the company of wickâ—ed Men and God taketh away merciful 〈◊〉 righteous men from the evil to come So 〈◊〉 dealt with Josiah I will gather thee to thâ— Fathers and thou shalt be put into thy grâ—â— in peace and thine eyes shall not see all the 〈◊〉 which I will bring upon this place And Goâ— hides them for a while in the grave untill 〈◊〉 indignation pass over So that as Paradise 〈◊〉 the Heaven of the soul's joy so the Graâ—â— may be term'd the Heaven of the bodies 〈◊〉 3. Whereas this wicked Body lives in a world of wickedness so that the poor Soul cannot look out at the Eye and not be infected nor hear by the Ear and not be distracted nor smell at the Nostrils and not be tainted nor taste with the Tongue and not be allured nor touch by the Hand and not be defiled and every sense upon every temptation is ready to betray the Soul by death the Soul shall be delivered from this Thraldom and this corruptible body shall put on incorruption and this mortal immortality 1 Cor. 15. 53. O blessed thrice blessed be that Death in the Lord which delivers us out of so evil a World and freeth us from such a body of bondage and corruption The third sort of Meditations are to consider what good Death will bring unto thee 1. DEATH bringeth the godly Man's Soul to enjoy an immediate Communion with the blessed Trinity in everlastâ—ng bliss and glory 2. It translates the Soul from the Miseâ—ies of this world the contagion of sin and â—â—ciety of Sinners to the City of the living â—ed the Celestial Jerusalem and the comâ—any of innumerable Angels and to the assemâ—ly and congregation of the first-born which 〈◊〉 written in Heaven and to God the Judge 〈◊〉 all and to the Souls of just Men made perâ—ect and to Jesus the Mediator of the new â—ovenant 3. Death putteth the Soul into the aactual and full possession of all the inheritance and happiness which Christ hath either promised unto thee in his Word or purchased for thee by his blood This is the good and happiness whereunto a blessed death will bring thee And what truly Religious Christian that is young would not wish himself old that his appointed time might the sooner approach to enter into this celestial Paradise where thou maist exchange thy Brass for Gold thy Vanity for Felicity thy Vileness for Honour thy Bondage for Freedom thy Lease for an Inheritance and thy mortal State for an immortal Life He that doth not daily desire this blessedness above all things of all others he is less worthy to enjoy it If Cato Vticensis and Cleombrotus two Heathen-men reading Plato's Book oâ— the Immortality of the Soul did voluntarily the one break his Neck the other run upon his Sword that they might thâ— sooner as they thought have enjoyed those joys what a shame is it for Christianâ— knowing those things in a more excellent measure and manner out of God's owâ— Book not to be willing to enter into these heavenly Joys especially when their Master calls for them thither If thereforâ— there be in thee any love of God or desirâ— of thine own happiness or salvation wheâ— the time of thy departing draweth nearâ— that time I say and manner of Death which God in his unchangeable Counsel hath appointed and determined beâ—fore thou wast born yield and surrender up willingly and chearfully thy Soul into the merciful hands of Jesus Christ thy Saviour And to this end when the time is come as the Angel in the â—ight of Manoah and his Wife ascended from the Altar up to heaven in the flame of the sacrifice so endeavour thou that thy spirit in the sight of thy friends may from the altar of a contrite heart ascend up to Heaven in the sweet perfume of this or the like spiritual Sacrifice of Prayer A Prayer for a sick Man when he is told that he is not a Man for this World but must prepare himself to go unto God O Heavenly Father who art the Lord God of the spirits of all flesh and hast made us these souls and hâ—st appointed us the time as to come into this World so having finished our course to go out of the same the number of my days which thou hast determined are now expired and I am come to the utmost bounds which thou hast appointed beyond which I cannot pass I know O Lord that if thou enterest into judgment no flesh can be justified in thy sight And I O Lord of all others should appear most impure and unjust for I have not fought that good â—ight for the defence of thy Faith and Religion with that zeal and constancy that I should but for fear of displeasing the World I have given way unto sins and errours and for desire to please my flesh I have broken all thy Commandments in thought word and deed so that my sins have taken such hold on me that I am not able to look up and they are more in number than the hairs on my head If thou wilt straitly mark mine iniquities O Lord where shall I stand if thou weighest me in the balance I shall be found too light For I am void of all righteousness that might merit thy mercy and loaden with all iniquities that most justly deserve thy heaviest wrath Buâ— O my Lord and my God for Jesus Christ thy Son's sake in whom only thou art well pleased with all penitent and believing sinners take pity and compassion upon me who am the chief of sinners Blot out all my sins out of thy remembrance and wash away all my transgressions out of thy sight with the precious blood of thy Son which I believe that he as an undefiled Lamb hath shed for the cleansing of my sins In this faith I lived in this faith I die believing that Jesus Christ died for my sins and rose again for my justification And seeing that he hath endured that Death and born the burthen of that Judgment which was due unto my sins O Father for his Death and Passion 's sake now that I am coming to appear before thy Judgment-seat acquit and deliver me from that fearful Judgment which my sins have justly deserved And perform unto me that gracious and comfortable Promise which thou hast made in thy Gospel That whosoever believeth in thee hath everlasting life and shall not come into Judgment but shall pass from death unto life Strengthen O Christ my Faith that I may put the whole confidence of my salvation in the merits of thy obedience and Blood Encrease O holy Spirit my patience lay no more upon me than I am able to bear and enable me to bear so much as shall stand with thy blessed will and pleasure O blessed Trinity in Unity my Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier vouchsafe that as my
Belly his God his Lust his Law as in his life he sowed vanity so he is now dead and reapeth misery In his prosperity he neglected to serve God in his adversity God refuseth to save him And the Devil whom he long served now at length pays him his wages Detestable was his life damnable his death The Devil hath his Soul the Grave hath his Carcass in which Pit of Corruption Den of Death and Dungeon of Sorrow let us leave the miserable Caitiff rotting with his Mouth full of Earth his Belly full of Worms and his Carcass full of Stench expecting a fearful Resurrection when it shall be re-united with the Soul that as they sinned together so they may be eternally tormented together Thus far of the miseries of the Soul and Body in Death which is but cursedness in part Now follows the fulness of cursedness which is the misery of the Soul and Body after Death Meditations of the misery of man after death which is the fulness of Cursedness THe fulness of cursedness when it falls upon a Creature not able to bear the brunt thereof presseth him down to that bottomless deep of the endless wrath of Almighty God which is called the damnation of Hell This fulness of cursedness is either particular or general Particular is that which in a less measure of fulness lighteth upon the Soul immediately as soon as she is separated from the Body For in the very instant of dissolution she is in the sight and presence of God For when she ceaseth to see with the organ of fleshly eyes she seeth after a spiritual manner like Stephen who saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at his right hand Or as a Man who being born blind and miraculously restored to his sight should see the Sun which he never saw before And thereby the testimony of her own Conscience Christ the righteous Judge who knoweth all things makes her by his omnipresent Power to understand the doom and judgment that is due unto her sins and what must be her eternal state And in this manner standing in the sight of Heaven not fit for her uncleanness to come into Heaven she is said to stand before the Throne of God And so forthwith she is carried by the evil angels how came to fetch her with violence into Hell where she is kept as in a Prison in everlasting pains and chains under darkness unto the Judgment of the great Day But not in that extremity of torments which she shall finally receive at the last Day The general fulness of cursedness is in a greater measure of fulness which shall be inflicted upon both thy soul and body when by the mighty power of Christ the supreme Judge of heaven and earth the one shall be brought out of Hell and the other out of the Grave as Prisoners to receive their dreadful doom according to their evil deeds How shall the reprobate by the roaring of the Sea the quaking of the earth the trembling of the Powers of heaven and terrours of heavenly signs be driven at the worlds end to their wits end Oh what a woful salutation will there be betwixt the damned Soul and Body at their re-uniting at that terrible Day O sink of Sin O lump of Filthiness will the Soul say unto her Body how am I compelled to re-enter into thee not as into an habitation to rest but as a Prison to be tormented together how dost thou appear in my sight like Jephthah's Daughter to my greater torment Would GOD thou hadst perpetually rotted in the grave that I might never have seen thee again How shall we be confounded together to hear before God Angels and Men laid open all those secret sins which we committed together Have I lost Heaven for the love of such a stinking Carrion Art thou the flesh for whose pleasures I have yielded to commit so many fornications O filthy Belly how became I such a Fool as to make thee my God! How mad was I for momentany joys to incur these torments of eternal pains Ye rocks and mountains why skip ye so like rams Psalm 144. 4. and will not fall upon me to hide me from the face of him that comes to sit on yonder throne for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Rev. 6. 16 17. Why tremblest thou thus Earth at the presence of the Lord and wilt not open thy Mouth and swallow me up as thou didst Korah that I be seen no more O damned furies I would ye might without delay tear me in pieces on condition that you would tear me into nothing But whilst thou art thus in vain bewailing thy misery the Angels hale thee violently away from the brink of the Grave to some place near the Tribunal Seat of Christ where being as a cursed Goat separated to stand beneath on Earth as on the left-hand of the Judge Christ shall rip up all the benefits he bestowed on thee and the torments he suffered for thee and all the good deeds which thou hast omitted and all the ungrateful villainies which thou didst commit against him and his holy Laws Within thee thine own Conscience more than a Thousand Witnesses shall accuse thee the Devils who tempted thee to all thy lewdness shall on the one side testifie with thy Conscience against thee and on the other side shall stand the holy Saints and Angels approving Christ's Justice and detesting so filthy a Creature behind thee an hideous noise of innumerable fellow-damned Reprobates tarrying for thy company Before thee all the World burning in flaming fire above thee an ireful Judge of deserved Vengeance ready to pronounce his Sentence upon thee beneath thee the fiery and sulphureous mouth of the bottomless pit gaping to receive thee In this woful estate to hide thy self will be impossible for on that condition thou wouldst wish that the greatest Rock might fall upon thee to appear will be intolerable and yet thou must stand forth to receive with other Reprobates this thy Sentence Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels Depart from me There is a separation from all joy and happiness Ye cursed There is a black and direful Excommunication Into fire There is the cruelty of Fain Everlasting There is the perpetuity of punishment Prepared for the Devil and his Angels Here are thy infernal tormenting and tormented Companions O terrible Sentence from which the condemned cannot escape which being pronounced cannot possibly be withstood against which a Man cannot except and from which a Man can no where appeal so that to the damned nothing remains but hellish torments which know neither ease of pain nor end of time From this Judgment-seat thou must be thrust by Angels together with all the damned Devils and Reprobates into the bottomless lake of utter darkness that perpetually burneth with fire and brimstone
Blood And by the frequent use of this Communion Paul will have us to make a shew of the Lord's death till he come from Heaven and till we as Eagles shall be caught up into the air to meet him who is the blessed Carkase and Life of our Souls Thirdly The spiritual Graces are likewise two the Body of Christ as it was with the feeling of God's anger due to us crucified and his blood as it was in the like sort shed for the remission of their sins They are also in number two but in use one viz. whole Christ with all his benefits offered to all and given indeed to the faithful These are the Three integral parts of this blessed Sacrament the Sign the Word and the Grace The Sign without the Word or the Word without the Sign can do nothing and both conjoyned are unprofitable without the Grace signified but all Three concurring make an effectual Sacrament to a worthy Receiver Some receive the outward Sign without the spiritual Grace as Judas who as Austin saith received the bread of the Lord but not the bread which was the Lord. Some receive the spiritual Grace without the outward Sign as the Saint-Thief on the Cross and innumerable of the faithful who dying desire it but cannot receive it through some external impediments but the worthy Receivers to their comfort receive both in the Lord's-Supper Christ chose Bread and Wine rather than any other Elements to be the outward Signs in this blessed Sacrament first because they are easiest for all sorts to attain unto Secondly to teach us that as man's temporal life is chiefly nourished by bread and cherished by wine so are our Souls by his body and blood sustained and quickned unto eternal Life Christ appointed Wine with the Bread to be the outward Signs in this Sacrament to teach us first that as the perfect nourishment of Man's Body consists both of meat and drink so Christ is unto our Souls not in part but in perfection both salvation and nourishment Secondly that by seeing the Sacramental Wine apart from the Bread we should remember how all his precious blood was spilt out of his blessed body for the remission of our sins The outward signs the Pastor gives in the Church and thou dost eat with the mouth of thy body the spiritual grace Christ reacheth from Heaven and thou must eat it with the mouth of thy Faith 3. Of the Ends for which this holy Sacrament was ordained The excellent and admirable Ends or Fruits for which this blessed Sacrament was ordained are seven Of the first End of the Lord's-Supper 1. To keep Christians in a continual remembrance of that propitiatory sacrifice which Christ once for all offered by his death upon the Cross to reconcile us unto God Do this saith Christ in remembrance of me And saith the Apostle As oft as ye shall eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the Lord's death till he come And he saith that by this Sacrament and the Preaching of the Word Jesus Christ was so evidently set forth before the eyes of the Galatians as if he had been crucified among them for the whole action representeth Christ's death the breaking of the bread blessed the crucifying of his blessed body and the pouring forth of the sanctifyed wine the shedding of his holy blood Christ was once in himself really offered but as oft as the Sacrament is celebrated so oft is he spiritually offered by the faithful Hence the Lord's Supper is called a propitiatory Sacrifice not properly or really but figuratively because it is a memorial of that propitiatory Sacrifice which Christ offered upon the Cross. And to distinguish it from that real Sacrifice the Fathers call it the * unbloody Sacrifice It is also called the Eucharist because that the Church in this Action offereth unto God the Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for her Redemption effected by the true and only expiatory Sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross. If the sight of Moab's King sacrificing on his walls his own son to move his Gods to rescue his 2 King 3. 27. moved the assailing Kings to such pity that they ceas'd the assault and raised their siege how should the spiritual sight of God the Father sacrificing on the Cross his only begotten Son to save thy soul move thee to love God thy Redeemer and to leave sin that could not in justice be expiated by any meaner ransom Of the second end of the Lord's Supper 2. To confirm our Faith For God by this Sacrament doth signifie and seal unto us from Heaven that according to the promise and new covenant which he hath made in Christ he will truly receive into his grace and mercy all penitent believers who duly receive this holy Sacrament and that for the merits of the death and passion of Christ he will as verily forgive them all their sins as they are made partakers of this Sacrament In this respect the holy Sacrament is called The seal of the new Covenant and remission of sins In our greatest doubts we may therefore receiving this Sacrament undoubtedly say with Samson's Mother If the Lord would kill us he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meat-offering at our hands neither would he have shewed us all these things nor would at this time have told us such things as these Of the third end of the Lord's Supper 3. To be a pledge and symbol of the most near and effectual communion which Christians have with Christ. the Cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ the bread which we break is it not the Communion of the body of Christ that is a most effectual sign and pledge of our Communion with Christ This union is called abiding in us joyning to the Lord dwelling in our hearts and set forth in the holy Scriptures by divers Similes 1. Of the Vine and branches 2. Of the head and body 3. Of the foundation and building 4. Of one Loaf confected of many Grains 5. Of the matrimonial union 'twixt Man and Wife and such like And it is threefold betwixt Christ and Christians The first is natural betwixt our Humane Nature and Christ's Divine Nature in the Person of the Word The second is mystical betwixt our Persons absent from the Lord and the Person of Christ God and Man in one mystical Body The third is celestial betwixt our Persons present with the Lord and the Person of Christ in a body glorified These three Conjunctions depend each upon other For had not our Nature been first Hypostatically united to the Nature of God in the second Person we could never have been united to Christ in a Mystical Body And if we be not in this life though absent united to Christ by a Mystical Union we shall never have Communion of glory with him in his
the power of Satan and in the fire of Faith and perfume of Prayer ascend up with Angels victoriously into Heaven An Admonition to them who come to visit the sick THey who come to visit the sick must have a special care not to stand dumb and staring in the sick person's face to disquiet him nor yet to speak idly and to ask unprofitable questions as most do If they see therefore that the sick party is like to die let them not dissemble but lovingly and discreetly admonish him of his weakness and to prepare for eternal life One hour well spent when a man's life is almost out-spent may gain a man the assurance of eternal life Sooth him not with the vain hope of this life lest thou betray his Soul to eternal death Admonish him plainly of his estate and ask him briefly these or the like Questions Questions to be asked of a sick Man that is like to die DOst thou believe that Almighty God the Trinity of Persons in Unity of Essence hath by his Power made Heaven and Earth and all things therein and that he doth still by his Divine Providence govern the same So that nothing comes to pass in the world nor to thy self but what his divine hand and counsel had determined before to be done 2. Dost thou confess that thou hast transgressed and broken the holy Commandments of Almighty God in thought word and deed and hast deserved for breaking his holy Laws the Curse of God which containeth all the miseries of this life and everlasting torments in Hell fire when this life is ended if so be that God should deal with thee according to thy deserts 3. Art thou not sorry in thy heart that thou hast so broken his Laws and neglected his Service and Worship and so much followed the world and thine own vain pleasures And would'st thou not lead a holier life if thou wert to begin again 4. Dost thou not from thy heart desire to be reconciled unto God in Jesus Christ his blessed Son thy Mediator who is at the right hand of God in heaven now appearing for thee in the sight of God and making request unto him for thy Soul 5. Dost thou renounce all confidence in all other Mediators or Intercessors Saints or Angels believing that Jesus Christ the only Mediator of the New Testament is able perfectly to save them that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them And wilt thou with David say unto Christ whom have I in heaven but thee And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee 6. Dost thou confidently believe and hope to be saved by the only merits of that bloody death and passion which thy Saviour Jesus Christ hath suffered for thee not putting any hope of Salvation in thine own Merits nor in any other means or Creatures being assuredly perswaded that there is no salvation in any other and that there is none other name under Heaven whereby thou must be saved 7. Dost thou heartily forgive all wrongs and offences done or offered unto thee by any manner of Person whatsoever And dost thou as willingly from thy heart ask forgiveness of them whom thou hast grievously wronged in word or deed And dost thou cast out of thy heart all malice and hatred which thou hast born to any body that thou mayest appear before the Face oâ— Christ the Prince of Peace in perfect love and charity 8. Doth thy Conscience tell thee of any thing which thou hast wrongfully taken and dost still withhold from any widow or fatherless Children or from any other persons whomsoever Be assured that unless thou shalt restore like Zaccheus those goods and lands if thou be'st able thou canst not truly repent and without true Repentance thou canst not be saved nor look Christ in the face when thou shalt appear before his Judgment-seat 9. Dost thou firmly believe that thy body shall be raised up out of the Grave at the sound of the last Trumpet and that thy Body and Soul shall be united together again in the Resurrection Day to appear before the Lord Jesus Christ and thence to go with him into the Kingdom of Heaven to live in everlasting bliss and glory If the sick party shall answer to all these questions like a faithful Christian then let all who are present joyn together and pray for him in these or the like words A Prayer to be said for the sick by them who visit him O Merciful Father who art the Lord and giver of life and to whom belong the issues of Death we thy Children here assembled do acknowledge that in respect of our manifold sins we are not worthy to ask any blessing for our selves at thy hands much less to become suiters unto thy Majesty in the behalf of others yet because thou hast commanded us to pray one for another especially for the sick and hast promised that the Prayers of the righteous shall avail much with thee in obedience therefore to thy Commandment and confidence of thy gracious Promise we are bold to become humble Suiters to thy Divine Majesty in the behalf of this our dear Brother or Sister whom thou hast hast visited with the Chastisement of thine own fatherly hand We could gladly wish the Restitution of his health and a longer continuance of his life and Christian â—ellowship amongst us but forasmuch as it â—ppeareth as far as we can discern that â—hou hast appointed by this visitation to â—â—ll for him out of this mortal life we subâ—it our wills to thy blessed will and humâ—ly intreat for Jesus Christ his sake and â—e merits of his bitter death and passion which he hath suffered for him that â—ou would'st pardon and forgive unto â—im all his sins as well that wherein he â—as conceived and born as also all the offenâ—es and transgressions which ever since to â—his day and hour he hath committed in â—hought word and deed against thy Divine â—ajesty Cast them behind thy back reâ—ive them as far from thy presence as the East â— from the West Blot them out of thy reâ—embrance lay them not to his charge â—ash them away with the Blood of Christ â—hat they may no more be seen and deliâ—er him from all the Judgments which are â—ue unto him for his sins that they may â—ever trouble his conscience nor rise in â—udgment against his Soul and impute unâ—o him the righteousness of Jesus Christ whereby he may appear righteous in thy â—â—ght And in his extremity at this time we â—eseech the look down from heaven upâ—n him with those eyes of grace and comâ—assion wherewith thou art wont to look â—pon thy children in their affliction and misery Pity thy wounded Servant like â—he good Samaritan for here is a sick soul â—hat needeth the help of such a heavenâ—â— Physician O Lord increase his Faith that he may believe that Christ died for him and that his blood
blessed â—eath Say cheerfully Come Lord Jesus 〈◊〉 thy Servant cometh unto thee I am willing Lord help my weakness Seven sanctified Thoughts and mournful Sighs of a sick Man ready to die NOW forasmuch as God of his infinite mercy doth so temper ouâ— pain and sickness that we are not always oppressed with extremity but gives us in the midst of our extremities some â—espite to ease and refresh our selves thou mâ—st have an espâ—cial caâ—e considâ—ring how short a 〈◊〉 thou hast either for ever to lose or to obtain Heaven to make use of every breathing time which God doth afford thâ— and during that 〈…〉 time of ease 〈…〉 roweth with all his force to arrive at the wished Port and that the Traveller never resteth till he come to his Journeys end we fear to descry our Port and therefore would put back our Bark to be longer tossed in this continual tempest We weep to see our jorneys end and therefore desire our journey to be lengthened that we might be more tired with a foul and cumbersome way The Spiritual Sigh thereupon O Lord this life is but a troublesome pilgrimage few in days but full in evils and I am weary of it by reason of my sins Let me therefore O Lord intreat thy Majesty in this my bed of sickness as Elias did under the Juniper tree in his affliction It is now enough O Lord that I have lived so long in this vale of misery take my soul into thy merciful hands for I am no better than my Fathers The Second Thought THink with what a body of sin thou art loaden what great civil wars are contained in a little world the flesh fighting against the Spirit Passion against Reason Earth against Heaven and the World within thee bending it self for the World without thee and that but 〈◊〉 only means remains to end this conflictâ— death which in God's appointed time will separate thy spirit from thy flesh the pure and regenerate part of thy Soul from that part which is impure and unregenerated The spiritual Sigh upon the second Thought OWretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death O my sweet Saviour Jesus Christ thou hast redeemed me with thy precious blood And be cause thou hast delivered my soul from sin minâ— eyes from tears and my feet from falling I do here from the very bottom of my heart ascribe the whole praise and glory of my salvation to thy only grace and mercy saying with the holy Apostle Thanks be unto God which hath given me the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. The Third Thought THink how it behoves thee to be assured that thy soul is Christ's for death hath taken sufficient gages to assure himself of thy bodâ— in that all thy senses be all ready to die save only the sense of pain but sith the beginning of thy being began with pâ—in marvel the less it thy end conclude with dolours But if these temporal dolours which only afflict the body be so painful O Lord who can endure the devouring fire who can abide the everlasting burning The spiritual Sigh upon the third Thought O Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the living God who art the only Physician that caâ—st ease my body from pain and restore my soul to life eternal put thy 〈◊〉 Cross and Death betwixt my 〈◊〉 and thy Judgments and let the merits of thy obedience stand betwixt thy Father's justice and my disobedience and from these bodily pains receive my Soul iâ—to thine everlasting peace for I cry unto thee with Stephen Lord Jesus receive my Spirit The Fourth Thought THink that the worst that Death can do is but to send thy Soul sooner than thy flesh would be willing to Christ and his heavenly Joys remember that that Christ is thy best hope â—he worst therefore of death is rather a help than a harm The spiritual Sigh upon the Fourth Thought O Lord Jesus Christ the Saviour of all them that put their trust in thee fâ—rsake â—or him that in misery flâ—â—â—h unto thy graceâ— fâ—â— succour and mercy Oh sound that sweet Voice in the ears of my Soul which thou spakest unto the penitent thief on the cross This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise For I O Lord do with the Apostle from my Soul speak unto thee I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. The Fifth Thought THiâ—k if thou fearest to die That in Mount Sâ—on there is no Death for â—e that believeth in Christ shall never die And if thou desirest to live without 〈◊〉 the life eternal whereunto this 〈…〉 their miseries live with Christ in joys and thither shall all the godly which survive be gathered out of their troubles to enjoy with him eternal rest The Spiritual Sigh on the Fifth Thought O Lord thou seest the malice of Satan who not contenting himself like a roaring Lion all the days and nights of our life to seek our destruction shews himself busiest when thy Children are weakest and nearest to their end O Lord reprove him and preserve my Soul He seeks to terrifie me with death which my sins have deserved but let thy Holy Spirit comâ—ort my Soul with the assurance of eternal life which thy Blood hath purchased Asswage my pain increase my patience and if it be thy blessed will end my troubles for my Soul beseecheth thee with old blessed Simeon Lord now let me thy servant depart in peace according to thy word The Sixth Thought THink with thy self what a blessing God hath bestowed upon thee above many millions in the world that whereas they are either Pagans who worship not the true God or Idolaters who worship the true God falsly thou hast lived in a true Christian Church and hast grace to die in the true Christian Faith and to be buried in the Sepulchre of God's Servants who all wait for the hope of Israel and raising of their Bodies in the resurrection of the Just. The spiritual Sigh upon the sixth Thought O Lord Jesus Christ who art the Resurrection and the life in whom whosoever believeth shall live tho' he were dead I believe that whosover liveth and believeth in thee shall never die I know that I shall rise again in the Resurrection of the last day for I am sure that thou my Redeemer livest And tho' that after my death worms destroy this body yet I shall see thee my Lord and my God in this flesh Grant therefore O Christ for thy bitter death and passions sake that at that day I may be one of them to whom thou wilt pronounce that joyful sentence Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world The Seventh Thought THink with thy self how Christ endured for thee a cursed death and the wrath of God which was due unto thy sins and what
THE PRACTICE OF PIETY Directing a Christian how to walk that he may please God Amplified by the Author Piety hath the Promise 1 Tim. 4. 8. London Printed for Edward Brewster 1695. Lately Printed a very usefull Book To be sold by Edward Brewster at the Crane in St. Paul's Church-Yard viz. THE Mirror of Martyrs First and Second Part lively Expressing in a short view the force of their Faith the fervency of their Love the wisdom of their Sayings the patience of their Sufferings c. with their Prayers and Preparation for their last farewell As also Exercitations and Meditations c. wherein the chief Duties of the Christian Religion are opened and apply'd By Samuel Tompson M. A. late of Magdalen-Hall Oxon. TO THE High and Mighty Prince CHARLES Prince of WALES CHrist Jesus the Prince of Princes bless your Highness with length of Days and an increase of all Graces which may make you truly prosperous in this life and eternally happy in that which is to come Jonathan shot three Arrows to drive David further off from Saul 's fury And this is the third Epistle which I have written to draw your Highness nearer to God's favour by directing your heart to begin like Josiah in your youth to seek after the God David and of Jacob your Father Not but that I know that your Highness doth this without mine admonition but because I would with the Apostle have you to abound in every grace in faith and knowledge and in all diligence and in your love to Gods Service and true Religion Never was there more need of plain and unfeigned admonition for the Comick in that saying seems but to have prophesied of our times Obsequium amicos veritas odium parit And no marvel seeing that we are fallen into the dregs of Time which being the last must needs be the worst days And how can there be worse seeing Vanity knows not how to be vainer nor Wickedness how to be more wicked And whereas heretofore those have been counted most holy who have shewed themselves most zealous in their Religion they are now reputed most discreet who can make the least profession of their Faith And that these are the last days appears evidently because the security of mens eternal state hath so overwhelmed as Christ foretold it should all sorts that most who now live are become lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God and of those who pretend to love God O God! what sanctified heart can but bleed to behold how seldom they come to prayers how irreverently they hear God's Word what strangers they are at the Lord's Table what assiduous spectators they are at Stage-plays where being Christians they can sport themselves to hear the Vassals of the Devil scoffing religion and blasphemously abusing Phrases of holy Scripture on their Stages as familiarly as they use their Tobacco-pipes in their bibing-houses So that he who would now â—days seek in most Christians for the power shall scarce almost find the very shew of godliness Never was there more sinning never less remorse for sin Never was the Judge nearer to come never was there so little preparation for his coming And if the Bridegroom should now come how many who think them selves wise enough and full of all knowledge would be found foolish Virgins without one drop of the Oil of saving Faith in their Lamps For the greatest Wisdom of most Men in this Age consists in being wise first to deceive others and in the end to deceive themselves And if sometimes some good Book haps into their hands or some good motion cometh into their heads whereby they are put in mind to consider the uncertainty of this life present or how weak assurance they have of eternal life if this were ended and how they have some secret sins for which they must needs repent here or be punished for them in Hell hereafter Security then forthwith whispers the Hypocrite in the Ear that though it be fit to think of these things yet It is not yet time and that he is yet young enough though he cannot but know that many millions as young as himself are already in Hell for want of timely repentance Presumption warranteth him in the other Ear that he may have time hereafter at his leisure to repent and that howsoever others die yet he is far enough from death and therefore may boldly take yet a longer time to enjoy his sweet pleasures and to encrease his wealth and greatness And hereupon like Solomon's sluggard he yields himself to a little more sleep a little more slumber a little more folding of the hands to sleep in his former sins till at last Despair Security's ugly hand maid comes in unlooked for and shews him his Hour-glass dolefully telling him that his time is past and that nothing now remains but to die and â—e damned Let not this seem strange to any for too many have found it too true and more with out more grace are like to be thus sooth'd to their end and in the end snared to their endless perdition In my desire therefore of the common salvation but especially of your Highness's everlasting welfare I have endeavoured to extract out of the chaos of endless controversies the old Practice of true Piety which flourished before these Controversies were hatched which my poor labours in a short while come now forth again the 42. time under the gracious protection of your Highness's favour and by their entertainment seem not to be altogether unwelcome to the Church of Christ. If to be pious hath in all ages been held the truest honour how much more honourable is it in so impious an age to be the true Patron and Pattern of Piety Piety made David Solomon Jehoshaphat Ezechias Josias Zerubbabel Constantine Theodosius Edward the VI. Queen Elizabeth Prince Henry and other religious Princes to be so honoured that their Names since their deaths smell in the Church of God like a precious oynment and their remembrances sweet as honey in all mouths and as Musick at a Banquet of Wine when as the lips of others who have been godless and irreligious Princes do â—ot and stink in the memory of God's People And what honour is it for great Men to have great Titles on Earth when God counts their names unworthy to be written in his Book of life in Heaven It is Piety that embalms a Prince his good name and makes his face to shine before Men and glorifies his soul among Angels For as Moses his face by often talking with God shined in the eyes of the People so by frequent praying which is our talking with God and hearing the Word which is God's speaking unto us we shall be changed from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord to the Image of the Lord. And seeing this life is uncertain to all especially to Princes what argument is more fit
with Filthiness outraged with Passions overcarried with Affections pining with Envy overcharged with Gluttony surfeited with Drunkenness boiling with Revenge transported with Rage and the glorious Image of God transformed into the ugly shape of the Devil so far as it once repented the Lord that he ever made Man From the former flows the other part of the Soul's Miseries called Cursedness whereof there are two degrees 1. In part 2. In fullness thereof 1. Cursedness in part is that which is inflicted upon the Soul in life and death and is common to her with the Body The Cursedness of the Soul in Life is the wrath of God which lieth upon such a Creature so far as that all things not only Calamities but also very Blessings and Graces turn to ruine Terror of Conscience drives him from God and his service that he dares not come to his Presence and Ordinances but is given up to the slavery of Satan and to his own Lusts and vile Affections This is the Cursedness of the Soul in life Now follows the Cursedness of the Soul and Body in Death Meditations of the Misery of the Body and Soul in Death AFter that the aged man hath conflicted with long sickness and having indured the brunt of pain should now expect some ease in comes Death nature's slaughter-man God's Curse and Hell's Purveyor and looks the Old Man grim and black in the face and neither pitying his age nor regarding his long endured dolours will not be hired to forbear either for silver or gold nay he will not take to spare his life Skin for Skin aud all that the old Man hath but batters all the principal parts of his Body and arrests him to appear before the terrible Judge And as thinking that the Old man will not dispatch to go with him fast enough Lord how many darts of Calamities doth he shoot through him Stiches Aches Cramps Fevers Obstructions Rheums Flegm Cholick Stone Wind c. O what a ghastly sight it is to see him then in his Bed when Death hath given him his mortal wound what a cold sweat over-runs all his body what a trembling possesseth all his Members the Head shooteth the Face waxeth pale the Nose black the nâ—ther Jaw-bone hangeth down the Eye-strings break the Tongue faltereth the Breath shortneth and smelleth earthly the Throâ—t â—aâ—tiâ—th and at every Gasp the Heart-strings are ready to break asunder Now the miserable Soul sensibly perceivâ—â— her Earthly Body to begin to die For â—owards the dissolution of the universal Frame of the great World the Sun 〈◊〉 be turned into Darkness the Moon into Blood and the Stars shall fall from Heaven the Air shall be full of Storms and flashing Meteors the Earth shall tremble and the Sea shall roar and mens hearts shall fail for fear expecting the end of such sorrowful beginnings So towards the dissolution of Man which is the little World his Eyes which are as the Sun and Moon lose their light and see nothing but blood-guiltiness of Sin The rest of the Senses as lesser Stars do one after another fail and fall his Mind Reason and Memory as heavenly powers of his Soul are shaken with fearful storms of Despair and fierce flashing of Hell-fire his earthly body beginneth to shake and tremble and the humours like an overflowing Sea roar and rattle in his Throat still expecting the woful End of these dreadful beginnings Whilst he is thus summoned to appear at the Great Assizes of God's Judgmentâ— behold a Quarter-Sessions and Gaol-Delivery is held within himself where Reason sits as Judge the Devil puts in a Bill of Indictment as large as that Book of Zechary wherein are alledged all thy evil deeds that ever thou hast committed and all the good deeds that ever thou hast omitted and all the Curses and Judgments that are due to every sin Thine own Conscience shall accuse thee and thy Memory shall give bitter Evidence and Death stands at the Bar ready as a cruel Executioner to dispatch thee If thou shalt thus condemn thy self how shalt thou escape the Just Condemnation of God who knows all thy misdeeds better than thy self Fain wouldst thou put out of thy mind the remembrance of the wicked deeds that trouble thee but they flow faster into thy remembrance and they will not be put away but cry unto thee We are thy works and we will follow thee and whilst thy soul is thus within out of peace and order thy Children Wife and Friends trouble thee as fast to have thee put thy goods in order some crying some craving some pitying some chearing all like Flesh-Flies helping to make thy sorrows more sorrowful Now the Devils who are come from Hell to fetch away thy Soul begin to appear to her and wait as soon as she cometh forth to take her and carry her away Stay she would within but that she feels the body begin by degrees to die and ready like a ruinous House to fall upon her head Fearful she is to come forth because of those Hell-hounds which wait for her coming O she that spent so many days and nights in vain and idle pastimes would now give the whole world if she had it for one hour delay that she might have space to repent and reconcile her self unto God But it cannot be because her body which joyned with her in the Action of sin is altogether now unfit to joyn with her in the exercise of repentance and repentance must be of the whole Man Now she seeth that all her pleasures are gone as if they had never been and that but only torments remain which never shall have an end of being Who can sufficiently express her remorse for her sins past her anguish for her present Misery and her terror for her torments to come In this Extremity she looketh every where for help and findeth her self every way helpless Thus in her greatest misery desirous to hear the least word of comfort she directs this or the like Speech unto her Eyes O Eyes who in times past were so quick-sighted can ye spy no Comfort nor any way how I might escape this dreadful danger But the Eye-strings are broken they cannot see the Candle that burneth before them nor discern whether it be Day or Night The Soul finding no comfort in the Eyes speaketh to the Ears O Ears who were wont to recreate your selves with hearing new pleasant Discourses and Musicks sweetest Harmony can you hear any news or tidings of the least Comfort for me The Ears are either so deaf that they cannot hear at all or the sense of hearing is grown so weak that it cannot endure to hear his dearest Friends to speak And why should those Ears hear any tidings of Joy in Death who could never abide to hear the glad tidings of the Gospel in this life The Ear can minister no comfort Then she intimates her grief unto the Tongue
Whereunto as thou shalt be thrust there shall be such weeping woes and wailing that the cry of the company of Korah Dathan and Abiram when the earth swallowed them up was nothing comparable to this howling nay it will seem unto thee an Hell before thou goest into Hell but to hear it Into which bottomless lake after that thou art once plunged thou shalt ever be falling down and never meet a bottom and in it thou shalt ever lament and none shall pity thee thou shalt always weep for pain of the Fire and yet gnash thy Teeth for the extremity of Cold thou shalt weep to think that thy miseries are past remedy thou shalt weep to think that to repent is to no purpose thou shalt weep to think how for the shadows of short pleasures thou hast incurred these sorrows of eternal pains thou shalt weep to see how that weeping it self can nothing prevail yea in weeping thou shalt weep more tears than there is water in the Sea for the water of the Sea is finite but the weeping of a Reprobate shall be infinite There thy lascivious Eyes shall be afflicted with sights of ghastly Spirits thy curious Ears shall be affrighted with hideous noise of howling Devils and the gnashing Teeth of damned Reprobates thy dainty Nose shall be cloyed with noisom stench of Sulphur thy delicate Taste shall be pined with intolerable hunger thy drunken Throat shall be parched with unquenchable thirst thy Mind shall be tormented to think how for the love of abortive pleasures which perished ere they budded thou so foolishly lost Heaven's Joys and incurredst Hellish Pains which last beyond Eternity Thy Conscience shall ever sting thee like an Adder when thou thinkest how often Christ by his Preachers offered the Remission of Sins and the Kingdom of Heaven freely unto thee if thou wouldest but Believe and Repent and how easily thou mightest have obtained mercy in those days how near thou wast many times to have repented and yet didst suffer the Devil and the World to keep thee still in impenitency and how the day of mercy is now past and will never dawn again How shall thy understanding be racked to consider how for momentany Riches thou hast lost eternal Treasure and changed Heaven's felicity for Hell's misery where every part of thy Body without intermission of pain shall be continually tormented alike In these Hellish Torments thou shalt be for ever deprived of the beatifical sight of GOD wherein consisteth the sovereign good and life of the Soul Thou shalt never see Light nor the least sight of Joy but lie in a perpetual Prison of utter Darkness where shall be no Order but Horrour no Voice but of Blasphemers and Howlers no Noise but of Torturers and tortured no Society but of the Devil and his Angels who being tormented themselves shall have no other ease but to wreak their Fury in tormenting thee Where shall be punishment without Pity misery without mercy sorrow without succour crying without comfort mischief without measure torment without ease where the Worm dieth not and the Fire is never quenched where the Wrath of God shall seize upon the Soul and Body as the flame of fire doth on the lump of Pitch or Brimstone In which flame thou shalt ever be burning and never consumed ever dying and never dead ever roaring in the pangs of Death and never rid of those pangs nor knowing end of thy pains So that after thou hast endured them so many thousand years as there are Grass on the Earth or Sands on the Sea-shore thou art no nearer to have an end of thy torments than thou wast the first day that thou wast cast into them yea so far are they from ending that they are ever but beginning But if after a thousand times so many thousand years thy damned Soul could but conceive a hope that those her torments should have an end this would be some Comfort to think that at length an end will come But as oft as the Mind thinketh of this word Never it is as another Hell in the midst of Hell This thought shall force the damned to cry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as much as if they should say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Lord not ever not ever torment us thus But their Consciences shall answer them as an Echo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ever ever Hence shall arise their doleful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wo and alas for evermore This is that second Death the general perfect fulness of all cursedness and misery which every damned Reprobate must suffer so long as GOD and his Saints shall enjoy bliss and felicity in Heaven for evermore Thus far of the misery of Man in his state of corruption unless he be renewed by Grace in Christ. Now followeth the knowledge of Man's self in respect of his state of Regeneration by Christ. Meditations of the State of a Christian reconciled to God in Christ. NOw let us see how happy a Godly man is in his state of renovation being reconciled to God in Christ. The godly Man whose corrupt Nature is renewed by grace in Christ and become a new creature is blessed in a threefold respect First in his Life Secondly in his Death Thirdly after Death 1. His blessedness during his Life is but in part and that consists in seven things 1. Because he is conceived of the Spirit in the womb of his Mother the Church and is born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God who in Christ is his Father So that the Image of God his Father is renewed in him every day more and more 2. He hath for the Merits of Christ's Sufferings all his sins original and actual with the guilt and punishment belonging to them freely and fully forgiven unto him And all the righteousness of Christ as freely and fully imputed unto him and so God is reconciled unto him and approveth him as righteous in his sight and account 3. He is freed from Satan's bondage and â—s made a brother of Christ a fellow-heir of his Heavenly Kingdom and a spiritual King and Priest to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God by Jesus Christ. 4. God spareth him as a Man spareth his own Son that serveth him And this sparing consists In 1. Not taking notice of every fault but bearing with his infirmities Exod. 34. Verse 6 7. A loving Father will not cast his Child out of doors in his Sickness 2. Noâ— making his punishment when he is chastned as great as his deserts Psal. 103. 10. 3. Chastning him moderately when he seeth that he will not by any other means be reclaimed 2 Samuel 7. Verse 14 15. 1 Cor. 11. 32. 4. Graciously accepting his Endeavours notwithstanding the imperfection of his obedience and so preferring the willingness of his mind before the worthiness of his work 2 Cor. 8. 12. 5.
Turning the curses which he deserved to crosses and fartherly corrections yea all things all calamities of this life Death it self yea his very sins unto his good 5. God gives him his Holy Spirit which 1. Sanctifieth him by Degrees throughout so that he doth more and more die to sin and live to righteousness 2. Assures him of his Adoption and that he is by Grace the Child of God 3. Encourageth him to come with boldness and confidence into the presence of God 4. Moveth him without fear to say unto him Abba Father 5. Poureth into his heart the gift of sanctified Prayer 6. Perswadeth him that both he and his Prayers are accepted and heard of God for Christ his Mediator's sake 7. Fills him with 1. Peace of Conscience 2. Joy in the holy Ghost in comparison whereof all earthly joys seem vile and vain unto him 6. He hath a recovery of his sovereignty over the creatures which he lost by Adam's fall and from thence free liberty of using all things which God hath not restrained so that he may use them with a good conscience For to all things in Heaven and Earth he hath a sure title in this life and he shall have the Plenary and peaceable possession of them in the life to come Hence it is that all Reprobates are but usurpers of all that they possess and have no place of their own but Hell 7. He hath the assurance of God's Fatherly care and protection day and night over him which care consists in three things 1. In providing all things necessary for his Soul and Body concerning this life and that which is to come so that he shall be sure ever either to have enough or patience to be content with that he hath 2. In that God gives his Holy Angels as Ministers a charge to attend upon him always for his good yea in danger to pitch their Tents about him for his safety where ever he be Yea GOD's Protection shall defend him as a cloud by day and as a pillar of fire by night and his providence shall hedge him from the power of the Devil 3. In that the eyes of the Lord are upon him and his ears continually open to see his state and to hear his complaint and in his good time to deliver him out of all his troubles Thus far of the blessed Estate of the Godly and Regenerate Man in this life Now of his blessed Estate in Death 2. Meditations of the blessed Estate of a Regenerate Man in his Death WHen GOD sends Death as his Messenger for the Regenerate Man he meets him half the way to Heaven for his conversation and affection is there before him Death is neither strange nor fearful unto him Not strange because he died daily not fearful because whilst he lived he was dead and his life was hid with God in Christ. To die unto him therefore is nothing else in effect but to rest from his labour in this world to go home to his Father's house unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem to an innumerable company of Angels to the general assembly and Church of the first-born to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just Men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant Whilst his body is sick his mind is sound for God maketh all his bed in his sickness and strengtheneth him with Faith and Patience upon his bed of sorrow And when he begins to enter into the way of all the World he giveth like Jacob Moses and Joshua to his Children and Friends godly Exhortations and Counsels to serve the true God to worship him truly all the days of their life His blessed Soul breatheth nothing but blessings and such speeches as savour a sanctified spirit As his outward man decayeth so his inward man increaseth and waxeth stronger When the speech of his Tongue faltereth the sighs of his heart speak louder unto God when the sight of the eyes faileth the Holy Ghost illuminates him inwardly with abundance of spiritual light His Soul feareth not but is bold to go out of the Body and to dwell with her Lord. He sigheth out with Paul Cupio dissolvi I desire to to be dissolved and to be with Christ. And with David As the heart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God He prayeth with the Saints How long O Lord which art holy and true Come Lord JESVS come quickly And when the appointed time of his dissolution is come knowing that he goeth to his Father and redeemer in the peace of a good Conscience and the assured perswasion of the forgiveness of all his sins in the blood of the Lamb he sings with blessed old Simeon his Nunc dimittis Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace c. And surrenders up his Soul as it were with his own hands into the hands of his heavenly Father saying with David Into thy hands O Father I commend my Soul for thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of truth And saying with Stephen Lord Jesus receive my spirit He no sooner yields up his sacred Ghost but immediately the holy Angels who attended upon him from his Birth unto his Death carry and accompany his Soul into Heaven as they did the Soul of Lazarus into Abraham's bosom which is the Kingdom of Heaven whither only good Angels and good works do accompany the Soul the one to deliver their charge the other to receive their reward The Body in convenient time as the sanctified Temple of the Holy Ghost the Members of Christ nourished by his Body the price of the blood of the Son of God is by his fellow Brethren reverently laid to sleep in his grave as in the Bed of Christ in an assured hope to awake in the Resurrection of the Just at the last Day to be partaker with the Soul of life and glory everlasting And in this respect not only the Souls but the very Bodies of the Faithful also are termed blessed Thus far of the Blessedness of the Soul and Body of the regenerate Man in death Now let us see the Blessedness of his Soul and Body after death 3. Meditations of the Blessed Estate of the Regenerate Man after Death THis Estate hath Three Degrees 1. From the Day of Death to the Resurrection 2. From the Resurrection to the pronouncing of the Sentence 3. After the Sentence which lasts eternally As soon as ever the regenerate Man hath yielded up his Soul unto Christ the holy Angels take her into their Custody and
a bare remembrance What trust should a man repose in long life seeing the whole life of man is nothing but a lingring death so that as the Apostle protests a man dieth daily Hark in thine ear O secure fellow thy life is but a puff of breath in thy nostrils trust not to it Thy Soul dwells in a house of clay that will fall ere it be long as may appear by the dimness of thy eyes the deafness of thy ears the wrinkles in thy cheeks the rottenness of thy teeth the weakness of thy sinews the trembling of thy hands the kalender in thy bones the shortness of thy sleep and every gray hair as so many Summoners bids thee prepare for thy long home Come let us in the mean while walk to thy Fathers Coffin break open the lid see here how that corruption is thy Father and the worm thy Mother and Sister seest thou how these are so must thou be ere long fool thou knowest not how soon Thy Hour-glass runneth apace and in all places Death in the mean while waiteth for thee The whole life of man save what is spent in God's service is but a foolery for a man lives forty years before he knows himself to be a fool and by that time he seeth his folly his life is finished Hark Husbandman before thou seest many more crops of Harvest thy self shall be ripe and Death will cut thee down with his sickle Hark Tradseman ere many six months go over thy last month will come on after which thou shalt trace away and trade no longer Hark most grave Judge within a few terms the term of thy life approacheth wherein thou shalt cease to judge others and go thy self to be judged Hark O man of God that goest to the Pulpit preach this Sermon as it were thy last that thou shouldest make to thy people Hark Noble man lay aside the high conceit of thy honour Death ere it be long will lay thine honour in the dust and make thee as base as the Earth that thou treadest under thy feet Hark thou that now readest this book assure thy self ere it be long there will be but two holes where now thy two eyes are placed and others shall read the truth of this lesson upon thy bare Skull which now thou readest in this little book how soon I know not but this I am sure of that thy time is appointed thy months are determined thy days are numbred and thy very last hour is limited beyond which thou shalt not pass For then the first-horn of death mounted on his pale horse shall alight at thy door and notwithstanding all thy wealth and honour and the tears of thy dearest friends will carry thee away bound hand and foot as his Prisoner and keep thy body under a load of earth until that day come wherein thou must be brought forth to receive according to the things which thou hast done in the body whether it be good or evil O let not then the false hope of an uncertain long life hinder thee from becoming a present Practiser of religious Piety God offereth grace to day but who promiseth to morrow there are now in Hell many young Men who had purposed to repent in their old age but Death cut them off in their impenitency ere ever they could attain to the time they set for their repentance The longer a man runs in a disease the harder it is to be cured for custom of sin breeds hardness of heart and the impediments which hinder thee from repenting now will hinder thee more when thou art more aged A wise Man being to go a far and foul journey will not lay the heaviest burthen upon the weakest horse And with what conscience canst thou lay the great load of repentance on thy feeble and tired old age whereas now in thy chiefest strength thou canst not lift it but art ready to stagger under it Is it wisdom for him that is to sail a long and dangerous Voyage to lie playing and sleeping whilst the Wind serveth and the Sea is calm the Ship sound the Pilot well Mariners strong and then set forth when the Winds are contrary the Weather tempestuous the Sea raging the Ship rotten the Pilot sick and the Sailers languishing Therefore O sinful Soul begin now thy conversion to God whilst life health strength and youth last before those years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them God ever required in his service the first-boorn and the first-fruits and those to be â—ffered unto him without delay So just Abel offered unto God his firstlings and fattest Lambs and reason good that the best Lord should be first and best served All God's servants should therefore remember to serve their Creator in the days of their youth and early in the morning like Abraham to sacrifice unto God the Young Isaac of their Age. Ye shall not see my face saith Joseph to his Brethren except you bring your younger brother with you And how shalt thou look in the face of Jesus if thou givest thy younger years to the devil and bringest him nothing but thy blind lame and decrepid old age Offer it unto thy Prince saith Malachy If he will not accept such a one to serve him how shall the Prince of Princes admit such a one to be his servant If the King of Babel would have young men well favoured and such as had ability in them to stand in his palace shall the King of Heaven have none to stand in his Courts but the blind the lame such as the soul of David hated Thinkest thou when thou hast served Satan with thy prime years to satisfie God with thy dotage take heed lâ—st God turn thee over to thy old Master again that as thou hast all the days of thy life done his Work so he may in the end pay thee thy Wages Is that time fit to undertake by the serious exercises of repentance which is the work of works to turn thy sinful soul to God when thou art not able with all thy strength to turn thy weary bones on thy soft bed If thou find'st it so hard a matter now thou shalt find it far harder then For thy sin will wax stronger thy strength will grow weaker thy conscience will clog thee pain will distract thee the fear of death will amaze thee and the visitation of friends will so disturb thee that if thou be not furnished afore-hand with store of faith patience and consolation thou shalt not be able either to mediâ—ate thy self or to hear the word of comfort from others not to pray alone nor to joyn with others who pray for thee It may be thou shalt be taken with a dumb palsie or such a deadly senselesness that thou shall neither remember God nor think upon thine own estate and dost thou not well deserve
sincere devotion for in the multitude of Opinions most Men have almost lost the practice of true Religion Think not that thou art a Christian good enough because thou dost as the most and art not so bad as the worst No Man is so wicked that he is addicted to all kind of vices for there is an antipathy betwixt some vices but remember that Christ saith Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of Heaven Consider with thy self how far thou comest short of the Pharises in Fasting Praying frequenting the Church and in giving of Alms Think with thy self how many Pagans who never knew Baptism yet in moral virtues and honesty of life do go far beyond thee Where is then the life of Christ thy Master and how far art thou from being a true Christian if thou dost willingly yield to live in any one gross sin thou canst not have a regenerated soul tho' thou reformest thy self like Herod from many other Vices A true Christian must have respect to walk in the truth of his heart in all the Commandments of God alike for saith St. James He that shall offend in one point of the Law wilfully is guilty of all And Peter bids us lay aside not some but all malice guile and hypocrisies c. One sin is enough to damn a Man's Soul without repentance dream not to go to Heaven by any nearer or easier way than Christ hath traced unto us in his word The way to Heaven is not easie or common but strait and narrow yea so narrow that Christ protesteth that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and that those who enter are but a few and that those few cannot get in but by striving and that some of those who strive to enter in shall not be able This all God's Saints whilst they here lived knew well when with so often fastings so earnest prayers so frequent hearing the Word and receiving the Sacraments and wiâ—h such abundance of tears they devouâ—ly begged at the hands of God for Christ's sake to be received into his Kingdom If thou wilt not believe this truth I assure thee that the Devil which perswades thee now that it is easie to attain Heaven will tell thee hereafter that it is the hardest business in the world If therefore thou art desirous to purchase sound assurance of salvation to thy Soul and to go the right and safe way to Heaven get forthwith like a wise Virgin the Oyl of Piety in the lamp of thy conversation that thou maist be in a continual readiness to meet the Bridegroom whether he cometh by Death or by Judgment Which that thou mayest the better do let this be thy daily practice How a private man must begin the morning with Piety AS soon as ever thou awakest in the Morning keep the door of thy heart fast shut that no earthly thought may enter before that God be come in first and let him before all others have the first place therein So all evil thoughts either will not dare to come in or shall the easier be kept out and the heart wilâ— more favour of piety and godliness all 〈◊〉 day after But if thy heart be not at thy first waking filled with some Mâ—dâ—aâ—ions of God and his Word and dâ—ested like the lamp in thae Tabernacle every morning and evening with the Oyl Olive of God's Word and perfumed with the sweet Incense of Prayer Satan will attempt to fill it with worldly cares or fleshly desires so that it will grow unfit for the service of God all the day after sending forth nothing but the stench of corrupt and lying words and of rash and blasphemous Oaths Begin therefore every days work with God's Word and Prayer And offer up unto God upon the Altar of a contrite heart the groans of thy spirit and the calves of thy lips as thy morning sacrifice and the first-fruits of the day and as soon as thou awakest say unto him thus A short Soliloquy when one first wakes in the Morning MY Soul waiteth on thee O Lord more than the Morning Watch watcheth for the Morning O God therefore be merciful unto me and bless me and cause thy face to shine upon me fiâ—l me with thâ— Mercy this Morning so shall I rejoyce and be glad all my days Meditations for the Morning Then Meditate 1. HOw Almighty God can in the Resurrection as easily raise up thy bâ—dy out of he grave from the sleep of death as he hath this Morning wakened thee in thy bed out of the sleep of nature At the dawning of which Resurrection day Christ shall come to be glorified in his Saints and every one of the bodies of the thousands of his Saints being fashioned like unto his glorious body shall shine as bright as the Sun All the Angels shining likewise in their glory the Body of Christ surpassing them all in splendor and glory and the Godhead excelling it If the rising of one Sun makes the Morning-Sky so glorious what a bright-shining and glorious Morning will that be when so many thousand thousands of Bodies far brighter than the Sun shall appear and accompany Christ as hiâ— glorious â—raâ— coming to keep his general Sessions of Righteousness and to judge the wicked Angels and all ungodly Men and let not any transitory profit pleasure or vain glory of this day cause thee to lose thy part and portion of the eternal bliss and glory of that Day which is properly termed the Resurrection of the Just. Beasts have bodily eyes to see the ordinary light of the day but endeavour thou with the eyes of Faith to fore-see the glorious light of that Day 2. That thou knowest not how near the evil spirit which night and day like a roaring Lion walketh about seeking to devour thee was unto thee whilst thou slept'st and wast not able to help thy self and that thou knowest not what Mischief he would have done to thee had not God hedged thee and thine with his ever-waking providence and guarded thee with his holy and blessed Angels 3. If thou hearest the Cock crow remember Pâ—ter to imitate him and call to mind that Cock-crowing sound of the last Trumpet which shall waken thee from the dead and consider in what case thou wert if it sounded now and become such as thou wouldst with to be then lest at that day thou wilt wish that thou hadst never seen this yea curse the day of thy natural birth for want of being new born by spiritual grace When the Cock crows the Thief despairs of his hope and gives over his nights enterprise So the Devil ceaseth to tempt or attempâ— any further when he hears the devout Soul wakening her self with Morning-Prayer 4. Remember
thou hast and a supply of those which thou wantest But especially pray that thou maist have Grace to hear the word of God read and preached with profit and that thou maist receive the holy Sacrament with comfort if it be Communion day that God by his Holy Spirit would assist the Preacher to speak something that may kill thy sin and comfort thy soul which thou maist do in this or the like sort A morning Prayer for the Sabbath-day O Lord most high O God eternal all whose works are glorious and whose thoughts are very deep there can be no better thing than to praise thy Name and to declare thy loving kindness in the morning on thy holy and blessed Sabbath day For it is thy Will and Commandment that we should sanctiâ—ie this day in thy service and praise and in the thankful remembrance as of the creation of the world by the power of thy Word so of the redemption of Mankind by the death of thy Son Thine O Lord I confess is greatness and power and glory and victory and praise for all that is in heaven and earth is thine Thine is the Kingdom O Lord and thou excellest as head over all Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and strength and in thine hand it is to make great and to give grace unto all Now therefore O my God I praise thy glorious Name that whereas I a wretched sinner having so many ways provoked thy Majesty to anger and displeasure thou notwithstanding of thy favour and goodness passing by my prophaneness and infirmities hast vouchsafed to add this Sabbath again unto the number of my days And vouchsafe O heavenly Father for the merits of Jesus Christ thy Son whose glorious resurrection thy whole Church celebrateth this day to pardon and forgive me all my sins and misdeeds Especially O Lord cleanse my soul from those filthy sins with the blood of thy most pure and undefiled Lamb which taketh away the sins of the world And let thy Holy Spirit more and more subdue my corruptions that I may be renewed after thine own Image to serve thee in newness of life and holiness of conversation And as of thy mercy thou hast brought me to the beginning of this blessed day so I do beseech thee make it a day of Reconciliation betwixt my sinful Soul and thy Divine Majesty Give me grace to make it a day of Repentance unto thee that thy goodness may seal iâ— to be a day of pardon unto me and that I may remember that the keeping holy of this day is a Commandment which thine own finger hath written That on this day I might meditate on thy glorious works of our Creation and Redemption and learn how to know and to keep all the rest of thy holy Laws and Commandments And when anon I shall with the rest of the holy Assembly appear before thy Presence in thy House to offer unto thee our Morning Sacrifice of praise and Prayer and to hear what thy Spirit by the preaching of thy Word shall speak unto thy servant Oh let not my sins stand as a Cloud to stop my Prayers from ascending unto thee or to keep back thy grace from descending by thy Word into my heart I know O Lord and tremble to think that three parts of the good seed falls upon bad ground O let not my heart be like the high-way which through hardness and want of true understanding receives not the seed till the evil one cometh and catcheth it away nor like to the stony ground which heareth with joy for a time but falleth away as soon as persecution ariseth for the Gospel's sake nor like the thorny ground which by the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choaketh the Word which it heareth and makes it altogether unfruitful but thâ—t like unto the good ground I may hear thy Word with an honest and good heart understand it and keep it and bring forth fruit with patience in that measure that thy Wisdom shall think meet for thy glory and mine everlasting comfort Open likewise I beseech thee O Lord the door of utterance unto thy faithful servant whom thou hast sent unto us to open our Eyes that we may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that we may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in Christ. And give me grace to submit my self unto his Ministery as well when he terriâ—ieth me with judgments as when he comforteth me with thy Mercies And that I may have him in singular love for his works sake because he watcheth for my soul as he that must give an account for the same unto his Master And give me grace to behave my self in the holy Congregation with comeliness and reverence as in thy presence and in the sight of thy holy Angels Keep me from drowsiness and sleeping and from all wandring thoughts and worldly imaginations sanctifie my Memory that it may be apt to receive and firm to remember those good and profitable doctrines which shall be taught unto us out of thy Word And that through the assistance of thy holy Spirit I may put the same Lessons in practice for my direction in Prosperity for my consolation in Misery for the amendment of my Life and the glory of thy Name And that this day which godless and prophane Persons spend in their own Lusts and Pleasures I as one of thy obedient Servants may make my chief delight to consecrate to thy glory and honour not doing mine own ways nor seeking mine own will nor speaking a vain word but that ceasing from the works of sin as well as from the works of mine ordinary calling I may through thy blessing feel in my heart the beginning of that eternal Sabbath which in unspeakable joy and glory I shall celebrate with Saints and Angels to thy praise and worship in thy heavenly Kingdom for evermore All which I humbly crave at thy hands in the name and mediation of my Lord Jesus in that form of Prayer which he hath taught me Our Father which art in Heaven c. Having thus in private prepared thine own soul if thou hasâ— the charge of a Family call all thy Houshold together read a Chapter and pray as in the week-days but remember so to dispatch these private preparations and duties as that thou and thy family may be in the Church before the beginning of Prayers Else your private exercises are rather an hindranâ—e than a preparation And as thou and thy Houshold do go in all reverence towards the Church let every one meditate thus with himself Things to be meditated as thou goest to the Church 1. That thou art going to the Court of the Lord and to speak with the great God by prayer and to hear his Majesty speak unto
believe life everlasting but also Edo vitam eternam I eat life everlasting And indeed this is the true Tree of life which God hath planted in the midst of the Paradise of the Church And whereof he hath promised to give every one that overcometh to eat And this Tree of life by infinite degrees excelleth the Tree of life that grew in the Paradise of Eden for that had his root in the Earth this from Heaven that gave buâ— life to the Body this to the Soul that did but preserve the life of the living this restoreth life to the dead The leaves of this tree heal the nations of believers and it yields every month a new manner of fruit which nourisheth them to life everlasting Oh blessed are they who often eat of this Sacrament at least once every month taste anew of this renewing fruit which Christ hath prepared for us at his Table to heal our infirmities and to confirm our belief of life everlasting Of the seventh end of the Lord's-Supper 7. To bind all Christians as it were by an oath of fidelity to serve the one only true God and to admit no other propitiatony sacrifice for sins but that one real sacrifice which by his death Christ once offered and by which he finishâ—d the sacrifices of the Law and effected eternal Redemption and Righteousness for all believers And so to remain for ever a publick mark of profession to distinguish Christians from all Sects and false Religions And seeing that in the Mâ—ss there is a strange Christ adored not he that was born of the Virgin Mary but one that is made of a Wafer Cake and that the offering up of this breaden god is thrust upon the Church as a Propitiatory Sâ—crifice for the quick and the dead all true Christians upon the danger of wilful perjury before the Lord Chief Justice of heaven and earth are to detest the Mass as the Idol of Indignation which is most derogatory to the all-sufficient world-saving merits of Christ's Death and Passion For by receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper we all swear that all real Sacrifices are ended by our Lord's death and that his body and blood once crucified and shed is the perpetual food and nourishment of our Souls 2. How to consider thine own unworthiness A Man shall best perceive his own unworthiness by examining his life according to the Ten Commandments of Almighty God Search therefore what duties thou hast omitted and what vices thou hast committed contrary to every one of the Commandments remembring that without repentance and God's mercy in Christ the Curse of God containing all the miseries of this life and everlasting torments in hell fire when this is ended is due to the breach of the least of God's Commandments And having taken a due survey both of thy sins and miseries retire to some secret place and there putting thy self in the sight of the Judge as a guilty malefactor standing at the Bar to receive his Sentence bowing thy knees to the earth smiting thy breast with thy fists and â—edewing thy cheeks with thy tears confess thy sins and humbly ask him mercy and forgiveness in these or the like words An humble confession of sins to be made unto God before the receiving of the holy Communion O God and heavenly Father when I consider the goodness which thou hast ever shewed unto me and the wickedness which I have committed against heaven and against thee I am ashamed of my self and confusion seems to cover my face as a veil for which of thy Commandments have I not transgressed O Lord I stand here guilty of the breach of all thy holy Laws For the love of my heart hath not so intirely cleaved unto thy * Majesty as to vain and earthly things I have not feared thy judgments to deterr me from sins nor trusted to thy promises to keep me from doubting of my temporal or from despairing of mine eternal state I have made the rule of thy divine worship to be what my mind thought fit not what thy Word prescribed finding my heart more prone to remember my blessed Saviour in a painted Picture of Man's device rather than to be behold him crucified in his Word and Sacraments after his own ordinance Where I should never use thy Name whereat all knees do bow but with religious reverence nor any part of thy worship without due preparation and zeal I have blasphemously abused thy holy Name to rash and customary oaths yea I have used oaths by thy sacred name as false covers of my filthy sins And I have been present at thy Service oft-times more for ceremony than conscience and to please Men more than to please thee my gracious God Where I should sanctifie thy Sabbath-day by being present at the publick exercises of the Church and by meditating privately on the word and works of God and by visiting the sick and relieving of my poor brethren alas I have thought those holy Exercises a burden because they hindred my vain sports yea I have spent many of thy Sabbaths in my own prophane Pleasures without being present at any part of thy divine worship Where I should have given all due reverence to my Natural Ecclesiastical and Politick Parents I have not shewed that measure of duty and affection to my Parents which their care and kindness hath deserved I have not had thy Ministers in such singular love for their works sake as I ought but I have taunted at their zeal and hated them because they reproved me justly And I have carried my self contemptuously against thy Mâ—gistrates and Ministers though I knew that it is 〈◊〉 ordinance that I should be obedient unto them Where I should be slâ—w to wrath and ready to forgive offences and not 〈◊〉 the Sun to go down upon my wrath but to 〈◊〉 good for evil loving my very enemies for thy sake I alas for one sorry word have burst out into open rage and harbouring thoughts of mischief in my heart I have preferred to feed on mine own malice rather than to eat of thy holy Supper Where I should keep my Mind from all filthy lusts and my Body from all uncleanness O Lord I have defiled both and made my Heart a Cage of all impure thoughts and my Mind a very stâ—e of the unclean Spirit Yea the remedy which thou Lord hast ordained for incontinency could not contain me within the bounds of Chastity for by doting on beauty whose grounds is but dust Satan hath bewitched my flesh to lust after strange flesh Where I should have lived in uprightness givâ—ng every Man his due being contented with mine own Estate and living consâ—ionably in my lawful Calling should be ready according to mine Ability to lend and give unto the Poor O Lord I have by oppression extortion bribes cavillation and other indirect dealings under
fearful estate of those Pastors who minister unto them without Catechising 2. Of sincere Faith required to make a worthy Communicant Sincere Faith is not a bare knowledge of the Scriptures and first grounds of Religion for that Devils and Reprobate have in an excellent measure and do believe it and tremble but a true persuasion as of all those things whatsoever the Lord hath revealed in his Word so also a particural applications unto a man 's own soul of all the promises of mercy which God hath made in Christ to all believing sinners And consequently the Christ and all his merits do belong unto him as well as to any other For first if we have not the righteousness of Faith the Sacrament seals nothing unto us and every man in the Lord's Supper receiveth so much as he believeth Secondly because that without Faith we communicating on earth cannot apprehend Christ in Heaven For as he dwelleth in us by Faith so by faith we must likewise eat him Thirdly because that without faith we cannot be perswaded in our consciences that our receiving is acceptable unto God 3. Of unfeigned Repentance requisite a for true Communicant True Repentance is a holy change of the mind when upon the feeling sight of God's mercy and of a man 's own misery he turneth from all his known and secret sins to serve God in holiness and righteousness all the rest of his days For as he that is glutted with meat is not apt to eat bread so he that is stuffed with sins is not sit to receive Christ. And a conscience defiled with wilful filthiness makes the use of all holy things unholy unto us Our sacrificed spotless Passover cannot be eaten with the sowre leaven of malice and wickedness saith Paul 1 Cor. 5. 8. Neither can the old Bottles of our corrupt and impure Consciences retain the new Wine of Christ's precious Blood as our Saviour saith Mar. 2. 22. We must therefore truly repent if we will be worthy partakers 4. The duty to be performed in respect of our Neighbour is Charity Charity is a hearty forgiving of others who have offended us and after reconciliation an outward unfeigned testifying of the inward affections of our hearts by gestures words and deeds as oft as we meet and occasion is offered For first without love to our Neighbour no Sacrifice is acceptable unto God Secondly because one chief end wherefore the Lord's Supper was ordained is to confirm Christians love one towards another Thirdly no man can assure himself that his own sins are forgiven of God if his heart cannot yield to forgive the faults of men that have offended him Thus far of the first sort of Duties which we are to perform before we come to the Lord's Table called Preparation 2. Of the Second sort of Duties which a worthy Communicant is to perform at the receiving of the Lord's Supper called Meditation THis Exercise of spiritual Meditation consist in divers Points First when the Sermon is ended and the Banquet of the Lord's Supper begins to be celebrated meditate with thy self how thou art invited by Christ to be a Guest at his Holy Table and how lovingly he inviteth thee Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters of life c. Come buy wine and milk without money and without price eat ye that which is good let your soul delight it self in fatness Take ye eat ye This is my body which was broken for you drink ye all of this for this is my blood which was shed for the remission of your sins What greater honour can be vouchsafed than to be admitted to sit at the Lordâ— own Table What better fare can be afforded than to feed on the Lord 's own Body and Blood If David thought it to be the greatest favour that he could shew unto good Barzillai for all the kindness that he shewed unto him in his Troubles to offer him that he should feed with him at his own Table in Jerusalem how much greater favour ought we to account it When Christ doth indeed feed us in the Church at his own Table and that with his own most holy Body and Blood Secondly As Abraham when he went up to the mount to sacrifice Isaac his Son left his Servants beneath in the Valley so when thou comest to the spiritual sacrifice of the Lord's Supper lay aside all earthly thoughts and cogitations that thou maiest wholly contemplate of Christ and offer up thy Soul unto him who sacrificed both his Soul and Body for thee Thirdly Meditate with thy self how precious and venerable is the Body and Blood of the Son of God who is the Ruler of Heaven and Earth the Lord at whose beck the Angels tremble and by whom both the quick and dead shall be judged at the last day and thou among the â—est And how that it is he who having been crucified for thy sins offereth now to be received by faith into thy sâ—ul On the other side consider how sinful a Creature thou art how altogether unworthy of so holy a Guest how ill deserving to taste of such sacred food having been conceived in filthiness and wallowing ever since in the mire of iniquity bearing the Name of a Christian but doing the works of the Devil adoring Christ with an Ave Rex in thy mouth but spitting Oaths in his face and crucifying him anew with thy graceless actions Fourthly Ponder then with what face darest thou offer to touch so holy a Body with such defiled hands or to drink such precious blood with so lewd and lying a mouth or to lodge so blessed a Guest in so uncle an a stable For if the Bethshemites were slain for but looking irreverently into the Ark of the old Testament what Judgment maist thou justly expect who with such impure Eyes and Heart art come to see and receive the Ark of the New Testament in which dwelleth all the fulness of the God-head bodily If Vzzah for but touching though not without zeal the Ark of the Covenant was stricken with sudden death what stroke of divine Judgment mayst thou not fear that so rudely with unclean hands dost presume to handle the Ark of the Eternal Testament wherein are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge If John Baptist the holiest man that was born of a Woman thought himself unworthy to bear his shooes O Lord how unworthy is such a Prophane Wretch as thou art to eat his holy Flesh and to drink his precious Blood If the blessed Apostle Saint Peter seeing but a glimpse of Christ's Almighty Power thought himself unworthy to stand in the same Boat with him how unworthy art thou to sit with Christ at the same Table where thou mayest behold the infiniteness of his Grace and Mercy displayed If the Centurion thought that the roof of his house was not worthy to harbour so Divine a Guest what room
can there be fit under thy ribs for Christ's holiness to dwell in If the Blood-issued sick Woman feared to touch the hem of his garment how should'st thou tremble to eat his flesh and to drink his all-healing Blood Yet if thou comest humbly in Faith Repentance and Charity abhorring thy sins past and purposing unfeignedly to amend thy life henceforth let not thy former sins affright thee for they shall never be laid unto thy charge and this Sacrament shall seal unto thy Soul that all thy sins and the Judgments due unto them are fully pardoned aâ—d clean washed away by the Blood of Christ. For this Sacrament was not ordained for them who are perfect but to help penitent sinners unto perfection Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance And he saith that the whole need not the Physician but they that are sick Those hath Christ called and when they came them hath he ever helped Witness the whole Gospel which testifieth that not one Sinner who came to Christ for mercy went ever away without his errand Bathe thou likewise thy sick Soul in this fountain of Christ's Blood and doubtless according to his promise Zach. 13. 1. thou shalt be healed of thy sins and uncleanness Not Sinners therefore but they who are unwilling to repent of their sins are debarred this Sacrament Fifthly Meditate that Christ left this Sacrament unto us as the chief token and pledge of his love not when we would have made him a King John 6. 15 which might have seemed a requital of kindness but when Judas and the High-Priests were conspiring his Death therefore wholly of his mere favour When Nathan would shew David how intirely the poor man loved his sheep that was killed by the rich man He gave her saith he to eat of his own Morsels and of his own Cup to drink 2 Sam. 12. 3. and must not then the love of Christ to his Church be unspeakable when he gives her his own flesh to eat and his own blood to drink for her spiritual and eternal nourishment If then there be any love in thine heart take the Cup of Salvation into thy hand and pledge his love with love again Psal. 116. 11. Sixthly when the Minister beginneth the holy Consecration of the Sacrament then lay aside all praying reading and all other cogitations whatsoever and settle thy Meditations only upon those holy actions and rites which according to Christ's institution are used in and about the holy Sacrament For it hath pleased God considering our weakness to appoint those rites as means the better to lift up our Minds to the serious contemplation of his Heavenly Graces When therefore thou seest the Minister putting apart Bread and Wine on the Lord's-Table and consecrating them by Prayers and the rehearsal of Christ's Institution to be a holy Sacrament of the blessed Body and Blood of Christ then meditate how God the Father of his mere love to Mankind set apart and sealed his only begotten Son to be the all-sufficient means and only Mediator to redeem us from sin and to reconcile us to his grace and to bring us to his glory When thou seest the Minister break the Bread being blessed thou must meditate that Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God was put to death and his blessed Soul and Body with the sense of God's anger broken asunder for thy sins as verily as thou now seest the holy Sacrament to be broken before thine eyes And withal call to mind the heinousness of thy sins and the greatness of God's hatred against the same seeing God's Justice could not be satisfied but by such a Sacrifice When the Minister hath blessed and broken the Sacrament and is addressing himself to distribute it then meditate That the King who is the Master of the Feast stands at the Table to see his guests and looketh upon thee whether thou hast on thee thy Wedding-Garment Think also that all the holy Aâ—gels that attend upon the Elect in the Church and do desire to behold the celebration of these holâ— mysteries do observe thy reverence and behaviour Let thy soul therefore whilst the Minister bringeth the Sacrament unto thee offer this or the like short Soliloquy unto Christ. A sweet Soliloquy to be said betwixt the consecration and receiving of the Sacrament IS it true indeed that God will dwell on earth Behold the heaven and the heaven of heavens are not able to contain thee how much more unable iâ— the soul of â—uch a sinful Caitiff as I am to receive thee But seeing it is thy blessed pleasure to come thus to sup with me and to dwell in me I cannot for joy but burst out and say What is man that thou art so mindful of him and the son of man that thou so regardest him What favour soever thou vouchsafest me in the abundance of thy Grace I will freely confess what I am in the wretchedness of my Nature I am in a word a carnal Creature whose very soul is sold under sin a wretched man compassed about with a body of Death Yet Lord seeing thou callest here I come and seeing thou callest sinners I have thrust my self in among the rest and seeing thou callest all with their heaviest loads I see no reason why I should stay behind O Lord I am sick and whither should I go but unto thee the Physician of my Soul Thou hast cured many but never didst thou meet with a more miserable Patient for I am more leprous than Gehazi more unclean than Magdalen more blind in Soul than Bartimeus was in Body for I have lived all this while and never seen the true light of thy Word my soul runs with a greater flux of sin than was the Hemorrhoise Issue of blood Mephibosheth was not more lame to go than my Soul is to walk after thee in love Jeroboam's Arm was not more withered to strike the Prophet than my Hand is maimed to relieve the Poor Cure me O Lord and thou shalt do as great a work as in curing them all And though I have all their Sins and Sores yet Lord so abundant is thy grace so great is thy skill that if thou wilt thou canst with a word forgive the one and heal the other and why should I doubt of thy good will when to save me will cost thee now but one loving smile who didst shew thy self so willing to redeem me though it should cost thee all thy heart-blood and now offerest so graciously unto me the assured pledge of my Redemption by thy blood Who am I O Lord God and what is my merit that thou hast bought me with so dear a price It is merely thy mercy and I O Lord am not worthy the least of all thy mercies much less to be partaker of this holy Sacrament the greatest pledge of the greatest mercy that ever thou didst bestow upon those sons of men whom thou lovest
are always in my sight Oh what a wretched sinner am I void of all goodness by nature and full of evil by sinful custom Oh what a world of sin have I committed against thee whilst thy long-sufferance expected my conversion and thy blessings wooed me to repentance Yet O my God seeing it is thy property more to respect the goodness of thine own nature than the deserts of sinners I beseech thee O Father for thy Son Jesus Christ his sake and for the merits of that all saving death which he hath voluntarily suffered for all which believe in him Have mercy upon me according to the multitude of thy mercies turn thy face away from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities Cast me not out of thy presence neither reward me according to my deserts For if thou dost reject me who will receive me or who will succour me if thou dost forsake me But thou O Lord art the helper of the helpless and in thee the fatherless findeth mercy for though my sins be exceeding great yet thy mercy O Lord far exceedeth them all neither can I commit so many as thy grace can remit and pardon Wash therefore O Christ my sins with the vertue of thy precious Blood especially those sins which from a penitent heart I have confessed unto thee but chiefly O Lord for Christ his sake forgive me And seeing that of thy love thou didst lay down thy life for my ransom when I was thine enemy Oh save now the price of thine own Blood when it shall cost thee but a smile upon me or a gracious appearance in thy Father's sight in my behalf Reconcile me once again O merciful Mediator unto thy Father for though there be nothing in me that can please him yet I know that in thee and for thy sake he is well pleased with all whom thou acceptest and lovest And if it be thy blessed Will remove this sicknes from me and restore me to my former health again that I may live longer to set forth thy glory and to be a comfort to my friends which depend upon me and to procure to my self a more setled assurance of that heavenly inheritance which thou hast prepared for me And then Lord thou shalt see how religiously and wisely I shall redeem the time which heretofore I have so lewdly and prophanely spent And to the end that I may the sooner and the easier be delivered from this pain and sickness direct me O Lord I beseech thee by thy divine providence to such a Physician and helper as that by thy blessing upon the means I may recover my former health and welfare again And good Lord vouchsafe that as thou hast sent this sickness unto me so thou wouldst likewise be pleased to send thy holy Spirit into my heart whereby this present sickness may be sanctified unto me that I may use it as thy School wherein I may learn to know the greatness of my misery and the riches of thy mercy that I may be so humbled at the one that I despair not of the other and that I may so renounce all confidence of help in my self or in any other creature that I may only put the whole rest of my salvation in thy all sufficient merits And forasmuch as thou knowest Lord how weak a vessel I am full of frailty and imperfections and that by Nature I am angry and froward under every Cross and Affliction O Lord who art the giver of all good gifts arm me with patience to endure thy blessed will and pleasure and of thy mercy lay no more upon me than I shall be able to endure and suffer Give me grace to behave my self in all patience love and meekness unto those that shall come and visit me that I may thankfully receive and willingly embrace all good counsels and consolations from them and that they may likewise see in me such a good example of Patience and hear from me such godly lessons of comfort as may be arguments of my Christian faith and profession and instructions unto them how to behave themselves when it shall please thee to visit them with the like affliction of sickness I know O Lord I have deserved to die and I desire not longer to live than to amend my wicked life and in some better measure to set forth thy glory Therefore O Father if it be thy blessed will restore me to health again and grant me a longer life But if thou hast according to thine eternal decree appointed by this sickness to call for me out of this transitory life I resign my self into thy hands and holy pleasure thy blessed will be done whether it be by life or by death Only I beseech thee of thy mercy forgive me all my sins and prepare my poor soul that by a true faith and unfeigned repentance she may be ready against the time that thou shalt call for her out of my sick and sinful body O heavenly Father who art the hearer of prayers hear thou in heaven this my prayer and in this extremity grant me these requests not for any worthiness that is in me but for the merits of thy beloved Son Jesus my only Saviour and Mediator for whose sake thou hast promised to hear us and to grant whatsoever we shall ask of thee in his Name In his Name therefore and in his own words I conclude this my imperfect Prayer saying Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed by thy Name c. Having thus reconciled thy self unto God in Christ 1. Let thy next care be to set thy House in order as Esay advised King Hezekias making thy last Will and Testament if it be not already made If it be made then peruse it confirm it and for avoiding all doubts and contention publish it before Wittnesses that if God call for thee out of this life it may stand in force and unalterable as thy last Will and Testament and so deliver it locked or sealed up in some Box to the keeping of a faithful Friend in the presence of honest Witnesses 2. But in making thy Testament take a Religious Divine's Advice how to bestow thy Benevolence and some honest Lawâ—er 's counsel to continue it according to Law Dispatch this before thy sickness doth â—â—crease and thy memory decay lest otherwise thy Testament prove a dotement and so be another man's fancy rather than thy Will 3. To prevent many inconveniences let me recommend to thy discretion two things 1. If God hath blessed thee with any competent state of wealth make thy Will in thy health-time It will neither put thee farther from thy goods nor hasten thee sooner to thy Death but it will be a greater ease to thy mind in freeing thee from a great trouble when thou shalt have most need of quiet for when thy House is set in order thou shalt be better enabled to set thy Soul in order and to dispose of thy
grace and mercy Yea we read of many in the Gospel that by sicknesses and afflictions were driven to câ—me unto Christ who if they had had health and prosperity as others would have like others neglected or contemn'd their Saviour and never have sought unto him for his saving health and grace For as the Ark of Noah the higher it was tossed with the Flood the nearer it mounted towards Heaven so the sanctified Soul the more it is exercised with affliction the nearer it is lifted towards God O blessed is that Cross that draweth a sinner to come upon the knees of his heart unto Christ to confess his own misery and to implore his endless mercy Oh blessed ever blessed be that Christ that never refuseth the sinner that cometh unto him though weather-driven by affliction and misery 7. Affliction worketh in us pity and compassion towards our fellow brethren that be in distress and misery whereby we learn to have a fellow-feeling of their Calamities and to condole their estate as if we suffer'd with them And for this cause Christ himself would suffer and be tempted in all things like unto us sin only excepted that he might be a merciful High Priest touched with the feeling of our infirmities For none can so heartily bemoan the misery of another as he who first suffered himself the same affliction Hereupon a Sinner in misery may boldly say unto Christ Non ignare mali miseris succurito Christe Our frailty sith O Christ thou didst perceive Condole our state who still in frailty cleave 8. God useth our sicknesses and afflictions as means and examples both to manifest unto others the faith and vertues which he hath bestowed upon us as also to strengthen those who have not received so great a measure of Faith as we For there can be no greater encouragement to a weak Christian than behold a true Professor in the extreamest sickness of his Body supported with greater patience and consolation in his Soul And the comfortable and blessed departure of such a man will arm him against the fear of death and assure him that the hope of the godly is a far more precious thing than that flesh and blood can understand or mortal eyes behold in this vale of misery And were it not that we did see many of those whom we know to be the undoubted Children of God to have endured such afflictions and calamities before us the greatness of the miseries and crosses which oft-times we endure would make us doubt whether we be the Children of God or no. And to this purpose St. James saith God made Job and the Prophets an example of suffering adversity and of long patience 9. By afflictions God makes us conformable to the Image of Christ his Son who being the Captain of our Salvation was made perfect through sufferings And therefore he first bare the Cross in shame before he was crowned with glory and did first taste gall before he did eat the honey-comb and was first derided King of the Jews by the Soldiers in the High-Priests Hall before he was saluted King of Glory by the angels in his Father's Court. And the more lively our Heavenly Father shall perceive the Image of his natural Son to appear in us the better he will love us and when we have for a time born his likeness in his sufferings and fought and overcome we shall be crowned by Christ and with Christ sit on his Throne and of Christ receive the precious white Stone and morning Star that shall make us shine like Christ for ever in his Glory 10. Lastly That the godly may be humbled in respect of their own state and misery and God glorified by delivering them out of their Troubles and Afflictions when they call upon him for his help and succour For though there be no Man so pure but if the Lord will straitly mark Iniquities he shall find in him just cause to punish him for his sin yet the Lord in mercy doth not always in the affliction of his Children respect their sins but sometimes layeth afflictions and crosses upon them for his glories sake Thus our Saviour Christ told his Disciples That the man was not born blind for his own or his Parents sin but that the work of God should be shewed on him So he told them likewise that Lazarus's sickness was not unto the death but for the glory of God O the unspeakable goodness of God which turneth those afflictions which are the shame and punishment due to our sins to be the subject of his honour and glory These are the blessed and profitable ends wherefore God sendeth sickness and affliction upon his Children whereby it may plainly appear that afflictions are not signs either of God's hatred or of our reprobation but rather tokens and pledges of his fatherly love unto his Children whom he loveth and therefore chasteneth them in this life where upon repentance there remains hope of pardon rather than to refer the punishment to that life where there is no hope of pardon nor end of punishment For this cause the Christians in the Primitive Church were wont to give God great thanks for afflicting them in this life So the Apostles rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ's Name Acts 5. 41. And the Christian Hebrews suffered with joy the spoiling of their goods knowing that they had in Heaven a better and an enduring substance Heb. 10. 34. And in respect of those holy Ends the Apostle saith That though no affliction for the present seemeth joyous but grievous yet afterwards it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousness to them who are thereby exercised Pray therefore heartily that as God hath sent unto thee this sickness so it would please him to come himself unto thee with thy sickness by teaching thee to make those sanctified uses of it for which he hath inflicted the same upon thee Meditations for one that is recovered from Sickness IF God hath of his mercy heard thy Prayers and restored thee to thy health again consider with thy self 1. That thou hast now received from God as it were another life Spend it therefore to the honour of God in newness of life Let thy sin die with thy sickness but live thou by grace to holiness 2. Be not the more secure that thou art restored to health neither insult in thy self that thou hast escaped Death but think rather that God seeing how unprepared thou wast hath of his mercy heard thy Prayer spared thee and given thee some little longer time of respite that thou maist both amend thy life and put thy self in a better readiness against the time that he shall call for thee without further delay out of this World For though thou hast escaped this it may be thou shalt not escape the next sickness 3. Consider how fearful a reckoning
Israelites to convey them to Canaan's possession so death to the wicked is a sink to hell and condemnation but to the godly the gate to everlasting life and salvation And one day of a blessed death will make amends for all the sorrows of a bitter life When therefore thou perceivest thy soul departing from thy body pray with thy Tongue if thou canst else pray in thy heart and mind these words fixing the eyes of thy soul upon Jesus Christ thy Saviour A Prayer at the yielding up of the Ghost O Lamb of God which by thy blood hast taken away the sins of the world have mercy upon me a sinner Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Amen When the sick party is departing let the faithful that are present kneel down and commend his soul to God in these or the like words O Gracious God and merciful Father who art our refuge and strength and a very present help in trouble lift up the light of thy favourable countenance at this Instant upon thy servant that now cometh to appear in thy presence wash away good Lord all his sins by the merits of Christ Jesus's blood that they may never be laid to his charge Increase his faith preserve and keep safe his soul from the danger of the Devil and his Wicked Angels Comfort him with thy Holy Spirit cause him now to feel that thou art his loving Father and that he is thy child by Adoption and Grace Save O Christ the price of thine own blood and suffer him not to be lost whom thou hast bought so dearly Receive his soul as thou didst the penitent thief into thy heavenly Paradise Let thy blessed Angels conduct him thither as they carried the soul of Laâ—arus and grant unto him a joyful resurrection at the last day O Father hear us for him and hear thine own Son our only Mediator that sits at thy right hand for him and us all even for the merits of that bitter death and passion which he hath suffered for us In confidence whereof we now recommend his soul into thy fatherly hands in that blessed Prayer which our Saviour hath taught us in all times of our troubles to say unto thee Our Father c. Thus far of the Practice of Piety in dying in the Lord. Now followeth the Practice of Piety in dying for the Lord. THE Practice of Piety in dying for the Lord is termed Martyrdom Martyrdom is the testimony which a Christian beareth to the Doctrine of the Gospel by enduring any kind of death to invite many and to confirm all to embrace the truth thereof To this kind of death Christ hath promised a Crown Be thou faithful unto the death and I will give thee the Crown of life Which promise the Church so firmly believed that they termed martyrdom it self a Crown And God to animate Christians to this excellent prize would by a prediction that Stephen the first Christian Martyr should have his name of a Crown Of Martyrdom there are Three kinds 1. Solâ voluntate in will only as John the Evangelist who being boiled in a Cauldron of Oil came out rather annointed than sod and died of old age at Ephesus 2. Solo opere in deed only as the Innocents of Bethlehem 3. Voluntate opere both in will and deed as in the Primitive Church Stephen Polycarpus Ignatius Laurentius Romanus Antiochianus and thousands And in our days Cranmer Latimer Hooper Ridley Farrar Bradford Philpot Sanders Glover Taylor and others innumerable whose fiery zeal to God's Truth brought them to the flames of Martyrdom to seal Christ's Faith It is not the cruelty of the death but the innocency and holiness of the cause that maketh a Martyr Neither is an erroneous Conscience a sufficient warrant to suffer Martyrdom because Science in God's Word must direct Conscience in man's heart For they who killed the Apostles in their erroneous Consciences thought they did God good service and Paul of zeal breathed out slaughters against the Lord's Saints Now whether the cause of our Seminary Priests and Jesuits be so holy true and innocent as that it may warrant their Conscience to suffer death and to hazard their eternal salvation thereon let Paul's Epistle written to the ancient Christian Romans but against our new Antichristian Romans be judge And it will plainly appear that the Doctrine which St. Paul taught to the ancient Church of Rome is ex diametro opposite in 26 fundamental points of true Religion to that which the new Church of Rome teacheth and maintaineth For St. Paul taught the Primitive Church of Rome 1. That our Election is of God's free Grace and not ex operibus praevisis Rom. 9. 11. Rom. 11. 5 6. 2. That we are justified before God by faith only without good works Rom. 3. 20 28. Rom. 4. 2 c. Rom. 1. 17. 3. That the good works of the regenerate are not of their own condignity meritorious nor such as can deserve Heaven Rom. 8. 18. Rom. 11. 6. Rom. 6. 23. 4. That these Books only are God's Oracles and Canonical Scripture which were committed to the custody and credit of the Jews Rom. 3. 2. Rom. 1. 2. Rom. 16. 26. such were never the Apocrypha 5. That the Holy Scriptures have God's authority Rom. 9. 17. Rom. 3. 4. Rom. 11. 32. conferred with Gal. 3. 22. Therefore above the authority of the Church 6. That all as well Laity as Clergy that will be saved must familiarly read or know the Holy Scripture Rom. 15. 4. Rom. 10. 1 2 8. Rom. 16. 26. 7. That all Images made of the true God are very Idols R. 1. 23. R. 2. 22. conferr'd 8. That to bow the knee religiously to an Image or to worship any Creature is meer Idolatry R. 11. 4. and a lying service R. 1. 25. 9. That we must not pray unto any but to God only in whom we believe Rom. 10. 13 14. Rom. 8. 15 27. therefore not to Saints and Angels 10. That Christ is our only intercessor in Heaven Rom. 8. 34 Rom. 5. 2 Rom. 16. 27. 11. That the only Sacrifice of Christians is nothing but the spiritual Sacrificing of their souls and bodies to serve God in holiness and righteousness R. 12. 1 R. 15. 16. therefore no real sacrificing of Christ in the Mass. 12. That the religious worship called dulia as well as latria belongeth to God alone Rom. 1. 9. Rom. 12. 11. R. 16. 18. conferr'd 13. That all Christians are to pray unto God in their own native language R. 14. 11. 14. That we have not of our selves in the state of corruption free will unto good Rom. 7. 18 c. Rom. 9. 16. 15. That Concupiscence in the regenerate is sin Rom. 7. 7 8 10. 16. That the Sacraments do not confer grace ex opere operato but sign and seal that â—t is conferred already unto us Rom. 4. 11 12. Rom. 2. 28 29. 17. That every
the wi◠〈…〉 C. To teach thee what thou 〈…〉 do in all thy afflictions and how willingly thou should'st yield to bear with 〈◊〉 that Cross which thou seest to come from the just hand of thy heavenly Father S. Lord wherefore dist thou 〈…〉 drops of water and blood C. That I might cleanse thee from thy stains and 〈…〉 S. Lord why would'st thou be taken 〈◊〉 thou mightest have escaped thine Enemies C. That thy spiritual enemies should not take thee and cast thee into the prison of utter darkness S. Lord wherefore would'st thou be forsaken of all thy Disciples C. That I might reconcile thee unto God of whom thou wast forsaken for thy sins S. Lord wherefore wouldst thou stand to be apprehended alone C. To shew thee that my love of thy salvation was more than the love of all my Disciples S. Lord wherefore was the young man caught by the soldiers and unstrip'd of his linen who came out of his bed hearing the stir at thy apprehension and leading to the high Priest C. To shew their outrage in apprehending me and my power in preserving out of their outragious hands all my Disciples who otherwise had been worse handled by them than was that young man S. Lord wherefore would'st thou be bound C. That I might loose the Cords of thine iniquities S. Lord why wast thou denied of Peter C. that I might confess thee before my Father and thou mightest learn that there is no trust in man and that salvation proceeds of my meer mercy S. Lord wherefore would'st thou bring Peter to repentance by the crowing of a Cock C. That none should despise the means which God hath appointed for their conversion tho' they seem never so mean S. Lord wherefore didst thou at the Cock-crowing turn and look upon Peter C. Because thou might'st know that without the help of my grace no means can turn a sinner unto God when he is once fallen from him S. Lord wherefore wast thou cover'd with a purple robe C. That thou might'st perceive that it was I that did away thy scarlet sins S. Lord wherefore would'st thou be crown'd with thorns C. That by wearing thorns the first fruits of the Curse it might appear that it is I which take away the sins and curse of the world and crown thee with the Crown of life and glory S. Lord why was a reed put into thy hand C. That it might appear that I came not to break the bruised reed S. Lord wherefore wast thou mock'd of the Jews C. That thou mightest insult over Devils who otherwise would have mocked thee as the Philistines did Samson S. Lord wherefore would'st thou have thy blessed face defiled with spittle C. That I might cleanse thy face from the shame of sin S. Wherefore Lord were thine eyes hood-winkt with a veil C. That thy spiritual blindness being removed thou mightest behold the face of my Father in heaven S. Lord wherefore did they buffet thee with fists and beat thee with slaves C. That thou mightest be freed from the stroaks and tearings of infernal fiends S. Lord wherefore would'st thou be reviled C. That God might speak peace unto thee by his Word and Spirit S. Lord wherefore was thy face disfigur'd with blows and blood C. That thy face might shine glorious as the Angels in heaven S. Lord wherefore would'st thou be so â—â—â—elly scâ—urged C. That thou mightest be freed from the sting of Conscience and whips of everlasting torments S. Lord wherefore would'st thou be arraigned at Pilate's Bar C. That thou mightest at the last day be acquitted before my Judgment-seat S. Lord wherefore would'st thou be falsly accused C. That thou should'st not be justly condemned S. Lord where wast thou turned over to be condemned by a strange Judge C. That thou being redeemed from the capâ—ivity of a hellish Tyrant mightest be restored to God whose own thou art by right S. Wherefore O Christ didst thou acknowledge that Pilate had power over thee from above C. That Antichrist under pretence of being my Vicar should not exalt himself above all Principalities and Powers S. Lord why would'st thou suffer thy Passion under Pontius Pilate being a Roman President to Caesar of Rome C. To shew that the Caesarian and Pontifician Polity of Rome should chiefly persecute my Church and crucifie me in my members S. But why Lord would'st thou be condemn'd C. That the Law being condemned in me thou mightest not be condemned by it S. But why wast thou condemned seeing nothing could be proved against thee C. That thou might'st know that it was not for my faults but for thine that I suffered S. Lord wherefore wast thou led to suffer out of the city C. That I might bring thee to rest in the heavenly City S. Lord why did the Jews compel Simon of Cyrene coming out of the field to carry thy Cross C. To shew the weakness whereunto the burden of thy sins brought me and what must be every Christians case which goeth out of the field of this world toward the heavenly Jerusalem S. Lord why wast thou unstripped of thy garments C. That thou mightest see how I forsook all to redeem thee S. Lord wherefore would'st thou be liâ—t up upon a Cross C. That I might lift thee up with me to Heaven S. Lord wherefore didst thou hang upon a cursed tree C. That I might satisfie for thy sin committed in eatiâ—g the forbidden fruit of a Tree S. Lord wherefore would'st thou hang between two thieves C. That thou my dear Soul might'st have place in the midst of heavenly Angels S. Lord wherefore were thy hands and feet nailed to the Cross C. To enlarge thy hands to do the works of righteousness and to set thy feet at liberty to walk in the ways of Peace S. Lord wherefore did they crucifie thee in Golgoâ—ha the place of dead mens sculls C. To assure thee that my death is life unto the dead S. Lord why did not the Soldiers divide thy seamless coat C. To shew that my Church is one without rent or schism S. Lord wherefore didst thou taste Vinegar and Gall C. That thou mightest eat the bread of Angels and drink the water of life S. Lord why saidst thou upon the Cross It is finished C. That thou mightest know that by my death the Law was fulfilled and thy Redemption effected S. Lord why didst thou cry out upon the Cross My God my God why hast thou forsaken me C. Lest thou being forsaken of God shouldst have been driven to cry in the pains of Hell Wo and alas for evermore S. Lord wherefore was there such a general darkness when thou didst suffer and cry out on the Cross C. That thou mightest see an Image of those
Because that God hath ever smitten with fearful Judgments those who have presumed to use his holy Ordinances without due fear and preparation God set a flaming Sword in a Cherubim's hand to smite our first Parents being defiled with Sin if they should attempt to go into Paradise to eat the Sacrament of the Tree of Life Fear thou therefore to be smitten with the Sword of God's vengeance if thou presumest to go to the Church with an impenitent heart to eat the Sacrament of the Lord of Life God smote fifty thousand of the Bethshemites for looking irreverently into his Ark and kill'd Vzza with sudden death for but rash touching of the Ark and smote Vzziah with a Leprosie for medling with the Priests Office which pertained not unto him The fear of such a stroke made Hezekiah so earnestly to pray unto God that he would not smite the People that wanted time to prepare themselves as they should to eat the Passover and it is said that the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people Intimating that had it not been for Hezekiah's Prayer the Lord had smitten the People for their want of due preparation And the man who came to the Marriage-Feast without his Wedding-garment or examining of himself was examined of another and thereupon bound hand and foot and cast into utter darkness Matth. 22. 12. And St. Paul tells the Corinthians that for want of this preparation in examining and judging themselves before they did eat the Lord's-Supper God had sent that fearful sickness among them whereof some were then sick others weak and many fallen asleep that is taken away by temporal death Insomuch that the Apostle saith that every unworthy receiver eats his own judgment temporal if he repents eternal if he repents not and that in so hainous a measure as if he were guilty of the very Body and Blood of the Lord whereof this Sacrament is a holy sign and seal And Princes punish the Indignity offered to their Great Seal in as deep a measure as that which is done to their own Persons whom it representeth And how hainous the guiltiness of Christ's Blood is may appear by the misery of the Jews ever since they wished His Blood to be on them and their Children But then thou wilt say It were safer to abstain from coming at all to the holy Communion Not so for God hath threatned to punish the wilful neglect of his Sacraments with eternal damnation both of Body and Soul And it is the Commandment of Christ Take eat do this in remembrance of me And he will have his Commandment under the penalty of his Curse obeyed And seeing that this Sacrament was the greatest Token of Christ's love which he left at his end to his friends whom he loved to the end therefore the neglect and contempt of this Sacrament must argue the contempt and neglect of his love and blood-shedding than which no sin in God's account can seem more hainous Nothing hinders why thou maist not come freely to the Lord's Table but because thou hadst rather want the love of God than leave thy filthy sins Oh come but come a Guest prepared for the Lord's Table seeing they are blessed who are called to the Lambs Supper O come but come prepared because the efficacy of this Sacrament is received according to the proportion of the Faith of the Receiver This preparation consists in the serious consideration of three things First of the worthiness of the Sacrament which is termed to discern the Lord's Body Secondly of thine own unworthiness which is to judge thy self Thirdly of the means whereby thou mayest become a worthy Receiver called Communication of the Lord's Body 1. Of the worthiness of the Sacrament THE worthiness of this Sacrament is considered three ways First by the Majesty of the Author ordaining Secondly by the preciousness of the Parts whereof it consisteth Thirdly by the excellency of the Ends for which it was ordained 1. Of the Author of the Sacrament The Author was not any Saint or Angel but our Lord Jesus the eternal Son of God For it pertaineth to Christ only under the New Testament to institute a Sacrament because he only can promise and perform the grace that it signifieth And we are charged to hear no voice but his in his Church How sacred should we esteem the Ordinance that proceedeth from so Divine an Author 2. Of the parts of the Sacrament The parts of this blessed Sacrament are three First the earthly signs signifying Secondly the Divine Word Sanctifying Thirdly the Heavenly Graces signified First the Earthly signs are * Bread and Wine in number two but one in use Secondly the Divine Word is the Word of Christ's Institution pronounced with prayers and blessings by a lawful Minister The Bread and Wine without the Word are nothing but as they were before but when the Word cometh to those Elements then they are made a Sacrament and God is present with his own ordinance and ready to perform whatsoever he doth promise The Divine Words of blessing do not change or annihilate the substance of the Bread and Wine for if their substance did not remain it could be no Sacrament but it changeth them in use and in name For that which was before but common Bread and Wine to nourish mens Bodies is after the blessing destinated to an holy use for the feeding of the Souls of Christians And where before they were called but Bread and Wine they are now called by the name of those holy things which they signifie The Body and Blood of Christ the better to draw our minds from those outward Elements to the Heavenly Graces which by the sight of our bodies they represent to the spiritual eyes of our Faith Neither did Christ direct these words This is my body This is my blood to the Bread and Wine but to his Disciples as appears by the words going before Take ye eat ye Neither is the Bread his Body but in the same sense that the Cup is the New Testament viz. by a Sacramental Metonymie And Mark notes plainly that the words This is my Blood c. were not pronounced by our Saviour till after that all his Disciples had drunk of the Cup. Mark 14. 23 24. And afterwards in respect of the natural substance thereof he calls that the fruit of the Vine which in respect of the spiritual signification thereof he had before termed his Blood verse 25. after the manner of terming all Sacraments And Christ bids us not to make him but to do this in remembrance of him and he bids us eat not simply his Body but his Body as it was then broken and his Blood shed Which S. Paul expounds to be but the Communion of Christ's Body and the Communion of his Blood that is an effectual Pledge that we are 〈…〉 of Christ and of all the Merits of his Body and
heavenly Presence The Mystical Vnion chiefly here meant is wrought betwixt Christ and us by the Spirit of Christ apprehending us and by our faith stirred up by the same Spirit apprehending Christ again Both which St. Paul doth most lively express I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus How can he fall away that holdeth and is so firmly holden This Union he shall best understand in his mind who doth most feel it in his heart But of all other times this Union is best felt and most confirmed when we duly receive the Lord's-Supper For then we shall sensibly feel our hearts knit unto Christ and the desires of our souls drawn by Faith and the Holy Ghost as by the cords of love nearer and nearer to his holiness From this Communion with Christ there follow to the faithful many unspeakable benefits As first Christ took by imputation all their sins and guiltiness upon him to satisfie God's Justice for them and he freely gives by imputation unto us all his righteousness in this life and all his right unto eternal life when this is ended and counteth all the good or ill that is done unto us as done unto his own person Secondly There floweth from Christ's Nature into our Nature united to him the lively spirit and breath of grace which reneweth us to a spiritual life and so sanctifieth our minds wills and affections that we daily grow more and more conformable to the Image of Christ. Thirdly He bestoweth upon them all saving graces necessary to attain eternal life as the sense of God's love the assurance of our election with regeneration justification and grace to do good works till we come to live with him in his heavenly Kingdom This should teach all true Christians to keep themselves as the undefiled members of Christ's holy body and to beware of all uncleanness and filthiness knowing that they live in Christ or rather that Christ liveth in them From this Vnion with Christ sealed unto us by the Lord's-Supper St. Paul draweth arguments to withdraw the Corinthians from the pollution both of Idolatry 1 Cor. 10. 16. and Adultery 1 Cor. 16. 15 16. Lastly From the former Communion 'twixt Christ and Christians there flows another Communion 'twixt Christians among themselves Which is also lively represented by the Sacrament of the Lord's-Supper in that the whole Church being many do all communicate of one Bread in that holy action We being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one Bread that as the Bread which we eat in the Sacrament is but one tho' it be confected of many Grains so all the faithful tho' they be many yet are they but one mystical body under one head which is Christ. Our Saviour prayed five times in that Prayer which he made after his last Supper that his Disciples might be one to teach us at once how much this Vnity pleaseth him This Vnion betwixt the faithful is so ample that no distance of place can part it so strong that death cannot dissolve it so durable that time cannot wear it out so effectual that it breeds a fervent love betwixt those who never saw one anothers face And this conjunction of Souls is termed the Communion of Saints which Christ effecteth by six special means First by governing them all by one and the same holy Spirit Secondly by enduring them all with one and the same Faith Thirdly by shedding abroad his own love into all their hearts Fourthly by regenerating them all by one and the same Baptism Fifthly by nourishing them all with one and the same spiritual food Sixthly by being one quickning Head of that one body of his Church which he reconciled to God in the body of his flesh Hence it was that the multitude of believers in the Primitive Church were of one heart and of one soul in truth affection and compassion And this should teach Christians to love one another seeing they are all members of the same holy and mystical Body whereof Christ is Head And therefore they should have all a Christian sympathy and fellow feelling to rejoyce one in anothers joy to condole one in anothers grief to bear with one anothers infirmity and mutually to relieve one anothers wants Of the fourth end of the Lord's Supper 4. To feed the Souls of the faithful in the assured hope of life everlasting For this Sacrament is a sign and pledge unto as many as shall receive the same according to Christ's Institution that he will according to his promise by the vertue of his crucified body and blood as verily feed our souls to life eternal as our bodies are by Bread and Wine nourished to this temporal life And to this end Christ in the action of the Sacrament really giveth his very Body and Blood to every faithful Receiver Therefore the Sacrament is called the Communion of the body and blood of the Lord. And Communication is not of things absent but present neither were it the Lord's Supper if the Lord's Body and Blood were not there Christ is verily present in the Sacrament by a double Vnion whereof the first is spiritual 'twixt Christ and the worthy Receiver the second is Sacramental 'twixt the Body and Blood of Christ and the outward signs in the Sacrament The former is wrought by means that the same holy Spirit dwelling in Christ and in the Faithful incorporateth the Faithful as Members unto Christ their Head and so makes them one with Christ and partakers of all the Graces Holiness and eternal Glory which is in him as sure and as verily as they hear the words of the promise and are partakers of the outwards signs of the holy Sacrament Hence it is that the Will of Christ is a true Christians will and the Christians life is Christ who liveth in him Gal. 2. 20. If you look to the things that are united this Union is essential if to the truth of this Union it is real if to the manner how it is wrought it is spiritual It is not our Faith that makes the Body and Blood of Christ to be present but the Spirit of Christ dwelling in him and us Our Father doth but receive and apply unto our Souls those heavenly Graces which are offered in the Sacrament The other being the Sacramental Vnion is not a Physical or Local but a Spiritual conjunction of the earthly signs which are Bread and Wine with the heavenly Graces which are the Body and Blood of Christ in the act of receiving as if by a mutual relation they were but one and the same thing Hence it is that in the same instant of time that the worthy Receiver eateth with his mouth the Bread and Wine of the Lord he eateth also with the mouth of his Faith the very Body and Blood of Christ.
Not that Christ is brought down from Heaven to the Sacrament but that the holy Spirit by the Sacrament lifts up his mind unto Christ not by any local mutation but by a devout affection so that in the holy contemplation of Faith he is at that present with Christ and Christ with him And thus believing and meditating how Christ his Body was crucified and his precious blood shed for the remission of his sins and the reconciliation of his Soul unto God his Soul is hereby more effectually fed in the assurance of eternal Life than Bread and Wine can nourish his Body to this Temporal life There must be therefore of necessity in the Sacrament both the outward signs to be visibly seen with the eyes of the Body and the Body and Blood of Christ to be spiritually discerned with the Eye of Faith But the form how the Holy Ghost makes the Body of Christ being absent from us in place to be present with us by our union S. Paul terms a great mystery such as our understanding cannot worthily comprehend The Sacramental Bread and Wine therefore are not bare signifying signs but such as wherewith Christ doth indeed exhibite and give to every worthy Receiver not only his divine virtue and efficacy but also his very Body and Blood as verily as he gave to his Disciples the Holy Ghost by the sign of his sacred breath or health to the diseased by the Word of his mouth or touch of his hand or garment And the apprehension by faith is more forcible than the exquisitest comprehension of Sense or Reason To conclude this point this holy Sacrament is that blessed Bread which being eaten opened the eyes of the Emauites that they knew Christ. This is that Lordly Cup by which we are all made to drink into one Spirit This is that Rock flowing with honey that reviveth the fainting spirits of every true Jonathan that tasts it with the mouth of Faith This is that barley loaf which tumbling from above strikes down the tents of the Midianites of infernal darkness Elias's Angelical Cake and Water preserved him forty days in Horeb and Manna Angels food fed the Israelites forty years in the wilderness but this is that true Bread of life and heavenly Manna which if we shall duely eat will nourish our souls for ever unto life eternal How should then our Souls make unto Christ thâ—t request from a spiritual desire which the Capernaites did from a carnal motion Lord evermore give us this bread The fifth end of the Lords Supper 5. To be an assured pledge unto us of our Resurrection The Resurrection of a Christian is Twofold First the spiritual Resurrection of our Souls in this life from the death of sin called the first Resurrection because that by the Trumpet-voice of Christ in the preaching of the Gospel we are raised from the death of sin to the life of Grace Blessed and holy is he saith St. John who hath part in the first Resurrection for on such the second death hath no power The Lord's Supper is both a mean and a pledge unto us of this spiritual and first Resurrection He that eateth me even he shall live by me And then we are fit guests to sit at the table with Christ when like Lazarus we are raised from the death of sin to newness of life The truth of this first Resurrection will appear by the motion wherewith they are internally moved for if when thou art moved to the duties of Religion and practice of Piety thy heart answereth with Samuel Here I am speak Lord for thy servant heareth and with David O God my heart is ready And with Paul Lord what wilt thou have me to do Then surely thou art raised from the death of sin and hast thy part in the first Resurrection but if thou remainest ignorant of the true grounds of Religion and findest in thy self a kind of secret loathing of the exercises thereof and must be drawn as it were against thy will to do the works of Piety c. then surely thou hast but a name that thou livest but thou art dead as Christ told the Angel of the Church of Sardis and thy soul is but as salt to keep thy body from stinking 2. The corporal resurrection of our bodies at the last day which is called the second resurrection which freeth us from the first death He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eterraâ— life and I â—id raise him up at the last day For this Sacrament signifieth and fealeth unto us that Christ died and rose again for us and that his flesh quickeneth and nourisheth us unto eternal life and that therefore our bodies shall surely be raised to eternal life at the last day For seeing our head is risen all the members of the body shall likewise surely rise again For how can those bodies which being thâ— weapons of righteousness Rom. 16. 13. Temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6. 19 and members of Christ have been fed and nourished with the Body and Blood of the Lord of life but be raised up again at the last day And this is the cause that the bodies of the Saints being dead are so reverently buried and laid to sleep in the Lord. And their burial places are termed the beds and dormitories of the Saints The Reprobates shall arise at the last day but by the Almighty Power of Christ as he is Judge bringing them as malefactors out of the Gaol to receive their sentence and deserved execution but the Elect shall arise by virtue of Christ's Resurrection and of the Communion which they have with him as with their Head And his Resurrection is the cause and assurance of ours The Resurrection of Christ is a Christian 's particular faith the Resurrection of the dead is the Child of God's chiefest confidence Therefore Christians in the Primitive Church were wont to salute one another in the Morning with these Phrases The Lord is risen and the other would answer True the Lord is risen indeed The sixth end of the Lord's Supper 6. To seal unto us the assurance of everlasting Life Oh what more wished or loved than life Or what do all men naturally more either fear or abhor than death Yet is this first death nothing if it be compared with the second death neither is this Life any thing worth in comparison of the Life to come If therefore thou desirest to be assured of eternal life prepare thy self to be a worthy receiver of this blessed Sacrament For our Saviour assureth us That if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world He therefore who duly eateth of this holy Sacrament may truly say not only Credo vitam eternam I