breathlesse VVretch So small an hole will hold his corps whose hopes deuoured all the Earth It is good for them in their life to take the just measure of their bodie Little will containe it why should they trouble the world with their idle and endles desires What although hee could accomplish his hopes and possesse all the Earth yet were hee but earth on earth and beeing loden with that thicke clay when he goeth to dust shall make as small addition to the Earth in quantitie as the possession of it addeth to his worth Surely their spirit in this case is more lifelesse than their carcase it is a just punishment for their wormish heart to bee cast backe in the dust which they so much affected Let them desire as they will in the end Death will deuoure them Mankynde is as glad to want him as the Earth is to haue him As a pest hee troubled men continually and laboured to turne their lottes in his bosome but now both rejoyce in his death While his friendes lament him both mankynde and Earth rejoyce that their trouble is cast out 18. Wise expounding of Gods wayes â—Ee haue no greater griefes than these of our owne procurement and the foolish expounding of Gods wayes is a great one Wee looke to some particular of his proceeding and sticke on it and rather vpon a crosse than vpon a blessing And if wee goe further wee judge thereby both his purpose and end The worke in our judgement importes both simple anger present and destruction to follow This is a great errour and is shortlie auenged on vs It maketh vs doubt of his good purpose and almost dispaâ—e of the good end But God chooseth for the best end the hardest way both to proue his owne power and to try our faith It is better to expound his wayes by his purpose and end than these by his wayes Though hee should draw vs through Hell yet let vs still bee assured of Heauen His decree is sure as his end certaine they are in him fixed and the way betwixt them lying through many occasions and actions haue difficulties and bad appearance but alongst all these thorters his good-will slideth soft and sure And if our heart bee settled anent his purpose of our election and haue pledges of his end of our glorification wee shall both ouer come the difficulties of the way and resting on the decree shall obtaine the end What albeit the middle linkes of this chaine of our Saluation doe shake on the Earth Since both the ends of it are in Gods hand yea fastened in his heart And hee hath so joyned the linkes of it among themselues that they can neither slippe nor breake and it selfe as fast as hee is vnchangeable His heart must bee pulled out of him before he change his purpose he will denie himselfe ere hee delate his inacted decree All our considerations of our present eternall state are but loose and slipperie till our heart bee fixed in the heart of God 19. The tryall of our time A Wise Traueller considereth in what part of his journey hee is and a wise disposer of his dyet noteth his age temper of his body so a good Christian marketh the tyme of the world and in what periode of the tyme hee liueth All tymes turne in the Circle 1. of Prosperitie in aboundance of Gods blessing 2. Profanesse in the abuse of these blessings 3. Punishment for that abuse 4. Repentance vnder punishment that wee may enter againe in prosperitie as the beginning of that Circle It auaileth greatlie to know in which of these foure wee are if wee bee in the time of Peace and Prosperitie to know the time of our visitation and to use aright the things that concerne our peace If in the tyme of profannesse to eschew sinne and keepe vs from the wickednesse of our tyme If vnder punishment that wee repent tymouslie Doubtles this tyme of the reformed Churches is the tyme of punishment we haue had long Prosperitie the cleare light of the Gospel and offer of Saluation but haue abused it and now God is reuenging on vs the quarrell of his Couenant Leuit. 26. 25. Let euerie one mourne for his owne sinnes and the sinnes of his tyme that hee may haue his Soule for a prey He is voide both of the feare of God and the care of his owne Saluation who now turneth not to God when his Word and Workes of justice about vs and our owne conscience within vs call vs to teares it is tyme to afflict our Soules for our sinnes If wee cannot deprecate common calamities yet wee shall receiue the Murners marke on our forehead Ezech. 9. for our owne saftie And God who had the Arke for Noah and Zoar for Lot shall bind vp our Soule in the bundell of life 1. Sam. 25. 26. Since wee haue not used our former tymes well it is not good to lose the tyme of Repentance also If wee doe there will bee no more regresse to peace but vtter exterminion But if wee returne to God with all our heart when he hath purged his Church by his fierie tryall hee will cast the rod of his anger in the fire and turne our mourning in a pleasant peace O Lord wee waite for thy Saluatioâ— Gen. 49. 20. Short care for a short life THe workes of the most part of men tell that they thinke not of Heauen or that such a heauen as they minde is on earth They seeke earthly thinges and compt their happinesse by their obtaining and their miserie by their want Riches Honour Fame Pleasure c. are the hight of their reach and that not in a small measure as passengers for the way but excessiuelie as possessors of their end No care of another life because no minde of it Or if the thought of Heauen bee forced vpon them it is soone banished by the strength of earth-delights Their desires are as base as the beasts worse for the beast can doe no more and ought no more But men are reasonable and called to Heauen They may reckon on many branches with wormes they come of the earth liue on it creepe on it and in end creepe in it and more wormish than they being more affected with the dungue of the Earth digged out of the bowels of it than with the Heauen What priuiledge their body hath in beeing liuing earth they loose it in seeking lifelesse earth for their happinesse Both doe heere agree an earthly life and an earthly spirit spent in the cares of the Earth But a friend of the life of God lifteth vp the renewed Spirit to heauenlie things It cannot be so basely abject as to mynde and glutte the baggage of the Earth But as it is from aboue so it is all sette on things aboue and turneth euen the necessar and moderate cares of this life to an heauenlie temper by that reference that it hath in their use
weake meanes Clay layed to Clay Dust vnto Dust and the shaddow of Death a refreshment of wearines Our nourishment is but dust and our sleepe an image of Death and Death in end must dissolue that dust that standeth vpon so base pillers and is so oft wrapped vp in the image of it Though the first worke of our nourishment bee to susteene the bodie in life yet in a second worke it furnisheth matter of diseases and so of Death And though our Sleepe in it selfe refresh vs yet it is a presage and an earnest of a longer sleepe in Death If Sicknesse fasten on the Body for remeede thereof I take on another disease Medicine is indeede a gift of God a necessitie to Nature an enemie to the corruption of it and haâ—sh and vnpleasant to the integritie of it yet when I render my selfe to it I embrace a lesser Death for avoyding a greater One dolour is a remeede to another dolour And all is but an off-putting for a time Mortalitie is so seased in the bodie that our life is stollen through innumerable diseases and deathes and in end a yeelding to Death This is the miserie of a mortall bodie in the circle of daylie and vnavoydable necessities and at last in despite of all their supplies a necessitie of Death The Soule is more burdensome in this lumpish bodie rent asunder with corruption and passions their distresses more oppressing it than these paines did the bodie It is now forced with temptation if it bee strenthened it is in danger of pride for deliuerie The remeede of one temptation is turned in the matter of a worse The naturall powers in their worke doe trouble it the ImaginatioÌ„ runneth out in phansies the Mind in inquiring is vexed and tortured by scruples The Will in inclyning declining and suspending is not so much delighted with good as crossed with the euill object and that work of it is a toyle to it selfe and to vs The Affections sette contrare Feare Sorrow Hatred tormenting vs and Hope Ioy and Loue busying vs more in their object suspended remoued hurt or destroyed than they doe in the enjoying of it Neuer any of these sweete affections in vs alone but their coÌ„trare is fixed on them while wee are in hope or joye and enjoying of God wee feare to lose that joye and sorrow commeth in with that feare But the torment of temptatioÌ„ is intolerable that Satan doth so far preuaile in vs as to stir vp our inbred corâ—uptioÌ„ that our corruption doth yeeld to him we our selues in a perpetuall trouble either watching ouer temptions that they surprise vs not or resisting them when they are moued or repenting for them when they haue preuailed to our insnaring And the Conscience aboue all sette on a continuall worke to direct vs aright in all our wayes to try our obedience to her direction and if wee haue failed to torment vs in our arriegning before Gods Tribunall and the feare and sense of his wrath to come How can I either delight to dwell in this Bodie or carrie about so grieuous a burden as this A vile prison an hole of Serpents and Coâ—katrices A body of earth and a bodie of sinne and death in it a masse of corruption euer stirred of Sathan and breaking out of it selfe Heere is a burthen insupportable a labour without end The sense of it selfe is enough to the sensible Soule to mourne for abyding in it and to cry VVoe is mee that I abide so long in Mesech or dwell in the tents of Kedar And miserable man that I am who shall deliuer mee from this bodie of Death It is impossible that perfect happinesse can lodge in so miserable a creature It craueth a Soule and bodie perfect and free of all euill therefore I must bee dissolued ere I bee perfected the Soule purified in God from all sinfulnesse and the bodie refined in the earth from all frailtie and so the whole man freed of all miserie Though fleshly Selfe-loue sometimes blind mee to desire to abide in this body yet a bettâ—r loue of my selfe in GOD biddeth mee desire to bee dissolued that I may bee perfected The greater light the greater libertie in visiting these Mansions in Heauen and adoring my God who hath prepared them for mee The greater libertie the gearter desire to bee out of this bodie wherein so long as I dwell I am absent from God and these Mansions where I long to enjoy him This is the miserie of a sinfull Soule And though our Soâ—le had peace our bodie constant health yet our Lot is vnder continuall changes Our Husband and Wife Parents and Children Friendes and Familiars are subject to Sicknesse and Death Our name is subject to Infamie and Calumnies Our goods layed open to mans deceit or violence and to Gods most free and just Providence They are either with holden from vs or taken from vs or if they remaine with vs they decay So wee are either chastened with a simple want of them or a losse or a change Our Lotte in it selfe is a blessing of God but this change and decay is a matter of griefe and feare As though God did augment our Lot for this end to augment the marke for his Arrowes and the matter of our griefe There is nothing whereof wee can say that either wee shall haue it long or in that same state wherein it is now It is either subject to want in measure or change in standing There is none houre wherein we are not either vnder a sorrowfull remembrance of bygone Calamities or vnder sense of some present or vnder a fearefull foresight of Calamities to come This is the miserie of a changeable Lotte All these miseries God hath layed vpon man to humble him thereby Ecclesi 1. 13. and to make him wearie of this present life For man that is borne of a woman is of a short continuance and full of trouble Iob. 14. 1. Hee is borne to trouble as sparkes flee vpward Iob. 5. 7. If wee found full and constant prosperitie heere wee would desire to remaine in this life There is neither necessitie nor desire of a better life in them who find all things according to their heart in this life But God hath so tempered the Cup to his dearest Children that it hath more gall and worme-wood than honie and more sowre than sweete Our life is short in it selfe and made shorter by grieuous Calamities If wee count onlie that tyme for our life wherin we haue beene free of Feare of Sense or memorie of euill it will bee shorter than the naturall course of life if all bee well examined scarcelie shall the best liuing finde so many peaceable houres as his naturall life hath dayes God knoweth that naturallie wee are giuen to nest in the world as birds To roote in it as Trees sit fast in it as Rockes Therefore hee changeth our Lotte and crosseth our contentment that hee may both loose vs and keepe vs loose
chase Thee from the Earth O my Soule Miseries made Pegans to desire death but they saw not a Glorie to come God hath enlightned thee in the face of Christ thou knowest that there is Glorie layed vp for thee in the Heauen thou belieuest it hopest for it thou hast tasted it and is vnder a longing desire of it Call thy selfe to minde of the dayes of olde when either a sense of mercie or more usuallie affliction sent thee to God did hee not then allure thee to the wildernesse and speake to thine heart Hosea 2. 14. Wast thou not then vnder his liberall hand as a small vessell vnder a large Fountaine Did not his joyes so abound in thee that thou could neither receiue them all nor keep them in the measure that thou receiued them Tell me what was then thy comfort Thy God so sensible to thee in that diffusion of his loue that thou wast in a sort drawen out of thy selfe at least drawne out of mee Could thou either holde thine affection off God or containe it when it returned to thee Could thou lodge it or God that it brought with it or that sense of him and joye that it reported to thee Did not thy bodie partake of that thy joy with a sweete complacence it rested on that sense and was glad to bee so honoured as to bee a lodging of a Spirit which had so sweete and friendlie an intercourse with God When his loue shed abroad in thee could not abid in these boundes whither was thy griefe greater that so good a God should bee at any time displeased by thee or thy joye because hee was then reconcealed to thee Then atonce were the deepe groanes both of griefe and joy but more of joye than griefe and of joye for that holy griefe for offending so good a Father If thou remember these excessiue joyes why doest not thou mak good use of them They were not giuen thee for that time only but for this that is now What were these tastes first fruits but as the wine grapes that the Spyes broght out of Canaan They were so great that they could not beare them in their hand but were a burden to two men When these two senses of spirituall joy Sonlie griefe reported their burthen of an excessiue sweetnesse was not that a taste of the fruite of Canaan If a Cluster of that Land be so sweete so great to thee What shall thou finde when thou enters in that Land How can thou but loue that Land that hath such fruits long for the fulnesse of that fruite that is so sweete to thy taste when thou wast vnder that sens◠thou was more in God than in thy selfe and more in Heauen than on Earth Since the remembrance of it doeth both present the Image of it and waken it selfe againe in thee Be of good courage enter and possesse the Land God hath discouered it to thee off the toppe of Nebo and Pisgah Thou hast tasted the fruite of it by the report of the Spyes Lay hold on it by the hand of thy loue longing desire God hath cast downe the walles of Iericho before thee and hath wounded the world the sonnes of Anake at thy conuersion and daylie is killing the sonnes of Harapha in thy daylie battells Bee strong and goe fordward for God is before thee Consider by the satietie of the tastes how great a satietie thou shalt haue in Heauen when the smallest blinke of Gods face made thee patientlie to beare forget thy greatest affliction what shall that full presence worke in thee In his presence is fulnes of joy and at his right hand are pleasures for euermore Psal. 16. If thy taste bee vpright thou cannot but long for that fulnesse thou must welcome the Messenger that calleth thee to it How can I but long for a change betwixt two so contrare estates present miserie grieueth mee and future Glorie gladeth me in hope The Earth thrusteth mee from it and the Heauen allureth and draweth mee to it Who can indure such a violence of an out thrusting earth and alluring Heauen Sathans snares doe vex mee heere beneath and the sweetnesse of Christ pulleth mee aboue Naturall miseries made naturall men to desire Death and shall I not desire it more who haue an hope and sight of Glorie which they knew not I will not bee as a Meteor in the Aire betweene them two but I resolue to leaue the Earth that I may goe to Heauen Who can either delight to abide in such an Earth or refuse to goe to such an Heauen All things here inforce a remouing Our life a weariesome journey our walking in it laborious and it selfe a way and not our end And while wee are heere we are absent from God But in Heauen all is contrare our life shall bee pleasant without labour It is our end and not the way Our home in the presence of God This is sufficient to chase thee from Earth and sette thy desires on Heauen Art thou walking in the valey of the shaddow of Death yet feare not euill for God is with thee and in thee and thou in him Can a man that is in God die the death No more than Life can die can that man die that liueth in God As wee are in Christ wee are in life and that life of his euen himselfe can not die so farre art thou from dying in him at death that thou liueth more by death and in it than before it None can take that frō me on the Earth which God is keeping for mee in Heauen My life is not in this bodie nor in the world but in God in heauen It is hid with Christ in God Coloss. 3. 3. And the life that I liue I liue by the Faith of the Sonne of God Galat. 2. 20. My death commeth not so much of paines thrusting mee out of this bodie as of that life and fountaine of it in God sucking and drawing my Soule to it and that not to slay or destroy it but to quicken and perfect it Consider thy selfe art thou not dwyning and dying in this life when sinne liueth in thee and stayeth thee from good and compelleth thee to euill The Bodie though an helpe as it is boared through by the windowes of fiue Senses yet it is an hinder to thy proficiencie perfectiō of knowledge doing A Cage suffereth the Bird to looke through the wyres yet it is a prison to keepe it from libertie When thou art loosed from that cage thou shalt haue greater light in libertie As Christ himselfe ouercame Death so will he doe in mee Sathan did hound it at him as his last and most fearefull mastiue but he destroyed it they went together in others grippes to the Graue but Christ did strangle it in the owne dungeon Hee arose and left it behind him as a conquered and triumphed Enemy he did not that for himself but for vs his owne Bodie will doe it in euerie one
more they can procure both the intermission of his worke a temporall desertion though hee neuer depart simplie from the Elect. Wee can not fore-see his comming but wee may feele his working The worke it selfe telleth vs that hee is in the worke When hee lurketh what confusions in the minde and disorder in the heart In great businesse we make but slow speed all is in a manner forced and nothing doeth promise the desired successe But when hee showeth himselfe O what a change in the Soule Illumination is great in the varietie and the clearnesse of light and euerie power hath the owne seale stamping the heart all goeth then so easelie as the Soule sufficeth not to take vp particularlie his working In that diuine worke it findeth the power of a diuine Nature no creature can either worke so mightily in vs or affect vs in that kinde or degree It hath more increase of light affection sense and sweetnesse in one houre than in some other moneths As the Soule moueth the bodie so hee moueth his giftes and graces in vs which are as a carcase without him Hee is both the worker teacher of his own operations moueth vs to mak due use of them his desertions are grieuous but his felt operations doe largely recoÌ„pence that grief It is good both to feare eschew his desertioÌ„ but when we find it to comfort our selfe in the remembrance of his bygone and assurance of his future working to our former joys His work is euer powerful but not euer seÌ„sible We know that the hand of the Horolodge hath moued when it commeth to the houre but our sight discerneth not the mouing of it His worke is oft-ten secret to vs and yet forcible Thereby our condition is changed to the better though we obserue not aye the progresse of that bettering When hee both worketh in vs sauing Graces and a feeling of his worke so that his worke and our sense of it doe meete together that is our vnspeakable Ioye 3. The fruitfull worke of our thoughts AS our thoughts are called light so is our accompt of their worke They are restlesse and wee are carelesse what and how they worke no man can hold them within both outward things draw them out and themselues are giuen to wandring euen while wee are musing to hold them in order as water they slide away In their going out they carrie the soule with them and at their returne report some fruite of the matter which they considered But many doe neither obserue their going out nor their returne they let them out on euerie thing mak use of nothing some are worse in a profaine libertie they send them out on impious and naughty matters and take them home fraughted with pernicious and sinfull reports God hath giuen vs our Soule for a better use as he hath set it in the bodie to quicken and moue it so also to keepe a fruitefull intercourse with outward things If it went simplie out of the bodie death would follow If it remained inclosed in it there could bee no intercourse with outward things God hath appointed a midde way that the substance of it shall abide in the bodie but it sendeth out the thoughts as fearchers and intercommers Our best in this kinde is to follow Gods appointment not to let our thoughts wander rackelessie but to send them in order not on euerie trifle but on good things and at their returne to receiue their worke in order A wise Soule in this Thought-work is as a Bee-hyue all the powers are in labour a continuall going out and returning no power idle and none returne emptie and all their obseruations as Honie laid vp for use It gathereth and disgesteth in it selfe a substance masse of purified knowledge and that for affection and action and all of them for the obedience of God and union with him Fixed endes make an well ordered and fruitfull course It is good to intend the good of our callings and then to set our Thoughts to worke about the way Painters draw first the lines theÌ„ fill vp the spaces compleat the portrate And Frost turneth first the face of water in hard lines and then equalleth all with yce And the bodie of a childe in the wombe hath first the noble partes framed then all is filled vp to the comelie proportion of a bodie So the bodie of profitable knowledge hath first the noble partes framed in our fixed designes then the enterjected spaces are filled vp by the Minds daylie labour A ball striken in the open fielde goeth straight out from vs but in a Tinnice the wall maketh it returne to our hand So if our thoughts goe out rackleslie they â—uanish But if wee hem them within the compasse of fixed intentions of our calling and particular taske therein they come home with pertinent obseruations In the first case they are as the Rauen fleeing about the Arke of Noe but not entring in it In the next they are as the Doue returning wearie at Euening with the fatnesse and peaceablnesse of the Oliue 4. Gods peace a sweete Vade-mecum HEalth of Bodie and peace of Conscience are two substantiall blessings Without them other blessinges are not pleasant to vs and this Peace is better than Health as the Soule is better than the bodie The ground of it is Gods free loue the price of it Christs satisfaction the worker of it Gods owne Spirit the mettell vpon which he stampeth it is a good Conscience the fruite of it the joye of the holie Ghost It cannot bee keeped but by great circumspectnesse Sathan cannot endure such a Iewell in the midst of his kingdome It is vineger to his teeth and smoak to his eyes to see Gods children full of this peace in the midst of all his snares wee haue it in the world but not of it neither can the world know it nor giue it nor take it from vs. It sweetneth the bitternesse of our afflictions and doubleth the sweetnesse of prosperitie Goe with it whither wee will we haue a better jewell in our heatrs than all the treasures on earth O what comfort is it when wee lift vp our heartes to GOD and hee meeteth vs with softnesse of heart and joye in Spirit when hee maketh the beames of his face in Christ to strike on our Soule to warme and quicken them and doubleth his grace in vs in the conscience of these things It is Gods seale in the godlie but the wicked neither haue it nor care for it A wonder it is howe men can liue in the world without this Peace Non can well liue in a Kings Court or Countrie without his Peace And how shall they liue in the world his great familie and not care for his fauour And yet men vnder their Kinges wrath may lurke in their Dominions but no place can hide them from God There is small appearance that they who care not for this Peace doe know God strangers taste
Many times wee are in torture resoluing but in the Action wee finde peace A solide and masculus Resolution giueth vs no rest till it put vs ouer in the hand of Practise yea it resolueth for doing and turneth all the resoluing powers to execution These are twinnes of a rype Spirit both to resolue and doe to doe without ResolutioÌ„ is rashnesse to resolue without doing is faintnesse He who doeth without Resolution dreameth of none impediment but hee who resolueth and delayeth execution waiteth vpon impediments and rather than hee lacke them hee will faine a thousand in his owne fansie Euen fansied difficulties doe terrifie the lazie as much as reall difficulties doe the wise and diligent The Sluggard sayeth There is a Lyon in the way I dare not goe foorth least I bee killed Prov. 26. 13. 35. Callings are our tryals AS Callings are Gods taske appointed for vs so are they his Tryalls to proue what is in vs Hee hath ordained many callings for mans good but many turne these meanes of good in a snare There is no lawfull Calling without the owne good end and right way to come by that end But the most part passeth that good and chooseth the wrong Equitie Honestie Humanitie Vprightnes are Gods ordinance for Callinges Deceat Circumvention Doublenesse and such like are Sathans inuention and yet many shift the first as a vyce and follow the second as the vertue of their Calling God setteth before them the good of mankind but they set nothing but their owne priuate good and care not for obtaining of it to hurt their neighbour How can God blesse the breach of his owne ordinance They may scrap together a state to themselues but God will blow vpon it They thinke that Callings are not Gods ordinance nor themselues lyable to reckoning And exerce them as though they were of their owne vptaking and had none other end than to make them great in the Earth But O miserable greatnes that diminisheth Grace and destroyeth them that haue it The losse is heere incomparablie greater than the conceated gaine What profite is it to gaine the world and loose their soule To conquesh Hell to themselus for enriching their posteritie It is a pittie to see men forsake honey and sucke Venome greedily but greater pittie to see men of an euill cariage in their Calling counted the onely men and these who are consciencious to bee counted no men I wonder not to see that same error which misleadeth men to approue them in their wrong but I wonder that mankynd injured by them doeth honour them for their euill It is a just thing with God to make them hurt man more who so foolishlie alloweth them whome hee disdaineth They cannot complaine to him of their wrong since they approue it This is a saifer course to honour God by following his will in an honest and faythfull discharge of our Calling It is good for mankynde and for our selfe and acceptable to GOD. Heereby hee proueth to other and sealeth it in our owne conscience that hee hath placed vs in our Calling in meâ—cie both to mankynde and to our selfe 36. Foode of our Soule OUr care for the bodie condemneth our brutishnesse about our Soule both are substances and haue neede of entertainment but wee are more sensible of the bodies necessities and carefull to supplie them The Soules necessities are both greater and more urging than the bodies Our bodies lye vnder colde and heate and the decay of our naturall moystnesse which must bee duelie supplyed by nurishment But the necessitie of entertaining the life of God and the sparke of Grace in the midst of our corruption is daylie and hourely It is senslesnes and death when these greater necessities are not felt and supplyed No man is so foolish as to feede his body with imaginations or if he would doe so it will not bee so deceiued it is a substance and must haue substance to maintaine it How many know not what their soule is and what necessitie it hath and how to supplie it And other who thinke they know all those doe content themselues with imaginations They doe worse to their soule than to their bodie and their Soule is more blokish than their bodie in standing content with these conceats Aske them what certaintie they haue of happinesse and securitie from miserie they haue no more reason of both than their apprehension and yet that supposed absent euill is as neere to them as that conceated good is farre from them What man can bee seased in a worldlie inheritance by imagination and yet the most part haue no more warrand for their Saluation The estate of our Soule heere and eternall Saluation heereafter is too great a pointe to hazard vpon a fansie It is a wholesome body that findeth the owne necessitie craueth good foode and turneth it in it owne substance It is a wholesome Soule that alwayes desireth God findeth sensiblie his union and by a continuall communion paâ—taketh of the diuine Nature When I finde my Soule burnt vp with the desire of him paunting like the Hart for water and gaping like the thirstie ground for raine I am sure that is of the life of God It is not fedde with fansies that is filled with God himselfe it is filled with him that cannot rest on any thing beside him and finding him in it selfe doth sweetelie rest on him who only filleth it and resteth in it Nothing can fill the Soule but that which is greater than it Though in substance it bee finite yet it is infinite in the desires And God alone doth infinitely exceed it both in substance desires It would bee counted frenesie in a man who would prease to driue himselfe in a Nut shell So is hee who seeketh contentment in the world alone 37. A constant dyet of Gods Worshippe APpetite is a good preparation for meate so is a zealous affection for the worshippe of God It is good to haue our appointed tymes for Spirituall exercises and to keepe them But withall to striue for the spirituall Appetite How sweete is that Exercise to the Soule wherein our necessitie wakeneth our desire Our desire sharpneth our Appetite and our Appetite thrusteth our heart to God and GOD pulleth both our heart and our selfe to him In one instant it is both pressed with sense of miserie and burnt with a desire of God And sweetly allured and drawen by him to himselfe These are wonderfull actions betweene God and vs and all wrought in vs by his Spirit to carie vs vp to him Though I tye mee not superstitioussie to houres of holy Exercise yet religiouslie I will keepe them These houres are sweete to mee when God draweth my Soule by strong desires and fayth to him It is pleasant when either these Exercises doe tryst with our desires or God in them bringeth vs to an holy disposition and great is the fruite of these Exercises Thereby our Soules euen at other times are keeped if not vnder the sense
the rich answereth roughlie Prov. 18 23. Wee count it our happinesse that our dead and gracelesse Nature is quickned and renewed by the free and powerfull Grace of Christ. All their pleading is for a priuiledge to Nature and when all is deepelie pressed that priuiledge is nothing but hardnesse of heart than which there is no greater plague in man a libertie to fall frō Grace and to resist it They shall neuer craue blessings to mee who take that for a priuiledge and blessing to man which is the heauiest but the just plague of God on man But both these pleaders are condignelie rewarded by their Clients Defenders of Grace haue not their gages to to seeke and Natures proctors haue such gaine as shee can giue The mater abideth not in questioning the persons are discerned before the question bee debated Magnifiers of Grace proue children o◠Grace and praisers of Nature sticke still in Nature It is kyndlie to euery thing to respect the owne originall and Benefactor as it is respected of them I content my selfe with Scripture to call Christ both the Author and the Finisher of Faith Heb. 12. 2. And to professe before men and Angels that I am saued by the Grace of Christ. Ephes. 2. 5. And with holy Antiquitie to be then most sure when I ascriue all the worke of Saluation to the mercie of God and the merite of Christ Iesus 44. Conceat of Wisedome is great folie COnceat of VVisedome is a dangerous Counseller while we intend our businesse wee thinke all is rypelie aduised but in the proceeding and at the end we find weakenes we thinke then both of our Witte and worke that we might haue aduised done better that with some close Resolutiō to see better to businesse following But the next affaires finde vs in that same folie and are a new matter of after-thinking and Repentance and our first Conceate misleadeth vs as of before Corrupt Counsellers haue neede of reformation there is no more corrupt Coūseller in our Soule than this conceat So long as it is Father to beget or Mother to bring foort◠and the Nurse to foster our businesse there can neither bee hope of good successe in our adoes or of amendement of our error Conscience of our weaknesse imploring of Gods assistance and warinesse in our proceedings are better Directors When wee distrust our selfe and relye and in call on God for a blessing we shall either finde that blessing which wee aske or contentment in the lacke of it But Conceat debarreth the blessing and doubleth our miscontentment in the lacke Hee cutteth himselfe off both from Gods direction and blessing in his adoes who conceateth strongely of his owne wisedome But he is compassed of both who resteth on God As his mercie offereth so his justice decerneth the saue-guyding of him who distrusteth himselfe trusteth in God But it is the worke of his justice to desert the selfe-conceated wise man Hee gaineth much who dependeth on God His businesse are begun sweyeth and accomplished by GODS wisedome whereas the other left to himselfe must wrestle with difficulties of affaires and of crossing Prouidence The best way to bee wise indeede is to be conscienciouslie humble vnder sense of folie but the strong conceate of Wisedome is extreame madnesse 45 Dead to the world THe world is wise in the owne generation but God turneth their wisedome to folie it affecteth men as they are sette towards it the Worldlings with loue and the godlie with hatred These affections it testifieth by answereable actions honouring the beloued worldlings and troubling the hated godlie But it is foolish in both and most in this second If it did not so vexe the godly it might possibly insnare them to byde in it The Worldes fowning and flatterie is more dangerous than her frowning and her open hostilitie is the securitie of the Sainctes It is Gods great mercie to vs who turneth their injuries to our mortification Wee are called to renounce the World and it rageth thereat and preassing either to retaine or recall or destroy vs it chaseth vs out of it selfe All their contesting with vs putteth vs further from them than wee were before their hatred and injuries worke a contempt of the worlde in vs This maketh a diuorce and in end a Death to the world I take this as a dying and crucifying to it when by the Grace of God my Soule doeth neither conceiue their folies nor account or receiue them beeing suggested When the heart neither willeth nor affecteth them the memorie remembreth them not the mouth cannot vtter them according to the worlds formalities and the whole man hath a vnfitnesse to walke in their fashions Hee is liuing to God and God liueth in him who is so dead to the World 46. The right placing of our affections HOw foolishlie are our affections actions placed Christ appointed the matter and order for them both Seeke first the Kingdome of God and all these earthlie thinges shall bee casten to you Matt. 6. 33. And the Apostle Set your affections on things aboue and not on things on earth Colos. 3. 2. Heauen is first and most to bee sought The Earth both least and last but man inverteth that order hee is not farre trauelled nor high minded The earth is at hand and hee goeth no further as an home borne child he bydeth in the house as a shell-snaile he sticketh to the wall The Heauen the great first thing scarcelie entreth in his heart the renting cares of the world doe so pester it that the thoughts of heauen cannot goe through that throng Earthly thoughts salute him first in the morning busie him all the day lay him downe in his bed and play in his fansie all night The thoughts of God and his Kingdome finde none accesse Hee is all where hee should bee least or rather nothing He is little or nothing where hee should bee most hee maketh that his taske which hee should but touch by the way and hee blenketh but a squint on that which hee should continually meditate Many are busied about impertinent thinges with Martha and farre moe about impious things but few with Marie choose the part that shall neuer bee taken from them Luke 10. 42. By this I know the right situation of my Soule when God and his thoughts take vp all the roumes of it It is best to set the earth and her trash at as base an account as in situation it is vnder our feete 47. Contemplation and practise ought to bee joyned COntemplation and Practise make vp compleete Christianitie God hath joyned them as the Soule and bodie requireth them joyntlie and he who separateth them offereth a lame sacrifice to God and is scarce halfe a Christian The first as the eyes directeth vs the second as the hands and feet performeth that direction Theorie alone is as the eyes without feete and hands and practise without a solide knowledge is as strong legges and nimble handes
it with man The first is both a corrupted and corrupting mind the next a senslesse heart the third a shamelesse face Such Furniture is neither to bee enuyed nor coueted It is a witlesse Witte that is wittie to warppe a mischiefe to it selfe Achitopheâ—s policie put his house in order and himselfe out of order Hee gained by it nothing but a roppe to his necke and confusion to himselfe and his estate This is true Wisedome to feare God and to depart from sinne is good vnderstanding 63. The life of the Soule THe Soule is the life of the bodie but it selfe must liue by some other life and that not from within but from without Euery one seeketh not that same thing for the life of it It is a second life in time but should bee better than the first because it is the life of the first euen of the Soule it selfe and should as farre excell the Soule as the Soule doeth the body But the multitude chooseth a worse and a baser life to their Soule Some liue by their riches some by their fame others by their pleasures and others by their conceates This is not an exalting but a debasing of their Soule not a quickening but a killing of it It is Gods worke to quicken our earthlie lumppe by an heauenlie substance but to destroy that Soule by a lumppe of earth and vanitie is Sathans destroying worke It were extreame senslesnesse to liue a day or an houre and not know if our Soule were in vs and yet many put off long time and neuer try if they haue this spirituall life They lacke it who know it not a speciall worke of it is to reueale it selfe to them who haue it It is a vigorous life all in action and cannot lurke Holie Motions Operations and assiduous Care to keepe it are euidencies that wee haue it I will seeke nothing for the life of my Soule but that which is infinitelie better than it and that is God himselfe When hee dwelleth in the Soule hee maketh both Soule body liue in him and exciteth them to an higher degree than they had before There is no food so sweete to the mouth as the sense of Gods loue to the heart when it is warmed by that heauenly sweetnesse then the body is refreshed by a wondefull presence The life that is of God and is himselfe liuing in mee both giueth mee life and telleth mee what that life is and by the sense and conscience of it selfe redoubleth that life in the aboundance of peace and joye Hencefoorth I liue not but Christ liueth in mee and the life that I liue I liue by the Faith of the Sonne of God who hath loued mee and giuen himselfe for me yea hath giuen himselfe to mee and taken mee to himselfe Galat. 2. 20. 64. Sense of weaknesse IT is absolutely necessar to bee keeped vnder the sense of our weaknesse but all meanes for it are not alike Some learne it by falling in great temptations as Dauid in his sin other find it in smaller and trifling ouersights as rashnesse in words or out-breaking in passions Both grieuous falls and small ouer-sights discouereth our weakenesse but this last hath neither such guiltines before God nor such slander before man nor such a wound to our conscience as the first It is a great mercie of God to bee schooled by lesser infirmities and it is the blessing of that mercie to make use of it This is a point of heauenly wisedome to bee made as conscious of our weakenesse by small slippes as by grieuous sinnes if it worke in vs a distrust of our selues a constant adherence to God wee are brought to a guarde for our weaknesse It is extreame weakenesse or rather death to bee ignorant of our weaknes And it is both strength restored increased to feele it Death feeleth no disease but life the integritie of it maketh vs sensible of any thing that hurteth vs. The tryall of it is to enterpryse nothing without earnest incalling of God for wisedome and direction Neuer to proceede in any thing without imploring his assistance and blessing and that not in greater businesse onely but in our smallest adoes The watch-man of Israel will then preserue our going out and comming in When we absolutelie relye on him in euery thing Hee is most secure and safe from his weaknes who by many proofes is made conscious of it and by that conscience doeth euer depend on GOD he shall ouercome great difficulties to his owne others admiration But he who presumeth in his owne strength is ouerthrowne of smaller businesse Humilitie in the one grippeth God to be led of him But Presumption in the other is Sathans snare to entrappe him Humilitie is both a degree of Gods present assistance and a presage of his accomplishing presence But Presumption in the other is both a just desertion of God and a surrendring of the presumptuous man to fearefull inconuenients Conscience of weaknesse findeth want within and seeketh supplie in God But Conceate of strength holdeth them within The first is blessed with helpe of God the other is coÌ„vinced by grieuous losses 65. The Scriptures vnspeakable profite IT is impossible to liue either Christianlie or comfortablie without the daylie vse of Scripture It is absolutelie necessar for our direction in all our wayes before wee beginne them and for the tryall of our wayes when we haue done For the warrand of our approbation of them for resoluâ—ng of our doubts and comforting vs in our griefes Without it our conscience is a blinde guide and leadeth vs in mist of ignorance error and confusion Therein wee heare God speaking to vs declaring his will to vs concerning our Saluation and the way of our obedience to meete him in that his good will What Booke can wee read with such profite and comfort For matter it is Wisedome For authoritie it is diuine and absolute For Majestie GOD himselfe vnder common wordes and Letters expressing an vnspeakable power to stamp our heart And where shall wee find our mindes so enlightned our heartes so deepelie affected our Conscience so moued both for casting vs downe and raising vs vp I cannot finde in all the Bookes of the worlde such an one speak to me as in Scripture with so absolute a conquesh of all the powers of my soule Contemners of Scriptures want food for their soule a light for their life and the sword of their spirituall warre-fare But the louers of Scripture haue all that Furniture Therein wee heare the voyce of our Beloued wee smell the sauour of his Oyntments and haue daylie accesse vnto the Arke of propitiation If in our knowledge wee desire Diuinitie Excellencie Antiquitie and Efficacie wee cannot finde it but in Gods Worde alone It is the extract of heauenly Wisedome which Christ the eternall Word of God brought out of the bosome of his Father Oft-times on this Meditation I doe both pittie the Pagans who haue not this sacred Booke and were without
this appeale in the cōscience of Gods both knowing acknowledging sight of their heart So also it is our best while the world either thinketh that God seeth not or would it were so that wee euer delight to cast our hearts open to God not because it must bee so but because that wee rejoyce that it is so Wee count not that terrible which wee finde so comfortable That Soule is sufficientlie guarded for its innocencie and sinceritie against the scourge of the tongue which is conscious and sensible of Gods Seeing witnessing and approbation The seales of that approbation in a solide peace and vnspeakable joye are stronger than can bee broken by the breath of man That lying breath cannot dissolue but doubleth them both in themselues and the joyfull use of their possessours This made the holy Apostle to say with as great libertie as trueth I passe verie little to bee judged of you or of mans judgement for I am not conscious to my selfe of any thing 1. Cor. 4. 3. 4. 68. Rest on Prouidence SOme cares are necessar because commanded of God others needelesse because forbiden Euery day hath enough of his owne griefe and wee should not care for to morrow God relieueth vs of that care Hee who made the World disposseth all and careth for all in it Before wee were borne hee ruled all and needeth not our helpe in any thing and when wee shall bee at rest hee will rule all It is a matter of pittie to see manie rent their heart when they neede not Gods prouidence easeth vs of that care if wee bee at peace with him his prouidence is for vs it hath nothing more in head than to content the Lords beloued If once wee loose our mindes to apprehensions and feares of crosses there will neither bee end nor remeede of them One will breede an hunder and euery one will multiplie answerablie so that we shall be buried and ouerwhelmed with feares before the feared euill come But these and the like shreds of tortouring apprehensions shall bee cutted if we close our selfe within the compasse of a mercifull prouidence and this shall bee if wee can perswade our selfe 1. That there is a GOD. 2. And that this GOD ruleth all 3. That all his ruling worketh together to the good of them that loue him Hee needeth not bee afrayd of any thing who is at peace with him who ruleth all things By distrustfull care wee offend God and make his prouidence to worke matters to our griefe The course and euent of things I leaue to God and his prouidence He is more wise see more able to doe that which is good than all the world I haue no care but to see that I offend him not either in abuse of meanes commanded or vse of things forbidden This prouideth with a certaintie of good a solide contentment also When I rest on his prouidence fullie resoluing to welcome what it bringeth I trust his Grace will worke contentment in his worke when it commeth Since I reuerence it before it come If any take on them to counsell or command prouidence or to controll the worke of it let that Soule resolue to lodge in continuall miscontent It is good wisedome to keepe our selues in peace with God who directeth prouidence and to submitte our selues vnto it so wee shall finde it serue vs and Gods Grace to giue vs contentment in the worke of it Commit thy wayes vnto the Lord and trust in him and hee will doe them Psal. 37. 5. Cast thy burden on the Lord and hee will sustaine thee Psal. 55. 22. God dwelleth in that heart that so reposeth on him but hee deserteth the Soule that chydeth his Prouidence Hee who trusteth in God shall bee as Mount Sion that can not bee remoued Psal. 125. 1. Hee shall not bee affrayed of euill tydings because his heart is fixed on the Lord. Ps. 112 7. This is Christian Stoicisme or rather spirituall Securitie The olde Stoickes preassing to exalt the naturall man aboue the reach of humane passion did both thrust him out of Nature and shake him loose of Gods protection And turned him from himselfe as farre as from God But this holy disposition maketh vs rest out of our selfe in God And so to finde our selfe secured in him 69. Afflictions fruite THere is nothing more grieuous to man and nothing more profitable than Affliction How foolish are wee in the day of trouble Wee thinke that God is slaying vs when hee is sauing vs A life indeede is taken from vs but such a life as wee both may and should want Such a life as killeth our Soule but quickneth vs by the want of it We haue a worldly and a sinfull life euen our loue of the things of the world God giueth them as coards and wings to lift vs vp to Heauen but wee turne them in weights to hold vs on the earth When we loue our name our goods our Children our body our selfe more than wee ought God hath two quarrels at these things The one of Iealousie because wee loue them to his prejudice The other of Violence because they detaine our Soule in them When hee crosseth vs in them then hee slayeth that our life in them Hee killeth it in our name by calamities in our goods by their remouall in our friendes by death and in our bodies by sicknesse Then that hurt life reteareth from a wounded member of our lot at least doeth not so vse it as of before When wee are wounded in all these the Soule draweth from them to GOD. If hee saw vs not excessiuelie affecting them he would not wound vs in them but there is no choyse heerein it is better to liue in God than to die by a seeming life in them And this wounding is not so meikle the worke of his Prouidence without as the mightie draught of his sauing loue within pulling vs out of that wherein wee would die that we may truely liue in him His blessings are good in themselues but our corruption abuseth them and killeth vs And it is necessare that our corruption bee killed wee die by the leauing of it and in its death wee liue Crosses are pressours to expresse our corruption euen that venome of Sathan which oppresseth vs. The life of God and of sinne haue their contrare growth standing and decay in vs as the one increaseth the other answerablie decayeth the raigne of the one is the destruction of the other In all crosses God intendeth the health of our Soule Many see the hand of the Phisitian that see not his heart many feele the bitternes of his potions and the paine of his cutting that see not the health that followeth as the first sight of sinne is falle because it seemeth pleasant and profitable so the first sight of Affliction is false because wee see nothing then but losse and hurt The second sight of sinne in Repentance is the best because wee see it vyle so is the second sight of
not so wonder at their course folie in judging it as at the world that counteth them great Spirits Alexanders Courtiers mocked Diogenes but hee in his Hodged was a greater Monarch than Alexander For he commanded Pride Ambition and Lust wherevnto Alexander was a slaue I will leaue reasoning with those Spirits till they come home to themselues They are not brought home usuallie but by some great calamitie and many not till their death Moderate Spirits proue best With little businesse they doe much and holding themselues within their reach they come softlie to their just and desired ends But the other take great libertie ouer their Spirites and States and outreach them both But Prouidence will not bee commanded of them It câ—osseth their desires and breaketh their purposes in shiuers What euer Spirit wee haue in naturall partes it is good to haue it sanctified our care shall be helped with heauenly prudence furthered by Gods prouidence These shall bring to our hand more than euer wee could dreame The supposed base Spirites of this holie temper doe infinitely exceede these falslie named great Spirits Their greatnesse is more in the worldes style than in the thing it selfe but the event will proue them great in miserie they are great only in humane things in mans account True greatnes is in true goodnesse It is a base and bastard greatnesse that is separate from goodnesse These two are infinitelie and joyntlie in God who is both Optimus Maximus thee Goodest and Greatest There is more true greatnesse in the meanest degree of sauing Grace than in all the humane greatnesse in the world How euer the world count of their owne greatnesse and of the basenesse of the godly yet the Saints are Gods excellent Ones on Earth Psal. 16. 3. 79. The worke of Conscience THE Conscience is the most wonderfull power in our Soule it is both a parte of it and a Partie in it a power created in vs by God set ouer vs with diuine authority An eye looking out on all and most on God and returning againe and reflecting on our selfe it hath in it atonce both a light to see God and to see him looking on vs The worke of it is 1. to direct vs in the right 2. to watch ouer vs in obedience of that direction 3. To witnesse how wee obey 4. To judge our obedience estate with God If wee obey to gladen vs with a sweete testimonie if wee disobey to grieue vs with a fearefull checke These offices are fruitefull but the last is the strength and force of the other There may bee Watching Direction and Witnessing and yet but slow and weake judging in it But when the conscience is brought to some odde exercise in that judging part the other offices are more conscientiouslie discharged After that exercise her watching is more particular her directing more forcible and her witnessing more sincere GOD vseth a great varietie in this exercise For the Measure some are more heauily pressed down in their sense to the lower Hell other more easilie passe that burning fire For Matter some tremble before that fire for supposed or small sinne where other are scarcely touched for grosse offences For Tyme some know it not to their middle or olde Age others are preuented by it in their Youth It is in it selfe a fruite of sin a processe of Gods justice a worke of the Law and a crosse of crosses when the Charter of our peace with God is turned in a bill of diuorcement from him And the ordinar applyer of our comfort applyeth nothing but wrath to vs Yet it bringeth foorth a glorious fruite in the Sainctes and the sooner wee bee schooled in it the greater fruite In our Youth it is a notable preparatioÌ„ for our effectuall Calling And when Grace is weake and corruption strong to breake foorth at euery occasion and Sathan busie to leade vs in all sinne it is then a great blessing to bee bridled by these terrors Thereby sinne is restrained and a way prepared both for obedience and sinceritie in it The Soule that hath beene burnt with that fire will neuer doe that which will kendle it againe Hee who hath seene an angrie God and beareth the markes of his anger dare not bourd with him Thereafter our Reading Hearing Thinking and all occasions are turned to a consciencious knoâ—â—edge and that knowledge is set on worke to keepe the peace and approbation of GOD and GOD in them both The sooner wee finde that Exercise wee are the sooner schooled for keeping our Conscience in walking with God There goeth nothing to oddes in our deedes or wordes or thoughts but all is called to the Touch-stone and tried how it may stand with the will of God and peace of our Conscience It is good for a man to beare the yoke of God from his youth Lament 3. 27. Hee who so judgeth himselfe daylie and keepeth himselfe cleane shall find at the last day a friendly Iudge a fauourable reckoning and the greater and sweeter Glorie by resenting his former terrours Though Heauen bee infinitelie pleasant in it selfe it shall bee the more pleasant to them who haue tasted the sorrowes of Hell in this life Happie is hee who is conscious of his owne Conscience and both setteth it to worke and reporteth the daylie fruite of that worke And more happie is hee who knowing the weaknesse of his Conscience suteth Gods presence to ouerrule his Conscience It is indeed our Watch but that watch hath neede of a better Watch-man and this is Gods Spirit who is that Conscience of consciences WheÌ„ our bodie waiteth on our Soule our Soule on our Conscience and our Conscience dependeth on God Then God by our Conscience will direct our Soule and Bodie in the good way and blesse vs with happie successe therein And in end eternallie sease on our Conscience Soule and Bodie with his full and perfect Ioyes 80. Tendernesse of Body a Blessing to the godly A Tender Body is an heauie burden yet it is profitable to the renewed man Health is Gods blessing in it selfe but sanctified infirmities bringeth health to the Soule Constant health in many is taken for a naturall gift as it is not sought of God so neither is it holden of him as his blessing nor vsed to his Glorie Their mindes doe neither mark the course of it with joy nor turne them to God for it It may seeme grieuous to bee night day perplexed with a weake body but the fruite of it is better than all these paines God giueth not health in a constant tenour but by partes hee tapes it so peece and peece that euerie houre he giueth vs both matter of prayer and praise When I finde daylie the sentence of death I haue dayly recouse to God for life and euerie deliuerie of euerie on-set is a new gift and taker of the life It is not sought for it selfe but for God that it may be imployed to his honour A godlie Soule
of his Children The testimonie of my justification Son bee of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiuen thee The Seales of mine Election and calling in the â—ruites of the Spirit These and the like are excellent newes their matter is good and glorious Their delight is great and constant Though they were heard euerie houre yet they are euer fresh and new to the New man They fall neither vnder stalenes in themselues nor loathing to mee but their last hearing delighteth mee as much as the first hearing As for other matters I rest not on them as Newes but obserue in them the prouidence of God how he ruleth the world by ouer-ruling the malice of Sathan and madnesse of man to his owne glorie and good of his Saintes to make them new and to put in their mouth a new song To bee grieued with Nebemiah when wee heare of Ierusalems desolation and rejoyce when wee heare of her prosperitie is a marke of Grace in the New man When all trifling Newes shall bee ended God shall put a new Song in his mouth to praise him eternallie The Soule enstamped with Newes of Grace turneth all occurrent Newes to that better and biding substance 87. The comfort of Calumnies ACalumnie is the Deuils minde in the mouth of Man and his arrow shot by mans bow Hee lendeth him his lyes and malice borroweth his tongue to vtter them He hath this name from traducing and thrusting through the fame of the godlie His first and maine care is by temptation to destroy their Conscience and if hee preuaile not in this hee turneth him to their name that hee may rent it by Calumnies whose Conscience hee could not defile by temptation This is his policie against Gods dearest Children they are most hated of him who are most beloued of GOD Hee careth not to make euill reports of his owne and counteth no great gaine to defile the face of a Moore but all his care is to blamish the face and stenzie the name in whom Gods Grace shineth cleerelie Hee knoweth that treasure in them is giuen for his hurt Hee cannot stay God from giuing it to his beloued but hee turneth him to the next to make it fruitlesse to other Hee cannot stay a daylie and fresh increasing of that Grace but hee prâ—asseth to make it distastfull to man that so it may bee fruitlesse Surelie hee loseth not all his labour though hee be ouercome by the Saints whom hee calumniateth yet hee ouercommeth them who doe calumniate them It is a fearefull thing to lend to Sathan the Heart for deuising the Eare for hearing and the Tongue for vttering of Calumnies and in all to disgrace the Grace of GOD in his Children and make it fruitelesse to themselues Where Sathan hath set his porter of prejudice though Christ himselfe were on Earth that Soule would take no good of him It is a deuilish worke to enuy the Grace of GOD but more to deny it and most of all to disgrace it Wee finde heerein a great proofe of that particular worke of Conscience in justifying vs At other times wee can content vs with common and slender examining of our selues but being so falslie misconstrued wee are put to a second and a stricter tryall which vpon the cace of our tryed innocencie endeth in a notable seale of the holy Spirit Hee both approueth our first innocencie as good seruice to God and our suffring for it as a just matter of our gloriation Hee who offereth vp his Soule and bodie in a Sacrifice to God must resolue to bee crucified in his Name daylie by Calumnies and these daylie blowes are an argument that his sacrifice is acceptable to GOD because Sathan rageth at him who serueth God vprightlie hee knoweth that Conscience within is repleate with God and his peace therefore hee laboureth to rent their Fame without whose inward peace hee cannot trouble It is better to haue him molesting vs without than possessing vs within The godlie Soule so afflected goeth to God in the bitternesse of Spirit appealing him as a Iudge of their cause in the Conscience of their innocencie They commit their cause to him and prayeth for pardon to their injurers Their innocencie is both the occasion cause of calumnies with the Deuill and the soueraigne remeede of them with God and their own Consciences Herein they haue a triple conformitie with Christ Hee was innocent and yet hee was calumniate and prayed for his injurers Better it is to endure the scourge of the tongue than want this triple conformitie Why should we not glory in so cleare an Euidence of Gods speciall loue Sathan taketh both the cause of his hatred the measure of it from the loue of God Hee hateth them most whom God loueth most Hee had moe calumnies and euill tales against Iob than against many thousands in his time Hee was a thorne in his eye because hee was dearelie beloued of God and acceptable to him It is then the glorie of the Sainctes to bee calumniat Rejoyce and bee glad when men revile you and speake all manner of euill against you for my sake falslie Mat. 5 11. It is a token Sathan hath not preuailed against our Conscience but is now in his flight when hee renteth our Name As strength of Gods grace keepeth the Soule in temptation so the Conscience of innocencie will comfort the heart vnder Calumnies The haile showre of Calumnies proueth on Gods part a speciall loue to vs and on our part true happinesse in that his loue and vigour of his Grace in vs ouer-commingâ— Sathan And on Sathans part a double malice for that our double happinesse And in the calumniator a double miserie one in beeing the Deuils instrument in calumniating the Saincts the other in defrauding themselues of the fruite of Gods Grace in them whom they traduce The best refutation of Calumnies is not by word but by deede GOD and our Conscience seeth our innocencie let men see it in our life When Gods Grace shineth in vs as a light before men then we refute realy our traducers and proclaime them lyers to the world 88. Men are blind and quicke sighted in their owne cause EVery man is both blinde seeth best in his owne cause Hee knoweth the circumstances of his deedes but is blind in the question of his right Selfâ—-loue maketh him ingrosse his person in his deede and transchange his deede in his right And so confounding right and deede in his owne person to take all as good The Lawes of God and man must giue place to his opinion and humour they are either close forgotten or beeing applyed to him hee is made the rule and they must suffer such construction as his selfe-loue appointeth It is kyndlie to an erring minde to nurish the owne birth As it erreth in directing a couâ—se so in approuing of it when it is done It is no more fordward to deuise it than pertinacious to defend it herewith is joyned a more fearefull sinne that
vanities and that far more because her applause is her vainest vanities And others possiblie shift themselues both of her vanitie and loue and yet are not fastned on a better Hee is foolish who loseth one thing findeth not another But the truelie godly man seeth and followeth a better world in this wicked one wee haue in this visible world an Heauen and Starres Earth Aire and Creatures for our temporall vse But the spirituall eye taketh vp an higher one Hee seeth GOD for his Sunne and from his Face taketh his Light from his Loue his Warmenesse from his Presence his Seasons It is light and Day when he shyneth on our Soule in the Face of Christ It is Night horrible darknesse when he hydeth his Face The course of his times run not as in the world The heauenly Day may fall at the midst of the naturall night heauenly Summer and Haruest in the midst of the naturall winter Euen at mid-night it is mid-day in that Soule where God maketh our reines to teach vs knowledge All Seasons are numbered by his Fâ—ce allcaneâ—lie The earth of this world is the Rocke of Syon Iesus Christ. No stabilitie or rest to the Soule but in him The Aire is the sense of his Fauour and the comfortable Creatures are his Saintes who walke with him in righteousnesse and holinesse This heauenlie world is better than that visible one and will remaine when the other is destroyed It is a strange conceate in them who by an odde Prospect seeth an earth and cities and men in the Moone That fiction and fansie is verified in this Trueth The spirituall man seeth this heauenly world in the temporall one And with that same light hee seeth an hellish world in this visible one For what is Sathan abusing the world and leading it in euill but erecting of a world of his owne in the defacing of this created world These are solide groundes to make vs strangers on earth and Burgesses in Heauen when wee take vp these worlds distinctlie And the more cleerelie wee see them there will bee lesse difficultie to forsake the euill and â—eeke the good one Let the men of this world reckon their Seasons Tymes and Occasions by this world that they see Our reckoning is better and surer by that supernaturall one They change their Almanackes from time to times But our Sun of Righteousnesse shall distinguish our Seasons and shine vpon vs both in this life and in Heauen This sight is the worke of a new light and is to be found only in the new man whom God hath ordained for the new Heauen and for the new Earth His Calender is neither directed by Starres in heauen nor Tydes in the Sea nor Horologes on the Earth His Sunne and starres is Gods Face his Tydes are the ebbing and flowing of the influences of Grace And his Horologe the secret yet the strong motions of Gods Spirit showing the increase of Grace in the owne periods though the promouing of it bee oft-ten hid from vs. This Earth is a sort of mids betweene Heauen and Hell and yet both of them haue their image beginning in it We are called to forsake the euill and seeke the good and what worse than Satan and sinâ—e and the wicked And what better than GOD his Grace and his Sainctes If wee see these distinctlie we shal be the more enabled to moue our selfe from the euill to the good This sight is the worke of Grace but the naturall man taketh all confusedly he neither seeth nor seeketh better than the world And if he make any distinction it is false hee forsaketh good as an euill and cleeueth to euill as his happinesse 100 God is the dwelling place of the godly Soule EVerie Creature hath the owne element and rest for dwelling securitie and delight therein they are both frequentlie and pleasantlie It is a meanes to try our state by our resort and rest The Worldling is euer in the world there is no difference betweene him and the Earth but that the one liueth and the other doth not and this that liueth is worse than the other because hee liueth in sinne The godlie Soule resteth on God in all businesse it looketh to him and all the thoughts of it end in him to him aboue all it returneth resteth pleasantlie in him and from him it can not bee rent All beeing and businesse out of him is a vexation and our greatest labour is sweete by this onelie that it goeth to him and is acceptable to him God dwelleth in that Soule that cannot rest but in him hee hath loued it from eternall and called it in time to himselfe that is so taken with him and his delights No rendeuous is so known to any Creature and vsed of it as God is to that Soule that resteth in him A proofe of this rest is God resting in vs In all the world he found not rest but in man When he created the Heauen and the Earth all Beasts and Fowles he rested not til he created man his Benjamin his last Creature in worke but his first in affection there hee rested as in the end of his Creation His delight is to dwell with men and among men with the godlie for them onely of all mankinde hath hee assumed to union in Christ. If we find him dwell in vs then surely we dwell in him we may easilie know if Christ dwell in vs except we bee Reprobats 2. Cor. 5. There is great wisdome in choosing the best Lodging We lodge now conuenientlie in our Bodie but at Death it will cast vs out and the worlde our pleasant House will decay Wee rest now in our contentmentes but must flitte from them But God can neither decay nor cast vs out and at Death wee shall still abide in him We neede not then flitte from him but ascend and bee more joyned to him Wee cannot haue Tabernacles heere nor abide no not in the beginnings and growth of Grace which is now our contentment but shall bee receiued and bide in euerlasting Mansions that are in him Man naturallie inclineth to two things his beginning and end His beginning recalleth him by right of his Originall The fishes will visite the place of their spawning yeerelie And men of an hurte health returne to their natiue soyle as the aire which they took in at their birth gaue them the first outward matter of their naturall Spirits so the vse of it may bring them backe againe to their first integritie The end calleth vs to it by right of perfection the pryse of the runner the house of the Traueller are earnestlie desired So is it to the godly Our beginning in Grace is in God The Riuer of liuing waters flowe out from the Sanctuarie from vnder the Throne of GOD and the Lambe The Grace of election hath no latter beginning than eternitie nor lower discent than heauen and turneth vs vp to it againe The waters of life which Christ giueth vs
shall bee a fountaine in our bellie springing vp to life eternall How can it in our bellie spring vp to life eternall but because it lifteth our heartes to GOD in Heauen The Soule which so adhereth to God is more in him than in the body which it quickneth both because it goeth gladlie out of it selfe to bee all in him and next because it cannot dwell in it selfe but because of him it can better dwell among Monsters in the desert that in it selfe without him And thirdlie because when it is lost in sinne and securitie it seeketh and findeth it selfe more in him than in it selfe When we may say to him O thou whom my Soule loueth All these sorts and degrees of union with him are found The bosome of the mother is a kindlie rest to the Babe both for sleepe in health recouerie in sweruing that naturall heate wherein it was formed doth kindlie cherish that life that proceedeth of it WheÌ„ we lye alwayes in the bosome of God and are warmed by the sense of that sauing loue in Christ wee are both sensible of the vertue of our beginning and of the first fruites of our end The Needle of the Dyall standeth not but towards the Pole so doeth the godlie Soule to God If the secret vertue of a small stone can so moue yron shall not the Rocke of Syon Christ Iesus the Miracle of loue drawe our tender louing hearts vnto him How securlie shall wee contemne all other things and rest sweetlie content in him vnder the sense of this his drawing and vniting vertue expecting that happines which his sauing Loue procureth to his Beloued Returne now O my Soule to thy Rest and abyde in it for GOD hath beene and will bee for euer beneficiall vnto thee Psal. 116. 7. AMEN FINIS A RESOLVTION FOR DEATH written vnder the sentence of Death in the time of a painfull Disease And now published for their comfort who studie to approue themselues to God And to assure all that liue the life of the Righteous that they shall die the death of the Righteous By the same Author M. W. S. I desire to bee dissolued and to bee with CHRIST Philipp 1. 23. EDINBVRGH Printed by the Heires of Andro Hart. Anno Domini 1628. Philipp 1. 21. Christ is to mee both in Death and in Life aduantage Luke 2. 29. 30. Lord now lettest thou thy Seruant depart in Peace according to thy Word For mine eyes hath seene thy Saluation 1. Cor. 15. 55. 56. 57. O Death where is thy Sting O Graue where is thy Victorie The sting of Death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But thankes bee to God which giueth vs the victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. A Table of the following Treatise THe proposition of the Resolution Num. 1. The first ground from present misery 2. The miserie of our Bodie 3. The miserie of the Soule 4. The miserie of our Lott 5. The second ground from our Happinesse 6. The happinesse of our Soule 7. The happinesse of our Body 8. The happinesse of our Lotte 9. The third ground from Gods worke in vs concerning our miserie and happinesse 10. Sense of miserie in the Bodie 11. Sense of miserie in the Soule 12. Sense of miserie in our Lotte 13. Sense of Glorie in Heauen 14. Resolution it selfe 15. The godlie man dyeth not 16. But ouercometh Death in Christ. 17. Hee preuenteth Death in his Life 18. Hee preueneth his Buriall in Life 19. Foure ioyfull solemnities 20. Ioy at Birth 21. Ioy at Mariage 22. Ioy at Triumph 23. Ioy at Coronation 24. They are all at the death of the Godly 25. IncouragemeÌ„ts against Death from them 26. The noyse at Death 27. Fearefull cryes to the wicked 28. Comfortable cryes to the godly 29. A glorious change at Death 30. Manie unions with the Bodie 31 Necessitie of separation 32 Documents of the sentence of Death 33. 1. Mortalitie of the Body 34. 2. Immortalitie of the Soule 35. 3. Gods loue sauing vs from Hell 36. 4. That his loue standeth with affliction 37. Experience of Death 38. Eight comforâ—able contraries in Death 39 The VVicked tremble at it 40. But the godlie reioyce 41. Incertaintie at Death is fearefull 42. Certaintie is comfortable 43. It is obtained by Faith 44. By Prayer 45. And conuersing daylie with God 46. Our light clearer in Death than in Life 47. Acquaintance with Death 48. Sentence of Death 49. Lawfull desires of Life 50. Hope of glorious Resurrection 51. Hope of eternall Glorie 52 Hope of the Lords Rest. 53. Our Rights to that Rest. 54 A Catalogue of GODS speciall blessings to strengthen these our hopes 55. The fearefull Death of the Wicked 56. The ioyfull Death of the Godlie 57. The remainders of feare in the best men 58. But they are soone ouercome 59. The godlie mans Testament 60. A Prayer for an happie Death 61. And for the sight of Christ at Death 62. Confidence to obtaine them both 63. And glorie thereafter 64. The last and greatest desire 65. And last an eternall delight of the godly Soule 66. Reuel 14. 13. Blessed are the Dead which die in the LORD for they rest from their labours and their workes followeth them A RESOLVTION FOR DEATH written vnder the sentence of Death in the time of a painfull Disease Decemb. 1627. And now published for their comfort who studie to approue themselues to God WHY should I feare Death when it approacheth It is the way that I desire to goe I passe Natures necessitie in Adam that hath subjected me to mortalitie come to the priuiledge of Grace in Christ which hath deliuered mee from the curse of it I say not I make mee for Death because I must die but because I would die Long haue I thought on it and earnestlie longed for it if I stagger and feare at his reproach my desire hath either beene foolish or my Spirit is faint The grounds of my desire are 1. Present miserie 2. Next future Glorie 3. And the worke of God in mee concerning them both My Miseries are great in the weaknes of a mortall body a lumppe of earth busying it selfe and mee about it selfe For Eating Drinking and Clothing and Resting it spendeth the Tyme and it selfe and wearieth the Spirit Fraile is this lump that hath an hourelie necessitie of so fraile things and the necessitie so great that the paine of it is intolerable the easing of it by meanes conuenient is wearisome and that ease beginning with ending and ending in the beginning Scarcelie is it refreshed when it hungreth and wearieth againe One necessitie sendeth it to another and the satisfying of one bringeth on another and that same that was now eased returneth shortlie If I satisfie Hunger and Thirst. Drowsinesse calleth for Sleepe if I refresh it by Sleepe Nakednesse must bee couered and scarce haue I couered Nakednesse when new Hunger calleth for Refreshment and Refreshment sendeth me to Sleepe againe Weake is that Life that needeth so
that Couenant commeth these waters diuide themselues Let mee see the high Priest of my profession who is the Arke himselfe carying that Arke before mee Where hee setteth his feete there is dry ground to passe through the midst of dangers O Sonne of God shew thy propitiation to the Father to appease him To me to encourage mee To these waters that they may flee away and to mine enemies that they may bee destroyed Let mee see thee as I did long since at the like sentence of Death interponing thy selfe betwixt the wrath of God and mee securing me from sinne punishment and all that worke of Iustice When thou turned wrath in mercie and the Iustice Seate in a Throne of Grace And setting thy selfe as a sconse between GODS wrath and mee made mee as posedlie and calmelie to stand before God vnder the sentence of Death as euer I did in the sweetest meditations motions of thy Spirit That former proofe yet fresh in my minde confirmeth mine hope in the expectation of the like peace when Death shall come indeede All this I know this I beleeue and hope for and feele alreadie begunne in mee in some measure and perswade my selfe as now I thinke it and write it that in due time I shall finde it and praise thee in Heauen eternallie for it when thou hast crowned thy mercies in mee The sense of thy presence doth now delight mee but I rest not on it As it giueth mee vnspeakable contentment so it pouseth mee fordward to thy perfect presence I must euer bee in mouing till I bee perfected in thee Though thy presence coÌ„fort me now in these my Soules-speaches with thee aâ—d refresh my wearie heart both vnder present paine and foreseene paines of death yet I stay not there These cooling tastes doe rather inflame my desire than quench it and increase my longing for the Well it selfe That I may bee satisfied aboundantlie with the fatnesse of thine House and drinke of the Riuer of thy pleasures For with thee is the Fountaine of Life and in thy Light I shall see light Psal. 36. 8. 9. All my joyes in the way cannot satisfie mee till I bee in that Citie whereof the Lord God Almightie the Lambe is the Temple That new Ierusalem that hath no neede of the Sunne nor of the Moone for the Glorie of GOD doeth inlighten it and the Lambe is the Light of it Reuelat. 21. 22. 23. I long for that pure Riuer of the water of Life cleare as crystall proceeding out of the Throne of God and the Lambe I long for the fruite of the Tree of Life that bringeth fruite euery Moneth euer constant and new joyes that I may see the face of the Lambe and haue his Name written in my forehead and follow him vvhither soeuer hee goeth Revelat. 22. 1. 2. 4. Till I come to this estate my Soule will euer thirst for thee more than the thirstie land doth for raine or the chased Hart panteth for the riuer of vvaters My Soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God Oh vvhen shall I come and appeare before God Psal. 42. 2. None hath wrought or can worke this great Desire in me but thou onelie none can or shall satisfie it but thou and that by none of thy giftes but by thy selfe alone It is a desire of thy selfe aboue all and cannot rest without thy selfe It is stronger than all other desires in mee they are all silent when it raigneth they cease willinglie and quite their priuate contentment and seeke it in the satisfaction of this greatest One. Come therefore O thou whom my Soule loueth and satisfie my Soule in her greatest desire of thee This is for the present by the worke of thy Spirit I trust shall be my last ardent affection to thee in the houre of my Death mine eternall condition in the Heauens Then the greatest satisfactioÌ„ of my greatest desire shall work my greatest delight Sight and Sense and FruitioÌ„ shall then teach mee that which now the eye hath not seene not the eare heard nor the heart of man conceiued But when I shall see thee as thou art shall know thee as I am known then I shall see that which now I beleeue and hope for euen mine happinesse in thee perfectlie When the end of thy loue to mee and of my desire of thee doe meete in that glorious perfection there shall neither be matter nor place for more desire The infinite weight of Glorie The eternall indurance of it The constant freshnesse and continuall newnesse of it in my neuer-loathing nor decaying feeling excludeth both the increase and beeing of any desire WheÌ„ thy delight in mee and my delight in thee doe concurre then my glorified delight shall rest on thee and thy delights contentedlie I cease now to write but not to think of and affect thee as mine onelie happines Let thy good Spirit O Lord keepe my Soule vnder the sense of these delights or vnder the memorie of them or the fruite of them that I may walk in the strength of their coÌ„solations delighting my selfe in thee and in that mine happinesse which is thy selfe till I perfectlie enjoy Thee Into thine Hands I commit my Spirit for Thou hast redemed mee O LORD GOD of Trueth COME LORD IESVS AND TARIE NOT. AMEN FINIS The Table of these OBSERVATIONS A ACcidents rare make many Prophets Obser. 51 Affections right placed 46 Afflictions great profite 69 Athiesmes poyson 27 Ambitious men die of their disease 48 B Our Bodies spiritualitie 40 The Bodies tendernesse a blessing to the godlie 80 C Callings are our tryall 35 Gods Calling a sufficient warrand 26 Fruitefull labour in our Calling 8 Calumnies Comfort 87 Christian Furniture 1 Combat betweene the Earth the Wretch 17 Companie usuallie hurtfull 15 Complementing is a windie fulnesse 82 Contemplation and practise ought to bee ioyned 47 Conceate of VVisedome is great folie 44 Conscience Exercise 79 Conscientious Knowledge 83 Constant inconstancie 30 Corruptions Danger 56 Corruptions Remeede 90 Credulitie and Confidence 41 D Death surpriseth the most part of men 6 Deuotion and Obedience are twinnes 12 E Eiaculations continuall 81 Experience fruitfull 14 F Phantasies Tyrannie and Remeede 94 Faults with the World but not with God 23 Feares needlesse are fruitfull to the godlie 85 Flesh and Spirit discerned 58 G God alone better than all 50 God mercifull presence 59 The sight of a present God-head 42 Gods best giftes 57 God seeth the Heart 67 Gods Beggers are best heard 72 How to please God and man 33 God the dwelling place of the godlie 100 God and Sathan contrare in ends wayes 60 The godlies warre in peace 91 H Concerning happines we are greatest fooles 5 Hearts discouerie 10 Hearts hardnesse 75 I Iniuries inflame our corruption 32 Insolent fittes 29 Iudging wrong 31 L Short life ought a short care 20 Loue of good and hatred of euill 54 The best Lotte hath some want 55 M Mans threefold perfection 97 Man most disobedient of all creatures 70 Man both blind and quicke sighted in his owne cause 88 Mankinds wise temper 84 Best men most iniured 71 Mankinds threefolde respect 96 Meditations profite 39 The Merchant wise and foolish 53 Good Motions are of God 73 N Holie Necessities are no distractions 13 Thirst of News 86 O Obseruations right vse 74 Operations of the holie Spirit 2 P Particulars are mixed with common causes 89 Passions disease and Remeede 22 Patrons of Grace and Nature 43 Peace of God a sweete Vade-mecum 4 Perplexities disease and Remeede 21 Politickes secrecie is open 62 Predominant vertue and vice 93 Prayers great profite 7 Prouidence particular to the godlie 98 Rest on Prouidence 68 R Religious Religion 82 Refuge of the Christian. 95 Resolution performed 34 S Saluation of God alone 24 Scriptures vnspeakable profite 65 Securitie in God 38 Selvishnesse damnable 52 Sense of weaknesse 62 Sinne an euill Guest 28 Proud Sinners post to Hell 25 Soules life 63 Soules Foode 36 The stamppe of God in the Soule 77 Great worldlie Spirits 78 Good Spirits most free of Passions 49 T Our Thoughts fruitfull worke 3 The godlie Traueller 16 Tryall of Trueth 61 Tryall of our Tyme 19 W VVarres fearefull calamities 66 VVayes of God well expounded 18 VVorld worse and worse 9 Dead to the world 45 A new better world in this old bad one 99 VVorship of God done as his worship 76 Constant dyet in Gods worship 37 Y Youth and olde Age. 11 FINIS Faults escaped in the printing in the Obseruations Page Line Fault Corrected 53. 1. delate deleete 57. 1. friend frrine 68. 2. adde Post. 79. 5. wrath worth 87. 17. craueth carueth 111. 21. coÌ„uersatioÌ„ couersioÌ„ 113. 1. craue carue 152. 14. to in 157. ult dele him 180. 10. calamities calumnies 212. 19. taker tacke 218. 11. titling tilting In the Resolution 2. 3. reproach approach 39. 10. it is 49. 2 secure serue