THE SOVLES LIFE Exercising it selfe in the sweet Fields of Divine Meditations and Prayers Collected for the comfort of all those who willingly adventure their lives for the defence of the Gospel in these blood-thirsty times of War LONDON Printed for R. Harper and are to be sold at his shop in Smithfield 1645. The Printer to the Reader VVHen this Booke came into my hands by means of a wel-wishing friend after I had perused it and the Title thereof I thought it very sitting as well in regard of the Subject being Divine Meditations as of the devotion and intent of the Religious Author to raise up the mindes of men from the troublesome thoughts of these tempestuous times that their Soules sole hope might take Anchor hold upon God The Subject of our Meditation is divers as also of our prayer and thanksgiving in regard whereof Hilary compareth the Psalmes of David to a bunch of keyes which as by severall doors give us accesse to God as some admiring him in his creatures and wonderfull works some of thanksgiving for his mercyes and wonderfull deliverance of his people the children of Israell others of exhortation to al Nations to know and rejoyce in him and the like Meditation it is true though it be most proper to the private and solitary Soule retired from worldly affairs and busines yet is it a duty most necessary for all the servants of God at all times and in all places wheresoever to exercise themselves in Isaac we read went out to meditate at the eventide Gen. 24. 63. When I remember thee upon my bed saith David Ps 63. 6 and meditate upon thee in the night watches So that Meditation being so generally necessary for every true servant of God a Subject of such excellent use worth I could not but publish this to the view of the world though the pious Authors modesty is such that he could be content to live sibi notus ignotus aliis Farewell The Soules Life MEDITATION I. Meditations and confessions of mans sinfull wayes O Blessed God when I consider with my self how I have spent my time nay rather mis spent it I tremble for when I should have served thee my God I served mine owne lusts and evill affections I walked too often in the vanity of mine owne wayes and hearkened not to thy will and Commandements which should have been as a lanthorn and light to guide mee in those darker pathes It hath been mine unhappy errour to minde more the things of the world then the things which concerne thee I confesse O Lord that I have offended thee in all my wayes both in thought word and deed and have served the creature more then the Creator But O Lord I humbly beg pardon of thee who art the God of mercy Pardon therfore my misdeeds I beseech thee and cast not away thy servant in displeasure O Lord I come unto thee upon the bended knees of my heart and cry with the Publican Lord be mercifull unto me a sinner for I know O Lord thou delightest not in the death of a sinner but that he should repent and be saved Save me therefore O Lord and make my wayes so direct for the time to come that I may keepe thy commandements and that I may doe nothing but that which is acceptable in thy sight make me humble for thou standest afarre off from the proud make both my soul and body as they ought to be a fit Temple for the Holy Ghost out of which do thou O Christ drive away all worldly thoughts and vaine imaginations chase buiers and sellers of my heavenly treasure and make me meditate on things above Clense me O Lord from all filthinesse of sinne and evill concupiscence and grant that for the time to come I may serve thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of my life that when death shall ceaze on my body my soule may without fear rejoyce long to be with thee my Saviour and Redeemer there to enjoy that happines and blisse which thou hast prepared for them that love thee MEDITAT II. Meditations of a penitent sinner hoping for pardon through the merits of Christ O Lord how are my daies wasted and come to an end even as a dreame that is told how doe my nights passe away and are not to be recall'd againe and how doe I forget what I have done against thee my God the sinnes alas that I have committed are as innumerable as the sand on the sea shore not to be numbred by any but thy justice and what account shall I make to thee O Lord when this tabernacle of mine shall bee dissolved and my soule appeare before thy Majesty at the last and dreadfull day of judgement where all that I have done shall be laid open and shall be as so many witnesses against me and I not able to answer one of a thousand what shall I doe Lord or whither shall I go for succour no place can hide me from thy presence for thou fillest all places and art not excluded from any place therefore I have no place to flie from thy justice O Lord I beseech thee to remember the pretious bloud of thy dear Son which was shed for me his bloud is a sufficient ransome for the whole world and for as many worlds as there are people therefore O Lord I will not despaire of a share in my Saviours sufferings he dyed as well for me as for others and I hope through his merits I shall be saved therefore I beseech thee O my Saviour answer for me and plead thou my cause for in thee alone shall I be reconciled to my God and shall have forgivenesse of all my sins be they never so many or grievous Therefore O my Soule be not dismaied but comfort thy selfe in thy Saviour for in stead of punishment thou shalt have a reward thy reward shall be a Crowne of everlasting glory thy reward shall bee the rewarder even God himselfe thou shalt see and enjoy him whom none can see and not be blessed thou shalt see and enjoy the fellowship of all the blessed Apostles the holy Angels and Saints of God and shalt sing Hallelujahs and prayses to the heavenly King for ever and ever MEDITAT III. Meditations of the wonderfull goodnesse and love of God to mankinde O God how wonderfull art thou in thy works in wisdome hast thou made them all the Earth is full of thy riches and so is the great and wide Sea also this was thy great care and providence to mankinde that before the creation of man thou createdst all things for his use before thou sentest him into the world to the end he might not perish but be relieved with all things necessary convenient and delightfull for him O God when I see the fields cloathed with corne it makes my heart rejoyce with an exceeding great joy and when I think thereupon I consider with my selfe it was thy providence that provided that for me
which without I could not subsist And when I see the ground bedecked with grapes the green meadows with pasture the multitude of woods abounding with trees both for timber fuell and thousands of other uses as also the varieties of fruit trees in abundance the rare mineralls which spring from the bowels of the earth affording infinite wealth I cannot but admire to see the multitude of cattle both for food cloathing and many other accommodations the infinite store of fowle of all kindes the sweet flowers in abundance and the innumerable sorts of vegetables all profitable and delightfull I cannot but wonder at the great Ocean and the innumerable varieties of fish besides the great commodity wee enjoy by the shipping voyaging to all parts of the world for commodities both for profit and pleasure When I consider the firmament how thou hast bespangled it with those glorious creatures the Sunne Moon and Starres and all for the use of man to give light both by day and by night but above all that thou hast given thy only begotten Son to dye for us this is love beyond all the love that ever was these things transport me into an admiration and compell me to praise and to love thee O my God with an exceeding great love who is he or what is he that will not praise thee O Lord for these thy unspeakable mercies to mankinde O grant that I may no longer live then I love thee O God I will love thee I will blesse thee I will magnifie thee so long as I have any being MEDITAT IV. Meditations of the love and sufferings of our Saviour Christ for mankinde O Sweet Saviour what hast thou suffered for my sake and what have I done to deserve thy sufferings alas my sinne was the cause of thy sufferings yet had'st thou not suffered for my sinne I had utterly perished and been out of all possibility of being saved I was guilty of sinne but thou knewest no sinne neither was there guile found in thy mouth and what shal I render to thee my Saviour for thy unspeakable love towards me all I have is thine and therefore I have nothing to give thee or make any satisfaction to thee for thy love O Saviour thou hast given me a tongue and understanding to the end I should praise thee therefore I offer unto thee my Redeemer the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving exrolling thy infinite mercy and clemency to thy poore creature Thou O sweet Saviour wast naked and I cloathed thou my Redeemer wast hungry and I satisfied with bread thou wast scourged and buffeted and I at ease feeling no pain thou wast spit on and rail'd on among thine enemies and I in rest and quiet among my friends thou wast in prison and I at liberty thou sufferest storms and tempest at Sea and I being upon drie land was safe upon my pillow thou wast crucified upon the crosse for my sake and suffered'st death for me O unspeakable love for ever to be had in remembrance never can I sufficiently magnifie thy wonderfull mercie patience and long suffering O Saviour give mee a heart that may alwayes bee mindfull of these thy wonderfull kindnesses and unparallel'd sufferings and that I may endeavour by all meanes possible to love thee and to dye for thee as thou dyedst for me make me seriously to ponder and thinke of thee continually and that my soule may so desire thee that it may never be at rest till it enjoyes thee MEDITAT V. Meditations of Gods preservation of man I Confesse O God thou preservest me yea when I thinke not of thy providence it is my dull sottishnesse and ingratitude that makes me thus forget my God How oft have I been in dangers both by sea and land ready to perish and yet it was thou alone that preservedst me and I knew it not because I remembred not thee O God as I ought to have done Thou hast preserved mee from the venome of false tongues and I on a sudden forgat it I might have perished oft in my going abroad and comming home but it was thy mercy that preserved me I might have miscarried in my very meat and drinke but for thy providence thou hast preserved me from theeves and murderers who would have confounded me but above all thou hast preserved mee from that roaring Lion who still seekes to devoure me and from those that lye in wait to catch my soule O Lord how shall I extoll thy mercy sufficiently for these unexpresseable favours to me wretched man that I am thy love is wonderfull to me and farre be it from me to thinke that I merit any thing from thee O God O Lord make me I beseech thee to thinke on thee continually and to meditate on thee day night alway expressing my thankfulnesse to thee for these thy marvellous preservations make me to praise thee and to love thee with an exceeding great love knit my heart to thee that I may feare thee and keepe thy commandements O let me doe nothing that may offend thee lest thou draw thy care and providence from me for if thou O Lord shouldest leave me to my selfe I were utterly lost and deprived of all help and comfort I could bee no where safe because of mine enemies which are mighty and strong who leek to destroy both body and soule leave me not therefore O my God but hold thy hand of providence over me continually watch over my wayes and suffer not the enemy to have any advantage over me hide me under the shadow of thy wings and preserve both my body and soule so shall I be safe from mine enemies MEDITAT VI. Meditations of the miseries and calamities of the time O God how happy were we when we enjoyed that great blessing of peace and tranquility how were we both a mirror and a terror to all the eyes of the Christian world how did our corne spring up with encrease of an hundred fold so that the people did rejoyce and sing how fruitfull was our Land with all manner of graine how full of all creatures fit for the use of man yea how did we abound in all things so that we were able to live of our selves without the succours of any other Nation what a sweet harmony and agreement was there among our selves which made our enemies stand amazed at our felicity when they themselves enjoyed none of these blessings O God how comes this change and unexpected misery upon us that now we are in Surely we did not value that blessing of peace as wee ought to have done surely it is our sinne and ingratitude that hath drawne thy vengeance upon us what a sight is it to see the father shedding the bloud of the sonne and the sonne the father brother against brother kinsman against kinsman one neighbour cutting the throat of another and all the whole Kingdome divided and plunged into a world of miseries how doe our fields lye barren for want of tillage our pâ—stures trodden
and spoyled with armies our woods cut downe as if it were intended no more should grow in our Land How are our Cattle driven in flockes and heardes from place to place and devoured by the enemy so that a famine must needes ensue How are the poore people driven from their habitations for the preservation of their lives being bereft of house goods and land as if they had no right to those possessions their Ancestors left them How are whole Townes burned without either pity or mercy How many thousands suffer for want of their means which heeretofore they received at pleasure O God! make us to prize that blessing of peace heereafter at a higher rate and give us thankefull hearts for all our enjoyments Cleanse the Land from sinne and turne away thy wrath from us Helpe us O God of our salvation for the glory of thy name O deliver us and be mercifull unto our sinnes for thy names sake so wee that are thy people and sheepe of thy pasture will give thee thankes for ever and ever MEDITAT VII A Prayer upon the same subject O Most glorious Lord God! creator both of Heaven and Earth and of all things contayned therein Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and Judge of all the World We miserable sinners acknowledge that we are a sinfull people laden with sinnes and iniquities we have deserved thy wrath and indignation and these heavy judgements which are now inflicted upon us are deservedly befallen us there is no goodnes in us but we are filled with filthy corruption and sinne there is no whole part in us from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot all are corrupted sinfull and abominable we have walked in the vanity of our owne desires and evill concupiscence wee have not hearkened to thy will and commandements but have gone astray after our owne wayes and sinfull lusts we confesse O Lord that we have broken all thy commandements and have offended thee continually both in thought word and deed Our desires and thoughts have beene more bent to the world then to heaven heavenly things O God! we cannot but admire thy patience and long suffering for it had been just with thee to have cut us off long agoe and that wee should have perished in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone for ever What shall wee render to thee O Lord for thy unspeakable mercies Wee will take the cup of salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. O Lord we beseech thee to make our wayes so direct for the time to come that we may keep thy commandements bridle our wills tame our unruly affections and suffer them not to stray so farre from thee Fasten and imprint thy Laws in our hearts that we may feare thee love thee and obey thee in all things and that our study may be to serve thee as thou hast appointed take away our stony hearts and give us hearts of flesh Lord give us faith hope and charity for without these graces we shall never see thy face Purge away all evill from us and give us to serve thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Give us peace in our time O Lord but especially the peace of conscience O Lord unite the hearts of King and People together that righteousnes and peace may kisse each other and we beseech thee O God out of thy bowels of compassion to suffer no more bloud to bee shed in our land and that wee may heare the voice of joy and gladnesse in our dwellings Grant this O Lord and all other things needefull for us even for thy deare Sons sake JESUS CHRIST our Lord and blessed Saviour Amen MEDITAT VIII Meditations of Gods great love and mercy to his servant O God how am I bound to thee for thy unspeakable mercies towards mee wretched sinner how can I forget thy exceeding love to me that hast given mee my limbs my eye sight and my senses when many others want all these who deserve as well as I. Doe I not see as I passe in the street one poore man want armes another legges one wanting eye sight another being dumbe some bowed together others distracted wanting all maner of sense some their bodies festred and ready to perish for want of succour Thou O God couldst have done the like to me sure I am I deserved no lesse punishment then they Lord let me live no longer then I shall praise thee for giving me al things these poore soules want and stand in need of O let me extoll thy name for ever and let mee not forget to shew forth thy praise let me be telling of thy kindnesse to them that feare thee and let my soule rejoyce in thee that hast done such great things for me For what am I O Lord that thou shouldest esteeme me more then they perhaps I have deserved greater punishments and yet thou sparest me and afflictest them sure I am my sinnes have deserved as great punishments as thou hast layd upon them Lord I feare that thou hast greater punishments in store for me unlesse I repent and become a new creature Lord give mee grace that I may timely repent lest thou afflict my body heere in this valley of teares and utterly confound my soule in Hell for ever Make me O Lord to watch over my wayes and to walke in that way thou hast appointed let me meditate upon thy Lawes and commandements o let me not goe wrong for feare of thy Judgements let me love thee feare thee and obey thee in all things so shall I be happy and enjoy that happinesse which thou hast prepared for all those that love thee MEDITAT IX Meditations of the judgements and afflictions that attend people in this world for sin WHen I consider with my selfe the wants accidents and afflictions which attend people in this world it amazes me when I see great men with their stately Palaces flowing and abounding in great riches and possessions both for profit and pleasure and on a sudden they fall and come to nothing nay many times are they constrayned to bee beholding to inferiour men for releefe Surely these sudden chastisements come from thee O God surely thou didst it to bring them home to thee thou afflictest the body to save the soule I have seene many of all sorts live in great prosperity dreaming that time would last ever and yet have I seene them come to want being in a most miserable condition I my selfe have had a share of these sufferings but not according to my deservings for Lord if thou shouldst mark what were done amisse who were able to abide it Therefore I acknowledge O Lord thou hast been very favourable unto me for in judgement thou hast remembred mercy therefore will I prayse thy Name and render thee thanks even for ever and ever O LORD what need I care how or what my body suffereth so thou save my soule these meats drinkes clothing riches and
comfort for the afflicted whether in body or minde You may see Gods providence and power delivering his people out of prison out of the fire out of the Denne of Lions out of the hands of their enemies out of shipwracke at Sea His feeding Elias by a Raven in the wildernesse and thousands of such like preservations and deliverances you may see and learn wisdom temperance patience faith hope and charity humility meeknesse and brotherly kindnesse Here you may see all sorts of sin and how to avoid them and you may see that bitter herb too called punishmeÌ„t due to sinners also you may see the good lives of Gods children and the rewards they have in the Kingdome of Heaven You may see Gods Attributes his power wisdome and love to mankind You may see our Saviours love in his sufferings for man his miracles and wonders and thousands of other comfortable flowers Certaine it is that no Garden in the world is like this this is pleasant and beautifull it yeelds comfort to all the happinesse of this Nation is such that they may walke and delight themselves in it at all times when other Nations are hardly permitted to looke in Let us then consider admire love and praise our good God for his infinite mercy to us in affording us that happinesse which no Nation in the world exceeds us in Let us adore and magnifie his marvellous clemency and goodnesse to us unworthy sinners let us extoll and land his name and let us be shewing forth his praise from generation to generation MEDITAT XXIII A Meditation on Musick in which as it were by way of digression the lawfulnesse of that Science is asserted O God! thou great Architect and composer of all things though I cannot but wonder at and admire those rare Arts and Sciences with the knowledge of which thou hast endued the sonnes of men yet of all that of Musick as it most nearly affects my sense so doth it most highly raise my admiration What a multitude of inventions is there in this Science that although it hath beene studied by millions of men for thousands of years and ever since Iubal who was the father of all such as did handle the Harp and Organ as we may see in Genesis Chap. 4. yet none could ever attaine to the full scope or perfection of it Yet thus much I may safely say for the honour of our Nation that for the generality of Musicke they have not beene inferiour to any Nation in the world And as this Science is none of the meanest so I am sure it is one of the most difficult for let a man read the Theory all the dayes of his life and he shall come short of the Practicke so let him use only the Practicke and he will yet be unskilfull for want of the Theory so that the way to make a Musitian compleat is to study both But let us view this Science in some particular branch of it see but the quality of a singer let him begin at the age of five or six and continue untill gray hayres he will I am sure confesse that hee is not yet perfect in his quality there is something more for him to do if he could find what it is he discovers a want of skill and will be studying for alteration or addition now all this while this is but one part of the Science neither is it otherwise with Instrumental Practitioners although they labour either upon the Organ Virginall Lute Violl or Harpe all their dayes yet they will finde themselves much below that Alt of perfection Now if it bee thus difficult with vocal and instrumental men surely it must needs bee far more difficult with composers who professe the greatest and most excellent part of Musick surely their study and travell must undoubtedly far exceed all others I could shew you the infinite variety exacted to be in a composer but I am not now to dispute but meditate And for the repute of this Noble Science it hath alwayes beene in highest esteeme among the best and greatest Worthies of the world for it is well knowne that divers Kings and Princes tooke great pleasure and have arrived to an high pitch of knowledge in it for instance King Henry the eight who composed a Song of eight parts a thing worthy his great name Lewis the late French King composed divers Songs and many Princes of Italy have beene excellent in this Science having published to the world divers sets of Songs famous Queene Elizabeth of happy memory was no small Practitioner of this Art Nor may we without great admiration observe the strange power and efficacy of this Science When David played on his Harp the evill Spirit liked it so well he would not stay to heare it but left Saul who of a King was become his subject and certainly if there bee any that hate the laudable use of this quality we may suspect that this evill Spirit delights to dwell with them where hee may not be troubled with it Nay which is more strange the Prophet Elisha could not prophesie untill an Instrument was brought to him and played on as you may see in the second of Kings Chap. 3. But now bring me a minstrell and it came to passe when the minstrell played that the hand of the Lord â—ame upon him and hee prâ—phesied Observe wee the twentieth Chap. of the second Booke of Chron. that when Iehoshaphat had consulted with the people hee appointed Singers unto the Lord that should praise the beauty of holinesse as they went out before the Army and to say Praise the Lord for his mercy endureth for ever And when they began to sing and to praise then the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon Moab and mount Seir which were come against Iudah and they were all smitten and â—â—…e escaped See the tenth Chap of Samuel verse 5. After that thou shalt come to the hill of God where is the Garrison of the Philistines and it shall come to passe when thou art come thither to the City that thou shalt meet a company of Prophets comming downe from the high place with a Psaltery and a Tabreâ— and a Pipe and a Harpe before them and they shall prophesie and the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee and thou shalt prophesie with them and shalt be turned into another man and the Spirit of God came upon Saul and hee prophesied among them See the first of Chron. Chap. 25. Moreover David and the Captaines of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph and of Heman and of Iedutbun who should prophesie with Harps with Psalteries and with Cymbals See cap. ib. The six sons of Ieduthun under the hands of their father Ieduthun who prophesied with Harps to give thanks and to praise the Lord. Now we may plainly see that Kings and Prophets went both to prophesie and to battaile with Musicke And surely Musick was a furtherance to them otherwise they