A prick of a thorne hath let in Death a point of a Sword could doe no more Death lurks sometimes in our meat and sometimes in our drink and sometimes in the very aire Man hath not more helps of living then he hath means of dying But O Lord how sweetly did thy Wisdome and Justice accord when thou madest Death the revenge of sin and so plagued us with a brood of our owne begetting But as the wages â—om 6.23 so the end of sin is death Thy Justice O God hath made it the wages thy Mercy hath made it the end Death came in by sin â—om 5.12 and sin goes out by death Sin is a Viper descended of the old Serpent and Death is her off-spring born to the destruction of her Mother Thy mercy O Christ that took away my sin could also have taken away my death but thy wisdome chose rather to alter then abolish it Cor. 15.55 Thou hast cut out the sting crost out the curse and now with Esau it meets not with frownes but kisses surely the bitternesse of death is over Gen. 33.4 Thou O Saviour by thy Death hast so sweetned Death Sam. 15.32 and perfum'd the Grave that it shall not grieve me when my Sun is set to sleep a while in that silent bed 5. Cor. 15.26 And thus our last enemy is become our first friend we meet with in our passage to that other world who as she leads thy body through corruption and rottennesse so she guides thy soule to life and happinesse as she closes the eye of thy body so she opens much more the eye of thy soule if thy friends mourne to see thee dead thy soule rejoyces much more to see him who was dead Rev. 1.18 and is alive Psal 41.5 thy Name and Memory perishes perhaps among the sons of men but is everlastingly recorded among the sons of God 6. Surely it is but the worst part of Man that is in the reach and power of death our soules are so far from damage that they gaine more then the body loses The worst of Death is but corruption and that works but upon a carkase that neither feels nor cares We carry heaven and earth about us while we live when we die each part returnes homewards Kings and Prophets Patriachs and Apostles have all gone the same way and who can be so fond as to hope exemption Whoever is cloathed with flesh and blood is engaged unto death for those garments and Death can distraine no farther then her owne these garments T is true she desires and a spires higher faine would she ravish the soule but our Joseph is too chaste for her embracements Gen. 39.12 and flyes away without his garments 7. The time of Death for her comming is uncertaine because she would alway be expected for sometimes she takes advantage and strikes suddenly though most times she sends her harbingers age and sicknesse to give notice of her comming The time of Death for her continuante when she comes is but guest-wise for a night and her first word is To bed she must be our bed-fellow for a night and the earth our bed where claspt in her cold armes we be til we be as cold as she This is cold news thinks flesh and blood who seldome bids her guest welcome fain would she make delaies she thinks the night will be long and therefore desires to sit up a little longer But Death though sometimes she seeme to admit of discourse yet she resolutely holds her conclusion and will not be denyed though still we desire such is our weaknesse to hug our diseases till they ravish us of all that is flesh and blood and leave us fit for none but Death And now Death will forbeare no longer but thrusts out sicknesse and enters the bed her selfe Yet she stayes not long there she and her bed-fellow are soone removed one Story lower to the floore and then one Story more to the grave And yet there is no abiding That which is to full of alteration cannot be permanent Psal 30.5 Death may endure for a night but lift commeth in the morning When that day breaks the shadowes fly away and Night and Death shall be no more But what company shall I meet with in the house of death What 〈◊〉 17.14 Corruption and Wormes These are my neere kindred Curruption was my mother and begat me she is now my daughter I beget her The wormes are my sisters by the mothers side they are now my children as a Mother I breed them as a Father I feed them a lusty kindred Surely they cannot but bid me welcome and be glad to meet me there Why should not I be so to them However I may be coy of their acquaintance here yet there we shall be more then intimate I shall embrace them in my armes and hug them in my bosome I shall feast them with my flesh yea with all my heart and my Liver too I shall give them free quarters for should I grudge they would be so bold as to take it But much good doe it them it is the last banquet I shall ever make them and the last time I shall ever meet them after this supper good-night kindred 8. We doe not then indeed and but scarcely in appearance seeme to lose by Death for what is the World and all that therein we leave behind us her best things are vanitie the rest vexation 〈◊〉 107.34 How is she falne since our fall from a fruitfull Land to a barren wildernesse how is she fruitfull now onely in thornes and troubles how are all her pleasures vaine and but in appearance while her sorrowes are reall What are all her pomps and honours but empty bubbles and baubles to please fond children And what is our flesh but a bundle of diseases a bladder full of muddy water a lumpe of rottennesse And what was that thing which we once call'd Life but a perillous pilgrimage a sea of troubles a labyrinth of perplexitie But that which is worse then all the rest without which the rest were not evill Rev. 4.40 that which is the death in the pot the leaven of the whole lump Cor. 5.6 and that which imbitters the whole life is sin and a necessity of so doing so that while we live we cannot but sin we are plunged into such an inevitable habit of mischiefe and and miserie that to live and to sin are of like necessity and we must leave off both or neither And that which makes full this part of our misery we delight in our prison we sing in our cage we are proud of our chaines and too often take pleasure in the jingling of our fetters Death now is our freedome from all these Why dost thou droop then â—â—ke 21.28 O my soule lift up thine head rather when thy redemption draweth neere when death shall open thy prison dores be not loath to goe at liberty
heavy laden I cannot travell upon this holy hill Oh! that thou wouldest ease me Mat. 〈…〉 2 as thou hast promised Oh! take off my burden adde to thy strength pluck off the plumets of my flesh and put to the feathers of thy spirit whose wings are silver and her feathers gold Psal 6. 〈…〉 57. Oh! that I had the wings of that Dove then should I flie away Oh! that I could but get up this Nebo and see my Canaan how dearly should I love Deut. 〈…〉 and long for her how boldly for her sake should I bid defiance unto whatsoever this wildernesse or world can tempt me with 15. But O Lord thou knowest my soul neither hath this happinesse nor can deserve it yea neither can deserve to have it nor to desire it But look not on my merits but on thy mercy if I had my desert I should have been long ere this past hope or help of Mercy That thou hast saved me from Hell is a Mercy no lesse then infinite but that thou shouldest also give me Heaven is a Mercy every way like thy self How can I deserve so great a Glory that am not able to aske or worthy to beg the least of thy Mercies How is my soul benummed with Flesh bemired with Earth besetted with Sin Lord thou art my hope my help help then thy servant that cannot help himself and as thou hast prepared glory for me so Lord prepare me for my glory 16. O God the Father of Light and Life from whom every good and perfect gift descendeth take this work into thine hand Iam. 1 〈…〉 and the glory of it perfect what thou hast begun O save my soul that putteth her trust in thee Wean her from the frothy milk of this world feed her with that Mannah that came down from Heaven thou that puttest Clay into the blind mans eyes and cured them 〈◊〉 9.6 wash out that clay in mine wherewith they are so bedaubed they can neither see Heaven nor thee It is thine hand that made the Heavens and it is thine hand that gives them and it is the same hand againe that lifts mine heart unto them O Lord though thou makest not mine heart heavy yet thou findest it so thou hast it in thine hand turn it and tune it as please thee make it light by the light of thy counteuance quicken it by thy Spirit take out her earth put in thy fire carry her up to Nebo shew her Canaan make her weary of this wildernesse and inlarge her longings after Heaven leave her not till thou make her pant after thee 〈◊〉 42. as the hart after the waters nor let her thirst ever be abated till she be filled with the presence of thee O God 17. 〈◊〉 18 〈◊〉 27. And since I have begun to speak unto the Lord of glory who am but dust and ashes pardon thy servant if while he plead with thee he urge thee with thy promise Hast thou not said O Lord that thou wilt give me life 〈◊〉 6.10 hast thou not bid me pray Thy kingdome come and hast thou not promised to give to them that ask and open to them that knock hast thou not alway declared thy self a God rich in mercy and delights to shew it I beg that which thou knowest I want I perish without it thou hast in abundance enough to spare to make Millions rich and happy I can have supply from none from nothing else the whole world besides is Misery if thou give not I shall never have it I beg no more but what thou hast given others how many thousand Saints and Martyrs hast thou crown'd with glory And pardon me O Lord and I shall speak once more hast thou not bought Heaven for me and paid for it a good price too and sufficient Oh! let these perswade with thee and let thy mercy in thy well-beloved Son prevaile in him look down on me and make me look up to thee with his blood cement and link all thy graces in a chain and let them down to me that laying hold thereon I may be drawne up to my glory 18. Yea be thou confident O my soule it shall be so Faithfull is he that hath promised â—or 1.9 â—or 1.20 〈◊〉 3.3 even God that cannot lie all thy sinnes cannot make his grace of none effect he counts his promise as a debt and will surely pay it yea he hath not onely bought Heaven for thee but bought thee also for Heaven and given earnest for thee the graces of his Spirit Be thou sure O my soule thy King and Saviour that hath fought so valiantly and paid so dearly for thy redemption 2 Cor. 〈…〉 will not now lose thee Who shall separate thee from this love of God Rom. 〈…〉 who can pull thee from thy glory if thy sinnes cannot thy afflictions shall not Go to thy rest then O my soule and there be thankfull 19. Now praise the Lord ô my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy name Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Ps 103 〈…〉 2 〈…〉 Who pardoneth all thy sinnes and healeth all thine infirmities which hath redeemed thy life from destruction and crowned thee too with everlasting mercies Oh! what shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me What shall I what can I render Ps 116 〈…〉 What can I give thee O God which is not thine owne already Thou askest mine heart thou hast it I give it thee and thanke thee too with all mine heart Oh! Pro. 23 〈…〉 that it were worthy thy acceptance O Lord thou dost accept it as it is and therefore My soule doth magnifie the Lord Luk. 1. 〈…〉 and my Spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour for he hath highly exalted the low estate of his servant he that is mighty hath done great things for me and holy is his name and blesse be that God who hath made me blessed to all eternity Amen FINIS
TVVO MEDITATIONS 1. Of DEATH 2. Of LIFE ETERNALL By N. B. a Sequestred MINISTER OF JESVS CHRIST LONDON Printed in the Year 1648. To his dear Parents Mr. C. T. B. and Mrs E. B. increase of grace in this Life and everlasting glory in the life to come THat this world is Vanity and Vexation Eâ—les 1.1 is no need to tell your more then fourscore years apiece can preach Labour and Sorrow Psal 19.1 The Lord hath sufficiently weaned us if at least we will not be guilty of wilfull folly from the frothy milk of this world he hath not spared his mustard wormwood and gall And as if that were not sufficient to take off our doting appetites he hath even taken the world it self quite from us we have no breasts to suck no world to love Oh! what a sweet advantage have we now had we but wisdome and grace to improve it to fix our loves only upon God and Heaven now we are freed from other suitors Why doe we not advance our longings thither where we may be yet more secure from Plunder and Sequestration Here we have a little though a very little besides our lives there we shall have nothing that Theeves can medâ—le with We have I believe we have long agoe learn'd to be willing to live and yet content to die if God so please surely we have been trewants if by this time we cannot adde one line to that lesson and now be willing to die and yet content to live if God so please Tell me for ingenuously I know not what is there that may make us in love with Life or in fear of Death For the first love of the present world I do not much suspect you you have been sufficiently knock'd off from that dotage Against the second there is none but wants incouragements That King of feares and fear of Kings That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioâ— 18.14 That mighty Mawkin That terrible Scare-crow That ashcolour'd Vizard is many times ready to put us Children besides our little wits One good preservation against the frights of this Bug-bear is to get acquaintance with the Skeleton so have I known a fair Lady and a Coy by familiar converâ—e with an hard-favour at last by degrees to like and love Why not so here Surely ignorance of Death oftimes is one if not the only cause we are squeamish did we but know whence she is and whither she tends we should bid her better welcome These Meditations were my comfort as well as my imployment in my late long sicknesse I present them to you now as an expresse of my duty and thankes for your care and cost from my Childhood untill now for even yet such is the will of God whose justice I see quite through the malignity of the world I feed upon part of that little bread which is scarce sufficient for your own nourishment I hope and wish your Firkin and cruse may not be spent till the influence of Heaven send peace and prosperity to our King and Country I know this present will be pleasing for my sake I wish it may be profitable for your own You cannot but every day one way or other be put in minde of your dissolution you have pricks in the flesh the Messengers of Death to buffet you and no intreaty can take them off but they and you must remove together I wish you may improve these and other Meditations so to your comfort that at last even Death it self may be your consolation The God of Heaven blesse and keep you in his faith in his fear the Lord preserve and restore our King and in his good time send us peace in the mean time send us patience God forgive and convert our Enemies and once more look gratiously upon our Land and Nation Amen Amen N. B. Of Death 1. THe thoughts of Death are not alway pleasant alwayes profitable What Meditations more needfull O my soule or neerer allyed to wisdome then those of thy latter end what more uncertain then Life or more sure then Death Mine age is too little to learn to live not enough to learne to Die 'T is good then by frequent thoughts of Death to make her familiar that when she comes she may not looke strangely 2. And what is Death but the wink of life the rest of Nature the sleep of flesh and sence the taking downe these few sticks thy earthly tabernacle was built with the putting off and laying up thy garments of flesh and blood for a night till the great and joyfull day come the Farewell and goodnight of two old friends parted for a season Our journey and passage into that other world for which we and this world were made our souls Gaoles delivery from the prison of the body or birth delivery into a better world and so the way the gate of life 3. And this is that which we commonly call Death though there be others also of her name As There is a Death in sin Ephes 2.1 this is a miserable and yet this is thy condition O my soul Dead in trespasses and sins till thy mercy O God! Col. 2.13 in thy Son hath quickned me by a full remission And thus we come to another Death a Death to Sin or a Death of sin this may well be called the first Death for it is the best Death Happy is he that hath his part therein Rev. 20.6 for over him The last Death shall have no power And well may this be called last for it is lasting everlasting it is so great there can be none with it so infinite there can be none beyond it The horrours and terrours of this Death no mortall is able to see and live Oh! what horrour then is it to those that feel them But O Lord most holy O God most mighty O holy and mercifull Redeemer deliver me not unto the bitter paines of eternall Death Thy death O Christ hath saved me from this and thou wentest downe to hell that I might not goe thither â—â—m 6.4 and my first death and buriall with Thee by Baptisme which is my first Resurrection too shall be my passe port through and over the worst of Death 4. 〈◊〉 1.13 Thou O Lord mad'st not death but Man found it out by the works of his hands Man brought forth sin and sin brought forth death and no marvaile if the child be uglie that is begotten of such parents And this generation of vipers hath so thriven in this world â—â—n 1.18 as if Increase and multiply and Replenish the earth had been onely spoke to them What thing is there in the world that is not sin or oft-times a provocation thereunto What thing is there in the world that is not Death or oft-times an instrument thereunto Nothing so small but is big enough to hide a Death under it A Flie hath choakt one a Grape-stone another an haire of the head has done as much to a third