speaking of his own sicknesse he saith * We were pressed out of Measure above strength Perchance this will be expounded by propounding another Riddle of the same Apostles Who praising * Abraham saith that against hope he beleeved in hope That is against Carnall Hope he beleeved in Spirituall Hope So the same wedge will serve to cleave the former difficulty Paul was pressed above his Human not above his Heavenly Strength Grant Lord that I may not mangle and dismember thy Word but study it intirely comparing one Place with another For Diamonds onely can cut Diamonds and no such Comments on the Scripture as the Scripture VII Lord I Observe that the vulgar Translation reads the Apostles Precept thus * Give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure by Good Works But in our English Testaments these words by Good Works are left out It grieved me at the first to see our Translation defective but it offended me afterwards to see the other Redundant For those words are not in the Greek which is the Originall And it is an ill work to put Good Works in to the Corruption of the Scripture Grant Lord that though we leave Good Woorks out in the Text we may take them in in our Comment In that Exposition which our Practice is to make on this Precept in our Lives and Conversations VIII Lord I Find the Genealogie of my * Saviour strangely Chequered with four remarkable Changes in four immediate Generations 1 Rehoboham begat Abiam that is a bad Father begat a bad Son 2 Abiam begat Asa that is a bad Father a good Sonne 3 Asa begat Iehosaphat that is a good Father a good Sonne 4 Iehosaphat begat Ioram that is a good Father a bad Sonne I see Lord from hence that my Fathers Piety cannot be entailed that 's bad News for me But I see also that Actuall Impiety is not always hereditary that 's good News for my Sonne IX Lord WHen in my daily Service I read Davids Psalmes Give me to alter the Accent of my soul according to their severall Subjects In such Psalmes wherein he confesseth his Sinnes or requesteth thy Pardon or praiseth for former or prayeth for future favours in all these give me to raise my soul to as high a pitch as may be But when I come to such Psalms wherein he curseth his Enemies O there let me bring my soul down to a lower note For those words were made only to fit Davids mouth I have the like breath but not the same Spirit to pronounce them Nor let me flatter my self that it is lawfull for me with David to curse thine Enemies lest my deceitfull heart intitle all mine Enemies to be Thine and so what was Religion in David prove Malice in me whil'st I act Revenge under the Pretence of Piety X. Lord I Read of the two Witnesses * And when they shall have finished their Testimony the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomlesse Pit shall make Warre against them and shall overcome them and kill them They could not be kil'd whil'st they were doing but when they had done their worke during their imployment they were invincible No better Armour against the darts of Death then to be busied in thy Service Why art thou so heavie O my soul No Malice of man can Antidate my end a Minute whil'st my maker hath any work for me to do And when all my daily task is ended why should I grudge then to go to Bed XI Lord I Read at the Transfiguration that * Peter Iames and Iohn were admitted to behold Christ but Andrew was excluded So again at the reviving of the daughter of the ruler of the * Synagogue these three were let in and Andrew shut out Lastly in the * Agony the aforesaid three were called to be witnesses thereof and still Andrew left behind Yet he was Peters Brother and a good man and an Apostle why did not Christ take the two pair of Brothers was it not pitty to part them But me thinks I seem more offended thereat then Andrew himself was whom I find to expresse no discontent being pleased to be accounted a loyall Subject for the generall though he was no favourite in these particulars Give me to be pleased in my self and thankfull to thee for what I am though I be not equall to others in personall perfections For such peculiar Priviledges are Courtesies from thee when given and no Injuries to us when denyed XII Lord Saint Paul teacheth the Art of heavenly thrift how to make a new Sermon of an Old Many * saith he walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you weeping that they are Enemies to the Crosse of Christ Formerly he had told it with his Tongue but now with his Tears formerly he taught it with his words but now with his weeping Thus new affections make an old Sermon new May I not by the same proportion make an old Prayer new Lord thus long I have offered my Prayer drye unto thee now Lord I offer it wet Then wilt thou own some new Addition therein when though the Sacrifice be the same yet the dressing of it is different being steep't in his Tears who bringeth it unto thee XIII Lord I Read of my Saviour That when he was in the wildernesse * then the Devill leaveth him and behold Angels came and Ministred unto him A great change in a little time No twilight betwixt night and day No Purgatory-condition betwixt Hell and Heaven but instantly when Out Devill In Angell Such is the Case of every solitary Soul It will make Company for it self A musing mind will not stand Neuter a Minute but presently side with Legions of good or bad thoughts Grant therefore that my soul which ever will have some may never have bad Company XIV Lord I Read how Cushi and Ahimaaz ran a Race who first should bring Tidings of Victory to David Ahimaaze though last setting forth came first to his Journeys end Not that he had the fleeter feet but the better brains to chuse the way of most advantage For the Text * saith So Ahimaaz ranne by the way of the Plain and over-went Cushi Prayers made to God by Saints fetch a needlesse compasse about That is but a rough and un-even way Besides one Steep Passage therein questionable whether it can be climbed up and Saints in Heaven made sensible of what we say on Earth The way of the plain or plain way both shortest surest is Call upon me in the time of Trouble Such Prayers though starting last will come first to the Mark XV Lord THis morning I read a Chapter in the Bible and therein observ'd a memorable Passage whereof I never took notice before Why now and no sooner did I see it Formerly my Eyes were as open and the Letters as Legible Is there not a thin Vaile laid over thy Word which is more rarified by Reading and at last wholly
of my self Let not the smoak of their Badnesse put out my eyes but the shining of my Innocence lighten theirs Let me give Physick to them and not take Infection from them Yea make me the Better for their badnesse Then shall their bad Company be to me like the Dirt of Oysters whose mud hath sope in it and doth rather scour then defile XXIII Lord OFten have I thought with my self I will sinne but this one Sinne more and then I will repent of it and of all the rest of my Sinnes together So Foolish was I and Ignorant As if I should be more able to pay my Debts when I owe more Or as if I should say I will wound my friend once again and then I will lovingly Shake hands with him But what if my Friend will not Shake hands with me Besides can one Commit one Sin more and but one Sinne more Unclean Creatures went by Couples into the * Arke Grant Lord at this instant I may break off my Badnesse Otherwise thou maist justly make the last Minute wherein I do Sinne on Earth to be the last Minute wherein I shall Sinne on Earth and the first wherein thou might'st make me suffer in another place XXIIII Lord THe Preacher this day came home to my heart A left handed Gibeonite with his * Sling hit not the Mark more sure then he my Darling Sinnes I could find no fault with his Sermon save onely that it had too much Truth But this I quarrelled at that he went farre from his Text to come close to me and so was faulty himself in telling me of my faults Thus they will creep out at small Crannies who have a mind to escape And yet I cannot deny but that that which he spake though nothing to that Portion of Scripture which he had for his Text was according to the Proportion of Scripture And is not thy Word in generall the Text at Large of every Preacher Yea rather I should have Concluded that if he went from his Text thy goodnesse sent him to meet me For without thy Guidance it had been impossible for him so truly to have trac'd the intricate turnings of my deceitfull heart XXV Lord BE pleased to shake my Clay Cottage before thou throwest it down May it totter a while before it doth Tumble Let me be summon'd before I am surpriz'd Deliver me from Sudden Death Not from Sudden Death in respect of it self for I care not how short my passage be so it be safe Never any weary Traveller Complained that he came too soon to his Journeys end But let it not be Sudden in respect of me Make me alwayes ready to receive Death Thus no Guest comes unawares to him who keeps a Constant Table SCRIPTURE-Observations I LORD IN the Parable of the four sorts of Ground whereon the Seed was sowen the last alone proved fruitfull There the bad were more then the good But amongst the Servants Two improved their * Talents or Pounds and * One onely buried them There the Good were more then the Bad. Again amongst the ten Virgins five were wise and five * Foolish There the Good and Bad were Equall I see that concerning the number of the Saints in Comparison to the Reprobates no Certainty can be collected from these Parables Good Reason for it is not their Principall purpose to meddle with that point Grant that I may never rack a Scripture Similie beyond the true intent thereof Lest instead of Sucking Milk I squeez Blood out of it II. Lord THou didst intend from all Eternity to make Christ the Heire of all No danger of disinheriting him thy onely Sonne and so well deserving Yet thou sayest to him * Aske of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance c. This Homage he must do for thy Boon to beg it I see thy goodnesse delights to have thy favours sued for expecting we should crave what thou intendest we shall have That so though we cannot give a full price we may take some paines for thy favours and obtain them though not for the merit by the Meanes of our Petitions III. Lord I Find that Ezekiel is in his Prophesies stiled Ninety Times and more by this Appellation Sonne of man and yet surely not once oftner then there was need for For he had more Visions then any one not to say then all of the Prophets of his Time It was necessary therefore that his Mortall Extraction should often be sounded in his Eares Sonne of man lest his frequent Conversing with Visions might make him mistake himself to be some Angell Amongst other Revelations it was therefore needfull to reveale him to himself Sonne of man lest seeing many Visions might have made him blind with spirituall Pride Lord as thou increasest thy Graces in me and Favours on me so with them daily increase in my soul the Monitors and Remembrancers of my Mortalâ—ty So shall my Soul be kept in a good Temper and humble deportment towards thee IV. Lord I Read how * Iacob then onely accompanied with his staffe vowed at Bethell that if thou gavest him but Bread and Rayment he would make that place thy House After his return the Condition on thy side was overperformed but the Obligation on his part wholy neglected For when thou hadst made his Staffe to swell and to break into two Bands he after his return turn'd * Purchaser bought a field in Shalem intending there to set up his rest But thou art pleased to be his Remembrancer in a new Vision and to spur him afresh who tired in his Promise * Arise go to Bethell and make there an Altar c. Lord if rich Iacob forgot what poor Iacob did promise no wonder if I be bountifull to offer thee in my affliction what I am niggardly to perform in my Prosperity But O! take not advantage of the forfeitures but be pleased to demand Payment once againe Pinch me into the Remembrance of my promises that so I may reinforce my old Vows with new Resolutions V. Lord I Read when our Saviour was examined in the High Priests Hall that Peter stood without till Iohn being his * Spokes-man to the Maid that kept the door procured his Admission in Iohn meant to let him out of the Cold and not to let him in to a Temptation but his Courtesie in Intention prov'd a mischief in Event and the Occasion of his denying his Master O let never my Kindnesse concurre in the Remotest degree to the dammage of my friend May the Chain which I sent him for an Ornament never prove his Fetters But if I should be unhappy herein I am sure thou wilt not Punish my Good will but pitty my ill successe VI Lord THe Apostle saith to the * Corinthians God will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able But how comes he to Contradict himself by his own Confession in his next Epistle Where
worn away Or was it because I came with more appetite then before The Milk was alwayes there in the brest but the Child till now was not Hungry enough to find out the Teat I see the Oile of thy Word will never leave Increasing whil'st any bring an empty Barrell The Old Testament will still be a New Testament to him who comes with a fresh desire of Information XVI Lord AT the first * Passeover God kept touch with the Hebrews very Punctually At the end of the four hundred and thirty yeers in the self same day it came to passe that all the Hosts of the Lord went out of the Land of Egypt But at the first Easter God was better then his word Having promised that Christ should lye but three dayes in the Grave his Fatherly Affection did runne to relieve him By a Charitable Synechdoche two pieces of dayes were counted for whole ones God did cut the work short in * righteousnesse Thus the Measure of his Mercy under the Law was full but it ranne over in the Gospell XVII Lord THe * Apostle diswadeth the Hebrews from Covetousnesse with this Argument because God said I will not leave thee nor forsake thee Yet I find not that God ever gave this Promise to all the Jews but he spake it onely to * Ioshua when first made Commander against the Canaanites Which without violence to the Anallogie of faith the Apostle applyeth to all good men in generall Is it so that we are Heirs apparant to all promises made to thy Servants in Scripture Are the Charters of Grace granted to them good to me Then Will I say with Iacob * I have enough But because I cannot intitle my self to thy promises to them except I immitate their piety to thee Grant I may take as much Care in following the one as Comfort by applying the othâ—r XVIII Lord I Read that thou didst make * Grasse Hearbs Trees the third day As for the Sunne * Moon and Stars thou madest them on the fourth day of the Creation Thus at first thou didst confute the folly of such who maintain that all Vegetables in their growth are inslaved to a Necessary and unavoidable dependance on the Influences of the Starres Whereas Plants were even when Planets were not It is false that the Mary-gold follows the Sunne whereas rather the Sunne follows the Mary-gold as made the day before him Hereafter I will admire thee more and fear Astrologers lesse Not affrighted with their dolefull predictions of Dearth and Drowth collected from the Complexions of the Planets Must the Earth of Necessity be Sad because some ill-natured Starre is Sullen as if the Grasse Could not grow without asking it leave Whereas thy power which made Hearbs before the Starres can preserve them without their propitions yea against their Malignant Aspects XIX Lord I Read how Paul writing from Rome spake to * Philemon to prepare him a lodging hoping to make use thereof yet we find not that he ever did use it being Martyred not long after However he was no loser whom thou didst lodge in a higher Mansion in Heaven Let me alwayes be thus deceived to my Advantage I shall have no Cause to Complain though I never wear the new Cloaths fitted for me if before I put them on death cloath me with Glorious Immortality XX Lord WHen our Saviour sent his Apostles abroad to Preach he enjoyned them in one * Gospell Possesse nothing neither Shooes nor a staffe But it is said in another * Gospell And he commanded them that they should take nothing for their Iourney save a Staffe onely The Reconciliation is easie They might have a Staffe to speak them Travellours not Souldiers One to walk with not to Warre with a Staffe which was a Wand not a Weapon But Oh! In how dolefull dayes do we live wherein Ministers are not as formerly arm'd with their Nakednesse but need Staves and Swords too to defend them from violence XXI Lord I Discover an arrant Lazinesse in my Soul For when I am to read a Chapter in thy Bible before I begin it I look where it endeth And if it endeth not on the same side I cannot keep my hands from turning over the leaf to measure the length thereof on the other side If it swels to many Verses I begin to grudge Surely my heart is not rightly affected Were I truly hungry after heavenly Food I would not Complain of the greatest Messe of Meat Scourge Lord this Lazinesse out of my Soul make the reading of thy Word not a Penance but a Pleasure unto me Teach me that as amongst many heaps of Gold all being equally pure that is the best which is the biggest so I may esteem that Chapter in thy Word the best that is the Longest XXII Lord I Find David making a Syllogisme in Mode and Figure Two Propositions he perfected * 18 If I regard Wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not hear me 19 But verily God hath heard me he hath attended to the voice of my Prayer Now I expected that David should have Concluded thus Therefore I regard not wickednesse in my heart But farre otherwise he Concludes 20 Blessed be God who hath not turned away my Prayer nor his Mercy from me Thus David hath deceived but not wronged me I look't that he should have clapt the Crown on his own and he puts it on Gods Head I will learn this Excellent Logick For I like Davids better then Aristotles Syllogismes That whatsoever the Premisses be I make Gods Glory the Conclusion XXIII Lord WIse * Agur made it his wish Give me not poverty lest I steal take the Name of my God in vain He saith not Lest I steal and be caught in the manner and then be stockt or whipt or branded or forc'd to four fold Restitution or put to any other shamefull or painfull punishment But he saith lest I steal and take the name of my God in vain That is lest professing to serve thee I confute a good Profession with a Bad Conversation Thus thy Children count Sinne to be the greatest Smart in Sin as being more sensible of the wound they therein give to the glory of God then of all the Stripes that man may lay upon them for punishment XXIV Lord I Read that when my Saviour dispossessed the Mans * Sonne of a Devill he enjoyned the Evil Spirit to come out of him and enter no more into him But I find that when my Saviour himself was tempted of * Satan the Devill departed from him but for a Sason Retreating as it seemes with mind to return How came it to passe Lord that he who expell'd him finally out of others did not propell him so from himself Sure it doth not follow that because he did not he could not do it Or that he was lesse able to help himself because he was more Charitable to relieve others No I see