forbear to aggravate my torments regard my afflictions and my travel and forgive me all my offences Lord I suffer in my groanings I mingle my Couch with my tears I am pierc't with afflictions on the bed of languishing The earth is not capable to deliver me out of this extremity The heavens alone have the glory of the medicines that are requisite for me Make hast then to come to my deliverance my God who doth dayly comfort me in my distresse and shelter me in all my stormes Lord I am afflicted that I cannot depart more than that I cannot live But good God who hast freed from death the great Shepheard of the flock by the blood of the perpetual Covenant turn thy compallionate countenance towards my torment and cause it to shine upon me in joy and in salvation Lord thou hast instructed me to understand my end and what is the wretchednesse of my dayes But good God since thou hast ordain'd that I must die cause me to depart in thee that Imay live again I have sinned my God I have displeased thee I have a thousand and a thousand times every day provoked thy fury but thou art the God of my deliverance I am washt I am sanctifi'd I am justified by thy grace in the name of Jesus Christ who hath taken my sorrowes upon him and charged my offences upon himself I am a fellow-Citizen of the Saints of thy Houshold I am built upon the foundation of the Prophets and the Apostles Pardon then my sinnes Lord in the name of thy well-beloved Son correct me not in thy displeasure neither chasten me in thy fury have mercy on me that am destitute of strength I beseech thee my God in the bitternesse of my Soul in the words of the Propher David Lord heare my request and make my supplication come unto thee Hide not thy face from me in the time that I am in calamity encline thine ear unto me in the day that I cry unto thee hast thee to answer me for my bones are dryed as an hearth and they cleave to my flesh by reason of my groaning and my time vanisheth away like smoke and as a shadow which passeth away and as for me I am become withered as the grasse Lord I said once again with David Eternal reprove me not in thine indignation thine arrowes have pierc't me and thy hand hath overwhelm'd me there is no entire part in my flesh there is no rest in my bones by reason of my sinne for mine iniquities are gone over my head and are too weighty as â—n heavy burthen above my strength I am bowed down and swerve beyond measure I am weakned and bruised more and more Lord all my desires are before thee and my afflictions are not hid from thee Forsake me not my God be not far from me hast thee and help me All my hope is in thy mercy Lord thou hast spoken by the mouth of thy Prophet Esay I have heard thee in an acceptable season and succoured thee in the day of salvation My God now behold the agreeable time see now the day of salvation Be thou now Lord my Rock and my Fortresse be thou my Deliverer and sure Retrait The snares of death hath surpriz'd me destruction hath environ'd me but I lift up my self to thee my God hearken to my supplication from thy holy place and let my cry enter into thine ears Give me by thy free mercy the wages and entire reward notwithstanding that I entred not into thy Vineyard till at the close of the day shew me thy sight give me life eternal after this fleeting languishing and cransitory life and assure me of heaven to the intent that the grave swallow me not up for ever Grant me my God that when the Saviour of the World shall appear I may appear with him in glory Grant me that I may accompany that infinite number of thine which shall be before the Throne cloathed in long white Robes holding Palms in their hands and that I sing with a loud voyce with them salvation is of our God who is set upon the Throne and of the Lamb. Wash my garment and cleanse it in his innocent blood to the end that I may eternally serve thee in his holy Temple wherein I shall never suffer hunger nor thirst that I be no more molested nor distemper'd with the Sun nor with the Winter nor with miseries my tears and my pains wip't away with thy hand O Lord I am at the last gasp of my life in the agony and shadow of death to thee I direct my latest vowes my last words All my actions have not been better than vanity in respect hereof Good God arme not thy self with vengeance against me I render to thee my penitent Soul deploring languishing which savours of nought but earth and dust to which this carcasse shall be incontinently reduc't I oppose my cryes my tears my requests my plaints and my groans against my condemnation and my fall Let the confession of my mouth the contrition of my heart cause thy Sword to tumble out of thy hands let my gasping move thy goodnesse magnifie not thy power and might against a languishing attenuated immoveable carcasse against withered grasse laid on the earth expecting nought but to be driven away by the smallest blast I am at my end I neither have more power nor heart to offend thee but I may still serve thee to publish thy elemency the foundation of my hope and thy bounty the spring of my life I am thine from the Cradle thou hast sanctified me I have been redeem'd and ransom'd by the blood of thy Son who died innocent to give life to the guilty by the blood of thy Son who must open to me the door of felicity I have my recourse to him I beseech thee in his Name It is not reasonable that my sinnes should violate me in so holy a Sanctuary Rouse thee good God a rise speedily the extremity of my affliction will not admit any delay to the end that these sinnes be not too powerful for me hearken to my prayers give me strength to prevail against these billowes that drive me off from the heavenly shoar hast thee to absolve me preserve in thy hands my Soul lest it remain a prey drive these sins our of thy presence which are the work of thine enemy and Lord pardon me that am the work of thine hands Lord I render praise for that thou hast made me capable to participate of the heritage of Saints in thy light for that thou hast delivered me from the power of darknesse and hast transported me to the Kingdome of thy well-beloved Son in whom I have deliverance and remission from my sins Lord I perceive the establishment of thine assistance I feel my self replenish't with thy Holy Spirit who effaces my transgressions and ravisheth my Soul even unto heaven to shew him the inheritance which the mercy of thy Son hath bestowed on me in thy presence O good God! how blessed shall I be to hear from thy Holy Spirit that the last of my dayes shall be the first of my repose that I am not farther from my satisfaction than the length of the last groan of my life I am approaching Lord to thy Throne of grace with assurance to obtain mercy by the vertue of my High Priest who hath compassion on my infirmities I am coming to behold thee face to face whereas now I discern thee but darkly as in a mirrour I am quitting these miseries for a fulness of delight from these dolors into the Mountain of Syon from this Militant to the Triumphant Jerusalem from this World to the City of the living God I voluntarily cease to live on the Earth to survive in heaven I contentedly part with this wretched life for that which is most happy I chearfully quit my self to follow thee I abandon this carcasse and render my Soul into thy hands FINIS
surprise us hell attends to torment us within it's horrours and the dreadful gulph is prepar'd to open his jawes eternally to consume us in his flames Meditations upon Repentance MY Soul Jerusalem the heritage of the Lord the beloved City hath transgressed she was not cleansed from the pollution of her feet neither hath she been mindful of her end wherefore she hath been rendred desart solitary and a prey to the Gentiles My soul Corah Dathan and Abiram for not having obeyed the Lord Num. 16 were punish't by the earth who opened her jawes and swallowed them in her gulph Mat. 24.25 The servant supriz'd in debauchery is punish't separated and ranck't with hypocrites Mat. 25.1 And the Virgins for being but a little separate from the Bridge-groom have found the door for ever clos'd against them These are the Judgments pronounc't by the Word of God who is High Penetrating and Effectual These are the Judgments pronounc't against them who stop their eares at the voice of the Saviour of the World Mat. 4.17 Who cryeth on the Earth amend you for the Kingdome of God is at hand Act. 3.19 Mat. 3.7 Amend you and be ye converted that your sins may be effaced Fly from the wrath to come bring forth fruit meet for repentance My soul be apprehensive then of the judgments of God Consider of thine own salvation apprehend so many new plagues which from the incensed heaven thou beholdest tumbling upon thee Consider so many woes that environ thee and such numberlesse fore-runners of future miseries Prevent the vengeance of God by humility and penance that so thou mayest not be prevented by his wrath Imitate the humble Dove who creeps into the bottome of the shrubs beholding afar off the ravenous Eagle cutting and dividing the aire with his wings and hasting to surprize her Fill the aire with thy sighths and regreates for thy vices even to the very bitternesse of thysoul cast forth cryes of displeasure and repentance demean thy self as altogether dejected altogether wasted perfectly penitent even at the foor-stool of the Lord spread forth thy hands toward his mercy addresse thy voes and most ardent supplications unto him to divert from thee the flames of his wrath and to appease his indignation Importune thy Saviour with so many plaints with so many sacrifices of praise thereby to shake the Sword out of his Hand Force the Kingdom of heaven and ravish it with violence Mat. 11.12 whil'st a means of reconciliation is open and be careful not to procrastinate till the day when the door shall be most securely bar'd Go to then my Soul defer not longer make hast to cover thy head with ashes and lamentations cause to distill tears of acknowledgment of thy sinnes and raise up thy meditations on high to avoid thy Destruction Retire thy self from the presse of the World and dispose thy self as the Pelican who seeketh the least frequented the most solitary places Come out of Babylon and follow the way of the heavenly Jerusalem propose for a pattern Jacob Abraham Moses Elias who retired from Mesepotamia from Caldea from Egypt and from the Court of Samaria Imitate the great Legislator of the Hebrewes Moses who separated himself from the multitude and went to the Mountain of Sinai the more freely to converse with God My soul be not like the inhabitants of Corazin and Bethsaida who shall be more rudely handled in the day of Judgement Mat. 11.21 than those of Tyre Sydon and of Sodome for that they were not reformed at the Word of the Lord. Contrarily immitate those of Hierusalem Mat. 3.5 of Judea and of the Country about Jordan which ran unto St. John who prepared the path of the Saviour of the world Oppose to the Justice of God his proper succours oppose the bloodshed by his Son oppose thy prayers thy vowes thy fasting and thy repentance He had decreed the sacking and ruine of Ninivâ— yet notwithstanding as soone as thy had bewaild their faults he suspended his decree sanctifie then a fast my sonne rend thy heart with teares and lamentations in the presence of thy God Returne unto him He is mercifull he is pityfull slow to anger and abundant in kindnesse In ancient times by a perpetual Ordinance 't was expresly commanded to his people to celebrate a fast on the tenth day of the seventh month which was the solemne feast of Propitiations He had ordained them to afflict their souls and to refrain from labour For as much as the Priest made a propitiation for them to the end they might be clensed from their sinnes in his presence This day my soul is the feast of propitiations to thee wherein 't is thy duty to be converted to the Lord. Imitate then the people afflict thy self masserate thy flesh with watchings and fastings to the intent thou may'st be the more strong and cry with the Priests who wept betwixt the Portck and the Altar Joel 2.16 Pardon me my God and expose not thy Heritage to Reproach Lord I lament before thee I seek by amendment of life to take a resolution to follow thee I humble my self I abase my self to attaine even unto the heavens But Lord for to approach to thee it 's requisite I retyre altogether out of my self and that I can no way effect without the succours of thy hand Lord the very Angels tremble in adoring thee and I wretched and abominable sinner manifest no token of astonishment I quake not I have not an humbled heart nor eyes drowned in teares I much desire it my God I heartily wish it but it 's impossible without thy grace For if thou Prevents not the wicked by thy compassion he can never amend A man revolted and slip't into disobedience returns not unto thee without the conduct of thy spirit Enlighten them Lord my soul by the operation of thy holy Spirit prevent its cold and slothfulnesse Pierce it with a thousand stings and thousands remorces of conscience to the end he may discover his malady unto thee and that to thee he may make his heat and anguish appear to obtain remedy Lord thou art the wise Pilot of my squiffe tottering at the mercy of the waves thou art not ignorant of the stormes and the floods that batter this fraile vessel thou art the bright and shining lanthorne which must be the Bear-star in all extremityes to guide to direct this poore Barke on this raging Sea Guard me then from ship-wrack rebuke the winds who mutiny against me and confederate together are set against my sayles Strike from the highest heaven one considerable stroke to engrave in my heart the lively impressions of the love of thee and to dispose my spirit to thy service Open my eyes as thou did'st the servant of Elisha encline my eares to thy Word arme my conscience against my flesh and make to arise out of this stone a childe of Abraham Mine iniquities are now against thy pleasure but then shall my
after cauterising and searing he applyeth Beninge and gentle Fomentations and touches them with a most delicate and tender hand And usually then ☞ when all humane help failes and forsakes us 't is then that he is nearest to his own Let 's remit and cast our selves then on his holy Providence rejoycing before him leaping for joy elevating our eyes to heaven He who hath fixed the Sun and stars in heaven He who hath preserved his holy Arke from the surges and from the Tempest He who hath caus'd it to snow a savoury Manna upon his people and hath caused fountaines to flow-forth of Rocks To him who needs no Base for a foundation who buildeth on the vacuum as on the fulnesse on nought as on matter ☜ He who electeth when it pleaseth him the most contemptible raysing them out of obscurity and placing them upon the most Eminent dignities is he not more than sufficient to cause the Lillies to flourish under the Scepter of his Anoynted Flower Deluce and under the ayre of a pleasant and gentle peace without ever being faded by a storme Can he not effect it that our fields should answer our desires That our good fortune should surmount and exceed our expectations that our dayes should flourish in health and honour and that we should dye heavy and satiated with old age Proceeds it not from him who causeth that the earth is not yet tyred with so many Births and Productions and that of his own liberality she dayly furnisheth us with necessary nourishment who causeth that the floods descend drop by drop that the Sun bringeth back the spring and giveth carnation to the Roses the Purple to the Gilly-flowers Perfumes sents and odours to so many several various Plants what though the enemies of the Gospel confederate against us if they assemble together if they levy warre against the Church have we cause of terrour being cover'd under the Banner of the great God loaded with victory who enjoyeth the principal point and soveraign period of the glory of the great God who produceth so much splendour from the Armies of his children who causeth the Cities to open their gates at the only approach of their Host that the mountaines yield and bowe under the burthen of their forces who overturnes the most powerful armies by the keen edge of their sword who paveth the earth with the bodies of their enemies cementing their Plaines with their blood and furnisheth them with such a multitude of Tropheys upon Tropheys and so many divers and sundry subjects to enrich everlasting Histories Have we not so much spirit to consider on these benefits Are we not capable to behold so many benedictions The continuance the grandure the number taketh that the admiration from us He 's as Puissant now as ever to warrant us and to settle and assure the victory on our standards and the honour and glory on our browes He 's the same who appeared to Moses in a burning flame Exod. 3. and declared that he had heard the affliction of his people that he had heard their cryes and understood their sorrows that he would deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians and conduct them into a land flowing with milke and honey 'T is the very same who effected so many Myracles by the hand of Moses in the presence of hard-hearted Pharoah Exod. 13.21 'T is the same eternal who march't by day before his poople in a Pillar of a cloud to conduct them in the way Exod. 14. and by night in a Pillar of fire to give them light 'T is the same who by an East winde clave the red-sea piling up the waters to make way for Israel and who soon aftar overwhelm'd in the Billowes Pharaoh and his Armey 'T is he who caused that the enterprises of Gideon were numberlesse Joshua 12. who made Joshua to Triumph over thirtie one Kings who stayed in favour of his Battailes the Sun in the midst of his course and made him continue immovable for a long space of time whil'st that he overturned his enemies by millions on the dust 'T is he who confirmed Israel flying before the Philistine before that great Thunderbolt of war causing that the fury of a stone parting from the hand of a Shepheard should plant it self in the midst of his forehead 'T is the same who fill'd Hester with courage against Haman who caused that Baruch that Sampson that Jephta that David that Samuel and so many Prophets have combated Kingdomes have closed the throats of Lyons have repell'd the force of fire have escap't the devouring sword have shewed themselves mighty in Battle and turned their enemies to flight But these are favours which flow from his hand when it pleaseth him and then only when he knows it expedient for his glory In the interim we are obliged to rest satisfi'd with our condition in the which it pleaseth him we should live ☜ and receive those corrections which he giveth us to the intent to amend us who opposes himself against God to repine bemoan himself shall incurre the danger instead of temporary adversity to suffer eternal torments The afflictions which overtake us are ordained by solemn Decrees whereto we ought to acquiesse and submit by Ordinances against which it 's not permitted we open our mouthes The Murmur against Decrees so holy is punish't as the entyre voyce the Will as the Effect Moreover these are afflictions tending to our health Ruines to cause us turne to our wealth Poverty to make us regard our riches The clattering of his Thunder falls to awaken us his corrections to put us upon repentance These chastisements to force from our hearts sigths and repentance These are the effects of the love of the Creatour testimonies that he ever has an eye over his work-manship and that he will make them understand their errors The Soveraigne Law of a King is the safety of his People of God the safety of his own to make them ever tend to that poynt he applyeth all manner of remedyes observing them too intent on the world he addeth to the losse of their substance the losse of their kindred and by these torments he awakneth their zeale which slumber'd in a peaceable time He disturbeth their ease to preserve their ardure from rusting He imployeth the Fanne to clense his Graine Vineger to efface the aines He is the Physitian who laboureth for health not for pleasure who would heal the distemper not sooth and flatter it who ordaineth rather Ruburb than Suger who useth scalding and sharpe medicines but very healthful we must not expect from him Flowers Straw-berries and Cream but bitter rootes nautious Pills and Potions black and troubled He extracts out of our sufferings our prosperity and that which seemes to us to tend to our destruction he converts to what makes for our safety He conserves us by strict dyets and extreame thirst and severs our Rotten members which cannot be continued
Blest is he who is capable happy he who is treated as the Master Happy he who is of those grapes The Children of this World who are not couch't in a divine estate make themselves merry they are weak-sighted altogether imperfect to contemplate on heavenly mysteries they are strayed too far to recover the right way they imagine not that the reward is at the end of the race but they shall one day find that our miseries shall terminate in delights which endure for ever and their pleasures end in horrible and eternal torments 'T is then in this Combat against afflictions and death that we must contest that we must vanquish and that we must search for the Crown of Christianity and Kingdome of God Our hearts will be crush't our eyes blemisht but our souls shall be filled with gladnesse we shall be beaten we shall be torn but our zeal shall augment and in its augmentation our contentment shall encrease Thou Barbarian thou mayst ravish our goods but the Eternal will not forsake us thou can'st exile us but all the Earth is the Lords Thou can'st threaten our lives but 't is those of our bodies 't is that of the World our soules are immortal Thou mayest send us to death but we conduct our selves thither we there shall receive it we will there suffer it patiently Our spirits are heads and masters of our bodies they are so elevated by the assistance of the Omnipotent Spirit that they are able to surmount all sorts of torments and death it self Infidels with what do you affright us so much with punishment with what do you menace us so highly to take away our lives with what do you make us so much afraid of death O pitiful Adversaries we contemn we despise the world we make no account of afflictions we trample over the fear of death Ha wherefore should we fear so much to give for so admirable and excellent a Subject so Glorious so Honourable That which such a multitude of persons lavish dayly to obtain a little pay That which so many Generals give so freely to merit to have their browes encircled with a branch of Olive or of Palme How many mighty men hazard themselves dayly to the peril of a thousand shot presse into dangers and into the croud of a battel on the hopes of an earthly victory rather than to behold their proper valour surmounted what a multitude presse and advance to the forefront bearing their bodies against wounds exposing themselves to the edge of the Sword stretching out their persons on the earth to sustaine the Banners of a stranger of whom they receive not above foure Crowns of pay With how much more reason than they should we render ourselves obstinate in the Combat resolute of the victory We contend not for a point of honour and glory we endure not for a stranger we suffer not for an inconsiderable reward we have a better and different hope than a punctillio of honour or of gain than of pay We contest for the immortal honour of true Christians we endure for the great God for the Creatour of heaven of earth of men we suffer for our Saviour our Christ our Salvation for a glittering recompence resplendent and enduring for ever God hath not given us a spirit of fear but of courage we can performe all things through Christ which strengthneth us 2 Tim. 1.7 Phil. 4.13 we can demonstrate that nothing can reverse the Banners of the Church and that every thing that opposeth it self against it's course is not but for the augmentation of its glory What if Murtherers leavy war against the Gospel they do nothing but dash against a mighty and puissant Rock which fixes and strengthens it self within it's own wait Let them satisfie their rage and fury they shall not for that overthrow the Kingdome of God Their fathers imagined they had massacred all the Prophets and neverthelesse the Lord reserved to himself seaven thousand men who had not bowed their knees to Baal 'T is requisite mauger all the Wolves that the Gospel passe from one Pole to the other That it cause his voyce to eccho over all that which the Sunne illustrates with his beames that it glide like a Thunderbolt of fire as a flash of lightning even to the most barbarous and savage regions and fill their mouths with the memorable and mighty acts of the Lord. God when it shall be seasonable for his glory will multiply his own by meriads when it shall be seasonable he will cause his Church to out-shine all the Idols of men To the intent that as he caused miraculously the Rod of Aaron to flourish among the twelve Num. 17. laid on the Tabernacle by the Tribes of Israel he ratified and confirmed his High Priest against the murmure of the people after the same sort having caus'd his Church to flourish above all false doctrines of men he shall by so much the more confirme his own When it shall be seasonable he will smite our enemies with dimnesse as he did the Inhabitants of Sodom who would have forc't the house of Lot wherein he had withdrawn two of his Angels When it shall be convenient he will silence these Vultures and these Ravens who foretell epidemical calamities these fire-brands and incendiaries who come to light again the flames and to foment the sparks of our adversities he will stifle and silence these Trumpets of sedition these bloody voyces these stomachs of Iron and of Brasse who howle without intermission to procure the destruction of Christians When it shall be seasonable he will cause to rebound on their account Luk. 11.51 the righteous blood spilt from that of Abel even unto that of Zechary who was slain betwixt the Altar and the Temple and from that of of Zecharie even untill this day But these dayes shall come in that rank which he hath ordained for them by his providence who now calls us to suffer affliction with constancy We know that the Nations ought to exalt themselves against us Mat. 24.6 that we must be led before Governours and Kings for Christs Name sake Our nearest relations must deliver us to death we must be afflicted we must be hated ☞ we must behold the abomination fore-told by Daniel the Prophet we must be torn as sheep by the Wolves we must suffer hunger and thirst we must be Vagabonds in Desarts and to endure persecution in every place but our reward is great in heaven and the same hath been practic'd against the Prophets We are blessed to suffer persecution for righteousnesse and to manifest that we are the Children of God in patience in anguish and in labours we are happy to be guided through these dusky nights to the desired haven of our repose Our bodies are blessed to suffer these stripes which heal their wounds and more blessed our souls to receive them to their salvation We shall relish somewhat of sweetnesse in our sufferings of repose in our inquietudes
which shall Harp before the Saviour of the world who shall gloriously descend from the vaults of heaven all those whom the Sea hath overwhelm'd or the earth received to the intent that being clothed with their bodyes before the great Judge they may receive their definitive sentence of life or death O Lord that I may be of their number who shall arise to their glory and not of them who shall arise to their infamy that I may be of them who shall rejoyce with perpetual Triumph and not of those who shall for ever remain slaves of that horrible Monster That I may be of that number that may be borne into the brightnesse of heaven and not of those that shall be tumbled down into gloomy places and to eternal night That I may be a Citizen of thy heavenly habitation that I may inherit thy Paradice that my seat may be near my Saviour that my place may be there designed that I may not be of those victims prepar'd for Hell that I may not be of that number that shall be precipated into the abism of death which shall have their abode in darknesse and their habitation in the grave O good God suffer not my Barke to fall into so cruel so sad and dismal a storme It should be more expedient for me never to have been born than be ranck't in the number of them who were created to their destruction Bring to passe then at that great day that my rotten cossin may be listed up enlighten this extinguish't carcase cause it to live and shine with my soul make them to flourish together for ever and ever I am nothing Lord but a lump of mud yet never the lesse thy hands have compast me I am nothing but corruption but I bear on my brow thine Image drawn to the life I am all vice all sinne all abomination in thy sight Thy love makes no impression farther than my lips Thy Divine flame pierces not within my soul But Lord I have been washed with the water of holy Baptism I have participated of thy Sacraments I have received a seal a token a sacred testimony of my pardon I have sucked that powerful antidote that immortal Ambrosia that heavenly nourishment which shall concerve me against the poyson and venome of my sinnes and against the power of Satan Lord A lively Description of the last Judgment it seems to me that I already behold thee descending from on high set on thy Throne of Glory filling all with astonishment environed with a Million of Angels holding the sword of vengeance in thy hand It appears to me that I now behold an infinite company of scatter'd men delving the earth to hide themselves not daring ot sustain the bring flames of thy countenance that I behold the flock of thy chosen postrate at thy feet crying out that the squadrons of thy holy Angels dare not appears in reverence of thy just severity crying out that their souls were purchase by the precious blood of thy body That their sinnes are surmounted by thy grace that the honour of thy goodnesse is manifest in their salvation that thou wilt not cut and prune off thy members and reject those whose names are written in thy book of life It seems that I behold thy countenance turn'd toward them standing at thy right hand and thy mouth pronouncing their absolution and saying to them Come ye blessed of my Father possesse for heritage the Kingdome which was prepared for you from the foundation of the World Methinks I behold them rejoycing and filling themselves with splendour while thou art speaking beholding them transported by a sweet and delightful ravishment by an ardure full of zeal for thee and for thy glory to remain there for ever O good God 't is thither that we must direct all our vowes and confine all the desires of our soules 'T is the lustre of that glorious and holy day that should dazle our eyes and not the riches of this world 'T is the remembrance of these extream bright and perfect beauties which should ever entertain our thoughts and not the dark shadowes of our cares Bestir thee then let 's not longer stay on these earthly cares which are so many spiritual Divorces and Adulteries My Soul entertain not other discourse my heart have no other wishes my mouth pronounce no other name than that of our Saviour and thy salvation Let 's up and anchor here our bark in these fair desires let 's perfect this man finish this body let 's forbear to corrupt and ulcerate our wounds to encrease our woes to open again our miseries that our dolors that our convulsions that our fleames if it seem good to them hail us quick and drag us alive to the Tomb that our carcasses be consum'd with wormes that our bones may be reduc't to dust it matters not seeing that the Saviour of the world renders as possessors of the fruit of so signaland happy a victory that he bestowes on us our share and lot in his land that he covers us with Lawrels and with Palmes O God this Crown is very high 't is above this aspiring rock whose way is narrow and uneven incumber'd with thornes and bryars I lye tumbling on my Bed I cannot pull up my feet not raise my head above my bolster my carcasse is nothing but dung and my Soul then corruption I am laden with a counter-wait which ever presseth me down my offences are bolts and shackles on my feet which makes me ever stumble The Devil places them near the avenues to close up the passage to render the way dreadful and to drive me to despair of my salvation But what shall I say good God! I must not require the endeavours of my attenuated legs and my carcasse half benum'd to climb this Mountain to pierce the thicknesse of the clouds and raise my self even to the heighth 'T is onely requisite that I dive into the contrition of my heart the confession of my month I need but lift up my eyes and taise up my cogitations toward the great Saviour of the World who openeth his armes to transport me O my Rock thou art not then any longer hard for me to prevail with Christ the object of my faith Christ the only medicine who can close and consolidate my wounds Christ in whom I establish all my present and future felicity Christ my guide and my Bare star who must conduct me to the light of his ensign he shall open to me the way shall make my faith to surmount all despaires he shall deliver me from these hindrances he shall raise me up free and conduct me even into heaven making me mount by his divine degrees and shall guide by the might of his holy Spirit my blessed and happy soul into his high place where the seasons passe eternally I will leave to him this Triumph I will leave to him the accomplishment of this great work the honour shall be to his blood to his blood