great Clock in Westminster Palace THis Clock strikes foure and twentie times a day And every striking shewes one hower is past Thus houre by houre our daies do weare away And one those houres must shortly be our last But which we know not that poore sinners we In faith repentance and obedience From houre to houre by grace prepar'd may be For our last houre and happie going hence When our dear Saviour shall call us home in peace And sin death sorrow shall for ever cease 34. Home LOrd Iesu keepe my heart which by thy grace would faine keep thee excluding all beside O let thy spirit sanctifie the place and by his sacred influence still rule and guide My thoughts words actions studies and desires To heaven-ward whereto my soule aspires For thence it came I have no home but there and thitherward am travelling as I may A sojourner and wearied pilgrim here waiting my calling home from day to day Till mine appointed time of change shall come And thou dear Lord my soul shall welcome home Meane while thy grace increase my faith in thee with true repentance and obedience That these thy graces may abound in me and I may die in them when I go hence And so by grace prepar'd as I should be Sweet Saviour receive my Soule in peace to thee 35. A Dialogue betweene an old sick man and his neighbour visiting him Q. HOw do you Sir A. I praise God never better Because I never was so neere my home Q. What home mean yoâ— nature to death is debtor And old or young we all must thither come A. True deâ—th the common passage is betweene This mortall life and that which lasts for ever The body carries th' immortall soule unseene Along with it so far but their they sever The bodie dies the soule to heaven straight From whence it came and where its dwelling is And that 's the home I meane for which I waite The glorious mansions of eternall blisse Q But ere you can get thither you must die A. My body must indeed but that 's not I. Q. And should the bodies death so slighted be The king of terrour to all living things A. I slight not death Gods messenger is he And therefore welcome and good newes he brings T'uncloath me of this body that I may Be cloath'd upon with immortalitie And so brought home to dwell in heaven for ayâ— In glorious joyes and true felicitie And though death laies my bodie in the dust As if I never should behold it more Yet rise it shall and he restore it must In better plight then ere it was before The sooner I get home the better then Sweet Iesus take me home in peace Q. Amen 36. A Hymne for Christmas-day Gloria in excelsis Deo ALL glory be to God on high and peace on earth good will to men This was the Chore of Angels song at Iesus birth in Bethlehem For then the eternall sonne of God became the blessed virgins sonne God manifested in the flesh to save mankind els quite undone Come let us magnifie his name with Angels and Archangels still And sing All glory be to God and peace on earth to men good-will For by this worke of God made man both th' heavens and earth have cause of joy The heavens new glory have thereby the earth doth heavenly peace enjoy And both from Gods good will to man for loe this blessed heavenly child Hath sinfull Adam and his race redeem'd and to his Father reconcil'd Come let us magnifie his name with Angels and Archangels then And sing all glory be to God and peace on earth good will to man This babe though cradled in a cratch was yet the King of glory borne And came from heaven man to save who otherwise had beene forlorne He is our only peace on earth the conscience pacifier here He is our glory in the heavens our blessed glorifier there Come then above all creatures we should sing this Angels Antheme still All glory be to God on high and peace on earth to men good will But first from men on earth below should glory mount to God on high Then God from heaven would shower downe peace to men on earth abundantly For God being now at peace with man through Christ the Lord both God and man The heavens and earth are likewise friends as 't was when first the world began Come let us magnifie his name with Angels and Archangels then And sing All glory be to God and peace on earth good-will to men O what transcendent love was this of that great God to poore mankinde When men and Angels both were falne God tooke man up left them behinde And that man might be quit from hell and brought to heavens glorious blisse The Prince of heaven man became was ever mercy like to this Come then and let us praise his name with Angels and Archangels still And give God glory in the highest that shâ—wed to man such high good-will To thee O most Almighty Lord most holy gâ—â—â—ious Trinitie The Father Goâ—â—â—d Holy Ghost in ever blessed nâ—â—e From hearts and soules and all our powers all glory prâ—â—â—e â—â—â—nksgiving be As in beginning was is now and shall to all eternitie For Christ the Lord our Iesus borne at time prâ—fixt in Betâ—lehem Let heâ—ven and earth with all their hosts come joyne with us and say Amen A Prayer and Meditation for my wife and my selfe to joyne together she being in the 67. year of her age and I â—n the 74. of mine and both full of bodily infirmities for our daily waiting for the blessed houre of our dissolution 1 HEre at thy foot-stool blessed Lord do we â—calâ— Thy weak unworthy servants wait thy gracious Our work draws to an end and now we come to thee Whose blessed will is so declared we shall Blesse this our waiting time and by thy grace Support us joyfully to end our race 2 For thou already hast of thy good will In truth and mercy us espous'd to thee Although the mariage day must rest untill This mortall puts on immortality Meane while thou hast thy holy spirit us given To guide us all along our way to heaven 3 Whose sacred hand within the first degree Of life eternall hath already brought us â— Vniting us renewed by grace to thee Most glorious Saviour who hast deerly bought us And by this first degree assures the rest To make us finally for ever blest 4. The second step to lifes eternitie Is by deaths passage which we now attend Where laying down all our mortalitie Our soules by Angels conduct shall ascend Members of thy Church thine own espoused wife Into thy palace of eternall life 5. Where we instead of flesh that 's transitory And must be laid to sleep here in the grave Shall have new robes of everlasting glory As all our fellow members there shall have O what a blessed glorious change is this To leave this world for heavens endlesse blisse 6. And yet there rests behind a third degree When these fraile bodies rais'd from death agen Vnto eternall life rejoynd shall be Vnto our soules and glorified with them When all things shall receive their consummation Our soules and bodies both compleat salvation 7. Now whiles we wait in this our pilgrimage When our appointed time of chang shall come Lord Iesu help in this our lifes last stage And our redeemed soules bring safely home To that safe home of thine where al things bee In perfect peace and true securitie 8. For in this life such our corruptions are As hinder when we any good intend But headlong running into every snare To make us our most gracious God offend Vnder this bondage of corruption thus Lye we till thou good Lord deliver us 9. Here then with panting longings after thee Most glorious Saviour for our finall rest With sighs of hope and teares of joy do we Attend thy blessed call to make us blest Call then sweet Iesu when it shall thee please Into thy hands receive our soules in peace Amen Iob 14.14 All the daies of mine appointed time will I waite till my change shall come
failes in one which holds in al Thus he whose life should be deaths meditation Waiting for future immortality Forgets the end of his divine creation And faine would finde on earth eternitie O man look up thou must this mortall leave Before thou canst th' immortall robe receive 1 Due thought of death and hell Would sinfull thoughts expell Who so with carefull thought Would ponder as he ought How fearefull 't is to flâ—t From bed to loathsome pit From pit to easelesse paine For ever to remaine Among the damned sprights Whose mercy never lights Would not commit one sin Though it the world might win 2 As certaine as it now is day so sure it will be night anon For time stands never at a stay but now is here and now is gone Such is our life whose minutes spend and every minute wasts the store Till all be out and then an end we cannot live one minute more 3 What thing is that each man doth chiefly crave Contentment in his fortune and his mind What thing is that man here can never have Contentment in his thoughts and state to find What 's cause of both That man who heaven minds not May strive to seek that there which here he finds not 4 Take from our life these threefold parts of time First what we idly spend and nothing do Then what we spend in evil and heaven-hâ—ted cryme Last what in things that us belong not to Alas how small remaine how quickly told Is left wel spent in doing what we should Occasionall Meditations Vpon a sad and unseasonable Raine translated out of Latine WHence comes it that this sad untimely showrs Do choak the earth and of our fruits bereave us Fâ—ther to shew in heavens angry lowres That God hath left us as the Sun doth leave us Or for that man his sins nor see nor feares The heavens for us powres out it selfe in teares 2 Vpon a LOOKING GLASSE Translated out of Latine MAke this use of thy Looking-glasse that if thy face seeme faire With vicious manners ô do not the grace thereof impaire Or if thou find thy countenance such gracefulnesse denyed Let that defect with inward grace and vertues be supplyed 3 Concerning an extraordinary veile which covered my body at my comming into the world THere be some things which belong to every child in the infancy whereof the certainty cannot be known but by relation of others as the day or houre of our birth who were our sureties at baptism and the like of which kind ther was one special remarkable thing concerning my self who being my parents first son but their second child they having a daughter before me when I came into the world my head face and fore parts of the body were all covered over with a thin kell or skin wrought like an artificiall veile as also my eldest sonne being likewise my second childe was borne with the like extraordinary covering our Midwives and Gossips holding such children as come so veyled into the world to be very fortunate as they call it there being not one childe amongst many hundreds that are so borne and this to fall out in the same manner both to the father and the sonne being much more rare But whatsoever old wives observations are let us both father and sonne with all humble thankfulnesse look up to our heavenly father who made us and formed us in the wombe and brought us from thence and doth preserve and governe us from the cradle to the grave to blesse and praise his holy name for the priviledge of our birth-right which his favour hath bestowed upon us above the rest of our brothers and to studie and endeavour to walke worthy of that dignitie in our care and endeavour to serve and please him who hath singled us out as fathers of the family in our severall generations to that purpose the first borne of the sonnes amongst the Israelites being to be given or consecrated to the Lord Exod. 22.29 Numbers 3.13 Luke 2.23 And from those veiles wherewithall wee were borne let us learne this Christian lesson to veile our heads and our hearts and all our affections from the witcheries and vanities of this world and to looke up beyond the things here to our Saviour IESUS CHRIST within the veile in heaven to long and wait for those blessed and unchangeable comforts which are there treasured up for us in him Not as wee came into this world hidden of nature but as wee are now born by his holy spirit children of grace and election O mercifull Lord God we bring nothing with us into this world but that which might condemne us in the next blessed be thy most holy name by whose eternall mercies wee are born again of the Holy Ghost and our begun regeneration here shall be consummated in the world to come ô sanctifie and establish us by thy free spirit that being by our new birth made children of grace and adoption in Christ we may mortifie all our old corruptions of nature and serve thee faithfully in new obedience in the short pilgrimage of this life and bee finally received in peace into thine everlasting kingdome as thine own redeemed ones through Jesus Christ our Saviour Amen 4. Vpon an extraordinary accident which befell me in my swadling cloaths WHen we come to years we are commonly told of what befel us in our infancie if the same were more than ordinary Such an accident by relation of others befell me within few daies after my birth whilst my mother lay in of me being her second child when I was taken out of the bed from her side and by my suddain and fierce crying recovered again being found sticking between the beds-head and the wall and if I had not cryed in that manner as I did our gossips had a conceit that I had been quite carried away by the Fairies they know not whither and some elfe or changeling as they call it laid in my room In the 12. Chap. of the Revelation we read of two great signs in heaven A woman cloathed with the Sunne great with child ready to be delivered and a great red dragon with seven heads standing before her ready to devoure the child assoon as it should be born but the child being câ—â—ght up unto God and the dragon disappointed of his prey cast downe into the earth was wroth with the woman and went to make warre with the remnant of her seed which kept the commandements of God and have the testimony of Iesus Christ By this woman I conceive the Church militant was prefigured whom the Dragon hath persecuted and doth continually labour to destroy in all her members that Dragon being there vers 9. expresly said to bee that old serpent called the Divell and Sathan which deceiveth the whole world and vers 10. is the accuser of our brethren whom hee accuseth before God day and night But to our comfort it is added in the next verse that they overcame him by the blood
by it when the meanest scullion oâ— his kitchin and the poorest cripple at his gates were therby made their Lords Kinsmen being all Adams children as well as himselfe And what pitch of honour had he gotten from that common ancestor of al mankind but what we all his posterity by wofull experience finde to bee pitch indeed the guilt and infection of sin and the fruit of it death Objects proper for shame sorrow and humiliation no way for honour or vain-glory Adam himselfe being made but of red earth and he and his posterity to returne to earth againe O most blessed Lord God blessed and magnified be thy most holy and glorious name who after many generations hast raised up a mighty salvation for us in the Lord Iesus the second Adam sonne of thy servant David according to the flesh as thou didest speake by the mouth of all thy holy Prophets which have beene since the world began by whom we have redemption and deliverance from the guilt and punishment â—f the first Adams rebellion and from all the power and malice of that old wily serpent who overthrew him in the terrestriall paradise and are by the blessed promised seed of the woman the Lord our righteousnesse God manifested in the flesh for our redemption restored to a better inheritance even the Paradise of God his owne heavenly Kingdome Let all the Monarchs and States of the world fall downe before thy glorious foot-stoole O most blessed Lord and Saviour and worship and rejoyce in thee the only God of our salvation and let no man glory in the antiquitie of his noble ancestors for no man can goe higher then the Lord Lumleys Pedegree But let every true Christian how meane soever or wretched here and though by nature in the first Adam a child of wrath and perdition lift up his head with joy unspeakable and glorious being in and by this second Adam our blessed Saviour and his holy Spirit by adoption and grace made the child of the most High the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and thereby become truly noble indeed And let all the Potentates of the earth aspire to this spirituall honour by regeneration in CHRIST then to all the pompe and glories of a thousand worlds with the good Emperour Theodosius who thanked GOD more for his being made a member of CHRIST then the Emberour of the world for the best and noblest nature amongst the children of men brings forth nothing but corruption onely grace makes truly noble and everlastingly happy 13. Of a Felon making of a comfortable end at his Execution AMongst all other charitable deeds of that worthy man of God Master Perkins in the Vniversitie of Cambridgâ— his manner was as I have heard to visit the prisoners condemned at the Goale deliveries there not onely in the prison for their spirituall instruction and preparation before their execution but to accompanie them also at the place where they were to suffer whither divers schollers and others of good â—ancke also usually resorted one of which spectators a fellow of Trinitie Colledge made relation to mee of a comfortable worke upon one of the felons at one of the executions more remarkable then the rest to this eâ—â—ect The prisoner being a strong lustie fellow in the vigour of his youth in his going up the ladder discovered an extraordinary lumpishnesse and dejection of spirit and when he turned himselfe to sit upon an upper round to speake to the people looked with such a ruefull and heavie countenance as if hee had beene halfe dead already where good Master Perkins standing at the foot of the ladder laboured to cheere up his spirits and finding him still in agony and distresse of mind called upon him in words to this purpose what man what is the matter with thee art thou afraid of death Ah no said the prisoner shaking his head but of a worser thing Saist thou so said Master Perkins come downe againe man and thou shalt see what Gods grace will doe to strengthen thee whereupon the prisoner comming downe Master Perkins tooke him by the hand and made him to kneele down with himselfe at the Ladder foot hand in hand when that blessed man of God made such an effâ—â—tuall prayer in confession of sins and aggravating the same in all circumstances with the horrible and eternall punishment due for the same by Gods justice as made the poore prisoner burst out into aboundance of â—â—â—â—es as the fervencie of the prayer gave occasion and when the blessed Preacher found that he had brought him low enough even to hell gates hee proceeding to the second worke of his prayer to shew him being truly humble and unfainedly penitent the Lord Iesus the Saviour of all penitent and believing sinners stretching forth his blessed hand of mercy and power to save him in that distressed estate and to deliver him from all the powers of darknesse did so sweetly presse the same with such heavenly art and powerfull words of grace upon the soule of the poore prisoner as cheered him up againe to looke beyond death with the eyes of faith to see how the blacke lines of all his sinnes and debts owing to Divine Justice were crossed and cancelled with the red lines of his crucified Saviours precious blood so graciously applying it to the prisoners wounded conscience as made him breake out into new showers of teares for joy of the inward consolation which he found and gave such expression thereof to the beholders as made them lift up their hands and praise God to see such a blessed change in him who upon the prayer ended rose up from his knees cheerefully and went up the Ladder againe so cheered and tooke his death with such patience and alacritie of spirit as if he actually saw himselfe delivered from the hell hee feared before and heaven opened for the receiving of his soule to the great rejoycing of the beholders Blessed bee thy most holy and glorious name O Lord our good God for all those gracious endowments and abilities wherewithall thou hast and dost furnish thy Ministers of the Gospell of peace for the converting of sinners unto thee and for bringing home the wandring ones and rescuing their soules out of the Lions mouth not only amongst those many of the meaner sort that suffer in our ordinary Circuits and Goale deliveries but also amongst our great men and Nobles capitall offenders at the Tower some of whom the spectators seeing their Christian and gracious preparative for death and their behaviour in it have adjudged more happie in their ends then in all the glorious pompe of their greatnesse before Good Lord increase the number of thine able servants furnished both with gifts and willing mindes to visit comfort and help those poore children of death in that their greatest and last need that they may then by thy grace feele that which all thy children doe in their greatest distressesâ— that mans extremity is Gods blessed opportunitie for their finall comfort
though by the childes reading as if the Lord by her had spoken them to my selfe a paralytick and a sinner as that sicke-man was who for ought appeares in the Text expected only the cure of his bodily infirmity when behold the gracious redeemer of the World who is wont to give more unto us then we desire or deserve begins first with the cure of the soule by remitting his sins and then cures the body afterwards O most blessed Saviour those words of grace which thou didst vouchsafe to that sicke man not desâ—ring it speake thou of thy rich mercy by thy holy Spirit to my sinne-sicke soule which most humbly beggs it at thy most mercifull hands My soule is grievously sicke in the sight of my sins sence of the wrath of my displeased God and desert of hell and utter condemnation But Lord speake these words only unto me and my soule shall live for Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me whole O Lord heale my soule for I have sinned against thee As for my bodily infirmitie which thou as the chastisement of a loving and merciful father hast laid upon me to weane me from the world and for my better preparation against the time of my dissolution by it I do with all humble thankfulnesse and dutifull obedience submit my selfe thereunto therein But my humble and earnest suite is for mercy mercie good Lord for the cure of my Soule by the pardoning of my sinnes O Blessed Saviour speake those gracious words to mee one Paralyticke more Sonne bee of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiven thee that being absolved from them all by thee in this life who hast already fully satisfied divine justice for them all J may when that houre of my departure commeth with comfort and cherefulnes deliver up my redeemed soule into thy blessed armes of mercy in peace Amen Amen 29. Vpon the wâ—rds of a childe intimating the necessitie of my timely preparation for death and heaven IF notice were taken of the speeches which sometimes fâ—ll from children I am perswaded great use might bee made thereof by those of ripe yeares for their instruction and good which I lately observed in a short discourse had with my little grand-daughter not yet seven yeares old my selfe being entred into the seventieth yeare of my age and my left side taken with a disease called the dead palsie shee seeing mee to have my left hand rubbed after meals and my left legg rubbed at my going to bed and at my uprising said to me Grandfather this you doe to make that side well nay child said I but to preserve it so long 〈◊〉 shall please God but I looke not to be well till I be in heaven whereunto she replyed in these very words yea grandfather you long to bee there and your leg would faine go to sleepe in the grave In which words how directly doth the childe teach me many things 1. What I should doe long to bee in heaven 2. That there is no passage thither for the soule but by the death of the body 3. That when the body is ready for the grave it is high time for the soule to be longing for heaven 4. That the grave is buâ— the bodies bed to sleepe in for a time 5. Intimating therewith thâ—â— there shall be a time of waking By which five particulars how evident is it Psal 8.2 out of the mouths of very babes and children hath God ordained strength to witnesse his grace and praises to the confounding of the enemy who would suppresse them O most blessed Lord God let my soule first praise thy holy name for giving me those seasonable admonitions from one that comes in a second descent of mine owne loines beseeching thee to blesse those seeds of grace sowen in her heart in these her tender yeares to make and preserve her thy childe of grace all her life long that finally she may be heire of thy glory And then for my selfe O good Lord look graciously upon me thy most unworthy servant who have longed for thy salvation for thou Lord art the thing J long for Psal 71.4 5 8 thou art my hope even from my youth through thee have I been holden up ever since I was borne thou art he that tookest me out of my mothers womb my praises shall be ever of thee O cast me not away in the time of age forsake me not when my stâ—â—â—â—th faileth 10. Go not far from me O God my God haâ—â— thee to hâ—lp me that as this earthly tabernacle d caie daily through old age and infirmities so thy grace may shew it selfe powerfull in my weaknesse to enable me to hunger and thirst after thy righteousnesse in a true desire after sanctification and new obedience for the remainder of my few daies with heartie sorrow and unfained repentance for my sins past and faithfull relying upon thy mercies in Christ for the pardon of them that when I shall leave this house of earth thy blessed Angelâ— may â—onvey my soul into the glorious mansion of peace which I long for and my Saviouâ— hath prepared for me in thy heavenly kingdome Amen 30. Vpon a fight between two Cocks AT Stanwick my son had going with his Hens a young Cock of a stout and large breed with very large Iollops hanging downe on either side of his beake and a friend of his giving him afterwards a Cock and a Hen of the game as they call them the Cocks-combe and jollops being finely cut off close to the head for advantage in fighting It fell out that the two Cocks meeting in the yard together fell close to their fight where the younger Cock fought stoutly a good while till the old Cocke taking advantage of his large Iollops hanging so low tooke hold thereof for raising himselfe to wound the young Cocke at every blow which being observed by the spectators they parted the fray for the present and caused the young Cocks pendant Iollops to be cut off and his head trim'd for the fight as the old Cocks was who had at first so beaten the young Cocke that he durst not stay within his view but after the sores of his Iollops cut were healed the young Cocke comming abroad againe the old Cock ran presently upon him to have made him runne away as he was wont to doe before But the young Cocke turning againe and they falling to a new fight very sharpe and eager on both sides at last the old Cocke finding his old hold of the young Cocks Iollops taken from him was faine to cry creake and to runne away as fast from the young Cocke as the young Cock did from him before and ever after the young Cock was master of the field In this fight of the two Cockes me thinkes I see represented by the old Cocke the old wilie seâ—pent who by subtiltie and advantage taking overcomming our first parents in Paradise as if he were then the Prince of the World sets upon every one of their posteritie to subdue
Mount Tabor OR PRIVATE EXERCISES OF A PENITENT SINNER Serving for a daily Practice of the life of Faith Reduced to speciall heads comprehending the chiefe comforts and refreshings of true Christians Also Certain occasionall Observations and Meditations profitably applyed Written in the time of a voluntary retrait from secular affaires By R. W. Esquire Published in the yeare of his age 75. Anno Dom. 1639. The Contents of the booke are prefixed LONDON Printed by R. B. for P. Stephens and C. Meredith at the gilded Lion in S. Paul's Church-yard 1639. TO MY DEERE WIFE AND CHILDREN THese private notes and thoughts of minâ— Not worthy nor so fit for publike view I For last pledges of my love consign My neerest deerest private ones to you Three sons two sons and two daughters-in-Law Gâ—and-children eleven Besideâ— those six and five †Non amissos sed praemissoâ— already gone to Heaven Beseeching God by grace so to prepare us yet surviving here We all may meet together and live for evâ—â— there The Table of this private Booke THe Dedication of it to my wife and children The occasion and motive of these exercises called Meditations of Mount Tabor 1 The introduction to those meditations 7. 1. How excellent a thing it is to have all our debts cancelled 8. 2. How sweet a thing to have God appeased towards thee 20. 3. How glorious a thing to be the child of God 36. 4. How happie and safe a condition for thee to be sure of perseverance in grace and salvation 49. 5. How pleasant a state of life to bee void of the feare of death and hell 56. 6. How rich and stately aâ—â—ng to be heire of glory 63. Two meditations formerly composed applyed for a seventh step or meditation of Mount Tabor 79 A Meditation on the Incarnation and Passion of our most glorious Saviour the Lord Jesus and our blessed union with him alluding to the song of Simeon called Nunc Dimittis 79. A contemplation of the new Ierusalem and the triumphant Church celebrating an everlasting Sabboth in the Kingdome of Heaven 84. A Meditation of mans mortality 86. Foure short meditations of the vanity of mans life 87 88. Occasionall Meditations 1. Vpon a sad and unseasonable shower of raine 88. 2. Vpon a Looking-glasse 89. 3. Concerning an extraordinary veile â—hich covered my body at my comâ—â—â— into the world ibid. 4. Of an extraordinary accident when J was first in my swadling cloaths 92. 5. Vpon my breeding up at Schoole 97. 6. Vpon an accident when I was a School-boy 101. 7. Vpon six verses of the 12. Chapter of S. Luke 105. 8. Vpon a Stage-play which I saw when I was a child 110. 9. Vpon the Diall of Gloucester Colledge Clock 115. 10. Vpon good counsell given by a Countrey Painter in homely verse 117. 11. Vpon a Pedegree found in a private mans house 120. 12. Vpon a pedegree found in a noblemans house 124. 13. Of a felon making a comfortable end at his death 129. 14. Vpon the words used in the embleme of our mortality bodie mihi cras tibi 135. â—5 Vpon observing of a grave-stone in Pauls Church London 138. 16. Of a short inscription upon a greâ—â— mans tombe 14â— 17. Vpon three words written with cole in a great Judges house 14â— 18. Vpon consideration of the fifâ—â— muscle of a mans eye 14â— 19. Vpon the name of God blessed foâ— ever proclaimed 15â— 20Vpon the Greek words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 siâ—nifying to breath 15â— 21. Vpon the words of S. Paul So râ—â— that ye may obtaine 15â— 22. Vpon a worthy Divines Letter a case of conscience 16â— 23. Vpon the words revealed to Sainâ— Augustine In te stas non stâ—â— 17â— 24. Vpon the building of S. Paâ—â— Church in London 17â— 25. Vpon the reading of a paper â—sually taken out of an old bundle my first going to Stanwick 17â— 26. Vpon the Turkies comming aâ—â— to their roost before Sun-set 19â— 27. Vpon the remove of houshold frâ—â— one dwelling to another 19â— 28. Vpon the casuall hearing of verse in the new Testament read by a childe 199. 29. Vpon the words of a childe intimating the necessity of my timely preparation for death and heaven 202 30. Vpon a fight betweene two Cocks 206. 31. Vpon a childs asking of blessing in the morning 211. 32. Vpon one word attributed to God thrise in three verses together in one Chapter of the Prophet Ionas 214. 33 Vpon the great Clock in Westminster Palace 218. 34. Vpon our last and best home 219. 35. A Dialogue betweene an old sick-man and his neighbour visiting him 220. 36. A hymn for Christmas day upon the Angels song Gloria in excelsis Deo 222. 37. A prayer or meditation for my wife and my selfe to joyne together in our daily preparation for our dissolution 225. Imprimatur Thomas Wykes October 31. 1639. The occasion and motive of these weake exercises of mine following which I call my Meditations of Mount Tabor UPon my reading over of one of the Sermons of a worthy messenger of God and Batchelour of Divinitie entiâ—eled the Life of Faith reprinted in Anno 1627. wherein I found the duty of daily renewing our faith the Life of our Soules by Prayer and Meditation by many arguments of necessity profit and comfort powerfully and graciously pressed I observed a passage in these very words Hearken unto me O thou of little faith and lesse use of it dost thou desire to have a continuall feast to rejoyce alwayes with the Lord I know that thou desirest it with all thy soule Let me prescribe a diet a daily diet without omission strictly to be kept the Lord give thee and me grace to observe it Looke how duely thou refreshest thy body by use of repast or recreation so often at the least be sure to cheare up thy soule by the use of thy faith Let thy soule have two or three walkes a day up to Mount Tabor that is into some retyred place of Meditation and Prayer such as Isaac's Field Cornelius his Leades David's Closet c. But what is there to be done I answer still make use of thy faith But what is that you call using of faith I now come to the point to the chiefe mysterie of spirituall life Stirre up thy soul in this Mount to converse with CHRIST Look what promises and priviledges thou dost habitually believe now actually think of them roule them under thy tongue chew on them till thou finde some sweetnesse in the palat of thy soule view them joyntly severally sometimes muse of one sometimes of another more deeply and lest thou shouldest still think me obscure think with thy self 1 How excellent a thing it is to have all thy debts cancelled 2 How sweet a thing to have GOD appeased 3 How glorious a thing to be the son of GOD. 4 How happy a condition for thee upon thy perseverance to be assured of thy salvation 5 How pleasant a state of life to be void of
our sinnes or fearing his justice against us which our Saviour the Lord IESUS hath already satisfied for us to our finall peace and salvation Let us then cheere up our selves in this blessed comfort of all comforts our debts are all paid and cancelled our Paschall Lambe is slaine CHRIST IESUS hath made all our dayes holy-dayes have any more cause to bee merrie then wee Away then with droopings and mistrustfulnesse for the Lord hath turned our sorrow into joy and such joy as shall never bee taken from us Blessed be the name of the Lord our God for ever And now O most glorious and gracious Redeemer who art the author and finisher of my faith perfect the good work of thy grace begun in me that by daily renewing of my humble faith and repentance by these weake and unworthy meditations of mine I may with joy and gladnesse comfort and cheerfulnesse walk before thee this day and all the remaining dayes of my earthly pilgrimage waiting for thy blessed calling of me to thy selfe in glory when my faith shall bee turned into fruition and I shall leave imperfection and mortality behinde me for ever The Second MEDITATION of Mount TABOR How sweet a thing it is to have God appeased towards thee Places of Scripture shewing how this benefit belongs to us THus saith the high and mighty one that inhabiteth eternitie Isa 57.15 whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Ver. 16 For I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwayes wroth for the spirit should faile before me and the soules which I have made Vers 17 For the iniquitie of his covetousnesse was I wroth and smote him J hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart Vers 18. I have seene his wayes and will heale him I will lead him also and restore comforts unto him and unto his mourners Vers 19. I create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is afarre off and to him that is neere saith the Lord and I will heale him Who is a God like unto thee Micah â— 18 that pardoneth iniquitie and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage hee retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Vers 19. He will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sinnes into the depth of the sea For when wee were yet without strength Rom. 5. â— in due time CHRIST died for the ungodly Verse 8. But God commendeth his love towards us in that whiles we were yet sinners CHRIST died for us Ver. 9. Much more then being justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him Vers 10. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled shall we be saved by his life Vers 11. And not only so but we also rejoyce in God through our Lord IESUS CHRIST by whom we have now received the attonement Ioh. 16.33 These things have I spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace 1 Cor. 5.18 All things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Iesus Christ and hath given unto us the ministery of reconciliation 19 To wit that God was in CHRIST reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation Vers 20. Now then we are Ambassadors for CHRIST as though God did beseeâ—h you by us we pray you in CHRIST his stead be ye reconciled unto God 21. For hee hath made him to be sinne for us that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him For now in CHRIST IESUS Ephes 2.1 ye that sometime were far off are made nigh by the blood of CHRIST Vers 14. For he is our peace Ver. 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the Crosse For it pleased the Father Colos 1 â—â— that in him should all fulnesse dwell Vers 20 And having made peace through the blood of his Crosse by him to reconcile all things unto himselfe by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven Vers 21. And you who were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled Vers 22. In the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblamable and unreproovable in his sight And to wait for his sonne from heaven whom he raised from the dead 1 Thes â—â— even IESUS which hath delivered us from the wrath to come 1 Thes 3 â— For God hath not appointed us to wrath but to attaine salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ Vers 10. Who died for us The second Meditation NOw my soule having formerly considered the great benefit of having all our bebts cancelled our second remembrance points us to a blessed consequence thereof how sweet a thing it is to have our God appeased towards us which will the better appeare for our instruction and comfort if we seriously take into our humble consideraâ—ion these three points 1. The infinite power and greatnesse of the Almighty whom our sinnes have provoked to wrath against us 2. His graciousnesse and goodnes towards our selvs in particular 3. The hainousnesse of our offences by which we have justly incurred his displeasure For the first The Lord our God is the great and the terrible God Nah. 1.5 The great and dreadfull God Daniel 9.4 The Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth and all things therein contained and disposer of all things by his eternall and al-governing providence who hath ever at his commandement innumerable hosts of Angels one of which 2 King 19.35 killed 1850000. of his Churches enemies in one night Nah. 9.3 who hath his way us the whirl-wind and in the storme and the clouds are the dust of his feet Nahum 14. He rebuketh the sea and maketh it dry the mountains quake at him and the hils melt and the earth is burnt up at his presence yea the world and all that dwel therein v. 5. Who can stand before his indignation who can abide in the fiercenesse of his anger Verse 6. The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6.15 A great God and a great King above all gods Psal 9.13 The great and mighty God the Lord of Hosts is his name Jeremy 32.18 Great in counsell and mighty in workes for his eyes are open upon all the wayes of the sonnes of men Vers 19. to give to every one according to his wayes and according to the fruit of his doings who shall judge the quicke and the dead 2 Tim. 4.1 For he is the judge of the whole world and will hold his grand Sessions
of life and death of salvation and damnation at that Acts 2.20 great and terrible day of the Lord wherein 2 Pet. 3.10 the heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the workes that are therein shall be burnt up the dead raised the living changed and all mankinde brought together to give a most strict accompt not for their ill works alone but for their neglect of good duties not for actions alone but for their words and that not for filthy and mischievous words only but for every idle word and the thoughts of the heart And this my soule is that infinite almighty and most glorious and dreadful Majestie against whom we have rebelled in the highest treasons his wisdome power justice being incomprehensible and his wrath insupportable O come let us worship and fall downe prostrate with all aweful reverence trembling and feare and then in the second place consider how infinitely gracious and good this our most blessed God the King of eternall glory hath beene to such a worme and vile wretch as my unworthy selfe For besides those most blessed and extraordinary priviledges which I have with my countrey-men in being borne an Englishman in the time of the most glorious Sun-shine of the Gospell of grace seconded with such Halcyon daies of blessed peace the publike miracles of mercy which God hath wrought even in my life time in the preservation of this Church and Kingdome our gracious Princes our selves and our posterities specially in these two famous deliverances never to be forgotten by any true English heart from the Spanish invincible Armado and the Popish hellish Powder plot O blessed Lord God how infinitely good and gracious hast thou been unto me most unworthy in all the particular passages of my earthly pilgrimage First in spirituall blessings by thy preventing mercy keeping me from some grievous sinnes into which my owne wicked corruptions by Sathans damnable enticements had els drawne me In thy sparing mercies in my acting of other sins wherinto I was faln In thy pardoning mercies that miracle of miracles in translating me out of that damnable estate of mine unregenerate time into rhe glorious liberty of thine owne children of grace and adoption in IESUS CHRIST and for thy renewing mercies by the work of thy holy spirit making me to loath all sinne and to apply my selfe to all duties of holinesse and righteousnesse in universall new obedience to thy most holy will and a constant will and resolution to serve and please thee love feare adore and obey thee in all true repentance and sanctification all the remaining houres of my life and lastly for the assurance thou hast given me of the upshot of all thy finall and crowning mercies in the life to come Then again in temporall blessings by preserving mee from harme in most desperate dangers giving mee the helpe of good education blessing me with a most gracious and comfortable fellowship in marriage and us both with hopefull children and grandchildren especially for our eldest son the true staffe of our age and for thy bountifull providing for us and them in outward necessaries and shewing us mercy in all our occasions yea good Lord for thy fatherly chastisements sent amongst us and therein for that gentle paralyticall infirmity of mine owne aged body whereby I have beene gratiously taken off from worldly cares and employments and have held and still by thy goodnesse have this blessed time and opportunity for heavenly meditations and Christ in preparation of my self for my change and dissolution and my finall translation into those glorious mansions which our most blessed Saviour hath provided for us in his heavenly kingdome O most blessed Lord God how shall I poore weakling do to admire thy providence adore thy Majestie love feare serve and obey thee and glorifie thy most holy name as I am most bounden and heartily desire to do in all sincerity duty and thankfulnes for all thy numberles and incomprehensible mercies blessings comforts and deliverances vouchsafed unto me even in this fraile life and valley of teares and for the glorious upshot of all thy crowning mercies reserved for me in the life to come Oh fill my heart with thy gracious spirit for enabling me to pay my humble vowes unto thy Majestie in all true sanctified obedience and faithfull and serious endeavours of soule and body to walke acceptably before thee from henceforth and for ever Amen And now my soule should wee in the third place consider how wickedly and ungraciously I have misbehaved my self all the days of my flesh towards this most high glorious almighty and most dreadful Majestie and towards this most gracious and mercifull God and Saviour of ours But here alas I am confounded wâ—h shame astonishment of heart and horror of conscience but to think of the manifold frailties prophannes pollutions of my youth and the sinful negligencies rashnesses improvidence unfruitfulnes and unthankfulnes and other sins and transgressions of thought word or deed of my whole mispent life by past Yea O Lord my God in my ungrateful and froward neglect of thy gracious time of visitation graunted mee of thine unspeakable mercie these foure last yeares aswell for my sound humiliation and serious daily repentance for my manifold sins and corruptions as for improving that precious time in those gracious duties and spirituall exercises publike and private which my conscience tels me I should have performed with more fervour of spirit feare and trembling and syncerity and intention of heart then I have done But O Lord I finde that were mine eyes fountaines of teares powred out every moment of my life should my heart fall asunder into drops of blood in my brest for anger and indignation against my selfe for my grievous sins and transgressions yet should I come infinitely short of that sorrow and hearts griefe which mine offences would justly require and exact at my hands And therefore O Lord my God though it bee my most earnest suit and the earnest desire and constant prayer of my humble soule that my hard and dull heart may by thy grace be so softned and quickned as to be truly broken and dissolved into sighs of true contrition and that I may weepe day and night for my sinnes and offences all my life long unto my dying houre yet all could not serve to draw thy mercy upon me for the least of my transgressions for in the point of redemption of mankind and purgation of sinne nothing could serve the turn but the precious blood of IESUS CHRIST God and Man in one person blessed for ever Either the sonne of God must die or else all mankind be eternally damned and their sinnes only are properly said to have pierced him who at length are saved by his blood Come then my soule let us set our humble faith on worke to lay fast hold upon this blessed Saviour of ours who only is become our reconciliation and peace-maker
hearts of all that professe thy holy name to agree in the truth of thy holy word that wee may all live in Christian unity peace and godly love waiting for the accomplishment of the number of thine elect that these daies of sin and dissension being finished we may bee received into thine everlasting peace through thine owne blessed merits and mediation for us Amen 25. Vpon the reading of a paper casually taken out of an old bundle at my first comming to Stanwick VPon my resolving to make Stanwick the place of my retiring my selfe from the businesse of this world that I might with more freedom prepare my self for a better amongst other necessaries sent thither from Westminster there was certaine bundles of old letters notes and writings sent thither upon my remoove which was in Iune 1632. that I might there peruse them before they were laid aside for wast papers And when I came thither in the first bundle I tooke to looke over I lighted upon a sheet of paper foulded up and endorsed only with the name of a very worthy Preacher of mine old acquaintance and having quite forgotten what it might conâ—erne I opened it and found it to be an abstract of one of his Sermons taken by my selfe about 40. yeares before upon this Text Deut. 32.29 O that they were wise that they would understand this and would consider that later end wherein I found the necessity of that Christian duty of preparation for the time of our dissolution so powerfully pressed by that man of God as I was glad to light upon it so seasonably for a gracious introduction to my further meditations of that necessary subject O blessed Lord God what just cause have I to condemne mine owne dulnes and corruption that having so long before by mine owne hand taken an abstract of such a pretious instruction did neglect the comfort and use thâ—reof more then for the present for many yeares not remembring that J had any such thing But withall how infinitely bounden am I to thy Majestie O most gracious and mercifull Heavenly Father by whoâ—e speciall providence it was preserâ—â—â— in my many remooves to remote dwellings and severall alterations of 〈◊〉 fortunes and now so season 〈◊〉 brought to my hands in this last 〈◊〉 of my life when I have most 〈◊〉 of holy preparatio◠〈◊〉 to teach me 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 in speedy and serious practise that lesson which I took out so long a goe O Lord my God bury J beloâ—â— thee this neglect of mine with the reâ—â— of the manifold sinnes of my youth in the bottomlesse seas of thy mercies and by thy holy Spirit sanctifiâ— and strengthen me now at last whiles it is yet called to day blessed be thy most blessed name for it and apply my selfe wholly to this blessed learning of being wise to salvation that by thy blessing and mercies J may by humble and stedfast faith fruitfull repentance and new obedience be provideâ— of that Saviour besides whom there is no other against my last â—eed so to cover all my misdoings and sins of all kinds from being imputed unto me and to cloath me with his perfect righteousnesse that when the houre of my change shall come I may be found of thee in peace through his merits and mediation our eternall advocate and most blessed peace-maker Amen And although this paper of mine be but a briefe or abstract of that which was largely delivered by that worthy messenger of God yet as short and imperfect as it is I conceive good use may be made thereof by the humble minded and conscionable reader and therefore being a relique of mine owne hand for so many yeares preserved I have thought fit to annexe the originall it self to this meditation in hope some gracious use may be made thereof for our preparation for our later end which cannot be far from any of us for Jnter breve vitae spatium nihil pâ—â—cul diei potest DEUT. 32.29 O that they were wise that they would understand this and would consider their later end THese words are part of the last song of Moses the man of God which he sung unto the people Swan like at his being readie to leave the world Dying mens words have deepest impression let these as Moses dying words are repuire your attention yea and not as the words of Moses alone but as the words of godly Moses for v. 20 The Lord said I will hide my face from them I will see what their end will be c. and in the first verse Hearken yee heavens and I will speake and let the earth heare the voice of my mouth 2. My doctrine shall dropp as the raine and my speech shall still as the dew and the shower upon the herbes and as the great raine upon the grasse Hearken with your earthly bodies and with your heavenly soules for you have all of you part oâ— heaven within you that both soule and body as herbs watered with Aprill showers may bring forth fruit unto God that waters them and wisheth here the best things unto you wisdome and understanding to provide for your later end for all flesh is grasse and must have an end a withering as well as a growing a harvest as well as a spring happie is the soule that is so watered with grace here that hee shall reape glorie in the Lords great harvest to come This Text hath two parts the things recommended to them and the inducment or introduction therunto The wish O that The matter that they would be 1. Wise 2. Vnderstand 3. Consider their later end Here when the Lord wisheth that all men would bee saved and come to the knowledge of the truth I presume not to enter into the secret cabinet of Gods eternall counsell and election but humbly content my selfe with what hee hath revealed namely that God offereth his grace to all and would have all men to bee saved desiring not the death but the conversion of a sinner Why will yee lie O house of Israel Perditio tua ex te Now when God recommends any thing unto us we may conclude it to bee absolutely good and absolutely necessary for us and therefore the greater shall our sinne bee if wee neglect the counsell of God The matter recommended unto us is wisdome to be wise to salvation and this extends to poore as well as to rich generally to all for all have soules and all are invited to be wise to save them Doth any man want wisdome let him aske of God Iames 5. who giveth to all men liberally and repr â—â—heth no man and it shall be giveâ— unto him As there is a wiâ—domeâ—â— which meâ— in theâ— severall callings doe governe themselves and their worldly occasions so there is a wisdome whereby wee are taught to governe our soules unto eternall life And if wee were as profound in policie as Machiavillians and had all the wisdome of the learned for the managing of earthly things yet all were nothing