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
24. as one without hope but rathâ—r to watch for the day of my redemption and the glorious comming of my saviour to deliver me from thi body of sinne Rm. 9.7 that my vile body may be made like his glâ—rious body and that in the mean time whether I slâ—ep or wake I may continually hear the sound of thy Trumpe in mine ear saying Arise ye dead and come unto judgement Phil. 3.21 and at last be ravished with the sweet sentence of my Saviour Venite Benedicti c. Sect. XCI The fruitfull Valley I See alwayes the highest hills to be most barren and the low valleys fruitfull therefore the higher I exalt my self like a mountain the more barren I shall be before God And the lower I humble my self the more fruitfull I am to others by good and wholesome examples Sparke 91. O Lord teach me to learn meekness of thee that art meek and to humble my self that I may be exalted Amen Sect XCII The Scorner's Chayre IT is noted for no small disdain in Pharaoh to say Who is the Lord that I should obey him Such as those Okes of Basan and those tall Cedars of Lebanon in the height of their pride as being too wise to be moved with ordinary judgements If we have thâ— honour to be Gods among men or the power to work mighty things in the world Hab. 1.16 We sacrifice to our owne nets and burne incense to our yarn and say if not in our mouth yet in our heart There is no God Psal 14.1 If our evill counsels have good success and when we rebelliously transgress we prosper in our wickedness we spare not to say Tush Ezek. 9.9 the Lord seeth not If when we multiply sin upon sin and by the cords of vanity draw on the cart-ropes of iniquity and adde thirst unto drunkenness we be not plagued like other men we presume to say Tush Zeph. 1.12 the Lord careth not he will do neither good nor evill If God forbear us we think his hand shortned and if we do not feel his rod we make a question of his power yea the irreligiousnesse of this prophane age is such and growne to that impudency as to dispute of principles and grounds of faith to call not onely God and his holy Word the Scripture but Heaven Hell Angells Devills the Resurrection of the body and the Immortality of the soul into question so that if he will finde any faith among such he had need come with new miracles and more than miracles least our searching wits should finde the reason of them or otherwise conclude them to be but our ignorance of the cause For whatsoever exception either vain Philosophy Exod. 3.2 or prophane Gentility took against the wonderfull works of God in elder times as that the burning and not consuming Bush was but a Meteor 14.12 that the passage of Israel through the Red-Sea upon dry ground 16.15 was but the advantage of an Ebbe-tide that the Manna which God rained in the Wilderness was but the Mildew of the Countrey Josh 6.20 that the fall of the walls of Jerico at the sound of the Trumpets was but an Earth-quake that our Saviour himself did no Miracles but by the help of Belzebub Yea that and worse than that do the scorners and licentious wits of our times object against the power of God to make God and his power either nothing at all or tie him unto second causes as if thâ— world did run upon the constant wheeles of everlasting motions which is not in his power so much as in the power of a Clock-keeper either to break or to alter Sparke 92. O thou wonderfull and powerfull Essence whose strength is seen in our weakness we beseech thee to give us grace to humble our selves under thy Almighty hands Psal 1.1 that we neither walke in the Counsell of the ungodly stand in the way of sinners 10. nor sit in the seat of the Scornfull 20.9 Arise O Lord God and lift up thy hand forget not the poor put thâ—m in fear O Lord that the Heathen may know themselves to be but men for the ungodly walk on every side 12.9 when they are exalted the children of men are put to rebuke O Lord thou canst do whatsoever thou wilt both in heaven and earth For heaven is thy seat and the earth is but thy footstool Yea the earth is thine and all that therein is the compass of the world and they that dwell therein O Lord Psal 24.1 by thy Word were the heavens made and all the hosts of them by the breath of thy mouth c Be thou exalted Lord in thine owne strength so shal we sing praise thy power for ever and ever Amen Sect. XCIII The Gospell's Law VVEll might our Saviour say that he came not to destroy but to fulfill the Law For the Gospell of Grace is so far from taking away the obedience of the Law as that it addeth to our obedience and is severe against the affections as the Law against the actions of evill making it theft to covet our Nâ—ighbours goods and murther to be angry with our Brother adultery to look upon a Woman to lust after her Mat. 5.22 Ecl. 12.20 and Treason to curse the King though but in thought 1 Thes 5.22 Esay 2.18 Math. 12. restraining not only from evill but from all appearance of evill condemning not onely the Cart-ropes of sin but the cords of vanity taking a strict account not onely of every wicked but idle word nay our wandring thoughts also Sparke 93. O dear Father thy law is a perfect law converting the soul It is no eye-service that can please thee but thou requirest truth in the inward parts Good Lord as thy Gospel is a new law adding perfection unto perfection So create in me a new heart and put a right spirit within me that my thoughts being undefil'd may please thee my words being seasoned with grace may praise thee and my actions being sanctified by thy spirit and proceeding from the holy motions thereof may glorifie thee To whom be all honour praise and glory for ever Amen Sect. XCIV Vertue is in action GOd infused not the soul of man into a lump or block or such a body as was unfit for motion but into such a body as had legs arms hands feet eys and ears to shew that we must not be idle but work with our hands labour with our feet instruct with our tongues and mark with our eyes Spark 94. Lord let me not be given to idleness but be diligent in my place and painfull in my calling getting my living either by the sweat of my browes or my braines that thou mayest not finde me idle all the day long but working either in thy field or thy vineyard and doing alwayes that which is just and acceptable in thy sight through Jesus Christ Amen Sect. XCV Passe
5. to the end that being justified by his grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternall life which hope maketh us not ashamed I humbly beseech thy Fatherly goodness to illuminate the eyes of my soul that I may clerely see what the hope of those is Whom thou hast called to the incorruptible inheritance of thy glory And as thou hast in many of thy workes printed the true character of our resurrection so fix fasten the same for ever in the heart and soul of thy servant that I be not as a man without hope either of my own glorification or of theirs that sleep in thee 1 Cor. 15. that in the end this body of mine being renewed and to my soul in farre more glorious manner reunited I may in the society of Angells being co-heir with the glorified Spirits shine as the Sun in glory and be fully united unto Christ the true Son of righteousness and the first fruits of the resurrection And let this holy meditation and the hope to enjoy that full and perfect contentation so possesse my soule and senses that it may be my thought my pleasure delight labour and care to attain to that perfection through Jesus Christ Amen Sect. CIV God's wayes are not our wayes THere is a Speech of Socrates greatly commended by St. Augustine De consens Evang. l. 1. c. 18. Vnumquemque sic câ—li oportere quomodo ipsum colendum praeceperat that is Every god was to be honoured as he himself had given in Commandement which sheweth by the judgement of a Heathen that no man must serve his God after his own lust but after Gods Law not after our owne reason but after God's direction Least otherwise the Lord cry out upon us saying Who hath required this service at your hands For is it reason that we should serve an earthly Master after his own will and not serve God after his owne Law Therefore certain it is that our good meanings in Gods service makes not alwayes our doings good neither is our Zeal a rule whereby we may measure out either our faith or good workes but only the known will and pleasure of God There wanted not a good intent or meaning either in the Isralites when they made a golden Calfe Exod. 3.24 or in Nadab or Abihu whâ—n they offered strange fire or in Saul when he spared King Agag or in Vzza when he put his hand to hold the Arke or in Jehu Levit. 10. when he would needs joyn the worshipping of Jeroboam's goldens calves with the worship of the true God of Israel Sparke 104. O gracious Father as in our godly endeavours we intend thy service and not our own so grant good Lord that in the doing thereof we may alwayes have thy will for our warrant thy law for our levell and thy commandments for our direction Give us grace dear Father to shun and avoid all those things be they never so good in mans sight which thou either hatest or hast no pleasure in And that we be not blinde servers of thee running after our own inventions grant us true understanding and knowledge of thy word which is the glass of thy will that seeing therein both thy will and our own weakness we desire thy grace to perform that which thou hast commanded us through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. CV A Caveat for the Demas's of our dayes THat Caveat of our Saviour to his Disciples should be his Saints care namely to endure to the end that we may be saved Mat. 10.22 and so to run that we may obtain and not to look back with Lots Wife or to faint in our journey or be weary of well doing For to what purpose is it that the Marriner sayls prosperously and obtaines a rich prize if he sink or suffer Shipwrack before he arrives at the haven of his own home That a Christian be laden with many Craces and obtain the rich pearle of the Gospel and be fairly imbarked for heaven if afterwards he suffer Shipwrack of his faith What availeth it a Captain to march hotly with Jehu to fight manfully with Jonathan if he turn his back with Ephraim before the end of the battaile For us to encounter Satan if we suffer him to sâ—yle and conquer us If the Souldier shall fly forth of the field revolt from his Captain forsake his colours run from his company and turn to the enemy he disgraceth his profession disableth himself for the Trophies of honour and meriteth condigne punishment O Lord we are thy souldiers the Church is our field Christ Jesus our Captain thy word and Sacraments are our colours the communion of Saints our company he that shâ—ll fly forth of this field revolt from this Captain forsake these colours run from this company and be found fighting under Satan's conduct dishonoureth his christian profession depriveth himself of the Crowne of glory and incurreth the danger of God's heavy Judgement For if we have given our names to Christ served in his camp 2 Tim. 4 9. 2.17 taken pay in his wars and yet play the carnall Apostates with Demas the Hereticall with Hymeneus and Philetus the scornfull with Julian the Emperour the spightfull with Alexander the Copper-smith their remaines small hope of receiving any comfort by the bloud of the Lambe and Christ's eternall Sacrificâ— but rather extream terrour in the expectation of his fearfull sentence small probability of being cleansed in his precious bloud but rather a sore possibility of being devoured by a violent fire For he onely that fights the good fight finishes his course 2 Tim. 4.7 and keeps the faith can expect the Crown of righteousness Sparke 105. O most mighty and mercifull God which art able to give more than we can deserve or desire for thy tender mercies sake keep me poor weakling and unconstant waverer from the shame of backsliding and defend me from the dreadfull sinne of Apostasie Keep me by thy power that I fall not restore me by thy mercy when I am fallen preserve me by thy grace that I never finally fall away take not thy holy spirit from mee but establish me with thy free spirit that I may be settled and confirmed in thy truth that being effectually sanctified in thy Kingdome of Grace I may be eternally blessed in the Kingdome of Glory Through the merits and mercy of thy sweet Son and my sole Saviour Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. CVI. The Christian Weather-Cock Psal 65.7 THe wavering Professor is not unfitly compared unto the waves of the sea Esay 17.12 It is the Lord that stilleth the raging of the sea and the madness of the people So delighted with novel ies so full of alterations is the fickle faith and the temporizing profession of the palsie shaking members of the Church that there be no waves so restless no winde so mutable Acts 28. no creature so changable while the Viper hung upon Paul's hand he
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OR SPARKES OF THE SPIRIT BEING Motives to Sacred Theorems and Divine Meditations By a Reverend Father of the Church of England This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shall meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is writâ—en therein c. Josh 1.8 London Printed for Edw. Thomas at the Adam and Eve in litâ—le Brittain without Aldersgate 1658. TO ALL True Protestants especially to the Religious Knights Esquires Gentlemen and all others his loving Country-men in the County of Glamorgan and to all their vertuous Ladies and Wives A. D. wisheth health and happines both here and hereafter Honoured Sr. THe Prince of the air is assisted with no smal armies of spiritual warriours who are for their number Legions for their power Lions for their feircenes Dragons and for their subtilty Serpents who have made such a Pestilent advantage in these kingdomes by our late great distractions factions and fractions I mean not onely those Heresies of old which the Ebionites Chiliasts Gnosticks Donatists Eunonians Marcionites Nestorians Valentinians Montanists Novatians Sabellians Maniches Arrians Eutychians Patripassians Jacobites Arminians Monothelites c. held but by these late upstart Tat-poles of our times who go under the notion of Seekers Shakers Quakers Ranters and the like who are of yesterday-standing as I may say and know nothing that God be mercifull unto us and our times I fear me there were not more bodies when Christ came possessed with ill spirits than souls are now with odd ones and yet not one but pretends he hath the spirit but I am sure it is rather that spirit that tempted our Saviour in the Wilderness than led him thither Aecebolius his ghost haunts them they have been in religion wrong and right and right and wrong again it fares now with Religion in England as with her in Plutarch who having many Suiters when every one could not have her to himself they pull'd her in pieces that so none might have her using her no better than the body of that Harlot which was chopt in pieces flesh and bones and cast into all the quarters of Israel these men I say dare and do call their private conceits the Spirit This is the speciall errour with which St. Augustine long ago charged this kind of men Tantò sunt ad seditionem faciliores quantò sibi videntur spiritu excellere by so much the more prone are they saith he to kindle schism and contention in the Church by how much they seem to themselves to be indued with a more eminent measure of spirit than their Brethren Therefore let every good soul beware of these devillish deceivers for they are the greatest and the most pernicious quacksalving Juglers that ever the earth did bear or hell hatcht These false Prophets have Linsey-wolsey garments intus linum subtilitatis extra lanam simplicitatis demonstrant the subtile thred of deceit is with inside but the plain web of simplicity with outside their inside is of Fox furre their outside of Lambs wool Quaenam sunt istae pelles ovium nisi nominis Christiani extrinsecus superficies All these Sheep cloathing are nothing else but precise titles of holiness and outsides of Christianity And as Sathan the Prince of darkness oftentimes transformeth himself unto an Angel of light so these his children quote Scripture for their practise using fair vizards to cover their foul faces but yet dealing with Scriptures as Chymicks do with naturall bodies torturing them to extract that out of them which God and nature never put in them Scripture is a rule which will not fit it self to the obliquity of our conceits but our perverse and crooked discourse must fit it self to the straightness of that rule but as it was in the Lacedaemonian army all were Captains so it is with these all are Doctors and as he that bought Orpheus's Harp thought it would of it self make admirable melody how unskilfull soever he toucht it so these men suppose that Scripture will sound wonderfully musical if they do but strike it with how great infelicity or incongruity soever it be it booteth not let every good soul beware of their pernicious wayes For as St. Chrysostome saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 new ways are no ways Old wine and the old way was ever held the best Gentlemen I am neither worthy of note nor noted the consideration not only of your greatness but goodness hath emboldned me to dedicate this learned Piece to your gracious Patronage and Protection not doubting of your favourable acceptance being your honoured Ladies have already vouchsafed to his eldest Brother The Protestant's Practise so gracious a Patronage it were the highest ingratitude a most heynous and horrid kinde of unthankfulness to bury in oblivion their unmerited favours and to judge your honours so uncharitable to a poore Orphan and a younger brother so worthily descended having so excellent a spirit indu'd with a Benjamin's portion as to deny your Favour Patronage and Protection unto him but being more than confident of your goodness herein I heartily commend you all to the Protection of the Protector of us all and humbly take my leave and rest Your servant in all Christian commands ATHANASIUS DAVIES To the courteous READER READER THose that honour God God will honour and so will all good men do but such as forget him shall go into the land of forgetfulness and shall have their portion in that infernall lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Look therefore in time before he on the pale horse comes who is the childe of sin the father of confusion and the Pursivanâ— of Hell Consider well how oft thou hast provoked thy Maker stirred up his anger deserved his displeasure and a thousand wayes done evill in his siâ—ht and that not ignorantly but presumptuously not weakly but wilâ—ully and not fearfully but impudently who when thou erredst did reduce thee when thou wert ignorant he did instruct thee when thou wert negligent he did correct thee when thou stumbledst he did stay thee when thou wert fallen he did raise thee when thou stoodst he did strengthen thee in all thy affaires he did direct theâ— in thy trouble he did help â—hâ—e in thy dangers he did deliver thee waking he did enlighten thee sleeping he did watch thee sinning he did suffer thee and praying he did hear thee how canst thou then forget him who remembreth at all times in all places by all means ever every where and every way in thy journeies by his conduct at home by his safeguard in thy Prayers by his assistance in thy afflictions by his comfort in thy board by his bounty in thy bed by his protection and in all thy wayes by his support who doth by outward means and by secret inspirations invite thee unto him beating continually at the doore of thy ears by his words and at the doore of thy heart by his spirit suggesting
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.
The mean is best Vertue 's Chayre O Lord thou hast often by thine own example encouraged us to follow the meane and to avoid vices and extreams For first in the blessed Trinity thy place is in the middle room In our Redemption thy place is a middle room for thou art the mean between us and thy Father In thy Fathers congregation thou hast the middle room for for thou art that middle Arch in Gods Church that doest couple together Jew and Gentile The place of thy birth was a middle roome the heart of the world The time of thy birth about midnight Thy passion not farre from mid-day The place where thou suffâ—redst a middle roome between two Theeves one upon the right hand and the other upon the left Thy peaceable abode after thy rising from death in the middest of thy Disciples Therefore Lord there is no fitter place for thee to dwel in me than in my middle which is my heart made to be thy seat and thy holy Temple Sparke 20. O Lord I beseech thee to dwell in my q Eph. 3.17 heart by thy holy Spirit Let every vertue be a middle room in my heart for thy gracious self to lodge in and grant that I never decline from thy Commandments either to the right hand or to the left x Prov. 4. Let my faith Lord be a meanes to apprehend thee and thy merits and be thou still a mean to reconcile me unto thy Father y 2 Cor. 5. Rom. 5. Eph. 2. that being justified through thee we may have peace wi h God the Father To whom with thee and the holy Spirit in unity of Godhead be all praise and glory for ever and ever Amen Sect. XXI Crosses Christians coats IT is partly suspition The Christians Coat that they that at no time have crosses have at all time no Christ For indeed we find but few of God's children void of all trouble For either they are troubled in their reputation as Susannah was or crossed in their children as Ely was or persecuted by their enemy as David was or wronged by their friends as Joseph was or tormented in their bodies as Job was or restrained in their liberty as John was For indeed the good man is but as it were the but of the wicked whereat they shoot their sharpest headed Arrowes Sparke 21. O dear Father lay upon us any misery so it be in thy mercy any punishment in thy pitty r Jer. 10.24 Psal 6.1 correct us O Lord yet in thy Judgement not in thy fury least we should be consumed and brought to nothing t Job 2.8 O Lord if it be thy will to let us ly sick in the ashes with Job or imprisoned in iron with Joseph Å¿ Gen. 29.20 or persecuted with Enemies with David l 1 Sam. 22.1 or pinched with hunger like o Luk. 15. the prâ—digall son yet Lord be not angry with us for ever If heavinesse endure for a night let joy appear in the morning Grant good Father that we may with patience expect and see the blessed Jubilee of thy free mercy through Jesus Christ our dear Saviour Amen Sect. XXII A Christian the best Artist AN upright Christian is a Musitian A Salve for every sore a Physitian a Lawyer and a Divine to himself For What is sweeter musick than the witnesse of a good conscience What is better Physick than abstinence and patience What deeper counsell in Law than in having nothing to possesse all things And what sounder Divinity than to know God whom he hath sent Jesus Christ Sparke 22. O blessed Jesus let my musick be peace o Rom. 14.19 of conscience and joy d 14.17 in the holy Ghost My Physick the blessed potions and restoratives of thy precious blood My Policy to keep thy statutes And my Divinity to know Christ and him crucified and in the end with joy to behold him glorified for the merits of his bitter death and passion Amen Sect. XXIII Of spirituall blindness IT is most certain good Lord that spirtuall blindnesse is farre worse than corporall The borne-blinde For to want the eyes of angels is worse than to want the eyes of beasts for whereas the bodily blind is led by his Servant his Wife or his Dogg the spiratually blind is misled by the World the Flesh and the Devill Yea the bodily blinde will be sure to get a seeing guid but the spiritually blind followeth his own lust which is a blinde guid so falleth into the ditch The bodily blinde feeleth and acknowledgeth his want of sight and imperfection but the spiritually blind thinks no blame nor blemish in his sight The bodily blind supplieth his want of sight oft by feeling as Iasac a Gen. 27.11 did but the spiritually blinde though he feels the flashing yet never avoids the flame of hell fire To conclude the bodily blind accounts them happy which see but the spiritually blind despiseth the seers Sparke 23. O Lord open our blind eyes that we may see our wickedness and by our wickedness our weaknesse and by them both our accursedness For good Lord thou knowest that of our selves we are stark blinde For The naturall b 1 Cor. 2.14 man perceiveth not the things that be of God and knowes them not because they are spiritually discerned Lighten our eyes O Lord that we sleep not in Death Awake thou us b Ephes 5.14 from sleep raise us up froÌ„ the dead then give thou us light grant Lord that we may c John 12 35 36. walk while we have the light least the darkness come upon us Therefore Lord open thou the eyes of our understanding that we may believe in the light O good Lord seeing that we trust in thee that art the tru light d Eph. 4.17 18. let us not walk as other Gentiles blâ—nded in vanity of minde having their cogitation darkened and being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them But we being once darkness and now are made light in thee x Lord Psal 5.8 let us henceforth walk as the children of light that we may see perfectly and attain that eternall light in the Kingdome of glory through Jesus Christ Amen Sect. XXIIII The Drunkard the greatest Self-Enemy The danger of Drunkennesse OF all men the Drunkard is the greatest Enemy to himself A malicious man is a murtherer of himself The Prodigall man a Thief to himself The Voluptuous man a Witch to himself The Covetous man is a Devill to himself But a Drunkard is all these to himself Namely a Murtherer to his body a Thief to his purse a Witch to his witt and a Devill to his Soul Sparke 24 O Lord give me the spirit of Sobriety and grant that I be not drunken with wine wherein is a Eph. 5.18 excess Lord let me never make a god of my belly b Phil. 3.19 but ever be moderate
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
Sparke 99. O dear Father that art one God true and constant in all thy wayes and unchangeable yea a jealous God and a consuming fire grant that I may be true and constant in all my wayes not having a shew of godliness and denying the power thereof let me not become half a christian like Agrippa but grant unto me the love of thy servant John the heart and constancy of David the zeal of Phineas the boldnesse of Peter the resolution of Paul the patience of Job the perseverance of Joseph the courage of Joshua the earnestness of Moses and the constancy and integrity of my Saviour That so I may run the way of thy commandments and count it my meat and drink to do thy will Good Lord make me every day more fervent of thy glory more faithfull in thy service more fearfull of thy judgements and more sorrowful for my sins through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. C. The death of his Saints is dear in the Lords sight IT is not without great reason that murther is so hatefull unto God that the bloud of the slain crieth in his ears for revenge For if we respect the majesty of Goh himself what can be more odious to him than to see his own image defaced in his own presence or what can be more contemptuous than to kill one in his view which he loved so dear that he gave his onely son to dy for him Nay what more wicked than willfully to deprive him of life of whose life and safety God was so carefull that he numbred the haires of his head least one of them should perish Sparke 100. O Lord keep mee from bloud thirsty men give me grace to love thy image for thy sake and not to destroy that which thy hands have made and for whom thy son died Sect. CI. The beastly Man IT was not for nothing that the Poets did faine men to be transformed into the shape of some beasts for indeed we are worse in some things than beasts The drunkard is more filthy than the swine the murtherer more cruell than the tiger the wordling more subtile than the Serpent the cholerick more angry than the Wasp the covetous more greedy than the Wolf the adulterer more leacherous than the Goat Yea many beasts have exceeded us in vertue but we exceed all in vice Sparke 101. O Lord renew thy image in us and repaire our defects let us not any more with the Swine wallow in the mire of our filthiness Instruct thou us Lord and let us not be like horse and mule that have no understanding but keep us in thy wayes that we walk in thy wisedom through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. CII The Foolish Worldling and the wise Christian BOth will yield honour to man but diversely the one honoureth him that hath the richest garment and other externall ornaments glorious to the eye the other honours him most who is richly adorned within with wisedom and good qualities For as the world respects the outward man so do the chil of the world And as God respects the inward man so do the children of God For if a man be vain outwardly he is like unto the world and therefore the worldlings will honour him but if he be good inwardly he is like God and therefore the godly will reverence him Spark 102. O Lord grant I may give tribute to whom tribute honour to whom honour worship to whom worship and fear to whom fear is due through Jesus Christ Amen Sect. CIII Faith's feeding Some Creatures by the providence of God are said to live in the air as the Chamaeleon some in the water as Fishes c. some in the earth as Wants and Wormes c. some in the fire as Salamanders c but hope is such a creature that is not tied to any one Element but hath free liberty to comfort and refresh her self upon all these As first upon the aire and light of heaven For how can we see the sun and the rest of those glorious Planets to set and rise every day and not be confirmed in our hope of our own resurrection Secondly upon the fire which we see covered and buried at night in the ashes like our bodies in the dust and in the morning to be kindled with a little dry straw which may assure us that â—hough now the dust doth cover our bodies as it were for a night yet the joyfull morning of our resurrection will come when our bodies shall be quickened and lightened again with the candle of our soul through the power of our Saviour and the fiery force of the holy spirit that we may shine as bright lamps in his house for ever Thirdly is not our hope much sustained by the water which now we see to decrease and ebbe within few hours after to flow and fill again all those empty chinkes and channels which of late were dried up and so to revive them with a new floud and fresh current and shall not those empty veynes of our bodies and those holy arteries of our flesh at the spring-tide of the resurrection by the powerfull blowing of the Southern wind of Gods spirit be filled again with bloud and the spirit of life Fourthly shall we observe the earth to bring forth all things committed unto her and not hope without doubt that she will one day likewise deliver up our bodies committed to their trust and that much more glorious than she doth any corne or seeds which she keep but for lesse than a year Let us not think it therefore unlikely for our vile bodies to be made glorious seeing that fine paper is made of foul rags and pure glasse of the ashes of ferne yea of a heap of dry bones faire and stronge bodies and life given unto them with a blast of winde Ezek. 37 For could God create all things of nothing and can he not work his own will in his own creatures could he fetch light out of darkness as it were out of a grave can he in the womb of a woman of a little bloud frame a body distinguished with so many and sundry instruments as that it may go for a little world and within the space of some few dayes add lifâ— unto it And can he not restore the body that hath been so to what it was Can he quicken us in the womb of our mother and can he not receive us in the womb of the earth Can we fetch fire out of the flint and cannot he fetch us out of the earth 1 King 17.23 2 King 4 32 Acts 9.40 23.10 Could Eliah and Elisha raise the widow of Zareptha the Shunamites children Could Peter raise Tabitha and Paul Eutychus and cannot God their Lord and ours raise both them and us Sparke 103. O dear Father 1 Pet. 1. which by thy great mercy hast regenerated us to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Chrst from the dead 1 Tim. 3. Rom.
d Psal 90. and that it may be dearer unto us than thousands of gold silver Give us that firme resolution to believe thy Word with out any further reasoning and arguing Work so in us good Lord that despising e Luk. 10.16 thy Word delivered unto us we never seek after strange revelations And for as much good Lord as there is nothing so near and so dear unto thee as thy Word which proceeded f Mat. 5. from thy mouth Grant that we may be in love with nothing so much as with thee and thy Word Grant therefore O Lord that we may keep thy sayings g Luk. 2. and ponder them with blessed Mary in our hearts Lastly Lord whatsoever thy word doth sound in our ears let not our hearts be like the thorny ground the stony nor the beaten high way but like the good ground that bringeth forth some forty some fifty some sixty and some an hundred fold To the glory of thy name and our salvation through Jesus Christ Amen Sect. II. Of the Honour of God The School of Honour SEing that every creature is made created for the honour of the Creator and doth in his nature respect his honour and glory in somuch that the greatest honour that the creature can have is to be made for Gods honour that the honour of God doth respect the honour of all other creatureâ— and the injury and dishonor of God the injury of all other creatures so that when the creatures are well used to God's honour then God is glorified and when they are abused then is he dishonoured For God being honoured God being dishonoured the Creatures are dishonoured And hence it is that in the honour of God are included infinite honours and in the dishonour of God infinite dishonours Therefore that man which honoureth God cannot chuse but honour aâ—l his creatures and especially himself being the chief of his creatures But he which dishonoureth God dishonoureth all Gods creatures with him and especially himself which is Lord of the creatures So that to honour God is for a man to honour himself and he that dishonoureth God doth the greatest wrong and dishonour to himself that may be Hence I conclude Lord that for me to preferr any creatures honour or praise before thine is a great dishonour to thee to my self and to all the rest of my fellow-creatures For seeing all things ought to be for thy glory and that thy glory is the glory of all cre tures then whensoever we aime at our own honor we become directly thine enemies For whensoever we seek not thy glory directly then of necessity we seek our own glory for there is no mean between them insomuch that we are alwayes directly either subjects or traytors friends or foes to our God O good Lord is it fit that thou shouldest make a creature of nothing after thine own image he to be contrary to thine owne glory being the omnipotent Artificer what greater foolishness what greater dishonesty what greater disorder what greater blindness and more against reason than that the work made of nothing should seek his owne proper praise Sparke 2. O Lord whether we sleep or wake sit or lie stand or goe we are thine Therefore grant that whether we eat or drink or whatsoever we do else h 1 Cor. 10. let all be done to the honour glory and praise of thy name For seeing thou art our Maker k Gen. 1. grant we may obey thee Seeing thou art our Master l Mat. 1.6 grant we may fear thee Seeing thou art our Father grant we may reverence thee and seeing thou art one God grant we may glorifie thee O Lord grant us grace to honour thee with all wherewith thou hast honoured and blessed us So shall our m Prov. 3.9 barns be filled with abundance and our presses shall burst with new wine Grant us ever to glorify thee in thy self in thy membâ—rs for thou hast taught us that he which oppresseth the poor reproveth him that made him but he n Prov. 14.31 that hath mercy upon the poor honoureth â—hee O loving Father seeing that thine is glory victory and praise for thou art the King o Psal 24. of Glory Let all my p Psal 62. health and glory be in thee let us not honour thee with our lips but with our lives and souls also For thou wilt not give thy glory to none other q Isa 42. let us not be desirous of r Gal. 5. vain-glory Therefore not unto us not unto us Lord but to thy name give the glory To whom be Glory for ever Amen Sect. III. All in us must be to Gods glory The Saints Service FOrasmuch as man is made for Gods glory and because whatsoever is given to man is given him only for the service of God therefore we are to think that because we can love we are to love God and because we have power to know we are to know God and because we can understand we are to understand what God is because we can fear we are to fear God because we can honour we are to honour God because we can worship we are to worship God because we can pray we are to pray to God because we can obey we are to obey God because we can trust we are to trust in God because we can hope we are to hope in God And whatsoever good thing else we can do we have power to do it that we might serve our Ceator in doing it Sparke 3. O eternall God and most mercifull Father Hallowed be thy name t Mat. 6. for ever As thy intent in creating me was to frame me for thy glory so grant it may be my mind and purpose study and whole endeavour to seek thy glory and to publish thy praise For Lord thy glory and praise wilt thou give to none x Esay 42 other but to thy self Lord give us such measure of thy grace That our lights may so shine before men that they seeing our good works z Mat. 5.16 may glorifie thee our Father which art in heaven O Lord because we can love let us love a Mat. 10.37 nothing in comparison of thee let us desire to know nothing but thee and Christ Jesus thy Son crucified Let us never fear them that can hurt the body but rather fear thee that canst destroy both body b Mat. 10.28 and soul together Let our honour be to reverence thee our prayers to invocate thee our obedience unto thee our belief faith hope and trust in thee through Jesus Christ for evermore Amen Sect. IV. How God must be served ALthough we owe all good duties generally unto God The Paths of Piety because he is our Creator we his creatures he our Lord and we his servants yet are we to perform every duty to him for particular respects For we ought to yield him some service in one respect 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
Father from whom onely and immediatly we receiv'd wholly our Souls principally our bodies also And further if we love our Father and brother in the flesh so dear that we can suffer no injury to be offered unto them no harm to be pretended towards them nor no word of the least disgrace to be spoken of them and that onely in respect they are our father and brother in the flesh How much more then ought we to love our Father and brethren in the spirit and to affect them so dearly as not to suffer any dishonour unto them any disgrace any injury nor any unseemly word at all to be uttered against them by any if we might help it or hinder it Spark 11. O good Lord thou art our God and Grand-Father yea our neer and dear Father give us Lord thy spirit of grace whereby p Rom. 8. we may call and acknowledge thee our Father Let us remember Lord that our Father in heaven is one e Mat. 23. â— and therefore study all to becom f Rom. 12. one in thee g Eph. 4. for we have but one Father one faith one body in Christ one Baptisme through Christ one Lord and one Law Therefore Lord as thou art one so grant we may all be one in thee Teach us O Lord to reverence thee as our Lord to love thee as our Father to fear thee as our Judge to obey thee as our Maker to expect thee as a Saviour Grant this O Father for Jesus Christ's sake in whose name we and all thy children are bold to call thee Father saying as thy Son taught vs k Math. 6. Our Father which art in Heaven c. Sect. XII Christ our onely Saviour A watch word for Jewish infidels AS the Scripture doth promise us no other Saviour but Jesus Christ So doth Christian Faith and humane Reason perswade us that there can be no other For if Jesus Christ were not that onely Messias and true Saviour that must satisfie Gods infinite Justice for all our sins it were expedient and needfull that before this time another Saviour should be sent But seeing God permitted Christ Jesus alone all this while to rule in the world in his name suffering all people to follow him and to believe in him as in God the true Saviour If Christ then were not the Messias it should happen that God by suffering him should hinder himself and be against himself and his own Kingdome because he disposed his people to believe in such a one as Christ is For it must needs be that he which God sends for a Saviour should do as Christ Jesus did affirming himself to be true God and man destroying and impugning all sins and this cannot be done For if God should send another that should do as Christ did and say as he said then he should in all things agree with Christ his Doctrine with Jesus's Doctrine his works with Christs works for greater works cannot be but this cannot be for then more than one could be the Son of God the Messias the Saviour and Gods anointed which must be anointed with the oyl of gladness above his fellowes But if there should be more than one then the Saviour must have an equall but Christ hath no fellow For he is the Arch-angel and chief Messenger of all The Jews indeed for all this do look still for God's promise to be fulfilled and so look for Christ to come and the Christians believe that he is come already and that God hath fulfilled his promise God therefore having promised to send the Messias to Jew and Gentile and to â—ll that want him by this means he should do against himself were Jesus not the promised Messias by hindering all people to believe a future promise and by suffering Christ Jesus so long to rule and raigne under the name of the true Messias and so he should suffer all Christian people to be deceived in his promises But God hath suffered Christ to raign and will ill he hath put all his enemies under his feet till he hath delivered up the Kingdome to God the Father 1 Cor. 15. and hath also permitted all Christians and many Jews firmely to believe in him and to preach him over the world Therefore Lord they that will not believe the coming of thy Son the true Messias are utterly deceived and far wandring from thee and thy truth Spark 12. O sweet Saviour be thou over me a Saviour and grant a Act. 4.12 that I may never acknowledge any other name whereby I may be saved but onely by thy sweet name Jesus And I beseech thee Lord let not any thing be able to separate me from the love of Christ Rom. 8 35.38.3â— neither tribulation nor anguish nor persecution nor famine nor nakednesse nor perill nor sword nor death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heighth nor depth nor any other creature but grant that I may count b Phil. 35. all but dung that I may win Christ Let me never forsake thee c Joh. 17.1 but ever acknowledg thee to be onâ—ly God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ For d Esay 5.3 11. the knowledge of thy righteous servant shall justifie many Instruct me therefore that am unjust that I may perfectly know him and by knowing him aright I may be rightly justified Grant this Lord for his sake that never disobeyed thee even thy e Mat. 3.17 well pleasing Son and my most loving Saviour Jesus Christ the righteous to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be ascribed all praise and power government and glory might and majesty rule and dominion now and for evermore Amen Sect. XIII Of our Regeneration in Christ The fraternity of Christians VVE find that there are three things requisite to make a man perfect compleat in this world namely 1. A Body or trunke of flesh 2. An immortal soul And 3. A vertuous disposition or inclination in both namely the well-being and well-doing of both Now the first man Adam received all these three from God i. e. 1 A Body 2. A Soul 3. The wellfare and good being of both But because our first parents lost the well-being and good inclination of both these and having onely these two remaining namely a Soule and a Body therefore other men begotten from Adam received from him but only a being namely a body with a soul infused of God but not the happy being and good disposition of both Therefore in every man there is a double generation the one from Adam the other from God In the first generation man receiveth immediately his body and flesh from the fiâ—st man Adam In the second generation man receiveth his soul immediately from God although indeed both body and soul be from God yet after diverse manners But in a Christian man and the child of God there 's a third kind of generation
and substance to our members it putteth us in minde that we received our flesh from man when we think of our heart which giveth vitall and naturall heat to our members it puts us in mind that we received our Soul from the living God Lastly when we think of our head that giveth sense and motion to our bodies it maketh us remember how that we receive in our last generation all sense and motion of grace from our head Christ And calling this to minde we must remember that every Christian is a threefold brother unto us First by man as having all of us our flesh from one and the same man Adam Secondly by God as having all our souls infused into our bodies by one and the self same God And thirdly by our Redeemer as having all of us that be Christians received all grace and good motions from one and the same Christ God and man Therfore we ought to love all as brethren in the flesh but love them the more as brethren in Soul but love them best of all that are brethren in grace unto us for whosoever is our brother in grace must needs be our brother in soul and body likewise And therefore a Christian is no half brother or base broâ—hâ—r Sparke 13. O Lord That we may be perfect grant that we may be born b Joh. 3.5 again of water and of the spirit And because our first generation in the flesh is foul and filthy lustfull and lawless grant we may d Rom. 8.13 mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit and subdue the rebellion thereof O Lord beget us again in thy Son e 1 Joh. 5.1 Joh. 3.3 Christ after thine own f Ephes 4 23 24. Image in righteousnes and true holiness of life O Lord grant that as the first Adam by his flesh g 1 Cor. 15.22 corrupted all thy children so the second Adam by his flesh may save all thy children Good Father seeing we are made h Gen. 1.27 by thee and i Joh. 3.3 born again of thee let us have no strife between us for our Fathers sake because we are brethren grant us to love our brother whom we see daily to love thee whom we have not seen least otherwise we be judged of thee to remain in death and counted as k 1 Joh. 3.14 15. Murtherers and man-slayers Therefore give us grace to love our Christian brother more for his father's sake for his own sake for Christ's sake and for thy Image sake than our brother cosen or kinsman in the flesh For by this love towards our brother we shall be known to be thy l 1 Joh. 2.3 disciples Grant us therefore sweet Jesus that we may follow thee as thy Disciples m Ephes 4.11.2 and as dear children walking in love as thou hast loved us and given thy life for us Grant this O Father for thy son and our Saviours sake Jesus Christ Amen Sect. XIV Christ our chiefest felicity VVE count him most happy The feliciâ—â— of the faithfull that hath all things at will wants nothing then most happy are we that are in Christ for he is all in all unto his servants For if we have wounds and would have them cured he is the best Phisician If we be wronged our Master is most just If we be poor our Master is Lord of Heaven and Earth and will not see us want If we fear death he is life If we would go to heaven he is the way If we be in darknesse he is the light If we desire to be nourished he is our meat If learning he is wisdome If strength he is power No marvell then though David had rather be a door-keeper in the house of such a Master than to dwell in the Palaces of Princes Sparke 14. O n Mat. 8.20 sweet Jesus thou wast poor q 1 Cor. 1.5 Luke 1 to make me me rich Thou wast stript stark naked to clothe my nakedness Thou hast spilt thy precious r Mar 15.46 Math. 26.28 blood to make a plaister for my putrified wounds Thou becamest a t Phil. 2. â— servant in earth among sinners that I might be made a King in heaven among Saints Sweet Saviour I honour thee and humbly embrace and kisse the wounds of thy hands and feet I esteem more of thy Crown of thornes thine hysop thy reed thy spunge thy spear thy vineger than of any princely Diadem I am more proud of thy thornes and nailes than of all Pearls and Jewells And I account thy Cross more splendent and glorious than any Princely Crown Teach us O Lord to know thee as we ought for thou art the way the truth and the life without a way men walke not without a truth men know not without a life men live not Be thou therefore still the way for us to walk in the truth for us to stick unto the life for us to hope in For indeed thou art the way inviolable the truth infallible the right way the chiefest truth and the truest life grant we never wander from thee never hope but in thee nor never learn but to know thee our onely Saviour Amen Sect. XV. Of Christ's Passion O Good Lord A Soveraigne Salve why doth not my heart bleed for my sins to think how often my Saviour bled for them First being but young and tender eight dayes old when he was circumcised Secondly when he was condemned and scourged Thirdly when he was nailed and crucified on the Cross And Fourthly after his death his side was pierced and his very body wept water blood for my sins And Fifthly in his bloody sweat when every member wept and melted for me Sparke 15. O dear Saviour make me sorry that I am no more sorrowfull for my sinnes For if my teares were in quantity like the Sea If my sighes were like the smoake of a furnace If my sobs could pierce the hardest Diamonds and my wailings like thunder yet have I still cause to weep sigh sob bewail my manifold sins Good Lord make my mouth to be filled with thy praise my eyes with tears for my offences and my heart to bleed with sorrow for my sins O Lord by thy blood b Mat. 9 3â— heal the bloody issue of my sins and through thy precious blood wash and cleanse me from all my sins c 1 Joh. 1.7 that through the blood d Rev. 7.14 of that tender Lamb the garments of our filthy spotted flesh may be made white through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XVI Of the holy Ghost's operation O Blessed comforter it was thy divine will to shew thy self to thy children in four sundry forms for our comfort and instruction First like fire to manifest thy love and power Secondly like a cloud to manifest thy pitty and compassion Thirdly like a Dove to declare thy patience and peaceableness Fourthly like tongues to shew thy wisdome and eloquence For as the
bones do quake for fear yea my sins have taken such hold upon me that I cannot look q Psal 40. up If Mary Magdalen was possessed with seven Devills Lord thou knowest that many Devils do continually walk about not onely to seek to possess but to devour my p 1 Pet. 5.11 soul And though Mary and Martha had cause of grief for the death of their brother whom thou didst restore yet my grief is more John 11. being dead in sin my self desiring to be revived by the spirit of thy Grace Lord as thou didst commit thy Mother the blessed Virgin to the tuition of q Joh. 19. John So dear Father command thy holy a Psal 34.7 Angells to guide and guard me from all evill Grant also sweet Jesus that with the three Maries I may seek thee early in the morning and seeking thee finde thee and finding thee believe in thee and lodge thee in my heart for ever Amen Sect. XXIX To performe Promise needfull IT is an old saying An honest promise is due debt That an honest Promise is due debt I have often promised to serve thee my good God and yet never perform'd the same as I ought and therefore the more I promise except thy grace help me to performe the more I am indebted unto thee Sparke 29. O Lord grant that I may promise unto thee that which thou hast commanded me and after b Deut. 23.21 performe that which I have c Psal 66. promis'd that I may obtain thy promise through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XXX Of Christ's vertues in healing and Satan's policie in hurting IT is no wonder that the Devill did so much prevail against the Jewes to have Christ tormented in every member A box of precious ointments as his Head with Thornes his Hands and Feet with Nailes his Sides with the Spear his Eyes with Spittings his Face with buffettings and his Taste and Mouth with Gall for the Devill well perceived that there issued out great vertue from every member of Christ For he healed the Leper by touching him with his hand he healed Peter by looking back upon him with his eye he healed Matthew with his mouth by saying come and follow me he healed the deaf and dumb with his fingers by putting them into his ears he healed Mary Magdalen with the vertue that went from his feet when she washed them wiâ—h her tears he healed the woman diseased with the twelve years issue with the hem of his garment he healed raised up Lazarus out of his grave with his voice sayinâ— Lazarus come forth he heâ—lâ—d all the souls of his children with the blood and water that ran out of his blessed side Spark 30. Heal us O Lord for our bones are b Psal 6. vexed send out thy curing Word and heal our wounded soules that refuse all manner of comforts c Psal 107.19 20. say unto my soul I am thy salvation d Psal 35. O thou pittifull Saviour and sweet Samaritan e Luke 10. leave me not thus wounded and half dead in the high-way of perdition but bind up my wounds and poure therein the oyle of thy everlasting grace through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XXXI Of Avarice and Oppression The Worldliings Woe ALbeit every sin calls for eternall vengeance yet we read in Scripture but of four crying sins The First is Murther and Bloodshed f Gen. 4.10 The Second is Gluttony and Idleness or the sin of Sodom g Gen. 18.21 The Third is the sin of Wrong and Oppression h Exod. 3.9 The Fourth is the detaining of the Labourers hire i Jam. 5.4 Now three of these cry with open mouth against the Covetous wretch as against an open Oppressor a secret Defrauder both an open and secret Murtherer Therefore the clamours of many poore Debters in the Dungeon of many poor Labourers in the Field and of many poore Neighbours crying and dying in the street enters into the ears of the Lord of hosts Nay the cry of his owne soul and body will come against him for though he keepeth his pelf with many locks from others yet from none doth he keep them so fast as from himself For though he possesseth them yet hath he no power to use them as holy Records doe shew Eccles 6.1 where the Spirit of God sayeth That there is an evill under the Sun which is much used among men A man to whom God hath given Riches and Treasure and Honour wanteth nothing for his soul of all that it desireth but God giveth him not power to eat thereof but a strange man shall eat it up This is an evill sickness Consider this then thou Worldling that sayest in thy heart I shall never have enough Spark 31. O blessed Trinity that fillest every living thing with thy l Psal 104. blessing Lord blesse us and thy blessings that in using them we abuse not thee O Sacred All sufficient Trinity fill thou our hearts so full that we may desire r Ezech. 36. nothing but thee thy glory our hearts good Lord are made Triangle-wise a fit seat for the blessed Trinity They are made narrow below and shut close to keep out worldly desires and wide and open above to receive all heavenly blessings O Lord as they are thy vessels so let them be of thy filling yea fitted with nothing but with thy self and thy love Psal 10.17 through Jesus Christ our Saviour Amen Sect. XXXII Nothing can satisfie God for our sins but his Son VVHat is that which man can off r unto his Maker The Acceptable Sacrifice to pacifie his wrath ' gainst sins If he cold give the whole world unto God what doth he offer but what he hath received of God and lost by his disobedience If man could offer himself what offereth he but unâ—hankfulness dust and ashes blasphemy and wickednes which provokes Gods wrath more more If the Angells would offer themselves and their service to satisfie the wrath of the everlasting God what were that but a thing finite in goodness to seek to cover an infiâ—it evill Therefore God himself was fain to step between his Justice and Mercy to reconcile us again unto him by his own merits Spark 32. O Lord from whence then cometh our help Surely our help cometh of thee f Psal 121. which hast made heaven and earth There was no other water to waâ—h away Naaman's leprosie but Jordan's p 2 Kings 5 No ladder that reached up to Heaven but Jacob's q Gen. 28.12 No serpent that healed the Israelites but the brasen k Numb 21 9. So there is no other Name under heaven whereby we may be saved f Acts 4. but only by thy name and merits sweet Jesus O Lord it was not our own arm that helped us b Psal 44.3 4. but thy right hand and thy arm and the light of thy countenance because thou
Royalty THough the Lord shares so liberally with man that of all his Creatures he reserved but the least part to himselfe yet in most things he will have us to acknowledge him for our cheif Lord and of every thing to pay him something as his chief rent and royalty As of our time the seventh day of the trees of Paradise the tree of knowledge of good and evill of all our increase the tenth of our generation the first born of our Corn the first fruits of his people Israel the tribe of Levi of all Cities Jerusalem of all mountaines Mount Sion of all the sons of Ishai little David of all women the blessed Virgin and of all the members of our bodies the heart Spark 52. O King of Glory how liberall doest thou deale with us and how niggard are we in repaying thee For how many a thousand thoughts have we conceived and not one of them in remembrance of thy goodness How many thousand words have we spoke and not one of them to the praise of thy name How many thousand deeds have we done and not one of them for the setting-forth of thy glory Good Lord as thou hast given me all things saving thy glory so for thy glory give me of thy grace that I may acknowledge thee Let my heart be alwayes inditing of a good matter that my tongue may be the pen of a ready writer Psal 45 and my hand diligent in well doing and open unto the needy through Jesus Christ Prov. 12.30 Amen Sect. LIII The earthly Planet AS the Bridegroom the bright Son of happiness and Lord of life is often compared to the Sun of heaven so his Spouse the Church doth often resemble the Moon For as the Moon hath all her light from the Sun so the Church from Christ And as the shadow of the earth doth somtimes hinder and Eclipse the Moon that she cannot shew the light of the Sun the which she received so our sins like earthly shadows do hinder and debar us oftentimes from giving thanks and glory to God for what we received and to shew the same to others giving him the glory from whom they proceed But as that good Planet the sun faileth not to give light continually unto the body of the Moon and to all inferiour bodies though sometimes it seems to be eclipsed in regard of us so the glorious Sun of Righteousness doth never fail to give light unto his Church and his Elect here on earth though by reason of the black cloud of our sins he seems sometimes for a while to be absent from us And as the Moon will not utterly fail by any Eclipse that can happen though to our sight is be almost quite darkened so the Church of God can never faile nor fall clean away but shall ever be a Church world without end being grounded upon a sure Rock Jesus Christ being the chief corner Stone Spark 53. O most glorious Sun of Righteousnes and the bright day-Star of grace and glory vouchsafe we beseech thee to lighten our darknesse by thy holy Spirit and to shew us the pure light of thy countenance by shining in our hearts and souls Let thy holy word be a lanthorn to our feet and a light unto our paths disperse all the black clouds of ignorance and errours that may Eclipse the light of thy holy Spirit from us be thou alwayes with us unto the end of the world and pray unto the Father for us that our Faith may not faile Marry us unto thy self for ever that though we seem sometimes to have a faile yet we may never fall finally from thee which art the way the life and light for ever Sect. LIV. The Sympathy of Christ's Passion O Sweet Saviour work in me that pitty of thy paint that the Creatures had at thy Passion For then the Sun was darkned the earth quaked the temple rented the stones cleaved and the graves opened And yet thou didst not suffer for the sun nor the earth for the graves the temple nor the stones but for us men and our salvation Shall these be amazed at the pungs and we not moved at thy pains Sparke 54 O Lord let the wounds of thy hands cause a wound in my heart The nayles of thy feet prick my conscience Thy Vineger and Gall draw tears from mine eyes Thy bloudy side cause me a bleeding Soul And thy paines cause in me sorrow and passions Sect. LV. The eyes Imperfection SOme can see a mote in their brothers eye and not so much as a beam in their own such was the Pharisee that prayed with the Publican Some again can see a mote in their brother's eye a beam in their own such was Peter when he denied Christ and wept And Paul who counted himself not worthy to be called an Apostle There be also some that espie beames both in their own eyes and in every bodies else such are they that know themselves in conscience to be bad and therefore think every body else to be so Such was Pharaoh that thought God's people to be idle because he was idle himself Some again see no mote neither in their own eyes nor in others such are blinde Atheists and loose Liberties that think that every man may do what he will Some again can see two beames in their own eyes and a beam in others such was Judas and Cain and such as see their own sin so great that they despaire of Gods mercy For though they judge others to be great sinners yet they think their own unpardonable Sparke 55. O Lord blesse me from such a sight For Lord if I offend thy Justice by transgression yet let me not offend thy mercy by disperation And yet give me grace alwayes to see the beam in mine own eye and to take it away that then I may the better see the mote in my brothers eye Sect. LVI Our Credite once Crack't c. VVE have need to have Gods Grace to guide us every minute in all our actions For we may commit in an houre such a fault as will be a blemish to us in a whole age Noab was but once drunk yet is ever spoken off David but once in Adulterer yet his fact never forgotten Adam but once tasting of an apple yet his posterity smart for it to the worlds end Lot once committing incest with his Daughters yet his fin is notorious for ever Lots wife turning but once back to Sodome yet an example for ever Peter but once fallen yet his weakness perpetually noted Sparke 56. O Lord let thy Angels guard me thy grace guide me thy word direct me and thy spirit preserve me that I neither stirre nor nor start waver nor wander out of thy path Lord keepe me as the apple of thine eye and as the fignet on thy right hand that all my thoughts may be of thy goodnesse all my words to thy praise and all my works to thy glory to whom be all glory and goodnesse
cold water teach me to be content with the least of his blessings and to give him thanks knowing that man liveth not by meat onely but by every word that proceedeth from thy mouth through Jesus Christ our Saviour Sect. LXV Good Neighbours THe childe of God hath some comfort in adversity above all others because all his neighbours are his father's tenants at wil and hold both life and land of him during his pleasure Therefore he that is God's childe shall finde some that love the Lord of their life and land and will be ready to yield relief and comfort unto his son David was not unmindfull of this when he said I have been young and now am old yet I never saw the righteous forsaken nor their seed begging their bread Nay if all men should forsake Gods elect the bruit creatures would succour him at need for rather then Elias shall starve the ravens will feed him rather than Jonas should be drowned the Whale will preserve him rather than Daniel should perish the Lions will comfort him Sparke 65. O Lord Thou art my Father I am thy child but good Father I have sinned against heaven and against thee I am not worthy to be called thy son O make me as one of thy hir'd servants let me not want the thing without which I cannot serve thee For Lord in thee is my trust let me never be confounded Amen Sect. LXVI The sickness of the Soul THe diseases of the body as the Ague the Stone the Pox the Palsie the Plague Impostumes c. Are cured either by Physick tract of Time or ended by Death But the diseases of the soul as Pride Envie Malice c. are cured neither by Time Physick nor Death but onely by the blood of Jesus Christ therefore seeing the diseases of the soul be so incurable and the Physick so precious we had need to be watchfull of our selves that though we have a sick body yet a sound soul Sparke 66. O Lord my soul is sick with divers diseases my wounds great and my Malady grievous heal mâ— therefore O Lord for my bones are vexed yea heal my soul for I have sinned against thee speak the word Lord and thy servant shall be healed Sect. LXVII Paul's desire THey that live most honestly will die most willingly For willingly doth the traveller question about his Inne Often casteth the Apprentice when his years will expire Many times will the woman that hath conceived wish her delivery And he that knows his life to be away to death and his death the doore to joy will often covet to be dissolved and to be with Christ Sparke 67. O Lord while we breath here grant that we may live in thee and departing hence we may live with thee for ever being sound in faith and strong in hope looking with chearfullness for the day of our departure and the joyfull appeareing of thy Son Jesus Christ our Redeemer and in the hour of death Lord let thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation Grant this O Lord for thy sonne and my Saviour thy Lamb and my loving advocate Jesus Christ the righteous Amen Sect LXVIII The Sinner's Wound EVery worldling sometime or other is sorry for the vices he followeth as the drunkard for his drunkennesse the whoremonger for his uncleanness c. But the godly man never repents him of any vertuous action For when did any man repent that he did relieve the poor who was sorry that he kept himself chast who ever had cause of grief because he did not rob or steal who ever repented him for being patient humble mercifull sober honest and faithfull But sinfull actions leave a sting behinde them which hardly can be cured whereas Godly deeds how bitter soever they seem in the doing yet being done instead of leaving a sting behind them they minister a sweet comfort unto the doer Sparke 68. My blessed God give me evermore grace to avoid evill and to do good to hate the works of darkness which causeth nothing but shame grief repentance and to put on the Armour of light that may shield me with comfort and save me from confusion Sect. LXIX The Christian's Primer-Book HE that will be a Scholar in Christianity may take Mount Calvarie for his school the Crosse for his meditation Christs wounds for his letters his stripes for his comma's his nailes for his full points his open fide for his book and to know Christ and him crucified for his lesson Sparke 69. Lord open mine eys that I may know thy son Jesus Christ and him crucified Grant I may enter into life through theneer and living way which thou hast prepared that is through thy bloud and passion so that no tribulation nor anguish nor persecution neither hunger nor nakednesse neither perill nor sword neither death nor life may separate us from thee to whom be praise and glory both now and ever more Amen Sect. LXX The Courtier 's walke COurtiers desirous by following Prince's Court to benefit themselves and to raise their house for them and their posterity ought to be carefull to know the right way by which they may be exalted being but earthly men seeing there are but four ways ordinarily whereby all heavy things here below may be promoted first By art at the water that of it self is heavy and by nature runs downward is by skil and knowledge not onely drawn up as high as the fountain from whence it first sprang but far higher Secondly by nature's ordinary course in things here below as in trees and plants whose tops do mount up so much the higher above the earth by how much their roots are lower and deeper in the earth Thirdly by vertue power of the celestial bodies as those vapours that are exhaled up by force and vertue of the Sun-beames Lastly by force and violence used here below to drive things upward as when an arrow is shot up from a strong bow a stone from a sling or a bullet from a piece by which violence things suddenly mount up but doe as suddenly fall again In like manner are men exalted here upon earth Some by art learning and industry exalt themselves and their houses not onely as high as the fountain of their bloud linaege but far above them as Moses Solomon c. have done some again by their humble service to God and their Prince do root themselves to low in the earth that their fair boughes and branches of their name and posterity grow extraordinarily in height above others and by reason of their sure and sound rooting continue longer before they either fall or decay And so did Christ and his Apostles exalt themselves some like the vapours are immediately drawn up on high by the celestiall power and pleasure of God by his extraordinary mercies to try them as Lucifer Saul Herod Nabuchadnezzar c. who if thâ—y be earthly watery and impure vapours are cast down again after a while
Rom 13. Gal. 5. 1 Cor. 15. and be skilâ—ul in the rules of Christianity through that loadstone of love Jesus Christ Amâ— Sect. LXXIX The House-holder's Office EVery man in his House should beare the same Office as Christ doth in his Gen. 32. Church who is King Priest and Prophet So most that good man be a King to rule his Family and to correct his Children so did Jacob A Priest to pray for his Children Job 1. 1 Kings 2.2 so did Job And a Prophet to teach and instruct them so did David Spark 79. Grant O Lord that I may correct my Children For Prov. 13. The sparing of the rod is the spoyling of the Childe Teach me to instruct them in their youth that they may it when they are old Teach me how to pray both for me and them Mat. 7. For to him that knocketh it shall be opened Sect. LXXX A Medicine well tempered THough God's blessings be sweet alwayes in themselves yet he maketh them often times seem more sweet to us by the manner of giving them as when he sends a calm after a great tempest perfect health after long sickness free liberty after close Imprisonment a bright day after a dark night a blessing to Jacob after long wrastling the Land of Canaan to Israel after long Warre riches to Job after great poverty light to Paul after long darkness Sorrow for a night to his Children but joy in the morning Spark 80. O Lord If thy blessings taste not sweet enough in the mouth of my sickly and sinfull soul feed me sometimes with â—hy tart benefiâ—s that thy sweet blâ—ssings mâ—y be the more welcome to me and my self more thankfull unto thee that I may say with David â—er 10 24. It is good for me that I have been in trouble for before I was troubled I went wrong Sect. LXXXI Sin 's port-way IF a man wil take his journey towards Hell he need not fear to be out of his way for that way is both common and plain where he shall overtake many to bear him company but none coming back to bring him commendation to his friends But he that will resolve to take his voyage towards Hâ—aven shall have much ado to finde the way for it is a troublesome path frequented but by few and therefore we had need to set forwards betimes if we will come to the end of our journey But the best is though we travailâ— hard to come to it yet when we come we shall be sure of a good lodging where we may be joyfull and merry and rest for ever without any more pain banquetting and feasting like glad children in our elder brother's house Spark 81. Psal 5. Psal 139. Psal 143.10 Luk. 16. Mat. 4. Exod. 23 20 Teach me O Lord thy way and let thy holy spirit direct me thy Word conduct me and the blessed Angells attend me that I neither wander fall nor stumble untill I arrive at the haven of happiness to dwell with thee forever more Amen Sect. LXXXII The chiefest Trade VVHen men are about to bind their children to any Trade they will commonly be carefull to know that profession wherein they may be admitted with less charge where the Professor is of good name and credit the calling honest and gainfull and whereby in the end they shall be sure to come to great preferment Christianity is the best profession of all and such a calling that the poorest man may be admitted unto without charge Who is of greater credit than God And who can choose a better mastâ—r to serve than his Maker The calling is most honest and gainfull For what greater honesty than to do unto all men as I would they should do unto me And what greater gain than godliness Lastly having served out the time what greater freedome can any have than to be a free-man of Heaven what greater preferment can any wish than to have a Crowne of glory and life everlasting Sparke 82. O Lord this is onely my profession I am bound to it since I was a child Howbeit I have a thousaand times broken my Indentures and run away from thee and thou hast still brought me back again and forgiven me I am ashamed Lâ—rd I have so often displeased so gentle a Master Good Lord forgive me for Jesus Christ's sake Amen Sect. LXXXIII The best conception SOme have bin for a time barren in body but fruitfull in soul so was Sarah Rebecca and Elizabeth Some have been fruitfull in body but barren in soul so were Lot's Daughters that so readily conceived of their Father Some again are fruitfull both in body and soul and so was the blessed Virgin for she conceived Christ in her womb and pondered all his sayings in her heart Sparke 83. Lord grant that how barren soever our bodies be in multiplication yet our souls may be always bringing forth fruit in due season conceiving a good faith in thee and bringing forth good works to thy praise and glory Sect. LXXXIV Welcome God's Will SOme men have many children and have no inheritance for them some have inheritance and no children some have both children and inheritance some neither children nor inheritance c. Sparke 84. Lord if it please thee to send me many Children without inheritance make them thine by adoption and then they shall be inheritors of thy Kingdome If thou send me children and inheritance make me the more thankfull unto thee and let me not esteem them above thee If I have neither children nor inheritance then give me a lively faith in Christ to purchase Heaven for my patrimony and to become a childe my self that I may have thee for my Father But if it please thee to send me wealth without children Lord give me grace to bestow it upon my poor brethren which are thy children and my spirituall kinsmen for in so doing I do but lend unto thee of thine owne thou wilt be sure to pay me the best interest Sect. LXXXV For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven VVHen I view the earth and see that of her own accord she brings forth both herbs and fodder and food sufficient for all creatures save man wiâ—hâ—ut labour or tillage and that onely man must till and labour for his food then I well perceive Lord that it is man onely that hath and do h daily offend and not the bruit creature Spark 85. Good Lord forgive me my sins both originall and actuall that I with all thy elect may evermore praise thee that the earth may bring forth her increase and that God even our own God may give us his blessing c. Sect. LXXXVI The Kings Court. IF it pleased such as attend the Court to see the difference between the Court of Princes here on earth and the Court of the King of Glory in heaven they would quickly forsake all the Profits of the one to attaine unto the pleasurs of the other For First