my God and man which I have solemnly made and taken I have promised to thy sacred Majestie my unworthy service though but the least part of my dutie upon condition to receive mercy from thee which in particular thou hast been gratiously pleased as I may judg to give me but I alas have wholly left undone my promise with thee so that surely I admire thy patience that thou hast not ere this cast me into hell amongst thy enemies Thou hast of thy free mercie given me time of repentance I trust thou wilt in thy great goodnesse give me true repentance it self even such as thou wilt not despise O give it me for thy mercies sake O my Creatour as thou lovest sinners in Jesus and hast mercie for the works of thy own hands give me true and saving grace lead and draw me to thee in true repentance Lord thy long-suffering and patience to me doth give me some hope of thy electing me to mercie O give me the full assurance of it by a true and a lively faith Open thou I most humbly pray for Christ Jesus his sake my dark and closed eyes so that I may see the wondrous things of thy Law blesse me O my Father in not imputing sinne unto me for man liveth not by bread only but by every word of thy mouth O God What is man that thou art mindefull of him Psal 8.4.144.3.89.5 or the Sonne of man that thou visitest him Lord what is man that thou regardest him or the Sonne of man that thou thinkest upon him Behold thou hast made my daies as a hand-breadth and my age as nothing in respect of thee surely every man in his best estate is altogether vanitie When thou O God with rebukes dost chastise man for sinne as a moth his beauty doth consume surely every man is vanity Doubtlesse man walketh in a vain shadow he disquieteth himself in vain he heapeth up riches and cannot tell who shall gather them And now Lord what wait I for my hope is even in thee deliver thou me from all my transgressions Who can withstand thy chastenings surely every man living is vanitie Selah O my God I humbly beseech thee for my Saviour Jesus Christ his sake and in thy love through him to poor wretched and miserable sinners forgive all my Oathes and my hypocrisie towards thee or man all my blasphemies lies false and doubtfull speeches my vanities and offendings of thee by thought word and deed O let thy sweet free and saving mercy forgive all my secret sinnes and from my presumptuous sinnes good Lord deliver me least they get the dominion over me I humbly beseech thee seeing sinne must raigne in this my earthly tabernacle give me grace and strength I humbly crave of thy most sacred Majestie that I may submit unto it unwillingly as to the subjection of a cruell Tyrant not willingly with joy and comfort as to a lawfull Prince Give me grace and strength I most humbly pray with Ephraim to bemoane my self in secret and truly desire to be released from the cruell oppression of this Tyrant to be dissolved and be with thee my only joy and peace that I may serve thee as thy faithfull servants and never offend against thee any more Amen I beseech thee O my Saviour and my God for the whole remainder of my life that yet I have to live under the Sunne remember not thou against me my former iniquities but make haste and let thy tender mercies prevent me that I offend not against thee nay I doubt not in Jesus but thou my mercifull God wilt of thy free goodnesse prevent me Psal 27.11.86.11 Teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a right path because of my enemies Teach me thy way O Lord and I will walk in thy truth knit my heart unto thee that I may fear thy Name Turn away mine eies from vanity and quicken me in thy way 119.37 Stay my steps in thy pathes that my feet doe not slide Shew me thy waies O Lord and teach me thy pathes for all thy pathes O Lord are mercie and truth unto such as keep thy Covenants and thy testimonies O my God I plainly see my evill and my sinne the bitternesse of my waies are before me I must judge and condemne my self for the least sinne guilty of infinite punishment even as thou the Lord my God whom I offend and rebell against thereby art infinite But O what then is the due desert from thy severe justice for those innumerable heapes of wickednesse and transgressions which momentarily increase upon me through my corruption wherewith I have provoked thee to anger and which continually call for judgment for my eternall destruction as my due deserts Although I see no way of pardon without great fears and doubts yet I will delight my self in the mercies of thee my God and commit my waies unto thee my Redeemer for I know thou wilt bring it to passe I humbly beseech thee O my Father my hope my joy the onely rest and peace of my eternitie guide me and lead me in the perfect way of thy blessed service as thy true and faithfull servant from this moment for ever O leave me not nay I doubt not in Jesus but thou wilt ever guide and not leave me untill I be in the house of thy love in the place of thy rest which thou O my Father in thy infinite love hast prepared for thy servants untill the door be shut that I cannot return unto my own vanities againe even so come O my Father in Jesus Come quickly Amen A Prayer O thou that hearest prayers unto thee shall all flesh come look upon our Saviour and our mercy and let not our unworthy prayers offend thee O Almighty and our all-sufficient Lord God whose will is all things both in Heaven and earth who art only good and whose mercy endures for ever to thee the grave is open and from thee there is no covering for destruction thou stetchest out the North over the empty place and hangest the earth upon nothing thou bindest thy waters in the clouds and the clouds are not broken under them thou holdest back the face of thy Throne and spreadest the clouds upon it Thou hast set bounds to the waters untill the day and night come to an end The pillars of Heaven tremble and quake at thy reproof the sea is calm by thy power and by thy understanding thou smitest the pride thereof Thy spirit hath garnished the Heavens and thy hand hath formed the crooked serpent Loe these are part of thy waies O mighty God but how little a portion have we of thee and who can understand thy fearfull power Thou art the God of the spirits of all flesh great art thou O Lord and most worthy to be praised thy greatnesse is incomprehensible Thou good Lord be mercifull to all us that desire or would at least both desire and fully prepare our whole hearts to seek and
perfectly to serve thee the God of our Fathers although we be not clensed according to the purification of the Sanctuary O Lord we beseech thee let thy loving kindnesse and thy mercie to poor miserable sinners in Jesus direct our hearts as the hearts of thy elected servants to pray unto thy sacred Majestie in spirit and truth and we humbly beseech thee let thy ears hearken to our praiers and the praiers of all thy servants who desire to fear thy Name Two things we most humbly beg of thee O our mercy denie us not them before we die Remove farre from us vanity and lies Give us neither poverty nor riches feed us with food convenient for us least we be full and denie thee and say Who is the Lord or least we be poor and steale and take the Name of our God in vaine so we will praise thee O Lord in the power of thy might saying Thou wast angry with us because of our mighty sinnes provoking thee but thy wrath is turned away and thou comfortest us Thou art our preserver and our refuge we will trust and will not feare for thou Lord God art our strength and long and our salvation O our good and blessed Lord and King in the power of thy mercie we will extoll thee and will blesse thy Name for ever and ever Praise ye the Lord O our soules we will praise the Lord during our lives as long as we have any being we will sing unto our God O our God blessed is the man unto whom thou imputest not iniquity O teach us thy statutes Teach us to pray unto thee in a time when thou maist be found Thou art our secret place thou preservest us from trouble thou compassest us about with joyfull deliverance because thy mercie endures for ever O instruct us and teach us the way that we should goe and guide us with thine eye least we be like the horse and mule which have no understanding O our loving God give us grace to trust in thee that thy mercie may compasse us and that we may rejoice in thy salvation and give thee praise with all the faculties both of our souls and bodies continually O cause us to trust truly in thee for so we shall not perish Give us grace and strength O Lord by the power of thy saving spirit in Jesu truly to humble our selves for the afflictions and sinnes of our enemies so in thy mercie shall our praiers return into our own bosomes but doe thou save and comfort them O Lord for thy goodnesse and let it be thy will O God that our tongue utter thy righteousnesse and thy praise every day We desire to doe thy will O our God yea thy Law is within our hearts deale with thy servants according to thy mercies and teach us thy statutes we are thy servants grant us therefore understanding that we may know thy testimonies we love thy Commandements above gold yea above fine gold therefore we esteem all thy precepts most just and hate all false waies Thy testimonies are wonderfull therefore doth my soul keep them The entrance into thy word sheweth light and giveth understanding to the simple Look upon us O Lord and be mercifull unto us as thou usest to doe unto them that love thy Name Direct our steps in thy Word and let none iniquity have dominion over us shew the light of thy countenance upon thy servants and teach us thy statutes Righteous art thou O Lord and just in thy judgments Trouble and anguish are come upon us yet are thy Commandements our delight The righteousnesse of thy testimonies is everlasting O grant us understanding and we shall live Hear our voice O Lord according to thy loving kindnesse O quicken us according to thy judgments Great are thy tender mercies O Lord quicken us according to thy free mercy and thy goodnesse Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israell know us not yet thou O Lord art our Father and our Redeemer thy Name is for ever O give us thy saving spirit of life in Jesus from Heaven for we can receive nothing except it be given us from Heaven O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy waies and hardned our hearts from thy feare returne for thy servants sake and for our Saviour Jesus Christ his sake doe thou write our Names in the book of life with thy servants Let our complaints come before thee O Lord and give us understanding according to thy word Let our supplications come before thee O Lord and deliver us according to thy promise Our lipps shall speak thy praise O God when thou hast taught us thy statutes Our tongues shall treat of thy word for all thy Commandements are righteous Let thy hand help us for we have chosen thy precepts We have longed for thy salvation O Lord and thy Law is our delight Let our souls live and they shall praise thee and thy judgments shall help us We have gone astray like lost sheep seek thy servants for we doe not forget thy Commandements Our sinnes O Lord our sinnes they have taken hold of us that we cannot look up they are more in number then the hairs of our heads therefore our hearts have failed us Let it please thee O Lord to deliver us make haste O God to help us Our souls thirst for God even for the living God when shall we come and appear before the presence of God O God thou art our guide for ever have mercy upon us according to thy loving kindnesse according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away our offences Wash us throughly from our iniquities and cleanse us from our sinnes for we know our iniquities and our sinnes are ever before us Against thee against thee onely have we sinned and done evill in thy sight that thou mayest be just when thou speakest and pure when thou judgest behold we were born in iniquity and in sinne have our mothers conceived us Thou O Lord lovest truth in the heart therefore give us wisdome in our inward affections Purge us with hysop and we shall be clean wash us and we shall be whiter then snow make us to hear of joy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Hide thy face O Lord from our sinnes and put away all our iniquities Create in us clean hearts O Lord and renew right spirits within us O cast us not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from us Open thou our lips O Lord and our mouthes shall shew forth thy praise Deliver us from bloud O God of our salvation and from the secret trapps of our deadly enemy Have mercy upon us O God have mercy upon us for our soul trusteth in thee and in the shadow of thy wings will we trust till the afflictions of our sinning against thee be overpast We will call upon the most high God even to the God that performeth his promise towards us We will
glory but confound his creatures Teach my endeavours Lord thy works to read That learning them in thee I may proceed Give then my reason that instructive sleight Whose weary wings may on thy hands still light Teach me to soar aloft yet ever so When near the Sunne to stoop again below Thus shall my humble feathers safely hover And though near earth more than the Heavens discover And then at last when home-ward I shall drive Richly with the spoiles of nature to my hive Then will I sit like that industrious fly Buzzing the praises which shall never die Till death abrupts them and succeeding glory Bids me go on in a more lasting story Naturall actions are much beyond our reason and Man is an epitome and compendium of all the terrestriall creatures There are two books that discover our Maker to us viz. holy Writ and Nature those which never heard of one have discovered him in the other the Almighty very much walketh in the path of reason when otherwise it is a miracle for nature is as it were the Art of God The absolute and incomprehensible providence of the Almighty is the disposing of all things that appoints our heirs and doth the works fasly ascribed to Fortune Blessed are those praying conquests of the objecting doubts in Divinity the devil will never end those disputes while we are in his Principality but while we build up our reason he endeavoureth to pull down our faith There are severall sorts of hainous blasphemies but an Atheist playes at all and at once denies there is a God I beleeve there is many an accepted faith which cannot endure fire and faggot and know not but Countries and particular persons too may have their tutelar and protecting Angels nor that the Saints departed may not know the passages of their friends on earth for that it is said at the conversion of a sinner the Angels of Heaven rejoyce for being that man is not only in the bulk and lump of the creatures but lives the life of plants animals and spirits it is a mighty priviledge and favour from our Creatour and may be a hierogliphyck of supernaturall knowledge The mistery of the Creation is very great but more particularly of man at the bare word the creatures were made of nothing but man was first made of earth and afterward the Image of his Maker by more sacred institution therefore he must not doate of life nor fear to die for to be too sensible of life and hopelesse of death becomes no man much lesse a Christian for although death soon layes our honour in the dust and changes us from commanding men into submission to the beasts yet we that is our souls are immortall and if not our own faults not subject to so vile allotment I cannot finde life worth the wish unlesse thereby we may serve our Maker and therein profit or promore our blessed eternity but if our sinnes grow numerous with our hours and so outgrow our despised repentance where is then that profit of our many years therefore it is that there is a secret end and bottom of our dayes his wisdome hath determined them his waking providence doth fulfill them wherein the spirits our selves and all the creatures of the Almighty in a secret and undisputed way perform his pleasure Another hand twines the thread of life than that of nature Lucan Victurosque Dei celant ni vivere durent Faelix essemori We' are all deluded vainly searching wayes To make us happy by the length of dayes For cunningly to make's protract this breath From us is hid the happinesse of death To avoid death in a miserable life is Christian fortitude it is a very great blessing that although the weakest hand may take away our life yet the strongest cannot deprive us of death for seeing this corrupted life cannot be without sinne happy is death that puts an end to it the devill therein was deceived for that his envy in bringing us into sinne hath by the Almighty mercy likewise brought upon us naturall death whereby we are freed and secured both from him and it Now our certain and eternall habitations are those incomprehensible scituations Heaven and Hell which none define or tell what and where they are a negative is the best we have bye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can mans heart conceive but Heaven may be the satisfaction to the soul wherein it desires neither addition nor alteration and the unsatisfied knowing appetite after vanity may be said a hell therefore let us fear the Almighty but not be afraid of shine let rather his mercies make us ashamed of our sinnes then his judgements afraid thereof I think few are scared into Heaven they goe the fairest way that would serve the Almighty without a Hell those mercenaries that crouch unto him for fear of Hell though they terme themselves the servants are indeed but the slaves of the Almighty The severall afflictions of the Saints are improved and doe prove the secret favours of the Almighty it is a singular piece of wisdome to distinguish the justice of the Almighty from his mercy and not miscall those his mighty attributes who is mercifull to all and better to the worst then the best deserve the most perfect actions on earth having no title or claim to Heaven for while we keep guard against one vice we commonly lye open to the attempts of another Acts 10.35 I like not that opinion which tieth salvation to the pale of any Church least we erre as much in our own as in another judgment We are commanded not to judg any but our selves and saving humility casts us lowest and will make us acknowledge our unworthinesse so much as to bring up the rear in Heaven Charity is a heavenly and absolute vertue the true effect whereof giveth Almes more out of obedience to the Almighty than out of commiseration on our brother for his sake that enjoynes it rather than for his that asks it He that relieveth out of bowels of compassion only doth it only for his own sake and perhaps because it may be his own case which is a sinister and politick charity this duty extends into all the wayes of doing good both to soul and body and by well instructing others upon an opportunity of charity we perform a double duty to be reservedly a niggard in this part of goodnesse is the most sordid piece of covetousnesse and in some sort more contemptible than pecuniary avarice No man can justly judge another because no man can justly know another nor truly himself Adams faith could not convince himself of murther untill Cain actually shewed it upon his brother A contemplative and solitary life avoideth many common and publike temptations yet hath the devill such advantage through our corruption that if we doe not withall valour and watchfullnesse resist both our selves and these allurements even in our most retired thoughts we shall thereby become the most abject piece of
them that goe down into the pit Cause me to hear thy loving kindenesse in the morning for in thee doe I trust cause me to know the way wherein I should walk for I lift up my soul unto thee Deliver me O Lord from my enemies viz. from my sinnes I fly unto thee to hide me teach me to doe thy will for thou art my God thy Spirit is good lead me into the land of uprightnesse Quicken me O Lord for thy Names sake for thy righteousnesse sake bring my soul out of trouble And of thy mercy cut off my enemies viz my sinnes and destroy all them that afflict my soul for I am thy servant I will rejoyce to work in thy vineyard O my creatour and in the strength of thy mercies will attend thy call to rest as thy most obedient servant Amen V. Comfort Take comfort in a constant thirsting to be dissolved and to be with Christ as his servants are who be already dissolved if almighty God in Christ Jesus were so pleased Read Gerrards Meditations Though death as to us is bitter yet in from pag. 268 unto pag. 302. our trust on almighty God in Christ it is sweet For who keepâ—th his word shall never see death Joh. 8.51 The misery of a Christian dieth but not the Christian man we lose not our friends at their death but they goe before us to the place of our enjoyment of them in Christ Jesus for ever as we may well beleeve Luk. 2.29 Simeon saith Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace And Phil. 1.23 The Apostle desires to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all Rev. 7.9 The elect have robes in token of innocency and palms in their hands in token of victory therein are all tears wiped away from our eyes Ver. 17. And therein is no mourning nor grief nor any cry heard but rest from labour Chap. 21. v. 4. and 14.15 Our blessed Saviour shews the great benefit of being dissolved when his Disciples were sad at it he said Joh. 14.28 If ye loved me ye would rejoyce rather Phil. 1.21 Death is gain The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement to his Sonne therefore rejoyce in thy true belief to goe to that judgement For Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne that who so beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Matth. 18.14 Neither is it the will of our Father that one of the little ones should perish Ver. 11. Our Saviour came to save that which was lost He takes away the sinnes of the world He died for the sinnes of the world He hath a gracious call for us as Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you He maketh intercession for us and hath blotted out the hand-writing which was against us Joh. 5.24 He that heareth his word and believeth on him that sent him hath life everlasting and shall not come into condemnation O my Saviour I beleeve yet help thou my unbelief and increase thou my faith Eph. 5.29 30. That I may truly and as I ought beleeve my self to be and be a member of thy body of thy flesh and of thy bones O my Saviour in the power of thy might and as thou diedst to save sinners make me holy is thou the Lord my God art holy The dayes of my pilgrimage are few and evill My conversation is in Heaven and I desire to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living When shall I appear before thy face O God As the Hart panteth after the fountain of water so doth my heart after thee O God At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore I shall be abundantly satisfied with the plentifullnesse of thy house and thou shalt give me to drink of the brook of thy pleasures for with thee is the fountain of life and in thy light shall we see light Thou O Lord art the portion of my inheritance and my exceeding great reward Thou shalt of thy free love to sinners shewed in Jesus Christ cover me with the garment of salvation and cloathe me with the white robe of righteousnesse where there is no hunger nor thirst nor scorching Sunne Of the fruit of the vine shall I drink in thy Kingdome for thy words are spirit and life therefore shall death be swallowed up in victory and thou O Saviour shalt for thy free merit in the blessed mercy of our eternall Father wipe away all tears from my eyes for ever for thou art my all-sufficient Lord God While we live we cannot hope to cease from sinne but when we die we hope to sinne no more which consideration doth administer great comfort in the remembrance and appearance of death to those that are truly weary of sinning against their God VI. The first Comfort in the pangs and passages of Death First Because the will of God is therein done in Jesus Christ which is certainly the best for us It is appointed to all men once to die and after that comes the judgment Heb. 9.27 2 Cor. 4.14 Knowing that he which hath raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise us up also by Jesus therefore we faint not but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed daily Ver. 17. For our light afflictions which are but for a moment causeth unto us a farre more excellent and an eternall weight of glory while we look not on the things that are seen but on the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporall but the things which are not seen are eternall Read Gerrards Meditations p. 109. praying for a blessed departure out of this life and a blessed resurrection unto life ever lasting And Read the fift Chapter of the 2d Cor. in which is admirable comfort in the passages of death that we may be present with the Lord. Jam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptations for when he is tried he shall receive the Crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Then present thy sould a true devotary unto our most gracious Father in Jesus Christ and say with David Psal 31.5 Into thy hands I commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth Ps 71.23 My lips will rejoyce when I sing unto thee and my soul which thou hast delivered And rejoyce with Paul Gal. 3.13 saying Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law when he was made a curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Then gathering thy spirit freeing thy soul of worldly thougths say in faith and true repentance in full assurance that our good God is all-sufficient and that his mercy endures for ever and that in Jesus thy Saviour he hath elected and adopted thee his sonne Come Lord Jesus my most dear Saviour come quickly Amen VII A second Comfort in the passages of Death Take
comfort in this That his mercy endures for ever therefore rejoyce alwayes and in all things give thanks for that is the love of God to thee in Christ Jesus Isa 43.25 Thus saith the Lord I even I am he that putteth away thy iniquities for mine own sake and will not remember thy sinnes Isa 53.4 Fear not for thou shalt not be ashamed neither shalt thou be confounded for thou shalt not be put to shame yea thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth Ver. 7. For a little while have I forsaken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee Ver 8. For a moment in my anger I hid my face from thee for a little season but with everlasting mercy have I had compassion on thee saith the Lord thy redeemer Ver. 9. For this is unto me as the waters of Noah for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more goe over the earth so have I sworn that I would not be angry with thee nor rebuke thee Ver. â—0 For the mountains shall remove and the hills shall fall down but my mercy shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace fall away saith the Lord that hath compassion on thee Ver. 13. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord and much peace shall be to thy children Ver. 17. But all the weapons that are made against thee shall not prosper and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemne this is the heritage of the Lords servants and their righteousnesse is of me saith the Lord. Eph. 2.8 For by grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Sing praises unto the Lord ye his Saints and give thanks before the remembrance of his holinesse for he endureth but a while in his anger but in his favour is life weeping may abide at evening but joy cometh in the morning 1 Chron. 16.34 Praise the Lrod for he is good for his mercy endures for ever Ver. 41. And they were appointed to praise the Lord because his mercy endures for ever 2 Chron. 5.13 And they praised the Lord saying for he is good because his mercy lasteth for ever Chap. 7. ver 3. And they bowing themselves worshipped saying for he is good because his mercy lasteth for ever Ver. 6. And the Priests waited to praise the Lord because his mercy lasteth for ever Chap. 10. ver 21. And they went before the men of Arms saying Praise ye the Lord for his mercy lasteth for ever Ezra 3.11 Thus they sang when they gave praise unto the Lord For he is good for his mercy endures for ever Psal 118.4 Let them that fear the Lord say that his mercy endures for ever Psal 106.1 Praise the Lord because he is good for his mercy endures for ever Read Psal 136. Psal 117.12 For his loving kindnesse is great towards us and the truth of the Lord endures for ever Psal 138.8 Praise ye the Lord the Lord will perform his work towards me Psal 28.21 O Lord thy mercy endures for ever forsake not thou the works of thy hands forsake me not O Lord be not thou farre from me my God Psal 71.9 Cast me not off in the time of age forsake me not when my strength faileth Amen VIII A third Comfort in Death Thou maist rejoyce because blessed are they which die in the Lord even so saith the Spirit for they rest from their labours and their works follow them Rev. 14.13 Say thou with Paul Phil. 1.21 Christ is to me both in life and death advantage Ver. 22. And whether to live in the flesh were more profitable for me and what to chuse I know not Ver. 23. For I am greatly in doubt on both sides desiring to be loosed and to be with Christ which is best of all Eccl. 4.12 So I turned and considered all the oppressions that are wrought under the Sunne and behold the tears of the oppressed and none comforteth them and loe the strength is of the hand of them that oppresse them and none comforteth them wherefore I praised the dead which now are dead above the living which are yet alive Numb 23.10 Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like unto his the death of the righteous is greatly to be desired Psal â—8 14 God is our God for ever an ever he shall be our guide unto death Psal 116.15 Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Prov. 14.32 The wicked shall be cast away for his malice but the righteous hath hope in his death Love the Lord thy God and therein thou shalt have comfort and great joy in all conditions whatsoever for love is stronger then death and our God will destroy death for ever Isa 25.8 Hear with great joy the word of the Lord to them that love him Hoseah 13.14 I will redeem them from the power of the grave I will deliver them from death O death I will be thy death O grave I will be thy destruction repentance is hid from my eyes Rom. 5.10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Chap. 8. ver 2. For the Law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus hath freed me from the Law of sinne and of death Psal 42.1 2. As the Hart brayeth for the rivers of waters so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God even for the living God when shall I come and appear before the presence of God IX A fourth Comfort in Death Our Saviour Jesus died in pain farre greater then ours and also a most ignominious and shamefull death and all for our sinnes it were happy for us that we could imitate in some measure his sufferings for us because his purity in the least degree or part we cannot He suffered most freely for us contrary to the cry and call of our rebellions even at that time against him when he could have got as much honour in our condemnation and have been rescued from those sufferings by more then twelve legions of Angels He hath willingly suffered to parchace eternall life for us as we ought truly to beleeve Therefore this being his appointed Crosse for us let us take it up carry it and follow him therewith rejoycing that we through his mercy are accepted of him as worthy to obtain and doe his service much more may we rejoyce that we in his goodnesse should have promise to raign with him for ever Amen Besides our blessed Saviours incarnation in coming from his Throne of eternall God-head to take upon him the form of a servant his being laid in the manger not having whereon to rest his head his many weepings and sorrowings for the sinnes of the world Read with true sorrow and repentance that thy sinnes should cause him such a death
hand of thy sonne 2 Tim. 3.1 This know in the last dayes shall come perillous times Ver. 2. For men shall be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud cursed speakers disobedient to parents unthankfull unholy Vor. 3. Without naturall affection truce-breakers false accusers intemperate fierce despisers of them which are good Ver. 4. Traiterous heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God having a shew of godlinesse but denying the power thereof turn away therefore from such Nah. 1.7 Say thou with the Prophet Nahum The Lord is good and a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him In thee O Lord doe I trust let me never be ashamed O my God Amen XVI An eleventh Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is the going to the place where our Saviour is according to the call and being of his servants Joh. 14.3 And though I goe to prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there may ye be also Phil. 1.21 For Christ is to me both in life and death advantage Ver. 22. And whether to live in the flesh were profitable for me or what to choose I know not Ver. 23. For I am greatly in a straight on both sides desiring to be loosed and to be with Christ which is best of all Psal 50.5 Gather my Saints together unto me those that make a Covenant with me with sacrifice Isa 40.10 11. Behold the Lord God will come with power and his arm shall rule for him behold his reward is with him and his works before him he shall feed his flock like a shepheard he shall gather the Lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosome and shall guide them with young Matth. 3.12 He will gather the wheat into his garner Eccl. 12.7 And dust returns to the earth as it was and the spirit returns to God that gave it XVII A twelfth Comfort in Death Rejoyce in the Diseases pains pangs and troubles in thy minde or body because the way to Heaven is through many afflictions and it is the way our blessed Saviour went before us let us rejoyce then to follow him in it Luk. 6.46 Our blessed Saviour saith Why call ye me Master and doe not the things that I speak Psal 34.19 Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all Rom. 8.35 Who shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword 2 Tim. 3.12 All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecutions Isa 48.10 I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction saith the Lord And 1 Pet. 5.8 9. Be sober and watch for your adversary the Devill as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may devour Whom resist steadfast in the faith knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren which are in the world Remember the love of our Saviour Jesus in his taking upon him our sinnes our flesh c. See his love to us his suffering for us from his cradle to his grave Read the Scriptures See some notes thereof in the title true love to God in this book Psal 119.49 Remember thy promise made to thy servant wherein thou hast caused me to trust it is my comfort in my trouble for thy promise hath quickned me Ver. 92. Except thy Law had been my delight I should have perished in my affliction I will never forget thy precepts for by them thou quicknest me I am thine save me for I have sought thy precepts Behold my affliction and deliver me for I have not forgotten thy Law Plead my cause and deliver me quicken me according to thy word XVIII A thirteenth Comfort in Death Rejoyce because it is our going to enjoy such as were our nearest friends in this life in unexpressible heavenly enjoyments according to our heavenly Fathers will in Jesus without any fear of losing them or those joyes for ever It is our being gathered to our Fathers and then surely to all our friends which are the servants of our Saviour Christ The joyes of Heaven are such as eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive for that the flesh cannot discern nor punctually understand the spirit Who knowes a man viz. the soul save the spirit c. The change in death is our being gathered to the place where our Saviour is that we may see his glory then certainly no joy or comfort can possibly be wanting neither can there be any fear of losing them any more he is the sure foundation of eternall comfort and a building set thereon cannot fail Hear what St John saith Joh. 8.51 Verily verily I say unto you if a man keep my word he shall never see death God is most gracious his mercy endures for ever he is onely good he accepts the will for the deed if we truly will to obey and love his word although we doe it not Rom. 7.20 It is not us but sinne that doth offend And certainly the authour and actor of sinne in us our old enemy that old and lying Serpent the devill shall in the justice of God to him and the loving mercies of God to us in Christ bear the burthen of our sinnes which deserve and shall have upon him eternall death A fourteenth Comfort in Death Rejoyce For that after a short time those friends left behinde us in this world shall be in Jesus gathered to us to our eternall communion and praise of our everlasting most dear and loving Father with them without offending or danger to offend his most blessed and sacred Majesty for ever Job 14.1 Man that is born of a woman is of short continuance and full of sorrow James â— 14 For what is your life it is even a vapour that appears for a little time and afterward vanisheth away Job 10.20 Are not our days few Chap. 14. ver 5. Are not his days determined the number of his moneths are with thee thou hast appointed his bounds which he cannot passe Psal 103.15 The dayes of a man are as grasse as a flower of the field so flourisheth he Man is like to vanity his dayes are like a shadow which vanisheth Rom. 6. â— For he that is dead is freed from sinne Ver. 11. Like wise also think ye that ye are dead to sinne but are alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Rev. 15.2 3 4. And I saw as it were a glassie sea mingled with fire and them that had got victory of the beast and of his Image and of his mark and of the number of his name stand at the glassie sea having the harps of God and they sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God almighty just and true are thy wayes
that thou wilt turn me from all my evill waies and give me true repentance from the bottome of my heart so I shall be turned unto thee in true love for thou art the Lord my God and thy mercy endures for ever Selah Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart Psal 19.14 be now and ever acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my redeemer Incline not my heart to evill that I should commit wicked works with men that work iniquity Set a watch O Lord before my mouth and keep the door of my lips so shall my mouth speak thy praises for ever Amen O my sweet eternity and my eternall Saviour in thy love to poor sinners in Jesus and for his sake I only beg of thee trusting that in him thou wilt not deny me notwithstanding all my sinnes for thou art good and thy mercy endures for ever And first my most humble petition unto thy most sacred Majesty is that thou wouldest of free and perfect mercy pardon all my breach of Covenants with thee or men as thy mercy endures for ever Secondly To pardon accordingly my vowing and not paying for thou art good as thy mercy endures for ever Thirdly to pardon of thy like goodnesse all my hypocrisie towards thee and man as thou art good and as thy mercy endures for ever Fourthly To pardon all my blasphemies against thy Majesty any manner of way as thou my God art only good and as thy mercy endures for ever Fifthly To pardon all my Lies wherewith I have given thee cause of Anger against me as thou art good and as thy mercy endures for ever Sixthly To pardon all my relations speaking absolutely yet beyond my certain knowledge at that time when I spoke them as thou my good Lord art onely and perfectly good and thy mercy endures for ever Seventhly To pardon all my Oathes and taking of thy Name in vain as thou art good and thy mercy endures for ever Eighthly To pardon all my vain and idle speakings as thou art good and as thy mercy endures for ever O my mercifull and loving Father I humbly pray thee for thy Sonne my Saviours sake and in his Name be graciously pleased to pardon and forgive all the sinnes of all my senses I humbly acknowledge I have been dull to listen to thy commands but most ready and open to receive vanity to the corrupting and as much as in me lieth the destruction of my body and soul For give I humbly beg also the sins of my seeing smelling tasting goings and of all the members and faculties of my body and soul for they have all rebelled against thy gracious mercy to their due deservings of eternall death O Lord who knowes the errour of his heart and of his waies cleanse my soul O Lord from my secret sinnes and deliver me I humbly beseech thee from my presumptuous sinnes least they get the dominion over me O cleanse thou me and so I shall be cleansed I doubt not but thou wilt in thy infinite love to the works of thy own hands and in thy free pardoning of sinne for Jesus Christ his sake give me eternall life with thy servants and wilt not impute the guilt of sinne unto me for thou art the Lord my God whose mercy endures for ever above all thy works Selah In thee therefore I will rejoice A Confession and humble suit for Pardon in Jesus Christ O My mercifull Lord God I humbly pray thee for Christ thy Sonne my only Lord and Saviours sake to pardon and put clear out of thy remembrance that originall sinne and damnation due to me from the loynes and rebellions of my first parents O forgive thou the sinnes of my father and let the sinnes of my mother be done away I doubt not oh my Father of mercy but thou hast of thy own free goodnesse already done it for I know thou art only perfectly good and thy mercy endures for ever Selah O Father I know thou wilt not visit the originall sinne of my fathers upon me Exek 18.20 for that thou hast said The sonne shall not bear the iniquity of the father neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the sonne but the righteousnesse of the righteous shall be upon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shall be upon himself O Lord I know as a father hath compassion on his children so thou hast compassion on them that fear thee O my God I acknowledge that I was born in iniquity and in sinne hath my mother conceived me Psal 51.5 Exod. 34.6 7. but thou art the Lord my God strong and mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth reserving mercy for thousands forgiving iniquities Dan. 9.9 transgressions and sinnes Compassion and forgivenesse is in the Lord our God albeit we have rebelled against him O my Father Eccl. 11.10 Remember not the sinns of my childhood for childhood and youth are vanity When I was a childe I spake as a childe I understood as a childe I thought as a childe but mercy is with thee that thou maist be feared Psal 24.48 Look thou upon my affliction and my travell and forgive all my sinnes It is the joy of my soul O God 86.5 that thou art good and mercifull and of great kindnesse unto all them that call upon thee O my good Lord I beseech thee for thy goodnesse sake remember not the sinnes and vanities of my youth for only thy free mercy in Jesus my Saviour is sufficient to release me from the torments of their deservings Thou my good God in thy saving compassion and sparing us miserable men from our deservings saist Gen. 8.21 The imagination of mans heart is evill even from his youth but thy mercy endures for ever O make me not to possesse the iniquities of my youth Psal 25.7 Remember not the sinnes of my youth nor my rebellions but according to thy loving kindnesse remember thou me even for thy goodnesse sake O Lord for thou art my hope O Lord even my trust from my youth O God thou hast taught me from my youth even untill now therefore will I tell of thy wondrous works I desire most humbly to live if it were thy blessed will from this moment eternally in thy perfect service O my God I must acknowledge and confesse that my heart my will my waies my words and actions have been evill from my youth the leprosie of my sinne is only cureable by the blood of my Saviour that infinite pledge of thy blessed mercy therefore O my good God give me a lively faith to apply it to all my wounds as thou my God art only good and from thee only is the will and the deed of true faith and repentance Amen O my Father Remember not the sinnes of my man hood and riper years I acknowledge O my God when I call to minde my breach of promises and Covenants both with thee
of our Fathers for we have sinned against thee 1 Cor. 2.11 For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man which is in him 1 Sam. 7.3 And Samuel spake to all the house of Israel saying If you doe return unto the Lord with all your hearts then put away the strange god Ashteroth from among you and prepare your hearts to the Lord and serve him only 1 Cor. 28.7 I will establish his Kingdom if he be constant to doe my Commandements and my judgments as at this day Prov. 4.5 Get wisdom get understanding forget not neither decline from the words of my mouth Ver. 6. Forsake her not and she will preserve thee love her and she will keep thee Ver. 26. Ponder the pathes of thy feet and let all thy wayes be established Eccl. 5.13 There is a sore evill which I have seen under the Sunne namely riches kept by the owners thereof to their hurt And Chap. 8. Ver. 9. There is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt 1 Tim. 6.9 They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition 1 Joh. 2.16 For all that is in the world the the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but of the world Ver. 17. And the world passeth away and the lusts thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever Isa 1.3 The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters cribbe but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Job 16.3 Shall vain words have an end Josh 1.8 This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to doe according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good success Jer. 6.16 Thus saith the Lord Stand in the wayes and see and ask for the old pathes where is the good way and walk therein and you shall finde rest for your souls Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our wayes and turn again unto the Lord. 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith prove your own selves know you not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates Mich. 7.19 He will turn again he will have mercy upon us he will subdue our iniquities and cast all our sinnes into the depth of the sea 2 Cor. 10.4 5. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing thot exalteth it self against the knowledge of God Matth. 7.7 Aske and it shall be given you seek and ye shall finde knock and it shall be opened unto you And 18. Ver. 14. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little childe the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven James 4.10 Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up Job 22.9 When men are cast down then thou shalt say there is lifting up and he shall save the humble person Deut. 30.15 19 20. See I have set before thee this day life and good death and evill I call Heaven and earth to record this day against you that I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed may live that thou maist love the Lord thy God and that thou maist obey his voice and that thou maist cleave unto him for he is thy life Matth. 17.27 Notwithstanding least we should offend them goe thou to the sea and cast in a hook and take up the fish that first cometh up and when thou hast opened his mouth thou shalt finde a piece of money that take and give unto them for me and thee Phil. 1.27 Only let your conversation be is becomes the Gospell of Jesus Christ Amos 4.12 Prepare to meet thy God O Israell Psal 40.1 I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined unto me and heard my cry Psal 106.13 They soon forgot his works they waited not for his counsell Isa 25.9 Loe this is our God we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation Sam. 2.15.26 Behold here I am let him doe unto me what seemeth good unto him Psal 89.30 If his children forsake my Law and walke not in my judgements Ver. 31. If they breake my Statutes and keepe not my commandements Ver. 32. Then will I visit their transgressions with a rod and their iniquities with stripes Psal 74.19 O deliver not the soul of thy Turkle Dove unto the multitude of the wicked Exod. 23.2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to doe evill Numb 11.4 And the mixed multitude fell a lusting Prov. 24.1 My sonne feare thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change Ver. 22. For their calamity shall rise suddenly and who knowes the ruine of them both Gen. 2.18 It is not good for man to be alone Matt. 4.4 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wildernesse to be tempted of the Devill Joh. 6.14 And Jesus departed into a Mountaine himselfe alone And c. 8. v. 16. I am not alone but I and the Father that sent me And c. 16. v. 32. Ye shall leave me alone and yet I am not alone because the Father is with me Phil. 4.11 I have learned in what estate soever I am in therewith to be content Eccl. 6.9 Better is the sight of the eyes then the wandring of the desire 1 Tim. 6.9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition Eccl. 7.3 Sorrow is better then laughter for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better 1 Tim. 1.8 The Law is good if a man use it lawfully Prov. 15.2 The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright but the mouth of the foolish poureth out foolishnesse Psal 50.23 To him that ordereth his coversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Psal 15.5 He that doth these things shall never be moved And 16.8 I have set the Lord alwaies before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved Psal 101.2 I will behave my selfe wisely in a perfect way And 119.98 Thou through thy Commandements hast made me wiser then my enimies Prov. 10.19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sinne but he that refraineth his lips is wise And 26.12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a foole then of him And 10.14 Wise men lay up knowledge but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction Psal 11 â—5 A good man sheweth favour and lendeth he will guide his affairs with
mortality Divine dreames are most happy entertainments of rest thereby the sleeping of the body may be the waking of the soul Therefore thus My slumbring brain foretells the night Me safely guard thou God of might Let not my sinnes that raging swell My blessed tutelar expell But let thy works that once were good Have from thy grace their daily food Let not my sinnes black as the night Eclipse the lustre of thy light Thou art my everlasting yeares Where thou art nought but day appears Thou to whom both day and night Make an individuall light Guard we from that secret power That would thee and thine devour Let no dreames my head infest But such as will me wake more blest While I doe rest my soul advance My sleep let be a holy trance That waking I may rise from rest With sacred thoughts and knowledge blest And with as active vigour runne Therein as doth the nimble Sunne Death seems a sleep O make me tell How sleep and death doe paralell And joy as much to lay my head In grave as in perfumed bed But Lord both sleeping and awake My soul into thy arms re-take And though it be since thence it came Polluted with my bodies shame Yet doe not Lord thy own decline Thou art our God and we are thine And thus assur'd behold I lie Securely or to wake or die Here I a Pilgrim can but call At every stage must rest or fall O come that hour when thou shalt please Which is my everlasting ease And then convert beyond all measure My soul into thy perfect pleasure Amen Reason DOst ' reason why when youth and strength is past In foul transgression ' gainst thy Makers Lawes That fainting age when life is near at last Should obtain pardon is there any cause Though true repentance never be too late It 's rarely true that's of so short a date And if not true then woe unto thy sinne It 's no repentance then of least accept Great need of penitence so soon as sinne So soon as wearied wombe her charge hath left Then we that would true comfort have in death Had need prevent betime repent with breath The ten Ages MY little Infant patient be and still In Childhood meeknesse must command thy will Youth be thou temperate and let man-hood be Acted in prudence and humility Man-hood is made for labour and as health Is gain'd by constant action so in health True fortitude in man-hood claims a part And watchfullnesse is ground for every art True justice and sound judgment merit praise That we in wisdome may conclude our dayes The Metaphor WHo enters first a new Plantation Must wander yet oppose temptation And passing Jordan must suppresse the flood Of wickednesse and must protect the good Next chastly he must labour a Plantation Planting good fruit fit for a habitation Then be must nourish and preserve the same Least wilde devouring beasts destroy the frame Then make good Laws which right to all doe give Whose execution maketh for to live Humility IN marriage and in single life it 's best under thy fortune or estate to live So thou command'st it not it thee and rest is never sound where men and women give Themselves to thoughts of vain ambition and would themselves and children raise up high They are deluded by the vain tradition that it is good for it is bad and nigh To sad destruction thus we see full oft that pinnacles and lofty topps are torne And fond conceits of soaring high aloft are alwayes ruin'd vexed and forlorne With those that waver tost with every winde who on true providence unsetled be Whose miseries are form'd of every kinde but peace is hand-maid to humility BLest is the man whom God doth teach his precepts secretly To whom his sacred arm doth reach beyond false sophistry To whom dark silence learned hath from the eternall grace The perfect walk in sacred path which sinne doth not deface To whom true mercy doth confute the vanities of men Who doe contend in much dispute how God to serve and when This precious pearl who hath obtain'd and this selected stone The perfect way hath cleerly gain'd To serve the holy one Why Sinne is forbidden and Righteousnesse commanded THe true reason why almighty God is offended with sinne is not because thereby we wound his sacred person but because thereby we destroy our selves by unfitting us and making our selves uncapeable of his mercy prepared for the works of his own hands whereby onely is our salvation So his commands of obebience to his sacred Laws is not out of any gain or benefit to himself but from his willingnesse and desire of our eternall life and that therein his saving mercy may be sufficient for our salvation so then the whole benefit of avoiding evill and doing good is principally and chiefly to our selves Psal 50.9 10 11 12. I will take no bullock out of thy house nor hee-Goat out of thy foldes for all the beasts of the forest are mine and so are the cattell upon a thousand hills I know all the fowles upon the mountains and the wilde beasts of the field are in my sight If I be hungry I will not tell it thee for the whole world is mine and all that is therein The chief drift and end of all divine instruction is to admonish and lead us to upright holinesse in life and conversation which is the certain path of eternall peace THrice blest is he whose Name is writ above That doeth good though gaining infamy Requiteth evill turns with hearty love And wreaks not what befalls him outwardly Whose worth is in himself and onely blisse In his pure conscience that doth nought amisse That planteth treasure in his spotlesse soule And vertuous life his treasure doth esteeme That doth his passions master and controule And yet true Lordly manlinesse doth deeme That from this world himself hath clearly quit Counts nought his own but what dwells in his spirit So when his spirit from this vain world doth flit It takes all with it whatsoever was dear Unto it self passing in quiet flit As kindly ripened corn dropps from the ear And heeding nought what idle folk doe say He takes his own and stilly goes away D. MORE The Life and Death of E.M. AS by the fruit the Tree is plainly known So by thy Vertues are thy Parents shown Persons of quality knowledge and estate Thereby more fit true duty to relate To God their Countrey and to each degree That Adams off-spring are by pedigree Thy Infancy thy Child-hood and thy years Well nigh till Twenty one was without fears Of marriage-troubles whence thou took thy flight To Governours and Parents great delight With whose consent whose charge and pious care Into like pious family you were Planted by marriage where did grow like he That bore like fruit that well appear'd in thee Thy first-born Childe from accident unknown Abortive was or was an Embryon Nine more thou hadst into the Church baptiz'd
was gathered to his people And Chap. 49. ver 26. Jacob saith I am ready to be gathered to my people bury me with my fathers Observe There is no sign or shew of sorrow in him for he might well rejoyce to exchange earth for Heaven And Ver. 33. Then Jacob made an end of giving charge to his sonnes and plucked up his feet into the bed and gave up the ghost and was gathered to his people It is an infinite and an incomprehensible mercy of God that his love in Jesus is to call us in his good time from our disserving rather then serving of him here and that with thousands of fears cares and griefs to be gathered to his servants our fathers and nearest friends in peace XII A seventh Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our entrance into the true communion of Saints By the Gospell we are joyned to the Angels and Patriarchs even in this life much more shall we be united to the true heavenly serving our eternall mercy with them when we shall cease from sinne Heb. 13.22 23. Ye are come to the mount Sion and to the City of the living God the celestiall Jerusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels and to the Congregation of the first-born which are written in Heaven And to God the Judg of all and to the spirits of just and perfect men Ver. 24. And to Jesus the mediator of the new Testament Col. 1.9 The Apostle saith For this cause we pray for you and do desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdome and spirituall understanding Ver. 10. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God Ver. 11. Stengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfllunesse Ver. 12. Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Ver. 13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and hath translated us into the Kingdome of his dear Sonne Ver. 14. In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgivenesse of sinnes Ver. 15. Who is the Image of the invisible God the first-born of every creature Ver. 16. For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him Ver. 17. For he is before all things and by him all things consist Ver. 18. And he is the head of the body the Church who is the beginning the first-born from the dead that in all things he might have the preheminence Ver. 19. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullnesse dwell Ver. 20. And having made peace through the blood of his crosse by him to reconcile all things unto himself by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in Heaven Ver. 21. And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minde by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight 1 Thes 3.12 13. The Lord increase you and make you abound in love one towards another and towards all men to make your hearts stable and unblameable in holinesse before God even our Father at the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ with all his Saints Jude ver 14. Behold the Lord cometh with thousands of his Saints Rev. 7.9 I beheld saith the Apostle and behold a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lambe clothed with long white robes and palmes in their hands Ver. 14. And an Elder said unto me These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their long robes and have made their long robes white in the blood of the Lambe Ver. 15. Therefore are they in the presence of the throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and he that sitteth on the throne will dwell amongst them Ver. 16. They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sunne light on them neither any heat Ver. 17. For the Lambe which is in the midst of the Throne shall govern them and shall lead them unto the lively fountains of waters and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes XIII An eighth Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our ceasing from sinne and the entrance into our eternall rest and peace Heb. 4.9 10. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God For he that is entred into his rest hath also ceased from his own works as God did from his Chap. 6. ver 20. Let us study therefore to enter into that rest least any fall through disobedience Into which peace the fore-runner is for us entred even Jesus that is made a High-Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec Job 3.13 For so should I now have lyen and been quiet I should have slept then and been at rest Ver. 14. With the Kings and Counsellors of the earth which have builded themselves desolate places Ver. 17. The wicked have there ceased from their tyranny and there they that laboured valiantly are at rest Ver. 18. The prisoners rest together and hear not the voice of the oppressors Ver. 19. There are small and great and the servant is free from his Master XIV A ninth Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our going to doe the will of God our most loving and mercifull Father in Jesus Christ without sinning against his most blessed and sacred Majesty In dying we doe the will of God Heb 9.27 For it is appointed to all men once to die and after that comes the judgement Rom. 6.7 For he that is dead is freed from sinne Joh. 14.28 When our Saviour had acquainted his Disciples of his departure from them by his passion they were sorrowfull For which our Saviour seemed to reprove them and said If ye loved me ye would rather rejoyce because I said I goe unto the Father for my Father is greater then I. XV. A tenth Comfort in Death It is the love of our good God unto us to take us away from the evill to come therefore rejoyce at this his gracious call of infinite mercy to that heavenly mansion which our blessed Saviour hath prepared for us in his Fathers house Joh. 14.2 In my Fathers house are many mansions or dwelling places if it were not so I would have told you I goe to prepare a place for you 1 King 11.11 12. The Lord said to Solomon I will surely rend the Kingdom from thee and will give it to thy servant Notwithstanding in thy dayes I will not doe it because of David thy Father but I will rent it out of the
though there were neither Hell of his justice nor Heaven of his mercy 2. True love will choose rather to serve our good God in Hell for ever if it could more fully and better do him perfect service in those flames then to be for ever in the highest joyes of Heaven these not to serve him as fully and as truly 3. To desire the eternall and whole conversion of thy soul and body for ever into the everlasting service of thy good Creatour in true love and to finde therein thy true peace is true love Love truly converted into the will of God is Heaven and those that are so converted may be said to be in Heaven upon earth for neither love nor Heaven can here be perfect but although they be still in their earthly tabernacles they have heavenly peace both of minde and conscience which cannot be quite taken from them although here must be no perfection whereby the whole will of almighty God without which either by appointment or permission nothing comes to passe is the true joy and content of their mindes wills and souls The love of our good Father is shown to us in his Sonne Jesus who as it were took satisfaction for our sinnes in his sufferings that his justice being satisfied in the sufferings death and passion of our Saviour Jesus we might have onely the mercy of our good Father to appear before which in his eternall love to us is sufficient for our Salvation when the justice of our good God could no other wayes be satisfied but by our damnation The great and unexpressible love prevailed with the sacred Deity for us when our Saviour Jesus could have been rescued from his sufferings for us with more then twelve legions of Angels and when he could have had as great honour if not greater in our condemnation then in our salvation Let our souls and bodies then with all their faculties be converted into the true love of our Saviour Jesus for ever For His 1. Coming down from his Fathers right-hand from his being God with his Father for ever 2. Poverty that thou mightest be rich 3. Not having whereon to lay his head 4. Wandrings and fastings and prayers for thee 5. Being betrayed 6. Being apprehended as a malefactor 7. Being fasly accused 8. Scarlet robe of derision 9. Crowne of Thornes 10. Being condemned 11. Nayling to the Crosse 12. Cruell thirst 13. Sweating bloud 14. Side stricken with a spear 15. Bleeding water and bloud at that wound 16. Sufferings from his cradle to his grave 17. Bitter passion causing him to cry My God my God why hast thou forsaken me 18. Lying in the grave 19. Resurrection 20. Now sitting at the right-hand of his Father and in him our Father in Heaven there asking the forgivenesse of all our sinnes of his Father who never denies him any thing Wherefore let us stand at the foot of the Crosse of this our Saviour weeping for sorrow that our sinnes caused his sufferings but for joy that through his infinite love shewed therein we are freed from sinne death and hell and have a place prepared in the power of his might where we shall see and partake of his blessed glory as his elected servants for ever Amen Thou needest not to fear death for thy Saviour hath destroyed the sting of death that is the Devill Read Heb. 2.14 15 16 17 18 verses there 's comfort enough in any condition the words are these Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him which had the power of death that is the Devill And deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham wherefore in all things it became him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a mercifull and a faithfull High-Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted See an admirable expression of the infinite love of God which may preserve us from despair and may give us true joy from our humble desires to serve him though we cannot desire much more perfectly serve him as we ought Isa 40.1 2. Comfort ye comfort ye my people will your God say speak comfortably to Jerusalem and say unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquities are pardoned From hence is sweet and solid comfort in all conditions An humble Prayer O Lord remember thy mercies draw me unto the Sonne of thy love Psal 139.23 24. and lead me in the way of thy precepts Try me O God and know my heart prove me and know my thoughts and consider if there be any way of wickednesse in me and lead me in the way for ever 5.8 Lead me O Lord in thy righteousnesse because of my enemies 27.11 make thy way plain before my face Teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a right path because of my enemies by enemies understand inward and outward of the soul and of the body but especially those inward enemies which are the ruin and destruction of both 31.3 For thou art my rock and my fortresse therefore for thy Name sake 43.3 direct and guide me Send thy light and thy truth let them lead me let them bring me unto thy holy mountains and unto thy tabernacles 143.10 Teach me to doe thy will for thou art my God let thy good Spirit lead me unto the land of righteousnesse Draw me O God and I will runne after thee Cant. 1.4 Psal 28.3 Job 7.16 Draw me not away with the wicked and with the workers of iniquity I shall not live alwaies O spare me then for my daies are but vanity I rejoice O Lord my God in thy love because thou art mercifull and wilt spare me as a man spareth his sonne that serveth him for thy mercy endures for ever Selah Thou art my good Father O my Creatour thou wilt not punish me nor impute to me my Originall sinnes which descended upon me from the wicked rebellion of my first parents even as my body is from them but the soul that sinneth and doth not look towards thee nor desire thy gracious gift of true repentance it shall die Yet art thou O my good Father wholly and only good and thy mercy endures for ever Selah Thou wilt not punish the presumptuous sinnes and vanities of my youth for thou art good and thy mercy endures for ever Selah Thou delightest not in the death of a sinner O God but wouldst that all should be converted from their evill waies and live Thou art my All-sufficient God of mercy whose will is all things both in Heaven and earth I trust in Jesus thy only Sonne my Saviour
dwell in thy Tabernacles for ever and our trust shall be under the coverings of thy wings O God thou art our salvation and our glory the rock of our strength in thee onely is our rest We beseech thee put thy Law into our hearts and write it in our mindes and remember our sinnes and our iniquities no more O our good God we trust we have received the knowledge of thy truth deliver us from sinning against thee O Lord God of hosts hear our prayers hearken O God of Jacob thou art our shield look upon the face of thine anointed for a day in thy Courts is better then a thousand otherwhere I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God then to dwell in the tabernacles of wickednesse Thou art our Sunne and our shield and wilt give grace and glory and no good thing wilt thou with-hold from them that walk uprightly O Lord of hosts blessed is the man to whom thou givest grace to trust in thee and to whom thou imputest not his sinne so deale with us thy unworthy servants O our eternall mercie Nay we doubt not but in Jesus Christ thou wilt give us eternall life for in him there is sufficient that thou shouldest forgive and not impute our sinnes unto us Selah In whom we trust thou hast elected us to mercy as thy faithfull servants Amen O most powerfull Jehovah O Eternitie I am hungred and cannot be satisfied I am thirsty and cannot be quenched I am weary and can have no rest I mourne and cannot be comforted I am poor and have no helpe I sinne and cannot satisfie I am thy servant and cannot serve thee I am thy labourer and cannot work I am most vile and unworthy yet look thou upon me O God in Jesus and for the love of him only give me thy holy Spirit conduct and lead me in this my sinfull pilgrimage to thee my God my only joy and eternal repose even to the place of my Fathers who are dead in thee my God who rest from their labours and their desired work in thy gracious and loving acceptance of them in Christ Jesus follow them O give me thy love to poor sinners for that and that only is sufficient for me It is all joy to me to work in the vineyard of my Master and to see the Evening of his loving call to rest draw on I greatly rejoice in the love and service of my Saviour Jesus I rejoice to die because I know my Saviour liveth I rejoice to leave my Children because I know the mercies of my God preserveth his servants to the joyes of Eternity and to temporall peace also as it shall be best for their eternall happinesse I rejoice to leave the world because I finde it not a fit instrument to serve my Saviour and that I have cause to fear disserving him there with Pious Sentences GOD gives the cold according to the Cloth God knowes who is a good Pilgrim God Almighty and a Father have no requitall God worketh in a little time God kept nothing lost God raigneth where he pleaseth Gods servants have a good Master Job Ch. 14. V. 1. MAn that is Eves posterity hath short continuance Yet armies of his miseries continually advance 2 He shooteth forth as doth a fleure that 's presently cut down He vanisheth and in one houre the grave becomes his Crowne 3 And yet thou openest thine yes upon so vain a shade And causest him to enterprize in judgment ' gainst thy aide 4 O Lord who can bring a clean thing Or who dare look on thee O King if thou please not to smile 5 Thou hast determined his dayes his moneths are known to thee Thou hast appointed out his wayes how where his end shall be 6 O turn away thy angry rod O stay thy chastizing Untill my day desired when I shall cease to sinne 7 For there is hope that though a be cut and hewed down May have it's shading branchand be tree as formerly 't was known 8 Although the root of it wax old within its tombe or grave And though the slook of it be dead within its antient cave 9 Yet by the sent of water it may budde and bloome againe And bring forth boughs and become fit as plants for to remaine 10 But man is sick and dies and goes foes to his long biding place Man perishes from friends from where 's honour where 's disgrace 11 As the great waters part from sea and are not to be found And as the floods dry up and they become as parched ground 12 So man doth sleep and doth not rise he shall not wake againe He shall not from his sleep arise while Heaven doth remaine 13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave and secret chamber Untill thy wrath were past for sinne and then wouldst me remember 14 If a man die shall he here live oh all my wandring doome That thou hast pointed I will waite untill my changing come 15 Thou shalt call me and then I shall unto thee answer make Thou lovest thine own handy-worke for thine own mercy sake 16 But now thou numbrest all my steps and dost not stay my sinne As if I could pay all my debts in which I lived in 17 My sinnes and my iniquities thou hast fast sealed up As in a bagge whereof is fill'd my sinfull flowing cup. 18 And surely as the hills decay that from their place are found And as the rocks doe mould away that change their antient ground 19 And as the waters break the stones when thou dost overflew Even so thou dost destroy the hope that man hath here below 20 Thou dost prevaile against his soule so that he goes as clay He changes qâ—ite his countenance when thou casts him away 21 Ah! he knowes not whether his sonnes shall honourable be Nor doth he understand if they shall sit in low degree 22 But while his flesh is upon him he shall have sorrowes store And while his soule is bound in sinne he shall have more and more My GOD. O Guide me to thy dwelling place O lead my feet to thee O draw me hard for l'me o' th' race of poor mortalitie O punish not thy servants sinne though mad and wondrous vaine Remember in discharge of them thy only Sonne was flame O give me for to know my God though I' have not chosen thee Yet thou hast chosen me in him thy servant for to be O make me thirst to come to thee to that sweet place of rest Where are thy servants which of old thou freely lovedst best Amen O Saviour Jesus Righteous Hope I Am born and hope to die a Christian and I much rejoice to performe the sacred Law of Christ my Saviour to the utmost of my power knowledge and understanding Of all reformed and professed churches I acknowledge my self to be of the reformed Church of England which I take to be most consonant and agreeable to my Saviours institution yet dare I not affirm my
belief or Church to be perfect and infallible neither will I condemn a contrary humble serious and solemn belief to be wholly wicked and abominable but most humbly conceive that the best profession religion devotion and belief to be the most humble and carefull fearing of almighty God and working of righteousnesse which whosoever obediently endeavoureth shall be accepted in the mercy of the Almighty for although none of our works in a strict sense can be called the works of righteousnesse yet in some sort they may be reputed righteous though mixed with much sinne and imperfection as water muddy and mixt with earth is understood and reputed water Ephes 6. I dare not say my own belief is best Nor dare condemn as reprobate the rest All righteous wayes unto one gate doe leade Salvation free thus holy Wriâ— doth reade Who feareth God and worketh truth shall have A free acceptance from his gracious love Ephes 6 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 verses O Lord my God in th' power of thy love I le put on thy whole Armour of defence That in thy strength I may stand firme above the fierce assaults of Hells concupiscence For this I know I doe not enterprize against an enemy made of flesh and blood But against Powers Principalities and worldly Governours Princes of worldly good in darknesse spirituall wickednesse in the high-places fill'd with all excesse For that cause I will take a Cap a pee the whole approved Armour of my God That thence I may resist i' the evill day and having finisht stand against hells rod Lord I will stand with my loynes girt about with Verity in true obedience And I will have upon me paramount that righteous Brest-plate faithfull penitence and I will shooe my feet with preparation of Gospels peace assurance of Salvation And above all I 'le take the Shield of Faith which is sufficient for to quench the ire And to extinguish all those fiery darts whereby the wicked me to slay desire and I will take the Helmet of Salvation the Sword o' th Spirit Gods word from the Creation And I will alwaies with all manner prayers and supplications in truth in the spirit And I will watch against all false gain-sayers with perseverance till I life inherit from thee O Father who without degrees for every Childe hast a fit Legacy and all of us from thy most gracious care though single folke inheritours we are A Military Christian MY onely Lord of hoasts Lord Generall Unto my Captaine his all-conquering Sonne Hath given all power by whom I have a call To be his Souldier by Commission I have his promise that no Armes I l'e want But surely conquer if but valiant Then though I be most naked poor and weake I l'e from his magazine throughly be compleate Thou holy Spirit distributer of graces Fit me a Souldier for the highest places Give me my Helmet my Saviours first descent Give me my Beaver fixt in Virgins wombe Give me my Pendents which to John joy sent Give me my Gorget Salutation Give me that blessed birth my back and breast Give me my guard of reignes that manger rest Give me my Tasses those sweet swadling cloathes Give me my Curaces my Bethleem peace Give me my Knees and Ankle armes and those Give me my Spurros of speed in Egypts ease Give me my Gauntlet call'd a Nazaret Give me that Jordane Sword and I 'me compleate Yet being self-convicted vile and vaine I a blinde beggar humbly beg againe Mount me on Faiths true courage stately steed And give a trâ—â—le to my strugling wayes Give me the reignes of Graces at my need Give me a Saddle mounting me on baies Give me my Breast-plate and my Crooper strong And girt me to thy Saints in Union And give me Pistols that with fire and sword I may be ready to advance thy Word Thou being arm'd and being thus imploy'd Whilest any Judas dare himselfe discover Against my Captaine I 'le be overjoy'd Him to extinguish root and branch together My peace shall be my warre for to destroy The enemies of my God my King my joy Who before long shall all together meete In chainer appointed underneath his feete And then wee 'le march under our Captaines aide In glorious triumph Colours all displaide The vanity of Temporall things in respect of Eternall Desire to live no longer in this thy pilgrimage then thou canst doe Almighty God true faithfull and filiall service and let his testimonies be thy delight and counsellours Ps 119.24 We must through many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of God Let the wicked forsake his wayes Acts 14.22 and the unrighteous his own imaginations and returne unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he is very ready to forgive Isa 55.7 8 9 10 11. For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are my waies your waies saith the Lord For as the Heavens are higher then the earth so are my waies higher then your waies and my thoughts above your thoughts Surely as the raine comes down and the snow from Heaven and returneth not thither empty but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to him that eateth so shall my Word be that goeth out of my mouth it shall not return unto me void but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it therefore ye shall goe forth with joy and be led forth with peace Amen Temporall things are most vaine saving as they tend to the good of our Eternitie O My soul what 's thy body thy earthly house thy prison and what 's that slimie life that brittle fading shade that fashioneth thee a man Are not thy daies as a spanne and the end certaine the Goale set and every minute shortens thy appointed race Is not the will of the Eternall all things both in Heaven and earth and can his predestinated order change Serve the Lord thy God in his waies and pathes that he hath set thee for thy pilgrimage To what purpose is thy springing youth so strictly fettered with thy lettered chaines and what doth knowledge profit if grief be losse To what purpose are those endlesse toyles which sea and land makes way for to obtain the earth To what purpose doth the greedy wretch with broken sleep to fill his empty grave And to what purpose are the hidden mines and deepest pits sought for the secret Pearles And to what purpose is thy lawlesse sword that subdivides the earth unto thy babes And to what purpose are all elements call'd to circulize thy triple angler heart yet vacuums are found And to what purpose dost thou build thy house upon such sandy mountaines as the Earth those mouldring Tombes they hide but frothy mindes the soules contentments of the sacred Saints Seek for thy self a better resting place and be thou married to a meeter mate Long thou and
over man Pale death beateth alike upon poor mens cottages and the towers of Princes It pitieth not the poor nor spareth the rich It snatcheth away youth in the flower of their lives and spareth none All flesh is grasse and all the glory of it as the flower of the field Behold a grave and discern if thou canst the captive from the King the strong from the weak the faire from the deformed then be not proud Tell me where are those lovers of the world which were lately with us certainly nothing remains of them but ashes and wormes In all humility then my soul meditate often upon thy dissolution for he which humbleth himself shall be exalted A man when he is dead is changed and consumed and where is he Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord for so saith the spirit that they rest from their labours and their works follow them they neither hunger nor thirst c. Lazarus was carried of the Angels into Abrahams bosome that is he died in the Lord. Here we have no abiding City but we seek one to come Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live and full of sorrow he shooteth up as a flower and is cut down he flieth as a shadow and never continueth in the same condition I am a pilgrim and a stranger as all my fathers were The world passeth away and the lusts thereof Through many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdome of Heaven The just are oppressed that they may cry and crying may be heard I beseech you as pilgrims and strangers abstain from fleshly lusts which warre against the soul The present sufferings of this life are not worthy of the glory which shall be revealed in us Watch for you know not what hour your Lord will come Walk thou in wisdome and in right reason because a man in whatsoever he doth considereth the end and accordingly doth accommodate and dispose himself to the means that lead unto it Get wisdome therefore for it is more precious than gold The wisdome of the flesh is death but spirituall wisdome is life and peace It is appointed to all men once to die and after death comes the judgment The day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night Be thou watching if thou watch not I will come to thee as a thief and thou knowest not what houre I will come unto thee Man doth not know his end but as the Fishes are taken with a baite or hooke and the Birds are taken with netts and snares so is man taken in an evill time which is not known unto him Do not deferre to turn unto the Lord neither delay from day to day the reason is for suddenly his anger cometh and in his wrath he will destroy thee Blessed is that servant whom when the Lord cometh and knocketh he doth finde watching We die daily we chang daily and yet we do believe we are eternal Dust and ashes thou art and into them thou shalt returne If onely in this world we have hope we are of all men most miserable The Just shall shine as the Sunne in my Fathers Kingdome As Christ our Saviour rose from the dead so shall we also rise The Sonne of God came into this world that all which beleeve in him should not perish but have everlasting life I Would not have you ignorant concerning those which are at sleepe that you sorrow not as they which have no hope Better is the day of death then the day of birth I have praysed the dead above the living Death is the necessary guist of corrupted nature which is rather to be imbraced then avoided He which beleeveth in him which sent me hath eternall life and doth not come into Judgment But passeth from death to life When I am weake then I am strong Happy is the man that endureth temptations because that when he is tryed he shall receive the Crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Be ye mercifull as your Father which is in Heaven is mercifull be ye imitatours of God as dear Children A Christian ought not onely to beare the Name of Christ but the Similitude also of his manners For the Name of Christ is frustrate to him that onely doth imitate Christ in Name The mercilesse shall have justice without mercy Give to the poor and thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven He which hath mercy on the poor is blessed Blessed are the mercifull for they shall receive mercy Come ye blessed of my Father and enter into the Kingdome prepared for you from the creation of the world for I was hungry and ye gave me to eate c. In as much as you did it to one of these you did it to me From suddain and unprovided death good Lord deliver us He which liveth well cannot die ill nor he scarce die well that lives ill To you it is given not onely to beleeve in Christ but also to suffer for him I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither can heart conceive the mercies prepared of God for them that love him What is there in this world can content the soul There is nothing the soul is content with nothing but God Our heart is unquiet untill it test in thee I shall be satisfied when thy glory doth appeare Almighty God made man that he might understand the chief good in understanding might love it in loving might possesse it and in possessing might enjoy it There is more joy in Heaven over one sinner that truly repenteth then over ninty nine just persons who need no repentance Jesus Chrst came into the world to save sinners His sins are forgiven him which are many because he loved much Now ye are no longer guests and strangers but ye are Citizens of the holy City and houshould of God Blessed is that servant whom the Lord when he cometh doth finde watching There is nothing hid which shall not be made known nor any thing secret which shall not be revealed Of that day no man knoweth no not the Angels of Heaven nor the Sonne of man So God judgeth thee as he findeth thee when he calleth Blessed is that servant whom the Lord when he cometh doth finde watching namely in a state of grace and not sleeping in his sins Prepare thy rightousnesse before judgement and before thou be sicke take Physick We love God because he first loved us The fear of God is the beginning of wisdome who feareth God doth good From the love of God we do receive the spirit of saving health As often as I consider the day of Judgment my whole body doth tremble whether I eat or drinke or whatsoever I do that terrible noise seemes alwaies to sound in my eares Arise ye dead and come to Judgment Enter not into judgment with thy servant O Lord for no flesh shall be justified in thy sight The just shall scarce be
and pleasing our naturall and corrupted affections Q. What is the principall gift of God to a man in this life A. True Wisdome Q. What is true wisdome A. To be wise to the soul Q. What is perfect folly A. Foolishnesse and neglect towards the soul Q. What are corrections A. They are the chastisements of almighty God and contrary to corrupted nature Q. What use are we to make of them A. To move us to a willing submission to the will and dispose of our Creator Q. Should they move us to contemn life and desire death A. No but rather to rejoice in the longest and hardest work of his sacred pleasure Q. Ought we most to rejoice when we enjoy the fullnesse of this world A. No but rather to fear it to be the portion of the ungodly Q. What understand you by almighty God A. I understand a Spirit not to be seen by the outward eye of the body Q. How is he to be seen and known A. By the eye of the soul Q. What is the eye of the soul A. Faith and reason Q. How shall Faith and reason be guided A. By the Law of Nature and by the holy Scriptures Q. What doth the Law of Nature shew us A. That there is one almighty God for ever to be worshipped and obeyed by us who hath created and made us and hath power ever our souls and bodies for ever Q. What further teacheth it A. That mortality belongeth to the body and immortality to the soul Q. What further A. That there is good and evil and that the good will be rewarded and the evil-doer will be punished by the Creator especially after this life is ended Q. What are the holy Scriptures A. They are sacred instructions and Lawes sent unto us by almighty God Q What is the scope and intent thereof A. To admonish teach and instruct us to holinesse and righteousnesse in life and conversation Q. What doe they further teach A. True Faith and saving belief Q. What is Faith A. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Q. What is belief A. It is a pure perswasion grounded on the word of almighty God Q. What is the true belief concerning the sacred Trinity A. That of the Apostles called the Apostles Creed Q. Rehearse that Belief A. I beleeve in God the Father Almighty c. Q. What doth this Faith and true belief shew us A. That there are three Persons but one Eternall God Q. How are these three persons named and divided A. Into the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Q What is the Father A. We beleeve that the Father is the incomprehensible begetter of the Sonne thereby fitting him to receive an earthly body like to ours sinne onely excepted that so he might therein and thereby satisfie the justice of his Father due for sinne by us committed in our earthly bodies which could no otherwise have been satisfied for but in the just destruction and damnation both of our bodies and souls for that the sinne of the body in its due desert slayeth the soul Q. What is the Sonne A. We believe that he is the only Mediator betwixt the Fathers justice and mans sinnes and that he intercedeth and maketh peace by his merits with the Father for us and that besides him we have no Mediator Q. What is the Holy Ghost A. We believe that he is the sacred Spirit of mercy proceeding from the Father and the Sonne whereby our hearts are guided unto all the true performances of saving duty Q. Are there not then three Gods A. No three Persons but onely one God Q. Is the power and operation of all the three Persons upon the creature one and the same A. We believe their power to be equall as one God but severally instrumentall to mans salvation as three Persons which seemeth plain by the holy Scriptures Q. Do the Scriptures then shew this sacred Trinity in Unity three Persons but one eternall God their power and proceedings towards the creature and the duty of the creature to this Creator A. Yes verily and there is no other means to know it more truly Q. Is it not then most necessary to be perfect in the Scriptures and to meditate on them continually A. Yes surely for thereby we are made wise to salvation Q. What is the Good of this life A. A free and joyfull submission to the good providence of almighty God and a diligent walking in his Lawes Q. What is the evill of this life A. An unsatiable desire of such things as will not satisfie the soul Q. What is the soul A. It is the unexpressible invisible immortall spirituall man Q. What will content the soul A. Things onely like it self pure spirituall and eternall Q. What is time A. It is the passage of our life and pilgrimage in this world Q. What is our chief work in our time A. To fit our selves by the assistance of the holy Spirit for a happy eternity Q. What is Eternity A. It is chiefly to us after this life it is entred into by us at our death and is without end Q What are earthly things A. The things visible in this world given us to use with praise and thanks to the giver Q. What are heavenly things A. All that we can conceive by happinesse but they are onely negatively demonstrated to us Eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can mans heart conceive these unexpressible mercies of our Almighty Creator Q. What is our duty in this life A. It is joyfully and willingly to bear the burden and heat of the day in the service of our Creator during his pleasure untill he call us to our rest Q. What is it to be dissolved and to be with Christ A. It is to be separated by death from this earthly tabernacle and to be received into the communion of the blessed souls who are dissolved from their earthly bodies and are with him Q. How ought we to use the present enjoyments of this life A. As if we used them not and to keep our selves unspotted of them Q. How are we to provide for the life to come A. By an humble diligent and watchfull walking in the wayes and Commandements of almighty God Q. What are the chief and summe of the Commandements of the Almighty A. Those which he gave to Moses written in Tables of stone Q. How many of them are there A. Ten. Q. Which are they Rehearse them A. The same which almighty God spake c. Q. What is Religion A. It is to extoll the Almighty above the highest and to cast down man below the lowest Q. What is pure Religion A. Pure Religion and undefiled before almighty God and the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and the widow in their necessities and to keep our selves unspotted of this world Q. Are we able of our selves to live unspotted A. No we must humbly crave the almighty power and strength of the holy
Give thou O God and frame thy servant thankfully to see his yearly gain for his hourly service his eternall joy for his temporall grief the infinite rest from his finite sufferings How fit is it O my Father that I should as well suffer as raigne with my Saviour and to know that the present afflictions of this life are unworthy of the joyes that in thy most free and gracious mercy shall be revealed and given unto me O my good Father give unto me thy most evill deserving childe all those sweet and blessed scourges crosses and afflictions even whatsoever is necessary and needfull to frame my impersect soul and body fit for thy eternall and most perfect service And truly O my Father although I were to have of thy justice my self-condemning sentence to all eternity so soon as this life is ended yet my serious thoughts would not make choice to spend my time in sinfull vain delights but would rather choose thy fatherly chastisement and corrections temporall although they also were to be as I deserve eternall for thy corrections as all that proceedeth immediately from thee my God are sweete they sad the countenance thereby making the heart better I submit wholly to thy will O my eternall Good To be thy servant is my Heaven for thou art the Lord my God and I am thine Thou art the will and the deed O my God guide me for thy Names sake to doe thee service and in thy goodnesse accept of my desire thy own most gracious gift suffer not sinne O my Father to raigne in my corrupted mortall body let not my soul offend my God however my body may offend him let not my will offend my God however my actions may offend thee but let the desires of my soul and the inclinations of my spirit be so commanded by thy sacred power that they may truly will and doe thee true and perfect service now and for ever and doe thou for thy own mercies sake to the works of thy own hands and for the merits of Jesus Christ thy onely Sonne my Saviour convert my most imperfect will into most perfect actions in thy most perfect and everlasting service And when these dayes of my sinfull pilgrimage are ended when I return to thee my God my hope my joy from this my earthly tabernacle doe thou O my blessed Creator re-create my soul and body that so thy blessed will may be my eternall perfect joy and comfort and that to be thy servant wheresoever and howsoever may be the blessed Heaven of my soul and body for ever O my Good Eternity I doe not onely humbly crave these mercies and what is necessary to salvation which is the perfect admittance into thy sacred service for my self and such as are near to me in this life but also that it be thy blessed will even for all that thou hast appointed to immortality in thy gracious converting of sinners from the wickednesse of their waies that so if it be thy blessed will to whom all things are possible we might be all as one flock under thee the great and gracious shepheard of our soules that so the number of thy elect being accomplished the blessed resurrection may appear before thee and we become fit inhabitants for that new Heaven and new earth which thou hast appointed and sinne and sorrow may cease from us thy unworthy servants And further my humble suit is that thou wouldest give us to see all thy gracious dispensations towards us in this life to know that nothing falls upon us by chance and fortune but by thy especiall providence and appointment Give us to know we are not our own but thine and that it is most right thou shouldest dispose of thy own for ever make us to rejoice onely in thy dispose for that thou art most good and gracious and knowest better what is best for us than we can know or aske Now O my good Creator take us into thy almighty protection and direction for ever thou hast been wonderfull in mercy and goodnesse to every one of us thou hast delivered infinite of us from infinite evils which we see others visited with which we may justly judge deserve better at thy hands then we have done we humbly beseech thee let this thy mercy lead us to repentance and make us to love thee as thou hast loved us that hath not spared thy Son to death for us that so thy justice being satisfied in his sufferings for our sinnes which could no otherwise have beene satisfied but in our damnation thy mercy may be sufficient for our salvation and although I have provoked thy justice by my daily sinnes to my just condemnation yet doe I cast my soul and body even for its eternity upon thy mercy and doe disclaime all other judgment then thy gracious pleasure in which I will in thy gracious strength with peace rejoice and therein rest for ever Wherefore to thee O gracious Father to thee O sacred Sonne to thee O eternall Spirit three persons but one everlasting God be ascribed as is most due all honour glory and praise by thy whole creation now and for ever Amen The Blessing O Blessed Childe whose parts his age out-run Whose vertues stile him man before his stature Each eye beholds him as ' the rising Sunne Each heart applauds him as a Pearle in nature Yea very strangers blesse his hopefull breeding And breathe out prayers to his happy speeding But when fresh springing budds proove canker-fretted With taint of vice or rust of happy sloth Their dearest friends that see their hopes defeated To speak them fair or deigne a look are loth But view such noysome weeds with nausious scorn Yea parents wish ill-thriving plants unborn The fear of God doth only guide aright The perfect way to sacred wisdom's treasure Then let this fear direct with powerfull might Thy twisted thred spun out by natures leasure So with thy daies thy saving health will grow To perfect joy in sins just overthrow Let Heavens powre down their sweetest influence let them enrich you with the earth's best treasures Let them withall instill Truths Quintessence heavens joyes doe far surmount all earthly pleasures Let the celestiall powers you guard and guide and countermine when wicked powers conspire Let spotlesse blood which ran from harmlesse side quench unto you the ever burning fire And let the winged Posts void of delayes from glorious Throne whom great Jehovah sendeth Translate your souls when death shall end your daies to that celestiall blisse which never endeth FINIS An Index or Table directing to severall Points and Discourses in this Book THe Authors Epistle Parents and Children travell together towards the grave Parents must give an account for their Children Children must herein assist their Parents We should live together here as we would live together hereafter Hence take comfort in the dissolution of godly friends that we shall goe to them and shall never part page 2. Our constant work Beware of