him And because I haue deferred my repentance till this houre whereby my Saluation is cutte off if I should die suddenlie Loe how my God in his mercifull prouidence to preuent my destruction calleth mee by a lingring sicknesse which stayeth till I bee readie and prepareth mee to mine ende like a preacher and maketh mee by wholesome paines wearie of this beloued world lest I should depart vn willing like them whose death is their damnation So hee loueth mee while hee beateth mee that his stripes are plasters to saue mee therefore who shall loue him if I despise him This is my whole office nowe to strengthen my bodie with mine heart and to bee contented as God hath appointed vntill I can glorifie him or vntill hee glorifie mee If I liue I liue to sacrifice and if I die I die a sacrifice for his mercie is aboue mine iniquitie Therefore if I should feare death it were a signe that I had not Faith nor hope as I professed but that I doubted of Gods trueth in his promise wh◅ther hee will forgiue his penitent sinner or not Hee is my Father let him doe what seemeth good in his sight Come Lord Iesus for thy seruant commeth I am willing helpe mine vnwillingnesse Heere is the end of that godlie mans speach As at that Brydell in Cana the best wine came last so shall it be heer◅ After the words of a godlie man I shall let you heare the words of God spoken by a man inspired by his Spirit euen the last words of Dauid the man whose praise is this that hee was a man according to Gods owne heart The last words of Dauid Dauid the sonne of Iesse said and the man who was raised vp on high the a◅ointed of the God of Iaacob and the sweete Psalmist of Israel said The Spirit of the Lord spake by mee and his words was in my tongue The God of Israel saide the Rocke of Israel spake to mee Hee that ruleth ouer men must bee just ruling in the feare of God And hee shall bee as the light of the morning when the Sunne riseth euen a morning without cloudes as the tender grasse springing out of the earth by cleare shining after raine Although mine house bee not so with God yet hee hath made with mee an euerlasting couenant ordered in all things and sure For this is all my Saluation and all my desire although hee make it not to growe But the sonnes of Belial shall bee all of them as thornes thrust away because they cannot bee taken with hands But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with yron and the staffe of a speare and they shall bee vt◅er lie burnt with fyre in the same place Alittle before his death at the inauguration of his Sonne Solomon he spake manie notable words among others these bee of great weight O Lord wee are heere but strangers before thee and so◅ourners as were all our fathers Our dayes on the earth are as a shadow and there is none abiding O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and of Israel our Fathers keepe this for euer in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people and prepare their heartes vnto thee That hundreth and two Psalme is excellent It is intituled a prayer of the afflicted when he is ouerwhelmed and powreth out his complant before the Lord. Heare my prayer O Lord and lette my cry come vnto thee hide not thy face from mee in the day when I am in trouble incline thine eare vnto mee In the day when I call answere mee spe◅dilie For my dayes are consumed like smoke and my bones are burnt like an hearth c. Seeing as wee see that nothing is stable in this world but as it is in that Sermon of the Preacher vanity of vanities and all is vanitie wee haue to intreate the Lord earnestlie as Moses did a little before his death That hee would so teach vs to number our dayes that we may applye our hearts to wisedome and to well doing All things below wither and decay our best beauties are w◅ithed and wrinkled by time But the beautie of the Lord is of euerlasting continuance Let the beautie of the Lord our God bee vpon vs. O the beautie of the things aboue O the beautie of the Firmament O these azured Curtaines spangled with stars of light What jewels of joy are within no mortall tongue can tell Looke vp nowe Sir with the eye of your Faith and visite these heauenlie Mansions and blessed buildinges for immortaltiie Yee are shortlie for to change for the better So long as our sillie Soules are here they are but poore Soules reading and meditating the mercies of God within a cottage of clay hauing nothing to see with but the weak light of the small Candle of grace a light dimmed and darkened with the reekie smok of our sinfull corruptions But so soone as wee shall bee dissolued by Death we shall come to the euerlasting Beames of a Sunne which by nothing is able to bee ecclipsed alight which knoweth no darknesse euen that Light which bringeth light out of darknesse Now Sir vp with your heart saile out your course Be like the Pylot who while hee hath hand on the Helme hath his eye fixed on the heauen Take now the Cuppe of Saluation the great Mazer of his mercie and call vpon the Name of the Lord Hee is worthie to bee praised for his vnspeakable fauour toward you He in great mercy hath toward you turned all the sharpe corrasiues of the Law into most sweete cordials of the Gospel He hath now made you free of all these terrours whereinto yee found your selfe once lyable Oh Lord how did once the sharpe edge of thy Law laide to his mourning heart cutte him thorow the verie gall But blessed bee thou who in thy great mercie hast cut the Cartropes of his sinnes where with hee was once kept fast vnder the most heauie bondage of Hell What say yee now Sir How is it of all Haue yee heard all these words and laide them vp into your minde The sicke Man I haue heard them all that with great comfort now mine heart is in heauen Christ by the vertue of his vnualuable Blood-shed hath takē away the gall of my guiltines Now my bodie is wholly dead to its paine and my Soule is whollie aliue to its glorie I see a Crowne of immortalitie which my Soule would not sticke to fetch thorow the brimstone beames of hell My Soule seeth the face of its Redeemer Christ with a soft hand is now loosing all the bondes of my miserie His most sacred Blood hath melted my marble heart Nowe come Lord Iesus come Long haue I looked for thy Saluation Nowe let thy seruant depart in peace for mine eyes haue seene thy Saluation O my deare Soule I summond thee with all thy powers and faculties to
bagge and baggage of his couetousnesse Shall this man come where God is who neuer walked in his way In all his wayes he did euer goe awry lik a Childe that scribleth without a rule All his good intentions were but like false conceptions which are buried before their birth let me now tread him vnder foote that I may lay him dead straight like a worme O the infamous man whose name doeth goe with a brand vpon it like Cains marke Hee followed Christ for loaues But O when the corne was spent the Rate left the Barne His whole life was but a myre of mischiefe All men can tell that hee was but an vntrustie Pilferer a foole hardie fellon rushing in rebellion against God man If so bee that he was exalted he cared not that God was dishonoured In the pride of life he walked like Nebuchadnezar strouting in his Palace with bragging words boasting of his Babel Gods patience hath long suffered In his sufferings hee hath comforted himselfe in this When I see a conuenient time then will I execute judgement Nowe is the time of execution come Either now or neuer for his sinne is now ripe and readie for the sickle I am wearied with accusing what shall I say His heart was euer swelled with pride By costlie apparell he gaue euill example With his pleasures hee was tyed like a dog in a leach He could neither suffer a Superiour nor comport with à Companion The blue enuie in his heart made him hate to see others thriue besides him The praise of other mens vertues was as who had dispraised himselfe in his face Hee was euer malcontent at Gods graces into others He was like a Swine vnder an Oake feeding and foiling Gods benefites lik Acorns But who euer saw his face lifted vp with thankes to the shaker of the tree Hee was full of peppered sausinesse sporting himselfe with checkes and taunts As hee had a babling tongue to speake euill so had hee a bibulous eare thirstie after false reportes O what filthy dung hilles heapes of sinnes were hoodred in his heart If hee did not any euill it was not for lacke of will like the frozen serpent hee hissed when hee could not hurt but so soone as hee beganne hee lustilie lashed on All his meditations were mould in malice As for his Religion hee vsed his libertie as a cloake of maliciousnesse While hee come to the Church it was but for the faÌ„shion for to shew the frindges of his hypocrisie Hee thought a long Sermon a surfet as Iudas thought the oyle spent that was powred vpon Christ so thought hee all the time alloted to Gods seruice Hee was euer cold in well doing as one of the frozen generation A proude man was he in his own conceit while he found himselfe inlightned with some caÌ„fused glimmerings of light glauncing vpon his heart thorow the deceiuing glasse of a temporarie faith His necke was an yron sinew and his brow brasse In a word all his affections were out of order as bones beside the joynt It were more easie to count the sand than his sinnes of omission and of commission with excesse of riot I seeke but Iustice now his life is neere an ende let Gods vengeance take him at the rebound The Angel Michael That is a bloodie Lybell if all be true that is said by the father of lyes Though his sinnes were thus bloody as thou accuses there is a redeeming Blood in Iesus for his ransome his wounds are the holes of the Rocke of refuge All that accusation is but founded vpon surmise But though hee were guiltie as thou affirmes is there anie sinne so great that God cannot forgiue There is no sinne so red but Christs Blood can make it white Gods word is true sinne dyed in Scarlet-red lik crimsin may by God be made white lik the wooll snow Thou cryeth for Iustice Christs Blood cryeth for mercy which of you two shall best bee heard Sathan But can Gods mercie bee against his justice shall mercie against justice plead for the whitnesse of a Rauen shall a most vile sinner escape damnation shall not Iustice bee his bane Let mee now giue him a knocke with the barre of judgement While hee had strength to walke hee left the narrow path for to goe croude with the wicked in the broad waye Now let him suffer for all his riotes let the doors of heaueÌ„ be bared in his teeth Gods mercies must not bee against his justice Let mee now giue him a yercke with my whippe The Angel Michael Auoide there is no breach in justice while his sinnes are pardoned for Christ his Lord hath suffered for him he hath satisfied for all his debts at the bâ—…rre of justice and that to the vtmost farthing When all was payed Christ cryed with a loud voice that heauen and earth might heare Consummatum est that is Aâ—…l is payed the whole worke of mans Redemption is finishâ—…d This was hâ—…ard by the deuils themselues not one durst stand vp to say the contrarie Thou câ—…yeth for Iustice 〈◊〉 is Iustice heere is Iustice Christ his Cautioner hath payed all his dâ—…bts It is against Iustice to require one debt to bee twise payed By Iustice then hee must be saued because Christ in great mercie towards him hath made full satisfaction to the Iustice of God His Lords passion is his pardon for the droppes of his Blood his Father hath giuen him in exchange life euerlasting for all repenting sinners what needes him to feare who hath Christ for his Cautioner Sathan Christ would neuer be Cautioner for such a Reprobate goate as hee In wickednesse he hath out-stripped all others he put on Christ like an Hat which goeth off to euery one that wee meete The wine pynt and Tobacca Pype with sneesing pouder prouoking sneuell were his heartes delight His life hath beene a stumbling blocke vnto manie His best vertues were but splendida peccata glistering sinnes His most precious pearles are but of pewter Away with this Child of Belial out vpon him with all his faire wordes all his Religion was but scroofe and scumme Would Christ euer bee Cautioner for such a Banquerupt as hee who all his dayes hath beene a boisterous reueller the chiefe of a knot of knaues The Angel Michael Hee who is not in debt needeth not a Cautioner I came said Christ to call sinners to repentance Though his sins were manie as thou objectes no miserie in man can ouer-reach the mercie of his God Christ in all will bee answerable for him Sathan What hath Christ to doe with this stubburne and steele-necked Bebell who was in his whole conuersation both hote hardie The voyce of his Conscience within was out-cryed all honestie out-faced by his corruptions After yâ— euill turne was done he had his excuse readie at his fingers ends Thinke ye that Christ will bee Cationer for all men or that all men shall bee saued The
workes may easilie ouertoppe all your sins iniquities God will haue man with his narrow bowels of mercie to forgiue his brother seuen times in a day if hee shall returne seuen times in a day saying It repenteth mee If God requireth such mercie of man whose bowels in the widest are not of a span breadth what shall hee doe whose compassions are rouled together into bowels broader than the Sea yea wider than the heauens If ye can repent Sir God can forgiue When man ceaseth to spurne God beginneth to spare The sicke Man I take God to witnesse that I am sorie for my sinnes and so ashamed that with the Publicane I cannot lift vp mine eyes to the heauens I would be content to kisse the ground a thousand times for to get but one kisse of the feete of him who is the on◅ lie helpe of the conscience and the health of the countenance I finde myselfe deepe to the Chine in a gulfe of miserie Tell mee truelie Sir I pray you Thinkeyee that if with a mourning heart I confesse my sinnes to God that hee will haue pittie of me I am sore perplexed the deepe thoughts of mine owne guiltinesse strike men with such a set silence that I am not able to vtter my griefe My feare is that I bee of the familie of hell an haire of horrour and vtter woe Be free with mee I pray you Thinkeyee th◅t such an hord of miserie as mine can euer meete with his mercie The Pastour It is great ignorance Sir to thinke that anie miserie of man can ouer reach the infinite power of his pitie and boundlesse compasse of his compassions It were more easie to turne the Sunne from his course than God from shewing mercie to repenting sinners both his Name and Nature is mercie See wee not out of what myres of miserie Gods mercie hath deliuered repenting sinners In Scripture wee may read long Catologes of pardoning sinnes Consider well I pray you thinke deepelie vpon the mercies of your God Look well what hee hath done to others Could the adulterie of Dauid the incest of Lot the drunkennesse of Noah the murther of Simeon Leui the persecutions of Paul the perjurie of Peter or any other like sinne hinder God to be mercifull to the◅ so soone as they repented * Wherefore wereall these pardons printed into God Booke but for to tell all ages that no man were hee neuer so sinfull should despaire of the mercie of his God As I liue saith the Lord take no delight into the death of sinners but rather that they should repent and liue These bee his owne words If words beare no weight behold effects God hath so loued the world that hee hath giuen his onelie Sonne that whosoeuer belieueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life This is not a verball loue when a man giueth his best beloued for to die for another God hath not spared his onelie Sonne that by his satisfying sufferings his Iustice beeing payed hee might shew mercie to man his poore vnworthie creature not onelie the Father hath loued the world but also the Sonne out of vnspeakable loue was as desirous to die for man as the Father was to send him This out of his owne mouth hee declared that no loue could ouer-reach his loue No man said hee hath greater loue than this than when a man layeth downe his life for his friend The highest of mans loue is to die for his friend But Christs loue was greater hee died for vs euen when wee were his enemies In another point behold the loue of Christ scarselie saith the Apostle for a righteous mā wil one die yet per aduenture for a good man some would euen dare to die But God commendeth his loue towardes vs in that while wee were yet sinners Christ died for vs Who shall doubt of this loue which the Lord hath registred on earth with the dearest blood of his onelie begotten Sonne There is such a loue in the Father and such a loue in the Sonne and such a loue in the holie Ghost toward the Saluation of man that all the heauens are filled with loue of our well so that at the conuersion of one sinner on earth there is more joy among the Saints and Angels than for fourescore and ninteene righteous who neede not repentance * If Sir yee would haue the heauens to rejoyce cast your selfe into the armes of your God with these words Lord doe with mee what thou wilt though thou shuld slay me yet will I true in thee If yee would see the picture of Gods mercy ye must draw aside the curtaine of all carnall surmises The sicke Man Oh that I might cast my Soule into his Armes But how can I doe this The Lord hath turned his backe on mee shall I cast my selfe into a consuming fire At the first sight of his angry face my Soule will die for feare The Pastour Men often are deceiued So soone as Manoah had seene the Angel hee said to his wife Wee shall surelie die because wee haue seene God But his wife answered more wiselie If the Lord were pleased to kill vs hee would not haue receiued a sacrifice from vs As shee said to him so say I to you If the Lord were pleased to kill you hee would not haue giuen his Sonne in a Sacrifice for you * I is a greater loue token that God hath giuen his Sonne in a Sacrifice for you than that hee should receiue any sacrifice from you It is the Apostles argument that since God hath giuen vnto vs his owne Sonne hee will not refuse vs any other thing that may doe vs good Christ alone is the sinners refuge hee is a Rocke of comfort which cannot bee shaken a Rocke which commandeth all seas of sorrows the pole of our peace Be earnest in prayer with God cry till he hea◅e The sicke Man I am wearied with crying to God my prayers may be called The voyce of my roaring But what shall I say I cry but there is none that maketh answere God hath couered himselfe with a cloude that my prayers should not passe thorow hee hath stopped his eares that my prayer should not bee heard This is a most fearefull blast and blow in his bloo die battell The Pastour Deceiue not your selfe often our prayer framed and followed by the Spirit of grace is heard though the fense of grant bee not yet brought to vs God for causes will let a time goe betweene seeking and finding After this the Angel spake vnto Daniel At the beginning of thy prayer God heard thee and now I am come to tell thee See how a space will interceede betweene Gods hearing of mans prayer and mans knowledge that God hath heard him Though yee as yet know not whither God hath heard you or not yee must not
saued by the Light of Gods word dispell this mist of ignorance Make mee free of this shrewd temptation The Pastour That of Peter in the New-Testament is remarkable Christ himselfe called him A man of little Faith and yet who doubteth of his Saluation The other example in the Old-Testament was in type and figure when the Israelites were biten with the fierie Serpents their onelie remeed was to looke vp to the brasen Serpent All this was a type and figure of a Soule wounded with sinne looking vp vnto Christ with the eye of Faith Now it is certaine that some in Israel were bleared and some of a weaker sight than others but the weaknesse of their sight could not hinder the cure nay the olde man with his dimmed eyes beholding as thorow a mist that type of Christ was as soone and soundlie cured as hee whose eyes were in their greatest vigour The meate taken with a paralitick trembling hand will not refuse nourishment to the bodie no more than if it were taken with a strong and stable arme Faith is the eye of the Soule whereof the Israelites eyes were but a figure Christ is the trueth of the brasen Serpent Though this eye bee dimmer into some yet if it see that sight is Saluation Faith is the hand of the Soule Christ is the foode Though this Faith tremble Christ trembleth not the palsie is not in the foode Bee of good courage Sir feare not this trembling feare the work of Saluation cannot bee wrought but with feare and trembling Though ye feare yet despaire not there is meâ—…cie with God in a vnspeakable measure In one Psalme it is said againe and againe vnto sixe and twentie times that his mercie endureth for euer This mercie I confesse is whiles concealed from the godlie for ends best knowne vnto their heauenly Father Who is he that often shall not spie at diuerse times his minde to bee dulled or ouer-cast with some cloud of Milancholie While this humour domineeres Sathan maketh choise of it for therein to set a seate for grimme and grieuous temptations While he perceiueth the bodie to bee troubled and distempered hee quicklie afresh representeth vnto the veiw of our Soule the greatest most greiuous sins of our vnregeneration and that into their fullest and foulest shape By this meanes deepe gashes and wide gappes are made in mens Conscience Bee strong in God Sir saue his honour by putting your trust in him Shall Gods word cry to man sixe and twentie times that hee is a mercifull God shall man doubt of such a mercie If such mercies were but for some dayes â—…nners might thinke that in some dismall dayes of the yeare mercy by no meanes could bee found But behold the musicall twne of Gods mercie is vpon an euerlasting Note for his mercie endureth for euer Hee who doubteth of Gods fauour after so manie testimonies may prouoke the Lord against himselfe Moses by his doubting at Meribah made the Lords wrath to waxe hote against him While hee should haue spoken to the Rocke he scourged the Rocke more with these wordes of doubt shal we cause water come foorth than he did with the Rod That Rock was Christ Moses while by doubting hee scourged the Rocke hee scourged Christ for that Rocke was Christ Who would euer haue thought that Moses with his Law Rod would haue scourged Christ the substance both of Law and Gospel Who euer hee bee that doubteth thinking that God either cannot nor will not bee mercifull vnto him so farre as in him is hee scourgeth the Lord Iesus as these who by their euill life are said to crucifie to themselues the Sonne of God afresh and to put him to an open shame Beleeue be saued God is both mild and mercifull Is not his Command directeth vnto man that hee shew mercie with chearefulnesse Is he not called the Father of mercies Is it not written that hee is a God rich in mercie O these bleeding bowels of compassions What said hee at last while hee saw the great affliction of Ephraim How said hee shall I giue thee vp Ephraim How shall I deliuer the Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim After these foure How how how how Mercie in a manner did turne about hâ—…s heart with such a force that hee cryed out Mine heart is turned within mee my repentinges are kindled together If mercie be not in his diuine breast where shall it be found The sicke Man All that yee haue said Sir concerning the mercy of God in Christ belongeth on lie to repenting sinners who haue bewailed the errours of their life but not to such a varnished hypocrit as I am who haue remained fast rooted in the rottenesse of must filthie corruptions which I had neuer care to curbe or controle My secret sinnes like a consuming canker haue freted out the verie heart of Grace From my Youth I haue wandered from the way of happinesse and haue beene like an idle Begger in the way readie to goe which way so euer the staffe fell My greatest feare now is that I haue too long delayed the day of my repentance what know I if God will forgiue a man so grieuous sinnes not repented of till hee come to his death-bed Hardlie can I think that in so short a time a man can bind vp friendshippe with his God with whom hee hath beene at feede his whole life time O mercifull God melt my marble heart Put into my breast the precious pearle of Faith O that with vnspeakable groanes of griefe for my By past euill spent life I might redeeme the time which I haue so lauishlie mispent Oh that the moisture of my body were all melted into teares if therby I culd be perswaded that my sillie Soule were alreadie vtterly out of the reach of all the powers of Hell I haue too long most vainelie sported my selfe in Mesech and ruffled in the tents of Kedar If I had not so long delayed to returne to my God my Soule alreadie in hope should be feasting vpon the joyes of eternitie The Pastour Indeede Sir it is a verie dangerous thing for to delay repentance to the last gaspe or to one Gods mercie as many doe who neuer lay downe the weapons of rebellion till they can sinne no more Oh that men would vnderstand their danger Are not our enemies both strong and neare Hannibal ad portas the Deuill is at the doore But such is the madnesse of many were their Soules neuer so soiled with sinne that if once they can get out but these few wordes God bee mercifull to mee they thinke that they shall be in heauen before their feete bee colde Such men thinke that in death it is easie to consure the Deuill with a word It is but folie to put Saluation vpon such hap-hazard as
was the chiefe entiser of him vnto sinne by bearing him in hand that it was an easie thing after many sinfull pleasures enjoyed to returne vnto God whose fauour and kindnesse might bee procured by and by without anie labour But now Father while he seeth his day declining the Sun of his life neare its setting of an Entiser hee is become an Accuser striuing by all meanes to cause him make shipwrack vpon the bankes of despare Night and day hee vexeth and teareth his Soule by whispering into his eare most impudent lyes against thy Trueth viz. That hee is so miserable that thou art not able to be mercifull vnto him He suggesteth most craftily that it is in vaine for him to sue to thee for thy grace that there is none hope of mercie left for such a sinner that there is none accesse vnto the Throne of Grace for the prayers of such a miserable wretch and that it is no purpose for him to pray But what LORD thou who art Trueth it selfe wilt thou suffer this father of lyes to trouble still thy Seruant Wilt thou heareanie longer thine infinite mercie thus reproached and reuiled as though thou were not able to paâ—…don the faultes of thine owne poore creature What is that to say but that God shall cease to be that God whose mercie is aboue all his workes O LORD most mercifull can the sinfull scarlet rednesse and the Crimsin colour of mans corruptions bee â—…o dyed that it cannot bee washen away with the Blood of thy Lambe O seale vp the sense of thy loue in his heart make thy Spirit to whisper in his eare that mercie is with thee that thou may bee both feared and loued Shall anie thing LORD withhold the heart broken sinner from the Throne of Grace Is not this the voyce of thy Spirit Come vnto mee all ye that are wearied and ladened with sinned Is not thy promise written in thy Booke that thou wilt ease them O most louing Father euen in despite of Sathan and his most despitfull suggestions make his Soule bolde and confident that it may aduenture it selfe to the mercifull Throne of thy Grace Cleare and cleanse his eyes from the Spirituall goare of sin that with Simeon he may see thy Saluation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people O deare IESVS deliuer his Darling from the power of the Dogge Incline thine eares and heare the grieuous groanes of this poore prisoner Make him a prisoner of hope Turne thee now about and refresh his wearied heart with a blinke of thy mercie Shew him the light of thy Countenance and hee shall bee saued Enlarge his heart that thy Graces finding a spacious roome may plentifully harbour in his soule Alas LORD what shall we say if thou shalt say to him I haue no delight in thee Behold heere hee is doe to him as shall seeme good in thine owne eyes Thou hast not forgotten neither can thou forgette but that thy delight is in mercie Where sinne doeth abound shall not there thy Grace abound much more Thou LORD hast often bathed this sillie Soule in most bitter brimie teares Thou hast hid thy selfe from it and it hath beene troubled Now amid the vexations of so many temptations blinke vpon him with a reconcealed face O GOD of Battels in this Bartell of the Soule send downe thy strength for to guarde him against the assaultes of Satan who pursueth him so eagerly with most sharpe and fearefull afâ—…aultes like a Dogge hunting after a sillie straggling sheepe Though for a space thou suffer him to bee buffeted with a messenger of Sathan yet let him know that thy Grace shall bee sufficient for him Let thy right hand hold him vp and let thy gentlenesse make him great Renew his heart with the power of thy Spirit reinuest him with the image of thine holinesse which once hee lost in Adam Cast his Spirit againe in thine owne mouâ—…d At last LORD put Sathan to silence let thine owne Spirit speake vnto this Sicke in his inward partes Say vnto his Soule I am thy Saluation Make thy good Spirit of comfort to whisper in his eare that thou aâ—…t well pleased and that thou hast receiued a ransome Such wordes of mercie will bee a blessed Balmeâ—… wherby thou shalt heale this sorrow beaten Soule stung with a checke and smart for his sinnes Though LORD hee hath but some poore beginnings of Grace in a time wee confesse when thy graces in him should haue beene ripe for that glorie which is now shortly to bee reuealed vnto him yet notwithstanding let it please thee of thy meere mercie to pittie and â—…don Remember thy mercies of old which were neuer wont to break the bruised reede nor to quench the smoaking flaxe If thy great mercie be not his strength and stay he must needs bee ouercome For whom hath hee in Heauen but thee Or who is on earth whom hee can desire besides thee O Thou whom his Soule loueth tell him where thou makest thy flock to rest at Noone in the greatest heate of affliction Seeing he seeketh after thee onelie let him bee refreshed with thy comforts for why should he turne aside by the flockes of thy companions Consider well wee pray thee LORD how bene he hath vexed and d squieted with many fearfull temptations now at last come with thine helping hand come and abate the force and furie of all his enemies whether within or without subdue their raging and reigning power that when the houre of his departing shall come hee may with Simeon depart in peace Stand LORD fast by him forsake him not in this perelous time Let thy Spirit guide and leade him in the Land of righteousnesse Let thy grace be vnto him a Sunne by day a Moone by night Take all impedimentes out of the way bridle so curbe all his vnrulie affections that they may fold vnder thine obedience Suppresse all his carcing heart deuiding cares whyp out of his heart all treacherous temptations Embalme his hearte with the sweetnesse of thy new fresh graces Settle in his Soule that godlie sorrow which cause Repentance neuer to bee repented of This sillie Soule LORD hath beene fearefullie tossed to and froe with the waues of thy wrath Let it please thee to command a calme Settle thou his heart and stablish it with thy free Spirit Mercifull GOD thou knoweth how Sathan hath sought to sift and to winnow him but of thy mercie thou shalt neuer suffer his Faith to faile Build vpon the Rocke which cannot bee shaken Through thy fauour giue him peace in belieuing and joye in the holy Ghost that by the grace and power of thy Spirit hee may finish his course with comfort Let in now be made manifest that his life hath beene hid with Christ in God Thou who hast numbered his haires obserue his griefe his groans pittie the crouding of thy Turtle-Doue Tak thou to heart the
the Lord and therefore if yee would please good men or haue good men for to please you walke in the wayes which will please the Lord All mens hearts are in his hands like riuers of water Hee can make a foe of a friende and a friende of a foe If yee neglect this counsell yee shall at last be forced to stand at staues end with the whole world Hee who is at variance with his God will neuer agree with himselfe and so shall bee in discord with all for as the Pagan said well Conveniet nulli qui secum dissidet ipse Hee who is not good to himselfe can bee good to none Though commonlie men say of some Hee is or was euill to none but to himselfe A wise man in this land hath made a good replye to that speach viz. It were almes to hang him that is not good to himselfe Now yee are young yet breath is in the bodie Worke while it is light Bee carefull to keepe a Callender as it were of your dayes which may call vpon you hourelie bee diligent for the time is short By years dayes and houres our life is continuallie cut and sklised away What shall I say more The Lord giue you wisedome in all thinges Godlinesse is true wisedome Best spirited men are not euer most spirituall As for you striue truelie to bee religious Nathanaels Israelites indeed Euerie night before ye goe to bedde set before your eyes the mercies of that day Muster them orderlie and take a view of them carefullie that vpon your knees from your heartes yee may giue God his praise While ye are gone from the publick prayer of the Familie vnto your priuate bed Chamber remember Gods mercies afresh While yee remember them let this bee your last collation drinke before yee goe to bedde take with Dauid the cup of Saluation and call vpon the Name of the Lord As trades men haue a day Booke for daylie receites it were expedient that all the godlie haue a register wherein may bee written the noble actes of the Lord for to helpe ou◅ weake memorie lest wee suffer his mercies to slippe out of our minde If yee either forgette your sinnes or Gods mercie remember that yee haue a Conscience which is a daylie obseruer a night watch and a secret spye into your Soules In all your adoes striue to be righteous before God and vpright before men See in a short verse what shall bee the end both of the godlie and wicked The memorie of the just is blessed But the name of the wicked shall rotie O my deare Children lay vp carefullie these wordes into your hearts which I your olde Father haue spoken with much paine Thinke vpon this one day Death will inquire what Life hath beene doing As for my worldlie affaires as Rents or Goods if they bee great lippen not to them If they be little little with Gods grace is enough If yee bee godlie God shall bee your Father and your feeder If yee abound bee not prodigall Make not a god of your Bellie Beware to tipple or quaffe or with the glutton to feede delicatelie Care not for panch pleasures Iohn liued on locusts It is better to liue on Cake and water with a godlie Elias than to feast royallie with a foolish Nabal Though feasts bee pleasant they are dangerous When the dayes of feasting were ended Iob sent sanctified his children rose vp earelie in the morning for to offer burnt offerings for them al for Iob said It may be that my sons haue sinned cursed God in their heart Single feasting is fittest for the Soule and most wholesome for the bodie God sendeth sluggardes to the Pismire as to a Master of worke for to direct them from loitering to labour Let gluttons whose dearest delightes are in panch-pleasures from morning vntill euen learne of the Swallowes who sit not down to dine but feede while they flee As they feede on flees so they flee while they feede What should man doe with his Bellie but feede it as in a flight Let the winges of sobrietie carrie you from glutting plentie before yee bee ouer-taken with that which shall make you to be ashamed to morrow While yebegin to drinke beware of after-clapes Men by a litle distemper at the fi◅st contract easily an habit of sine S. Augustine speaking how his Mother MONICA learned to tipple ◅aith Primoribus labijs sorbebat exiguum Itaque ad illud modicum quotidi◅na modica addendo in eam consuetudinem lapsa erat vt prope jam plenos mero calices inhianter hauriret That is At the first shee began but to kisse the cuppe and to sippe a little of the wine while shee filled the Cup to her Parents but anone shee came to this that shee made no bones to sucke drie full Cups of wine See how from sipping at last shee came to carousing Oh but that is a deare drink which costeth a man a Spot in his name a blot in his conscience Experience telleth that pleasures is more dangerous than paine and feasting thā fasting Remember Iobs children see in what a feare that godlie Father was concerning their ◅easting Certainelie his feare was not a foolish feare without anie ground It is set down in Scripture for to teach men feare in feasting Too manie at such times turne themselues into barrels and beastes swinishlie ouerturning all reason judgement that is within them As for you be yee sobber if yee would bee holie God will not tarie into that heart which hath a god in the bellie Hee who would lodge the Arke must chasse Dagon to the doore like a dogge Manie who neglect the bellie haue pride printed in great capitall Letters vpon their backe Bee yee not sumptuous in apparrell Let God giue you the coat according to the cold Follow not new fashions Beware of euill example Woe to the world for scandales As yee should not bee prodigall bee not also misers pinch-pennies Defraude not your selues of your graunted good Bee thankfull to God for all his giftes Away with these who after they haue receiued that which they sought haue done with God till they neede him againe In all the course of your life striue to hold the Ballance equall vertues in the midst Extremities are like Border Theeues not subject to the Lawes Bee neither too nice nor too pert too scurrile nor too silent In worldlie wealth trye before yee treasure If yee bee rich glorie not in your riches if yee bee poore pray God to keepe you from the extremitie of pouertie lest that yee put foorth your hand to steale If God send pouerty be not discouraged Though it bee sore it is no sinne Lazarus with his ragges was welcomer to God than Diues with his purple Hee who begged from that rich man on earth saw the rich man a begger into Hell Hee is rich enough
bee thankfull vnto thy good and gracious Lord O what tribulations am I come thorow O with what balmie comfortes hath the Lord asswadged the dolours of my Soule O my Soule I charge thee by the Roes and by the Hynds that thou haste thee vnto thy God in thy strongest affections Keepe nowe tryst with the Spirit of thy God who is now here waiting till thou bee readie The Pastour My Soule and all that is within mee praise the Lord for the powerfull working of his Spirite within you whereby hee hath made such a change as is wonderfull This particula◅ remembereth mee of a certaine Martyre who beeing condemned to bee burnt could feele no working of the Spirit within his hearte till hee came neare to the stake But beeing once come there with a cry hee clapped his hands and crying out amaine said O Austen hee is come hee is come The Martyr was called Master Goner The sicke Man By the grace of God I hope shortlie to say as much My Soule is readie bent waiting for his comming O come Lord Iesus come Let this mine hungrie Soule win in now at the ports of thy Palace for to get a share of the mariage supper of the Lambe in hope already I feast vpon the joys of eternitie In my Soule is now the Charter of my Saluation sealed with that most pure and purifying Blood of the immaculate and spotlesse Lambe that came to take away the monstrous and menstrous sin◅es of the world In the vertue of his Blood is my strongest comfort and highest resolution By it alone all my blacke and bloodie sinnes are clensed from their crimsin colour The Pastour Indeede Sir it is onelie that Lambes Blood that can purge away sinne and iniquitie Though man should wash himselfe with nitre and take him much sope yet for all that shall his iniquitie bee marked before God except that hee bee bathed into this blood of sprinkling Seeing now your Charter is well sealed hold fast these writtings that nothing aboue or belowe no not principalities and powers bee able to wrest them out of your hands Happie is your heart now wherein is that white jewell of the Reuelation euen the white stone wherein is a new name which no man can knowe except the receiuer O the boundlesse bleeding bowels of Gods compassions O that infinite store-house of Christs merites and mercies which no sinne were they neuer so hainous can bee able to stint or restraine before the repenting sinner get a parte of that purchase Neither Death nor Life things present nor to come shall be able to with hold a mourning sinner from a share in our Lords dearest compassions Christ now Sir is readie to receiue ◅ou Make your selfe readie for him Lift vp your hea◅ for your Redemption draweth neare The ende of your time and toile is fast comming The Angels of God are here waiting vpon your Soule which is now looking out to Christ as the morning faire as the Moone cleare as the Sunne and terrible as an Armie with Banners Wherevpon is your minde nowe fixed The sicke Man All mine affections are bended toward God O what shall bee able to hold or hinder me from hastening to my Lord the repairer of life the destroyer of death the conquerour of Heauen the vanquisher of Hell O my Sauiour come neerer yet vnto mee let my Soule creepe in by thy wounds euen to the verie bowels of thy mercie Warme it like a Chicken vnder the vvinges of thy loue The Pastour In Christ alone is Saluation Out of his side did issue the water that hath quenched the vnquencheable fyre of Gods wrath with the Blood that taketh away the sinnes of the world His holie Heart was racked his Armes of compassiō were stretched out vpon the Crosse for to declare to all repenting sinners the infinite widenesse of his mercies His sacred Head hang down bowed for to giue eare vnto the gronings of his prisoners His blessed Bowels rumbling with compassions rolled together made him to proclaime that Oyas of mercie Come vnto mee all yee that are wearied and ladened with sinne and I will ease you Much hath hee suffered for our cause Like a painefull labourer hee powred out sweate not onely of water but of blood at the working the great worke of mans Saluation At last by laying downe that Life of loue hee achieued the victorie ouer Sathan flesh the world all the enemies of mans Saluation Them all hee hath crushed and trodde vnder foote Stand fast by Iesus In Faith and Hope thrust your heart vpon him What now Sir thinke ye vpon The sicke Man Christ hath bund vp all my woūds he hath perfectlie closed them with the blessed Balme of his comfortes Now at the end of mine appointed time I am waiting earnestlie till my changing come I hope ere it be long to bee translated from grace to glory The Pastour O Lord set this Soule as a seale vpon thine Hearte and as a seale vpon thine Arme Out of thy great loue make this Soule beautifull as Tirzah comelie as Ierusalem terrible as armie with banners Thou Lord who crownest the yeare with thy goodnesse tak in thine hand the crowne of immortalitie in this Soule crowne thy graces with thy glorie Now Sir yee are neare the borders of Canaan three or foure steppes more would set you in that Land of life and loue The sicke Man Mine heart like an Hart braying after waters panteth after God O when shall I come and appeare before him Now mine heart shiuers within mee I am so sicke that I feare to faint The Pastour O Lord now be mercifull shew fauour toward this thy seruant Distill thy graces into his heart vvith a blessed influence from the Spirit of thy loue pull in all his spirits to Thee and thrust out all distractions O Lord of Life and Loue breath into his soule the life of immortalitie Take heede now vnto him ye who are neere about him for death now approacheth with its last assaultes in all appearance Looke well to him for hee seemeth to bee fallen into a sowne THE SICKE MAN IN A SOVVNE A SOLILOQVEE Or a priuie conference betweene the Soule and the bodie of the sicke Man lying in a sowne The Bodie MY Soule desireth thou now to leaue mee that haue borne thee about mee so manie yeares If thou goe from mee I must no longer remaine among the inhabitants of the world but incontinent after thy departure I a vassell of death must bee hid vnder the dust among crawling wormes farre from the eyes of the liuing These who were once glad to kisse my mouth shall abhorre to see my face Is not the Graue a Babel a place of confusion Doe not Iim and Zim resort there Doe not the Satyres and the Fairies daunce there Mine haire startes all vp for feare while I
A man brought from age of yeeres vnto eternitie is like Dauid a shepheard brought from the Ewes for to bee made a King What regret should a man haue for to change a little Lodge for a London What is this life but a daylie dyeing The sicke Man But alas I haue cut off like a weauer my life Hee will cut mee off with pinning sicknesse from day euen to night hee will make an end of mee The Pastour Take heede Sir what yee say Your meaning is that by your sins yee haue abridged and cutte short your dayes or that yee haue prouocked God by your sinnes to take away your Life from you If it be so that like a weauer yee haue cut your dayes by your sinnes breake off now these sinnes by repentance If by your sinnes yee haue cut like a weauer the threeds of this mortall life beginne now by repentance to spinne the webbe of a new life some threeds of life eternall Let now the rotten thrummes of the vices of your life fall downe to the ground While yee haue time weaue into your life graces thorow graces as warpe and woft Weaue on still till from grace yee worke in into the eternitie of glorie The sicke Man But alas Hee will cut mee off with pynning sicknesse I feare greatlie that the paines of Death put mee out of all patience The Pastour Take courage Sir The paine shall not bee so great as yee feare God will lay no more on you than yee shall bee able to beare He shall weigh all your paines in his mercifull Ballance before that hee laye them vpon you Hee knoweth that your strength is not like the strength of a Whale hee breaketh not the bruised ◅eede God is so bent vnto mercie that while he scourgeth sinners for their faults hee is said to bring to passe his strange worke and his strange act The sicke Man But I feare his cutting Gods cuts are verie sensible I feare to bee◅ cut off with pyning sicknesse The Pastour Feare not God is cunning in his cutting Hee will not cut into the quicke like an ignorant Surgeon The mercifull God taketh no pleasure to cut you off with pyning sicknesse but hee will cut off your corruptions with such paines In such paines should bee pleasure The bluenesse of the wound purgeth away euill Pleasant should be that paine which is Gods Raser for cutting off mans ◅ptions Away with the pleas◅es of this ◅otten flesh Such in the beginning though lawfull ◅re burning and bloodie pleasures vnlawfull end into hellish torments feare not pyning sicknesse The sicke Man But alas from day euen to night he will make an end of mee The Pastour I know Sir that the night is wearisome and that sicknesse some what light in the day waxeth heauy in the night From day to night the sicknesse increaseth The remeede is this bee strong in God whose strength is made perfect in weaknesse If dolours increase in the night heere is a comfort The night time is a most fitte time for prayer The time of silence is most conuenient for speaking vnto God The night time is a speciall time whereof God hath made choise for in it to speake secretlie vnto men It was in the night that Eliphaz saw the vision and heard the voyce of instruction In thoughts said hee From the visions of the night wh◅ deepe sleepe falleth on men feare came vpon mee and trembling which made all my bones to shake Then a Spirit passed before my face the haire of my flesh stood vp it stood still but I could not discerne the forme thereof An Image was before mine eyes there was silence and I heard a voyce c. See how in ◅e visions of the night while there was silence Eliphaz heard the voyce of God Let no sicke man be afraid for the night it is the time of silence the chiefe time of cōference with God Whē Creatures are most silent then is a time for man to speake to God and for God to speake to man The din of the day marreth our meditatiōs The sicke Man But alas from day to night he will make an end of mee The Pastour It is better that hee make an end of you than that any other should doe it If hee make an end of you pray earnestlie for a good end If the end be well all is well Your complaint is that from day to night hee will make an end of you Bee thankefull to God for his mercie toward you in that he hath giuen you so long a time to repent as from day to night Hee might haue made you sinke downe thorow the Earth vnto hell in a moment with Dathan and Abiram Hee might haue burnt you with fire from Heauen in a thunder clappe with Corah Hee might haue drowned you into the Sea with Pharaoh Hee might haue slaine you vnder a Tower with these eighteene at Siloe Hee might haue sent a winde for to smite the foure corners of your house while yee had beene at a banket with Iobs Children What if the goodnesse of God had deserted you and taken his free Spirit frō you What if hee should doe so to the best of vs Certainelie we◅ should either make away our selu◅ with Saule by the sword or with Iudas and Ahitophel by the cord o◅ with Zi◅rie by the fire Many others haue in an instant beene snatched away in the verie swea◅e of their sinnes First then I say That is a grea◅ mercie of God vnto man that God himselfe maketh an end of him and not suffereth him to fall into the hands of his mercielesse creatures Secondlie in that from day to night hee delayeth it is a mercyfull patience Take heede Sir what I say Count this a great mercie of your God though yee should die this night thanke God for his patience that it was from day to night before that hee would make an end of you It is a great benefite of God to get but so much time wherein wee may once cry Lord haue mercie vpon mee No man can sufficientlie esteeme the high price of a dayes laiser vnto night Heere is the patience and the long suffering of God Now Sir consider and weigh well what hath beene said Is it not now your desire that yee bee dissolued Are yee not as yet resolued It would seeme that there bee some thing that yet troubleth you As for the wordes of Hezekiahs chattering which hath beene the wordes of your mourning I hope that in some measure ye haue beene cleared with some contentment The sicke Man I confesse Sir that yee haue pertinentlie made answere to all these difficulties But alas what shall I say The Pastour What aileth you Bee plaine with mee I pray you Sir thinke no shame to tell mee what is into your minde If the Patient couer his
knowledge the practise of his passions that which he had before only in contemplatiō is now also knowne vnto him by suffering that which he knew Others say That hee learned obedience by his sufferings that is Re ipsa expertus est quid sit patrem habere cut p◅rendum sit Hee knew by Experience what it was to haue a Father to whom obedience was due Thus Christ while hee learned obedience by his sufferinges hath teached all the faithfull to suffer patientlie As for that which yee said concerning Iob that his afflictions were only blowes of probation of tryall yee deceiue your selfe they were also for his sins Whenfore is the liuing man sorrowfull said Ieremie The answere is peremptorie man suffereth for his sinnes The sicke Man That seemeth not euer to bee true While Christs Disciples saw a man that was blind from his birth they asked Christ saying Master who did sin this man or his parents that hee was borne blind Iesus answered Neither hath this man sinned nor his Parents but that the workes of God should bee made manifest in him Oh that I were that borne blind that I were not afflicted for my sinnes but that the works of Gods mercy might bee manifested in mee The Pastour These words of Christ are not to bee taken so strictlie as though God would lay any affliction vpon a man in whom is no sinne This could not stand with the Iustice of God If Adam his Children had neuer sinned not one of them could haue beene stricken either with blindnesse or deafenesse This blind man then was not afflicted for his sins only or especially or as if he had bene a greater sinner thā others but chieflie this disease came vnto him that the workes of Gods power and mercie might bee made manifest by his cure So Dauid was sore afflicted for his adulterie and murther but chieflie for to stoppe the mouthes of these enemies of God whom hee by his scandle made to blaspheme God as yee see may afflict you for your sinnes and yet not chieflie for them but for to take a tryall of your patience or for to make others feare to sin when they shall perceiue by you how great paines a godlie Soule will suffer before that it can bee well reconciled vnto God againe The sicke Man I confesse Sir that ye speake with the tongue of the Learned But for all that I finde such temptations tumbling within mee that I may compare them to the swelling of Iordan My sinnes alas hudge in greatnesse stand vp like mountaines betweene mee and my God They are so high that they hide Heauen from my Soule What shall I doe Sir If euer yee helped mee helpe mee now with your comforts The Pastour Though these mountaines be high yet yee must clime the mount with Moses if ye would see Canaan So long as Moses was in the valey he could not see the typ of Heauen We must all clime vp the Hill Wee cannot see Christ before wee bee lifted from the Earth Wee are all but men of little stature like Zacheus Wee must therefore vp the tree with him and vp the mount with Moses before wee can see either Christ o◅ Canaan that place of promise Ye are sorie for your sinnes But sanat confessio morbi A sinne well confessed is healed But what sinnes be these Sir whose toppes reach so high that they hide the Sunne from you The sicke Man Alas for the sinnes of my Youth my Riot and my Drunkennesse my Chambering my wantonnes my strif and enuy Fye on my Fornications and Adulteries my lying and deceiuing Hypocrisie So I had a lampe of profession I cared not for oyle in it my chiefe care hath euer beene for the outward shell of my duetie but neuer for the Kernell Gods graces in mee haue beene like a pure liquor in a fustie vessell The Pastour I am glad to heare of these buffets of your Conscience such griefe is from grace I know what shall bee the euent euen Repentance neuer to bee repented of But say on The sicke Man This is my greatest griefe that I sinned into the light with Absolom euen in the cleare Sunne shine of the Gospel Now may I well be ranked with these who counted it pleasure to riot in the day time It were more easie for mee to number the sand than my sinnes The Pastour There is no sinne either of omission or commission in the light or in darknesse that can hinder God to bee mercifull to a sinner if the sinner can repent God who is infinit in mercie can forgiue the riots of the day sinnes of knowledge as well as night sinnes which are sins of ignorance There is one sinne of ignorance which shall neuer bee forgiuen euen to despaire of Gods mercie What ignorance is this that any Creature should thinke it selfe more sinfull than God can bee mercifull To make our sinnes to ouerreach his compassions were to make the Center to containe the Circumference If your sinnes bee in number like the sand Gods mercies are without number The greatest number that mans braine can inuent either by telling or by ciphering in comparison of that which is infinite is not so much as a droppe of a Bucket compared to the great Ocean The sicke Man I haue alas beene an impudent sinner who with my sinnes haue buffeted my God on euerie side It were now righteous with God that hee should buffet me with his judgements I slept in sinne and could not bee wakened While Christs Cocke crowed my Soule lay fast asl◅epe Yea while hee crowed againe I had past the third deny all And though I was forewarned I had none hoe in euill doing While God was in my mouth he was farre from mine heart O that bloodie scarlet scrole of so manie iniquities The Pastour As yee reason with your selfe and with mee so let it please you to reason but a little with your God Come now said the Lord let vs reason together Though your sinnes bee as scarlet they shall bee as white as snow though they bee red like crimsin they shall bee as woll There is no sin so red though it were double dyed but the vertue of Christs Blood can cause it cast its colour The sicke Man I haue no Faith to applie anie salue to my sore I heare your explication of Gods mercies But there is none application within mee What better will a man bee that yee set much meate downe before him on the Table if hee cannot eate it The Pastour Manie haue sit downe at Table hauing their appetit so bound vp at the first that they abhorred to see meate yet litle litle haue beene broght on first to taste thereafter to eate a little last of all one piece bringeth on another till they recouer their appetit This is but a disease in
to Ioram seeking comfort vpon extremitie What haue I to doe with thee get thee to tâ—… Prophets of thy father and mother aâ—… desire them to helpe thee get thee 〈◊〉 thy pleasures and profits and preferments which in forsaking mee thou didst so eagerlie pursue This maketh all the wounds of my remorse to blead afresh The Pastour As Samuel tooke the voyce of God to bee the voyce of Eli so manie take the voyce of a temptation to bee the voyce of God Wee must try the Spirits Sathan is craftie He can winde himselfe wonderfullie into the heart of men some times by sleepie securitie some time by fearfull despaire While hee entiseth vnto sinne he maketh God to speak nothing but mercie to a sinner Thou may sinne will hee say and repent againe But while hee accuseth for sin hee maketh all Gods words to bee words of wrath that the sinner may be swallowed vp with dispaire * Tak heed Sir who it is that answereth to your cry Though God should draw you thorow Hell bee yee still assured of Heauen His wrath is but for a moment but his mercie endureth for euer Settle your heart in the secret of God lest it bee carried away with euerie light wind and gale of temptation Seeke out of your selfe in Christ the grounds and warrands of your Saluation The sicke man I feare greatlie to be ouer-blowen and that I make shipwracke of the faith vpon most fearfull bankes and dangers such a boisterous gale did â—… neuer feele The Pastour While temptations are most terrible to our feeling they are often least dangerous Shallow feas are full of broken waters while deeper though more terrible are of a softer swelling carrying the burden more safelie aboue Tak courage the most godlie heart must encounter with manie thorters The Lord humbleth the hearts of his Sainctes lest that in a vaine conceit of their owne worth they should ouer-weene themselues Thinke well vpon that which I say a red-warre in the Soule is better than a sleepie laish Securitie Away with Labans mirth his songs and his Tabrets Flat opposition is not so dangerous as a couered agreement Take to heart this my counsell Though the Lord should sâ—…ay you yet put your trust into him God is not euer gotten at the first verilie said Isaiah thou art a God that hiddest thy selfe O God of Israel the Sauiour The sicke Man I vnderstand not what such hidding meaneth O the fearefull Tribunall of God whose eyes of fire see all the wayes of man In his Ballance hee pondereth all his goinges Gods mercie I know is a good staffe to stay vpon but it is farre from mine heart and hand I am not like these sinners which but trip and stumble and rise againe after a snapper my fall iâ—… with my full weight the milstons oâ—… his wrath are hung about my necke which beare my Soule downe to the bottome of Hell I finde now the trueth of that saying of the wise His owne iniquities shall take the wicked himselfe and hee shall bee holden with the cords of his sinnes The Pastour What shall I say as truelie said the wise By sorrow of the heart thâ—… spirit is broken Seeing yee are acquaint with the speaches of the wise remember that counsell of the wise Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and leane not to thine own vnderstanding I pray you to be plaine with me What is this that maketh you liâ—… a reede shaken with the wind wherein lyeth the strength of your temptations The sicke Man I will not conceale the matter from you This is it mine own heart absolueth me not while I put mine hand into mine owne bosome Oh how liprous pull I it out againe My Conscience giueth mee a terrible twetch * Incessantlie it cryeth out guiltie against mee What shall I say then to that of the Apostle If our heart condemne vs God is greater than our heart Is not this the true sense of these wordes If our owne heart condemne vs much more will God condemne vs who is more mightie than our heart In this I finde my selfe amidst the thickest throng of fearefull temptations wrapped in the wrath of God This temptation is like a fresh post-horse for to carrie mee to damnation it is of Sathans saddling The Pastour * Indeede Sir the judgement of a mans conscience is a liuelie image of the judgement of God It is certaine that whom the conscience condemneth into this world him shall God condemne in the world to come And againe whom the conscience shall absolue into this world him shal God absolue into the world to come The Conscience is Gods Iudge within But this ye must know that it is not time for a Iudge to giue out sentence while his wits are troubled or while he is in a moode or passion A wise Iudge will not bee sudden but will take time to consider well the cause before hee pronounce A Conscience that is troubled should not sit downe in judgement As one appealed from drunkeâ—… King Philip to sober King Philip so must a sinner appeale from his Conscience in a qualme to his Conscience in a calme Moreouer euerie voyce that is within a man is not the voyce of his Conscience but of some temptation shrouded vnder the coat of the Conscience like Iacob cloathed with Esâ—…us garment While Ionah was but in the bellie of a fish his heart cryed that hee was in the bellie of hell Sathan hath a deceiuing Prospect or dioptre for sinne At the one end sin and judgement appeare to bee farre off little like Midges But while the instrument is turned these midges appeare like mountaines Sinne in the doing is like Zoar a little one but in repenting it is like Nineueh hudge and great It seemeth before the doore of mercie like a Camell at a needels eye The sicke Man But thinke yee Sir that the Conscience of a man which God hath sette within him as an Iudge as a Watch and a Witnesse yea as a thousand witnesses can faile at any time The Pastour It is certaine that while the Consciences of men are well wakened and not troubled with terrours of temptations they are into the breastes of men verilie Gods voyce declaring to the Soule what God hath concerning it ratified into the Heauen But yee know that manie a mans Conscience will bee mightilie troubled Sometimes it will bee darkened with Ignorance so that as Samuel tooke Eliab for Dauid it will also take him to bee appointed to bee a King whom the Lord hath rejected Some times it will not know what ailleth the Soule no more than Elisha knew what ailed the Shunamite while shee fell downe at his feete Some times it will be fast asleepe like Ionah while hee snorted in the hatches I compare the Consciences
God for this chastisement Though for a space yee bee in the fearefull depths of temptations Let nothing mak you to despaire Christ the most solide Rocke of your Saluation shall turne all such surges into froth While Ionah was in the bellie of hell and all the billowes of Gods wrath passing ouer him yet vvould he not despaire into that hell but beeing tumbled vp downe there hee trembled in his belieuing and belieued in his trembling Then I said I am cast out of thy sight There was his trembling Yet I will looke againe toward thine holie Temple There was his belieuing And the Lord spake to the Fish and it vomited out Ionah vpon the dry land these were the fruites of his Faith Learne Sir of Ionah not to despaire were it in the bellie of hell Though for a space ye as it were goe downe with that Prophet to the bottomes of the mountaines the time shall come that yee shall sing to God yet hast thou brought vp my life from corruption O Lord my God God for a space for the sinnes of his chosen for his glorie for his praise for proofe for example and manie other reasons may bee ecclipsed from shining to the sillie sinfull Soules of his Turtles But there is none obscuritie that shall be able for euer to restraine from them the Celestiall influence of his blessed beams of comfort In a litle wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with euerlasting kindnes will I haue mercie on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer The sicke Man But alas mine heart is al◅eadie wounded with vncurable wounds The Pastour In Christ is your remeede If yee bee wounded there is health in his winges for the healing of your wounds Though for a space such wounds bee sore in your feeling yet fret not Yee would gladlie suffer all that and more if yee knew how many stripes Heauen were worth Though Christ tarie yet he will not tarie He is more sensible to our sores than we can imagine Belieue him while hee speaketh These bee his words of sense Hee that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of mine eye Be of good heart Sir Christ shall bee the Iudge of our sinnes who was judged for our sinnes He to whom all judgement is deliuered was deliuered for vs vnto death Yee say that your heart is wounded let this bee a salue for your sore a broken heart is the verie heart of repentance neuer to bee repented of The heart which was neuer wounded for sinne is deadlie wounded with sinne The heart which was neuer wounded for sin hath neuer known the vertue of Christes woundes the onelie remeede of sinne Be of good courage in this good fight like the Church who for her valour in spirituall warfare is compared to the troopes of horses in the Chariots of Pharaoh Now seeing the day groweth to an end after that in my prayer I haue recommended you to Gods protection and direction I will leaue you vntill morrow Let vs pray A Prayer for the sicke Man tossed with spirituall temptations O LORD how terrible art thou when thou art angrie at thy creatures Who can stand before thee a cōsuming fire When thou is prouocked the Earth shaketh and trembleth the foundations of the hilles are moued When thy wrath is kindled smoke commeth out of thy nostrils and out of thy mouth commeth a deuouring fire whereby coales are kindled O the terrour of these euerlasting burnings Who darre approach vnto thee Who shall bee so bolde as to stand before thee seeing there is none so fierce that darre stirre vp the Leuiathan one of thy Vassals whose scales are his pride whose eyes are lik the eye lids of the morning who by his neesinges maketh a light to shine kindleth coals by his breath O GOD most gracious make thy North winde to awake and blow vpon him for the cooling of his conscience parched with fierie temptations Change thine angrie countenance toward this sillie cast-downe Soule sore tossed and troubled with spirituall tempest O heare our earnest sute and bee not deafe towards vs O let the bright beames of thy mercie disperse and breake thorow the cloudie glominesse of thy wrath Let the cleare skie of thy fauour appeare vnto this darkened spirit that in a holie boldnesse hee may come vnto the Throne of thy grace Thou hast said Lord Anger is not with mee Thy word plainelie affirmeth that there is but a moment in thy wrath In wrath thy custome is to remember mercie Forget not so good a custome O remember here a sinner vexed with thy wrath Breake not this bruised reede neither quench this smoking flaxe but kindle vp the lurking sparkle Make thy strength perfect in his weakenesse make thy Mandrakes to giue a smell that his Soule may bee refreshed with the sauour of life vnto life Take from him all hardnesse of heart Suffer not his Conscience to bee seared with sinne neither too sensible of sinne lest that hee losse his patience Giue him a soft and a yeelding heart for to admitte the comforts of thy Spirit O take out of his breast the hard marble and flintie heart of Nature and put in the place thereof a fleshie and melting heart with a tender feeling Spirit Open his eyes with thine eye-salue that hee may see thy mercie thorow the crosse-barred gates of so fearefull temptations As the weight of thy wrath hath made his Conscience to bleede so let the might of thy mercie like Balme cu◅e couer the wounds of thy wrath O GOD of pittie pittie this poore Soule weeping in secrete at thy feete Pittie this Spirite which is filled with heauinesse Sore sorrow O LORD is entered through all the powers of his Soule euen to the diuiding of the joynts and the marrow of his bones Put these wordes of comfort in his minde and mouth that thou retainest not thine anger for euer because thou delightest in mercie O sanctifie the force of all his paineful temptations that they may worke to his well let him know that thou hast an hand in all his troubles Let him say Let the righteous smite mee and it shall bee a benefite Yea though thou should slay mee yet will I trust in thee Good GOD giue him not ouer to the raging euill of his owne corruptions Suffer not his Spirit to bee ouerwhelmed with the burden of temptations but with the temptation giue him an out-gate Make the Spiknard of thy mercie send out a sweete smell whereby his fainting heart may bee comforted Giue him victorie ouer all the enemies of his saluation As Ioshuah made his men of warre to set their feete vpon the neckes of their enemies and tread them vnder foote euen so LORD make this thy weake seruant to sette his feete vpon the neckes of these sinnes which like Kings haue swe◅ed their sinfull Scepter
I will let down the net What ensued vpon his obedience they inclosed such a multitude of fishes that for the weight thereof their nette brake the aboundance was so great that they beckned to their partners which were into another ship that they shuld come to helpe them And they came and filled both the shippes so that they beganne to sinke Let your wearied Soule learne of Peter to obey Christ though they had toiled all the night and had taken nothing and had lost all hope of any taking yet at Christs word they let downe the net Christ in his Miracle would not cause the fish to leape into their Shippe but hee would haue them to launch and labour yea and seeke helpe of others Moreouer before Christ did this they had toiled all the night before without anie profit Christ came not to abrogat the Law by feeding idle men but hee came to fulfill the Law and to giue a blessing to these that did eate their bread in the sweate of their face Trust first in God Sir and at his word launch in the deepe Labour in the sweat of your face seeke aske knocke and bee assured to finde and receiue for yea and Amen hath spoken it Though your sinnes bee great if yee belieue his word hee hath giuen both his word and his oath to forgiue two immutable things wherein it is imposible that God should lie O the vnlimited boundlesse bowels of his mercie The sicke Man I haue alreadie rapped at the doore of grace but I haue gotten none answere God will not cast vp his gates to let in such a rotten ra◅call as I am The dinne of temptations within mee is like the rumbling of a Linne wherein waters rush with a ◅oise I by my sinnes haue growne so heauie vpon the Lord that I presse him as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaues While I pray Christ letteth not on him that hee either heareth or seeth mee The Pastour Though at the first prayer ye receiue not yet cry againe againe The poore receiue not almes at your doore at the first cry and therefore they cry againe and againe till their almes come That Cananitish woman that came from the costes from Tire and Sidon for to seeke helpe of Christ for her Daughter troubled with a deuill was not heard at her first prayer shee receiued none answere at all at the secōd she receiued a verie hard answere viz That hee was sent vnto others than to the like of her viz. Vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel At the third prayer shee receiued the hardest answere of all viz. That shee and her Daughter were but dogs to whom the Childrens bread did not belong What did shee then Shee tooke the buffet for the bit Wee are but dogs said shee why then let vs eate the crumbes At that worde Christ could refuse her no more but gaue her all her will O Woman said hee great is thy Faith bee it vnto thee euen as thou wilt Though while yee cry Christ make none answere yet cry againe If hee call you a dogge cry for a crumbe Often his comforts are folded in his Iudgements S. Paul prayed th◅ise before God gaue to him an answere While the angel of the Deuill did buffet him hee cryed for helpe once againe after the third time God made answere that his grace should bee sufficient for him Iacob got not his blessing at the first sute no not at last it came to worsling and weeping and wresting he wept made supplicatiō and then the Lord blessed him Did not Christ himselfe in his great agonie pray and after one prayer pray againe for the remouing of the painfull cuppe If yee haue prayed pray yet againe were it in the same prayer as Christ did of whom it is said That againe he went away prayed spak the same words God may let his owne cry and cry aga ne but hee will not let them cry ◅ill they be confounded At last when his time is come hee will arise to their helpe Hee can not sit the importunate cryes of wearied spirites Because of the importunitie of the seeker that neighbour in the Gospel could not get his friend refused the one friende came to the other friendes doore but for the lend of three loaues tor to set downe before another friende who was in his journey came late vnto his house A friend of mine said he in his journey is come to mee and I haue nothing to set before him From within the other answered that hee should not trouble him because the doore was shute and his Children were with him into the bed I say vnto you said Christ Though hee will not rise and giue him because hee is his friend yet because of his importunitie hee willrise and giue him as many as hee needeth The spirituall vse of this is subjoyned vnto the verse following Aske and it shall bee giuen you seeke and yee shall finde c. Because of the earnest sute of the poore Widow the euill Iudge who neither feared God nor respected man was forced to doe her justice These thinges are writen for our learning not to take a refusell from our God in any thing that may bee good for our Soule mans importunitie in seeking is Gods opportunitie in giuing The Sicke Man These things cannot bee written for mee What doeth Christ care for mee haue not I treade vnder the filthie feete of mine affections that precious Blood Haue not I counted that Blood f the Couenant as an vnholie thing My Spirit is in a feare that it hath done dispight vnto the Spirit of grace This is the chiefe gash and wound of my Soule this is a gangrene which eateth out mine heart the temptation is come from the barke to the bone The Pastour If yee were guiltie of that sinne yee would not bee so grieued for it These who doe despight vnto the Spirit of grace mourne not for that siane as it is an hainous offence against God but as it procureth the wages of euerlasting woe In such a man the feare of judgement is greater than the hatred of sinne Iudas could say Oh I haue sinned in betraying the innocent Blood The feare of judgement not the loue of Christ made him bewaile his treason The sinne against the holie Ghost is not so great but God could forgiue it if the sinner could repent The bosome of Gods mercy is not so streightned that it cannot receiue a sinner because of the hudge greatnesse of his sinnes There was no disease which Christ could not cure in the dayes of his flesh But because of the vnbeliefe of men in some partes hee could not doe manie miracles Obserue a strange word spoken of God by God himselfe Hee could
that God can loue you who is so vnworthie to bee loued I thinke it verilie and I am perswaded God I confesse cannot loue sinne in man but hee may loue man in sinne God inuiteth not these whom hee loueth not Come vnto mee saith hee all yee that are wearied Your wearinesse cryeth vnto you that which was said to the blind man Bee of good comfort arise the Master calleth thee an humble confession in the mouth is the speach of contrition in the heart God hath sworne that hee liketh not a sinners death Hee is more glad to finde vs for to helpe vs than we can rejoyce to find him for to be helped by him Who can thinke but hee is glad to finde vs that tooke such paines to seeke vs that not caring for the vnwholesome and noysome night aire came to our doore hauing his head full of dewe and his lockes full of the droppes of the night which is more such was his loue and liking of vs that for to saue our life hee would die a cursed death The last wordes of your complaint are that yee are one who is vnworthie to bee loued * I had rather heare a sinner calling himselfe wretched and vnworthie with the Publican than boasting of his worthinesse with the Pharisee The swelled hydropie words of thankesgiuing that we are not lik other mē are a sure toking of a deadlie incurable disease Man naturallie goeth about to lessen impaire his faultes yea oftē rather than he will cry guiltie hee will fasten his follie by consequent vpon his Maker Adam said The woman which thou gauest me gaue me of the tree made me to eate Many are caried down the muddie streame of ouerweening their owne worth Our greatest worthinesse is in the sense of our own vnworthinesse and in the seeking of Christs worthinesse That man is worthie before God who findeth himselfe vnable to doe that which is worthie and vnwilling to doe that which is vnworthie The verie strife and battell betweene grace and nature in theregenerat is a victorie in Gods eyes A broken imperfectiō if it be sincere without guile is put vp in his merciful count book for a perfectiō indeed such is the mercie of God while we mislike our selues These were the wisest words of Agur in Gods account when hee said I am more fool◅sh than any man S. Paul was neuer more dearelie beloued of God as when hee hating himselfe called himselfe the first of sinners Cast your eyes off your selfe and looke vnto God your strength your stay The Name of the Lord is a strong towre the righteous runneth into it is safe The sicke Man O that I could practise your precepts O that my God would inspire mee with such a blessed and liuelie vigour of his Spirite that might quicken my Soule to euerlasting life O that it would please my God stronglie to refresh mee with the comfort of his countenance But alas out of this most filthy puddle of my heart arise such filthie vapours which so ouer-cloud the Sunne of righteousnesse that I am not able to behold his face while he did shine vpon mee his most bright and vnspotted beames were fullie darkened The more the heate of his word did beate vpon mee the more my conuersation became stinking and loathsome like a carion cast out before the Sunne this I cannot denie at the rememberance thereof I finde my selfe charged afresh vpon the Conscience with terrours and vexations O the dead slubber of securitie wherein I haue sleept vnto this houre my custome euer was to post ouer my sinnes in the lump with a generall slumbert confession There is nothing within me but matter of feare I feele my faith fainting I feare my sinnes I feare the wrath of God I feare the force of Sathan the king of feare I may be well bee called that which Ieremie called Pashur viz. Magor-missabib that is Feare round about yea I not onelie feare but I feele a fearefull wrath My stubburnesse and stonie heart hath brought vpon my Soule Gods brasen hands Now is hee doing to mee that which of olde hee threatned against these that were like mee If yee walke stubbornlie against mee I will walke stubbornlie with you In my youth I was guided by the guise of times my delight was to goe with the droue now I am lost beeing cold dead frozen in the dregges of my vncleannesse The Pastour The force of temptation wringeth such words out of you as thogh yee had none hope at all Your Soule Sir is like the Moone into an ecclipse There bee darknesse and changing of collours for a time because your sinnes like an earth come betweene you and the beames of Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse I haue seene the Moone in her ecclipse for a space as though shee had not beene at all into the heauens but as shee darkened by little and little so after the greatest darknesse was past the light returned by degrees Despaire not Sir of an infinite mercie let not your heart be wasted with wearinesse Though the earth of your sinnes which in comparison of Gods mercie is but a point ouershadow the Soule for a space while it is in this low region the time shall come that God shall mount your Soule aboue the circle of the Starres wherevnto the shadow of such an earth is not able to attaine Thogh God for a space walke stubbornlie with you hee is not stubborn Whē yee shall beginne to walke humblie with your God God shall walke no more stubbornlie with you but shall deliuer you from all your feares Build your selfe vpon your holie Faith The sicke Man I may well say with Iob My stroke is heauier than my groning Whereon can my Faith lay hold God is armed with wrath and Sathan is armed with despight I see nothing for the present but blowes and bloody battels most dreadfull feares teare in pieces mine heart strings sucke out the inmost of mine heart blood The Pastour Though there be many aduersaries yet Christ is with you Make all your boast of him who is the Captaine of your Saluation Hee hath winne the field he hath tread vnder foote principalities and powers and hath ledde Captiuitie captiue Hee whose Faith is founded vpon him shall neuer bee confounded His fresh bleeding wounds are cuer filled with compassions * Though God by our sinnes bee moued to shew some wrath heere is our great comfort There is no condemnation to these that are in Christ Belieue yee not the Scriptures I know yee belieue If Christ bee with vs who shall bee against vs These who thinke that their sinnes ouer-reach Gods mercie make the Centre to compasse about the Circumference Though hee should receiue a world of sinners in the bosome of his mercie it will not for that
bee the more streightned O the vnspeakeable compasse of Gods compassions The sicke Man I doubt not of the infinite compasse of his mercie but whether or not he will shew that mercie to such sinners as I am this often troubleth my darkned and droopping Soule The Pastour To shew mercie to most mise rable persons is most familiar to Gods Nature * Hee neuer executeth judgement till we egge him and inforce him vnto For this cause where he punisheth hee is said To doc his worke his strange worke and to bring to passe his act his strange act Hee hath sworne by his life that he taketh no delight in our death Our God is not rigorous against these that would faine doe well No not but lik as a father that pittieth his children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him for hee knoweth our frame hee remembreth that wee are but dust Our God will not exact strictlie a perfection in the life of his Children If wee haue an affection to doe well though wee cannot affect it hee will accept it A godlie Father hath said well concerning this Deus magis delectatur affectu quam effectu that is God is more pleased with the affection of a man than with the effect it selfe Christ thought more of the poore womans mites than of rich mens millions and that all because of her good affection Well is the Soule in whose bosome it lodgeth The sicke Man But the good affection must euer bee followed with some effect * Mine heart hath beene nothing but a filthie puddle a false Fox hole The more I dig into this dung hill I am the more confounded O what a jewell is a good Conscience coâ—…ered vp into the heart of a Christian It is like a precious pearle in a Ring I am ashamed to come into Gods presence while I looke vpon my sinnes The Pastour Shall the sicke man bee ashamed to lay out his sores to a secret and wise Surgeon It is good to think shame of sinne before wee doe it for to abstaine from it It is also good to think shame of it after it is done for to repent vs of it But wee must neuer thinke shame to confesse it This is the craft of Sathan hee ta keth away shame from man at the commission of sinne and restoreth it againe to man at the confession of sinne That which hee hath once taken away from a man by forged cauillation like Zacheus he though in a worse sense refloreth him fourefold A wicked man after that he hath sinned hath fourefold more shame to confesse his sinne before a Congregation which indeed should bee his honour thaâ—… hee had at the committing of sinne the onelie cause of shame If hee had beene as ashamed to commit sin priuilie as hee is ashamed to confesse it publicklie he had neuer taken pleasure into sinne Men of widest Consciences whose hearts are sâ—…uft and engrossed with wickednes will often I confesse seeme shame fâ—…st before men In the presence of a carnallâ—… eye they will straine the gâ—…ate like â—…e Maidens which cannot eate at Table where they are seene their throat is so narrow that hardlie can any meate passe ouer quasi vero O but in secret greatest gluttons deuouring blacke bread embrued with yesterdayes broth Shee that but pitissat sippes before the Sober can skip at the scols with her Commers till shee bee sicke with healths Euen so it is of such sinners most modest they are shamefast while they are seene The gnate of a light vaine word they cannot digest if men haue heard it but in the meane time in the polluted thoughts of their prophane hearts they are filthy dreamers if secret occasion serue without shame of God they will swallow Camels making no bones Though their sinne bee neuer so huge in greatnesse euen Adulterie the wracke of most famous Families if they can straine and passe it with a close conueyance their heart will say of it as Lot said of Bela Is it not a little one Well is that Soule which while it is tempted to sinne hath euer an eye vpon its God saying with Ioseph Now behold my God seeth mee and hee is a witnesse of this my doing How then can I doe this great wickednesse and sin against God As for that yee say now that yee are ashamed to come before God while yee looke vpon your sinnes It is good sir that ye think shame to come into Gods presence because of your sinne but thinke not shame in Gods presence to confesse your sin Sin whether secret or confessed is euill but the confession of sin is euer good Gods word is true If wee confesse our sinnes hee is faithfull and just to forgiue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse Trust in God Sir relye vpon his mercifull bowels who out of his great compassions hath said I haue receiued a ransome God loueth those that are feelinglie affected wakened out of the slumber of Conscience The sicke Man But thinke yee verilie that God will bee mercifull to mee whose Soule hath beene but a soile for weedes The Pastour I thinke that yee your selfe should thinke none otherwise A good man saith Solomon is mercifull to his beast It is a beastlie thing for a man to thinke that God will not bee more mercifull to his Soule than any man can bee to his beast God was more offended at Cain for despairing of his mercie than for killing of his brother Iudas kindled more Gods wrath for the desperate hanging of himselfe than for the betraying of his Lord that was hanged by his treason Hee who offered his mouth to receiue a kisse from that Treatour had neuer refused him mercie if hee had sought it with a repenting heart Because prophane Ahab had but a shew or outward scroofe of repentance hauing Sackcloth neerest his skinne the Lord spaired him all his dayes to let men see what he will doe to true repentance seeing hee is so gracious vnto that which is but an outward likenesse thereof There is no sinne that offendeth God more highlie as distrust Here is the great injurie of doubt or despaire it maketh the sinne of a little Grashopper to ouer-reach the infinite mercie of the most High as though man a little clat of clay could bee more sinfull than that infinite Majestie can bee mercifull Happie is that Soule which God hath singled out in time for to make it loath its best loued pleasures God delighteth to take vp a seat in a bruissed heart sorrow beaten for displeasing of its God Take a good heart Sir yee haue to doe with a God whose Name and Nature is mercie a God whose mercie is great aboue the Heauens yea and ouer all his workes That which ouer reacheth all Gods
vices masked with the appearance of vertues Such formal holie persons come farre short of being in Christ Iesus in whom all true goodnesse is most liuelie incorporate The sicke Man I haue heard you Sir discusse verie pertinentlie foure difficulties the fift and last and greatest is behind Often haue I wondered what could bee the true sense meaning thereof the words are these Hee will taste of the powers of the world to come What can a Reprobate haue to doe with the world to come I vnderstand not well these words The Pastour Indeed Sir they want not difficulty Some of the Learned thinke with S. Chrysostome That by the powers of the world to come are to bee vnderstood the powerfull working and miracles vnder the Gospel which in respect of the Lawe vvas called The world to come as if the dayes of the Gospel were the dayes of a new world since Christ that Day spring from on high and most glorious Sunne of Righteousnesse did appeare for to inlighten euerie man that commeth into this world But in my judgement that bee more subtile than solide I had rather thinke that Reprobats are said to taste of the powers of the world to come when they finde some sort of sweetnesse in God with a kind of desire to bee out of this world for to bee with God into the Heauens Such a desire betimes will make their heartes flutter vp toward these heauenlie Mansions But such fluttering desires wanting the feathers of Faith incontinent come short and fall downe againe with a jumpe Hee hath not a settled constancie nor well grounded resolution God at some times will let the Wicked see some glimpse of his glorie as it were a lightning that passeth most swiftlie avvay vvhich for a little space in the darke night letteth a man see that vvhich is before him But so soone as it is past his eyes become more dazeled and darkened thā they were of before such powers are but painted powers They are indeede like the liuing powers as an Image is like a man but they want the heart of godlinesse Thus according to my knowledge in a serious and impartiall search is all the vvicked mans progresse toward the kingdome of glorie All the best graces that hee hath are but glances of graces and dreames of glorie euen extreme pouertie glorious sinnes beautifull abominations These be Gods limets who hath said to him as hee said to the proud vvaues Hitherto shall yee come and no further Such a man in his best estate and conceit is but an Hypocrite lurking vnder the Canopie of a counterfeit profession His best estate is both broken and bankerupt in spirituall thinges For a space such a man may goe pleasantlie like a Shippe before the vvind but at last downe commeth a blast of judgment and sinketh him downe irrecouerablie into the bottome of hell The sicke Man I am glad to haue heard the solutions of these fiue difficulties which often did trouble my minde By all your discourse I perceiue that the Reprobates at their best feele but some generall good motions and that all their perswasions that they shall at last come to heauē are nothing but imaginations and vaine dreames of glorie Many in mine opinion are deceiued in this world who like these that dreame thinke they awake while they indeede are fast asleepe Many in this world as I see thinke to bee saued whose thoghts shal proue to be but dreames Some obscure printes of vnsound joyes though for a space they may be of good acceptance with the most godlie and clappe their owne hands as if they were in the passage to Paradise They are in end disappointed because they want true inward holinesse without which no man shall see Gods face The Pastour It is most true Sir for◅s men for the most part desire to bee flattered by others so tak they delight to flatter themselues feeding vpon fond fancies and phantasies lik Hypochondriackes or braine sicke who cannot bee perswaded but that they are Kings while indeede they are but Beggers The sicke Man This is a terrible disease But to leaue the Reprobates and come to the Elect I desire now to know of you what bee that speciall spirituall working which is onelie peculiar to the Elect and chosen Ones of God I vvish to heare of the proceedings of Gods Spirite working into the hearts of the godlie vnto their Saluation The godlie I am assured are of a more noble and heauenlie temper full of the Spirit of Grace The Pastour In my judgement where the Spirit of God worketh to the Saluation of the Soule of a sinner before it come to a full perswasion hight of assurance there is first a tempest of wrath against sinne going before the comming of God in his mercie viz. A shaking wind a trembling earthquake a burning fire vvhich lik three grimme posts come running before to tell that God is comming into the calme Before that God shew his presence into the still voyce hee proceedeth by steps and degrees First hee rebuketh the sinner of sinne and wakeneth his Conscience with some sight of his iniquities vvith some sense of that vvrath which sin hath deserued From this ariseth a great heauinesse into the heart vvhich breaketh forth both in speach countenance so that the vvorlde which know him of before will vvonder at his change as if he vvere a creature cast into another mould After that God hath thus prepared the Soule of men with thundering tempests and tremblings with blasts and vvith burnings and thereby hath made them more afraid of sin than they were of before of sinne it selfe At last he commeth vnto them into the calme of his mercie first giueth vnto them grace to flee all occasions of sinne and after that to hate the verie garment spotted with the flesh Hee vvho in despight can gnash his teeth against that vvherein once hee tooke pleasure to displease his God is not a sholler of flesh and blood not a naturall man that is content vvith ciuell outwardnesse After that the Spirit hath vvrought a detestation and hatered of sinne into the heart he putteth a cry into the heart for mercie with sighes and sobbes which cannot bee expressed Some times these sighes vvill breake out into such vvords that both speaker and hearer will vvonder vvherefrae they come After that the Spirit in his motions by a sweete and silent inspiration goeth forward in his progresse into the heart by little little with Life Light Libertie and peace of Conscience euen that peace vvhich passeth all vnderstanding and so cannot be expressed in humane words Now am I come Sir as yee heare ad metam non loquendi that I can say no more It were but folie for mee to dyue so deepe in Gods vvorkings as for to take vnto mee to declare vnto you that vvhich passeth all vnderstanding The new
subject vnto changes lik the Moone Crownes haue their composse triumphs haue their tombes All our sweetest thinges in end proue but honied poyson Thus all that yee see heere below is vnconstant The greatest kingdomes are turned about as with whirling wheeles The Kinges vpon its spokes are marked vpon this dittâ—… 〈◊〉 Regnabo regno regnam suâ—… 〈◊〉 sine regno One Prince is lying vpon his backe another hath a spok in his hand climing vp the Wheele The third is vpon the top The fourth is fallen hauing his heeles vp his head down All the things of this world are diuided into foure Either they lye low or they climbe they stand or they are fallen The poore man is lying vpon his backe without any helpe or hope Another is fall of climbing conceits The third beeing there where all would bee euen vpon the toppe the higher hee is mounted the greater is his fall He then falleth that another may stand in his place while hee againe is lifted vp hee must stand with feare and heare Let him that standeth take heede lest hee fall At last also to him the haÌ„dwritting commeth foorth that in Gods ballance he is found wanting that therfore his kingdome must bee taking from him Then all the pleasures of his wine of his whoores then all his feasting his mirth and his Musicke is turned into a trembling feuer which maketh all his joyntes to shiuer and his knees to smyte one against another Beholde and consider how the glorie of Kings the gods of this world is brought to destruction Though their heads bee golden their feete are but of clay like Nebuchadnezars image Gods litle stone cut out without hands is able to bruise grinde in powder their Golde Siluer Brasse Yron and Clay for the allaying of the pride of their peacocke feathers Hee can let them see the blacknesse of their feete None of them can stand before the winde of that voyce Returne ye ChildreÌ„ of men Though their honours which they doe broach with so bold a face were reared aboue the highest cloudes and exalted aboue the starrie Skie yet must they descend at the Euening of their life and make their bed with the beggers in the dust Thus after they haue drunke vp the pleasures of this world as Behemoth the Riuer of Iordan they at last find all to be but vanitie and change When their houre is come they must quite all and make resignation of all into the hands of a new succession for to goe dwell in the Land of darknesse and shadow of death Who knewe the weight of their Crownes they would neuer be so sicke for them as King Ahab was for Nabothes vine yarde If of any man may bee said this is most true of him who is in highest places While his flesh is vpon him hee shall haue paine and his Soule within him shall mourne After that for a space hee hath feasted with Belshazzar and fatted himselfe against the day of slaughter with Wheat Wine and Oyle at last shall hee know but too late that no Feast is continuall but that of a good Conscience * Oh that great men while their minds with Dauid are beastlie would with Dauid goe to the Sanctuarie of God for to learne that if great men be not good men though they were Kinges they are sette in slipperie places Seeing Kings and Kingdomes are but vanitie what is that on earth that is not vaine There is nothing that can stretch to eternitie below In this world all men are strangers in their birth Pilgrimes in their life at last lik combersome guests by death they are thrust out at doores The language of Tabor was that It is good for vs to bee heere But the language of heaueÌ„ proclaimed that Peter knew not what he said Striue to keepe euer your heart loose from the earth The glassie sea of this vvorld is neuer without tempests Hee that would haue his Soule wained from the loue of this world let him remember but these sixe things 1. What hee is in himselfe 2. What is within him 3. What is aboue him 4. VVhat is beneath him 5. What is before him 6. What is behind him Man in himselfe is but dust and ashes a cage of corruptioÌ„ Thrise with one breath is he called Earth earth earth Earth by creation sustentation and corruption saith Bernard Within him is a blind minde a peruerse will and most vile affections yea so that euerie imagination of the thoughts of his hearte are onelie euill continuallie Aboue is a weightie vengeance hanging by a small twined threed of Gods patience Below him is a fierie fornace and the smoking brimstone gulfe of euerlasting burnings Against him Sathan and sinne with their legions posting to and fro so that when one departeth it is but to fetch seuen others worse than himselfe Before him is nothing but miserie volumnes of woes and lamentations Those bee his Day-booke Behind him pale Death followeth with stealing steppes See vvhat a masse of miserie like an hudge armie besetteth and besiegeth the whole course of the life of man till death at last come with the dead stroke and separate the Soule from the lumpish heauinesse of clay Then they that die in the Lord are blessed yea saith the Spirit That they may rest from their labours But because the day is alreadie spent yee shall now carefullie thinke vpon that which hath beene said It was a speciall propertie required in Sacrifices fitte for God that they could chewe the cude I leaue that which ye haue heard vnto your nights meditations I pray God that by his Spirit he would conuoy into the substance of that which your eare hath receiued Before I leaue you let vs all bend our knees vnto God in prayer that it would please his Highnesse to blinke downe vpon you with a reconcealed face His boundlesse and bottomelesse mercies did neuer yet know how to breake a bruised reed or quench a smoaking flaxe Let vs pray A Prayer for the sicke Man O LORD the GOD of the Spirits of all flesh the preseruer of men in whoÌ„ is both power for to saue and to destroy Thou art the true Teacher of Israel Thou hast the keyes of Heauen of Hell and of the Graue Come and cast the armes of thy mercie about this sorrow-beaten sinner Rejoyce him with the comforts of thy Spirit Inspire him with holy motions and with the life of Grace till hee bee made partaker of the diuine Nature Thou hast alreadie made his heart to melt within him at the sight of his transgressions Thou hast sette all his sinnes in order before him This is out of thy great mercie wherby thou wold not suffer him to freeze in the dregs of his corruptions Now at last LORD after thou hast refined him in the fierie fornace of temptations send him
their sinnes dreaming of saftie and suretie euen then their judgement lingreth not and their damnation is not in a slumber This shall they know by sense and feeling when Gods most fierie jealousie shall breake foorth vpon them like the sorrowes of a woman in trauell No sorrow can be heere like vnto their sorrowes Fire chaines rackes and lashing whips cannot expresse the shadow of one infernall tor tour All the woes that euer were heard on earth are nothing to the least of these vnpittied plaints The sicke Man I haue one question for to propound to you It is concerning the order of Christes proceeding into Iudgement What reason is there thinke ye that the Iudge in that day shall first absolue the godlie by bidding them Come with his Fathers bl◅ssing before that he speake a word vnto the wicked whose hearts in their life-time for the most parte were sealed vp by the spirit of slumber The Pastour I finde two probable reasons first because the great God of mercie is more bent to shew mercie toward his creatures than to powre vengeance vpon them and that for to teach all Iudges to execute Iustice with Grauitie and griefe Beholde heere howe our God while hee is euen come vnto the last periode giueth vnto the wicked who in their life with Whoorish fore-heads out faced the Sunne behold I say how hee giueth them a certaine respite and a delay from Hell in that space while hee is speaking vnto the Godlie And yet the more slowlie hee striketh the surer shall hee sette his blow which shall shake euerie sinew of their bodie and each power of their Soule The other reason wherefore he speaketh first to the Godlie such words of comfort and of comming is that the wicked who in the dayes of their vanitie combined sport with spight against him may see how good a God hee shall bee to all these which haue serued him heere in Faith and trueth O what shall the trembling Soules of these vvorldlre brates that would not serue Christ in their life thinke when they shall heare that Lord so sweetlie in so sweete heauenly honey vvords say vnto al his Saints his dearest Darlings whom they as out-casts despised on Earth Come yee blessed of my Father come and be all Kings with mee for euer more Come from the ◅awes of Death to the joyes of an euer blessed Life Such wordes shall make the heartes of the Godlie to daunce and leape within them for joye but shall make the heartes of the wicked to droope and to bleede for sorrow O what would Diues in the fyre boyling Lacke then giue for to bee in the place of Lazarus Manie Kings of Princelie but prophane blood which haue borne the Crowne and swayed the Scepter aboue the heades of many thousāds being drunke with idolatric Secret murther of their Parents for to sit vpō their Throne shal thē spue and fall but shall neuer rise againe They all drenched in a poole of vvrath shall wish in that day that they had vvept and vvypt the feete of Le◅s with the haires of their head yea that they had beene borne Beggers hauing the Faith and feare of Iesus My heart trembleth to think how so many thousands who deemed dreamed once to bee saued shall with damned Deuils rush downe to the snakie poole of perdition because like Swyne in their life they trampled vnder feete the precious pearle of mercie purchased by the Blood of Iesus The sicke Man After that the sentence shal be pronounced whether thinke yee that the wicked shall first goe to paine or the Godlie vnto pleasure The Pastour It would seeme by the words of the Gospel that the wicked that base brood of corruption to whome Christ hath spokē last shal first goe to torment After that the doome is giuen out with a roaring thūder it is said these shal goe away to euerlasting punishmēt but the righteous vnto life eternal After that the wicked are like chaffe chaissed away to brimstone beames the Armes of Christ and the Gates of Glorie shall stād wide open for to giue entrance to the righteous whō the Father Christ of Iesus shall receiue with most cordiall embracements vnto their euerlasting comfort Blessed are they who nowe cast their bread vpon the vvaters looking neither for thankes nor recompence from men for then they shall bee richlie rewarded by God The sicke Man What reason thinke yee can bee of that order that before the Godlie goe to Glorie the vvicked all in a r◅ue shall bee hurled away to euerlasting punishment beeing thrust downe into the dominions of darknes most fearfull spectacles of amazement O how these so mi◅ie men shal then bee pensiue and perplexed The Pastour This would seeme to be the maine reason viz. For thereby to kindle vp so much the more the loue of the Godlie toward their God The bitter bickering and fearefull squeeles of the Reprobate hurling downe to hell beeing heard and seene by the Godlie shall make the joyes of heauen to relish the sweeter vnto them If while a people were in a Church the Church should fall downe and smother the one halfe not doing any harme vnto the other these who should escape should by beholding the crushed and bloodie bones of others much more be rauished with the joy of such a deliuerance than if the house had not fallen at all When Dathan and Abiram with their companies sanke down to Hell in the sight of all Israel what joye thinke ye had these whom the earth did beare aboue Manie who neuer in their life gaue God thankes for that the sward of the earth hath borne them aboue if they should see such a sight as of Dathan and of Abiram they would regard the benefite the more and would giue God moe thankes for that one mercie than for all by-gane fauours shewed vnto them since they beganne to vvalke vpon the ground Wee thanke God little that the earth beareth vs aboue because wee see it not swallow vp sinners with a gaping gulfe while men see the miserie of others it wakens into them the sense of Gods mercie toward them O how glad shall the Godlie bee then that they haue serued God when they shall see the Deuil his Darnell the wicked seede cast into a fierie Lake when these blessed soules shal see the hels opē the black deuils flashing fire into the faces of the wicked hurling away these damned spirits with fearfull cryes shrikes downe to the dungeons of distresse to most vile Vaults of darknesse entrinched among gnawing wormes stinking Scorpions and hissing Serpents then they who were wont to weepe for the sins of the wicked in this life shal haue no cōpassion on them but shall laugh to see them lashed rejoycing in the justice of their God powred out vpon these that in a selfe liking of their owne estate despised the sweetenes of his mercie O happie
when it shall please his Majestie That which is the gift of Gods good pleasure is not a thing which a man may haue wheÌ„ he pleaseth Youth is lik the time of the stirring of the poole a gracious time if it be wel imployed Christ I knowe may cure a Soule that hath beene sicke of the palsey of sinne eight and thirtie yeeres but that must bee counted a most rare miracle Late repentance is seldome sound But alas though a man were assured that in his olde dayes he should repent truelie of all the folies of his youth how bitter a thing is that which Gods word calleth Repentance A Pagan hauing gotten some little glimpse thereof while he conferred the pleasures of sin with the paines of repentance refused to bargaine for his pleasures saying plainelie Non emeâ—…im tanti poenitere that hee would not buy repentance so deare Most men in the heat of their sinnes lay about them to finde some pretence for the lessening therof lest they seeme vgelie Oh that youth would bee wise our youth is either a great friend or a great foe vnto our olde age If we get a fill of Gods mercie in the morning of our age wee shall bee glad and rejoyce all our dayes The rememberance of a well spent youth is in olde age lik the casting of the Eagles bill whereby its age is renewed O the siluer coloured gray head of that olde man who from his youth in the maine of his life hath walked in the wayes of righteousnesse Grace froÌ„ the Cradle is of great expectation Happie is that youth which is old in grace If yee get grace to your youth yee shall get glorie after age God it is who giueth both grace and glorie which two I may call the euerlasting twinnes conceiued into the breast and bowels of that Mercie that is aboue Take heede my Children In your first dayes striue to bee like the Auncient of dayes A good Conscience well kept in youth is a perpetuall feast for olde age That mans youth is a great friend to his old age who can say with Obadiah I feare the Lord from my youth A well spent youth is a blessed seede time for Heauen A well spent youth is spirituall physicke vnto olde age which of it selfe on Earth is a sicknesse drawing vnto Death As the well spent youth is a friend vnto old age so if it bee euill spent it is a most fearfull foe a foe full of woes woe to him whose old bones are sores with the sins of his youth the Lord hath taken the penne in his hand wherewith after he that hath narrowly searched his wayes hee shall write bitter thinges against him and shall make him possesse the iniquities of his youth * Beware therefore to set your corruption to worke for to giue the Prime of your life vnto pleasures Bee wise in time lest Sathan shely foist in and closelie conuay corruptions into your young and tender heartes by tickling and tempting you to folie It is more easie while it is time to spend well the time than after to redeeme the mispent time Why would yee trouble your olde age with young folies If yee sawe the seede of folie in your youth ye shall vndoubtedly reapesheaues of sorrows in your old age It is a sore troublé to sow in laughter reape in teares In the best man that liueth there is sufficient mater of mourning for his cloudie and rainie yeares The old man hath enough to suffer vnder sicknes though hee had no cumber of his sinnes O how pleasant is the bitter haruest of a foolish youth O folie hath not olde age paines sufficientlie in the bodie though it bee not surcharged with the troubles of the Spirit What wisedome is this to surcharge the weakest age with the heauiest burden Thinke chieflie vpon this seeing the goodnesse of God followeth the whole life of man from his mothers bellie to his buriall it is reason that his whole life as well youth as olde age bee framed for to expresse his thankfulnesse My first and chiefest direction to you is that yee giue to God the first fruites of your age Suffer not sinne in your tender yeeres to get hold haunt in your heartes A godlie Youth hath a speciall promise 〈◊〉 God these that seeke mee earelie 〈◊〉 finde mee This parable was forged in Hell young Saincts old Deuils that is A good Lad will bee an euill man And this is turned ouer againe by the prophane world viz. An euill Lad will bee a good man Nay but an euill Lad is in the way to proue an olde wag-string A young scoffing Ismael will become an olde swaggering reueller Children in Scripture are called Plants If in the Moneth of May a 〈◊〉 bee without leafes or buddes we conceiue little good hope of anie fruites to bee had in the haruest time thereafter will a tree bring foorth fruites before it flourish When flourish time is past without anie blossome shall wee looke for anie fruite for that yeare Learne of the trees to know your seasons Solomon sent the sluggard to Doctour Pismires schoole for to learne wisedome to prouide for the euill day Striue with the trees in your youth to get a spring of grace which may appâ—…are in the sprout and blossome of dispositions vnto vertues Muâ—…ium est assâ—…escere a teneris To beginne well or euill is to bee in the midst of the journey Most powerfull are the first impressions lik the loue of women which ordinarlie is greatest towards her first Match the guide of her youth who tulit primos amores hath gorten the prime of her loue It is hard to fall from her first loue See what a liking these who are in Kings Courts will haue to remember of the Cottage or rurall village whereinto they were borne and brought vp The secret draught is so powerfull that hardlie can anie expresse the cause This made a Pagan to say Nescio qua natale soluÌ„ dulcedine cuÌ„ctos Ducit immemores non sinit esse sui By this yee may see how by a certaine secret instinct wee euer loue the places where wee haue beene borne brought vp Obserue the lesson of this if yee passe your youth in sin in the pleasures therof hardly shal yee euer forget that company doe what ye can ye shall euer haue a certaine secret loue which your Soule darre not auouch toward that which yee once loued while ye were yong If your sinnes bee your Companions in your vouth they will bee your Counsellers in olde age Rehoboams fall was in this that he took counsell of the young men that were growne vp with him If sinne bee brought vp with you in your youth there is danger that ye take its counsell in your olde age The time of youth is most dangerous for in it the affections
brought me out of an horrible pitte out of the myrrie clay and set my feete vpon a Rocke and established my goings He hath put a new song into my mouth euen praise vnto our God many shall see it and feare and shall trust in the Lord. O that I had breath for the setting foorth of his praise Happie is he who while he may vtter words praiseth God continuallie Blessed is that man who may call his tongue his Glorie O my Soule I charge thee by the Roes and by the Hindes of the fielde that thou cease not to praise his Might his Mercie and his Majestie O my Soule take heede and listen vnto his voyce O Iesus the great Deputie of mercie sent by the Father forsake mee not in this heauie houre Now I sore sicken so that all naturall force faileth me My words now so weaâ—…ie mee that I thinke ere it be long this bodie shall bee lodged in the place of silence But let mee intreate you Sir so long as ye shall perceiue life to bee in mee let it please you to continue in some good purpose concerning the world to come By some holie discourse rouse vp my drousie Spirit hold mine heart vpon an edge Let me not die like a senselesse Nabal of whom it is written that his heart died within him so that hee became like a stone Manie blindlie and boldlie rush into hell I beseech you Sir to waite well vpon mee till yee see the ende I thinke that ere it bee long my Soule shall bee at the farthest tryst O Lord warme my frozen Soule with the sense of the kindled compassions of the bowels of thy loue Inlighten my mistie minde cleare it with thy countenance Bee thou the comforter of my Conscience vntil the day break and the shadows flie away Take now Sir my Soule into the armes of your prayers lift it vp and lay it into that blessed bosome of my Lordes mercies Bend yet againe your knees before God in prayer that hee for his mercies sake would receiue mee into my Masters joye O but my Soule fluttereth fast within mee for to bee at my God Let it please you to bee feruent in prayer for mee that I may foile vnder my feete the Deuill Death and all the powers of hell The Deuill in death will not faile to giue mee a furious assault at the chiefest fortresse of my Saluation for to batter it downe to the ground Intreate the Lord that his mercie may bee a strong rempart and a blessed Bul-wark against all the Engines of hell which are readie bent to waste and hauock all Gods graces within mee O Lord campe thine Angels about mee Place thy Pauilions of war betweene mee and mine enemies Refresh mee more and more with thy comforts Giue mee the earnest of these joyes which passe all vnderstanding Possesse mee with the Spirit of gladnesse for that thou in mercie hast forgiuen mee my sinnes Continue so vnto the end that in the heauens for euer this may be the burden of my song For his mercie indureth for euer Let it please you Sir on whome God hath vouchsafed the Spirit of Prayer in a good and great measure to assist mee with your comforts and prayers lest by temptations I should beginne to slacke off my care and watchfulnesse The Pastour Hold fast your eye vpon Christ your Redeemer Follow him thorow the valey of death for hee hath not onelie pointed out our path but as Captaine of our Saluation hath troden euery steppe before vs Yee may well sticke a little in the narrow throate of Death but that one steppe being past yee enter into Rehoboth a place of roome farre from the reekie smoke vaine shadowes and dreames of earthlie vanitie and perishing pleasures Bee glad Sir to flit from this barren moorish ground and muddie mortalitie for to goe to a paradise a Palace a place of pleasures for euermore According to your desire wee shall returne to God by prayer A Prayer for the sicke man drawing neare to the doores of death O Father of mercies and God of all comforts in whom all goodnesse and graces are treasured let it please thee fauourablie to regard the soule of this thy seruant here whose heart panteth after thee as the wearied Hart panteth after the water brookes Refresh his Soule with the diuine dew of thy grace till it bee entered in at the gates of Glorie Powre into his hearte the sweete streames of thy loue Settle his soule in a right and vpright course so long as it remaineth in this mistie muddie mortalitie send out thy light and guide it by thy Grace till it hath passed the straites of Death for to enter into the Land of vprightnes O Father of mercies perswade him by thy Spirit that the comming of Death shall bee to him a time of discharge a time of freedome from sicknes of bodie anguish of Spirit trouble of Conscience and from all possibilitie of sinning anie more Let him know that while hee is going to the Graue hee is going to a bedde of ease where most quietlie he shall rest from all his toylesome labours Turne all feare of Death into a chearefull expectation and longing for the houre of dissolution Make quiet his Conscience that he may die with comfort O thou Sauiour of mankind whose boweles are filled with mercifull compassions spreade the wing of thy righteous garment ouer this Soule of thy seruant Thou hast shaken him with thy terrours in diuerse assaults Thou hast broght him low for to make him a fitte passenger for the little doore which leadeth vnto Glorie Leaue him not now Lord in his greatest neede Make thine Angels camped about him powerfully to assist him against al the last assaults of that euill one Thou who hast heard all his groanes registrat thou his sighs and put all his teares into thy bottels suffer not thy kindled zeale to coole in him In an holie despaire of his owne worth make him whollie to relye vpon thy meere mercies in Christe the onelie salue for sicke Soules and remeed for broken bones While hee is weakest work with thy Spirit feelinglie and powerfullie into his hearte Subdue euerie euill motion that may arise therein for the troubling of his soule Draw vp his desire aboue the pitch of all natural knowledge Banish all earthlie thinges cleane out of his minde and make all his thoughts to attend vpon thee In thy diuine might rebuke Sathan that hee interrupt not thy comforts Let him not bee able by his secret craft and vyles to steale from him the pledges of thy loue O Sonne of GOD O Sunne of Righteousnes send a quickning heate with a shining light into his sillie Soule Make thy blessed Beames to strik on his heart for to warme it with thy loue Set all his desires a floate from the moode of sinful mortalitie Thou at diuerse times hast affrighted him fearefullie with
dreadfull visitatations of Conscience His Soule hath bene sore racked with the pitifull perplexities of a vexed minde Now death is approaching Sight senses all are failing but thou Lord will neuer faile him While the naturall eyes of his bodie beginne to growe dimme then cleare thou the spirituall eyes of his soule that hee may with Stephen see the heauens opened and the Sonne of man readie to receiue him And alwayes Lord as the time of death shall approach so let his Soule draw nearer vnto thee that while sicknesse shall take away the vse of his tongue his heart may cry to thee Come Lord Iesus come in thine hands I resigne my Spirit Nowe Father of mercies seeing thy Girnels are prepared for him by the power of thy grace fanne this Corne cleane from its chaffe that it may bee treasured vp therein Put his life in a readinesse that hee may giue thee a chearefull account of all wherein hee hath imployed thy Talents Let him heare these words of joye Faithfull seruant come and enter in thy Masters joye Long hath his Soule beene wooing the heauens with weake fluttering desires Nowe open the window of thine Arke and let in this wearied Doue crouding for thy Rest Manie depthes bee betweene vs and heauen One deepth calleth vpon another deepth for flesh and blood there is no possibilitie of passing thorowe But Lord that which is impossible with men is possible with thee Let therefore the vertue of thy death be to him like a Bridge for to sette him safe ouer all the gulfes of miserie In his journey to thy Kingdome remoue all rubbes out of the way O Lord listen to our cry Put these our vnworthy prayers into thy golden Censer Perfume them with the incense of thy righteousnesse and offer them vp to thy Father vpon the Altar of thy diuinitie And thou Fatherof mercies for the merites of thy Son his all sauing death which hee hath suffered for al repēting sinners Receiuein mercy this Soule which Sathan hath sought to sift Receiue the deare price of the Blood of thy Son Let thy Iustice say I am satisfied Let thy mercie so smile vpon him that it may bee the health of his countenance and the comfort of his Conscience While hee shall finish his course finish thou his Faith with perfection whereby hee may die hauing a settled assurance of that blessed Inheritance and massie Crowne of immortalitie which Christ hath conquised by his bloodie merites To whom with Thee and the Spirit of Grace bee all Glorie honour dominion and euerlasting power for now and euer Amen The sicke Man Lord heare thou in Heauen O blessed God and Father of eternity seeing my time nowe is short giue mee grace to manage it well Shute not thine eares to my sighes while my tong in the jawes of death shall cleaue fast to the roofe of my mouth O follow me with thy fauours euē thorow the valey of the shadow of death O Lord because thou art faithfull cannot lie I look shortlie to receiue in hand that which I haue in hope O come now and put an ende to the dayes of my vanitie The Pastour Blessed magnified be the Lord of eternitie for such wonderfull mercies towards you He most powerfullie most wonderfully hath brought you back from the corrupt course of Nature as a Boat rowed against the streame by the force of Armes and of Oares Behold now ye approch vnto your Heauen Be of good heart Sir ye are neare vnto your rest the place of pleasures for euermore Nowe seeing the ende draweth neare yee haue to remember well if yee haue anie grudge against anie that before yee decease they may be fetcht and friended with you The sicke Man I wish all men to be well I hope that no man wisheth otherwise to mee My desire was neuer either to reuile or to reuenge I am readie to satisfie where I haue failed and to forgiue where I haue receiued the greatest wrong Mans wronges against mee are but light in comparison of my wickednes against God Hee is not worthie that God shuld forgiue him his sinnes who will not forgiue his neighbour an injury My good God hath forgiuen mee all As hee hath forgiuen mee so I forgiue all men and desire the lik to be done by others vnto mee My Soule abhorreth these words of ranckour I may forgiue him but I will not forgete him The softning Spirit of God cannot dwell where there is such stonie steelie hardnesse of heart O Fountaine of Grace powre the powers of thy Spirit within my breast that my Soule may bee refreshed with thy blessed balmie comfortes of sauing grace Draw vp my spirit toward the Tabernacles of immortalitie O when shall I come and appeare before God! Put to the Spure to this dull jadde of my foggie flesh that I may make more haste in my journey The Pastour Lord heare thou in heauen Seeing God hath blessed you with Wealth I doubt not but that ye will doe some thing for the well of Colledges Hospitales Colledges are the Seminaries or seede-plotes of vertues out of which come these who become Rulers of the Church Common-wealth Hospitals are shelters for the poore the friendes of Christ Christs counsell to the rich is that they make friendes of the Mammon of vnrighteousnes Such words were not spoken by our Lord without great and weightie reasons The sicke Man All these things were done in my Testament while I put mine house to an order I haue not forgot that point of duetie Hee is not worthy to be called a faithfull man who leaueth not behind him some fruits of his Faith That Faith which cannot justifie a man by good works before men will neuer justifie his soule before God Remember mee O Lord cōcerning this wipe not away my good deedes which I haue done for thy glory Let men dreame of Saluation as they please S. Iames his precept is that men shewe their Faith by their workes Though Pharisees doe all that they doe for to bee seene men must not in mens sight forbeare to doe well Because Hypocrites come to preaching prayers publicklie true Israelites for that must not sitte at home The Godlie must not bee so base in heart as to abstaine from all publicke good because the wicked worshippe but outwardlie Shewes without substance in some should not bee able to banish the shewes of substance from others The Pastour Indeede Sir yee speake wiselie As the tree is first seene in the budde and then in the flourish and after in the fruite so muste the life of man bee Because the barren figge tree had nothing but leaues the fruitfull tree must not grow bare the leaues of the tree haue their owne vse among the fruites So haue godlie shewes good vses when they are joyned with true substance The Faith of a Christian should not think shame to shew
vp nowe to the Heauens Thou hast alreadie past all toyle and turmoyle The way that rests vnto the Kingdome is both smooth euen without anie rubbe of opposition thou shalt enter into immortalitie O the showres of grace and mercie which raine downe vpon vs both Farewell till that desired day of the Resurrection come The Pastour His eyes stirre a little they are full of teares the tribute of Repentance He beginneth to shake he now seemeth to bee wakened out of his traunce I will inquire what his minde is set vpon What meditations are these Sir that yee are vpon Yee seeme to haue beene in some good motion The sicke Man My Soule Sir and my bodie after a blessed agreement haue beene taking their adewes one from another They haue bene blessing each other beâ—…ause they haue serued God together they looke to bee one day both glorified together A sea of comfortes hath rained downe vpon my Soule from the Heauens in most sweete and pleasant showers The Pastour Surelie that is a worthie exercise Such good motions are plants of God and impressions of his finger Happie are the Soule the bodie that can serue God together with one shoulder At that last day they shall haue a joyefull meeting they two shal be clasped together in loue with such contentmentes as tongues of Angels are not able to expresse But O when the vvicked soule shall returne from hell to take vp its bodie for to carie it to euerlasting torments then shall they curse each other with manie a woe for their Fornications Adulteries Lyes Deceits Ryot Drunkenesse Then would the bodie if it could haue intelligence of the soules comming wish that a rock or a mountaine would fall vpon it for to hide it from the Soule that beeing voyde of life it might bee free of feeling But the decree is come foorth of necessitie they must bee joyned together O but they then shall looke one to another like Lyons Their feede shall receiue none agreement no not They shall neuer agree in anie thing but in this to 〈◊〉 together that their comfortlesse dolours may bee doubled This is a deare pennie-warth so little pleasure for so much paine In that day all the wicked shal bitterlie repent such barganes Now happie is your Soule Sir and your bodie both that are so well resolued to depart Yee are certainelie blessed that euer yee were borne Behold nowe yee rest in hope of the resurrection which shall bee in that great day of Gods generall assemblie when all that euer tooke breath shall compeare before Christ the Iudge of the World for to receiue that which they did in the flesh bee it good bee it euill Now Sir seeing yee are an inrolled Citizen of Heauen and an adopted haire of God vp still with your heart towarde that heauenlie Heritage with sighes and grones beate on still at the doores of Gods mercie God giueth vnto prayer victory against himselfe Nowe the time draweth neere Sir your houre is come to a quarter fight out the good fight fixe the eyes of your Faith vpon the bloodie wounds of Iesus Lay hold on him listen to his voyce ere it bee long yee shall heare these words of joye Come faithfull seruant and enter into thyÌ„ Masters joye O Lord the giuer of grace and of glorie out of the blessed bowels of thy mercie bath and wash this Soule with that arteriall blood which sprang thorow the pierced filme of the heart of his Redeemer At the beginning of this Battell Lord thou did see howe his poore Soule was scorched with the flames of hellish temptations which did burne the verie marrow out of his bones this is thy ordinarie dealing with thine owne Hell on earth is for the heires of Heauen But heauen on earth is the portion of the heires of hell Now Lord from his hell bring him to thine Heauens Mak his Soule more clearelie to look vp toward the blessed bloodie wounds of his Sauiour wherein hee may perceiue the props of his protection Make his Soule now to be fullie possessed with an entire loue to the fairenesse of thy face wherein are pleasures for euermore The sicke Man Lord Iesus make clay againe with thy Spittle for to anointe my dimmed eyes that clearelie with Simeon my Soule may see thy Saluation We in our life receiue but the first impositioÌ„ of handes like the man that saw men walking like trees Now Lord at death giue mee the second imposition that I may see thee euen as thou art The Pastour Lord heare thou in Heauenâ—… Maintaine the life of his loue towards thee Now vvater the seede vvhich thou hast sowne Weede out the tares vvhich Sathan hath sowne Pittie and pardon Lay all his sinnes vpon the Sonne of thy loue Now let his feete be shod for the journey which hee is making to a better place Inspire his Soule with the spirit of grace till his life bee expired Saue him by thy blood which saued theÌ„ that spilt it The sicke Man I finde Death besieging my heart with seÌ„sible blowes O bring out my Soule out of this bricke of bondage of the bodie Mine heart stringes are so racked within mee that they are like to breake The hope that is deferred is the fainting of the Soule Lord helpe mee in this heauie houre The Pastour Lord heare thou in heauen and satisfie his hearts desire The sicke Man Pray pray that the Lord vphold mee in the throng of these throes wherewith mine heart is gripped lest I be whollie swallowed vp of despaire The Pastour O Sauiour of mankinde who out of thy meere mercie and loue came vnder the charge of his accounts Mak now answere for him as his Aduocat before that high Tribunall before which his poore Soule is now arraigned to coÌ„peare Turne all thy wrath in mercie and thy Iustice-seat in a Throne of grace Call home all his wandering thoughtes settle and them vpon thy selfe Maintaine the life of his loue Make death to him a Messenger of mercie and his paines a meane to bring him to thy pleasures O Captaine of his Saluation vnder whose bloodie banner hee hath in his life made warre against the enemies of thy glorie at death ouercome thou all the enemies of his Saluation With thy Trumpets and Lampes terrifie all these merciles Midianites Make them like a wheele as the stubble before the winde Graunt the victorie vnto thy weake Seruant heere that in the Heauens thou may crowne his Soule with glorious garlands of immortalitie Lord heare vs for the sake of thy Sonne vnto whom with thee and the Spirite of Grace bee all glorie and honour Amen Now Sir vp with your heart to the Father of mercies Fight out couragiouslie the fight of Faith Christ now is holding out the Crowne your Saluation is sealed yee neede not feare yee haue your warrant vnder the Broad Seale of the King of Heauen The sicke man O My deare
custome of God as we see to put his dearest Ones to the hardest proofe as wise Builders put the greatest timber and the heart of the Oake to the greatest stresse Manie thinke that Heauen standeth hard by their Bed-side and that a light Lord haue mercie will make the doore of Heauen to goe wide open to the wall no not Through man◅e tribulations we must enter into that Kingdome As Aprill showers goe before the May flowers so must our teares trickle before our Triumphs Wee must smert before we smile and grone before wee glorie All Christian Soules like Christ himselfe must enter by the port of paines vnto the palace of pleasures for euermore No co-reigning without a co-suffering O let vs consider what paines this godlie man hath suffered in this fierie tryall since this Battell beganne O with what difficulties hath hee swimmed thorow so many temptations If the righteous scarcelie bee saued where shall the vngodlie and the sinner appeare O sowre Apple of Adams pride many teeth hast thou set on edge The Sparrow by wandering the Swal low by flying may escape but where sin hath beene once there must also be sorrow before that the sinner can come to joye It is not so easie as manie men thinke to winne in at the doores of heauen as though one Gods-mercy were enough for to doe the turne Before that a man be able to winne in at the straite gate for to enter into his euerlasting rest hee must be buffeted with diuerse temptations and broken with sorrowes till his heart become contrit that is grund bruished small as if it were corne in a Querne There is none entrie into rest for man before that in great griefe hee hath pluckt out his right eye euen his dearest darling best bosome pleasure Hee that would lodge with God in eternitie muste heere lay holde on his Kingdome with an holie violence What wonder that he auen be hard to win seeing with all the infernall powers of darknesse legions of our owne corruptions combined oppose might maine the grouth of Gods graces in our Soules Manie foolishlie in the idle rowings of their braines content with a blush of zeale thinke that Heauen may bee winne with wishes and therefore in their life skippe wantonlie ouer the threatnings of the Law in hope that easilie at death they may catch at the promise of the Gospel But who had seene this holie man of GOD vpon the painefull racke of repentance would count all the perishing pleasures of sinne too deare bought pleasures Sinne at the beginning is like poyson in perfume pleasant at the first but not long after it worketh deadlie except that it be repelled with some stronger Antidote The way to heauen as wee see is not like the way to great ma◅ket Townes easilie discerned by the multitude of footesteppes Our good Friende is nowe in the verie panges of death A patient and Lambe like death is this His life is on his lippe This wearied Traueler is nowe neare the ende of his journey Seeing that the ende of a worke crowneth it let vs conceiue a Prayer whereby wee may lay his Soule into the bosome of his God who shall refresh him with euerlasting comforts O Lord by the vigour of thy Spirit giue wings to our groueling prayers A Prayer for the sicke Man approaching vnto Death O GOD of mercle and of mans Saluation who thinketh nothing too deare for a repēting soule were it to giue it a draught of the heart Blood of thy Sonne wee heere vpon the knees of our hearts humbled againe before the foote-stoole of the the Throne of thy Grace put vp to thee our most humble sute for this thy seruant who is nowe comming to thee His words now faile him but thou Lord wilt neuer faile him In stead of wordes let the crouding sobbes the Turtle finde roome into thine eares Heaue vp his heart to thy mercie seate with the requests of thy Spirit in sighs which cannot bee expressed O charitable Almes giuer open the hand of this Begger and thrust the money of thy mercie into it Seale fast vp in his heart the remission of all his sinnes in the blood of Iesus Burie all his transgressions in Christes Burial Establish thy free Spirit within him Take from him all dulnesse and deadnesse of spirit all secure and hardened thoughts all that may hinder him from comming vnto thee Continue his comfortes begunne Bee thou the ende and the ender of his worke Lorde disapoint Sathan who by his charmes and cunning traines hath gone about both by force fraud to catch this Soule of thy seruant Now Death is approaching To thee belongeth the issues of death Thou killest thou makest aliue thou bringest downe to the graue and againe thou raisest vp Now as euidentlie appeareth thou art for to remoue this thy seruant from the Land of the l◅uing and thy will must bee done Wee could haue wished the continuance of his Christian fellowship with the lengthening and enlarging of his dayes But most humblie wee submitte all our affections vnto thy good pleasure and will O Father of mercies in whose boundlesse bowels are moste pittifull compassions without anie passion shew thy selfe mercifull louing and kinde towardes this Soule which in the dayes of its fleshe hath beene with thee but a stranger and ◅ sojourner His Soule now is saying to thee with Iohn his two Disciples Rabbi Master where remaineth thou Answere it as thou answered them louinglie Come and see and after that tak it home to thine own house as Iohn tooke home thy Mother O deare Father of our Sauiour by Nature O our dearest Father by adoption bee fauourable to this thy seruant euen for that blood wherewith thou art passing lie pleased Forget and forgiue all his sinnes whatsoeuer Lay now thy louing Armes about him Claspe him hard to thy bosome and keepe him fast till hee be surelie and softlie placed into the heauens Now Lord thou hast begunne to loofe this Soule out of its prison Let earth goe to earth and his Spirit returne to thee that gaue it Place it into one of these heauenlie Mansions which thy Sonne is gone to prepare for these that are thine Strengthen him now at the last and highest point of his tryall O Great IEHOVAH who neuer hucketh to giue mercie to heart broken sinners let him finde more and more that thy bowels ouerflowing with mercie are readie to receiue him In the bottomelesse sea of thy mercie make his sinnes all to bee choaked and his Soule deliciouslie to be bathed with euerlasting comforts And because Sathan in his last assaults is most furious bee thou most powerfull in him by the vertue of thy Spirite Blunt so the edge of all his temptations that they bee not able any more to wound his Spirit Let thy secret loue bee vnto his Soule lik a Secret or jack in this bloodie battell
O my Sonne my dearest Sonne is gone Hee is lost where shall I finde him O FREDERICK my Son where art thou Shall I see thee no more Shall I neuer kisse thy mouth againe Once did thou lye in my bellie neere vnto mine heart but now alas thou lyes sleeping in slime Now thy bedde is made among the crawling wormes Thy Princelie Bodie now lyeth in the place of silence O where is thy Coloure now Where is thy Countenance Long shall it before I see thy smilling Face and twinkling Eyes My deare Heart FREDERICK Long may I cry before that thou make answere How haue I lost Thee How past thou from mee When said thou thy last adewes What were thy last adews what were the last words thou spake vnto me Where saw I thee last Oh if I had knowne when I last saw thee that I would neuer againe see thee aliue Then would I haue kissed thee then would I haue more constantlie considered thy countenance I would haue said in my selfe Is this the Face that I shall neuer see againe Is this the Mouth that shall neuer speake againe Are these the Eares that shall neuer heare againe Are these the Eyes that shall neuer see againe That Mouth that Nose these cherrie Cheekes and lillie Lippes these Eares and Eyes would I haue kissed tenne thousand times kissed and ouer againe Alas that I should haue so journed so neere vnto the Waters Alas that euer I knew that mercilesse Element O cursed Waters O Waters of Marah full bitter are yee to mee O Element which of all others shall bee most detestable to my Soule I shall neuer wash mine handes with thee but I shall remember what thou hast done to my best beloued Son the Darling of my Soule I shall for euer be a friend to the Fire which is thy greatest foe Away Riuers away Seas Let me see you no more If ye were sensible Creatures my deare Brother CHARELES Prince of the European Seas should scourge you with his Royall Shippes with his thundering Cannons hee should pierce you to the bottome O Seas of sorrowes O fearefull Floods O tumbling Tempests O wilfull Waues O swelling surges O wicked waters O dooleful deeps O peartest Pools O botchfull butcher Boats was there no mercie among you for such an hopfull PRINCE O that I could refraine from teares and that because they bee salt water like vnto your selues Away with you Seas of sorrowe for yee haue robbed mee of my dearest Darling of account hencefoorth yee shall neuer bee able to repaire my losses O my Sonne FREDERICK my Son my Sonne FREDERICK would God I had dyed for Thee O FREDERICK my Sonne my Sonne A. H. TEMPVS mine or the water took away the life of my Children than that a bloodie Herod should cutte all their throats most cruellie embrewing himselfe in their blood While Dauid was in a great strait doubting of what plague to make choise at last hee resolued saying Let vs fall into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great and let mee not fall into the hand of man O but will your Majestie say To die and to be suffocate in the waters that is a matter of great sorrow If he had died in a Battel honourablie that had affoorded mee some comfort Then would I haue heard of his valiantnesse The Colonels and the Captaines others of Martial Spirits had beene the Trumpeters of his praise so should hee haue died with great honour Let it please your Majestie to wiegh the matter well in the Ballance of the Sanctuarie Indeede MADAME to die in a Battell is by men accounted honorable To die fighting with a bloodie Sword in the hand is by men called The Bedde of honour But in my judgement it is better for the Soule to die in water than in war For in the one man is often in a rage thirsting like an Horse-leach after the blood of his Brother At that time there is nothing sound or settled within him All his thoughts are in an hurlie burlie If instantlie hee die the Sunne of his life goeth downe vpon his vvrath His whole desire is bended for to destroy his Brother But in the water his chiefest desire is for to saue himselfe To die in war is to die by the hand of man but Water is like the Pest which that great Warriour called The hand of God O but alas will your Majestie object such as die so get not space once to cry Gods mercie God forbid MADAME that our Saluation should depend vpon the last words of our life or vpon a prayer at the last gaspe Our Saluation is better fastened than so There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus Your Majestie knoweth that the day of Iudgment shall come in an instant vpon both the Godlie and the wicked Then shall they all bee changed in the twinkling of an eye Not one of all the men and women then liuing vpon earth shall get so much time wherin they might but say these few words God be mercifull to me a sinner yet for all that shal we think that that suddē change shall bring any prejudice to the Saluation of Gods Elect chosen ones God forbid Whom God loueth hee loueth to the end His giftes and graces are vvithout repentance I know that your Majestie would haue earnestlie desired that hee had bee found aliue and that a Preacher by a prayer had commended his Soule into the hands of his Sauiour For answere I am assured that that young Prince was so well trained vp by your Majestie in the Schoole of pietie that morning euening hee was accustomed to be earnest at his priuate deuotion It is the opinion of learned Diuines That who carefullie in the morning hath cast his Soule into the Armes of his God shall thereafter all the day finde the vertue of that prayer preuailing with God though at the moment of death hee bee not able with his tongue to speake vnto GOD The prayers that were conceiued before cry vp to God at the last gaspe for mercie peace grace and reconciliation through the blessed blood of Iesus which cryeth for better thinges than the blood of Abel Now seeing that without any doubting your Majestie is assured of his Saluation consider these joyes of heauen which his Princelie Soule now enjoyeth These joyes haue I described as I can in this second Volume of the Last battell which I haue dedicated to your Majestie There yee shall clearelie see that hee hath changeth for the better While hee was aliue hee was but a Prince on Earth and now the Lord hath made him a crowned King Thus intreating the most High to send vnto your Majestie the COMFORTER himselfe who can most cunninglie cure the wounded heart I humlie take my leaue Your MAIESTIES most humble and most obedient Seruant M. Z. B. From Glasgow the 12. of Februarie 1629. TO THE QVEENE Of BOHEMIA OVR