short breadth narrownesse heigth lownesse and depth shallownesse there light is found that shines not the Word an Infant thirsting for water hūgring after bread O Nativity honorable to the world in its unpolluted holinesse lovely to men by the greatnesse of the benefit bestowed inscrutable also to the Angels by the depth of the sacred Mystery and admirable in all these things by the speciall excellency of the newnesse thereof even so that there hath not bin seene the like before it nor can there be seen any such to follow it Ah what was the cause of Christs comming and Birth what but to save sinners Take away sicknesse take away wounds and there will bee no use for medicines Therefore the great Physitian came from heaven because men lay sicke in all places all the stocke of mankind was lost by the sinne of one in whom all were and therefore came one without sinne that might save all that were in their sinnes for not our merits but our sinnes drew him from heaven It is a thing becomming our faithfull soules Christian breasts beleeving minds that we celebrate the comming of our Lord with all devoutnesse and that we meditate of his Birth being delighted wirh so great a consolation and amased with so excellent a Dignity and enflamed with so great a love It is a worthy thing my brethren that we sing forth glory to the Trinity in unity and to God the Divine and begotten off-spring and also to the Spirit proceeding from them both O Jesu thou that wouldest be borne an Infant make mee become little in mine owne sight and that I may not too much desire high things Thou which diddest proceed from the wombe of a most chaste Virgin be thou also borne in my chaste heart which is purified by thee Thou who wert born in the town of Bethlehem that is the house of bread and wast sought and found by the Shepherds joyne mee often with thy Shepherds and furnish mee with the heavenly bread and so thy Nativity shall for ever satisfie me The heaven was opened when thou wast borne open heaven also unto me when the dayes of this my earthly birth and pilgrimage are ended that I may see and glorifie thee Angels accompanied the Shepherds that went to thee joyne them also to my company that I be not cast headlong into a by-way or desire any thing besides thee the brightnesse of the Lord did shine upon those that did desire to be neere thee I would that I might bee alwayes present with thee and be illuminated by thy Light that I rush not into darksome fens or be involved in filth and pernitious darknesse They granted thee no roome in the Inne O make choyce of a place in my heart let my heart be thy manger and thy swadling bands wherewith thou wert swathed that I may for ever remaine inclosed within thy wounds and within thy mercy and my soule shall magnifie thee O Lord and my spirit shall rejoyce in God my Saviour I will call out with those lowd crying and fiery inhabitants of heaven Glory bee to God on high on earth peace good will towards men now is wrought salvation and power and the Kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ Thou art worthy O Lord our God to receive Glory and Honour and Power Ah Lord when shall this come to passe when wilt thou bestow this upon mee CONTEMP c. 15. Of the name Jesus WHat sound is this that flies to mine eares it is a name that parents gave not neither did the circucising Priest bestow it but an Angell brought it from heaven and God that it should be brought and declared unto us commanded saying His name is Jesus how pleasant delightfull and forcible a name O how this name doth comfort my soule Jesus is a God of giving men salvation which is expounded a Saviour or saving for this reason of the name was given when before he was to be borne by the Virgin it was said Thou shalt call his name Jesus because hee shall save his people from their sinnes God hath now manifested his salvation all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God hee hath opened himselfe in the earth and salvation and righteousnesse have been fruitfull My God thou makest us safe in the Lord our God thou hast given us a light of the Gentiles which is our salvation even to the ends of the earth Let us therefore rejoyce in God our Saviour say to the Daughter of Sion behold salvation approacheth The other names of the Messiah are taken from the effects of his salvation and doe onely signifie either the beginning or middle or onely the end of salvation but this name Jesus the whole proceeding thereof for it doth sufficiently containe and expresse the beginning middle and end thereof and doth include all other things also within it The Angels adore and the devils doe tremble at this name and men receive it for their salvations This name is glorious in the preaching of it being thought upon doth nourish us called upon doth mollifie and anoint us not in the letters of it but by its spirit and life Whence could there have beene in all the world so great and so sodaine a light of faith but by the preaching of the name of Jesus Hath not God called us in the light of this name into his admirable light to such as are so enlightned and doe see light by his light Paul speaketh deservedly You were sometimes darknesse but now are you light in the Lord. And the name of Jesus is not onely a light but it is also food art not thou as often refreshed as thou dost think upon it What doth so much fatten the soule as the thought of that name What doth so much repaire the decayed senses It strengthens our vertues it quickens good and honest manners it cherisheth chaste affections all meat is dry that is not moistned with this oyle is unsavoury not seasoned with this salt If thou writest to mee I relish it not if thou leave out Jesus Jesus is honey in the mouth harmony in the eare gladnesse and physicke for the heart Is any of us sad let Jesus come into the heart and thence let him flow into our mouths and behold at the rising of the light of that name every cloud is expelled and the cleare light returnes Doth any slip into sinne doth he haste even to the halter of death by his despaire doth he not by invocation of this name of life forthwith respire to life Surely there have beene many others who have had the name of Jesus for the name of Ioshuah that led the Israelites through Jordan into the land of Canaan is the same name with Jesus The son of Syrach is called Iesus and Iesus is mentioned in Zachary but these men beare the name without the thing or if they wrought any safety they performed it by the power and helpe of this my Jesus There
what manner to end the strings of my tongue are ready to move something concerning thee but can find neither Prologue nor Epilogue neither exordium nor conclusion of thee O my God guide mee and instruct mee cherish and help mee If I behold thee what is it that in the first second third and last place doth offer it selfe unto me it is love I observe it is love that I see and feele all the objects of my eyes are love the fishes in the Sea are sparkes each pile of grasse in the feild is a spark the trees in the orchards are sparks the leaves upon those trees are sparks the often rising and setting Sun is a spark and his beames enlightning all the world are sparks the Moon 's a spark and her hornes are sparks the glittering Sarrs and all the host of Heaven are sparks of it If all the members which thou hast bestowed upon my body were tongues if I had the understanding of an Angell yet could I not comprehend or set forth the footsteps of thy love O violent love burning love vehement love love that cannot be kept within thee When I was nothing thou wouldest make me something and thou didest not create mee after the likenesse of the Sun or Moon nor yet of the Angells but after thine own likenesse that I might serve thee in this life and after this life changed not by death but by an easie passage that I might reigne with thee and prayse thee for evermore Thou didst place mee in Paradise the garden of pleasure not to warre with beasts or to terrifie me with the Lyons roaring or the grumbling of Beares but that all the beasts should be subject to me and stand in awe at my beck and faune upon me in an humble observance I would O God find out thy works but cannot Moyses writ something but he did but write and straight went hence unto thee nor have J him now here present for if he were I would hold him and beseech him and beg of him for thy sake that hee would freely lay open to mee the wonderfull things of the Creation wherein the fountaine of thy love did flow and bubble up most plentifully and I would fasten my bodily eares to the words that should break from his mouth I would also admit them within the harbour of my breast and hee should make me sensible and even touch my very soule but hee is gone who did but shaddow forth unto me thy wonders and there is not one left that can unfold the whole and surely thou wouldest have mee understand thy works but in part only whilst I am absent from thee with thee I shall be most fully instructed Neither yet doe I O most Mighty enough understand that part which thou hast granted and permitted mee that I may understand spare therefore thou Mercy it selfe thy servant the work of thy hands thy hands have moulded mee thy spirit gave mee a soule and added life to my life it gave mee what I can neither value nor number and such is God and such are Gods gifts alas give mee this also that I may obtaine this neere tye of thy love that as thou art my Creatour thou wilt bee also my father and that thou wilt not refuse or reject or disinherit of thy love a sonne unworthy so great a father CONTEMP c. 2 Of the Originall Nobility of Man and his falling away from it I was in honour O lord and heavenly King even so great that I cannot now set it forth but when I was in honour I understood not what that honour was In what an honoured place did I inhabit in a place of delight My life found neither trouble nor want I was compassed with fragrant apples I was propped up with honours crowned with glory and honour and placed above the works made of clay But I was the more excellent in regard of the badge of thy divine image and my lot and company was the society of Angels and the whole Army of the Host of Heaven but I did change that glory into the similitude of a calfe that eateth hay How many virtues was I cloathed with What did I want whom mercy protected truth instructed justice did governe and peace did cherish But alas what shall I say O my God thou bestowedst that property of reason upon me whereby I might excell all living creatures and didst so sublime it by a peculiar gift that I wanted but little of attaining to those thy most pure Ministers I knew this but did not acknowledge it nor did I weigh for what end thou gavestime this wisdome I call not that a good ship that is painted with gaudy colours nor which hath a guilded or silvered head nor whose hull is inlayed with ivory nor which is fraught with Kingly wares and treasures but that is strong and firme and hath thick ribs to shut out the waters and tough to endure the assaulting Seas that is pliant to her rudder can make good way and fetch all winds I call that a good sword not that hath an embroydered belt or whose scabard is set with pretious stones but that that hath both a keene edge to cut and a point that can pierce any armour Men desire a straight rule and not a faire one wee commend a thing so farre only as it is usefull for that end for which it was made So I who did then know these things better than now ought to have acknowledged that I received all good from thee if I would have ordered my selfe according to the rule of thy heavenly government the obedience only which thou requiredst and which without thy command was due unto thee had made mee blessed and perfect if I would and had not obeyed the detestable suggestions of the old Serpent From my originall I was good but that goodnesse came only from thee none of it was from mee yet thou wouldest have some goodnesse come from mee to the end that thou mightest see I did acknowledge that thy goodnesse but I obeyed that traytour Satan thy enemy more willingly and more readily than thee when I might with more ease have contemned his slights than I can now those foresaid poysons which are mixed in my draughts and that even by my friends I am undone I am undone I have neglected my perfection O sad and mournfull change O man the inhabitant of Paradise the lord of the earth Citizen of Heaven one of the Lord of Saboths family and fellow heire of Heavenly vertues from whence by a sudden change art thou cast headlong by reason of infirmity hee lyes in a stable for his likenesse to beasts hee even needeth hay for his untamed fiercenesse hee is tyed to a manger I am undone I am undone and nothing can repaire mee but thou O most Mercifull CONTEMP c. 3. Of Mans departing from God of the subtilties of Satan the omnipresence and Clemency of God THou art wonderfull O God and very much to bee praised thy
Thou art the mouth of truth grant that I may beleeve what thou speakest the Divell is the mouth of vanity grant that what he lyingly utters may be suspected and avoided by mee Grant I may valiantly resist and oppose him in fighting with him Hee is a serpent if he but once gaine but a little intermission hee crowdes him selfe in and wee can hardly expell him but though wee overcome him as it were hee doth recollect himselfe and assayes to get new strength even as the serpents taile cut off doth by licking grow againe and if his head get in any where all his body will quickly follow O thou Conquerour of the Serpent who art not said to bruise his tayle but breake his head helpe me that I yeeld not if I be stricken if I doe fight with him grant me also power O my God to trample under my feet serpents and scorpions and all the power of the adversary that nothing may doe me hurt Vouchsafe holy Trinity but one God that I may alwaies be mindfull of thee that I may alwayes have thee with me and all the power of Satan shall vanish away The serpent is afraid of the three leaved grasse and never lyes upon it Satan abhorres thy name and memory and to call upon thee nor dares approach the adorers of the Trinity nor those that inhabit neere the Deity Bee present with me O God forsake me not my Redeemer The serpent flyes the Hart he is driven away by the fume of the fat and of the Harts-horne thou art the morning Hart thou art that fume that odour whereby that infernall spirit is weakned and repelled Remove farre from me gluttony and intemperancy The serpent cannot endure a fasting man's spittle but dyes being sprinkled with it make mee poure out my prayers with fasting unto thee and that I may send forth my sighes and call forth my groanes and I shall be preserved in safety I often think of that O my God which afterwards I dislike of yet I confesse those things unto thee because thou seest them though I confesse them not unto thee and except I doe confesse them thou dost punish them I often deale thus with my selfe Oh that I had bin so made that I could not have fallen and been deceived I thinke of good in an ill manner I therefore thinke of those things that thou mightest never have been wroth with mee nor that I might have given thee cause to be angry this had been good but I think it in an ill way for why hast thou not made me so because thou wouldst not why wouldst thou not because thou wouldst not I must not bee more wise than is sitting for me But I suppose that reasonable creature is not of a little goodnesse who avoides ill by comparing of evills Thou didst not O God violently hinder mans Fall because thou knewest how to draw some good from it yet followes it not from thence that thou didst will his Fall but didst rather will that good which thou knewest how to derive from his Fall but the Fall it selfe thou didst hate and extremely detest What shall I thinke my God pardon him that hath been deceived thereby mee thinks thy servants are not to be accounted faithfull and thrifty if they must be fettered and shackled to force them to doe thy pleasure but when they freely and of their owne accords do manly act that which belongs unto them That is not acceptable unto thee which is forced and drawne from us by violence but that which proceeds from true virtue for virtue proceeds from a free deliberation not from necessity but free deliberation and election require a freedome of will But why doe I dispute O my God let it suffice me that thou didst not produce a nature not subject to sinne because it pleased thee not to doe it Pardon me pardon me O my God and deny not to forgive my curiosity We should not exercise our selves in an idle and vaine curiosity concerning the creatures but we should direct our steps to things immortall and which indure for ever Those things which thou wouldst conceale are not to be searched into Those things which thou hast revealed are not to be neglected that we be not found unlawfully curious in the one and damnably ingratefull in the other I will seek truth in truth not in vanity I will finde it when I have sought it for truths sake not for vanity nor will I traffique for the gaine of death in the words of life CONTEMP c. 7. Of Gods Providence and Preservation AS there is not O my soule O my sense O my thought any moment wherein my God I doe not use to enjoy thy goodnesse and mercy so ought there not to be any moment wherein I may neglect to have thee present to my memory I should account that I have lost all that time wherein I have not thought upon thee O my God I should account O God all that time lost wherein I doe no meditate upon thee I therefore come again unto thee O thou never failing light O thou untyred and never extinguisht life O thou ever springing fountaine O thou seed-plot of life O thou chiefe beginning of wisdome O thou first originall of goodnesse thou wilt not reject me O my God for I speak not to jeering man but to the Lord that splenitickly laughs not at mee nor flowts mee with his countenance I behold my God this large extended Fabrick and I am struck dumb it was made by thee and thou hadst an end of thy work yet didst thou not leave thy work thou didst not like an Architect depart from the piece of work thou hadst made hee goes away and after regards it not but thou art still present and remainest the same Most powerfull and wise God whatsoever thou didst once make that thou doest alwayes preserve by thy Omnipotency and dost order it by thy wisdome I consider the nature of thy visible creatures their place order condition motion agreements harmony comelinesse beauty greatnesse use delight variety alteration and indurance that is in these corruptible things I find thy providence manifested in each part of thy creation I see it in heaven and in the lights of heaven the Sun the Moon the Starrs in the ayre and in the Clouds in the Earth in the Sea in the plants in the herbs in the seeds in living creatures as well reasonable as unreasonable foure-footed beasts flying fouls in swimming and creeping creatures Think with thy self my most sweet soule who it is that orders heavens axeltree that in so many thousand yeers it 's not growne old nor hath received any alteration and although it be made of a passible and corruptible substance yet by the word of it's creation it remaines still upheld in the same state O Lord our God there is none like unto thee There is none so rude nor of so brutish a behaviour but if he lift up his eyes towards heaven although he may be
soule beaten with the flood of sinnes findes no refuge in this world no comfort no aide be thou only my retiring place and my peacefull sanctuary the Dove makes her nest in the holes of the rock and in the cave of the flint wall my soule shall rest in the holes of thy wounds and shall therein perpetually delight her selfe no creature so well pleased with gemitus as the Turtle shee mourns both night and day Oh Christ I will send forth no other voice than a mourning and lamenting voice that I have not my portion hereafter with the Ravens but that thou O Christ mayst say to me behold my love thou art faire thy eyes are Doves eyes arise my love my faire one and come away arise make haste my love my Dove my faire one and come away O Christ when shall I come CONTEMP c. 10. Of Jacobs Ladder STir up now thy selfe O my soule and raise up thy whole understanding and consider as much as thou art able how great and what that is that is set before thee goe into Bethel enter into the house of God wherein the Lord inhabits which is the Gate of Heaven Where canst thou take better rest than where thy God doth rest If the heart of man bee not fixed in that eternall place it can never be firme but more wavering than motion it selfe passing from one thing to another seeking rest where there is none to be found for if his captive affections be taken up in these transitory and vaine things he can finde no true rest because the soule is of so great a value that nothing but the chiefe good can content it enter therefore O my soule into Bethel goe into the house of thy God dwell in the high place accompany thy God Ascend O my soule ascend the Ladder is set by which thou maiest climbe to the most High What is that Ladder O my God which thy holy Israel did see in his dreame which stood upon the earth and reached heaven with his top by which also the Angels of heaven did ascend and descend is it not thy righteous Sonne who is the Way the Truth and the Life and by whom only we have accesse to thee He stood upon the earth because hee assumed our humane nature into the unity of his Person and the branch of Iesse sprang from the earthly Virgin Thou my God willing of old to heale man the King of all thy creatures of his sinne didst make as it were thy blessed Sonne in a sort to goe back from the excellency of the Divinity and by extreme humility having passed over nine degrees those nine orders of Angels to descend by the incarnation unto the tenth degree even the humane nature He was borne unto us he lived amongst us he also ruleth amidst us he is with us nor doth he ever forsake those whom he once determined to love O blessed Ladder fixe thy selfe also upon my heart and cause my soule to mount up and remaine with thee Thou didst descend for my sake let me ascend to thee as thou hast conformed thy selfe to my infirmity so make me partake of that rest and pleasure which no care can either interrupt or lessen The top of this Ladder did touch the heaven but thou the Messiah dost not only touch heaven and art from thence to come unto us and hast from all eternity taken thy pastime therein but hast also framed it thou who hast neither beginning nor end of dayes for yesterday to day and for ever art thou the first and the last the great the true and blessed God who wast in the beginning and wast glorified with the Father before the foundation of the world was layd But the Ladder was but one that did reach from earth to heaven so thou O most sweete Jesus art Lord of heaven and a man of the earth yet but one Person but one Man one God and one Mediatour between a displeased God and a wretched man by the union of the Divine and humane nature By this Ladder Angels ascend and descend because Angels desire to look into the mystery of so holy and admirable an union who notwithstanding doe alwayes see and heare the holy Spirit instructing them There doe also other Angels ascend and descend even the Teachers and all beleevers who ought to preach nothing else but Christ because there is no admittance to life by any other nor is there any open familiar and daily passage to the Father but this Imitate O my deere soule the pure chaste and holy Angels in purity in chastity in sanctity except thou wilt lie groveling on the earth and laden with the durt of thy sinnes bee thrust into hell O Lord I cannot lift up my selfe bee thou my guardian where ever I goe and bring me out of banishment into thy promised Land nor neglect or forsake mee till I shall returne into my Countrey In the meane time let mee be like Iacob a supplanter and by faith let mee trample upon sinne let me prevaile and obtaine the blessing let mee rest upon the living Corner Stone and I shall not bee moved or confounded let me be also a spirituall Stone built upon that Corner Stone that I may become an Habitation and Temple of Divinity Ah Jesu my Redemption my Love and Desire bee present with mee I invoke thee I cry unto thee with a strong voice with my whole heart which voice none but thou canst heare I invite thee into my soule enter into it and fit it for thy selfe that thou mayest possesse it without spot or wrinkle for a pure habitation is suteable for a most pure Lord sanctifie mee therefore thy vessell which thou hast made empty out the malice and fill it with grace and keepe it still full that I may bee now and ever a Temple fitting for thee to dwell in Most Sweet most Benigne most Loving most Deere most Mighty most Desired most Pretious most Lovely most Beautifull Thou that art sweeter than Honie whiter than Milke or Snow pleasanter than Nectar more pretious than Gemmes or Gold and deerer unto mee than all the riches and honours of the World CONTEMP c. 11. Of the most tender care of God over his people to be collected from his care for his people Israel in the wildernesse MY soule doth often languish and my heart is often full of great cares when I thinke what I may bee namely an example of weakenesse the ruine of Time the scorn of Fortune the image of Mutability the beame of Envie and Calamity and the rest nothing but Flegme and Choler Oh who sees not how many things may be every where busie upon the circumference of the earth Oh with how many teares and sighes they fill the earth all which doe as it were by a certaine fate accompany mans life he deplores the sicknesses which possesse this his body he deplores the uncertaine condition of his health and the ambiguity of his life For what Age or Time is
and make all his praises to be heard O Lord my God thou art exceedingly exalted thou hast put on praise and comelinesse and art clothed with light as it were with a garment Ioseph was thrust into a most noysome darknesse of a prison but the third yeere was hee taken thence and made the great commander over all Aegypt Christ was put in the bowells of the earth but the third day he came out thence alive and was made governour of heaven and earth Moses was cast forth into the river being shut into an Arke of bulrushes but was presently drawne from thence and made the people of Israels Captaine and deliverer Christ Jesus was shut into the tomb but was in good time raised thence and designed for a Saviour unto all men The bush in the wildernesse did burne but was not consumed by the fire Jesus burned upon the Crosse and was exposed to the flames of Gods wrath and the assaults of Satan but this fire was put out and now the beames of his fatherly favour shine forth Aarons rod was withered but it flourished againe all Christs bones were dryed by his passion but vigour returned to them from the grave Josuah trampled the five Kings that were brought unto him under his feet and hung them upon five trees Jesus Christ trampled upon our five enemies the world satan sinne death and the grave and carried away most great spoyles and set up glorious trophyes of his victory Sampson was taken in Gaza but hee plucked up the gates of the City and escaped Christ Jesus was taken of death but not kept and having conquered death hee triumphed David overthrew Goliah the Philistims champion with a sling Christ with his blood overthrew and vanquished the devill the leader and captaine of the wicked We blesse thee famous Saviour we laud thee most invincible captaine we reverence thee most triumphant victour arise make haste my soule and come away now winter's past the storme is over and gone the flowers deck our feilds the spring is come the voyce of the turtle is heard in our land the figgtree is budded the flourishing vines send forth a sweet savour arise make haste my soule and come away it is no time for sloth but to make speed it is no time to sleepe but to awake it is no time to weepe but to rejoyce it is no time to complaine but to bee glad wee have beene too indulgent to sadnesse wee have shed teares enough let sadnesse depart let mirth returne the time of the passion is past the time of the resurrection is come all anxiety must fly away when the message sent by the Angell is heard all greife of heart must vanish when the Gospell is received hee is risen hee is risen whom his friend betrayed whom the company of his disciples forsook whom Peter denied whom the Priests delivered up whom the serjeants smot whom the high Priests mocked whom the Iudges condemned whom the hangmen put to death whom the souldiers pierced whom the accursed burden of our sinns did oppresse whom the wrath due to our sinns had tormented hee is risen the Lord our God is risen our brother is risen who hath in his sepulcher buried all our iniquities and by his resurrection hath brought forth for us freedome and salvation Confesse unto the Lord and call upon his name set forth his works amongst the Gentiles sing unto him sing psalmes unto him declare all his wonderfull works This is the day wherein hath fallen what ever lifted up the head against the Lord for the Lord himselfe after hee had drunk of the brock in the way exalted his own head and brake to peeces the heads of his adversaries this is the day wherein hell was overthrowne and the abhominable Kingdome of Satan conquered the devill bound the old dragon spoyled death disabled and the miserable Christian people freed Remember the wonderfull things of the Lord which hee hath done his marvailes and the judgements of his mouth who shall set forth the power of the Lord and make all his praises to be heard this is the day wherein did vanish away the snares of the serpent of paradise which hee layd for the seede of the woman they vanished away and the head of the serpent was cleft in sunder and the enmity betwixt mankinde and the serpents brood brake forth into extreamity of deeds This is the day wherein the second Adam from heaven awaked out of sleepe and received his only beloved and married her to himselfe blesse the Lord O my soule O Lord my God thou hast been wonderfully magnified thou hast put on praise and comelinesse and art clothed with light as with a garment rejoyce in the Lord O my soule this ought to be the solemnity above all solemnities wherein Christ the Lord by his divine power arose from death 〈…〉 as before handled like a 〈…〉 theefe this day is better than tha◠wherein the world did first appeare For that was created for mans labour this was made for his rest that deserved death this frees him from the feare of death the light of that day is buried in darknesse the brightnesse of this day doth even enlighten the graves to conclude the dead see not the light of that day but the light of this day hath even showne forth to the dead let us therefore rejoyce in this day which both shines about the living and quickneth the dead and illuminates those who are to come Let all the world exult with joy for it is meet that as every creature did lament with mournfull teares the death of their Creator and did follow the hearse of him that was put to death upon the Crosse in the dark funerals of the night so they should now joyfully receive him triumphantly returning in his resurrection from the dead And thou also my soule rowse thy selfe from the sleepe of sinne that thou crucifie him not againe after his resurrection awake if thou be asleepe and rise from the dead when the Lord arose from the tabernacle the campe removed and all the people followed to day is the Lord of life and death risen from the grave thou must not lie snorting but follow him by thy fervent devotion the old leaven must be purged out the leaven of malice and wickednesse wee must feed on the unleavened bread of truth and sincerity I am willing O God but not able thou who hast given mee grace to hate the way of the flesh and studies of this age vouchsafe that I may never set foot in that way nor ever be deceived by these inventions Lord Jesus Holy Iesus Good Iesus if thou wilt I shall be able for it is thy will that makes mee able will therefore I may have ability and will I may bring this good work to perfection Thou who did'st vouchfafe to dye for our sinns and to rise againe for our justification I beseech thee by thy glorious resurrection to raise me from the grave of all my sinnes and offences
and give me daily a part in the first resurrection that I may truly deserve to receive a part in thy resurrection Most sweet benigne loving deare precious desired lovely beautifull Jesus thou didst ascend into heaven in triumph of thy glory and sittest most mighty King at the right hand of thy Father draw me up to thee that I may runne after thee for the odour of thy perfumes I will runne and never be weary if thou wilt assist me joyne the mouth of the soule that thirsts after thee to the heavenly streames of eternall satiety yea draw me to thy selfe thou living fountaine that thence I may drinke my fill whence I may alwayes live my God and my life CONTEMP c. 26. Of Christs Ascention CLap your hands O all ye Nations rejoyce in the Lord with an exulting voice because the Lord is high terrible a great King above all the earth he hath subjected the people unto us and nations under our feet he hath chosen us out for an inheritance to himselfe the excellency of Iacob which he loved God hath ascended in a shout the Lord in the voice of the trumpet Sing unto our God sing ye sing unto our King because God is the King of all the earth sing unto him with understanding God hath reigned over the nations God sitteth upon his holy seat the Princes of the people are gathered together with the people of the God of Abraham because God is exceedingly exalted by them that defend the earth This O my soule was the voice and song of the faithfull Jewes in the old Testament wherein they gratulated their Saviour when in spirit and in faith they saw he was to come and did exhort one another that they should sing unto and trust in him that was exalted in his Majesty Say thou also O clap your hands rejoyce in the Lord in the voice of exultation that which they proclaimed in hope doe thou proclaime in fruition for Christ is ascended the eternall offspring of the eternall God and the Sonne of temporary man borne in time Sing O my soule to thy great God and Saviour to the true peacefull Prince of peace Emperour of heaven and earth King of kings Lord of lords The Angels praise his Majesty Principalities adore him Majesties tremble at him the powers of the heaven of heavens and the Society of the blessed Seraphins doe celebrate his praises with exultation doe thou also cry out to thy Messiah be life and victory blessing and honour glory and power for evermore Those sell soules not satisfied with his death torments and Crosse did even warre against him being dead and did most diligently observe all things lest any should steale his body out of the grave yet returnes he the Conquerour returnes cloathed with the brightnesse of his glory as it were with most pure garments he returnes and hastens to higher things he flies up to the highest heavens compassed with quires of Angels and heavenly citizens some of whom as I guesse sing songs of triumph to the Conquerour others dance for joy others offer him palme and bayes others strew handfuls of a most pleasing crop of heavenly flowers Where are now thy pale lips where is that filthy besmearing with spittle where is the congealed blood where the pricks of the thornes where his black and blew shoulders where those streames of blood gushing forth where his torne sinewes by the lashes of whips In so short a moment is this so thicke a mist of ignominy exhaled and the brightnesse of his glory possesses all things And now is the fore-head cleare the eyes sparkling the comely cheeks blushing red now are the lips died scarlet now doth he shake his golden and glittering tresses in briefe he is all over like the Sunne breaking out of a cloud Where now Lord is thy abjection after thou hast pierced the skies and ascended above all heavens when thou wast higher than the heavens and hadst entred into thy Fathers house in which are many mansions where was thy contemptible estate when the glory of the heavens gave place to thee and thou ruledst every where and filledst all places from sea to sea even to the ends of the earth for evermore Thou fillest all things O Lord therefore art thou most present and although thou seemest sometime to be departed from us yet if thou wouldest open our eyes we should finde thee about us and in us Thou art most present therefore let not my sinnes defile me because they offend thee that wast scourged crucified and slaine for them and cause me to be condemned for offending of thee Thou art cleane and dost dwell with those that are pure in heart those that burthen their soules with the filth of sinne doe expell thee the guest of their soule Thou art most present therefore whatever betides me and howsoever the devill batter me and in what manner soever the world afflict me or the flesh doe tempt me yet thou seest it and art both able and joyfull to deliver me When upon mount Olivet thou madest preparation to depart to the full enjoying of thy heavenly kingdome thou didst hold up thy hands to heaven and didst blesse thy Disciples I am also thy disciple therefore thou wilt not withdraw thy blessing from me but wilt make thy ascention to become unto me a descention of many sorts of gifts Thy graces did descend as thy body did ascend so shall I ascend in my heart I will runne after thee not with the steps of my feet but with the desires of my soule and flying from worldly desires I will follow thee thither in heart whither I beleeve thou art in body ascended let me now take no pleasure in vile things here below that am possessed of thee in heaven I will ascend in my affections I will ascend in my progresse and I wil ascend in effect I shall ascend in my affections if I relish heavenly things I shall ascend in my progresse if I shall daily profit in thy ministery and I shall ascend in effect if I have my conversation where thou art even in the heavens And I trust I shall easily obtaine this for thou art ascended to the Father to be my Intercessor The high Priest when he entred the Holy of Holyes made an atonement for the people thou art entred into the Sanctuary of blessed immortality a Sanctuary not made with hands but heaven it selfe thou wilt therefore appear in the presence of God for us Thou art ascended not leaving upon the earth thy humanity which thou tookest from the earth and didst carry about thee on the earth but hast so exalted it that thou hast made it a partaker of heaven Why therefore O man shouldest thou feare why O man shouldest thou afflict thy selfe Be secure flesh and blood you are possessors of heaven and Gods Kingdome in Christ if any deny you are in Christ he denies also that Christ is in heaven the flesh and blood and portion of every of us is in
bigger volumes at length they mount so high that by their loftinesse they overturne all those that saile upon them Now also hastens that extreame tempest of soules that shall overwhelme the whole World which sets forth unto us its beginning by wars slaughters as it were by some of his waves And the neerer we do daily come to the end so much the greater are the volumes of troubles which we behold but at the last when all the Elements are in a hurly burly the Iudge will come amongst us and bring an end of all things with him and certainely it is but a moment till he shall shake not only the earth but the heavens themselves We ought vigilantly to looke for this tempest and to be afraid of the waves that daily swell against us and to foresee what must follow upon these troubles which buffet the World God himselfe warnes us so saying take heed least at any time your hearts be over charged with gluttony and drunkennesse for drunkennesse is a smooth devill a sweet poyson a delightfull sin he that is possessed with it hath not himself and he that acts it commits not a sin but is wholly sin it selfe and as the soule which is free from wine is most wise and of the most excellent temper so moystned with the vapours of wine it is as it were enveloped in a cloud it doth confound nature makes us lose grace destroys our glory and makes us incurre eternall damnation He warnes us that we be not entangled with the cares of this life For we cannot serve two God and Mammon for the love of riches doth farre more torture than refresh our soules to get them is toylesome we keepe them with feare and lose them with much sorrow He warnes us that we watch at all times and pray that wee may bee worthy to escape the evils to come and to stand before the sonne of man Let us watch O let us watch for that only day of our Lords comming is kept secret that we might every day stand in awe The Lord will come in an houre when wee thinke not of him when wee shall say peace and all things are safe Whether we eate or drinke or whatsoever we do else let that dreadfull voice alwayes sound in our eares Arise ye dead and come unto judgement Let us watch my companions let us watch hee shall be blessed whosoever he be that doth nothing without the remembrance of this Iudgement let us pray O my companions let vs pray let us pray without ceasing and let us cry with a strong voyce to the Lord and though wee cease with our tongue yet let us cry with good workes and that without ceasing for prayer is rather of the heart than of the lippes rather of our workes than of our words the words of him that prays are not so much observed by God as the heart of the suppliant By how much more we are oppressed with the tumultuousnesse of carnall things so much the more fervently we ought to bend our selves unto prayer Let us pray continually because wee are alwayes tempted and because our sins doe labour without intermission to circumvent us the world to deceive us hell to devour us and the devill to insnare us Let us surround God making as it were a power against him by our prayers that we may bind and overcome our sinnes the world hell and the devill and may without blame wait for the fixed houre and the day of the universall doome That houre shall not be unprofitable to us which to others hath proved most fruitfull for prayer quenched the fiery fornace for the three Children stopped the Lions mouthes that they could not hurt Daniel appeased the seditious Israelites for Moses opened Paradise locked up heaven made the barren wombe fruitfull loosed Pauls and Peters bands nay he hath enlarged the confidence of prayer which carryed Cornelius to heaven and did justifie the Publicane That I might stirre up and encrease this desire of prayer of Groanes and of Sighes in my selfe not long since I framed this incitement when Hanibal as it were was even at our gates and rash death commanded mee to cease from my other labours and I doe willingly impart it to the youth that love learning and religion and to others that please to whom I wholly enthrall my selfe I have willingly and wittingly passed over those quarrels and brawles which many make against things of this nature for I endeavoured not so much to sharpen and embelish the wit as to amend and better the soul nor could I with a soaring wing of wit compasse heaven and earth If any desire a smooth style let him know that I made choyce rather to speak in other mens words and to recollect the sentences of the Ancient than to speake in mine owne phrase and let him consider not the style but the sense of the matter wherin these things are writ neither whether it bee according to the usuall manner of phrase but whether the matter be true for if the sense hee true What skils it saith a learned German in so abstruse a busines whether thou cloath it in a fine or a course vaile or garment so it be not uncomely Surely my minde is good throughout and if my humane tongue or pen shall any where falter let mee not bee too severely punished for there is no malice or obstinacie in it though there may be weaknesse and obscurity if any shall maintaine that these things are neither beseeming my age or condition I shall willingly give him leave to abound in his owne sense and if he please to bee wise in his owne conceit yet every man ought to hold piety deare and to be studious of it of whatsoever qualitie or years they be of I am young sayes one and now I will take my pleasure hereafter will I repent This is as much as to say I will wound my selfe with my sword and then I will goe to the Chirurgion Alas knowest thou not that a wound is received in a minute that can hardly bee cured in a long time Thou mayst sin of thy selfe but rise from sin alone thou canst not in which most grave sentence of S. Augustine I end and seriously rest I beseech you doe so with me Imprimatur THO. WYKES Octob. 30. 1639. CONTEMPLATIONS SIGHES and GROANES of a Christian CONTEMP c. 1 Of the greatnesse of Gods Love AWake my soule out of the sleep of ignorance awake my heart out of the sleep of sloth struggle out my spirit out of the depth of darknesse and look back upon thy God look upon thy God that cannot be seen with corporeall eyes because he dwels in an inaccessible light that none can behold and live yet doe I O my god lift up my spirit unto thee I raise up my soule unto thee I cast up mine eyes unto thee my understanding desires to meditate and consider of thee but sees not where to begin how to goe on aad in
God he saw his owne nakednesse His first nakednesse was nothing else than tokens of chiefe happinesse and of the greatest riches but the nakednesse that this man saw after he had sinned was meere ruine a testimony of everlasting woe and want That first man saw his body naked but his soule was more naked spoyled and disrobed of knowledge wisdome integrity and originall innocency hee covered his nakednesse being enwrapped with shame but this was a wretched garment he sowed together figg leaves and made aprons to cover himselfe and his seducing wife O vaine mantles O lamentable coverings And what are all mens cloathings that seeme so sumptuous and glittering but figge leafes that quickly vanish to nothing and gald those that weare them O would to God that as often as we cloath our selves wee were urged with the sharp and stinging point of repentance for they are tokens of our wants signes of our shame arguments of our misery and comforts for our extreme infirmities Thou sinfull and fallen man why art thou proud in setting forth thy impieties thou thiefe why braggest thou of a halter why dost thou vauntingly boast of anothers fleece what carriest thou under it but a sack full of dung the rotten bag of thy soule thy skin is not enough to cover thee nor except thou beest most impudent dost thou let any one see it but gettest some other thing to supply the want of thine owne I behold mine owne clothes I see a hell of evills yet I consider the depth of thy care providence and mercy for thou helpest mee thus naked before I can understand mine owne want and nakednesse and commandest all the creatures to haste unto me that they might cover my nakednesse and supply my wants Thou thy selfe most mercifull God as I remember didst clothe sinnefull man in a Lambs skinne not in Lyons Beares Foxes or Wolves skins that thou mightest teach him thy hatred to cruelty greedinesse deceit and wrath and thy love to unspotted simplicity thou madest his garment of the skins of dead cattell that thou mightest shew us how we were fallen from life to death how of immortall we were become mortall that we were from the earth and must returne to the earth againe Thou tookest a skin of a Lamb slaine that thou mightest witnesse unto us that our Fall was only to bee healed by a Lambe to be slaine O thou garment of the golden age thou unspotted Lamb slaine to the beleevers before the beginning of the world O thou Messias that wast promised and food appointed from all eternity thou who wast made the seed of the Woman and hast bruised the Serpents head cloath me with thy merits and mine owne deserts shall nothing hurt mee cloath mee with thy righteousnesse and mine owne unrighteousnesse shall not condemne mee cloath me with thy holinesse and mine owne iniquity shall not accuse mee cloath me with faith in thee and I shall one day receive the robe of happinesse Nothing can cover the filthy nakednesse of a sinner nothing can hide me from Gods judgement but thy coat O heavenly Lambe but the holes of thy wounds but the yawning scarres of thy body I will put thee on by a steadfast faith and with the Church of old I will triumph before thee CONTEMP c. 9. Of Noahs Ark Crow and Dove THou art my God very long suffering and thy wrath grants sinners a very large time nor dost thou root out sinners on a suddaine Mans malice was great and every thought of his heart was continually bent to mischief they neglected thy Word nor did they obey thy Spirit that was to lead them thou therefore didst repent thee of thy Creation and didst resolve to destroy this Inne of the World with all the guests thereof yet did not thy justice haste very much to execute judgement but thy mercy interposed a hundred and twenty yeares that thou mightst see whether by often preaching any could be moved to worke repentance Ah my God thou goest with two feet one of justice the other of mercy but mercy alwayes makes the first step and justice the later nor dost thou delight in the death or destruction of a sinner but thou wilt and commandest that he bee converted and live But all thy expectation was in vaine and thy mercies were entertained with scorne the wrath therfore of thy justice was kindled and the waters of the Flood broke in upon the earth the fountaines of the great deepe were broken up and the Cataracts of heaven were opened and it rained upon the earth for many dayes and almost all thy creatures perished and among men none but thy Noah and his family were preserved in the Ark. Thou forsakest not my God thou most just and most bountifull God those that worship adore thee but dost preserve them in fire and water and amidst the storme of growing miseries thou dost nor despise or reject any thou dost not affright any one except he who is so mad as to abhorr thee My God the horne of my salvation thou that takest me up thou Father of mercies God of all Consolation O Lord my Strength my Fortresse my Refuge my Deliverer Canst thou draw the sword of justice and not annoynt the point with the oile of mercy He lyes therefore hid in safety in that wonderfull ship out of which not life but present death was to bee found What shall I say that that ship did represent but thy Church which is tossed to and fro with sundry Stormes of persecution and waves of adversitie and hath no fixed station yet the true and eternall safety is contained there which out of it is offered to none Noah was the Steere-man hereof but thou O God art the Governour both of Noah and it and thou wast Noahs true and heavenly Comforter who dost not suffer it to sinke The waters of the Flood overwhelmed the palaces of Kings but did every day better than other beare aloft the Ark of Noah so doe persecutions destroy earthly kingdomes but thou sufferest not thine owne Kingdome to be overthrowne but dost even encrease and enlarge it by stormes of temptations Noah sent a Raven and a Dove out of the Ark the Raven pursued his prey and did never returne to the Arke of Noah the Dove did returne and was received in againe of this Steeres-man O Christ let mee abandon the Raven-like gluttony the lovelinesse of pleasures for it is very rare that any one seated amongst the delights of the age should remaine free from a smatch of vice in which although hee bee not forthwith inthralled yet is hee sometimes drawne away by them nor can he be long safe who stands next to danger let me remember that I am to play the Souldier in such a kind of warfare wherein there is no rest given I will resolve to overcome pleasures which have destroyed many good ingenuities The Dove finding no seat to rest upon returned to the Ark and was admitted into it O Christ my repose my
mouth I view the letters graven with the finger of God the learning people and teaching God and that there is as it were but one schoole of heaven and earth mixed of men and Angels For so it is written that when Moses had reported to the Lord the peoples words the Lord said unto him Now will I come to thee in a thick cloud that the people may hear me speake to thee And behold a while after they began to heare thunders and lightnings and thicke clouds began to cover the mountains And again He did descend upon the top of Mount Sinah And afterwards he spake with Moses all of them seeing that the Pillar of the Cloud did rest at the doore of the Tabernacle and they stood and worshipped in their Tent doors Thou didst speak O Lord to Moses face to face as one friend useth to doe with another O what a care hast thou of thy creature man thou God that affordst and performest these so great things for him making vile man partaker of thy Word and as it were admitting him to the fellowship of thy holy company opening thy hands full of immortall riches nourishing him with the cup of Nectar and feeding him with heavenly food What greater care I beseech thee couldest thou performe in that thy government or what greater affection couldest thou use that whereas they were but in the action of this present life they did notwithstanding then enjoy a representation of their future blisse Nor let any man here murmure that thou hadst this care of mankinde heretofore but that thou now hast it not Whence shall I beleeve this repining doth proceed by chance because we are not daily fed with Manna as they were although we reap from our fields most plentifull Wheat-harvests or is it because wee catch not Quailes flying as it were into our hands whereas we devour all kinde of birds of cattell and beasts or because we doe not with open mouthes receive the waters springing from the rockes whereas wee drench our Tavernes with the juice of the grapes Somthing I adde more that we our selves who thinke that God did then take care of them and do suppose that God doth now neglect us if wee could exchange our present blessings for theirs which are past wee would utterly refuse to wish to bee in their Condition For we would not lose the things wee now have that wee might possesse the things which they then used Not that wee have better things than that Nation then had but because even they who were fed by the daily ministery of heaven and of God himselfe did preferre the old gluttony of their bellies before the present good things they received beeing sad with the calling to minde of their carnall meates and falling sicke for the filthy love of leeks and oyons not that these things which they formerly used were better but because even as we now do so did they then they loathed the things they had and desired the things they had not We doe rather extol the things that were then than the things which now are not that we had alwayes rather have them if we might choose but because this is an usuall fault that mans soule is incident to to desire the things are absent and for other mens things to please us better than our owne and for ours to please others more than the things they doe enjoy so fastidious are we most miserable men that we are not worthy to live much lesse of life with the good things appertaining to it But what ere thou givest or deniest thou art alwayes a Father and dost never forsake a sonne that trusts and hopes in thee Give if thou wilt but onely five loaves and two fishes a handfull of meale a little oyle in a pitcher a few shreds and branches of trees and no more I will boast of the care thou hast of mee O my God in thee will I boast my heavenly Father who takest me up nor can I receive disquietnesse from thee for ever Thou wilt say to my soul I am thy salvation no good thing shall be diminished to them that seeke thee they shall not bee confounded in the evill day and in a time of famine they shall have enough Although I fall I shall not bee dashed to peeces because thou settest to thine hand I never saw the just man forsaken nor his seed begging their bread I will seeke thee O Lord and thou shalt heare mee and shalt snatch mee out of all my troubles being poore I will call unto thee and thou shalt save mee from all my cares those that feare thee cannot truly suffer want Thou wilt command that the meale in the vessell faile not that the oyle in the pitcher decrease not because I have need of all these things I will first seeke the Kingdome of God and other things shall be added unto me It is so far from thee my God and Lord that thou shouldest forsake thine that thou makest even dogs to helpe and give them ease I will expect thee O Lord I will play the Man I will suffer thine hand O Lord and my heart shall receive comfort let my father and mother forsake mee thou Lord shalt take mee up O God thou shalt be my helpe nor wilt thou despise me O God my salvation Thou shalt set me upon a rock thou shalt hide me in thy Tabernacle in the time of afflictions thou shalt hide me in the depth of thy Tabernacle in the time of affliction that I may see thy goodnesse in the land of the living CONTEMP c. 12. Of the Tabernacle of the Children of Israel Of the Cloud wherein Gods especiall presence was manifested Of the Mercy-seat Of the Arke Of the Manna and Of Aarons rod. I Creepe before thy Tabernacle my God I cōsider how thou didst appear to thy people I find many terrible things but yet comfortable also thou wrappest thy selfe in a Cloud yet is not thy Majesty the lesse resplendent it is so great that thou affrightest and art feared like a consuming fire and how shall I beleeve that an Intellect severed from all mixtion of mortality most excellent most wife and most holy a spirit piercing through all things and intent even to each particular part of the Universe which doth as it were to the strings of a most exquisite Harpe modulate the song of vanishing things in a most pleasing variety a Spirit unbegotten immortall everlasting that is onely a place yea a world able to conteyne it selfe and the greatest world of wisdome of holinesse of understanding of reason of life of formes to whom intelligible nature it selfe doth breath forth and ceases not to frame and render praises can be cloathed in a cloud yet thou cloathest thy selfe with a cloud that thou mightest then exhibit thy selfe according to the time of faith not as thou art a God but as men might endure to behold thee Thou teachest us spirituall things by corporall things and dost demonstrate
many chalenges many and so useth to commend her selfe often unto her beloved Kisse thou also the Lord O my soule lest at any time he be angry and thou perish in the way Who will give thee unto me O Lord O let me find thee and I will kisse not my hands or any thing my hands can touch but even thee O Lord. Let the tumultuous flesh be silent let the phansies of earth and water of ayre and of the vault of heaven hold their peace let dreams and imaginary revelations bee still let every tongue every signe and whatsoever is acted in a trice be quiet say nothing to thy selfe O my soule passe by thy selfe and have no thought upon thy selfe but upon my God For he is truly all my hope and trust For in God and our Lord Jesus Christ most sweet most bountifull and most pitifull is every of our portions our bloud and flesh the lover doth as much as possible desire to be one with the thing beloved and therefore they cling together and glew as it were their bodies in one and they strive to make of both their soules but one by the conjunction of kisses Thou O Jesus my love thou my desire thou my thought thou my hope thou my wish I would I could alwayes cleave unto thee Would to God that where thou my portion doest raigne there I may at least be a subject and where thou my blood doest rule there I may obey and where thou my flesh art glorified I may not bee there confounded I am indeed a sinner but yet I distrust not of the communion of grace and if my sinnes doe forbid it yet my substance requireth it if mine owne offences exclude me the fellowship of my nature drives mee not back for God is not so great an enemie that hee should not love his owne flesh his members and bowels I might indeed despaire by reason of my too too many sinnes and offences my infinite faults and negligences which I have committed and which I daily and without ceasing doe act in heart mouth and worke and by all wayes that humane frailtie can offend except thou haddest kissed me except O Word thou haddest beene made flesh except thou shouldest dwell in me Let reason here be silent and let faith speak the things are true which I say for thy Spirit hath revealed them unto me yet are they so profound that I cannot pierce into them they are so high that my abjectnesse will not suffer me to reach them I will adore them in silence and admire in my adoration And thy miraculous incarnation shall clense my spotted conception Let not reason conceive that which thy overshadowing doth work so that my Salvation may be firme sure and unshaken CONTEMP c. 14. Of Christs Nativitie THat which none ever saw now all the world beholds that which none ever heard now all the world doth heare God the Sonne of God undergoes the shame of our humane nature and takes upon him the reproachfull principles of our earthly originall he lyes in a manger to whom Angels doe yeeld their service he suffers himselfe to be wrapped in swadling cloathes who gives cloathing to the heavens no ambition seene in his house a bare couch in a stable and his Mother lodged in hay such an Inne doth the worlds Creator make choice of these were the dainties of the holy Virgins child-bed ragges in stead of purple for silke and princely trimming nothing but plaine hemmes hee that was before the foundation of the world was laid borne from the heart of his Father who had Alpha and Omega for his surname the beginning and the close of all things which were or are or shall be hereafter now in the end of the determined time put on the shape of a servant and is borne of a poore Virgin Let the vault of heaven sing let every Angell sing let all that belong to vertue sing to the praises of God let no tongue be silent and let every voyce for ever and ever sound forth his praises Old-age and youth quires of Infants troopes of matrons and virgins the simple maydens with tunable voyces let them with chast consorts chaunt forth his praises let every age acknowledge that the reward of our life is come after the bondage of our sharpe enemie Whence is this that not the Mother of our Lord but that the very Lord himselfe comes unto us How great is he that is given to mee hee is the Angell of peace the Lambe of God the Benefactour of all the horne of salvation the Bruiser of the Serpents head the Governour of Israel he is the desire of the Gentiles the guide of our life and the expectation of the Nations He is the Son of the most High the branch of Jesse the humble Caller of mankind he is our Intercessour he is our Righteousnesse he is our Deliverer hee is our Mediatour hee is our Nourisher hee is our Helper He is the Prince of Peace he is the great Prophet the Restorer of our quiet he is our Redeemer Hee is our Reconciler he is King of Sion a Saviour an Expiatory Sacrifice he is the heavenly Bridegroome the Expeller of sadnesse he is the Word made flesh the most ample Present the heavenly Zelote he is all things Let the bright heaven thunder let the glad earth personate let yawning hell mourne but let mankind keepe a Jubily we groaped in darknesse and were blinded and covered in a most thick night he proceedeth out of the darknesse and night that expelleth these mists of ignorance and night of sinnes Our nature is not now strange to God since that in it even in Christ our Mediatour the fulnesse of the Godhead doth now dwell for the Virgins womb was made choice of for the Lord of heaven and earth to spring in nor was that blessed masse the Sonne of God incarnate for her onely but that of his fulnesse all wee might be made pertakers God did not onely make mee but hee made many things for me seeing that the Word is made flesh for me and dwelleth in us he is become one flesh with me that he might make mee one Spirit with him Christ would become that which man is that man might become what God is it is impossible for mee to understand the secret of his Nativity My understanding failes my voice nay not mine only but even the voice of the Angels is stopped it is above Powers above Cherubin and Seraphin and above all sense I therefore lay my hand upon my mouth I may not search after these so high mysteries It may bee knowne that he was borne It is not to bee disputed how hee was borne it is rashnesse to enquire after this This is an unutterable Birth who shall declare it An Angell shewes it the Vertue overshadowes the Spirit assists the Virgin beleeves a Virgin brings forth and yet continues a Virgin who doth not admire the Word is born an Infant 8c length is acknowledged to be
danger and so is the esteeme of the medicine as is the heaping up of my griefe and feare O the sweetnesse and greatnesse of thy love although O Lord my God the world was placed in the middest of mischiefe and is full of misery yet sentest thou thy blessed Sonne into the world for us and for this diddest thou send him into the world that he being sold might ransome us being put to death might restore us to life might honour us by suffering disgrace and might adopt us for his sonnes If I would reckon up what he suffered for most miserable man what voice would suffice me for it what eares would not be weary to heare it for he was no sooner borne but his blood was spilt in the circumcision he was scarcely circumcised but forthwith was he designed to the slaughter he no sooner professed his doctrine openly but he was called the impious blasphemous and raging stirrer up of the people even by them whose God he had alwayes beene after a peculiar manner I doe every where behold misery calamity disgraces reproaches griefes poverty wearinesse sadnesse hunger thirst that he seemes but onely to have finished in his passion what he had continually suffered in the whole course of his life After that the Son coeternall and consubstantiall with his Father the Omnipotent Patron of the Church ordained for a judge of the quicke and the dead had fervently powred forth those prayers which he had conceived for mans salvation wherin he at the point of death more especially recommēded to his Father that deare pledge his Church for whose sake he suffered not onely valiantly but most willingly and freely not a drop but streames of blood to flow from his five wounds Walking with his disciples beyond the brook that tooke it's name from the shady vale the traitour meets him with an armed troope of servants and officers his neighbours flie from him his Disciples retire a friend and companion saluting the innocent betrayes him for a malefactour but it was the same whom before O cruell mischiefe hee had sold for a little money and for a base price his hands are tyed his armes are bound thus tyed and bound is he led away and the most deare young man that a little before leaned upon his most holy bosome followes after and Peter also but a farre off and with great feare none of the rest are present those whom he had loved whom he had full fed whom he had taken care of whom he had healed doe not so much as looke backe upon him they all forsake him that never forsooke any man he is made an unhappy spectacle in the house called Pratorium his shamefast body is made naked that off-spring of the most pure Virgin and was scourged even to death by those beastly Serjeants ordained to scourge malefactors they are instant both with words and stripes and drunk no lesse with blood than wine they binde him to a pillar they load him with stripes they multiply strokes upon strokes the place did ring with their smart blowes streames of bloud issue from his torne body and now there is scarce the resemblance of a body to be seene throughout him Behold the man saith Pilate And here lift up thy eyes O my soule and looke stedfastly upon the face of the Lord thy God leave awhile all thy vanities to which thou hast all thy life addicted thy selfe and if thou canst collect for one moment all thy thoughts and bestow them this day upon thy Saviour Behold the man behold a man of sorrow behold him that is beautifull above the sonnes of men ruddy chosen out of thousands whose haire is as the palme branches blacke as the ravens whose eyes are like the doves eyes by the fountaines of waters which are washed with milke whose lips distill the choisest myrrh like the lillies behold then it now raines nothing but blood his haire cleaves together with blood his head pierced with thornes doth dart forth blood his nostrils bruised with the strokes of the fist have besmeared his face with swart blood and which is most miserable of all being tyed bound he hath not wherewith to wipe of his blood he hath not I say wherewith to wipe away his blood forcing as it were from all parts of his body Behold the man This is that face which the heavens cannot behold and hell dares not behold this is he that now keeps silence whose voice is heard in the clouds whose thunder daunteth the courages of men with his fearful claps Behold the man behold the Lord of all things stands in want amidst all those things which he doth possesse he standeth bound who frees all he stands wounded that heales all Behold the man for thy cause O man stands he before the judge before us all doth he stand for us all he stands without a garment he stands robbed that no wound of his body might be hid from the beholders Learn O man out of these things which he suffered for thee what account Christ made of thee to the end by how much the viler thou art for whom he suffered by so much the dearer thy Christ may be unto thee Learne O man to avoid those things which may offend thy God Behold with how much sweat with what labour with what griefe he stood that he the Son of God might reconcile thee to his Father I have said many things yet if thou considerest the rest they are very few for the officers adde reproach to his punishments while they cloath his body with a purple garment made more purple with his most innocent bloud They fasten a prickly crown made of stiffe thornes upon his reverend head they salute him for a King and strike their King over the face and they blow upon the glasse of Angels with the worst sort of mixed stincks even the stench of their breaths corrupted by surfeting and mingled with spittle and by and by when they come to Calvary the prophane wretches doe prepare themselves for the butchery and lay upon his fainting body that most accursed punishment of the Crosse his most innocent hands are fastened with nailes which never did wrong to any but had wrought salvation for all men his most holy feet are fastened with an iron band wretch that I am they must be joyned together that had been exercised in so frequent travell for mine and for the salvation of all men His eyes swim in blood those two that were wont to be the lights of the good but lightning to the wicked his pure mouth is silent from which had rained honey combes his tongue is tyed which with its very silence convinces the cruelty of the parricides heaven was afraid of this spectacle and in it its mourning weed bewailes its Creatour the Lord of the Starres it withdrew it selfe within a sudden darknesse as ashamed of so great a wickednesse the Angels groane the Citizens of heaven breake forth into teares O face of man harder than
a flint that with dry eyes canst read this story O heart of man harder than an Adamant that these things cannot penetrate O fierce and steely heart of man that considers not these things Thy Saviour being weary and overcharged under so great a burden cries and cals out and in his soule cals upon us My people what have I done unto thee or how have I beene troublesome unto thee answer me I have beene no Usurer nor hath any thorow the earth taken use for me yet all doe curse me God hath shut me up with the wicked and hath delivered me to the hands of the wicked Many calves have compassed me about fat buls have besieged me They opened their mouths upon me as it were a raging and roaring Lion I am powred out like water and all my bones are scattered abroad my heart in the middest of my bosome is like melting wax my strength is dried up like a potsheard and my tongue cleaveth to my gums and thou hast brought me into the dust of death He cryed he called out but there was none that would heare he is led without the city to the place made infamous for the punishing of the wicked therein as unto a publick separate place that he might not pollute any man by his contagion which the adjoyning inhabitants gave a name from the dead mens souls which lay scattered every where abroad within it The Captaine of the heavenly hostes led forth in the sight of men and Angels to be fastened between heaven and earth unto the accursed Crosse to be refreshed with vinegar he is wounded he is slaine he is thrust thorow with a speare what current of language can sufficiently unfold this misery but thls remembrance of such stupendious things requires rather the teares of the faithfull than the Orators eloquence O who shall give water to my head and a fountaine of teares to mine eyes that I may weepe night and day I will weepe with strong teares I will make drunke my cheeks with my teares the righteous perish and there is none that taketh it to heart the Lord of heaven gives up the ghost and there is not one that thinks it concernes him any thing Raise up thy selfe O my soule and weary thy selfe in meditating upon the passion of thy Lord no time is more happily spent than that which the devout soule imployeth upon the passion O wonderfull condition of his censure and unutterable disposition of a mystery the unjust doth offend and the righteous is punished the guilty transgresseth and God is chastised the impious sinneth and the righteous is condemned the good suffereth that which the wicked deserveth that which the servant is indebted the Master doth pay Whither O whither thou Sonne of God doth thy humility descend how farre hath thy love beene inflamed how farre did thy love reach and how farre did thy pitty eâ—tend O Lord Jesus Christ governe and guide me by thy Spirit that my soule being pricked by thy visitation may crucifie its flesh with the sins and lusts thereof O Lord Jesus I onely put my trust in thy passion and death O Lord Iesus Christ who hast witnessed that thy delight is to be with the sonnes of men thou who becamest man for man in the later age be mindfull of all thy premeditations and inward griefe which from the beginning of thy conception thou diddest endure in thy humane nature but chiefly in the instant time of thy most saving passion fore-ordained from all eternity in thy divine heart Remember the sadnesse and bitternesse which thy soule was possessed with as thou diddest testifie when thou saidst My soule is heavie even to death and when in thy last Supper thou diddest deliver thy Body and Blood to thy Disciples when thou washedst their feet and when sweetly comforting them thou didst foretell thy neare approaching passion Remember the feare anguish and griefe which thou didst endure thorow all thy tender body before thy suffering upon the Crosse When after thy troubled prayer thou diddest sweat that bloody sweat when thou wast delivered by thine owne Disciple taken by thy chosen people accused by false wi nesses unjustly sentenced by three severall Iudges in the holy City when at the time of the Passeover in the florishing time of thy youth being innocent thou wast condemned wast delivered wast spitted on thine owne cloaths pulled off and others put upon thee thou wast buffetted thy face and eyes were covered when thou wast bound to the Crosse and crowned with thornes O most sweet Jesus give me I beseech thee for the memory of thy paines and passion true contrition and confession and also remission of all my sins before my death and in my death grant me comfort and consolation of spirit and after death grant me salvation and glory Amen CONTEMP c. 18. Of the first and second word of our Lord spoken upon the Crosse O My soule one of thy faithfull servants sadly and mournfully cryes out concerning Job what a pageant of triumph hath God made of the Devill in that man what an ensigne of his glory hath he erected from his enemie when he did with great patience cleanse away the uncleane flowing matter of his sores when sportingly hee did call back the wormes that crawled forth from his sores to the same holes and feeding places of his worme-eaten flesh But how much hath thy Saviour out-gone him in constancie of mind and an unshaken patience he in the last necessitie in the pangs of death in the paines of hell sorsaken and made exceeding sad by his angry God failes not in the courage of his mind he shewed no signe that his heart departed from the path of righteousnesse but as he began so continues be to love mankind Heare the words that he utters from the chaire of his crosse they were few but great profitable and worthy never to depart out of a Christians heart as long as he hath his vitall breath Thus he speaks Father forgive them they know not what they doe Oh thy supereminent love O Lord thou prayest not O Lord that they might be punished who afflicted and crucified thee but that they might enjoy the merit of thy passion and be saved Thou so aboundest in thy love that forgetfull of thy most exquisite sufferings thou thinkest on nothing but the reconciling of sinners O incomparable humanitie of unspeakable mercy with what gentle and friendly eyes dost thou locke upon me from the Altar of the Crosse how can any man despaire seeing we have so diligent so faithfull so loving and so zealous an intercessour Where are you trembling sinners where are you affrighted conseiences doe you delight to see the heart of your Lord to overflow with grace Come and behold his Crosse Come come see his heart mounting into his tongue and begging pardon for your sins Iesus my God I am also present amongst sinners amongst those that crucifie thee looke on me and receive me my sins my sins were those
the man Christ Iesus Therefore where my portion reignes I beleeve I reigne where my blood doth rule I perceive my selfe to rule where my flesh is glorified I know I am glorious Thou wentest to prepare a place for mee that I might be with thee in a most plesant City thou laydst open the way that I might come into thy most loving society Thou didst first break through that I might also enter into most ample felicity in everlasting health of body in perfect purity of our soules in all fullnesse of glory and divine pleasure into the perpetuall familiarity of the Saints to have kindred hope resting place grace and dignity in the heavens CONTEMP 27. c. Of the sending downe of the Holy Ghost HOw great and what an unutterable piety of my redeemer is this hee carried man into heaven and sent God downe upon the earth behold therefore a new Redeemer is sent from heaven behold againe divinity and humanity are mixed together Thou didst foretell O my God by thy spirit which thou hast given us I will powre out my waters to the thirsty and my streames upon those that are scorched I will powr out my spirit upon thy seede my blessing upon thy posterity I will powre out my spirit upon all flesh and your sonns shall prophecy I will sprinckle pure water upon you and you shall be clensed from all your pollutions I will send my spirit into the midst of you Now O my God is thy prophecy fulfilled and the showers of thy graces and streames of thy blessings are powred forth That common expected time of gladnesse of all the righteous is now come the sweet guest of the soule is come the comfortable refreshing the rest in our labour the temper in heate comfort in mourning the washing of that which was foule watering that which was partched with heate healing that which is wounded straightning what was crooked cherishing that which was cold ordering what was gone astray The inspiter of our faith the teacher of knowledge the fountaine of love the ensigne of chastity and the cause of all our vertue is come Hee came when the twelve ministers and dispensors of thy mysteries were unanimously gathered together at Ierusalem in the house of prayer chosen by thine owne selfe in the holy City the City of perfect beauty and a sudden noyse comming from heaven as it were the rushing of a mighty wind cloven tongues appeared to them like fire and sate upon each of them so that they were all filled with the Holy ghost and they began to speak in divers languages They were gathered together with one accord and indeed that spirit loves agreement and doth bind faster together mens peacefull minds it drives away all brawles and contentions and is it selfe driven away by brawles and contentions They were gathered together in Jerusalem it loves a holy place and where thy word is preached there it gratiously abideth This word is not without the spirit nor thy word without the spirit there was a sound like a wind the holy spirit is not still but its voyce is heard hee is not dumbe but speaketh and preacheth redemption to sinners revelations to those in misery comfort to those that bee sad exaltation to those that are opressed deliverance to the captives liberty to the bondmen and rersurrection to the dead There was a sudden and vehement sound from heaven the holy spirit is not the gift of men but of the Almighty God it brings not momentary but things eternall not earthly but heavenly things Gods helpe is also for the most part sudden and unlooked for when wee despaire of all mens ayd the power of the most High is sent us and cures us in a most fit time The holy spirit is cheerefull and makes them nimble and ready in whom it operates for the grace of the holy spirit is not acquainted with sluggish endevours The tongues appeared devided like fire the tongue is the instrument of the holy ghost whereby it prepares and enlargeth the spirituall Kingdome and as the tongue doth distinguish tastes so doth the holy spirit shew us good from ill and to discerne between spirits it also bestowes on us the gift of variety of languages and gathers together in one the multitudes of men dispersed by reason of the difference of their tongues The love of God is lastly fiery it enlightens the understandings drowned in darknesse it warmes the soules by charity makes them shine in good works consumes wicked affections and actions O most wholsome fire descende from heaven into us We burne with the filthy brands of our lusts that the earth seemes rather an Aetna of uncleane flames than an habitation of men For as the hill Aetna doth continually boyle with certaine inward fiery vapors so doth that with the abhominable flames of fornications by this meanes we kindle the fire of wrath the fire of destruction the fire of the Lord the fire of indignation which went out from the Lord and consumed Nadab and Abihu How grievously doth the prophet cry out behold all of you doe kindle his fire and adde fuell to the flames enter yee into the light of your fire and the flames which yee have kindled For after this manner as the scripture mentioneth doth all mankind rush into eternall damnation For first they kindle the fire then they put fuell to the flames and finally they enter into the flames which they have kindled And first doe wee begin to kindle the eternall fire for our selves when first we begin to sinne and we adde fuell to the flames when we heap sins upon sins We enter into the eternall fire when we fulfill the remedilesse summe of all our mischiefes by the iniquity of our multiplyed offences As our Saviour spake to the Rulers of the Jewes Yee serpents yee generation of vipers fulfill yee the measure of your fathers O heavenly Spirit let plentifull showres fall from heaven and quench the accursed flames of this fire that I be not delivered into the unsufferable flames which no water no brooke no river no sea can quench Filth sticks to me on all sides who will wash it off I am polluted with the dirt of my sins who shall make mee cleane My soule is wounded and altogether defiled who shall heale and purifie it My bones are dried up who shall moisten them Shalt not thou wash mee shalt not thou purge mee shalt not thou heale mee shalt not thou cleanse me shalt not thou moysten me Thou didst never yet suffer me to receive a repulse shall this be the first time that thou wilt reject my prayer Surely thou wilt not deny that which I pray for because thou hast bid me pray unto thee because it tendeth to my salvation which thou so much desirest and belongs unto thine owne honour whereof thou art so jealous Give me drink therefore out of the streames of thy pleasure that I may take no pleasure to taste of the poysoned sweets of the world Thou
of thee we confesse thou art one in Substance three in Person Father Son and Holy Ghost O blessed Trinity God Lord Comforter Charity Grace Fellowship Begetter Begotten Regenerating true Light true Light of light illumination invisible visibly visible invisibly Fountaine and watering streames from whom by whom and in whom are all things he that lives from himselfe and is Life it selfe he that receives life from him that lives and he that gives life to those that live a true Father the Son of truth the Spirit of truth one Essence one Vertue one Goodnesse God above whom is nothing and out of whom is nothing and without whom is nothing God under whom is all in whom is all and with whom is all we call upon thee wee adore thee wee praise thee encrease our faith stirre up our hope and infuse us with charitie Amen CONTEMP c. 29. Of shunning Curiositie in things not revealed unto us WHy art thou afflicted O my soule if reason be tormoiled and doth groane and cry out being plunged in a bottomlesse gulfe A thing is not therefore false because I cannot conceive or understand it reason is not the measure of things but it is bound to fit it selfe to things reason is streight and why then dost thou marvell if it cannot comprehend the vastnesse of heavenly things by how much more simple our faith is so much is our life more agreeable to it although we neither dispute of neither doe understand all things By so much more noble and more renowned shall the citizens of the Church be hereafter esteemed of God because forsaking all they shewed themselves willing to become only most deare unto him it is a short way for religious and simple minds both to cast away errour and to search out the truth For if we returne to the fountaine and head of divine tradition the errour of man vanisheth away and the reason of the heavenly Sacraments being understood what ever before lay hid under the mist and cloud of obscure darknesse is made apparant by the light of truth if the waters of the channell which used to flow plentifully be suddenly dried up doe we not presently goe to the spring-head that there we may discover the reason that it failes whether the pipes grow dry from the head or running full and currantly from thence they bee not stopped in their middle course but if we finde it is by reason that the pipes it flowes in be either stopped or broken that the water cannot runne constantly and flow as it used to doe when we have stopped and sodered the pipes the waters being collected are brought in the same plenty and constancie for the use and drinking of the Citizens as they doe flow from the fountaine Wee must even doe thus according to Gods command that is if truth shall stagger or reele in any thing let us returne to the originall of it namely our Saviour his Gospell and the Apostolicall traditions and thence let us ground the reason of our actions whence the order and originall of it first arose Whilst others make lyes of probabilities they frustrate the truth by subtilties and this is done because they have no recourse to the originall of truth nor doe they seeke to the head nor observe the doctrine of their heavenly Master which whosoever considers and examineth he hath no need of arguments and long discourses The triall of our faith is easie by the compendiousnesse of truth I would have no man dispute how God the Father begate the Son nor doe thou too curiously involve thy selfe within the secret of this depth lest perhaps whilst thou too obstinately searchest after the brightnesse of this in accessible light thou be deprived of that little sight which by Gods gift is afforded unto mortall creatures Or if thou thinkest thou oughtest to wade so farre in this kind as thou art able First begin thou with things which concerne our selves which if thou wilt consequently wade thorow then prepare thy selfe to passe from earthly things to heavenly things from visible things to invisible things First unfold and declare if thou canst how the minde that is in thee begets a word and what is the spirit of memory that is in it how these things that are different in things and actions are notwithstanding but one nature and substance and though they proceed from the minde yet are never separated from it But these things although wee have them in us in the very substance of our soule yet they seeme to be so much the more hidden unto us by how much they are more invisible to the eyes of the body Let us enquire of things more open how doth a fountaine of it selfe beget a river and by what spirit are the swift streames thereof moved and though the fountaine and streames be but the same one inseparable thing yet cannot the fountaine be either understood to bee or be called the river nor the river the fountaine yet he that sees the streames sees the fountaine First exercise thy selfe thou superstitious and impertinently laborious and thou soule that toylest after nullities in the unfolding of these things and discusse if thou canst what we hold in our hands and then we will proceed to things higher than these nor thinke I perswade thee in an instant to ascend from earth above the heavens but first if it please you I will bring you to that firmament which is apparant to our view and there if thou canst unfold the nature of this visible light how that heavenly fire begets from it selfe the shining light how it begets vapors and which being three in distinctnesse of things are yet but one in substance although thou couldest finde out all this know yet that the mystery of the heavenly generation is by so much more different and higher than these things by how much the Creator is more powerfull than the creatures and the workman more excellent than the worke he makes by how much he who is from all eternity is more noble than that that tooke its originall from nothing God is therefore to be beleeved to be the Father of his onely Son our Lord and it is not to be enquired how For a servant ought not to dispute of his masters nativity He wants nothing O man who is confirmed by the doctrine of both Testaments Both of them are these two swords of which the eternall Doctor said It is enough I wish againe and againe my long-suffering God that I might learne and know him but if I know not the originall nor can measure the quantity nor am able sufficiently to consider what manner of thing my soule is which rules over my body if I know not the reason why it should take pleasure in the body which persecuteth it if I be ignorant who hath graven this law of my members that the flesh should oppresse the spirit in so violent a command and that the better and more worthy part of nature should yeeld to
that I may learne to search after and to find thee rather than any thing to be wise unto thee and to love thee and to understand other things as they truly are according to the order of thy wisdome Grant I may wisely shun him that flatters me and patiently suffer him that opposeth me because this is great wisdome not to be moved with every wind of words nor to listen unto mischievous flattering pleasure so shall we with securitie proceed in the way we have begun to walke in CONTEMP c. 33. Of the true Dignitie of a Christian. LEt others call a man a creature to be adored and borne for Societie full of reason and councell let them call him the great Miracle most like unto God the Miracle of miracles let them cal him the Horizon of corporeal and incorporeall things the measure of all things the little World the Epitome of the world and the delight of Nature let them write that man only exceeds all wonder and that nothing is great upon the earth but man yet so great dignitie so great excellencie and so great advancement of man can never be so great as it wil be if with this a man may be called a Christian which denomination tooke its originall from Christ the very Son of God and is imparted unto them that are sprinkled with the saving water of the Sacrament of Baptisme that give their names unto Christ fighting under his purple Banner they defend the honour of their Captaine and Author of their Profession by their undaunted Profession of the evangelicall and heavenly doctrine and they doe confirme defend and propagate that doctrine by their indefatigable study practice of good works O miserable they who are called Pagans either in regard that they reverence their Idols in the publick streets and wayes being aliens from the City of God or because that after the enlargement of Christs Kingdome and the spreading of the Christian Religion they did not possesse any longer the chiefe Cities but were reduced and shut into the strait Villages O miserable they who are called Jewes for although the ancient people of the Jewes had the preheminence above other people in priviledges and prerogatives and was not excluded from the heavenly Kingdome and the Citie of God yet at this day their uncleane multitudes dispersed every where thorow the world are farre exceeded in sundry and manifold eminencies by the Christian people for though the body be already exhibited they dispute upon shadowes and obstinately defend their Mosaicall Ceremonies and despise Christ that is the onely doore to eternall life bewitched with the leven of the Pharisies they reject the truth detract from it and slander it and thence by Gods just judgement Jerusalem being destroyed and lost they have no Temple have no forme of a Common-wealth but are most vilely despised in all parts of the earth O happie Christians and freed from all miserie Christ is God blessed for evermore therefore are Christians truly divine Christ being true God in his Essence is a Spirit therefore are Christians spirituall Christ by nature is the onely Son of God therefore are Christians by grace the heires of heaven Christ is the vertue and power of God therefore are Christians powerfull Christ is Wisdome therefore are Christians wise Christ is Righteousnesse therefore are Christians just Christ is made Sanctification unto us therefore are Christians holy Christ is the Way therefore Christians doe not erre Christ is Life therefore Christians though dead yet doe live Christ is the Truth therefore are Christians led into all truth Christ is the Light that enlightens the world therefore doe Christians shine forth in the midst of darknesse Christ is a Shepherd therefore are Christians fed in wholsome pastures Christ is the healing Physitian therefore doe Christians receive cure in all their infirmities Christ is the Conquerour of Satan and the Lord of the world therefore doe Christians beare rule overcome and triumph in Christ Christ doth reigne in glory nay is glory it selfe and all in all therefore Christians though they be abominable to the world and are had in reproach yet are most glorious in Christ and though they have nothing yet possesse they all things Christ was anointed when his Humanity was taken into the Person of the Word the Divinity did anoint and the Humanity was anointed and this anointing is a diffusing of the whole oyntment upon every one that is anointed therewith he was anointed with the oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes he is anointed with gifts finite and infinite conferred by taking upon him the humane Nature from the holy Virgin which agree wel with the name of an oyntment for the most fragrant scent they breath forth and the comforting force they retaine in them they are compared to the Oyle of gladnesse because they expell sadnesse out of Christian hearts and doe enflame them with true joy and comfort Think now as often as Christs Name comes into thy mind that God did from all eternity ordain consecrate and define him to consummate the worke of the Redemption and did most plentifully bestow upon him those unspeakable gifts which he fore-saw he should stand in need of That he should be a Prophet our Master our Priest to offer up himselfe an expiatory Sacrifice that hee should be Lord of lords King of kings that might have the possession of an incomparable and everlasting Kingdom the first moment of his conception but the full and most glorious enjoyment of it in his ascention even as David was anointed by Samuel king whilst Saul lived but did not exercise any regall jurisdiction but when he was dead he obtained the Dominion did govern the Kingdom And we also are anointed Christians when we are separate from the ungodlinesse of worldly men and are made holy by the mystery of the Spirit We were anointed when as Christ did receive the gifts of the Spirit without measure we received them with measure We are anointed when we are exalted to propheticall priestly and kingly dignity and this is that which the Prophet speaks Ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel and that I am Iehovah your God and that none else is nor shall my people be ashamed for ever And it shall come to passe afterward that I will powre out my Spirit upon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesie your old men shall dreame dreames and your young mensh ll see visions which hee declareth by his most deare disciple Jesus Christ is that faithfull witnesse that first borne from the dead and that Prince of the kings of the earth who hath loved us and hath washed us from our sinnes by his blood who hath made us kings and priests to God his Father You are a chosen stocke a royall priesthood a sanctified people a nation whom God challengeth for his owne O name not above every name yet a divine a heavenly and anhonourable name here is fulfilled that
most perverse wretch am turned into a beast and become the devils instrument Thou didst descend from the most glorious throne of thy heavenly Father unto mee that devill upon earth and I have not elevated my selfe unto thee nor would I ascend with thee but by the works of the flesh I have beene faster tied to the more base things of the earth and have pressed my selfe downe into the mud by the weight of my sinnes wherein I have long lien wallowing Thou hast delivered me out of the power of the devill and I of mine owne accord have ensnared my selfe in his devillish toiles Thou art made one body with me and I by my voluntary sinnes have plucked my selfe off from thee and have glued my selfe to the body of the wicked So many thy wondrous works could not force me to acknowledge thee So many testimonies of thy love could not soften my stony heart to make me love thee againe thy so great merit could not raise me up to cause me to place all my hope in thee That thy most accurate Justice which shines most clearly out and that many wayes out of the worke of our Redemption could not hold me so that I might consider the plagues and punishments which thou heapedst upon thy onely beloved Son for my sake and cause me to cry out If they have done these things in the greene tree what shall be done in the dry Thy so many torments and paines could not perswade me to descend into my self and to consider with what hatred thou persuest our sinnes for which thou hast permitted thy very Sonne to be most cruelly afflicted For these things ought I to have stood in awe and to reverence thy great Name So hast thou my Jesus humbled thy selfe that he that considers it may admire and with trembling behold thee yet am I growne proud and at this very time alas doe exalt my selfe above my brethren Thou didst hang naked upon the Crosse yet I not content with such cloathing as was necessary to cover my nakednesse have sought after excesse and superfluity and have most tenderly handled my slimy damnable body Thou didst suffer intolerable thirst in thy extreame plagues and torments and didst taste gall mingled with vinegar but I must as it were be fatted to the slaughter with lushious wines I have beene overcharged with gluttony and ravenousnesse and have thereby made my selfe strong in fleshly desires Thou didst beare all things that thy Father laid upon thee nor didst throw off the the burden till thou mightest truely say it is finished but I have esteemed it very troublesome and tedious for me to suffer but a very little for thee Thou that art the blessed Son of God didst suffer blows on the face from wicked wretches but I if I be but touched with a finger or wronged in a word doe presently burne with wrath and am most bitterly moved to indignation that am but a worme and not worthy the name of a man and doe deserve by reason of my filthy sins not only most vile reproach but the punishment scorne of hell it selfe And what shall I farther say of my most wicked life Thou didst most willingly die that I might die to sin and live to righteousnesse but I too much relying on this thy mercy doe wittingly and willingly rush into sins What greater disgrace could I put upon thee I have made thy mercies the occasion of my uncleannesse and have used so precious a meanes of my Redemption which ought to make every one to hate sin to the strengthning and continuation of my sins I thought sins were lawfull for me because thou wast so gentle and mercifull and for giving mee so many blessings I have requited thee with my infamous deeds so that I converted the remedy ordained against sin into the meanes to make me sin more freely and have set the point of that sword against mine owne brest and well-nigh destroyed my selfe therewith that thou gavest me to resist the blowes of Satan Thou art he only O Lord that dyed for us all that they that live might not live to themselves but to him that did both die and rose againe for us but I contrary to this have lived to my selfe and mine owne lusts as if thou hadst dyed for that end that I should live to fill my soule with fleshly desires and abusing thy grace I should weave the web of mischiefe O Lord how great is thy patience that thou wouldest be buffetted for my sake but much greater is thy patience that thou enduredst so many sinners in the world that even buffet thee with their sins But shall this thy patience last for ever I call to mind what thou threatnest against the impenitent I see that the earth which is watered with raine and brings forth no fruit is punished by cursing I see that the Vineyard well manured and yet remaining unfruitfull is wasted and trodden under foot O hard and iron heart O unprofitable and drie wood Dost thou not tremble if thou hearest the voice of the Omnipotent God saying Every branch not bearing fruit will my Father take away if any remaine not in me hee shall be cast out as a branch and it withereth and men gather it up and cast it into the fire to bee burnt What man can be so carelesse that trembles not and shakes not for feare of so horrible a judgement How deafe and sluggish is he that heareth not this voice With what a stupidnesse is he drowned in in what a lethargie is he buried who is not awaked with this thunder Ah! Lord this earthly tabernacle hath hitherto delighted mee I have walked amidst thornes and thistles that have choaked the seed of thy Word sowen in me so that I have had no desire to know thy will my lusts have seduced me my desires have driven me up and downe my thoughts have disturbed mee the worme of my conscience gnawes me and all these have I esteemed as secure delights and reckoned troubles to be peace What shall I doe my God What shall I doe I am forced to confesse that I am not worthy to come before thee I blush for my unrighteousnesse sake to lift up mine eyes unto thee I dare not lift them up to seeke thy favour and most mercifull presence if thou wilt punish me as I deserve nor heaven nor earth can hide me from thee but thou wilt not O Lord my God that any one perish but that all may be converted and live thou createdst mee for thy praise but who in hell where thou art blasphemed shall praise thy Name Thou didst pay so great a ransome for me yet if thou reject me in these my most great necessities who shall receive me if thou shalt refuse thy creature redeemed by so great a price who shall helpe me Why even thou my Father that Father of mercy even that mercy which is immeasurable which is infinite And although by my disobedience I have lost the right of mine
inheritance yet O my Father thou hast not lost the heart of a Father though I have fallen from thee my Father yet wilt not thou fall from me or cease to be my Father that word never failed As I live I will not the death of a sinner but that hee may bee converted and live And although my sins be innumerable and my wounds may seeme incurable yet art not thou ignorant of a way to cure me confirme therefore and fulfill thy promises wash me effectually with the blood of thy Son that as to me his death prove not in vaine I am as well a part of his flesh and he a part of mine as Peter David or Paul he is as well to me an Emmanuel as to any other Hee bare the sins of the whole world and therefore hee bore mine also Looke back therefore look back therefore O Lord upon this lost sheepe regard thy creature nor contend with him in thy fury whom thou hast made with thy hands take care O Lord of the soule which thou hast redeemed I come creeping to thee wounded with many wounds but thou most experienced Physitian of soules and Maâ—â—er of the diseased canst heale them all I come being blinded but thou canst enlighten me I come dead unto thee but thou canst give me life I come full of leprosie but thou canst cleanse me Sprinkle me with Hysop and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall be whiter than snow O my God the God of my life thy mercy is greater than my sins thy clemencie exceeds all my iniquities Thou canst forgiue more O Lord than I can offend thy mercies are bottomlesse and numberlesse but as many as my sins are and as great as they are they are neither bottomlesse nor numberlesse Take me out therefore and deliver mee forgive mee my great injustice take away my stony and hard heart and create in me a soft and a cleane heart that even in this life I may give thee thanks let me by my faith and good example bring sinners to thee and let me glorifie thee and celebrate thee for these and other thy innumerable blessings for evermore Amen my God be it so even so be it my Lord Jesus Christ CONTEMP c. 38. Of the greatnesse and foulnesse of our sinnes and of the Confession of them I Am affraid of my rashnesse when I consider with my selfe what a Majestie I have offended with my sins when I consider how benigne and wonderfull a Father I have forsaken I detest mine owne ingratitude when I consider from how happie a libertie of spirit into how miserable servitude I have cast my selfe I condemne mine owne madnesse and am wholly displeasing to my selfe nor have any other object before my eyes but hell and desperation namely that doth terrifie my conscience by Gods inevitable Justice I am to be consumed like rottennesse sin is rottennesse indeed for it destroyes the beauty of the soule the sweet savour of a good name the worth of grace the relish of glory it is truly durt being wallowed therein we become abominable to honest men the good Angels and the just God It is truely smoak that foretels us that hell-fire is not farre from it and doth drive away the heavenly Dove It is indeed the Devils taverne in which for the price of soules hee sels the world the wine of pleasure it is the dart with which our soule is pierced thorow and is deprived of all vigour and life It is true sicknesse because it leaves us no health in our flesh nor from the presence of Gods wrath grants us any quietnesse in our bones It is truly a Sea for it swels over our head and easily swalloweth up our whole body It is truly a burden because a sinner is most burdened therewith and is even pressed downe unto hell it selfe But whither shall I goe where shall I withdraw my selfe Ah! be mercifull unto me O take pitie upon mee according to thy great mercy and according to the multitude of thy compassions wash away mine iniquities Against thee against thee onely have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight behold I am begotten in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceived me I have gone astray like a sheepe that perisheth seeke out thy lost sheep O Lord remember not the faults and transgressions of my youth O Lord who understands his owne sins Cleanse me from my secret offences Enter not into judgement with thy servant because no man living can be justified before thee Remember O Lord thy mercies and compassions which have been of old Remember me according to thy mercies even for thy goodnesse sake O Lord. O Lord be mercifull unto mine offences make thy mercies wonderfull thou who savest those that trust in thee Turne not thy face from me nor cast away thy servant in displeasure for in death no man remembreth thee nor shall any praise thee in the grave What profit is in my bloud when I descend into corruption Shall dust give praise unto thee or set forth thy truth Regard and heare me O God lighten mine eyes that I sleepe not in death Set not thy mercies farre from me for thy mercy and truth doe alwayes preserve in thee O Lord have I trusted let me never be confounded Amen CONTEMP c. 39. Of Gods readinesse to forgive sinnes and our thankesgiving for the forgivenesse of them WHo can despaire of pardon from him who doth so often in the writings of the Prophets of his owne accord invite sinners to repentance crying out That he would not the death of a sinner but rather that he should bee converted and live How ready is also his pardon to them that repent he hath inculcated unto us by his only begotten Son in many of his Parables as of the groat that was lost and found againe the strayed sheepe brought back upon the shoulders but more plainly by that of the prodigall sonne whose very image I am No man O God is so ready to sinne but thou art far more ready in thy good time to pardon our sinnes O pitifull and mercifull Lord slow to anger and very pitifull He strives not with us for ever neither is he alwayes wrath with us Because as the heaven is higher than the earth so hath he made his mercies to prevaile over me As farre as the East is distant from the West so far hath he set my sins from me As a father taketh pity upon his sonne so hath the Lord taken pity upon me he hath washed me from my iniquity he hath clensed me from my sins he knows whereof we be made he remembers we are but dust Why art thou sad ô my soule and why art thou troubled returne ô my soule into thy rest for the Lord hath done thee good He hath delivered my soule from death mine eyes from teares and my feet from falling Blessed are they whose sins are forgiven and whose offences are covered Blessed is the man unto whom the