again 2 Sam. 14 41. Then let not the place of thy Death trouble thee for the Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof Death lost her Sting in the Side of our Saviour The Day of Death is the Day of Jubilee and frees us from all these Evils God kisseth the Righteous in their Deaths and as it were sucks in those Souls which he breathed into them Deut. 34. 15. It is certain that the Soul so soon as it is separated from the Body is presented to God and receives an irrevocable Doom either of Woe or Weal Those that Honour me I will Honour saith the Lord 1 Sam. 2. 30. Blessed and happy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second Death hath no Power but they shall be Precious with God and Christ and shall Reign with him The Angels which kept not their first Estate he hath reserved in everlasting Chains of Darkness unto the Judgment of the great Day Iude 6. The Joy of our Heart is ceased and the Crown is fallen from our Head Lam. 5. 15 16. In the Days of his Flesh when he had offered up Prayers and Supplications with strong Crying and Tears unto him that was able to save him from Death and was heard in that he feared Heb. 5. 7. The Heavens shall be opened and those everlasting Doors shall be lift up that the King of Glory may go forth with his Angels to Judge the World and return back again with his Saints when he hath Judged it In the Day of Judgment a good Conscience will stand us in more stead than a Mint of Treasure therefore with St. Ierome let us make it our business That whether we Eat or Drink or whatsoever we do we may think we hear the last Trumpet sounding in our Ears saying Arise ye Dead and come to Judgment let us therefore appeal from the Bar of Gods Justice to the Bowels of his Mercy beseeching him in that Day to deal with the Souls of his Servants not as a severe Judge but as a Merciful Jesus Amen Prayers for the Sick. O Lord look down from Heaven behold visit and relieve this thy Servant look upon him with the Eyes of Mercy give him Comfort and sure Confidence in thee defend him from the Danger of the Enemy and keep him in perpetuaâ—â— Peace and Safety through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen HEar us Almighty and most Merciful God and Saviour extend thy accustomed Goodness tâ— this thy Servant who is grieved with Sickness Sanctifie we beseech thee this thy Fatherly Correction to him that the sense of his Weakness may adâ—â— Strength to his Faith and Seriousness to his Repentance that if it shall be thy good Pleasure to restore him to his former Health he may lead thâ— residue of his Life in thy Fear and to thy Glory or give him Grace so to take this thy Heavenly visiâ—tation that after this painful Life ended he may dwell with thee in Life everlasting through Jesuâ— Christ our Lord. Amen O Father of Mercyes and God of all Consolation lay no more upon him or her therâ— thou wilt inable him to bear with Patience Courage and Contentment either asswage his Painâ— or increase his Patience bless all those means thaâ— have been or shall be used for his recovery eitheâ— shorten his Sickness or else give him Grace anâ— Strength to bear it deliver him from the bitteâ— Pangs of Eternal Death and from the Gates of Helâ— take from him the Sting of his Consciences and thâ— extremity of Sickness Anguish or Agony that 〈◊〉 withdraw his mind from thee through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen DEliver him from all Dangers and Distress from Pain and Punishment Bodily and Ghostly and from all the Sins and Misdeeds which by the Maâ—ice of the Devil or his own Frailty he have at any time committed against thee That it may please thee not to lay to his Charge what in Concupiscence of the Eye Pride of Life Vanity or Superfluity he hath committed against thee That it may please thee not to lay to his Charge what in the Fierceness of his Wroth or in the eagerness of an Angry Spirit he hath committed against thee That it may please thee not to lay to his Charge what in Vain and Idle Words in the Looseness and Slipperiness of the Tongue he hath committed against thee That it may please thee to make him Partaker of all the Mercies and Promises in Christ Jesus That it may please the to vouchsafe his Soul the Estate of Joy Bliss and Happiness with all thy blessed Saints in thy Heavenly Kingdom That it may please thee to give him Peace and a part in the blessed Resurrection of Life and Glory we commend his Soul into thy Hands beseeching thee that it may be pretious â—n thy sight O let not the Blood of Christ that was â—shed for all Men be spilt in vain to any but let it be effectual to the Salvation of every Soul for thy own Bowels and Compassion sake Amen IN the midst of Life we are in Death Of whom then may we seek for Succor but of thee O Lord Who for our Sins are most justly displeased with us yet O Lord most Holy O God most Mighty O Holy and most Merciful Father deliver us not over to the bitter Pains of Eternal Death Thou knowest Lord the Secrets of our Hearts O shut not up against us the Ears of thy Mercy but spare us O Lord most Holy O Saviour most mighty O Immortal and mosâ— Merciful Redeemour Thou most Worthy Judge Eternal suffer us not in our last Hour for any Pains of Death to fall from thee though he hath Sinned yet he seeketh thee and thou Lord never failest them that seek thee Let not the Guiltiness of a Sinneâ— more prevail to condemn than the Gracious Goodness of a most Merciful Father to Aquit and to Pardon O let not the Unrighteousness of Man make thâ— Goodness of God of none effect O Lord no not so remember not the Unkindnesess of this thy Child so as thereby thou forgottest the Compassion and Kindness of a Father Do not so think on our Sins that thou thereby forget thine own Nature and Property which is always to have Mercy and Forgive Do not so remember our Sins that thou thereby remember not thy own Name which is Jesus a most Loving and Kind Saviour Lord is thy Life in our Life hath not sufficiently appeared yet let not thy Death lose the full Power and Effecacy thereof Suffer not O Lord in both so great a price to perish lose not that O Lord which thou hast redeemed since thou comest to redeem that which was lost that which was so dear to thee to redeem suffer not to be lost as a thing of no Value OH Most Merciful and Blessed Saviour have Mercy upon the Soul of this thy Servant remember not his Ignorance nor the Sins of his Youth but according to thy great Mercies remember him in the Mercies and Glories of thy Kingdom Thou O Lord hast opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers let the Everlasting Gates be opened and receive his Soul let the Angels who Rejoyce at the Conversion of a Sinner Triumph
by Day They Curse that Traytor Life and Limb Tho Curse themselves in Curfing him The Thief and Slanderer are almost the same The one steals my Goods the other my good Name The one lives in Scorn the other dies in Shame But from these dark som Clouds Good Lord deliver us Let them not interpose betwixt thy Glory and us For thou alone art our Creator in whom we trust Some trust too much in their doing well In seeking Heaven they find the flames of Hell But the pure of Heart have Power to refuse Being endow'd with Wisdom the Evil and Good to chuse He that gives Wisdom to refuse Inspires the Art which to chuse ' In thee O King my pensive Soul respires ' Thou art the fulness of my choice desires ' Thou art that Sacred Spring whose Waters burst ' In streams to him that seeks with Holy Thirst ' Thrice happy Man Thrice happy Thirst to bring The fainting Soul to so sweet a Spring God is just what his deep Counsel wild His Prophets told and justice hath fulfill'd But Man the Child of ruin to avoid Less dangers by a greater is destroy'd Whose Spring is like a Flower for a Days delight At Noon we flourish and we fade at Night If Plants be cropt because their Fruits are small Think you to Thrive that bears no Fruit all But who so Fruitful is and worthy to Drink this Shall be receiv'd unto Eternal Bliss Such cannot Dye the Sacred Nine deny All Souls that merits Fame shall ever Dye For these must survive for their self clos'd Eyes That now lie slumbering in the dust shall rise The highest Heavens have Decreed to Bless The Fruitful Souls and with a fair success For that they built their Bliss not on the blaze of Glory Nor seated their Happiness in things transitory O Lord how great is the Power of thy Hand Glorious is thy Name in every Land Great God Unlimited are thy Confines And assistest Man in his good Designs Thy Mercies like the dew of Hermon Hill Or like the Oyntment dropping downward still Thy Love is boundless thou art apt and free To turn to Man when Man returns to thee â— Sacred Subject of a Meditation Thy Works are full of Admiration Thy Judgments all are just severe and sure They quite cut off or else by lancing Cure. ' My Faith not Merits hath assur'd thee mine Thy Love not my Desert hath made me thine Unworthy I whose drousie Soul rejected Thy precious Favours and secure neglected Thy glorious Presence how am I become A Bride befitting so Divine a Groom ' It is no Merit no Desert of mine Thy Love thy Love alone hath made me thine Since then the bounty of thy dear Election Have styl'd me thine Oh let the sweet reflection ' Of thy Illustrious Beams my Soul inspire ' And with thy Spirit inflame my hot Desire ' Unite our Souls oh let thy secret rest ' Make a perpetual home within my Breast ' Instruct me so that I may gain the skill 'To suit my Service to thy secret Will. Then shall my Soul that suffers through dispite Of Error and rude Ignorance have right Then shall my Soul injoy within this Breast A Holy Sabboth of Eternal rest And my dearest Spouse shall Seal me on his Heart So sure that envious Earth may never part Our joyn'd Souls let not the World remove My chast Desires from so chast a Love. ' All you that wish the bountiful encrease ' Of dearest Pleasures and Divinest Peace ' I charge you all if ought my charge may move ' Your tender Hearts not to disturb my Love ' Vex not his gentle Spirit nor bereave ' Him of his Joys that is so apt to grieve That he may teach his living Plants to thrive And such as are a dying to revive He walks about such tender Plants To smell their Odours and supply their wants That he may leave his secret Spirit in their Breast As Earnest of an Everlasting rest To thy Creatour hast my Soul and let thy Sacreâ— Vows Plight Holy Contracts with so sweet a Spouse His Left Hand 's full of Treasure and his Right Of Peace and Honor and unknown Delight Then shall it please our gracious Lord To Crown with Audience his suppliants Word O Glory chace Disloyal Thoughts let not thiâ— World allure My chast Desires from a Spouse so pure He 'l endow my ardent Soul with sweetness and inspire With Heavenly ravishment my rapt Desires O let all times be prosperous and all places Be Witness to our undefil'd imbraces Sure is the Knot that true Religion ties And Love that 's rightly grounded never dies ' If Error lead not my dull Thoughts amiss ' My genius tells me where my true Love is ' He 's busie labouring in the flowry Banks ' Inspiring Sweetness and receiving Thanks ' Watering those Plants whose tender Root are dry ' And Pruning such whose Crests aspire too high ' Transplanting Grafting Reaping from some ' And covering others that are newly come Then take from each to make one perfect Grace Yet would my Love out-shine that borrow'd Face So perfect are his Graces so Divine So full of Heaven are those fair looks of thine O Sacred Symetry O rare Connexion Of many Perfects to make one Perfection O let my Lips like a perpetual Story Divulge thy Graces and declare thy Glory Hear comes a Critick close thy Page Thou art no Subject for this Age Thou hast no Guilt that does require That thou should'st lurk nor yet retire Thou hast no Lustre of thy own But what 's deriv'd from Heaven alone Fear not thy Heaven instructed Page Will either please or teach the Age For the Wise with ease shall riddle out Which is the voice of Wonder which of Doubt For God sends an Angel to protect As well from Evil as to Good direct O thou the beginning and the end before whom Things past and present and things to come Are all alike O prosper my Designs And let thy Spirit inrich my feeble Lines Rejoyce my Soul and give my Pen the Art Wisely to move and me an understanding Heart Earthly Glories are scarce worth craving to obtain They are Happinesses that must be lost again Gasp not for Honour wish no blazing Glory For these will perish in an Ages Story Nor yet for Power Power may be carv'd To Fools as well as thee that hast deserv'd Thirst not for Lands nor Mony wish for none For Wealth is neither lasting nor our own Riches are fair Inticements to deceive us They flatter while we live and dying leave us What fit of Madness makes us love them thus We leave our lives and pleasure leaveth us Pleasure is fleeting still and makes no stay It lends a smile or twain and steals away The pleasures of this World soon abate They are lively emblems of our own Estate Which like a Banquet at a Funeral show But sweeten Grief and serve to flatter Woe How slight a
thread 'twixt Death and thee ' This darksome Place thou measur'st may be thy Grave ' And sudden Death rides Proud on yonder Wave By thoughts dive down into the Abyss of Hell And there in Justice doth the Almighty dwell Death is a Calander compos'd by Fate Concerning all Men never out of date Yet chear up I have a message in store Whose Comforts much and joyful News is more We have yet a Friend Puissant and of Might Will see us take no wrong but do us right Le ts offer up Sacrifice with one accord And pay our solemn Vows unto the Lord And with penitent Hearts implore him And Day and Night pour forth our Souls before him For shall I be silent no I 'le speak Till Tongue be tired and my Lungs be weak Proclaim to us thy Mercy for we thurst for Grace For thou art free of Mercy to those that Mercy will embrace O save us harmless from our Foe-mans Jaws Who art turned Orator to plead our Cause How are thy Mercies full of Admiration How sovereign sweet's their Application How redefâ—â—ed are we with the Rust of Sin Which hath abus'd thy Stamp and eaten in But yet at length if we repent Instead of Plagues and Direful Punishments We shall find Mercy Love and Heavens Applause For the Great Almighty himself will plead our Cause Thine Eye that views the moving Spheres above Ought to give Praise to him that makes them move Here may we see how Prayer and true Repentance Do strive with God prevail and turn his Sentence From Judgment Just and Plagues Infernal To boundless Mercies and to life Eternal All o're the World how should these Mercies make a sound As Blessings fall Thansgiving must abound â—dge then did ever Record round thine Ear That God forsook the Heart that was fiueere But often have we seen that such as Plow â—â—wdness and Mischief reap the same they sow The Moral says all Wisdom that 's given â—o Hood-wink'd Mortals first proceeds from Heaven Far safer 't is of things unsure to doubt Than undertake to riddle Secrets out It was demanded once what God did do Before the World was fram'd Whereunto ' Answer was made he built a Hell for such As were too curious and would know too much at such curiosity preceds from him who can â—â—ly accuse Man to God and God to Man â—â—no Hourly sows fresh Schisms among the Saints â—ea buffets them then laughs at their Complaints O Chastity the Flower of the Soul â—ow is thy perfect fairness turn'd to foul There are thy Maiden-smiles thy blushing Cheek â—hy Lamb-like Countenance so fair so meek â—ay not other Virtues serve but must this Queen 〈◊〉 made the Subject of Unchast spleen So young is Man that broke with Care and Sorrow â—e's old enough to Day to die to morrow â—â—e gives us Passage to endure great Woes â—â—ath frees us from all Temporal Foes â—t tho secure my Soul did never slumber â—et do my Woes exceed both weight and number Both Poor and Rich are equal in the Grave â—rvants no Lords and Lords no servants have â—hat needs there light to him that 's comfortless â—r Life to such as languish in distress â—bjects of pitty are Bodies in distress â—nd worthy to injoy eternal Rest Lord make Wise thy Servant a Wise forecast Grieves for things present not for things are past Satan have Servants who can make true boast They gave away as much as thine have lost Others with Learning made to Wisely Mad Refuse such Fortunes as Croesus never had Lord make me Champion give me such belief A strong and fervent but not crafty Faith. I know a forc'd Love neeeds no such great Applause Since they Love Ill that Loves not for a Cause I bespeak leave to Answer all this before I knew They want no Grief that find such Friends as you Be not discontent no no forbear for I Hate less your Censures than your Flattery Succour I sought and begged but none was there To give the Alms of one poor trickling Tear. See how I lie devoid of Help or Friend O make me humble and mindful of my End. Lord make me Just in Image like my Divinâ— Creator Pollish and 〈◊〉 yea Refine my Nature Let me receive all as 〈◊〉 thy Hand With a thankful Heart as living in thy Land And consider the self-same Sorrow Grieves others to Day may make me groan to moâ— row Great King be my Comfort in my highest Grief I will not trust to Mans but thy relief I know Great God upon my true Repentance Thou wiâ—t determine to reverse thy Sentence Make me tho in a blind Age Wisely to see And in a seeing Age not bâ—ind to be He that would save his Life when Honour bids hiâ— die Steals but a Life and lives by Robbery Dishonours his God and that likens to the Powâ— Divine That made and placed her in her Fleshly Shrine The Wise and Good-like kind Physicians are That strive to heal us by their Care Their Physick and their Learning calmly use Although the Patient them strangely abuse For since the Sickness is they find A sad Distemper of the Mind The Wiseman in the midst of Woes May enjoy and feel a sweet repose Might pitty all the Griefs we see By compassion Anoint every Malady While our selves are calm our Art improve To rescue them and shew our Love That we with open Eyes may see The brightness of Gods Majesty And never more in Chains of Darkness lie 〈◊〉 be secure from Bondage and all Iniquity That comforts Divine may fortifie and raise the Soul To Heavenly Joys where none can controul The World 's a hurly burly and the Court All Tongues were fill'd with Wonder and Report The Watch is set pursute was made about To Guard the King and find the Traytors out To punish him according to his due That did not Peace nor Loyalty persue Had Man been Kind Loving True and always Good As formerly in the Golden Age they stood Then had we lived in all Delights and Glory full of Love Blest as the Holy Angels are above But now we suffer for evil Deeds Reaping the fruit of our ill Weeds But thou O Holy Jesus who did'st for us Die And on the Altar Bleeding for all Men lie Bearing all Torment Pain Reproach and Shame That we by Virtue of the same Tho Enemies to God might be Redeemed and set at Liberty Let us likewise favour to others show And live in Heaven on Earth below Let 's prize their Souls and let them be our gems Our valuable Temples and our Diadems Rich Spoils and Trophies our own Joys Compar'd to Souls all else are Toyes O let them be such unto us as they were to thee Valued as Vessels of Glory and Felicity What would I give that I might likewise see The Brightness and true Glory of thy Majesty The Joy and fulness of that high Delight Whose Blessedness is Glorious yea Infinite And while we feel how much our God doth
giveth liberally to all Men and uppraideth not and would have all Men endued with Divine and deep Delights that they may be eminent and conspicuous in the true exercise of every Virtue and be Cloathed with great Activity Courage and Prudence to overcome their Enemies and inherit the Benefits of their own Virtues in the Peace and Tranquility of a happy Condition by being Liberal and Kind Humble and Chearful Rejoycing and Trusting exceedingly in God then shall their Soulâ— be even now as happy as if they had taken Possessâ—on of Heaven Having taken that City as it were Violence or Force by carrying Virtue to the higheâ—â— pitch humane frailty could exalt it to God havinâ— given us many Lights to assist our Souls in the compleating more allurements to provoke our desirâ— after more of Heaven and its Glorious Injoymentâ— so that all our Inclinations may now become Puriâ—â— and Praise that we may hereby be able to reconciâ—â— Men to God who were formerly Enemies to Graâ—â— and Virtue by putting Embroideries on Religion 〈◊〉 moving in a Sphere of Wonder In that his Life is â—ontinual stream of Miracles for such a Man carries 〈◊〉 Light whereever he goes for he is Cloathed like 〈◊〉 Son in his Raies and Reigns like a King by the sole Power of Virtue and Goodness in Beautifying Religion in the due exercise hereof making himself great by inriching others being full of Musick in the Words of his sweet and pleasing behaviour This being conducive to his own Ease and Honour the want therefore of the abovementioned Virtues is pernicious and destructive for these Holy Works and Wise Dispositions of Soul are absolutely necessary to qualifie us for Heaven For all the Fathers teach us both Anâ—ient and Modern that good Works are inseparable attendants upon a justifying Faith and no Heretick hat is either Grave or Serious can deny this sequel For this must consequently follow upon the Premises â—or good Works are absolutely necessary to Salvation tho â—hey can in no wise merit it for far be it from us â—â—om decrying good Works or the due use of them but â—he merit of them For that there is any real or perâ—onal merit in them we do indeed dâ—â—ry not but â—hat high induments of 〈◊〉 is a greater Blessing to â—â—ll that are so highly 〈◊〉 by the Hand of Heaven 〈◊〉 to be inâ—iched by them and good Works are cerâ—â—inly conditional to Life Eternal for in the great Day â—f Mercy 't will be said Come for ye have done them 〈◊〉 God for ye have not done them So that tho they 〈◊〉 not meritorious yet they are undoubtedly condional to Bifs for the more of these any Man have a â—â—ue share in the more happy Eternally will he unâ—â—oubtedly be so that what the Church of England in â—â—is and in all points do Teach is most assuredly pure â—â—d refined and in all points Conformable to the Priâ—â—â—tire Times neither is She pure in Doctrine only â—â—t in Charity most Catholick and in hearty Practise â—â—ost refined for She admonishes her Children that â—â—yey may not be Strangers to any point of Doctrine â—â—at is of moment to Salvation unless they should unhappily be Aliens to Felicity by being Foreigners to the Truth but that they may in â—is Light learn to see the true Light that enlighten every one that cometh into the World 'T is this Beauty of Truth that maketh Knowledge of such infinite value as to repair the Divine Image in us in which consists the perfection of our Nature renews us in the Spirit of our Minds purging our Consciences from dead Works securing our Minds from that restlesness and unquietness which Minutly attends both the Dominion and Guilt of Sin which racks the Mind with dreadful expectations and fills the Consciences with dismal horror and direful Confusion and lays them obnoxious to the dreadfulest denunciations imaginable not only Temporal Improsperity but Eternal Punishments in the dismal Shades of the other World. But to avoid the danger of these let us convince our understandings that we ought to aspire to live Angelical lives such as becomes a reformed Religion built upon the Doctrines of the Apostles and have all the Marks of a true Church so that every one may prove and try himself whether he be in the right for by trying the Spirits we may know them if we observe their Fruits may we therefore perswade our Affections to stick close to this refined Religion that is certainly the true Path to Heaven and conducive to Life and Bliss For this Church agreeable to the Holy Scriptures directs to the Treasures of Divine Wisdom and â—uch Oracles to which it is safe to resort for saving Knowledge to rule and guide us to a Holy Life therefore we ought Studiously to imbrace whatsoever we â—earn from her since She is now refined and purged from all Error and Corruption Superstition and whatsoever is contrary to Divine Truth for in her Preaching She observes the Method of Christ by unâ—ailing the very Truth to her Disciples making Christs Word to us as it is in it self the Power of God to Salvation So that now the Gospel with Noon Day brightness does cearly shine amongst us for She gives us cautionary Advices and to them subjoins plain Directions sheving us how to detect Error and to love Truth so that her Counsel may be of the same effect to us as the Oral Word was to our Progenitors who lived their own Doctrine and Preached their own Experience and gave up themselves without reserve to the guidance of Gods Word inwardly reverencing every Paragraph of it as an immediate message from the Almighty For every thing in Scripture is sublimely Divine It s Doctrine are most accommodate to the refreshment and building up of our Minds and in all respects so ordered that every one may draw thence what is sufficient for him provided he approach it with Devotion Piety and Religion For the things of God are Spiritually descerned as the secret Word of God was fiâ—st dictated by the Holy Spirit so still it must owe its effects and influence to its Cooperation for by this its Power and Energy insinuatively perswades the Heart to be led by the Power of it and to invoke the Divine aid by darting Ejaculations up to God that we may truly understand the sense and meaning of his Divinely Inspired Word by keâ—ping our Minds fixt and attent upon what we either hear or read that refin'd Thoughts maâ—â—â—â—ways possâ—â—â— our Minds to convince our Understanding and perswade our Affection and intirely rule our Imaginations that Divine Meditations may always prepossess our Minds and refresh and revive our Souls turning out of our â—reast all distracting Phansies lest our Chrâ—stianity should vapor away and disappear by a piâ—ing to too high degrees of Speculation and neglecting to practice plain Truths for the practice of 〈…〉 Truths are infinitely of more use then to Study curious or critical Remarks upon those Mysteries on which God have spread