was a Murtherer but in the turning of a hand when the Viper was shaken off he was counted a god c. 3. v. 12. In Ezra the people wept because they had no Temple but after when the Temple was builded they wept as fast again because the glory of the second was not like the first 3.7 In Exodus the people groan and cry to be deliver'd from the tyranny of Pharaoh and their intolerable troubles 14.11 but the same people again cry out against Moses and Aaron for bringing them from Egypt wishing to be there again In Exod. 20.19 the people intreat that Moses may be their Ruler and Spokes-man but in Numb 16.3 the same people refuse Moses and tax him for an intermedler that taketh too much upon him In Exodus 16.3 the people cry out for bread and having bread from Heaven they gather it greedily as if they should never have enough of it But in Numb 11.6 the same people despise loath the same bread when they had it In 1 Sam. 8.5 the people are very impatient and in a rage because they had not a King But in 1 Sam. 12.19 they are very sorry and much displeased because they sought a King and had him In Matthew on Palme-Sunday the people cried all unto our Saviour Hosanna blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord spreading their garments in the way and cutting downe branches of trees But within a se'night after the same peopâ—e instead of Hosanna cry out Crucifige and instead of casting their garments in his way they rob him of his garments instead of cutting down branches of trees they hang him upon a tree In the time of Constantius the Father of Constantine the Great the people at the beginning were glad to imbrace the faith of Christ and to offer the Sacrifice of praise unto him but in a little while after the same people in hopes of preferment by the Emperour's favour become very ready and willing to offer Sacrifice unto Devils In the time of Queen Mary there was lamentation and crying out that Idolatry was set up the Church polluted the light obscured and the Gospell taken away But afterward when by the mercy of God the light was restored and the Gospell advanced they murmured cried out as fast again that we had no Church no Ministery that truth was wrapt up in Ceremonies and that all was Popish Antichristian In Acts 19. Demetrius and other subtle heads of the Tradesmen of Ephesus meerly for their own gain raised a great tumult and cried out Great is Diana of the Ephesians But presently the people were carried with such a tempest of fury that the City was all in an uprore and every man run and rushed whither he list in great confâ—sion and after much violence offered vers 32. the most-part knew not wherefore they were come together For as a weak feeble brain followeth the waxing and waining of the Moon So the brain-sick humour of many lukewarm Christians is subject and pliable to every change and revolution Like the standing corne that shakes bowes here and there as the winde bloweth or like the weather-cock that turnes with every blast or the Urchin that altereth his door as the winde turneth or like the Amphibia that will play one while upon the land another while upon the water or like the Israelites that spake both Ashdod and Hebrew These are but half Christians neither true Believers nor meer infidells they halt between two opinions sometimes for the Ark and sometimes for Dagen now for Jehovah and presently for Baal Not resolving what Religion to profess or what God to worship Like Tully among the Romanes who could not resolve whether he should take Caesar or Pompey's part or like Tidides amongst the Graecians who could not determine whether he should joyne himself with Achilles or with Hector These men are all for the time and nothing for the truth like Ecebolius who suited his profession to every Emperour's Religion They with one breath call for fire from heaven with the Disciples and say with Peter Master looke to thy self Sparke 106. O Almighty God that art ever immutable and for ever one the same with whom there is no variableness or shadow of change settle my heart in thy truth and knit my soul unto thy Testimonies that I may say as Elizeus said to Elias as the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth I will not leave thee Give me grace not onely to promise with thy servant Peter but also to performe that though all the world forsake thee yet I may never leave thee but be so linked in affection unto thee the Saviour of our souls and to thy truth that neither tribute nor anguish nor persecution nor famine nor nakedness nor perill nor sword nor death nor life nor Angâ—ls nor Principaliti s nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be ever able to separate me from thy love in Jesus Christ But as thou Lord hast made me for thine own self so let my heart be alwayes unquiet while it is from thee Rom. 8.35 and never at quiet till it comes unto thee no more than the needle in the mariner's compasse till it turns to the North star or the Dove till it come to the Arke or the child till it comes to the breast or the bee till it comes to the hi v. But be thou alwayes the center of my soul the circumference of my thoughts the star of my desire the arke of my content the loadstone of my love the breast of my comfort and the lodge of my affections that I may ever believe in thee without wavering professe thee without fearing serve thee without dissâ—mbling and love thee and thy word perfectly purely and perpetually through Jesus Christ my Saviour and redeemer Amen THE END
Mat. 25. O God thou seest how my sins have taken such hold f Psal 40.15 upon me that I cannot look up to thy holy place Lord break the chains of my sins and let the pitifulnesse of thy great mercy loose me from the bondage of sinne the fear of death Rom. 8.1 the misery of this wretched life from the terrour and rigour of thy law that I may believe and feele that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Lord grant that we maybe fellow Citizens with the Saints and never look for a resting place here but let me say and sing with thy holy Prophet If I forget thee O Jerusalem let my right hand forget her cunning yea If I remember thee not let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I prefer not Jerusalem in my q Psal 1â—â— mirth Sect. VII Of the Kingdome of Heaven The Kings Palace THe place of Joy and the eternall rest of the Saints of God is described unto us in the Word of God by four speciall names above the rest whereby we may guess at the happiness therein contained namely by the name of a 2 Cor. 12. Paradise of a b John 14. House a c Heb. 12. City and a d Mat. 5. Kingdome It is called a Paradise to shew that it is as a Garden or Orchard of all sweet pleasure and delight But least we might imagine by the name of Paradise that the place of joy is but as a Garden adjoyning to a backside or a place by some corner of a house It is called a Princely House or Palace where many mansions and chambers be where besides a Garden there are also Halls Parlers Chambers Galleries Banquetting-houses and all other Lodges of pleasure but because a house though never so great cannot contain any great company or extraordinary multitude whereby we might be induced to believe that there can be but very few that can be saved for want of roome in heaven therefore the place prepared for us is also called a City which containes many Houses many Palaces many Temples many Orchards and such like places fit to contain and entertain many millions of Saints and Angels but least we should imagine that a City may be little and not spacious enough for the Sonnes of God and such as follow the Lamb therefore it is not called onely a Paradise a House or a City but a Kingdome yea the Kingdome of Heaven in comparison of which the whole earth is but as a point So that the Saints of God shall not onely be â—â— a Garden or Paradise of all delight but also in a Palace of all pleasures In a City of all good Government acquaintance and familiarity yea in a Kingdome of all Glory and Majesty where every Servant of God shall be his Sonne and every Sonne a Citizen and every Citizen a crowned King to raigne with the King of Kings for ever Sparke 7. O God seeing there is with thee such a Paradise of pleasure q Psal 84.1 grant that I may not love this earth nor the vain delights therein and seeing thy House and Palace hath so many roomâ— and mansions f John 14 â— let me not delight too much in building houses here upon earth as if I meant to stay here for ever r Psal 49 11. but with the Patriarchs m Heb. 11 10. Prophets and Apostles be content with such tents and mansions as may best put me in mind of thy dwelling And seeing that holy and heavenly Jerusalem is so great and glorious d Psal 84.1 let not me look here g Heb. 11.9 for any abiding City nor greedily gape for the Kingdome and preferments of the world seeing such a Kingdome is prepared for me that is like a well governed City a strong Palace or a Paradice of pleasure But when I walk in my garden let me desire thy Paradise when I sit in my house let me think of thy Palace when I tread in the town let me remember thy holy City and when I see the glory of the world and this earthly Kingdome let me seek thy Kingdome and the righteousness thereof Mat. 5. through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. VIII We must serve God in our prime and best time IT is a rule most certain in Reason and Divinity Abell's Oblation That man ought to yeeld his love and service to God as Creatures do give their love and service unto us who by the Ordinance of God do yeeld us both love and service in the best fashion or else man would not accept it And therefore the trees do not onely give their fruit willingly but such fruits as are seasonable sweet and delectable otherwise if they were bitter rotten and unpleasant we would not care for them For we ought to give our love and service to God when it is seasonable sweet and pleasant or else God will not accept of it Sparke 8. O gracious God as thou hast made me in the best fashion p Gen. 1. Psal â— Col. 3. more excellent than all other Creatures thy holy Angells excepted So grant I may yeeld the sweeter love more pleasant service than they by how much my Creation excelleth theirs Let me not bear leaves q Mat â—1 Mark 11. but fruits and those fruits which are most sweet and pleasant in thy sight Let my prayer be fervent r 1 Cor. 14. my zeal burning a Psal 69. and 119. 2 Kings 10. my faith unfained b Mat. 9. 1 Tim. 1. my fear filiall d Psal 86. my obedience child-like e Luke 2. my almes cherefull without ostentation and my whole life a pattern f Mat. 5 1â— for my posterity through that true pattern of all purity Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. IX Our love to God Sorrow's Antidote or Salve AS sorrowfulnesse is the death of the body and the grief of the soul so joy is the life of both For where there is no joy there is no life and where there is all sadness there is nothing but death For as the Soul's life consisteth in joy so the death thereof in sorrow So that he which hath true joy hath life but he which loveth his God in heart unfainedly hath true joy And seeing this joy doth arise from the love of God onely and from none other therefore it followeth that to have all our love all our good all our content and all our delight yea and all of life is to have the love of God And seeing the love of God I mean our love to God is within man that is in his will heart and affection it followeth therefore that to seek all our love all our life and all out contentment we need not to go out of our selves Spark 9. O gracious God teach me to have this treasure within me namely to love thee with all my heart d Deut. 6. with all
my soul and with all my strength and because sweet Father I cannot love thee e 1 John 4.20 whom I have not seen except I love my brother whom I see dayly I beseech thee that I f Levit. 19. may love my neighbour as my self and that I may love thee above my self that neither tribulation g Rom. 8. nor anguish nor famine nor nakâ—dnesse nor life nor death may be able to separate me from the love that I have unto thee in Christ Jesus That I may forsake b Mat. 10.81 Father and Mother Wife and Children and leave all and follow thee Sect. X. Of Christ's Passion O Sweet Saviour The Patient's Pattern we finde that most true which the Prophet Jeremy spake in thy person when he said My grief is above all grief For all thy five sences had no small taste of grief As the feeling vexed with the sharp nails wherewith thou wast pricked Thy hearing with the opprobrious termes wherewith thou wast blasphemed Thy tast with the vineger and gall wherewith thou wast fed Thy smelling with the filthy spittle wherewith thou wast besmeared and thy fight with that wicked crew by whom thou wast abused nay there was not one part in thee left untormented that might be afflicted For thy head was grieved with thornes thy hands and feet with the nailes thy back with the whip thy heart and side with a spear thy whole body with grief and nakedness and thy soul with heaviness Thus wast thou tormented in every part for me that have offended thee in every member giving mine eyes to behold vanity mine ears to listen to folly my tongue to speak blasphâ—my my throat an open sepulcher my hands the instruments of wrong my feet swift to mischief my heart to all wickedness and my whole body to uncleanness Spark 10. O most m rcifull Father behold thy Sâ—nne who did endure this for my sake q Isa 53. behold him that hath suffered and of thy goodnesse remember him for whom he hath suffered Behold his humble hands and forgive the sins which my harmefull hands have committed Behold his gracious eyes thâ—t never affected p 1 John 2.1 vanity and so give the wickedness that my greedy eyes have delighted in Behold his chast ears that never were attentive but to goodness and forgive my sins in hearkening to lewdness Behold his deep wounds in his mercifull hands and forgive the sins of my idle hands Behold his feet which never stood q Psal 1.1 in the way of sinners and make my pathes perfect in thy tract Behold how his side became bloody his bowels dry his sight dim his countenance pale his armes stiffe how his feet hung and his blood ranne in streams to the ground O Lord spare me for whom he hath spilt his blood O good Lord my sins were the thornes the nailes and the spear that wrought such a passion in him and shall such a passion work no compassion in me Shall not so powerfull a passion that wrought remorse in the Sun in the Moone in the Earth in the vail of the Temple in the dead bodies and in the very stones d Mat. 27.51 52 move me to pitty thy pains for whom thou hast suffered for thou diedst not for the Sun nor the Moon nor the Temple nor the Earth nor the Stones but for me Man and for my salvation thou camest down from heaven and wast made man crucified and buried therefore I will praise thy name for ever with the best member that I have Sect. XI Of our Filiation The Affinity of the godly BY Grace we may not onely call God our Father because by Christ we are his adopted sonnes but because we are also his creatures and the works of his hands For we call them rightly fathers which give their being to their children I mean which immediatâ—ly are the cause that their children hâ—ve substantial bodies and they are called sonnes to those men of whom they receive body and blood being and beginning Now as we have the substance and originall of our corruptible bodies from our earthly Fathers so have we our soules immediately from God who is our heavenly Father so that God by creation is the Father of us all and we his sonnes and as all those are termed brethren which receive their bodies and beginning from one man so may all those be well called brethren that receive their spirit life and soul from one God So that God both by Creation and Redemption is the Father of us all and all of us are brethren and look how much the soule doth excell the body so much the more farre doth our heavenly Father excell our earthly Father and so much doth our fraternity in God excell our brotherhood in man For without comparison God is more properly to be termed a Father in respect of the soul than a carnall Father is in respect of the body because the body in comparison of the soul is as nothing For a man is a man in respect of his soul and the body hath his being onely for the soul in respect therefore that the soul is the chief thing in man it is evident that God from whom it cometh is the chief Father So that every man is more the son of God than he is the son of his carnall Father because he receiveth this principall part immediately from God Nay which is more man receiveth from his carnal Father but some part of his body for he receiveth part from his mother yea both his Father and Mother are but the instrumentall cause in generation for God is the principal in the generation of the body and the onely and sole cause of the soul for man receiveth his soul onely from God not in part as his body from his carnal Father but wholely and entirely Now therefore seeing we are called sons more in respect of our soules than in respect of our bodies it followeth that we are brethren in respect of the soul more than in respect of the body for in respect of the body alone bruit beasts have a fraternity as well as we but not in respect of the soul because they have none properly So that it followeth that we are all rather to be tearmed brethren bâ—cause we receive our immortal souls immediately from one God created after his image than those who but in part and imperfectly receive their bodies from one and the same carnal Father therefore look how much more dear our soules are than our bodies unto us so much more dear ought God to be unto us than our carnal Fathers and our love to men as they are our brethren in God more than as they are our brethren in the flesh And if we be induced to love honour fear reverence and obey our carnal Fathers of whom as instruments we received but our bodies and those but in part then how much rather ought we to fear reverence love honour and obey our spiritual
d Psal 90. and that it may be dearer unto us than thousands of gold silver Give us that firme resolution to believe thy Word with out any further reasoning and arguing Work so in us good Lord that despising e Luk. 10.16 thy Word delivered unto us we never seek after strange revelations And for as much good Lord as there is nothing so near and so dear unto thee as thy Word which proceeded f Mat. 5. from thy mouth Grant that we may be in love with nothing so much as with thee and thy Word Grant therefore O Lord that we may keep thy sayings g Luk. 2. and ponder them with blessed Mary in our hearts Lastly Lord whatsoever thy word doth sound in our ears let not our hearts be like the thorny ground the stony nor the beaten high way but like the good ground that bringeth forth some forty some fifty some sixty and some an hundred fold To the glory of thy name and our salvation through Jesus Christ Amen Sect. II. Of the Honour of God The School of Honour SEing that every creature is made created for the honour of the Creator and doth in his nature respect his honour and glory in somuch that the greatest honour that the creature can have is to be made for Gods honour that the honour of God doth respect the honour of all other creatureâ— and the injury and dishonor of God the injury of all other creatures so that when the creatures are well used to God's honour then God is glorified and when they are abused then is he dishonoured For God being honoured God being dishonoured the Creatures are dishonoured And hence it is that in the honour of God are included infinite honours and in the dishonour of God infinite dishonours Therefore that man which honoureth God cannot chuse but honour aâ—l his creatures and especially himself being the chief of his creatures But he which dishonoureth God dishonoureth all Gods creatures with him and especially himself which is Lord of the creatures So that to honour God is for a man to honour himself and he that dishonoureth God doth the greatest wrong and dishonour to himself that may be Hence I conclude Lord that for me to preferr any creatures honour or praise before thine is a great dishonour to thee to my self and to all the rest of my fellow-creatures For seeing all things ought to be for thy glory and that thy glory is the glory of all cre tures then whensoever we aime at our own honor we become directly thine enemies For whensoever we seek not thy glory directly then of necessity we seek our own glory for there is no mean between them insomuch that we are alwayes directly either subjects or traytors friends or foes to our God O good Lord is it fit that thou shouldest make a creature of nothing after thine own image he to be contrary to thine owne glory being the omnipotent Artificer what greater foolishness what greater dishonesty what greater disorder what greater blindness and more against reason than that the work made of nothing should seek his owne proper praise Sparke 2. O Lord whether we sleep or wake sit or lie stand or goe we are thine Therefore grant that whether we eat or drink or whatsoever we do else h 1 Cor. 10. let all be done to the honour glory and praise of thy name For seeing thou art our Maker k Gen. 1. grant we may obey thee Seeing thou art our Master l Mat. 1.6 grant we may fear thee Seeing thou art our Father grant we may reverence thee and seeing thou art one God grant we may glorifie thee O Lord grant us grace to honour thee with all wherewith thou hast honoured and blessed us So shall our m Prov. 3.9 barns be filled with abundance and our presses shall burst with new wine Grant us ever to glorify thee in thy self in thy membâ—rs for thou hast taught us that he which oppresseth the poor reproveth him that made him but he n Prov. 14.31 that hath mercy upon the poor honoureth â—hee O loving Father seeing that thine is glory victory and praise for thou art the King o Psal 24. of Glory Let all my p Psal 62. health and glory be in thee let us not honour thee with our lips but with our lives and souls also For thou wilt not give thy glory to none other q Isa 42. let us not be desirous of r Gal. 5. vain-glory Therefore not unto us not unto us Lord but to thy name give the glory To whom be Glory for ever Amen Sect. III. All in us must be to Gods glory The Saints Service FOrasmuch as man is made for Gods glory and because whatsoever is given to man is given him only for the service of God therefore we are to think that because we can love we are to love God and because we have power to know we are to know God and because we can understand we are to understand what God is because we can fear we are to fear God because we can honour we are to honour God because we can worship we are to worship God because we can pray we are to pray to God because we can obey we are to obey God because we can trust we are to trust in God because we can hope we are to hope in God And whatsoever good thing else we can do we have power to do it that we might serve our Ceator in doing it Sparke 3. O eternall God and most mercifull Father Hallowed be thy name t Mat. 6. for ever As thy intent in creating me was to frame me for thy glory so grant it may be my mind and purpose study and whole endeavour to seek thy glory and to publish thy praise For Lord thy glory and praise wilt thou give to none x Esay 42 other but to thy self Lord give us such measure of thy grace That our lights may so shine before men that they seeing our good works z Mat. 5.16 may glorifie thee our Father which art in heaven O Lord because we can love let us love a Mat. 10.37 nothing in comparison of thee let us desire to know nothing but thee and Christ Jesus thy Son crucified Let us never fear them that can hurt the body but rather fear thee that canst destroy both body b Mat. 10.28 and soul together Let our honour be to reverence thee our prayers to invocate thee our obedience unto thee our belief faith hope and trust in thee through Jesus Christ for evermore Amen Sect. IV. How God must be served ALthough we owe all good duties generally unto God The Paths of Piety because he is our Creator we his creatures he our Lord and we his servants yet are we to perform every duty to him for particular respects For we ought to yield him some service in one respect and
some in another respect and therefore we are 1. To love God because he is the fiâ—st good and chief good and onely good for there is nothing good but by him and therefore God is to be loved in respect he is good and after the same manner as he is good so is he to be beloved Now he is the first good and therefore first to be loved He is the chief good and therefore chiefly to be loved He is the purest good and therefore most purely to be loved He is an infinite good and therefore infinitely to be loved And because nothing is good but thorough and in him therefore nothing is to be beloved but in him 2. God is to be feared because he is omnipotent and because he is chiefly and onely Almighty therefore is he chiefly and onely to be feared And because he is eternally Almighty therefore he is eternally to be feared And because he is the onely Almighty therefore to him onely belongeth fear And because he is most truly Almighty therefore is he most truly to be feared 3. In respect he is our Lord he is to be honoured And whereas he is the chief Lord therefore he is chiefly to be honoured And because he is infinitely chief therefore is he infinitely and chiefly to be honoured And because he is the first beginning of man therefore he is the first to be honoured of man 4. Obedience belongeth to God because he is above all things and because he is onely chiefly and eternally above all therefore he is onely chiefly and eternally above all to be obeyed And because he is only superiour unto man therefore he is chiefly to be obeyed of man 5. He is to be glorified and praised in respect he is the Worker Maker and Creator of all things And because he is the chiefest the wisest the first and onely Creator and maker of all things therefore he is chiefly principally wisely and onely to be glorified magnified and praised And because he is the maker of man therefore he is to be loved and glorified of man 6. God is to be beloved because he is true and truth it self and no lyar And because he is the first truth and most perfect truth therefore he is first to be beloved most perfectly to be beloved because he is the chief truth and chiefly faithfull therefore he is chiefly and most faithfully to be beloved To conclude to God belongeth Hope because he is powerfull and willing and onely knoweth how to help and to save and because he is the first power the onely powerfull chiefly powerfull wise and willing therefore he is chiefly principally onely wisely and willingly to be hoped in Thus we ow all duty to him who is Lord of all and that particularly for particular causes Sparke 4. O Lord we are thy creatures and thou art our Creator create in us a new heart to love thee above all c Gen. 1. Deut. 11. who art most good and d Joel 13. loving And as thou art the first good so grant we may first love thee and seek thy kingdome e Mat. 6. And for as much as all things do fear f Amos 6. thee which art most fearful let us fear thee first and fear thee most let us neither love fear or reverence any thing above thee nor any thing before thee nor any thing equal with thee nor any thing but for thy sake And because thou art onely praise-worthy g Psal 145 therefore Lord let all the world praise thee and especially man O Lord let our tongues be the Pen h Psal 45. of a ready Writer to paint thy praise Let us not onely praise thee with the best members that we have but with all the members that we have through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. V. The love of God the best Gift OF all the gifts and blessings which the Lord bestowed upon man The Debters discharge there is none so great so good so sweet and so pleasant as his love because whatsoever other blessings he hath bestowed upon us thâ—y were and are bestowed upon us for his loves sake For he first gave his love unto us with himself and then all things for his sake Yet if we would desire to requite Gods kindnesse and to be thankfull unto him for his blessings there is nothing wherein we may answer him so easily as in his love For if God be angry with us we must not answer him in his anger and be angry again If God doth judge us we must not judge him again If he doth teach us we must not teach him again or if he doth correct us and rebuke us we must not think to doe so with him again But when God doth love us we may love him again For God did never finde fault with such as did seek to imitate him in his love Adam aspiring to be like God in knowledge was cast out of Paradise Lucifer aspiring to be like God in Majesty was cast out of heaven The Sorcerers of Aegypt seeking to imitate God in his Miracles and wonders were drowned in the Sea But for coveting to be like God in love none neither man nor Angel was punished For seeing God doth love us in the highest degree and above all degrees of affection we may love him again with the highest strain of our love even with all our heart soul strength and might For God loveth us to the intent he may be beloved of us Sparke 5. O Blessed Lord the true loade-stone of love as thou hast made me after thine own image Gen. 1. so repair it in me that by loving thee again for thy love I may be the more like unto thee which art love it self Let the beams of thy love so warm me and so beat upon my cold heart that it may reflect unto thee again And as thou hast loved me above all the works of thy hands 1 John 3 so grant I may love thee again above Father Mother Wife or children and be ready to forsake all and follow thee k Mat. 10. Yea let me love nothing in comparison of thee nor any thing but in thee and for thy sake Therefore Lord let nothing seem sweet or worthy of love in my sight besides thee for such as love thy name l Psal 5. shall be joyfull in thee Therefore as thou art love everlasting so grant I may love thee with an everlasting love and as thou art all love so grant I may love thee with all my love And as thou lovest all the works of thy hands and hatest nothing which thou hast made but especially man above all so grant that for thy sake I may love all the works of thy hands as they are thy works but thee above all through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. VI. Of the glory of Heaven The Saints Freedome VVEll might the sweet Singer and Psalmist of Israel say of that glorious habitation of Saints very
fire doth heat and warme all things and ascend upward so doth thy love warme our cold zeal and cause our hearts to ascend up to seek those things that he above And as the clouds do drop down waters to wash the filthiness of the earth so the grace of thy holy spirit doth cause often a cloud of sorrow for sins to arise in our hearts and so to dissolve into tears at our eyes Thirdly as the Dove is a mild bird void of gall so that Dove-like spirit the holy ghost would have his nest in our hearts that we might be meek as thou art meeek Lord patient and peaceable like the milde Dove void of anger and malice Lastly As the tongue doth exhort and perswade by the eloquence thereof so the blessed spirit of thee our God by appearing in the forme of tongues would have us to be exhorted and perswaded by the wisdome and eloquence thereof and not to build upon vain philosophy and humane wisdome Sparke 16. Gracious Father let thy good spiriâ— a Psal 143. lâ—â—d us into the lâ—nd of righteousnesse let it go still before us to give us as b Exod. 13.21 a pillar of cloud by day and as the pillâ—r of fire by night Yea let him still be the starre of Grace to direct us unto that blessed Saviour of the world â— Mat. 2.11 thy onely son Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XVII Our soules are not begotten by men THat principle which denieth the soule to be begotten from the parents The Soul's Pedegree needs no other proof than experience For if the soul came from the substance of the parents as the body doth the soul then of one man should be some kinne to the body and soul of another man his begetter and so one man would love the soul of his friend better than his body But we see by Experience that men are more carefull for the body of their children than for their soul for the most part and men will venter much to fetch the bodies of their friends out of prison or to save them from death but for the soul which is as it were Gods kinsman infused by him into us men are lesse carefull And therefore our Saviour Christ careing most for the soul which was most dear to him taught us â—wo petitions for the good of the soul and but one for the necessities of the body which is the petition for our dayly bread Sparke 17. Good Lord grant we may love both in our selves that which thou best lovest and hate which thou hatest r Mat. 6.10 O good father from thâ—e we have received this soul and living breath Å¿ Gen. 1. by which we breathe we commâ—nd it Lord into thy carefull t Psal 31. hands deliver it good Lord from the ungodly and comfort the souls of thy servants And let our u Luk. 1.46 souls magnifie thee Lord and our spirit ever rejoyce in thee our God and Saviour The very God of peace sanctifie us throughout w 1 Thes 5. and I pray God that our whole spirit and soul and body may be kept blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen Sect. XVIII Love admits no excuse IN man's reason we may finde some excuse for omitting any duty but love for there is no excuse for our defect in love For there is no charges no weariness no labour no pain nor no grief in loving yea it maketh all paines and labour to seeme sweet and delightfull For the hunter for love of his game will travell all day without weariness And herein appeareth the sweetness of God's mercy and the greatnesse of his liberality towards us which would not tye man to that which was heavy laborious and wearisome buâ— to that which was most pleaâ—ant and â—asie Sparke 18 O sweet Lord true it is that thy q Mat. 11 30. yoke is easie and thy burden light Lord make us to love thee and thy truth more than all thy creatures yea more than our goods more than our friends d Mat. 10 37. more than our flesh more than our selves our soules and our bodies And seeing thou hast given b Gen. 1.28 29. us all things for thy service Lord give us a heart to love thee above c Psal 119. all with all our hearts with all our strength with all our mind and with all our soul through Jesus Christ Deut. 6. Amen Sect. XIX The love of God and the love of Mammon The Soul's Solace THere 's no proportion between the love of worldly things and the love of God For from the one must needs follow sorrow from the other continuall joy For all things in this world are mutable coâ—ruptible Therefore as often as the object or the thing we set our love upon doâ—h either perish change or vanish so often must it needs be a grief unto us to lose it that we loved â—o well But if God â—e the object of our love and the thing we best affect then must we needs have continual joy and never sorrow For we never sorrow much but for the loss of the thing we love most Therefore if God be the object of our love and marke of our affection our joy can never decay for God can neither die nor perish nor be changed nor be wanting but is alwayes present to our wills alwayes sufficient to our desires alwayes omnipotent to our wants alwayes loving alwayes mercifull alwayes most good most pleasant most just most wise and most glorious Therefore the object of our love never failing our joy shall never fail No marvaile then if with God there is everlasting joy and never dying happinesse himself being the object of our love and cause of our joy For seing all our love ariseth from God and all our joy from our love therefore both our joy and our love will endure so long as God endureth Sparke 19. O Lord God the onely Lover and Saviour of our soules let us not love the world nor the things that are therein q 1 John 2. Good Father thou that best knowest the deceitfull baits of this alluring world let us live in the world and not love the world If riches r Psal 6 10. encrease let us not set our hearts thereon If honours be heaped upon us let us not be delighted therewith If pleasures do tempt us let us not be enamoured therewith x Mark 10. But let us love thee Lord with all our heart with all our soul and with all our strength Let us never love father mother brother sister nor friends more than thee lest we be not worthy of thee y Psal 5.12 For they that onely love thy name shall be joyfull in thee b and they shall prosper that love thee Therefore Lord let me love thee above all and love all in thee and for thy love Grant this O Lord for Jesus Christ our sweet and onely Saviour Amen Sect. XX.
kinde of Masters Choice of Masters to wit his Enemy his Equall and his Servant He which serveth the Devill serveth his Enemy He which serveth his Flesh serveth his Equall And he which serveth the World serveth his Servant Therfore of all service it is the basest service to serve the world because such a one like Cham shall be but the servant of servants and to serve the Devill is but an unthankfull office for such one is sure to have no better payment than death for his stipend And for to serve the flesh it is but to seek to please a chollerick brittle and unconstant master Therefore to serve God is the best service for he is the b st master For if we be poor he onely can enrich us If we be sick he is the best Physitian If we be wronged he can right us If we be weak he is most strong If ignorant he can best instruct us And if discontented he onely can please and prefer us Sparke 48. O Dear Father make us to be of thy hired servants Luk. 15. let us desire to be rather door-keepers in thy house than to remain in the pleasant Palaces of Princes Psal 84. Good Lord thou hast taught us that no man can serve two masters but either he shall hate the one and love the other or cleave to the one and leave the other Therefore Lord let our choyce be with thy Disciples to forsake all and follow thee Josh 22.5 And grant we may serve thee with all our heart and with all our soul through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XLIX God the Teacher of true Wisedom onely O Lord I am ignorant and want instructions in true wisedom The Well of Wisdome To whom shall I repair to learn it shall I go to the world Alas no for all the world lieth in Wickedness Shall I go to the flesh That be far from me for the flesh doteth and lusteth against the spirit Shall I go to the Devill God forbid For he is a Liar a Tempter and a Seducer of the Brethren To whom then shall I go To mortal men Alas no for all men are liars the children of men are set on fire their teeth are spears and arrowes and their tongue a sharp sword there is none that understandeth and seeketh after God To whom then shall I go to learn wisdom Shal I go to the Law of Moses No neither For the Law it self is but a School-Master to bring us to Christ Shall I go to the Angels for true wisedom I must not do so for they themselves learn of Christ and adore him Shall I come to the Lord without Christ No that must I never do For it is a horrible thing to think of thee without thy sonne Christ to whom therefore shall I go but unto thee my blessed Saviour which hast the word of wisedom and eternal life Thou art a King to rule me a Priest to pray for me and a Prophet to teach and instruct me Joh. 6. Sparke 49. O God the fountain of wisedom and knowledge give me understanding and I shall live for through thee I shall be wiser than the aged and have more understanding than my teachers Psal 90. 143. Teach me therefore good Lord in thy Statutes and to do the thing which pleaseth thee and for the first lesson learne me the fear which is the beginning of wisedom through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. L. The least sin deserves death The Devills Diminutive O Good Lord I see that the World is grown to that passe that men make not so much account of small fins as of old shots A mote in the sun is but a small thing and yet enough to hinder the fight to pain the eye and to trouble the whole body A haire but a small thing and yet enough to choke the strongest man The Flies of Egypt were but little things yet none of the least plagues yea the lice were lesse than the flies and yet one of the greatest plagues that came into Egypt Like unto these be our sins which we call little sins or the men of this world call veniall and to be washed with their holy waters but how little account soever the world makes of them now the time will come when we shall wish we had never offended in the least diminutive evill For what smaller offence in our sight than a thought of pride yet the Angells were punished in everlasting chaines for it What lesser fault than to bite of an apple yet Adam and Eve when there were no more men in the world were banished Paradise for it and made to everlasting misery without Christ's mercy Lot's wife for once looking back a small offence one would think was turned into a fearfull Monument for all posterity to look upon Sparke 50. O dear Father seeing thou art most pure and so pure that the stars of heaven are not clean in thy sight Job 25. cleanse us from our secret sins Psal 19.12 51. let us think no sin a smal offence that offendeth thee which art infinite For we are no sooner born but become forlorne creatures without thy great mercy and no sooner conceived but damned if thou dealest in the rigour of Justice with us Therefore enter not into judgement with us thy servants for no flesh is righteous in thy sight but spare us good Lord spare thy people whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious bloud and be not angry with us for ever Sect. LI. The shadowes of sin IT is strange to think that so many things should point out unto us the cursed nature of sin and yet we cannot avoid it It is like to leaven a little whereof will sower the whole lump of dough It is like fire a sparke whereof is able to burne a whole City It is that Jewish Leprosie that infected every thing that came nigh unto it It is like a tetter or a ringworm which though it have but a small beginning yet being not stopped will run over the whole body It is like that dead sea that killeth all that swimmeth in it Or like the quick-sands which suddenly let a man sink over head and ears if he stand still in it never so little It is like Jezabell that painted Harlot whose very skull of the head with the palmes of the hands must be buried lest they infect the very ayr Sparke 51. O dear Father if all thy creatures be not able to shew us the ugliness and deformity of this foule monster and to make us loath it grant that we may have a dayly recourse unto thy law Rom. 7. the glasse whereof will plainly shew unto us both the name and nature propertie and proportion of this hellish leprosie and so seeing it we may be sorry and being sorry may loath it and loathing it may avoid it and so come the nerer unto thee in perfection through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. LII The Lords
like thunderbolts or at least dissolved into water but if they be pure fine and dry they will be set on fire and burne with zeal to God in their exaltation as David Elias c. Lâ—stly There be some that leek to exalt themselves by violence and indirect means as by treason oppression Tyrany bribery and extortion these as by their violence they mount up suddenly so do they soon fall fearfully as Saul Balthasar Haman Herod Gehezi and Judas did Spark 70. O Lord we are all in thy view and often tread within thy great chamber of presence grant that we may learne to be wiser unto Salvation Ephes 3.18 19. that we may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth all knowledge that we may be filled with all fullness of God Let us after the example of our Saviour be so rooted in charity so grounded in humility and so humble in our owne conceit before thee that we may acknowledge with Abraham that we are but dust and ashes with Jacob that we are less than the least of thy mercies with the Centurion that we are not worthy that thou shouldest come under our roof and with the Prodigall child confesse that we be no more worthy to be called thy sons For he that humbleth himself shall be exalted of thee O King of Heaven and he that exalteth himself shal be brought low Good Father if it please thee to exalt us suddenly in thy mercy as thou didst David from the sheep-fold Mordeicai from the gate Joseph from the dungeon and Daniel from the Den let us not be puffed up but still say with David I will be more humble yet let us with Dauid cry out in the Court of the Lords house The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up and with Elias mount up in a fiery Chariot of fervent zeal And if at any time thou please to correct us for our pride presumption good Lord cast us not down suddenly like a thunderbolt as thou didst Lucifer and Balthasar but give us grace and space to repent with Nebuchadnezzar that at last like a watry vapour we may melt in sorrow with Mary Magdalen and dissolve into tears with Peter through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. LXXI The Creature 's Call THe little birds when the day appeareth do in thâ—â—â— kinde seem to be thankfull for their rest and in the evening likewise with chirping notes thâ—y praise God for the light that they enjoyed and so take their rest again Shall we hear these to sing melody unto God and not sing the base with them to make up a perfect harmony and a full concent Sparke 71. Lord teach me to praise thee betimes in the morning Psal 55. and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice unto thee for Jesus Christs sake Amen Sect. LXXII The quick buried VVHen we begin to be men we begin to be sinners and when we begin to be sinners we begin to be dead and when we begin to be dead we begin to be buried first in our mothers womb thâ—n in the cradle afterwards in our beds and at last in our graves Sparke 72. Grant O Lord Psal 39. Rom. 8. that remembring my end I may live in thy fear and die in thy favour Amen Sect. LXXIII Sinners visage EVery sin seemeth fair before the action sweet in the action and poison after the action For three things follow after the committing of every sin to wit fear shame and guilt the fear of hell shame of men and guilt of conscience Sparke 73 Lord if these will not make me loath sin Exod. 20.6 yet let thy love make me leave it and thy mercy forsake it Sect. LXXIV The Covetousnesse of the Godly IF I be rich I may want If I be strong I may be overcomed If I be learned I may be deceived But if I be wise I shall be perfect For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisedom and a good begining maketh a good ending This made Solomon to pray for wisedom Moses to study for wisedom and the Queen of Sheba to travaile for wisedom Sparke 74. Grant O Lord that I may learn to fear thee that I may begin to be wise Prov. 1. Psal 111. and keep thy laws that I may have understanding Sect. LXXV Too much of one thing is good for nothing IT hath been said alwayes that the mean is best and that the middle way is the golden way But we see by experience that extremity beareth rule in this world For every Vertue there are two Vices we will be either too curious or too careless Either we cry Hosanna or Crucifie Either Christ must not wash our feet or else he must wash our feet and bodies together Either we say tast not touch not for it is unclean or else we say let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dy If we love we over love If we be fearfull we are too fearfull If angry we are too angry Spark 75. Lord give me grace to fear but not to despair Eccles 2. Psal 4. Ephes 4. Prov. 4. to be angry and not to sin to decline from thy Statutes neither to the right hand nor to the left Amen Sect. LXXVI The Flatterer's Gesture ON the Stage of wickednesse the Flatterer playeth his part best For he is like a shadow which doth imitate the gesture of the body For it stands when you stand walks when you walk sits when you sit and rises when you rise So the Flatterer will praise when you praise reprove when you reprove smile when you smile and frown when you frown till the Sun of his hope is set and then no shadow no Flatterer Sparke 76. Prov. 13. Deliver me O Lord from a flattering tongue and from the net that he spreadeth for my steps Sect. LXXVII The abused Creature 's Grave THe Glutton and the Covetous man never cease to bury Gods Creatures untill themselves be buried for the one burieth them unlawfully in his belly the other miserably in his chest Therefore at the generall resurrection these Creatures will rise in judgment against these men Spark 77. Keep me O Lord from surfeiting and excess and from coveting any thing but thy Grace Sect. LXXVIII The Careless Christian I See that every man saving a Christian studies to be perfect in his vocation and carefull to know and observe his grounds As the Grammarian his Rules The Philosopher his Axioms The Lawyer his Maximes The Physitian his Aphorismes The Musitian his Keyes Measures These observe their grounds though they be many in number But the Christian hath but few Principles and yet can keep few or none of them for all the Principles of Religion are to love God with all our heart and our Neighbour as our self Spark 78. Most loving Father grant me perfect love and then I shall fulfill thy Law
times in the midst of greatest calms there ariseth at Sea the soarest tempest So oftentimes in the midst of the worlds solace ariseth the greatest sorrow Sixthly the Sea is no certain place of abode but serves onely to bring men to some surer haven or harbour No more is this world any certain place of dwelling for us but a mean to bring us to that City which we expect for Seventhly as a man on the Sea cannot saile whither he would but whither the winde driveth him So is it not in the power of man in this world to do what he will or to go whither he will but onely as the Spirit of God guideth him Eighthly as the water of the Sea is brinish and bitter and the extreamest holes and end thereof but sand So is the world bitter and distastfull the end thereof but sand dust and ashes And as upon the Sea Ships do alwayes sail So on the Sea of this world the Church of God like Noah's Arke doth continually abide whose main-Mast is the Cross of Christ her Sails the holy Scriptures her Anchor true Faith her Pilate the Spirit of God hee Calls Christian Hope and Gods gracious Promises her chief Master Governour Christ himself This Ship is often tossed and troubled with the tumults of our Enemies which are like uno foure tempestuous windes the Atheist the Turk the Papist and the Puritan The Atheist acknowledgeth not the Ship-Master the Turk would hew down her main-Mast the Papist would take away her Anchor-hold the Puritan would break her Sterne of Government and cast away her Ordnances But God still these windes Yet those that are at Sea seâ— by their Card that in the midst of tempestuous weather the needle of their Compass remaineth always unmovable stayeth upon one point because it governs it self by the Pole In like sort the soul of a faithfull Christian in the midst of all these unruly windes and sturdy stormes will stand quiet enjoy a most assured peace because his love and affection like the needle point aimeth at Heaven and stayeth it selfe upon Gods Promise which is the true Pole and Object of our love Spark 87. O sweet Jesus sleep not in the Ship of thy Church still and stay all tempests and unruly stormes that may arise to terrifie us Lord look upon us in these dangerous times wherein we are well nigh covered with wicked waves Lord save us least we perish and rebuke these winds and waves that trouble thy poor Mariners Mat. 8.23 24 25 26. Good Lord walke thou with us upon the Sea of this world that if the Sea cast us up as dead thou mayest receive us Hinder the great Leviathan to devour us and the mighty Nimrods of the world to hunt after us and let the needle of our affection remain alwayes stedfast to the Pole of thy Promises Be with us on the Sea as thou wast with Jonah and on the Land as thou wast with Joseph that if we be cast to the Whale's belly with the one or into the Prisons profundity with the other yet do thou never forsake us But till our Cause be knowne let us still out of the deep call upon thee that the deep of thy mercy may help the deep of our misery so one deep may call upon another Sect. LXXXVIII Good Service IT is the common custom of many men to use their servants as they do their apparel that is to cast them away when they are worne out and can serve them no longer as before Happy are they therefore that serve such a Master in youth that will be sure not to forsake them in age and for a little sorrow on earth will give them continuall solace in Heaven Sparke 88. Grant Lord that I bestow both life and Limbe time and talent to thy glory that now being by Christ delivered from the hands of mine Enemies I may serve thee without fear all the dayes of my life Sect LXXXIX Christ's Rest O My Saviour thy first lodging was a new womb wherein never man before was conceived Thy second lodging a new tomb wherein never man before was buried And thy third lodging must be in a new heart that must never be defiâ—ed Sparke 89. Grant Lord that as thy Mother conceived thee in her wombe so I may conceive thee in my heart Lord let my heart be thy grave thy stable and manger thy Tem le and thy dwelling House that I may dwell in thâ—e and thou in me for evermore Amen Sect. XC Hopes Confirmation VVHen I see the earth to bring forth all things that are committed unto it my hope is confirmed and my joy increased because I know it must one day râ—store our bodies committed in trust unto it and then the year of the great Jubile will come when such as groan under their burden and all the lands Prisoners shall be set at liberty For the just in Christ saith David shal flourish as the Palm tree which though it have many weights at the top and many snakes at the root yet is it still neither opprâ—ssed with the weights distressed with the snakes so though the earth oppresse us and thâ— worms devour us when our Salvation draweth neer at hand we shall lift up our heads again shall no more die but death and corruption shall die in us Then may evâ—ry one of us sing with David I layd me down and slâ—pt and rose up again for the Lord sustained mee O my God how many things hast thou ordained to strengthen my faith and to confirm my hope herein For the sun setteth and is closed up in darknesse and yet riseth again the next moring The moon waneth every moneth and becometh small or nothing to our sight yet it groweth again to her glorious and former light The trees in winter are as dead before us and all their beautifull leaves withered wasted and fallen away yet when the spring commeth they revive again and are gorgeously cloathed as before The Lion being too long ere he finde his prey when he commeâ—h home he findeth his whelps dead and with his very roaring reviveth them again The Pelican by her blood reviveth her young ones The Phenix from her dead ashes receiveth life The Serpent being cut in twain by lying a while in the dung knitteth her self and reviveth again Many small birds for the Winter lie in fens holes and caves and trees as buried and dead yet rise again in Spring and sing melodiously Lastly what is our bed but the Image of our graves the clothes that covers us of the dust and earth cast upon us The little flea that biteth us of the wormes that shall consume us The Coâ—k that croweth of the last Trumpet Therefore as I rise up lustily when sluggish sleep is past so I hope to risâ— Joyfully to Judgment at the last Sparke 90. Gâ—â—nt me O Lord a lively faith 1 Cor. 15. not to sorrow for my brethren that sleep in thee Mat.