Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	body_n	call_v	death_n	12,105	5	5.7391	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30389	The memoires of the lives and actions of James and William, Dukes of Hamilton and Castleherald, &c. in which an account is given of the rise and progress of the civil wars of Scotland, with other great transactions both in England and Germany, from the year 1625, to the year 1652 : together with many letters, instructions, and other papers, written by King Charles the I : never before published : all drawn out of, or copied from the originals / by Gilbert Burnet ; in seven books.	Burnet, Gilbert, 1643-1715.; Charles I, King of England, 1600-1649. Selections. 1677.	1677 (1677)	Wing B5832; ESTC R15331	511,397	467

The shortning of our days is an Evil wholly depending on Opinion for if men did now naturally live but Twenty years then we should be satisfied if they died about 16 or 18. We call not that Death immature in any who live to Seventy and yet this Age is as far short of the old Period before and since the Flood as he who now dies of eighteen is of Seventy Let us still be ready for it and it cannot come too soon for let us die young or old still we have an Immortal Soul and do lay down our Bodies for a time as that which was the Instrument of our Sorrow and Trouble and the Scene of Sickness and Diseases let us not then fear that which rids us of all these for by fearing it we shall never the more avoid it but make it the more miserable to us Fanius who killed himself for fear of Death died as certainly as Porcia who eat burning Coals or Cato who tore out his own Bowels To die is necessary and natural and may be honourable but to die poorly basely and sinfully that alone is that which can make a man miserable for no man can be a Slave but he that fears pain or fears to die to such a man nothing but peaceable times can secure his Quiet for he depends upon things without him for his Felicity and so is well but during the Pleasure of his Enemy a Thief or a Tyrant but blessed is he who willingly resigns his Soul and Body into Gods hands as unto the hands of a blessed Creator and Redeemer O Blessed Iesus thou didst die for me grant that I may with Ioy submit unto thy Summons when thou shalt call me to Death for thou art my Advocate as well as my Iudge and camest into the World to save sinners whereof O Lord I acknowledg I am the greatest but thy Mercies are infinite O God of Mercy and God of all Comfort with much mercy look upon the sadness and sorrow of thy Servant my Sins lie heavy upon me and press me sore by reason of thy hot displeasure my Miseries are without comfort because they are the punishments of my Sins my Sin hath caused my sorrow and my sorrow doth not cure my Sin and unless thou for thy own sake and meerly because thou art good pity me I am as much without Remedy as without Comfort Lord pity me let thy Grace refresh my spirit let thy Comfort support me thy Mercies pardon me and let not my portion be among helpless and accursed Spirits for thou art good and gracious and I throw my self upon thy Mercy suffer me never to let my hold go anddo then with me what seems good in thy own eyes I cannot suffer more than I have deserved and yet I can need no Relief so great as thy Mercy is for thou art infinitely more merciful than I can be miserable Lord make me the object of thy Mercy both in my Life and in my Death if even this day thou shalt think fit to remove me from this valley of miseries either by the violent hand of this merciless Enemy or any other way which in thy Providence thou hast ordained when my Soul shall go out from the Prison of this Body may it be received by Angels and preserved from the horrour and amazements and the surprize of Evil Spirits and be laid up in the Bosom of our Lord till at the day of thy second Coming it shall be reunited to the Body which is now to be laid in the dust yet I hope shall be raised up in Ioy to live for ever and behold the Face of God in the Glories of our Lord Iesus who is our Hope our Resurrection and our Life our Blessed and ever-Glorious Redeemer to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all Honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen In these Exercises he continued till it was almost morning and then he threw himself down on the Bed where he did not lie above two hours when he was called on to make ready and assoon as he was Dressed and Armed he waited on the King into the Field The Dukes Regiment charges gallantly at Worcester-Fight The Account of that Engagement is not here to be offered since nothing belongs to this Work but that wherein the Duke was concerned His Regiment was commanded to charge a Body of Horse and Foot that stood near two peece of Cannon not far from the Severn but there were two great Bodies of Foot standing on each side of the Lane through which they were to go and these firing on them as they pas●ed they received great Loss but having got through the Lane there was no coming to the Enemy who stood in a close Ground but through aGap in the Hedge through which theLieutenant Collonel with a very inconsiderable Number Charged and the Enemy gave ground and left the Cannon in their hands the Horse retiring to Hacker's Regiment who came up and Charged and was gallantly received by the Lieutenant Collonel and the Dukes Regiment but some Foot brought to line the Hedges on their Flanks Fired so on them that they were forced to retire The Duke being near the Kings Person and observing all that passed inquired who they were and being told it was his own Regiment His great Valour he thought it unworthy of him to be too far from Danger when they were so put to it and galloped all alone from the King to the place where they were where he found them retiring and did all he could either by words or threatnings to make them keep their Ground But the Enemy did still bring up more Foot and Fired uncessantly on them and most of the Officers were either wounded or had their Horses killed under them particularly the Lieutenant Collonel who had all the while Charged very gallantly had his Horse shot under him and so they were beaten back The Duke himself keeped in the Reer with such as were in a Condition to wait on him to the great hazard of his Person and gave signal demonstrations of a high Courage but the Enemy following him close in great Bodies he commanded some Foot to make good the Hedge against them and rode up and down among them and encouraged them to stand and die for the Service of their King and the Honour of their Country An. 1652. and did several times Charge down to the Hedges so that all were astonished at such daring and unusual Valour But the Enemy pressing on he rode again with his Pistol in his hand to the Hedge where he received the fatal Shot that quite disabled him He is wounded His Majesty hearing of the extreme Danger he exposed himself to in these Charges and knowing well how great a loss he would suffer if so brave a Commander and such a wise and faithful Counsellor were killed sent once again to call him away from that Hazard he was in but he choosed to prefer

his Holy Water Baptizing of Bells conjuring of Spirits crossing saning anointing conjuring hallowing of Gods good Creatures with the superstitious opinion joyned therewith his worldly Monarchy and wicked Hierarchy his three solemn Vowes with all the shavellings of sundry sorts his erroneous and bloody Decrees made at Trent with all the Subscribers and Approvers of that cruel and bloody Bond conjured against the Kirk of God and finally we detest all his vain Allegories Rites Signs and Traditions brought into the Kirk without or against the Word of God and Doctrine of his true Reformed Kirk to the which we joyn our selves willingly in Doctrine Faith Religion Discipline and use of the Holy Sacraments as lively Members of the same in Christ our Head promising and swearing by the great Name of the Lord our God that we shall continue in obedience of the Doctrine and Discipline of this Kirk and shall defend the same according to our vocation and power all the dayes of our lives under the paines contained in the Law and danger both of body and soul in the day of Gods fearful Iudgement and seeing that many are stirred up by Satan and that Roman Antichrist to promise swear subscribe and for a time use the Holy Sacrament in the Kirk deceitfully against their own Consciences minding hereby first under the external Cloak of Religion to corrupt and subver● secretly Gods true Religion within the Kirk and afterward where time may serve to become open enemies and persecuters of the same under vain hope of the Popes Dispensation devised against the Word of God to his greater confusion and their double Condemnation in the day of the Lord Jesus We therefore willing to take away all suspicion of h●pocrisie and such double-dealing with God and his Kirk protest and call the Searcher of all hearts to witness that our minds and hearts do fully agree with this our Confession Promise Oath and Subscription so that we are not moved for any worldly respect but are persuaded onely in our Consciences through the knowledge and love of Gods true Religion printed in our hearts by the Holy Spirit as we shall answer to him in the day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed And because we perceive that the quietness and stability of our Religion and Kirk doth depend upon the safety and good behaviour of the Kings Majesty as upon a comfortable Instrument of Gods Mercy granted to this Country for the maintenance of his Kirk and ministration of Iustice among us we protest and promise with our hearts under the same Oath hand-writ and pains that we shall defend his Person and Authority with our Bodies and Lives in the defence of Christ his Evangel Liberties of our Country ministration of Iustice and punishment of Iniquity against all Enemies within this Realm or without as we desire our God to be a strong and merciful Defender to us in the day of our Death and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all Honour and Glory eternally Amen WE underscribing and considering the strait link and conjunction betwixt the true and Christian Religion presently profest within this Realm The Bond joyned to it and our Soveraign Lords Estate and Standing having both the self-same Friends and common Enemies and subject to the like event of standing and decay weighing therewithall the imminent danger threatned to the said Religion the Preservation whereof being dearer to us than whatsoever we have dearest to us in this Life and finding in His Majesty a most Honourable and Christian Resolution to manifest Himself to the World that zealous and religious Prince which he hath hitherto professed and to imploy the means and power that God hath put into his hands as well to the withstanding of whatsoever foreign Force shall mean within this Land for alteration of the said Religion or endangering of the present State as to the repressing of the inward Enemies thereto amongst our selves linked with them in the said Antichristian League and Confederacy have therefore in the presence of Almighty God and with His Majesties Authorizing and Allowance faithfully promised and solemnly sworn likeas we hereby faithfully and solemnly swear and promise to take a true effauld and plain part with His Majesty amongst our selves for diverting of the appearing danger threatned ●o the said Religion and His Majesties State and Standing depending thereupon by whatsoever foreign or intestine Plots or Preparations and to that effect faithfully and that upon our Truth and Honours bind and oblige us to others to convene and assemble our selves publickly with our Friends in Arms or in quiet manner at such Times and Places as we shall be required by His Majesties Proclamation or by Writ or Message directed to us from His Majesty or any having Power from him and being convened and assembled to joyn and concur with the whole Forces of our Friends and Followers against whatsoever foreign or intestine Powers or Papists and their Partakers shall arrive or rise within this Island or any part thereof ready to defend or pursue as we shall be authorised or conducted by His Majesty or any others having his Power and Commission to joyn and hold hand to the exe●ution of whatsoever Mean or Order shall be thought meet by His Majesty and His Council for suppressing of the Papists promotion of the true Religion and settling of H●s Highness Estate and Obedience in all the Countries and Corners of this Realm to expose the hazard of our Lives Lands and Goods and whatsoever means God hath lent us in the defence of the said true and Christian Religion and his Majesties Person and Estate against whatsoever Iesuits and Seminary or Mass Priests condemned Enemies to God and His Majesty to their utter wreck and exterminion according to the Power granted to us by His Majesties Proclamation and Acts of Parliament to try search and seek out all Excommunicates Practisers and other Papists whatever within our bounds and Shire where we keep residence and delate them to His Highness and His Privy Council and conform us to such Directions as from time to time we shall receive from His Majesty and His Council in their behalfs and so specially so many of us as presently are or hereafter shall be appointed Commissioners in every Shire shall follow pursue and travel by all means possible to take and apprehend all such Papists Apostates and Excommunicates as we shall receive in Writ from His Majesty And we the remanent within that Shire shall concur and assist with the said Commissioners with our whole Friends and Forces to that effect without respect of any person whatsoever and generally to assist in the mean time and defend every one of us another in all and whatsoever Quarrels Actions Debates moved or to be moved against us or any of us upon Action of the present Bond or other Causes depending thereupon and effauldly joyn in defence and pursuit against whatsoever shall

my Master to the Preservation of whose Person I was by Obligation and Natural Affections as passionately tied as I could be by Duty and Allegeance And now I confess I am void of all rancour or displeasure against any though I am within few hours to die adjudged by a lawless and arbitrary Court of purpose erected as is said to destroy my Master and some of his Servants and for a great pa●t composed of men Mechanick and unfit to be Judges my Death being decree'd right or wrong as is reported before ever the Trial begun And though my Death is no less than Murder yet I forgive all and pray to God to do it and that my Blood be not laid to their Charge or to some powerful and eminent mens who as is thought upon some sinistrous Ends have many Months since contrived my Destruction which now is ready to take effect And though I have answered to that Cou●t in regard of the Justness of my Defence which I thought would have weighed with them yet I never thought nor do I acknowledge any Jurisdiction or lawful Authority in the same notwithstanding I do with all Christian Humility submit to the Punishment which for my other Personal Sins the Lord hath justly brought upon me I should have spoken more yet would not have said so much but for fear lest either my Memory might slip it on the Scaffold or that the rudeness of some People by noise or otherwise might have interrupted me speaking on this Subject So I thank God I am well prepared God bless you remember me to all my Faiends I know I have been a great Sinner yet through Faith I have an assurance that God will forgive me and have Mercy upon me through the alone Suffering and Intercession of Jesus Christ my Saviour Amen About nine a clock the Officers called to them to prepare themselves to go they were to be carried in Sedans and great Guards of Horse and Foot to attend them to Sir Robert Cotton's House The Duke is led out to the Execution But after the Duke had gone through two Rooms he reflecting on the faithful Services of Mr. Cole and judging they deserved a more particular Resentment than was in the Letter he had written to his Brother the day before called for Pen Ink and Paper and wrote the following Note to his Brother Brother THere is nothing more certain than that a faithful Servant is an humble Friend this Bearer I have found such and therefore recommend him to you in that quality I need say no more for him nor can I of worldly business being so near par●ing out of it but as I have loved you all my life so I do now at the end of it The Lord of his mercy preserve you from dangers of Soul and Body Yours H. This will more clearly discover the serene and composed Temper he was then in than can be done by any Testimony of Spectators who could only see the out-side which as many of them have witnessed to the Writer was very calm and resolute When he came to Sir Robert Cotton's three or four Officers were sent from Cromwel to him desiring that he would discover what had been oft askt of him and he should not only be preserved but be made a Great man but he rejected their Offers with the same language he had formerly used on the like occasions and said if he had as many Lives as hairs in his Head he would lay them all down rather than redeem them by so base means which an Ear-witness vouched to the Writer Then all went to Prayers and they had some excellent good Preachers waiting on them and praying with them Some Wine was brought and they all drunk one to another and did embrace and kiss each other with much tenderness The Duke was first led away to the Scaffold on the way other Officers came from Cromwel Continued offers of Life if he would make Discoveries but they are rejected renewing the former Offers if he would make Discoveries but all to no purpose he rejecting them with scorn Those many Offers as they were great temptations which would have shaken any man whose Soul was not fully at Peace with God and well-prepared for Death so they discovered the baseness of those mens Designs But as malice did ever pursue the Duke with the unjustest Slanders so his Enemies hearing that Messengers came often to him did strangely misrepresent it as if he had been even then in some Treaty for his Life Being come to the Scaffold the Earl of Denbigh desired to speak with one of his Servants and Mr. Lewis was sent to him the Duke asked Mr. Cole what might the matter be who answered he judged it was to know what Order he had given about his Children the Duke answered he might satisfie him if that were the matter The Duke was during his stay at St. Iames's visited sometimes by Doctor Sibbald Doctor Sibbald encourages the Duke on the Scaffold Him he chose now to accompany him in his last minutes who encouraged him to look to that fountain of the Blood of Christ in which he must be purged from all his Iniquities the effusion whereof was for the Salvation of all who by a true and lively Faith rested on him he was the only Rock on which he was to build his Hopes and though the waters of Jordan did run an impetuous Current he was the Ark of the Covenant that was to lead him through them to that sure Refuge against which neither the Powers on Earth nor the Gates of Hell could prevail He desired him to lift up the eyes of firm Confidence to the Crucified Christ and with St. Stephen to behold him sitting at his Father's right hand ready to receive his Soul adding who would be in love with Life if they could but before-hand consider what it would prove all being a heap of Cares Anxieties and Miseries with which every rank of Men and state of Life was beset it was therefore a Happiness to be with much Ioy welcomed when we found a quick and easie Passage for escaping these swelling Billows and getting into that blessed harbour of eternal Happiness We must pass through a Sea but a Sea of our Saviour's Blood in which never any Shipwrackt and through which we are carried by the soft winds of the Divine Spirit which can scatter all contrary blasts When the Doctor had thus ended his Discourse the Duke perceiving a greater silence than he expected though he had resolved to make no Publick Speech and therefore had as was already told expressed himself in private yet being invited by the Attention he observed he spoke to the People but as he had not premeditated it so no Copy of it remains except what was printed from the Notes of the Hearers and therefore I shall only set down the Heads of it He addressed himself to the Sheriff The Duke's last Speech and told him he judged it not

sometimes in raillery since he was now to seal it with his Blood then he kneeled down and prayed in these words His Prayer MOst blessed Lord I thy poor and most unworthy Servant come unto thee presuming in thy infinite Mercy and the Merits of Iesus Christ who sits upon thy Throne I come flying from that of Iustice to that of Mercy and Tenderness for his sake who shed his Blood for Sinners that he would take Compassion upon me that he would look upon me as one that graciously hears me that he would look upon me as one that hath Redeemed me that he would look upon me as one that hath shed his Blood for me that he would look upon me as one who now calls and hopes to be saved by his all-sufficient Merits for his sake Glorious God have Compassion upon me in the freeness of thy infinite Mercy that when this sinful Soul of mine shall depart out of this frail Carcase of Clay I may be carried unto thy everlasting Glory O Lord by thy free Grace and out of thy infinite Mercy hear me and look down and have Compassion upon me and thou Lord Iesus thou my Lord thou my God and thou my Redeemer hear me take pity upon me O Glorious God and so deal with my Soul that by thy precious Merits I may attain to thy Ioy and bliss O Lord remember me so miserable and sinful a Creature Now thou O Lord thou O Lord who died for me receive me receive me into thy own bound of Mercy O Lord I trust in thee suffer me not now to be confounded Satan hath too long had possession of this Soul O let him not now prevail against it but let me O Lord from hence-forth dwell with thee for evermore Now O Lord it is thy time to hear me hear me Gracious Iesus even for thine own Goodness Mercy and Truth O Glorious God O blessed Father O holy Redeemer O Gracious Comforter O holy and blessed Trinity I do render up my Soul into thy hands and commit it to the Mediation of my Redeemer praising thee for all thy Dispensations that it hath pleased thee to confer upon me and even for this Praise and Honour and Thanks be to thee from this time forth and for evermore His Death and Burial After this Doctor Sibbald entertained him with some pious Discourses and then the Duke prayed a short Prayer by himself After which he with a cheerful and smiling Countenance imbraced the Doctor and said Truly I bless God I do not fear I have an assurance that is grounded here laying his hand on his Heart that gives me more true Ioy than ever I had I pass out of a miserable World to go to an eternal and glorious Kingdom and though I have been a most sinful Creature yet I know Gods Mercy is infinite and I bless my God I go with so clear a Conscience that I know not the man I have personally injured Then embracing his Servants that were there present he said to every one of them you have been very faithful to me the Lord bless you He turned next to the Executioner and after he had observed how he should lay his Body he told him he was to say a short Prayer to his God while he lay all along and should give a Sign by stretching out his right Hand and then he was to do his Duty whom he freely forgave as he did all the World And then he stretched himself out on the Ground and having placed his Head aright he lay a little while praying with great appearance of Devotion within himself and then gave the Sign upon which the Executioner at one blow severed his Head from his Body which was received in a Crimson-taffety skarf by two of his Servants kneeling by him and was together with his Body immediately put in a Coffin which was ready on the Scaffold and from thence conveyed to a House in the Mews from whence it was according to the Orders he had given sent down by Sea to Scotland and interred in the Burial-place of his Family where it lies in the hopes of a Blessed Resurrection to eternal Life THE CHARACTER OF James Duke of Hamilton c. THus lived and died IAMES Duke of Hamilton who was born at Hamilton the 19th of Iune His Birth and Parents 1606. His Parents were Iames Marquis of Hamilton and Lady Anne Cunningham Daughter to the Earl of Glencairn He was of a middle Stature his Body well-shaped His Person and Constitution of Health and his Limbs proportioned and straight in his last years he enclined to fatness his Complection and hair were black but his Countenance was pleasant and full of Life and shewed a great Sweetness of Disposition his Health was regular suitable to his Diet and free of sickness or pain only in his last years he was a little subject to the Stone But when his Body was opened all his Inwards were found sound and entire so that had not that fatal stroak brought his days to a too early Period he might probably have been very long lived His Education At the time of his Fathers coming to Court the Duke of Buckingham being then in great favour with King Iames and desiring to strengthen his Family with Noble Alliances agreed a Marriage betwixt him the Lady Mary Feilding Daughter to William Earl of Denbigh and the Lady Susanna Villiers Sister to the Duke of Buckingham upon which his Father sent for him to Court to be married when he himself was fourteen years of age and the Lady designed for him but seven This broke off the Course of Studies in which he had been educated till then in Scotland and though he was sent afterwards to the University of Oxford yet the interruption that his stay at Court put to his Education in Letters was such that he never recovered it After the years of Consummating the intended Marriage were come he was forced to it not without great Aversion occasioned partly by the disproportion of their ages and partly by some other secret Considerations His Marriage He lived with his Lady for some years in no good terms and that concurring with other Motives made him leave the Court upon his Fathers death but her excellent qualities did afterwards overcome that Aversion into as much Affection as he was capable of and it was no wonder for she was a Lady of great and singular worth and her Person was noble and graceful like the handsome Race of the Villiers's But to such as knew her well the vertues of her mind were far more shining She was educated from a Child in the Court and esteemed and honoured by all in it and by none more than the late King who as he was one of the Chastest men not to say Princes so he was a perfect honourer of all vertuous Ladies She was Lady of the Queens Bedchamber and admitted by her Majesty into an entire Confidence and Friendship and not

of the Nobility and Gentry went to the Cross and himself read the Kings Proclamation and caused the Major of the Town to proclaim it but God having designed to set his Majesty on the Throne of his Ancestors by his own Immediate Hand all hopes of supplies from Wales or other well-affected Places vanished Cromwell also followed the King from Scotland in great Marches having left General Monk since the famous Duke of Albemarle there with an Army to subdue the little strength that remained for maintaining his Majesties Interest in that Kingdom The day after Cromwel came before Worcester the King called a great Council of War to consider what was to be done where the Duke spoke first and after he had in as short terms as was possible opened the state of Affairs he said one of three things must be done Either they were to March out and fight to lie still and provide for a Siege or to March to London the other side of the Severn being then free He proposed the Difficulties of all these yet said one of them was to be done and desired that his Majesty might put it to the debate which of them was fittest None proposed a fourth Expedient But the Duke did afterwards suggest if the Marching into Wales might be adviseable but as they were in the debate before the half of the Council of War had delivered their opinions there came an Alarm to the door that dissolved the Meeting This was four days before the Fight the Enemy grew daily stronger and raised the whole Country to his Assistance and as the Kings small Army was utterly disproportioned to their Strength so the Courage of the Souldiers did daily abate and the Duke as he clearly foresaw the ruine of the Kings Affairs at that time and the Captivity of his Country that would follow so he desired not to out-live it The Duke apprehenns and prepares for Death which he plainly told to some of his more intimate Friends though for incouraging others he put on a great appearance of Cheerfulness on his looks but apprehending that his End drew nigh notwithstanding all the Attendance he was obliged to at Court and with the Army yet he set off large portions of his Time for reviewing his Life and fitting himself for Eternity and when his Imployment all day denied him the conveniency of such long and serious Retirements as that Work required he took it from his sleep in the night being more solicitous for rest to his Mind than to his Body And the night before the often fatal third of September which was the day of Worcester-Fight though he had stayed very late in the Court yet when he came to his Lodgings the apprehensions he had of what was before him kept him awake and serious as will appear from the following Paper which he wrote and was found in his Pockets when they were searched after his Death A Meditation on Death and a Prayer WHEN sadness for any Worldly Cross lies heavy upon thee remember thou art a Christian designed for the Inheritance of Iesus or if thou be an obstinate impenitent Sinner as sure as God is just thou must perish if this be thy Condition I cannot blame thee to be sad sad till thy heart-strings crack But then why art thou troubled for the loss of Friends Fortune or for any Worldly want what should a damned man do with any of these did ever any man upon the wrack afflict himself because his Mistress slighted him or call for the particulars of a Purchase upon the Gallows if thou dost really believe thou shalt be damned I do not say it will cure all other Sadness but certainly it will or ought to swallow it up And if thou believest thou shalt be saved consider how great is that Ioy how infinite is that Change how unspeakable is the Glory how excellent is the Recompence for all thy Sufferings in the World So let thy Condition be what it will compared to thy future possibility thou canst not feel the present smart of a cross Fortune to any great degree either because thou hast a far bigger Sorrow or a far bigger Ioy. Here thou art but a Stranger travelling to a Country where the Glories of a Kingdom are prepared for thee it is therefore a huge folly to be much afflicted because thou hast a less convenient Inn to Lodge in by the way Let us prepare our selves against Changes always expecting them that we be not surprized when they come O death how bitter art thou to a man that is at rest in his Possessions to the rich man who had promised himself ease and fulness for many years it was a sad Arrest that his Soul was surprized the first night But the Apostles who every day knockt at the Gate of Death and lookt upon it continually went to their Martyrdom in peace and evenness Anytus and Miletus may kill me but they cannot hurt me we are troubled on every side but not distressed perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed and who is he that will harm you if ye be followers of that which is good Consider that Afflictions are oft-times the occasions of great Temporal Advantages and we must not look upon them as they sit heavy us but as they serve some of Gods ends and the purposes of Vniversal Providence and when a Prince fights justly and yet unprosperously could he see the reasons for which God orders it he would find it unreasonable nay ill to have it otherwise If a man could have opened one of the Pages of Divine Counsel and seen the event of Joseph 's being sold to the Merchants of Midian he might with much reason have dried up the young mans Tears The case of Themistocles was not much unlike th●t of Joseph for being banished he likewise grew in favour with the Persian King and told his Wife he had perished unless he had perished God esteems it one of his Glories to bring good out of evil and therefore it were but reason we should leave God to govern his own World as he pleases and that we should patiently wait till the Change come and likewise not envy the Prosperity of the wicked Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him fret not thy self because of him who prospereth in his way because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass for evil doers shall be cut off but those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the Earth Theramenes one of the Thirty Tyrants of Athens escaped when his house fell upon him but was shortly after put to Death by his Colleagues in the Tyranny The last great Trial is Death for which should we grieve of all griefs it is the most unreasonable for why should we grieve at that which is absolutely unavoidable and it is not so much to be cared for how long we live as how well we live for that Life is not best which is longest

wholly submit my self falling down before the Throne of his Mercy who is both the just Inflicter of Death upon us and the merciful Saviour of us in it and from it who is the fountain of Eternal Life and in whom there is no shadow of Death Thou O my Saviour who knows what it is to die with me as a man make me to know what it is to pass through Death to Life with thee my God make me content to leave the World 's Nothing that I may come really to enjoy All in Thee who hast made Christ to me in Life gain and trusting only in his Merits and Mediation will in Death be advantage Charge me not O Lord with the Sins of my Parents nor with the multitude and hainousness of my Transgressions which I acknowledge before thee Remember thy Compassions of old and thy Loving kindness which have been for many Generations Be merciful unto me O Lord for my Soul trusteth in thee though thou shouldest kill me yet will I trust in thy Mercy and my Saviour's Merits for I know that my Redeemer liveth though thou leadest me through the valley and shadow of Death yet shall I fear none Evil falling into the Arms of thy tender and Eternal Mercies O withdraw not thy Favour from me which is better than Life be not far from me for I know not how near Death is to me Lord let thy Servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation My Body I bequeath to the Grave and desire to have it buried in the ordinary Burial-place of my Ancestors at Hamilton and that no Ceremony nor Pomp at all be used at the interring of my sinful Carcase which hath so much offended and dishonoured God yet through Faith I hope it shall be sprinkled with the precious Bloud of Iesus Christ and being re-united with my Soul shall together rise in Glory reconciled with the Father to enjoy Eternal Happiness with him in Heaven After this follow the Particulars of the Will which he concludes in the following Words And now O Lord pity me in my low Condition and bring me out of my Troubles though the number of my Enemies be great yet thou canst disappoint their Counsels keep them Lord from prevailing and turn them back that persecute my Soul If it be thy Will O Lord restore me to my Country that there in peace I may finish the course of my Pilgrimage in thy fear and live loyal and obedient to my Gracious King Charles the Second and faithful and dutiful to my Country and as I trust that through the Merits and Mediation of Iesus Christ An. 1652. thou hast forgiven all the errors of my Life so I beg and hope thou wilt save me from the terrors of Death Let not O Lord at that last hour my Soul be desolate and forsaken let not those saving Truths I have formerly learned then fail my Memory nor the sweet effusions of thy Spirit which I have sometimes felt then be wanting to my Heart be with me at that time O Lord in a special manner and send the blessed Comforter to assure me of Salvation that I may die with Ioy and leave this World with Contentment since I shall be confident of the Remission of my sins through Christ Iesus and of my going to that place of eternal Happiness which thou hast prepared for all them that fear thee in Christ to which place bring me for his sake to whom with thee and the blessed Spirit of Grace be all Honour Praise and Glory for ever and ever Amen Written by my self at the Hague in Holland the 21th of March 1650. HAMILTON To which shall be added a Letter that was Sealed up with his Will to his Lady Dear Heart ALthough a very short stay in this place may possibly endanger my Life yet seeing these may chance to be the last words you are ever to receive from me no hazard shall keep me from letting you know how sensible I am of the great Love and Kindness you have always had for me for which the Lord reward you unto whose Protection I leave you and as I do recommend you to God who will be near unto all that call upon him and fulfil the desires of them that fear him and preserve all them that love him so I do recommend you unto your self that you would labour to serve fear and love the Lord God and set him before your eyes in all your ways Continue as I have often been a witness to your daily practice in reading the Word of God which will be a Lamp unto your feet and Light unto your paths Look not with prejudice upon any of the Messengers of his Word but reverence them for their Message sake be not too confident of your own Opinions but examine them by the Touchstone of Gods Word and refuse not to hear the admonition of his Servants Repine not at Gods ways or dispensations to you but be patient in Affliction that you may say with David I held my tongue I opened not my mouth because thou didst it For you may have this Comfort that whom God loves he Chastens and really if God had not said it man would hardly believe that Affliction cometh from his Love But if we admit his Truth and consider Experience we shall find that he often afflicteth them most whom he loveth most and who most love him As for those whose eyes stand out with fatness and have more than their hearts can wish he setteth them on slippery places and feeds them as Oxen to the Slaughter He is nearer to us in Affliction than in Prosperity and weare nearer unto him it is his menage to bring us home from our Wandrings at least I have lookt upon it so as to my self which makes me thus desire you may so receive his Visitations Be frequent in Prayer limit not the Spirit in you to the conceptions of other men shun all vain and idle Company and Conversation and pray to the Lord to set a watch before your mouth and to keep the door of your lips Forget and hate the empty pleasures of a licentious Court or of London and with David pray Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity An. 1651. and quicken thou me in thy way Be not hasty nor passionate keep not anger in your heart against any have Charity for all men even for them whom you may look upon as your Enemies and study still rather to put the best than worst construction upon the Actions of any Examine your self every night what good you have done the preceding day and remember still that you are one day nearer that in which you must give an account to God of all your Actions on whose Mercy to you let your earliest and latest thoughts be always fixt Sweet Heart much more I would say but you know I am pressed by time but seek to God and in him you will find all things The next Duty I shall recommend to