my soul and with all my strength and because sweet Father I cannot love thee e 1 John 4.20 whom I have not seen except I love my brother whom I see dayly I beseech thee that I f Levit. 19. may love my neighbour as my self and that I may love thee above my self that neither tribulation g Rom. 8. nor anguish nor famine nor nakâ—dnesse nor life nor death may be able to separate me from the love that I have unto thee in Christ Jesus That I may forsake b Mat. 10.81 Father and Mother Wife and Children and leave all and follow thee Sect. X. Of Christ's Passion O Sweet Saviour The Patient's Pattern we finde that most true which the Prophet Jeremy spake in thy person when he said My grief is above all grief For all thy five sences had no small taste of grief As the feeling vexed with the sharp nails wherewith thou wast pricked Thy hearing with the opprobrious termes wherewith thou wast blasphemed Thy tast with the vineger and gall wherewith thou wast fed Thy smelling with the filthy spittle wherewith thou wast besmeared and thy fight with that wicked crew by whom thou wast abused nay there was not one part in thee left untormented that might be afflicted For thy head was grieved with thornes thy hands and feet with the nailes thy back with the whip thy heart and side with a spear thy whole body with grief and nakedness and thy soul with heaviness Thus wast thou tormented in every part for me that have offended thee in every member giving mine eyes to behold vanity mine ears to listen to folly my tongue to speak blasphâ—my my throat an open sepulcher my hands the instruments of wrong my feet swift to mischief my heart to all wickedness and my whole body to uncleanness Spark 10. O most m rcifull Father behold thy Sâ—nne who did endure this for my sake q Isa 53. behold him that hath suffered and of thy goodnesse remember him for whom he hath suffered Behold his humble hands and forgive the sins which my harmefull hands have committed Behold his gracious eyes thâ—t never affected p 1 John 2.1 vanity and so give the wickedness that my greedy eyes have delighted in Behold his chast ears that never were attentive but to goodness and forgive my sins in hearkening to lewdness Behold his deep wounds in his mercifull hands and forgive the sins of my idle hands Behold his feet which never stood q Psal 1.1 in the way of sinners and make my pathes perfect in thy tract Behold how his side became bloody his bowels dry his sight dim his countenance pale his armes stiffe how his feet hung and his blood ranne in streams to the ground O Lord spare me for whom he hath spilt his blood O good Lord my sins were the thornes the nailes and the spear that wrought such a passion in him and shall such a passion work no compassion in me Shall not so powerfull a passion that wrought remorse in the Sun in the Moone in the Earth in the vail of the Temple in the dead bodies and in the very stones d Mat. 27.51 52 move me to pitty thy pains for whom thou hast suffered for thou diedst not for the Sun nor the Moon nor the Temple nor the Earth nor the Stones but for me Man and for my salvation thou camest down from heaven and wast made man crucified and buried therefore I will praise thy name for ever with the best member that I have Sect. XI Of our Filiation The Affinity of the godly BY Grace we may not onely call God our Father because by Christ we are his adopted sonnes but because we are also his creatures and the works of his hands For we call them rightly fathers which give their being to their children I mean which immediatâ—ly are the cause that their children hâ—ve substantial bodies and they are called sonnes to those men of whom they receive body and blood being and beginning Now as we have the substance and originall of our corruptible bodies from our earthly Fathers so have we our soules immediately from God who is our heavenly Father so that God by creation is the Father of us all and we his sonnes and as all those are termed brethren which receive their bodies and beginning from one man so may all those be well called brethren that receive their spirit life and soul from one God So that God both by Creation and Redemption is the Father of us all and all of us are brethren and look how much the soule doth excell the body so much the more farre doth our heavenly Father excell our earthly Father and so much doth our fraternity in God excell our brotherhood in man For without comparison God is more properly to be termed a Father in respect of the soul than a carnall Father is in respect of the body because the body in comparison of the soul is as nothing For a man is a man in respect of his soul and the body hath his being onely for the soul in respect therefore that the soul is the chief thing in man it is evident that God from whom it cometh is the chief Father So that every man is more the son of God than he is the son of his carnall Father because he receiveth this principall part immediately from God Nay which is more man receiveth from his carnal Father but some part of his body for he receiveth part from his mother yea both his Father and Mother are but the instrumentall cause in generation for God is the principal in the generation of the body and the onely and sole cause of the soul for man receiveth his soul onely from God not in part as his body from his carnal Father but wholely and entirely Now therefore seeing we are called sons more in respect of our soules than in respect of our bodies it followeth that we are brethren in respect of the soul more than in respect of the body for in respect of the body alone bruit beasts have a fraternity as well as we but not in respect of the soul because they have none properly So that it followeth that we are all rather to be tearmed brethren bâ—cause we receive our immortal souls immediately from one God created after his image than those who but in part and imperfectly receive their bodies from one and the same carnal Father therefore look how much more dear our soules are than our bodies unto us so much more dear ought God to be unto us than our carnal Fathers and our love to men as they are our brethren in God more than as they are our brethren in the flesh And if we be induced to love honour fear reverence and obey our carnal Fathers of whom as instruments we received but our bodies and those but in part then how much rather ought we to fear reverence love honour and obey our spiritual
which we usually call Regeneration For he receiveth his body immediately from man his soul immediately from God and the holiness and sanctity of both from Christ God and man So that a Christian man hath three generations or he is thrice begotten First receiving his body mediately from man Secondly his soul immediatly from God and Thirdly the holiness of both from Christ both God and man And this third and last generation maketh the childe of God compleat for without this we are nothing in God though something in nature For the first generation is libidinous unclean and corrupt and by it a man is damnable Because recâ—iving our flesh from Adam we receive with it the fault of Adam the corruption of Adam and the punishment due to it for the same by which we becom hatefull to God odious to good creatures and the children of wrath The second generation which is the creation and infusion of the soul by God into our bodies is clean and holy as it is infused by God but because the body is infected and corrupted it doth presently infect the soul But the third generation is holy in it we receive all the goodness beauty rectitude of soule and body which reduceth them both to the right state taking away the wickednesse and corruption thereof making a man being before Gods enemy to become now his friend and his child So that we have not lost God be thanked so much by our first fall and generation in Adam as we have gained by our regeneration recovery in Christ For in our first generation Adam was the head but in our regeneration Christ is our head In our first begetting Adam was espoused to Eve but in our last begetting every Christian is espoused to Christ In our first generation the flesh did bear rule in our last generatiation the spirit doth bear rule subjecting the flesh unto his motion By our first generation we were altogether carnal bruitish and beastly but by the last generation we become spirituall reasonable and divine By his first generation man lost the true image and similitude of God and got the similitude of Satan but by this last generation we got again the rectitude of Gods image lost the goodness fairness beauty thereof By our first generation in Adam we got the roots of all evill but by our Regenerâ—tion in Christ we receive the roots of all goodness So that our last gâ—neration is not the least work of grace For man by his fall was worse than nothing but by this last generation he is renewed born again and made a good thing And as in our fiâ—st generation we have our Father and Mother namely Adam and Eve So in this generation we have our Father and Mother our Father Christ God and man and our Mother the Church which is the Spouse of Christ so that in our Regeneration our conception is by the spirit of God our birth is our Baptisme the Church our Nurse and Mother the breasts which we suck are the two Tâ—staments our meat thâ— pure milk thereof our growth increase of grace heavenly wisdome and everlasting life And by this new birth in Christ all of us Christians are brethren three wayes First we are brethren as concerning the flesh having all of us Adam for our Father Secondly we are brethren as concerning the soul having all of us received our soules from one the same God Thirdly we are brethren in Christ touching the holinesse and sanctity thereof by grace in him which is our new birth For wheresoever this third kind of brotherhood is not there all the rest are dead in deed for this is the fraternity of grace and the rest but of nature and betwixt grace and nature I mean between our being in nature and our being in grace there is no small difference For there is great difference between our simply being and our holiness of being For it is one thing to be another thing to be well holy and godly in the manner and forme of our being for being may be without the holinesse thereof For we see by experience in our bodies that our members have being and their well-being for the heart the liver and the head or brain do impart unto the rest of the members whatsoever they have for the liver giveth all blood and grosse humors unto the members of which the memberâ— are both made nourished and these humours are conveyed to the members thorough the veines and this liver may be compared to the first man in generation which onely giveth a body unto man The second part in a mans body is the heart and it sendeth naturall heat unto all the members with vitall being and this is conveyed from the heart to the members by the arteries and the heart giving this vitall heat is like unto God that giveth the living soul to the body for as the soul doth quicken the body even so doth the heart give vital heat to the members for without this naturall heat the members were dead The head which is above all contayning the brain in it doth by the nerves give unto all the members both sense and motion this head is like Christ which giveth all sense and motion of grace unto us his members Therefore as the members of our bodies receive blood from the liver life from the heart and sense and motion from the head so we receive first our flesh from man our soul from God and all motion and sense of grace from Christ both God and man Whatsoever the liver the heart doth give to us it is for the being of our bodies but whatsoever the head giveth to our bodies it is for the perfection and well-being of the members So that when a member in our bodies looseth sense and motion it looseth then his perfection and well-being though it looseth not his being which it receiveth from the liver and the heart So that we see that a member may lose his well-being and perfection though not his being simply As for example that member that is possessed with a dead palsie hath lost his well-being and perfection namely sense and motion which is receiveth from the brain By this Lord I see thy mercy towards thy enemies for though they receive not the sense motion of grace from Christ as from their head yet they still receive their influence from God because they are preserved in their being as touching their soul For having no life of grace they have from God the life of nature by the soul and as concerning their flesh and body they receive the benefit of creatures namely a preservation of their being O Lord if thou doest so much for such as have no life nor motion from Christ what wilt thou do to such as live in Christ Lord thou art full of wisdom and hast given us these three principall parts that we might think of our threefold generation For when we think of our liver that giveth blood
fire doth heat and warme all things and ascend upward so doth thy love warme our cold zeal and cause our hearts to ascend up to seek those things that he above And as the clouds do drop down waters to wash the filthiness of the earth so the grace of thy holy spirit doth cause often a cloud of sorrow for sins to arise in our hearts and so to dissolve into tears at our eyes Thirdly as the Dove is a mild bird void of gall so that Dove-like spirit the holy ghost would have his nest in our hearts that we might be meek as thou art meeek Lord patient and peaceable like the milde Dove void of anger and malice Lastly As the tongue doth exhort and perswade by the eloquence thereof so the blessed spirit of thee our God by appearing in the forme of tongues would have us to be exhorted and perswaded by the wisdome and eloquence thereof and not to build upon vain philosophy and humane wisdome Sparke 16. Gracious Father let thy good spiriâ— a Psal 143. lâ—â—d us into the lâ—nd of righteousnesse let it go still before us to give us as b Exod. 13.21 a pillar of cloud by day and as the pillâ—r of fire by night Yea let him still be the starre of Grace to direct us unto that blessed Saviour of the world â— Mat. 2.11 thy onely son Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XVII Our soules are not begotten by men THat principle which denieth the soule to be begotten from the parents The Soul's Pedegree needs no other proof than experience For if the soul came from the substance of the parents as the body doth the soul then of one man should be some kinne to the body and soul of another man his begetter and so one man would love the soul of his friend better than his body But we see by Experience that men are more carefull for the body of their children than for their soul for the most part and men will venter much to fetch the bodies of their friends out of prison or to save them from death but for the soul which is as it were Gods kinsman infused by him into us men are lesse carefull And therefore our Saviour Christ careing most for the soul which was most dear to him taught us â—wo petitions for the good of the soul and but one for the necessities of the body which is the petition for our dayly bread Sparke 17. Good Lord grant we may love both in our selves that which thou best lovest and hate which thou hatest r Mat. 6.10 O good father from thâ—e we have received this soul and living breath Å¿ Gen. 1. by which we breathe we commâ—nd it Lord into thy carefull t Psal 31. hands deliver it good Lord from the ungodly and comfort the souls of thy servants And let our u Luk. 1.46 souls magnifie thee Lord and our spirit ever rejoyce in thee our God and Saviour The very God of peace sanctifie us throughout w 1 Thes 5. and I pray God that our whole spirit and soul and body may be kept blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen Sect. XVIII Love admits no excuse IN man's reason we may finde some excuse for omitting any duty but love for there is no excuse for our defect in love For there is no charges no weariness no labour no pain nor no grief in loving yea it maketh all paines and labour to seeme sweet and delightfull For the hunter for love of his game will travell all day without weariness And herein appeareth the sweetness of God's mercy and the greatnesse of his liberality towards us which would not tye man to that which was heavy laborious and wearisome buâ— to that which was most pleaâ—ant and â—asie Sparke 18 O sweet Lord true it is that thy q Mat. 11 30. yoke is easie and thy burden light Lord make us to love thee and thy truth more than all thy creatures yea more than our goods more than our friends d Mat. 10 37. more than our flesh more than our selves our soules and our bodies And seeing thou hast given b Gen. 1.28 29. us all things for thy service Lord give us a heart to love thee above c Psal 119. all with all our hearts with all our strength with all our mind and with all our soul through Jesus Christ Deut. 6. Amen Sect. XIX The love of God and the love of Mammon The Soul's Solace THere 's no proportion between the love of worldly things and the love of God For from the one must needs follow sorrow from the other continuall joy For all things in this world are mutable coâ—ruptible Therefore as often as the object or the thing we set our love upon doâ—h either perish change or vanish so often must it needs be a grief unto us to lose it that we loved â—o well But if God â—e the object of our love and the thing we best affect then must we needs have continual joy and never sorrow For we never sorrow much but for the loss of the thing we love most Therefore if God be the object of our love and marke of our affection our joy can never decay for God can neither die nor perish nor be changed nor be wanting but is alwayes present to our wills alwayes sufficient to our desires alwayes omnipotent to our wants alwayes loving alwayes mercifull alwayes most good most pleasant most just most wise and most glorious Therefore the object of our love never failing our joy shall never fail No marvaile then if with God there is everlasting joy and never dying happinesse himself being the object of our love and cause of our joy For seing all our love ariseth from God and all our joy from our love therefore both our joy and our love will endure so long as God endureth Sparke 19. O Lord God the onely Lover and Saviour of our soules let us not love the world nor the things that are therein q 1 John 2. Good Father thou that best knowest the deceitfull baits of this alluring world let us live in the world and not love the world If riches r Psal 6 10. encrease let us not set our hearts thereon If honours be heaped upon us let us not be delighted therewith If pleasures do tempt us let us not be enamoured therewith x Mark 10. But let us love thee Lord with all our heart with all our soul and with all our strength Let us never love father mother brother sister nor friends more than thee lest we be not worthy of thee y Psal 5.12 For they that onely love thy name shall be joyfull in thee b and they shall prosper that love thee Therefore Lord let me love thee above all and love all in thee and for thy love Grant this O Lord for Jesus Christ our sweet and onely Saviour Amen Sect. XX.
unto thee both wayes the greatness of thy sins the severity of his justice the shortnesse of this life and the eternity of that to come Reader Let me crave thy patience awhile mark diligently my words follow well my Counsell let these my words take deep impression in thy heart by all means walk in the strait way but let it be the right way beware of superstition in Religion to decline to the left hand and of rash zeal to run on the right be to God faithfull and to lawfull Authority not disloyall Endeavour to be what thou oughtest to be though thou canst not attain to that thou shouldest be never presume to reform others before thou hast well ordred thy self see at home then look abroad redresse that which is faulty and in thy power to amend before thou doest meddle with that which is beyond thy reach be not faire in publike and foule in private hate hypocrisie and avoid vain-glory let not the badge of Religion be the bond of wickednesse receive no opinion in Religion but what the word of God doth evidently warrant see unto the glass of the word by thy own sight without other menâ— Spectacles and hold what thou judgest truth onely in love of the truth beware of by-respects be not high minded and be not wise in thy own conceit but make thy self equall with them of the lower sort and if it be possible have peace with all men avenge not thy self but give place unto wrath be angry but sin not ow nothing to any man but love put on the new man which after God is created in true holinesse Cast off lying and speak the truth from thy heart let no corrupt communication proceed out of thy mouth work out thy salvation with fear and trembling and give all diligence to make thy Calling and Election sure And consider hadst thou Sampson's haire Milo's strength Scanderbergs arme Solomon's wisdome Absolon's beauty Craesus his wealth Caesar's valour Alexander's spirit Tullies eloquence Gyge's ring Perseus's Pegasus Gorgon's head and Nestor's years yet thou canst have no true content or happiness in this world which is but a maze or labyrinth of errours a desart a wilderness a den of thieves and cheaters nor ever arrive at the port of rest without the two wings of Davids Dove Prayer and Meditation those inseparable twins like those of Hypocrates's which did feed together joy together weep together live together and die together Prayer disposeth our souls to meditation meditation supplieth matter to our prayer both give life and strength the one to the other Meditation prepareth our souls and maketh them fit to receive God Prayer inviteth that glorious guest b th to entertain him and make him pleased to abide in them or to speak more properly Prayer is the speech of the soul unto God and Meditation is as it were the speech of God to the soul both make a familiar conference and conversing between God and the soul In this Treatise thou shalt finde a sweet Dialogue both of Meditation and Prayer the devout soule humbly praying unto God and God graciously answering the soul this is Jacob's his ladder whereupon the Angels of God cease not to ascend with our Petitions and descend with Pardons This is the rod of Aaron with which we may do wonders this is the haire of Sampson wherein lies all the strength of a Christian And this is the Path-way of perfection which will safely bring thee to thy journey's end where are those joyes which neither eye hath seen nor ear heard nor ever entered into the heart of man To which place God of his infinite mercy in Christ bring thee and all Christians which shall ever be the hearty prayer of the greatest of sinners and the least of Saints thy unknown freind in the Lord Athanasius Davies SPARKES OF THE SPIRIT SECT I. Of the holy Scripture LORD The Atheists conviction as thou art full of Majesty and might of command and Authority so dost thou shew thy self no where to be of greater credit and Authority than in thy Word For all other Books and writings to induce the Reader to give credit unto the Authors thereof are full of reasons and arguments and of naturall probations But thy Word good Lord is most plain and absolute declaring simply and absolutely thy will without any further Naturall or Philosophical arguments shewing thereby that it is the Word of such an Author who is to be believed upon his bare word simply and absolutely without any further reasoning For we know dear Lord that thy holy Scriptures differ from all mens writings because they command and controll all Princes Potentates of the world absolutely enjoyning forbidding vice threatning everlasting misery to the wicked and assuring eternal felicity to the godly Therefore Lord we know and believe that the holy Scriptures are thy holy and Sacred Words and thy undoubted books For it belongeth to no creature to be able to inflict eternall punishments or to bestow endless blessedness Therefore those Books that contain threatnings of the one and assurance of the other must needs have none other but thy Majesty for their Author For what creature can or dare say I will judge all men in the day of judgement and I will give unto every man according to his works Who 's of that Authority power as to threaten eternal pains to all men past present to come resisting his will but only thou most mighty God What is he that could say or write That there lights not a Sparrow on the ground without his knowledge and providence That he knoweth all the words deeds and thoughts of all men but onely thou most wise gracious Lord Who could say I will bring a generall deluge upon the earth I will melt the Elements with heat I will rayse up all the dead at the sound of a Trumpet and judge the world but thy Infinite power For if any creature had been the Author of the Scripture he must be either good or evill It was not an evil creature for the words be simply and absolutely good dehorting from all evill and exhorting unto all godlinesse and to the chief good and therefore these words which are contained in the Scripture could not proceed from the nature and inclination of any evill creature Neither could these words properly proceed from the motion and disposition of any good creature because they are spoken in precepts and in commanding manner with great Authority in much power threatening punishment to such as obey it not as eternall happinesse to such as follow it For no good creature would presume to take upon him such power and Authority of himself as to threaten eternall damnation to some and assure eternal salvation unto others which onely is proper to a Divine and Infinite Power and therefore it were intolerable pride and presumption in any creature to take so much Authority upon him being a thing so flat and contrary against the nature and
Mat. 25. O God thou seest how my sins have taken such hold f Psal 40.15 upon me that I cannot look up to thy holy place Lord break the chains of my sins and let the pitifulnesse of thy great mercy loose me from the bondage of sinne the fear of death Rom. 8.1 the misery of this wretched life from the terrour and rigour of thy law that I may believe and feele that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Lord grant that we maybe fellow Citizens with the Saints and never look for a resting place here but let me say and sing with thy holy Prophet If I forget thee O Jerusalem let my right hand forget her cunning yea If I remember thee not let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I prefer not Jerusalem in my q Psal 1â—â— mirth Sect. VII Of the Kingdome of Heaven The Kings Palace THe place of Joy and the eternall rest of the Saints of God is described unto us in the Word of God by four speciall names above the rest whereby we may guess at the happiness therein contained namely by the name of a 2 Cor. 12. Paradise of a b John 14. House a c Heb. 12. City and a d Mat. 5. Kingdome It is called a Paradise to shew that it is as a Garden or Orchard of all sweet pleasure and delight But least we might imagine by the name of Paradise that the place of joy is but as a Garden adjoyning to a backside or a place by some corner of a house It is called a Princely House or Palace where many mansions and chambers be where besides a Garden there are also Halls Parlers Chambers Galleries Banquetting-houses and all other Lodges of pleasure but because a house though never so great cannot contain any great company or extraordinary multitude whereby we might be induced to believe that there can be but very few that can be saved for want of roome in heaven therefore the place prepared for us is also called a City which containes many Houses many Palaces many Temples many Orchards and such like places fit to contain and entertain many millions of Saints and Angels but least we should imagine that a City may be little and not spacious enough for the Sonnes of God and such as follow the Lamb therefore it is not called onely a Paradise a House or a City but a Kingdome yea the Kingdome of Heaven in comparison of which the whole earth is but as a point So that the Saints of God shall not onely be â—â— a Garden or Paradise of all delight but also in a Palace of all pleasures In a City of all good Government acquaintance and familiarity yea in a Kingdome of all Glory and Majesty where every Servant of God shall be his Sonne and every Sonne a Citizen and every Citizen a crowned King to raigne with the King of Kings for ever Sparke 7. O God seeing there is with thee such a Paradise of pleasure q Psal 84.1 grant that I may not love this earth nor the vain delights therein and seeing thy House and Palace hath so many roomâ— and mansions f John 14 â— let me not delight too much in building houses here upon earth as if I meant to stay here for ever r Psal 49 11. but with the Patriarchs m Heb. 11 10. Prophets and Apostles be content with such tents and mansions as may best put me in mind of thy dwelling And seeing that holy and heavenly Jerusalem is so great and glorious d Psal 84.1 let not me look here g Heb. 11.9 for any abiding City nor greedily gape for the Kingdome and preferments of the world seeing such a Kingdome is prepared for me that is like a well governed City a strong Palace or a Paradice of pleasure But when I walk in my garden let me desire thy Paradise when I sit in my house let me think of thy Palace when I tread in the town let me remember thy holy City and when I see the glory of the world and this earthly Kingdome let me seek thy Kingdome and the righteousness thereof Mat. 5. through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. VIII We must serve God in our prime and best time IT is a rule most certain in Reason and Divinity Abell's Oblation That man ought to yeeld his love and service to God as Creatures do give their love and service unto us who by the Ordinance of God do yeeld us both love and service in the best fashion or else man would not accept it And therefore the trees do not onely give their fruit willingly but such fruits as are seasonable sweet and delectable otherwise if they were bitter rotten and unpleasant we would not care for them For we ought to give our love and service to God when it is seasonable sweet and pleasant or else God will not accept of it Sparke 8. O gracious God as thou hast made me in the best fashion p Gen. 1. Psal â— Col. 3. more excellent than all other Creatures thy holy Angells excepted So grant I may yeeld the sweeter love more pleasant service than they by how much my Creation excelleth theirs Let me not bear leaves q Mat â—1 Mark 11. but fruits and those fruits which are most sweet and pleasant in thy sight Let my prayer be fervent r 1 Cor. 14. my zeal burning a Psal 69. and 119. 2 Kings 10. my faith unfained b Mat. 9. 1 Tim. 1. my fear filiall d Psal 86. my obedience child-like e Luke 2. my almes cherefull without ostentation and my whole life a pattern f Mat. 5 1â— for my posterity through that true pattern of all purity Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. IX Our love to God Sorrow's Antidote or Salve AS sorrowfulnesse is the death of the body and the grief of the soul so joy is the life of both For where there is no joy there is no life and where there is all sadness there is nothing but death For as the Soul's life consisteth in joy so the death thereof in sorrow So that he which hath true joy hath life but he which loveth his God in heart unfainedly hath true joy And seeing this joy doth arise from the love of God onely and from none other therefore it followeth that to have all our love all our good all our content and all our delight yea and all of life is to have the love of God And seeing the love of God I mean our love to God is within man that is in his will heart and affection it followeth therefore that to seek all our love all our life and all out contentment we need not to go out of our selves Spark 9. O gracious God teach me to have this treasure within me namely to love thee with all my heart d Deut. 6. with all
might and majesty both now for evermore Amen Sect. LVII Trust not unto a rotten stick HE that trusteth to his own strength leaneth on a rotten stick For we see the skilfullest Wrastler sometimes have a fall the cunningest Fencer to have the foyle the stoutest Cantain killed the best Rider under his horses feet the nimblest Swimmer sunk under the water the best wits perish and the wisest men erre Sparke 57. O Lord God let me acknowledge my weaknesse and not presume on my strength For it is better to trust in thee than to put any confidence in Princes O Lord in thee have I trusted let me never be confounded Amen Sect. LVIII The best increase THe Husbandman's field doth bring him for every grain sometimes thirty sometimes forty sometimes sixty and sometimes an hundred sold If God so blesse our bodily labour How much more will he bless the labor of our souls If therefore we sow in tears we shall reap in joy If we sow in the Spirit we shall reap of the Spirit life everlasting For he that first seeketh the Kingdome of God and the righteousness thereof shall have all other things added unto it Sparke 58. O Lord give me grace to labour in the Spiâ—it to seek thy Kingdome to lay up treasure in Heaven that when the generall harvest shall come my eyes may be waking my lamp light and my self as a sheaf of wheat gathered into thy farne through Jesus Christ Amen Sect. LIX The Servant's access to his Lord. MAny a man is sain to travell farre to see a great man and to suffer many dangers and perhaps when he comes to his journeys end he shall find either his Lord from home or not at leasure perhaps dead or if alive not willing to pleasure him It is not so with God For if I come once to Heaven to see my Lord and Master my dear Father and best Friend as Mary and Joseph after their journey found him in the Temple amongst the Doctors so shall I be sure to finde him in his holy Temple amongst the Angells yea I shall be sure of such kinde entertainment that I shall never think of my paines and labour in coming or once dream to returne Sparke 59. Lord give me grace to be stedfast unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as I know that my labour is not in vain in the Lord. Lord I will come unto thee and seek thee whilest thou mayest be found I will knock and â—â—ll at midnight at thy mercy and though I have no friends either to plead my cause or to preferre my petition unto earthly Lords yet dear Father I have an advocate in thy Court that will both plead my cause and pitty my case even thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Sect. LX. Soon ripe soon rotten THere is no flower that will not fade no fruit that will not corrupt no garment that will not wear no beauty which will not wither no strength which will not weaken and no time so long but at last will pass I cannot see these vanish and not say that my self must pass The flower of my youth is gone already my best fruits are corrupt my time passeth while I speak of it Sparke 60. Lord teach me to number my dayes that I may apply my heart to wisedom and have understanding in the way of godliness For the longer time thou givest me the more I have to answer Lord make me ready at thy call and sweet Jesus pay my debts for me Sect. LXI The best Pattern O Lord I need no better Master to teach me than he that is my Saviour For by his nakedness on the Cross I may learn to clothe me By his Crown of thorns how to adorne me By his Vineger and Gall how to diet me By his prayer for his Murtherers how to revenge me and by his whole passion for me how to suffer for him Spark 61. Lord give me grace in all my actions to learn of thee to be mercifull as thou art mercifull meek as thou art meek holy as thou art holy true as thou art true and faithfull as thou art faithfull Let me honour thee as a Creator love thee as a Redeemer and expect thee as a Saviour And in the mean while let me rest in thy peace that I may rise in thy power Sect. LXII Take heed how you walk LOving Father what time so ever I bestow out of thy service I bestow it on my self am a Thief because I rob thee of thy due And if I be more enamoured with any of thy blessings than with thee I commit Adultery and take another God before thee And if I spend good houres in evill actions to bad purpose then I commit Treason against thy Majesty Sparke 62. Give me grace most loving Father to serve thee in righteousnesse and holinesse all the days of my life to love thee with all my heart with all my strength and with all my soul and to do say nor think either in merriment or sobernesse but those things which may please thee and advance thy glory Sect LXIII The last Enemy THere is no Enemy which a man cannot avoid either by flying forward retyring backward or standing still hidden or disguised or at the least by prayer but death For if we go forward we meet death if backward it meets us If we stand still it is coming upon us Yea whether we sleep or wake go or stand all is one we must needs meet death Therefore we must be resolute and prepare our selves for this last enemy from whom we cannot fly It is but a bug-bear it hath lost his sting we need not fear Sparke 63. O Lord prepare thy servant to die Grant I may live the life of the godly that I may die the death of the righteous For what man liveth and shall not see death O Lord how precious in thy sight is the death of thy Saints for they sleep in thee and cease from their labour Grant Lord that I may put my house in order and joy that I must dye Sect. LXIV The insatiable Worm I See that all the Creatures and worms of the earth can live onely upon some kinde of food that comes from the earth either upon grasse hay or corne or upon some fruits of trees or herbes But man is from the earth and yet all the Creatures of the earth will not suffice him but he must go to the Fowles of the ayre and the fishes of the sea for daintie and all too little to satisfie his appetite So that if he had as many dishes as he lived dayes he would both desire and invent novelties Sparke 64. O Lord let me not pamper my body dayly with delicates but prepare my soul with dutifull obedience to feed on the heavenly Manna of thy word That having meat and drink to suffice nature I may learn therewith to be content Let his diet that was but a loaf and a fish with a cup of
the time of your dwelling here in fear AS we must give an account of every idle word which we speak so we must give an account of every idle hour which we spend Therefore when we see the glasse run or hear the clock strike or the sun passe in the Diall let us think that there is now another hour come whereof we are to yield a reckoning and so endeavour to spâ—nd one hour better than another Sparke 95. O Lord let me rejoyce in thee evermore pray continually and in all things give thanks redeeming the time because the dayes are evill let me passe no minute idlely but while I have the light walk in the light for the night will come wherein I can work no more Sect. XCVI The Merchant's gaine SAint Paul the vessell of honour doth teach that Godliness is great and true gaine Let us therefore seek and search hunger and thirst for this gain Let the love of godlinesse not of money break our sleep possesse our thoughts in the night let us minde it first in the morning and meditate on it most in the day time And as the Merchants for his gaines maketh long voyages hazards life and health sequesters himself from his wife and children So let us for the Kingdom of God indure troubles without terrours within leave wife and children and with a valourous mind passe all the seas and storms of this world and as the covetous Merchant the elder he waxeth the more greedy he is to gather so the elder we are let us make the more carefull provision of faith and good works If we be Merchants let us exchange our commodities for better let us leave our avarice that we may receive content refuse sin that we may receive our Saviour One soul is more precious than the whole world let us then sell the world to save our soules The Kingdome of Heaven is a Pearl that cannot be purchased except we part with all we have If we be merchants let us venture for it Who would not with the poor fisher-men leave an old net to follow Christ Math. 4. Who would not with the woman of Samaria change a cup of well water for the water of the fountain of life Luk. 19. Who would not with Zacheus do away half his goods to obtain a Kingdom Who would not with the penitent thief bestow a broken heart and a short prayer for a Crown of glory Luk. 21. Who would not with the poor widow forgoe a mite to receive a million Who would not with Christ and his holy Martyrs endure the Crosse that he may enjoy the Crown Who would not with the wise men exchange gold frankincense and myrrhe to obtaine Grace truth and mercy Spark 96. O God thou art my God my goods are nothing unto thee Whom have I in heaven but thee and whom shall I desire on earth in comparison of thee O Lord thou did'st with thy bloud arrest heaven for me when thou wast circumcised thou hast paid the whole when thou wast crucified then didst thou take our sins and gavest us thy salvation I am a poor banquerupt I can offer thee nothing that is of worth accept of my mite of devotion my cold water of almes my grain of faith my desire of sorrow my sighes of satisfaction and my purpose to praise thee Alas sweet Jesus I cannot give thee thy own goods to gain my own glory I have nothing left me but the name of Merchant Satan the man of War hath taken away the gold of my faith I have exchanged thy graces for the worlds vanity and I have so long listened to the sirens of my own concupiscence that I have made a shipwrack of all thy blessings Sweet Jesus pardon my doings and pay thou my debts Give me that life which thou hast purchased for me and forgive me that death which I have purchased for my self by my sins Amen Sect. XCVII A Christian Salutation WHen a man first comes to a house we use to say you are welcome when he is parting away God speed you or fare you well when we meet with him on the high way God save you So when we see a man born we may say you are welcome for he is but newly come When we see one under forty God keep you for he is at the best but if past forty God speed you or fare you well for he is going out of the world Sparke 97. Lord I am alwayes going out of the world therefore grant me a prosperous journey and a happy arrivall teach me betimes to take my leave of all and to follow thee let me never look back to the Sodom of sin till I come to the mountain of happy felicity through him and by him who is the way the truth and the life Sect. XCVIII The way to preferment HE that will be joyfull must weep he that will be satisfied must hunger and fast he that will be rich must give and he that will bear rule must obey Sparke 98. Lord give me grace to hunger for thee that I may be filled to weep for my sins that I may be comforted to give that it may be given to me to be mercifull that I may obtaine mercy to obey and be humble that I may be exalted Sect. XCIX The luke-warme Professor HE is like the twilight neither day nor night like the Autumne neither faire nor foule like one sick of an ague one day well another day ill or like the Mary-gold that openeth and shutteth with the sun having on eye towards Sodom and another towards Zoar or like the butterfly on the glasse window that will neither backward nor forward If he puts his hand once to the plough he is presently ready to look back he is but almost a Christian like Agrippa he is one while minded to be fellow-servants with Paul another while resolved to leave him and to follow Demas embracing this present world whose unconstant honour is so offensive and so loathsome to God that he threatens to spew him out of his mouth Rev. 3 16. He is earnest in nothing runs both with the hound and with the hare worships God and Baal weares garments of linnen wollen serves two masters God Mamon he is as well for Romish Babylon as for English Sion he can be conâ—ent with as many religions as he hath honours and vain affections Whereas one heaven held not Michael and the Dragon in peace nor one house the Arke and Dagon nor one womb Jacob and Esau nor one Temple prayer and merchandizing nor one Camp the clean and leprous nor one Bath John and Cerinthus nor one tongue God and Milchom nor one conscience true Religion and false superstition yet the lukewarme mans heart is a seat for all these and yet not constâ—nt and zâ—alous in any of these It is enough with such a one to be outwardly religious Iâ— he hath but a shew and shadow of religion he cares not for the substance
was a Murtherer but in the turning of a hand when the Viper was shaken off he was counted a god c. 3. v. 12. In Ezra the people wept because they had no Temple but after when the Temple was builded they wept as fast again because the glory of the second was not like the first 3.7 In Exodus the people groan and cry to be deliver'd from the tyranny of Pharaoh and their intolerable troubles 14.11 but the same people again cry out against Moses and Aaron for bringing them from Egypt wishing to be there again In Exod. 20.19 the people intreat that Moses may be their Ruler and Spokes-man but in Numb 16.3 the same people refuse Moses and tax him for an intermedler that taketh too much upon him In Exodus 16.3 the people cry out for bread and having bread from Heaven they gather it greedily as if they should never have enough of it But in Numb 11.6 the same people despise loath the same bread when they had it In 1 Sam. 8.5 the people are very impatient and in a rage because they had not a King But in 1 Sam. 12.19 they are very sorry and much displeased because they sought a King and had him In Matthew on Palme-Sunday the people cried all unto our Saviour Hosanna blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord spreading their garments in the way and cutting downe branches of trees But within a se'night after the same peopâ—e instead of Hosanna cry out Crucifige and instead of casting their garments in his way they rob him of his garments instead of cutting down branches of trees they hang him upon a tree In the time of Constantius the Father of Constantine the Great the people at the beginning were glad to imbrace the faith of Christ and to offer the Sacrifice of praise unto him but in a little while after the same people in hopes of preferment by the Emperour's favour become very ready and willing to offer Sacrifice unto Devils In the time of Queen Mary there was lamentation and crying out that Idolatry was set up the Church polluted the light obscured and the Gospell taken away But afterward when by the mercy of God the light was restored and the Gospell advanced they murmured cried out as fast again that we had no Church no Ministery that truth was wrapt up in Ceremonies and that all was Popish Antichristian In Acts 19. Demetrius and other subtle heads of the Tradesmen of Ephesus meerly for their own gain raised a great tumult and cried out Great is Diana of the Ephesians But presently the people were carried with such a tempest of fury that the City was all in an uprore and every man run and rushed whither he list in great confâ—sion and after much violence offered vers 32. the most-part knew not wherefore they were come together For as a weak feeble brain followeth the waxing and waining of the Moon So the brain-sick humour of many lukewarm Christians is subject and pliable to every change and revolution Like the standing corne that shakes bowes here and there as the winde bloweth or like the weather-cock that turnes with every blast or the Urchin that altereth his door as the winde turneth or like the Amphibia that will play one while upon the land another while upon the water or like the Israelites that spake both Ashdod and Hebrew These are but half Christians neither true Believers nor meer infidells they halt between two opinions sometimes for the Ark and sometimes for Dagen now for Jehovah and presently for Baal Not resolving what Religion to profess or what God to worship Like Tully among the Romanes who could not resolve whether he should take Caesar or Pompey's part or like Tidides amongst the Graecians who could not determine whether he should joyne himself with Achilles or with Hector These men are all for the time and nothing for the truth like Ecebolius who suited his profession to every Emperour's Religion They with one breath call for fire from heaven with the Disciples and say with Peter Master looke to thy self Sparke 106. O Almighty God that art ever immutable and for ever one the same with whom there is no variableness or shadow of change settle my heart in thy truth and knit my soul unto thy Testimonies that I may say as Elizeus said to Elias as the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth I will not leave thee Give me grace not onely to promise with thy servant Peter but also to performe that though all the world forsake thee yet I may never leave thee but be so linked in affection unto thee the Saviour of our souls and to thy truth that neither tribute nor anguish nor persecution nor famine nor nakedness nor perill nor sword nor death nor life nor Angâ—ls nor Principaliti s nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be ever able to separate me from thy love in Jesus Christ But as thou Lord hast made me for thine own self so let my heart be alwayes unquiet while it is from thee Rom. 8.35 and never at quiet till it comes unto thee no more than the needle in the mariner's compasse till it turns to the North star or the Dove till it come to the Arke or the child till it comes to the breast or the bee till it comes to the hi v. But be thou alwayes the center of my soul the circumference of my thoughts the star of my desire the arke of my content the loadstone of my love the breast of my comfort and the lodge of my affections that I may ever believe in thee without wavering professe thee without fearing serve thee without dissâ—mbling and love thee and thy word perfectly purely and perpetually through Jesus Christ my Saviour and redeemer Amen THE END