thâ— breath of life he founâ— him flat vpoÌ„ the grouÌ„â— when hee comes to withdraw that breath from him againe hee prepares him to it by laying him flat vpon his bed Scarse any prison so close that affords not the prisoner two or â—hree steps The Anchorites that barqu'd themselues vp in hollowe trees immur'd themselues in hollow walls That peruerse man that barrell'd himselfe in a Tubb all could stand or sit and enioy some change of pasture A sicke bed is a graue anâ— all that the patient saieâ— there is but a varying oâ— his owne Epitaph Eueâ—ry nights bed is a Typâ— of the graue At nighâ— wee tell our seruants aâ— what houre wee wilâ— rise here we cannot telâ— our selues at what day what week what moâ—neth Here the head lieâ— as low as the foot thâ— Head of the people aâ—lowe as they whom those feete trod vpon And that hande thaâ— signed Pardons is toâ— weake to begge his owne if hee might haue it for lifting vp that hand Strange fetters to the feete strange Manacles to the hands vvhen the feete and handes are bound so much the faster by how much the coards are slacker So much the lesse able to doe their Offices by how much more the Sinnewes and Ligaments are the looser In the Graue I may speak thorough the stones in the voice of my friends anâ— in the accents of thosâ— wordes which theiâ— loue may afford my meâ—mory Here I am minâ— owne Ghost and ratheâ— affright my beholders then instruct them theâ— conceiue the worst oâ— me now and yet feaâ—â— worse they giue me foâ— dead now yet wonâ—der how I doe wheâ— they wake aâ— midnight and aske how I doe â—â—â—morrow Miserable and though common to all in human postuâ— where I must practise â—y lying in the graue by â—ying still and not practise my Resurrection by â—ising any more 3. EXPOSTVLATION MY God and my Iesus my Lord and my Christ my Strength and my SaluatioÌ„ I heare thee and I hearken to thee wheÌ„ thou rebukest thy Disciples for rebuking â—hem who brought â—hildren to thee Suffer little children to come tâ— mee saiest thou Is therâ— a verier child then I aâ— now I cannot say witâ— thy seruant Ieremy Lorâ— I am a child and cannâ— speake but O Lord I aâ— a sucking childe anâ— cannot eat a creepinâ— childe and cannot goâ—â— how shall I come tâ— thee Whither shall 〈◊〉 come to thee To thiâ— bed I haue this weake and childish frowardâ—nes too I cannot sit vpâ— and yet am loth to go tâ— bed shall I find thee 〈◊〉 bed Oh haue I alwaies done so The bed is not ordinarily thy Scene thy Climate Lord dost thoâ— not accuse me dost thou not reproach to mee my former sinns when thou layest mee vpon this bed Is not this to hang a man at his owne dore to lay him sicke in his owne bed of wantonnesse When thou chidest vs by thy Prophet for lying in beds of Iuory is not thine anger vented not till thou changest our bedds of Iuory into bebs of Ebony Dauid sweares vnto thee that hee will not goâ— vp into his bed till he haâ— built thee a House To goâ— vp into the bed denoteâ— strength and promiâ—eâ— ease But when thoâ— saiest That thou wilt caâ— Iesubel into a bed thoâ— mak'st thine own comâ—ment vpon that Thoâ— callest the bed Tribulâ—â—tion great Tribulation â— How shal they come tâ— thee whom thou haâ—â— nayled to their bedâ— Thou art in the Congrâ—â—gation I in a solitude when the Centurions seruant lay sicke at home his Master was faine to come to Christ â—he sicke man could not Their friend lay sicke of the Palsey and the four charitable men were faine to bring him to Christ he could not come Peters wiues mother lay sicke of a feuer Christ came to her shee could not come to him My friends may carrie mee home to thee in their prayers in the Congregation Thou must comâ— home to me in the visiâ—tation of thy Spirit anâ— in the seale of thy Sacraâ—ment But when I aâ— cast into this bedd mâ— slacke sinewes are yroâ— fetters and those thiâ— sheets yron dores vpoâ— me And Lord I haue loâ—ued the habitation of thâ— house and the place wheâ— thine honour dwelleth lye here and say Blesse are they that dwell in thâ— house but I cannot say I will come into thy housâ— I may say In thy feaâ— will I worship towards thy â—oly Temple but I cannot â—ay in thy holy Templeâ— And Lord the zeale of thy House eats me vp as fast as my feuer It is not a Recusancie for I would come but it is an ExcoÌ„munication I must not But Lord thou art Lord of Hosts louest Action Why callest thou me from my calling In theâ— graue no man shall praise thee In the doore of the graue this sicke bed no Man shal heare mee praise thee Thou hast not opned my lips that my mouth mighâ— shew thee thy praise buâ— that my mouth mighâ— shew foorth thy praise But thine Apostles fearâ— takes hold of mee thâ—â— when I haue preached to â—â—thers I my selfe should be cast-way and therefoâ—â— am I cast downe that might not be cast awaâ— â— Thou couldst take mâ— by the head as thoâ— didst Abacuc and carrâ—â— mee so By a Chariot 〈◊〉 thou didst Eliah caâ—â—rie me so but thou caâ—â—riest me thine own priuate way the way by which thou carryedst thy Sonne who first lay vpon the earth praid and then had his Exaltation as himselfe calls his Crucifying and first descended into hell and then had his Ascension There is another Station indeed neither are stations but prostrations lower then this bed To morrow I may be laid one Story lower vpon the Floore the face of the earth and next day another Story in the graue the wombe of the Earth As yet God suspends mee betweene Heauen and Earth as a Meteor and I am not in Heauen because an earthly bodie clogges me and I am not in the Earth because a heauenly Soule sustaines meeâ— And it is thine owne Law O God that if a man bee smitten so by anoâ—ther as that hee keepe hiâ— bed though he dye not hee that hurt him must take care of his healing and recompence him Thâ— hand strikes mee into this bed and therefore if I rise againe thou wilt bee my recompence all the dayes of my life in making the memory of this sicknes beneficiall to me and if my body fall yet lower thou wilt take my soule out of this bath present it to thy Father washed againe and againe and again in thine own teares in thine owne sweat in thine owne blood 3. PRAYER O Most mightie anâ— most merciful God who though thou hauâ— taken me off of my feet hast not taken me off oâ— my foundation whicâ— is thy selfe who thougâ— thou haue remoued mâ— froÌ„ that vpright forme in which I could stand and see thy throne thâ—
it in the hands and rest of a Sabbath though thou haue beene pleased to glorifie thy selfe in a long exercise of my patience with an expectation of thy declaration of thy selfe in this my sicknesse yet since thou hast now of thy goodnesse afforded that which affords vs some hope if that bee still the way of thy glory proceed in that way and perfit that worke and establish me in a Sabbath and rest in thee by this thy seale of bodily restitution Thy Priests came vp to thee by steps in the Temple Thy Angels came downe to Iaacob by steps vpon the ladder we finde no staire by which thou thy selfe camest to Adam in Paradise nor to Sodome in thine anger for thou and thou oâ—ely art able to doe all at once But O Lord I am not wearie of thy pace nor wearie of mine owne patience I prouoke â—heâ— not with a praier not with a wish not with a â—ope to more haste than consists with thy purpose nor looke that any other thing should haue entred into thy purpose but thy glory To heare thy â—steps comming towards mee is the same comfort as to see thy face present with mee whether thou doe the worke of a thousand yeere in a day or extend the worke of a day to a thousand yeere as long as thou workest it is light and comfort Heauen it selfe is but an extention of the same ioy and an extention of this mercie to proceed at thy leisure in the way of restitution is a manifestation of heauen to me here vpon earth From that people to whom thou appearedst in signes and in Types the Iewes thou art departed because they trusted in them but from thy Church to whom thou hast appeared in thy selfe in thy Sonne thou wilt neuer depart because we cannot trust too much in him Though thou haue afforded me these signes of restitution yet if I confide in them and beginne to say all was but a Naâ—urall accident and nature begins to discharge her selfe and shâ—e will perfit the whole worke my hope shall vanish because it is not in thee If thou shouldest take thy hand vtterly from me and haue nothing to doe with me Nature alone were able to destroy mee but if thou withdraw thy helping hand alas how friuolous are the helps of Nature how impotent the assistances of Art As therefore the morning dew is a pawne of the euening fatnesse so O Lord let this daies comfort be the earnest of to morrowes so fâ—rre as may conforme me entirely to thee to what end and by what way soâ—uer thy mercie haue appointed mee 20. Idâ—agunt Vpon these Indications of digested matter they proceed to purge 10. MEDITATION THougâ— counsel seeme rather to consist of spirituall parts than action yet action is the spirit and the soule of counsell Counsels are not alwaies determined in Resolutions wee cannot alwaies say this was concluded actions are alwaies determined in effects wee can say this was done Then haue Lawes their reuerence and their maiestie when wee see the Iudge vpon the Bench executing them Then haue counsels of warre their impressions and their operations when we see the seale of an Armie set to them It was an ancient way of celebrating the memorie of such as deserued well of the State to afford them that kinde of statuarie representation which was then called Hermes which was the head and shoulders of a man standing vpon a Cube but those shoulders without armes and hands All together it figured a constant supporter of the state by his counsell But in this Hierogliphique which they made without hands they passe their consideration no farther but that the Counsellor should bee without hands so farre as not to reach out his hand to forraigne tentations of bribes in matters of Counsell and that it was not necessary that the head should employ his owne hand that the same men should serue in the execution which assisted in the Counsell but that there should not belong hands to euery head action to euery counsell was neuer intended so much as in figure and representation For as matrimonie is scarce to bee called matrimonie where there is a resolution against the fruits of matrimonie against the hauing of Children so counsels are not counsels but illusions where there is from the beginning no purpose to execute â—he determinaâ—ions of â—hose counsels The arts and sciences are most properly referred to the head that is their proper Element and Spheare But yet the art of prouing Logique and the Art of perswading Rhetorique are deduced to the hand and that expressed by a hand contracted into a sist and this by a hand enlarged and expanded and euermore the power of man and the power of God himselfe is expressed soâ— All things are in hiâ— hand â— neither is God so often presented â—o vs by names that carry our consideratioÌ„ vpon counsell as vpon execution of counsell he is oftner called the Lord of Hosts â—han by all other names that may be referred to the other significationâ— Herebyâ— therefore wee take into our meditation the slipperie condition of man whose happinesse in any kinde the defect of any one thing conducing to that happinesse may ruine but iâ— must haue all the peeces to make it vp Without counsell I had not got thus farreâ— withouâ— action and practise I should goe no farther towards health But what is â—he present necâ—ssary action purging A withdrawing a violating of Nature a farther weakening O deare price O strange way of addition to doe it by substraction of restoring Nature to violate Nature of prouiding strength by increasing weaknesse Was I not sicke before And is it a question of comfort to be asked now Did your Physicke make you sicke Was that it that my Physicke promised to make me sicke This is another step vpon which we may stand and see farther into the miserie of man the time the season of his Miserie It must bee done now O ouer-â—â—nning ouer-watchfull ouer-diligent and ouer-sociable misery of man that seldome comes alone but then when it may accompanie other miseries and so put one another into the higher exaltation and better â—eart I am ground euen to an attenuation and must proceed to euacuation all waies to exinaniâ—ion and annihilation 20. EXPOSTVLATION MY God my God the God of Order but yet not of Ambition who assignest place to euery one but not contention for place when shall it be thy pleasure to put an end to all these quarrels for spirituall precedences when shall men leaue their vncharitable disputations which is to take place faith or repentance and which when we consider faith and works The head and the hand too are required to a perfit naturall man Counsell and action too to a perfit ciuill man saith and works too to him that is perfiâ—ly spirituall But because it is easily said I beleeue and because it doth not easily lie in proofe nor is easily demonstrable by any euidence taken from my heart for
many Simples euen froÌ„ the beginning didst thou meane that wee should be sicke wheÌ„ thou didst so when thou madest them No more then thou didst meane that we should sinne when thou madest vs thoâ— fore-sawest both buâ— causedst neither Thoâ— Lord promisest heeâ— trees whose fruit shall bâ—â— for meat and their leaâ—â— for Medicine It is thâ— voyce of thy Sonn Wâ—â— thou bee made whole That drawes from thâ—â— patient a coÌ„fession thaâ— hee was ill and coulâ— not make himsâ—lfe wâ—â— And it is thine ownâ— voyce Is there no Phisiâ—cian That inclines vs disposes vs to accepâ— thine Ordinance Anâ— â—t is the voyce of the Wise man both for the matter phisicke it selfe The Lorde hath created Medicines out of the Earth and hee that is wise shall not abhorre them And for the Arte and the Person The Phisician cutteth off a long disease In all these voyces thou sendest vs to those helpes which thou hast afforded vs in that But wilt not thou auowe that voyce too Hee that hath sinned against his Maker let him fall into thâ— hands of the Phisician anâ— wilt not thou affoorâ— me an vnderstanding oâ— those wordes Thoâ— who sendest vs for â— blessing to the Phisicâ—â—an doest not make it â— curse to vs to go wheâ— thou sendest Is not thâ— curse rather in this thâ—â— onely hee falls into thâ— hands of the Phisician that casts himself whoâ—ly intirely vpon the Phiâ—sician confides in him relies vpon him attend all from him and negâ—lects that spirituall phiâ—icke which thou also hast instituted in thy Church â— so to fall into the â—ands of the Phisician is a sinne and a punishment of â—ormer sinnes so as Asaâ—fell who in his disease sought not to the Lord butâ—â—o the Phisician Reueale therefore to me thy meâ—hod O Lord see whether I haue followed it â—hat thou mayest haue glory if I haue and I pardon if I haue not helpe that I may Thy Method is In time of thy sicknesse be not negligent â— VVherein wilt thou haue my diligence expressed Pray vnto thâ— Lord and hee will makâ— thee whole O Lord â— doe I pray and pray thy Seruaunt Dauidâ— prayer Haue mercy vpâ—on mee O Lord for I aâ— weake Heale mee O Lord for my bones arâ— vexed I knowe that euen my weakenesse is a reason a motâ—ue to induce thy mercie and my sicknes an occasion of thy sending health When art thou so readie when is it so seasonable to thee to commiserate as in miserie But is Prayer for health in season as soone as I am sicke Thy Method goes further Leaue off from sinne and order thy handes aright and cleanse thy heart from all wickednesse Haue I O Lord done so O Lord I haue by thy grace I am come to a holy detestation of my former sin Is there any more In thy Methode there is more Giue a sweet sauorâ— and a memoriall of finâ— flower and make a fat ofâ—fering as not being And Lord by thy grace I haue done that sacrificed â— little of that litle whicâ— thou lentst me to them for whoÌ„ thou lentst it and now in thy methoâ— and by thy steps I am come to that Then giâ—â— place to the Phisician foâ— the Lord hath created him let him not goe from theâ— for thou hast need of him I send for the Phisiciaâ— but I will heare him enâ—ter with those wordes of Peter Iesus Christ maketh thee whole I long for his presence but I lookâ— that the power of the Lord should bee present to heale mee 4. PRAYER O Most mightie and most merciful God who art so the God of health strength as that without thee all health is but the fuell and all streÌ„gth but the bellows of sinne Behold meâ— vnder the vehemencâ— of two diseases and vnâ—der the neceâ—sity of twâ— PhisiciaÌ„s authorized bâ— thee the bodily and thâ— spiritual Phisician I comâ— to both as to thine Ordiâ—nance blesse and gloâ—rifie thy Name that iâ— both cases thou hast afâ—forded help to Man by the Ministery of manâ— Euen in the new Ierusaâ—lem in Heauen it selfe iâ— hath pleased thee to discouer a Tree which iâ— a Tree of life there buâ— the leaues thereof are for the healing of the Nations Life it selfe is with thee there for thou art life and all kinds of Health wrought vpon vs here by thine Instruments descend from thence Thou wouldest haue healed Babylon but she is not healed Take from mee O Lord her peruersenesse her wilfulnesse her refractarinesse and heare thy Spirit saying in my Soule Heale mee O Lord for I would bee healed Ephraim saw his sickenesse and Iudah his wound then went Ephraim to the Assyrian and sent to King Iareb yet could noâ— hee heale you nor cure you of your wound Keepe me back O Lord from them who mis-professe artes of healing the Soule or of the Body by meanes not imprinted by thee in the Church for the soule or not in nature for the body There is no spirituall health to be had by superstition nor bodily by witchcraft â— thou Lord and onely thou art Lord of both Thou in thy selfe art Lord of both and thou in thy Son art the Phisician the applyer of both With his stripes wee are healed sayes the Prophet there there before hee was scourged wee were healed with his stripes how much more shall I bee healed now now when that which he hath already suffred actually is actually and effectually applied to me Is there any thing incurable vpon which that Balme dropps Any vaine 〈◊〉 emptie as that that bloâ—â— cannot fil it Thou proâ—misest to heale the earâ—â— but it is when the iâ—â—habitants of the eartâ— pray that thou wouldeâ—â— heale it Thou promiâ—sest to heale their Wâ—â—ters but their miery plâ—â—ces and standing waters â— thou sayest there Thoâ— wilt not heale My retuâ—â—nâ—ng to any sinne if should returne to the aâ—bilitie of sinning ouer all my sins againe thou wouldest not pardonâ— â—eale this earth O my â—od by repentant tears â—nd heale these waters â—hese teares from all bitâ—â—rnes froÌ„ all diffidence â—rom all deiection by eâ—â—ablishing my irremoâ—able assurance in thee â—hy Sonn went about heaâ—â—ng all manner of sickeâ—esses No disease incuâ—able none difficult he â—ealed them in passing â—ertue went out of him â—nd he healed all all the â—ultitude no person inâ—urable he healed them â—uery whit as himselfe speaks he left no relike of the disease and wiâ—â— this vniuersall Phisiciâ—â— passe by this Hospital and not visit mee noâ— heale me not heale mâ— wholy Lord I lookâ— not that thou shouldeâ— say by thy Messenger tâ— mee as to Ezechias Bâ—â—hold I will heale thee anâ— on the third day thou shaâ—â— goe vp to the house of thâ— Lord. I looke not thâ—â— thou shouldst say to mâ—â— as to Moses in Miriamâ— behalfe when Mosâ—â— would haue had heâ—â— heald presently If her â—ather had but spit in her â—ace
feare of death that there was not a house where there was not one dead for therupon the Aegyptians said we are all deaâ— men the death of others should catechise vsâ— to death Thy Sonne Christ Iesus is the first begotten of the dead he rises first the eldest brother and he is my Master in this science of death but yet for mee I am a younger brother too to this Man who died now and to euery man whom I see or heare to die before mee and all they are vshers to mee in this schoole of death I take therefore that which thy seruant Dauids wife said to him to bee said to me If thou saue not thy life to night to morrow thou shalt bee slaine If the death of this man worke not vpon mee now I shall die worse than if thou hadst not afforded me this helpe for thou hast sent him in this bell to mee as thoâ— didst send to the Angelâ— of Sardis with commission to strengthen the things that remaine and that are ready to die that in this weaknes of body I mighâ— receiue spiritual strengâ—h by these occasions This is my strength that whether thou say to mee as thine Angell said to Gedeon Peace bee vnto thee feare not thou shalt not die or whether thou say as vnto Aaron Thou shalt die there yet thou wilâ— preserue that which is ready to die my soule from the worst death that of sinne Zimrie died for his sinnes saies thy Spirit which he sinned in doing euill and in his sinne which he did to make Israel sinne For his sinnes his many sinnes and then in his sinne his particular sinne for my sinnes I shall die whensoeuer I die for death is the wages of sinne but I shall die in my sinne in that particular sinne of resisting thy spirit if I apply not thy assistances Doth it not call vs to a particular consideration That thy blessed Sonne varies his forme of Commination and aggrauates it in the variation when hee saies to the Iewes because they refused the light offered you shall die in your sinne And then when they proceeded to farther disputations and vexations and tentations hee addes you shall die in your sinnes he multiplies the former expressing â—o a plurall In this sinne â— and in all your sinnes doth not the resisting of thy particular helps at last draw vpon vs the guiltinesse of all our former sinnes May not the neglecting of this sound ministred to mee in this mans death bring mee to that miserie as that I whom the Lord of life loued so as to die for me shall die and a Creature of mine owne shall be immortall â— that I shall die and the worme of mine owne conscience shall neuer die 18. PRAYER O Eternall and most gracious God I haue a new occasion of thanks and a new occasion of prayer to thee from the ringing of this bell Thou toldst me in the other voice that I was mortall and approaching to death In this I may heare thee say that I am dead in an irremediable in an irrecouerable state for bodily health If that bee thy language in this voice how infinitely am I bound to thy heauenly Maiestie for speaking so plainly vnto mee for euen that voice that I must die now is not the voice of a Iudge that speaks by way of condemnation but of a Physitian that presents health in that Thou presentest mee death as the cure of my disease not as the exaltation of it if I mistake thy voice herein if I ouer-runne thy pace and preuent thy hand and imagine death more instant vpon mee than thou hast bid him bee yet the voice belongs to me I am dead I was borne dead and from the first laying of these mud-walls in my conception they haue moldred away and the whole course of life is but an actiue death Whether this voice instruct mee that I am a dead man now or remember me that I haue been a dead man all this while I humbly thanke thee for speaking in this voice to my soule and I humâ—ly beseech thee also to â—ccept my prayers in his behalfe by whose occasion this voice this sound is come to mee â—or though hee bee by death transplanted to thee and so in possession of inexpressible happinesse there yet here vpon earth thou hast giuen vs such a portion of heauen as that though men dispute whether thy Saints in heauen doe know what we in earth in particular doe stand in need of yet without all disputation wee vpon earth doe know what thy Saints in heauen lacke yet for the consummation of their happinesse and therefore thou hast affoorded vs the dignitie that wee may pray for them That therefore this soule now newly departed to thy Kingdome may quickly returne to a ioâ—full reunion to that body which it hath left and that wee with it may soone enioy the full consummation of all in body and soule I humbly beg at thy hand O our most mercifull God for thy Sonne Christ Iesus sake That that blessed Sonne of thine may haue the comsummation of his dignitie by entring into his last office the office of a Iudge and may haue societie of humane bodies in heauen as well as hee hath had euer of soulesâ— And that as thou hatest sinne it selfe thy hate to sinne may bee expressed in the abolishing of all instruments of sinne The allurements of this world and the world it selfe and all the temporarie râ—uenges of sinne the stings of sicknesse and of death and all the castles and prisons and monuments of sinne in the graue That time may bee swallowed vp in Eternitie and hope swallowed in possession and ends swallowed in infinitenesse and all men ordained to saluation in body and soule bâ— one intire and euerlasting sacrifice to thee where thou mayest receiue delight from them and they glorie from thee for euermore Amen 19. Oceano tandem emenso aspicienda resurgit Terra vident iustis medici iam cocta mederi se posse indicijs At last the Physitians after a long and stormie voyage see land They haue so good signes of the conâ—oction of the disease as that they may safely proceed to purge 19. MEDITATION ALl this while the Physitians themselues haue beene patients patiently attending when they should see any land in this Sea any earth any cloud any indication of concoction in these waters Any disorder of mine any pretermission of theirs exalts the dâ—sease accelerates the rages of it no diligence accelerates the concoction the maturitie of the disease they must stay till the season of the sicknesse come and till it be ripened of it selfe and then they may put to their hand to gather it before it fall off but they cannot hasten the ripening Why should wee looke for it in a disease which is the disorder the discord the irregularitie the commotion and rebellion of the body It were scarce a disease if it could bee ordered and