infectinn save least sinnes doe cry and crying have Affectedness Affectednesse in carriage needs must gain esteem of shallow idlenesse and vain Sobernesse A sober carriage if apparell sute speak grounds of wisdome gain a good repute Creature Take heed the Creatures have not cause to cry at thy misusing them and cruelty Earth Possesse so much of Earth from more refrain then thou canst order to eternall gain Rest What helps not hinders what doth not assist is enemy to thy eternall rest The minde To write or speak more to affect the minde then guide the soul is folly unrefin'd Teaching If minde and soul be from a sacred word both joy'd and taught such teaching is from God Good and Evill Ill 's onely ill and good is onely good their consequences must be understood Gettings Is ought worth sinfull getting when we see our seeming comforts scarce last seventy Vain joy Be not too jocund when the Sunne doth shine for suddenly it 's noon and must decline Comfort In all transactions underneath the Sunne hence is true comfort that God's will done Good life While we walk worthy of our Makers praise our peace is sound in good or evill dayes Vpright Walking Who laden much with earth can walk upright with lesser load may surely walk more streight The Way Thrice happy want and grief and low degree you are the living way appointed me History By History learn how to act thy part and wisely know thy predecessors Art Nothing new What hath been is and what is may be done Wisdome saith Nothing 's new under the Sunne Practice To read the story and thereof to speake without the practick part shews judgment weak Nature Thy own corrupted nature's sure to blame then what suits most therewith is most the same Reason Our cursed sinnes doth reason so deface that ancient custome much usurpes her place Custome When without pains we leave accustom'd sinne Then Leper change thy spots and More thy skinne Friends unkinde If Friends prove foes and since it must be so be linkt no faster then thou maist let goe Friends death Death thou hast parted us but we shall meet beyond thy power each others blisse to greet Imployments Though worldly businesse us divide a farre yet in Gods service we united are Affronts Give no offence passe by affronts for why it's wisdoms counsell wise men passe them by Anger Anger is open to the greatest harme it armes thy foes and doth thy self disarm Law Doe right to all without Law or offence thy common Law let be good conscience Suites Sue not at Law untill thou 'st throughly tri'de to get but near thy right all wayes beside Judgment If thou be call'd thy judgment for to give remember God that judgeth right doth live Family He that a wife or family controuls ought last to feed their bodies first their souls Exact living From truest principles of filiall love are all the motions of the holy Dove Devotion In daily duties and devotion due be constant fervent and thy words but few Sabboth Make not the Sabboth shortest of the seaven but strictly keep it morning noon and even Publike Fasts or Feasts In publike duties publike fasts or feasts for publike presidents keep them at least Private Fasts When thou as is most fit set'st dayes apart to humble thee doe it with all thy heart Change In all the change that to this life is due change onely Adam old for Adam new Sacraments The blessed Sacraments ought for to move thy soul to tears of thanks in truest love Attending the Word By sacred preaching the true heavenly Word is offer'd us felt heard and understood Duty To all the creatures severall rights it 's fit to give their due as we will answer it Love to God Convert thy soul and see thou doe not move for hope or fear but serve in truest love Meditation Our duty to our God I 'le not relate Heavens joyes hells torments see thou meditate Prayer In prayer prostrate thy most humble spirit in true obedience that 's thy Saviours merit Sudden The sudden act and what is rashly done hath penitence for his companion Tumults Avoid all tumults for their usual spring is pride and envy and a height in sinne Company Take heed of company keep watchfull eyes there 's fewest friends the most are enemies Feare Fear not too much what may the body harme but love our God and trust his mighty arme Evill dayes For evill dayes when worldly friends afford nor peace nor comfort have it in the Lord. Good dayes Those dayes are good and onely good begins when we abound in love subdue our sinnes Beliefe Belief is that for which we ought to pray for sacred guidance in a holy way Reading the Scriptures In reading Scriptures least understanding erre craveth ' holy Ghost for thy interpreter Authors In humane authours so much multiplied the truth of all by holy Writ is tried God With filiall fear we must our souls prepare before we speak his Name for whom we are Souls In studying of souls know it 's not given to self to know it self within a prison Bodies Thy bodie 's mortall life 's but like a breath then walk prepared for a joyfull death Family Consider those allotted to thy charge thy bond 's more great their liberty more large Friends If thou hast found a friend beyond a brother blesse God therefore thou'lt hardly finde another Enemies Of all thy foes take heed of smiling jeast the hypocrite of all is deadliest Occasions In businesse and occasions that depend upon this life consider well the end Reward The innocent and humble minde regard with due respect consider and reward Punishment The childe the simple and the haughty minde are fit for punishments of severall kinde Writing Speak well but better write writings from farre Arts. The perfect use of Arts are helps to call back our pure nature lost in Adhm's fall Recreations Use recreations to refresh the minde and better it for use of every kinde Callings Callings are call'd of God that we therein may with us others to his Kingdome bring Removings In all removals amongst humane race thou' rt still as near to thy eternall place Slander If envy smite thee with his lying tongue works before words confute both old and young Troubles In all the troubles that our works doe merit our comfort is the Father Sonne and Spirit Advice In all my counsell the just summe is this crave wisdome of our God the gift is his The Resolve BUt centre me and fix my soul aright in true obedience to my Makers will Let me converted be as is most right in perfect service as true beauty will Then let his pleasure cast me to those snares of worldly torments minde and body both What ever work it be in peace or warres it 's his imployment triall of my troth It is my safest way the onely path of his blest pleasure onely leading right To my eternall blisse therein his wrath due for my sinnes is covered from my
though there were neither Hell of his justice nor Heaven of his mercy 2. True love will choose rather to serve our good God in Hell for ever if it could more fully and better do him perfect service in those flames then to be for ever in the highest joyes of Heaven these not to serve him as fully and as truly 3. To desire the eternall and whole conversion of thy soul and body for ever into the everlasting service of thy good Creatour in true love and to finde therein thy true peace is true love Love truly converted into the will of God is Heaven and those that are so converted may be said to be in Heaven upon earth for neither love nor Heaven can here be perfect but although they be still in their earthly tabernacles they have heavenly peace both of minde and conscience which cannot be quite taken from them although here must be no perfection whereby the whole will of almighty God without which either by appointment or permission nothing comes to passe is the true joy and content of their mindes wills and souls The love of our good Father is shown to us in his Sonne Jesus who as it were took satisfaction for our sinnes in his sufferings that his justice being satisfied in the sufferings death and passion of our Saviour Jesus we might have onely the mercy of our good Father to appear before which in his eternall love to us is sufficient for our Salvation when the justice of our good God could no other wayes be satisfied but by our damnation The great and unexpressible love prevailed with the sacred Deity for us when our Saviour Jesus could have been rescued from his sufferings for us with more then twelve legions of Angels and when he could have had as great honour if not greater in our condemnation then in our salvation Let our souls and bodies then with all their faculties be converted into the true love of our Saviour Jesus for ever For His 1. Coming down from his Fathers right-hand from his being God with his Father for ever 2. Poverty that thou mightest be rich 3. Not having whereon to lay his head 4. Wandrings and fastings and prayers for thee 5. Being betrayed 6. Being apprehended as a malefactor 7. Being fasly accused 8. Scarlet robe of derision 9. Crowne of Thornes 10. Being condemned 11. Nayling to the Crosse 12. Cruell thirst 13. Sweating bloud 14. Side stricken with a spear 15. Bleeding water and bloud at that wound 16. Sufferings from his cradle to his grave 17. Bitter passion causing him to cry My God my God why hast thou forsaken me 18. Lying in the grave 19. Resurrection 20. Now sitting at the right-hand of his Father and in him our Father in Heaven there asking the forgivenesse of all our sinnes of his Father who never denies him any thing Wherefore let us stand at the foot of the Crosse of this our Saviour weeping for sorrow that our sinnes caused his sufferings but for joy that through his infinite love shewed therein we are freed from sinne death and hell and have a place prepared in the power of his might where we shall see and partake of his blessed glory as his elected servants for ever Amen Thou needest not to fear death for thy Saviour hath destroyed the sting of death that is the Devill Read Heb. 2.14 15 16 17 18 verses there 's comfort enough in any condition the words are these Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him which had the power of death that is the Devill And deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham wherefore in all things it became him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a mercifull and a faithfull High-Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted See an admirable expression of the infinite love of God which may preserve us from despair and may give us true joy from our humble desires to serve him though we cannot desire much more perfectly serve him as we ought Isa 40.1 2. Comfort ye comfort ye my people will your God say speak comfortably to Jerusalem and say unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquities are pardoned From hence is sweet and solid comfort in all conditions An humble Prayer O Lord remember thy mercies draw me unto the Sonne of thy love Psal 139.23 24. and lead me in the way of thy precepts Try me O God and know my heart prove me and know my thoughts and consider if there be any way of wickednesse in me and lead me in the way for ever 5.8 Lead me O Lord in thy righteousnesse because of my enemies 27.11 make thy way plain before my face Teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a right path because of my enemies by enemies understand inward and outward of the soul and of the body but especially those inward enemies which are the ruin and destruction of both 31.3 For thou art my rock and my fortresse therefore for thy Name sake 43.3 direct and guide me Send thy light and thy truth let them lead me let them bring me unto thy holy mountains and unto thy tabernacles 143.10 Teach me to doe thy will for thou art my God let thy good Spirit lead me unto the land of righteousnesse Draw me O God and I will runne after thee Cant. 1.4 Psal 28.3 Job 7.16 Draw me not away with the wicked and with the workers of iniquity I shall not live alwaies O spare me then for my daies are but vanity I rejoice O Lord my God in thy love because thou art mercifull and wilt spare me as a man spareth his sonne that serveth him for thy mercy endures for ever Selah Thou art my good Father O my Creatour thou wilt not punish me nor impute to me my Originall sinnes which descended upon me from the wicked rebellion of my first parents even as my body is from them but the soul that sinneth and doth not look towards thee nor desire thy gracious gift of true repentance it shall die Yet art thou O my good Father wholly and only good and thy mercy endures for ever Selah Thou wilt not punish the presumptuous sinnes and vanities of my youth for thou art good and thy mercy endures for ever Selah Thou delightest not in the death of a sinner O God but wouldst that all should be converted from their evill waies and live Thou art my All-sufficient God of mercy whose will is all things both in Heaven and earth I trust in Jesus thy only Sonne my Saviour
With Saints and Angels for our Makers sake Now shew my soul thy joye is here begun In humble love say Lord thy will be done For the same L.M.W. in her sicknesse Our onely good great Governour of chance Maker of times and daies great Ancient Whose will is onely good whose providence No mortall can by force or fraude prevent Save this thy Servant by thy blest reprieve And from the jawes of death her soul relieve Let her most savingly behold thy power And let thy love possesse her soul so full Let her long life from this thy gracious houre With beames of duty shine most beautifull That so her soul like repened Corne may be Most perfect for her blest Eternity The least Mite tending to Eternity is for Riches and True Worth unestimable THe greatest gaine tending to temporality is onely as we may serve eternity with it considerable O sweetest Rose and Lilly of my Soul my joy my rest my everlasting peace my sweet Redeemer from my Captive Chaines that of thy meer love wouldest not suffer my rebellions against thee to have their deserts upon me but by thy blood hast purchased my peace and fittest me for to know and do thy will and then rewardest me as if it were my act and service to thee of my proper strength Therefore O my Redeemer thou art the Lord my God and I am thy servant for ever Amen My soul If thou looke for and expect salvation by the most gracious merit death and passion of our Saviour Jesus then which indeed there is no sweeter peace search hear and read his Word his will then wholly bend and frame thy soul and body to do thereafter Amen Meditate seriously and devoutly of three Things past three Things present three Things to come The three Things past are Good omitted Evill committed Time pretermitted The three Things present are The flesh provoking The world enticing The Devill ensnaring The three Things to come Death miserable Judgment terrible Hell intollerable Against these foes these three-fold three Thy Sheild's the three-fold Unity A Consult with the Soul TO mine own Ego to my selfe my soul I now would steere my wandering bark's advance Since long debate and labour doth controule Th' impetuous tide and stormes of ignorance And false conceit in apprehension Which soone overflow thy mounted hill And force thee head-long with thy false invention Before the furious waves of empty will So hard it is to finde out verity Whilst thou imprisoned art within thy clay Sinne is so frauded by hypocrisie That little of thy vastnesse see we may But wary reason is the onely eye That shadowes out some symptomes of thy might And seperates from blacke obscurity Some raies from thee or are thee or thy right Thy motives O my soul do worke more plaine And more efficatiously then those that be Of body onely whereby I obtaine Small sense of pleasure if thy watchfull eye Be else-where fixed whence it 's visible First that thou art and then that I am thee Thy sense my soul doth make me sensible The languages on earth acknowledge thee For if I say my body I meane thence By my my soul body soules mansion This is most true by old experience All tongues are herein at one Union And still more cleare thou shewst my self my soul That thou the sole command and power hast Over my senses else pain and icie cold Would on my body more impression take When thou seemst absent or in raptures high Freely enjoyst thy uncorrupted selfe Art fully fil'd with sight of Deity As of thy filthy Embryon bereft Much like as those that have their prison left It 's now high time I should my selfe retire From turbulent and slippery fields of warre Of eager strise of disputation-jarre And make account where none but we two are Freed from those tumults that possesse the earth Where what makes one to laugh makes others mourn What here makes plenty there it maketh dearth What raiseth one another down doth turne We 'le but expect that onely verity Which by thee shineth on my gloomy eye Which sacred is to all eternity Wherein all I can wish I do espie I have discovered plaine that thou my soul Wilt me survive and wilt survive me too As thou wilt outlive my mortality And all the changes that to me are due Which onely are to thee as accident When I thy prison am decaid and rent Meerly because in me thou habitest Thou 'st change thy time for thy immortall rest When accidents and motions of my sin Cannot approach thy uncorrupted will Nor move at all or force thee to begin To yeeld but constant thou the same art still Her 's nought of time change here is outed quite One even being now begirts thee round No troubled thought of end attempts thy quiet Nor doth succession of uncertaine ground Thus have I seene in height of fixed thought And serious muse of contemplating minde That thou my soul art farre more truly wrought And purely made and of more sacred kinde Then I thy earthly house and moultering tombe Which onely am whilest thou in me dost bide And quickly haste unto my Mothers wombe If thou forsake me or me cast aside A little space yet truely I professe Whilest me thou keepest great thy danger is Least thou ensnared with my vaine excesse Be quite debarr'd of thy eternall blisse But if thou rule and order me aright And force me subject to our Makers will So that my crooked waies convert to straight And doing good I do avoid the ill Then are we happy for I do beleeve That though we part till resurrection call Sorrow to one shall so the other grieve That both shall fare alike for eternall Thy paines may then begin when I in dust Shall silent lie till we united be And then most sure ah terrible I must Share in thy paines for our eternity If I delude thee but if thou me guide And so command that we but will to good But seeke and aske and knock the door is wide And open set by our blest Saviours blood Then shall our joyes alike eternall be Of which untill our meeting thou 'st be fill'd And so we blest in high felicity Shall to our maker true obedience yeeld But now to muse a while it may be good And to compare thy present state my soul As now it is immers't in flesh and blood Where sins presume and ill doth good controle With that which shall betide thee so soone when Thou melted art from thy corruption And art refin'd from company of men And with blest Saints joyn'd in communion What if our life here were a thousand yeares Longer then ere our aged Fathers knew And all that time we freed from cares and feares And uncontroul'd commanded all with view With twinkled eye or least beseeming shew That all the creatures humbly did prostrate Their best obedience holding it their due What ere us pleas'd to act or to relate And if that nature
for the blessed vineyard of our Creator ready to every good and perfect work with unspeakable joy and gladnesse I do also believe the immortality of the soul as certainly as the mortality of the body and that as soon as it parts with the body by death it doth participate in a great measure of misery or mercy of joy or sorrow according to what it hath done in the body whether the deeds were good or evill I believe there shall be a restauration of bodies at the resurrection and degrees of perfect joy to all those that in their earthly tabernacles truly desired to be righteous and perfect misery to wilfull negligent and contemptuous sinners in which both soul and body shall be for ever partakers I do believe afflictions and corrections to be so necessary for us in this life that I scarce think any can be saved without them and also that much affliction in this life is or at least if well used may be a great means sign and token of salvation for that afflictions are the cords and scourges of the Almighty to draw and drive us on in the way of salvation they are his sweet and blessed surveyors to purge our souls from our bodies pollutions and make us of a fit alloy for his heavenly Treasure they which wound the flesh and sad the countenance make the heart the better And from the very being engaged under an affliction for life may be reaped sweet and joyfull comfort both in life and death Therefore thus Some see the root yet on it take a fall Like those that see the door yet push the wall And having fallen upon the rock they saw Receive more good then though they 'd scap'd the blow The Farewell ADieu fond world of vain delight the messenger of Love To me hath shew'd an inward sight of joyes that be above And me hath summon'd to appear before the mercy-seate Of him whose justice is most clear most eminent most great Whose love is fully shew'd to mee in pardoning my sinne And passing by the vanity that I have lived in Whose love hath also conquered both death and hell for me And from my soul hath vanquished fear of death's tyranny Who of free grace hath given me a willing wish to right And doth accept this willingnesse as perfect in his sight Farewell all you that truly love the God of my Creation Do not ye mourn as those that have no hope of their salvation We know the generations that before us have been Have had their alterations which we in part have seen We also trust that joyes increase after this life to those That truly will'd from sinne to cease and evill did oppose Then moderate your tears among true joyes and smilings sweet In full assurance that ere long we shall together meet Comfort your selves with words as these and of a certain know That by this change true peace and ease God's mercy doth bestow On those that keep his testament his Laws and Statutes just From principles of true intent in him that put their trust Sigh for your selves sigh not for me death unto me is best My serious thoughts convinced be that therein is my rest From fancies that oppresse the minde from lusts of flesh and blood From sins assaults of every kinde most hard to be withstood From warr's effects from tyranny from sword-like tongues that smite From torments sicknesse maladies and sorrowes infinite From doing ill I would not doe from not doing the good Which surely I should will to doe if that I understood The judgment that to both is due by Heavens fixt decree And that I could at all times shew what good and evill be From Sathans rage and cruelty taking advantage great Finding my imbecillity and opposition weak This happy way doth safely guide to neignbours and allies Who while with me they did reside did joy my heart and eyes I do believe I now shall know how God in every Land His saving mercy doth bestow on the works of his hand And I believe to be resolv'd of doubts that here below Distract the wisdome of the world where least we do not know Is more then all we can attaine though art and age unite Such misteries for to explaine passeth mans judgment quite What reason is' t that I should will a moment to my dayes Except I could avoiding ill spend it in perfect praise Of my Creatour wherefore I do clearly finde it best To cast my soul eternally upon my Saviours rest And also from a perfect thought to pray thy Kingdome come And as our Saviour further taught pray Lord thy will be done And as for you that longer live and sojourn here below Imbrace true peace avoid all crime so Heaven will bestow Such passages of providence upon your hearts most pure As shall even in this life commence joyes that shall aye endure A CATECHISME QUESTION WHat is the duty of a man to know and believe in this life A. That almighty God is and that he is the rewarder of all them that diligently seek him Q Who is the Creator and Maker of all things A. This Almighty God Q. What is Almighty God A. He is the onely and perfect Good and the wise disposer of all things for the best for them that love him Q. What comfort may we learn from that A. To be well content in all the accidents and conditions of our lives knowing that they are from his providence and appointment and therein for the best for us Q. How doe we know that there is a Creator A. Because no creature can create it self and every mans soul speaks it to him Q. What is good in man A. To fear almighty God and work righteousnesse Q. What is our duty towards almighty God A. To love honour and obey him and heartily to seek after his will to do it Q. What is our duty to all men A. To endeavour their good both in soul and body and to do right unto them Q. What is righteousnesse A. The doing right unto the creature out of a principle of obedience to the Creator Q. What is our duty to the Creator A. Humbly to extoll laud praise and serve him with a perfect heart Q. What is the duty of man to the creatures that be subjected to him A. Thankfully to use them without the least abuse Q. How shall we look at the good of a man A. At the good both of soul and body Q. What is chiefly good to a man A. That which is good to the soul Q. What is chiefly evill to a man A. That which is evill to the soul Q. How shall we know good from evil A. Good is suitable to the Word of almighty God and agreeth to certain foot-steps or shadowes remaining of uncorrupted nature in us and it is contrary and displeasing to our corrupted natures and desires Q. How is evil known A. By being contrary to the Word of almighty God by being much unnaturall and by the suiting
by Children and more oft in their vices then vertues by how much in humane things the bad exceeds the good therefore timely and diligent heed must be prepared against them that so the Cokatrice and subtill Serpent may be killed betime broken in the egg before it shew a deceitfull countenance lest the dissembling Wolfe having gotten a Sheeps cloathing deceive the innocent Lambs and bring them unawares into his slaughterhouse of destruction Nunc adhibe pure Pectore verba puer nunc te melioribus offer Quo semel est imbuta recens servabit odorem Testa diu Horat. Now Childe in the white paper of thy breast Write Vertue now such Precepts from the best A Pot well seasoned holds the primitive taste A long time after 2 Chron. 34.3 For while he was yet young he began to seek after the God of David his father Psal 119.9 Wherewithall shall a young man clense his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word Prov. 1.4 To give subtilty to the simple to the young man knowledge and discretion Prov. 3.6 In all thy wayes acknowledge him aad he shall direct thy pathes Psal 5.3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up Isa 45.13 I have raised him up in righteousnesse and I will direct all his wayes Jer. 10.23 O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Psal 36.9 For with thee is the fountaine of life in thy light shall we see light Rev. 7.17 For the Lambe that is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and lead them unto living fountaines of water and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes Phil. 4.8 If there be any vertue think of these things 2. Pet. 1.3 According to his Divine power he hath given to us all things that pertain to this life and godlinesse through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue Ver. 5. Add to faith vertue and to vertue knowledge Ver. 6. To knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godlinesse and to godlinesse brotherly kindnesse Luk. 10.42 Mary hath chosen the good part which shall not be taken from her Luk. 10.42 Mary hath chosen the good part which shall not be taken from her Joh. 6.27 Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life Prov. 11.28 He that trusteth in his riches shall fall Matth. 23.6 The Scribes and Pharises love the uppermost rooms and chief seats Ver. 7. And greetings in the market-place and to be called of men Rabbi Ver. 12. Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted Matth. 25.48 But if the evill servant shall say in his heart my Lord delayes his coming Ver. 49. And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants and to eat and drink with the drunken the Lord of that servant shall cut him in sunder Rom. 7.23 But I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my minde Neh. 9.37 They have dominion over our bodies and over our cattell at their pleasures and we are in great distrasse Prov. 12.21 There shall no evill happen to the just but the wicked shall be killed with mischief Eccl. 12.13 Fear God and keep his Commandements for this is the whole duty of man Eph. 5.19 Quench not the spirit Psal 119.16 I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandements Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Prov. 1.24 25 26. But because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but ye have set at nought all my counsell and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear cometh Prov. 4.7 Wisdome is the principall thing therefore get wisdome and with all thy gettings get understanding Eccl. 7.8 The patient in spirit is better then the proud in spirit 2 Cor. 11.2 For I am jealous over you with a a godly jealousie for I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chast vergin to Christ Psal 51.12 O Lord uphold me with thy free spirit And 143.10 Teach me to doe thy will for thou art my God Thy spirit is good lead me into the land of uprightnesse Prov. 16.32 He that ruleth his spirit is better then he that taketh the City And 20.27 The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord searching all the inward prrts of the blly Psal 22.20 The meek shall eat and be satisfied And 25.9 The meek will he guide in judgement and the meeke will he teach his way Phil. 2.8 And being found in fashion of a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the crosse Jer. 9.3 But they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth for they proceed from evill to evill and they know not me saith the Lord. Psal 60.12 Through God we will doe valiantly for he it is that shall tread down our enemies 1 Thes 5.6 Let us not sleep as doe others but let us watch and be sober And ver 8. Let us that be of the day be sober putting on the brest-plate of faith and love and for a helmet the hope of salvation Col. 4.6 Let your speech be alwayes with grace seasoned with salt that ye may know how you ought to answer every man Eccl. 10.10 Wisdome is profitable to direct And 9.16 Wisdome is better then strength And v. 18. Wisdome is better then weapons of warre but one sinner destroyeth much good INfancy and Childhood being passed like the red Sea and the wildernesse the next and third Age is called Youth like passing over Jordan and therein is temperance to be carefully planted This is a dangerous and a difficult passage and our guide herein must be supernaturall it is not humane light that can direct us in this way it must be a coal taken from the Altar and a Candle enlightned at the holy Lampe that must protect us in this voyage here we must take and endear unto us the living fountain of life to curb the threatning floods of death here Vertues shew your strength or vice will soon prevail and conquer here you must wage a war with Epicures and other vain professors that in vain glorious pastimes talk of Vertues and make them handmaids to their vitious pleasures whereas no true pleasure is without them for that is not Vertue which waiteth on delight the chiefest place is hers and she it is that must lead command and be obeyed Take great heed of being bond-slave to delight for all is vain where Vertue hath no place Vertue only giveth perpetuall and assured joy although there be some obstacles
profession I esteem it a calling most subject to temptations and therefore spiritually dangerous if not with most serious care performed Luk. 3.14 Wherein I doe not condemn or wholly disallow in any case the taking up of Arms but I counsell and advise that it be not undertaken without most pious care and circumspection which may by the mercy of the God of hosts obtain his blessed guidance and direction and preservation from those manifold dangerous allurements and temptations incident to that imployment which strongly presse to the distraction of the soul with which the body must participate Time is a root that certainly brings forth many branches many casualties and changes it doth produce to all mortality and nothing befits a man better to entertain such passages then such a calling and imployment as when evill presents it self to us we may have ready at hand honest and just actions to assist pious and holy meditations from which we by the gracious mercy of God shall receive much comfort and never be ashamed whereas idlenesse and want of good and honest action is a root for any evill Psal 103.26 All of them shall wax old as doth a garment and as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed Hos 4.7 And they sinned against me therefore will I change their glory into shame Isa 65.21 They shall build houses and inhabit them and they shall plant vineyards and cat the fruit thereof And 66. v. 2. For all those things hath my hand made and all those things have been saith the Lord but to this man will I look even to him that is pure and of a contrite spirit and that trembleth at my word 2 Cor. 7.1 Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh Gal. 5.16 Walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Ver. 19. Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are those adultery fornication uncleannesse lasciviousnesse c. Prov. 19.14 Houses and riches are inheritances of the fathers but a prudent wife is from the Lord. Ver. 2. The contentions of a wife is a continuall dropping 1 Cor. 7.8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widdowes it is good for them if they abide as I. Ver. 9. But if they cannot contain let them marry for it is better to marry then to burn Matth. 19.12 And there be Eunuches which make themselves Eunuches for the kingdome of heavens sake Psal 106.39 Thus they were defiled with their own works Prov. 11.14 Where no counsell is the people fall but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety And 15.22 Without counsell purposes are disappointed but in the multitude of counsellors they are established Psal 1.1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsell of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the scornfull And 73.24 Thou shalt guid me with thy counsell and afterwards receive me into glory Jer. 40.7 Is counsell perished from the prudent is their wisdome vanished Psal 106.13 They soon forgat his works they waited not for his counsell Ver. 14. But lusted excredingly in the wildernesse and tempted God in the desart Ver. 15. And he gave them their request but sent leannesse into their souls Prov. 8.11 Wisdome is better then rubies and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to her And v. 14. Counsell is mine and sound wisdome I am understanding and have strength Ver. 19. My fruite is better then Gold yea then fine Gold and my revenue then choice Silver Ver. 20. I leade in the way of righteousness in the middest of the paths of judgement Prov. 7.1 c. My Sonne keepe my commandements and hide my words with thee keepe my commmandements and live and my law as the apple of thy eye binde them upon thy fingers write them upon the tables of thy heart say unto wisedome thou art my Sister and call understanding thy Kinswoman that they may keepe thee from the strange woman from the stranger which flattereth with her words Ver. â— I descried among the youth a young man voide of understanding Ver. 10. And behold there met him a woman with the attire of an Harlot and subtile of heart she is loud and stubborne hâ—r feet abide not in her house for she caught him and kissed him and with an impudent face said unto him I have peace offering with me this day have I paid my vowes therefore come I forth to meet thee dilligently to seek thy face and have found it Ver. 18. Come let us take our fill of love Ver. 21. With much faire speech she caused him to yeeld with the flattering of her lippes she forced him Ver. 22. He goes after her straight way as an Ox goeth to the slaughter or as a foole to the correction of the stockes Ver. 23. Till a dart strike through his liver as a bird hasteth to the snare and knoweth not that it is for his life Prov. 6.23 The commandement is a lampe and the law is light and reproofes of instruction are the way of life Ver. 24. To keepe thee from the evill woman from the flattery of the tongue of the strange woman Ver. 25. Lust not after her beauty in thy heart neither let her take thee with her eye-lids Ver. 27. Can a man take fire in his bosome and his cloathes not be burnt Gal. 5.6 This I say walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Jam. 1.4 Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lusts and entised Ver. 15. When lust is conceived it bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death 1 Joh. 2.16 17. For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but of the world and the world passeth away and the lusts thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever THe next Age still goeth on in Manhood although in it if we observe we shall finde of necessity many extraordinary changes and alterations therefore now we are entred into this promised Land of our pilgrimage and have in some measure destroyed the wicked it is convenient in this place to seek out a fitting habitation that so we may plant a Vineyard and drink the wine thereof with thankfullnesse here is the blessed gift of Chastity much required about this time and before this too oft and too soon fond youth is apt to think it is not good to be alone there is much promised relicity in a married life but how narrow is the way that leads to this most difficult happinesse how many thousand wayes are there that lead to misery in it If thou meanest to take upon thee a married life seek earnestly by prayer and true reason for heavenly guidance in it that which can be but once done how great need is there that it be well done
mortality Divine dreames are most happy entertainments of rest thereby the sleeping of the body may be the waking of the soul Therefore thus My slumbring brain foretells the night Me safely guard thou God of might Let not my sinnes that raging swell My blessed tutelar expell But let thy works that once were good Have from thy grace their daily food Let not my sinnes black as the night Eclipse the lustre of thy light Thou art my everlasting yeares Where thou art nought but day appears Thou to whom both day and night Make an individuall light Guard we from that secret power That would thee and thine devour Let no dreames my head infest But such as will me wake more blest While I doe rest my soul advance My sleep let be a holy trance That waking I may rise from rest With sacred thoughts and knowledge blest And with as active vigour runne Therein as doth the nimble Sunne Death seems a sleep O make me tell How sleep and death doe paralell And joy as much to lay my head In grave as in perfumed bed But Lord both sleeping and awake My soul into thy arms re-take And though it be since thence it came Polluted with my bodies shame Yet doe not Lord thy own decline Thou art our God and we are thine And thus assur'd behold I lie Securely or to wake or die Here I a Pilgrim can but call At every stage must rest or fall O come that hour when thou shalt please Which is my everlasting ease And then convert beyond all measure My soul into thy perfect pleasure Amen Reason DOst ' reason why when youth and strength is past In foul transgression ' gainst thy Makers Lawes That fainting age when life is near at last Should obtain pardon is there any cause Though true repentance never be too late It 's rarely true that's of so short a date And if not true then woe unto thy sinne It 's no repentance then of least accept Great need of penitence so soon as sinne So soon as wearied wombe her charge hath left Then we that would true comfort have in death Had need prevent betime repent with breath The ten Ages MY little Infant patient be and still In Childhood meeknesse must command thy will Youth be thou temperate and let man-hood be Acted in prudence and humility Man-hood is made for labour and as health Is gain'd by constant action so in health True fortitude in man-hood claims a part And watchfullnesse is ground for every art True justice and sound judgment merit praise That we in wisdome may conclude our dayes The Metaphor WHo enters first a new Plantation Must wander yet oppose temptation And passing Jordan must suppresse the flood Of wickednesse and must protect the good Next chastly he must labour a Plantation Planting good fruit fit for a habitation Then be must nourish and preserve the same Least wilde devouring beasts destroy the frame Then make good Laws which right to all doe give Whose execution maketh for to live Humility IN marriage and in single life it 's best under thy fortune or estate to live So thou command'st it not it thee and rest is never sound where men and women give Themselves to thoughts of vain ambition and would themselves and children raise up high They are deluded by the vain tradition that it is good for it is bad and nigh To sad destruction thus we see full oft that pinnacles and lofty topps are torne And fond conceits of soaring high aloft are alwayes ruin'd vexed and forlorne With those that waver tost with every winde who on true providence unsetled be Whose miseries are form'd of every kinde but peace is hand-maid to humility BLest is the man whom God doth teach his precepts secretly To whom his sacred arm doth reach beyond false sophistry To whom dark silence learned hath from the eternall grace The perfect walk in sacred path which sinne doth not deface To whom true mercy doth confute the vanities of men Who doe contend in much dispute how God to serve and when This precious pearl who hath obtain'd and this selected stone The perfect way hath cleerly gain'd To serve the holy one Why Sinne is forbidden and Righteousnesse commanded THe true reason why almighty God is offended with sinne is not because thereby we wound his sacred person but because thereby we destroy our selves by unfitting us and making our selves uncapeable of his mercy prepared for the works of his own hands whereby onely is our salvation So his commands of obebience to his sacred Laws is not out of any gain or benefit to himself but from his willingnesse and desire of our eternall life and that therein his saving mercy may be sufficient for our salvation so then the whole benefit of avoiding evill and doing good is principally and chiefly to our selves Psal 50.9 10 11 12. I will take no bullock out of thy house nor hee-Goat out of thy foldes for all the beasts of the forest are mine and so are the cattell upon a thousand hills I know all the fowles upon the mountains and the wilde beasts of the field are in my sight If I be hungry I will not tell it thee for the whole world is mine and all that is therein The chief drift and end of all divine instruction is to admonish and lead us to upright holinesse in life and conversation which is the certain path of eternall peace THrice blest is he whose Name is writ above That doeth good though gaining infamy Requiteth evill turns with hearty love And wreaks not what befalls him outwardly Whose worth is in himself and onely blisse In his pure conscience that doth nought amisse That planteth treasure in his spotlesse soule And vertuous life his treasure doth esteeme That doth his passions master and controule And yet true Lordly manlinesse doth deeme That from this world himself hath clearly quit Counts nought his own but what dwells in his spirit So when his spirit from this vain world doth flit It takes all with it whatsoever was dear Unto it self passing in quiet flit As kindly ripened corn dropps from the ear And heeding nought what idle folk doe say He takes his own and stilly goes away D. MORE The Life and Death of E.M. AS by the fruit the Tree is plainly known So by thy Vertues are thy Parents shown Persons of quality knowledge and estate Thereby more fit true duty to relate To God their Countrey and to each degree That Adams off-spring are by pedigree Thy Infancy thy Child-hood and thy years Well nigh till Twenty one was without fears Of marriage-troubles whence thou took thy flight To Governours and Parents great delight With whose consent whose charge and pious care Into like pious family you were Planted by marriage where did grow like he That bore like fruit that well appear'd in thee Thy first-born Childe from accident unknown Abortive was or was an Embryon Nine more thou hadst into the Church baptiz'd
sight This rock of comfort rightly built upon is not impeach't by any battering storme It 's still the same in its salvation though with the world it 's desolate forlorne This lightens darknesse perfumes the dungeons foule feels not the tortures of the Tyrants rage It 's food in pinings cherisheth the soule in strangest torments where they tyranage What 's scorching heat what 's icy freezing cold what 's wildernesse or banishing from home What 's boilings scaldings torments manifold what 's all we comprehend by martyrdome If I but know that I am not my own But my Creatours and it is most right That he dispose for ever reason 's showne I must submit to his most perfect sight That sees what 's only good unto my soul to fit it for eternall Paradice And only orders what without controule doth onely fit my soule for sacred blisse Which if once known welcome the swiftest speed that brings me tydings of the blest decree That these sharp scourges are no more then 's need and after death my ever blisse is free Then cast me from most towring rocks amongst fair Neptune's poudred locks And let my next remove be set within the Ocean's Cabinet Or place me on the Lybean plaine which raging windes to wrath constraine Or let my habitation be in depth of black obscurity Or if the thirsty wretch for blood must torture me to meit's good More wrong for good we here endure the more is our salvation sure Well suffering wrong is surely blest with promise of eternall rest This promise fails not know you this Yea and Amen this promise is If I could knowingly but see how all things work the best for me And if I were to perfect love converted then I should not move Though Neptune's foaming wave did burn though mountains over mountains turn Though humble valleys should deride the lofty hills in seeming pride Though man unto his neighâ—our be as raging wolves in tyranny Though foaming floods usurp the place of Ceres with her wonted grace Though Neptune Juno Vulcan's flames part Tellus from her Comely Dames Though flaming Meteors joyn their force with warlike furious language hoarse Though lyes and home-bred foes take place and have the power of my disgrace Though civill warres and forraigne might take from my life all earths delight Though plagues and famine sinnes desert my comforts to distresse subvert Though my Creators love correct and for my sinnes my soul deject Yet while my God is all and chief I have my peace I have relief A Discourse Shewing Honour dangerous Earthly things empty Order of Estate and Family Education of Children The golden mean What tends to eternall happinesse onely good A competency the best Great Estates have great troubles Our Saviour refused earthly Treasure Disposall of Estate in life or Death Respect the Righteous Duty in using the Creatures They exceed in sense we in reason Some liberty from necessity Titles of Honour unprofitable Court Honour is rarely Vertues character TItles of Honour usually proceed from vain glory and doe much advantage the design of flatterers thereby they breathe their fond deceit knowing this winde rests onely in the fame of others and of it self is onely profitable to them that have it not many evill effects proceed from it as pride covetousnesse c. but one of the best effects therefrom that I know is the reproving a fool by his folly thereby shewing him how little I am profited or he prejudiced by my superiority of going before him but rather that I have inconvenience and danger thereby This gilded Apple most deceives their vain and shallow judgements who love to spend their precious time in visits and excesse but with the wise in their constant necessary and solid imployments it is little or nothing worth Earthly things empty I advise you not to be too solicitous for the outward profits or pleasures of this life for if thou doe obtain them thou shalt finde them in use beyond expectation empty Order Live soberly under and within the compasse of your Estate in your Family if the Almighty give you any and keep them in constant duty once a day at least in publike prayer together and in private advise them all to use it twice every day at least Education Bring up your Children if God shall give you any in learning and education suitable to the severall Portions you are able to give them and so order them that they may have no idle time and as little as may be for vain imployments Avoid idleness and vanity Be sure neither to live thy self nor bring up your Children above your present Estate for that almost enforceth to pride and then covetousnesse must maintain for observe one vice is alwayes borne up by another and so also is Vertue although they may seem to intermix they very seldome or never doe A mean necessary Love the golden mean in all earthly things use this present world as if thou used it not and so endeavour to order and teach thy family that your great joy may be from your hopefull assurance to live together in eternall happinesse for the fashion of this world vanisheth away and there is nothing good or worth desiring That onely good which tends to eternall happiness but what tends to the good of our eternity or at least not to the hurt thereof and nothing can be evill that tends to our eternall peace Selah A competency the best A competency of earthly things is the request of Agur's prayer What a competency is under the true notion of neither poverty nor riches is to be resolved I conceive that whatsoever doth or may preserve and satisfie nature is a competency What it is and in that sense is almost every mans present estate wherewith he ought according to right and justice to be content But if I be asked what in my opinion a sussicient competency is in England for a Person of quality to live handsomely upon What in England I conceive 500lb or 1000lb per Annum to be sufficient from well ordering of it to have many opportunities to give almighty God much honour and thereby to doe much good to men and I am sure a great account must be made of so great a Talent Great Estates cause great sorrow What is there from such vast Estates as vain and unsatisfied desires wish for but great care both in getting and keeping of them They have more servants more diet more vain-glory and more trouble and sorrow therewith but what is there more usually for the almighty giver surely very little and often nothing save cause of anger for the bad ordering or misusing of it which if not in time repented of causeth and will produce a certain and eternall destruction Our Saviours portion Then love the Golden mean the competent easie load and Talent which being wisely ordered with honest care and industry may give thee more true and lasting comfort then any excesse in earthly things
I will appoint over them four kindes saith the Lord The Sword to slay the Doggs to tear in pieces and the Fowles of the Heaven and the Beasts of the Earth to devour and to destroy 2 Sam. 17.14 For the Lord had determined or appointed to destroy the good counsell of A hithophell that he might bring evill upon Absolon 2 Chron. 33 8. Neither will I make the foot of Israell to remove any more out of the Land which I have appointed for your fathers so that they take heed and doe all that I have appointed them Job 7.3 Painfull nights have been appointed me And 14.5 Are not his dayes determined the number of his moneths are with thee thou hast appointed his bounds which he cannot passe Ver. 14. All the dayes of my appointed time will I wait untill my change come O preserve thou those that are appointed to die Micha 6.9 Hear the rodd and who hath appointed it Job 7.1 Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth and are not his dayes as the dayes of an hireling Dan. 8.19 And he said Behold I will shew thee what shall be in the last wrath for in the end of the time appointed it shall come Dan. 10.1 But the time appointed was long c. wherefore wait thou the pleasure and appointment of God patiently and rejoyce in all conditions to wait his will And Chap. 11. Ver. 27. And both those Kings hearts shall be to doe mischief and they shall talke of deceit at one table but it shall not availe for yet the end shall be at the time appointed at the time appointed he shall return for there is a time appointed Ver. 29 35. Acts 17.26 And hath made of one blood all man-kindeto dwell on all the face of the earth and hath assigned the times which were ordained before and the bounds of their habitation Job 16.22 For the years accompted come and I shall goe the way whence I shall not return 2 Sam. 7.12 And when thy dayes be fullfilled thou shalt sleep with thy fathers Deut 31.14 Then the Lord said to Moses Behold thy dayes are come that thou must die III. Comfort Take comfort from this that the will of God is the best for us and that we our selves know not what is the best for us and therefore we may well rejoyce that his will is done and not ours save onely when it suites with his in Christ which is surely best for us Numb 27.16 God is the Lord of the spirits of all flesh Deut. 8.3 Therefore he humbled thee and made thee hungry and fed thee with Man which thou knewest not neither did thy fathers know it that he might teach thee that man liveth not by bread onely but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live Eccl. 7.2 Who knowes what 's good for a man in this life in the number of the dayes of the life of his vanity seeing he maketh them as a shadow Jer. 42.6 Whether it be good or evill we will obey the voice of the Lord God to whom we send thee that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God Psal 39.5 Surely every man in his best estate is altogether vanity therefore let us say with joy as Matth. 6.10 Thy will be done O God in earth as it is in Heaven And with our blessed Saviour Mat. 26.42 O my Father if this cup may not passe from me but that I must drink it thy will be done Let us with David Psal 143.10 desire our God to teach us his will and then with him Psal 40.8 let us delight to doe it for our God is good and his mercy endures for ever Selah IV. Comfort Take comfort in Sicknesse because the will of God is there n done which is for the best for us and let it be the joy of our souls in all conditions that his will is done in Jesus Christ for ever Amen Psal 115.3 Our God is in Heaven he doth whatsoever he will Job 30.4 None knowes the secrets of God Who hath ascended up into Heaven and descended who hath gathered the winde in his fist who hath bound the waters in a garment who hath established all the ends of the world what is his Name or what is his sonnes Name if thou canst tell Phil. 4 1â— Let us be carefull with St Paul to learn in whatsoever state or condition we are to be therewith content both to be full and to be hungry to abound and to want for we may doe all things through the help of God our Saviour Matth. 4.34 Let us truly say with our blessed Saviour My meat is to doe the will of him that sent me and finish his work Say with the Apostle Acts 21.14 The will of the Lord be done And as Eph. 4.7 Be not unwise but understand what the will of the Lord is and sing with melody in your hearts to the Lord. And say with Job Job 5.17 Blessed is the man whom God correcteth therefore refuse not thou the chastening of the Almighty Prov 3 1â— For the Lord correcteth him whom he loveth even as the father doth the childe in whom he delighteth Onely thus pray in true love to thy God and Saviour and with an humble and a contrite heart Jer. 10.24 O Lord correct me but with judgement not in thine anger least thou bring me to nothing Then examine thy soul and be sure God will by his Spirit reveal to thee and will conclude of thee as he did to his people whom he had corrected Jer. 30.11 I am with thee to save thee though I utterly destroy all the nations where I have scattered thee yet will I not utterly destroy thee but I will correct thee by judgement and not utterly cut thee off And Jer. 46.28 Fear thou not O Jacob my servant saith the Lord for I am with thee and I will utterly destroy all the nations whether I have driven thee but I will not destroy thee but correct thee by judgement and not utterly cut thee off Therefore blesse our good God in and for all the conditions of thy pilgrimage and say with David Psal 143. Hear my prayer O Lord give ear to my supplication in thy faithfullnesse answer me and in thy righteousnesse and enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified For the enemy viz. sinne and Satan hath persecuted my soul he hath smitten my life down to the ground He hath made me to dwell in darknesse as those that have been long dead therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me and my heart within me is desolate I remember the dayes of old I meditate on all thy works I muse on the works of thy hands I stretch out my hands unto thee my soul thirsteth after thee as a thirsty land Selah Hear me speedily O Lord my spirit faileth hide not thy face from me least I be like to
will testifie unto thee for I am God even thy God Against Presumption and Despair at all times but especially upon the Death-bed Sathan that old and lying Serpents suggestion to Presumption COme now thou mayest eat drink sleep and be merry because thou hast lived according to Gods commands and now art going to thy masters rest whom thou hast truly and punctually served farre above the service of thousands that doubt not at all of their salvation the due reward of their godlinesse of living For thy Originall sinne which thy Father Adam committed thou didst it not therefore in justice God cannot charge thee with it and he will not visit the sinnes of the Fathers upon the children As for thy actuall sinnes of ignorance that cannot in justice be laid to thy charge which thou knewest not to be a sinne nor the time of its commission Thou hast lived so carefully to please thy God that few have been so strict in walking in his Laws thou maist professe to have kept all his Commandements from thy youth thou hast had no other God nor worshipped any graven Image and hast not delighted to take his Name in vain Thou hast constantly kept the Sabboth hast honoured thy Parents hast not murthered nor adulterized nor stollen nor borne false witnesse nor covered but hast been contented with thy portion therefore so long as life is in thee eat drink and be meery for certainly the Angels are charged to keep thy soul and body to eternall life as thy fellow servants of God for ever The Souls Answer Avoid thou old and lying Spirit truth cannot proceed out of thy mouth without defilement am not I from Adams loynes and can I then be clean Did not his sinne that thy envy brought him into corrupt his whole body and am not I as part of it proceeding from it Could I doe all that I am commanded of my God were I not still an unprofitable servant Doth not my least sinne in thought word or deed besides my originall corruption deserve punishment infinite as my God whom thereby I rebell against is infinite Can a clean thing proceed out of an unclean Instead of keeping have I not broken all the commands of my God times without number and in degrees infinite As thou wast a lyar to Adam the first man upon earth so thou art for ever and as it was then said The seed of the woman shall break thy head so shall it be for ever to my salvation in the free love and mercy death and passion merit and redemption of Jesus Christ my Lord. Sathan his motives to Despair I was deceived indeed and turning over another leaf in my black book there I finde a quite contrary character of thy life I see thou hast imitated and added to all Adams rebellions he disobeyed and broke one Commandement once and therefore had that terrible sentence pronounced against him by Gods own mouth to be cast from Paradice he and his posterity for ever But thou hast broken all Gods Commandements times without number and in degrees beyond expression infinite Thy life hath been nothing else but a constant breaking of them unlesse thou look for salvation from these breaches which is a way impossible thou hast no hope therefore satisfie thy self with what thou canst not help and cease to aske or seek or knock any more at Gods gate of mercy for it is fast shut against thee and sinners cannot enter in at it now thou and I must burn together in hell for ever from which there is no redemption for us I have recorded against thee in places infinite that thou hast made thee many Idoll gods in hearty seeking of vain earthly things and thou hast loved and worshipped them as Images of thy desired lusts The Name-of God thou hast repeated invain and no one Sabboth hast thou truly kept Thou hast not reverenced nor honoured thy Father and Mother but in thy thoughts at least hast them despis'd and murthered them or others Thou also hast adulteriz'd in heart and in thy faculties stollen thy neighbours goods Thou hast coveted and borne false witnesse too against thy neighbour Almighty God gave his Angels charge to keep his servants from wrongs and hurts but thou hast not served him therefore thou belongest only to me whom thou hast punctually served The Souls Answer O my Enemy thou sayest thou wert mistaken and so indeed thou wert and art and ever wilt be in seeking to snatch the servants of my God out of his hand for although my God suffer thee a while to walk the earth his pleasure is in a good time appointed to cast thy chains upon thee in a place prepared from which thou maist not move for ever I most humbly confesse and have so I trust confessed all my sinnes and more in number then what I can comprehend infinite such I acknowledge are my wounds my sore disease proceeding from thy hate and envious gulf Yet know I have a medicine I have a salve sufficient a Jordan stream to make me clean if not more clean then if I had not sinned and this my cleansing is more my certain life then was my standing clean if then I had not sinned so that thy envy now is my advantage thou knowest it well but lovest not to remember that my precious Antidote whereby I am secured from thy Aspish poison so closely carried under thy lying tongue it is that free redeeming love and bloud of that most valiant Sampson whose Name is Jesus Christ that quickly snapt in sunder thy treble corded lye of vain deceit he is my Captain that never lost nor will lose any of his souldiers without his word I move not at his command I le gladly meet thee with million of Juries of my sinnes before the judgment-seat of God and when thou hast proved me guilty as I doe confesse thou wilt soon appear the Serpent and principall authour of my great offence and I an accessary by thy deluding lies perswading and to thy uttermost power compelling me to doe the evill that I would not doe and hindring me from doing good therefore know that my Saviour Christ my Captain and my God will plead his death and then I live and thou shalt bear the due deservings of my sinnes for ever in eternall flames for they are thine therefore Sathan in humble reverence to my Saviour avoid get thee behind me my good God hath provided a place in Heaven with his servants for me that I may be even where he is and as his servant see his glory and this notwithstanding all my sinnes and ill deserts onely of his free love and mercy whereby he hath with his bloudy sufferings redeemed my soul from hell my just desert because he is good and his mercy endures for ever so come Lord Jesus come quickly even as thy will may be done with the Father and the holy Spirit three persons but one eternall God for ever Amen True Love 1. TO love our good God
did with them conspire To give us constant and most vigorous health And flowing springs beyond their hearts desire Of relishing the height of earthly wealth Though Prelates Princes greatest amongst men Who set the worlds beliefe and actions Be fram'd in heart to serve us and let then Our mindes be freed from all distractions And let our vast imaginations Be fill'd with pleasures and with plenty store So that our hearts can wish no alteration Nor can conceive how to have any more Thus when our thoughts are fully at a stand And can no higher raise our happy state Do but remember that this great command Each moment Shortens till 't be terminate And till it may be said the time is past The thousand yeares are ended long agoe He long commanded all but yet at last Death loos'd his holde and quickly took him froe His fond delights his foolish vanities Things onely good to him that giveth well Their sweet refreshments to their Makers praise And in true use of them the vaine excell Alas poor soul what comfort will it give When gastly death sore sicknesse or distresse Call's for account and saith thou must not live But must forth with prepare in readinesse A reckoning just how thou hast ordered And us'd thy Talent for thy Masters gaine If thou thy fellowes have not murthered Or his poor creatures for thy lusts have slaine If by false Oathes or foul hypocrisie Thou hast deceiv'd or hurt or gain'd or spoil'd Thy honest neighbour as thy enemy And thus thy Countries peace by warre imbroil'd If thou be guilty of a double tongue And such a lying lip as Heaven hates How canst thou hope to live the Saints among Want of true Oyl will fasten Heavens gates Most firm against thee when the fatall thred Of life is cut and when thy soul would rest In Heavens joyes as in a pleasant bed There'l be no room for those that held it best To have their portion and their fill below And said unto their souls take here thy ease And valued not their Makers will to know Nor did regard our sacred God to please But let 's proceed my soul for to compare Great things with small or rather all with nought That which we shall be with that which we are Which if but rudely known it 's well we sought We are poor earthy wormes as plants we grow And as the beasts our bodies doe decay Nay they exceed us they nor set nor sow Nor piercing sorrows takes their rest away Their senses farre more quick their bodies strong Their souls not subject to the due of sinne For they die as their bodies so along We think it's life not soul which doth keep in The vegetative life that is in Plants And sensitive that other Creatures have But Man is Lord of all or else he vaunts himself too high too much above the grave Of all the rest that sojourn here below Their times appointed and the same as his Onely with reason God did us endowe And from the Beasts our difference is this If we by crooked and uneven wayes Of sinfull walkings and rebellions Doe not destroy our selves we spend our dayes In true subduing our plantations And well command as God did first appoint And use our fellow creatures to refresh Our wearied mindes and bodies to anoint With oyl of joy and food of thankfullness But yet a little further to proceed To finde on earth what thing is onely good Suppose what can be possible wee 'd neede Though reason will not so be understood Suppose that the least shadow of delight Wherein we have ten thousand years to come Were full as much and of as great a weight As twice ten thousand years when time is gone Eternity gives thousands thousands years Against each moment of the longest time And having worne it out it well appears No whit diminisht still it is a crime To say it 's shorter for that cannot be When time 's worn out and years thus multiplied It 's all one still it 's still eternity It s still as wide a gulf it 's never satisfied Then see how vainely are our lives spun out If time doe end upon us unsuspected And if it may be said that without doubt What is most needfull is the most neglected Yet in my reason I can scarce believe But well spent dayes should greater honour have Then smallest infants whom none doe relieve But use their Mothers bowels for their grave And so for all degrees of knowledge sound That men attain to can it be for nought That some sit high and others plough the ground I cannot herein six my wandring thought But must presume that the eternall blisse Which we soon shall enjoy in our belief When we part hence to one farre greater is Then to another yet nor care nor grief Can seize of any who admitted are To be ingulpht in the eternall joy Hence great is comfort yet I think to spare My wandring thoughts least thereby I annoy My truest peace which is my full belief And setled grant of mercy from above That the eternall light doth shew his truth To all mens souls if with obedient love Their eyes but see it with a watchfull care And right improve it in each action Which to the soul a height of mischiefs are Changing our peace into distraction But specious shewes deludings of pretence Speak what they will destructive are and vaine If they delude the minde deceive the sense Or doe but move from the eternall gaine The high employment of the soul is love To her Creatour much beyond all sense Of Wisdome Arts and Knowledge farre above Both study wit and long experience Hath circled to it self the light divine As we may judge beyond all limitation And in its freedome gloriously doth shine Beyond the reach of her imagination While it 's imprisoned in the clayie bonds Of earthly mansion with defiled hue It dully moves as wanting feet or hands For its pure freedome which to it is due Of its Creatours gift so soon as when It separated is from earthy clay And is endu'd beyond the gift of men And beggs of none but of its God who may And will relieve its wants with purest aid This beeing hope and full assurance Hold fast to care and caring be afraid Least smiling sinne get thy inheritance And catching thee in snares of wickednesse Thirsty for earthy bubbles in a rage Chusing no mean but loving all excesse With Esau sell for messe of poor pottage Thy glorious birth-right to thy Fathers joy And heavenly Kingdome ever permanent And so in sinne and grief and sad annoy With everlasting woe thou must lament Here stay a little let us count a while With nature uncorrupted and with reason Reason condemns her for a Mistris vile And charges her with little lesse then treason If she afford to men long life and dayes And fitting organs for the soul to act And gain a height of knowledge to the praise Of their Creatour by
eternity To incorruptible felicity And though our call doth nature oft prevent Yet when shee 's let alone she fairly deales And though she fixt to warmed life be sent To fit our death yet see how oft she steales To us her warnings as with dimmed sight And theumy eyes instead of bright and cleare To make us see our death for want of light And let us know there 's no long being here Again she warnes by some decay in Teeth Or by a haire that turnes to Lilly white Or by some shaking Palsie which all seeth Or feeble knees or paines by day or night Or hands benum'd or hearing almost lost Or smelling gone which should refresh the braine Or relishing in taste whose choicest gust Is to prepare her guests to entertaine Of all her warnings the true meaning is To let us know shee 'le shortly lead us home And leave us in our woe or in our blisse As we to her have good or evill done As earthly pilgrims while she did sojourne And form her self according to our will With us in houses underneath the Sunne Obediently performing good or ill Then cheer my soul and doe not fear to live Nor will to die but take unto thy guard Securest diligence which doth alwayes give Assurance of hope and due reward In power of the merit of our Jesus And love of God shew'd in his onely Sonne By which dear love he never failes to ease us When earthly joyes and earthly friends are gone Then are we freed to all Eternity From sinne and death and hell and surely then Into true love we shall converted be Unto our God which Heaven is Amen The Offring I Will offer to my onely Good an humble and a contrite heart and my joyfull submission unto his dispose and pleasure for ever I will offer unto his most blessed Majesty his own most gracious love to the works of his own hands I will also offer the blessed conception birth life passion and merit of his sacred Sonne my Saviour Jesus in whom I beleeve O my Eternall Good helpe my unbeliefe and for thy mercy sake give and rightly perfect in me true and saving knowledge and assurance in the infinite mercy of thee my onely Good shewed by thy gracious reconcilement unto me in and through Jesus Christ I will most humbly offer a most willing heart humbly begging of my Eternall Good the blessed guidance of his sacred Spirit to conform and leade my weake and timorous belief aright and to satisfie settle and confirm it in his truth I will also offer unto his gracious goodnesse my most humble and joyfull submissive obedience unto the direction and commands of his most gracious Spirit which I humbly crave may be so powerfull and strong in me that the influence and advantage which the world flesh and devill have against me by reason of my sinne and corruption may not in the least sort be able to move or draw me from yeelding and giving all willing and joyfull submission and obedience thereto but that I may perfectly as I am wholly the creature of my Creator be converted into his perfect will and service and therein rest in perfect joy and peace for ever and this for his onely mercy and goodnesse sake Amen Therefore thus Faine would I have a Royall Sacrifice Worth the presentment to my sacred Good Faine would I finde the Pearle of precious price That by my Saviour so was understood I trust it was with which I 'le here commence An humble soul fram'd of obedience For sure all earthly things are much too vaine Too much corrupted by the fall of man Too much rebellion doth this earth sustaine Too much oppression underneath the Sunne Too little worth they are my Good did make And give me these what need he then retake So is the will and deed to work aright His onely gift but in another sense For outward gifts are unto all alike But holy will and deed arise from hence From God's free love on souls by sacred Spirit As new-born babes prepared to inherit Wherefore my Sacrifice is onely this An humble heart a broken contrite soule Cause me to know it is my onely blisse My onely happinesse without controle To doe thy will make me fit instrument I 'me thine and not my own I 'me full content Belief I do believe that Almighty God is and that he is the rewarder of all them that diligently seeke him I do believe he hath incomprehensible mercy and justice towards all the works of his own hands I do believe that they shall come from all quarters of the world and sit down at his Eternall Table and receive of his infinite bounty I do believe that Almighty God is perfect goodnesse and mercy and justice it self and whoever feareth him and worketh righteousnesse shall be accepted of him I do believe he is the Creator and disposer of all things and this after a manner wholly incomprehensible to mortality I do believe his own beeing and proceeding is onely from himself and is to mortality likewise incomprehensible I do also believe the Apostles Creed concerning the sacred Trinity the Confession of Athanasius and the Confirmation thereof by the Reformed Church of England whereof the providence of my good Creator hath made me a member but in these I must espcially say Good Lord help my unbelief and guide and hold me by thy good and unresistible power in thy blessed service for ever Amen I do believe that with almighty God all things are possible and that his gracious mercy is above all his works And therefore Jesus Christ may be and I believe but Lord help and direct aright my unbelief that he is his onely begotten Sonne and yet conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary that he suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried and descended into hell and the third day rose again from the dead and ascended into Heaven and siâ—teth there on the right hand of God the Father almighty from whence he shall come to judge both the quick and the dead I do believe there is a selected number of Saints in this world which may be comprehended by the holy Catholick Church and that they shall have an eternall communion and fellowship together after this life and that they shall have all their sinnes freely forgiven them and also shall rise together in eternall life at the generall resurrection of which number I believe and trust my self with ot ers more to be for which free and incomprehensible grace I desire with all Saints to give everlasting praise and thanks and to doe everlasting most perfect service unto my good Creator forever Amen I doe also believe in the Holy Ghost and that this sacred Spirit is proceeding from the sacred Deity of the Father and the Sonne which being sent to command and take possession of our souls for the use as it were of the sacred God head we are thereby made fit workers and labourers
natures say That youth the aged should obey And doe them reverence But now fond youth condemns the wise And fools do wisdomes Laws despise By force and negligence The strongest hand doth call it right To cut down all with force might Their rage and will subdueth And if they call the evill good The truth must so be understood Or else their rage reneweth Eve What Husband then it seems the world Is topsie turvey tost and hurld And worst hath best subdued Adam Yes Wife it is decaid and old Truth and devotion 's very cold And soon will be renued Eve Renued or made new my Deare How shall I understand thee here Shall thee and I' gaine meete Shall we in ancient Paradice And in our blessed innocence Each other kindely greete Shall all the sinnes of us and ours Which truth and justice thus devours Be pardoned and forgiven Adam In part but how to tell none can It 's not the act of mortall man But the free gift of Heaven A Prayer O Eternall ever-living and all-sufficient Lord God who art the God of the spirits of all flesh to whom the grave is open from whom there is no covering for destruction I am thy poor wretched and unworthy servant and by reason of my sinne lesse then the least of all thy mercies unworthy so much as to think upon thee or to take thy blessed Name within my corrupted lips much more unworthy am I to have liberty to call upon thy sacred Majesty and to ask those things that I stand in need of with this gracious assurance that thou wilt give me those things that are best for me though I ask them not of thee and though I ask them so unworthily that thou maist justly refuse to give me them because I ask them of thee so unworthily so that I may with humble boldnesse pray Lord give me what is onely best for me though I ask it not and give me not what is evill for me though I ask it but thou art from everlasting to everlasting holy and just and good and thy mercies are above all thy works wherefore I come unto thee not in my own merits but in the merits of thy onely Sonne my onely Saviour Jesus Christ the righteous in whom I believe Lord help my unbelief humbly desiring thy sacred Majesty for his sake and for thy own goodnesse sake towards the works of thine own hands to pardon and passe by all my sinnes actuall and originall to blot them out of thy book of remembrance and to set them so behinde thy back that thou maist never call me to account for them either in this world to my shame or in the world to come to my utter condemnation Give me grace and strength to return unto thee O my God as the prodigall sonne to his father acknowledging my self unworthy to be called thy sonne or servant and give me I humbly pray wisdome which is about thy throne for all wisdome is from thy gracious gift that so I may rightly understand earthly things from heavenly things time from eternity and graciously give me the will and deed to lay up my treasure in Heaven and not on earth And I most humbly crave of thy sacred goodnesse the unresistible power of thy holy Spirit that thereby I may be built up and made perfect to every good work to the true and perfect serving of thee my good God and to the working righteousnesse as thy elected Saints by the powerfull and unresistible guidance of the holy Spirit doe and ought to doe both for and in their time and their eternity And O my good God because many are the controversies and disputes concerning thee thy word thy truth amongst poor mortality to the great destruction fear and trouble of thy poor willing and desiring servants Let thy sacred Spirit O my God speak the truth of thy will and of my duty to my conscience and then give me grace and strength to follow my conscience in the sacred way of thy holy Spirit that so I may keep a good conscience towards thee my God and towards men And I humbly pray that thy gracious Spirit may also reveale unto my soule what righteousnesse and what unrighteousnesse is what is truth and what is error what is the perfect duty of thy servant in all the passage of his pilgrimage under the Sunne and what is not the duty of thy servant to doe that so I may not onely perform unto thy sacred Majesty my present duty in thy blessed service but that I may doe it knowingly willingly and wittingly and that I may not only avoid all the appearances of evill but that I may doe it also knowingly willingly and wittingly as becomes the most faithfull and perfect servant of my Creator O give unto thy servant a discerning spirit inable him perfectly O my God to know good from evill and then give him grace and strength to doe the good and avoid the evill as becomes thy most blessed servants And give unto me thy servant O my good God a true principle of due obedient love in all my devotions and undertakings whatsoever towards thee my good God And for thy mercies sake teach me thy statutes and hide not thy precepts from me lead me in the way that I should goe and hold me in the living path of thy most joyfull servants Search my heart O God and try my wayes for there are wayes of iniquity in me and lead me in the way everlasting Let me have here in this life O my good God that and that only which may most perfect and fit me in soule and body for thy eternall and most sacred service Let the daily presidents of mortality O my good God move me to true repentance give me to know O my eternall Creator that I am no better then my parents but as they are returned with their bodies to the grave and their souls to thee the God that gave them so it must be with me Give me to know O Eternity that here is no abiding place here is no continuing dwelling give me grace and strength our good God to seek and finde one to come eternall in the Heavens Give thy servant O my gracious God true love to thee my God for thy own sake to my neighbour for thy Commandement sake and all for obedience sake unto thy blessed Majesty Give me to see O thou my only Good the blessed marks of thy sweet corrections both upon my body and soule in this life those glorious impressions by which thou sealest to thy self thy beloved children in whom thy soul delighteth O my most gracious God although I be most unworthy to be by thy good grace accounted such a childe such delight so beloved yet for thy own goodnesse sake let thy blessed seale of thy fatherly impression be upon me even what thou wilt for I assuredly know thou wilt with my most needfull saving Crosse give thy servant most needfull and saving strength to bear it