much (b) Pro. 7.21 fair speech do cause me to yield with the flattering of their lips they force me But when they draw me from thy Book oh my Book I find my going after them is just a meer oxes going to the slaughter and a fools to the correction of the stocks Other books (c) Pro. 25.14 boast in Title pages of false gifts and are meer clouds and wind without rain but thine gives good and (d) Jam 1.17 perfect gifts coming down from the Father of lights (e) Pro. 23.35 They have stricken me with reproofs and 〈◊〉 was not sick they have beaten me with inculked rebukes and my conscience felt it not but in thy word the (f) Mar. 26.75 Cocks crow so loud that they will make one go out of â—â—n (g) Luk 22 62. and weep bitterly that one can go out no further The word (h) Mal. 3.2 is a Refiners fire and suffers some cleansing inside and out Theirs maketh Scribes and Pharisees painted sepulchres but no (i) Joh. 1.49 true Israelites in whom there is no guile (k) Isa 5.12 the harp and the viol are in their feasts the tabret and pipe of the excellency of mans wisedom pleasing words and tinkling cymbals But thy Book gives (l) Can. 15.1 the myrrh with spice the honey with the honey-comb the wine with milk Oh my God thou hast made great (m) Psal 136.8 9. lights in thy word the Sun the Moon the Stars of precepts promises and providences else would this world be (n) Joh 10.21 22 a land of darkness and the shadow of death A land of darkness as hells darkness it self of the shadow of death without any order and where the light would be as darkness Some deal with thy word as (o) Ru. 1.14 16. Orpah with Naomi go some part of the way with her kiss her and then leave her But oh may my soul as Ruth's cleave to it and for ever say Whither thou goest I will go where thou lodgest I will lodge thy wayes shall be my wayes and thy God shall be my God (p) psal 145.10 11 12 14 15. All thy works do praise thee O Lord and thy Saints do bless thee they speak sweetly of the glory of thy Kingdom and talk of thy power but 't is thy word makes known to the sons of men thy mighty Acts of Creation and Redemption and the glorious Majesty of thy Kingdom 'T is thy word upholds all them that fall and raises up those that be bowed down Out of thy word thou givest the best meat to them whose eyes wait upon thee Thy gracious providences often make me cry out (q) psal 136.1 10 15 16 O give thanks to the Lord for he is good But 't is thy Word onely makes me add His mercy endureth for ever For why 'T is by thy Word that thou smitest Aegyptian lusts in their first-born and overthrowest reigning sins and their hosts of snares and temptations in the Sea of thy grace red with the Bloud Royal of thy Son 'T is by thy Word thou leadest thy people through the valley of sin ond sorrow into the heavenly Canaan 'T is thy Word that in the wilderness of this world (r) Psa 105.41 opens very rocks that waters gush out yea (s) Psal 107.35 that turns my part of this wilderness into a standing pool of mercies and my dry ground into water springs 11. A Soliloquy with the Soul about its sloth O My soul my soul (z) Pro. 2.6 16. 'T is in thy own conceit That such a sluggard as thou is wiser than seven men that can render a reason Dost think it enough as (a) Mat. 9.20 the woman with the bloody Flux only to come behind Christ and touch the hem of his garment Hers was a Flux of Blood thine of such sins as made a Flux of Christs Blood Her disease but of Twelve years thine of almost twice twelve for thou wast conceiv'd in it (b) Mat 9.21 As she said of Christ darest thou say of Christian Religion If I may but touch its garment I shall be whole If not why standest thou idle hath not God sent thee to hotter work (c) Mar. 6.8 9 7. Is this like a Disciple of Christ to be projecting for scrip bread money in thy purse and two coats and not be caring for power of thy unclean spirit and being shod with the sandals of the Gospel Art thou my soul the Bethlehem wherein Christ is born or the Sodom wherein pride idleness and fulness of bread reigns (d) Pro 21.25 The desire of the slothful Christian to be saved damns him because his hands refuse to abound in the work of the Lord. (e) Mat. 19.20 All these things have I kept from my youth up was the word of an hypoorite and very likely an Apostate 'T is another diligence (f) 2 Pe 1.10 ensures Election and secures from falling Be not (g) Jam 1.22 Jam. 1.21 deceiv'd oh my soul with vain words It is the doing Christian onely that undoes not himself A mans own words are not as God's able to save his soul Salvation must be (h) Phil 2.12 work'd not talk'd out Examine thy self prove thy self oh my soul for knowest thou not that great industry is in thee (i) 2 Go 13.5 except thou beest a reprobate Not to do well or (k) Gal 6. to be weary of well doing is a manifest token of God's being weary of thee and thy being so of him and every such (l) Heb. 10.38 drawing back finally persisted in is to perdition ' Tell not me there is a lion or singularity in the way a lion of censoriousness in the streets I shall be bit Thou must be so but who can help it If Christ (m) Mal 10 16 25. will send forth his Disciples in the midst of lions and wolves 't is so much the better for you if you are bit soundly you will be the more like your Master (n) Heb 10. The sacrifice of thy fame the offering the burnt-offering of it on this account is such as God will not despise but has pleasure in Men indeed and of repute for piety too many won't endure (o) 2 Ti 4.3 sound doctrine much less convincing conversation But God will have us do more (p) Mat 5.47 than others either do or allow us to do Oh my soul look right before thee Were it not better that men should say to thee and thy graces Why do ye more than others by way of accusation than that Christ when he comes should say What do ye more than others by way of condemnation Christ (q) Mat 7.29 Read the four Evangelists thy Doctor teaches not as the Scribes but as one having authority Don't thou live as the Scribes but as one having activity Christ thy Saviour did and suffered nothing but miracles for thee double miracles to wit because he did
(p) Josh 1.8 Law is departed out of our mouths Nor yet oh my soul mayest thou think that thy tongue or thy words are sufficient lodgings for Divine Love they are but for walks to move and appear in Thy honour to God though it be but barren without the fruit and the calves of thy lips yet these oblations are odious to the very soul of God when they are not offered from out the very soul of man Though stinking breath argues rotten lungs and I am out of doubt thou art most impure if thy speech be not seasoned with salt yet this I utterly set at naught unless thou have (q) Col 4.6 Mat. 9 5 salt in thy self also The cleaner thou sweepest before the (r) Mic. 7.5 doors of thy mouth oh my soul sweep so much the cleaner before the doors of thy heart too and within its chambers otherwise thy (s) Psal 57.8 tongue will be indeed thy glory but no more than thy vain glory Add whereto (t) Mar. 3.24 25. that the Kingdom of God cannot stand in humane souls wherein the heart and tongue stand divided against each other The practical impieties of an hypocrite (u) Job 29.17 will break his own jaws and pluck the spoils of Grace out of his teeth If his tongue break not its own word his hands will Being evil he may speak great things but not good to himself who speaks them nor very likely to be good to others coming through so polluted lips as his But oh my soul David sayes The words of the Lord are pure words And his son tells thee The (x) Psal 12.6 words of the pure are (y) Pro. 15.26 pleasant words Oh count thou them onely pleasant which are pure and them pure which are godly Christ who in one sense (z) Mat 10.19 forbids thee in another commands thee to take thought how and what thou shalt speak (a) Ecc. 5.1 Be not rash with thy mouth sayes Solomon Be (b) Jam 1.19 slow with it sayes James (c) 1 Co 14.19 Five words with understanding ones self and with edifyingness to others are better than ten thousand without the same sayes Paul The wisest of men declares it That acceptable words he did not find without (d) Ecc 12.10 seeking them out The most godly of men professes it cost him good (e) Psal 39.1 heed to keep sin out of his tongue and sometimes 't was a bridle onely which could rule it A blessed prophet mentions (f) Mic 7.5 doors of the mouth and calls for Porters to keep them to Were it an easie thing graciously to open those doors Why prayed (g) Psal 51.15 David so urgently to God to open his for him Were it easie to keep them duly shut one chapter in St. James his Epistle would swarm with errors Though one love pureness of heart 't is not the natural gift but the supernatural (h) Pro 22.11 grace of ones lips for which the King of Heaven will become our friend In the multitude of words utter'd by the best if there be not a multitude yet neither is there any (i) Pro. 10.19 want of sin Thy sad and woful experience tells thee Thou art apt to (k) Exo 23.2 follow those multitudes to do evil Wherefore do this now oh my soul and deliver thy self go humble thy self to God! and give not sleep to thine eyes (l) Pro. 6.3 4 2 or slumber to thy eye-lids till thou hast confess'd it to him that thou hast been snar'd with the words of thy mouth and taken by the words of thy mouth which had they been savoury and sound they had been (m) Pro 8.11 19. better than rubies and their fruit better than gold yea fine gold but being corrupt (n) Psal 58.4 their poison is like the poison of a serpent and when best painted they are but stinking sepulchres Go and beseech the Christ of God to give thee a (o) Luk 21.15 Rom. 15.6 1 Cor. 13.1 mouth and wisedom wisedom with my heart and mouth also to glorifie him all the day long to make his Word the rule and mold wherein to cast mine Would God oh my soul the tongue of men and Angels were but one and the praises of God were as incessantly sung aloud on earth as in heaven Would God there were no such things as tongues devising (p) Psal 52.2 mischiefs and like sharp rasors working deceitfully Would God there were no tongues of the beast save in the mouths of beasts and (q) Psal 49.3 the meditation of humane hearts were so of understanding that the mouth of the whole world would be of wisedom Would God iniquitie were more than tongue-ty'd even rooted out and the words of men Psal 12.7 Mat. 12.34 would become as the words of God pure words tried in the furnace purified seven times But seeing so it sadly is that out of the abundance of my hearts wickedness my tongue is hastie to speak And seeing in the (r) Job 20.12 Pro. 10.14 Mal. 2.7 mouths of the most wickedness is sweet and holiness bitter as gall seeing the mouths of fools are near destroying themselves and others too Seeing God will also require his Law at thy mouth and Christ Jesus owns not those for his whose lips are not as (s) Can 3.8 11. thred of scarlet and speech comely whose lips drop not as the honey comb and under whose tongues there 's not honey and milk See Can 5.13 I charge thee oh my soul before God and the elect Angels that thou slack not prayer till thou hear God saying to me All dayes of thy life I will be with thee and with thy mouth and (t) Exo 4.12 teach thee what thou shalt say 21. A Soliloquy of evil Company CUrse ill companie oh my (a) Psal 103.1 2 3 4 5. soul and all that is within me curse its wicked name Curse it oh my soul and forget not all its injuries which sets afoot all thy iniquities and strengthens all thy diseases which reduces thy spiritual life to destruction and crowns thee with the thorns of its loving kindness which fills thy mouth with evil things (b) Isa 65.4 broth of abominable things (c) Psal 103.12 As far as the East is from the West so far hath it removed the thoughts of my God and my Christ from me Even when I remember it (d) Job 21.6 I am affraid and trembling takes hold on me For it hath cast down many wounded yea many strong in grace have been slain by the wiles of it Satans agents are subtile spirits and his ministers a (e) Psal 105.4 Psal 76.7 Psal 76 1 2 3. flaming fire They even they are to be feared and who can stand not guiltie or at least not accessary in their sight In evil companie Satan is well known his name is great in evil companie in evil companie also is his tabernacle and his
caused thee (b) Deu 34.14 to see it with thine eyes but thou shalt not go over thither But nor yet do I hear thee say so plainly as I would Fear not it is my good pleasure to give thee (c) Luk 12.33 the Kingdom Many seek to enter in and are not able Thousands not onely say and read but cry Lord Lord Open and yet are shut out Some get so far that they be not far from (d) Mat 7.22 thy Kingdom and yet never reach it Nay the children of the Kingdom themselves Christ tells me (e) Mat 8.12 are cast into outer darkness the most part of them and if so Lord what cause have I to say to my soul as (f) Rut 3.1 Naomi to Ruth Shall I not seek rest for thee that it may be well with thee Of that soul oh my God so forgetful am I that oft it checks me as (g) Jud 16.13 15. Dalilah her Sampson Hitherto hast thou mocked me and told me lyes How canst thou say I love thee and thy heart is not with me When it reflects on the madnesses of my heart and life it fears thou wilt one day say of me as Achish (h) 1 Sa. 29.15 of David Have I need of mad men Shall this fellow come into my house (i) Heb. 4.1 It doth not infrequently alarum me in the being left us of entring into God's rest we should come short of it For (k) 1 Pe 4.12 if the righteous scarcely be saved Where shall we appear Solomon sayes Blessed is the man that fears alwayes Oh my God Let me not serve thee therefore without fear of my self (l) Psal 118.6 David said He would not fear what man could do unto him but sure he meant of other men he fear'd his own heart when he cry'd Keep yea (m) Psa 119.13 Pro. 29 25. keep back thy servant from presumptuous fins Indeed the fear of other men bringeth a snare as Solomon sayes but the fearlesness of ones self brings a million The counsel is divine not to fear other men who (n) Mat 10.28 can kill our body and no more But 't is also as divine that a man should fear himself who is not onely able but prone by sin and by disobedience to destroy both soul and body in hell Oh my God Help me to attend Moses's advice (o) Deu 4.9 Joh. 13.13 to take heed to my self and keep my soul diligently I find That in every Prayer and Conference wherein I do not so do I must cry out to my Lord and Master as Josiah to his servants when shot by the Archers (p) 2 Ch 35.23 Have me away for I am sore wounded and that in my grace and peace too As Martha of Lazarus to Christ I oft say of my faith and hope to my care of my evidences for Heaven Oh divine eares hadst (q) Joh 11.21 thou been here my faith and hope had not dyed and indeed when that is absent whatever my labour is in Duties in the end I must say as Simon to Jesus Master (r) Luk 5.5 We have toiled all night and have taken nothing Wherefore oh my Blessed God and Bounteous Grant thou that when thy holy Spirit (s) Mat 5.41 compells me to go one mile with him in securing my title to glory I may go with him twain Oh let my conscience be ever telling me like to what Michol told David If thou save not (t) 1 Sa 19.11 thy life to night by ensuring thy evidences to morrow thou wilt be slain With sins sorrows and temptations If at any time I call the proud Mal. 3.15 happy as Malachi sayes and say in a but seeming prosperity of grace that I shall never be moved Oh my God let thy good Spirit take me off as the King (u) 2 Ki. 18.19 20. of Assyria did Hezekiah What confidence is this wherein thou trustest Thou sayest but they are but vain words I have counsel and I have strength O my God say to me of the host of my corruptions my pride follie c. as once thou didst to Gideon Arise (x) Jud 7.5 Get thee down to the host for I have delivered it into thy hand Help me oh Lord incorruptly to say to Jesus of his Redemption-work (y) Rut 2.12 as Boaz to Ruth The Lord recompense thy work and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel under whose wings thou hast caused me trust and to vow unto him as Ittai to David As the Lord liveth and as my Lord Jesus liveth as the living Father liveth and Jesus liveth by the Father surely in what place my Lord the King of Saints shall be (z) 2 Sa. 15.21 Whether in death or life even there will thy servant be Help me oh my God to set my Jesus (a) Can. 8.6 as a seal on my heart and arm with a love strong as death with jealousie of all rivals cruel as the grave Give me to write on this World and the glory of it (b) Dan 5.27 TEKEL Thou are weigh'd in the balances and are found wanting of any good for my soul (c) Col. 3.1 Job 23.2 Let my affections be on things above my comforts in heaven and my hopes on high Let me know oh my God where I may find thee in all distresses and let me come even to thy seat When my heart is overwhelm'd lead me to the Rock that is higher than I (d) Psa 61.2 Ps 119.139 Job 32.12 Order my steps in thy Word let not any iniquitie have Dominion over me in health or distrust in sickness in both let me esteem thy Word above my necessary food or physick And so oh my God of my evidences for heaven (e) Mat 10.20 it shall not be I my self that speak but thy Spirit in me Amen my God Amen and Amen Whiles this Piece lay at the Press it pleased GOD to visit the Authour with the Small Pox and gave him a Recovery full of Extraordinary Providences of which upon his Friends request he hath annexed his Meditations 24. A Soliloquy with God after Recovery from a Sore Disease OH my God I am sure I can say (a) Mat 25.36 I was sick and thou visitest me Oh that in the Day of Judgement thou maist say likewise to me I was sick and thou visitedst me I read of thy own people that once (b) Isa 42.25 they had a fire about them yet they knew it not nay and it burn'd them yet they laid it not to heart Sure I am I had my Disease about me and I knew it not nay and it brake out on me and never entred into my heart what it was till by thy providence 't was made known to me So unable was I to do thy work (c) Psal 103.3 to heal all my diseases my self that in St. Paul's sense and another too I might and still must say (d) 1