heaven and to Iesus the Mediatour of the new Covenant and to â—he blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel See then that thou refuse not to come to this great marriage of the Kings Son with thy soul and see withall that thou comest not without a wedding garment that is to say unprepared For whosoever shall eate this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthâ—ly shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord But let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of that bâ—ead and drink of that cup of the Lord for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himselfe not discerning the Lords body 1 Cor 11.27 28 29. These are the words of a faithful witnesse and thou maiest beleeve them When therefore thou doest intend to be a partaker of this merciful and mysterious Sacrament be sure for three daies at least not to intermeddle with any worldly businesse but all that time redeeme those many daies which were vainly spent by thee enter into thine owne bosome examine what thou hast there and if thou findest any sons of darknesse lurking under those fig-leaves conceal them not but turne them out of doors and wash their Couch with thy teares have a care that in the Bridegroomes bed instead of myrrhe and flowers thou strowest not thornes and thistles The Evening before thou art to communicate feed but moderately and after supper use no corrupt communication but converse inwardly with thine own heart and meditate what an Almighty guest thou art to entertaine there next day Consider seriously thine own unworthinesse and desire of him that he would sanctifie and furnish the roome where he is to eate the Passeover with thee Intreat him to defend thee that night from all sinful Illusions and temptations and to keep the house cleane and garnished for himself When thou hast thus commended thy self into his hands let thy sleep that night be shorter then usual be up with the day or rather with thy Saviour who rose up early while it was yet dark Meditate with thy self what miracles of mercy he hath done for thee Consider how he left his Fathers bosome to be lodged in a manger and laid by his robes of glory to take upon him the seed of Abraham that he might cloath thee with Immortality Call to minde his wearisome journeys continual afflictions the malice and scorne he underwent the persecutions and reproaches laid upon him his strong cries and teares in the days of his flesh his spiritual agony and sweating of blood with the Implacable fury of his Enemies and his own unspeakable humility humbling himself to the death of the Crosse a death accursed by Gods own mouth Consider againe if thou canst of what unmeasurable love was he possessed who having designed and spent his time of life here for thy salvation did not onely leave thee those divine Oracles and Instructions to be guided by but to seale up the summe and make heaven sure unto thee did by his last Testament give himself with all the merits of his life and death to be wholly thine and instead of them took upon him all thy transgressions bore all thine iniquities and to appease the anger and satisfie the Justice of his Father became the holy harmlesse and undefiled sacrifice and perfect satisfaction for the sins of the world reconciling all things unto his Father whether they be things in earth or things in heaven When thou hast thus considered him in his acts of love and humility consider him again in his glory take thine Eyes off from Bethlehem and Golgotha and look up to the mount of Olives yea to heaven where he sits now upon the right hand of his Father Angels principalities and powers being made subject unto him Call to minde his Joyful resurrection his most accomplished conquest and triumph over the world death and hell his most gracious and familiar conversation with his Apostles before his Ascension with his most loving and comfortable carriage towards them at his departure leading them out as farre as Bethanie and lifting up his hands and blessing them Lastly close up these thoughts with a serious and awful meditation of that great and joyful though dreadful day of his second coming to judgâ—ment promised by himself and affirmed at the time of his Ascension by the two men in white apparel Yemen of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into heaven this same Iesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven Behold he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him and they also which pierced him and all kindreds of the earth shall waile because of him Amen! even so come quickly Lord Iesus ¶ These are the duties reqâ—ired of thee and which thou must faithfully and punctually performe if thou wouldst be a worthy Communicant and receive those sacred and mystical Elements to that blessed end for which they were ordained But when I speak of three dayes preparation I do not impose that proportion of time nor conclude it sufficient as if it were enough for thee to recede from thy corrupt inclinations and the myre of thy sins for such a terme with an intention to returne and wallow in it again when that holy season is over for our whole life had we the purity of Angels and the innocence of infants bears no proportion at all nor can it without an immediate sanctification from God himself any way qualifie or make us fit for the reception of this unmeasurable mercy But when I spoke of such a proportion of time I did onely propose it to my Readers for the performing of those holy and necessary duties which have particular relation to this solemne Feast and which indeed are required then from every Christian. And as for a regular sober and holy life we should in all places and at all times labour for it for without holinesse no man shall see the face of God much lesse be partaker of his merits and by this spiritual eating and drinking become a member of that body whose life and head he is A Prayer for the grace of repentance together with a Confession of sins O Holy blessed and glorious Trinity three persons and one eternal God have mercy upon me a miserable sinner O who will give mine head waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I may weep night and day for my infinite transgressions ingratitude and rebellion against my most milde and merciful Creatour O God my God be not farre from me hide not thy face from the work of thine hands reject not my sighing and mournful spirit nor the earnest endeavours and desires of mine undone and miserable soul O thou that breakest not the bruised Reede nor quenchest the smoking Flax quench not in me these weak sparks this dawne and beginnings of the promised earnest Take away O my God! this heart of stone and give
shall I attempt thy passion thy bloody sweat thy deep and bitter agony thy lingring peece-mealed death with all the lively anguishments and afflictions of thy martyr'd Spirit O my most loving and merciful Saviour It is onely thy own Spirit that can fully character thy own sufferings These miracles of love and most comfortable circumstances encourage me O my God to draw neer unto thee for it is not probable that thou wouldst have subjected thy self to such bitter reproaches blasphemies and torments had not thy love to man for whose redemption thou didst suffer them been as infinite as thy self And greater love then this hath no man that a man lay down his life for his friends And lay it down thou didst for no man could take it from thee Thou couldst have commanded twelve legions of Angels from thy Father and when thou wentest forth to meet thy murtherers they went backwards and fell to the ground and without thy permission in whose hand their breath was they could have done nothing These merciful passages together with thy own voice and frequent invitation much encourage me to draw neer unto thee Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Matth. 11.28 If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink John 7.37 These with many more are thy loving Invitations This is the voyce of the great Shepherd and thy sheep hear thy voyce Thus thou didst cry and these were the words thou didst speak while thou wert here upon earth and shall I then turn away from thee that speakest now from heaven Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech and thy preaching and Intercession shall last untill the heavens be no more and woe unto them that refuse to hear thee Wherefore most holy Iesus seeing thou dost invite sinners to thee and didst die to redeem them and art able to save them to the uttermost that come to God by thee and dost live for ever to make intercession for them Heb. 7.25 26. I the most wretched and the worst of sinners in full assurance of thy mercies and that thou art touched with the feeling of mine infirmities Heb. 4.15 and wilt have compassion upon my penitent soul draw neer to thy throne of grace that I may obtaine mercy and finde grace to help in time of need O Lord be merciful unto me forgive all my sins and heal all mine infirmities Cleanse my heart sanctifie my affections renew my spirit and strengthen my faith that I may at this great Feast discerne thy blessed body and eate and drink salvation to my self to the glory of thy great name and the comfort of my poor and sorrowful soul Amen Now unto him that hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen A Prayer when thou art upon going to the Lords Table IN the name of the Father and of the Son and the holy Ghost Amen! Iesus Christ the Lamb the Branch the bright and morning-Starre the bread of life that came down from heaven have mercy upon me It is thy promise that whosoever eateth thy flesh and drinketh thy blood he shall have eternal life in him and thou wilt raise him up at the last day Behold O God I am now coming to thee O thou fountain of purgation thou Well of living waters wash me cleane be unto me the bread of life to strengthen me in my pilgrimage towards heaven grant that I may suck salvation from thy heart that spring of the blood of God which flowes into all believers Thy flesh is meat indeed and thy blood is drink Indeed O give me grace to receive both worthily that I may never incurre thy anger and eternal condemnation Lord Iesus Christ I beleeve all that thou hast said and all that thou hast promised helpe thou mine unbelief thou art the Author be thou the finisher of my faith And for thy glories sake for thine own names sake leade me in the right way to this great mercy and mystery Amen! Immediately before the receiving say O Lord I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant all my life long unto this very day much lesse am I worthy thou shouldst come now under my roof but seeing it is thy institution and free mercy that will have it so be jealous O God of the place of thine honour cause me to remember whose Temple I am and suffer not my last state to be worse then the first Even so Lord Iesus come quickly Amen! ¶ Admonitions after receiving the holy Communion WHen you have received the Sacred Elements you should not presently after spit nor eate and drink but refraine untill they are perfectly digested and resolved You must lay aside all worldly communication and humane discourses though never so serious for judge of your self what an uncivil part it will be in you when you have received so great a guest as Iesus Christ with all his merits to turne your back upon him presently and neither to meditate of him nor to discourse with him and keep him company Wherefore you should all that day be instant in prayer meditations thanksgiving and good works you should consider and think upon the love of God who so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son to redeeme it You should meditate upon his birth life doctrine and passion his death and buriall resurrection and ascension and his second coming to judgement You should pray that you may be found blamelesse and without spot of him and so much the more because you see the day approaching Tread not under foot the Son of God and his precious blood wherewith you are sanctified and saved by returning again to your former sins like the dog to his vomit but be sure that you walk warily and fall not willfully into the myre Be not regular and holy for a day or two but all the dayes of thy life and number thy dayes that thou mayst apply thy heart unto wisdome Cast thy bread upon the waters be merciful to the poor and remember thy Creator for the dayes of darknesse are many but the outward darknesse is eternal and from it there is no redemption Instead of printed Meditations which are usually prescribed after communicating I would advise the pious receiver to read over all these following parcels of Scripture Iohn 6.22 to the end Iohn 17. Rom. 8.2 Cor. 5. Ephes. 1. 4. Heb. 10.1 Pet. 1. Rev. 5. A Prayer after you have received LOrd Jesus Christ very God and very man made in all things like unto us sin onely excepted I blesse and praise thy holy name and with all my heart with all my strength and with all my soul give thee all possible thanks for thy infinite love and pity towards
Prayers and Meditations before receiving the Lords Supper p. 36 A Prayer for the Grace of Repentance with a Confession of sins p. 47 A particular Meditation before receiving the holy Communion p. 51 A Prayer when thou art upon going to the Lords Table p. 59 An Ejaculation immediately before the receiving p. 60 Admonitions after receiving the holy Communion p. 61 A Prayer after you have received p. 63 In time of Persecution and Heresie p. 66 In Troubles occasioned by our Enemies p. 68 MAN in DARKNESSE or a Discourse of Death p. 71 A Prayer in time of sicknesse p. 127 A Prayer in the hour of Death p. 130 MAN in GLORY or a Discourse of the blessed estate of the Saints in Heaven p. 133 FINIS ADMONITIONS FOR Morning-Prayer THe night saith Chrysostome was not therefore made that either we should sleep it out or passe it away idly and Chiefly because we see many worldly persons to watch out whole nights for the Commodities of this life In the Primitive Church also the Saints of God used to rise at midnight to praise the Rock of their salvation with Hymns and Spiritual Songs In the same manner shouldst thou do now and Contemplate the Order of the Stars and how they all in their several stations praise their Creator When all the world is asleep thou shouldst watch weep and pray and propose unto thy self that Practise of the Psalmist I am weary of my groaning every night wash I my bed and water my Couch with my tears for as the Dew which falls by night is most fructifying and tempers the heat of the Sun so the tears we shed in the night make the soul fruitful quench all Concupiscence and supple the hardnesse we got in the day Christ himself in the day-time taught and preach'd but continued all night in prayer sometimes in a Mountain apart sometimes amongst the wild beasts and sometimes in solitary places They whose Age or Infirmity will not give them way to do thus should use all Convenient means to be up before the Sun-rising for we must prevent the Sunne to give God thanks and at the day-spring pray unto him Wisd. 16. It was in the morning that the Children of Israel gathered the Manna and of the Just man it is said That He will give his heart to resort early to the Lord that made him and will pray before the most high Eccl. 39. So soon therefore as thou dost awake shut thy door against all prophane and worldly thoughts and before all things let thy God be first admitted offer unto him thy first fruits for that day and commune with him after this manner When thou dost awake O God the Father who saidst in the beginning Let there be light and it was so Inlighten my Eyes that I never sleepe in death lest at any time my Enemy should say I have prevailed against him O God the Sonne light of light the most true and perfect light from whom this light of the Sun and the day had their beginning thou that art the light shining in darknesse Inlightning every one that cometh into this world expell from me all Clouds of Ignorance and give me true understanding that in thee and by thee I may know the Father whom to know is to live and to serve is to reigne O God the Holy Ghost the fire that inlightens and warms our hearts shed into me thy most sacred light that I may know the true Joyes of Heaven and see to escape the illusions of this world Ray thy selfe into my soul that I may see what an Exceeding weight of glory my Enemy would bereave me of for the meer shadowes and painting of this world Grant that I may know those things which belong unto thee and nothing else Inflame me with thy divine love that with a true Christian Contempt I may tread upon all transitory Pleasures and seek only those things which are eternal Most blessed Trinity and one eternal God! as thou hast this day awaked me from this bodily sleep so awake my soule from the sleep of sin and as thou hast given me strength after sleep now again to watch so after death give me life for what is death to me is but sleep with thee to whom be ascribed all glory wisdome majesty dominion and praise now and for Ever Amen When thou dost arise ARise O my soul that sleepest arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Arise O daughter of Sion O my soul redeemed with the blood of Christ sit no more in the dust of thy sins but arise and rest in that peace which is purchas'd by thy Saviours merits Christ Iesus my most merciful and dear Redeemer as it is thy meer goodness that lifts up this mortal and burthensome body so let thy grace lift up my soul to the true knowledge and love of thee grant also that my body may this day be a helper and servant to my soul in all good works that both body and soul may be partakers of those Endlesse Joyes where thou livest and reignest with the Faher and the Holy Ghost one true God world without End Amen As soone as thou art drest before thou comest forth from thy Chamber kneel down in some convenient place and in this or the like Prayer commend thy self for that day unto thy Creator's Protection ALmighty eternal God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ I blesse and praise thy holy name and with my whole heart give thee all possible thanks that out of thine infinite goodness thou wert pleased to watch over me this night to resist my adversary and to keep me from all perils of body and soul O thou that never slumbrest nor sleepest how careful hast thou been of me how hast thou protected me and with thy holy angels thy ministring spirits sent forth to minister for the heirs of salvation incompast me about yea with what unmeasurable love hast thou restored unto me the light of the day and rais'd me from sleep and the shadow of death to look up to thy holy hill Justly mighst thou O God have shut the gates of death upon me and laid me for ever under the barres of the Earth but thou hast redeemed me from Corruption and with thy Everlasting armes enlarged my time of Repentance And now O Father of mercies and God of all Consolation hear the voyce of thy Supplicant and let my cry be heard in thy highest heavens As I do sincerely love thee and beg for thy Protection so receive thou me under the shadow of thy wings watch over me with the Eyes of thy mercy direct me in the wayes of thy Law and enrich me with the gifts of thy Spirit that I may passe through this day to the glory of thy great name the good of others and the comfort of my own soul. Keep me O my God from the great offence quench in me all vain Imaginations and sensual desires sanctifie and supple my heart with the dew of thy
and from the inward darknesse of their minds passe at last into the outward eternal darknesse O most miserable and undone soul to whom thy Sunne is set that everlasting glorious Sun which in thy holy Elects never setteth but is alwaies at the height full of brightnesse and Consolation A heavie night sits in the noone-day upon those souls that have forsaken thee They look for light and behold darknesse for brightnesse and they walk in obscurity They grope for the wall like the blind as if they had no Eyes They stumble at noone-day as in the night they are in desolate places as dead men But on those that walk with thee an everlasting day shines This Sun of the firmament hath his Course it riseth setteth comes up again and again goes down But thou Lord knowest no vicissitudes thou art the Ancient of dayes thou art the Rock of ages from Everlasting to Everlasting O thou the same to day and yesterday and for evermore Thou bright and morning Starre springing from on high illuminate me who am now sitting in darknesse and in the shadow of death O light of light the brightnesse of thy Fathers glory inlighten all inward obscurities in me that after this life I may never be cast into the outward darknesse O most blessed most merciful and Almighty Iesu abide I beseech thee with me for it is towards Evening and the day is far spent Luke 24. As long as thou art present with me I am in the light but when thou art gone I am in the shadows of death and amongst the stones of emptinesse When thou art present all is brightnesse all is sweetnesse I am in my Gods bosome I discourse with him watch with him walk with him live with him and lie down with him All these most dear and unmeasurable blessings I have with thee and want them without thee Abide then with me O thou whom my soul loveth Thou Sun of righteousnesse with healing under thy wings arise in my heart refine quicken and cherish it make thy light there to shine in darknesse and a perfect day in the dead of night A Prayer for the Evening MOst gracious Almighty God! full of loving kindnesse and long-suffering whose mercy is above all thy works and thy glory above the heavens whose truth reacheth unto the Clouds and whose words shall never passe away forgive me I beseech thee my transgressions this day my vain thoughts idle words and loose conversation my exceeding neglect and forgetfulnesse of thee my headlong inclinations and lusting after the world preferring this land of Cabul before the snow of Lebanon and a broken Cistern before the Well of life Justly O Lord might'st thou have shewed me thy back this day and cut me off from amongst thy people Ier. 18.17 but thou hast had mercy and not sacrifice thou hast shed upon me the light of thy Countenance and removed my sins farre out of thy sight I know O my God it is not in man to establish his own ways it is thy Almighty arme must do it It is thou alone that hast led me through this day and kept me both from doing and from suffering evill And now O thou preserver of men What shall I do unto thee What shall I render unto my Lord for all the mercies and loving kindnesses shewed unto thy servant this day and all the dayes of my life hitherto I will offer unto thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call upon the name of the Lord. I will ever love thee fear thee praise thee and trust in thee My song shall be of thee in the night season and in the day time I will be speaking of thy wondrous works thy most merciful and liberal arme I will make thee my Delight in the house of my pilgrimâ—ge and I shall alwayes with all my strength with all my heart and with all my soul ascribe unto thee all glory wisdome majesty dominion and honour this day and for evermore Amen A Prayer when thou art going into bed MOst glorious and onely wise God! to whom the light and the darknes are the same whose dwellings are eternal and in whose Kingdome there is no need of Candles nor of the light of the Sunne look I beseech thee upon thy servant who tarries in this place all night Gen. 28.11 And forasmuch as thou out of thy tender love and Compassion on thy Creatures hast ordained this time for their repose and refreshing that having past through the Cares and dangers of the day they might under the shadow of thy wings finde rest and security keep me I most humbly beseech thee from the hours and the powers of darknesse watch over me this night in thy Almighty providence and scatter all the rebellions and devices of my Adversaries Inlighten my soul sanctifie my body govern my affections and guide my thoughts that in the fastest closures of my eye-lids my spirit may see thee and in the depth of sleep be Conversant with thee Suffer me not O my God to forget thee in the dark or to say The Lord seeth me not The Lord hath forsaken the earth Ezek. 8.12 but so keep me in thy fear and sanctifie me with thy grace that all the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart may be alwayes of thee Make my soul to thirst for thee and my flesh also to long after thee And at what time soever thou shalt awake me from this bodily sleep awake also my soul in me make thy morning-star to arise in my heart and let thy spirit blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out Quicken me O Lord according to thy wonted kindnesse so shall I seek thee early and make my prayer unto thee with joyful lips And now O my most loving and faithful Creatour take me I beseech thee into thy Almighty protection stretch over me the Arme of thy mercy let thine Eye be towards the work of thine own hands and the purchased possession of thy onely begotten and my most merciful Redeemer Iesus Christ Amen ¶ As often as thou dost awake in the night be sure to lift up thy heart unto God in this or the like short Ejaculation Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbath heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory By resorting thus unto God thou shalt finde a great furtherance and cheerfulnesse in thy spiritual exercises and besides it will keep always about thee the savour of life And because thou shalt not be unfurnished upon any incident occasions I have strowed here this handful of savoury herbs which thou mayest take up as thou findest them in thy way EIACULATIONS When the Clock strikes BLessed be the houre in which my Lord Iesus was borne and the houre in which he died O Lord Remember me in the houre of death When thou intendest any businesse or Journey O do well unto thy servant that I may live and keep thy Word When thou art persecuted Haste thee O God to deliver me
me a heart of flesh renew a right spirit within me cloath me with white raiment and anoint mine Eyes with Eye-salve that I may know and see how wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked I am and may be zealous therefore and repent O thou that didst cause the waters to flow out of the stonie rock and gavest to Magdalen such store of teares that she washed thy feet with them give to me true remorse and such a measure of repentance as may become a most miserable sinner I confesse dear God that I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies much lesse to appear at this great and solemne Feast this Feast of mercy and miracles where none but with holy hands pure intentions crucified affections and renewed spirits should presume to enter But as for me I am all uncleannesse a polluted vile creature and nothing belongs unto me at this great day but confusion of face and an utter separation from this glorions and saving Communion I have wasted thy stock consumed thy talents and destroyed thy goods I was restlesse and unquiet till I had found out wayes to offend thee I have broken thy Commandments laid open thine Inclosures and most grievously trespassed against thy truth and against the light of mine own Conscience I have preferred rottennesse and dust to the treasure of thy word and mine own voluptuousnesse to thy revealed will And now O thou preserver of men What shall I do unto thee Against thee onely have I sinned and my transgressions are ever in thy sight Lord God! I lay me down at thy footstoole and if thou wilt be extreme to mark what is amisse I shall from my very heart acknowledge and adore thy Justice But O my dear Creatour for Christ Jesus his sake have mercy upon me look not on my deserts but on thy glory O Lord do not refuse me but reforme and restore me O Lord hearken and do and deferre not but speak peace to my troubled soul and send thy loving spirit to strengthen and confirme me in the way of holinesse bring me home O Lord and leade me now unto these living waters incorporate me into the saving vine and purge me that I may bear more fruit O cast me not away like an abominable and withered branch but make me to flourish in the Courts of thy house where thy Children are like Olive-branches round about thy table O Lord hear and have mercy and forgive me and be reconciled unto me for Christ Iesus his sake To whom with thee and the holy Ghost be glory in the Church through all ages world without end Amen A Meditation before the receiving of the holy Communion HOly holy holy is the Lord God of Hosts the whole earth is full of his glory Behold to the Moone and it shineth not and the Starres are darknesse in his sight The Pillars of heaven do tremble and are astonished at his reproof O who then am I that I should appear before thee or what is man that thou shouldest regard him O light of light the all-seeing light that shineth in darknesse and the darknesse comprehendeth it not what will become of me when I shall appear before thy glorious and searching Eye What an habitation of darknesse and death wilt thou finde within me What abominable desolations and emptinesse What barrenesse and disorders wilt thou see there Many a time hast thou knockt and I have shut the doors against thee thou hast often called and I would not answer Sleeping and waking early and late day and night have I refused instruction and would not be healed And now O my God after all this rebellion and uncleannesse wilt thou come and lodge with me O Lord where shall I prepare and make ready for thee What communion can there be betwixt light and darknesse purity and pollution perfection and deformity O Rose of Sharon thou undefiled and everlasting flower the glory of the fields and the first fruits of the dead shall the wilde Asses and the beasts of the wildernesse feed now upon thee Wilt thou give the bread of life unto dogs and cast thy pearls before swine O Iesus Christ the lover and the redeemer of all humble and penitent souls Thou that feedest among the Lilies untill the day breaks and the shadows flee what is there in my heart where onely tares and thistles grow that thou canst feed upon Thy blessed body was wrapt in fine and white linen which is the righteousnesse of the Saints It was laid in a new and undefiled grave hewen out of a rock wherein never man was laid before But all my righteousnesse is a filthy rag my heart neither new nor undefiled but a nest of unclean birds where they have not onely laine but hatched and brought forth their viperous young ones I confesse dear God I confesse with all my heart mine own extrem unworthyness my most shameful and deplorable condition But with thee O Lord there is mercy and plenteous redemption Thou dost not use to reject and cast off those that unfeignedly repent and return unto thee the great design and end of thine Incarnation was to save sinners Thou hadst never come into this world but for thy love to thy lost sheep and those thou didst then love thou dost love still unto the end Thou didst not come unto the whole but to the sick The first had there been any such had no need of a Physician and the last hadst not thou come to restore them had perished for ever It was thy gracious pleasure while thou wert here in the world to receive Publicans and sinners and though thou art now ascended to thy Father yet hast not thou changed thy nature Thou art the same yesterday to day and for evermore Thy life here was nothing else but a pilgrimage and laborious search after sinners that thou mightst finde them out and make them whole And how willingly O blessed Jesus didst thou lay down thy robes of glory and cloath thy self with flesh that thou mightst afterwards lay down thy life a propitiation for our sins How many scorching and wearisome journeys didst thou undergo for our sakes How many cold and tedious nights didst thou watch and spend abroad in prayer when the birds of the aire lay warme in their nests and thou hadst not a place to put thy head in In the day time I finde thee preaching in the Temple and all night praying in the Mount of Olives a little after on thine own Sabbath travelling for me in the corne-field Another time wearied with thy journey sitting on the Well of Iacob and begging a draught of that cold water from the woman of Samaria Now again I meet thee on the Asse made infinitely happy by so glorious a rider by the God of Ieshurun who rideth on the heavens and in his excellencie on the skies Sure it was his simplicity and ordinary contempt with man that made him so acceptable in thy sight But Oh! with what language
vile bodies that they may be like unto his glorious body and commanding every creature to be subject unto us in all things calling us also by his own name and making us gods for he saith in the Scripture I have said you are all gods and the sons of the most high But he himself is the God deifying and we are but deified or gods made by him But perhaps thou wilt say This reason of mine may stand good in the Apostles and other holy Martyrs but with thee who art a wretched sinner and desirest onely to be the least in the kingdome of heaven thou canst not see how it can consist Give eare and understand for God in that recited Scripture I have said you are all gods c. excepts none But that thou mayst more clearly perceive Consider the nature of fire and of all things that are put therein if happily thou canst imagine with thy self after what manner in the degree appointed for thee thou shalt be glorified The fire thou seest is but one and of nature hot put into it either wood or lead or iron or all these together when the wood is turn'd into embers so that nothing appears unto thee but fire the lead so melted that it cannot admit of a greater degree of heat yet can neither of them be equall to Iron for an intense burning heat which perhaps hath not yet grown red with the fire Now although every one of these doth exceed the other is of a more suparlative heat yet every one of them as we commonly say is fire So shall it be in that glorious society of the Elect which we now speak of For as those who are neerer to the Divine Majesty and therefore better then others shall be called gods So even those who are inferiour to them because they participate according to their capacity of the same Deity with those that are superiour shall be likewise honoured with the same title of gods When therefore together with so much happinesse thou hast attained to so much honour I do not see with what reason thou canst desire a greater Preferment Whiles then thou art blessed with the possession of those high Benefits which we have mentioned wilt thou not think thy selfe sufficiently happy Yes verily thou wilt say well then but if thou couldst really injoy all those things as we have described them but for one short day wouldst thou not rejoyce No question but thou wouldst But if thou shouldst injoy them for a moneth or one whole yeare thou wouldst rejoyce exceedingly neither indeed do I thinke it possible to expresse thy manner of joy Suppose then if thou shouldst possesse this happinesse all thy life-time what thou wouldst do What price wouldst thou give for so great a Blessing Even willingly all that ever thou hadst nay thy very owne selfe if thou couldst purchase it at no other Rate But if besides all this Fruition thou wert certaine also of a perpetuall security and that all thy life long no accident whatsoever could rob thee of thy happinesse I will not determine whether it were possible for thee to imagine how great thy joy would be Seeing then that in the life to come thou shalt live for ever and together with the possession of all these things thou shalt also be eternally secured from all danger of losing them I beseech thee how dost thou thinke it will go with thee I beleeve truly that at the very name of security there springs in thee a certaine joy of heart and thou dost greedily desire to know whether thou mayst with safety and for ever injoy such great and extraordinary Blessings I tell thee then if thou art like to lose these things thou must either voluntarily and of thy owne accord relinquish them or God must take them from thee whether thou wilt or no or else another who is more powerful then God must rob thee of them in spite of God and thy selfe But certainly neither wilt thou reject so great a Blessing and relapse into those miseries from which thou hast beene graciously delivered neither will God at any time take that away which his large and mercifull goodnesse hath bestowed upon thee nor is there any stronger then God who should be able to make thee miserablee against thy will as long as God is thy Protector Thou shalt therefore securely and for ever injoy all these Benefits nor shalt thou feare the attempts of any who would willingly deprive thee of them What dost thou thinke then will thy condition be when thou shalt eternally injoy all these things namely Beauty Strength Swiftnesse of motion Liberty Health Pleasure Length of life Wisedome Love Peace Power Honour and a Security of all as we have described them nay above all humane Description or Conception in a more glorious and a more stately manner then we can possibly expresse Will not thy condition be all Joy which is the End and Effect of these Blessings Verily I cannot see how that man should not abound with inestimable Joy who is compast about with all the riches of eternall happinesse Thou shalt therefore most certainly attaine to such a Joy because nothing can happen to thee that should minister occasion of Grief For if thou hadst any Friend whom thou didst love as well as thy selfe and in whose good thou wouldst rejoyce as in thy owne and shouldst see this friend admitted to the same Heaven and happinesse with thy selfe wouldst thou not extremely rejoyce in his Felicity But if thou hadst two or three or more such friends and shouldest see them all glorified with a state equal to thy own would not thy joyes also exceed and increase together with their number And as formerly when we discoursed of Love we did there shew how all the Inhabitants of the world to come should love thee as well as themselves and thou on the contrary shouldst love them as thy owne soul How is it therefore possible for any man to apprehend the manner of that mutual Ioy seeing there are there above a thousand thousands and ten thousand times hundreds of thousands nay an innumerable compapany and all of them injoying the same Beatitude nor is there any one of them who doth not as much rejoyce in the happinesse of another as he doth in his owne Moreover they seeing God love them in a more excellent way then they love themselves and againe perceiving themselves after some inexpressible manner to love God better then themselves they do infinitly triumph in his Glory and in his wonderful and inexpressible Joyes They have Joy therefore within and Joy without Joy from above and Joy beneath In the Compasse and Circuit of them there is Joy and in a word every where And this as we think and as we have exprest our selves in the beginning of this Book is that thing which God hath prepared for those that love him namely Ioy. Therefore in my opinion eternal Beatitude or eternal felicity is nothing else
divine Spirit refresh it with the streams of thy grace that I may bring forth fruit in due season and not cumber the ground nor be cut off in thy anger And to this end I do here resigne my body and my soul with all the faculties thou hast bestowed upon both into thy Almighty hands Guide thou them in the works of thy Law turne my eyes from all transitory objects to the things which are eternal and from the Cares and Pride of this world to the fowles of the aire and the Lillies of the field And now O my God seeing I am but Dust and Ashes and my Righteousnesse a filthy Rag having no deserts in my self but what should draw Everlasting vengeance and the Vials of thy bitter wrath upon my body and soul behold I have brought with me thy first-born and onely begotten the propitiation for my sins the Incense I offer up with my prayers Rev. 8.3 my Redeemer and Mediatour in whom thou art well-pleased hear thou him O look not upon my Leprosie but on his beauty and perfection and for the righteousnesse of thy Son forgive the sins of thy Servant Grant this for his sake to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all glory and majesty Dominion and power now and for ever Amen Admonitions when we prepare for any farre Iourney WHen thou art to go from home remember that thou art to come forth into the World and to Converse with an Enemy And what else is the World but a Wildernesse A darksome intricate wood full of Ambushes and dangers A Forrest where spiritual hunters principalities and powers spread their nets and compasse it about wouldst thou then escape these ghostly snares this wickednes in high places and return home if not better and holier yet not worse then at thy setting out Wouldst thou with Iacob passe over these Waters with thy staffe onely and in thy return become two bands Gen. 32.10 Why then do as he did begin thy Journey with prayer and say If God will be with me and keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eate and raiment to put on so that I come again to my fathers house in peace then shall the Lord be my God Gen. 28.20 21. This was his practise and the practise of his fathers The Lord God of heaven saith Abraham who took me from my fathers house and from the land of my kindred c. he shall send his Angel before thee Nor must thou pray only at thy setting forth but all the way and at all times Thus Eliezer prayed at the Well Isaac in the field and Elias in his journey to Mount Horeb under a Iuniper tree in the Wildernesse This also if thou wilt imitate these holy men thou may'st do and for that pious purpose thou hast here these following Prayers When we go from home ALmighty and everlasting God who art the Way the Life and the Truth look down from heaven and behold me now betwixt the Assaults of the Devil the allurements of the World and my own inclinations I cannot look abroad but these flock about me But O thou that leadest Ioseph like a sheep thou most faithful and Almighty guide lend me thy hand open mine Eyes direct my steps and cause me to walk in thy fear Thou that didst go out with Iacob from Beershe-ba unto Padan-aran guiding him in the waste plaines and watching over him on his Pillow of stones be not now farre from me Leade me O Lord in thy righteousnesse make my paths straight and strengthen my goings that having finished my Course here I may sit down in thy Kingdome an Inheritance undefiled purchased for me with the blood of my Saviour and thy beloved Son Iesus Christ Amen II. O Thou that art every where Thou that sittest upon the Circle of the Earth and all the Inhabitants thereof are as Grashoppers before thee Whose Eyes discover the deep things of the night before whom Hell is naked and all the Devices of my spirituall Enemies Thou that didst leade Abraham thy chosen from Vr of the Chaldees into a land flowing with milk and honey favour I beseech thee the present harmlesse Enterprise and innocent purpose of thy servant be unto me in my Journey a Comfort in the heate a shadow in stormes a shelter and in adversity my protection That having finished my intended course I may return in peace full of thy praises who art near to all those that call upon thee Grant this for Christ Iesus his sake Amen Meditate in the way upon the sojournings and travels of the Patriarchs and Prophets the many weary journeys of Iesus Christ in the flesh the travels of his Apostles by sea and land with the pilgrimage and peregrinations of many other precious Saints that wandred in Deserts and Mountains of whom the world was not worthy Admonitions how to carry thy self in the Church HOlinesse saith the Royall Prophet becometh thy house for ever When thou art going thither then carry not the world with thee Let vain or busie thoughts have there no part Bring not thy Plough thy Plots thy Pleasures thither Christ purg'd his Temple so must thou thy heart All worldly thoughts are but Theeves met together To Cousin thee Look to thy actions well For Churches are either our Heav'n or Hell These reverend and sacred buildings however now vilified and shut up have ever been and amongst true Christians still are the solemne and publike places of meeting for Divine Worship There the flocks feed at noon-day there the great Shepherd and Bishop of their souls is in the midst of them and where he is that Ground is holy Put off thy shoes then thy worldly and carnall affections and when thou beginnest to enter in say with Iacob How dreadful is this place sure this is none other then the house of God and this is the gate of heaven Such reverence and religious affection hath in all ages been shew'd towards these places that the holy men of God detain'd either by Captivity or other necessary occasions when they could not remedy the distance yet to testifie their desire and longing for the Courts of the Lord Psal. 84. they would always worship towards them Thus Daniel upon the Idolatrous Decree signed by Darius goes into his house and his windows being open in his Chamber towards Ierusalem he kneeled upon his knees and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did afore-time Dan. 6.10 which fully proves it to have been his Constant manner of Devotion And of Iudith we read that about the time that the Incense of that Evening was offered up in Hierusalem she cried unto the Lord Iud. 9.1 But above all most pathetical and earnest is that crie of King David in the 85. Psalm How amiable are thy Tabernables O Lord of Hosts My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God Yea the Sparrow hath found an house and
the Swallow a nest for her selfe where she may lay her young even thine Altars O Lord of Hosts my God and my King Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praising thee For one day in thy Courts is better than a thousand I had rather be a doore-keeper in the House of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickednesse Let it be thy Care then when thou art there present to carry thy self like a true worshipper Give none offence neither outwardly to thy Brethren nor the Angels 1 Cor. 11.10 Nor inwardly to thy God whose Eyes shine within thee and discern thy reins and thy heart Look seriously about thee and Consider with thy self how many beauteous wittie and hopeful personages in their time lie now under thy feet thou canst not tell but thy turn may be next Humble thy self in this dust and all vain Imaginations will flie from thee Consider that thou art now in the Cave of Macpelah in a sacred Repositorie where the Bodies of Saints are asleep expecting that hour when those that are in the grave shall hear his voyce Do not then stop thy eares against the Charmer but give diligent attention and hear him while it is yet to day that in the day of thy death thou mayst rest there in the same hope When thy vessel is fill'd with this Manna and thy soul satisfied go not off without Thanksgiving Be not like those nine Leapers who never returned to give glory to God but come back with the thankfull Samaritane and receive another blessing Go in peace Saint Luke in the Acts of the Apostles making mention of the Ethiopian Eunuch who came up to Ierusalem for to worship tells us that in his returne he was reading in Isaiah the Prophet This blessed Convert I would have thee to imitate When thou hast fill'd thy Hin with this living water leave it not behinde thee at the Fountain spill not thy Milk and thy Wine because thou hast it without money and without price but carry it home and use it Thou mayest have need of it in six dayes and perhaps shalt not come to draw again untill thou drinkest it anew with thy Saviour in his Fathers Kingdom A Prayer before thou goest to Church LOrd Iesus Christ who out of thy Fathers bosome wert sent into this world to reveal his will unto sinners and to instruct them in the way of salvation behold I am now going to hear thy blessed word and these many yeers have so done expecting still thy good pleasure and the Consummation of thy sacred will in me I have come unto the bread of life and yet am hungry into the light and yet am blind unto the great Physician and yet my Issue runs The former and the later rain of thy heavenly Doctrine falls still without intermission upon my heart but this bad ground yeelds nothing but Thornes and Briers Many dayes many moneths and many yeers hast thou expected fruit and found nothing but leaves It is thy Infinite mercy O Lord that thou hast left unto us the seed of thy word and sendest into thy harvest such upright and faithful labourers but in vain O Lord shall they cry in our Ears unlesse thou openest and renewest our hearts Open then I beseech thee O blessed Jesu the eares of my heart that not onely the outward hearing but the inward also may be stirr'd up in me and what I hear with the eare I may understand with the spirit O thou most mild and merciful Lamb of God! the onely and the Almighty sower grant I beseech thee that the seed which falls this day upon my heart may never be choak'd with the Cares of this world nor be devoured by the fowles of the aire nor wither away in these times of persecution and triall but so Cherish it with the Dew of thy divine spirit that as in a good and faithful ground it may bring forth fruit unto eternal life to the glory of thy great name and the Comfort of my poor soul which thou hast bought with thy most precious and saving blood Amen Another when thou art come home or in the way if thou beest alone LOrd Iesus Christ my ever mercifull and most loving Redeemer I give unto thee most hearty thanks for this thy heavenly spiritual provision wherewith thou hast fed and refreshed my soul. Grant I beseech thee that this Celestial seed may take root in me and be effectual to my salvation Watch over my heart O Lord and hedge it in with thy grace that the fowles which descend in the shadows of the Evening may not pick it out But so prepare and fit me for thy love that I may never forget thy gracious words thy blessed and saving advice but may know in this my day what belongs unto my peace It is thy promise by thy holy Prophet That as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater So thy word that goeth forth out of thy mouth shall not return unto thee void but shall accomplish that which thou pleasest and prosper in the thing whereto thou sendest it Isai. 55. 10 11. Even so Lord Iesus let it be as thou hast promised Let the words I have heard this day out of the mouth of thy servant the Dispenser and Steward of thy Mysteries prosper in me and make my life answerable to his Doctrine that I may not onely know what thy blessed will is but performe also and fulfill it so that at last by thy mediation and mercies I may attain to thy eternal and most glorious Kingdom Amen Admonitions for Evening-Prayer REmember that in the Levitical Law there is a frequent Commemoration and Charge given of the two daily Sacrifices the one to be offer'd up in the morning and the other in the Evening Exod. 30.7 8. These offerings by Incense our holie harmlesse and undefiled High-Priest hath taken away and instead of them every devout Christian is at the appointed times to offer up a Spiritual Sacrifice namely that of Prayer for God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth John 4.24 At these prescribed times if thou wilt have thy Prayers to ascend up before God thou must with-draw from all outward occupations to prepare for the inward and divine To which end thou hast here this following Meditation that thou maiest therewith season and invite thy soul from thy worldlie imployments to her proper vocation and so come not altogether undrest into the presence of the King of glory A Meditation at the setting of the Sun or the Souls Elevation to the true light THe path of the Just O my God is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto a perfect day of eternity Prov. 4. But the wicked neither know nor understand they walk in darknesse
might make our calling and election sure It is a fearful thing to die without reconciliation And with what confusion of face and horrour of spirit if we die in that state shall we appear before the Iudge of all the world when he shall come in the Clouds of heaven with his holy Angels and all mankind from the first man created unto the last that shall be borne upon the earth shall appear before his Judgement-seate Me thinks I see the remisse lukewarme professour and the hypocritical factious pretender of sanctity looking up to the Clouds and crying out O that throne that flaming white and glorious throne and he that sits thereon with the sharp sickle in his hand and the crown of pure gold upon his head Revel 14.14 from whose face the heaven and the earth flye away and the foundations of the world are brought to nothing Oh! is he the Lamb that was slain whose blood was poured out like water upon the earth to save his people from their sins Is he the Prince of life that was crown'd with thornes scourged spit upon crucified pierced through and murthered and comes he now to judge the world Oh! It is he It is he miserable wretch that I am What shall I do or whither shall I go Such will be the dreadful agonies and concertations in that day betwixt the Hypocrite and his conscience betwixt the enemies of Gods truth and their gasping undone souls When the people that forget God shall go down quick into hell and the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed and laid open before Angels and men For in that day all their dark and private lusts their closet-sins bosome-councels specious pretences and bloody machinations which now like so many foul spirits lurk in their gloomy breasts shall be forced out and will appear as visible to all mankind as if they were written with the beams of the Sun upon the pure and unclouded firmament In the mean while the very fowles of the aire and their own horrid guilt either in time of distraction which they are alwayes subiect to or in their sleep which is alwayes fraught with penal visions and spiritual tumults may make a full discovery of their most secret villanies before the appointed time It was a blessed and a glorious age the Primitive Christians lived in when the wildernesse and the solitary places were glad for them and the desert rejoyced and blossom'd as the rose When the blood of Christ was yet warme and the memory of his miracles and live fresh and vigorous what Zeale what powerful faith what perfect charity hearty humility and true holinesse was then to be found upon the earth If we compare the shining and servent piety of those Saints with the painted and illuding appearance of it in these of our times we shall have just cause to fear that our Candlestick which hath been now of a long time under a Cloud is at this very instant upon removing But I had rather you should be informed of their true holinesse and love to Christ by an Eye-witnesse that was conversant with them and went in and out amongst them then by a bare relation from my pen. Heare therefore what he saith Vidi ego verè vidi the saurum Christi in humanis absconditum vasculis c. vidi enim apud eos multos Patres in terra positos coelestem vitam agentes novos quosdam Prophetas tam virtut bus animi quà m vaticinandi officio imbutos c. Nonnullos namque â—orum ità ab omni malitia cogitatione suspicione vidimus alienos ut nec si aliquid mali adhuc in seculo gereretur meminissent tanta in eis erat tranquillitas animi tantúsque in eis inoleverat bonitatis affectus c. Commanent autem per cremum dispersi separati cellulis sed charitatis vinculo connexi Ob huc autem dirimuntur habitaculis ut silentii sui quietem intentionem mentis nec vox aliqua nec occursus ullus aut sermo aliquis otiosus obturbet Intentis ergo in suo quisque loco animis velut fideles servi adventantem dominum expectant Omnes hi nullam cibi aut indumenti aut ullius horum sollicitudinem gerunt Iustitiam regnum Dei requirunt armis orationum pugnant scuto fidei ab inimico insidiante protecti patriam sibi coelestem conquirunt I have seen saith he and I was not deceived the treasure of Christ laid up in earthen vessels for amongst those Christians in Egypt I have seen many Fathers who had here upon earth already begun the heavenly life and regenerate Prophets who were indued not onely with holy habits but had received therewith the Spirit of promise for I have known many of them that were so free from malice perverse thoughtfulnesse and suspition as if they had never known that there were such evill wayes to be followed in the world Such a great tranquillity of mind and such a powerful love or longing after goodnesse had wholly possessed them They lived dispersed up and down the wildernesse and separated from one another in several Cells or Cots but knit all together in the perfect bond of Charity The reason of their distinct and distant habitations was because they would not have the silence of their retirements disturbed nor their minds diverted from the contemplation of heavenly things by any noyse sudden occurrence or idle discourse for this cause they have every one their particular mansion where with intentive or earnest minds they do like faithful servants expect and look for the coming of their Master They take no thought for meat and drink and cloathing nor for any such accommodations they seek onely the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof they fight with the weapons of prayer being guarded with the shield of faith from the devices of their spiritual enemies so travel on towards their heavenly countrey This was the old way and whether we are in it or out of it is not hard to be decided A pretended sanctity from the teeth outward with the frequent mention of the Spirit and a presumptuous assuming to our selves of the stile of Saints when we are within full of subtilty malice oppression lewd opinions and diverse lusts is I am sure a convincing argument that we are not onely out of it but that we have no mind to returne into it The way to heaven is wet and slippery but it is made so with teares and not with blood it is through the vale of miseries and the raine filleth the pooles Psal. 85. There is no voyce in those shades of Palme but the voyce of the Turtle which is alwayes groning and Naturalists say she hath no gall It is ill coming to the Lamb of God in a Wolfes skin They that do so must be taught that he hath another attribute and they shall finde him a Lion It is strange that after the experience of almost six thousand
nothing can bring us sooner to it then the serious consideration of our own frailty This is the Catharma that turns away the plague and as Physicians say of fasting that it cures almost all bodily diseases So may I say of this that it prevents if timely applyed all the depravations and diseases of the mind It will bring down every high thought set us upon even ground where we shall be in no danger of soul or body Our Saviour was buried in a Rock and he that builds upon his grave he that mortifies his affections and hides his life in him needs feare no stormes What beauty is there in a deaths-head crownd with roses If we carry the one about us we shall be safe enough from the temptations of the other Let sensual natures judge as they please but for my part I shall hold it no Paradoxe to affirme there are no pleasures in this world Some coloured griefes and blushing woes there are which look so clear as if they were true complexions but it is a very sad and a tryed truth that they are but painted To draw then to an end let us looke alwayes upon this Day-Lilie of life as if the Sun were already set Though we blossome and open many mornings we shall not do so always Soles occidere redire possunt but man cannot He hath his time appointed him upon earth which he shall not passe and his days are like the days of an hireling Let us then so husband our time that when the flower falls the seed may be preserved We have had many blessed Patterns of a holy life in the Brittish Church though now trodden under foot and branded with the title of Antichristian I shall propose but one to you the most obedient Son that ever his Mother had and yet a most glorious true Saint and a Seer Heark how like a busie Bee he hymns it to the flowers while in a handful of blossomes gather'd by himself he foresees his own dissolution I made a Posie while the day ran by Here will I smell my remnant out and tye My life within this band But time did becken to the flowers and they By noon most cunningly did steal away And wither'd in my hand My hand was next to them and then my heart I took without more thinking in good part Times gentle admonition Who did so sweetly death 's sad taste convey Making my mind to smell my fatal day Yet sugring the suspition Farewel dear flowers sweetly your time ye spent Fit while ye liv'd for smell or ornament And after death for cures I follow strait without complaint or grief Since if my sent be good I care not if It be as short as yours As often therefore as thou seest the full and ripe corne to succeed the tender and flowery Spring the Autumne again to succeed the Summer and the cold and snowie Winter to succeed the Autumne say with thy self These seasons passe away but will returne againe but when I go I shall returne no more When thou seest the Sun to set and the melancholy shadowes to prevaile and increase meditate with thy selfe Thus when my life is done will the shadowes of death be stretched over me And yet this Sun which now leaves me will be here againe to morrow but when the Sun of my life sets it shall not returne to me until the heavens be no more When the night is drawn over thee and the whole world lies slumbring under it do not thou sleep it out for as it is a portion of time much abused by wicked livers so is it of all others the most powerful to excite thee to devotion be stirring therefore and make special use of that deepest and smoothest current of time like that vigilunt Pilot who alwayes mistrusted the greatest calms Sydera cuncta notat tacito labentia coelo When thou also seest those various numberles and beautiful luminaries of the night to move on in their watches and some of them to vanish and set while all the rest do follow after consider that thou art carried on with them in the same motion and that there is no hope of subsisting for thee but in him who never moves and never sets Consider thy own posterity if thou hast any or those that are younger then thy self and say These are travelling up the hill of life but I am going head-long down Consider thy own habitation how many have been there before thy time whom that place must never know again and that there is no help but thou must follow Consider the works of thine own hands the flowers trees and arbours of thine own planting for all those must survive thee Nay who knows but thou mayst be gone before thou canst enjoy those pleasures thou dost expect from them for the Poet in that point proves oftentimes a Prophet The trees we set grow slowly and their shade Stays for our sons while we the Planters fade Virg. Georg. Tarda venit sorisque futura nepotibus umbra To be short acquit thee wisely and innocently in all thy Actions live a Christian and die a Saint Let not the plurality of dayes with the numerous distinctions and mincings of thy time into moneths weeks houres and minutes deceive thee nor be a means to make thee misspend the smallest portion of it let not the empty honours and pompous nothing of this world keep thee back from the grapes of the brook of Eshcol Remember that we must account for every idle word much more for our actions If thou hast lost any dear friends have them alwayes before thine eyes visit their graves often and be not unkind to a Ionathan though in the dust Give eare to heaven and forget not what is spoken to thee from thence Behold I come as a thief blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame The time of life is short and God when he comes to see us comes without a bell Let us therefore gird up the loynes of our minds and be sober and hope to the end Let us keep our selves in the love of God as obedient children not grieving his holy Spirit by which we are sealed unto the day of redemption And let us not give place to the devil nor be weary of well-doing but let us be renewed daily in the spirit of our mind that when he comes who will not tarry we may be found faithful and about our masters businesse Let us feare God and forgive men blesse those that persecute us and lay up treasure for our selves in heaven that where our treasures is there our hearts may be also and this if God permits will we do and then We can go die as sleep and trust Half that we have Vnto an honest faithful grave Making our pillows either down or dust Now unto him who shall change our vile bodies that they may be fashioned like