A Christian Legacy Consisting of two Parts I. A Preparation for Death II. A Consolation against Death Nullum sacrificium est Deo magis acceptum quam Zelus Animarum Greg. Mag. 1 Cor. 10. 17 18. He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord for not he that commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth By EDWARD HYDE Dr. of Divinity and late Rector Resident of Brightwell in Berks. Printed by R. W. for Rich. Davis in Oxon. 1657. To the Reader Christian Reader WHen first made a Member of Christ though it were at the very entrance of your life you did then receive your summons for death for you were baptized into the death of Christ buried with him by baptism into death Rom. 6. 3 4. And that same Baptism as it still gives you a Rejoycing in Christ Jesus our Lord so it bids you by That rejoycing to die daily 1 Cor. 15. 31. And indeed you are not fit to live till you are prepared to die You are not truly fit to live unless you live to God and if you live unto him you cannot be unprepared to die unto him The Man lives to himself and dies as he lives to his own corruption but the Christian lives to his Saviour and accordingly dies to his glorious Resurrection For none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself for whether we live we live unto the Lord And whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords Rom. 14. 7 8. It is a great priviledge to live to Christ but a far greater priviledge to die to him By living to Christ you get the victory over your enemies and the terrours of their insolency but by dying to him you get the victory over your self and the terrours of your own conscience By living to Christ you get the conquest over life but by dying to him you get the conquest over death Neither shall the world be able to make you live unquietly nor the Devil be able to make you die uncomfortably So that if you do not want the preparation for death you cannot want the consolation against death And in this respect it were much to be wished That all the Lords people were Prophets or if they had rather Preachers to reason with themselves as S. Paul reasoned with Faelix of Righteousness Temperance Judgement to come Act. 24. 25. That all their Trembling or Quaking might begin and end here and none remain till hereafter The reasoning about Righteousness how it would confound our misdemeanours against our Brethren The reasoning about Temperance how it would confound our misdemeanours against our selves The reasoning about Judgement to come how it would confound our misdemeanours or rather outrages against our God All these would be speedily confounded by such kind of reasonings though all have been such as have affrighted Earth and amazed Heaven And truly much better were it that our reasonings should confound our misdemeanours then that our misdemeanours should confound us and make us even ashamed with Josephs Brethren to see the face of our own Brother in this world and much more afraid with Israels enemies to see the face of God our Father in the world to come However whether we will thus turn preachers or not unto our selves yet it is not to be denyed but there are some men who are bound to preach not only to themselves but also to others according to that charge committed to them and that trust reposed in them Luk. 22. 32. Et tu conversus confirma Fratres And when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren For that Minister is not truly thankful to God for his own conversion and confirmation who makes it not his chiefest business to convert and to confirm others Knowing therefore the terrour of thâ—… Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5. 11$ They that most know the terrour oâ—… the Lord ought most to perswadâ—… men to be ready to appear before him that they may not be terrified at hiâ—… appearing and they most know thaâ—… terrour who most know it not only Rationally or Doctrinally by their stâ—…dies and contemplations but alsâ—… Experimentally or Practically by theâ—… summons and by their sufferings Foâ—… as sickness is a summons unto death 〈◊〉 is suffering an experimental dying 〈◊〉 Those therefore who have most feâ—… either sickness or suffering have in aâ—… probability most known the terrouâ—… of the Lord and they ought most 〈◊〉 perswade men Under the notionâ—… sickness the Author of this small Treâ—… tise may own to know the terrours oâ—… the Lord for he looks on himself 〈◊〉 one newly come from the dead anâ—… yet still going to the dead and therefore the fitter to put others in mind of dying nor is he troubled that his writing is so full of weakness and infirmity which is the Indisposition of his body if it may be thought full of conscience and empty of curiosity which is or should be the Disposition of his soul For it is proper for a sick mans hand to sympathize more with his heart then with his head and to delight rather in lineaments of reality then of phansie Wherefore you may here expect such a hand-writing as appeared to Belshazar Dan. 5. which sets down nothing but Numbering and Weighing and Dividing Numbering of your daies Weighing of your sins and Dividing of your self This is like to be the main subject of the first part of the Legacy which is to be the preparation for death after these God enabling shall follow several comforts and consolations 1. Against sickness which numbereth your daies 2. Against Judgement which wilâ—… number your sins 3. Against Death which will divide your soul from youâ—… body and bring it to Judgement And these are intended for the second part of the Legacie as the Consolation against death God make both these aâ—… they are intended to him that writeâ—… them and to those that shall reaâ—… them So prayeth Yours in our common Saviourâ—… E. H. Errata PAg. 4. l. 6. studâ—…es r. studie p. 10. l. ult man r. for man p. 73. l. 21. Scil. Bonam r. saâ—… Bonav sc. Bonaventur p. 128. l. 12. cuie r. curâ—… p. 190. l. 24. to him r. to have p. 231. l. 13. 20. now here r. no where p. 345. l. 18. but most 〈◊〉 worthy r. but more unworthy p. 364. l. 13. Tâ—… Common-Law r. The Canon-Law The Preparation for Death consisting of Three Chapters Mene Tekel Peres Mene or Numbring of your Daies Tekel or Weighing of your Sins Peres or Dividing of your Person CHAP. I. Mene or Numbring of your Dayes Consisting of four Sections 1. Of mans Mortality and Immortality 2. Of the Knowledge of mans mortality 3. Of mans Vanity and the Knowledge thereof 4. Of the Difficulty Necessity and Excellency of that knowledge SECT I. Of Mans Mortality and Immortality MANS Life is but a Race of mortality and is then only well Run when it comes to a blessed
End Others may run Faster but he makes the best Speed that first gets to Heaven So run that ye may obtain 2 Cor. 9. 24. Now a Blessed Immortality may be obtained two waies 1. In Affection 2. In Fruition This latter is to be expected at Gods leisure but the former cannot be too soon obtained The very first step of Mortality should thus tend towards Immortality For as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his Death Rom. 6. 3. when we were yet scarce entred into our own Life we were Baptized into his Death which shews that in truth we were not so much born to live as we were born to die Well the man may think himself born to live but sure the Christian that is baptized into the Death of Christ must know that he was born again only to die For thus we all brought a body of death with us into the world Rom. 7. 24. as well as a breath of life Gen. 2. 7. And must therefore learn to dye in the beginning as well as in the end of our daies Saint John saith of himself And when I saw him that is Christ I fell at his feet as dead Rev. 1 17. So is it with us when we truly see Christ we sall down at his feet as dead and yet do not lose our Station but only mend it For whereas before we stood in our selves by thus falling we stand in our Saviour No Christian is a loser by being dead with Christ no more then Christ was a loser by his own death For indeed death is the only way for them both to a Joyful Resurrection I am He that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Rev. 1. 18. The Death was but for a short time but the Life is for evermore This is such a Funeral as ought to be kept without Mourning and is better solemnized with Joy and Triumph then with Sorrow and Lamentation For this Mortal must put on Immortality here on Earth or it will not be fit to put it on hereafter in Heaven This Mortal must put on Immortality before it put off it self Immortality in Affection or it will never put on Immortality in Fruition SECT II. Of the Knowledge of mans Mortality THE Knowledge of Mortality is more then a Science it is also a Sapience O that they were Wise that they understood This that they would consider their latter end Deut. 32. 29. Here is Sapience and Science Joyned both together Sapience is a knowledge of Principles Science is a knowledge of Conclusions This knowledge of Mortality is Both Teaching a man to joyn his last Ending to his first Beginning The serious studies of Mortality will make a man in His Moment to imitate God in his Eternity It will make us Alpha and Omega in our Nothing as God is in his All. So to think of our First as to think of our Last For this is for a man to consider his latter End To know the greatness of Mortality he is under from within him from without him from above him from below him from within him by the contradiction oâ—… his nature those irreconcilable contrarietics in his constitution From without him by the Contentions anâ—… Violences of wicked men his irreconcilâ—…ble Enemies who aâ—… wicked men have their feet swift to shâ—… blood and as Enemies will yet make theâ—… swifter to shed his blood and as irreconcileable Enemies will not give over that swifâ—…ness till they have shed it From aboâ—… him The God of heaven calling for hiâ—… Breath which he did but lend him for tâ—… Run his Race From below him The Dâ—…vils of Hell sorry to see him Running tâ—… wards Heaven if he be Tending thither anâ—… so desirous to interrupt his course or glad of his running towards Hell if his Race tend that way and so willing to Precipitate and Hasten him thither This consideration of Mortality is fully expressed by the Psalmist as it ought to be Practised by us Psal. 39. 5. Lord let me know mine end and the Number of my Daies so the Septuagint The Number of my Daies you cannot know a Number without Joyning the First and the Last unites both together So is it also in knowing the Number of your Daies you must take in your last day or you cannot have your full Number Omnem crede Diem tibi diluxisse supremum But the Hebrew saith The measure of my Daies now a measure is in continued quantity but Number is in discrete quantity It seems it is not yet fully Resolved in the Text by what quantity the length of mans life is to be taken whether by Magnitude or by Multitude For if it be taken by Magnitude it is so small a measure that it may seem almost indivisible but a span long And yet even so it is rather taken by Multitude for what is a span but a Multitude in Magnitude the space betwixt the thumb and the little finger when they are severally extended to make one measure And therefore the Septuagint saith Behold thou hast made my daies old Such as are already past and gone For whiles t is yet passing over it is no day you have but only the present minute of it when you have the whole day you have nothing left it is gone before you can have it So is your life it is but a minute whiles you have it and if it be more you have it not It is gone before it comes to be more or can be more in your Account And therefore in this case of Numbring our Daies we must fetch our Arithmetick from Heaven no Artist on Earth can teach it us but only the Spirit of God so teach us to number our daies Psal. 90. v. 12. A very Unquoth Arithmetick to number that which is not To number daies whiles they are yet Passing which cannot properly be numbred till they are Past And yet without this Arithmetick there is no applying the Heart unto wisdom Diu Fuit non Diu Vixit He had a long Continuance but he had a short Life is true of every one that Numbers not his Daies till they be spent Here must be Numerus Numerans before Numerus Numeratus The Number Numbring before the Number Numbred God Numbreth the stars and calleth them all by their Names Yet the stars first Are before they are Numbred But man Numbreth his Daies before they Are The Number is before the thing Numbred He Numbers not what is past that he may prolong but what is to come that he may Redeem his time And it neerly concerneth him so to do for his Daies are like a shadow that declineth Psal. 102. 11. The shadow when it is declining waxeth longest for the Sun is setting but then presently it waxeth nothing for the Sun is set So is the life of man as a shadow nay as the dream of a shadow it never seemeth long till it is declining and then in a short time it is nothing at
doth then most hurt thee when it doth least wound thee when it wilâ—… not strike till it be too late for thee to ward the blow For then Sin lyeth at the door Gen. 4. 7. Robets it layeth down oâ—… coucheth like some wild beast at the mouth of his Cave as if he were asleep buâ—… indeed watcheth and waketh and is ready to flie at all that come neer it So is sin in 〈◊〉 mans Conscience Couchant rather then Dormant it sleeps Dogs sleep that it may take the sinner at the greater advantage and flie the more furiously in his face Conscientia dormit respectu motionis non observationis Conscience may seem to sleep wheâ—… indeed it doth not for when it sleeps it is only iâ—… regard of motion not in regard of observation When it doth least check thee it doth mosâ—… observe thee It spares thee a while to torment thee for ever It spares thee here to torment thee hereafter A most cruel mercy to observe the sin and let alone the sinner To Register the wicked deed but not to Reprove him that did it And this is all the mercy that a seared a benummed Conscience doth afford when it doth most befriend us It will not cut that it may kill It will not convince that it may confound It will not accuse that it may condemn Wherefore I will awaken my Conscience to Arraign me here that it awaken not it self to Condemn me hereafter for that must that will prevail at length and that with such an evidence to which I shall not be able to plead not Guilty and much less to withstand the Guilt It will come upon me as Poverty upon Solomons sluggard like an Armed man not only as a Valiant man with power to overcome me but also as an Armed man with frights and terrors to over-aw me David a man of war who said he would not fear though an Host encamped against him nay encompassed him round about Psal. 27. 3. 3. 6. yet durst not look one sin in the face but when Nathan had said unto him Thou art the man and his own conscience had attested the saying he presently gives over the thought of Denyal or Tergiversation and much more the spirit of contradiction and Prostrates himself before the mercy seat not being able to stand in the Judgement and cryeth out I have sinned against the Lord 2 Sam. 12. 13. He had sinned once by commiting his sin and durst not sin again by lessening it He neither desired to extenuate the guilt of Sin in himself nor to aggravate it in another and they generally go both together no man being so ready to accuse and condemn his Brother as he that is resolved to Acquit and Justifie himself Spiritual Pride causeth thee to think thy brother the greater sinner but indeed it makes thee so But consider awhile proud Justitiarie is it not practical Blasphemy in the highest degree for thee to set and settle thy self in Christs Judgement Seat and there to become a Judge of souls He that said Judge not that ye be not Judged hath in effect told thee that if thou dost Lord it in his Tribunal here thou shalt tremble and quake before it hereafter The Joints oâ—… thy knees with Belshazzars shall then be as loose as is now thy tongue The words oâ—… the Psalmist are much to be observed Psal. 109. 30. He shall stand at the right hand of the poor to save him from those that condemn his soul. Christ will leave his Throne at the right hand of God rather then fail to stand at the right hand of the poor and what poor they are he takes such a care of Himself hath told us Mat. 5. 3. The poor in Spirit The Kingdom of heaven is most theirs who least assume it to themselves Who think they are not worthy of a being upon earth they shall be surest of a being in heaven they think themselves not worthy to kneel upon the earth because it is the footstool of the most high God much less worthy to look up to heaven because it is his Throne but he thinks them most worthy to be Translated from the earth and to be admitted into heaven saying For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven These are the poor that our Saviour Christ doth alwaies stand by and indeed they alone do constantly stand by him though others pretend more to be his servants And why doth he alwaies stand by them or as the Text speaks at their right hand even to save them from those that condemn their fouls or as it is in the Hebrew to save from the Judges of his soul or to save his soul from Judges To save him from the Judges of his soul for though they condemn him yet he will acquit and save him or to save his soul from Judges That is as our other Translation reads this verse To save his soul from unrighteous Judges For no Judge can bâ—… so unrighteous as he that Judges anotheâ—… mans soul For his Judgement proceedâ—… not out of inclination to Justice but meerly out of pride or malice so that it isâ—… perverse Judgement It proceeds not froâ—… a lawful Authority but from Self-wiâ—… and Presumption so that it is an usurpeâ—… Judgement And it proceeds not according to the Rules of Prudence and Discretion but of folly and madness so that it iâ—… a foolish and rash Judgement Christ iâ—… the only Over-seer and Bishop of oâ—… souls 1 Pet. 2. 25. Do not presume to goâ—… visitation in thy Saviours Diocess Judgâ—… no mans soul but thine own So shalt thoâ—… not be Judged of the Lord for two Reasons For not Judging others and foâ—… Judging thyself Here at home thou maiâ—… rightly Judge and as rightly condemn nay if thou dost but Judge thou must condemn it being all one for a sinner tâ—… Judge his own soul and to condemn it And the more he Judges the more he coâ—…demns Like Ezekiels Vision chap. 8â—… The more he looks the worse he likes vâ—… But Turn thou yet again and thou shalt sâ—… Greater Abominations and v. 13 Isâ—… again the same so is it in the Vision of ouâ—… own sinful souls This must still be the Epiphonema the Burden the concluding sentence Hast thou seen This O son of man Turn thee yet again and thou shalt see greater Abominations Though thou hast already seen most wondrous strange horrid sins such whose very thought must needs affright the soul and therefore whose guilt must needs oppress it yet thou must still look to see Greater Abominations when thou hast seen all manner of wickedness in thine heart and sins there as Firebrands of hell for Torment but as the stars of heaven for multitude some of the greater some of the lesser magnitude but yet altogether Innumerable and every one too too Great when thou hast seen all this and imagined more then thou canst see yet this saying must be the conclusion of all Hast thou seen this O son of man Turn
mortis in cujus anima omnes vires ac Potentiae fuerunt per speciale miraculum conservatae saith Gabriel in 3. sent Dist. 15. Christ alone did feel all the sharpness and tast all the bitterness of Death in whose soul alone all powers and faculties were preserved in their full vigour and sense by special miracle But we will not argue the case whether the pains of death be most felt in the sensitive or intellective parts of the soul and whether they that have the strongest senses have alwayes the strongest pains For sure we are what are the pains of death none do know but those that cannot come to tell us yet we have reason to believe that they are so violent as to be able to shake the tallest Cedar of Libanus much more the shrubs of Carkemish To terrifie men of undaunted resolutions much more such as have too much guilt to have too little fears or else the Church would never have taught us to pray O Holy and mercifull Saviour thou most worthy Judge eternal suffer us not at our last hour for any pains of Death to fall from thee Thou art our Saviour we cannot fall from thee but we must fall from our salvation and the pains of Death will make us fall from thee unless thou shew thy self our merciful Saviour to sustain us in the hour of Death as thou hast sustained us all our life And why didst thou taste the vinegar at thy death and not till then give up the ghost John 19. 30. but to teach me to pray O my God let me not taste the vinegar when I am to give up the ghost since thou thy self hast tasted it for me so saith thy Apostle Heb. 2. 14 15. For he also himself took part of the same flesh and blood that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil and deliver them who through fear of Death were all their life time subject to bondage We see here a two-fold effect of Christs death The one was to conquer the Devil that had the power of Death The other was to deliver us that were under the fear of Death and fled to him for deliverance The Devil had the power of Death till he was conquered and he was not conquered till the death of Christ till then he kept the keys of Hell and of death but then Christ took them away from him and doth ever since keep them Apoc. 1. 18. I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen and have the keys of Hell and of Death Then let me not fear to pass through the gates of Death whiles my Saviour keeps the keys of it to open the Grave Let me not fear to pass by the gates of Hell whiles my Saviour keeps the keys of it to shut the Gates Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear none evil for thou art with me Psal. 23. 4. Thou art with me to uphold me in that walk that I fail not to direct me in that valley that I stray not To enlighten me in that shadow that I stumble not Christs guidance cannot but afford a very safe conduct which is not unfitly expressed by these four words Educit Deducit Adducit Introducit He brings out He brings on He brings to He brings in First Educit he brings the soul out to wit out of the Body for it may not go till he call and then it must O my soul never be affraid to go from thy body when thy Saviour calls thee to go along with him Secondly Deducit He brings the soul on to wit on the way to Heaven And himself saith Justin Martyr in Tryphon did pray to his Father to guide his soul at his death that we might know how to pray to him to guide our souls Psal. 22. 20 21. Deliver my soul from the sword my Darling from the power of the Dog save me from the Lions mouth He thus prayed on the Cross immediatly before his death for it is the Tradition of the Church That Christ said all the 22 Psalm upon the Cross though the Evangelists mention only the first words of it to teach us to pray when we die That God who alone can would deliver our souls from the Dog and from the Lion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he would turn away the evil Angel who is compared to a Dog for his impudency to a Lion for his violence least he should catch our souls at their going out of our bodies We know the Devil is called the Prince of the Air and we may be sure he would not let any mans soul pass from earth to Heaven were not he ready to convey it thither to whom is given all power in Heaven and in Earth and over Hell Thirdly Adducit He brings the soul to that is to God Man when he dies his body returns to the dust but his spirit returns to God that gave it All spirits return to God at the hour of death either as to a Father or as to a Judge and Christ brings them all to him The spirits of wicked men as to a Judge for punishment The spirits of good men as to a Father for mercy Whence that admirable prayer of our Church for the sick That whensoever his soul shall depart from the body it may be without spot presented unto thee through Jesus Christ our Lord Christ presents all souls unto God but the souls of the impenitent and unbelievers in the spots they have contracted by their sins The souls of those who by Faith and Repentance have laid hold on his Righteousness he presents without spot Those souls that are in their sins shall be rejected those souls that are in their Saviour shall be received There is no man at that day but will be speechless who hath not the Eternal Word to answer for him Fourthly and lastly Introducit he brings the soul in that is into the state of Eternal blessedness to see and enjoy him who is the blessed and only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto unless Christ bring him in whom no man hath seen or can see to whom be honour and power everlasting Amen 1 Tim. 6. 15 16. No man hath seen him or can see him in this corruptible body but the Saints now do see him in their incorruptible souls and do ascribe unto him his honour and power everlasting Accordingly the Angelical Doctor makes it his business to confute those who said that the souls of the Saints separated from their bodies do not come to their bliss till the day of judgement quod quidem apparet esse falsum autoritate ratione which saith he is apparently false as we can prove both by authority and by reason and all the world is not able to afford better proofs or gain-say them 1. By
Saviour I get into his Mystical Body and by keeping my hold I continue in it The Syriack translation instead of Confidence here saith The uncovering of the face to shew that there is not left in the true Believer the conscience of any one sin unrepented or unsatisfied through the All-sufficiency of his Saviours satisfaction which may make him cover his face either out of shame or out of fear to look upon God either out of shame because of his own unworthiness for by faith he hath his Saviours worthiness to make him confident or out of fear because of Gods unplacableness for by hope he hath a cause to rejoyce not to fear therefore it is said The rejoycing of our hope And the same Apostle moreover gives the reason of this saying Chap. 4. v. 15 16. For we have not an high-Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need What is the hope that we can rejoyce in but the hope of Eternal Life And we have this hope because we have a great high-Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God v. 14. He is passed in before us to make way for us to follow after him Nor ought we to be dismayed at our infirmities since he is touched with the feeling of them for himself was tempted to strengthen us in our temptations that in his strength we should encounter them and by his strength should overcome them Let us therefore come boldly to the Throne of Grace c. Wherein we have set forth the manner and the reason of our going unto God The manner it must be with a holy confidence in the righteousness of our high-Priest Let us come boldly The reason is two-fold the first concerns our God because he hath erected a Throne of Grace to pardon us not of Judgement to condemn us unto the Throne of grace The second concerns our selves That we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in time of need What help so welcome as that which helps in time of need What time of need so much wants help as that wherein we can neither help our selves nor have any else to help us the Hour of Death and the Day of Judgement In this time of need it is that our high-Priest doth chiefly help us he will make intercession for us when we shall not be able to speak for our selves at the hour of death he will make answer for us when we shall not be able to answer for our selves at the day of Judgement What though the Devils will then busily accuse me as long as his righteousness shall be interposed in answer for me what if my conscience doth condemn me as long as his satisfaction doth acquit me Why should not my soul joyfully say I will go forth even out of my body in the strength of the Lord God and will mention thy Righteousness only Psal. 71. 16. Though I dare not go forth in mine own strength for fear I should fail in my journey or miscarry at my journeys end yet I dare go forth in his strength Though I dare not mention mine own Righteousness at the Bar of Gods Justice yet I dare mention my Saviours Righteousness I will make mention of thy Righteousness even of thine only Having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the Vail that is to say his Flesh and having an high-Priest over the House of God let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith Heb. 10. 19. Here are three singular benefits that all they have who have Communion with Christ to assure them of their entrance into heaven when they depart from the earth The first is That the door is opened unto them and they have such a right to enter as cannot be doubted must not be denyed Having boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus The second is That the way which leadeth thither is a safe way keeping all from death that walk in it A new and lively way And also A ready way such as they may hope to walk in notwithstanding their infirmities because he hath made it plain for them for he hath consecrated it for us through his flesh The third is That the House whither they are to go is wholly disposed and ordered by their high Priest who both guides them in the way and is ready to receive them at their journeys end Having an high-Priest over the House of God These being the Premises That the door is open and we have a right to enter that the way is both safe and plain that the House whither we desire to go is wholly ordered by our own high-Priest who guides us thither and is ready to receive us there what else can be the conclusion but comfort and confidence what have we else to do but to draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith A true heart that is true to its Saviour by believing in full assurance of faith that is true to it self by drawing near according to that belief And surely the Apostles invitation is as urgent for us to draw near to the Church Triumphant as to the Church Militant because all power is given to our Saviour Christ as well in heaven as in earth Mat. 28. 18. He hath power over the House of God in heaven as well as over the House of God in earth And where he hath power of the House we need not be afraid to enter For as he hath made the passage for us to pass from the bondage of sin and Satan to come into his Kingdom of Grace So much more hath he made the passage for us to pass from his Kingdom of Grace to come to his Kingdom of Glory And if we have already passed from Death to Life much more shall we pass from Life to everlasting Life If we have already passed from Nature to Grace much more shall we pass from Grace to Glory For the distance betwixt Nature and Grace is much greater and harder to be passed then the distance betwixt Grace and Glory for nature scarce affords a capacity of Grace but grace is the very Inchoation of Glory Profitable If thou wilt not help us for our miseries which we have deserved yet help us for thy mercies which thou hast promised For thy Goodness is more willing to forgive then thy power is to punish And thy blood cryeth much lowder for pardon and forgiveness then our sins can cry for punishment Thou hast not yet forgiven so much as thou hast promised and thou hast not promised so much as thou hast purchased One drop of thy blood had been a full and sufficient satisfaction for the
all wherefore it is all one for a man to measure his shadow and to measure his life Both then being of shortest continuance when of longest extension which made the Psalmist desire above all things to know his frailty Ps. 39. 4. That I may know how Frail I am or according to the Hebrew of what Time or Age I am which is thus glossed by Aben Ezra How long I shall stand among the Inhabitants of the Age. Not one word of the gloss but reads a large Lecture of Humane Frailty How long I shall stand To wit thus tottering and shaking ready every minute to fall and tumble into my Grave Among the Inhabitants such as are to be turned out of doors at the pleasure of their Land-lord Of the Age which is alwaies going away and to be known only by its succession not by its continuance This is the true way to keep me from being one of those who are called Viri de Tempore or Homines Seculi Psal. 17. 14. Men of the Age or men of the Times even to think mine own life in this to be like time that it is of no consistency to be measured only by its succession not by its continuance Every man is Vir Seculi a man of the times in his condition but it is only the wicked worldling is so in his conversation Dupliciter Aliquis est in seculo per corporalem Praesentiam per mentis Affectum saith Aquinas A man may be said to be of this world in two Respects either for the presence of his Body or for the Affection of his soul All men alike are of the world in the first Respect but only wicked and ungodly men in the second For he that knows himself a son of Eternity will scorn to make himself a slave of time Shall my soul submit to my bodies Vanity because my body is made capable of my souls Eternity Oh no Rather let Eternity pass from the soul to the body then Vanity pass from the body to the soul That was taken from the Earth the proper place of changes and chances but This came from Heaven where is neither chance nor shadow of change For if I would have God Remember my Time I must remember his Eternity Remember how short my time is Psal. 89. 47. Remember how I am as the Age or Time so the Hebr. That is alwaies passing away The Chaldee Paraphrase thus Remember that I am created or made of dust There 's the cause of this Fluxus in corpore of the Seculum or Age within us whereby our bodies are alwaies in motion never at rest For like as Saint Augustine ingenuously confessed time from the first instant of the creation yet because he could not place any succession in the Heavens before they were distinguished and had an orderly motion he placed it in the Angels saying There was successio in mente Angelicâ succession in the mind of the Angels So may we say were there no Time no Age without us There would be Time and Age within us For there would be motion in the bodies of men and wherever there is motion there must be also Time to number the parts of that motion There is therefore time within us because of the continued motion of our bodies that tends to the Rest in the Grave the dust naturally returning thither from whence it came In so much that Gabriel is not afraid to say Christus si non fuisset Passus stante miraculo fuisset senio mortuus Bid. in 3. sent dist 16. That if Christ had not been put to Death by the Jews yet he would have dyed at last meerly of Age unless you will suppose him kept alive by miracle But sure we are This is true of all mankinde else whether it were true of Christ or not Every man making what haste he can to be Resolved into his first dust so that he needs no enemy to destroy him having a civil war in his own body till he hath destroyed himself SECT III. Of mans vanity and the knowledge thereof IT is Good for every man to call to mind the Vanity of his condition that he may be the more careful not to admit Vanity either into his Affection or into his Action or man is subject to a Threefold Vanity One in his Condition Another in his Affection a Third in his Action his Condition is Vain in that it is unsatisfactory his Affection is Vain in that it is unlimited his Action is Vain in that it is unrighteous This made the Preacher say Vanitas Vanitatum omnia Vanitas Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity Eccles. 1. 2. Solomon said this as a Preacher of Repentance unto himself his saying is Registred that he might also be a Preacher of Repentance unto us Nay indeed in this respect should every man be a Preacher unto himself for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Foeminine Gender to shew that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nephesh is to be understood Anima predicans and we may thus translate the Text Vanity of Vanities and all is Vanity saith the preaching soul. Kimchy in his Roots thus expounds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebel Vanity Res quae non est quicquam A thing which is nothing and he there tells us that the Jewish Doctors did so call the Breath that cometh out of mans mouth for that it is such a thing as presently ceaseth and cometh to nothing But in his Commentaries upon this place be saith Vanity is that which hath no subsistence no stability and will not endure the Touch as if you touch a Bubble it is gone wherefore the Ancient Latines properly called man Bulâ—… lam a Bubble That is Vanity in Kimchies Gloss And Aben Ezra goes further saying thus That All things are called Vanity even those which seem most firmly Rooted and to have the surest subsistence Hoâ—…much more the Actions of men which are bâ—… meer Accidents and the thoughts of mâ—… which are but Accidents of Accidents And it is much to be observed Thaâ—… what the Son here speaketh of all things iâ—… general The Father before him had spoken of man only in particular Psal. 39. 6â—… Certe omnis Vanitas omnis Homo consisteâ—… Surely every man in his best consistency is aâ—… Vanity That is in his Sons Language Vanity of Vanities And again ver 7. Certe in Imagine seu simulachro ambulaâ—… homo Surely man walketh in a vain Imagâ—… or shew His best works are more for Appearance then for Subsistence Virtue is more looked after in its Appearance then in its Existence Secundum Apparentiam magis quam Secundum Existentiam A Distinction ingenuously delivered by Aquinas but shamefully Justified by us who had rather walk in Shew then in Substance in Vanity then in Reality But yet the Psalmist speaks more plainly Psal. 62. 9. Surely men of low degree are Vanity and men of high degree are a Lye to be laid in the Ballance they are altogether lighter then Vanity
reveal to me from thence Gods will coâ—…cerning my salvation for that is to bring Christ down from above to deny that Christ is already come down from heaven of purpose to shew us the way up thither Or who shall descend into the deep to wit to rescue me from the power of death and hell that is to bring up Christ again from the dead to deny that Christ is risen from the dead and hath conquered the power of death But what saith it The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved As if he had said What needs any man trouble himself about cuâ—…ious Questions to know whether he be in â—…he state of Salvation for that 's a thing which he can best know from his own mouth and from his own heart If his â—…eart be true to his Saviour by a lively Faith in his death and Resurrection And if his tongue be true to his heart by a â—…oyful Profession of that Faith If his Faithâ—…e â—…e agreeable to the word of Christ and his â—…fe be agreeable to his Christian faith eiâ—…er by his Innocency or by his Repentance â—…f his Inner man be true to Christ and his â—…uter man be true to his Inner man He needs neither Rove in uncertainties noâ—… Dive into Curiosities nor distract himself with Perplexities for he is undoubtedly in the state of Salvation The Spiriâ—… of God saith to a man in such a condition Thou shalt be saved Upon these Premiseâ—… of Faith and Obedience here specified bâ—… Confession it would be Unlogical anâ—… much more Untheological to deny thâ—… Conclusion the state of Salvation Thoâ—… shalt be saved And if you shall yet desire to know whether you have a trâ—… Faith or no I must tell you that as thâ—… life of the Soul is the life of the Body sâ—… Faith is the life of the Soul For Chriâ—… dwelleth in the heart by Faith Eph. 3. 17. And as life is known to be in the body bâ—… its sense and motion so also is life known tâ—… be in the Soul First by its sence for 〈◊〉 hath a feeling of its own sins and groanâ—… under the burden of them It hath a feeling of Christs merits and mercies and râ—…joyceth in the comfort thereof Secondly by its motion The Affections are the feeâ—… by which the soul moveth Hence thaâ—… saying Anima est non ubi Animat sed uâ—… Amat The soul is not where it lives bâ—… where it loves consequently the soul thaâ—… placeth its love in God hath its life in God Omnia sunt Vita in Deo quae non vivunt in seipsis saith the Angelical Dr. most Angelically All things are life in God even those things which have no life in themselves Creatures that are dead in themselves are alive in God Creatures without life are life in him Creatures that have life in themselves yet in God have a far better life Thus men in themselves have but a Momentany a Corruptible an Indigent an Inglorious life But men in God have a life of Eternity of Incorruption of Al-sufficiency and full of Glory wouldst thou then live Eternally Incorruptibly Contentedly and gloriously Go out of thy self O Devout soul and live in God Go out of thy self by thy Affections which will carry thee from earth to Heaven from thy self to thy Saviour and will make thee whiles thy body is below mount up on high Placing thy heart where thy Treasure is for Christ alone is the Treasure of Souls who alone is the Saviour and Lover of Souls even in Heaven nay in the highest part of Heaven at the right Hand of God This is the Apostles advice Col. 3. 1 2. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God set your Affections on things above not on things on earth And we may very well turn this Advice into an Argument to prove that we are indeed Risen with Christ because we do seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God because we do settle our affections on things above not on things of the earth but withall we must carefully observe the nature of this proof For 1. It is not a Violent but a Voluntary motion of the Affection that is herâ—… required the things above are such as wâ—… seek with Desire and find with Delight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quae sursum sunt qâ—…aerite seek those things which are above Noâ—… turn Seeker after mens new Phansies bâ—… after Gods old Mercies Psal. 25. 6. Thâ—… Tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses fâ—… they have been ever of old It is in the Hebrew Quia à seculo ipsae No Verb at aâ—… to signifie any Time to shew they were bâ—…fore all time from everlasting and shaâ—… continue beyond all time to everlasting 〈◊〉 is the consideration of these everlasting meâ—…cies that maketh the soul to seek after Gâ—… the father of mercies Not the Fear of heâ—… but the Love of heaven It is not a Violeâ—… but a Voluntary motion That is the first 2. Secondly Again It is not the motion of one Affection but of all for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set your affection is spoken Indifinitely and therefore since in a matter necessary Universally It is not some affections for God some for the World for so had wicked Balaam Num. 23. 10. saying Let me die the death of the Righteous And yet he loved the wages of Unrighteousness 2 Pet. 2. 15. But all the affectious must be for God For as a man cannot live the life of nature and have his Heart divided so much less can he live the Life of Grace Therefore all the Affections His Affections are settled Universally That is the second 3. Thirdly This motion of the soul is not without Deliberation and great Judgement For it is grounded upon the consideration and belief of Christs Resurrection If ye then be risen with Christ The consideration That Christ hath opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers makes him Believe The consideration That Christ sitteth on the right Hand of God in the Glory of the Father maketh him Seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right Hand of God His Judgement goes before his Affection the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 requires no less He hath seriously computed with himself and sees there is but one Pearl of great Price unto his Soul and for that he will sell all that he hath to buy it Mat. 13. 4. 5. His Affections are settled judiciously on Christ that 's the Third 4. Fourthly and lastly This motion of the soul is not without right Order for it begins from a right Principle and therefore must needs end with a blessed conclusion He is not moved with the Fear of Gods Majesty but
truth Jam. 1. 18. And if God be Our Father by Spiritual Generation then are we also his sons by Adoption and can rightly and truly say Our Father and all the Petitions after it without giving the Lie to our own Consciences Whereas a man that is in the state of sin cannot truly say any one Petition of the Lords most Holy Prayer He cannot say Our Father for he will not be the son of God He cannot say Hallowed be thy name for he delights to profane it He cannot say Thy Kingdom come for he fears nothing more then its coming He cannot say Thy Will be done for he resolves against the doing it Wherefore if you ask me how shall sinners not yet converted say to God Our Father I Answer if they truly desire to be converted and to become his children they may say so as the Prodigal son resolving to arise and go to his Father though he were not yet come unto him had a right of calling him Father Luke 15. 18. For an unfained desire of conversion shews a true convert God accepting the will for the deed As working in us to will no less then to do of his own good pleasure And the best man that is will meet with inextricable Difficulties if he Ground the Truth of his conversion upon the Ability of his Performance and not upon the sinceritity of his desire Saint Bernard tells of a very Religious Monk who undertaking to say his Pater Noster without the least A vocation or A version of his thoughts from God which another professed that he could not obtain to do by all the fasting and prayer that he had used for many years convinced and condemned himself by his own mouth before he had gone over half the petitions interposing such an Impertinency in his prayer as plainly shewed that his mind was on earth whiles his tongue was in heaven I conclude then that only those sinners among the sons of men have no right to their Pater Noster but do hypocritically and falsly say the Lords prayer who neither are nor desire to be the children of God who so are sinners as that they also are in the state of sin and desire to continue in that state For how can that man have a right to pray who before he praies hath set his heart against his God and whiles he is praying doth set his own tongue against his heart SECT II. Weighing of our sins EVery man shall bear his own burden saith the Apostle Gal. 6. 5. And it will conâ—…ern every wise man to see he hath no greater burden then he is able to bear Of all burdens none is so heavy as sin â—…or other burdens can only press down to â—…earth but this presseth also down to hell Therefore above all other burdens it is a â—…oint of wisdom to be rid of this burden of â—…in But how shall we rid our selves of it Who will take it from us who will bear it â—…or us The Psalmist hath told us Psal. 55. â—…2 saying Cast thy burden upon the Lord â—…nd he shall sustain thee If it be thy wiâ—…est course to cast upon him the burden of â—…hy Body then much more the burden of â—…hy soul Say then to him as Hezekiah did O Lord I am oppressed Undertake for me Isa. 38. 14. Thou didst bear the heavy â—…urden of thy Cross that thou mightest â—…ear the far heavier burden of my sins This is the burden that most oppresseth me this is the burden that I most earnestâ—…y beseech thee to undertake for me and to take from me thou didst admit of one to help thee bear the burden of thy Cross but of none to help thee bear the burden of my sins Therefore I can flee to none for helâ—… but to thee alone Thou only wert able toâ—… satisfie the Justice of an angry God and 〈◊〉 beseech thee to make me a joyfull Partakeâ—… of that blessed Satisfaction One Angeâ—… was enough to strengthen thee to beaâ—… the burden of the sins of the whole worldâ—… But all the Angels in Heaven are noâ—… enough to strengthen me to bear the burden only of mine own sins therefore I sleeâ—… unto thee to undertake for me Be thou myâ—… Pledge my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pawn Lift for Life soul for soul in my stead That 〈◊〉 who have forfeited both life and soul iâ—… my self may Recover them both in my Pledge in my Undertaker But I may not hope to be so easily rid of my heavy burden by desiring to lay it upon another shoulders unless I first lay it on mine owâ—… Heart For if my Saviour were so exceeding sorrowfull for my sins it is greaâ—… reason I should be sorrowfull for mine own Sins which alone caused his greateâ—… Sorrow And How can I be sorry for my Sins till I know the burden of them How can I know their burden till I have weighed Them in the ballance of the Sanctuary There I shall find that sin is directly opposite to the Goodness of God and therefore must needs be as odious to Him as His own Goodness is amiable to Himself There I shall find that the wilfull Sinner is a Rebell against the King of Heaven doth despise the Golden scepter of his mercy and would put him down from the Throne of his Majesty There I shall find that every Sin Unrepented separates from God Isa. 59. 2. Your Iniquities have separated betwixt you and your God Grieves his Holy Spirit excludes and expels Grace from the soul nay excludes and expels the soul from it self bringing Darkness on the Understanding Perversness on the Will Forgetfulness on the Memory Debility and weakness on the Power of Action So that by Sin the soul is neither rightly Intellective nor Retentive nor Affective nor Active Most ingeniously the Casuist Dicat Saluberrimum Peccavi cujus Singulae literae indices illi esse possunt miseriae in qua constituitur Let the Sinner frequently and Heartily cry Peccavi the several Letters of which word will put him in mind of His several losses and miseries by His sins as for example P Praemiis omnium meritorum privatus e Egestate oppressus c Coecitate mentis percussus c Charitate divina spoliatus 〈◊〉 a Amaritudine repletus v Viam perdiâ—…tionis ingressus i Iram Dei meritus 〈◊〉 Reginaldus de Prudentia in Confessarioâ—… cap. 5. Innumerable are the miseries oâ—… the impenitent sinner yet reducible All tâ—… these seven Heads 1. That he loseth thâ—… benefit of his former righteousness 2. Thaâ—… he is oppressed with many wants anâ—… above All with the want of Repentance 3. That he is smitten with blindness in hiâ—… Understanding 4. That he is out oâ—… Gods Favour 5. That He is full of bitterness 6. That he is in the way of Peâ—…dition 7. That he is under the wrath oâ—… God And the word Peccavi in Latineâ—… will put Him in mind of All these 〈◊〉 and as it will shew him His Disease soâ—… will also Help
thee yet again and thou shalt see greater Abominations then These Thou canst not turn to look upon or rather into thy self but thou wilt still find out some new Abominations and if thou find none it is because thou thy self art the Abomination of Desolation so Abominable as reserved to Destruction or because thou art all Abomination and therefore thinkest nothing Abominable as that Breath which is moâ—… corrupt and unsavory can least discern 〈◊〉 own corruption and Unsavoriness whiâ—… is therefore the greater because the leâ—… discerned But let us a little view this vâ—…sion more particularly and in it our owâ—… hearts we may here observe the wickednesâ—… of Israel both towards God and towardâ—… Mans towards God by Idolatry 1. Iâ—… worshipping of Baal here called thâ—… Image of Jealousie ver 3. 5. becausâ—… it made God jealous and we know Idolatry is forbidden with this reason Foâ—… the Lord thy God is a jealous Godâ—… 2. In offering Incense to creeping thingâ—… ver 10. 3. In weeping for Tammuzâ—… ver 14. 4. In worshipping the Sunâ—… ver 16. Towards men by cruelty ver 17. For they have filled the Land witâ—… violence And is not all this Idolatry the sin oâ—… thine own heart is not all this Cruelty the sin of thine own hand First for the Idolatry the sin that thou thinkest thy self least guilty of when Thou followest thine own Phansie in serving God Thou worshippiâ—… Baal Nomen Idoli quia illud colentium Dominus That 's now thine Idol nay indeed thy Lord and Master and hath gotten Dominion over thee nor is there any Image more dangerously worshipped then â—…hine own Imagination God is a jealous God in all Idolatry but in none so much as when thou makeft thy self thine own Idol Again when for vile and base respects or sordid advantages thou transgressest the Duties of Piety Justice or Charity Thou then offerest Incense to Creeping things â—…ay thy self art creeping on Earth when â—…hou shouldest be ascending into heaven 〈◊〉 When thou bemoanest thy temporall Losses with too much pensiveness of Thought as being much more grieved for the wasting of thy treasure then of thy conscience Thou then weepest for Tammuz for he was among the Aegyptians as Ceres among the Romans The God of the Harvest And lastly when thou dost basely temporize for thine own ends Having mens persons in admiration because of advantage Jude 16. Thou maist properly be said to Turn thy face towards the East and to worship the Rising Sun Thus will thine own heart if thou look into it accuse thee of Israels Idolatry and in the next place thou must hold up thy Guilty hand at the Bar and be arraigned for his cruelty For if Saint Augustines Rule be true Quâ—… non Pavisti occidisti whom thou hast 〈◊〉 fed thou hast starved whom thou haâ—… not filled with meat thou hast filleâ—… with violence whom thou hast not Relieved thou hast Destroyed we need nâ—… send thee among the outragious Plundereâ—… to take thy share in this accusation They have filled the land with Violence For iâ—… that thou hast not helped those who havâ—… been wronged thou hast helped to wronâ—… them in that thou hast not fed the hungry thou hast starved them in that thou 〈◊〉 not taken in the stranger into thine housâ—… thou hast thrust him out of his own 〈◊〉 that thou hast not cloathed the naked thoâ—… hast stripped him Thus shalt thou be aâ—… raigned and condemned at the last day noâ—… only for thy Commissions but also foâ—… thy Omissions Mat. 25. 41 42. But anâ—… if also for thine Omissions then certainly and much more for thy Commissions For making others hungry and thirsty anâ—… poor and sick and naked Thus if thou shaâ—… look impartially into thine own Bosom thou wilt there find this Vision thou wiâ—… there see all these wicked abominations bâ—… turn thee yet again and thou shalt see greateâ—… Abominations then these which are indeed the effects of these not only dismal repreâ—…tations of thine own sins but also a â—…e dismal representation of Gods judgeâ—…nt Thou hast been guilty of sins unâ—…rthy of a man and now thou must exâ—…ct to feel a judgement worthy of God â—…sd 12. 26. my Flesh trembleth for fear â—…hee and I am afraid of thy judgements 〈◊〉 119. 120. This is the very abominaâ—…n of desolation when a man finding â—…self under the terrors of Gods imparâ—…l and inevitable and insupportable justice â—…ks under the burden and hath so many â—…smal Fiends rather then thoughts for 〈◊〉 inmates of his despairing soul. This was â—…ins case which is therefore so expresly 〈◊〉 down that it may not be ours Gen. â—…13 And Cain said My punishment is â—…eater then I can bear or my iniquity is â—…eater then that it may be forgiven The â—…rds will admit both interpretations for â—…e same word signifies both Iniquity and â—…ishment and indeed it is iniquity alone â—…at makes the Punishment for were it â—…t for sin though we might be Afflicted â—…t we could not be Punnished and that â—…akes it intolerable For a wounded â—…irit who can bear Another may â—…ound my body but it is only my self that can wound my soul The sores of 〈◊〉 body may be very painfull but it is only sins the sores the wounds of my soulâ—… are intolerable A wounded spirit who bear Prov. 18. 14. O thou who 〈◊〉 wounded for our Transgressions and wâ—… blood is the only balm to heal the woâ—… of our Souls make us in Time to thirst 〈◊〉 gasp after thy blood that so we maâ—… recovered of all our wounds Give uâ—… hearty Sorrow for our sins but wiâ—… gives us thy immortal comforts in 〈◊〉 Sorrows Sorrow for sin is a Gâ—… Sorrow nay A Sorrow according to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 7. 10. 〈◊〉 Godly Sorrow because it begins from 〈◊〉 and ends in God and it is a sorrow 〈◊〉 cording to God having him not only foâ—… Efficient and final but also for its foâ—… cause A sorrow according to the exâ—…ple of the Son of God Mat. 26. My â—…ul is exceeding Sorrowfull even Death The soul of the God of Life was rowful unto the Death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my soul is encompassed round about with row whence so much Sorrow to him 〈◊〉 was the only Joy of heaven and earth 〈◊〉 proclaiming his indulgences on earth 〈◊〉 made an eternal Jubile in heaven â—…ence so much grief to him who is the â—…ight of men and Angels even from the â—…ath of God against sin though himself â—…d never sinned Because of this was he â—…rrowful and very heavy Was the burâ—… of my sins heavy upon my Saviours â—…l and shall it not much more be heaâ—… upon mine own Did he cry out for 〈◊〉 sins as if God had forsaken him and â—…all I still be silent and not fear that â—…od will indeed forsake me I Knowledge 〈◊〉 fault saith the true penitent â—…d my sin is ever before me Psal. 51. 3. 〈◊〉 if he had said my sins are
ever â—…ore Almighty God and shall they â—…t be also before me they are open in 〈◊〉 sight and shall they not be so in mine that we would consider how far we have â—…t-gone David in his sin and yet how far â—…ort we come of him in his Repentance â—…r sin though it is the work of darkness â—…t may not hope to be covered or conâ—…led by it it is never invisible but alâ—…ies comes to light God sees it man himâ—…f sees it and happy is the man who sees â—…n due time for that is the only way to â—…ake God not see it but turn away his â—…es from it yet if he see it never so late CHAP. III. Peres or Dividing of our Persons SECT I. The Soul Divided from the Body while it lives by a Voluntary Separation conversing with it self and with itâ—… Saviour A GOOD man can neveâ—… want Good company soâ—… if he may not have it froâ—… his neighbour he may havâ—… it from himself Me Interrâ—…gans mihique respondent quùm solus essem tanquam Duo essemuâ—… Ratio Ego saith Saint Aust. lib. 1. Râ—…tract c. 4. Unde hoc opus Soliloquia nominavi I did Question and Answer my self as if we had been Two Reason and I whence I called that work my Solilequies And indeed a mans safest way of talking is to talk with himself so will his tongue not defile his body as Saint James complains but purge his Soul not set on fire the course of nature but thirst after the welsprings of Grace not it self be set on fire from Hell but inflame the soul with the love desire of Heaven He that talks most with himself is like to answer for himself For the right Judgement of things is made by the Conscience which looks not on Time but on Eternity The soul must Answer by it self alone without the body â—…nd therefore had need consult with it self â—…lone about its Answer not admit the flesh â—…nto consultation which will deprave the â—…udgement and cannot rectifie it Mundus â—…egacosmus intrat in microcosmum i. e. 〈◊〉 Animam scil Bonam in itinerario menâ—…is This Great world was made to enter inâ—… man the Lesser world for the soul is â—…ble to receive it all and yet still must â—…ontinue empty But man himself was â—…ade to enter into a better world Enter â—…ou into thy Masters Joy Mat 25. 23. â—…he world above is too big to enter into â—…s we must enter into it Therefore it is better to know this world then to love because by knowledge this world enteâ—… into us but it is better to love the woâ—… above then to know it because by loâ—… we enter into that world And surely is like to have the happiest entrance tâ—… soonest knocketh at the door For soâ—… there will be who will say Lord Lâ—… open unto us who will have this answer 〈◊〉 rily I say unto you I know you not Mat. 〈◊〉 11 12. Wherefore it is necessary that tâ—… soul be divided from the body even whâ—… it dwels in it that so it may by a voluntaâ—… both prevent and facilitate its violent seâ—… ration For if she be accustomed to the oâ—… she will never fear the other Thuâ—… may be a Separatist and be no Schisâ—… tick by Separating from my self but 〈◊〉 from my brethren The Jews phaâ—… much of Gods speaking with his own Jâ—… cial house and when they find him speâ—… ing in the plural number not knowâ—… the mysterie of the Trinity or not caâ—… to acknowledge it do only tell us he is 〈◊〉 sulting with his own Judgement 〈◊〉 Solomon Jarchi on Cantic 8. v. 5. 〈◊〉 How much more ought man to conâ—… with his own soul that by so doing heâ—… also consult with God For the soul more it descends into it self the more it ascends unto its Saviour God alone haveing the Priviledge to be within the Soul as the Soul alone hath the priviledge to be within the body Therefore let me have frequent Colloquies with mine own soul that I may have frequent Colloquies with my Saviour my Colloquies with my self will wean me from the love of earth my Colloquies with my Saviour will make me in love with heaven my Colloquies with my self will shew me the Vanities of the world the Infirmities of the flesh the Malice of the Devil and the sight of these will make me say with the Psalmist O that I had wings like a Dove then would I flee away and be at Rest Psal. 55. 6. When the spirit of a Dove will not give me Rest such may be the wickedness of men yet the wings of a Dove will give it me such is the goodness of God when condescending to man by patience and meekness will not then ascending to God by prayer and meditation will give Peace and Rest unto my soul. My Colloquies with my Saviour will shew me his Al-sufficient merits His Almighty power His Al-saving mercy And the first of these will make me Abandon the worlds Vanity that I may retire to his Al-sufficiency he hath ascribed sufficiency to his Grace 2 Cor. 12. But he hath reserved the Al-sufficiency to himself The second will make me acknowledge mine own Infirmity that I may rely on his Omnipotency as saith the Apostle most gladly will I glory in mine Infirmities that the Power of Christ may rest upon me 2 Cor. 12. 9. For if the power of Christ rest on me sure I cannot but have rest in it The third will make me not fear the Devils malice whiles I place my whole trust and confidence in my Saviours everlasting and Al-saving meâ—…cies For blessed be his undeserved goodness I have a Saviour who is able and willing to save a Jesus whose name is salvation whose presence is salvation whose work is salvation they are all three Joyned together John 11. 21 Then said Martha unto Jesus Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not dyed He is Jesus there 's Salvation in his name thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins Mat. 1. 21. If thou hadst heen here there 's Salvation in his presence My brother had not dyed there 's salvation in his work therefore must my soul be alwaies neer my Saviour that it may never be far from his Salvation It must converse with him and therefore it must be united to him by the spiritual and blessed Union which is wrought by Faith by Hope by Charity For without this Union I may not hope for that Conversation The Union or Conjunction of the soul with Christ by Faith is expressed and in that required Eph. 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith Not in your Heads by Phansie but in your Hearts by Faith not float in your Brains but sink down into your Breasts Wherefore let me be sure to cherish in my soul this heavenly gift of Faith by refraining my mind from vain Curiosities and bringing into captivity every thought to the Obedience
when â—…we meet with such Preachers we have reaâ—…on to be afraid of such Doctrine Souldiers can easily teach others to serve them but they can hardly teach themselves much less others to serve God And now you may also if you please see a third Quake more terrible then the other two not a quaking of Earth nor a quaking of bodies but a quaking of souls in the first Sect of Quakers They who before quaked for fear of an Angel now much more quaking for fear of Devils But be not you O Christian Souls afraid of that sight The Angel himself saying Fear not ye for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified Mat. 28. 5. not seek much less help to crucifie him This reason doth no less concern all other seekers that seek Jesus which was crucified then it did the women They may well seek without fear for they are sure to find with joy They shall find that their Lord is risen and calleth them to rise with him Immediately in their souls Immortally in their bodies Incorruptably both in souls and bodies This will be thâ—… best exercise of thy hope that Christ thâ—… Head being risen will make thee his member partaker of his joyfull Resurrection which consideration made our Church compose a choice Hymn of purpose for Easter day to express the joy and exultation oâ—… true Christian souls for the Resurrection of Christ And I suppose none will condemn her of singularity or novelty concerning that Hymn although it is not to be found entirely either in Greek or Latine Liturgies for there is no doubt of her communicating with the Church of Christ whiles she communicates with the Spirit of Christ And in this Hymn she immediately communicates with the Spirit of Christ because it is all taken out of his Word Rom. 6. 8. and 1 Cor. 15. 20 c. And though the Hymn it self may possibly be taken out of good Christians mouths yet surely the Joy of it can never be taken out of their hearts That Christ Rising again from the dead now dieth not Death from henceforth hath no power upon him and in that it hath no power upon him I am sure it shall not long have a power upon me And that other Christ is risen again the first fruits of them that sleep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Theophil He that goes first sure hath some to follow him There cannot be first-fruits but there must be after-fruits This is my Hope the head being risen will not leave his members for ever in the dust My soul and my body cannot be now so unwillingly parted in the Death As they shall hereafter be joyfully United in the Resurrection from the dead Lastly Thy love and charity will best exercise it self about his glorious Ascention Thou wilt there see hin attended on Earth by his Disciples ready to receive his Instructions Thou wilt there see him attended in the Air by a Cloud ready to receive his Person Thou wilt there see him attended in heaven by millions of Angels and glorified Souls ready to congratulate his reception If these considerations will not make thee love the Christan Faith that teacheth such heavenly mysteries it is because thou hast dull affections If they will not make thee love thy Saviour Christ who hath prepared such heavenly mercies it is because thou hast no affections This will be the best exercise of thy love to inflame thy soul with the contemplation of those Unspeakable joyes which cannot more Inflame then they will content it Christ ascended into heaven What hast thou to do but in heart and mind thither to ascend after him that thou maist continually dwell with him He is gone to prepare a place for thee what hast thou left to do but to prepare thy self for that place and beseech him to assist and bless thee in that preparation SECT II. The soul Divided from the body when it dies by a violent separation THE Soul of man had no subsistence before his body and is therefore unwilling to have a subsistence without it Creatio infusio sunt simul respectu animae is the Tenent of the School The soul is not created till the body be fitted to receive it so that in the same instant wherein it is Created it is also received into the Body And that 's the reason That coming cloathed into the world she is so much troubled to think that she must at last go as it were naked out of it Hence it is that though we groan in this tabernacle being burdenâ—…d with the miseries and much more with the sins of our Flesh yet we do not desire to be Uncloathed but cloathâ—…d upon that mortality might be swallowed up of Life 2 Cor. 5. 4. That is we would so lay aside our burden as not to lay aside our Flesh and would have our mortal bodies not by Death put off their mortality but by a change put on Immortality Wherefore the Union of the soul with the body being altogether natural the separation of the soul from the body must needs be against nature Consequently it is not possible that a meer natural man should deliberately desire to die for nature cannot desire its own destruction and therefore a deliberate desire of Death cannot possibly proceed from nature but from grace which alone can make a man both live contentedly and die comfortably where there 's a great measure of grace there is also a great measure of contentment in life and of comfort in death In so much that if we do not wilfully shut our eyes we cannot but see if we do not wilfully shut our hearts we cannot but believe if we do not wilfully shut our mouths against the truth we cannot but confess that Godly and Religâ—…ous men do continually dye with more Pâ—…tience and comfort then we dare live bâ—… the original of this Patience of this Comfort is not from the man but from thâ—… Godliness For thereby alone he is able tâ—… say with Saint Paul For me to live is Christ and to dye is gain Phil. 1. 21. To me tâ—… live is Christ for I die unto sin to me tâ—… die is gain for I have lived unto righteousness Or else as Beza expounds that place mihi enim est Christus in vita in morte lucrum Christ is a gain to me both iâ—… life and death To talk of gain in death to a natural man were to make him mad or to think you so for he loseth his soul he loseth himself but to talk of gain iâ—… death to the spiritual man is to make him the more sensible of his spiritual comfort and Condition for the less he hath of the Flesh the more he hath of the Spirit So that though death takes from him his Body yet it gives him his Soul though it take from him his Soul yet it gives him his Saviour Be it then that death takes from him all things but his God yet
no other wâ—… understanding then he hath givenâ—… Angels they not being able to underâ—… distinctly by such universal forms aâ—… Angels could not have had a partâ—… and distinct knowledge of any thing only a general and confused knowleâ—… so it is clearly for the better that Huâ—… Souls be united unto Bodies because iâ—…duceth to the bettering of their uâ—…standing But this reason conceâ—… the soul of man no longer then whiles it is here on earth whereas it is evident that the desire of Re-union with the body accompanieth the soul also in heaven for though she there understand by a far more excellent and noble way without the Body then she doth here in the Body yet doth she still desire Re-union with the Body and not think her own bliss so compleat till she may have it in and with her old companion her first friend and acquaintance Excellently the same Aquinas 12 ae qu. 4. ar 5. Desiderium Animae separatae totaliter quiescit ex parte Appetibilis quia habet id quod suo appetitui sufficit sed non totaliter requiescit ex parte Appetentis quia illud bonum non possidet secundum omnem modum quo possidere vellet ideo corpore resumpto beatitudo crescit non intensive sed extensive The desire of the separated souls that are in Heaven is fully satisfied as to the object or the thing that they desire for they have all the blessedness that they can wish But not as to the subject or their manner of desireing for they have not their blessedness so as they do wish it because it is not yet communicated to their bodies wherefore after the Resurrection of the Body the blessedness of Glorified Souls is said tâ—… increase though not intensively as if tâ—… bliss should be greater in it self for thâ—… are already admitted to the vision and frâ—…ition of God yet surely extensively bâ—…cause it shall be greater in respect of theâ—… that enjoy it when it shall be communâ—…cated from their Souls unto their Bodies And therefore the Glorified Souls of meâ—… do exceedingly desire that their Blessedness should be so communicated becausâ—… their supernatural Bliss doth not extinguish cannot exclude their natural Desire which is to be united to their Bodies Accordingly Aquinas tells us that to thâ—… perfect consummation of mans Bliss is required not only a perfect Disposition oâ—… his Soul but also of his Body and thaâ—… both antecedently and consequently to hiâ—… Blessedness Antecedently or before he iâ—… Blessed for else his Body would clogg hiâ—… Soul and divert it from the Beatifical vision And Consequently or after he iâ—… Blessed for the Soul cannot but communicate her Bliss and Glory to the Body 12 ae q. 4. ar 6. Therefore that which was a Natural Body at the separation shall be made a Spiritual Body at the Re-union and being once made a Spiritual body the Soul shall have Power to keep 〈◊〉 â—…o for ever according to that of Saint Aug. â—…am potenti naturâ Deus fecit Animam ut â—…x ejus plenissimâ Beatitudine redundit in â—…nferiorem Naturam Incorruption is vigor With so powerful a Nature hath God endued the soul of man that when her self â—…hall come to be perfectly Blessed she will be able to Transmit her Bliss and Incorruption to the body Wherefore let â—…y soul be separated from this natural body by which it is corrupted that it may â—…e united to that Spiritual body by which â—…t shall be perfected The Second PART OR The Consolation against Death Preface HE that will fully comfâ—… the Soul of man agaiâ—… Death must comfort against sickness that coâ—…monly goes before it 〈◊〉 against Judgement tâ—… alwaies follows after it So that thisâ—… consolation must branch it self into these tâ—… Chapters The Comforts of the Soul against Sicknâ—… The Comforts of the Soul against Deathâ—… The Comforts of the Soul against Judgment It is as easie for those in health to gâ—… advice to the sick as it is hard for the 〈◊〉 to follow it But every one that can gâ—… Advice to the sick cannot give them câ—… for t in their sickness The best that any of us can say in this kind is The Lord comort you And yet surely there are some men who are obliged if not enabled by their Calling to speak more comfortably then others no less to body-sick then to sin-sick Persons Those men whose peculiar Duty it is to visit the sick and consequently to comfort them For they may not do as Jobs Friends did come to Grieve with him and then help not to Asswage but to Encrease his Grief For they by so doing are lookt upon not as Gods but as the Devils Instruments though they were of the Posterity of Abraham and therefore undoubtedly instructed in the true Relion according to that Testimony given of Abraham by God himself Gen. 18. 19. For I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord. Yet these men were so faulty in their conferences with holy Job that God himself saith of them they had not spoken right concerning him and that his wrath was kindled against them Job 42. 7. Whereby it Appears that Jobs former exclamations against them proceeded not from the impotency of his Passion but from the justness of his cause when he said ye are forgers of lies ye are all Physitians of no value Job 13. 4. Medici Idoli so Jarchi expounds the word and parallels it with that of Zach. 11. 17. where we tanslate it the Idol shepheard and may here so too The idol Comforters Men that made a shew of Comfort but afforded none at all no more then if they had been but meer Idols Nay that 's not all they afforded him dicomforts instead of comforts wherefore he calls them also miserable comforters Job 16. 2. Hebrew consolatores molestiae troublesome comforters are you all And sick men may in this Brain-sick age of ours quickly have enough if not too much of such comforters Men that scarce can settle others consciences having so much unsettled their own Which made Saint Paul come with a Benedictus in his mouth and surely it was in his heart before it was in his mouth when he considered what a great mercy it was in God towards those in distress to give either true comforts or true comforters saying Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ The Father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforteth us in all our Tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort where with we our selves are comforted of God 2 Cor. 1. 3 4. The Apostle begins here with thanksgiving according to his accustomed manner in all his Epistles but contrary to his custome doth he apply this thanksgiving wholy to himself The reason was saith Beza Because the Corinthians did begin to despise him for his Afflictions the common course of the world to
the Lord is good Psal. 34. 8. You will taste his goodness in the most bitter Potion you will see his goodness in the most bloody scourge if you do but seriously consider that Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and consequently whom he most chasteneth he most loveth Wherefore since thy loving kindness is better then life Psal. 63. 3. though thy chastisement take away my life yet I desire not thou shouldst take away thy chastisement as long as that giveth me the true sense and feeling of thy loving kindness Gods Rod â—…s it self a very good Lesson and doth here accordingly set down a Two fold Document Documentum Amoris Documentum Salutis A Document of his Love for loving and chastening go together And to be without Correction is to be without Filiation v. 8. But if ye be without chastisement then are ye Bastards not Sons And a Document of our Salvation For his chastisement is as it were a Plowing and Tilling of our Souls to make us bring forth more fruit even the fruit of unfeigned Righteousness and the fruit of everlasting Peace ver 11. It yeildeth thâ—… Peacecable fruit of Righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby The peaceablâ—… fruit of Righteousness These words may be called Eshcol For they are a whole clustster of grapes Num. 13. 24. yet not to be carried between two upon a staff being no less in effect then That Eternâ—… weight of Glory or indeed the whoâ—…e Kingdom of Heaven for if you Press these Grapes and squeeze out the wine thaâ—… is in them you will find Righteousness an unfeigned Righteousness which is thâ—… Kingdom of Grace And you will finâ—… Peace an Everlasting Peace which is thâ—… Kingdom of Glory And this is the whoâ—… Kingdom of Heaven the Kingdom 〈◊〉 Grace and the Kingdom of Glory Anâ—… as unfeigned Righteousness is the way tâ—… bring us to Everlasting Peace So is correction and chastisement the way to brinâ—… us to unfeigned Righteousness Where in we shall see very much to exercise oâ—… Piety but nothing at all to disturb ouâ—… Patience For all chastening is but for a few â—…yes ver 10. whether it be by our â—…thers on earth or by our Father in â—…aven For neither takes the Rod out 〈◊〉 delight but only out of necessity and â—…erefore is soon ready to throw it away â—…ter a little chastening And a chastening â—…at is but for a few dayes cannot call â—…r many groans A chastening that is â—…t for a little time cannot require any â—…eat patience And though our Fathers 〈◊〉 earth chastening us after their own pleaâ—…re may chastise us both unjustly and â—…measurably unjustly as to the end unâ—…easurably as to the manner of their â—…astening yet surely our Father in heaâ—…n doth not so He chastens not unmeaâ—…rably because much less then we deserve â—…even the Damned souls in hell are puâ—…shed citra condignum saith Aquinas with â—…uch less then condign Punishment â—…d he chastens not unjustly because for â—…r Profit That we might be partakers of â—…s holiness And therefore if we owe subâ—…ction and reverence to the Fathers of our â—…esh much more to the Father of spirits â—…nd the rather because the Reward of our â—…tifulness to them is but the prolonging 〈◊〉 a momentary and a miserable life But the Reward of our dutifulness to the â—…ther of spirits is to live blessedly and live eternally ver 9. 10. Therefoâ—… we must be sure in this case to follow oâ—… Saviours advice John 7. 24. Judge 〈◊〉 according to the Appearance but judge rigâ—…teous judgement For what though no chaâ—…ning for the present seemeth to be joyous bâ—…grievous ver 11. yet doth it not follâ—… because it seems not so therefore it is nâ—… so Ab eo quod videtur ad id quod est nâ—… valet consequentia To argue from thâ—… which seems to be to that which really 〈◊〉 were a most absurd way of argumeâ—… For this would prove the greatest Hypâ—…crite to be the most Religious man becaâ—… he most seems to be zealous of Religioâ—… So neither may we think that chastening not joyous because it seems not so 〈◊〉 though it bring grief to the body yet 〈◊〉 suredly being rightly taken it bring joy unto the soul. And this is a very suâ—…stantial Reason why we should not repiâ—… that God hath annexed Affliction asâ—… necessary condition of our Salvation yâ—… may we farther to this add these othâ—… Reasons First because though our present afflâ—…ction be never so great yet it is nothing iâ—… respect of our future Glory so saith Saint â—…ul Rom. 8. 18. For Ireckon that the â—…fferings of this present time are not worthy be compared with the Glory which shall be â—…vealed in us If you will compare them in â—…eir Continuance The one is momentaâ—… the other is eternal If in their Quantity â—…e one is little or nothing the other so â—…eat that it may be reputed All in All If 〈◊〉 Quality the one scarce deserves our noâ—…ce the other challenges both our attenâ—…ons and affections So that in all three â—…spects The Comparison is very unworâ—…y the one are not worthy to be compared â—…ith the other Secondly because our present Affliction â—…nduceth to the assurance of our future â—…lory Therefore Saint Peter exhorteth us 〈◊〉 rejoyce in the fiery Tryal and gives this â—…eason for our rejoicing In as much as we â—…e Partakers of Christs sufferings That â—…hen his Glory shall be revealed we may be â—…ad also with exceeding joy 1 Pet. 4. 13. 〈◊〉 is a siery tryal but that Fire will both â—…rge your soul and Prove your Faith â—…our soul being purged will let heaven it 〈◊〉 you your faith being proved will let â—…ou into Heaven For it will testifie unto â—…ou That Christ would not have made you partaker of his sufferings if he had intended to make you partaker of his glâ—… Let him then punish temporally thaâ—… may spare Eternally Let him chastise body that he may save my soul and unto me the Joy of his Salvation Thirdly and lastly because our Preâ—… Affliction conduceth to the increase of Future Glory Justine Martyr in 79. Quest. ad Orthodoxos Asks the Reâ—… why when Josiah is commended in Scripture above all the Kings of Isâ—… and Judah for his zeal to Religion 2 Reg. 25. yet himself was slain by the swâ—… and his sons after him carryed into Caâ—…vity which was a greater misery then fell any of the worser Kings and he gâ—… this Answer to his Question 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 time of recompence and reward for thâ—… who do the works of Righteousness is in this but in the next World And indâ—… they may here expect to suffer for tâ—… Righteousness but not till hereafter to Rewarded for it And they must with greater comfort expect this because thâ—… present sufferings are for the increase their future reward according to tâ—… â—…f 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light affliction which 〈◊〉 but for a moment worketh for us a far â—…ore exceeding and
for he tasted it at his own pleasure Death feeds on us for we must tast it against our wills and not only tast it but also eat it down Corruption first seized upon our souls and from thence passed to our bodies It was to our greatest disadvantage that it seized upon our souls But it is to our greatest advantage that it seizeth upon our bodies For unless they should be quite destroyed sin which first caused mortality would in the corrupt remainders and Reliques of our bodies it self have a kind of immortality whereas Righteousness alone is and ought to be immortal And therefore it is very probable that those who shall be found alive at the last day of whom the Apostle hath said We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed 1 Cor. 15. 51. shall have a change not only Equivalent to a Death but also to a Total Destruction For sin must totally be destroyed And therefore also our bodies that have lodged it and have been defiled by it That there may not be left the least monument of sin in the New World wherein shall dwell nothing but Righteousness 2 Pet. 3. 13. And now me thinks I can find a Paradise in Golgotha ever since my Saviour hath been there and bid hearty welcom to those worms which shall destroy that flesh which would have destroyed me For I can now safely conclude that neither in regard of my soul nor of my body ought I to fear Death which certainly is not so formidable in it self as it is generally in the worlds opinion For if the Rule be true Nomen quasi Novimen The name of every thing is that whereby it is best known and discerned then by the name of death we may best know and discern the nature of it And these are the chief Names whereby the Scripture expresseth it A Sleep A Change A Departure A Dissolution and none of all these Names is terrible and why then should the thing it self be so But if there be any terrour in the thing yet we are sure that in the Text there is a comfort greater then the terrour First Death is called a Sleep Mat. 9. 24. The maid is not dead but sleepeth And though wicked miscreants who believed not the Resurrection laughed at our blessed Saviour for calling death A sleep yet let all good Christians rejoyce that it is so and give him thanks for making it so It is a comfortable Gloss which the third Toletan Council cap. 22. gives upon those words of John 11. 35. Jesus wept For they say Dominus non flevit Lazarum sed ad vitae hujus ploravit Aerumnas resuscitandum Jesus did not weep that Lazarus slept but that he was again to be awakened to see the miseries and feel the mischiefs of this wicked world T was said before verse 11. Our friend Lazarus sleepeth And he that said it having made his death a sleep was troubled that he should awaken him so soon from his sleep In vita vigilant Justi ideo in morte dicuntur Dormire saith St. Augustine The good man when he dieth is said to sleep because he watcheth and waketh all his life but a wicked man sleeps all his life and awakens only at his death Soul take thy rest saith the rich worldling He lulls his soul asleep but what follows Thou fool this night is thy soul taken from thee Thy sleep shall soon be over together with thy life and Vengeance and Death they shall awaken thee For hast thou slept all thy life and wouldest thou also sleep at thy death Hast thou slept all the while thou wert here and wouldest thou also sleep now thou art going hence Hast thou slept when God bad thee awake and wouldest thou also sleep now that he bids thee die No Thou mayest not any longer expect rest ease and tranquillity For thou shalt certainly have disconsolation at thy departure grief in thy passage and shame at thy journeys end when thou shalt appear before Gods Judgement-seat and shalt not be able to give any account at all of thy life no more then the Souldiers could of Christ Mat. 28. for thou wert asleep Thy Death would have been a sleep if thy life had not been so Secondly Death is called A Change Job 14. 14. All the dayes of my appointiâ—… time will I wait till my Change come Thâ—… Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I wiâ—… wait till I be made again If death be thy making Tell me what can be thy marring A happy change doubtless which is nothing but a new making of that which is quite out of Order And thus saith St. Chrysostome did Symmachus expound thâ—… words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my holy Nativity or my holy Naturâ—… come The nature which I now have iâ—… full of corruption full of unholiness so that my own flesh is not so neer me as iâ—… my sinfulness O for a regeneration of my body as well as of my soul that I may be born again in my flesh as I am in my spirit Nor is there any thing that can morâ—… truly sweeten the thought of death theâ—… this consideration that it is a change For we are already in so bad a condition that we cannot well fear our Change should be for the worse And if we be truly sensible of our own condition it is most sure thaâ—… our change will be infinitely for the better For so saith the Apostle Phil. 3. 20â—… 21. For our conversation is in Heaven froâ—… whence we also look for the Saviour thâ—… Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body as if he had said we find nothing on Earth worth conversing withall therefore our conversation is in Heaven we know that our body is now vile and loathsom and therefore we look for the Lord Jesus Christ to Change and Fashion it like unto his Glorious Body Here are two great changes which the men of this world that are most given to change least care for A change of the soul from being on Earth to be in Heaven for our conversation is in Heaven A change of the body from Vileness to Glory who shall change our vile body that it may be like his glorious body Thirdly Death is called A Departure and so doth Abenezra expound the forenamed word in Job 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chaliphathi my change that is saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Halicathi my departure For the Jews express mans Birth as a Coming and his Death as a Going So Eccles. 1. 4. One generation goeth or Passeth away and another cometh Generatio vadens and Generatio Veniens The first is put for the Dying the latter for the living Generation of mankind And the first Council of Nice can 13. speaking of Dying men useth a word that only signifieth going forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De iis qâ—… exeunt And again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any man be ready to Depart
he hath said it who is able to make good his word Mat. 12. 50. Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother Tell me if there be any Relations nearer and dearer theâ—… these and tell me whether these can be so comfortable in Earth as they are in Heaven What loss is it then to me though Death take from me All while it gives me him who is All in All The Spirit of God saith unto every faithful soul Psalm 4. 5. 10. Hearken O daughter and consider forget also thine own people and thy Fathers house so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty for he is thy Lord God and worship thou him Non est ergo magnum â—…tu obliviscaris dimittas Populum tuum Domum Patris Tui ut te totum ejus servitio submittas Quoniam ipse dimisit Coelum se totum dedit ut tibi serviret saith Hugo He requires no great thing of thee To forgo thy Fathers house on Earth for his sake who did forgo his Fathers house in heaven for thy sake He was thy Lord and yet did that to serve thee Thou art his servant and wilt thou stick at doing this to serve him But you will say Herein consists my greatest perplexity For I know that I must go to him as my Lord to Judge me but I do not know how I can stand in that Judgement that so I may find him my Father to receive me and my God to save me But for this I refer you to another Chapter as being a Piece of Divinity that most concerneth another world CHAP. III. The Comforts of the Soul against Iudgement SECT I. The terrours of the last Judgement THere is a time for a Minister to be a Boanerges a Son oâ—… Thunder to proclaim Godâ—… final Judgement against Impenitent sinners that he may bring them to an earnest Repentance foâ—… that Impenitency is the high-way to damnation But there is also a time for him to be a Barnabas a Son of Consolation tâ—… proclaim Gods mercies to the Penitent that he may bring them to a lively faith for that true faith is the high-way to salvation Galatinus reports That the Jews did use to give a strong intoxicating wine to those that were condemned to die that by disturbing their judgements they might have the less terrible apprehensions of their approaching Death wresting that Text of Prov. 31. 6. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts A miserable way of Comforting was this to take away the pain by taking away the sense and the understanding To quiet the conscience by drowning it Had it not been more mercy in the Jews to have given the guilty a bitter potion to awaken his conscience then a pleasing potion to benum and to besot it For it is good the soul should weep with Mary John 20. 11. when she cannot readily find out Christ because it is sure the weeping soul can never lose him Wherefore it will be requisite that I first set before your eyes the terrours of the last Judgement that you may see your sins and then the comforts against those terrours that you may see your Saviour As concerning the terrours of the last Judgement they are set down in few words but many Frights 2 Thes. 1. 7 8. When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting Destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe in that day Observe the terrible manner of this Grand-Assizes The Judge shall visibly come down from heaven and bring his Posse Comitatus with him even his mighty Angels to execute his final Sentence which shall be a Sentence for the punishment of sense they shall be punished with an everlasting Destruction and for the punishment of loss from the presence of the Lord. That is A Sentence for all punishment that is imaginable and for more then is endurable And this Judge shall come down in flaming fire a Real a Material a Corporal not a Metaphorical or an Imaginary or a Spiritual fire and this fire he shall bring along with him from heaven not expect it to meet him from hell that shall lose none of its own former flames but receive more and therewith consume this corruptible and corrupted world 2. Pet. 3. 7. And after that throw all the Divels and wicked men into that same fire and then throw the fire it self with them down into hell there to increase the torments of those miscreants for ever that had before fire from hell to torment them but then they shall also have fire from heaven to encrease their torments God as he shall be glorified and admired in his Saints because of his undeserved mercy so shall he also be glorified and admired in those sinners because of his righteous Judgement And therefore though their Judges fire will be so terrible because of the flame yet their own sins will be much more terrible because they alone minister the fuel to that fire For the Books shall be opened The Book of Gods Remembrance and the Book of their own Conscience And they shall be Judged out of those things which are written in the Books according to their works Rev. 20. 12. Then in both Books shall they see such works Registred as call for a Judgement worthy of God because they had not only an Impiety but also an Impenitency unworthy of man And as they shall first see those works to their terrour so shaâ—… they after feel them to their torment noâ—… a work that had putrefaction and corruption in it but shall have its worm after it For corruption of sin begets a worm in thâ—… soul as corruption of Death begets worm in the body Vermis oritur ex putredine 〈◊〉 mordit illud in quo oritur saith Bonaventure A worm is begotten of filthiness anâ—… feeds on that which beg at it so is the woâ—… of conscience it is begotten of corruption even of sin the only corruption of the soul it frets and corrodes and gnaws and bitâ—… that soul which gave it being So that there must needs be all manner of terrours terrours from within where their worm dieth not terrours from without and the fire 〈◊〉 not quenched Mark 9. 46. And to all these terrours we must yet further add this terrible example out of Saint Peter 2 Pet. 2. 4. For if God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto Judgement Here is a kind oâ—… an imperfect speech called ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his passion caused
is pardoned do both speak one and the same comfort unto the soul do both signifie one and the same peace Completa est malitia ejus saith the Vulgar translation for militia by a small mistake of the letter as we may suppose but none of the sense For our malitia is our militia our iniquity is our warfare The Hebrew word here used signifies not only the work but also the time of war And Rabbi David saith the Prophet here means The time that Jerusalem was to pass in Banishment or Captivity So that if we joyn the Text and the gloss together we shall find that sin is a time of war of banishment and of captivity Of war with God of banishment from God And of captivity not under God for he can be no Tyrant but under the Devil A sad time certainly as full of fears and jealousies as empty of joyes and comforts anâ—… therefore that must needs be a joyful time wherein this warfare this captivity thiâ—… banishment is at an end because our sin iâ—… pardoned To say this is to speak truly to the heart which is the Hebrew expression for speaking comfortably All other comforts go no farther then the ear then the outward man that his stock is increased his request granted his cause advanced it is only this comfort that enters into the heart and revives the inner man that the time of his warfare banishment and captivity are at an end because his sin is pardoned And this is the comfortable sentence that is already pronounced in Gods Word That he pardoneth and absolveth all them which truly repent and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel All our labour must be to get this same sentence derived from Gods Word into our own consciences And then surely in the mouth of two such witnesses the least whereof is no less then a thousand it is no doubt but the testimony will be fully and firmly established For as the word doth witness the thing infallibly true in it self so will the conscience witness it insallibly true to us The use of a witness is either for information in defect of evidence or for confirmation in defect of assurance and an infallible witness is both these together For he gives evidence from his testimony and assurance from his infallibility Such an infallible witness is a good conscience that is grounded and established on the Word of God and thence collecteth this comfortable sentence Whosoever truly believeth and heartily repenteth shall not come into condemnation But I do truly believe and heartily repent therefore I shall not come into condemnation The major proposition is clear by the testimony of Gods Word the minor is clear by the testimony of our own consciences which can certainly tell us whether we be hypocrites or true Believers whether we be Sheep to hear the voice of Christ and to follow him that he may give us eternal life John 10. 27 28. or whether we be Goats to follow our own hearts lusts so to persist and perish in our sins and the conclusion cannot but follow the premises Read over the sentence that is set down Matthew 25. and thou wilt easily by comparing thine own actions with that sentence see whether at the last Judgement thou art to be set on Christs right hand or on his left Thou wilt easily see which part of that sentence concerns thee And that part which thine own conscience pronounceth of thee here thy Judge will both pronounce and confirm hereafter I hope that with Mary thou hast chosen that good part and if so cannot but assure thee it shall never be taken from thee Luke 10. 42. For Christ will never reject any man that hath sate at his feet to exercise his humility and patience and heard his Word to exercise his Piety and Obedience He will never say Depart from me to those who here did love his company and enjoy his communion And what is their work who are of his communion but to know and love and praise him And they that are thus of his communion on earth can you think he will excommunicate in heaven Saint John sets forth this Judgement of the conscience very fully in few words 1 John 3. 19 20 21. saying v. 19. And hereby that is by loving in deed and in truth not in word or in tongue as appears from the former verse we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him That is we know that we truly love him and therefore may be well assured of his love For he that loves is assured of love for which cause Beza thus renders Saint James his words Mercy rejoyceth against damnation James 2. 13. For he that is truly merciful hath a special promise to assure him of mercy that he shall not be condemned in the last Judgement and this hard-hearted Age of ours would doubtless much more incline to mercy if we did seriously consider that the sentence of condemnation Mat. 25. is denounced against the unmerciful not against the unjust for taking away but against the unmerciful for not giving but yet if against the unmerciful much more against the unjust for as justice is before mercy in order of nature so is also injustice before unmercifulness wherefore though we discourse of assuring our hearts before God more then any others yet we must needs have a much less assurance of his love because we our selves know that we do love only in word and in tongue not in deed and in truth as it follows v. 20. For if our heart condemn us God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things and therefore can and will condemn us much more then our heart for this is the true meaning of the words not as they are commonly explained That we ought to oppose the greatness of Gods mercy being ready to acquit us against the sentence of our own heart that is ready to condemn us For indeed the words are not spoken to comfort a distressed but to terrifie a guilty conscience It being the Apostles intent to perswade us above all things both to get and to keep a good conscience that we may not condemn our selves and then we may be assured that our God will not condemn us as it follows v. 21. For if our heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God sc. that he will not condemn us For the whole argument in brief is this If our conscience now condemn us God will also condemn us at the last day But if our conscience acquit us God will also then acquit us the conscience acting Gods part before hand in condemning the guilty and acquiting the innocent whether they have the first Innocency that of Righteousness or the second Innocency that of Faith and Repentance and the same Doctrine is again re-inforced 1 Iohn 4. 17 18. Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of Judgement because as he is so are we in this world
correct me good Lord as a Father in thy Pitty to amend me not as a Judge in thy Fury to confound me Thou didst redeem me with thine own most precious blood that thou mightest convert me And how then wilt thou Judge me being redeemed with that blood that thou maist condemn me Well may my sins be condemned of thee who art the Righteous Judge for I who have been the sinner and who still am an unrighteous man cannot but condemn them and my self for them But surely thy precious blood can never come under condemnation nor my soul whiles thou lookest upon it as washed with that blood Thus thou hast given me a pledge of delivering my soul from the terrours of my death by conquering them and from the severity of Gods Justice by satisfying it And thou hast also prepared a deliverance for my body for in that thou madest thy grave with the wicked in thy death thou hast sanctified the grave as a Repository for my dead body till my flesh shall be totally wasted therein and with my flesh all the sin and wickedness which hath so long dwelt in it and cannot be destroyed before it And thou wilt at last raise me from thence after thine own likeness that I may come from the grave as thou didst go to it not having violence in mine hand nor deceipt in my mouth nor wickedness in mine heart Lord let it be thy pleasure thus to deliver me Make hast O Lord to help me Take away all my sin from my soul and then as soon as thou pleasest take away my soul from my body That having no unrepented sin in my life I may have no unsufferable sorrow in my death but may find comfort in it deliverance by it and glory after it Amen Contemplations on Heb. 12. Verse 1 2. IN my troubles and distresses either of my body or of my soul I cannot bestow my time better then in looking about me for help And in looking about me for help I cannot bestow mine eyes better then in looking up to heaven For my help cometh from the Lord who hath made heaven and earth Psal. 121. 2. And if I look up to heaven I shall soon spie there a bright cloud even a cloud of witnesses to enlighten me that I stumble not in my waies for any darkness of my understanding And if I look up yet higher through that cloud I shall behold a far greater light even the Sun of righteousness to enflame me and to quicken me lest I should sit still when I am bound to be walking for the dulness of my will and the deadness of my affections for above that cloud dwelleth he who is the brightness of Gods glory and the express Image of his person Heb. 1. 3. Wherefore my sight may not be terminated or bounded by this cloud of witnesses But through it I must be looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of my Faith if I desire the comfort of my faith when I most want it even in the day of my visitation and at the hour of my dissolution And indeed where should a good Christian fix either his eye or his heart but only on Christ And I may here see Christ in his Mystical body that is in his Church the cloud of witnesses And Christ in his natural body that is in himself Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith And the same Christ in either body destitute afflicted tormented O Lord how many arguments are here alledged to perswade me to behave my self with great constancy humility and patience in those conflicts and agonies which I must expect as a Christian unless I will renounce communion with Christ and embrace an unwarrantable and an unprofitable Christianity I think there is a Lyon in the way as said Solomons sluggard ready to devour me and I see nothing but briers and thorns in it ready to intangle my feet and to tear my flesh But God telleth me it is the ready way to heaven and the Race that I must run if ever I hope to get thither Let us run with patience the race that is set before us If it be my race then I must run it if it be set then I cannot remove it if it be set before me then I cannot decline it And truly I cannot deny but it is set before me by the dispensation of Gods Providence and the indispensable Duty of my Christian vocation And therefore I give him hearty thanks that he hath so plainly shewed unto me the manner of running this race and the reasons that I have to run it The manner of running this race is twofold First I must forsake my self and all my selfishness that is all those things to which I have naturally an immoderate desire and in which I have naturally an immoderate delight let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us For what am I or what is my flesh but a weight that doth beset me rather then befriend me even an unprofitable and an unsufferable burthen And what else cometh from me or cleaveth to me but only sin Which living in me cannot but work with me Operari sequitur esse and working with me cannot but defile my purest and my best works Secondly I must fix mine eyes and mine heart only upon my blessed Saviour looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith Looking to and on nothing else either within me or without me but only Christ whether in the way of my sanctification for he is the Author of my faith whereby alone my heart is purified and sanctified Or in the way of my salvation for he is the Finisher of my Faith whereby alone my soul is saved It is he that hath brought my soul from Infidelity to Faith whereby I now see through a glass darkly It is he that will bring my faith to a clear vision whereby I shall see him face to face The Reasons I have to run this race are drawn from that grand Topick which works so much upon all the world that Pelagius thought thereby to shift off Original sin from mans nature and to put it only on his imitation This Topick is the Common-place of example And first I have the examples of all those holy men that were before Christ who through their faith in Gods promises and constancy in their faith possessed their souls in great patience whiles they lived and resigned their souls in great comfort and contentment when they dyed This innumerable company of Saints is here called a cloud of witnesses and it is such a cloud as must needs at some time or other drop down many cool showers able to allay if not to extinguish the flames of my greatest fiery tryals Secondly I have the example of Christ himself he is the Author of my faith he is the Captain of my salvation that marcheth before me to this battle instructing me by his Word encouraging me by his Promises supporting me by his
should I be angry and offended at the effects and tokens of his love For thy loving-kindness is better then the life it self Psal. 63. 3. What then though thou take away my life by thy chastisement if so be thou give me thy loving-kindness which is far better What is my life in it self without thy love O then take away my life as it is in it self and give it me as it is in thy love I desire not to live in mine own life but in thy loving-kindness Secondly because chastisement is a proof of my adoption Verse 7 8. For what son is he that the Father chasteneth not But if ye be without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye Bastards not Sons If I be not one of his Sons what expectancy can I have of his inheritance And if I be not under his correction how can I be assured I am one of his sons Wherefore let me rejoyce for being under the discipline of his chastisement as for being under the care of his Fatherly protection And let me be afraid of not being chastised on earth in this mortal life as I would be afraid of being bastardized from heaven and declared illegitimate as to the inheritance of immortality Thirdly because chastisement is a testimony of my obedience Verse 9. We have had Fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live Would I be accounted an obedient child I must shew my self so not only by my doing but also by my suffering For my active obedience may be very much for mine own sake because I expect a Blessing but surely my passive Obedience is meerly for my Fathers sake because I know my duty If therefore I desire to be truly dutiful to my Father in heaven let me shew him reverence whiles he punishes me and not only whiles he cherishes me And let me consider him to be the Father of spirits and I shall be sure to shew him this reverence for I shall never deny him the subjection of my spirit and much less of my flesh I shall be willing to trust him with my soul and shall not desire that he would trust my soul too long with my body This the natural man looks on as the high-way to destruction but the spiritual man knows it is the way to salvation for thus did Christ himself pass to life even by being obedient unto the death Let me labour to follow his example for I have no reason to hope to fare better then he did and sure Iam I cannot fare worse Let me accordingly desire to kiss my Fathers hand then chiefly when it holds the rod wherewith he strikes me or rather let me desire to kiss his rod for it is much better for me that his scourging should testifie my obedience then extort it And if my weak and sinful flesh whiles it is yet wedded unto my soul shall deal with me as Jobs wife did with him and say Dost thou still retain thine integrity curse God and die Let me be sure to give her the same answer as he did his wife Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh what shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil Job 2. 10. This is the true way not to bless God and die but to bless God and live for so it is in the Hebrew Bless God and die And Jobs wife speaking in that holy language had her tongue sanctified though not her heart in so much that she did not say Curse God and die though she meant it but bless God and die I say this is the way not to bless God and die but to bless God and live and I may well say it again and again for so saith the Apostle Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live Fourthly Because chastisement is a furtherance of my sanctification Verse 10. For they verily for a few daies chastened us after their own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness Good Lord can I not be partaker of thy holiness until thou chasten me then let thy hand spare me no longer for in thus sparing it will most severely punish me since there is no greater punishment either in this world or in the next then not to be partaker of thy holiness Our fathers on earth by chastening us after their own pleasure and not for our profit do often make us partakers of their sin even of that impatience whereby they do either unduly or unmeasurably chasten us But our Father in heaven is never peccant either in the manner or in the end of his chastening not in the manner for he takes no pleasure in scourging us and therefore cannot do it either unduly or unmeasurably Not in the end for he aims only at our profit in scourging that he may brush away or strike off some excrescencies of our flesh or some adherencies to it thereby to make us partakers of his holiness in a far greater proportion and measure then otherwise we could have been Fifthly Because chastisement is a furtherance of my salvation Verse 11. Now no chastisement for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterwards iâ—… yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby If I look no further then after mine own Joy it is most evident that I cannot endure much less desire chastisement because that for the present is not joyous but grievous but if I look after my Masters joy I must enter into it the same way that he entred he entred into his joy by sufferings and so must I. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory Luke 24. 26. He suffered that he might enter into his own glory which was undenyably his from all eternity and shall I hope to enter into that glory without suffering Ought Christ to have suffered and ought not the Christian to expect suffering Surely it hehoved Christ to suffer for these three Reasons Propter Remedium Peccatorum Propter exemplum Virtutum Propter complementum Scripturarum For the expiation and redress of sin by his Merit For the propagation of Righteousness by his Example For the fulfilling of the Scriptures by his Obedience As the Seraphical Doctor teacheth Now tell me which of these Reasons is not a fit and sufficient ground for my sufferings Have I not Brethren to be edified by my example who seeing my patience in the day of my visitation may also glorifie God in the day of theirs Hath not my God a Word to be fulfilâ—…ed which hath expresly said That we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God Acts 14. 22. Have not 〈◊〉 my self much sin to be redressed and amended For though I will gladly impute the expiation of all my sins only to my Saviours sufferings
all those present miseries of my life which thou hast already sanctified in that thou hast born them and all those possible horrours of my death which thou hast already conquered in that they durst assail thee to bear them That I who of my self am in death even in the midst of life may through thee my blessed Saviour find life in the midst of death and glory after it to glorifie thee who art the Lord of death and the Giver of life Amen 23. O holy Jesus thou only Redeemer of souls who by ' thy death hast overcome death and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life I most humbly beseech thee that as by thy special grace preventing me thou dost put into my mind good desires of departing hence and of being with thee so by thy continual help I may bring the same to good effect and at last joyfully depart in thy peace for that mine eyes have seen thy salvation my heart hath believed it and my soul goeth hence to enjoy it and with it thee my blessed Redeemer who with the eternal Spirit art most high in the glory of the Father one God everlasting Amen 24. O thou who layedst down thy life for my Redemption make me ready to lay down my life at thy command Teach me more and more to despise the Treasures and the Pleasures of this world which have in them a double vanity that they are transitory that they are not satisfactory As they cannot give me true content whiles I possess them because they are not satisfactory so let them not create in me any discontent when I must have them because they are but transitory O make me lay up for my self a stock of Treasure and of Pleasure in heaven by 〈◊〉 true and lively faith working zealously â—…or thee relying wholly on thee and â—…onging earnestly after thee for ever 25. Lord where is my Treasure but only in him that bought me who is my everlasting Portion that only God could give me and men cannot take from me And where should my heart be but where my Treasure is even in heaven and heavenly things I will therefore from henceforth live by the faith of the Son of God who died for me and gave himself for me And living by that faith though I may dwell on earth yet I shall live in heaven nay in the uppermost part of heaven even at the right hand of God there will I live alwaies with thee O my blessed Redeemer adoring thy Excellency reverencing thy Majesty loving thine Authority enamoured with thy Perfections and joyfully depending on thy Mercy That though my continuance be still with men yet my conversation may be with thee my God and Saviour by love earnestly longing for thee by hope wholly trusting on thee by desires stedfastly cleaving to thee and by delight alwaies rejoycing in thee So shall my soul when it departs out of this earthly Tabernacle be received into thine everlasting habitations there to bless and enjoy thee who with the Father and the Holy-Ghost livest and reignest one God world without end Amen 26. O Lord who hast called to thee all those that travel and are heavy laden and hast promised to give them rest have mercy upon me thy distressed servant who now am in a restless condition what ease and repose thou denyest unto my body I beseech thee give unto my soul that though my flesh doth not enjoy the sweet and comfortable rest of sleep yet my spirit may enjoy that everlasting rest and repose which is alwaies to be found in thee O grant that a promise being left me of entering into thy rest I may not come short of it through my unbelief but that by going out of my self and living in thee I may forthwith enter into that internal rest which is to be enjoyed here in the presence of thy grace and may continue and abide therein till I shall come to that eternal rest which is not to be expected till hereafter nor to be enjoyed but only in the presence of thy glory 27. O Lord God the God of my salvation teach me to cry day and night before thee that so thou mayest still save me and let my prayer enter in whither I am not worthy to enter even into thy presence Incline thine ear unto my calling since thou hast inclined my heart to call upon thee for my soul is full of trouble and my life draweth nigh unto hell But draw thou nigh unto my soul I shall be delivered from all my troubles and though thou hast put my lovers my friends away from me and hid mine acquaintance out of my sight yet let me ever see the light of thy countenance and I shall not be troubled for not seeing them and make me rejoyce in thine everlasting love and I shall find no want of my other friends lovers 28. O Lord I cannot deny but that having been at enmity with thee I deserve to be cloathed with shame and covered with mine own confusion as with a Cloak But O cloath me with thy Sons righteousness and therewith cover my shame and my confusion I am unworthy in my self to pray for mercy for Judas-like I have betrayed my Saviour O make me worthy in his blood not only to pray for it but also to obtain it 29. O Lord my foot hath often slipped but thy mercy hath hitherto held me up that I have not fallen into the pit of destruction Let thy Mercy O Lord still hold me up and in the multitude of sorrows that I have or shall have in my heart by reason of my sins let thy comforts evermore refresh my soul For thou makest me find trouble and heaviness that I may call upon thy Name and I do call upon thy Name that thou mayest deliver my soul O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling that I may walk before thee in the Land of the living That I may walk carefully and conscionably before thee because thou seest all things That I may walk reverently before thee because thou rulest all things That I may walk thankfully before thee because thou givest all things That I may walk comfortably before thee because thou savest all things and wilt in mercy save me O let me so walk before thee here in this world as one that hath a hope to live with thee hereafter in the world to come Let my soul awake from the sleep of sin to give glory to thee because I trust that when I shall awake from the sleep of death I shall receive glory from thee 30. O thou worthy Judge-Eternal I tremble at the very thought of thy Judgement and how then shall I tremble at the sight of my Judge For mine own mouth doth most grievously accuse me and mine own heart doth most impartially condemn me and mine own conscience cannot but set its seal to the justness of my condemnation But I believe that thou
wilt come to be my Judge who hast already come to be my Saviour and I therefore pray thee to help thy servant whom thou hast Redeemed with thy most precious blood O Lord in thy Justice when thou shalt be most ready to condemn me remember the Mercy whereby thou didst come to save me and hear thine own precious blood crying out to thee for my salvation and hear not my grievous sins crying out against me for my condemnation for what wilt thou do with thy Mercy which moved thee to shed thy blood if thou wilt not forgive sinners what wilt thou do with the Merit of thy blood that hath been shed if thou wilt not save sinners O Lord I appeal unto this Mercy which hath promised forgiveness of sins and to this Merit which hath purchased salvation for sinners and in this Mercy and in this Merit I cannot but hope to stand in the Judgement 31. If the Lord himself had not been on my side now may my soul say if the Lord himself had not been on my side when the Devils and mine own conscience rose up against me they had swallowed me up quick when they were so wrathfully displeased at me Yea the waters had drowned me and the stream had gone over my soul but praised be the Lord which hath not given me over for a prey unto their teeth My soul is escaped even as a bird out of the snare of the Fowler the snare is broken and I am delivered My help standeth in the Name of the Lord which hath made heaven and earth and which hateth nothing that he hath made 32. O Lord Jesus Christ which upholdest all things in heaven and in earth make me evermore to put my whole trust in thee in the state of health and prosperity to trust in thee for preservation in the state of sickness and adversity to trust in thee for deliverance and relief in all states to trust in thee for grace and benediction That in the distresses of my body I may be comforted for the salvation of my soul in the distresses of my soul I may be comforted for the mercies of my Savioâ—… Let me submit my soul to thee in piety by doing righteously that thou mayest not punish me and having failed of that let me submit my soul to thee in patience by suffering contentedly when thou dost punish me for my sins Let me not despair of thy Mercy when I have most provoked thy Justice that thou mayst in Justice remember Mercy and in Mercy remember me Let me never say in my heart through impatience or infidelity There is no God Let me never wish in my heart through impenitency that there were none Let me not say in my heart â—…efore I sin There is no God least I sin with greediness Let me not wish in my heart there were no God after I have sinned lest I sin without Repentance But make me set thee alwaies before me both in thy Majesty as coming to Judge me that I sin not and in thy Mercy as willing to save me that I despair not when I have sinned And be thou alwaies with me by thy special grace that I perish not in my sins O thou which art the joy of Angels be also the joy of my sinful soul speak salvation to me who can speak nothing but damnation to my self Be unto my sinful soul sanctification from sin that thou mayest be to my sanctified soul salvation from death That I may at last stand with that great multitude who shall stand before thee cloathed with white robes and palms in their hands to cry with a loud voice saying Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever ever Amen 33. O Lord who art so merciful unto sinful man as to vouchsafe to be his Guide and Governor and so constant in thy Mercies as to guide and govern him all his life even unto death I beseech thee to be my Guide in this my greatest perplexity now that my body is as it were bitten with fiery Serpents and my soul dwelleth among Scorpions Now that torments and tumults are without me temptations and discontents are within me O be thou â—…igh at hand that none of all my outward â—…r inward vexations may either disturb my â—…fety or betray my innocency Let God â—…ise in my heart and let all his enemies â—…ere that is all my impatient thoughts 〈◊〉 scattered Like as smoke vanisheth so 〈◊〉 them vanish at the presence of God â—…nd my soul be joyful in the Lord it shall â—…ejoyce in his salvation 34. O God thy Charets are twenty thouâ—…nd even thousands of Angels O set â—…me of them compass me about as they â—…d thy servant Elisha whiles I am living â—…nd let others of them carry my soul into â—…brahams bosom when I shall die as they â—…d thy servant Lazarus That these thy â—…inistring spirits which are sent forth to â—…inister for them who shall be heirs of salâ—…tion may also minister for me thy most â—…worthy servant not only in my sickâ—…ss to succour and defend me but also in â—…y death to direct and convey my soul 〈◊〉 by thy appointment they have brought â—…e to those everlasting mansions where I â—…all together with them alwaies behold â—…e face of my Father which is in heaven â—…men 35. O Lord thou hast commanded me tâ—… break off my sins by repentance but I havâ—… broken off my soul from thee by sin anâ—… widened that breach by my impenitency Wherefore it is but just that I who have sâ—… often grieved thy Spirit should now at 〈◊〉 grieve mine own For I have often reâ—…turned to those sins which by mine owâ—… mouth had so terribly accused me and bâ—… mine own default so grievously woundeâ—… me But I beseech thee to fill my heaâ—… with Repentance which I have so ofteâ—… filled with sin and let me have that sorroâ—… here which may keep me from confusioâ—… hereafter For if thy servant Peter weâ—… three whole daies nay all his life long fâ—… denying thee thrice out of a sudden passâ—… on What tears what repentance is neeâ—… ful to the washing away of my sins whâ—… have so often denyed thee upon deliberâ—…tion If Mary Magdalen wept so griâ—…vously for seven Devils shall not I muâ—… rather for seventy seven more unclean spâ—…rits She was not then thy servant whâ—… she entertained those impure guests I haâ—… been a long time thy friend thy brotheâ—… thy son and yet have given these thiâ—… enemies my best entertainment She 〈◊〉 â—…ot in the Devils again after they had â—…een cast out but I have swept and garnishâ—…d the room for them make me therefore â—…ood Lord all my life long to wash thy â—…et with my tears that thou mayest wash â—…y soul with thy blood and so at last preâ—…nt it without spot and blemish before â—…he heavenly Father in thine eternal and everlasting Kingdom Amen 36. Lord let me often find the influence of thy grace in heavenly
even that peace of God which passeth all that I do understand and will fullfill all that I can desire Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart to this peace that thou mayest at once deliver me from all my troubles for his sake who hath shed his precious blood to purchase this peace for me Jesus Christ the only righteous Amen 45. Lord give unto me an earnest repentance to cleanse and purge my soul from dead works that thou mayest give unto me a true and lively faith to settle and establish my soul in the light of life That acknowledging and bewailing mine own demerits and unrighteousness I may by the Merits and Righteousness of my blessed Redeemer obtain remission of all my sins whereof I now stand guilty before thy Judgement-seat and the assurance of that remission sealed unto my conscience by the testimony of thy holy Spirit that I may not be terrified with the thought of death being delivered from the terrours of Judgement and having that righteousness interposed in answer for me which cannot but answer all the accusations of the Devils and all the attestations and convictions of mine own conscience O my blessed Advocate do thou come to plead for me and then come Lord Jesus come quickly Amen 46. Lord make me daily more and more to see the manifold miseries of my pilgrimage whereby I am a stranger to eternity and a so journer with vanity burdened and clogged with a heavy weight of flesh and a far heavyer weight of sin That I may heartily pray to be delivered from all those burdens and miseries and not be afraid least thou shouldst hear my prayer but that my soul providing to return into her own Countrey may accordingly have longings and earnest desires after the Land of Promise and after the heavenly Jerusalem and after thee my God who there livest and reignest world without end Amen 47. Lord make me patiently to undergo this punishment of my body but earnestly to long for the deliverance of my soul Make me thankful for that small ease and refreshment thou givest me on earth but much more for the eternal rest thou hast provided for me in heaven grant that though I have affliction in the world yet I may have peace in thee and may rejoyce in that peace for thou hast overcome the world grant that though I am weak in my body yet I may be strong in my soul for thou art the strength of souls grant that though I find pain and anguish in my flesh yet I may find joy and comfort in my spirit for thou art the God of spirits grant that I may not look on thy hand scourging me with an evil eye whiles I believe that the thoughts which thou thinkest towards me are thoughts of peace and not of evil and that though thou givest me a sad beginning yet thou wilt give me an expected end Jer. 29. 11. 48. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him and I may well bear it patiently nay rather take it thankfully since it is his great goodness to punish temporally that he may spare eternally For he will at last plead my cause and execute Judgement for me he will at length bring me forth to light out of this dismal darkness and I shall behold his righteousness and he will not behold mine unrighteousness Then shall I say with great joy Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquities and passeth by transgressions and retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in Mercy Therefore he will turn again he will have compassion upon me he will subdue mine iniquities before he suffer death to subdue me and he will cast all my sins into the depth of the Sea before he will cast me into the deep of the earth Mich. 7. v. 9 18 19. 49. Art thou not from everlasting O Lord my God mine holy One and I but only of yesterday and for a moment I shall not die whiles thou art my Resurrection and my Life O Lord thou hast ordained these pains and sicknesses for Judgement and O mighty God thou hast established them for correction O Lord let them prove so to me as Judgements to advise me and as Chastisements to amend me for thou art of purer eyes then to behold evil and therefore sure of purer hands then to embrace it and thou canst not look on iniquity therefore sure wilt not encourage it O then let this thy visitation so purge away all evil and iniquity from me that thou mayest both encourage my soul in my life and embrace it at my death Hab. 1. 50. O thou the high and lofty one that inhabitest eternity whose Name is Holy thou that dwellest in the high and lofty place but with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite one be pleased to look upon the great humiliations of my body and the unfeigned contritions of my soul That thou mayst dwell with me and I may be revived in the spirit whiles I am daily put to death in the flesh And do not contend for ever neither be thou alwaies wrath least my spirit should fail before thee and the soul which thou hast made for the iniquity of my conversation thou wast wrath and smotest me but for the abundance of thine own mercies heal me and restore comforts to me and to my mourners and give unto me true joy and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord Isaiah 57. 15 c. 51. O Lord I have been long cloathed with filthy garmens even by the corruptions and pollutions of the flesh And Satan is standing at my right hand ready to tempt me here and to accuse and torment me hereafter But O Lord I beseech thee to say unto Satan The Lord rebuke thee O Satan even the Lord that hath chosen his servant rebuke thee And take away the filthy garments from me and say unto me behold I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee and I will cloath thee with change of rayment even with the wedding-garment the righteousness of that immaculate Lamb the Lord Jesus Christ so shall I appear before thee with comfort stand before thee with confidence and remain before thee with joy for evermore Zach. 3. 52. O Lord thou hast left me a Promise of entering into thy Rest O let me not come short of it and not enter into it But since I have a great high-Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God an high-Priest touched with the feeling of my infirmities let me through him come boldly to the Throne of grace that I may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help in time of need Heb. 4. 53. O Lord my strength and my fortress and my refuge in the day of affliction I desire to come unto thee from the ends of the earth where I have inherited lyes and vanity and things wherein there is
distress say effatha to my heart that it may be opened to receive thee say effatha to the heavens that they may be opened to receive my soul yea say unto my soul thou art my salvation for thou only who art All-sufficient canst speak unto my soul and thou only who art All-merciful wilt speak comfort to it And though for my sins thou art justly displeased yet for thine own Mercies thou wilt not long continue in that displeasure for thou hast proclaimed thy self to be the Lord The Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin Lord say unto me thy unworthy servant that my sins are forgiven me and that I may go hence in peace for my faith hath saved me even that faith whereby I wholly trust in the Merits and Mercies of thy eternal Son Jesus Christ. 66. Hear my prayer O Lord and consider my desire hearken unto me for thy truth and righteousness sake and enter not into Judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified And let not mine enemy persecute my soul and if it be thy will let not my disease smite my life down to the ground nor lay me in the darkness as men that have been long dead But if it be thy pleasure to torment and to destroy my body yet let not my spirit be vexed within me nor my heart within me be desolate But make me so remember the time and thy works past that I may be comforted in the time and thy works to come that stretching forth my hands and lifting up my heart unto thee I may lay hold on thee by a lively Faith Hope and Love and at last come to enjoy thee by a blessed vision comprehension and fruition And my soul gasping â—…nto thee as a thirsty Land may be satisfied with the dew of thy heavenly blessings for evermore 67. O Lord remember that I am the work of thy hands the image of thy counteâ—…ance the price of thy blood And have mercy on me as thy work as thy image and as thy purchase for the paternal bowels of God the Father that created me for the bleeding wounds of God the Son that redeemed me and for the unutterâ—…ble groans of God the Holy-Ghost that sanctifieth me O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord strengthen me in my sickness receive me at my death and acquit me in the Judgement Amen 68. Hear me O Lord and that soon for my spirit waxeth faint hide not thy face from me lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit O let me hear thy loving-kindness late in the evening of this life and betimes in the morning of Eternity for in thee is my trust shew thou me the way that leadeth in the truth and unto the life for I lift up my soul unto thee Deliver me O Lord from mine enemies both corporal and spiritual for I flie unto thee to hide me Let thy loving Spirit lead me forth out of this Land of unrighteousness and lead me into the Land of righteousness Quicken me O Lord for thy Name sake and then most when I shall be nearest death and for thy righteousness sake bring my soul out of all her troubles that I may give thanks unto thee with those blessed spirits which lived here in thy fear departed hence in thy favour and now are with thee in eternal joy and glory Psal. 143. v. 7 c. 69. Deal thou so with me O Lord God according to thy Name that in the greatest bitterness of my soul I may both see and confess that sweet is thy Mercy O deliver me for I am helpless and poor and my body is tormented without me and my heart is wounded within me Psal. 109. ver 22 23. but be thou ease to my body and joy to my heart in Jesus Christ. 70. O Lord I confess to thy glory and minâ—… own shame that when I call to mind the â—…oulness of mine own transgressions I am â—…shamed when I call to mind the exactâ—…ess and severity of thy Justice I am afraid â—…o lift up mine eyes to heaven or to look â—…owards the place where thine honour â—…welleth But O look thou down upon â—…e with the eye of pity and compassion â—…ho am altogether unworthy to look up â—…nto thee with the eye of hope and confiâ—…ence and relieve me in my sickness and â—…eceive me at my death for thine infinite mercies in Jesus Christ. 71. I will alway give thanks unto the Lord â—…is praise shall ever be in my mouth yea my soul shall make her boast of the Lord â—…or I sought him and he heard me yea â—…e delivered me out of all my fear I had 〈◊〉 eye unto him and I was enlightened I â—…ave tasted and seen how gracious the â—…ord is blessed be my soul for trusting 〈◊〉 him and blessed be his grace for working 〈◊〉 my soul that trust to rely and depend â—…pon his Mercy for evermore Psal. â—…34 72. Lord touch my tongue with a coal from â—…hine Altar to take away the pollution of my lips and touch my heart with the immortal flames of thy love to take away the deadness and dulness of my thoughts that both tongue and heart being purged from the filthy dregs of flesh and sin I may in my greatest infirmities labour to praise thee according to the greatness of thy glories And because I cannot sufficiently praise thee whiles I am in this corrupted and corruptible body take my soul in thy due time away from hence that I may in thy heavenly Jerusalem sing unto thee acceptable and immortal praises for ever and ever Amen 73. Righteousness and equity O Lord are the habitation of thy seat O let righteousness and equity be fixed in my heart that thou mayest therein fix thy habitation Mercy and Truth shall go before thy face O let Mercy and Truth be alwaies in my soul Mercy to forgive Truth to be for given that when my soul shall go out of my body it may joyfully go before thy face and rejoyce in thy presence for ever more for blessed are the people O Lord that can rejoyce in thee they shall walk in the light of thy countenance Lord thou hast given me the first part of this blessing to rejoyce in thee here on earth O give me also the second part of it that when I shall go hence I may walk in the light of thy countenance hereafter in heaven Amen 74. Who am I O Lord God and what is this my house of clay that thou hast brought me hitherto And this was yet a small thing in thy sight O Lord God but thou hast spoken also of thy servant for a great while to come even for the daies of Eternity that thou wilt at last bring me to thy self For thy words sake and according to thine own heart hast thou done all these great things to make thy servant know them and
or infidelity or any other grievous sin but may be able to stand stedfastly through thy supporting and to walk on constantly in the way of Piety and of Patience till by thy good guiding and conducting I may at last come to the life everlasting As thou still holdest open the eyes of my weak body to behold the light of nature so be pleased daily more and more to open the eyes of my sinful soul to behold the light of grace till thou bring me to enjoy the light of glory there to glorifie and praise thee for ever Amen The sick mans Collect for Peace O God which art the Author of our peace for thine own Mercies sake but the Author of our troubles only for our sins Give unto me thy unworthy servant that peace which this wicked world cannot give and which this tumultuous and troublesom world cannot take away and defend me in all the assaults of my afflictions both corporal and spiritual that I surely trusting in thy defence and wholly submitting to thy providence may not fear the power of any adversity whatsoever through the might and for the mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The sick mans Collect for Grace O Lord our heavenly Father Almighty and everlasting God which hast safely brought me through many dangers and troubles and diseases to the beginning of this dangerous and desperate sickness defend me in the whole continuance of the same with thy mighty power and grant that herein I may fall into no sin neither run into any kind of danger whereby I may become either impenitently sinful or uncomfortably miserable But that all my doings and all my sufferings being ordered by thy Governance I may alwaies do that which is righteous in thy sight and suffer that which may be profitable for mine own salvtion through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The sick mans Letany O God the Father of heaven and of all Mercies have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner And grant that in the greatest extremities and anguishes of my body I may find the greatest comforts and refreshments of my soul Grant that when I am most tormented in my flesh I may be most relieved in my spirit That though my loins are filled with a sore disease and there is no whole part in my body yet my soul may magnifie the Lord and my spirit may rejoyce in God my Saviour for he hath regarded my low and miserable estate and he will relieve it O God the Son Redeemer of the world and of my sin-sick and sinful soul have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner and take away all my sins that thou mayest take away all my miseries As thou hast made me a happy Believer so also make me a joyful partaker of thy Redemption and then most especially when I shall most feel my self as it were swallowed up of grief and destruction through the pains and torments of my increasing sickness or the pangs and horrours of my approaching death Be thou my comfort in distress my strength in weakness my health in sickness my joy in sadness Be thou my life whiles I am living and my Resurrection from the dead that though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I may fear no evil for thou art with me to conduct me through the dangerous downfalls of that valley to direct me through the dismal darknesses of that shadow and to sustain me in the dreadful dissolution of that death O thou who now sittest on the right hand of God making intercession for me reject me not when I am making intercession for my self for through thy death I hope for life through thy life I hope for glory through thy glory I hope for eternal glory And in that hope do I now commend my spirit into thy hands for thou hast redeemed me O God thou God of truth And thou wilt save me O God thou God of Mercy because I have believed thy truth and do rely upon thy Mercy Therefore do I wholly resign my self body and soul unto thee submitting them both to thy good will and pleasure either for life or death beseeching thee to Receive my soul and to Restore my body and to grant that I may be able to stand upright in the dreadful Judgement being supported by the arm of thy All-sufficient Merits and All-saving Mercies to bless and praise thee O my blessed Redeemer world without end O God the Holy-Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner and give unto mean assurance of thy Mercy that thou mayest give unto me an abatement of my misery O thou which art the Comforter of thine Elect give unto me daily more and more the heavenly comforts of mine Election and in the greatest agonies and distresses of my body transfix my soul with the most joyful apprehensions and the most firm perswasions of thine everlasting Love and undeserved Mercies towards me in Jesus Christ That neither the apprehensions of a sad and miserable life nor the fears and terrours of an uncomfortable death may ever be able to affright my soul nor to disturb that sweet peace resâ—… and repose which my spirit now hath and desireth to have in thee the God of spirits who givest unto those souls that are oâ—… thy Communion the antepast of eternity the blessed anticipation of immortal joy 〈◊〉 O my God my Stay my Comforter unto thee do I flie for the comforts of immortality Like as the Hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God even for the living God when shall 〈◊〉 come to appear before God when shall I drink my fill of the waters of life to quench my thirst O let my tears no longer be my meat day and night whiles mine own troubled thoughts say unto my soul Where is now thy God for surely my God is in heaven whatsoever pleaseth him that doth he in heaven and in earth 〈◊〉 and though for a while in the evening of this life I have sadness upon earth yet in the morning of eternity I shall for eveâ—… have joy in heaven Amen O Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity three persons and one God have Mercy upon me a most miserable and wretched sinner and therefore most miserable and wretched because a sinner because I have sinned against heaven and against thee the God of heaven But since thou hast given me grace through the confession of a true faith to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity I beseech thee that through the stedfastness of this faith I may be absolved from all my sins and also be defended from all adversity which livest and reignest one God world without end Amen Remember not Lord mine offences nor the offences of my fore-fathers neither take thou vengeance of my sins spare me good Lord spare me thy most afflicted but most unworthy servant whom thou hast
Secondly the faithfulness of the Redeemer O Lord thou God of truth First the fulness of the Redemption for it had a threefold fulness a fulness of Excellency a fulness of Appearance a fulness of Redundancy which is Bonaventures distinction concerning our blessed Saviour lib. 3. sent dist 13. Quod est loqui de Plenitudine secundum Excellentiam secundum Apparentiam secundum Redundantiam We may speak of the fulness of Christ according to its Excellency according to its Appearance and according to its Redundancy for Christ had a fulness of Excellency from his first conception And he had a fulness of Appearance from the discent of the Holy-Ghost upon him for then his excellent holiness was made apparent to all the world by the testimony of the Father and of the Holy Spirit And he had a fulness of Redundancy from the time that he sanctified his disciples and servants by the communication and participation of his holiness And this same threefold fulness is in this Redemption A fulness of Excellency or Perfection in the nature of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hast Redeemed A fulness of appearance or manifestation from the Author of it Thou thou hast Redeemed And a fulness of Redundancy from the subject of it me Thou hast Redeemed me First there is a fulness of Excellency or Perfection in this Redemption from the nature of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou hast Redeemed So saith the Master of Greek Criticisms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word is properly used concerning the Redemption of Captives that are Redeemed with a price For they that are otherwise delivered then by a price 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are said rather to be Rescued then to be Redeemed Eustath in Iliad a. Here is then a Redemption as excellent as the price that was paid for the Captives and that was the blood of the Eternal Son of God A price that was infinitely more worth then all the whole Creation both in heaven and in earth which hath in truth no other preciousness but what it hath from this price is no farther precious then as it is sprinkled with this blood Secondly A fulness of appearance or manifestation in this Redemption from the Author of it Thou thou hast Redeemed Thou whom God hath appointed heir of all things by whom also he made the worlds and who art the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person Heb. 1. 2 3. This heir of all things came to make us partakers of his inheritance The same God that made the world by his Power and governed it by his Wisdom Redeemed it by his Mercy He that was the brightness of the glory of God and the express image of his person was pleased to make himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and being found in fashion as a man to humble himself and become obedient unto death Phil. 2. 7. That by his death he might destroy death and by his rising to life again might restore to us everlasting life But that 's the third fulness in this Redemption A fulness of Redundancy from the subject of it Me Thou hast Redeemed Me Thou Me Heaven and Earth are meet together in the Mysterie But Heaven and Hell are met together in the Mercy of this Redemption God and Man in the Mysterie but God and sinful Man in the Mercy of it Me in my Nature was a great mysterie but Me in my Sins was a far greater mercy Thy love did seek me when I did not deserve it Thy care did keep me when I did not observe it O let neither Love nor Care forsake me now I do desire it And indeed thou hast promised not to forsake us And that is the second Reason we are so willing to Resign our selves to thee the faithfulness of our Redeemer O God thou God of Truth Thou art powerful in thy performances as God and faithful in thy Promises as the God of Truth As none can resist thy power in performing so none may distrust thy truth in promising It was thy Mercy that made thee promise but it is thy Truth that maketh thee keep thy promises Mercy and Truth are together in God as Cruelty and Falseness go together in man Though I have no right to thy Mercy from it self yet I have a right to thy Mercy from thy Truth And thine own Holy Spirit hath taught me to claim this Right Heb. 13. 5. For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee He said it to Joshua yet will have me believe he said it to me for though that promise in its occasion was particular and concerned only Joshua and those with him Josh. 1. 5. yet in its document it was universal and concerned all the faithful servants of God that should be to the end of the world for that promise was made to Joshua as Leader of the people and therefore belonged in common to him and to them even to the whole Church of the Jews And by the same reason belongs to us now as it did to them even to the whole Church of the Gentiles For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek or Gentile For the same Lord over All is rich unto all that call upon him Rom. 10. 12. If we call upon him as Joshua and the Israelites did we have the same interest in his promises as Joshua and the Israelites had He will be as rich in Mercy to us as he was to him and to them or else in vain hath his Apostle said For whatsoever things were written afore-time were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15. 4. Where is the comfort of the Scriptures if it be not in the Promises or what promise can be the ground of our hope like this I will never leave thee nor forsake thee A promise which he made in Mercy as Lord over All and therefore rich in mercy to All that call upon him But a promise that he keepeth in truth as being the same Lord over All That is one and the same constantly in himself and therefore not diverse in his Word nor in his Promises O God thou God of truth As God thou art a Creditor to All by thy Mercy All borrow of it All depend on it All are obliged to it But as a God of Truth thou art a Debtor to All that is to All that call upon thee for the Promise though it be universal yet it is conditional Thou art a Debtor to All by thy Truth they have an Interest in thy Promise claim it as their Right look to it as their Treasure look on it as their Comfort Debitor fidelitatis non Justitiae God is to man a Debtor of faithfulness though not a Debtor of Justice A Debtor of faithfulness because of his own Word though he cannot be a Debtor of Justice because of mans Merit As he is God he hath