the sinnes of us thy people cause thee to stoppe thine eares at our prayers 2. Chr 30.18 O heare thou our Hezekiah's praying for us who have not cleansed our selves Stay the plague from us thine Israel as thou didst from thy people Ps 106 30. Num. 16.46 when thy servant Phinehas executed judgment Cause our Aarons to take their Censers and to put fire in them from off the altar and to put on incense O let them come quickly to our congregations and make an attonement for us vers 48 Let them stand betweene the dead and the living and let the plague be stayed 2. Sam. 24.16 Thine Angel stretcheth forth his hand upon our Ierusalem to destroy it O doe thou as in the time of King David Repent thee of the evill and say unto the destroying Angell It is enough stay now thine hand Heare mee ô Lord for the distressed people and heare them for mee and heare thy Christ for us all that to him and thee and thy blessed Spirit wee may render as is most due all praise and glory and thanks-giving and obedience from this time forth for ever-more Amen THE FOURTEENTH SUBjECT Teares of her whose house is shut up for the Pestilence The Soliloquie THE EjACULATION Psal 5. vers 1. Give eare to my words ô Lord consider my meditation vers 2. Hearken unto the voice of my cry my king and my God for unto thee will I pray WHat Shut up Why so Must mine house be a prison and my selfe both the jayler and the prisoner too This is a punishment added unto God's to be thus shut up from the societie of men Is this a visitation thus to forbid our visitants Was I wont to be such a gadder abroade that I must now be kept at home under lock and key Lord how suddenly am I transported with passion even beyond the bounds of reason and religion O here is the messenger of death come into mine house and now I must be thankfull to authoritie for commanding mee to retire my selfe to my private and pensive accounts who knoweth yet but that both my selfe and my familie may live for all our inclosing It may so please my God that by my being secluded from the multitude I may shunne the infection of the multitude and so what I conceaved an iniurie may end in a blessing I may perhaps say and say truely when I am awaked fully out of my passion Gen 28.16 as Iacob did when hee awoke out of his sleepe Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not My God is come indeede Lu 7.6 allthough I am not worthy that hee should enter under my roofe O hee is come but hee is come in wrath and sheweth mee the tokens of his anger but I will submit to his pleasure and say unto him in the language of the blessed Virgin Lu 1.38 Behould the hand-mayd of the Lord be it unto mee according to thy will Who knoweth but that insteed of killing hee may come to raise mee a Lazarus Io 11.43.44 if occasion serveth as once hee did for Martha and Marie Peradventure hee may come in judgment to others and yet to mee in mercy Howsoever I will hope that I am one of those who are spoken unto from the Lord by the mouth of his Prophet Come my people Is 26.20 enter thou into thy chambers shut thy doores about thee hide thyselfe as it were for a litle moment untill the indignation be over past Since then my Lord is come to be my guest my house shall be emptie swept and garnished that noe thing may offend him nothing may displease him and thus will I emptie it thus will I sweepe it thus will I garnish it Fare-well vaine world thou that hast deluded mee with thy follies and cozened mee with thy false and braided wares Come not neere mee my doores are shut and none such as thou shall enter here Fare-well false friends who onely gaze upon the rising Sunne Yee who were my companions in folly and enticers to fond and idle sports fare-well fare-well noe more shall yee enter with your bewitching charmes Sports passe-times games merrie meetings gossipings fare yee all well come noe more to my doores for if yee doe come yee shall knock and knock and knock againe all in vaine for even to this purpose allso are they now made fast And now mine Eyes the lustre of my countenance yee windowes of folly take yee your leave of your vaine objects for I have a taske to set you that yee never yet were acquainted with First I will preferre you to attend upon my heart and whatever sighes sobbes my poore heart shall send forth it shall be your duety to entertaine them by the way and enforce them to accept of the companie of your teares Yee shall weepe 'till yee are wearie and then shall yee reade when indeede yee are wearie of poring upon divine pages for your re-creation yee shall weepe againe that by that meanes yee may be fitted to reade againe Next If at any time I give you leave to consult with the sister of mortalitie as some times I fhall be necessitated to afford you a time of intermission by the persuasions of nature be sure that yee stay not too long from your imployments for my hast is greate my businesse is of consequence wee have onely a litle work to doe for the King of eternitie and then wee shall be at ease And yee mine Eares that have so often hearkened to the Syren songs of the vaine world now bid yee adieu to your musicall harmonies and ravishing concords for I must lock yee up for a season and hereafter yee shall heare a melodie beyond the tuning of the spheares for the Quire of heaven shall ravish you with their Halelujah's These Hands that so proudly hid themselves under the skinne of the kidde and blushed when they were beheld by any lesse then an idolater shall now entwine each other in a mutuall concord and then revenging the quarrell of their sinnes upon my trecherous heart they shall smite it and thumpe it and beate it untill they have mollified it untill they have beaten that stone into flesh and that flesh into water and forced that water into teares for the sinnes of my whole selfe Next my Tongue mine un-toward un-ruely wanton tongue my false pick-thanke tell-tale tongue that couldest never find the way to tell the trueth or not willingly or not with delight thou for thy idle thy prophane thy wicked speeches shalt send out nothing but cryes and yells and hideous dinus and horrid screeches for thine offences and if at any time I fhall by thine obsequious service be contented to trust thee with an articulate prayer be sure that thou first take direction from my heart Chanter in french signifieth to sing Ps 141 3. and then chant it out so lowde but forget not discretion that it may be heard up as high as
the Soliloquie A resolution for the time to come VVHile the earth remaineth sayth the Lord to Noah seede time and harvest cold and heate summer and winter Gen 8.22 day and night shall not cease This is a faithfull promise of the true God and therfore cannot be questioned or doubted by Christians But how long shall these seasons last Onely as long as the earth remaineth And how long shall the earth remaine God onely knoweth that it is not in the power or reach of the wisest upon earth to limit the time thereof A time will come Mat 24 35. when heaven and earth shall passe away when the Sunne shall be darkened and the Moone shall not give her light vers 29 and the Starres shall fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken but of that day vers 36 and hower knoweth noe man noe not the Angells in heaven but the Father onely The earth I know shall have a time of dissolution and her funerall piles shall be kindled and fired by him Is 30.33 whose breath like a streame of brimstone doth kindle Tophet Yet though I know not how soone this time shall be expired I hope it may be deferred for many ages and so peradventure it may be But what if it be What can the delaying thereof advantage mee How many ages have passed since the creation of the world How many millions of people have had their successions since the death of Abel I neither was created with the first nor for any thing I know shall I remaine with the last If therfore the earth and the seasons of the earth shall continue a thousand yeares if yet I live not out that thousand yeares what can the age of the world advantage mee Why then doe I fasten my hopes upon future times Why doe I confidently reckon upon yeeres to come or moneths or weekes or dayes Nay why upon to morrow Why upon an hower Why upon a minuit There is nothing more sure then that my former dayes are past and gone and may not be re-called Nothing is more certaine then that the present instant is short and cannot continue And nothing againe is more uncertaine to mee then the future time whereon I depend Moreover If I were sure to live a certaine proportion and number of dayes or weekes or moneths 2. King 20.6 if I were sure that the Lord would adde unto my dayes fifteene yeares as hee did to Hezekiahs yet how doe I know that hee would give mee grace to repent in those fifteene yeeres An impenitent life is but a living death and which is worst of all after that cometh judgment Heb 9.27 If then I vainely flatter my selfe with a hope that my life shall be prolonged and relying upon the broken reede of that deceaving hope if I deferre my repentance I doe but hope that God will lengthen my dayes that I may increase my sinnes so by consequence that my punishment may be increased There is indeede a sort of coveteous people in the world which promise to themselves a continuance of their lives that they may increase their riches These are they which say Iam 4 13. To day or to morrow wee will goe into such a citty and continue there a yeare and buy and sell and gett gaine vers 14 whereas as the Apostle saith they know not what shall be to morrow For what is our life It is even a vapour that appeareth for a litle time and then vanisheth away And there is a sort of luxurious Atheists and Epicures which say Come yee Is 56.12 I will fetch wine and wee will fill our selves with strong drinke and to morrow shall be as this day and much more aboundant Wised 2.5 These are they which say Our time is a very shadow that passeth away and after our end there is noe returning for it is fast sealed that noe man cometh againe vers 6. Come on therfore let us enjoy the good things that are present and let us speedily use the creatures vers 7. like as in youth Let us fill our selves with costly wine and ointments and let noe flower of the spring passe us vers 8. Let us crowne our selves with rose-buds before they be withered vers 9. Let none of us goe without his part of voluptuousnesse let us leave tokens of our joyfullnes in every place for this is our portion and our lott is this And these are they which like the rich Epicure in the Gospel say unto their Soules Lu 12.19 Soule thou hast much goods layed up for many yeares take thine ease eate drinke and be merry All these suppose that man was created onely for meates and not meates for man They conceave that every one shall have a time of pleasure and wickedly they seeke it in the vanitie of the creatures But oh that both they and I might ever have those words of the All mighty sounding in our eares vers 20 Thou foole this night thy soule shall be required of thee and then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided This night Lord Yes this very hower this very instant thou mayst strike mee dead then as death leaves mec judgment shall find mee O it will be a time of horrour and amazement to those that prepare not for to those that expect not his comeing 1. Pet. 4.17 Saint Perer sayd long agoe that The time is come that judgment must beginne at the house of God and if it first beginne at us Lord put mee into that number what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God And if the righteous scarcely be saved vers 18 where shall the ungodly and sinners appeare Hearke Doest thou heare that ô my soule The righteous shall scarcely be saved This is true for it is the word of trueth It was inspired by his Spirit who sayd Straite is the gate Mat 7.14 and narrow is the way that leadeth to life and few there be that find it O how I tremble when I reade that scarcely and that few What shall I doe to be one of those few allthough I obtaine it never so hardly allthough I know that I shall scarcely attaine to it Lord I will repent but doe thou assist mee Lord I will be faithfull but doe thou increase my faith Lu 17.5 I will doe I say When How Am I sure of any time but the present moment Or can I stay the present instant and hinder it from flying Noe noe I cannot By thy grace therfore blessed God even now this very instant I doe repent and am unfeignedly sorrowfull for all mine offences this very moment I doe believe all that thou hast spoken in thy holy word I doe believe thee I doe believe in thee ô Lord helpe thou my un-beliefe Mar 9.24 If I shall have any more minuits allotted mee I wil number them with my teares
mine eares at tho cry of the poore Prov 21.13 lest the time should come when I my selfe should cry Iob. 22 7. and not be heard I will not hould my bread from the hungry as Eliphaz once accused Iob. c 24.7 I will not cause the naked to lodg without cloathing that they may have noe covering in the cold vers 10 nor will I take away the sheafe from the hungry for this is the property onely of the wicked c 22.6 I will not take a pledg from my brother for nought and strippe the naked of their cloathing Ex 22.25 If I lend my money to any that is poore I will not be to him as a usurer neither will I lay usurie upon him Prov 14.31 I will not oppresse the poore lest I reproach my maker but I will have mercy upon him and so honour my God I will not mocke the poore c 17.5 nor be glad at his calamities left I my selfe goe not un-punished I will not oppresse the widow Zech 7 10. Amos 2.6 nor the fatherlesse the stranger nor the poore I will not sell the righteous for silver or the poore for a paire of shooes nor will I ever sleepe with his pledg Deut 24.12 Prov 22.2 Deut 8 3. 1. Sam. 2.7 But seeing â—…at the rich and the poore meete together and â—…e Lord is the maker of both Seeing it was God who humbled Israël and suffered him to â—unger and fed him with Manna Seeing that â—rom God doeth proceede both poverty and â—iches I will therfore magnifie my liberall giver in my guifts to the poore Prov 25.21 Since hee which maketh poore and maketh rich which bringeth low and lifteth up hath commanded mee if even my very enemie be hungry to give him bread to eate and if hee be thirstie to give him drinke Since the Psalmist assure's mee that they are blessed which consider the poore Ps 41.1 the Lord will deliver them in the time of trouble Since King Solomon tell 's mee that Hee that hath pitty on the poore lendeth unto the Lord Prov 19.17 and that which hee hath given hee will pay him againe Since hee assure's mee that c 29.7 The righteous considereth the cause of the poore but the wicked reguardeth not to know it Since my Redeemer commandeth saying Luc 14 13. vers 44 When thou makest a feast call the poore the maymed the lame and the blind And thou shalt be blessed for they cannot recompence thee for thou shalt be recompenced at the resurrection of the just Since at the day of his comening in the clowdes Matt 24.30 Mart 25.34 with greate majestie and glory hee shall say unto them on his right hand Come yee blessed of my father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world vers 35 For I was an hungred and yee gave mee meate I was thirstie and yee gave mee drinke I was a stranger and yee tooke mee in vers 36 Naked yee cloathed mee I was sick and yee visited mee I was in prison and yee came unto mee Luc 16 9. And lastly since hee hath commanded saying Make to your selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousnesse that when yee faile they may receave you into ever-lasting habitations Deut 15.7 I will resolve therfore that I will not harden my heart nor shut mine hand against my poore brother vers 8. but I will open mine hand wide unto him Iob. 30.25 and lend him sufficient for his neede in that which hee wanteth I will weepe for him that is in trouble my soule shall be grieved for the poore c 29.16 Is 58.7 I will be as a father or mother to the poore for I will deale mybread to the hungry and I will bring the poore that is cast out to my house and when I see the naked I will cover him vers 8. I will draw out my soule to the hungry and satisfie the afflicted soule Then shall my light arise in obscuritie and my darknesse shall be as the noone day Is 21.14 I will doe as the inhabitants of the land of Tema did I will bring drinke to him that is thirstie and with my bread I will prevent him that fleeth Eze 18 7. I will not oppresse any but I will restore to the debtour his pledg I will spoile none by violence but I will give my bread to the hungry and cover the naked with a garment vers 8. I will not give forth upon usurie neither will I take any increase vers 9. I will walke in the statutes of my God and will keepe his judgments to deale truely Dan 4.27 I will breake off my sinnes by â—ighteousnesse and mine iniquities by shewâ—ng mercy to the poore Iob 31 19. I will never see any â—erish for want of cloathing or any poore without â—overing These ornaments of my body shall putt mee in mind of mine originall corruption which I receaved from Adam who in his integritie was naked and was not ashamed Gen 2.25 and of mine actuall transgressions especially of my pride and excesse in apparell whereas unto Adam and to his wife c 3.21 the Lord God made coates of nothing but skinnes and cloathed them They shall teach mee thankfullnesse to him that sent them for even thus did hee discover his love to Ierusalem when hee clothed her with broidered workes Eze 16 10. and shod her with badger's skinnes and girded her about with fine linnen and covered her with silke vers 11 And decked her allso with ornaments and put bracelets upon her hands and a chaine on her neck They shall teach mee humilitie when I consider mine owne un-worthinesse and how short I come of the goodnesse rigteousnesse of Iohn the Baptist Mat 3.4 who notwithstanding had his raiment but of Camells haire a leatherne girdle about his loines his meate was but locusts wild hony That plenty wherewith my table is furnished Lu 6.25 shall make mee tremble at the Woe pronounced by my Saviour saying Woe unto you that are full for yee shall hunger It shall put mee in mind of the charge which Moses gave unto the Israelites Deut. 8 10. saying When thou hast eaten and art full then thou shalt blesse the Lord thy God I will weepe for the sinnes which may arise from my riches I will weepe for the poore who want my superfluities I will weepe for the distressed who may be neerer and deerer by farre unto God then I the worst of sinners am and yet they want what I doe surfeit on I will remember how Dives was cloathed in purple Luc. 16 19. and fine linnen and fared sumptuously every day and yet at length hee was sentenced to the torments of hell vers 23 I will consider how though Lazarus would have fed upon the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table vers 21
soone therfore appease his anger by revenging my selfe upon my selfe for the sinnes which I have committed against his glorious name And if I cannot be revenged enough I will cry for anger even for anger that I cannot punish my selfe enough for displeasing him who thus honoureth my roofe When the Israelites were to eate the Paschall lanb Ex 12.7 they were commanded to take of the blood thereof and to strike it on the two side-posts and on the upper doore-post of the houses wherein they did eate it vers 13 And the blood saith the Lord shall be to you for a token upon the houses where yee are and when I see the blood I will passe over you and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt O here is comfort now in the midst of affliction here is joy in the depth of sorrow See there there is that token there is the blood on the doore or at least the representation of it for the red Crosse is there It is to mee for a token or a memoriall of the blood of that innocent Lamb without spot that was slaine that was crucified on the Crosse for the sinnes of the elect Now Lord doe what thou pleasest spare or strike it shall be all one to mee so long as thou givest mee a firme assurance that hee hath suffered for mee I vallew not my flesh I care not for this lumpe of walking dust let it be blowne away let this muddewall be throwne downe it is noe matter I am content so long as I am sure that the anger of my God will be appeased by the blood of my Redeemer and that so soone as my soule shall be freed from the prison of my flesh I shall for ever sit on the right hand of my Iesus Sure I am that allthough my house be shut up because of the infection yet my Christ will cleanse my soule with his blood Therfore World farewell shut up whom thou pleasest Thy companie is not so good nor thy courtesie so greate as to command my joy Allthough my house here be shut up yet hee which is faithfull hath promised that the gates of that new Ierusalem Reu 21 25. which is above shall not be shut at all by day and that there shall be noe night there O let mee begge of my Lord my Land-Lord yea my guest my friend my brother my father that seeing I am a woman a fearefull woman wonderfully afraid especially of a serpent c 20.2 or a dragon hee will be pleased to lay hold on the dragon that old serpent which is the devill and Satan vers 3. and bind him and cast him into the bottomlesse pit and shut him up and set a seale upon him that hee may deceave mee noe more O how contentedly then shall I mourne How joyfully shall I grieve for all the offences that ever I committed Well now my God is pleased to speake to my conscience away will I goe in private all alone and cry in a corner I will weepe by my selfe away I will goe and separate my selfe from my familie yea even from him who is my head and my Lord that I may the more freely weepe This I will doe and this I may doe for when Ierusalem had her great mourning not onely every familie mourned apart Zech 12.12 but even their wives allso mourned apart So will I I will mourne apart too But because I must not offer to offer unto my God such a present as a litle poore botle of teares Ps 56.8 and say nothing to him when I render it humbly therfore upon my knees will I fall and thus will I say unto him The Prayer GLorious and ever-living Lord God Ps 75.5 who doest suffer the wicked to live in prosperitie to be in noe trouble like other men nor to be plagued like other men but hast tould us that whomsoever thou lovest thou doest chasten Heb 12 6. and scourgest every child whom thou receavest vouchsafe I beseech thee to sanctifie this affliction which thou hast layed at this time upon mee and mine 1. King 17.18 Thou art come ô my God to call my sinnes to remembrance ô let mee not frustrate thine intent not repell the motions of thy blessed Spirit My selfe and my familie are now shut up from the lewde temptations of the seducing world Lord make mee at this time to looke into my selfe into mine owne wicked and sinfull heart which hath beene so long shu◠up even from mine owne selfe from mine understanding and my knowledge This o Lord is thy time to speake let it I beseech thee be my time to heare My house is become a house of thy correction and my selfe familie are the offenders whom thou art pleased to chastise Ier 10.24 Ps 88.7 Lord correct us but with judgment not in thine anger lest thou bring us to nothing Thy wrath at this time lyeth hard upon us and thou afflictest us with all thy waves Thou hast put our acquaintance farre from us vers 8. thou hast made us to be an abomination unto them wee are shut up and cannot come forth Ps 38.11 Our lovers and our friends stand aloofe from us and our neighbours stand afarre off Ps 88.9 By reason of this affliction mine eye mourneth Lord I call dayly upon thee Ps 69.15 Ps 73.14 Ps 69.3 and stretch out mine hands unto thee O let not the water-flood over-flow us neither let the deepe swallow us up and let not the pit shut her mouth upon us All the day long are wee plagued and chastened every day I am wearie of crying Ps 69.3 my throate is drie my sight even faileth for wayting so long upon thee my God Ps 78.39 Ps 91.3 O consider thy distressed servants that wee are but flesh that wee are even a wind that passeth away and cometh not againe Deliver us o Lord from the snare of the fowler from the noisome Pestilence Either send unto us or else be thou thy selfe unto us a staffe as well as a rodde Ps 23.4 Ps 91.5 a supporter as well as a correctour that so wee may not be afraid for the terrour by night vers 6. nor for the arrow that flyeth by day nor for the Pestilenee that walketh in darkenesse nor for the destruction that wasteth at moone-day Prepare us o Lord for those heavenly mansions where thy Sonne sitteth at thy right hand making intercession for us Heare him pleading for our remission and inter-ceding for our pardon Out of his wounds have issued that pretious balsamome which is able to cure the sinnes of the whole world In him be pleased to be reconciled unto us since our times are in thine hands Ps 31.15 Lord either spare us for thine honour or else receave us to thy mercy Let the health of our bodies make us mindfull to labour for the health of our soules and
him yea and on mee allso that I may not be drowned in the flouds of sorrow Mat. 8.14 vers 15 When Iesus came into Peter's house hee saw his wive's mother laid and sick of a feaver And hee did but touch her hand and the feaver left her and shee arose and ministred unto them My Iesus doeth still reteine both his mercy and his power Though his body be absent yet his spirit is present Hee can if hee please reach downe from heaven Deut 4 34. for hee hath a mighty hand and a stretched-out arme O that hee would but touch his patient that so his disease might leave him and that hee might arise and serre the Lord The Prophet David did highly extoll the goodnesse of the Lord when hee acknowledged saying Ps 30.3 O Lord thou hast brought up my soule from the grave thou hast kept mee alive that I should not goe downe to the pitt Doe thou the same ô my God for thine afflicted servant My Redeemer was pleased to tell the Pharisees that the husband and the wife are noe more twaine but one flesh and therfore hee concluded saying What God hath joyned together let not man put asunder Mat â—9 6. My husband and my selfe are joyned together by the sacred institution of holy wedlock which maketh us one for wee have but one God one body one mind one affection wherfore then should any thing attempt to seperate us Yet wee may be Seperated and if this divorce be not wrought by man it infringeth not the law of God Sicknesse may make yea and at this time it doeth make an un-wellcome seperation yet though wee are seperated wee are not divided But I must find out more in this seperation then barely the sicknesse I must looke up unto him who sent this sicknesse and that is God Hee may seperate us indeede whensoever hee pleaseth Hee may send his executioner that pale and grimme death with his sharpest Sickle and give him power to reape downe either one or both of us That is the effect of sinne and I cannot deny but I have deserved to be deprived of my husband because I have many wayes offended him who sent him unto mee In the time of his health did I expect his sicknesse Did I provide for this evill day Nay did I not rather pride my selfe as Babylon did Reu 18 7. and say in mine heart I sit as a Queene and am noe widow and shall see noe sorrow Certainly his sicknesse is allso sent as a scourge unto mee for being flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone I cannot choose but be sensible of the anguish which hee suffer's Yet allthough it is just with God to deprive mee of my husband because of my rebellions I have hope in his mercy if I can but confesse my wickednesses Ps 38.18 Eze. 34 16. and be sorrie for my sinnes Hee promised once by the mouth of his Prophet saying I will seeke that which was lost and bring againe that which was driven away and will bind up that which was broken will strengthen that which was sick O my God make good this promise now to thy languishing servant Hee is one of thy flock hee is one of thy weake and tender Lambs True it is that hee was lost when hee went astray after his owne inventions but now as thou hast found him in this thy visitation so let him find thee in the gentlnesse of his correction Seeke him ô my God who was lost bring him againe unto thee who was driven from thee by the suggestions of the tempter bind him up for hee is broken Ps 41.3 and strengthen him now upon the bed of languishing make thou all his bed in this his sicknesse Moses did assure the children of Israel that If they would hearken to the judgments of God Deut. 7 12. vers 15 and keepe and doe them Then the Lord would take away from them all sicknesse and would put none of the evill diseases of Egypt upon them O my Lord be pleased to make thy feeble servant willing to hearken to thy judgments and ready to keepe them and then in thy good time release him from his sicknesse Againe the Lord at another time did comfort his people Ex. 23.25 and sayd unto them Yee shall serve the Lord your God and I will take sicknesse away from the midst of thee O that my God would be pleased to draw this languishing patient to his holy service and accept of that service and then free him from this sicknesse Hee who hath woundded him even the same can cure him and hee expecteth noe reward onely hee requireth the heart But alas the very heart of my husband is tormented with sicknesse hee is sick at the heart and the Lord doeth say Mal. 1.8 If yee offer the lame and the sick is it not evill But what then shall hee doe Hee can offer noe other then what hee hath Let it be thy goodnesse ô God to ture him of his lamenesse to ease him of his sicknesse and then accept of the whole man for hee is wholly thine Hee who so friendly speaketh to the house of Israël and justifieth himselfe unto them saying O my people what have I done unto thee Mich. 6.3 and wherein have I wearied thee Even the same God notwithstanding threatneth the wicked that hee will make them sick in smiting vers 13 them My poore husband now is sensible of his wrath because hee had formerly refused his mercy Even hee and my selfe have beene apt to forget our good God when hee did not weary us and therfore now hee doeth make us sick in this smiting us Yet there is hope for even the same God is ours who was the God of Daniel and that Prophet saith Dan 8.27 I Daniel fainted and was sick certaine dayes afterward I rose up and did the King's businesse My poore husband fainteth too oh hee is sick too but I will pray unto my God to raise him up againe that so hee may doe the King's businesse even the businesse of him who is King of Kings Reu 17.14 and Lord of Lords For this I will besiech him and I will begge of him that in the bowells of his compassion hee will open his eares to the cry of his hand-mayd whilest I powre out my prayer and supplication unto him and say The Prayer INcomprehensible God whose workes are deepe and whose wayes are past finding out who smitest in thy wrath and yet in thy wrath remembrest mercy Hab. 3.2 be pleased to stretch forth thine hand and visit in mercy thine afflicted patient Thou art the good Samaritane from whom alone wee can expect the oyle of gladnesse Lu 10.33 Ps 45.7 and the wine of consolation O remember not the iniquities either of my sick Lord or my sinfull selfe for wee know that in thy justice thou mayst teare us in pieces Ps 50.22 Is 53.5 when there can
the wine and the other accustomed entertainments are given at each wee goe to the church for the consummation of each onely here is the difference that at the one wee rejoyce but at the other wee mourne Every guest that is willing to comply with the preâ—ent occasion must as well be sad at this as â—e merrie at the other Weepe wee may and weepe wee must especially my selfe who have â—ost my selfe But yet let mee take heede that I offend not in my teares lest that which is my duety be turned into a crime I must especially take heede that I erre not in the cause of these laments for if I griere at the happinesse of him that is departed I discover an envie rather then affection If I grieve for the losse which my selfe sustaineth I must take heede that I wrong not my confidence in God I may not offend in the number of my teares for if I weepe too much I may forfeit my hope or at least I may occasion those that behould mee to thinke that I doubt of the salvation of the dead Weepe I may and weepe I must but for feare lest I offend in these my teares in my earnest prayers I will begge that they may be sanctified To my God will I goe for his direction and assistance and in this storme of my teares I will shelter my selfe under his protection and humbly will I tender my petitions and say The Prayer O All-mighty and ever-living Lord God thou who knowest whereof wee are made Ps 103.14 and who remembrest that wee are but dust give mee grace I besiech thee to be thankfull unto thee for all thy mercies more particularly both for thy deliverance of my husband from the miseries of this life and for affording mee the meanes in peace to bring him to his longest home Lord so arme mee with patience in this time of affliction that I may not offend thee in my want or excesse of mourning Gen 3.19 Dust wee are and to dust wee shall returne From the earth wee came and to the earth wee must goe This way which thy servant must now be disposed of is the way wherein thou wilt one day leade mee allso to my rest O prepare mee for the time of my greate account Eccl 12 7. that so when my dust shall returne to the earth as it was my spirit may returne unto thee who didst give it Let his spectacle of mortality live in my memorie that so when I consider that the time will come that as naked as I came out of my mother's wombe Iob 1.21 so naked shall I thither returne againe I may wholly endeavour and seeke to be clothed with the righteousnesse of thy Sonne Rom 6 4. With him thou hast beene gratiously pleased that by baptisme I should be buried into death graunt allso good God that like as hee was raised up from the dead by the glory of thee the eternall Father even so I allso may walke in newnesse of life Make mee ever thinke upon death which will seize on mee judgment which will examine mee and hell which would devoure mee that heaven may receave mee Let this lifelesse carkeise put mee in mind of the malice of sinne which is the cause of death and of that sentence which immediatly followeth this death Thou seest ô Lord how unwilling I am to part from this frozen and earthie lumpe Thou knowest how deepe the departure of my joy doeth pierce and wound mine afflicted heart O be thou my comforter in this greatest sorrow Ps 119.96 that seeing now I see that all things doe certainly come to an end I may wholly endeavour to please thee alone who shalt never have end Is 50.3 O thou who cloathest the heavens with blacknesse and hast cloathed mee at this time who am but earth ashes with these mourning weedes graunt that by these I may be instructed to shunne the fraile and fading vanities of the earth and strive for that Kingdome which shall endure for ever Be pleased to speake peace to my troubled mind that so though nature hath power to enforce mee to weepe yet grace may prevaile to moderate my mourning Ps 106 9. Ps 104.9 O thou who diddest once rebuke the red sea that thy servants might passe through them as on drie land thou who hast set a bound to the seas that they may not passe over nor turne againe to cover the earth be pleased so to rebuke the waters of mine affliction and put such a bound to these my teares that they may not drowne this earth of my feeble body but may give place to confidence and comfort in thy mercy Ps 114.3 Iordane did yeeld to thy command was driven back so drive thou back the flood of my teares that they swell not above the bankes of moderation and hope Let the grave of the deceased put mee in mind of the tombe of my blessed Redeemer that so when I am bowed downe with sorrow at the buriall of this earth I may be raised with joy for the benefits of the resurrection of my Saviour Christ Hee hath plucked out the sting which sinne had formerly given unto death 1. Cor. 15.56 vers 57 ô let mee ever be thankfull unto thee my God who givest us victorie through Iesus Christ. Give mee an assured beliefe of the generall resurrection that when I grieve at the placing of this flesh in the grave I may rejoyce in the certaintie of his rising againe Ps 25.17 Though the troubles of my heart be now enlarged yet bring thou mee out of all my feares Ps 94.19 In the midst of the sorrowes which I have in my heart let thy comforts ô God refresh my soule Lord make mee dye to sinne and live by grace that when I shall put off this tabernacle of flesh I may dwell with thee in those eternall mansions of perfect happinesse through Iesus Christ my Lord and onely Saviour Amen subject 21 THE TWENTIE-FIRST SUBjECT Teares of a woman in the state of widow-hood The Soliloquie THE EjACULATION Psal 5. vers 1. Give eare to my words ô Lord consider my meditation vers 2. Hearken unto the voyce of my cry my king and my God for unto thee will I pray BEcause Ierusalem had forsaken the Lord was was gone backward Ier 15.6 vers 8. Therfore sayd my God their widowes are increased to mee above the sand of the seas vers 6. Hee who was wearie of repenting was not wearie of destroying and yet the judgments which fell upon the Iewes were easier to the stronger then to the weaker sexe The males had a period set to their earthly troubles when the sword devoured them but the poore females were left alive destitute both of the comfort and societie of their husbands Death is a judgment mixed often with mercy because it finisheth our earthly sufferances whereas a life that is lead in continued sorrowes is so much the more burdensome