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
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
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
so fullie fraughted with all sortes of sins which like most filthie streames flow from the first fountaine or rather puddle of our originall sinne which wee haue from the Loynes of Adam Wee are all infected with this spirituall Leprosie there is nothing that can wash vs and make vs cleane saue onelie the Iordan of the blood of Iesus Besprinkle our consciences O LORD with the vertue of that Blood which cryeth for better things than the blood of Abel Seale vp thy Loue in our heartes by the blood of the Sealed man whom Thou the Father did seale and appoint to bring Life eternall to the world In him thou art well pleased In his Name and for his Loue wee begge thy fauour He himselfe hath tolde vs that what wee shall aske thee in his Name we shall receiue it O Father of mercies remember the promise of thy Sonne In confidence of his Command wee take the boldnesse at this time particularlie to put vp our prayers vnto thee for this thy diseased Seruant tossâ—…d to and fâ—…o with diuerse temptations Sathan the enemie of his Saluation the feare of Death the loue of the world and of worldlie things haue set themselues in Battell-array like armies betweene his Soule and the entrie of Heauen They haue maliciouslie ensnared his heart and taken his affections captiues with the immoderate loue of perishing thinges Oh how hath hee beene bewitched with the seeming sweetenesse of such vanities O Thou LORD IESVS the LORD of Life encourage him so with thy liuelie Spirit that he may be bold couragiously to face Death and the Graue Put these interrogations in his mouth O Death where is thy Sting O Graue where is thy victorie Cause thy Spirit whisper in his eare that thou hast put out the life of Death Cast into his rememberance the words wherewith Thou boasted Death and the Graue O Death I will be thy plagues O Graue I will bee thy destruction Let his Soule knowe that the Graue is a Bed of rest for all these that die in the LORD wherein they rest from their labours beeing at ease in peace without any toile or turmoile Worke in his heart a desire to be dissolued for to bee fred from the sinfull bonds of mortality for to goe dwell where hee shall neuer anger the Lord againe Let the Loue of Christ waine his heart from the desire of anie abiding heere O deare IESVS who was both buffeted slaine and buried for to saue man set the print and stampe of thy mercie vpon this Soule Seuer all his thoughts from all that is earthlie whether it bee Life Lands Children Houses or whatsoeuer other thing may allure him for to sojourne heere in a strange Land wherein wee are all strangers from God whom wee cannot see heere but behind Vntye his heart from the loue of this his natiue soile Purge him of this out-bearing humour O LORD flesh and blood will neuer teach a man to renounce his deare selte and such other carnall things wherewith hee is in phantasie The earthlie minde is so lumpish that it wearieth to thinke of thee and of the pleasures of thy Palace A carnall hearte is euer rouing and wandering heere about this worlds businesse Martha is a mother of many Children who trouble themselues about many thinges But few are these that with Marie can fold their heart for to sit downe at the feete of IESVS for to make choise of that best part which should neuer bee taken from them Thou to whoÌ„ nothing is impossible draw this Soule vnto thee make the bent of his affection to bee vpon thee O great IEHOVAH thou hast heard and seene how carnall temptations haue teared the Soule of thy Seruant this day in the bedde of his languishing Immoderat cares for thinges below haue depriued him of all rest and joyes which he should haue in thee Wee must confesse to thee and from his heart hee acknowledgeth to bee true that his minde hath beene too bent vpon such perishing shadowes which can not bee gripped Such trashes of no worth haue taken too much roome into his heart Hee who is not content to quite all for to come to thee is not worthie of thee But LORD if mans Saluation were grounded vpon the sand of his owne worthinesse such a building could not stand against the winds floodes of temptations But his Saluation shall neuer bee branled because it is builded vpon the euerlasting and most sure Rocke the foundation of thy Church O LORD wee faile all in many things If hitherto this thy Seruant hath not as hee should minded thâ—… thinges which are aboue but lodged in their place the desire of thinges below now in thy greaâ—… mercie inlighten his mistie mindâ—… and bee mercifull to him in thâ—… thing Make the flesh now to cede and giue place vnto the Spirit Let the heauens come in with the pledges of thy Loue which no mortall armes can fadome Come with thy Spirituall and diuine motions and fill therewith the chambers of his heart where earthlie thoughts had their abode Make his Soule to inuite thy Spirit to come in Saying with Laban Come in thou blessed of the Lord wherefore standest thou without O deare IESVS direct so all his thoughts that hee wearie himselfe no more with the desire of that which sooner or later heee must â—…orgoe Why should thornie cares for dust and clay choake the good motions of thy Spirit Let no such care cumber him any more for foolish fáding commoditie Dissolue this glew by which his heart is tyed to the ground In thy Light let him see Light whereby hee may perceiue how fraile fickle are all such transitorie trashes which beeing too much loued both coole our zeale and clogge our affections so that they can in no wise soare vp toward thee O blessed Sauiour in whom is the very pith sweetest marrow of Gods mercies make thy seruants heere to loue thee aboue all things in heauen or earth Make his heart to say Whom haue I in Heauen but thee Make him to loue thee for thy selfe and not for thine onelie which is but an hyred Loue Put in thine owne hand at the hole of the doore of his heart and let some droppes of the Mirrhe of thy mercie this night fall vpon the handle of the Barre that his Soule beeing affected therewith may runne out of the Chamber of sleepe for to seeke him who loueth his Soule euen his blessed Sauiour the LORD IESVS Bee mercifull to all thine afflicted members in the Church militant fighting vnder the bloodie Banner of the LORD IESVS CHRIST The Church is thy Spouse keep her as the Apple of thine eye make all her members with one minde and one mouth to glorifie thy Name Blesse our gracious Soueraigne the Kings Majestie with thy best blessings Adorne him with spirituall Graces and giftes wherewith hee may please thee in his whole carriage both Ecclesiastice and Ciuill Make Iustice and Iudgement the habitation
shall hold your peace That is ye shall seale vp your thoughtes in silence and let God bee doing So doe yee bee silent for a space daine not Sathans temptations with an answere feare not stand still and see the Saluation of the LORD As Moses said of the Egyptians so will I say of all your temptations within a short space The Egyptians whom yee haue seene to day yee shall see them againe no more for euer The sicke Man Oh that with Iob I could lay mine hand vpon my mouth and with Iacob waite for Gods saluation But alas I am laden with iniquitie Sathan besiegeth mee so that I cannot keepe silence Sathan hath laide downe a bloodie libell before mee wherevnto hee vrgeth mee to make answere The Pastour If yee must needes make answere learne that notable speach of Bernard on his death bed * About an houre before his death hee beeing as hee thought presented before the great Tribunall of his Iudge where hee found himselfe seuirelie charged with the accusation of Sathan forsooke himselfe for to relye vpon Christ alone I freely confesse said he that as thou affirmest I am most vnworthie and that by no worthinesse of mine can I merite eternall life yet I am assured that my Lord Christ hath a double right to heauens glorie one by heritage and another by conquest The first is sufficient for himselfe the other is for mee ex cujus donojure illud mihi vendicans non confundor which by right of gift I claime and chalenge and shall not bee confounded Vpon this Rocke yee must cast the anchor of your soule The Lord is able to doe vnto vs aboue all that wee can aske or thinke Take courage Sir Let Sathan make out his processe your deare and louing Brother is both your Iudge and your Aduocat The sicke Man Oh that I could take that counsell and keepe silence waiting till the Captaine of Saluation bring mee thorow this red sea of bloodie temptations Oh that I could lay hold vpon that right of heauen which Christ hath conquered But alas I can find no ground or warrant in mine heart that such a conquest can belong to mee for I know that in mee dwelleth no good things The Pastour The greatest foe the faith of the godlie hath and the chiefest cause of their trembling troubled heart is that often they seeke in themselues grounds warraÌ„ts of Gods fauour as though the Lord could not loue them vnlesse there bee in them such vertues as in euerie point should be Because they want perfectioÌ„ they thinke they haue nothing By this meanes Sathan shaketh sillie Soules to and fro like Reedes with the winds of distrust Make the right vse of such temptations let them drawe you from your selfe for to rely onelie vpon the mercie of your Lord Bee earnest to finde Gods marke in your Soule euen Sanctification the Saluation mark whereof the marrow is Christs satisfaction From this marke presse toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus The sicke Man Faine would I haue grace so to doe But out vpon mee I haue taken such surfet of sinnes that I find my selfe voide of all grace O death death death doolefull is that separation of a Soule dead in sin from the bodie dead for sinne I am so defiled and deformed that while I remember judgement it maketh mee all to shake and to shiuer Fye on mee a gracelesse creature wallowing in a myre of miserie Oh but for a dramme of Gods grace Oh for the greatnesse of the pickle of mustarde seede thereof The Pastour He that desireth grace is not altother gracelesse It is Gods goodnesse that hath giuen you this small and weake desire of grace in this Gods good hand is vpon you Hee who giueth grace to desire grace shall giue also grace for grace God often giueth to a man aboue his hopes I sought but life saide Dauid yet the Lord gaue him to bee a King God who in sicknesse giueth you the desire of grace shall before yee die giue you grace for grace a grace which at last shall make you to sing I sought but grace yet God hath giuen mee glorie If yee feele and feare his wrath seek the more earnestlie for his mercie This was that good counsell which Zephaniah gaue to Israel before the decree of wrath come out Seeke righteousnesse seeke meeknesse it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger Christes cry is Seeke Aske Knocke. Seeing God desireth to be asked hee longeth to giue seeing hee desireth vs to seeke him hee desireth to bee found seeing hee desireth vs to knocke his desire is to open God is more rich and liberall than wee are poore His hand is wider for to giue giftes than our heart can bee for to receiue Hee who will not belieue that God can bee mercifull to him is twise in the wrong to God After that hee hath broken the law of his Iustice by offending hee is not content except that hee wrong his mercie by distrust Gods delight is to bee with the Children of men on earth as also to haue them with himselfe in heauen Now Sir beeing assured of thâ—… loue embrace this Lord with all 〈◊〉 armes of your affections Seeke earnestlie the Spirit of Grace for hee is powred on thirstie grounds I will powre water said the Lord vpon him that is thirstie and floods vpon the dry ground The sicke Man Oh but for one droppe of that water Oh that my Soule were watered with the dropping bowels of his mercie In the meane time my bones with sorrow are dryed vp like an hearth The terrours of the Almightie sticke within mine heart and my Spirit sucketh out the vennome thereof I thinke that I am in the verie gorge pipe of hell If this wrath continue doubtlesse it shall bee my bane The Pastour Gods wrath is fearefull I confesse but God will not bee long wroth with his Children I will not said the Lord contend for euer neither will I bee alwayes wroth For the Spirit should faile before mee and the Soules which I haue made So soone as man beginneth to be wearied of his sins God beginneth to be wearied of his wrath yea which is strange In all our afflictions he is afflicted There is but a moment in his wrath but his mercie endureth for euer There is such a mercie in God that in comparison thereof all the mercies of men are but scrofe and scumme a myte of his mercie shall remoue the mountaines of your miserie in Christ is a mine of mercie The sicke Man I know that it is so But I as yet haue no sense of such a mercie While I seeke and cry for helpe God either answereth not at all or when hee maketh answere it is like that which Elisha said
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
in his heart Thou vvho made a Cake of Barley bread to tumble vpon the tents of Midian ouer turne them thou can easilie worke great vvorkes by weak meanes It is thy custome to make thy strength perfect in weakenesse Let this poore sicke Patient heere haue the proofe of the practise of thy custome Let his Soule like a Doue enter in at the cliftes of the Rock let it creepe in by the wounds of Christ vnto his blessed bowels there to bee warmed with Gods most feruent loue Whether shall hee goe LORD to whom shall hee make his mone but to thee Whom hath he in heauen but thee O LORD now the day is farre spent and the wearisome night approacheth Before wee goe let vs obtaine our sute that thou would make thy vvrath to relent a little Let not our prayers bee powred out in vaine wee will not admit a refusall therefore set vs not off till another time abandon not this troubled Soule Thou who hast said vnto man Say not vnto thy neighbour Goe and come againe and to morrow I will giue thee if thou now haue it O LORD practise thine owne precept wee are heere come not for to buy but to begge thy mercie for thy distressed Seruant Thou cannot denye but thou hast mercie for this is euer true Mercie is with thee Seeing then LORD now thou hast it wee vrge thee with thine owne directions say not Goe and come againe to morrow I will giue thee By such a delay thou should but enhance his griefe Alas LORD what rest shall his wearied Soule get all this night if thou delay and drift him vntill morrow O come come and powre into his heart the comfortable bowels of thy compassions Powre into his Soule the powers of thy Spirit wherby hee may bee reuiued and goe softlie the rest of his time in the bitternesse of his Soule Refresh his parched Conscience with the dew of thy grace Deare Father for Christs sake let not hardnesse of heart creepe any more vpon him Receiue him softlie into thine Armes this night and cause his spirit to rest into thy bosome Whether hee sleepe or hee wake make all his thoughts to run vpon thee In the darknesse of the night make thy loue like light to breake in vpon his Conscience as the shining light that shineth more and more vnto the perfect day Seeing Satan the lord of the night the prince of darknesse is most combersome in the night we intreat thee that thou would shield and preserue him by thy mercifull and powerfull protection Make his Soule to stand vpon a continuall watch that it may bee readie with a well furnished Lampe for the comming of his Lord Make the day of thy mercie to breake and all the shadowes of temptations to flee away O Father heare helpe for the sake of the dearest blood of thy Sonne the alone purger of the Soule and the chiefe softner of hardened heartes bee thou a Sanctuarie vnto this troubled Soule Create vpon him a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night joyne the direction of thy fire with the protection of thy cloud O giue now thy blessing vnto this halting man Souple and loosen his stiffe and stupefied joyntes that beeing drawne by thee hee may runne after thee Fence and garde his soule by thy grace till thou bring him vnto glorie O Iesus pray thou for him whom Sathan hath sought to winnow let him bee found as good corne vpon thy barne floore vnto the praise of thy heauenly glory of thy diuine grace Blesse thy beloued Church vniuersall purge her from all Shifmes diuisions which breed great thoughts of heart Decke and decore her with puritie vnitie the two most precious spirituall jewels of thy Spouse make her fertile like a broodie Vine Direct our gracious Soueraigne in all his ways Guide him by thy Counsell and afterward bring him vnto glorie Blesse his Royal Match the Queenes Majestie make her a Nuâ—…se mother in Israel a blessed Mother of blessed Children Blesse all the Estates of thiâ—… Land blesse thy Ministerie adornâ—… their breastes with thy Vrin and thy Thummim thy light of doctrine and perfection of life Blesse vs all who are heere humbled before thy face this night while our bodies shall goe to bed for to rest grant that our Soules may goe rest in the armes of thee our most louing GOD and Father To thee with thy Sonne and the Spirit of Grace wee giue all praise and glorie for euer Amen Cause read vnto you this night whâ—… ye awak Psal. 6 Ps. 49. Ps. 102 ps 130 The grace of God and the peace oâ—… his Spirit bee with you The sicke Man The Lord direct you Sir in all your wayes I looke ye shall returne the morrow earelie Thinke vpon that where we left at last I look that yee shall cleare that matter more aâ—… large at our next meeting My God bee with you THE THIRD DAYES Conference Of spirituall temptations The Pastour THE Lord blesse you Sir according to yourâ—…d sire I am come againe to visite you in your bedde of languishing The sicke Man I was looking for you for since yee left mee yesternight I may say with Iacob Sleepe departed from mine eyes My conscience all this night hath beene like a boiling pot O but weake man is borne to manie sorrowes his dayes are few and euill The best of them is builabour and sorrow But let vs now begin where wee left The Pastour Our last conference as yee may remember was concerning Christ in whose wings I said was health for healing of your woundes I declared vnto you that he is so tenderlie touched with the feeling of our sores that hee hath declared that these that touch vs touch the apple of his eye Hath this beene the matter of your nights meditation The sicke man That which ye haue said of Christ Sir is true There is indeed health in his wings and helpe in his hands But alas Christ will not bee helpefull but to these that are of a strong Faith My Faith is both faint and fectlesse nothing but a smoke of Faith The Pastour Christ hath said plainlie that hee will not quench the smoking flaxe S. Peter was not a man of strong Faith when in his voyage to Christ vpon the sea hee beganne to sinke Said not Christ vnto him Thou man of little Faith why hast thou doubted The Lord reproued him for the weakenesse of his Faith but neuer coost him off for the littlenesse thereof The sicke Man That was another matter Christ was with his Apostle There was vertue into that hand wherewith he gripped the sinking man as was vertue in his garment while the hemme thereof was but touched Such a weake Faith as mine cannot reach vp so farre as to touch him into the Heauens The Pastour Though your faith bee weake that Christ also be bodily
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
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
before the Lord Let vs all humble our selues heere before our Maker A Prayer for the sicke Man O LORD prepare our heartes to prayer Let vs not be rash with our mouth nor hastie with our heart to vtter any thing before Thee O glorious GOD and all mercifull Father which art the true Physicion both of Soule and bodie we must humblie bend our knees before Thee intreating thee to be with thy seruant heere whom thou hast now laide into this bedde of languishing Let not his sinnes whereof hee hath beene guiltie from his youth vp prouok thy wrath any more against him Knit them all in a bundle and cast them all behind thy mercifull back burie them al into the bottomlesse sea of thy compassions that they neither bee able to accuse him any more in this worlde nor yet to condemne him in the world to come Though his sinnes LORD were like Scarlet and Crimsin there is vertue into the Blood of thy Lambe to make them white like woole and whiter than the Snow For thy Sonnes sake remoue all his transgressions as far frō him as the East is from the west Hell LORD Destruction are before thee how much more the hearts of the Sonnes of men Thine All seeing Eye pryes most clearelie into the in-most closet of mans heart Look with the Eye of thy compassions within the Doores of this wearied heart of thy Seruant Looke in and proclaime mercie and pardon vnto his sillie Soule Let him know that neither Death nor Life shal be able to separate him from thy Loue O LORD assist him and stand fast by him in this houre Desert him not in his greatest last agonie Let thy Spirit possesse him so fullie that there be none entrie or roume for Satans temptations whē the Temper is bufiest let thy Spirite bee strongest Arme him with all Pieces against the last conflict of this bloodie battell Honour him with the Lawrels of victorie Let thy strength be made perfect in his greatest weak nesse Doe the turne by thine owne force and take all the glorie to thy selfe By the vertue of thy Christ crucifie into him the olde Man and his vvorkes Make him to die into him that hee may liue to Thee vvho to all the Faithfull is aduantage both in life and death Hee is now LORD walking betweene thy Mercie and thy Iustice through many-temptations Gouerne thou his steppes vvith such vvisedome that the feare of Iustice may keepe him from presumption and the hope of mercie may preuent despaire Increase his patience vvith his paine Sanctifie his Sickenesse make it as Bellowes to thy graces that thereby they may be kindled and blowne vp to a greater flame Enamour him vvith the loue of thy goodnesse Powre in the oyle of thy mercie into his bruissed hearte which hath bene filled with mournfull groanes And seeing now thou art calling him to repetitions to see vvhat hee hath profited in thy Schoole cast into his rememberance all the good things that hitherto hee hath heard or meditate for to comfort this houre Bee strong in him now in this time of tryall Applye vnto his wounds the Balme of Gilead Hee is weake and therefore O LORD forbea◅e him in thy mercie O pittie this wounded man as did that Samaritane Powre Oyle into his wounds bind them vp and take him to thine Inne For thy mercies sake remember him Forthy Sonnes sake pittie him For thy promise sake forget him not Free his Soule f◅ the maze of all worldlie cares Inspite into him the life of grace with a most fresh vigout and feruent heate of zeale to thy Glorie Hee LORD in his most piercing paines knoweth not what to doe but his eyes are on Thee In thine handes is both Life and Death Thou bringest to the Graue and bringest backe againe In thy greate mercie O LORD make all his bedde in his sicknesse make his bedde to be a Schoole vnto him wherein hee may not onelie learne the hudgnesse of his owne miserie but also the greatnes of thy mercie Let neither Death fright him nor the Graue grieue him Let him knowe that Death is but a sleepe for the friendes of Christ and the Graue a bedde for the resting of their wearied bones Let not the weight of mortalitie beare downe his Spirite frō minding the things which are aboue Make him content to quite gladlie all earthlie pleasures and contentments for to goe dwell with Thee his GOD in immortalitie Let neither the sweetnesse of the Figge nor the grapes of the Vine nor the fatnesse of the O liue hinder his desire to reigne in heauen Against the feare of death comfort him with hope of the glorious Resurrection Assure his Soule though his bodie goe to bee eaten of the wormes that hee in that bodie againe shall see his Redeemer and none other for him Furnish him with spirituall courage vnto the end Giue him boldnesse to march without feare thorow the valey of death for to come to Thee yea to run were it thorow Hell for to come to Thee in Heauen Tell vnto his Soule that his paines dismay him not seeing his trauell is to bring foorth eternall life Let thy Iustice seate trouble him no more seeing Christ hath payed his debts Let him not bee afraide to come before the Face of his Iudge seeing the Iudge himselfe is his Brother who hath both cut cancelled that hand-writting of the Law which no flesh was able to performe Pittie him LORD pittie him for loe hee is nowe in thine handes looking pittifully vp to Thee for thy mercie Some of thy setters are yet vpon him none can loose him but the hands which haue bund him Pittie good LORD and pardon set vnto this Soule the seale of thy pardons by the Spirit of adoption Heale and sweetlie close vp the wounds of his Spirit by the vertue of thy most blessed Blood This is our confidence that thou who hast stricken him is able to heale him and will also doe it if it bee for thy glorie and his well if not Lord in judgement remember mercie If it bee his best that after some dayes sicknesse he depart out of this mortall life let these paines which hee suffers nowe bee like Ionathans arrowes which were not shot for to ◅urt but to giue warning Giue him grace that like an obedient Childe hee may as w◅ll kisse thine hand while it beateth as while it blesseth If thy decree be come foorth that hee must remoue from this World assure him of a better place where pleasures are in greater number th◅ the starres Teach him by thy Spirit that by death hee shall change a mortall habitation a dungeon of darknes◅◅ cage of corruptions for euerlasting T◅bernacles most heauenlie sacred M◅sions where constant peace vnmi◅ joyes remaine Weane his heart from the loue of all things that are vnder the Sunne Let the beautie and glorie of the Heauens whereof hee hath heard at length this day
water but it is God who giueth the increase The best of all Preachers are but like Iohn the Baptist the voyce of a Cryer who could not make all the crooked straight nor the rough plaine If any good bee conuoyed vnto your Soule by mee I am but the Instrument or Channell wherethorow the Spirit of Iesus hath made his Graces to flow vnto you To Him alone belongeth the Glorie and the Thankes It is not humane eloquence which conuerceth Soules One word quickened and enliued with his Spirit is more fruitfull than all the glorious eare-pleasing pompe of mans wordes which like Agrippa and Bernice are full of phantasie All the good that man can doe either by word or worke is like the honie in the combe gathered out of many flowers But the euill is lik the Spidders webbe drawne out of our owne bowels The griefes of your heart Sir haue bene very great but now ye are mercifullie comforted Manie in this world plod on from sin to sin marching merrilie feareleslie towards the plagues of Hell But O how much are yee beholden vnto your GOD who in all your wearisome mazes hath supported and sinewed your Soule by his sauing Grace Because Sir there be here diuerse of your Friendes and other acquaintance vnto whom it may be ye wold desire to speake I giue place to them that now they may learne something of you The last words of a godlie man are verie forcible vnto the liuing And therefore Sir while ye haue breath spend your short time vpon this that by your good counsell yee may doe good to these that are for to liue after you That once done commit your Soule to God as a faithful Creator He himselfe hath said I will not leaue thee neither will I forsake thee A speach of the sicke Man to his Friendes And now yee my trustie Friends whose age God hath crowned with ripenesse of judgement I turne my selfe to you But first of all let mee speak vnto you my spiritual special Friend who in my deepest plunge while I was fast sticking into the myrie clay did vphold me with your comforts Your counsell to sende for my Pastour hath prouen a speciall salue for my sore God by that man of whom yee spake hath now healed my Soule of all its harmes O blessed be that vnspeakable mercy of my God Though Sathan had bereaued mee of my puritie he could not bereaue my God of his pittie The Lord of light hath brought my Soule out of that long and loathsome night which is in the valley of the shadow of death in comparison whereof the most palpable darknesse of Egypt might haue beene esteemed to bee day O that pleasant Sunne-shine wherewith my Soule is nowe inlightned O my God breath more more into my Soule the life of grace The spirituall Friend Glorie bee to God for his wonderfull mercies towardes you The Lord now set your Soule on wing that swiftlie like an Eagle it may flie vp to its God Many a sore assault haue yee suffered since I spake with you at the first Satan his temptations with the world the corruption of Nature had gathered themselues against you like Gebal Amon and Amaleck against Israel Of them may yee well say nowe They compassed mee about like Bees they are quenched as the fyre of thornes To Sathan may yee now say Thou hast thrust sore at mee that I might fall but the Lord hath helped mee When I mette with you first yee were compassed with a chaine of calamities one linked into another To mee yee appeared to bee hanging ouer Hell by the slender twined threed of a lifelesse hope Yee were plunged deeper downe than Ionaâ—… was when hee went downe to the bottome of the mountaines where the weedes were wrapt about his head Now let your Soule say with Ionah I will sacrifice vnto thee with the voyce of thankesgiuing I will pay that that I haue vowed Saluation is of the Lord. The sicke Man Blesse the Lord O my Soule and all that is within mee blesse his holie Name Blesse the Lord O my Soule and forget not all his benefites Farewell my trustie Friend Now as for you mine other friends I turne my selfe to you Hee that is conuerted with Peter should labour the conuersion of others Hee whose weaknesse the Lord hath helped should strengthen his brethren It is nowe time to take our last good night Heere in your presence I say Farewell O world wherein I haue liued which I haue too much loued Learneye in time to set your affections vpon God None of you can tell if God shall giue you such laiser to repent as he hath granted vntome If yee forsake not in time the sweete pleasures of your sins feare lest at last that that be found true which Abner said to Ioah Knowest thou not that it will bee bitternesse in the latter end There is no sinne so sweete to man in his life but before his death it shall bee dissweetned and turned into gall and wormewoode within the bellie of the Conscience I speake by experience as one who hath knowne the terrours of the Lord O my deare friendes looke ouer your shulder back to your bygone life and consider how grieued yee shall bee for the sinnes of your pleasures when yee shall bee warded into your death beddes readie to compeare before the great Iudge of the world As yee see mee this day so shall others see you ere it bee long I haue often beene glad among you Yee see now by mee what it is of all worldlie â—…oye With a little blast of sickenesse such comfort like chaffe are chassed away Your time is fast comming Your Glasse is running my sicknesse cryeth vnto you Learne of the estate of this your olde Friend to make your selues readie for another world To mee to day to you to morrow Where the tree falleth there shall it lye Whether the Glutton and the Begger are gone thither must wee all that is either to 〈◊〉 hams bosome or to the Deuils 〈◊〉 The death of one is like a 〈◊〉 charging all others to bee readie 〈◊〉 flitte and remoue Happie yea thrise happie is that man who in these 〈◊〉 and desperate dayes is not dulde with securitie Blessâ—…d is hee who is forâ—… warned striue to bee forewarned Blessed is that man who is eueâ—… vpon his watch hauing his loineâ—… girded and his Candle in his hand waiting for the comming of his Lord. A dew my louing Friendes Seeke in time the friendship of your God Striue to be worthie the stile of Abraham that was called The friend of God O my deare Friends let mee now tell you what the Lord hath done to my Soule Hee hath at last beene sensiblie gracious to my poore Soule which Sathan hath long hunted vp downe like a Patridge on
who in this sinfull time is least known of the world so that shee truelie striue to know God and her selfe Wise Solomon who in his wisedome excelleth all as also in number of wiues spake by experience that wandering Women were not chast by this special marke hee brandeth the whoore That her feete abide not in her house but nowe shee is without and now in the streetes By Solomons record shee that gadeth abroad cannot bee well thought of With Wisedome shee hath cracked her credit If Dinah had taried at home while shee went abroad shee had not beene deflored which was the cause of great blood-shed which made her brethren Simeon and 〈◊〉 afterward to bee diuided in Iaakob dispersed in Israel The occasion of all that euill was from the vanitie of the Damosell her folie is registred in Gods Chronicles for all Ages to come that women chieflie may read it and bee wise by her example The wordes are these And Dinah the daughter of Leah which shee bare vnto Iaakob went out to see the daughters of the Land Remember well I pray thee these few pâ—…ecepts Bee carefull sincere at the seruice of thy God Serue him not by halfes Hee who is onelie holie must bee serued wholie Take good heed to thy self beware of clawing flatterers who for gaine wil varnish thy vices for to make them seeme vertues Labour for a good name perrell it not for trifflles If for light matters it bee mainelie hazarded it shall bee easilie cut off where euer thou bee bee content with thy lot See that in anie wise thou neuer harbour in thine heart a discontented mind Beware of an euill tongue which is an vnruelie euill within the compasse of the mouth wherein it is is a vvorld of vvickednesse Bee carefull both for the inward and the outward of thy conuersation for many eyes will looke and spye what shall be thy life after me Bee therefore euer vpon thy guard sinne neuer in hope of secrecie for none can sinne without a witnesse Sequester thy selfe from all occasions of euil if thou wold haue grace to bee dearelie and deepelie rooted in thine heart Where euer thou art thinke God thereto be present Tak him at all times to bee an eye-witnes of thy thoughts Thogh ali be barred out the Lord is within Feare God liue in peace with thy neighbours Let the good thoughts of thine heart put the ouer in the handes of practise first know theÌ„ doe which is compleate Christianitie Grow in grace grone for sins past escape relapses haunt the godlie flie these that are of a prostitute Conscience Sinne is like a Ring-worme of a contagious and spreading nature from lesse to more ouer Shooes ouer Bootes like Hezekiels waters from the Ankles to the Knees and so higher and higher from scabbe to scandale Shune all appearance of euill so shall thy conuersation sauour like oyntment and most sweete perfume Now the Lord bee with thee Kisse mee and so farewell The Pastour Heere Sir are your little Children waiting for your blessing it is good that yee say some-thing to them for their instruction The last words of a Friend or of a Father are often of greatest weight and beare most into the rememberance of these to whom they are spoken I feare that ye faint in your weaknesse and therefore bee as summar and short as yee can The sicke Man I thanke God though the strength of my bodie decayeth my Spirit is become stronger like Samson after that his haire beganne to grow My force courage within is renewed like the youth of the Eagle by casting of its bill Blessed be he who giueth power to the faint and increaseth strength to them that haue no might O Lord mould mine heart after the heauenlie modell of thy Law Emptie mine head and disburden mine heart of all earthlie cares that my thoughts may be whollie and entirelie spent vpon thy selfe without any turning awry from holie and heauenlie meditations The Pastour Seeing God is with you in such a spirituall power spend your short time the best yee may for his glorie and for the well of these whom yee desire to bee best in this world after you That new strength which appeareth in you at the sight of your Children remembereth me of old Iaakob lying on his death-bedde when it was tolde him that Ioseph whom he loued was come to see him it is said That Israel strengthen himselfe and satte vpon the bed The sicke Man I finde the like mercie though not in such a measure O my God fit and furnish my Soule with the sanctifying grace of thy spirit Rouse vp my Spirit whet vp my minde to feeke the thinges which are aboue Lord put a liuing Soule within this dying bodie A speach to his Children And now yee my Children gather your selues together and hearken vnto your louing Father that ye may remember well his last words Come neare mee I pray you and receiue your old Fathers blessing Let mee lay both mine handes vpon your heads that I may make my last prayer for you The Angel which redeemed mee from all euill blesse the Lads and lette them grow in multitude as fishes God make you as Ephraim and as Manasses Behold now my deare ChildreÌ„ I goe the way of all the earth keepe the charge of the Lord your God to walke in his wayes that yee may prosper in all that yee doe and whther soeuer yee turne your selues By instant prayers to God hemme in the folies of your youth In this wicked euill world striue to bee like fishes which keepe their fresh taste while they liue in saltest waters Bee carefull to consecrate the first yeeres euen the flower and pryme of your life vnto the Lord which shall bee a meanes for sanctifying the rest of your age The first borne and the first fruites vnder the Law of ceremonies were the Lords The substance thereof in the Gospel is that wee giue the Lord the best of our yeeres and the flower and strength of our age Most men in the prime of youth are both hote and headie Happie is hee who in a sober moode and colde blood passeth the time of his sojourning heere chieflie while hee is in the strength of youth By carefull culture manurance the fiercenesse of Beares and Lyons will be mitigated and tamed It is a great slight of Sathan to make young men sport in their sinnes vnder hope they may repent when they are olde But alas who is so young that can say that he shall liue vntill morrow Is it not seene that there bee as manie little as great skuls in Golgotha As soone say wee commeth the Lambe skin to the market as the olde Sheepes But thogh they who are yong were assured to become old they could not be assured of repentance which is the gift of God which hee giueth to whom and
Seruant fainting in great weaknesse of bodie But thogh flesh and friends health wealth and all should faile him thou LORD will neuer faile him Hee is thy Seruant he is thy Seruant the son of thy hand-maide Thou hast most powerfullie hitherto supported and vpholdeÌ„ him by thy mercifull hand Now leaue him not while he is drawing neare vnto his long home It is easie to perceiue that his age is departing from him like a shepheards tent and that thou art readie to cutte off his life like a weauer His desire LORD is to bee with Thee Thou hast heard the sighings of this prisoner and thou hast vnderstood the groanes of thine own Spirit As thou hast begunne the good worke in him so perfect it in due time As thou doest with the yeare crowne it with thy goodnesse with-draw not thy Grace from him till it bee made perfect in weaknesse Thou LORD hast manifested thy loue to him wonderfullie by putting into his minde and mouth such diuine preceptes and counselâ—… to his Friends Wife and Children that all that haue heard them haue beene forced to wonder at the glorie of thy grace Now deare Iesus let thy force be with him in his fainting but the nearer hee draweth vnto his end lâ—…t thy Spirit the Comforter enable him the more till victoriouslie hee hath put an end vnto this Battell As the strength of his bodie shall beginne to decrease let the comfortes of thy Spirit increase in his Soule Seale vp in his heart that peace which thou hast purchased by the blood of the Prince of peace Assure him of the rest of these joyes which are to bee reuealed whereof hee hath alreadie receiued the earnest O say vnto his Soule that thou shalt bee his Saluation In the silence of the night while deepe sleepe falleth on man make thou his reines to instruct him Suggest vnto his heart the sweetest wordes of thy comforts which may bee vnto him like apples of gold in pictures of siluer Waine his heart daylie more and more from the loue of things below Make thou his Soule to soare vp with Eagles wings towardes the heauenlie Mansions Prepare nowe his Soule to the last conflict Put vpon him all the Armour of God Strengthen his Faith that hee may holde fast by Thee yea so resoluedlie that though thou should slay him yet hee may trust in thee When the force of sicknesse shall tak away the vse of his tongue make his heart to groane vnto Thee in the secret language of thy Spirite â—…hat in thine hands he commenâ—… 〈◊〉 his Soule and that he desireth thee to come quicklie for his reliefe Let not the increasing throes and pangues of death discourage him In greatest anguish vphold his enfeebled heart with the hope of Glorie Look on him Lord with the eye of thy mercie incline thine eare to the sighes of his heart make haste to come for his Soule is longing for his appointed time till his change come As thou art the Lord of life so vnto thee belong the issues of death Let strength proceede from thee like vertue from Christes garment whereby hee may bee encouraged against the fearefull assaults of death which shortly in all appearance shall besiege his noble parts for to bring him vnto dust froÌ„ whence hee came Make thy Spirit to enter into his hearte for to vphold him against this feare smart of his last and most heauie houre Let him know that if the earthlie house of his Tabernacle bee dissolued that he hath a building of God an house not made with hand eternall in the heauen Make his Soule more and more earnestlie to groane for to bee cloathed vpon with his house which is from Heauen Seeing while hee is heere at home in the bodie hee is absent from the Lord make thou him confident and willing rather to bee absent from the bodie that hee may bee present with Thee in the Heauens Let the hope of the Resurrection vphold him against all the terrours of the Graâ—…e Perswade his Soule that at the sound of that shrill celestiall Trumpet his bodie shall arise and with these same eyes shall beholde his Redeemer and none other for him Innumerable euils Lord haue compassed him about Nowe the time approacheth that thou wilt deliuer him from all his feares Make haste Lord Come Lord Iesus come Rebuke Sathan wee intreat thee that in the darksome night he interrupt not the comforts of thy Spirit Suffer neuer that slie and craftie one to bereaue him of the pledges of thy loue Make him to holde fast that which hee hath that none bee able to take his Crowne O mercifull God take notice of all his wants and necessities and bee thou to him SHADAI GOD all sufficient for to supplie them Let him not want that Grace without the which hee cannot serue thee Through thy selfe make him to push downe all the enemies of his Saluation Through thy Name make him to treade them vnder foote that rise vp against him for he hath not forgotten the Name of thee his God neither hath hee stretched out his hands to a strange God While his eye-stringes shall bee broken and when the throes of death shall make his heart to tumble within him then bee thou the strength of his heart the health of his countenance and his God In his greatest griefes anoynt his Soule with some droppes of that oyle of gladnesse wherewith thou once anointed our Lord and Sauiour aboue his fellowes Let thy Graces like that precious ointment that ran downe vpon the beard of Aaron flowe down from thee aboundantlie vpon all the powers of his Soule Let spirituall vertues drop downe vpon him as the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended vpon the mountaines of Zion O thou the perfection of beautie shine vpon his Soule Indue him with a melting and relenting heart Bee mercifull to thy distressed Church comfort Her in all Her teares and troubles Pittie Her deformities Adorne Her with Puritie and Vnitie Though Shee bee outwardlie 1. duskie because the Sun hath withered Her yet Shee is the Kings Daughter whose 2. whole glorie is within 3 Awake O North Wind and come thou South blow vpon Her Garden that the spices thereof may flowe out Declare vnto Her enemies that if they 4 touch Her they shall touch the Apple of thine Eye Let them all know that it is 5 hard to kicke against prickes and that if they perlecute thee Thou wilt throw them to the ground Bee mercifull to our gracious SOVERAIGNE the Kings Majestie as by thy Grace thou hast made him a King so by thy Grace make Him a good King Powre down a princelie Spirit vpon his Soule that Hee may haue courage for the Trueth Make Him answerable to his most honourable Style Defender of the Faith Vouchsafe thy mercie vpon his Princelie Spouse Let the beautie of the Lord Her God bee vpon Her Make Her like
Nowe graunt that the hope of that glorie which is to bee reuealed may bee so strong in his Soule that it may shield and fence him from the force and furie of the last assaults The nearer he draweth vnto death inlarge the chanell of thy graces like a Riuer which is broadest towards the end of its course Make his heart in the ◅orest pangs of death to bee still lifted vp towards thee And seeing Death and the Deuill mans two last enemies are euer busie the one for to fright the other for to tempt Prepare him Lord and furnish him so with thy Graces that hee may proue victorious in this last assault O gracious GOD assist him by thy force against the most violent blustering winds of the last and most fearefull temptations If Satan looke in at the doores of his heart seeking for an entrie let him neuer get so much as one chamber-roome set a part for his sojourning Make thy grace vnto him like a Sunne like a Bridegroome comming out of his Chamber to disperse the darknesse of his mistie minde Vnto his last gaspe direct him so by thy good Spirit that his Soule may cleaue so fast vnto thee that neither sinne nor sicknesse life nor death may bee able to separate him from thee Thogh thou shuld slay him yet wil hee trust in thee Faile him not now in time of neede vphold his heart in this heauie houre Let his Soule lurke vnder the winges of thy mercie till the tempest of wrath bee calmed past ouer Bee thou to him a shelter against the heauie showers of the last agonie O gracious Lord in wrath remember mercie In the multitude of thy compassions blot out his transgressions and that for the dearest drops of that sacred Blood that gushed vpon the cursed crosse Rinse and cleanse his heart from all vncleannes Giue him courage in his greatest fears Let not Death bee vnto him as a king of feare nor hee as one of the wicked whose hope doeth perish with their breath O Lord let thy Name bee vnto him like a strong tower for to hid him into the time of trouble Let this bee the cleare candle of his comfort neuer to bee quenched that Christ by his death hath for him and all the Faithfull ouercome Death and disarmed it of its sting Declare by the inward motion of thy Spirit to his Soule that the nature of death by the death of Christ is changed into a sleepe vnto all the friends of Christ who by the infinite power of his diuine Nature hath swallowed it vp in victorie and hath so digested it that now the bitternesse thereof is past As the Arke was to Noah and Zoar vnto Lot so bee thou a refuge to this faithfull Soule fighting thy battels not onelie against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers against the gouernours of darknesse of this world and against spirituall wickednesse in high places Let thy strength bee made perfect in his weaknesse As thou hast vp holden him hitherto by the strength of thy Spirit so continue with him vntill the end The battell is the Lords fight Lord for thine own cause euē for this Soule one of thy redeemed Ones obtaine thou the victorie and take the glorie to thy selfe O God both of grace and glorie seale surely vp in his bosome the pardon of all his iniquities Perfect the comfortes which thou hast begunne say vnto his Soule That heauen is not so high nor hell so low nor the world so wide as are thy mercies towards him All thy creatures haue their owne dimensions but thy mercie Lord like thy selfe is without measure Out of these infinite compassions make this sillie Soule partaker of the dearest mercies that euer rould together the relenting bowels of thy tenderest loue Heare vs Lord in all these our sutes and that for the sake of thy best beloued and onelie begotten Sonne the Lord Iesus Christ in whose Name and at whole command wee powre out our heartes to thee in that prayer which by his own sacred and most blessed mouth hee hath taught vs Our Father c. The sicke Man Lord heare thou in Heauen Blessed for euer be thy Name for such spirituall comfortes for so manie mercies I can rander nothing but the little mites of praise and thankesgiuing Mine heart is filled with songs of Gods mercie If his Spirit of grace had not vpholden mee in my first feares while as I thought I was wrapped into an infinite wrath I had certainelie beene swallowed vp with ouermuch sorrow But now blessed eternallie bee the Lord who hath made the earth to swallow vp all the floodes of temptations and tribulations which that red Dragon the Deuill a bloodie murtherer hath cast out of his mouth after mee for to carrie my Soule down head-longs to perdition Now finde I Gods word to bee true that hee is ouercome by the Blood of the Lambe Except that the Lord had beene on my side O in what a dumbe dumpe had my poore Soule beene driuen into ere now The Pastour Hee who followed Adam thorow the thicke bushes and Ionas in the bottome of the sea Hee who blessed the crooked man and made the barren fertile and the dumbe to speake the deafe to heare and the blind to see hath made his grace perfect in your weaknesse He best feeleth the pulse of our heartes and the force of our life Loth would hee bee to breake the bruised reede or to quench the smoking flaxe All men by nature are but like an vncleane Dung-hill of drosse their heartes at the first are but a den of Dragons But so soone as the Spirit of grace hath begunne to drawe the draughts and lineamentes of Gods image within the soule of a man nothing shall bee able to deface or mangle that liuelie image To all sorts of temptations Gods wisedome shall finde an out-gate Neither the traines of Sathan nor the treason of our bosome sinnes nor the terrors of hell nor the trashes of the world shall euer be able to preueale against Adirim Gods excellent Ones According as Zacharias filled with the holie Ghost prophecied It is granted vnto vs that wee beeing deliuered out of the handes of our enemies may serue him without feare The sicke Man I blesse God for such inestimable comforts Sathan hath shrewdlie assaulted mee but could not preuaile My corruptions haue beene subdued and awed by the Majestie of the Spirit of Iesus My Soule rejoyceth in GOD In the merites of Christ as in a glasse I see him a meeke a mercifull Father I am not now afraide to come to a tryall at his Tribunall I am no more dismayed for the vnquencheable flammes of the fierie lake I thinke certainelie that there was neuer a man so much beholden to my God as I am Truelie may I sing with the Psalmest I waited patientlie or the Lord and hee inclined vnto mee and heard my cry Hee
thou separate them sâ—…ale surelie thy pardons within my Conscience and doe perfectlie away all my transgressions Guarde mee assist mee and harnesse my Soule against Sathan his last on-sette Let my Soule graspe with an holy greedinesse in the hand of Faith such spirituall comforts as thou O Lord makest to come from the boundlesse and bottomelesse fountaine of thy mercie toward all these whoÌ„ thouloueth Let my soule feele more and more sensiblie these mercies which fairelie oriently streame thorow the bloodie wounds of my blessed Sauiour Iesus the 〈◊〉 wash and bath my drooping Soule in the well of life Giue vnto it a drinke of the riuers of thy pleasures O Lord of loue shedde thy loue into mine heart thorow the bleeding bowels of my blessed Sauiour O blessed Redeemer of lost mankinde O Pelicane of pittie whose heart did euer melt with mâ—…rcifull compassions pittie my Soule in this painefull plight Mine heart strings are racked my bowels are rent the house of the Soule is falling downe nowe open the doore of thine euerlasting Tabernacles that my Soule may goe from Grace to Glorie Make the power of thy loue like a load stone for to draw mine heart after thee from the mudde of this mortalitie The Pastour Lord heare thou in heauen and fulfill the sute of thy Seruant burie all his sinnes and his sorrowes in the bottomelesse sea of thy mercie Entombe in the Tombe of Iesus where they may lye for euer without anie hope of a resurrection The sicke Man I waite for the Lord my Soule doeâ—…h waite in his word doe I hope My soule waiteth for the Lord more thaÌ„ they that watch for the morning I say More thaÌ„ they that watch for the morning My Soule is wearied of this earthlie Tabernacle O when shall I come and appeare before God O that I were at my wished home O nowe moue the poole of thy mercie and moue my Soule to runne into it The Pastour It is likly that within an houâ—…e God shall grant you your desire Could not you watch with mee but an houre said Christ to his Disciples Yee haue nowe but an houres absence from your God Yee haue but an houres voyage from the bodie to the sight of Gods face the place of your rest Fixe fast your eyes vpon the Crowne of immortalitie till your Soule be past from toilesome Time to Eternitie Yet a little while God shall retire you from the tyring trauels of this life Watch but an houre and your end shall bee peace The sicke Man The Lorde sende a good houre wherein I may lay downe the loade of this mortalitie Alas manie an houre haue I euill and idlie spent in pam pering this foggie flesh with the light and loose pleasures of this life O Spirite of Grace drawe neare vnto my Soule Make thy residence into this broken heart Correct cure and couer all the corruptions of my Nature Beginne and end crowne the worke with thy goodnes At last close in me thy graces with thy glorie O make mine eyes to see and mine armes to carrie and mine heart to bee filled with thy Saluation Conuoye vnto my Soule the warmest blood that euer heated the heart of Iesus Let that euer recking blood wherein is a Sauour of life vnto life Comfort and vp-holde my Soule in this last heauie houre Now Sir seeing the end draweth neare helpe mee to spend well this houre which in all appearance shall be my last I wish that all my thoghts and affections bee nowe so bended toward my God that they neither sway nor swerue from him by anie idle wandering of minde O Thou that art high and excellent who dwellest in the high and holie place Thogh thou be high thy promise is to dwell also with him that is of a contrite humble spirit According to thy promise reuiue the Spirit of the humble and giue life to him that is of a contrite heart O Lord according to thy wonted grace make mee in my last agonie to possesse my Soule in peace and patience Disapoint Satan in all his craftie fetches O couer this sillie Turtle vnder the mantle of thy mercie All other couerings are but light and slight like Spiders webbes which cannot endure the breath and blast of thy mouth The Pastour Lord hearken thou in heauen giue eare vnto the sute of thy Seâ—…uaÌ„t I perceiue indeede that now your words wearie you Lest yee faint I shall tak the speach vpon me If it be your will I shall let you heare a most diuine discourse taken from a godly preacher on his death-bed the words surely are weighty of great power If ye please I shal let you heare them while I speake them meditate yee and in your minde make them your owne wordes The sicke Man I intreate your Sir for to let mee heare them I shall follow you in mine heart as I can I finde that my tongue almost now faileth mee O God while I heare let the Spirit of grace take harbour into mine heart Set all mine affections on bensell that I may carefullie giue eare vnto thy comfortes the cordials of thy Gospel O cleare the sight of my minde dazeled with the mist of my corrupt affections The Pastour Lord heare thou in heauen and forgiue the sinnes of thy seruant After this manner Sir the man of God spake vpon his death-bedde I owe to God a death as his Son died for mee Euer since I was borne I haue beene sayling to this Hauen and gathering patience to comfort this houre therefore shall I bee one of these Guestes nowe that would not come to the banket when they were inuited What hurt is in going to Paradise I shall lose nothing but the sense of euill And anone I shall haue greater joyes than I feele paines For mine Head is in Heauen alreadie to assure mee that my Soule and bodie shall follow after O Death where is thy sting Why should I feare that which I wold not escape because my chiefest happines is behind I cannot haue it vnlesse I goe vnto it I wold goe through Hell to Heauen And therfore if I march but through death I suffer lesse than I would suffer for God My paines doe not dismay mee because I trauaile to bring foorth eternall life My sinnes doe not fright me because I haue Christ my Redeemer The Iudge doeth not astonish me because the Iudgâ—…s Sonne is mine Aduocat The Deuill doth not amaze mee because the Angels pitch about me The Graue doeth not grieue me because it was my Lords bedde Oh that Gods mercie to mee might moue others to loue him For the lesse I can expresse it the more it is The Prophets and the Apostles are my fore-runners Euery man is gone before mee or else hee will follow after mee If it please God to receiue mee into Heauen before them which haue serued him better I owe more thankfulnesse vnto
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
whereby he may be shielded from the bloodie blowes of a most cruell aduersarie Put on him Lord the compleate armour of God that hee may bee able to with-stand in this euill houre and hauing done all to stand Before this Battell end make him with stomacke and courage to runne all his enemies throgh with the two edged sword of thy Spirit Haue now Lord a speciall care of him Hemme in all his thoughts within the compasse of thy will Possesse him so with the fulnes of thy presence that in him there be found no roome for any ill motions Furnish him with the supplie of all these graces which thou knowest to bee wanting into him Let thy Spirit make residence in his heart as in an house of God Now Lord while it is time to saue saue the Soule of thy Seruant which is now readie to remoue Open vnto it that euer-flowing fountaine promised to the penitent of the house of Dauid for to tak away sinne and vncleannesse O Fountaine of Grace wash him and wash him throughlie with the blessed Blood of thy satisfaction After that thou hast made him perfectly cleane hold out thy succouring helpful armes vnto this Soule and take it into thy bosome Let it there taste of the honie of thy Compassions In this time of gloummines darknesse of death inlighten his Soule with the light of thy countenance Turne thy face now vnto it Hitherto it could see nothing but the Back-parts of Thee that Great IEHOVAH which bringeth joye but in parte From such parts now bring him vnto the fulnesse Turne thy selfe vnto this Soule that it may fullie see thy face wherein is fulnesse of joye And seeing no man can see thy face liue let this thy Seruant now see thy face and die that after death hee may liue with thee for euer in the Heauens Let neither the loue of life nor the feare of death turne his eyes from the prize of the high calling of God Make him now with a long steppe from the earth to the heauens to step in into immortalitie Now Lord engraue deepelie this Soule into the palmes of thine hands Set it as a seale on thine heart Wrap it within the Mantle of thy mercie warâ—…e it within the bowels of thy loue lappe it in thy bosome with that vnspeakable joye which Christ hath purchased with vnspeakable paine euen through the bloodie merites of his most bitter passions His wordes now are failed Square thou all his thoughts by the rule of thy Spirit of grace Lord make these our weake prayers to mount vp lik Pillars of smoke parfumed with the mercifull merites of thine onelie Sonne To him with thee his Father and with the Spirit of Grace be all Glorie Praise Power and Dominion for euer AMEN The spirituall Friend O deare Friende whome I haue seene a sorrow beaten sinner Rejoyce now in your Sauiour whose mercies haue beene the Bane of all your sinfull miseries Cleaue still fast vnto your Sauiour Let not him goe whom your soule loueth till ye come to Peniel where yee shall see him face to face The Lord refresh your wearied soule with the soft sweete breath of his Spirit The Lord kned into your heart these spirituall meditations which are of the purest straine O Father of mercies giue vnto this soule a most sure Infefâ—…ment of heauen by the hand of thy Spirit Make some drops of thy Myrrhe to enter in by some litle creuice of his heart Put in thine hand by the keye hole of the doore that his bowels may bee moued for thee Let such a strength now repare from thee vnto him that the world may see that thy strength is made perfect in weaknesse It shall bee expedient that nowe yee his Pastour in a short prayer recommend him to God againe Behold him now at the last gaspes his eye stringes are broken The water of death trickleth downe ouer his cheekes His life is now drawen to an haire O Lord while bodilie sight and senses faile make spirituall sight and sense succeede in a greater perfection Make a spaite of thy grace with a mightie streame to carrie him to glorie O deare Friend vp with your heart to your God Nowe all your sins shall die with your sicknesse The Rocke of your Saluation Iesus hath shiuered them in pieces There is 〈◊〉 condemnation to these that are in Christ who out of the pangs of loue suffered that paines of hell for mans RedeÌ„ption His Angels Sir are heere waiting vpon your Soule for to carrie it to pleasures for euermore Yet a little while and loe yee shall bee at the vpshotte of all your woe Yee are nowe vtterlie out of the reach of all the powers of hell euen vpon the borders of euerlasting pleasures vnmixed pleasures which shall turne all your teares into triumphes The Pastour Now Sir Gird vp the loynes of your minde make haste to your God who shortlie shall put into your haÌ„d the palme of victorie Sathan is chained vp now for doing you anie more harme The night of your trouble is past Christ that blessed Day spring hath brought a morning mercie vnto your Soule His graces in you hath shined more and more and so shall doe vntill the perfect day euen vntill your Soule carried on Eagles winges reach the hight of Heauen where without teares or tediousnesse are pleasures for euermore Though your tongue now faile you Sir let your heart be busie with God in prayer hee will hearten and encourage you in all the businesse Your taske is at an end Heaue vp your heart to Christ crucified with vs and that with sighes and sobbes the groanings of his owne Spirit Though your bodie now be cold the Spirit of Iesus shall by a free and vitall operation maintaine the heate and vigour of your Soule The Spirit of comfort conueye vnto your soule the warmest blood that euer heated the heart of Iesus Let vs pray The last prayer for the sicke Man in the verie jawes of death O LORD whose mercies are aboue all thy workes it was neuer thy custome to send away a broken heart without comfort Now heare the secret gâ—…oanes and sighes of thy seruant whose soule is ready in this gasping agonie to come out of its Tabernacle for to coÌ„peare before thee Thou who hast giuen him thy Son for a ransome giue him thy Spirit for a pledge Furnish him with force for to fight and finish this Battell in victory As thou hast bene at the beginning of his beeing euen the beginner of his beeing so now bee thou the ende at which hee aimes euen the ende of all his woes And seeing hee is now in the narrow throat of death helpe him by thy power till hee hath past this passage Put now into him a fresh liâ—…e that in a strong vigour hee may runne with the feete of the Hinde till hee come to thee in eteâ—…nitie Make him now supple and nimble
while he is neere the ende of his race His sillie soule hath beene sore weather-driuen with many temptations now let his battell take an end Receiue his soule in thy Rest. and lull it in the bosome of thy pleasures Bee a shield and a shelter vnto him for to hidde and couer him from the last blowes and painefull thrusts of his enemie the Deuill Disapoint that euill one while hee looketh for the greatest victorie Let him receiue the foulest foile Loose now sweetlie these two which thou hast joyned together that after his eyes with olde Simeon haue seene thy Saluation he may depart in peace Seeing the Battell is nowe come to the laâ—…f stroke make thy Spirit O Lord in him to fight it out that hauing ouercome thou may put the palme of victorie into his hand after that the dayes of dangers are past O draw this soule now vnto thee with the strongest cordes of thy loue Proclaime vnto his Conscience a full a finall remission of his sinnes whether Originall or actuall whether of Commission or of Omission Subscribe his paâ—…don with the arteriall blood of thy blessed Sonne O Father of mercies the Spouse of all faithfull Soules receiue this Spirit into thy wed locke-bedde It was betrothed vnto thee by thy faire promises in the Gospel now according to thy promise accomplish and fulfill that blessed Band in the presence of thine Angels Long Lord hath hee thought on it and earnestlie longed for it Seale thou it now with the sense of thy loue Fulfull it Lord and this day be thou the Bridegroome of his Soule Heere hee hath seene but the Copie of thy countenance let him now come where he may see thee euen as thou art As thou gaue him his measure of grace in the world so nowe giue him his portion of glorie bâ—…sides thy selfe Let nothing sway his thoughts from thee in this last agâ—…nie Season so his heart with thy loue that there bee no roome in his heart for any thing by thy selfe Now loose the pinnes of the Tabernacle while his soule shall bee out of the bodie let it enter into the Palace of pleasures Say vnto it as Laban said to Abrahams seruant Come in thou blessed of the Lord Thou who hast clasped his name within the Booke of life Bind now his soule into the bundle of life Drawe it out of this myrie mortalitie place it among the Angels and spirites of just men who are alwayes in thy presence courting thy countenance wherein iâ—… fulnesse of joye Vnto the end and in the end keepe his heart vnblameable in holinesse that Sathan that roaring Lyon bee neuer able to catch him within the reach of his paw Preserue the true rellish and sound joyes of thy Spirit of grace within him till from grace thou bring him vnto glorie where thou shalt crowne thy giftes and graces with thy goodnesse O now open the euerlasting doores let in this Soule decked with the lawrels of victorie Let all the Heauens welcome this conuerted sinner with songes and shoutes of joye O Spirit of Comfort thou hast guided him thorow many seas of sorrowes sit still at the Helme till thou haue brought him to his Hauen O now crowne thy graces with thy glorie Lord Iesus receiue my spirit To the Father Sonne and holie Ghost be euerlasting praise and dominion for euer AMEN Michael and the Deuils dispute for the ' Soule of the sicke Man alittle before its departure out of the Body Sathan I Haue many things to lay to this mans charge I am the Lordes Proctor and Acturney appointed to plead for his justice I haue alreadie sifted his life Of force this Soule must bee damned None Assise can cleanse it It is now taken red hand in the path and passage of sinne The Angel Michael I will not vse against thee a railing accusation neither darre I for my Master the God of mercie and of meekenesse It hath pleased his royall Majestie to license thee to accuse the soules of men Thine accusations are euer most bitter and most bloodie I am heere standing on my Masters side for to defend this Soule which hee hath bought with his blood But what can thou say against this man whose Soule is committed to me for to be carried vnto Paradise I know thee of olde to bee the accuser of the brethren I remember well how once I contended grappled with thee for the bodie of Moses which was buried sore against thy will It is likelie that of it thou thought to make an idole Loose now thy leach and let all thy hell-hounds come forward Come come with thy most foule mouthed objections what caÌ„ thou now alledge against the soule of this man before that it come out of this bodie Thou art heere a Lyon against a Lambe Declare now what thou can in this Assise Thou can say no more than he hath alreadie said against himselfe But come on fâ—…aime thine inditement against him Discharge thy fieâ—…ie dartes with the outmost of thy force Sathan Knowest thou not that there is a large haruest for Hell manie called but few chosen Hee is my Vassall I require but Iustice Let him receiue but according to his deseruinges Heere is a Bill of inditement able to conuinee him In his wickednes he turned to his course as the horse rusheth into the battell Both fiercelie and feareleslie marching vnder my collours in the pursute of his pleasures hee ranne ryote in the way of wickednesse The Angel Michael Is not God a God of mercie able to forgiue But what hath hee done Sathan Beholde the pieces of Euidence which I produce against him Let all the actions of his life bee brought to a true touch and it shall appeare what a monster hee hath beene In his youth hee scorned at the Thunder of Gods word counting it but Paper shot His soule was neuer grieued to grieue the Spirit of grace seldome came hee to the Church hee was of the kinred of Noahs Raùen delighting to flie about the Arke not willing to enter into it Gods hony word of vnspeakable sweetnesse was vineger to his teeth The pure commandement of the Lord which inlightened the eys was lik smok vnto his eyes the cause of blearednesse In all pointes he was disloyall vnto his God Hee misregarded his Parents He burned with lust like an Ouen heated by the baker Hee so loued his lust that it was his law His hands were full of pickerie his eyes were full of adulterie and his heart was full of guile and his tongue full of lyes euer gaggling like a Goose. He was a cunning clawbacke a paunchpike thanke His custome was to defile the aire with most filthie belghs of blasphemie Hee sported at all reproofes O the noble jugling There there this geare goeth trimme By hooke by crooke he sought for gaine Howe hee wanne it hee cared not if men perceiued not his fraude With Iudas hee was whollie giuen to the
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
your Soule which maketh it abhorre all comforts as it is said of these that are bodilie sicke in the Psalme Their soule abhorreth all manner of meate and they draw neare the doores of death What was their remeedie Earnest prayer to God Then they cryed vnto the Lord in their trouble and hee deliuered them from their distresses Mans extremitie is Gods opportunitie Bee of good comfort Sir haue the Faith of God within you Bee earnest in prayer and God shall deliuer you from all your feares The sicke Man Oh that I had Faith Oh that I could pray I finde my griefes to growe I spake neuer in earnest till now All other temptations before were but for carnall thinges They were all but sport in comparison of this of my sins where with my Soule is pressed and borne downe I take this to bee the forebrunt of endlesse plagues and paines prepared for the damned I abhorre my selfe fye on mee What am I but a dead Sardian or which is worse a lukewarme Laodicean neither colde nor hote a fitte prouocation of vomite to my God It is a vvonder if by this death he vomite mee not out of his Church for to cast mee into Hell Now what pleasure can I haue of all my sinnes where of I am ashamed All the joyes of my bygone life beeing joyned together counteruaile not the least part of my present paine Alas Sir how can I gladly draw neare the doores of death while there bee such impedimentes betweene mee and the doores of Heauen The Pastour I loue these lamentations It is good that a Soule be sensible of sin Woe to that Soule that is past all feeling Blessed bee God that hath wakened you out of the slumber of your sinnes Gods wrath euer followeth drowsie consciences for to giue them vp to the spirit of slumber or to sporting spirites that make men to sport themselues with their own deceiuings It is good that in our afflictions we consider well the cause for Affliction commeth not out of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground leremie in this is plaine Man suffereth for his sins It is your part to make a carefull search for the capitall sinne which as yee thinke may chieflie be the cause of so great a wrath Till Achan was found Israel could not stād before their enemies But say on Sir let mee heare you to Amen The sicke Man God hath set all my sinnes in order before mee I see nothing but a burning wrath which Scripture calleth a consuming fire Mine euill thoughts which I euer thought to bee free stand now vp in battell array against mee◅ O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy wayes and hardened our heart from thy feare I haue no comfort within my Soule I heare a clamour within my conscience crying vnto mee What part or interest can thou looke for in the Kingdome of him whom thou hast so highlie dishonoured How can thou be of that number that belongeth to the election of grace I find my conscience raging within me lik a swelling sea except some calme of mercie come my Soule shal be swallowed vp with some fearefull surge Alas Sir what is your counsell All that is within mee is into an vproare despare is working within the bowels of my bellie The Pastour These secret throwings in the bellie are but Gods secret reproues tokens of his Loue Such secret checkes are like the rebukes of a Father taking his Child apart to some quiet chamber for to admonish him This is Gods customable doing with his owne Children if by their open and scandalous sinnes they haue not moued the enemies of God to blaspheme hee will take them to the secret chamber of their heart there apart as it were after that hee hath barred the doore and put all out hee will tell them what they haue done Ioseph would not tell before the Egyptians how his Brethren had solde him But while hee reuealed himselfe to his Brethren hee commanded all others to goe foorth Cause euerie man said hee to goe out from mee and there stood no man with him while hee made himselfe knowne to his Brethren God would not reproue Iob before Elihu El◅phaz his vncharitable friends but a part out of the while winde After that hee had rebuked and scooled his Seruant Iob in the secret whirle of the winde and hade made him to acknowledge his faultes hee came to his friendes and told them that his wrath was kindled against them After that Peter had thri◅e most shamefullie denyed his Master Christ who heard him so perjuredlie lye would not reproue him openlie before the wicked but onelie turned his eye with a looke towards him With that secret looke which no man perceiued but Peter himselfe hee gaue him such a secret checke and nippe of reproofe that incontinent hee went out and weeped bitterlie * Yee shall find at last Sir all these temptations that trouble you within are but God taking you apart and telling you with Ioseph what yee haue done God is now in the whirle winde working secretlie with you as with Iob till ye bee humble in dust and ashes All this bitternesse which ye finde within is but from a Loue-looke of Christ that yee may bee saued by weeping bitterlie for your sinnes Bee of good comfort Sir all these troubles within are but God out of loue whispering some reproofs into your eare for some bygone faultes The sicke man I wish that it were so But O what a stir is this within my Soule I thinke those wordes of God in Ierimie to bee directlie said vnto mee Thine owne wickednesse shall correct thee and thy backslidinges shall reproue thee know therefore and see that it is an euill thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my feare is not in thee The Pastour While the dregge and mudde of a melancholious minde is stirred vp from the bottome with grieuous temptations the sinner must spare to judge till the Soule bee settled Let that muddie minde of yours first bee settled and yee shall shortly see that matters are not as they seeme to bee When Christ said to Peter Get thee behinde mee Sathan it was a speach of glouminesse But O the sweete gloumes of Iesus more sweete than the worlds smiles Let that righteous reproue mee and it shall bee as oyle which shall not breake mine head God may seeme to be angrie at his Darlings but yet in great loue hee hath locked vp their Saluation and made it sure in his vnchangable decree The sicke Man Mine heart is pricked with paines and grieued with griefe This is the mischiefe I see none out-gate my Soule is enuironed with temptations The Pastour The wordes of S. Peter are comfortable The Lord knoweth how to deliuer the godlie out
of temptations If your temptations bee great heere is matter of joye yee haue a God who knoweth how to deliuer you There is no temptatiō so deadly but God knoweth how to cure it A touch of the garment of Christs righteousnesse will anone dry vp that flooxe of blood The sicke Man I am so tossed that I am not able to touch it I am like a shippe in a tempest seeking its Hauen but cannot come by it whiles I am bl◅wen to this side and whiles to that side Thus beeing driuen hither thither as with contrarie Tydes mine heart quaketh and my conscience is in a qualme The Pastour Christ who in the dayes of his flesh rebuked the windes will calme such qualmes that your conscience may bee at rest * Though the rolling sea rage so that it make the Mariners to reele to and froe stagger like drunken men yet when they cry vnto the Lord Hee maketh the stormes a calme so that the waues therof are still Hee who can still the waues of waters can calme the most stirring surgesse of temptations It is written of the Mariners that while in the temptest all their cunning is gone their last refuge is to their prayers Then they cryed vnto the Lord in their trouble and hee deliuereth them from their distresses If your distresse Sir bee like the tempest which cannot bee with stood by care or cunning runne to your God by prayer confesse fullie and freelie your sinnes Suffer no starting holes or hollownesse in your heart But worke it to sinceritie vse all meanes for to bee friendes with your God Seeke earnestlie from God for the sake of his Chirst the peace of Conscience The sicke Man So I doe But alas while I seeke peace I heare from God as it were that voyce of Iehu to Iohoram horse-man saying to my Soule What hast thou to doe with peace get thee behinde m◅e What wonder that God bee angrie with mee who was neuer carefull to please him My Soule like a Night-Owle hath hated Light and loued darknesse Such is the weight of my transgression that I am like to finke thorow the sward of Gods wrath This checketh mee sore that while I sinned I stroue to ouermaster my conscience arraigning mee for my wickednesse When I thinke of this ◅ thinke shame to face the Sunne and the Moone The Pastour The more yee bee ashamed of your sinnes the lesse yee neede to feare euerlasting shame The Pharisee thought no shame of him selfe but bragged of his worth the Publican could not face the Heauens for shame Your part shall be with the Publican who returned justified vnto his house Hee who condemneth himselfe shall goe home to Heauen with the justice of his God Cry vnto the Lord in your trouble The sicke Man I am not able to speake the force of temptations is like to shiuer me in pieces All that is within mee is in a fearefull vproare O how fear◅full is the racke and gibbet of an euill conscience The blacke scrole of my sinnes which of before seemed to bee enroled is now vnfolded laid open wherein euerie letter seemeth huge great like a mountaine Euery day is a death vnto me all my counts are out of order there is not a string in mine heart in a right tune What are sinners but stubble Gods sentence is Burne them Alas that while I sinned I weighed not the following woe I haue brewed my griefe and now I must drinke in sorrow The Pastour One thing I perceiue Sir that your griefe must haue vent till yee haue disburdened your selfe with teares and complaints yee can not admit anie comfort The sicke Man There is no doloure lik to my doloure The arrowes of the Lords wrath are within mee whereof my Spirit drinketh the poyson The Pastour These arrowes are not arrowes of wrath but of vvarning like the arrowes of Ionathan shot for to driue Dauid frō the furie of Saul Heare the Spirit crying with Ionathan Are they not beyond thee Gods arrowes are flowen ouer you are they not beyond you There is no danger The sicke Man My sinnes which once seemed little like mots begin now to swell and to become thicker than mountaines I haue no peace within In my Soule is kindled an vnquenchable fire in it is the fewell of euerlasting burnings Often haue I posted off my sinnes in the lumpe vvith a slubbert generall confession Now resteth nothing within mee but feare distrust qualm◅s of Conscience The Pastour Bee strong in God Sir Hope in his mercie belieue in him though he should stay you If yee will not belieue saith Isaiah surelie yee shall not bee established While the woman of Canaan vvas making request to Christ for her Daughter shee found Christ at the first to bee verie harsh and sowre in calling her a Dogge But that little blast beeing once blowne out for the humbling of her Soule she heard incontinent these words of comfort O woman great is thy Faith Bee it vnto thee euen as thou wilt Gods face may seeme grimne for a space but there is but a moment in his wrath though he should slay you yet must yee trust in him In your hurt yee must hope for his helpe The sicke Man My strongest hope is but a stinging feare My greatest confidence is but trembling of conscience It seemeth to mee that there is one knocking at the doore of mine heart and crying in a voyce Is Faith heere Is loue within Is one called the feare of God into this place Is the Spouse of Christ in this heart Alas what can I say hauing such an ouglie Soule within mee Can Christ the Spouse of the Church loue such a Soule as mine which is like a bleare or squint eyed Leah can the dark night beguile him that hee should take such a loathsome Leah for a beautifull Rachel If Death now ouertake mee I looke for fire and faggot the fuell of euerlasting burninges Oh my Faith fainteth and mine hope houereth What say yee Sir Doeth not your heart pittie to see mee in such a plunge Yet for all this I must justifie God All this is righteouslie come vpon mee though his wrath should so settle vpon mee that thereby my bones should bee crushed like these eighteene who were slaine vnder the tower of Siloe to God should belong righteousnesse but to mee open shame and confusion of face The Pastour Shame of face for sinne is the beginning of grace in a sinner waite vpon the Lord a little and hee shall make his mercie to appeare like a morning light at the breake of day all the night shadowes of temptations shall flee away and Christ the Sunne of Righteousnesse shall arise and shine vpon your Soule with his blessed beames This shall make your Soule like a Bird on a bush well-comming the morning with a
song for joye that the night is past The Sicke Man Sathan alas hath so hood-winked my Soule with my sinnes that I cannot get a sight of mercie the sense of my sinnes giueth mine heart many a cold pull I feare to die in despaire What say yee Sir Doeth not your heart pittie mee The Pastour The Lord pittie you giue me an heart to pray for you The Lord put the wordes into my mouth that may comfort your comfortlesse Soule in this Iingring tryall Haue patience in your paine sinne is like a rotten tooth the deeper roote it hath in the jawes the more painefull it is in the drawing Continue Sir to discouer your sore if the boile of such corruption bee ripe I shall launce it that such filthie matter may bee cleansed away I pray God so to direct mee that I may proue a Surgeon cunning in this cure if there bee any thing as yet that troubleth you conceale it not if ye think that my comforts may be helpfull vnto you Many are more ashamed to confesse a faulte than to commit a sinne What is this that grieueth you now Sir The sicke Man The wrath of God affrayeth me His anger is like a Lyon which can not bee tamed My sinne is past but punishmēt is to come Terrors cry out of the fire Thy pleasures now are ended now thou must suffer paines From the toppe of the pinacle of all thy preferments come down to the dungeon of darknes because thou hast fallen downe before the god of this world goe downe goe downe to him whom thou on earth hast worshipped These bee the terrours of God standing in battell array against mee which make mee to fling all comfortes from mee My Soule is possessed with a slauish feare Indeed I must confesse that I am much beholden vnto God for so large a time of repentance But alas I haue neglected it yea and obstinatlie haue kicked against my Maker So now I finde by doolefull sense that I remaine into the guilt my Soule is so sicke with this that I cannot tell All comfortes are vnto it like a dead potion into the stomacke which hath no vertue to worke God thinketh mee not worthie of comfort For while I was in prosperitie I was so couered ouer with the spirit of slumber that I would not be warned nor wakened by the voyce of Gods Trumpeters sounding judgements as sonnes of thunder Because I misregarded Boanarges the Sons of Thunder God will not daine mee with a Barnabas a Sonne of consolation Now behold Sir what grieueth mee what say yee for my comfort The Pastour I rejoyce from mine heart not in your griefe but in that yee are so grieued for your sinnes God in mercie by such sorrow doeth whet vp your desires after him The Child by a knocke a fall knoweth his owne weaknesse and perceiueth the need of his Nourse I rejoyce to see you humbled with the sense of your sins vnder the hand of God I am comforted to see you humbled let this humilitie bee a comfort to your selfe It is good to be of a humble and contrit Spirit To whom will I looke said the Lord euen to him that is of a contrit Spirit and trembleth at my word The more a man be humbled he is neerer to be justified The Publicā a litle before he was justified was knocking vpon his breast and crying to God for mercie to him a miserable man The more humble a man bee hee is the farther from the dint and danger of Gods judgements The sicke Man By your discourse Sir it would seeme that a cast downe Soule with its owne vnworthinesse is in lesse danger of judgement than these who are high lifted vp in their owne conceit The Pastour It is most certaine The humble the proud are like these seeds that were sowne in Egypt when the plague of haile came the Flaxe and the Barley were smitten saith the Scripture for the Barley was in the eare and the Flaxe was bolled But the Wheat and the Rye were not smitten for they were not grown vp The wicked in time of wrath are lik Flaxe Barley because they are lifted vp they are smitten they are in the eare yea and bolled in their pride and therefore cannot escape But as for the humbled heart of the godlie man it is lik the Wheat and Rye the best corne It is not smitten because it is not growne vp but lyeth humble before the Lord Corpora magnanimo satis est prostrasse Leoni Humiliation maketh the Lyon to spare his aduersarie God is pleased and pacified so soone as hee seeth a man humbled in heart Ahah had killed after also had taken possession Yet so soone as hee humbled himselfe in Sacke though all his humilitie was but outward the Lord looked vpon him and would haue Elijah to see it also Seest thou said the Lord to his Prophet how Ahah hath humbled himselfe before mee Because hee humbleth himselfe before mee I will not bring this euill in his dayes Blesse God Sir for your humbled heart yet relye neuer vpon any grace that is within your selfe let Gods meere mercie alone bee your strength and your stay The least opinion of our owne worth is a frost which nippeth Repentance in the blossome The sicke Man Thinke ye Sir that before a man win to Heauen that hee must bee racked and riuen as I am with fearefull temptations The Pastour Before the most part of the Elect can enjoy these joyes that are aboue they are not onelie racked with paine but also as it were racked thorow hell There must first bee an hell in the conscience with the sense of our sinnes wee must haue a sight of wrath before wee enter into Gods Rest Heauen is not winne with a wish Christ saith that it suffereth violence and that the violent take it by force Thorow manie tribulations and afflictions wee must enter into it The Crowne is after a course of crosses The sicke Man I am haled away with the strong streame of temptations I cannot thinke that if God loued mee hee would suffer mee to bee thus way tread vnder foote like dust with such fearefull temptations O how fearefull is the crosse vpon the Conscience The Pastour These whom GOD loueth best hee chasteneth The louing Mother will runne vpon her dearest Daughter with her feete if shee perceiue her to bee giuen to folie God treadeth not vpon his owne but for profite The Godlie are like Saffron or Camomile which grow the better the more they bee troden downe Grace must gripe Nature till it gaspe The sicke Man Mine heart is strained and squised with griefe O the heauie weight of my sinnes which hang so fast on I am like a tyred horse that faine would bee rid of his burden The Pastour To bee tyred of sinne is a token that yee shall
By his Blood the Bill and Bond of the Law is crost and cancelled Hee is that Carkasse wherevnto all faithfull Soules like Eagles must resort Hee is our refuge against the dint of Gods wrath The Spouse could not come vp from the wildernesse but by leaning vpon her beloued Christ. As the Propitiatorie couered the Tables of the Law that were in the Arke so Christ couered our sinnes against these Tables As the cloud couered the Israelites from the fight of Pharaoh hotelie following after them so Christs righteousnesse like a cloud couered vs from the judgements of God his fierie wrath pursuing vs. Let men couer themselues neuer so carefullie still some part of them shall peepe bare vntill Christ come with the couering of his righteousnesse If by the temptations of Sathan your Soule hath beene ruffled or galled vpon the sore The best balme that euer dropped from the pen of Gods Spirit vpon the leaues of his Sacred Booke is the Historie of Christs Bloodie passion There wee may see the dearest mercies that euer moued the relenting bowels of Gods tenderest compassions Behold the Sacred Blood of that vnspotted Lambe which saued the Soules of those that spilt it If yee bee pined with Corrasius of terrour in him are Cordials of compassions the onelie salue for the sores of the Soule Though ye were couered with scarlet abominations heere is vertue whereby yee shall be made whiter than the snow Did hee not pray for them yea did hee not saue them who by bitter railing discharged vpon him the vtmost of their gall The sicke man Such men at last were pricked in their heartes they truelie repented Their sighes and sobs were supported sinewed with the strength of Grace Such men became godly indeede But I did neuer passe the pitch of formall pietie I euer desired more to seeme godlie than so to be I haue beene betimes sore shaken with awfull terrours But I neuer yet could say that the softening blood of Iesus did melt my marble heart What euer had I but some light of reason glimmerings of generall grace which cannot soare so high as to conuoy the soule to the doores of Heauen The word of sauing grace implanteth it selfe into the heart of the godlie man Hee onelie is furnished with a resolute vnswayed vprightnesse Alas alas alas mine heart is throwen with a sore wringing There is a large haruest for Hell many called but few chosen The Pastour What shall I say Mans thoughts are framed into a sinfull mould The sillie sonnes of Adam are wonderfullie tossed with the contrarie Tyd◅ of Satans temptations Some he benumeth with the sweetnes of Sec◅ritie others hee troubleth with the tartennesse of terrours O but Sathans Balow is sweete to the Soule in the craddle of Securitie But O how dreadfull shall hee bee when hee appearing grieslie and fierce vnto the Soule shall waken it with a cry and a glowre saying Damned soule come out to fire faggot come out to vnqueancheable brimstone beames come out to weeping and gnashing of teeth A man after this manner wakened in conscience is like a man wakened out of his sleepe on a sudden At the first hee is in such a maze that till hee bee better wakened he cannot well vnderstand what is said to him All his thoughts are into an hurlie burlie Then his outward rebellions and his inward repynings with all his abominations seeme to fall downe vpon him like cloudes of blood There bee no comforts that can settle his feares till the Spirite of grace appeare vnto him in the calme Looke vp with your eye Sir and seeke a blinke of the face of Iesus Hee onelie is the Prince and Pryce of our Peace our joye and our libertie If the Sonne make vs free wee shall bee free indeede Wrestle with him vse violence in an holie boldnesse vis Deo grata In him are the lasting treasures of mercie and immortalitie Hee it is onelie who can make this biting Conscience to bee toothlesse he onelie can command this raging sea I know Sir that your sorrowes are sore and my Soule pittieth you for I see you in the verie pangs and terrours of the new birth I perceiue your Soule gasping for grace as the drie and thirstie ground for droppes of raine The sicke Man O the boisterous blastes of temptations able to make the tallest and deepest rooted Cedars to stagger yea the Sirion to skippe like an Vnicorne What shall I doe The Pastour Seeing Christ alone is our protection and perfection let all your courage bee in him In him yee must bee valiant for none but the valiant can by violence enter into the Kingdome of God If a man know Christ well hee shall not be discouraged though hee were cast into a raging sea of temptations Though a mā were cast into a gulfe of twenty fathome deepe if hee can keepe his head aloft he cannot be drowned So as long as Christ our Head is aboue wee his members may well bee dowked but wee cannot bee drowned All Christian comforts runne vpon him like the title of a Booke wherein is contained the substance of the whole If Christ Sir bee yours yee cannot perish Hee who is rooted in him can neuer bee rooted out The sicke Man But how can Christ bee mine seeing I am but a bagge of corruption a bodie of Death What hath mine heart beene but like a vipers bellie filled with a deadly brood Miserable man that I am will Christ euer daine to looke vpon such a vile wretch as I am who hath turned my Christian libertie in a fleshlie licence The Pastour These who are least into their own eyes are in greatest account with him When yee heare of the wandring sheepe brought home and of the lost groat found and of the forlorne Sonne returned to his Father Ye should cast your figure say Of whom is this written but of mee for whom is it written but for mee If yee sticke fast by him no perrell shall make an haire of your head to perish Bee of good comfort for your life is hid with Christ in God The sicke Man I am so vile that hardlie darre I presume to think that Christ would die for such a filthie rotten creature as I am who from the sole of tbe foote to the crowne of the head is filled with botches boiles and putrifying sores When I behold my selfe into the glasse of Gods Law I abhor the monstrous face of my Soule I am one of those in whom Satan hath parbreaked and spewed the spawne of all sorts of sinne Of all sinners I am the first For I haue not sinned of ignorance but of knowledge against the light of my mind against the voyce of my God against the workings of his Spirit against the cryes of
In such a man there must bee some stirring of the pulse of a spirituall life A dead man knoweth not that hee is dead no more doeth a dead soule A seared conscience feeleth not defertions That man hath the beginning of grace who can say from his heart I haue no grace in my selfe but onelie to finde that I haue no grace This wee must all know that the best of Gods Sainctes will bee troubled with temporall desertions as Ionah was while hee was wrapt with waues and with weedes in the bottome of the sea Out of this bellie of hell they will cry to God Why hast thou made vs to erre from thy wayes and hardned our heart from thy feare Most godlie Soules may swarfe in sinne but they cannot die in their sins A spirituall man may be do◅ked in a sea of sin or sorrow but can neuer be drowned At last God shall make him sing with Ionah Yet hast thou brought vp my life from corruptions O Lord my God The spirituall life and light which God hath once put into the Soule of man can neuer be totallie extinguished Gods graces and his giftes are without repentance Iudas from horrour may rin to the halter but Peter cannot perish The Sicke Man Thinke yee then Sir that a man cannot fall from the grace of God if once hee hath beene receiued in Grace may not Grace like some plants for a space take roote and thereafter wither May not God begin a good worke into a man and after leaue it imperfect The Pastour Gods working in the godlie is not like the doing of him that beginneth to build an house before hee count his cost but is not able to finish it I am confident of this verie thing said S. Paul that hee which hath begunne a good worke in you will performe it vntill the day of Iesus Christ Gods spirituall gifts and graces which are without repentance come neuer within the compasse of Gods Reuocation * God will make Saul a King and againe repent that euer hee was crowned and thereafter will put him frō his kingdome Hee will lend out a Talent and after take it backe againe Hee will giue to man a tongue and thereafter make him dumbe Hee will giue Health Wealth Riches and after take all backe againe The Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken may be said of al things except of his spirituall and speciall graces These hee giueth once but neuer taketh them backe againe Sinne indeed will waken and diminish the sense and feeling of their operation but can neuer take them quite away Grace in a godlie Soule will bee betimes like flaxe smoking without a flamme or like embers vnder an heape of ashes Though all seeme to bee dead out yet there is some little secret spunke within which shall neuer bee quenched New sinnes I confesse are verie dangerous they will wonderfullie impaire the sense of mercie into faithfull Soules yea so that to their judgement the Spirit of God will seeme altogether to haue forsaken them But yet into their most desperate-like-cry there is a My of Faith in their prayer My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Grace in a godlie Soule will be like sappe into an Oake or Elme in the frostie dayes of December hidde close within the barke While Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse remoueth his hote beames from the faithfull Soule the Soule drouppeth like an Herbe into a winter day Grace like sappe runneth in to the heart and there lurketh for a spake But againe so soone as this Sunne beginneth to returne with the heat health of his countenance in a new Spring-time then will appeare againe first bude then blossomes then flourishes and after fruites That which was hid of before is incontinent perceiued As seede now cast into the ground seemeth to bee a dead thing and yet hath life in it so is Gods grace aliue and quickening when it seemeth farre otherwise In a sowne a man liueth though hee seeme to bee dead The life of God in a man can neuer altogether bee choaked with sinne Our miserie is not able to ouer-reach his mercie A sparkle of fire should be more able to burne vp the sea than mans sinnes for to dry vp the blood of his mercie Where grace is begunne a man may fall but hee can neuer fall away If Sir ye haue found once the life of God within your Soule yee haue receiued a sure pledge pawne of immortalitie say to your Soule And now my Soule returne vnto thy rest The sicke Man There is no rest within mee I am alas as a man vpon a raging Sea tumbled and tossed with such fearefull temptations which make all the bowels of my bellie to wamble The Pastour Sea sicknesse Sir is sore while it lasteth But many seeke this sicknesse for to cure them of a worse Take courage God hath imbarked you into this temptation for to cause you caste out some corruptions which lye lurke about your heart Bee content to tarie a little space vpon the Firth till the filth of you stomacke bee cleane purged away Assure your selfe that all this sore sicknesse shall worke your health in the latter end which shall cause your to sing For his mercie endureth for euer In the shadow of Gods wings mak your refuge vntill these calamities passe ouer The sicke Man I am euer in great doubt of my selfe The Pastour Though ye doubt of your selfe yee must not doubt of Gods kindnesse and compassions If ◅e doubt that God can bee mercifull to your sinnes yee deny your Creede wherein yee see forgiuennesse of sinne to bee an expresse Article of Faith Though for some space yee be troubled with doubts at last ye shall knowe by his Spirite within that Christ was no more willing to suffer for sinners than hee shall proue both willing and able to saue you Gods custome is to choose the hardest way for the best end partlie for to proue his power partlie for to try our trust The sicke Man I wish it be so But for the present I finde a feare within mee which maketh my Soule to tremble I euer thinke that hardlie can it bee that the Spirit of God would dwell into mine heart which is a very cage of corruption If the men of God when they see bordels abhor them and goe by them shall not the Spirit of God much more passe by mee yea abhor me who of mine heart haue made a most filthy stew Moreouer Satan is busie with his Bellowes blowing at the juniper coales of Gods wrath that against mee may be kindled a consuming fire The frowne of a Prince may bee the fauour of God But when God frowneth who shall shew fauour O what a cry is
the Apostle wee are chastened of the Lord that wee should not bee condemned with the world Many will suffer legs and armes to bee cut from them into a feaster for to saue the rest What reck what the body suffer if so be the Soule bee saued what euer affliction ye suffer in bodie or mind it is for the saluatiō of your sillie Soule by such pangues your God will preuent the paines of hell In your greatest griefes God is but practising his owne precept of sauing Soules by feare vvhereby they are pulled out of the fire The Sorrowes of the godlie end in joye But as for the wicked they are like the Sea whiles tossed whiles tumbled but euer inwardlie disquieted The sicke Man Is this then the estate of the godlie heere to be betimes crossed with most fearefull temptations whereby as vvith an Ocean sea they will seeme to bee ouer-vvhelmed The Pastour It is certaine for many are the troubles of the righteous Christ deerest here are lik Lillies among the thornes This life are the Winter of their affliction They are a groning genaration Turtles crouding with sighes and grones vvhich their tongues cannot expresse vvhile Abraham began to sleepe loe an horrour of great darknesse fell vpon him The sicke Man But in such anguish of heart will they not haue some bosome comforts salt Sea vvater strained thorow the earth becōmeth sweete At the greatest sense of vvrath will they not aye haue some hope of mercy though for a space they haue swimmed downe the current of the times shifting their sailes to the turning of euerie wind The Pastour They will bee in great distresse Their Soule vvill be shaken like a sea full of surges tossed with contrarie Tydes As for their comfort it vvill be lik the smoke of flaxe without a flamme In their deepest temptations they vvill haue some bosome secret graces into the heart as cmbers vnder an heape of ashes Some times in all outward appearance they vvill bee so douked that they vvill seeme to be drowned While they are all vnder the vvater vvith Ionah as it vvere at the rootes of the mountaines they vvill thinke and so also vvill others thinke that they are in the bellie of hell This is their estate vvhile for a space they are borne downe vvith the vveight of vvrath and vvith the burden of their sinnes they are as it vvere many fathome deepe vnder the vvater But so soone as it pleaseth God for to remoue that weight incontinent they come vp to the brimme of the vvater because there is breath and life vvithin them So long as there is life in a man hee may vvell at the first plunge goe downe to the bottome of a Poole but incontinent hee mounteth vp againe because there is a Spirit and breath vvithin him But if hee bee once deade hee sinketh downe like Leade vnto the ground It is euen so vvith the vvicked and the godlie the wicked are dead in the vvaters of affliction and therefore vvith Pharaoh and his armie they sinke downe like Lead into the mightie waters But as for the godlie though heauie vveights of sin for a space hang fast on yet because the Spirit of God a Spirit of life and of breath is vvithin them they may vvell at one plunge or other douke downe because of the vveight of their corruptions but incontinent they come vp againe By vertue of the Spirit as by Corke they are caried aboue so at last swimme thorow all the waues of their troubles and temptations till they come to the shallow where they may set their feete vpon a Rocke euen the Rocke Christ. When Ionah was cast into the Sea who euer thought that hee should come out againe yet heare how the drouked man sang at last Yet hast thou brought vp my life from corruption my Lord my God So litle was his hope once that hee said beeing in the bellie of hell The earth with her barres was about me for euer What hope of change can wee haue of that which we call For euer * See what little hope that Prophet had for a certaine space before that God would bring his life from corruption What out-gate could the poore man see into such a darke dungeon into the bellie of the Fish downe at the rootes of the mountaines into the bottome of the deepe That which the sillie man could not see God saw Hee whom the Shippe could not saue was saued in the bellie of hell He who could saue Ionah in the water could saue his seruant Sadrach and his fellowes in she fire While these three poore men were bound in their coats their hosen and their hattes and cast into that fearfull Furnace there came in One that afraide them all a fourth man euen the Sonne of God which by an absolute soueraignetie loosed the other three so that they all foure in the Kings sight walked vp down together without any hurt All the miracles of the olde Testament were but types and figures of Gods mercie and spirituall blessings vnder the New The passage of the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan was a type of our walking in this world vnto that Canaan that is aboue The Egyptians behind the Sea before the Mauniaines on euerie side were but types of our spirituall enemies Some like Egyptians behind are chaissing vs some like Mountaines on euerie side hedge vs in to keepe vs from escape Some before like a Sea are before vs betweene vs and Canaan Christ is a cloudy Pillar which in the day time is darknesse commeth betweene vs and the rage of the Egyptians of this world so that for mist they cannot see vs In the darke night of our tribulations hee goeth before vs in a pillar of fire for to be a light vnto our steps At last after we haue passed by many mountaines of miseries and are come to the red sea of temptations euen to the last temptations on our death bed where all our sins red like scarlet stand like a red sea betweene vs and the place of promise God by the rod of his mercifull power giueth that sea such a blow that all its billowes make roome to let his people passe thorow Then all mourning is turned into musicke Moses singeth with the men Mi◅ian with the women Nothing is heard there but songs sounding Timbrels Manie a ◅ore sigh had they before they came to this Song Many a pittifull looke gaue they backe to Pharaoh breathing out rage behind them they q◅aked lik an Haire that heareth the barke of the Dog breathing to bee at it But while at last they saw thēselues bounded with an enemy that boasted them with drowning then God in their greatest feares sent a powerfull deliuerance Behold here as in a Cart the draughts of the Christian
mans journey vnto Heauen Read into it That thorow manie tribulations wee must enter into the Kingdome of Heauen euen thorow burning Riuers of Brimstone The sicke Man But alas they come thorow all their troubles were at last deliuered But I see none appearance that God will doe the like to mee I haue beene prodigall of the peace of my Conscience my sinnes doubled doe daylie ripen Gods wrath against mee In all liklie-hood Gods decree is gone out that I should porish * My Faith faileth mee Hope is flowne away Oh for that peace in belieuing The Pastour As by bitter Succorie the burning blood is cooled and refreshed so by such bitter bloodie blowes the pride of life is subdued hemmed within a compasse By such to◅turing and tormenting feares The good Lord is working for your well that thereby hee may driue you from all selfeconceate◅nesse partiall ouervaluing of your own worth It is Gods custome by such means to doublem as zeale to blow at the smoaking flaxe till the weak reeking sparkle of grace bee kindled into a bright burning flam By such troubles and temptations the good Lord keepeth your Soule in watchfulnesse Many in this world sleepe soundlie in their sinnes beeing fullie stuft and swelled therewith and for all that neuer waken till they be wakened in ye◅re of Hell Others who are troubled with some inward checkes runne◅ to Tauerns for to drowne their sorrow for sinne by powring in of strong drinke Others thinke to smoke it out by the ◅eeke of Tabacca Some runne to the di◅ne of the vvorld among loud laughters As the Israelite◅ in Tophe◅ sounded their Drummes that they should not beare the squeeles of their Infants burning in the fire so so go some about by the noise of sports worldlie joyes to deafen so their Soules that they should not heare the shrighes of their troubled Conscience But all such comforts and companiourie are like that red wine giuing colour in the cuppe and mouing it selfe aright But what is the end of all Such things may seeme to coole refresh for a space lik as when a burnt finger is dipped into cold water vvhere one qualitie encirculoth another But shortlie after that little an◅iperistasis is past in come doubled dolours with all the anwels of the principall summe at last all such drunke comforts bite like a Serpent and sting like a Cockatrice as doeth the drunkards best claret wine Well is that Soule which God in mercie exerciseth daylie either vvith one crosse or other not suffering it to be rocked and lulled with Sathans balowes in the cradle of Securitie Rejoyce then in tribulation put all your trust in God yea though hee should slay you inwarpe your selfe in the Mantle of his mercies Relye vpon him with vvhō nothing is imposible He vvho can make the great Camell passe thorow the needle eye can open the narrow gate and let your Soule enter into his Rest. Learne of the Father of the faithfull to belieue in hope against hope God thinketh himselfe most glorified vvhen men belieue in him while there is least outward appearance His delight is to allure in the wildernesse vvhere is least appearance Forget neuer that couragious words of Iob Though he should slay mee yet will I trust in him Not to haue Faith except vvee feele and see is to be faithlesse vvith Thomas vvhile hee said that hee vvould not belieue till hee vvas assured by the tvvo vvitnesses of his senses viz. Sight and Feeling Christ out of pittie granted to him contentment of ◅enle but with a sore a nipping checke Because thou hast seene mee thou hast belieued blessed are they that haue not seene and yet belieued If yee would bee blessed belieue before yee either feele or see Hee who brought meate out of the de◅ourer and light out of darknesse can inlighten your mistie minde The sicke Man What then would yee me to doe Sir while within and without I can perceiue no token of comfort none appearance of fauour seeing hee hath hid his countenance from my Soule what thinke yee best that I should doe The Pastour Doe as Isaiah did I will said he waite vpon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Iakob and I will looke for him God is like a Mother that cannot forget her Child She may hide her selfe a little and let it get a knocke that it may feare and learne to beware of greater dangers Though God gloume in outward countenance at the faultes of his Children yet in his heart are euer thoughts of peace and of mercie Of this Dauid produced two witnesses Once I heard saide hee yea twise that mercie belongeth to God Once in all appearance hee heard this read or preached by the Prophets and another time by the Spirit the inward teacher of the Soule Behold how the Spirit and the Word once yea twise both outwardlie and inwardlie haue testified that mercie is with God yea as a thing which most properlie belongeth vnto him In your more sober moode and cold blood yee shall confesse this to bee true God for a space will seeme to bee vncouth Hee as Naomie bade Ruth returne home with her Sister ◅rpah will bidde a sinner goe seeke his comforts in his bypa◅t pleasures But if with Ruth hee see him stedfastlie minded he will incontinent leaue off such speaking The sicke Man I know that God is full of mercie Of this the Deuils did neuer doubt Within the compasse of his compassions is mercie for a thousand worlds but what is that to mee How shall I come by it The Pastour The Scripture is plaine Aske said Christ and yee shall receiue seeke and yee shall finde Sticke to him with a truely Christiā vnshakē resolutiō What euer yee shall seeke from the Father in my Name said Christ hee will giue it vnto you If yee beleeue Christ to bee true practise his precept Take once but a proofe of his promise seeke in the Name of Iesus whatsoeuer thing may doe you good and see whether or not God shall proue faithf◅ in his promise * Before that a man will distrust another hee will first at least bee beguiled once Vpon Christs words then with freedome of Spirit Aske seeke and knocke and see whether or not your Soule shall bee answered with these three viz receiuing finding and opening There is a worthie historie in the Gospel which pointeth at this that we should doe what Christ Commandeth though there be litle appearāce of any good successe After that Christ had teached the people out of Peters ship the Sermon beeing ended the Lord said vnto Simon Launch out into the deepe and let downe your nettes for a draught Simon answered said vnto him Master we haue toiled all the night and haue token nothing neuerthelesse at thy word
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
nothing within troubleth them Their peace indeede is nothing but a dead benum nednesse of spirit their Conscience beeing Seared is not capable of feeling I shall giue you two speciall marks whereby yee shall discerne a true Peace and quietnesse of Conscience from the dead benummednes which the wicked haue First a Conscience which hath Gods Peace is awfull of sinne wittinglie and willinglie for a world it would not despite the Spirite of grace But the wicked who is in a false peace flitteth from sinns to sinne as a Flie from scab to scab laying all his burden securelie vpon the broad shoulders of Gods mercie Secondlie the seared dead Conscience of the wicked hath but a part of that which is called Peace Their heartes will bee senslesse of all euill they will haue no warre within no sorrow is there But as they haue no spirituall sorrow for their sinnes committed neither haue they anie spirituall joye for the sense of their sinnes remitted Heere then know the true Peace of God in the Conscience The vnspeakable griefe for sinne is asswaged the fearefull qualmes are calmed the raging and roaring tempests are allayed the swelling seas are fallen and ebbed God is come in the calme not onelie for to wype away the teares of sorrow frō their eyes but also for to fill their mouthes with laughters of joye So not onely are they voyd at last of the sense of most terrible horrors but they are sensible of a joye which will make them to daunce with Dauid before the Arke yea to laude the Lord at a Stake amidst tarrie poudered flames of fire This is that continuall feaste which cheareth the godlie Soule amidst the bloodie bickerings of Sathan and burning persecutions of mercilesse missacrours Let all men try their Peace at this Touchstone if not onely they finde their former paines lessened but also a joye in GOD whereby their Soule is feasted with such contentmēt that for all the gold of Ophir they wold not losse it their estat is doubtlesse happie Who euer hee be that findeth this hee may sing to GOD Glorie be to God in the highest heauens peace on earth and toward my Soule good will The sicke Man Blessed be God who hath inlightened your eyes for the spying out of that remarkable difference betweene the true and false peace of mens Conscience Ineuer heard it so clearelie discussed O but Sathan is euer busie to mar this Peace of the godly who wil not war wage battel vnder his colours I haue seen these who are now godlie before their conuersion to be verie vaine light and wanton sinners while they thus did runne ryote in sinne with the wicked world I haue seene them most mirrie and solacious companie I often wondered to see them dance and sing roare reuell I could see no bands of sorrowes in their life They neuer complained of Satans malice against them But so soone as once they beganne to loue the Preaching of the Worde and to loath the carnall pleasures which once they loued I haue seene them againe so courbed downe with griefe and mainelie crossed as though it had no more beene they Sathan letteth them nor rest neither night nor day The Pastour In that is no wonder Sathan will bee verie loath to trouble his owne So soone as hee hath lulled them asleepe into the credle of securitie he will bee verie carefull that none waken them Out of a counterfeit loue hee will adjure the watch-men by the Roes and by the Hindes that they waken not his beloued till he please Hee will say of him as Christes Disciples said of Lazarus but in another sense If hee sleepe hee shall doe well See how carefull Sathan is for the rest of his owne lest that being wakned they runne away from him This Christ himselfe in the dayes of his flesh made cleare by a similitude When said hee a strong man armed keepeth his Palace his goods are in peace So long as Sathan like a strong armed man keepeth the palace of a wicked mans heart his alone so that none bee welcome but hee hee will let that man bee lest that by troubling and disquieting his peace hee grow sorie and mislike his seruice But if once hee perceiue the Soule to shrinke seeking an occation to bee quite of him hee will put all the powers of hell in armes and vproare and will driue furiouslie lik Iehu for to regaine it againe into his kingdome While a Theefe or a murtherer is in the stockes fast in fetters the Iaylor will bee merrie and will sing besides him as though hee were his friend but if the most secret houre of the night hee heare him knocking off his bolts and perceiue him to haue escaped hee will waken all the citie and pursew him with hue and with cryes Sathan is like the Iaylor a peaceable spirit so long as the Soule is fast in his fetters and clogged with his bolts in a deepe dungeon But if once hee perceiue that the Spirit of Iesus hath as the Angel did to Peter in the prison smot him on the side and raised him vp making all his chaines to fall from him and that the man ariseth vp quicklie and girdeth himselfe and bindeth on his Sandales and casteth his garment about him as Peter did for to runne and follow his God it is a wonder how that cruell Spirit will roare and rage like a Beare bereeued of her whelpes If hee gette a grippe of the poore man hee will cause him roare with gasping groans till God come with an helping hand The sicke Man Indeede Sir yee by your both plaine and learned discourse haue dispelled the mist of many difficulties The last difficultie wherein my Soule did sticke as yee may remember was concerning my Faith which I concluded not to bee because I had no peace of Conscience This did marre and deface all my comforts My ground was from the Apostle whose wordes are That beeing justified by Faith we haue peace toward God I haue heard you declare that a man may haue Faith yet for some space not to bee sensible of that peace O my God let thy mercie be closelie applyed to my Soule strengthen my Faith that I may grippe and apprehend it with a sure and euerlasting hold Oh that my soule might lye downe in that peace that passeth all vnderstanding I am sore troubled with a weake and wauering heart which is yet tossed and swayed to and fro with doubts and difficulties lik a feather in the wind Alas Sir I complaine of the weakenesse of my Faith That Faith must be strōg which is able to draw downe Saluation from the heauens and batter downe strong holds and ouerthrow principalities and powers and conqueare and subdue tame represse and repell our strongest corruptions Let mee see I pray you any partiticulare example of a weake Faith wherby any at any time haue beene
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
many doe But yet yee must know that hee that made the Time will not bee subject vnto Time the King of Time is Eternall GOD is eternall and hath all Times at his command There is no Time that can hinder him to bee mercifull to a sinner at whatsoeuer time he sha◅l repent For this cause Christ for to let the world see that hee can forgiue when a sinner can repent hee took from the Crosse the Soule of a condemned Theefe and after that hee had absolued it hee carried it to Paradise God hath said That at whatsoeuer time a sinner shall repent that hee will put away his wickednesse out of his rememberance Fra once hee hath said the word hee cannot take his word againe He is constant in all his wayes and therfore neuer saith and vnsaith one thing Hath he said shall hee not doe it If yee can but waite a little ye shall finde all the fiercenesse of his fur◅e to bee turned into the fulnesse of his fauour * Hee who shall seeke him earnestlie shall not receiue an emptie answere There is mercie in heauen for an hell of conscience vpon earth Cast all your cares aside cast your selfe into the armes of your God Cast thy burden vpon the Lord and hee shall sustaine thee Be strong in the Faith of God In hope belieue against hope though for a space your Spirit bee distempered yet still relye vpon the mercie of your God Goe not off this that the Blood of Iesus was shed for you that Christ hath payed your ransome What euer Sathan by his temptations suggest vnto you belieue him not Take my counsell I pray you Sir that I speak the trueth heere I darre take it vpon my Soules Saluation The sicke Man I thank God from mine heart that euer I heard you your words are ful of comfort O how indebted am I to the mercy of my God who hath vnlocked the bowels of his loue towards me At our first meeting I found my selfe inuolued with much miserie and mischief but since I haue heard you I finde I blesse God some stirring of God Spirit within mine heart mine heart before this time hath beene lik that Altar at Athens wherin was ingrauen in great Letters TO THE VNKNOVVNE GOD I heard often of God but I neuer knew him truelie vntill now This is the infancie of my regeneration I haue beene too long a stranger from so good a God My Soule now rejoyceth after many toes and froes I finde mine heart loosed from the cartropes of my sinnes and linked vnto my Sauiour with stronger chaines than of before There bee better motions within than euer I did feele before this houre O thou who is Loue let my Soule bee possest of a sound and constant loue to thy most mercifull Majestie Bring my Soule from the shadow of death to the light of thy countenance O Lord my strength and my Redeemer O Lord of Hostes giue me strength and courage to fight out this Christian fight whereof the victorie is glorious and the reward a Crowne of immortalitie Inspire mine heart with the life of Grace If thy care had not hitherto preserued my Spirit my Soule had long since bene drowned in a sea of sin and sorrow There haue bene such lecks into mine heart that except the Lord in time had pumped it with repentance my Soule long since had made ship-wracke of Faith O how much am I beholden to my God who hath taken longer day with mee than within any others from whom before they were prouided hee hath demanded his due Blessed bee my God who hath made mee free from the frenzie of Spirite by appearing vnto mee in a greater calme The feeling of his wrath past I hope shall be a sauce for to sharpen my blunted loue towardes him in all times to come with vndaunted constancie I perceiue nowe that the day is darkened and that the night approcheth Oh that I might cōtinue conference with you but least I should wearie you from the best of my bowels my deare Pastour I bidde you farewell I looke to morrow for a new conference for with many difficulties mine heart is yet troubled and tossed I requeast you before yee goe to helpe mee with your prayers The Pastour I blesse God who hath begunne to intermingle the sweete honey of some comfortes with the bitter gall of painefull temptations GOD who hath begunne to make you his his Prentice in Grace shall an one mak you a free man in Glorie As Ministers must first sit at Gamaleels feete for to learne before they sit in Moses chaire for to teach so must Christians first bee humbled with temptations on earth before they bee honoured with exaltations into the Heauens Well is the man that is truelie humbled by GOD and made a foole in his owne eyes for hee which thinketh himselfe wise is a foole ipso facto All naturall wisedome without Spirituall humilitie is like ouernights Manna which did no good but mould and fust God by diuers temptations first carnall and after spirituall hath besieged the corruptions of your nature and hath battered downe the strong holds and fortified Castles of your imaginations and reasoning the high thinges which exalt themselues against the knowledge of GOD Before hee leaue you hee shall bring into Captiuitie euerie thought of your heart to the obedience of Christ According to your desire wee shall bend our knees to GOD in prayer that yee may spell his loue out of such a Fatherlie correction and learne in time to stay your selfe vpon his kindnesse and good will A Prayer for the sicke Man O LORD of Mercie whose bowels are turned within thee when thou beholdest the griefe of the godlie Bee heere present for the reliefe of this thy poore distressed Seruant His eyes are stedfastlie fixed vpon Thee as the eyes of the hand maide are fixed vpon the hands of her Mistresse Behold LORD and heare his amazed broken heart braying after thee as an Hart panting after the Riuers of waters Pitie this sillie Soule which is like the drye ground gaping for droppes of Raine Oh LORD his strength is d◅yed vp like a Pot shard his tongue cleaueth vnto his jawes and thou hast brought him into the dust of death Let the sweetest comfortes of thy bleeding bowels bee powred into his broken heart Make the joyfull Light of thy countenance breake foorth vpon his drooping and cloudie Conscience O strengthen his sillie Soule in this heauie houre Pacifie the pangs of his remorse that hee may laye holde vpon the merits and mercies of thy Sonne IESVS Come gracious GOD with thy strength for his succour Sathan a most bitter enemie hath besieged his Soule with most fearefull temptations There is no mischiefe which could bee deuised but hee hath m◅stered it and set it in battell arraye against him While hee had health and youth this enemie
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
yee vnto mee yee blessed of my Father and receiue a Kingdome Let this consideration beare out in the stormie houre of the last assaults Set a strong Guarde and a narrow watch ouer his heart lest he bee vnawares surprised by Sathans craftie plots Let the Sconce of thy mercie fence off the partching hea◅e of Sathans most fierie temptations kindled in a bone-fire Furnish him now with such grace whereby hee may possesse his Soule in patience looking for that blessed hope and appearing of thy glorie in the cloudes It was long since written by thy blessed Pen-men That the Iudge standeth before the doore and that the end of all things draweth neere Now seeing sin is come to such an hight that thy Iustice cannot much longer forbeare but that thou must come shortlie to put an end to this most corrupt world LORD cleanse quite away all our corruptiōs before thou come Grant that continuallie with the wise Virgines wee may haue our Lampes of oyle trimmed for the comming of our Lord the blessed Bridegroome of our Soules Graunt that in that day with gladnesse wee may lift vp our heades beeing assured of a gracious welcomming vnto our Masters joy Keepe this euer fast in our memorie as an aweband aboue our heades for to keepe vs from sinne that Christ the determined Iudge of the world shal come for to render to euery one according as he or she hath done in the days of their flesh grant therefore that whether we sleepe or we wak the shrill Trumpet of Gods voyce may be as if it were euer sounding to our Soules Arise for to compeare in judgement O LORD enlighten our mistie mindes that with an vndazeled eye euerie one of vs may try and descry clearelie our owne estate in this world In a more speciall manner let it please thee to regard thy poore prisoner heere in this bed of languishing whō Satan hath soght to sift that his Faith might faile Waken his Soule softlie with a mercifull motion of thy Spirit of comfort Let him not bee like these who in a dull dead and senslesse securitie not thinking on Death chop in the earth before that euer they bee awares neither suffer Sathan to quench his clearest comforts with the dampe of despare By this heauie sickenesse which daylie increaseth thou is now Summoning thy seruant here to a perticular and personall compearance before thy great Tribunall Let him finde thy Royall seate to be a mercie seate Proclaime vnto his Conscience in his inward partes that thou wilt neuer enter into judgement with him Assure his Soule that hee is one of thine and that there is no condemnation to these that are in Christ Iesus who vnto all his faithfull is like a little Sanctuarie Let the graces of thy Spirite bee all night like a bundle of Myrrhe into his bosome Seale vp in his heart this comfort that hee who shall bee his Iudge is hee euen hee who is now his Aduocat interceeding at the right hand of the Father for him Giue him strength couragiouslie to fight out this bloodie Battell that in the ende thou may set on his head that neuer fadding Crowne of righteousnesse Let Sathan be now chained vp that hee bee not able any more to set by the eares the corruptions of his nature with the motions of thy grace He confesseth LORD before thee that if presentlie thou should pronounce his doome and suddenlie plunge him in the deepest Hels that righteousnesse in so doing should belong to thee This from his heart would hee acknowledge being willing that thy Name may bee glorified to take to himselfe shame and confusion of face O LORD whose bowels euer rumble with cōpassions raine downe vpon thy seruāts heart here a showre of grace for it is parched and dryed with greiefe and sorrow Pittie him for he abhorreth himselfe as a stained sinner stript of all good things worthie to be crushed vnder the mountaines milstones of thy vengeance Neither dar he neither will he plead against thee for his innocencie Here hee is readie to subscribe all thy will were it with the best arteriall blood of his heart His confessiō is that thou art most just though from thy presence thou should banish him to the blacke lacke and woefull dungeon of darknesse where is nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth Out of a sore sense aboundance of feeling hee powreth out this most plentifull sincere confession before thee Behold him here Lord opening the bosome of his confession and selfe condemnation before thee O thou whom his Soule loueth tell him where thou feedest and where thou makest thy flocke to rest at noone in the time of parching and most piercing heate of temptations O coole this fainting Soule with thy blessed breath comming from the foure windes Besprinkle it with the sauing and sacred Blood of Iesus Thou LORD who is the chiefe Paterne and examplar of all true Kindnes Pittie Loue Let his groanes and supplications get entrie into thine eares Send downe the Ladder of Iaacob the ministring Spirits for to waite vpon him who is one of thy Redeemed ones that when his Soule shall bee seuered from his bodie they may carrie it into the blessed bosome of Abraham the father of the Faithfull Giue him a sound a Sanctified heart say vnto his Soule as thou said of olde concerning thy beloued Children I will delight to doe him good Take away the trespasse of thy seruant and saue him for hee distrusting his owne worth is now fledde to the hornes of thine Altar euen to the crosse of Iesus the Sanctuarie of troubled Soules As Elishah was first inuested with a single Spirit and thereafter with a doubled Spirit so now in thy tender compassions double thy graces vpon him which were but single of before Let thy fauours falling downe vpon him bee like the raine which falleth first in small droppes and after powreth downe in grea◅ aboundance O quicken and enliuhis Soule with a supernaturall vi gour and life of grace that by no lowring tempest of temptation his holie Faith bee dashed out of countenance Let not his Hope bee like the Spiders webbe which is easilie sweept away with the least blast of winde The weaker his bodie grow increase so much the more his spirituall strength Verifie that Text in him To him that hath shall bee giuen Thou who giuest repentance to the sinner giue pardon to the repenter In the boisterous blasts of most fearfull temptations let his sillie Soule finde a shelter vnder the shadow of thy fauour There is no succour but vnder thy wings from the plagues of God and curses of the Law Thy Blood onelie is able to purge purifie him from the froth and filth of all his iniquities Seeing hee hath dealt vnpartialie with himselfe by condemning himselfe let thy mercie for the sake of thy Sonne his surtiship now absolue him draw out the keen
drawe the desires of his heart to abide into that P◅lace of pleasures where there is Light without Darknesse Mirth without Sadnesse Health without Sicknesse Wealth without want Beautie without blemish For the sake of thy dea◅e Selfe seale vp into his Soule the assurance of thy loue that in all bol◅nesse through the bleeding bowels of Christes compassions hee may come to the Throne of thy grace frō thence he may enter into glory O LORD the comfort the joye and the glorie of Israel Bee fauourable to thy distressed Sainctes dispersed vpon the Earth Thy Church here below is like a shippe on the sea Though it floate aloft it is fore tossed to and f◅o with wind and with waue thou therin seemeth whiles to sleep Now LORD at last awake in these boisterous blastes Master Master saue vs for wee perish Awake O LORD and rebuke the winds Alas O LORD thou seemeth now to lowre in thy wrath by driuing all our petitions from Thee with a darke and cloudie countenance so that these that trust in Thee are cleane dashed out of countenance while they heare the scorninges of the aduersaries who nowe waste and hauocke thy Vine Arise O LORD as a man of war Awake as one out of sleepe and like a mightie man that shouteth by reason of Wine Smite thou all the enemies in the hinder partes and put them to a perpetuall reproach Take the Cudgell into thine hand and stricke a way these Dogges which follow Thee but for crustes Let vs neuer bee colde or carelesse in the distresse of others but for to assure vs that wee are all members of one Bodie giue vs this pledge of mourning with these that mourne Make vs all to bee grieued for the affliction of Ioseph Blesse our gracious SOVERAIGNE with the Spirit of Wisedome and of Grace Rescue Him from all dangers both bodilie ghostlie Thogh Hee bee a Prince among men yet Hee is thy Subject Thou who by Grace hast made Him to reigne ouer thy people on earth at the end of his appointed time when the dayes of His Reigne shall bee happilie finished exalt Him highlie in the heanens among thy Sainctes and Angels So long as Hee is heere let Him know that it standeth Him fast in hand to bee an Hornager vnto Thee Direct him so in all His cariage that His whole life may bee to all His Subjects an holy patronage of good example Let Him neuer retract nor repeale that vow which Hee made at His Coronation for to maintaine the puritie of thy Gospel and for to bee a louing Father vnto thy people Cloth his enemies with shame but vpon Himselfe make His Crowne to flourish Blesse His Royall Match Make Her to striue stretch all the powers of Her Soule by prayer in searching the sincere knowledge of thy truth LORD in Her carefull search make Her to say at last with the Spouse I haue found him whom my Soule loueth I will not let him goe Thou LORD louest Trueth in the inward partes and therefore so sanctifie Her Hearte that She may day lie thriue in the power of Godlinesse Though all outward meanes should faile Her bee Thou to Her in stead of all meanes aboundantlie supplying Her with the power and presence of thy Spirit Leuell LORD Her Heart directlie to the loue of Christ of him crucified that by a true liuelie Faith in him Shee may shine among the Sainctes in Heauen like one who in a great measure hath beene receiued in Grace on earth Let thy Preastes bee cloathed with righteousnesse Blesse all our Nobles mak them truelie noble not like Ephraim whose righteousnesse was like the morning dew Let them neuer for feede or fauour slinke or shrinke back from the puritie of thy Gospel established in this Land Giue vnto vs all courage for the Trueth that wee may bee bold to resist euen vnto the blood not beeing like these who at the first in an hote and hastie zeale promise faire with Peter but anone at the first womanlie temptation start aside like deceitfull bowes Suffer no sinne to goe current with vs without check Let vs neuer follow the sway of tymes with sewed Cushions vnder our Elbowes LORD abide with vs this night As thou hast drawne the night Curtaine of darknesse vpon the face of the earth so bee thou a pillar of the cloude betweene vs and our enemies Hide our soules from Sathans temptations as by the cloudie pillar thou hid the Israelites from the Egyptians Make vs this night to sleepe softlie and soundlie in thine Armes that our bodies beeing refreshed with sleepe may bee the better enabled to morrow for to sette foorth thy Glorie in the work of our Vocation LORD let these our weake prayers come vp before Thee like Pillars of smoke perfumed with the liuelie sauoure of thy Son To whom with Thee and the Spirit of Grace bee endlesse Glorie and Dominion for euer Now Sir wee haue recommended you God to who is stretching out the Armes of his mercie readie for to receiue your Soule into the bosome of his Loue Make you nowe readie for him for in all appearance ye are not farre from the doores of death Bee vigilant in prayer lest Satan yet put in his leauen into the Spirites dough and so by sowring it make it distastfull to the Lord By a little droppe of filth the pure webbe of the Spirit will become a menstruous cloath The sicke Man The lost Sheepe is found I giue you most heartie thankes for that feruent prayer I pray God that it be heard in the Heauen as Solomon prayed for these that prayed in the Temple which he had builded saying Then heare thou in Heauen Lord graunt that these comforts and contentments bee not deceiuable feelinges and flashings of joye O Lord let not the Spirit of Grace in this new birth recoyle as once Zarah in Thamars wombe Seeing God hath furnished me with a new spirituall strength I wish that I culd imploy it well for the short space that I haue to liue among mortall wightes in this region of corruption O Lord stirre all the streames of mine affections toward thy selfe Wound ward weaken wasle all my delightfull and darling sinnes that my whole joye may rest on Thee command confine all my thoghts to thy selfe that by Faith my Soule may seaze and lay hold on the merits of Christ the celestiall Pearles of price Disburthen my soule of euerie weight that hangeth so fast on lest that thereby it should bee swayed away from Thee I finde mine hearte stirred with a feruent desire to powre out it selfe in prayer before God I pray you all that sit by to joyne your affections with mine into this worke The sicke mans Prayer for himselfe O LORD the Father of mercies and GOD of all Consolation bee present in thy great mercie with mee thy vnworthie seruant into this time of trouble suffer mee earth and ashes to speake
good therefore that yee summon your hearte and your glorie to giue praise vnto your God Let not a thought of your heart absent it selfe from this point of seruice God must not bee serued by halfes As for mee I am but the Lordes weak Instrument for your well Giue God the glorie The sicke Man Blesse the Lord O my Soule all that is within mee blesse his holie Name I desire now to come with Dauid to my last words A speach of the sicke Man to his Pastour First of all I addresse my speach to you my worthie Pastour Gods mercie in you toward mee hath beene great for yee haue soundlie vnfolded all the intricate difficulties wherwith my Soule hath beene fearefullie entangled Yee are one of these that may well say Wee haue the mind of Christ God by his Grace haue made you that one of a thousand you haue I found to bee like Ionah the sonne of Amittai that is the sonne of trueth Happie is that Preacher who is ledde in all trueth O the Majestie of that message O the wisedome of these that gaine Soules vnto Christ Wisedome hath said That hee that winneth soules is wise O but my Soule loueth you My loue toward you assureth mee of Gods loue toward mee for by this wee know that wee are translated from death to life because wee loue the Brethren I loue you Sir in the dearest blood I haue for yee haue beene the good instrument of God for my conuersion ye in all my troubles while mine heart was toucht to the quicke and my Conscience ransackt to the bottome haue beene to mee a Barnab as a sonne of consolations where with as with splents ye haue bound mine heart God in great mercie hath giuen vnto you the tongue of the Learned with lippes touched with a coale from his Altar for the relieuing of my wounded Conscience with words of comfort O but that is true a whole some tong is a tree of life By the sword of the Word ye haue cut the twisted bonds of my greatest temptations wherein my Soule lay fast fettered Mine heart hath beene greatlie rejoyced to heare you resoluing al my doubts and difficulties O howe beautiful are the feete of these that bring goâ—… tydings Now I finde that of Solomon to bee true The word of the wiâ—… are as goads and as nailes fastened by the Masters of assemblies which are giuen from one Shepheard Christ that great Shepheard of the flocke 〈◊〉 with your words as with goades â—… nailes so fastened me to himselfe that Death it selfe shall not bee able to seuer vs Yee haue wonderfullâ—… restored my sicke Soule with flagonâ—… of the most sweete juice of the cluster of wine Ye haue bound vp my broâ—… ken joynts with the spirituall splenâ—… of diuine comforts O in what woefull plight O in what seas of gall was I plunged when yee came first vnto mee there was nothing sound into my Souleâ—… All was full of botches boiles and puâ—…trifying sores But yee like a cunning Surgeon in curing tumours haue broght the matter to an â—…ead and at last with great skill ye haue launced the boiles of my corruptions whereof nowe God in mercie hath made mee free I tremble to remember these fearefull temptations wherewith yee found mee at the first beset and besieged These were indeede such temptations as Bernard called Terribilia de fide horribilia de divinitate Sathan hath assaulted mee both in a blacke shape and into an Angel of light By your sweete comforts my Soule hath beene reuiued like that dead man that liued by touching the bones of Elisha Yee haue fed my Soule with the doctrine of your breastes bigge as Towers Yee haue strengthened and sinewed my weake Soule with comfortable words wouen and wrought out of a feeling heart by the strength of holy meditations And now happie are yee who haue beene the instrument of my conuersion I hope to bee one day one of these that shall stand at your backe when yee shall say to your Master Christ Behold heere I am and the children that God hath giuen mee Account me Sir one of these Talents that yee haue gained with the Talent of your gift Your wordes haue stricken home vnto mine heart with powerfull and particular applications of comforts whereby my disaffected Soule hath beene wooed and wone vnto the loue of my Sauiour Iesus account me therefore a seale of your Ministerie Ye know better than I what God hath promised to these that with a readie minde shal conuert a sinner from his euill ways such as God himselfe hath promised shall bee like the starres in the Firmament for euer From your lips is come the sweetest balme that euer dropt from the penne of God vpon the leaues of the Booke of life Blessed bee my God who by his good Spirit into your mouth hath breathed most sweete comfortes into my Soule Woe to all Doctours of dispaire Blessed bee your lips wherein God hath placed the preseruation of knowledge Your tongue to mee hath beene like a siluer watch bell to rouse and waken vp the gifts of God within my Soule God by his words in your mouth declaring vnto man his righteousnesse hath blowne vp his Graces which were weake into mine heart like a smoking flaxe or a sparkle of fire vnder greene wood Blessed bee my God who by your diuine instructions hath made mee to bee acquainted with himselfe Your comforts hath beene cordials and lenitifes to the ranking and festered sores of my Soule To God bee glorie who hath made you moste cunning of that great Arte of sauing sinners O my deare Pastor by the refreshing Balme of your consolations ye haue infinitly indeered my soule you to gâ—…s one of a thousand I am assured that God hath made you faithfull with Ieremie for to take foorth the preciouâ—… from the vile Nowe my God with whom I thinke to bee shortlie bee with you in your Ministerie make you his faithfull seruant vnto death that ye may bee a worthie wooer for Christ for to bring home manie straggling sinners vnto him the blessed Bridegroome of our Soules Farewell now my faithfull Pastour My Soule now is glad to flitte from this house of clay As for my bodie it must goe to the graue where for a space it shall bee confined but not confounded for I looke assuredlie for the day of the Resurrection O Lord seale vp in my Conscience the discharge of all my sinnes that I may gladlie lay downe this Tabernacle The Pastour Mine heart rejoyceth with an exceeding great joy to reape such fruits of my labours But this know that what good yee haue by mee it is not from mee but from him that sent me * It is God that giueth life Soule vnto the Word that is powerfull to Saluation Paul may plant and Apollos may
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
shall ye bee Mans life at the longest may bee measured with a spanne Behold said the Psalmest thou hast made my dayes of an hand-breadth Mine age is as nothing before thee Our life is but a vapour and a wind which once passeth away returneth not againe It should therefore bee your best in time to prepare your selues for a better life and not with many to relye securelie vpon a possibilitie of pardon If yee bee wise venter not vpon such broken staues which faile in greatest neede The carnall Friend Thinke not the worse of mee Sir if I desire you to be honoured with the best in Buriall bee not too precise I hope that wee all shall come to heauen at last wee are all sinners I hope before I die to repent mee of all my sins The sicke Man S. Augustins wordes are of great power Metuendum est ne te occidat spes cum multum speres de misericordia incidas in judicium It is to be feared that while men hope for nothing so much as mercy euen then they fall into damnation I pray God that such hopes deceiue you not Many foolishlie make a packe horse of Christs merites and Gods mercies not caring what burdens they lay on A broken heart is onelie an heart qualified for the pardons of heauen If Christ Iesus his wordes bee of anie credit among men this wee must hold that none shall come to heauen but by the narrow way Sathan with his temptations hath bored out the eyes of many as the Philistins did to Samson But alas who hath the courage of Samson to seeke to be ledde to the chiefe pillars that he may pull them down for to bee reuenged vpon his foes Alas this is the fashion of this world men like the sluggard liue in delayes in steepe and in sloth Yet a little while and yet a little while No man will build an Arke vntill the floode come Lot himselfe did linger to saue himselfe from a brime stone fyre Men haue no leasure to bee saued so hard is it for the most part to pluke their feete out of the clouches of this world If wee could ouercome the loue of this worlde which is the great Goliah of our enemies then shuld we easilie ouercome the pride of the Philislins and the feare of Israel But carnall men know not what it is to mortifie olde Adam with his corrupt lustes Fooles feede on folies and tickle their fond fancies with imagined contentments not knowing the strick narrow course of sanctification Such mens speach is often both vnseemelie and vnseasonable Blessed bee my God who hath giuen mee the staffe in the hand and the stone in the scrippe wherewith I haue stricken all my strongest corruptions in the temples Sathan is tread vnder foote my flesh is subdued mine heart is in Heauen I care for the worlde no more neither desire I to speake anie longer of clay or of anie thing below My minde is aboue farre from the dirt drosse of all earthlie thoughts O my heauenlie Father wrap my Soule wrappe it vp in the righteousnesse of thy Sonne Let that bee the white long robe of my Soule while my body wrapt in its winding sheete shal lye rotting into the graue O my God fill my fainting heart with a joyfull confluence of the precious sufferings of Iesus of the promises of life of the joyes of heauen mak mine ende with that of the vpright man to bee peace Bee not cast downe my Soule neither bee thou disquieted within mee Hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Oh but mine heart is sicke Oh where is my deare and louing Pastour His conference is most comfortable vnto my Soule The Pastour I am heere Sir waiting till I see the end of your Battell I haue heard all your wordes with great contentment I haue plainelie perceiued that Gods Angels these noble Spirits attend both to guide to guarde you God by the arme of his power hath brought you out of the thicket of thornes and pricking thistles of monie temptations He who hath made all things in number weight and measure hath not surcharge your Soule aboue that which he hath made you able to beare God in great grace hath made you first to know your selfe in your offences and miserie and after that to know him in his Majestie and mercie The Lord God in great kindnesse hath furnished you with firme Faith constant Hope and sincere Loue He hath led you thorow many trauerses and perplexities Now haue ye passed the most dreadfull darkest houre of all your temptations Now the dawning of a new day approacheth now labour might maine to be prepared for you God within a short space Christ the Sun of Righteousnesse that day spring from on high shall arise vpon your Soule neuer for to goe downe Continue in your prayers to God that he wold possesse your Soule with true hearted holinesse without which no Soule shall see Gods face What now Sir are yee doing The sicke Man My sillie Soule is heere waiting till Death come and open the prison doore that she may flee to her God to her Contrie from whence she came Fogs mists arise before mine eys O my God from the Throne of thy Grace râ—…ine downe vpon my wearied Soule the refreshing showrs of thy most iender mercies Vouchsafe vpon mee some crummes of thy comforts Oh that I had the wings of a doâ—…e for to flee to the woundes of Iesus as to the holes of the Rock My poore Soule in this bodie is like a Bird in a Cage looking through the wyres Faine would it bee free of this sinfull captiuitie O but my Soule panteth fast after my Sauiour What now shall stay mee from my God from my Christ from my Father my brother and my Comforter my dearest Darling of delight I long to bee in Heauen the place of my rest My desire is to goe to Goshen the Land of light of Life and of Libertie Mine heart is fast linked vnto Christ in loue O Lord what is man that thou art so mindfull of him O man what is God that thou art so forgetfull of him O my GOD prepare mee to meete thee with a bruised Spirit Melt my sinnes into sighes and my troubles into teares Let thy good Spirit leade mee into the Land of vp rightnesse Lord let neuer this clay returne to clay till my Spirit be readie to goe to him that gaue it O quicken sharpen my care of heauen dulled and blunted with earthlie thoughts Make sound wisedome and discretion to bee life vnto my Soule and grace to my necke Make my Soule trimme with that costly wedding Garment bought with thy Blood O Iesus the blessed Bridegroome who hast by thy Gospel of Grace betrothed my Soule vnto
thee in righteousnesse in judgement in louing kindnesse in mercies come now and perfect the marriage in glory before the Sainctes and Angels that are aboue where pleasures are for euermore The Pastour Amen Amen The Spirit of God Sir is with you within you Continue in such holie and heauenlie thoughtes Contemne still the transitorie triffles of this world that gladlie yee may desire to goe dwell with your God Naturallie all men are so stiffe-necked and so steele hearted that they cannot submit their will to the good pleasure of their God O that men would bee wise in time and could consider how they must bee accountable for euerie houre of time they haue imployed in their life Our Soules alas are so sensuall that they will not knit into acquaintance with Right and Reason but like factious ligged lieges rebell stifelie against their Lord Hardlie will mans heart rander vnto that petition which is often in his mouth viz. Thy will bee done in earth as it is in heauen The pride of mans heart perketh it selfe aboue the Lawes of humble obedience Blessed bee God whose mercie hath made you a resolued man such wordes as I haue heard of you were neuer teached in the Schoole of Nature Nature cannot speake the language of Canaan We haue nothing to rander vnto God for his working mercies but the mites of praise O but ye are much beholden vnto GOD who hath endued your Soule with his loue subdued the raging power of temptations whe◅with your Soule at the first was caried lik chaffe or dust before a gale mightie winde O but your heart at the first was fearefullie hacked and mangled with most terrible temptations O but the Spirite of Iesus hath wrought wonderfullie within you Now by him are ye made free from all the terrors of temptations which like venemous hornets did flie in your face The sicke Man I finde now all that to bee true Glade is my Soule that euer it knew that Lord Full welcome is his Spirit to me Christ is now my Loue mine hearts delight Hee hath ridde my Soule of all mine heauie-hearted thoughts By his blessed Spirit hee hath perswaded mee that my Soule hath a true and reall enterest in these blessed tidings of peace and Saluation which hee by his Blood hath bought and broght from the Heauens O the mercie of my God! O the Ocean of his compassions which hath swallowed vp the most hudge mountaines of mine iniquities O what a redemption is this to bee deliuered from so great a death wherin the damned must die so long as God shall liue O death of torments without anie end O life of continuance without anie ease O the immortalitie of that death wherein sinners shall euer bee dying but neuer dead wherein the least touch of paine cannot bee counteruailed with the millions of pleasures O the tumbling and tossing that shall bee there where the wrath of God shall infinitelie burne Now Christ the Lord of life hath made mee free of all these fear◅s I hope shortlie to bee with him I rejoyce in hope of the glorie of God To him will I say as hee said to Zacheus Today I must bide with thee I long to bee out of this state of strife My bodie is weake and mine ◅eart fainteth within mee O Lord recreate and refresh my Soule with the blessed Blood of the Lambe orientle streaming thorow the channell of his wounds Giue mee a constant assurance that all my sinnes are blotted out of thy Register Where no woode is there the fyre goeth out Where sin is taken away there wrath ceaseth to bee O Lord conduct the Ruther of my Soule till it hath sailed thorow al the seas of sorrows and become to the Port of pleasures for euermore The Pastour Take courage and continue so Lift vp your head with the eye of Faith behold the other Shore euen the Land beyond the riuer The Land of vprightnes Canaan which is aboue Bend vp all your heart-strings with hauenlie desires Fixe fast your eyes vpon that Crowne of immortalitie Let now all your thoughts claspe fast about the mercies of your God Hee nowe imbraceth you his hand is a sure hold fast which neuer letteth slip that which it once hath seized on In al appearance your Battell is neare an end Waite stedfastlie vpon the Lord Christ shortlie with a soft hand shal loose the knot of your life that your Soule may goe free to the place of its rest your Soule alreadie by the mercifull Arme of Iesus hath beene deliuered from the painefull racke of repentance and now is sette vpon the rocke of your Saluation The gracious God hath beene your Father Feeder and Defender Your desirs which of before were grappled to the ground now only aspire to things which are aboue Afflictions to the Soule is like the gade to the Oxe a teacher of obedience Finde ye now the tempest of your Conscience so allayed as yee would wish Is all calme and at quiet within I hope that the blessed droppes of the Lambes Blood haue quenched that wilde fyre wherewith once your troubled Conscience was enflammed Yee as I esteeme are no more troubled for your sinnes as though God neither would nor were able to forgiue I pray God that yee may boldlie say with a godlie Father What shall I returne vnto my gracious God that I darre now looke my sinnes in the face and not bee afraide The sicke Man My sinnes I blesse God fright mee no more O the rich bowels of Iesus wherein is a Myne of mercie I remember now of a sweete saying of a godlie mā on his death-bed When mine iniquities saide hee are greater than thy mercies O God then will I feare and despaire The comfortes of my God now refresh my Soule lik the Riuer of Siloah that watered the Citie of God I blesse God for all my try all troubles which hee hath made to worke together to my well Grace in the heart is often like fyre in flint insensible vntill it bee beaten It is good for vs that wee bee afflicted The bluenesse of the wound purgeth away euill My Saluation now is surelie sealed by the hand of the Spirit By his seale it is made sure and authenticall O how my Soule hath with a bright eye discouered the fauours of his face O if God forsake a man hee will shortlie with Iudas passe from the horror to the halter O the mercies of God towards me The Pastour O how much are yee beholden vnto God who by his Spirit hath so directed your heart and mouth with wordes perfumed with the sauour of life vnto life yee haue refreshed all our Soules as with a sweete breath If the Spirit of Grace guided not our tongues in our temptations our mouths to our euerlasting shame should breath out stiffe and stinking blastes of blasphemie against the Lord our
Creator Praised be the Name of the most High who hath borne and broken that vnspeakable burden of wrath where with yee were surcharged at our first meeting The sicke Man Amen Amen Blessed bee the Name of Iesus At that Name the knees of my Soule bowe in a most humble manner to the ground for to kisse it with my mouth a thousand times vpon Conscience of my bygone miserie and of his present mercie All mine affections are set on foote and are so cheered and rauished with the loue of my God as no tongue can expresse O happie thrise happie change Once I feared damnation nowe Christ is my Saluation Once I sat in darknesse hee is now my Light Once I was in Death hee is now my Life Once I was in bondage hee is now my Libertie Once I was in want hee is now my Wealth Once I was in sicknesse hee is nowe mine Health Once I was in shame hee is nowe my Glorie What shall I say mo◅e Hee is mine onelie Deare and and dearest heartes desire Hee is my strongest Tower I haue none other Arke to saue mee from the flood Mine heart is prepared mine heart is prepared Oh that I were where without let I shall sing Halleluiah for euer where all earthlie objects shall seeme but filthie abjects in comparison of him Now Sir I intreat you to conceiue another Prayer that thereby as by the Charet of Elijah my Soule may bee carried vp into Heauen Commend my Soule into the hands of Christ the Redeemer Yee the Lords Priest stand still with the Arke till my Soule hath passed the Iordan for to enter into Canaan O Lord Iesus pittie this poore Soule that panteth at thy feete draw it out of this clogge of clay B◅e with mee vnto the end Graue thine owne shape deepe within mine heart that it may bee in judgement as a piece of euidence that the Heauens are mine heritage O look vpon mee who am heere waiting vpon that blessed hope Comfort refresh mee with the sweetest breath of thy blessed Spirit Set my sillie Soule upon Pisga the sight hill of Canaan Guarde mee with the invinsible troopes of thine Angels O thou whose Name and Nature is mercie take my wearied Soule and lull it sweetelie in the softest armes of thy most tender compassions Ioyne your prayers vnto mine The effectuall feruant prayer of a righteous man auaileth much The Pastour According to your desire Sir wee shall worsle with God in prayer that your end may bee peace The Lord gather all our scattered thoughts that beeing as twisted together into one threede they may be like the three-fold corde which is not easilie broken powerfull to draw downe Gods Graces from aboue Let vs pray A Prayer for the sick mā O Lord settle earnest prayer in our Soules vpon true sense of our neede Let not our prayers be tumultuous Tune thou our words by thy Spirit while our lips walke make our hearts to moue Preserue vs from vaine babyling lest our prayers bee turned into sinne O God the God of all Spirites who hast the keyes of Heauen and of Hell Thou steeketh and no man openeth Thou openeth and no man steeketh Open now thy mercifull doores vnto this poore Soule which panteth after thee as the chassed Hart panteth after the water brookes Let none of his sinnes stand betweene thy face and him for to ecclipse his Soule the light of thy countenance Seale vp in his heart by thy Spirit the free full forgiuenes of all his transgressions Thou who by the vertue of thy death made the vaile of the Temple to rent for to mak an open way to the Holie of holies mak also the partition wall of all his iniquities to cleaue from the toppe to the bottome that his Soule remoued from his bodie may get entrie to the Highest and holiest of the Heauens where thine honour dwelleth Make thy Graces in him to growe like Elias his cloud which at the first no bigger than an hand at last by and by did ouer spread the whole skie Sanctifie his Soule and soften his heart with the diuine dew of thy Grace Say vnto his Soule I am thy Saluation Behold Lord his Soule is seeking thee let nothing in his search carie him on the by Keepe fast in his remembrance the blessed bloodie passion of his Redeemer Iesus When Death shall come let him die with thy Christ in his Armes Strengthen and increase his desire to be dissolued assuring him that it shal be much better for him Furnish him with strength whereby he may row against the strictest streams of all temptations till hee arriue into the hauen of the Heauens the sole and safe harberie of Saluation And seeing no vncleane thing can enter into Heauen Lord wash this thy seruant and wash him throughlie that by the vertue of thy Blood his sinnes though they were red like scarlet and crimson may bee made white like wooll and whiter than the snow Pull off his Soule the menstrous cloath of his owne righteousnes and cloth him with the righteousnes of him whose statelie style is THE LORD OVR RIGHT TEOVSNES Thou who hast alreadie added strength vnto his Faith while it was scant like a smoking flaxe let not the sparkle which once thou hast kindled for euer bee quenched Amid the sight of his sins make him to lay hold vpon the merite and full satisfaction of his Sauiour Let him with all the Faithfull receiue of that fulnesse and grace for grace And seeing nowe Lord hee is comming vnto thee thorow the snakie fielde of manie temptations lette his feete bee shod with the preparation of thy Gospel Thou Lord wilt neuer suffer anie that trust in thee to bee confounded Hee followed thee constantlie in his life nowe let thy Spirit tryst him at the houre of death Hee disclaimeth all hope of helpe by anie other than by thy selfe alone Though hee knoweth not perfectlie what to say yet his eyes are on thee Thou who is Alpha and Omega hast begunne this good worke in him crowne it with the perfection of thy goodnesse Let him more more feele that hee is euerlastinglie acquite by the Blood of the Lambe from the terrors of Gods Tribunall Refresh his Soule more and more with celestiall spirituall joyes proceeding from the Spirit of Grace Let him feele himselfe assuredlie knit vnited to thee O thou preseruer of men that in and by thee hee may be presented blamelesse before thy Majesties Iustice-seate Furnish his minde with light and his memorie with strength that hee may vnderstand and remember that Christes death is an absolute and all sufficient Sacrifice for remouing the guilt of all repenting sinners Shewe him a signe of thy loue Multiplie in his heart the pledges of thy kindnes Make him faithfull vnto death that hee may receiue the Crowne of life Thou hast alreadie subdued in him alloue and liking of this world
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
her faire face because Hypocrisies face seemeth to be faire while it is fairded No not God will haue true faith to come out that the world may see her into works Shew mee thy Faith by thy workes Christ who desireth that the niggard or ambitious left hand know not or see not the liberalitie of the charitable right hand commandeth that wee let ouâ—… light so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorifie our Father which is in heauen The graces of Gods Spirit in a man are like a light candle No man light a Candle and put it vnder a bushell but on a Candle-sticke it giueth light to all that are in the house The good life of the godlie man should bee like a Citie sette on an hill which cannot bee hid The labourer soweth not his seede on the ground that it may still remaine hidde vnder the cloddes neither doeth God sow his graces in our heartes that there they may luâ—…k still abide secret I like not these who feare to seeme godlie left they should bee thought to be Hypocrites Euen in that are they Hypocrites that for feare they seeme to affect godlinesse will not doe good that may bee seene which would moue the true Israelits to glorifie our Father in heauen yea and also allure these to come to God who as yet are strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel I confesse that fewe bee troubled with such a feare It is a sin whereof verie few in this Land are guiltie yet seeing it is a sinne it would bee carefullie auoided Because Papists whollie relye on their workes Protestants with great scandale will onelie bragge of their Faith Thus both the one and the other against the truth of doctrine separate that which God hath joyned together The sicke Man O Lord GOD of gods O Father of euerlasting compassions whose blessed bowels did bleede vpon the crosse for to saue sinners pittie heere a fraile feeble creature yet tugging and wrestling in the Barras of this sinfull flesh Furnish mee with strength whereby I may surmount and vanquish all difficulties which are betweene my Soule and the place of its euerlasting rest I am weake forbeare mee Lord in thy great mercie Ioyne thy Grace with my griefâ—… O that I were with my Christ the Marke whereat I aime the Port whereto I saile the rest of my desires Let thy good Spirit O Lord assist mee Let thy fauour and grace bee my vade-mecum till I come to thy Glorie O who shall giue to my soule the wings of a Doue that it may flee out of the Douket of this bodie vp to its God O deare Sauiour set mee as a seale vpon thine heart Draw mee and wee shall runne after thee Holde mine heart aloft that it may onelie minde the things aboue The Pastour Lord heare thou in heauen and grant the sute of thy seruant I feare Sir that yee bee wearied with speaking As I perceiue yee force your selfe in your words aboue the reach of your strength Seeing yee trauell thus in paine of your speach spend the little space of life that resteth in holie meditations concerning the bloodie wounds of Christ your Sauiour The sicke Man Christ now is onelie my comfort I loue him with the best bowels of mine heart In the bowels of his mercie I reade by the eye of Faith most faire lines of his loue all written in great Capitall letters of an heauenlie impression Christ is to mee in stead of all for alreadie in my neede hee hath stood mee in more stead than all O in what a pitifull plight my sillie and forlorne Soule was once into Blâ—…ssed bee hee for euermore who in so great kindnesse hath shined vpon me with the blessed bright and vnspotted beames of his mercy O but my Soule panteth after him Oh how this heart of mine is euill to breake What a piece of clammie teugh clay is this that settereth so my Soule that by no meanes can it bee loosed from it that it may soare vp to its God from griefe to glorie O that I were with him with whom I shall not want the thing that I can wish Now Lord the time is come pull off mee the dull wiede of sinfull mortalitie and cloath my soule in white with the Robe of Christes righteousnesse that it may followe the Lambe O but I am wearied My Soule longeth to see the Face of my God The Pastour Waite vpon the Lords will when it is time hee will open the prison doore and let your Soule flie vp to your Glorie Thinke on Heauen still Mount vp your minde to your Maker who shall shortlie roofe with Glorie the graces which hee hath reared vp into your heart Let the hope of these thinges hearten you in the mudde and myre of this sinfull mortalitie The sicke man O Lord pittie this Soule which I haue defiled and defaced with scarlet transgressions and crimsin iniquities Thou hast begunne the good worke in me It is now neere to perfection Put to now the last hand and perfect the worke Rub out perfectlie with the Blood of thy Lambe the least staines which sticke in my Soule that while thou shalt look vpon mee thou may know mee to bee thy redeemed one by the stampe of thine owne Image O Lord fixe mine heart so into thine owne heart that nothing bee able to pull it out without pulling out thine owne It hath beene like a crooked twigge O writh it so nowe the right way that it may bee according to thine owne heart The Pastour Lord heare thou in Heauen and graunt the sute of thy Seruant Let nothing bee able to tickle tempt or trouble his Soule Be of good heart Sir the Battell is neare an end Fight out the good fight finish your course and keepe the Faith hence-foorth is laide vp for you a Crowne of righteousnesse which the LORD shall giue you at that day Make now full proofe of your courage which shall shortlie be couered with a Crown Hold out still in your holie exercise till your change come The sicke Man I wearie of this cottage of claye I am at a point with all that is vnder the Sunne I care not for this worlds fauour no more for its frowne But O but my Soule longeth to be with my Lord that I may see his face with fulnesse of joye O thou with whom nothing is impossible make the scales of mortalitie to fall from mine eyes that I may fee thee before euen as thou art My Soule longeth to be out of this myry lak of miserie for to dwell with thee into the Pallace of immortalitie O when shall I get ridde of these sinfull bonds O Sauiour of mankind giue eare vnto my sute Deliuere mee from this seeming life that I may die to liue the life of pleâ—…sures for euermore O drawe drawe out this Soule entombed into this bodie Before
thinke vpon these solitudes and mansions of silence I faint at the verie thought thereof Oh my deare Soule wilt thou abide with mee no longer If thou depart my Beautie my Colour my Conference my Companie and all is gone Oh shall all my senses now bee closed vp shall I speake no more heare no more see no more than if I were a stone Must I nowe goe remaine into the myre of mortalitie the place of silence Must I abide the long nights among the Graues places fearfull to the liuing where men make no resort O wretched weakling that I am by Death as I see I shall bee grapled to the ground where I shall bee forced to make my bedde in the da◅ke The Soule My Bodie bee not thou disquieted I am but for a little space going before thee for to take seasin of Heauen for thee and for mee Though I bee absent for a space I shall neuer forget thee In Gods appointed time I shall come againe and fetch thee out of the muddie moulde of mortalitie At the first blast of the last Trumpet I shall come downe shall enter into thee and quicken thee againe At that time God shal cleanse thee from all thy corruptions and shall mak thee like an Angel of God My sillie Bodie wee haue taken much pains together for to get a rest which we haue looked long for but culd not find now goe to thy rest till come againe for to bring thee to eternall repose If thou were cōmanded to goe to labour to pains thou should haue some cause indeede to whine and to shrinke as one hampered in a snare But the Lord is now desiring thee like a wearied man to goe to thy rest for to sleepe soundlie into a bedde wherein thou shalt no more bee disquieted with dreames or with visions When thou shalt once awake thou shalt bee still with Iesus If in mercie hee hath made mee to preuent thee in the possession of eternitie let not his fauour toward mee worke in thee anie heart rising against that Majestie who as the Potter doth with his clay may doe with all his creatures what hee pleaseth The Bodie But O my Soule the Graue is fearefull It is a retired solitude and a place of silence a place of filthie stinke I abhorre to thinke of it how that in that dungeon of darknesse and denne of corruption I must lye downe naked implunged in myrie slime among wormes a lumpe of most vile and lifelesse clay Alas my Soule The Soule My Bodie bee not discouraged The Graue is a place where the bodie must lye till with the Eagle there it cast its Bill a meanes for to renew its youth So soone as once there it hath cast the old slugh of Nature incontinent thereafter it shall become a new creature Except saide Christ that the corne of wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone Haue patience but a little New corne will come at the day of the resurrection The dayes of mans mortalitie are the Lords seede time The bodies of the Saincts are his seede the Church yard is his fielde Suffer now the Lord to sowe his owne ground Bee not disquieted nor cast down with griefe It shall bee thy gaine to goe downe to the graue There shalt thou be sowne in corruption but thou shalt bee raised in incorruption Thou shalt be sowne in dishonour but thou shalt bee raised in glorie Thou shalt bee sowne in weaknesse but thou shalt bee raised in power Thou shalt bee sowne a naturall bodie but thou shalt bee raised a spirituall bodie See what by Gods mercie shall bee the great gaine of the Graue After that the Graues of the godlie shall bee ripe the Lord by an infinite power shall make all their bodies to bee taken vp for like fine wheate to bee laide vp within his heauenlie Girnals When thou shalt arise it shall bee to an immortall happie life Haue patience for a little space and bee not crabbed Yet a little while and I shall not see thee and againe a little while after the resurrection I shall see thee when thou shalt bee transchanged into the blessed estate of glorious immortalitie Then shall I dwell in thee without anie spot or wrinkle Let the hope of this temper thy present griefe Let not the Graue afray thee my deare Body for it is the last bed which euerie man must sleepe in Lye downe into it gladlie Bee content with the silke worme an argument of the resurrection to bee enwrapped for a space in thy Winding sheete till the chill colde winter-tide of this mortalitie bee pas◅ At the glorious spring of eternitie at the returne of the Sun of righteousnes so soone as the heat of the beating beames of Gods loue shall pierce in vnto thy Graue in a moment in the twinkling of an eye thou shall be quickened and raised vp yea renewed and refined from the sinfull dust of corruption and after that carried aboue the brightest azured skies vnto the place of immortalitie among pleasures for euermore The Bodie I cannot but lament and waile to bee depriued of thy companie My dearest Soule full deare art thou to mee If two strangers had beene but some fewe dayes in their journey together they will haue a certaine regret for to leaue one another What wonder is it then that wee two who haue beene of such olde acquaintance mourne at this last and long adew The Soule As thy loue is great toward mee so is mine also great toward thee my Bodie But seeing it is the will of him who married vs together that nowe wee bee put asunder wee must submit our selues vnto his good pleasure This separation shall be but or a little space and that for the well of vs both The husband will saile the seas and goe farre from home in hope to returne with aduantage The same hope encourageth his wife to liue lik a vvidow for a space At last the husbāds returne with expected profite is welcomed with greater joyes thā was his former presence It shall bee so with vs my deare Bodie At my returne in the day of the Resurrection there shall enter such a joy into thee as eye neuer saw eare neuer heard yea which neuer could enter into the heart of man As the long dark night maketh the morning seeme sweete to the wearied watch who hath long looked for it so shall our little absence be a certaine commendation of that presence which after the great day shall bee for euer Cease in time I pray thee to stick at such earthlie conceits I may no longer tarrie with thee the Crowne of immortalitie is alreadie in sight The Bodie But alas howe is this that thou should goe to glorie before mee and leaue mee in the dust of death a peace of moulding clay Haue I done anie wrong but by thy counsell and direction What haue I beeene but the instrument of thy
sinne All the action is from thee Of all that is done amisse thou hast beene the inuenter the contriuer and arch-plotter God is no accepter of persons or of parties What then is my guilt that I shuld be behind thee left into the Graue a fearefull denne of death and pite of corruption What a miserie is this for me that I should lye vnder the power and bonds of Death a Carion vnder a Turfe warded in deaths most loathsome denne and abhorred jayle There must I lye chill with cold stinking and rotting with my mouth full of earth and my bellie full of wormes closed in a Coffine O what matter of melancholie is this that within a few dayes where are my two beautifull twinkling eyes shal be nothing but fearefull eye-holes in a rotten skull which shall bee nothing but a nect of clockes and abominable creeping thinges Within a few yeares this head which nowe lyeth softlie vpon this Pillow shall bee rolled and trinnelled vp and downe by the feete of the posteritie Heere a bone and there a bone and not a bone together all shall lye scattered heere and there the dogges shall play with some and Children shall playe with others some shall lye drying before the Sunne and others shall be bruised into pieces and grund into powder O what a change is in this our mortalitie Behold presentlie what a starueling I am beeing nothing but skinne and bone Behold and anone all shall be turned into stinke The Soule All such thoughtes are all but worldlie heauie dull and formall Suffer the Lord to sow his owne seede Thou art afraid for the Turfe of the Graue Care not for the Turfe for vnder it shalt thou bee as a pickle of Corne vnder a clod The Spring time of the Resurrection is not farre froe when thou shalt rise vp more beautifullie in honour power and glorie than euer thou was before Shall anie thing bee impossible vnto God Hee who in his death reuiued manie Sainctes vvhose bodies Death had fast vnder the key of its power shall with a blast of his voyce make open Gâ—…aues to let out all these who were prisoners of death from Adam vntill that day Let this comfort cheare vp thine heart my Bodie The Graue shall not bee able to keepe thee long As Ionah was vomited out of the Bellie of Hell so shalt thou bee deliuered from that Monsters mawe The Bodie But in the meane time what reason is it that I a carrionlie carkase shuld bee bund â—…oth hand and foote and committed close prisoner to the graue a cold and chillie house while thou art set at libertie Behold how alreadie I am both withered and wanzed The Soule The Graue to the Godlie is no prison but a resting bedde from their labours where God reâ—…resheth with sleepe the wearied bones of his beloued The Prophet saith That they rest in their beddes and that they enter in peace While the moulds are cast on them in the Graue it is but the drawing of their Bedde curtaine The buried bodies of the Saincts are in their graue lik Babs lapped in swadling clothes in their Cradles As a tyred man will not bee offended if hee bee sent to his bedde for to sleepe neither should the wearied bodie bee grieued to goe to the Graue the place of rest and quietnesse Bee not peeuish nor peruerse my Bodie enuie not mine happie estat Though the Graue should bee to thee a prison why should thou complaine because I am set at libertie If it hath pleased God in mercy to bee good to mee why art thou offended May not the Lord say vnto thee Is thine eye euill because I am good What happier should thine estat bee though God should command mee to bee buried besides thee May not God doe with his owne as hee pleaseth Hee might haue taken thee to Heauen and haue shute mee a prisoner in the Graue In his justice hee might haue cast vs both into Hell Thinke it then a mercie that hee is so good vnto mee who shall neuer count my glorie full till wee bee both crowned vvith immortalitie in the heauens Bee not offended at the Lords good will towards mee but rather thank him that he hath made death to bee temporall in his mercie which was eternall in his threatning Of a corrasiue hee hath made a cordiall Haue patience O distressed Body Suffer a little that God may be true Dust thou art and to dust shalt thou returne Dust beeing once deliuered from the power of the Graue shall reigne with God in glorie The Bodie is like gold which cannot bee rid of its drosse till it bee molten and dissolued Againe as this death is not total neither shal â—…t be perpetuall for at that first sound of the last trumpet all the beried bodies of that faithfull shall lik the Eagle cast the bill of their mortalitie Now mine olde companion and yoke-fellow art thou not content to goe to bedde and there to sleepe till the morning of theresurrection come That day shall mak an amends for all that we haue suffered in this valey of teares Then shall all thy confusion bee turned into comforts Let vs nowe bee content that the Lord loose the pines and slacke the cordes of this our Tabernacle of clay The Bodie Now glad am I my deare Soule that euer I had such a Soule as thee now my deare Turtle goe with my blessing to the seruice of our God Goe from the Crosse to the Crowne from a prison to a Palace from the mourning-weede to the wedding-garment Goe dwell with the Lord and the Lambe waite well vpon him Goe nowe from the blacke and dismall dayes of drooping distresse and dirtie distractions to joye to peace to pleasure to light to life to libertie Goe heare that happie harmonie of heauenlie Musitians in heauenlie Mansions where mercies blesse without judgments blasts Goe heare the voice of all the Menistrels of that celestiall Quire Bee thou aboue the Starres while I am vnder a Turfe All my comfort is in this that wee shall meete againe in Blisse Now blessed Soule prepare thy Lampe powre out thine oyle the heauenlie wooer the Bridegroome is come for to take thee to his Chambers of Charitie wherein are pleasures for euermore In hope of the Resurrection I goe gladlie to my Graue whereout of I am assured to arise for to meete my Redeemer in the clouds This Candle of my comfort shall neuer bee put out Nowe before wee shedde let vs shedde some teares The last raine of our afflictions wherewith we may bath the bruises of our Lord which he in loue did suffer for our glorie Now I goe to rest in the dust a prisoner of hope Goe thou to thy God attend well his seruice and court his Countenance for euer in his most pleasant Yuorie Palaces I am nowe refreshed with a cooling taste to immortalitie to come Farewell my deare Soule and truest Turtle mount
Pastour hee is come hee is come whom my Soule loueth I am my Beloueds his desire is towards mee The lost sheepe is found The vnthriftie Son is come home againe All the snares of destruction are broken My Soule is escaped like a Birde I am now at a point infinitlie desirous rather to goe to my God than to sojourneanie more on earth Mine heart is more in God than in my selfe I haue a begunne possession of Heauen by the first fruites I looke for perfection in fulnesse of joye and pleasures fore euermore O blessed Iesus set me as a Seale vpon thine heart O deare Sauiour the Roote and the Rocke of my Saluation loe I come stretch out thine Armes and take my Soule into thy bosome yet a little while and I shall bee no more a stranger vvith thee and a sojourner The Pastour O blessed bee our God for euermore who hath made you to triumph so ouer all your enemies after such vnuterable groanes of griefe where your mind was sore perplexed at the first Hold fast now that which yee haue Your heart is now richlie stored with the true treasures of godlinesse Yee are but sipping of these joyes wherof in Heauen ye shal drink in a full cup. The sicke Man Christ the Lord is mine Hee is mine Hee is to mee hoth in life and death aduantage My comforts are in my Bosome The Angelicali Guardes are heere about mee I dye in the Faith of Iesus Come euen Lord Iesus come quicklie and loose this Soule a prisoner in clay groning to bee at liberty O my Soule returne vnto thy rest for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Now may I say This poore man cryed and the Lord hath heard him deliuered him out of all his troubles The Pastour The Lord is with you who ere it be long shall fulfill all your hearts desires yea hee shall doe aboue all that yee can thinke or wish Now Sir yee haue him whom your soule loueth His Spirit is in the verie bosome of your heart Hold fast the grip yee haue Dye in his Armes sleepe in the blessed bosome of your God Full libertie is at the doore readie to enter in Yet a little and yee shall haue a joyfull meeting with Christ and all his Angels in the Kingdome of your Father Till yee come out of this bodie sticke fast by Faith to Christ your Redeemer Claime boldlie that which hee hath deerelie purchased by his Blood O deare Iesus his Staffe and his Strength wrape now his Soule into the white winding-sheete of thy righteousnesse While hee hath life liue thou in him that while he breaths hee may liue to thee and after death may liue with thee for euer Let neither life nor death bee able to separate him from thy loue The neerer death approacheth for to separate his Soule from his bodie d◅aw thou the neerer vnto his Soule till thy Spirit the Spirit of Life fullie finallie in all perfection liue into him the Soule of his Soule Fixe your eye nowe vpon the heart of Christ deadlie wounded for your transgressions Behold that Speare-hole in his heart which hee suffered for to sa◅e you Consider his bleeding woundes all dropping the balme of mercie which hath proceeded from the bowels of his compassions Hee it is who hath died for your sinnes and is risen againe for your righteousnesse The sicke Man I know that my Redeemer liueth his blood of an vnualuable price is the onelie ransome of my Soule Hee onelie is the joye of mine heart and the health of my countenance The Pastour Holde fast that confidence Let your Soule repare vnto the euerlasting Armes of his loue Shroud shelter your selfe vnder the winges of the Almightie Yee are nowe neere the ende of the Race The Lord guarde you with his Grace that no temptation of Satan be able trippe your heele before that yee be entered in his rest Nowe the lowring showring seede-time of teares is past and the Haruest of joye is hard at hand Now Sir Christ is at the doore Beholde hee standeth at the doore and knockes hee is nowe for to suppe with you on earth that yee may suppe with him for euer in the Heauens Behold hee is with you The sicke Man I haue found him whom my Soule loueth I will surelie hold him and will not let him goe My Soule hath already taste of the fruite of Canaan by the report of the spye of my faith Christ now is mine The Pastour Seeing yee haue him wrap your soule into the bowels of his euerlasting compassions waite on perfectiō is the last gift Lift vp continuallie the eyes of your spirit to the worthy woundes of Iesus In them behold read in great Capitall characters the vnspeakable loue of the Father The sicke Man O Lord I haue waited for thy Saluation Remember mee nowe while as thou art into thy Kingdome Father into thine handes I commend my Spirit my Soule I giue to thee who hast giuen it to mee The Pastour Now Sir your wished houre is come Christ is laying his Arm◅s about you for to receiue your Soule in his bosome Solace your selfe in your Sauiour who hath made it free of al weights that swiftly without anie let it may flee vp to its God O the loue of Iesus towardes you Hee hath not onelie beene an Inte◅cessour to pray for you but an Advocatalso to pleade for you By the vertue of his Blood your cause is win And therefore homage ye now your heart sealed with the sense of his loue Yeelde and surrender your Soule into the Armes of his mercie that hee may perfect his graces in you with glorie in immortalitie The sicke Man Lord Iesus receiue my Spirit and glad it with thy glorie The Pastour He againe is fallen into a traunce His battell is now neere an end Let vs waite a little see what he doth Hee now beginneth a little for to stir There is yet some life into him as I perceiue Now Sir be glad Christ is knocking at the doore for to call foorth your Soule from bondage to libertie from your banishment to an heauenlie home from a prison of paine to a palace of pleasures for euermore That we may haue assurance that ye die in the Faith of Iesus shew vs some signe Lift vp your hand in token that yee are assured to goe to God Behold how he hath lifted vp his hand Cortenet quod lingua tacet His hande telleth what is in his heart O but this poore Soule since the beginning of this bloodie Battell hath beene miserablie mangled howed and hacked vpon by most bitter and bloodie temptations what carnall what spirituall Now blessed bee God from all his troubles he is come to his good things We are all oblished to giue praise vnto God who hath set out this man before vs as an excellent example and mirrour of his mercie It is the
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
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
will God bring with him For this wee say v◅to you by the word of the Lord that wee which are aliue and remaine vnto the comming of the Lord shall not preuent them which are asleepe For the Lord himselfe shall d◅scend from heauen with a shout with the voyce of the Arch Angel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then wee which are aliue and remaine shall bee caught vp together with them in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the Aire And so shall wee bee euer with the Lord. VVherefore comfort one another with these words Consider well and weigh these words which that great Pen-man of God hath set downe with a precept that with them wee should comfort one another while wee are in doole for the dead Finallie this M. yee must know that all earthlie sorrowes were they neuer so sharpe will at last growe blunt and will bee meekened and skinned ouer by time Nowe that which Time can doe to a Pagane let Grace doe it to a Christian. I intreate the Lord of all Grace and kindnesse to cast downe his compassionate eye vpon your afflicted grieued case that your mourning beeing tempered with mercie ye may in your greatest griefe rejoyce in your God Amen A compendious Epitaphe fit for a godlie Man deceased To long Eternitie from toylesome Time His Soule is past his Body sleepes in Slime A COMFORT for the fatherlesse MY deare heartes bee not dismayed in this grieuous affliction But take it in patience seeing it is from the Lord who maketh all thinges to worke to the best of th◅se that loue him As Father Iob said while hee was made Childlesse so muste yee say while yee are made fatherlesse The Lord hath giuen the Lord hath taken away and blessed bee the Name of the Lord. If yee can blesse him for the remouing of his blessinges hee shall double his blessinges vpon you and shall make them to meete you at euerie turne The fatherlesse Children of the faithfull whether their Fathers haue beene poore or rich haue a rich Legacie left vnto them ◅or to them belong that promise of shewing mercie vnto thousands Such as bee blessed of him saith the Psalmist mist shall inherite the earth In another place hee saith The generation of the righteous shall bee blessed Wee knowe nothing on Earth more tender than a mother toward the fruit of her wombe This made the Lord to say Cā a mother forget her sucking Childe that she should not haue compassion of the fruite of her nombe But what answered the Lord to that question Yea said hee they ◅ay forget yet will I not forget thee Behold I haue grauen thee vpon the palmes of mine hands This was Dauids greatest comfort that though his Father and his Mother should for sake him yet the Lord would take him vp If yee would heare of sensible Experience My flesh said hee and mine hearte faileth But God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer Thus as yee see Father and Mother Sister and Brother flesh and Friendes Heart Health and Wealth and all will faile vs but our God is onelie and euer fast hee is the strength of our heart and our portion for euer Seeing it is so let your hearts relye vpon your God alone What euer your distresses bee as Abraham said to his Sonne The Lord will prouide Will yee heare Experience I haue bene yong said Dauid and now am old yet haue I not seene the righteous forsaken nor his seede begging their bread Though the children of the godlie bee but Children of poore fathers yet heere is their comfort their godlie fathers before they die treasure vp for them many prayers in Heauen and leaue vnto them the rich Legacie of Gods fauour Yee knowe certainlie that your Father was one that feared the LORD from his heart whereof to all our comforts hee hath giuen a good proofe And ther◅fore yee may boldlie by the hand of faith laye holde on the promises of God which belong to all the faithfull and to their Children vnto many generations Ye may know by the writen word howe God feedeth the Rauens and clotheth the Lillies Though they neither toile nor spinne and though they neither sowe nor reape and though they neither haue store-house nor Barne yet are they sufficiently prouided How much more are ye better than Fowles or flowers Christs precept is of profitable practise Seeke first the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse therof and all other things shall bee cast vnto you Pray the Lord not coldlie and careleslie but most earnestlie that hee would cleanse scoure your hearts from all these worldlie cares of what yee shall eate and vvhat ye shall drink and vvhat yee shall put on Learne in time to cast your burden vpon the Lord who desireth you so to doe and that with a promise that hee shall sustaine you A little with Gods blessing is enough It is like that Widowes handfull of meale and little oyle which failed not The vessels of Gods grace are like that other VVidowes pot of oyle which yeelded out oyle continuallie so long as there were vessels to receiue If yee bee earnest with God in prayer hee will not repell your prayers with a deafe eare The Lord himselfe hath taken vpon him to bee your Iudge and defender If anie goe about for to molest you by a violent boisterous course he will certainelie bee their bane like dung hee sh◅ll swee◅e them away from the face of the Earth Seeing then yee haue such faire promises of GOD made both to your faithfull Father and to you also in the day of your Baptisme beware by a lewde life to forfeite such Bandes and Obligations Beware to followe the euill examples of this Worlde in following the droue which either by secret hypocrisie or publicke prophaning biddeth Battells to all the Preceptes of Gods Lawe Sharpe is that sauce which commeth after the sweet◅st worldlie pleasures Let them bee as pleasant as yee please there is an Hooke in the Bate The most part of this world is but a rabble of Reprobates an hoste of damned sinners rushing vpon their owne destruction Their cleanest Garments are spotted with the flesh They are more clammie than pitch None can touch them and not bee defiled Bee euer earnest to doe well Though ye come faire short of that you should and also would doe yet bee not discouraged Gods strength at last shall bee made perfect in your weaknesse It cannot bee auoided but manie will trouble you by fraud by cusenage and by other diuerse afflictions Though such things bee tedious to the flesh and goe against the streame of your affections yet in the latter end all shall worke both to your well contentment Let not sorrow ouerwhelme your hearts Mourne not as these that haue none hope
of the Resurrection Let the meditations of Gods mercie and promised fauour rouse vp your Soules from that lumpishnesse and melancholious drowsinesse which may creep in into your hearts in this troublous time Striue to bound and fence your heartes about deligentlie with the thoughts of Gods Fatherlie fauour who shall neuer leaue you fatherlesse Though your father be dead yet God is aliue Now Sir yee who aâ—…t the elder bee yee the more thankfull to God who hath giuen you the first place Shew good example vnto the yonger Oppresse them not but rather bee a father vnto them By your good counsell striue to make them plyable and frameable to Gods will reuealed in his word As for you who are yonger ones bee not discouraged for often grace maketh the yonger to bee the elder and sinne maketh the elder the yonger So Iacob found the blâ—…ssing though Esau was the first borne It is Vertue that maketh the Heire Let your heartes therefore relye vpon the Lord Let him bee the caruer of all your cares If yee depend on him yee shall not want Hee who created the world without matter and preserueth it without meanes is God all sufficient who can easilie finde out meanes for the maintenance of al these that by faith can laye claime to his promise If wealth bee expedient for you the Lord will giue you a large allowance till hee make your Cuppe to ouer flow But if otherwise hee hath appointed to exercise you with pouertie know that he who hath the hearts of all men in his hands can easilie for your comfort stirre vp some who by their liberalitie towards you shall prouide themselues bags vvhich waxe not olde If yee can bend your whole endevour to the seruice of your God hee shall satisfie you with the prouisions of his mercie But if otherwise yee become lewde and prophane haunting euill companie the verie canker and cut-throate of all godlinesse yee shall neuer prosper no not though by a painefull drudgerie ye should draw out the verie life-blood of your hearts It is not earlie rising noâ—… late going to bedde but Gods blessing that enricheth Now the Lord of grace blesse you mine hearts The Lord teach you to set seale these comforts with prayers patience vpon your hearts And seeing the dayes are now euill euen the dregges of dayes I intreate the most High to graunt you grace hour lie to renâ—…w and strengthen your watch that your hearts spirits may be preserued vnblamable and that vntill the day of his most glorious appearance AMEN A diuine and heauenly discourse fit to be read to these that are conueened in the house of mourning that thereby the liuing may be remembered of their mortalitie DEarlie Beloued this our godlie Friend one of Gods excellent Ones is now deceased that peacâ—…ablie like a Lambe into the armes oâ—… his God who hath euer lasting lie fast bund his Soule in the bundle of life The death of such is often a fearfull preâ—…age of much anger and euill to come His Soule is now glorious in the Heauens like a Starre new created in the Skie It is now liuing the life of God aboue where it is filled with the infusion of that 〈◊〉 which wee haue heere on earth 〈◊〉 by imputation Hee hath now alâ—… God and all that is in God in â—…speakable perfection beeing in that place where God is all in all At last after sore fighting and bitter bickering as diuerse godlie persons haue seene through the bent browes of an angrie Iudge hee hath seene the yearning and relenting bowels of a louing Father Now after his Battell ended he hath 〈◊〉 the Spirit Clepsydrâ—… 〈◊〉 his houre glasse is now runne out and his Soule is come to its wished home where it is free from the fetters of flesh Nowe from the â—…hanging turnes of time hee is at last come to Eternitie Thorow many seas of â—…orrows both bitter and brimie hath he sailed before that hee could ariue at that blessed Port. Our hearts cannot be but sorrowfull to bee depriued of such comfortable companie as was â—…is But here iâ—… our comfort and the matter of our joye hee is well and shall bee so for euer By the mercie of his God hee is now passed ouer thâ—… knoppes of the mountaines of miserie and thorow the muddie myres of sinfull mortalitie thorow fearefull tryals and troubles euen from the dyets of grace to the dainties of glorie from the Villages of this world vnto euerlasting 〈◊〉 farre aboue the rolling wheele of all changeable pleasures and smarting paines Poore mans life on earth is like a restlesse whirle-gigge whirled about The mouing heauens are the place of our rest and the resting earth is the place of our restlesse motions The way of this life as wee may see is not adorned with Violets and Roses No not It is full of rubs and thornes and pricking whinnes of piercing griefe O with what paines hath his sillie Soule sought vp the sweete streames of Gods mercie 〈◊〉 to the Fountaine it selfe which is 〈◊〉 to the Heauens God in great mercie hath now 〈◊〉 last after manie dolours and bitter bickerings put his Spirit into the acâ—… tuall and full possession of his 〈◊〉 all joyes Through fyre and water 〈◊〉 Lord hath broght him out into a 〈◊〉 place Now he is free from the bodie of bondage which did hang so fast 〈◊〉 His Soule is set out of the reach of 〈◊〉 troubles and sublunary toyes Now blessed bee our God hee is no 〈◊〉 lyable to our sinfull mortalitie into this earth a gulfe of corruption God at last hath recompenced his light affliction with an euerlasting weight of glorie O but he hath had a painefull time in his sicknes with manie deepe sigh and heauie groane hath hee beene heard in his feares His face could neuer bee dryed for teares continuallie trickling ouer his cheekes Happie is hee now for all the cloudes of his sinnes haue bene dissolued by the raine of mournâ—…full teares where with all Soules must be baptised before that they can be members of the Church Triumphant Now blessed bee God all his teares and his trauels are turned into triumphes If men shedde not â—…eares on earth God cannot wypt them away in heauen All as wee must fight the good fight before â—…hey can catch the Crowne Let vs all learne in him and in â—…his House of mourning to see and conâ—…der the end of vs all that while wee are liuing wee may lay it to our hearts and make it a matter of our nights meditations Happie and thrise happie is hee that can practise that saying of Iob All the dayes of mine appointed time will I waite till changing come It is good that wee euer bee watchfull vpon our guarde well prepared for our last departure and finall accounts No man can â—…ll how soone hee shall bee arraigned in the great
absent yet be not for that disquieted his Godhead is present Hee himselfe hath said concerning his bodily presence that it was expedient for vs that hee should goe away As for the weaknes of your Fa◅th pray God to strengthen it Faith though it bee little yet it is of great force a graine of it will cast a mountaine into the sea The Sicke Man Let mee see I pray you Sir anie particular example of a weake Faith sauing anie man The Pastour Of this in Scripture wee haue a cloud of witnesses I shall let you see two one in substance the other in type or figure That of Peter in the New-Testamēt is substantiall Christ called him a man of little Faith and yet by that Faith though little hee was saued The other is in the old Testament in the type and figure When the Israelites were bitten with the fierie Serpents their onely refuge and remeede was to looke vp to the brasen Serpent This was the verie type of a Soule stung with sinne beholding Christ with the eye of Faith Of these who behelde that Serpent of brasse some were bleared and other some had weake eyes But the weaknesse of their sight could not hinder the cure Nay the old man with his dimmed eyes beholding as through a mist that type of Christ was as soundlie cured as hee whose eyes were in their greatest vigour The meate taken with a paralitique and trembling hand will not refuse nourishment to the bodie no more than if it were taken with a stable hand Obserue Sir what I say Faith is the eye of the soule wherof the Israelites eyes were but a figure Christ is the trueth of the brasen Serpent Though this eye bee dimmer in some yet if it see the Soule shall bee saued Faith is the hand of the Soule Christ is the foode Though this Faith tremble Christ trembleth not The palsie is not into the foode Bee of good courage Sir feare not this trembling feare the worke of Saluation cannot bee wrought out but with feare and trembling When the worke shall bee ended all trembling shall cease and Faith shall bee stable then the Soule shall be made free from all palsie paine The sicke Man Oh that I were but sicke of such a palsie paine Oh that I were assured to haue anie graine of true Faith Alas I am vndone This wretched heart of mine is so wrung with wrath that there remaineth not within it so much as a droppe of grace All my spirituall moisture is spent all the faculties of my Soule are so racked that my tongue cannot vtter my griefe and smart Is there no Balme in Gilead for a sorrow beaten sinner Oh through excessiue paine my Liuer is rolled within mee If I finde no remeede my Soule shall shortlie bleade to death my paines exceed my sorrow is extreme thorow the tortours thereof my Soule is compelled to roare Oh Lord turne thy wrath in mercie and thy Iustice seat in a Throne of grace and pardon the sins which more and more ripen thy wrath against mee Mine heart is rent and harrowed with griefe what salue can I finde fit for such sinfull sores The more I thrust griefe out the more it throngeth in The Pastour The soueraigne salue for such sores is to get a sight of Christ who bare all our sinnes vpon his battered backe which was torne with mercilesse strippes Christ in that plight is the most fit object for the eye of a troubled Soule There is no salue for the sore of sin but the sight of him who is the trueth of that brasen Serpent the object of the faithfull eye This remeede among all others is like the master Bee the best of all the hyue * Though yee bee like Zacheus a man of little stature so that yee cannot see Christ ouer the multitude of your sins yet run before climbe the tree of the Crosse and behold him No rather behold him now vpon the Crosse fixed vpon a mount high aboue that all may see him euen vpon mount Caluarie Behold him there treading death vnder his feete * Though there be a mount of dead mens scules there is no dead scule so high but Christ may bee seene aboue it Christ is euer nearest in the hotest skirmish He is the sea the seate of mercie If yee can seeke yee shall finde no scant of mercie into him ye shall wonder at his loue when yee shall relish his kindnesse To Christ then yea to Christ alone must ye runne and forsake all as the Mariner while all his cunning is gone runneth to God in the tempest In him is Balme for all wounded spirits there is no gash so deepe but his blood can cure it As all riuers lead to the sea so should all comfortes guide vs vnto Christ While hee was in the dayes of his flesh there was no miserie that could with-hold sinners from him neither lamenesse nor blindnesse nor deafenesse nor deuils could stay any from him nor stay him to doe them good hee healed them all Neuer a man came backe from him saying I haue sought to this God in vaine I came to him but he could not helpe me Or as the father of the lunaticke said I brought him to thy Disciples and they could not cure him To him may all heart broken sinners say with the Prophet My flesh and mine heart faileth but thou art the strength of mine heart and my portion Flesh and friends health and wealth and all will faile vs but Iesus will neuer faile vs Mans extremitie is his opportunitie By him alone the Soule of man hath light libertie and life All other helpes and hopes are but vaine As no water could wash cleanse the leprosie but one lie Iordan so nothing can wash away the leprosie of sinne but the Blood of Christ the Lambe of God which is a spirituall Iordan for washing of leper Soules In a word in all our stormy troubles Christ Iesus is a firme Rocke of refuge which repelleth and turneth into froth all the waues of most tēpesttuous temptations By his Blood alone our Soules are both healed hallowed vpon the right of your redemption sute the remission of your sinnes Bee not abashed hee who hath Christ needeth not to feare The sicke Man If I were one of Christs would he leaue mee thus wise comfortlesse He is the Sunne of Righteousnesse in whose beames as in a spring time I was wont to rejoyce But now hee is gone downe My Soule is benighted and I am affrighted with grudginges of despaire Oh that mine eyes of flint were melted into teares O smite my flintie heart with the rod of thy mercie that it may make teares the water of repentance to gush out at the Conduite pypes of my mourning eyes O what
a palpable darknesse The Pastour Comfort your selfe with hope waiting till that Sunne arise againe vpon your Soule Suppose a man created vpon the earth as Adam was at the first if hee should see the Sunne set hee would bee afraide at that first darknesse thinking that the Sunne were gone downe neuer for to returne But knowing by experience that hee is ordained by God a Ruler for to rule the day by intercourse of the night while hee seeth him set hee is content because hee looketh for his rising againe If the yeare were euer Winter which maketh all things to die and wither wee would all die for sorrow * But now in the deepest snowes and most hoarie frosts wee haue some sparkle of joye kindled by the hope of the approaching Spring As is in these naturall things so it is in spirituall Christ the Sunne of Righteousnes will seeme to the Soule to set vnder the night cloude of some fearefull temptation In such a case the sinner will thinke that hee shall neuer see God againe But for all that after some houres of darknesse appeareth Roseis aurora quadrigis Christ that Day spring from on high which the Soule like a Bird on a bush welcometh with a morning spring After deepest discomforts come dearest comforts Haue patience Sir a little till the night of your temptation bee past After a litle open the window ye shall sâ—…e the Skie of day then againe beholde that Sunne which seemed to bee lost arising with his blessed beames with a louing and life giuing countenance Bee not discouraged though Christ absent himselfe it shall bee but for a space vntill the day breake and the shadowes flee away All his absence from the godlie is but like that which hee saide to his Disciples Yet a little while and yee shall not see mee and againe a little whiâ—…e and yee shall see mee It is of his helpe as of Habbakkuks vision Though it tarie waite for it because it will surelie come it will not tarie Bee stout and couragious the bitterest of your temptations are but the sweete gloumes of a Father The sicke Man I am pricked with the poisonous rarowes of Satans spyte I doubt if God would bee so rough to one of his owne Children as hee is to mee Fathers strike with the rod but I am scourged with Scorpions wherwith the Lord is now auenging the quarrell of his couenant Oh that euer I came to this wretched passe The Pastour Yee are impatient * There is nothing in all your affliction but the smiting of the righteous which yee should account a kindnesse Such smiting is but smiling in effect a loue token Whom I loue I chasten Gods corrections are balme which shall not breake your head The sicke Man I am both bruised broken my paines surpasse my power Satan with his snares and fetters hath confined me to a wretched slauerie my soule is out of temper Trembling of heart and sorrow of minde And terrours from the Chamber assault mee on all sides O but the passage to glorie is rough and boisterous Behold how I sweate for paine as one rosted with a fearefull flamme The Pastour In that heate is a comfort The style of the godlie is to bee called Brands pluckt out of the fire Is 〈◊〉 this a brand taken out of the fire saide the LORD in Zacharie This manifesteth that a godlie man for a space may bee scorched vpon kindled coales but God incontinent rescueth him as a man will catch quicklie at that which he would not haue burnt God will neuer leaue his own to the full rage of a stinging Conscience Let all men haue patience while God worketh If for sinnes hee punisheth his deadliest enemies why should hee not also for sinne correct his dearest Children If man vncontrolled may sing of mercie of judgement for to keepe his house in order shall not God haue his will to sing what song hee pleaseth vnto his owne creature Let the cracking Law-musicke of Sinai bee ended and then God shall rejoyce your heart with the sweete melodie of the Gospel If while God in this your trouble in a maner is mourning vnto you yee lament for your sinnes hee shall in the end make you to dance at the piping of his Gospel From Sinai he shall bring you vnto Sion where all your paines shall bee turned into pleasures The sicke Man All pleasures are farre from mee for the present A world of pleasures are deare bought with one pang of Conscience Gods wrath hath seazed vpon mee for to dragge my Soule downe to the bottome of hell It runneth euer into my minde that I am guiltie of the sinne against the holie Ghost This I take to bee the marke that such as once aâ—…e guiltie of that sinne cannot bee renued againe by repentance this marke seemeth to bee in mee for as yet for all the holie wordes I haue heard out of your mouth I find no renouation though Gods goodnesse by you hath ledde me to repentance I haue not beene moued But after mine hardnesse and impenitent heart I haue treasured 〈◊〉 vnto my selfe wrath against the day of wrath This spoileth mee of outward peace and inward joye What can this bee but the sin against the holie Ghost which shall neither bee forgiuen in this world nor in the world to come I pray you Sir to let me know what a fearefull sinne that is which Scripture saith Shall neuer bee forgiuen Let mee heare of its name and nature The Pastour This sinne Sir of all sinnes is the most fearfull as being a sin of highest natuâ—…e In Scripture it is called Blasphemie against the holie Ghost Because there is no pardon for it it is called A sinne vnto death Christ himselfe declared this plainelie verilie said hee I say vnto you all sinnes shall bee forgiuen to the sonnes of men and blasphemies wherewith soeuer they shall blaspheme but hee that shall blaspheme against the holie Ghost hath neuer forgiuenesse The sicke Man These words seeme strange that all sinnes shall be forgiuen to the sinnes of men and also blasphemies wherewith soeuer they shall blaspheme whether against the Father or the Son but that there is no forgiuenesse for blasphemie against the holie Ghost By that speach it would seeme that there bee blasphemies against God which are not against the holy Ghost By that also it would seeme that the holie Ghost is greater than the Father or the Sonne for what euer blasphemie is vttered against them it may bee forgiuen but as for that where with the holie Ghost is wronged it is an inexpiable staine of it there can be had no remission Before yee proceede cleare mee of this difficultie The Pastour The like of these wordes are also in S. Matthewes Gospel All manner of sinnes and of blasphemie said Christ shall bee forgiuen vnto men but
reliefe refresh his Soule and coole it with thy comfortes Let thy Spirit come vnto him with glad tydinges that all his sinnes are forgiuen him Oh what sorrow of heart hath hee had since he hath felt the power of thy wrath His poore two eyes haue beene like two fountaines of teares trickling downe both day and night The apple of his eye hath euer beene droping downe the salt brimie and bitter teares of sorrow Oh how bitter lie hath he wept since this battell beganne Hath hee not powred out his heart like water before thee in bemoaning his transgrassions Now LORD for thy mercie sake make him free of all excessiue griefe Beholde him with the tendrest eye of thy compassions Ridde him of all gripping griefes of Conscience Settle in his heart a godlie sorrowwhich may cause repentance neuer to bee repented of Bee pleased toward him Turne thine angerie face from the bloodie colour of all his transgressions and looke vpon the perfect and vnspotted righteousnes of thy Lambe whose blood hath blanched the red Crimsin sinnes of the world No flesh O LORD is able to stand before thee when thou art angrie for what is man which is consumed before the moath He dwelleth into an house of clay and his foundation is in the dust When it shall please thee hee must lye downe into his growing bedde and there say to corruption Thou art my father and to the worme Thou art my mother and my sister O who shall stand when thou shall say Returne yee Children of men O gracious GOD pittie this creature that was once formed to thine owne image which once lost thou hast repaired with the Blood of thy Sonne Stampe his heart vvith thy liuelie Image and coine it with thy countenance Insinuate thy selfe into his Soule and compasse him with thy comfortes Let thy poore Seruant heere who hath beene most fearefullie tossed and scorched with fierie temptations find a spiritual cooling refreshing in thy mercifull bowels Temper so the Spirit of his minde bowe his will and incline his affections that his chiefest delight may bee in thee Couer his sillie Soule vnder the shadow of thy Winges vntill all these calamities bee ouerpast Refresh this paunting Soule braying after thy water brookes Giue him a newe hearte put within him a new Spirite take this stonie heart out of his breast and in the place thereof put an heart of flesh By thy word O LORD wee haue let him see what the vanitie of this world is how vnconstant are all things below and how they are turned vpon a whirling wheele O mak his heart consider that there is nothing heere on earth that can bring solide contentment vnto the heart What are the best of our dayes on earth but labour and sorrow Is not our life a vapour a breath are not our dayes consumed as a tale that is tolde Make the consideration of such naughtie thinges below moue him so much the more to minde the things that are aboue Let him know that in the surging waues of this worldlie Sea there is no permanent peace so no crosse shall come vpon him vnawares Teach him by practise and experimentall feeling of thy Graces that thy strength is made perfect in weakenesse Let him feele that it is a fruite of thy lone that thou suffereth him to be afflicted Sanctifie his sorrowes make them to lead him vnto the face and presence of his GOD. By the loathing of things earthlie worke in his heart a loue a liking of things heauenlie an ardent desire of thy celestiall dainties Let him know that so soone as he shall come to thee that with thy face thou shall fill the desires of his Soule for in thy face is fulnesse of joyes O thou to whom nothing is impossible lift vp his Soule to affect that happines so that earnestlie his Soule may desire to see that day when he shall be cloathed with the long white robe of Christes righteousnesse euen the innocencie of thy deare Sonne Iesus Couer him Lord couer him with the golden fleece of thy righteous Lambe Parsume him with the sweete sauour of Christes merites thy mercies Let the Blood of his Aduocate pl◅ade for his pardon Naile all his sinnes to the Crosse of thy Sonne Iesus Rid out of his heart all doubts and difficulties draw his eyes from looking vpon himselfe make thine own selfe the object of his sight in the mirrour of the Gospel wherein as with open face hee may behold as in a glasse the glorie of the Lord and bee changed into the same image from glorie to glorie euen as by the Spirit of the Lord. Seeing a good man is mercifull to his beast how much more wilt thou bee who are mercie it selfe Thou who art most plenteous in mercie vnlocke wee intreat thee the treasures of thy mercies and affoard vnto thy seruant such graces whereby hee may come to thy Glorie Send a Seraphin for to kindle hi◅ zeale and affection toward thee Publish proclaime vnto his Sou◅ that thou art pacified and that tho◅ hast receiued a ransome These days by past LORD thou ha◅ him trained vp with diuerse fearefu◅ temptations whereout of let it please thee now to giue him an out gate O put thy quickening Spirit within him that by the force of thy life he◅ dying vnto sin may liue vnto The◅ who art our life and lengthening of our dayes Thine eare hath heard the heauie groanes of his hearte which haue made thine heart to bee turned within thee O now let thy compassions bee so kindled together that hee may in all boldnesse come to the Throne of thy Grace permit him such familiaritie with thee whereby hee may cast his burden vpon thee Giue him LORD a full resolution to submitte himselfe alwayes to thine appointments that his heart neuer anie more repine nor grudge at thy proceedings By the finger of thy Grace frame fullie his heart for the following of thy will Gracious Father rouse vp his Soule and raise vp the good motions of thy Spirit within him Make him in mercie to growe in Grace which may worke a deepe detestation of all bygone slippes whether secret or knowne with an eager and earnest striuing to bee renewed in the Spirit of his minde O thou whose bowels rumble lowd with compassions pacifie and calme all the clamours of his Conscience Thy mercie is most magnified when it relieueth the extremest miserie Thy light is most precious when it shineth into the depth of discomfort and darknesse O pittie and pardon him besprinkle him with the Blood of vertue that beeing purged from all carnall and spiritual vncleanneste hee may grow vp vnto full holinesse in thy feare and so may end his life in thy fauour the surest Sāctuarie of a troubled Soule Pittie the distressed members of thy Church Many a time haue they afflicted her from her youth The plowers plowed vpon her backe making long furrowes let them
they who gather themselues before the decree come foorth Behold and consider what a change is this These who mourned of before for their sinnes shall then solace themselues in their sorrowes The shriks squoakes of these damned soules falling down to hel which shal be to the wicked a song of judgement shal be to the Godlie in that day quite otherwise euen a song of mercie full of mirth and of Musicke O how sweete then shall mercie bee to the Godlie when they shall see what Gods fearefull vengeance shall work on the wicked whom their life by an accursed Alchymie turned the grace of their God into wantonnesse O how rejoyced shall their heartes bee when that great IEHOVAH shall begin to sway with his Almightie Arme that mace of yron for to dash these fore-lorne limmes with paine both of sense and of losse Then shall the Theefe wish that both his hands had beene maimed and mutilate Then shall the vncleane person whose eyes are filled with adulterie and filthinesse wish that he had beene borne blind Then shall the Drunkard wish that he had beene borne without a mouth Then shall the Blasphemer a man of bloody oathes wish that his tongue with a Turkesse had beene torne out of his throat This also for a surplus shall bee joyned to their anguish none shall bee for to wish them well or for to condole their miserie The decree beeing once come foorth and the doome of damnation beeing once pronounced with these wordes of command Depart from mee c. All the vngodlie in scarlet abominations who in their excessiue pride rousted on high as in Eagles nests shall in that day fall down with Deuils into that Dungeon and ward house of Hel wher ther is no light but for to let these which are tormented see their miserie no darknesse but that which may hid from their eyes all sortes of comfort Then all their by-past burning pleasures shall bee quenched into the fire of Hell lik◅ed hote yrō quenched into water with an extinguishing noise Nothing shal be then but shouting gnashing of teeth sighing sobbing and fearfull groanes Fewell of fire and garments rolled in blood All wicked Soules shall that daye bee drencht into an Occan of desperat displeasure and shall bee carried away with an invnding spaite of spitefull wrath O what joye shall bee kindled into the heartes of the Godlie when on the one hand they shall behold the miseries of the Theiues Drunkards Adulterers Fornicators and Blasphemers who were wont wantonlie to stretch out their throates into high blastes of blasphemie whē on the other part they shall consider how God in mercie hath fastened them as nailes into a sure place which cannot bee shaken O what gladnesse of heart shall the Saintes haue after that they haue seene the wicked tumbled downe into Hell to see what companie they shall be into among Angels of light loue with Christ himselfe in whose face is fulnesse of joye at whose right hand are pleasures for ouermore These pleasures vnspeakable for the greatnesse of themselues shal bee commended vnto the Godlie by two by-respects First by the consideration of that infinite woe and hellish virulencie without anie mixture of mercie whereinto they shall see the wicked to be plunged wherof they shall bee free Secondlie by the rememberance of the miserie whereinto they liued while they did dwell on earth during the dayes of their vanitie their estate changed to the better shall become the sweeter Are they not these who are called Lillies among the thornes doeth Scripture call them These that are come out of the great tribulations Their by-past tribulations shall wonderfullie commend their present felicitie This wee see to be of great force by daylie experience The considerations first of other mens woes of the calamities wherewith at other times vvee haue beene perplexed are like Hunger which like good sauce giueth rellish and taste to course things which at other times wee thinke to bee no dainties To the hungrie Soule euerie bitter thing is sweete How sweete thē shall the sweetnesse of Gods face be to the Godlie after all their terrours are past after they haue seene the wicked these fearfull mis-chappen brats tumbled down the steepe precipes of eternall destruction What pleasures I pray you shall these bee when pleasures for euermore shall be joyned with the rememberance of all these tribulations wherin wee were enwrapped while our feete stackefast in the myre All these considerations joyned together with vnspeakable pleasures shall make the Harpes of God sound Halleluiah Halleluiah for euer and euer Such meditations ouerflow my Soule dyuing in such depths Now Sir yee haue heard of the last thinges which shall bee done in this world heere is the conclusion of the last judgement The wicked as S. Matthew saith shall goe away to euerlasting punishment but the Righteous to Life eternall The sicke Man O but mine heart is sore moued within mee while I thinke of that deepe Gulfe whereinto all wretched Soules shall bee plunged O yee who in the dayes of your vanitie drink vp the very Creame flower of the earth al your pleasures now thē must be gone Oh that euer anone we culd applie this vnto our hearts My soule is look one liking down from an high and steepie place The meditations of these woes of the wicked makal my senses to be troubled al my spirits to be confusedlie shuffled together my heart within me is so tossed to fro that it is come like a squissed egge whose yolke is mingled with its white All my thoughtes are confounded as one that is into an hurlie burlie Good Lord let thy visions bee vnto my Soule visions of peace The blessed God preserue vs from all these woes Lord make vs all to cleaue to thee with full purpose of Soule Now to come to the purpose In your discourse ye haue powerfullie let mee see the wicked swallowed vp in a fearefull gulfe Let mee heare now what becommeth of the godly The Pastour After that Christ hath giuen them his Blessing saying vnto them Come yee blessed of my Father c. They all beeing crowned and clothed in royall apparell shall all in good order goe triumphantlie in Charets vp to the Heauen of heauens with such shoutes of triumph and of Ioye of Loue and of Laud as was neuer heard since the world was founded Then shall that prophecie bee fulfilled God is gone vp with a shout the Lord with the sound of a Trumpet Sing praises to God sing praises That shal be the Lambes marriage day a day that shall neuer bee darkened with a night a Feast that shall neuer bee followed with a Fast. The day of the bringing of a Queene to the King of the Land is a day of great joye What pleasure can bee had of Mirth or Musicke shall not bee away that