to it thou shalt goe either to Heaven or to Hell upon the easiest or hardest terms XLIX Meditat. ME-thinks I hear six voices cry aloud The first voice is of dying man The second is the voice of the Damned The third is the voice of my precious Soul The fourth is the voice of Jesus Christ The fifth is the voice of Evil times The sixth is the voice of the Day of Judgement First Methinks I hear dying man breathing out these groans Oh lose not a moment of time for thy time is but a moment Oh now make sure of Heaven for thou knowest not how soon thou must leave the Earth And then methings I hear the damned man roaring forth these lamentations Oh! Come and see the end of sin in these that know no end of sorrow Oh come and learn thy price of time from those that must for ever suffer for the loss of time And then me-thinks I hear my precious Soul using these expostulations Oh my Body What a fool am I to satisfie thy lusts thou art but for a moment of time but I must endure for ever when thou art wrapt up in rottenness where shall I spend my eternity I might now get Heaven for my Mansion Angels for my Companions God for my Possession and dost thou think I will lose my felicity to satisfie thy dainty Is it not better that I should carry thee to Heaven than that thou shouldest carry me with thee to Hell And then me-thinks I hear Jesus Christ using these invitations Behold I stand at the door and knock till my head is filled with dew and my locks with the dew of the night here I stand weeping knocking begging and waiting Oh open to me My tears begg my tears knock my blood knocks my groans knock Oh open to me My patience knocks and waits Oh open to me Let not sin lodge in thy heart and Christ wait at the door let not damnation rule within salvation wait without And then me-thinks Evil times use their invitations Oh now be living Christians for these are dying dayes Oh now be growing Christians for these are back-sliding times Oh now make Jesus Christ thine own for here thou knowest not what is thine own And then lastly me-thinks I hear the voice of the Archangel summoning the dead to come forth to judgment Arise ye holy and blessed Saints take your places with God and his holy Angels to judge the World Arise ye cursed naked Souls and take your standing in the sight of God and of his blessed Saints to be judged as you lived in the World Oh Lord let me hear with fear the first voices that I may not fear to hear the last voice L. Meditat. IN every choice we cannot take except we leave That Soul that chooseth life and grace refuseth all things else This is the heavenly breathing of such a gracious spirit Lord Let vain man follow vain fashions but cloath me with salvation and cover me with the robes of righteousness let them be all glorious without but let me be all glorious within let them crown themselves with rose-buds but crown me as thou dost thy Church with the Stars of Heaven these shall shine when those shall fade Let the wicked goe away with the World let them have all the sweetness beauties glories and excellencies of the Earth but let Jesus Christ be my portion There all things else are nothing at all where Christ is all in all therefore be serious Oh my Soul for thou hast none of Christ untill thou canst truly say None but Christ LI. Meditat. THree things methinks should make the heart of a Christian to tremble First To consider the brevity of their life Secondly The difficulty of their Work Thirdly The eternity of their end Our life is but a withering flower a flying cloud a vanishing shaddow a perishing breath the body returneth to the dust and the soul goeth suddenly to its long home the night instantly cometh when no man can work But now What work is to be done in this short inch of time Great enemies to be conquered Sons of Anach to be killed Principalities and powers to be over-powred dear lusts to be subdued right eyes to be plucked out right hands to be cut off strict rules to be followed a narrow way and strait gate to goe through to summ it up a long race to be run with a short breath a great way to be gone by a setting Sun But then What are we to expect when this Taper is out this breath is expired Even as we have sowed so to reap either to be eternally crowned or eternally damned Now therefore before the Sun be set or the shadow of the evening be stretched out whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with all thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdome in the grave whither thou goest Oh Lord help me so to work for thee in this moment of time that I may for ever rest with thee when time shall be no more LII Meditat. YOu have heard of the bloody Seige of Troy and yet it was said of Hellen that she was so beautiful that she deserved ten years War more and what was Hellen but a glorious heap of Clay You have heard of the hard labours of Jacob yet Rachel was so amiable in his eyes that he thought her worthy of fourteen years service If these deserved so much Oh what doth Jesus Christ deserve who is altogether lovely before whose shining glory the beauty of the whole Creation is but an indigested Chaos Therefore be not discouraged Oh my Soul though thine enemies be fierce thy assaults cruel thy resistance even unto blood thou fightest for a beautiful Christ that deserves it Neither be dis-heartened Oh my Soul though rules be strict duties hard thy labours great thou servest for an amiable Christ that will sufficiently reward it Look but upon the lovely beauties of thy Christ think but upon the glorious day of thine espousal and these fourteen years will be nothing to thee Lord let me alwayes have thy beauty in mine eye so shall I quickly find no difficulty in my hand LIII Meditat. I Have formerly with the World accounted the spirit of a Christian to be a melancholly spirit and the ways of holiness only unpleasant paths leading to the deserts of sad retiredness But now I see they have hidden Manna which the World knows not of glorious joyes which strangers do not meddle with and the closer and exacter they walk the fuller and sweeter are their joyes Formerly the very thoughts of parting with my pleasures and delights to embrace soul-humbling self-denying duties were grievous to me but now I bless my God I can say with Augustine Quà m suave suavitatibus istis carere Oh how sweet is it to want my former sweetness It is now my rejoycing to be without my former joyes for now I see there is a Heaven in the way to Heaven and that one look
others have the use of it onely the abuse of it he carries to judgement with him he hath made his friends as we say but he hath undone himself so that I may justly write this Motto upon every bagg This is the price of blood Shall I then treasure up the price of blood No Christ hath entrusted me as a Steward therefore what I have and need not Christ shall have in his members that need and have not So the transitory creatures when they shall slide away shall not carry me with them but when I shall pass away I shall carry them with me XII Meditat. GOod Lord what a miserable creature is a wicked man His very Manna turns to worms his very mercies make him miserable look upon him in his larger estate and you shall find either he hath not the benefit of enjoying it only the danger of keeping it and this adds not to his comfort or else if he doth enjoy it he doth so miserably abuse it that as one saith well he makes that which for use is but temporal for punishment to be eternal Alas the pleasures of it are quickly gone but the pain of it lyes in his bones for ever Lord therefore help me to improve thy mercies or else thy mercies will but improve my miseries XIV Meditat. WOuld'st thou know whether thy name be written in the Book of Life why then read what thou hast written in the Book of Conscience Thou needest not ask who shall ascend up into Heaven for to search the Records of Eternity thou mayest but descend down into thine own heart and their read what thou art and what thou shalt be Though Gods Book of Election and Reprobation be closed and kept above with God yet thy Book of Conscience that is open and kept below in thy very bosome and what thou writest here thou shalt be sure to read there If I write nothing in this Book but the black lines of sin I shall find nothing in Gods Book but the red lines of damnation But if I write Gods Word in the Book of Conscience I may be sure God hath written my Name in the Book of Life At the great Day of Judgement when all Books shall be opened there I shall either read the sweetest or the sharpest lines I will therefore so write here that I may not be ashamed to read hereafter XV. Meditat. BE not curious to search into the secrets of God pick not the Lock where he hath allowed no Key He that will be sifting every Cloud may be smitten with a Thunder-bolt and he that will be too familiar with Gods secrets may be over-whelmed in his judgements Adam would curiously increase his knowledge wherefore Adam shamefully lost his goodness the Bethshemites would needs pry into the Ark of God therefore the hand of God slew above fifty thousand of them Therefore hover not about this flame lest we scorch our wings for my part seeing God hath made me his Steward and not his Secretary I will carefully improve my self by what we have revealed and not curiously enquire into or after what he hath reserved XVI Meditat. NOthing is so sure as death and nothing so uncertain as the time I may be too old to live I can never be too young to dye I will therefore live every hour as if I were to dye the next XVII Meditat. AS the Tree falleth so it lyeth and where death strikes down there God layes out either for mercy or misery So that I may compare it to the Red Sea If I goe in an Israelite my landing shall be in glory and my rejoycing in triumph to see all mine enemies dead upon the Sea-shore but If I goe in an Aegyptian if I be on this side the Cloud on this side the Covenant and yet go in hardned among the Troops of Pharaoh Justice shall return in its full strength and an inundation of Judgement shall over-flow my soul for ever Or else I may compare it to the sleep of the ten Virgins of whom it is said they slumbred and slept we shall all fall into this sleep now if I lye down with the wise I shall goe in with the Bridegroom but if I sleep with the foolish without oyl in my lamp without grace in my soul I have closed the gates of mercy upon my soul for ever I see then this life is the time wherein I must go forth to meet the Lord this is the hour wherein I must do my work and that the day wherein I must be judged according to my works I know not how soon I may fall into this sleep Therefore Lord grant that I live every day in thy sight as I desire to appear the last day in thy presence XVIII Meditat. WHat is said of the Mariner in respect to his Ship that he alwayes sayles within four inches of death that may be said of the soul in relation to the body that it is alwayes in four inches of Eternity if the Ship splits then the Saylor sinks if our earthen vessels break the soul is gone plunged for ever into the bottomless Sea and bankless Ocean of Eternity This is the soul therefore that I desire to weep over that shall preposterously launch into the deep before he knows whether he shall sink or swim XIX Meditat. IT was a sad speech of a dying King Nondum caepi vivere jam cogor vivendi finem facere I must now dye before I begin to live It is the sad condition of many a dying man that their work is to do when their hour is come when the enemy is in the gate their weapons are to look for when death is at the door their graces are to look for when the Bridegroom is come their oyl is to buy the pursuer of blood is upon them and the City of refuge not so much as thought of by them In a word the seven years of plenty are wasted and no provision for the years of famine time is spent and nothing laid up for eternity I will therefore now finish every work I have to do that to dye might be the last work I have to finish XX. Meditat. THis impudent age of ours is grown so eminently uncivil that it is now a dayes counted one of the greatest shames to be ashamed of sin but for my part I had rather be accounted the Worlds fool than Gods enemy XXI Meditat. WOrldling thou deridest to see a Ceristian melting at the Word trembling at a sin I tell thee he is of a noble carriage he can triumph in death and in judgement it is not the King of fears that can appall him or Hell it self that can affright him but as a Conquerour over both he can leave the World with a smile O Death where is thy Sting O Hell where is thy victory That is his triumphant valediction and farewell But thou that gloriest so much because thou canst silence Conscience and out-face sin I tell thee thou art of a base
cowardly spirit let but a little sickness impair thy health or the thoughts of death charge upon thy spirit and what quick retreatings are there from thy bold resolutions What heaviness clouds thy looks What terrours shake thy joynts What sadness sinks thy heart So that a fancy frights thee a shadow startles thee Nabal-like thy spirits dye and sink within thee like a stone Therefore jeer on for my part I hold it better to fear while God threatens than to fall when God judgeth XXII Meditat. THe nearer the Moon draweth into conjunction with the Sun the brighter it shines towards the Heavens and the obscurer it shews towards the Earth So the nearer the Soul draws into Communion with Jesus Christ the comelier it is in the eye of the Spouse and the Blacker it appears in the sight of the World He that is a precious Christian to the Lord is a precise Puritan to the World He that is glorious to an heavenly Saint is odious to an earthly Spirit But it is a sign thou art an Aegyptian when that cloud which is a light to an Israelite is darkness to thee It is a sign thou movest in a terrestrial orb when thou seest no lustre in such celestial lights for my part if I shine to God I care not how I shew to the world XXIII Meditat. IT appears not what we are to the World and it hardly appears what we shall be to our selves for did they know that we are the jewels of God the favourites of Heaven the excellency of the Creation the beloved of Christ they would not mock and persecute us as they do Or if we did but know that we should be glorified together with Christ his happiness shall be as our happiness and that his joy shall be as our joyes and his glories shall be as our glories truly we should not be so much dejected as we are when I consider that my life is hid with Christ in God I wonder not to see the World hate me but when I consider that when Christ shall appear I shall be like him I wonder it doth so much as trouble me XXIV Meditat. WHy should I fret my self at the prosperity of the wicked Indeed when I look upon the spreading Bay and forget the withering Herb when I view their Quails and forget their Curse my feet had almost slipt but since I went into the Sanctuary of God I find that all the blossomes of their glory must dis-flourish under the blastings of Gods wrath and all their external felicity doth but only perfect the judgements of the Lord and fill up the measure of their misery for what 's their pleasure but just like the deceitful salute of Joab with Amasa What 's their honour but like Absolom's Mule it only mounts and carries them to their Gallows What is their riches but like Jaels Present in a Lordly dish it only makes way for the fatal nail for their sad account at the day of judgement This their prosperity slayes them Now who esteems that Oxe happy that hath a goodly pasture to feed himself for the slaughter Who envies that Malefactour that has a fair day to ride to execution in And why is it that the workers of iniquity flourish Is it not that they may be destroyed for ever And the larger their pasture the sooner they are fitted for the slaughter I therefore for my part when I see a sinner prosper in his wickedness will turn the flame of envy into a tear of pity XXV Meditat. THis is Heaven to be for ever with the Lord and this is Hell for ever to be without the Lord. You that can see no beauty in Christ nor glory in Heaven do you likewise see no flames in Hell no Hell in loss of God You therefore that cannot be taken with his presence Oh tremble at his absence and you that care not to be with Oh fear to be without him for this is Hell on Earth Depart from us and this is Hell when we leave the Earth Depart from me Lord thou art my Heaven and my happiness unite me to thee that I may be for ever with thee XXVI Meditat. THat good which is in riches lyeth altogether in their use like the Womans box of Oyntment if it be not broken and poured out for the sweet refreshment of Jesus Christ in his distressed members they lose their worth Therefore the covetous man may truly write upon his rusting heaps These are good for nothing Chrysostome tells us Thas he is not rich that layes up much buâ— that layes out much for its all one not to have aâ— not to use I will therefore be the richer by a charitable laying out whilâ— the Worldling hall be thâ— poorer by his covetouâ— hoarding up XXVII Meditat. WHo will part with his God I will parâ— with my life rather than with my God no marvel then the covetouâ— man so hugs his Gold iâ— is his God if you take that from him he may cry with Micah when he lost his Gods What have I more His Heaven is gone his Happiness is gone his All is gone if God be gone I will not therefore wonder so much at the closeness of his hand as at the vainness of his heart We count it singular wisdome to keep that God we choose but that is absolute folly to chuse that God we cannot keep XXVIII Meditat. OH my Soul Thou art spiritual in thine essence immensible in thy desires and immortal in thy nature so that there must be proportion and perfection of what thou â—njoyest with a perennity â—f both or else no full content no real satisfaction Now were the universal World turned into a pleasant Eden and that Eden refreshd with the living springs of immortality and thou seated in the Throne of its choicest excellencies crowned with the Diadem of its highest felicities swaying the Scepter of thy glory over all sublunary creatures nay could'st thou give reins to the Sun or guidance to the moving flames did thy Territories board upon the highest Heavens and the revenues of thy Crown flow in from the farthest parts of the Earth yet what proportion doth a material World bear to an immortal Soul Will a Lion feed upon grass Or can the Soul be satisfied with dust Thou mayest as soon feed thy body with grass as thy soul with the creature if it did bear proportion yet it wants perfection Could the Devil turn a Chymist and extract the very vitall spirits and quintessence of the purest and desirablest excellencies under Heaven yet it is of such an imperfect nature that there is more lees than liquor more thorns than flowers more smoak than fire more sting then honey so â—hat that soul shall be filled with a whirlwind of vexation that thinks to be satisfied with an object of imperfection For it is impossible that such a scanty excellency should any wayes fill such an enlarged capacity Yet again were there perfection yet there is not perpetuity it will fly away
the inheritance they had rather take their portion in this life than to wait for an inheritance reserved in the Heavens Their unworthy spirits cry with Esau What profit will this birth-right do us We must have pleasure and we must have riches and therefore with Lysimacus they will sell their Kingdomes and themselves for a draught of water There are but few such elevated spirits as the Disciples had that can leave a possession to live upon a promise there are but few have such heroick spirits as Moses had that can despise the treasures of this present World out of respect unto the recompence of a future reward but there are many of such sordid spirits as Dives had that would enjoy their good things here but for my part Lord give not me my portion in this life I had rather live by faith XXXVIII Meditat. WHat Rebel under Proclamation of mercy stands out when he knows he shall be fetch'd in by the hand of Justice yet how many refractory sinners with those invited guests in the Gospel deride the messengers of Peace untill they are slain by the men of War Indeed hadst thou counsel wisdom and strength for the battel could thy heart endure or thy hands be strong in the day that God shall deal with thee this were much or could the Gods whom thou servest deliver thee out of the hands of Christ this were more but alas thou must one day be brought under his regal power either in favour or fury either in the praise of his Glory or to the magnifying of his Justice if thou hate his Throne thou shalt be made his footstool if thou wilt not have him to be thy head thou shalt be trod under his feet if he be not thy Jesus he will be thy Judge In a word if thou wilt not touch the golden Scepter of his Mercy thou shalt be crushed with the Rod of his Justice and remember this that this life is only the time of displaying the Flag of Mercy and the burning of the Taper of Peace if once the white Flag be folded up and the burning Taper burnt out then look for nothing but the sad flourishes of the black Flag As for those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring them hither and slay them before me therefore now sit down and see thy weakness and while the King is yet a great way off send out the Ambassadours of thy prayers and tears and acquaint thy self now with God and be at peace For my part I had rather come in a Favourite than be brought in a Traytor XXXIX Meditat. SIn and Sorrow are two inseparable Companions thou canst not let in one and shut out the other If thy moment be spent in mirth thy eternity shall be spent in mourning if thou wilt not weep whil'st thou mayest have mercy to pardon thee thou shalt lament heareafter and yet have no eye to pity thee A bottle of tears may now quench the fire of Sin but a cloud of tears shall never quench the flames of Hell therefore while the wicked goe on laughing I desire to goe on mourning The Valley of Bochim will at length set me upon the Hill of Sion but the paths of rejoycing will at length bring into a hell of weeping for this is a truth that he that swims in sin shall sink in sorrow their laughter shall be turned into heaviness while my tears shall be wiped away I will therefore ever weep that I may not weep for ever XL. Meditat. THat way the Tree inclineth while it groweth that way it pitcheth when it falleth and there it lyes whether it be toward the North or South As we are in life for the most part we are in death so we lye down to eternity whether it be towards Heaven or Hell Being once fallen there is no removing For as in War an errour is death so in Death an errour is damnation therefore live as thou intendest to dye and dye as thou intendest to live O Lord Let the bent of my soul be alwayes towards thee that so I may fall to thee and ever rest with thee XLI Meditat. JOrdan that famous River no doubt runs through many a pleasant meadow by many a shady grove and flowery bank and yet at last is forc'd to empty it self into a dead Sea and not only so but those fresh Crystall streams that made those famous brooks lose both name and worth are turned into the dead Sea themselves Just so it is with a Weiked man here he walks through the meadows of Worldly pleasures and rests under the shades of earthly comforts and sports and wallows himself amongst the flowers of worldly delights but at last runs himself out into a dead Lake and is cast into Hell among the number of those that forget God and not only so but his very Heaven it self that made up all his hapiness is turn'd into hell his beauty is turn'd into horror his honour into shame his lusts into devils his pleasure into bitterness his scarlet into flames of fire and Brimstone so that that which was his fresh Stream here is his salt Sea there Lord Let me be a pure Stream that may end in Heaven I care not what stony veins I run through here on Earth so I may but there lose the name of weakness and corruption for glory and pefection XLII Meditat. WHat 's a day to an age And what 's an age to eternity And yet we know the shortest day is part of the longest time but the longest time is no part of eternity for where time ends there eternity begins Why are we then so foolish to heap up goods for mortality to lay up riches which at longest are but for many years perhaps not for many hours and yet to provide nothing for eternity And why are we so careful to humour and uphold a mouldering piece of clay a frail and mortal body which cannot stand above an age perhaps not above a day and yet neglect our precious souls that must endure for ever Do we all aim at a prosperous life Why then let us labour for a glorious eternity XLIII Meditat. ALL men would have happiness for their end but few would have holiness for their way all men would have the Kingdom of Heaven and the glory thereof but few seek the kingdom of Heaven and the righteousness thereof As that Noble man being asked what he thought of the course of precise Puritans as the World terms them or of the life of licentious Libertines Answered Cum ist is mallem vivere cum illis mori mallem I had rather live with those and dye with them So most men had rather live with Balaam but dye with Israel They would willingly have the Libertines ease but the godly mans end But this is certain no soul shall goe to God in death but onely that which draws near to God in life if the Kingdom of God be not first in us we shall
never enter into the Kingdom of God no soul shall rest in Heaven hereafter but those that walk in Heaven here no soul shall enter into the gates of felicity but only that which treads the narrow paths of piety Lord make me holy as well as happy that I may love as well to glorifie thee as to be glorified of thee XLIV Meditat. THere be many to morrow Christians that set their day with God at such a day they will repent and not before as if they had the Lordship of Time and the Monopoly of Grace whereas Time and Grace are only at Gods disposing As St. Ambrose saith Poenitenti indulgentiam sâ—d dilaturo diem crastinum non promisit God hath promised pardon to the penitent but he hath not promised to morrow to the negligent As Saint Augustine saith Qui dat poenitenti veniam non semper dabit peccanti poenitentiam He that gives pardon to the penitent doth not alwayes give repentance to the sinner If I put God off to day he may put off me to morrow if I put off this hour of grace I may never have another gracious hour to day if I put by his hand of Mercy to morrow he may stretch out his hand of Justice It is true whil'st I have time I may come in but it is also true when I would come in I may not have time This is certain when I repent I shall have mercy but this is as certain when I would have mercy I may not find repentance O Lord thou hast given me this hour of grace to repent in Give me grace in this hour to repent with XLV Meditat. GOod Lord What a shaddow is the life of man What a nothing is it The time past that 's nothing just like a Bird fled from the hand of the Owner out of sight The time present that 's vanishing a running hour nay less a flying minute as good as nothing The time to come that 's uncertain the evening Sun may see us dead Lord Therefore in this hour make me sure of thee for in the next I am not sure of my self XLVI Meditat. ALexander when he had divided his wealth among his friends and being ask'd What he had reserved for himself Answered Hope He is a rare Christian indeed that can part with all for Christ and live by faith but when it comes to this that we must lose what we have here out of hope to find it again in Heaven the running Professor stops and goes back sorrowful Crates in his way to Philosophy threw his goods into the Sea to save himself saying Fgo vos mergam ne ipse mergar à vobis I had rather drown you than that you should drown me For he thought riches and vertue were incompatible But how many Christians are there that in their way to Jesus Christ throw away themselves and their souls to save their gold Before they will cast their bread upon the waters they will throw themselves into the Ocean many that make such specious shews of following of Christ in this same turning you may know their Master but this is a truth he hath no part at all in Christ that will not part with all for Christ and he lives but the life of sence that cannot make a living out of a promise Therefore Lord of what I have freely take thou what thou callest for Christ is my portion and reward I have enough to live on XLVII Meditat. WHen I look into the Treasures of men perhaps I see Chests of Plate Baggs of Gold Cabinets of Jewels but this is the misery of it that when he goes abroad he cannot carry them without a burthen or leave them without a fear But here now is the excellency of a Child of God that his treasure is alwayes in him and it is his happiness to carry it alwayes with him that as it is transcendent for riches being the fulness of God so it is likewise permanent for continuance because he is filled with that fulness insomuch that you may sooner rend his soul from his body than take his treasure from his soul This was that which sweetned the loss of Country-house and friends to Ovid in his exile the thoughts of his Genius the riches of his ingenous spirit was beyond the riches of Caesar's malice and this is that which refresheth the spirit of a Christian in all troubles and afflictions that he meets with in the Land of banishment he hath the possession of Jesus Christ whom he can never lose Oh the excellency of a Child of God! Though you cast him out of all yet you cannot cast any thing of this all out of him But as Bâ—as that Princely Philosopher said when he lost his City and was put to flight being asked by those that fled with him with their bagg and baggage Why he likewise took not something with him Answered Omnia mea mecum porto I carry all my riches with me meaning his Wisdom and his vertues So a Christian though you impoverish him banish him and cast him out of all yet he is able to say still Omnia mea mecum porto I carry all my treasure with me I have my Christ my fulness And truly Lord so thou wilt possess me with this all I care not though I am dispossessed of all XLVIII Meditat. LEgal dayes were but like winter dayes dark and cloudy sharp and stormy and yet how many of our Fathers travelled to Heaven in those dayes But Gospel-times they are like Summer dayes sweet and clear full of light and beauty so that we may truly say that God hath not been as a cloud of darkness to us for these are the dayes of grace that are full of the beams of mercy yet how slowly and sadly do many of us goe to Heaven But which is worse how sadly and slightly do we waste these precious dayes and neglect these golden opportunities Oh what time shall that soul find to repent in that shall be hardned in these melting times Oh what dayes shall that soul find to goe to Heaven in that shall idle away these Gospel-dayes Oh what grace shall that man find for sin that shall sin away the dayes of grace Oh to whom shall that soul appeal that shall renounce Jesus Christ Oh woe unto that soul for ever upon which the shaddows of death and of the evening are stretched out and yet never set forth for Heaven But wofuller is that man to whom the clearer and sweeter day doth only make the blacker and the sadder Hell Oh what blackness of darkness is reserved for that soul that shall walk in darkness in the midst and under such clearness of light We are those that are not only lifted up to Heaven but Heaven is let down to us Oh how long shall that man lye in Hell that Heaven presseth down Oh thou Gospel-Christian Thou art now under the clear demonstrations of Christ the sweet invitations of mercy the large manifestations of love look
will be alwayes warr with sin I know that while I live sin will have its being in my mortal body the Ivy will still be twisting about the house there 's no destroying of it untill the wall fall Sin was the womb of Death and only Death must be the tomb of Sin God would have my soul humbled therefore though he hath broke my prison yet he hath left the chain upon my feet God would have my graces exercised therefore though he have translated me into the Kingdom of life yet he hath left the Canaanite in the Land God would have my faith exercised therefore Goliah still shews himself in the field that so I might make out to the Name of the Lord I will therefore unbuckle Saul's Armour humble mine own abilities and betake me to the strength of Christ so though I cannot help the rebelling power of sin yet I shall alwayes hinder the ruling power of sin As it shall be my grief because sin will have its being so it shall be my care that it may never have its thriving though sin may live in me yet I will never live in sin LXI Meditat. I Must not pray simply against Temptations though I may against the evil of temptation for a Christian my be tempted and yet not overcome a Castle may be assaulted and yet not taken if Sathan inject an evi motion and I reject it this is not mine but the Devils sin this shall be a shining jewel in my crown of victory as an aggravating Item in his day of judgement Why art thou so terrified at the roaring of a Lion as if he could not rage but he must devour or as if grace temptation would not stand together As if the same afflictions were not accomplished upon thy Brethren This is an undoubted truth that spiritual wickedness is to be found in the heavenliest places and this is an excellent sign that Sathan takes thee for one that will tread upon his head when he is so violent to bruise thy heel and this a comfortable assurance that if Jesus Christ be thy Captain to lead thee in he will be thy Champion to bring thee out so that temptation shall be as a File to beautifie thy soul and as a Sword to wound thine Adversary For my part I know Sathan will be alwayes tempting therefore I will be alwayes watching and what I cannot hinder that I will be sure to hate So shall it be my joy to fall into temptation and the Devil's misery to fall into his own pit LXII Meditat. II was proudly said by Caesar crossing unknown the Sea being in a little Barque in a tempestuous storm when they were ready to be swallowed up by the waves perceiving the courage of the Pilot to fail Confide scias te Caesarem vehere Fear not for thou carriest Caesar How truly may a gracious spirit say in the midst of all dissertions afflictions and tribulations Fear nothing O my soul thou carriest Jesus Christ What though the windowes of Heaven be open for a storm or the fountains of the deep broke up for a floud dissertions from above afflictions from below yet God that sits in Heaven will not cast away his Son Christ that lives in me will not let me sink the swelling waves I know are but to set me nearer heaven and the swelling deeps are but to make me awake my Master prize thy Christ they cannot drown thee therefore shall not daunt me For while I sail with Christ I am sure to land with Christ LXIII Meditat. IF Satan cannot hinder the birth of graces then he labours to be the death of graces this is too ordinary to see a Christian lose his first love and to fall from his first works his love that was formerly an ascending flame always sparkling up to Heaven is now like a little spark almost suffocated with the Earth The godly sorrow that was once a swelling torrent like Jordan overflowing his banks is now like Job's Summer brook which makes the Traveller ashamed his proceedings against sin once furious like the march of Jehu against Ahab but now like Sampson he can sleep in Dalilahs lap whil'st she steals away his strength before he could not give rest to his eyes till God had given rest to his soul but now he can lye down with sin in his bosome and wounds in his Conscience At first his zeal did eat him up but now his decayings hath eat up his zeal How is thy excellency O Christian departed from thee How is thy crown fallen from thy head What a dangerous breach hast thou made for the entrance in of sin and sorrow Temptations find thee wracked and leave thee wounded thy graces that were once like the Worthies of David that could break through anâ— host of enemies and draw water at the wells of salvation are now like the Souldiers that follow Saul they are with thee trembling thou hast potent enemies but impotent graces often assaulted but easily conquered and as thy glorious Sun is setting so are dismal Clouds arising Thou O Christian art decreasing in thy graces and God is declining in his favours Thou drawest off Communion with the Saints and God draws off Communion from thy soul Thou offerest up thy sacrifices without the fire of zeal and he answers thy coldness with the fire of wrath In a word thy spirit hath no delight in God and Gods soul hath no delight in thee And as there is bad news from Heaven so there is sad news from Conscience What tremblings of heart What astonishment of soul What disputes against mercy What questionings of salvation will thy wounded conscience and bleeding spirit raise What flashes of lightning What claps of thunder will break out upon thy soul when the hot pangs of death shall be wrapt up in the cold and chill scruples of salvation As I will therefore draw out my soul to praise God for grace implanted so also will I put out my strength to serve God by grace improved that as every hour sets-me nearer my grave so every action may set me nearer my haven LXIV Meditat. AN Hypocrite is the Devils servant in Gods livery and therefore out of favour both in Heaven and Earth for man seeth his livery and therefore hateth him and God sees his heart and therefore will not own him Men see his outward sanctity and therefore deride him and God sees his inward hypocrisie and therefore abhors him so that he travels in the Wilderness and yet shall never rest in Canaan when he comes to cast up the summ of all his labours this he shall find to be the summ of them in stead of that blessed sentence of approbation Well done good and faithfull servant he shall have that direful sentence of detestation Who hath required this at your hands He that so cunningly deceived others doth at last as foolishly beguile himself in a word he is a man that steals his Damnation and sweats to get to Hell so that the
Praise of those that were slain in the Wars by the Lacedemonians received this answer from him Quales igitur nostros esse putas qui istos vicerunt If those were such brave and valiant men what dost thou think that we are that overcame those What though now we read a sad relation of the potency and policy of our enemies and find the heavy experience of it yet how glorious and victorious dost thou think we shall one day be when in the strength of Christ we shall have overcome those enemies What though my assaults be many my enemies mighty if God strengthen me I have enough to comfort me for the greater my enemy the more glorious my victory and the more glorious my victory the more triumphant my glory LXXXIII Meditat. I Have seen some Christians that for ordinary losses have been inordinate in their mourning as if not only the Stream but the Fountain had been exhausted whereas if the understanding part of the soul did truly act it self it would reason thus What must the stream of my sorrow run altogether in this channel Is there no mourning to be made for sin What shall I suffer my heart to swim away in tears Are there no duties to be performed for God And do I not know that a sad heart cannot serve a good God I have lost the Creature but I must keep my God I have parted with an outward comfort but I shall meet it again with advantage in Jesus Christ I have lost something were it more were it all so that I were not the owner of any thing yet enjoying Christ I should be the possessor of all things The failing Stream shall but therefore send me to the flowing Fountain Thus did the soul put forth it self it would quickly sweeten those bitter waters and presently turn those tears into duties For my part I will mourn for the loss of the Creature but it shall be in the Cause which is Sin so shall my sorrow be godly and not worldly and I will never be satisfied till I make good the absence of the Creature but it shall be in the Fountain which is Christ so shall it be a gain and not a loss LXXXIV Meditat. T Is observed as a point of wisdome in Husbandry to set those Plants together that have an Antipathy in their natures and draw severall juyces out of the Earth therefore it is thought a Rose set by Garlick is sweeter because the more fetid juyce of the Earth goes into the Garlick and the more odorate into the Rose I am sure 't is true in spirituals therefore I wonder not why afflictions are the portion of the righteous for I see prosperity is too strong a sucker to exhaust and steal the spiritual sap and celestial vigour of the Soul and so to debilitate the principles of growth and life Whereas adversity hath a contrary extraction it only draws out what may be malignant and leaves behind it what may be for nourishment it takes the dregs and leaves the spirits whereby the soul is elevated and made more fruitful in the works of holiness Therefore Lord so I may but grow if the Flowers of the World be too succulent transplant me among the Bryars LXXXV Meditat. WHen I look up to Heaven how oft do I both see the Sun shine and set When I look down into my soul how oft do I see my comfort rise and fall Eye but that Ship which now seems to touch the clouds and you shall see it in the depth anon as if it would be swallowed by the waves One while a Christian is upon mount Tabor and hath a glance of Heaven another while lyes in the valley of Bochim weeping because he hath lost the sight of his Country Joshuah's long day is many times turn'd into Paul's sad night God would quicken our affections therefore now and then he gives us a glance of Heaven that so we might be in love with what we see and now and then he draws a black veil over that bright vision that so we might not loath what we did love He suffers our happiness here to be imperfect that so we may be pressing on to that place where we shall be perfectly happy Lord when thou shewest thy self let me love thee and when thou withdrawest thy self let me follow thee and under all these changes here let my soul be always breathing panting longing and reaching after thee till I shall so perfectly enjoy thee that I may never lose thee LXXXVI Meditat. WHere the King is there is the Court and where the presence of God is there is Heaven Art thou in Prison with St. Paul and Silas If God be with thee thou wilt sing thy Hallelujahs Art thou at the Stake with blessed Martyrs As the beams of the Sun puts out the fire so the beams of Gods Countenance puts out the flames and turns their troubles into comforts so that 't is but winking and thou art in Heaven Therefore that soul that enjoyes the Lord though it may want the Sun or Moon to shine in Creatures comforts worldly delights to solace it yet it needs them not for the glory of God doth enlighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof God himself irradiates it with the brightness of his beauty and Christ himself fills it with joy unspeakable and full of glory This God brings his Heaven with him and that man that enjoyes God carries Heaven about him so that here is his happiness cast him in a Dungeon in a Furnace when you please yet he is still in Heaven Therefore for my part Lord give me thy self and then deal how thou pleasest with me LXXXVII Meditat. MArk the wicked man though his Intrat may be Comical his Exit is alwayes Tragical Belshazzar in his first Scene is revelling out his time in sin and pleasure feasting carousing with his Concubines in the vessels of the Lord but view him in the Catastrophe and you shall find the hand writing and him trembling Darius rending away his Kingdom and Death snatching away his Life If you look upon the entrance of a wicked man his gates are riches his seats honours his paths pleasures he goes delicately fares deliciously every day he hath more than hart can wish But wait his going out and see a sad conclusion in a moment he goes down to Hell The man is cast out from God as an everlasting curse Destruction closes her mouth upon him and his place beholds him no more His body is wrapt in the dust his soul is buried in the flames and his name is covered with darkness But now behold the perfect man it may be thou mayest see a few tragical Scenes the World hating mocking persecuting him but the end of that man is peace Though he may come forth weeping yet he goes off rejoycing Though he come forth combating yet he goes out triumphing so that the Saints and Angels clap their hands for joy When I therefore judge of a happy
see him clearly and directly face to face and enjoy his immediate communion with Jesus Christ We shall then be like him indeed when we shall see him as he is our bodies shall be like his our souls shall be like his our glory shall be like his our eternity shall be like his who is the God of beauty excellency and sweetness concord happiness and eternity Oh Lord let me have such clear visions such sweet fruitions of thee that I may not only hereafter be happy as thou art happy but may likewise now be holy as thou art holy XCVI Meditat. THe life of Faith is the noblest richest contentedst easiest truest life of all It is the noblest life for it takes the Soul out of the house of Adam and carries it into the houshould of God it makes the Soul forget her Fathers house and espouseth it to the King of Glory And then it is the pleasantest life it lives upon the choicest excellency and highest felicity often wrapt up in the third Heaven to take its repast in inexpressible glory it walks in the paths of pleasantuess and under all the heats of troubles and afflictions it shades it self under the Arbour of Paradise And then it is the richest life if our desires be according to our wants it is impossible we should want above what we desire Tantum quisque habet quantum credit Every man hath saith a Father according to his faith And be it unto thee according to thy faith saith Christ And then it is the contentedst life it carries the fading creature and layes him upon Christ and under all mutabilty still holds fast all-sufficiency and so sits down contentedly Then is it the easiest life Faith looks not on the strictness or difficulty of duty but on the power and strength of Christ therefore if it meet with a hard precept it dissolves it into a sweet promise it carries it to a loving Christ pleads it out till he hath drawn out a proportionable strength to facilitate and make easie the duty In fine it is the truest and the onlyest life for he is dead in sin that doth not live by faith therefore as one said Non vivere sed valere vita est Not to live but to be well is life So may I say Not to live well only but to believe is to live and to live well indeed XCVII Meditat. IF God be the highest perfection in himself and the highest good to the creature then it is the highest wisdome of the creature to choose him and the highest piece of his duty to live in observance of him If all creatures must certainly appear before this great Majesty and bow unto him I admire the wisdome of the godly and wonder at the folly of the wicked And seeing this certainly and of necessity must be Lord let me be of the number of those that choose thee here so as for ever hereafter I may enjoy thee and not as the number of those that refuse thee here and must for ever hereafter be separated from thee XCVIII Meditat. GRaces are the very Courtiers of Heaven those wait upon Christ in his privy Chamber Honour Riches Credit and the like may do much below you may keep out your betters here but in the Pallace of the King of Glory you must stand by for ever It is only Faith Love Humility and the like that shall have admittance into the Presence Chamber moral vertues you must likewise walk without All that goe bravely are not qualified for such a Presence you are but Splendida peccata beautifull Abominations base Hearts wrapped up in brave cloaths Parts and Gifts you may stay and wait at the gates but I can tell you there is a special Command gone forth that none but Grace and Holiness shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven therefore you may receive your answer if you please only these are welcome to the King of Glory only these are familiar and conversant with Jesus Christ Therefore as the Queen of Sheba said of the servants of Solomon so may 〈◊〉 say of the Graces of Gods Spirit which are only the retainers of Jesus Christ Oh! happy are these thy men and happy are these thy servants O God which stand continually before thee and hear thy Wisdome and see thy Glory True love doth not only preserve every heavenly motion of the Soul but raiseth the Soul â—t self to the highest perfection The more I love the more I shall be beloved and the fuller participation shall I have of him who is altogether lovely St. Bernard speaks fully to it Summum bonum amare est summa beatitudo To love the chiefest good is the greatest happiness The purest and the fullest love shall alwayes wear the weightiest Crown of glory Lord perfect this Grace in me that so I may be perfect in loving thee XCIX Meditat. THe Israelites must first pass over Jordan before they can land in Canaan but no sooner did the feet of the Priests that bare the Ark of the Covenant rest in the water but the proud waves saw it and fled and the swelling streams were driven back and laid in heaps to make them pass over safe and well So every child of God is like an Israelite in the Wilderness of this World travelling to the Land of Promise Death is that Jordan that runs between this wilderness and our Canaan it is that swelling stream that over-flows the banks of every mortal creature it is that last River which must be passed over But this is the happiness of a Child of God That Jesus Christ our High Priest that bears the everlasting Covenant on his shoulders hath already dipt his feet in the brims of this water insomuch that the streams of bitterness are diverted the sting of death pluck'd out the water of the salt Sea is dryed up and the power of the curse cut off so that death is but a sure step unto glory Why then am I afraid to dye the channel is dry and I see the footsteps of my Saviour in the bottom and Heaven and Happiness on the other side so that the waters shall not go over my Soul they may goe over my sins they may goe over my miseries they may goe over my troubles but my Soul shall goe over to its rest Lord therefore fit and sanctifie me for my removal and then take down my Tent I cannot be too soon with thee C. Meditat. HEre the Vessel is too capacious to be filled with all the pleasures and delights the world can lay together but hereafter our pleasures and delights shall be too full for the most capacious Vessel to comprehend our Glory shall be so great that power as well as goodness shall come forth from God himself for to renew and enlarge these Vessels that so they may be capable to receive and retain that glory strength and love shall goe forth together for to prepare and raise our dispositions that they may be suitable for such a transcendent