eate on the left hand and they shall not be satisfied they shall eate every man the flesh of his owne armes Touching Ierusalem hee said by his Prophet Ezekiel Eze 4.10 Thy meate which thou shalt eate shall be by weight twentie shekels a day from time to time shalt thou eate it vers 11 Thou shalt drinke allso water by measure the sixth part of an Hin from time to time shalt thou drinke vers 12 And thou shalt eate it as barley cakes and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man vers 13 in their sight And the Lord said unto him Even thus shall the children of Israel eate their defiled bread among the Gentiles whither I will drive them Among other curses which Israël should endure for rebellion and disobedience the fore-runner of famine was not the least Deut 28.39 Thou shalt plant vine yards and dresse them but shalt neither drinke of the wine nor gather of the grapes for the wormes shall eate them Among other punishments sent upon idolaters the Prophet terrifieth them with this above all When they shall be hungrie Is 8.21 they shall frett themselves and curse their King and their God and looke up-wards Here was allmost all the miserie that man could suffer the wickednesse that hee could act in this present world Hunger was sent as a punishment for idolatrie and rebellion blasphemie and impenitency were the effects of the punishment Hunger produceth rebellion they curse their King rebellion blasphemie they curse their God and blasphemie both impudence and impenitencie they looke up-wards towards heaven as if they were not ashamed The curse which should happen to the enemies of Sion was accounted greate because they should be resembled to people that are hungrie c 29.8 As when a hungrie man dreameth and behould hee eateth but hee awaketh and his soule is empty or as when a thirstie man dreameth and behold hee drinketh but hee awaketh and behould hee is faint and his soule hath appetite So shall the multitude of the nations bee that fight against mount Sion But what is the cause why the anger of the most high is commonly discovered in the curse of famine What moveth the Lord to punish his creatures with this pining destruction Whence ariseth his wrath that his vengeance is so terrible Alasse alasse I neede not wonder that his furie is so fierce if I doe but remember how justly hee punisheth Hee smiteth not before wee offend hee punisheth not before wee transgresse When our sinnes are so impudent as to provoke his displeasure how can hee choose but awake Ps 78.65 as one out of sleepe like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine For iniquitie onely doeth hee visitt hee visiteth our offences with the rodde Ps 89.32 and our sinne with scourges For this did hee give Israël cleanesse of teeth Amos. 4.6 in all their citties and want of bread in all their places yet they returned not unto the Lord. 2. Sam 21.1 For Saul and for his bloodie issue because hee slew the Gibeonites therfore there was a famine in the dayes of David three yeeres yeere after yeere and it ceased by the execution of seaven of Saul's sonnes Is 5.13 Therfore saith God my people are gone into captivitie because they have noe knowledg and their honourable men are famished and their multitude dryed up with thirst This is the punishment for sinne and yet upon repentance the Lord is as willing to remove it from us as when wee offended hee was just in sending it His promises were gratious to the Gentiles which should be fullfilled by Christ as his Prophet relateth them Is 49.10 They shall not hunger nor thirst neither shall the heate nor Sun smite them for hee that hath mercy on them shall leade them even by the springs of water hee shall guide them Yet let mee not too much forget my selfe Though this famine be one of the weapons with which the Lord doeth commonly fight and wound his enemies I must not therfore conclude that they all are forsaken and hated who endure this affliction I must not conclude that Because with this hee punisheth his enemies therfore with this hee correcteth not his saints This were but to frame an argument to urge mee to despaire and to judge my selfe with greater severitie then the Lord himselfe I hope will judge mee Every scourge which hee taketh in his hand may be for chastisement to the godly as well as a judgment to the wicked Though this must bring mee to a sight of my sinnes yet it may not enforce mee to a distrust of his mercies Though sometimes the godly dye under an affliction yet they know that they shall live by the merits of Christ Wee have noe more freedome from punishments here then the worst of reprobates Yea our portion is greater and bitterer here then theirs 1. Cor. 11.32 but wee are chastened of the Lord that wee might not be condemned with the world There is a greater deale of difference betweene corrections judgments The beloved child may be wounded as deepe yea deeper then an enemie but the deeper his Wound the surer is his cure To the godly they are afflictions to the reprobate torments to the godly chastisements upon the reprobate revenge At the famine in Samaria 1. King 18.5 good Obadiah went into the land unto all fountaines of water and unto all brookes to sieke for grasse that hee might save the horses and mules alive When the Prophet Ieremiah was cast into the dungeon Ier 38.9 hee was like to dy for hunger in the place for there was noe bread in the citty 1. Cor. 4.11 The holy Apostles did both hunger and thirst and were naked and buffeted and had noe certaine dwelling place They were in wearinesse 2. Cor. 11.27 and painefullnesse in watchings often in hunger and thirst in fastings often in cold Act 10 9. and nakednesse When Saint Peter went up upon the house to pray the vision appeared to him while hee was hungry vers 10 Saint Paul professed that hee had learned both how to be abased Phil. 4.12 and how to abound Every where in all things hee was instructed both to be full and to be hungrie both to abound and to suffer neede Gen. 12 10. When a famine was in the land where Abraham dwelt hee was enforced to goe downe into Egypt to sojourne there for the famine was grievous in the land Many saints and servants of God have drunke very deepe of this cup of afliction Why should I then be too much dejected and complaine so of want as if God had forgotten mee How know I to the contrarie but it may be his pleasure even by this affliction to bring mee to humilitie and so unto glory It is my part to thanke him for his visitation and not to repine at his correction Plenty is commonly the ground
dutyes which thou commandest that so my light may rise in obscuritie and my darknesse be as the noone day Heare mee ô Lord and graunt these my peritions and whatsoever else shall be necessarie for mee and that for the worthinesse of him who is the morning starte even Iesus Christ my onely Lord and Saviour in whose name and words I father call upon thee saying Mat. 6.9.10.11.12.13 Our father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdome come thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven give us this day our dayly bread and forgive us our trespasses as wee forgive them that trespasse against us and leade us not into temptation but deliver us from evill for thine is the Kingdome the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen part 3 The third part Of the Soliloquie Fitted for one preparing to goe to dinner VVHen Daniel the Prophet was made chiefe of the Presidents and Princes of the Kingdome of Darius the rest burning with furie at this his preferment sought say's the text an occasion against him Dan 6.4 but none they could find for hee was faithfull neither was there any errour or fault found in him Prov 3.15 At length to magnifie the King above him by whom alone Kings reigne for the effecting of their purposes they quarrelled with his religion and conceaved that their uniust designes of debasing the President were noe wayes to be wrought but by dishonouring his God But when those envious parasites pretended highly to magnifie the scepter they did indeede but labour the satisfaction of their envie Dan 6. vers 9. vers 7. Howsoëver at length it was concluded and the decree was signed in writing that Whosoever should aske a petition of any God or man for thirtie dayes save onely of Darius hee was to be cast into the denne of Lyons vers 10 Daniel knew that the decree was signed yet hee went into his house and his windowes being open in his chamber towards Ierusalem hee kneeled upon his knees three times a day and praised and gave thankes before his God as hee did afore time Here was a worthy resolution and as religious a performance Neither the envie of his adversaries nor the displeasure of his Soveraigne nor the greedinesse of the Lyons could stoppe his proceedings or hinder his devotions Deut 5 29. Oh that there were such a heart in mee too that I would feare the Lord and keepe his commandements allways that it might be well with mee for ever But alasse to my shame and griefe I see that I can scarce once in a day find in my heart to praise my God and if twice or thrice I attempt to fitt and compose my selfe to my holy devotions I presently repell those righteous motions as if it were un-necessarie whatsoëver is ircksome But why should I not consider how slack I am in my petitions even by the aboundance of things which I truely want Why should I not pray by precept or at least by precedent It was David's resolution Ps 55.17 Evening and morning and at noone-day will I pray and cry aloud hee shall heare my voyce And his practise exceedes his promise for his owne words are Seaven times a day doe I praise thee Ps 11â— 164. because of â—y righteous judgments Yea hee goe's a litle â—rther yet and crye's out vers 97 O how I love thy â—we It is my meditation all the day Hee â—uld not choose but meditate on his law all â—e day long Ps 25.5 on whom hee did wayte all the â—…y long Thus hee meditated hee meditated 〈◊〉 day a whole day and yet not one whole â—ay onely for hee passeth his promise to the All-mighty saying Ps 145 2. Every day will I blesse â—hee and I will praise thy name for ever and â—ver Thus should I doe as David did I â—hould blesse the Lord and I should praise â—he Lord yea I will blesse him and I will â—raise him for all his mercies and particularly for preserving mee to the midle of this day But is this time so fitting convenient that now especially I should setle to my meditations Yes doubtlesse at this very instant I have more arguments to perswade mee to devotion then at many other howers and seasons of the day Now my hungrie appetite putteth mee in mind of the ravens which hee feedeth when thy call upon him Ps 147.9 Now I discover a most ample testimonie of his protection and providence Ps 107.9 for now hee satisfieth the emptie soule and filleth the hungry soule with goodnesse Longer mee think's I cannot stay from my meate for my empty bellie call's for a repast Lord how fraile are wee mortalls that wee cannot live one day without the satisfaction of our stomacks Mat 6.11 Phil 4.19 which made our Saviour teach us to pray Give us this day our dayly bread Well God is so good as to supply all our wants but how doe's hee supply them Alasse the poore inferiour creatures are faint to pay the tribute of their lives for the satisfaction of our hunger Our plentiful tables doe commonly speake blood in every dish The beastes and the fowles and the fishes doe seeme to contend for precedencie in their service to our wanton appetites And yet if I consider of it what offence that the Lamb or the Sheepe or the Calfe or the Oxe or the Dove or the Salmon committed that they loose their lives for the preservation of ours Those doe obey the commands of their Creatour even unto death and by their ready submission to man's desires observe the law which was first prescribed them But why doe they so seeing man by his fall did loose the prerogative of soveraigntie over the creatures Hee did so indeede yet those creatures not willing to insult over their sinfull Lord especially seeing the charter was renewed afterwards to Noah Gen 9.2.3 continue their submission to his will and command In all this how can I choose but magnifie my God desire him to blesse the creatures unto mee for the sustenance of my body that I may onely live to honour him who is the giver of all Now againe above other times should I thinke on my â—od and desire him in mercy to be graâ—ous unto mee for at this time of the day â—ee would not visit our first and sinfull paâ—…nts It is now about the midle and heate of â—e day The Sun is hastening to the highest â—oint in the Meridian with beames direct â—eepe's through the crevices into our private â—…osets Gen 3.8 but it was in the coole of the day when Adam and Eve did heare the voyce of the Lord God walking in the garden and presently did â—ide themselves from the presence of him amongst â—he trees of the garden O though 't was in the â—oole of the day when God was heard yet was â—t in the heate of his anger for the sinne of the â—ransgressours
purchase my desires by declining his mercy If any thing cometh it is sent by his providence if nothing cometh yet still I have God who is the best of all If it be his pleasure to bring mee to the earth by this consuming want my body indeede shall yeeld the lesse foode to the wormes but my soule shall be filled with un-speakeable comforts Lord what a base lumpe of clay is this which would so tyrannize over my soule as to make it leave it's confidence in thee What art thou that complainest and yawnest and gapest so greedily for satisfaction Thou art but earth at the best and by the earth thou hast beene fed and to the earth thou shalt returne The foode which thou desirest is a thing to be loathed if thou diddest but consider in what manner thou wert furnished The earth produceth grasse for the foode of the beastes they are fatted to furnish the tables of men and when men doe plentifully feede upon them the least part thereof conduceth to their nourishment the most of it goeth out into the draffe and even that which is putrified it returne's to the earth againe to render it fertile Thus wee live by excrements and wee are fed by putrefaction That which wee loath both in the sent and the sight is forgotten when wee feede upon it in our bread Thus I pine then for nothing but dung and filth for want whereof my belly would force mee to repine against my maker Our fowles are fed with the filthie wormes that proceede from our dung hills our fishes are composed of mudde and slime our beastes are nourished by vertue of that which wee loath to remember and from all these is patched up such a body as at the second or third hand is nothing but dung or whatsoever is worse Were it not shame then for mee to suffer this body which being dead in three or foure dayes will be odious to the living to entice my soule to rebell against my maker O I may not I will not This leanenesse doeth but lecture to mee what I am framed of and the soule is comforted in the weakenesse of the prison That better part doeth long to dwell with the father of spirits Each bitt I should eate Heb 12 9. would but delay my time and retard the fruition of a crowne of glory O my God be pleased to send mee thy blessing as well in want as in plenty that so I may decree and resolve with Saint Paul in whatsoëver state I am Phil 4.11 there with to be content Thus I should be and thus I desire to be for hunger with content is better then feasting and feasting without it is worse then famine If God in his wisedome seeth it good for mee that I should be filled I doubt not of his providence in sending what is good I will as I ought sieke the ordinarie meanes for the preservation of life I will industriously labour or earnestly besiech or painfully travaile for that which may nourish mee If it cometh as I desire I will thanke him who sendeth it if it cometh not as I wish howsoëver I will labour to be content with my lott Him will I honour both in plenty and in want and to his disposing will I yeeld up my selfe True it is that hee created meates for the belly 1. Cor 6.13 and the belly for meates but yet hee will destroy both it and them Hee hath sent mee this affliction to physick my soule and to put mee in mind how nicely I have refused in plenty what now I should thankfully receave in my want Those that are full are apt to surfeit and hasten with more disturbance to the gates of the grave then wee who in hunger doe willingly meete and desire our death Yet I am not so unwilling to live as that I would refuse my nourishment though of the meanest sort nor am I so unwilling to dye Prov. 27.7 as by unlawfull meanes to satisfie my appetite The full soule loatheth an hony-comb but to the hungry soule every bitter thing is sweete I dare not imitate the Israelites who murmured and repined against Moses and Aaron Ex 16.3 and said unto them Would to God wee had dyed by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt when wee sate by the flesh-pots and when wee did eate bread to the full for yee have brought us forth into this wildernesse to kill this whole assembly with hunger What would it advantage mee if God in his judgment should send mee my desires Is it not better to partake of his mercy in miserie then of his displeasure in plenty Ps 78.27 vers 28 At the desire of the Israëlites hee rained flesh upon them as dust and feathered fowles like as the sand of the sea And hee let it fall in the middest of the campe round about their habitations vers 29 So they did eate and were filled vers 30 hee gave them their owne desire they were not estranged from their lust Those on whom hee rained downe Manna to eate vers 24 and gave them of the corne of heaven even they were likewise stored with the flocks of the Quailes But their sweete meate had sowre sawce vers 30 vers 31 for while their meate was yet in their mouths the wrath of God came upon them and slew the fattest of them Prov. 10.22 and smote downe the chosen men in Israël It is onely the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich even of him who promised to the Israëlites Ex 23.25 if they would serve him to blesse their bread and their water and to take sicknesse away from the midd'est of them Hee it was who moved Shobi and Machir 2. Sam. 17.27 and Barzillai to bring unto David at Mahanaim and to his people that were hungrie and wearie vers 28 and thirstie in the wildernesse both beds and cupps and earthen vessells and wheate and barley and flowre and parched corne and beanes and lentills and parched pulse And honey vers 29 and butter and sheepe and cheese of kine Luc. 1.53 Hee filleth the hungrie with good things and the rich hee sendeth emptie away Iob. 34.28 The cry of the poore cometh unto him and hee heareth the cry of the afflicted Hungrie and thirstie Ps 107 5. the soules of the Israëlites fainted in them Then they cryed unto the Lord in their trouble vers 6. vers 9. and hee delivered them out of their distresses Hee satisfieth the longing soule and filleth the hungrie soule with goodnesse Thus hee may doe for mee as hee did for them but then I must pray and that in faith I must weepe and that in hope I must remember my sinnes which have deserved this punishment yea greater then here can be inflicted upon mee and I must thank my Creatour who visiteth mee in mercy I must submitt to his pleasure and kisse the rod. Though now as was the Prodigall
it doe tingle yea and mee think's not onely mine eares tingle but even my heart allso tingleth and trembleth at the same Well though that stone be there yet the inscision shall be made and howsoever I will desire that a paine I may endure If yet I am not sensible enough when the inscision is made I hope I shall have time enough to smart before the eskar be off Lord I desire that I may be sensible of the wounds of this land and that the blood which is shed in these violent times may be washed away by the teares of mee and other penitent sinners Or if blood requireth blood Lord let the wine and oyle of the best Samaritane let the blood of my mercifull Redeemer prevaile for pardon for the blood which is shed in these un-naturall warrs and let it stoppe the fountaine the current the issue thereof If my poore countrie was formerly troubled with a plurisie I am sure that now it useth the harsh meanes of phlebotomie for it is let blood in every part in the head the armes the leggs the feete yea and even in the very heart And yet for all this are there not some among us upon whose hearts the stupifying infernall stone is layd who are like unto Moab Ier. 48.11 who have beene at case from their youth and have setled upon their lees and have not beene emptyed from vessell to vessell nor have gone into captivitie and therfore their tast remaineth in them neither is their sent changed Are there not those among us that put farre away the evill day Amos. 6.3 vers 4. and cause the seate of violence to come neere That lie upon beds of ivory and stretch themselves upon their couches and eate the lambs out of the flock the calves out of the midst of the stall vers 5. That chaunt to the sound of the violl and invent to themselves instruments of musick vers 6. That drinke wine in bowles and annoint themselves with the chiese ointments but are not grieved for the afflictions of Ioseph Ierusalem was then surest of her destruction when she laughed and rejoyced in her surfeits and riotts my compassionate Iesus at the same time foreseeing her ruine mourned and wept over her Oh Luc. 19 41. mee thinks when I lay my hand upon my heart when I touch my heart I find it a stringed instrument and when I stoppe upon the fretts the lesson that it playeth is nothing but Lachrymae Yet I feare I weepe not so much as I should and I feare too that every one doth not weepe so much as I doe I feare there are still those among us Isa 49.26 who dilight to be fed with their owne flesh and to be drunke with their owne blood as with sweete wine What shall I say of such or how shall I pleade for them Have these workers of wickednesse noe knowledg Ps 14.4 who eate up the people as they eate bread and call not upon the Lord 2. Sam. 2.26 Lord shall their sword devoure for ever Know wee not that it will be bitternesse in the latter end How long shall it be then ere the people be bid returne from following their brethren The Lord hath said by the mouth of his servant David that he will abhorre the bloody Ps 5.6 Ps 55.23 and deceitfull man yea he saith that bloody and deceitfull men shall not live out halfe their dayes Ps 68.30 Ps 51.14 Ps 46.9 and that hee will skatter the people that delight in warre Deliver 〈◊〉 from blood-guilinesse ô God thou God of 〈◊〉 salvation O that my God would make these warrs to cease O that he would breake the bowes and cut the speares in sunder and burâ—… the chariots in the fire This I am sure heâ— and hee alone can doe Hee and hee onely is our refuge and strength vers 1. and a very present heâ—e in trouble This therfore that hee may doe I will imitate the Prophet Daniel and I will speake Dan. 9.20 and pray and confesse mine owne sinnt and the sinns of this people and present my supplication before the Lord my God and thus I will say The First Prayer wherein is set downe 1 Gods Iustice in punishing his owne people in former times 2 His Iustice allso in the present punishing us for our offences 3 An earnest supplication for our repentance and his forgivenesse O Righteous father thou who art righteous in all thy wayes Ps 145.17 and holy in all thy workes I thine unworthy creature in the very griefe of my heart and with a sad and bleeding soule cannot choose but sit downe and weepe Ps 13â— 1. vers 8. in the consideration of our poore Sion wasted with miseries Yet great and grievous though our afflictions are and the increase and growth which they may yet arise higher unto is all-together as unknowne to us as when the period and end of them shall be howsoever I must confesse thee to be a righteous God strong and patient And seeing all things are naked and open unto thee with whom wee have to doe I cannot choose but acknowledg here upon my bended knees before thine all-seeing majesty that the sinns oh the grievous the scandalous the out-ragious sinns of this nation have cryed for this vengeance Ps 51.4 that thou mayst be justifyed when thou speakest and be cleere now thou judgest I confesse ô Lord out of a sense of mine owne transgressions and consideration of the crimes of this people Is 59.12 that our transgressions are multiplyed before thee and our sinns testifie against us for our transgressions are with us and as for our iniquities I desire of thee Lord that wee may know them When thine owne deare people of Israel would not be reformed by terrour Lev. 26 16. vers 17 and consumption and the burning ague by their enemies eating that which they had sowed and reigning over them by their fleeing when none did pursue them by making their heaven iron their earth as brasse vers 18 by suffering them to spend their strength in vaine vers 19 and causing their land not to yeeld her increase nâ— the trees their fruite vers 22 by the wild beasts robbing them of their children by destroying their cattell and making them few in number and their high wayes desolate then didst thou threaten them vers 23 saying If yee will yet walke contrarie to mee then will I walke contrarie to you vers 24 vers 25 and will punish you yet seaven times for your sinns I will bring a sword upon you that shall avenge the quarrell of my covenant when yee are gathered together within your citties I will send the Pestilence among you Deut. 28.15 yee shall be delivered into the hand of the enemie Againe thou didst allso threaten them saying If thou wilt not hearken to the voyce of the Lord thy God to observe to doe all his