Soul-rusting pride and fashions strange Whose brood's Court Lunaticks in monthly change How many traps alluring baits do lie And rest in naked breasts for an adulterous Eye Tinctur'd by you not she knew not your toys Nor dieted her Soul with Dunghils joys Smells as foul earth your Sophistrie she fled Which makes a two-fac'd Monster with one Head An Act calls God Bungler Blush stars and Sun Art perfects that face Heaven had not well done Three things were deemed precious 〈…〉 Eye Time Faith Christs Blood for which her prayers did vie In first the second by second third she got 'Bove both Indie's treasures a surpassing lot Put to the Trial Temptations hotest flame She du'd endured stood withstood quencht orecame And from Whales belly out of sorrows Hell Of Gods supporting Grace could wonders tell O Heavenliest Art that sweet Experience She could decline Afflictions in each Tense What Present Past and future fruits they bring How Saints do sometimes sink then float and swim Yet here 's not all more Virtues could I pick To puzzle and gravel all Arithmetick Which makes me pity that poor Sâ—agyrite When he did his Ethnick Ethick Volumes write VVhere all the moral Virtues he could count The number of eleven did not surmount Our living Volum fair printed had far more Our little VVorld saith his great world was poor For whose dear sake Grammarians may define Virtue always of Gender femenine Thy death sham'd not thy life thy dearest friend On his day chose thee to him to ascend Thy green years promis'd life Virtue full grown Pronounc'd thy field was ripe fit to cut down Living each one had part of Joys in thee Dying like griefs as having from our Tree Best branch rent off O loved Spousess câ—ys one Dear Daughter another Sister Companion Kind Lady these all Friend boâ—â—â— tyed and true With love engrain'd that never chang'd the hew Thy Battel 's ended Lawrel decks thy brows Deaths livery ours the fadest Cypress boughs Had death spar'd thee a while and given leave ' Mongst us thy friends some legacies to leave Our griefs had lower ebb'd Lo I desire For Legacy some coals of thy hot fire Of Zeal to heat my freezing frigid heart Or else of thy Humility a part ' Gainst innate Pride O thou mightst well have given Thy Love divided amongst six or seven Thy worlds contempt had been an excellent gift That eight or nine amongst us might it shift And knowing our hasty spirits when thou slipt hence Why didst thou not bequeath thy Patience Thou knewst how many walk'd with that bad note Of busie scullers in anothers boat Couldst not thou say Friend take thee this bequest Handle thine own Oars that becomes the best I leave thee it ' cause I lov'd it Thus good heart Thou mighst have given us every one a part I see Death will engross say what we list He scorns our Laws will be a Monopolist I 'le not Chide fate nor curse dire destiny Nor challenge Death to field nor rage and cry O hateful Heavens when Providence will must Have the perledst Mortals once to kiss the dust Here Heart from sighs our Eyes from brackish tears Body from weakness Mind from horrid fears Can't be priviledged Earths Cushions pillows best Be stufft with thorns or life is stuck and drest VVith netles briars Blest be thy Pylat Death VVho hence from Pirats on these Seas beneath Sin Misery Vanity doth our Souls transport Into Heavens blessed Harbour Rests true Port. VVhere neither boistrous North West South or East Raises ambitious VVaves nor yet that Beast Leviathan below can Cables break Or with Temptations make our Pinnace leak VVhere we forget those Threnodies of grief VVeep watery Eyes and VVho can send relief For me Imparâ—dis'd Soul to thee once dear Assistant witness in thy assaults of fear And sore Soul-combates were Saints power to mind As mind here was I should not stay behind For reason and religion both this prove Heaven doubles Gr ce and so it doubles Love Some curious Eyes did look I should rehearse Some light-heel'd lines in a wit-woven verse VVisemen will think the match is very base To lay on cloth of Gold a Buck-rams lace Or motleys purls and edge The sobred Grave Hate feathred leightness and substantials crave Her aims o'rclimb'd the Stars who gravity Sleight neither know themselves nor her nor me Nor eare I what capriccious Judges think Who say here it flatteries mart and Oile for Ink I 'le glew these lines on envious slaunders barr And Twelve of Malice's Clients that would marr A VVorld of honesty shall empaneld be To vent galls verdict ' gainst this verity Truth fears no blasting breath come slander speak Or bite thy lips in anger till th' Heart break Had she no faults yes some thou more none 's free Adam fell once we often sometimes she VVhen Marbles moulder and pounded are to dust Yet fresh shall be the Memorial of the Just When in my Memory enrolled I find thee not Well may I doubt all virtue I hove forgot Sanctities pen writes such an Epicede Quaint'st brains mere Pernasian doth exceed Ermins are vermin base in Arms and Coat Where Grace powders not life with holy note Good Day thou hast gotten bidst us Good night Leaving thy virtuous pattern to guide us right An holy course chalks th' way to Heavenly light Let vain World dress its Carps spit spite fume laugh A Gracious life leaves fairest Epitaph The Epitaph on the Lady Mary Gryffith FRom mothers womb unto earths womb the grave Through th' Worlds desert some years I wandered have Nature gave being Grace well-being Death th' best Heavens happy Being to Soul to Body rest I lie here waiting till the last shrill-voic'd Trump Shall breath new life into this dead Clays lump Then shall be at once two Nuptials solemniz'd Of Body to Glorious Soul and both to Christ O Mortals learn of me make Christ your scope By Prayers and Tears I came to rest in Hope FINIS
tell us of taking good heed to these two things which are the complex of the whole counsel of God Acts 20. 27. Repentance towards God and Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ Or lastly take his unum magnum his one great point of exercise To have always a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards Men. Act. 24.16 Gen. 5.12 All comes to this one to imitate Enochs holy Peripateticks to walk with God continually Many things of beauty and novelty are lookt after in this World outwardly glorious and rich things are applauded men and great persons dote upon rarity and splendors of this World and think those men are in a kind of Heaven though they be very fairly forward in a way to Hell Plato in Tâ—aeâ— Thus the glorious Tent and Tabernacle of the great Persian Kings were called Ouranoi the Heavens you have learnt better to know Christ in the Soul and the Soul in Christ to be Heaven upon Earth He that believeth hath everlasting life What a glorious vanity was that of Kings of Cusco and Mexico one of them having a glorious Garden where all the Trees Fruits Lord St. Aug. Herbs Plants Flowers according to order and greatness they have in a Garden were curiously framed in Gold and in his Cabinet all the living Creatures were known in Earth or Sea curiously fashioned and cast in Gold A princely Heathenish vanity would make his life no better then a St. Augustine calls this life A shadow in Moonshine which is little more then shadow of a shadow I know you more study to have all the fair flowers of Heaven Faith Patience Humility Meekness Love of Christ Thankfulness c. cast in a sanctified model by Gods Spirit kept in your heart and life exceeding massy gold Carlo Boccomeo Bp. of Millain Canonised for a Saint said well A Bishop should have no Garden but the holy Scriptures Go you on still to make Prayer your Garden and Flowers and by holy glorifying of God as St. Chrysostome directs Give up your five spiritual senses to wait on God continually For the Soul has spiritual seeing smelling tasting touching hearing which in their way applyed to God and his manifestations you shall not only please God but give him Musick and be his Decachorda Cithara St. Chry. in op Imperfecto in cap. 22. S. Matth. Hom. 24. his ten stringed Harp to praise him No farther will I detain you but pray for you that you may have support of Gods Spirit in your great infirmities tryals and gravid years to answer them from Heaven with grace sufficient for you and very efficient in you that when your strength of flesh and heart fails you God may come in with fresh store and assure you of Holy Asaphs viaticum that he will be the strength of your heart your portion for ever He the Guide Faher of his Israel lead you till per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a right Christian comfortable death he bring you ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to an immortal life which all good Mortals wait for by Jesus Christ the blessed Purchaser and unfailing Preparer of it So prays your observant servant in the Lord. T. C. THE EPISTLE To the READER FAith and assurance the Christians Ourania is better worthy Wooing and fighting for then the Grecians Helena the one is but the subject of a worm-eaten beauty the other carries with it a decor and beauty that no old age no not Eternity it self can wrinkle or furrow with uncomeliness holy Souls find it hard in the getting and meet with 〈◊〉 task that makes them imploâ— all their shoulders and sinews foâ— the keeping of it The Labours of the Saints to fight with the Monsters that Satan sets on work against them 2 Cor. 2.11 Revel 2.24 the scruples doubts fears distempers temptations hellish methods noemata and depths of the Serpent do put a name of softness and facility upon all Hercules his labours Phil. 1.6 Phil. 4.13 sore tryals with Beasts and Men yet this is their comfort their help is more for Christ having begun his Grace will stand by them and work for them till all his Heavenly business be perfected and though the Serpent may rend the Skin and wound the flesh of the Heel yet Gods Servants shall end in capite in the Head both bruising the Head of the Serpent and being sure to have the benefit as members of Jesus Christ their Head of whom they hold The first of these Texts was addressed and dressed for the wounded Heel of a gracious Saint that was struck sick by the Serpent of which sore drinking up the moysture of her Spirits she was dangerously deeply and distressfully sick lying in the valley of the shadow of death 3 Quarters of a Year day and night combating with God about Ecclipses of his Face desertions manifestations of wrath apprehensions of hell which squeezed out frequent confessions and complaints of an estate worse then Cains an owning of the Sin against the Holy Ghost a challenging reprobation as its due portion And besides the sense of an angerful God there was continual combating with the spiteful Spiriâ— of Hell every day ready tâ— write its own Epitaph with the blackest letters of damnation and a lost Soul All these accompanied with solitude and secrecie with two three days together fasting praying and weeping till the eyes were turned into buckets and few spiritual comforters and legati pacis to be met withal save one spirit of Grace that had bound up the Soul in this Resolution Though God will not be my God yet I will die praying and seeking after him and a poor messenger of God who having but a little Oyl in his cruse by dayly dropping of it into the wound it both increased and healed with the dropping It pleased God at length to make the winter and sad weaâ—her of this storm-beaten â—â—â—l to be over end so as the flowers appeared singing of birds was come and the voice of the Turtle was heard a cheerful Soul began sweetly to sing in its Cage of Clay The sorrows were deep the comforts rose very high and as once wormwood waters were drunk in the Cellar of bitterness and the banner over the Soul seemed in â—reat letters to have it The Lord hath forsaken me Cant. 2. Isa 49.14 Now â—t is led into the Wine Cellar of of Gods promises the sweetest comforts are broached and drunk and the Lords banner of love is spread over Here Heaven out of Heaven and some of the masters joy descended down before the Soul ascended up to it After the Vesseâ— had been seasoned some months with this unknown and admirable new Wine of living comforts Largissimum quoddam caeli gremium Bernard in Cantic Ita mihi visus sim tanquam unus ex illis beatis esse O Si duresset Idem in cantic Ser. 23. the Lord by a Chariot of sickness and that a violent one
to advancement When we look upon a man rowing in a Boat we see him look one way and row another way he looks from home but his boat goes homeward Whatsoever the Lords dealings be cast not away thy confidence O distressed heart though he seem to be a going from thee he is coming to thee Thou thinkest the Lord in anger turns away his face from thee yet the Boat of thy Soul for alâ— this is rowed homeward and Heaâ— venward These afflictions of thy spirit faintings of heart strong groans after sense of his love are infallible Sea-marks in thy way to the Haven of life and comfort only keep thy self in the Boat leap not out with diffidence though great waves leap in trust the Lord with the rowing commit thy ways unto him Psa 37.5 and he will bring it to pass Use 2 Learn to suspect rather than envy that estate which knows no changes It is the sinners saddest lot to be settled on the Lees and never moved nor changed from Bottle to Bottle Jer. 48.11 Let my Soul never sleep the sinners unbroken sleep of security they have no change Psa 73.5 and are not in trouble like other men But the righteous and whom God loves find manifold diversities of Gods proceedings with them because he means to make something of them His reason for his last request Lest I be like them that go down into the pit Not the Pit or Lake of Hell or Purgatory nor the depth and profundity of sins as some would have it but the pit of Golgotha the place of dead mens skulls the Chambers of mortality the Grave Elsewhere he seems so to reason Psa 30.9 Shall the dead praise thee what profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit Note here how David joyns Gods love and his life together and counts the hiding away his face to be death and that which carries him to the grave Doct. The faithful heart finds no life but in Gods love Gods favourable face is the Christians health and life his maintenance lies all in Gods countenance The basest low condition'd life is royalty with Gods favour and the royallist life is but a painted dunghill or a golden grave if his face be hid from it and shine not there Yea but David thou may'st be a living man eat drink and sleep though his face be hid from thee Thou hast Musick to chear thee art thou not a Prince thâ— hast the Sovereignty of a Kinâ—dom to comfort thee Nobles aâ— High Estates to attend and aâ— company thee thou mayst haâ— all the delights of the Sons of mâ—â— and earthly contentments to eâ—hilerate thee why dost thou thâ— speak of a grave or pit can man die among so many livinâ— comforts Thus indeed migâ— reason reason the case But Dâ—vid spoke advisedly he did nâ— as sometimes he did speak 〈◊〉 his haste he is often saying thâ— same Psal 119.77 ver 88. Let thy tender mercies coâ— unto me that I may live There 's nâ— life without assurance of his meâ—cies Quicken me after thy lovinâ— kindness He counts himself deaâ— without his loving kindness thâ— quickens him and puts new liâ— into him It is a great dignitâ— and comfort to a man to havâ— birds beasts fishes Sea Aiâ— Earth and all things to be madâ— for him and subjected to him Now David looks higher than thâ— Psal 8. 8th Psalm there must be more than all this to make a man to have a true and worthy life Though the body live by the Soul yet there wants Gods favour and face which is the Soul of the Soul and more to it than it is to the body The spiritual life to have to have the vital powers of grace the inspiration of Gods quickning Spirit an inward sight â—iewing of Gods face in Christ and sweet sâ—nse of his loving counâ—enance as John saith of the true â—ight so this is the true life In anotner place he has the very words His anger endureth but for a moment Psal 30.5 ver 7. Anima hominis Christiani Tulipae instar est quae se ad Spiritus Sancti radios explicat iisdem absentibus contristatur Causin Parab Hist lib. 10. and in his favour is life Again Thou didst turn away â—hy face and I was troubled There is death in â—he hiding of his countenance In the first Psalm the righteous man is compared to a tree and here methinks the righteous man is compared to a flower the Tuliâ— or Marygold if the Sun open hâ— bright lightsome face upon them these open their leaves but if 〈◊〉 set and shut up his shining shopiâ— Heaven these lour and clasp tâ—gether their leaves on earth Such is Gods favour and facâ— of love Davids Soul and evâ—ry Christians holy Soul rises aâ— sets with it Absalom couâ— tell us though he had lands aâ—â— maintenance from his father yâ— he lived bion ' abion Principis sideris absentiam gemere diceres a lifeless lisâ— so long as he might not come in his fathers presence and behoâ— his face The face of God recoâ—ciled has more ravishing sweâ—â—ness in it for every adopted Chilâ— who has tasted how gracious tâ—â— Lord is and how can they bâ— droop when that is hid froâ— them under seâ— and feeling of displeasure Psal 90.9 Redde oculos mea vita tuos ni cenere pergam Frigidus exanimi pectore dispeream Jan. Lernut in Poem Ocelli Cain Saul Judas Spira Wâ— thou art angry our days are goâ— The Idoliziâ—â— Lover will tâ— you his life lies in his Mrs eyes an amorous and pleasant look quickens him a frown or neglecting countenance casts him into deep vexations of heart This is but the Creature shall there not be thought there is more power of life and death in the Creator appearing graciously favourable or displeased Real proofs of this have been the horrible vexations even to dispair of wretched men when the ireful face of God has been set against them for their sins and presented to their Souls As also those bitter cries and prayers of the Godly in deep afflictions when no glasses could shew unto them the face of Gods favour this made them averse and pull back their hand from all offered comforts Natura speciem ita formavit oris ut in ea penitus reconditos mores effingeret Is qui appellatur vultus qui in nullo amimante esse praeter hominem potest indicat mores Cicero de Legib. lib. 1. Psal 51. because they wanted the sense and sight of this only comfort And this is a common phrase of Gods favour and love the shewing of his face because the heart acts all the parts of its several affections upon the Stage of the face it is the outward Map of the inward passions of the mind If there be fear within it may be seen in the trouble of the countenance and paleness clothing the face without If anger rise then cloudy frowns and angry demonstrations
HEART-SALVE FOR A WOVNDED SOUL AND EYE-SALVE FOR A BLIND WORLD OR Meditations of comfort for the Holy Living and Happy Dying Christian either in the depths of dark Desertion or in the heighth of Heavens Glorious Union The Second Edition with an Addition of an Elegie upon an Eminent Occasion By Tho. Calvert Minister of the Gospel When he giveth quietness who then can make trouble When he hideth his face who then can behold him Job 34.29 O aeterna veritas vira charitas chara aeternitas Tu es Deus meus tibi suspiro die ac nocte Aug. Confes lib. 7. cap. 10. LONDON Printed by F. L. for Tho. Passenger at the Three Bibles on London-Bridge and William Thorpe in Ousegate in Yorke 1675. To the Beloved and Honoured Lady in the Lord Ursula Barwick Widow full of Grace and Gravity Madam I Have borrowed some confidence to set your name in the front of this Treatise and concionary discourses which my thoughts are you will freely vouchsafe me without grudge In this I put you not to be the lug or handle to a common Pot but to a choice and Golden Vessel and whom you know of old seasoned with Christs liquor for his service At first edition I did nominally affix no dedication there being some reasons preponderating in those wretched times full of the worst parts of Arithmatick Divisions Fractions of Church and State Now first press being all exhaust and some urging to have it in a 2d birth I have yielded it the liberty of coming into the World again Nor I hope you will be ashamed of publishing the holy life of your sanctified Neighbour Matters there are all over in print of several natures some Adoxa 〈◊〉 Zâ—zer in Chiliad 11. as pamplets in praise of Fornication Drunkenness of being in Debt in praise of Baldness of banishment c. Some are Amphilaxa praising things of a middle nature and indifferent in themselves neither good nor evil Some Paradoxa strange things cryed up and commended beyond all mens sound opinions Other writings are Eudoxa of good and stanch report withall are good and wise truly praise worthy as Grace St. Hieron in Psalm 147. Virtue Piety Sobriety c. What I here give out is of this last sort that will sute every good and holy palat as Jews fable that Manna answered every gust If they thought of Hony of Partrigdes of any desired dainty what they had in their minds Manna was the representative of it to their Mouths your Ladyship I choose for facing this Script 〈…〉 you are much 〈…〉 she was 〈…〉 much 〈◊〉 â—pon the delicate 〈…〉 one word and prayer pâ—â—â—â—â—ly privately secretly And truly I must needs approve of your diet for your body caring to live Epicratically rather than Hypocritically Studying a course dayly of slender sober and plain feeding though compast with much infirmity and indispositions rather then to live medically and Physically translating the Apothecaries Shop into your flesh Barrad in Itiner Israel in Dis The first mischief that let in all misery upon us was Eves and Adams ill diet neglecting the Tree of life to seek and taste the forbidden fruit Indeed all our sin misery sickness death wrath of God and Hell came in at this Gate of an ill diet for our first parents made it not their meat to obey and do the will of God which should have been their corporal spiritual diet But it is your spiritual order of diet I most aim at and commend the humble and quotidian feeding your Soul with waiting on God in the way he has commanded you and promised to bless you you well digesting that word of our best Lord Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that meat which endureth to everlasting life Aquin. pust 63. which the Son of man shall give unto you Other meat perishes and nourishes them that eat it to a perishing life but Christs spiritual food endures for ever abides with us and nourishes us to the growing up to eternal life Neither this meat nor the man perishes A modern Roman Doctor of Physick disputes the case Paul Zachias in Quest Medico-legal lib. 7. Tit. 2. Quest 2. whether a Popish clergy man be excused and without blame if sore troubled with the Asthma he abstain from his office of reciting divine things as Preaching Reading Praying Singing He indeed determines that unless a sore Paroxysm and a strong fit of the same be afresh come upon him his speaking singing and loud voycing will do him no harm for he saith all practical Physitians say it is profitable and helpful for them that are Asthmatick to read or speak with an high voyce that is if they be able and at the the instant not opprest with a violent assault for it helps to purge the lungs of the matter impacted in them But you look not to be ruled by him but in and out of the strong invasions of the disease you know how to breath high and loud in your Soul to God when you breath straitly and strainingly to those about you Madam go on in this wholesome diet for Body and Soul and if while you are here below you cannot in Body and Soul get into Heaven yet continue and abide on the threshold of this beautiful Gate of the Heavenly Temple of Gods mercy the Patient abiding of the meek shall not perish nay such shall be fatherly and sweetly supported to the end Physitians cannot speak so much of the advantage of good and orderly diet for Body but from the word of God we may reason as strong for the benefit of spiritual diet for the Soul Let them tell us from their puni-godling Hippocrat lib. de vet Med. that if the sick would use the same diet they do that are sound and whole the Art of medicines would fall to nothing Hereby he intimates that great is the dignity of exquisite looking to diet Aurel. Severin in Trin. Chit as if it were all medicine Wherefore they tell us that the right hand in diseases and wounds is Physick and Chyrurgery but the left hand is diet which doth very much Now if we would study the most necessary Physick by direction of divine Medicks then is nothing so necessary as to learn to know God and our Alâ—uinus Souls Philo the Jew tells us the Essens three Principles were these they studied wholly to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to season all their life and labours with love of God Philo. Jud love of men love of virtue But we have a full voice of direction Mic. 6.8 and better particulared to us from Micah in his Ternary He hath shewn thee O Man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly to love mercy and to walk humby with thy God Or take we St. Pauls three To live soberly Righteously and Godly Tit. 2. in this present world Or if we hearken to him he will
of the faithful which in the death of their bodies are gathered to the blessed number of the righteous Heb. 12.23 glorified in Heavens gathered to the rest of the spirits of Just men made perfect This taking away or gathering may be considered doubly as a gathering out or a gathering in This is selectio potius quam collectio First A gathering out which is when there is a mixture of things good and bad together when we pick out one sort from the other it is a gathering or selecting collection As when the Net catches all kind of fishes the good are pickt out and the bad cast away Sometimes they are thus gathered when danger is likely to seize on al together then that which is good gathered out that the danger may not fall on it Thus the righteous are mixt in this world with ungodly men and the Lord picks his Children from among the rest he is preparing plagues for the world and before hand he takes care for his by gathering them out of the danger so that phrase imports from the evil to come 2. A gathering in Both these gatherings in the Parable of the Draw-net Mat. 13.47 48. which is after the picking out to lay that which is good in a better place by themselves Thus the Righteous separated from the world by death are gathered like the good fishes into a vessel by themselves into one blessed society and unmixt company into heavenly glory where no wicked men shall enter among them any more And of this gathering is this Colliguntur they are thus taken away None considering Before none laying it to heart for so they are both taken one for another Consider your ways Hag. 1.5 in Haggai in the Original is set your heart on your ways A facie mali From the evil to come From the face or presence of evil From the evil of sin lest if he should live any longer he might be infected with the sins of wicked men But the truest is from the evil of punishment Wis 4.11 wherewith God means to plague the wicked world that they may not smart with the sinners When God has a quarrel with the earths Inhabitants he takes his Children from among them that he may be revenged upon those who have provokt him Thus the meaning of the words appearing the Prophet seems to speak to his people and in them to us after this manner O how great and graceless is our security Sum and Sense of words Which careless and sinful security is plain in the verse foregoing Esa 56.12 with what hasty feet do all men run to their pleasures How blinde are we that cannot see the Land falling under the hand of the Lords severe Judgment Do we not daily see the Lord fetching away by death his dearest and holiest Servants Surely therein he would signifie to us that his intentions are to bring punishments upon us he taking his own out of the way that they may not see nor feel the vengeance which the world has deserved and shall undergo Yet where is there a man that thinks of this or lays it to heart or takes notice what the Lord is about to do when he takes the righteous from among us From the words like clay thus tempered and prepared we may make up these five Vessels 5 Conclusions or Doctrines or extract these evident Conclusions First that Righteous and holy men are also merciful men Secondly Gods most Righteous Servants must die as well as others Thirdly The Souls of the Saints in their deaths are gathered to the Lord and by the Lord into blessedness Fourthly When the Righteous go from among us some Judgment is to be feared is coming towards us Fifthly The secure wicked world is little mov'd with the removal of the Godly None considers it none lays it to heart How easily these rise we need not fly to Reasons to demonstrate it Righteous men are merciful men 1 Doct. Our Saviour hath enjoyned it them and they lay up his sayings in their hearts Luke 6.39 Be ye merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful These have received mercy of the Lord and are thereby transformed into such a merciful and pitiful nature as his is If we should ask fire why it burns It must be answered It is the nature of fire Why doth the Sun shine It is the nature of the Sun to do so How is it the Godly man is so merciful It is the nature of him I mean the new nature that is ingrafted in Christ to be like affected to the misery of othors as he has found Christ to him These may truly say We cannot but do it the love of God constrains us to it 2 Cor. 5 14. There are no Graces poured by God into a good mans heart as water into a Tub or Pond which keeps all to it self and lets the ground be dry about it but every gracious man is a Spring a Fountain that sends forth streams to water the eatth and feeds the rivulets that flow from it When we once come to Christ the great Spring he makes us little Springs to others Zac. 13.1 Joh. 4.14 The waters that I give saith Christ shall be in him that receives it a Well springing up to everlasting life yea might some say it springs up for himself yes and for others also for out of his belly shall these waters flow to the benefit of others The woman of Samaria had no sooner drunk of this water of Christs receiving her to mercy Joh. 7.38 but it burst and flowed out of her belly in pity she laboured the salvation of her Neighbours crying earnestly on them Come and see a man c. Come and taste of that mercy which I have tasted of in Christ Joh. 4. the Prophet David has the very words of this conclusihn the Righteous is merciful and liberal that is he shews his mercy by his liberality Elsewhere he sings the Marriage song of these two in God Psal 37.21 Mercy and truth are met together and as sweet is Righteousness and Mercy Piety and Pity conjoyn'd in a Christian A sweet pair and lovely couple of young Pigeons not the offering of the poor but this Offering to the poor which the Lord loves better than a fat Bullock laid on his Altar With such sacrifices of mercy for he loves mercy better than sacrifice is God well pleased Hos 6.6 Heb. 13.16 This mercy is an holy affection of the heart sympathizing with them that are in misery and a liberal and holy action of the hand helping and refreshing those in misery Piteous affection that is the root actions of liberal distribution and relief that is the fruit which like the fruit of the Vine Judg. 9.13 chears both God and man Misery which is the object of Mercy is corporal or spiritual 1. Mercy looks at them both to the bodies sickness nakedness poverty beggery there mercy will
Fathers when they died Gen. 23.9 Gen. 49.29 Gen. 50.25 Rut. 1.17 2 Sam. 19.37 for bodies as well as Souls because they purchased burial places for their family aapart So both Jacob and Joseph charged their Children to carry them out of Egypt and bury them with their Fathers and theiâ— own people in Canaan Whicâ— desire of theirs to be buried neaâ— their holy Kindred did 1. Shew their love to one another desiring their company being dead whom they loved living 2. They did it to testifie the faith in the Resurrection hopinâ— by this means at the last Resurrâ—ction they should all rise togetheâ— in glory 3. Not to mention a third sâ—perstitious reason by which pâ—â—haps they might be induced 〈◊〉 opinion of receiving some woâ— or acceptableness to God by â—â—ing near to those in the Graâ— who for holiness were dear to hiâ— and beloved of him Thus Jâ—ahs death was a gathering to his â—thers of his Body to the Sepâ—â—chres of his Fathers and of his Soul to the company of all the Holy Fathers that died in the same faith pose may be seen To this purin the knowledge of the words Sanctuaria Brandea Habeo sepulchrum super quod jaceam commenda biliorem Deo futurum est me credam quod super sancte corporis ossa requi escam Ambros de excessa fraâ— Saty. in cap. 2. Baron Annal how far this Superstition afterward grew which Scolars may inquire after Our Saviour tells of this happy gatering I say unto you that many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven Our departure out of this life wheresoever we live East West North South sends all holy Souls to sit at the same Table of Glory with all Patriarchs and Believers that have been since the beginning of the World Here we sit at Table hand over-head Judas has his hand in the same dish with Jesus Goats and Sheep go in the same Pasture good and bad are mixed but hereafter there shall be a seperation there shall be a society of the blessed where no unclean thing shall enter The Godly shall sit at a Table by themselves none shall come there without a wedding Garment Here is Mega Chaos a great confusion Habak 1.4 but there wil be a time when there shall be Mega Chasma a great Gulfe seperating distance whereby sinners anâ— Saints shall be kept from blending together Luke 16.16 That same last division which shall be made iâ— fearful to think on when Goat shall go among Goats and Sheeâ— with Sheep yea that we maâ— quake and tremble at it of thoâ—â— many hundreds that hear me thâ— day there shall be a divisioâ— some shall go to the right hanâ— other shall be gathered to the leâ— we are all gathered together herâ— there will be a seperation Mat. 24. â—â— 4â— yea two that sit in one Seat of tâ— that lie in one bed the one shâ— he taken and the other left the 〈◊〉 gathered to glory the other tuâ—bled into a lake of wrath neâ— to meet again To confirm tâ— doctrine of gathering we have the Parables of our Saviour of the Wheat and Tares which here grow together but at length shall be seperated Mat. 13. when Wheat shall be gathered to the Barn The Jews Liturgy print at Venice Of ancient this was the common Epitaph Sit anima cius in fasciculo viventium Hen. Kornmannus in lib. de mirac mhrtuor cap. 30. and Tares to burn The modern Jews have a prayer for their dead which has more of Babylon than Zion in it 1 Sam. 25.29 The Lord say they have mercy on the Soul of N. or such a one who is gone to his World therefore I vow to give alms for him that his Soul may be bound up in the bundle of life with the Souls of Abraham Isaac Jacob Sarah Rebecca Rachel Leah and the rest of the Righteous men and women Amen Though part of this prayer be foolishly superstitious to pray for the dead yet that which is for our purpose in hand is the phrase of the bundle of life which the Scripture acknowledges Which manner of speaking instruct us that God keeps all the Souls of his Saints bound up by themselves as it were in one blessed bundle A bundle it is called first to signifie that they were once disperst one from another here on earth but are there collected into one company and place 2. To signifie the unity of the blessed These flie not asunder in discord there is perfect agreement and concord A bundle a tied up Fagott a Wheat Sheaf is an embleme of unanimity 3. To signifie the firm perpetuity of their estate God has bound them up fast and surely and what can break Heaven's bundles 4. It notes their felicity and happiness it s a bundle of life and glorious immortality Thus are they gathered all the faithfuâ— Members one to another and alâ— to their Head Jesus Christ Deatâ— gathers Souls but the great gathering day is when Bodies and Souls shall all be gathered together unto Glory Why should not the Saints be gathered together by themselves they never desired the society of the wicked yea it is an heavy part of their Cross that there are Ishmaels in the same family with them Here living among the wicked their bodies are joyned but their affections heaâ—ts and wills are distinct and seperate Reason 2 They have had many gatherings by themselves Luke 10.20 1. They have their names and they only all written and gathered in one Book of Life by Election Mat. 24.11 2. They all flie and are gathered like Eagles unto one Carcase and food of life Jesus Christ to seed on him in Word and Sacraments 1 Cor. 19. Use 3. How far so ever they be separates they are all gathered into one common communion of Grace and why should they not be gathered at last into one communion of blessedness and Glory Are the Saints Souls gathered in death till then must there be a mixture This will meet with them who accurse the Moon for some spots they find in her such as will either throw away the Church or themselves out of the Church because the Fringes of her Coat are somewhere rent off all is not aright in her True it is and O that the Lord would purge his Temple and set up Pastors after his own Heart that there is something in the Church as black as Tents of Kedar Cant. 1. for which good hearts will mourn but withall in many other things she is comely as the Curtains of Solomon for which we owe the Lord much praise It is one thing to live where means of pure worship are wanting Greenh in his common place of religion chap. 13. Title the Church another to be where false worship is erected for the first we are not to flie the Church but by purges and patience to stay the
Lords mercy for the other we must depart because of that abomination Who is so mad as to set a fire on his house because he finds some Spiders webbs in it Here will be always in the Church good and bad Shepherds sound and unsound Members It is the time she must be militant when she is Triumphant there shall be none in her but those that are sound and righteous Abuses have bin and will be in the purest Church she must suffer Cramps and Convulsions in Schismes and Sects that good members may be approved The fanning time is not yet come when God will blow away all the Chaffe these spots and wrinkles will be in her face till the last day when Christ will present her to his Father without spot or blemish In the mean time pray we that she may be purged and seek we for as pure a congregation as may be though we could thrust our selves into Noahs Ark Gods Church in a little compass we should find among those eight Righteous Souls one Cabbin full of Beasts and dung something in our judgment offâ—nâ—ive either crossing orders decency or doctrines verity And for our parts let us be so wise as to let God use his own Fann and not to separate our selves because the time is not yet come hearkning to these directions 1. Joyn we our selves to the soundest and best parts of Christs Body 2. Remember we to build up our selves in Christs sufficiency to be a careful Superintendent and Governour of his Church to amend what is amiss censure no farther then the Lord censures 3. Though he say to the Church of Ephesius he has something against her Pâ—ev â— 2.4 yet he doth not unâ— church her he still loves her as a true Church which had many good things in her 4. Lastly wait and waiting meditate or that time when there shall bâ— gathered a glorious Church together and all her chalk stones that are now in her shall bâ— stampt to powder and she builâ— upon preceious stones free from all fault and the least blemish Christ immediately in his own person governing That shall not be Domecratia but Theocratia as Josephus calls the Government of the Jews common-wealth and Church Use 2 Are the Saints Souls gethered together in death this in the mean while may be a Plaister for their sore among whose griefs this is not the least that they cannot live here but among wicked and ungodly men The Child of God would have all like himself and O how it vexes his righteous Soul from day to day to see such Waves of impiety drown them among whom he lives 2 Pet. 2.7.8 It is a good tryal of our Hearts sincere love to the Lord Jesus when we are often in the Prophets ditty O that I had Wings like a Dove to flie away and be at rest from seeing or hearing the Lord dishonoured It grieves him that he lives or living that he has eyes to see it As that Bishop of Chalcedon Maris in the Primitive Church who being blind and meeting with thaâ— Arch enemy of Christ Julian thâ— Apostate Socrat. hiâ—s Eccl. lib. 3. cap. 10. who called him reproachfully a blind wretch anâ— askt him whether his Galilaeaâ— God would not cure him hâ— presently replied I thank my Goâ— that I have no Eye-sight to see sucâ— a sworn Enemy of Christ as thee But how will this medicine bâ— applyed to do us good even thus that we apply our selves to submit to the Lords will and pleasure in patiently undergoing this that we must converse amongst wicked men for if all the Saints should live together it would be Heaven upon earth There is no such holy ground our seat can stand on but we shall find cause to sing that tune Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech to have my habitation among the Tents of Kedar Pâ— 120.5 Sit à te justus râ—motus nescio quot milibus manqiuâ—â—d simâ—l habiâ—atis siunuÌ„â—ot â— aba is Aug. in Psal 101. We must content our selves for a while the time doth not yet appear when none but the righteous shall live together Gods Children seem to be fa off us and we grieve that there is such a distance often times betwixt us notwithstanding how far soever they live from us we have the benefit of their best society their communion and fellowship in pity and Prayers though Bodies be severed we have the best conjunction of their wills and Hearts to ours We must rest in Gods pleasure who out of this mixture fetches much benefit to his Church 1. The godly are dispersed into several Angles and Corners of the World like the Levites all over the Land to work the fear of God in the hearts of wicked men where they live 2. We must remain among those that are stangers to God that our patience may have the perfect work in bearing their reproaches daily which they have cast upon us 3. That our conversation in holiness may ashame and convince them Heb. 11.7 as Noahs preparaing an Ark condemned the World Use 3 4. God hereby takes occasion to make our Crown the more glorious because we keep the faith in the midst of hinderances and continue to hold fast his name and worship though we dwell where Satans Seat is Rev. 2.13 It is a secret in Gaâ—denings Art Satione rerum foetidarum prope flores odore evadent suaviorce ut si allium prope rosam collovaveris Ioa. Camerar Med c. in Centur. Symbos feu Emblem to Sow and Set Roses near the unpleasant smelling Garlick as a means to bring forth Roses far sweeter and more fragrant then others not so planted So is it in grace they that honour the Lords name being amongst wicked men where are least incouragements these Roses are the Lords sweetest flowers their devotion is most acceptable to the Lord. Thirdly this may lend comfort to the Friends of some dying and to the person dying 1. To the Friends of men dying 1. Commonly we send away those that we love swiming in our Tears and make the Coffin as it were a Boat This is the drink-offering of natural affection And what is the burden of our grief but this why they are gone away from us whose love and society was sweet and dear unto us What then if they loved us why then do not we love them would we have them out of Heaven and the company of the blessed to whom they are gathered we our selves shall discontinue but a small time then shall we have their blessed society again Our Souls and theirs by death shall meet and be gathered together never more to be parted As Saul and Jonathan if we loved one another in our lives 2 Sam. 1.23 so in death we shall not be divided Away then with that tearing of Hair and immoderate sorrows for a dead Child sweet Wife or loving Husband departed this life they are gathered to the Lord and his flock of
blessed ones Do we envy their happiness would we have them break off their blessed company for ours and have their Souls re-inspired into these Clay-Tabernacles and then to live again below in these smoaky Houses of sin and vanity No let us set a period to our plaints and say Blessed be God who hath delivered these our Friends from all mundane miseries and gathered them so near unto himself 2 Sam. 12 23. We shall go to them but they shall not come to us as David said of his dead Child 2. To the person dying Death indeed seems terrible but shall we fear it as that which destroys all our joy What is there else that we need fear if we fear God Doth thy Conscience witness within thee that all thy indeavours have bin to honour the Lord in thy life never start then for fear of death all the harm he will do thee is a gathering of thy Soul unto the Lord and to the society of the blessed Socrateâ— could fly to this to sweeten his poysoning Cup of death to which he was condemned saying Count ye it not an high matter to have conference in another life with Orpheus Musaeus Homer Hesiod Xenophon O how shall I swimm in abundant pleasures when I shall meet with Palamedes and Ajax and other fasly condemned Truly saith he I would willingly often go out of this life if it might be to find these men my Companions Lo Christian blush before the Heathen who could warm himself with these poor Chipps and this cold comfort How far sweeter will be the Heavenly inhabitants when thou shalt see Adam Abel Abraham that glorious Friend of God and Father of the faithful Moses and Elias those pickt out by Christ to conferr with at his Transfigurations There shalt thou see David and Samuel Paul who hath filled the world with sweetness by his honied leaves Paulus John the darling of Christ yea that Jewel of women Mary the blessed Mother of Christ and Christ himself the Lord of Glory with all the faithful Saints that ever the world had yea all our dead Friends departed in the faith of Christ Would he go often to see such blind Heathens whose Heaven it is to be suspected is Hell and shall we be afraid once to be transported into such a glorious Clew of Heavens Citizens Go out therefore undaunted O my Soul fear not death thou goest to God thou art gathered to Christ to Angels to Saints glorified to the society of the Spirits of just men made perfect Shall the Souls of righteous c. Use 4 Learn we farther from it these things 1. It will teach us what becomes of the wicked in their deaths they also are gathered together among themselves as the Godly among themselves to make a bundle of life so are these Tares bound up in the bundle of death to feed eternal fire Hear O drossy Hearts you sons of Abaddon have a great mercy that you live mixt with Saints whose examples might be made unto you at occasion of blessedness but from their lives you will not learn holiness you shall not be always together hereafter you shall be seperated and go Goats with Goats The righteous when they die go to Heaven Gen. 30.25 and the blessed Canaan that is their own place as the earthly Canaan was called Jacob and so wicked men when they die they go the Kingdom of perdition that is their own place as Judas when he perished They have a place of their own Act. 1.25 where no righteous man shall come among them they have wrought for it and they shall have it the place of darkness and horrour Which made the Prophet cry out O Lord Ps 26.9 gather not my Soul with sinners nor my life with bloody men O what mirth and joy is here upon earth Drunkards made songs of me Psal 69.12 when a knott of lewd and licentious livers that hate Christ and laugh at his Word do meet together and he is the happiest counted of this unhappy Crue that can coyn some scurrilous and base jest upon a Christian that walks after Pauls rule circumspectly strictly Eph. 5.15 or as they call it precisely yet these blind wretches in their death shall wish to be the Dogs that might but lick the Crumbs which fall from the Table of these Children of the most High whom they have despised and reviled O sinner learn betimes the way of the righteous Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. If thou diest unreconciled to God thou shalt not have part with the righteous thou shalt be gathered among thy miserable Companions as the faithful are gathered into Abrahams bosome so shalt thou be gathered into Judases bosome the Patriarch of them that perish with Cain Perditorum Patriarcha Saul Demas Herod Julian c. And all that wicked crue which hated Christ 2. Seeing the Righteous shall be gathered together hereafter let it exhort us to love their companions in Heaven seek out the Godly man affect his society talk with him walk with him for he walks with God As he that rubbs his hands on Musk or Civit shall savour of it so by thy society with the righteous Cant. 5.5 thou shalt get a savour of good things his conference will quicken up thy Graces his zeal provoke thee his hands drop myrrhe upon thee 3. Hate all wicked associates partners in sins shall be partners in sins scourge As thou desirest not to be gathered with the wicked men and their black Angels hereafter so hate thou to be gathered into their counsel and company here When the Righteous go from among us some Judgment is to be feared is coming towards us It is to be suspected that some great evil is ready to fall on that people out of whom God selects them When mercy gathers the godly some judgement is like to come and scatter the ungodly God in this may be compared to a careful Husband whose House beginning to burn here he snatches his Plate there he gathers up his Jewels conveys away his Trunks of Linnen and Goods oâ— most worth as for baggageâ— wood-vessels and other cheap anâ— baser Furniture he lets that burâ— because he has saved that he loveâ— the best Thus doth God wheâ— a sinful nation is kindling hiâ— wrath against it in some judgmenâ— the Lord before it begin or in thâ— beginning takes and snatcheâ— away here an holy man and therâ— an holy woman he gathers uâ— these his Jewels and choiceâ— Plate to lay them out of thâ— reach of the fire that only thâ— wicked may perish in those flameâ— their own sins have kindled Seâ— it in Lot so long as he is in Sodoâ— their Table is not spread for Godâ— hot banket of fire and Brimstoneâ— but assoon as the Lord has goâ— him out Gen. 19.22 Non posse se dixit quod sine dubio porerat per potentiam non poterat per justitiam Aug. cont Gaud. l. r. cap. 30.
and as the Rich man said come into the same place of torment Alas when they die all their good days are done now they are taken away from evil and vengeance to come The Godly should lay it to heart also and it should cause them to depart from iniquity Psal 73. This was the Prophets practise and ought to be ours to consider the end of them how God sets them in slippery places and at length they rumble and fall into the pit and sin and death push them down into perdition Yea but are we not to mourn for them as such by the loss of whom the Church and Common-wealth have received some sore stroke No such matter nay rather it behoves us to joy when these horns that pusht at Jurusalem and hurt Gods Children are thus broken in pieces It is for some good to come unto the Church that they are removed out of the way yea when God picks out prophane and wicked men especially great Branches then may we have hope he is procuring same great blessings for his people Take away the dross from the silver and there shall come forth a Vessel for the Finer Take away the wicked from before the King and his Throne shall be established in righteousness Prov. 25.4.5 When the Godly are taken from among us we lose a precious liquor of soverain vertue for good to the Church if wicked ones be taken from among us let their sinful associates mourn for the loss of one of their hellish Confederates and Companions But count we no better of them then the Holy Ghost doth Ps 108.9 their death is but the emptying of a filthy washpot Moab is my wash pot Corn will grow the better when Weeds are taken from it which hinder the growth Our account must go like Gods account The wicked are vile and base in their lives in his esteem but more vile in their deaths Precious is the life and death of the Saints in his sight so let it be in ours for 〈…〉 and laying to heart their departure from among us lamenting in Jeremiahs tone The Crown is fallen from our Heads woe unto us that we have sinned they are taken away for our evils of sin Lam. 5.10 and for some evils of punishment to come upon us FINIS AN ELEGIE OR The flowing Tears of a mourning friend poured upon the Grave of the Holy living and Happy dying Christian the Lady Mary Gryffith first wife to Sir Henery Gryffith Barronet of Burton Agnes who ascended to Christ the day named from his Ascention An. Dom. 1632. THus run Heavens VVheel Then Peace my plaining Heart Such Heaven-born purposes 't is not thy part To cross with Murmers May not Providence His Colonies of Hopefull'st souls from hence Translate to seat them in a happier Clime Far above these Regions under the Line Of frailtie and sin Are there not Eastern Fruits Whose Seeds disdain with us to spread their Roots Bread in more generous soil and purer air Each flower has its own Orb where it most fair Doth grow show and in strange Earth doth pine As being from home Thus thou O Soul divine In this great Garden of the world didst spring ' Mongst lewd Mortals and such fruit didst bring As sham'd our barren plants sin-blasted Trees Yet for all this by manifold degrees Our ground it was base yea too much unfit For thee a Graffe of Grace coelestial Slip. Therefore that hand which first thee planted here Heavens holy hand because thou couldst not bear Such flowers and fruit in this corrupted soil As thou desired'st O now incorrupt Soul Has thee transplanted Happie thou so dies To Re-grow a Prime-rose in Gods paradise Our eyes are needless Garden-pots with Tears To water thee there are no doubts or fears Of parching heat which siccity doth bring So near to living water blessed spring But O my thaughtful Heart thy Sighs supplie The Rainy moisture of my Aprild Eye Oh that the puling Poet whose purest skill Was threneful Elegies writ with Ravens quill Would now lend Verses to my grief-drown'd Muse Or into me their poetick Souls infuse Sure then this Name posterity and all times Should find Immortalized in my lines Yet shall our Pen drop some black Tears for thee And write long Virtue 's short Epitomie Dumb grief shall lend us Mutes Liquits wet eyes Which joyn'd with Vowels of Sighs thence will arise Words to set forth that which Mankind may vex All virtues strong in one of weaker Sex Two things there are denominate one compleat Concurring in her she was Good and Great Twice born first great next Birth did stile her Good Noble by man far Nobler by Christs Blood O how swells Wormseed Man lifts Crest on high If Or Gules Argent deck his Blazoncie This honour here counted such Glory loss Chuse Faith her Herald for Arms a bloudy cross Thus Born choice education brings her up Seasoning with sweetest liquors this fresh cup. Her Infants age gives Childhood full of hope Childhood brings youth where Piety is the scope Of all her actions Single Married both To virtue Husband Christ she keeps firm troth And now my Boat being entering on the Main For life full-stream'd with good gifts fullest strain Of Art is needful Since I cannot skill To handle curious Pencil yet I will Use shadowing Charcoal Vertue needs no lace No Jaggs or Fashes her plain Coat to Grace When Sea Earth Air Woods Gardens at on time Do deck and dish a Table with the prime Of all Tooth-witching Cates stomach doth stand A doubtful Question is' t how to move the hand This 's good that dainty palate likes th' other best This sawce that Junket's rarity 'bove the rest Such is the Tooths tempation like 's my case A Squadron of air qualities are in Chase Before my Pen which first to single out In midst of such rich choice I stand in doubt Yet none so fit I find to have first place As that Great-little Virtue High-low Grace Humility which ne'r could Trumpet blow Plaies least in sight and hides it self from show Who ever saw Prides Chair set in thine eyes Or like the swellig Bubble saw thee rise Above the level of Waters Glories seat Follows the lowly-little flies the great Thou sought'st not earths applause or fumy same Whose heart was modeld to a better frame It is in th' Sphere of Saints as in the Skie The highest Stars seem smallest to the Eye What needs it name thy Faith thy love we guess Poor long since styl'd the Pities patroness Touching thy Zeal whiles here we thee did hold Winter was warm now midsummer is cold Some Querists ask what this cold weather meant Why Have we not lost Zeals fervid Element Chast modest sober patient discreet A very Center where Virtues did meet Thrifty in words shunning her Sexes blot A Tongue that hangs too loose without a knot Yea you corrupted Times worlds worst curst dreggs The Dam that daily hatches some blaâ—k Eggs Of Lust
grave not shaking the hands of others but wringing their own hands in a woful farewel the fingers pidling with the bed-clothes Animam quod imodo inter dentes habentem August id Epist Joan. tract 10. Aristaeas Proconnesis Hujvs animam corvi specie visam ex ore evolantem tradiderunt Plin. Hist lib. 7. Jo. Franc. Picus Mirandula praenot lib. 9. cap. 2. Maximus Tyrius Platonicus Serm. 22. and the Soul now standing upon the lips like a bird ready to take her flight and if it were visible should be seen like his soul which was said to be seen to flie out of his body in shape and colour of a Crow that then at last alas too late it should come to this sober and sad reckoning O let me die the death of the righteous and let my later end be like unto his Num. 23.10 Children when they are asleep look the prettiest the Godly man is a fool in his life yet the worlds deepest heads would be no wiser in their deaths his last sleep has form and comliness in it Our Prophet intends iâ— these words to tel us as much thaâ— under the hard shell of death hâ— findes a sweet kernel of life hâ— is taken away from evils anâ— troubles quietly to rest as if he were laid in his own Bed chamber This Prophet has many drops to comfort Gods Servants he writes like an Evangelist our Saviour and his Apostles dwelt much in his leaves for he spake the Gospels Language of consolations Verse 3. Musculus in Praefat. ad comment in Esay the New Testament has honoured him above other Prophets with quoting his Prophesie 60 times from Chapter 40. to the end of the whole Prophesie it is like Canaan full-stream'd with milk and hony almost altogether consolatory This very Chapter among the rest is not so short as sweet having goodly beams come from it First It gives a bright and clear beam to stand like a light over the grave of the Rightâ—â—â—s to let us see how they are buried in â—eace to the third verse Secondly a sharp piercing â—eam of reproos for conviction of the ungodly of divers sins mocking of the Holy Idolatry c. to the thirteenth Verse Lastly an heating beam of comfort promises of favour reconciliation and peace to stay the tears of all Zions mourners to the end of the Chapter These words otherwise may be named the short Table or view of the Child of God in his life and death 1. In his life and so he is described two ways 1. God-ward so he is righteous Life 2. Manward so he is merciful 2. In his death which we consider two ways 1. How expressed Death 2. How respected 1. Expressed two ways he is said to 1. Perish 2. Be taken away out oâ— the world 2. Respected two ways 1. Of God he respectâ— them with care to free them from the evil to come 2. Of wicked men theiâ— respect is respectlesness set out Two ways by two Phrases of careless neglect 1. They never take it to heart 2. They little consider or minde it Or more briefly the whole may be summed into these two Heads 1. Gods Judgment in the death of the Righteous taking them away to himself when he means to punish the world 2. The worlds want of judgment and consideration of Gods end of it None considers it none lays it to heart Let some light of explication make clear the words The righteous Rom. 3.10 Eccl 7.20 Righteousness is hard to finde Are there some Righteous is it not the voice of the Scripture there is none righteous no not one Not a Just man upon earth True when we name Righteousness we call to mind our lost Pearl God made man Righteous This Apple of our eye was given away for an Apple of the Tree of Knowledge If we speak of men Righteous and Just in respect of their deeds among men we mean upright and honest dealing if we speak of Righteousness in respect of God then we mean no more a righteousness of inherence that is gone but of adherence and cleaving to Christ by faith Christs Righteousness and merits are imputed to us Just and righteous is that stile holy and good men are honoured withal in the Scriptures denoting fruits of righteousness in an upright life according to that 1 Joh. 3.7 Mat. 1.19 Act. 10.22 he that doth righteousness is righteous Thus Joseph is called a Just man so Cornelius where the word Just notes the universal and general carriage in uprightness holiness and Gods fear Perisheth This word sounds harshly as to die miserably untimely but surely the righteous so perish not unless the Prophet speak after the opinion and in the phrase of the ungodly Wisd 3.2 Perishing is taken for any ordinary or natural kind of death as well as violent Job 34.15 Prov. 31.6 to him that is ready to perish that is ready to die In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die or perish and their departure is taken for misery yet to perish is expounded afterward to be nothing else but to be taken away and depart this life No man layeth it to heart No man that is very few or none mind to take care for the worlds loss of the Righteous their hearts are nothing at all moved or toucht with it Things that come near the heart most affect us To lay to heart is a common phrase in Scripture and is expounded after by the word consider It is used again verse the eleventh Thou hast not remembred me nor laid it to thy heart It seems to imply three things First to understand the thing we would consider Secondly To consider and earnestly to think of the causes and consequents of it Thirdly to be affected with it upon that consideration so as the heart joys in it if it find it good is greatly grieved and sorry for it finding it evil the affection of sorrow arising in a matter deplorable of joy in a thing comfortable So then none lays it to heart is thus much None considers at all Gods anger intended to the world in the death of the godly none repent of their sins or stand in fear of some ensuing Judgment Mic. 7.2 Psal 12.1 Significat pro natura loci vel benigne acceptum a Deo vel benignum erga alios Tarnov in Psal 4. ver 4. Merciful men The word signifies Good or kinde men and it is Translated Good or Godly in other places To shew us that Mercy is a great part of Godliness It is taken passively for one that has receiv'd mercy from the Lord or Actively for one that shews mercy to others in which acception it stands here Are taken away Colliguntur are gathered together so the Patriachs dying are said to be gathered to their fathers which is not so meant of their bodies which were it buried in Tomb purchased by their Kindred for a burial place to that family but especially it is meant of the Souls