bottomless Pit of Hell Death and Sin out of which eternal love in Christ free grace and infinite mercy hath taken thee Call upon and bless God for this infinite depth of mercy Yea exalt and magnify the height and depth the breadth and length of this love which passeth knowledge O my Soul the mighty Angels leaving their first state as ambitiously seeking a greater as the learned conceive were cast down for their pride and discontentedness from the highest Heaven into the deepest abyss of Hell And our first Parents for the like ambition and desire of bettering their condition were cast out of Paradise From which examples I have reason to think should Man have had a thought or design of or by himself to be possest of so glorious a life prerogative state and condition as our gracious God hath freely given us in Christ It had been so high and unwarrantable a sin and ambition as would have justly deserved as great a curse and punishment O from this experience of infinite love for God is love pray incessantly in return thereof not only to be enlarged and raised to the highest and greatest love and thankfulness that a Creature can be made capable of But that thou mayest hence-forth have no will but his which shall be thy great wisdome in all things submitting all thou hast and thy whole Man solely to his most gracious and All-wise dispose whose free gifts bounty and unconceivable liberality are not such as Creatures bestow on their favourites but such as becomes the Majesty and immensness of a God who gives to his Saints benefits and blessings temporal spiritual and eternal not only above their prayers hopes and expectations but as the Apostle expresses above what we can either ask or think O my Soul shall thy body be incorruptible and immortal defile it not with lust any more neither let sin abound because grace hath abounded Since thou must know that thy incorruptability and immortality must in a true Scripture and spiritual sence begin in this life although they are to be perfected in the next Therefore our Saviour saith He that believeth on him hath everlasting life And the Apostle affirmes that we are made to sit together in Christ in Heavenly places And Saint John declares 1 John 5.12 That he that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life And blessed Paul affirms If Christ be in us the Body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousness Again dost thou live in Christ and Christ in thee Art thou even as to thy body the Habitation and Temple of the Holy Ghost and spiritually and inseparably united to God in Christ and is thy life hid with God in Christ Dally no more with sin for there can be no communion betwixt light and darkness And know this although thou canst not dye eternally yet thy backslidings in wilfull and presumptuous sinnings may through thy Spouse his righteous with-drawing and desertion cast thee into such a swoon and transe that thy life peace and Heaven here may as to thy feeling be turned into emnity death yea and to an Hell upon Earth Give not that subtil destroyer Sathan occasion or advantage by spiritual adulteries and reiterated Rebellions to sue out a divorse in the Court of thy Conscience betwixt thy Spouse and thee For know this that although Whom Christ loves he loves to the end And his gifts and calling are without Repentance and that though thy Husband hath loved thee with an everlasting love yet such a suite will be very troublesome and chargeable and may cost thy Spirit many and unexpressible sighs groans and lamentations And may as it were break thy bones or make thy Body a very Sceleton only fit for a Grave Lastly for as much as the Children of God were partakers of flesh and blood Did the Son of God himself likewise take part of the same that through Death he might destroy him that had the power of Death viz. the Devil to deliver them who through fear of Death were all their life time subject unto bondage And did not take on him the nature of Angels but took on him the Seed of Abraham from which hypostatical union of the two natures in one Person and the union of thy Person to his Person by the Eternal Spirit is given unto thee eternal life in a far higher and more excellent way and manner than to the Elect Angels Did the Lord of Heaven and Earth the Heir of all things not only marry himself to thy nature but also unto thee For I am married unto you saith the Lord in the Prophet and is the honourable Ordinance of Marriage therefore called by the Apostle a great Mystery because even in Eves formation and in its first Institution it was to be a Type and lively Figure of this thy spiritual Marriage and union to the second Adam Hast thou through infinite mercy received assurance hereof that thou art thy Beloveds and that thy Beloved is thine Is the Marriage Day and Supper appointed and declared and in the interim hast thou an Espousal contract subscribed to by thy faith and by his Spirit O be exceeding watchfull and carefull of offending such a loving Spouse and glorious Bridegroom by any sinfull relapses and backslidings into any sin that may move him to jealousie For as jealousie is the rage of a Man so the anger and jealousie of thy God is said to burn like Fire against such unfaithfull and spiritual Adulteresses O as thou tenderest the love of thy God and of thy Spouse and thy peace of Conscience and thy Heaven upon Earth venture not to blot or blur so blessed an assurance and evidence of thy Eternal happiness union and life in him by sin or any presumptuous iniquity and rebellion Nor to crust it over by customary sinning or delay of repentance But by an holy chast and religious walking Keep it so fair written and legible that all other Saints but principly thy self at all times but especially in the time of trouble temptation and hour of death may read it Then though thy Eye-strings are broken the eye of thy faith shall behold it and see thy Name written in Heaven and in the Lambs Book of Life O blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who art the Resurrection and the Life and hast declared in thy Word of Truth that this my vile Body shall be raised and made a Heavenly and spiritual Body like to thine give me to behold this wonderfull change continually by faith the eye of my Soul then shall I not be abashed or dismayed at the baldness and gray-headedness of old age at my hollow Eyes wrinckled Cheeks blindness deafness my toothless Gums and pale countenance nor at the Palsiness lameness and decrepitness of my Hands Feet and
with thy Neighbours Wife to defile thy self with her The Adulterer and Adulteress shall surely be put to death Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor Effeminate nor abusers of themselves with Man-kind shall inherit the Kingdome of God Mortifie your Members which are upon the Earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscence For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the Children of disobedience And commit not Fornication as some of the Israelites committed and fell in one Day three and twenty thousand Without the new Jerusalem are Whoremongers who shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with Fire which is the second Death Out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts which are an abomination to the Lord. Wherefore hate all vain thoughts Let them not lodg within you for the thought of foolishness is sin I understand your thoughts afar off and am a discerner of the thoughts and intents of your hearts Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouths but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace to the hearers But fornication and all uncleanness let it not be once named amongst you as becometh Saints Neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting which are not convenient but rather giving of thanks For because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the Children of disobedience Be not therefore partakers with them I say unto you every idle word that Men shall speak they shall give account thereof at the Day of Judgment For by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Whosoever looketh upon a Woman to lust after her hath committed Adultery with her already in his heart Wherefore with holy Job make a Covenant with thine Eyes that thou think not upon a Maid to lust after her For when thy Eye is evil thy Body also is full of darkness The Eyes of the wicked shall faile But chiefly them that walk after the Flesh in the lust of uncleanness Having Eyes full of Adultery and that cannot cease from sin and are reserved to the Day of Judgment to be punished and to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever The Night is far spent the Day is at hand therefore cast ye off the works of Darkness and put on the Armour of Light walking honestly as in the Day not in rioting and drunkenness not in Chambering and wantonness But put ye on me the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Let not Sathan who is a lyar from the beginning and the Father of lyes fill your hearts to sin against the Holy Ghost who is the Spirit of truth that ye be not strucken with sudden Death as was Ananias and Saphira Ye shall not lye one unto another but every one speak the truth with his Neighbour For ye are Members one of another For I will destroy them that speak leasing and the mouth that speaketh lies shall be stopped The Earth mourneth and fadeth away the World languisheth and fadeth away the haughty People of the Earth do languish the Earth also is defiled under the Inhabitants thereof because they have transgressed the Laws changed the Ordinance broken the everlasting Covenant I am the Mediator of the new Covenant sealed unto you in my Sacraments of Baptisme and my Supper Tread not then under foot the Son of God nor count the blood of my Covenant wherewith ye are sanctified an unholy thing nor do despight unto my Spirit of grace For vengeance is mine I will recompence yea I will judge my people It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God When thou vowest a vow unto God defer not to pay it for he hath no pleasure in fools Pay that which thou hast vowed The Lord thy God will surely require it of thee and it would be sin in thee That which is gone out of thy Lips thou shalt keep and perform to God and to Men lest thou be excluded my holy Hill and suffer alike Judgement with King Zedekiah for shall he escape that doth such things Or shalâ— he break the Covenant and be delivered Surely where the King dwelleth that made him King whose Oath he despised and whosâ— Covenant he break even with him in the midest of Babilon shall he die Thou shalt not desire thy Neighbours Wife neither shalt thou covet thy Neighbours House his Field or his Man servant or his Maid-servant his Oxe or his Ass or any thing that iâ— thy Neighbours Woe unto him that covered an evil covetousness to his House that he maâ— set his Nest on high that he may be delivereâ— from the power of evil He that maketh haâ— to be rich shall not be innocent No covetouâ— Man who is an Idolater hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God Take heed and beware of Covetousness For woe unto him that buildeth his House by unrighteousness and his Chambers by wrong Beware of Ahab's sin and his punishment No Man can serve two Masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other Ye cannot serve God and Mammon Therefore I say unto you take no thought for your Life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink nor yet for your body what ye shall put on Is not the life more than meat and the body than rayment For after all these things the Gentiles seek for your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things Wherefore having food and rayment be therewith content for I have said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown Men in destruction and perdition for the love of money is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows Wherefore love not the World nor the things that are in the World if any Man love the World the love of the Father is not in him There is that scattereth and yet increaseth and there is that with-holdeth more than is meet and yet tendeth to poverty The liberal Soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered also himself There is an evil which I have seen under the Sun and
World to come If they shall fall away to renew them again unto Repentance seeing they crucifie unto themselves Me the Son of God afresh and put Me to an open shame For the Earth which drinketh in the Rain which cometh often upon it and bringeth forth Herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth blessing from God But that which beareth Thorns and Briars is rejected and is nigh unto Cursing whose end is to be burned If then ye sin wilfully after that ye have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more Sacrifice for Sin but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and Fiery indignation which shall devour the Adversaries He that despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses Of how much soarer punishment suppose ye shall be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot Me the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despight unto my spirit of grace Wherefore I say unto you that all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men But the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto Men. And whosoever speaketh a word against Me the Son of Man it shall be forgiven him but whosoever sinneth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him neither in this World nor in the World to come But beloved I am perswaded better things of you and things that accompany Salvation though I thus speak Pray therefore that you may be kept back from presumptuous sins and that they may not have dominion over you So shall you be innocent from the great transgression My Children forget not my Law but let your hearts keep my Commandements For length of Days and long life and peace shall they add unto you Be not slothfull in business but fervent in Spirit serving the Lord. As Enoch and Noah walked with God and Moses seeing him who is invisible So walk you as Children of the Light and by the same Rule since your fellowship is with the Father and the Son And you are made partakers of the Divine nature and being joyned unto me are one Spirit My Children attend to my words incline your Eares unto my sayings let them not depart from your Eyes keep them in the midest of your hearts These things write I unto you that ye sin not and that your joy may be full And if any of you sin I am your Advocate with the Father and the Propitiation for your sins Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his Seed remaineth in him Have respect therefore to all my Commandements And keep your selves from your Iniquity Repent and turn from all your transgressions with a godly sorrow not to be repented of So iniquity shall not be your ruine Yea let Rivers of Waters run down your Eyes because Men keep not my Law Watch and pray always lest you run into temptation through Me that strengthens you you shall be able to do all things And be more than Conquerors and saved from your Enemies and from the hand of all that hate you Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness nor go in the way of evil Men but rather reprove them Set me always before you And whether you sleep or wake be together with me Lay hold on Eternal Life since the things that are seen are temporal but the things that are not seen are eternal For you know that if your Earthly House of this Tabernacle was dissolved you have a building of God an House not made with Hands Eternal in the Heavens Hate evil thoughts and let not vain thoughts lod within you Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life Yea out of your hearts proceed evil thoughts Murders Adulteries Fornications Thefts False-witness Blasphemies Be not high-minded but fear For God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble Be angry but sin not Let not the Sun go down up on your wrath Let your Conversation be without Covetousness and be content with such things as ye have For I have said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee A meek and quiet Spirit is in the sight of God of much Price Exercise your selves to have always a conscience void of offence towards God and towards Men. Speak not lies in Hypocrisie not have your understandings darkned nor your Consciences feared with an hot Iron Happy are you if you condemn not your selves in those things which you allow since he that doubteth is condemned For whatsoever is not of faith is sin Have your Hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience And follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edifie one another It is good neither to eat Flesh nor to drink Wine nor any thing whereby your Brother stumbleth or is offended or is made weak Speak evil of no Man Take heed to your ways that you offend not with your Tongues Let not wasting and destruction be in your Paths nor wast your substance among Harlots Wherefore do ye spend Money for that which is not Bread And set your Eyes upon that which is not If riches increase set not your Hearts on them For riches certainly make themselves Wings and flie away as an Eagle towards Heaven Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity Therefore honour the Lord with your substance and with the first-fruits of your increase Cast your Bread upon the Waters for after many Days you shall finde it Give a portion to seven and also to eight He that hath pitty on the poor lendeth unto the Lord And that which ye have given will he repay you again Make to your selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness that when ye faile they may receive you into everlasting habitations Give Almes of those things you have and lend looking for nothing again Say not to your Neighbour Go and come again to morrow I will give when you have it by you Nor shut your hands from your poor Brethren Lest I say unto you Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels For I was an hungry and ye gave me no Meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no Drink I was a stranger and ye took me not in Sick and in Prison and ye Visited me not For inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these my poor Members ye did it not to me See then that ye walk circumspectly
Lord makes a new Heaven and a new Earth according to his promise which I humbly conceive only extends to this Orbe of Earth and Water and to the Regions and Elements of the Aire and Fire these two last are most frequently in Scripture called Heaven That flaming and Aetherial Fire not Elementary in which the Lord Jesus shall descend and appear with the ten thousands of glorified Souls and Angels and which shall consume all the wicked that are then in the World and burn up their works shall accordingly as it is the nature and true effect and property of Fire to purge and purify each of the four Elements from all that dross and corruptible quality that hath intermixt and cleaved unto them by the righteous Judgment and curse of God for Mans sin Whence shall proceed that admirable change as to their qualities although not of their substance deserving the name in the Scripture promise of a new Heaven and of a new Earth As it is most excellently set forth by Saint Paul in these words For the earnest expectation of the Creature wait for the manifestation of the Sons of God For the Creature was made subject to vanity not willingly but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope Because the Creature it self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Children of God For we know that the whole Creation groaneth and travelleth in pain together untill now The Elements then are made like unto the Heavenly supream Orbes pure lucid and incorruptible Hence I infer that these four Elements being thus wonderfully changed in their qualities and made incorruptible in which respectively the several parts and ingredients of our Bodies are laid up and reserved as being naturally a part of them There must necessarily follow the same and the like change and alteration in the matter and substance of our Bodies also Whence it will follow that although the first change in the Elements is supernatural and wonderfull that in our Bodies will naturally follow as an effect from that cause Our great God as in the first Creation caused the production of all things out of their first matter as so many streams from that Fountain so in this new and second birth of things he as a rational and natural Agent produceth this excellent change in the fore-mentioned qualities of our new-raised Bodies to be a necessary and certain effect flowing from the change of the principles out of which they are compounded It being more than probable that the Resurrection of our Bodies shall immediatly succeed the making of the new Heaven and the new Earth the Saints habitation as it was in the first Creation when the Lord made the Earth and all the Creatures first before he made Man the Lord and Possessor of it and them The premisses being granted I thence conclude that as Mortality is a necessary effect and consequent of corruption so the immortality of the Body to use the Apostles phrase is as necessary an effect and consequent of incorruption For that substance that can never more be corrupted may truly be said to be everlasting and according to the Apostles expression immortal Death signifying either in sensible or vegitable Creatures a putred and evil change or alteration as also a debasing diminishing and deforming separation as being the curse and fruit of Sin and abhorrent to nature Having hitherto discoursed of this marvellous change of our Bodies at the Resurrection and given some natural reasons thereof as a Philosopher I must now as a Christian ascend higher and prove this eminent change to proceed also from a far higher and nobler cause than meer nature even from the spiritual real and mystical union of our Persons through faith and the Eternal Spirit as Members to our Head the Lord Jesus who is God-Man blessed for ever As since sin God hath enacted this to be one of the Statutes of Nature It is appointed to Men once to dye And by another Law of Nature after Death hath dissolved this Microcosme of Soul from Body Every part of the body as hath been shewed returns to its proper Element so by the Law of Christ God-Man the Eternal Word that was made Flesh it is decreed and affirmed as an indubitable truth That he that believeth in him hath everlasting life And though he were dead yet shall he live Whosoever liveth and believeth in him shall never dye From hence it is most cleer that in a spiritual sence the death of the Saints is no death they being so united by faith that although the Soul be divided from the Body and each Elementary part of the body be divided from the other yet neither Soul nor Body or any grain or part thereof can be separated from our head the Lord Jesus in whom who is eternal life is our life Though we are dead in a natural sence yet we live spiritually in and by his Spirit In which sence also the whole mystical body of Christ the universal Church and every Member thereof is said to be joyned to the Lord and is one Spirit as being by the Holy Ghost the ever-living God that fills all things the Spirit of the Father and the Son as by an unmeasurable and everlasting Ligament tyed and united to the Lord Jesus our head So that like as it is said of the Soul That it is tota in toto tota in qualibet parte So it may be said that the for ever blessed Spirit of God the Father and the Son in and by this ineffable union and in dwelling is wholly and spiritually both before and after death in our Souls and in our Bodies and in every part of them although never so far by reason of a natural death separated one from another Here note that although the Scripture declares that in God all things live move and have their being as he is their Creator and Preserver and in whom and by whom they act and have their subsistance yet the difference is very great betwixt that life of the Creatures on Earth and this life of the Saints both as to the nature and duration of it That flowing from his Almighty power and goodness as a Creator this from his Eternal love as our Father in Christ that life being temporary this life Eternal as flowing from the highest Principle our spiritual and real union unto God in Christ. For the further clearing and proof of which immortality as well of our Bodies as of our Souls consider the words of our blessed Saviour As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself I am the way the truth and the life because I live yee shall live also Thou hast given me power over all flesh that I should give Eternal Life to as many as thou hast given
me My Sheep hear my voice and I give unto them Eternal Life To these let us for further testimony add the expressions of the Apostle Paul The life which I now live in the Flesh I live by faith in the Son of God Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Our life is hid with Christ in God When Christ which is our life shall appear then shall we appear with him in Glory The first Man was made a living Soul the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit That was not first which is spirituall but that which is natural and afterward that which is spiritual By one Spirit we are Baptized into one Body whether we be Jew or Gentile whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit He that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit By these bright Scripture-lights is evidently discovered and manifested to us that as the head in the natural body contains the animal spirit and conveyeth and gives animation to all the Members of the Body so the Lord Christ God-Man in one Person is the head of his Spiritual and mystical Body the Universal Church and that from him alone not only that spiritual life consisting in holiness and righteousness but also that eternal and immortal life in which both in Soul and Body we shall live in him and with him at the Resurrection for ever and for ever is given and communicated into every Member of his body the Church united to him in this life by a true faith and by the animation and in-dwelling of the Holy Ghost who is the life and spirit of God the Father and of God the Son Therefore in these and other Scriptures God the Father is sometimes called our life other-times Christ and the Holy Ghost is said to be our life thereby evidencing that this eternal life of the Saints hath its immediate rise and Original from the Trinity in Unity God blessed for ever Not by participation of the Essence of the God-head but by the real and spiritual union of their Persons as Members of Christs mystical Body unto the Person of Christ through faith and the inhabitation and vivification of the Holy Ghost The first of which viz. Faith shall cease and be swallowed up after death in fruition But the other shall continue to Eternity From what I have here offered although in great weakness for who is sufficient for these things I hope it is abundantly cleared that the eternal life of the Saints and the glorious incorruptability and immortality of their Bodies flowes from a far higher Principle or cause than from only meer nature made new refined and incorruptable And that though the Elements through their incorruptability are become Eviternal like the Superior Orbes and are in a natural possibility if God please so to continue without change or alteration Everlastingly yet in all this they fall far short of the Eternal duration of the glorified Souls and bodies of the Saints which have not only a perpetuity arising from the refined and incorruptible nature but an Eternity flowing from the spiritual real and inseparable union of their Persons through faith and the Holy Ghost to the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ God-man as Members united to their Head In which respect besides the declared positive and unchangeable decree and promises of God who cannot lye as these Scriptures witness amongst many others formerly mentioned viz. God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life Who so eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last Day The Saints I say are placed and fixed in such a blessed and certain state and condition as living spiritually in God and God in them as hath been proved that it is as possible for God who is Eternal Life to perish and dye as for any of his Saints to dye or perish that live by and in his life according to that unanswerable Argument of our Lord and Saviour As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me even he shall live by me Because I live yee shall live also To conclude I humbly conceive that this Eternal Life of the Saints as to the reason and nature thereof far transcends the Eternal Life of the glorious Angels in that as far as is revealed in Scripture their life was given them by an act of Gods goodness will and power in their first Creation and is preserved continued and confirmed to the Elect Angels by an act of his grace And therefore those of them that kept not their first state are forever separated from God who is life and swallowed up into Eternal Death whereas the life even to the Saints proceeding from Gods spiritual inhabitation and communion with them is undeterminable unchangeable inseparable and is therefore Eternal O my Soul shall this thy impure mortal body immediately after the making of a new Heaven and a new Earth the refining of the four Elements of which it was formed and out of which it shall again be raised and reassumed appear at the Resurrection of the just as having its substance purified and made incorruptible Therefore according to the Scripture-phrase immortal and everlasting like as are the bright and superior Orbs Yea which is much more wonderfull shall this incorruptability everlastingness and immortality of thy soul and body be unchangeable and eternal because thy Person is spiritually and really united by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost unto the Person of Christ thy Head and unto God in Christ who is Eternal Life yea lastly doth this life excell and transcend as in respect of the cause and nature of it the life and being of all other Creatures even of the ever blessed Angels as being built not only as theirs is upon the Basis of Gods creating power and goodness which gives a beeing to all things but is establisht upon his declared promise and eternal truth and hath its unalterable duration from our dwelling and living in God and he in us and from that inseparable fellowship we have with the Father and the Son in the communion of the Holy Ghost O my Soul are these things true Have they been evidenst to thee out of the Scripture of truth O how oughtest thou in all humility and enlarged thankfulness to prostrate thy self at the foot-stool of thy infinite good gracious and mercifull God and Father in the Lord Jesus Christ admiring and adoring him First for the Revelation and manifestation by his Word and holy Spirit of so high ravishing and stupendious a mystery the wonder and praise of glorified Saints and Angels and the miracle of divine love Next let as the Prophet speaks one deep call unto another and from the sight of the
comfort declaring to them to the praise and glory of God thy experiences thy consolations and Divine manifestations And for as much as thou art zealous of spiritual gifts seek that thou maist excell to the edifying of the Church that spiritual Body of Christ whereof thou art a living Member And since God as the Apostle excellently observes hath set some in the Church First Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers after that Miracles then gifts of healing helps Governments diversities of Tongues Covet thou earnestly the best gifts For there are diversity of gifts but the same spirit But the manifestation of the Spirit is 〈◊〉 to every Man to profit withall To one is given by the Spirit the Word of Wisdome to another the Word of Knowledge by the same Spirit to another Faith by 〈◊〉 same Spirit to another the gift of Healing by the same Spirit to another working of Miracles to another Prophesie to another discerning of Spirits to another diâ—vers kinds of Tongues to another the interpretation of Tongues but all worketh that one and the self same Spiâ—rit dividing to every Man severally as he will For 〈◊〉 the Body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many are one Body 〈◊〉 also is Christ. If they were all one Member where weâ—â— the Body The Eye cannot say to the Hand I have 〈◊〉 need of thee again the Head unto the Feet I have 〈◊〉 need of you Now we are the Body of Christ and Memâ—bers in particular Therefore O my Soul since 〈◊〉 Tongue as to all divine and spiritual gifts is now thâ— principal Agent and Expressor And shall be then 〈◊〉 as a Member of Christ mystical Body in this his glorious Kingdome thou shalt be plac'd in thy Function and respective administration be not spiritually idle but â—it and exercise thy Tongue continually in declaring to others according as it shall be revealed to thee by the Holy Spirit the Magnalia Dei the wonderfull ways and works of God Freely thou hast received freely give O my Soul shalt thou then be as one of Christs Viceroyes over all inferiour Creatures shall thy Dictates Orders and Commands be received and obeyed by them as the voice of God O let not then thy speech now to them be mixt with oaths and cursings according to the woâ—t and fashion of the wicked of the Earth whose behaviours towards the poor Brutes are more like to Devils than Men or Christians Yea let thy employment of them and rule over them be gentle milde and moderate not cruel or oppressive since the good Man with the Scripture is mercifull towards his Beast And 〈◊〉 tenderness of thy God towards them exprest as 〈◊〉 of the reasons of his commanding a seventh Days 〈◊〉 That thy Beast may rest as well as thee teaches what respect and considerate pitty and compassion he expects from thee towards them as being fellowâ—Creatures suffering what servitude they undergo for thy sin and from which they shall be freed and delivered in thy glorious liberty But instead of speaking evil of or to the inferiour Creatures do thou now as thou shalt do in the World to come with thy Heart and Tongue praise and glorifie thy God after the Example of holy David Psal. 148. throughout in and for them admiring his love and goodness to thee to them as also 〈◊〉 unexpressible yea unconceivable power and wisdome declared in their various formes wonderfull strength 〈◊〉 qualities excellent virtues and uses as being 〈◊〉 great end of theirs and thy Creation as the Lord â—â—clares to Job when he bids him behold Behemoth and â—â—â—iathan and leaves upon Record for our Instruction and Imitation so large a description of them and of others of his Creatures This holy exercise both of mind and voice in the contemplation of the Creatures was without doubt a chief employment of Adam in his innocency Let it be thine then in thy return and travailing to this second Paradise that what is begun by thee here in grace may be perfected there in Glory O glorious God and mercifull Father O infinite loâ—ing and gracious Saviour and Redeemer O holy and Eternal Spirit my Sanctifier three infinitely glorious Persons One Omnipotent onely wise and Eternal God Blessed blessed blessed from everlasting to everlasting who hath so highly honoured and dignified me a 〈◊〉 Worm and no Man As to love me freely in thy Eterâ—nally begotten and only beloved Son the Lord Jesus God-Man and in him from before all beginnings to elect me unto Eternal Life and Salvation Creating 〈◊〉 unto immortality and glory by giving me an immortaâ— Soul and a Body that shall assuredly be raised to life and glory by thy Almighty Power and by the virtue of the Resurrection of my Head and Saviour who hast miraculously raised me from a sinfull death unto a spiritual life in my effectual Calling through Adoption the Sanctification and Inhabitation of thy holy Spirit as 〈◊〉 freely justified me in thy Son the Lord my righteousâ—ness and by this blessed and inseparable union to 〈◊〉 in thy Son by the Holy Ghost given me assurance 〈…〉 Life and Glory which shall indubitably begâ—◠〈◊〉 my Soul at my dissolution and be compleat at the â—â—â—union of Soul and Body aâ— the Resurrection of the 〈◊〉 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise 〈◊〉 with my glory Awake my Heart awake my Tongue 〈◊〉 self will awake early and joyn with the Arch-Angels and Angels and the Church Tryumphant in Heaven and with the Holy Catholick Church upon Earth in 〈◊〉 Heavenly exercise of praise and thanksgiving O Lord whose only prerogative it is to search the heart knowest that these are the desires and petitions of 〈◊〉 Soul yet with holy Paul I cry out that to will is present with me through thy grace but how to perform know not Blessed Saviour give me of thy fulness so soâ—â— to receive grace for grace Yea be pleased to add 〈◊〉 to grace since thou alone workest in us both the will and the deed and the Heaven aspiring piercing 〈◊〉 of praise ariseth only from thy Divine Fire of Knowledge and holy affections Eternal Father let not this noble Instrument of thy Glory my Tongue be tuned to the vain and wanton Layes of the World and Sin lest thereby being crackt unstrung and made untunable for thy service here it and my whole Body with voluptuous Diveâ— be cast 〈◊〉 useless into the Fire of Hell where a drop of cold Water will not be 〈◊〉 to cool a flaming lascivious Tongue But let me O Lord be continually chaâ—â—ing the Magnâ—lia Dei and be singing those Evangelicalâ— and prophetical Songs of the four Beasts and four and twenty Elders the figure and representative of thy holy Church saying and singing
the World After which act of thy remunerative Justice and thy Raign upon the renewed Earth with thy Saints a thousand years thou wilt I believe raise and Judge all the wicked called the Goats at thy left hand and the Apostate Angels according as thou hast declared in thy Word of Truth when every ungodly one shall be sentenced and punished proportionable and according to the evil of their thoughts words and actions then being all made manifest who with the Devils their Tempters and Tormenters shall by thy mighty Angels be cast into the Lake of Fire the Locall Hell unto Eternity This is the second Death O my King my Judge my Spouse shall this dreadfull time of Judgment fearfull indeed to the wicked but a most joyfull Day to the Godly certainly come upon the World according to thy Word Shall there be a long tract of time measured out in the acting and manifesting thy Judgments and magnifying the glory of thy remunerative and vindicative Justice to the World as well as there hath been a long space of proclaiming and holding forth the Golden Scepter of thy free Grace and incomprehensible love and mercy to the Sons of Men Is this truth one of the Articles of the Christian Faith and as certain to us as the Day of our death according to that unrepealable Statute It is appointed to Men once to dye and afterwards comes the Judgment Shall the Crowns dignities and rewards conferred upon thy Saints be one chief subject of praise and fill the Mouths of Men and Angels with continual Hallelujahs unto God not only whilst they rest upon the renewed Earth but also in the highest Heavens after the end of this long Day and the pouring out of thy wrath and execution of thy righteous Judgments upon wicked Men and Devils when thy glorious justice in both the parts thereof shall be finished and compleated according to that Prophesie of the Psalmist then perfectly fulfilled Verily there is a reward for the righteous Verily he is a God that judgeth in the Earth O let both my Heart and Tongue now inure themselves to this Subject since I live by faith and not by sense and sing with the Elect ones in the Revelations that prophetical Song calculated for this time saying Hallelujah Salvation and Glory and Honour and Power unto the Lord our God for true and righteous are his Judgments Praise our God all yee his Servants and yee that fear him both small and great Hallelujah for the Lord reigneth Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the Marriage of the Lamb is come and hiâ— Wife hath made her self ready And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine Linnen clean and white for the fine Linnen is the righteousness of Saints Blessed are they that are called to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. O King of Saints and King of Nations our Almighty Saviour and Conquerer who hast fulfilled the Law satisfied Divine Justice overcome the World Crucified Sin spoiled Principalities and Powers and wilt at the Resurrection of the Just and the Redemption of our Bodies destroy our last Enemy Death and after the Judging and Hellifying of wicked Men and Devils wilt in Tryumph ascend on high with thy Elect and lead Captivity Captive that the Glory which thy Father gave thee may be given them that they may be with thee where thou art and may behold the Glory which he hath given thee and possess an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for us where we shall be ever with thee our Lord and see God face to face and in thee the perfections of all Creatures as in their first cause And know thee according to our measure as we are known by thee Blessed Mediator this is that time when all rule all authority and power being put down and under thee in the Kingdome of thy Saints and under thee in thy personal and glorious raign upon Earth All Enemies even Death it self being destroyed and put under thy Feet thou shalt deliver up the Kingdome so far as it is Mediatory personal and singly acted and managed by thee in thy humane appearance and Man-hood to God even the Father That so thou the Son as being also as Man the Son of God might be subject as to thy present kinde of administration unto him that put all things under thee that God may be all in all And the whole Universe and Creation both in Heaven and Earth especially thy spiritual Body thy Church may be immediately governed and influenced by him who is three in one God-blessed for ever To which mystical Body thy Spouse and Church as also to Angels thou still remainest Head and Lord for ever which being now perfectly and inherently sanctified and graciously admitted through the glorious inhabitation and communion of thy most holy and eternal Spirit to an immediate fellowship real and spiritual union although not essential with the Father Son and holy Ghost one God blessed for ever shall live eternally in the life of God and in whole and in part as respecting every individual Member and Vessel be always full yet always increasing in knowledge grace and glory as Eying and enjoying continually the Divine Nature and cast into an Ocean of infiniteness unto Eternity This is the Generation of them that seek thee that seek thy face O God of Jacob. Therefore let both my Heart and Tongue even now O Lord prepare and begin to praise thee as from Pisgath with beholding Canaan and by faith the eye of my Soul from the raised hill of holy Contemplation viewing this Saint Paul's third Heaven the Throne of God and of his glory and the many yea innumerable shining and starrified Mansions in thy Fathers house the places prepared by thee for thy Saints as also their Kingdome and State of endless glory happiness and blessedness In the ravishing Meditation of these things their translation and thy second most glorious and tryumphant Assention O let me sing and rejoyce in the words of thy Prophet David foretelling both thy Ascentions God is gone up with a shout the Lord with a sound of a Trumpet sing praises to God sing praises sing praises to our King sing praises Lift up your Heads O yee Gates and be yee lift up yee everlasting Doors and the King of Glory shall come in Who is this King of Glory the Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in Battel Lift up your Heads O ye Gates even lift them up ye everlasting Doors and the King of Glory shall come in Who is this King of Glory the Lord of Hosts He is the King of Glory Selah I have now by Divine assistance according to my weak-sightedness for all Men here know but in part and as in
and found wisdome I am understanding I have strength I love them that love me and those that seek me early shall finde me A SCRIPTVRE-CATECHISME I am the only begotten Son of the Father the brightness of his glory the express Image of his Person upholding all things by the Word of my Power I was by him as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight rejoycing always before him rejoycing in the habitable parts of his Earth and my delights were with the Sons of Men. Blessed is the Man that heareth me waiting daily at my Gates waiting at the Posts of my Doors For who so findeth me findeth life and shall obtain favour of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me sinneth against his own Soul all that hate me love death But if ye set at naught my counsel I also will laugh at your Calamity I will mock when your fear cometh when your fear comes as Desolations and your destruction comes as a whirl-wind Then shall ye call upon me but I will not answer for that you hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord Therefore shall you eat of the fruit of your own way and be filled with your own devices But who so hearkneth to me shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear of evil Believe in God believe also in me I and the Father am one There are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one For though there be many that are called Gods whether in Heaven or in Earth The Lord your God is one Lord and to you there is but one God the Father of whom are all things who Created the Heaven and the Earth And one Lord Jesus Christ the Saviour of the World by whom are all things and you by him And one Spirit the Holy Ghost by whom you are sanctified I am the Way the Truth and the Life the Word of God that in the beginning was with God and was God the life and light of Men while ye have light believe in the light in me the Eternal Word that was made flesh and dwelt amongst you was conceived by the Holy Ghost and made of a Woman born of the Virgin Mary of the Seed of Abraham and of the Seed of David The beloved and only begotten Son of the Father full of grace and truth This is the work of God that ye believe on me whom he hath sent that was delivered to Pontius Pilate the Governor of Judea who gave Sentence scourged me and delivered me to be Crucified who that I might sanctifie you with my own Blood Suffered without the Gate being obedient unto Death even the Death of the Cross dyed for your sins was buried and rose again the third Day according to the Scriptures for your Justification O look upon me whom you have pierced and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the Day of his fierce anger whose Soul being in an Agony in the Garden was exceeding sorrowful even unto death so that my sweat was as it were great drops of blood And I cryed out upon the Cross my God my God why hast thou forsaken me my Soul being then made an offering for sin yea sin for you and upon me the Lord laid the iniquities of you all Yet did he not leave my Soul in Hell nor suffer his holy one to see corruption To as many of you as receive me and believe on my name I will give power to become the Sons of God For I the Lord am risen indeed And am ascended unto my Father and to your Father and to my God and your God and have led Captivity Captive spoyled Principalities and Powers and made a shew of them openly tryumphing over them am received into Heaven and sit at the right hand of God having all power given me in Heaven and in Earth where I ever live to make intercession for you until I come in the Clouds in the same manner as I was taken up from you into Heaven the second time without sin unto salvation as being ordained of God to be the Judge of the quick and dead For my Father judgeth no Man but hath committed all judgment unto the Son I am the head over all things to the Church which is my Body the fulness of him that filleth all in all The House and Church of the living God The Pillar and ground of the truth As your Body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many are one Body so also is Christ. Therefore by one spirit be ye baptized into one body and be made to drink into one spirit the Cup of blessing which you bless is it not the Communion of my blood And the Bread which you break is it not the Communion of my Body For you being many are one Bread and one Body Wherefore let there be no schisme in the Body but let each of you as Members have the same care one for another to the increase of the body unto the edifying it self in love Be it known unto you that through me is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by me you that believe and are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses For God hath exalted me with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance unto Israel and forgiveness of sins and redemption through my blood according to the riches of his grace I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live And who so ever liveth and believeth in me shall never dye For the hour cometh in the which all that are in the Graves shall hear my voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of Damnation If you then will be my Sheep hear my voice and I will know you and you shall follow me and I will give unto you eternal life and you shall never perish neither shall any Man pluck you out of my hand My Father which gave you unto me is greater than all and no Man is able to pluck you out of my Fathers hand For God so loved the World that he gave me his only begotten Son that who so ever of you believes in me should not perish but have everlasting life If ye love me ye will keep
continue you in the things that ye have learned and have been assured of knowing of whom ye have learned them For evil Men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived Consider one another to provoke to love and to good works not forsaking the assembling of your selves together as the manner of some is But exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the Day approaching Endeavouring to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace For there is one Body and one Spirit even as you are called in one hope of your Calling One Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Since then you are the Body of Christ and Members in particular let there be no Schisme in the Body Now I hear that there be divisions amongst those that call themselves Christians For there must be Heresies also among you that those that are approved may be manifest among you which were spoken before of my Apostles that there should be mockers in the last time who should walk after their own ungodly lusts These be they who separate themselves sensual having not the spirit Now by my Name I desire you that you all speak the same thing and that there be no Divisions amongst you but that you be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgment If you say then I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Cephas and I of Christ Are ye not carnal Is Christ divided Who then is Paul And who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believed Even as the Lord gave to every Man If then such an one as was Paul plants or as Apollo was watereth It is God that giveth the increase Therefore let no Man glory in Men But do you mark them which cause Divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine you have learned and avoid them For they that are such serve not Me but their own Belly and by good words and fair Speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Finally whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any Virtue and if there be any praise think on these things And those things which ye have both known and received and heard and seen in me do And the Father himself that loveth you the God of Peace shall be with you Holy Father who hearest me always This is Life Eternal to know Thee the only true God and Me whom thou hast sent Keep through thy own Name those that thou hast given Me that they may be one as we are one That they all may be one as thou Father art in Me and I in Thee that they also may be one in us And the glory which thou gavest Me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one And that the World may know that thou hast sent Me and hast loved them as thou hast loved Me. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which Thou hast given me I have given to them the words which Thou gavest me and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from Thee and they have believed that Thou didst send me I pray for them I pray not for the World but for those that thou hast given me For they are Thine and all mine are thine and thine are mine and I am glorified in them I pray that thou wouldest keep them from the evil of the World and that my joy may be fulfilled in them Sanctifie them with thy truth thy word is truth Finally Beloved Wife of my Youth and dear Children Farewel be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of peace and love shall be with you For this cause I bow my Knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named That he would give you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthned with might by his spirit in the inner man That Christ may live in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heighth and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with the fulness of God The God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepheard of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is most pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ. Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us to him be glory in the Church by Jesus Christ throughout all Ages World without end The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen A Post-script of the Father to his Wife and Children concerning the foregoing Epistle with some further Exhortations to the practice thereof MY dearest heart and intirely affected Children the good and salvation of whose Souls I pray for and labour for as for my own I have I trust by the direction of the holy Spirit chosen in this manner to write unto you as hoping that what is delivered to you in the Person and words of our Lord and beloved Saviour For such is every word in the Epistle except some words not substantial necessary for connexion explanation and application requisit in a subject of such various matter You will with the more reverence and affection delight and obedience attend to and receive For although all the words therein were not uttered by his own mouth upon Earth yet were they all indited by his holy Spirit who spake by the Prophets and Apostles and is the Lord God of the holy Prophets So that if ye will not hear and obey him herein speaking to you by himself and by them Neither will you be perswaded though one arose and spake to you from Hell and from the dead Ye know after what manner I have been with you at all seasons And how I have kept nothing back that was profitable unto you but have shewed you and have taught you both in private and more publiquely Testifying unto you and
Garden rather express an excess of pain than an unwillingness to suffer rather declare his Humanity than contradict his Divinity might by these Speeches have been afresh molested and invited to a self-deliverance even in this entrance of death Further they might also thus suggest that he should not only by such 〈◊〉 giversation be freed from the present and unsupportable torment rescued from the all conquering Monarchy but also without controversie be received and acknowledged the Son of God the King of Israel Yea which is more miraculous than all the rest those that even now were impious Traitors will instantly become obedient Subjects those that ere while were execrable blasphemers will presently be changed into righteous converts those whom John rightly stiled a Generation of Vipers our Saviour a faithless Generation will in a moment be metamorphosed into believing Christians O blessed Redeemer had not our lives been more dear unto thee than thine own these Diabolical charms might have raised up such a self-love as would have forced a repreeval from death But thou O Lord searchest the heart yea thou knowest how exceeding full of hypocrisie the minds of these Men were So that if thou shouldest have descended from the Cross or sent unto them one from the dead they would neither have trusted in thee nor credited the other since they believed not Moses nor the Prophets Three hours measure out this last act of our Saviours sufferings That mass and full measure of sin which many thousand of years had treasured up must not be abolished or annihilated in an instant Why was not the infinite sufferings of Man deified though dated but for one minute of more rate price and estimation than the offences of Man mortall yea surely Wherefore then this overplus O it is the overflowing of this Fountain of love The immense disparity betwixt the offender and satisfier the Creature and Creator causeth this disproportion betwixt the debt and satisfaction Man cannot sin but finitely God cannot love but infinitely Man's actions to which his sin cleaves are finite God's Attributes one of which is his love are infinite O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! Lord grant that I being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth all understanding that I may be filled with the fulness of God The friendship of Man is momentary fickle and unconstant as wanting measure perseverance and a true foundation But the mercy of God expressed to Man his most unworthy Creature is the very quintessence compleatment and perfection of all other loves being not defective in quantity for in him doth all fulness dwell nor in quality for it is the love of God nor in stability for he is Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end the great Jehovah who is not changed With whom is no variableness nor shaddow of turning And lastly the cause of it is his own free grace the ground of it Jesus Christ. So that the Foundation of God standeth sure as having this seal the Lord knoweth who are his The glorious and infinite Attributes of the Almighty are so many glasses through which at distance the Creature in some sort may perceive the Majesty of the Creator Amongst which none is more usefully transparent than that of his love The mirrour of which mirrour is the passion of our Saviour The Centre of all which is this very point of his death O gracious Lord was it not enough that thou forsookest the Heaven of Heavens thy Throne of Glory to live amongst Worms on this Dunghill Earth the unworthy foot-stool of thy greatness Nay further was it not sufficient that thou endurest the stings and persecutions of those Muck-worms suffering such insects even the corruption of nature to brawle and tryumph over thee but that thou would'st also pray forgive and dye for thy Persecutors For a righteous Man perhaps some would suffer but thou dyest for sinners the just for the unjust Lord Jesus let the apprehension of thy wonderfull affection be as delightfull to the taste of my Soul as thy last draught of Gall and Vinegar was displeasant to the relish of thy pallate As thy sense of my sin and thy Fathers wrath made thee cry aloud for assistance so let the sense of thy mercy my happiness make me lift up my voice in thankfulness Yea let me conclude my hours each day of my life with that comfortable and Swan-like ditty of thine Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit Death is swallowed up in Victory O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory the Sting of Death is Sin and the strength of Sin is the Law But thanks be unto God which giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Finis coronat opus the last acts of our Saviour are not the least In the foregoing encounters he was a Combatant In these following actions a glorious and peaceful Conquerour The account cast up the compleatment concludes the operation He was buried O my Soul should thy faith be so weak-sighted as to make thy Saviours Death the utmost extent of thy prospects thou mightest then as one without hope uncomfortably weep with the Marys at the Foot of his Cross. But thanks be unto God thou mayest overlook that fear being assured that the Grave of thy Champion is not his Prison but his resting place the conclusion of the fight being the beginning of his victory Upon the Cross our blessed Saviour accepted the challenge of Death fulfilling that of the Prophet O Death I will be thy Death And here in the Sepulchre beginneth his Tryumph For No Man can enter into a strong Mans House and spoile his goods except he will first binde the strong Man and then he will spoyle his House The Grave is the Metropolis of Death which our General enters that so the place might both assure us of his Combate his Victory and add glory to his Tryumph Had'st thou O blessed Saviour been led into this Cytadel of Death as his Captive the Gives of corruption would soon have made thee his bond-slave But behold the greatness of thy Power the innocency of thy Person tramples on this last Enemy that is to be subdued and makes thy Tombe his Grave Death being swallowed up in Victory As the Suns Eclipse makes us the more acknowledge the brightness and benefit of his light so the clouding of our Saviour by death teacheth us his Disciples at once the felicity of his presence the uncomfortableness of his absence and the perfection of his Person The descents of Mans misery are the degrees to Christs victory As we in this World inherited sin so he upon Earth merited righteousness As we in the Grave are subjects to death so he in the Sepulchre makes death his subject
whatsoever piece of his workmanship hath this glorious stamp or pourtraiture erazed or defaced must needs remain useless naked and without honour To apply this to my own Soul Is it thus How miserable then and deformed is the Person of every Man by Adam with and in whom we have lost our God our selves and all our perfections Hast thou heard O my Soul of that material and obscure darkness which the Egyptians felt On thee there was and upon all natural Men there is the like obscurity Only they differ in this Man feels it not That darkness being no more empty of light than the mind of Man is vacant of the knowledge of God the worship of God and his own eternal happiness witness that of the Apostle The natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto Him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned that is by the light of the Spirit In Egypts deficiency of light no doubt it was a part of their torment to mistake one thing for another so in this sinfull deprivation such is the vanity of the mind that it calls good evil and evil good It takes sweet for bitter and bitter for sweet Salvation the contrary to damnation being in his understanding in the end only free from its mistake or fruition Noah was not more drunken with the strength of Wine than the understandings of wretched Men with the strength of sin to which the Prophet alludes saying They are drunken but not with Wine they stagger but not with strong Drink Neither was Eutichus more dead asleep when he fell even into Death then the prodigal Sons to whom justly God hath given the spirit of slumber Eyes that they should not see Eares that they should not hear Sin as sleep deprives Man of the true use of all those sences which should serve for the use of his Soul The Man possest in the Gospel is the miserable and true Figure of an unregenerate Soul We finde him possest with a Devil and tormented with a Legion of Devils And is not the accusing conscience of a wicked Man as a thousand Witnesses We read that he only lived unto himself avoided society the Tombes being the fittest mansions for such unsociableness His actions there were to be his own Executioner and enemy Night and Day crying and cutting himself with stones O my Soul proceed but to bring the substance to the shaddow and thou wilt confess how lively this Satanical lunary acts the tragical part of a depraved conscience Cain the first that received and took away life from Man affrighted with the terrour of his bloody conscience was forced to fear and flie the face of Man his own tongue bellowing out his own misery in that tormenting Exclamation My punishment is greater than I can bear The distempered and melancholy â—its of Saul which the Holy Ghost calls an evil spirit we are partly occasioned without doubt by the barking fury of his conscience Such Hell of minde being seldome without a Devil to add fuell to the flame and torment to the tormented Let Judas conclude all and by the conclusion of his life who went out and strangled himself preach to all the conclusion of that Soul which spurd with guilt thinks to flie from its self and from the uppermost Hell of despair leaps into the nethermost Hell of pain Bearing still about him what he shun'd even that only immortaliz'd Worm of insect sprung from corruption which then shall gnaw more furiously Eternity and despair of remedy doubling the unmeasurableness of the torture Should my thoughts now pass from the conscience some consciences would at least in their own conceits account themselves like those of Laodicea to be rich and increased with goods and to have need of nothing when as they are indeed wretched and miserable and poor and blinde and naked Therefore that we may all know that we are miserable the better to confess Gods mercy the more to thirst after his salvation we must know that there are hardned Pharaohs aswell as a despairing Judas As that Body is most dangerously diseased whose external parts the vital and animating spirits having as it were made a recess are left insensible and without feeling So that Soul is in a deadly that is damnable estate whose conscience the quickning power of the holy spirit being utterly with-drawn remains speechless and cauterized Of this condition were many before the Flood notwithstanding the preaching of righteous Noah After the Flood the Sodomites Under the Law Pharaoh and some of the Israelites in the Wilderness Under the Gospel the Scribes and Pharisees of whom our Saviour observes that God had blinded their eyes and hardned their hearts that they should not see with their eyes and be converted that he might heal them He is no friend that is not an eye a hand a tongue unto his friend to fore-see his peril and to fore-warn and assist him in danger Nor can that conscience be a faithfull inmate to the soul whose searching sight the sun-shine of the World hath bleard whose awakeing touch custome in sin hath deaded and whose sharp point and wounding edge the Devil hath rebated the delights of the Flesh prooving a Sibyls sop unto this Cerberus a Dalilah unto this Sampson That part which the Chyrurgion intends to cut off he first benums And those Persons whom the Lord determines to rescind from the visible Body of his Church he commonly hardens as were those spoken of by the Apostle whose Consciences were seared as with an hot Iron Lord let my conscience be neither like Nabal's heart dead as a stone within him Nor yet like Dives tongue tormented in merciless flames But like Peter's Cock never ceasing to crow until I weep bitterly Yea let it be my Nathan who am as David a sinner my Samuel who am disobedient as Saul So shall my conscience be unto me a happy copesmate one whose words are better unto me as a friend than her kisses as an enemy Of all the faculties of the Soul the will is most dependent its act and operation being moved by the determination or suggestion of the rest viz. the minde understanding and affections For before any thing is done by Man there is a consultation had in the Soul where after a disputation pro con at length this thing or that is agreed of to be the bonum which in due season the will as the â—ouls agent puts in execution Now there is Gods bonum such a one as we shall finde in holy Chronology exprest in the Frontispiece of every good Kings life Instance in Hezechiah He did that which was right or good in the sight of the Lord. And there is Mans bonum also so called not because positively or simply so in it self but in relation to purblinde Man who so esteemeth it Witness that sacred and historical annotation
he became a Priest unto God not to offer up for himself or for others expiating Sacrifices because sin then was not for God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good But his sweet incense was Prayer proceeding not from want but from love and duty his Kids were the Calves of his Lips inflamed with praise and sparkling with admiration from the Altar of a pure heart an un-bloody Sacrifice But this Jubile continued not a Year a Moneth a Week I think scarcely a Day God's first Sabbath of rest I suppose was the utmost date of Mans freedome from sin For no sooner had temptation voluntary leave to enter through the sences into this holy Temple but the ambush of sin rushed out of Sathans imposture as the Grecians from their Horse and overthrew and polluted the Priest the Sacrifice and the Altar If the Clay works not according to the mind of the Potter no marvail if he bruise it to powder And if the Creature honour not the Creator 't is Justice in him to destroy it When the House of God is become a Den of Thieves the Priest of God an Idolater and servant to sin and the Altar of God dedicated to Sathan It must needs follow that the curse of God fore-threatned shall now be executed Yee shall surely die O wretched Man hath God pronounced that thou shalt die Be ascertained thou must die since his unchangable Decrees are shaddowed out unto us by the Laws of the Medes and Persians which alter not Must Man die and hath God enacted it who then can deliver us from this Body of Death Be of good comfort we have mercy for our Esther the Son of God for our Mordecay who hath without reversing qualified and fulfilled the decree of his Father Who now can lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifies who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us being the only Mediator betwixt God and Man All Priests since the fall within the Church of God were the Types of our high Priest Christ Jesus For no sooner was there a breach made betwixt God and Man the Creator and the Creature but mercy pleaded for a reconciliation and that reconciliation in Justice required a Mediator which is the Lord Jesus A principal part of whose Mediatorship is this his office of the Priesthood Before the Law typified in Melchizedeck in the Law pre-figured by Aaron and his Sons and in the Gospel really executed and fulfilled by himself The acts of this his office are chiefly two as being proportionable to the defect and necessity of Man the offendor viz. To satisfie to intercede Go forth now my Soul and bid defiance to all thy Enemies For the Shield of thy faith shall receive all their darts without any danger to thee retorting them back even into the adversaries faces Appear now with confidence before the judgment Seat of God bringing with thee to the Bar of Mercy thy Advocate Christ Jesus Thither summon Sin that Tyrant whom whilst thou weart a Traytor to thy Maker thou didst serve together with those Homicides Death and Hell Let him bring his Parent with him also even Sathan his Agent thy Accuser yea let thy own conscience be called as a Witness Lastly let the Law be prefer'd as thy Inditement Against all those let thy Saviour oppose himself and maugre their objections and accusations plead thy innocency that so thy righteousness may break forth as the light and thy judgment as the Noon-day For he shall trample thine and his Enemies under his feet and destroy them with the two-edged Sword of his Word Doth Sin challenge a right on thee Our Saviour answers That the old Man is crucified with him that the Body of Sin might be destroyed that hence-forth thou should'st not serve Sin Doth Death and Hell cry out we are thy wages The Almighty Conquerour replies O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory And that thou maist never hereafter fear 't is added Death and Hell shall be cast into the Lake of Fire Doth Sathan accuse thee behold thy Michael shall chase this malitious Dragon from the judgment Seat witness that voice of tryumph that the Accuser of our Brethren is cast down which accused them before our God Day and Night And as for thy conscience fear not its testimony since it ceases to accuse when Sin is not imputed For whosoever is born of God sinneth not Again a spotless and blameless conscience cannot be a blaming and condemning conscience But Christ through the eternal Spirit hath offered himself without spot to God that he might purge thy Conscience from dead works Wherefore having such an High Priest over the House of God draw thou neer with a free Heart in full assurance of Faith Lastly doth the severe justice of the Law threaten to swallow thee up strengthen and comfort thy self in Christ who hath redeemed thee from the curse of the Law being made a curse for thee for it is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree c. Yea let this following immunity The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus having made thee free from the Law of Sin and Death dismiss thy fears and silence all thy adversaries O my Saviour who art only the true Melchizedeck the compleatment of Aaron's Priest-hood and the end of the Law How much praise is thy due from me thy redeemed since to me is thy saying verified Blessed are those Eyes that see those things that I see And the Eares that hear those things that I hear Abraham saw thee in Isaac David saw thee in Solomon but I see thee in thy self yea in these and in all other thy Types I see thee also and that with much comfort and confirmation in thy Calling Vnction Bloody Sacrifice Sanctification Redemption Ascention and Intercession which were heretofore mysteriously bound up in the Levitical Priest-hood are now fulfilled and to me graciously manifested Lord Jesus since of thy free mercy thou hast made my deafness to hear and hast given me sight that was blinde for the strengthning of my faith As I have seen thee in thy types so let me see thee also in that eternal decree of thy Father So shall salvation appear Gods act and not Mans phantasie viz. Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Thou art the Lamb slain that takes away the sins of the World Lastly let me behold the execution thereof wherein the Lord is both offered to me and accepted for me viz. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased O my Soul what canst thou now more desire as having the Decree of God for thy Foundation the merit
place a Memento in the midst and as it were in the front thereof Further thy holy Spirit in the Prophet doth brand and note this privation as the root and cause of all Rebellions Because saith he my People have forgotten me they have burnt Incense unto vanity Lastly which adds to and most aggravates this my languor wicked Men are in thy Word thus described and painted out To be without God in the World and not to have thee in all their ways to cast thy Laws behind them and to forget thee as I have done O Lord since I have lost this precious gift in the first Adam let me receive it again in thee the second that my Soul being adorned with holy impressions may become the Temple of thee my Saviour Strengthen thy self in Me O dejected Soul and in these thy wants Look unto me who works in thee both the will and the deed of my good pleasure and will my self also freely give thee all things As I am not ignorant of thy defects so I am not to seek of thy cure I know there is a double forgetfulness in corrupted nature the one of thy sins to repent the other of my Word and Laws to practice But know thou this also that although for a time my Elect may forget me yet they shall never be forgotten of me Can a Woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her Wombe yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee for I will remember my Covenant with thee and will establish unto thee an everlasting Covenant And because I will do thus thou shalt also remember thy ways and be ashamed and thou shalt loath thy self in thy own sight for all the evil which thou hast committed And as for the other defect be assured that the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom my Father will send in my name he shall teach thee all things and bring all things into thy remembrance whatsoever I have said unto thee For This is the Covenant that I will make with thee I will put my Law into thy inward parts and write it in thy Heart and will be thy God and thou shalt be my Servant O my Lord I can never sufficiently admire thy power thy free Love and the healing vertue of thy sacred and refreshing word But what sweetness or relief what hope of remedy and recovery can my diseased Soul receive from it that wants a will to receive or apply thy comfortable Plaisters unto my festred sores Can the knowledge and sight of Meat feed the hungry Can the beholding of riches satisfie the needy or the Physicians Medicament cure without application No Lord they cannot How then can thy Holy Word work upon me any gracious effects that have a wretched will refractory to hearing reading meditation or any good use thereof If the mind and understanding be evil the will which is their servant and agent must needs be so also And if it hath its work in all evil actions it must not be left out nay cannot be idle or wanting in those that are good But my will is continually opposite to thine which is the rule of equity and justice and therefore cannot work the works of God It is true thou canst not For as I said before I work in thee both to will and to do But because thou canst not wilt thou limit my power also Cannot I that at first gave thee a will now at the last give thee a good will Is it not as easie for me to bend move and change thy nilling will into a willing one as to enlighten and quicken the other dead faculties of thy Soul Or is my free grace and love less benevolent unto it than unto the rest No surely It is not for my honour nor is it in thy power to be primarily and voluntarily assistant in this work For of my own will I beget my Children that those that glory may glory in the Lord humbly confessing that it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Mercifull Saviour I know thou canst cure dangerous yea desperate diseases But Lord I fear that I am too far gone that I have lost and let slip my opportunity and time of grace even that Day wherein thou wilt speak and be spoken to So that now I may justly expect that thou wilt swear in thy wrath that I shall not enter into thy rest And that this my fear may not seem groundless be thou pleased to feel the Pulses of my corrupted Soul and thou shalt finde that they beat not at all or if they do their motion is either exorbitant or full of intermissions Is it not thy command that I should love thee love my God with all my heart with all my soul with all my minde For thou wilt love them that love thee Is it not negative also thus Love not the World neither the things that are in the World For if thou lovest the World the love of the Father is not in thee What then Lord will become of me who have loved darkness rather than light and have been a lover of pleasures more than a lover of thee my God Further if at any time I be in love or ravisht with thee as beholding that excellent beauty which streams forth from all thy glorious attributes especially thy mercy how weak and of what short continuance are these flashes being like lightning which gone make but the night the darker So that in their so long absence I have just cause to fear their return doubting lest thou wilt say of me as once of the Laodiceans that because I am neither hot nor cold but luke-warm thou wilt therefore spite me out of thy mouth Again doth not thy Kingdome within us consist in righteousness in peace and in joy of the Holy Ghost which kinde of joy for the excellency thereof thou callest thine as also because of its procession from thee and from thy spirit it being that unparallel'd and unconceivable mirth which admits no mixture of sorrow no higher pitch of solace This this was it which so ravisht thy holy ones making them breath forth seraphically with Habakkuk I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation with the Spouse we will be glad and rejoyce in thee with David in thy presence is fulness of joy and with Peter we rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious Now O Lord in what ranck shall I place my self who being carnal and sold under sin savours not the things that be of God but those that be of Men not rejoycing in thee but in my own vain and sinfull imaginations proudly boasting and rejoyceing with those reprehended by the Apostle in those few gifts thou hast indued me with as
speak of our last and general Enemy Death but that even in the chaws thereof the World hath laid a fourth ambush of blood-thirsty and persecuting Hamans and unbrotherly Amalekites to assault every true Christian in his peregrination to our Heavenly Canaan Of these therefore next in our Meditation Were the Soul of a Christian corporeal or could force bend her knees and elevate her hands with their Bodies to Idolatry could it determine and have an end by the Sword Gibbet Fire or chawes of wilde Beasts or be blasted and defaced by the scandalous reproaches of slanderous tongues surely the Israel of God had been as Sodom and Gomorrah a by-word a nothing without succession upon the Earth And as once the old World so it these Waters had overwhelmed it these streames had gone over our Souls They even the wicked of the World had swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us Then the proud Waters had gone over our Souls But blessed be the Lord who hath not given us as a prey to their Teeth The Snare is broken and we are escaped escaped did I say yet the Lord knows many not without a fall without loss sometimes of their stuble-works sometimes of some gems ornaments and degrees of grace and spiritual comforts sometimes of their good name precious time and glorious professions Blessed Peter as thou wert the first of the Apostles so the first of Professors that denyed thy Master Glorious was thy confession thou art the Christ the Son of the living God Ignominious thy denyal I know not the Man Oh that the apprehension of Death should make thee deny thy life that thou shouldst more fear a Cross than value a Crown Yea the most Orient of Diadems that of Martyrdome But when the Lords back was towards thee and thy self-love had maskt his beautifull Image in thy heart I wonder not at thy tergiversation and counter motion As these spiritual desertions obscure Christ so they discover Man The same back-friend that would have counselled the Master perswades and obtains in Peter to save himself From what an incarnate Devil from Death No for who so will save his life shall lose it and thus to dye is to live for ever What then causeth this excentrical motion Surely self-love which declines that Centre of all things God and his glory This Daughter of the Philistims our flesh rather choosing to betray her Spouse her Sampson than she and her Fathers House this Cottage of Clay should be destroyed with the Fire of Persecution Sathan that Prince of this World is an exact Tyrant and therefore hath not only seeming rewards to inveigle some but racks and tortures to compell others to subject to his thraldome Such are those several sorts of Persecutions which for a time have made many of the Lords Worthies to seek quarter Peter fell not alone though as most eminent most eminently Blessed Saviour was not this the fury the Wolf that scattered the Sheep from thee the true Shepward of our Souls Where were the other ten Apostles when thou wast condemned and crucified I finde none but John present at thy Passion and he there rather as a Brother and Kinsman than as a Disciple For surely had he profest thee thou hadst not suffered alone innocently as it is written of thee Where were the seventy Disciples to whose faith and preaching thou gavest testimony with so many Miracles Where those many thousands which are said to believe which they themselves also testified by their acclamations confessions and frequent attendance Were they not all reduc'd to a few and as it were metamorphosed into the weakest Sex a few Women yea and those thine at distance too they stood afar off Sweet Jesus did the faith fail of these ocular witnesses these Champions of thy truth Yea after thy glorious ascension in the Apostles age do we finde a Demas In the Primitive and in succeeding times many holy Professors yea in this our age a devout Cranmer and others Who for a time shrunk from thee or rather from the chawes of this Devourer this opposite to nature this highest Pin of Sathans wracks this last and worst Enemy Death Disgraces slanders loss of goods yea all other bodily tortures included being but the attendants and degrees to this The Devil often in the Church makes his observation good that skin for skin yea all that a Man hath will he give for his life What need then have we O Lion of the Tribe of Judah which have not seen yet believe being therefore destitute of the sences testimony and want that Christian magnanimity that measure of grace and faith which those first Combatants enjoyed to fly unto thy Standard and to invoke thy assistance and strength against these worldly Enemies Which though invincible by nature and the flesh yet shall lye headless and vanquisht under the Sword of thy Word and Spirit Witness these holy Darts drawn out of that sacred Quiver thy most Holy Word already thrust through the sides and heart of this Absalom this Rebell and Traytor to our Souls so St. Peter most sweetly God hath given us exceeding great and precious promises that by these we might be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the World through lust Our Enemy the World marching against us in four battalions as hath been formerly shewed three of which also the Apostle St. John as God's sentinel for our safety hath faithfully given us warning of by this his discovery that all that is in the World the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the World It is time for us now not only to prepare for but to begin the fight and that with courage and chearfulness the Alarum and on-set being given by Gods own Spirit animating and stirring up the affection of our godly zeal and anger thus Love not the World neither the things that are in the World If any Man love the World the love of the Father is not in him Know yee not that the friendship with this World is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the World is an enemy of God Behold also a Banner even that which we have vowed to fight under in our Baptisme even the victorious Cross of Christ triumphantly displayed by that great Christian Champion St. Paul who thus encourages us by this his pious exclamation and example God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the World is crucified unto me and I unto the World See also our Leader the Spirit of God which if our faith second will make us trample upon the flesh and all the volptuous and carnal desires thereof For if we be led of the Spirit we are not under the Law viz. under the curse
who were deprived for a time of their Principalities for their refractoriness to Idolatry In defence against the first assault the pious Christian marching under Christs royal Standard victoriously opposes his Shield of faith with which and the Sword of the Spirit he disorders and puts to flight his Enemies reverberating and expulsing Sathans temptations with the blessed Virgins Antheme God scattereth the proud in the imaginations of their hearts and pulls down the mighty from their Seates and exalts them of low degree With the curse of the holy Prophet Isaiah Woe to the Crown of Pride Yea he concludes the Victory with that holy Maxime of St. James God resists the proud Now who amongst us shall be able to dwell with everlasting burning If the Lord condemns who can justify In pride in all these places the Spirit of God includeth ambition which essentially differs not being connatural and concomitant with her As for the temptation on the left hand the loss of any temporal dignities The valiant Christian poyses them with the glorious promises of Gods faithfull word whereby judging of their lightness he concurs with holy David that surely Men of low degree are vanity and Men of high degree are a lye to be laid in the Ballance they are altogether lighter than vanity And therefore returns this or the like counter-buff Get thee behind me Sathan for I value not thy threats since thou boasts of that which is not in thy power The haires of my Head are numbred the Lord maketh poor and maketh rich he bringeth low and lifteth up But say the Lord should suffer thee as he did in Job to be the Instrument of my debasement I will kiss Gods Rod even in thy hand and say with that holy Man The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken blessed be the Name of the Lord and with that tryumphing Apostle In all these things viz. disgraces and losses of what kinde soever I am more than a Conquerour through Christ that loved me For what things were gain to me those I count loss for Christ yea doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I will suffer the loss of all things accounting them but dung that I may win Christ. The highest favours of Princes from whom flow Earthly dignities are but shadowes of true honour Shadowes for they weakly express them and vanish when their Sun is set or clouded He that pours contempt upon Princes commands me not to rely upon them Put not your trust in Princes nor in the Son of Man in whom there is no help If not in them much less in their gifts For in that very day in an instant they their gifts and thoughts perish My happiness is a better hope My honour is more surely fixt than by Man or Devil to be extirpated or extinguisht Can all thy power O Enemy of Man frustrate my Election whereby from Eternity I am enroll'd a Peer of Heaven Can all thy policy or force dim the splendour or annihilate that title of being called and truly adopted the Son of God Canst thou disrobe me of my honourable red and white Garments of Justification and Sanctification in my Saviour O Father of lyes canst thou turn light into darkness and truth into falshood Deprive me of my Crown and nullify these glorious and infallible promises Fear not my little Flock it is your Fathers will to give you a Kingdome Those that honour me I will honour If any Man serve me him will my Father honour Glory and honour and peace to every one that worketh good I am assured and conclude thou canst not And therefore I trample under foot thy power and vilify thine and the Worlds menaces and offers as believing in the royal might and truth of my Saviour That neither life nor death nor Angels Principalities Powers nor things present nor things to come shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus my Lord. Having thus routed and discomfitted the Wings and first Squadrons of the Enemy we must not rest here losing both our hopes and advantage A Christians whole life we have heard is a continued warfare To live unto the Lord and by self-denyal to overcome former temptations is a happy progress towards our Victory But to persevere to the end to dye for the Lord is the conclusion the Crown the tryumph of the Christian. By how much the Enemy is more powerfull and terrible by so much is the service more honourable and the conquest more glorious This last Phalanx of the Worlds force Persecutions are her Janizaries her Pretorian bands her last refuge in whom she puts her chiefest confidence led and marshalled by Sathans Lieutenant General described and set forth in the Revelations by him riding upon a red Horse destroying the fourth part of the World who may be also as expressing its mortal effects figuratively called Death whom Hell it self follows and attends Well is this the last and strongest of our worldly adversaries Yea have they begun already or will they shortly certainly assault us and notwithstanding our former Trophies contend with us for our Palme For all that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecutions Let us like our English Martyrs with courage leaping and rejoycing run to kiss the Stake to meet our Opposers yea as the Apostle our tortures not accepting deliverance that we may obtain a better resurrection Are we hated by the World It is the surest mark of our Election by God So the word of truth Because yee are not of this World but I have chosen you out of the World therefore the World hates you Have we mourning here It ushers in yea accompanies an unutterable and inseparable joy Yee shall be sorrowfull saith our Saviour but your sorrow shall be turned into joy and your joy shall no Man take from you Yea do we so far suffer for well doing that we are delivered over to Death as Malefactors Remember we are not without a companion in our sufferings our blessed Saviour was Crucifyed and reckoned amongst the Transgressors Now the Servant is not greater than the Lord if they have persecuted him they will also persecute you To conclude if we be conformable to Christ in his Death we shall also be like him in his Resurrection we shall have a change rather than a loss For He that loseth his life for his sake shall finde it viz. Immortality which is only the true life This is a faithfull saying If we be dead with him we shall also live with him If we suffer we shall also reign with him if we deny him he will also deny us Thus then have I made good my proposition that this is the Victory that overcomes the World even our Faith Thanks
and shall be ever with the Lord. But this glorified fear is the most bright reflection in and from us of Gods glorious Soveraignty according to that of the Prophet If I be a Master where is my fear a fruit and an effect of Gods ravishing and transporting excellency and therefore this heavenly affection being so necessary a requisite in our heavenly condition is so far from lessening our perfection in glory as that without it it cannot be perfectly glorious O my Soul shall thy affections of love and fear be thus glorious in thy Heavenly state Let them not have a lesser or lower object than the most high let not such High-Born Princesses be enamoured with their Slaves Vse the World as not abusing it and as though thou used it not Neither fear any but him that only can cast both Soul and Body into Hell-fire Let these two graces be as Jethro to Moses eye in the Wilderness of this World to admonish and to keep thee from losing thy way when thou art turning to the right or to the left And like the Lords Pillar of a Cloud by Day and of Fire by Night to direct thee according to his holy will in thy Journey towards thy Heavenly Canaan Converse with these two Royal Virgins continually So shalt thou have Communion and fellowship with the Father and the Son in the Spirit be partaker of the Divine nature and begin to enjoy Heaven here upon Earth Prepare and so enlarge these Divine Vessels by a pious use and continued Exercise that they may be the more capacious of Glory For according to the measures and proportions of graces in this life shall be their repletion in the life to come where of Apprehensors the Saints shall be made Comprehensors according to their several enlargements For as one Star differs from another in glory so shall it be at the Resurrection of the Just when we shall see God face to face and know him as we are known and be made like him in Glory O my God my Father are these two sanctified affections of love and fear the two Eyes the two Armes of the Soul with which the Saints behold imbrace and enjoy thee in all thy glorious excellencies Are they the two Centinels and Guards by which every true Christian discovers and repells all sinfull thoughts looks words and actions Doth that root of all saving Graces Faith work by love in the application of what the Father Son and Holy Ghost hath done for us Turning our Hearts of Stone into Hearts of Flesh and melting them into teares of Gospel-Repentance Doth love oile the wheeles of our universal obedience so that they run swiftly in the pathes of thy Commandements when thou thus enlargest the heart And is fillial fear the whip in the hand of zeal the holy Chariteer to drive and carry us manger all stops of Sin Sathan and the World to the end of our race Is this divine love to thee and thy Saints the summe and the fulfilling of thy Law The more excellent way The compleating continuing and the greatest grace as most like unto thee For God is love and who so dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him Shall these twin-like graces of love and fear not leave the Soul when it leaves the Body and accompany both Soul and Body at the Resurrection to the Marriage-Supper of the Lamb and to the Marriage-Bed of Glory yea shall they be the measures and compleating of our Glory O holy Father who art the essential love my fear and my dread be thou pleased to sanctify inlarge and inflame these my affections that of sinfull passions in the old Adam they may be changed and Heavenized into active and holy graces in me thy new Creature Let them I beseech thee be effectual and usefull to all the aforementioned ends And since it is no sin but a duty to be ambitious of and to covet spiritual things let them be enlarged and heightned like Heaven even to the utmost of a created capacity that I may be as thou hast promised thy dwelling place upon Earth and thou mayest be my inheritance and my Heaven in Heaven Even so Amen Lord Jesus come quickly The sanctified affection of holy zeal in the glorified Saints deserves our next Meditation This to speak properly is not a simple grace but the highest and intense degree of every grace and holy action which if so famous and resplendent in the Saints upon Earth as in Moses in his exemplary Justice upon the false worshippers of the Golden Calf In Phineas his executing judgment upon that Idolatrous and adulterous payre Zimry and Cosby in David who declares that the zeal of Gods House had eaten him up In Elijah when he put to death four hundred of Baals Prophets in one Evening In Paul who preserved the glory of God in the Redemption of his Country-men the Jews before his own salvation and in that highest example of our dear Lord and Saviour in his purging of his Temple Then this Heavenly grace shall undoubtedly not only continue and have then a Beeing in each glorified Saint but shine forth and act in them much more gloriously Is that only infinite and pure Essence our Omnipotent God who is happiness blessedness and life it self so often declared in the Scripture to be zealous for his name and glory And shall not his Saints his Image be like him Is this grace exercised by glorious Angels as when one Angel destroyed all the first-born of Egypt in one Night Another destroyed a hundred fourscore and five thousand Assyrians at the command and in zeal for the glory of God Yea did an whole Host of Angels descend from Heaven and with a holy zeal Celebrate our Lords Nativity and Man-kindes Redemption in an holy Hymne And shall not the glorified Saints overflow and express upon all occasions to Gods glory the like zealous and inflam'd affections assuredly they shall For though Sin Sathan and the wicked World which by a kinde of spiritual Antiperistasis made their zeal here burn the hotter shall be cast out and banisht thence Yet the glorified Saints shall not want nor be without constant objects and continual occasions according to every ones measure to exercise this grace To instance only some successive ones Gods unparallel'd flaming Justice upon Gog and Magog and all wicked Men at our Saviours second coming with ten thousand of his Saints Christs Crowning and rewarding every Elect Member in righteousness according to their works together with all his glorious Administrations in that his holy righteous and personal Reign in the new Heaven and new Earth for a thousand years His powerfull raising of the wicked after the thousand years and curious Inquisition into and perfect discovery and bringing to Judgment of all their evil thoughts words and actions and his
zealous flaming Grace of holy anger add light to light and glory to the glory of a Saint O my Soul is holy anger a saving and gracious affection a part of the glorious Image of God in a Saint Do the holy and blessed Angels as the Scriptures witness in their zeal to Gods glory and hatred of Sin express it in their constant oppositions and inflictions of Gods Judgments upon wicked Men and Devils Yea is it an Apostolical Precept and Duty to be angry and sin not Shall this grace have even in Heaven continual objects and occasions to exercise it self to Gods glory and thy own O write after this Copy and endeavour that this grace may not be seldome and casually but habitually in thee here upon Earth Let it be one of the Mortifiers and Crucifiers of thy lusts as they were the Murderers of thy Saviour Let it dash out the brains of all these Babell Beasts against the Stones of holy reproofs even the accursed issue of thy sinfull thought words and actions Let this God-like passion resist the Devil in all his subtle and powerfull temptations and he shall undoubtedly flye from thee Yea let this grace imitate and second the holy Spirit in reproving and convincing the ungodly World of Sin So shalt thou be preserved from the Commission of all evil triumph over all thy worldly and spiritual Enemies and be prepared by thy more full extent and acting of this grace here to be of an higher form in the blessed exercise thereof in Glory O All-mighty Creator who hast made my heart the seat of my affections and plac'd it in the Centre of my Body that it might affect and influence every part alike Let it not I humbly beseech thee be any longer like the middle Region of the Aire the coldest part of this Micro-cosme and void of this Heavenly heat of holy anger But let this sanctified affection flash forth like thunder and lightning and burn up and destroy every crude and evil thought word and action as soon as they appear and purge this Element of my Heart and Soul from all the infectious noxious and sinfull vapours of vain and sinfull thoughts that arise from this Earth this Body of Death and Sin that incompasses me about that they may never come to the maturity of wicked actions or if they do they may be as it were Thunder strucken and torne up by the Roots and not able to stand before this flaming grace so shall I be like thee who art as a flaming Fire consuming all Iniquity That so being renewed and fashioned according to thy Image in this World by such holy affections I may be assured of theirs and my greater perfection in the World to come when I shall be made like thee iâ— thy Image of Glory Amen As the light of the Sun to the World so is the affection of joy to the Soul when it arises there is day when it sets an uncomfortable night Man in his innocency enjoyed a polar day a continued presence thereof but having lost God its cause and object the effect ceased not that the Soul is disrob'd of the affection but of the true use of it hence the distinction of a spiritual and carnal joy The first is the true only found and beginning afresh to bud in the renewed Saints and favourites of God for a stranger shall not intermeddle with their joy but the other is momentary and illegitimate as being begotten in the Soul by false objects and is as it were the Moon-light of the wicked The object then of true joy is God and that in this consideration as he is inclusively and exclusively the compleat happiness of the Creature Whereby it comes to pass that the godly and reprobate may both rejoyce in the same things as Wifes Children Honours Estates c. And yet the joy of the one be holy and spiritual of the other carnal and wicked Leaving then the sensual mirth which is deceivable sinfull and temporary my thoughts pitch upon the Solace of the Elect which the Scripture stiles the joy of the Holy Ghost unspeakable and glorious the first-fruits and earnest of their future happiness By these glimpse O ye Saints of God's may yee judge of that full light you shall there enjoy Which if unspeakable here shall surely be there unconceivable Alas what can I then think and meditate of it chiefly negatively thus that there shall be no cloudings nor intermissions there no measure of our joy for we shall continually behold God and in him see all the grounds of rejoycing If here excesses have proved mortal their exceedings shall make us more immortal this being an increasing and reviving not a surfeiting fulness The capacity of the affection being gradually and continually augmented according to the plentifull infusion our joyes multiplying there even to Eternity The growth of our graces here although God be seen of us through the cleft of the Rock as to Moses teaching discovering and evincing a continued and far greater augmentation in glory hereafter O blessed and happy estate which is not diminished by Eternity but is as unlimitable as lasting O happy place wherein all joyes meet their objects in one Centre There shall we possess and enjoy not guttatim but according to the fulness of each Vessel God our gracious Father Christ our mercifull Saviour the Holy Spirit our everlasting Comforter the glorious Angels and Arch-Angels our fellow-Servants the Holy Patriarchs and Prophets our Tryumphant Leaders the pious Apostles and valiant Martyrs our victorious Champions together with the many millions successively of religious Professors There shall we meet and rejoyce in the like felicity of all our vertuous Parents Brothers Sisters Wifes Children Kindred and Friends There shall we inherit unvaluable and incorruptible riches Be install'd in Thrones of unchangeable and incorruptible honours and be filled with all unspeakable and Soul-ravishing delights To conclude whatsoever things either in conception or possibility can affect or rejoice the glorified Soul are there not interchangeably but contemporarily and continuedly obvious and present And on the contrary all things whatsoever that may lessen or offend in the least degree this divine extasie have an impossibility of subsistence in this Eternal Paradise And that not only in regard of the presence but of the decree of God himself Therefore needs must this joy be ineffably compleat to which all things concur for its perfection O Divine condition which shall thus sweetly impe and restore these mouldring and broken Wings of my Soul O blissfull Paradise and Chrystaline Sea upon which these now maimed Feet of my affections shall walk or rather evenly slide free from all rubs thorns and sinfull interruptions O how melodious will the harmony of these Strings be when mounted to the highest Key not to Ela but to Eli Methinks the very Contemplation of this life should so ravish my Soul and actuate these Wings these Feet that
will from place to place like an Angel with incredible swiftness The Soul acting with a more enlarged and excellent advantage as to all its faculties and operations by the subserviency union and concomitancy of the Members and senses of our glorified bodies than it could do without them Of which in their due place with Gods assistance I shall treat more particularly O my Soul shall thy frail fleshly body be shining like the Stars and the Firmament in all its brightness glorious like the Sun yea like the brightest Son of Righteousness and be replenisht with the glory of God Shall it be thy radiant Garment and super-excelling Ornament Thy Chariot of Tryumph Yea more the completion of thy excellency and Coelestial happiness O give it now its due honour and inslave it not to Sathan and to sinfull lusts Thou shalt shortly be thine and the Angels glorious companion Debase it not so much as to put it to dig and delve in the Earth like a blinde Mole Nor to cloath it self with thick Clay nor to feed upon white and yellow dust which is the Serpents Meat and curse which shall within a short space of time shine like the Stars and Sun in the Heavens Yea suffer it not to be bespotted and defiled with uncleanness Nor to be joyned or united to an Harlot which conjoyn'd with thee shall be a perfect and glorious Image of God incarnate and for ever the Spouse of Christ and the Habitation and Temple of God the Holy Ghost What though as yet thou art in a state of humiliation ascend thou with our Lord into the Mount into the high Mountain of Divine and Heavenly Contemplation being both in Body and Soul raised from above the vanities of this low and evil World Let thy converse be with Moses and Elias the Law and the Prophets and by so doing thou shalt be transformed and transfigur'd yea thy face shall shine and thou shalt be changed into the Image of God from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord. O Lord my God who art infinite in free grace and mercy in goodness bounty and liberality and hast abundantly manifested thy self to be all this to me a poor and miserable sinner in my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent in my nature to purchase for me not only salvation from everlasting death but such a shining and glorious state and condition of Soul and Body with thee unto Eternity give me a gratefull heart and an obedient life which is the real thankfulness of thy Children Yea let the Meditation and application by faith of this blessed and transcendent change not only ravish me in Spirit as Peter was at the sight of the representation thereof at our Lords Transfiguration but let me with holy Paul follow after it that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus as counting my self not to have apprehended and therefore through thy grace Let me forget those things that are behind and reach forth to the things that are before pressing towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Let me so run not as uncertainly so fight not as one that beateth the Aire but keep under this my Body and bring it into subjection least by any meanes when I have instructed others I my self should be a cast away Gracious God in order to this glorious and new life grant me to walk in newness of life that I being planted together with my Saviour in the likeness of his Death as to sin I may be also raised with and by him in the likeness of his Resurrection to Glory and having these precious promises let me through faith in them be by thee enabled to cleanse my self from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in thy fear for without holiness none shall see thy Face O Lord let my conversation be in Heaven although my body be on earth And since thy Word saith a Mans wisdome makes his Face to shine give me that true wisdome that is from above And since thou hast in infinite mercy given me this blessed hope that even my body shall shine and be glorious like the Stars and Sun after this life give me grace in this life to be a burning and shining light with John the Baptist and to be harmless and blameless a Son of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation Amongst whom let me shine as a Light in the World that they seeing my good works may glorify thee my Heavenly Father Amen I proceed now to the third Heavenly excellency of our Bodies glorified after the Resurrection viz. Their incorruptibility and immortality In order to our more cleer understanding of this so wonderfull a change in which as saith the Apostle This Corruptible must put on Incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality I shall from the ground of right reason and natural Philosophy humbly offer these considerations First that the body of Man is compounded although unequally of the four Elements And that at Death which is the dissolution of the Soul and Body The Spirit returns to him that gave it and the Body returns to the four Elements the first Principles of which it was compounded This is illustrated and proved from Scripture which witnesses that at the Resurrection The Sea gave up her Dead that is that part of the substance of the Bodies that were in it and Death and Hell that is the Earth or Grave delivered up the Dead that were in them Further this must be granted as an undeniable maxime that as none but God our Almighty Creator can make something of nothing so none but he can annihilate any Creature or any Atom of a Creature so as to make that something nothing If this be a certain truth as assuredly it is and that the Lord hath declared in his Word that the same Bodies in which the Soul lived here upon Earth shall again appear and be raised at the Resurrection as inspired Job attests saying I know that my Redeemer lives and that I shall stand at the latter Day upon Earth and though after my skin Worms destroy this Body yet in my Flesh shall I see God Whom I shall see for my self and my Eyes shall behold and not another though my Reines be consumed within me Then certainly at and after death that part of our Bodies that is a part of the four Elements from a Principle sympathy law and instinct of nature the compositum and structure being dissolved and separated shall return to that Element of which it is a part where it shall be kept and preserved by the all-governing Power and providence of God as in a Wombe or Treasury untill its new birth at the Resurrection In the next place consider that when the
other Members as looking upon this weak diseased and aged Body as upon an old and weather-beaten Tent. Knowing that If the Earthly House of this my Tabernacle were dissolved I have a building of God an House not made with Hands Eternal in the Heavens Groaning earnestly and desiring with the Apostle Paul to be cloathed upon with my House which is from Heaven with which if I be cloathed I shall not be found naked That this Mortality may be swallowed up of Life Let me not O Lord with the Worldling who hath his Portion only in this Life be troubled at the Knell of every passing Bell sigh at every striking of the Clock nor be afraid or unwilling to number my Days or to cast up the accompt of my years but greatly rejoyce at the end of every hour day and year as hastning my approach to and the enjoyment of Eternity Being most willing to have my Body interred that after a long time like the matter of China Vessels it may be raised and made lucid transparent and a Vessel of honour fit to be made use of in the Palace of Heaven Shall my Body be shining and glorious like the Sun let it not now O Lord be spotted with sin and changeable and inconstant in its motion and conversation like the Moon Shall it be bright like the Firmament and Stars O Lord let it be a fixt and not a falling Star nor cast down to the Earth by the Taile of the old Serpent the Devil neither let me be a Meteor and seem to out-shine others in a Religious profession and in a short time vanish only leaving behind me an hypocritical and pestilential stench like those wandering Stars to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever O gracious and mercifull Redeemer shall this corruptible put on incorruptibility and this mortal put on immortality Let this supernatural change begin here as it doth in all thy sanctified ones and let even my Body as well as my Soul be thy dwelling place and the Temple of thy holy Spirit in which let no unclean lust lurk or wicked Spirit enter Make me holiness unto thee O Lord and perfect holiness in thy fear Give thy Angels charge over me to keep me in all my ways Let them bear me up in their hands lest I dash my Foot against a Stone cause me to tread upon the Lyon and the Addar the young Lyon and the Dragon Yea let them according to thy promise be shortly trampled under my Feet Let sin dye in me by vertue of thy Death and let the life and immortality of holiness spring up and flourish in me by vertue of thy Resurrection Hast thou O Lord stiled thy Church thy Dove thy undefiled one And declared that she is fair and that there is no spot in her And is that which is spoken of thy Church applyable to every living Member thereof O thou that art the Eternal truth make good this thy Word unto thy poor Servant thy Spouse although most unworthy to wash the Feet of the Servants of my Lord. And since thou hast promised that all things shall become new And declared that those that are in thee are new Creatures and hast covenanted to give me a new Heart and a new Spirit and to take out my Heart of Stone and to give me a Heart of Flesh to pour clean Water upon me and to make me clean and hast testified that thy blood doth cleanse me from all sin and that by thy righteousness alone I am justified O let all these true and precious promises be fulfilled in me and to me So shall the incorruptibility of my Person as in respect of sin usher in and assure me of the incorruptibility of my Soul and Body in glory Let me dye daily with blessed Paul as to all the evil lusts of the Flesh that I may not dye Eternally but live everlastingly in glorified Flesh. O Lord who art the life and my life let my sinfull mortality even here put on a spiritual and heavenly immortality For thou hast proclaim'd it whil'st thou wert upon Earth That the Day comes yea now is when the Dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live even to Eternity For He that believeth in thee hath already everlasting life Let my union and communion with thee through faith and the in-dwelling of thy holy Spirit begin to make my Face to shine here as did the Face of Moses and thy Proto-Martyr Stephen since thou hast declared that a Mans wisdome maketh his Face to shine Yea we are said to shine here also in a holy conversation since thou commandest us To let our light shine before Men. And hast held forth in thy Word that the path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect Day and hast promised in thy Book That if we let not wickedness dwell in our Tabernacles our Age shall be cleerer than the Noon-day and we shall shine forth and be as the Morning Lord although I now live in the Flesh yet let me not I humbly and with importunity beseech thee live unto or after the Flesh since such are said to be dead while they live yea twice dead and pluckt up by the Roots And thou hast justly threatned that those that live after the Flesh shall dye and that Eternally But they that live in and after the Spirit shall live and that for ever and ever But since after this life there shall be no Devil to tempt no World to allure or persecute nor Sin to intice or corrupt Let me with mortified Paul desire to depart and to be with thee which is far better Yea since to live is Christ and to dye is gain Let me with perfect Job all the Dayes of this my appointed time humbly patiently and believingly wait until my glorious change come Amen Having exercised my faith and contemplation upon this ravishing and pleasing subject the glorification of the Bodies and Members of the Saints in general and in the Gross I shall now lastly proceed beseeching the assistance of his most Holy Spirit who is my light the light of Men and he who alone enlighteneth every one that cometh into the World to speak particularly though with much brevity of the glorification of the Five Sences I shall go so far as I shall receive light from the Scriptures and right reason taking that sober and lawfull liberty that is granted to all those that have meditated upon the like subjects where some things are more obscure than others and not so clearly and fully held forth in Gods Word humbly to offer what probably and rationally although not positively may be the truth as not repugnant to Scripture right reason or the Analogie
Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for 〈…〉 Created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were Created Thou O blessed Saviour art worthy to take the Book of the Providential Decrees and actings of the Father as concerning thy Chuâ—ch and to open the Sealâ— and to discover the meaning thereof for thâ—â— wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation And hast made 〈◊〉 unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall 〈…〉 the Earth Worthy 〈…〉 O Lamb â—hat was 〈◊〉 to receive power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing Blessing â—â—nour glory and power be unto thee O Father That 〈◊〉 upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for eâ—er and ever Great and marvailous are thy works Lord God Allmighty just and 〈◊〉 are thy ways O King of Saints who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorify thy Name for thou only 〈◊〉 holy For all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy Judgments are made manifest and thy 〈◊〉 in the raising thy Witnesses thy Magistracy and Ministry and pouring forth thy wrath upon the Beast the Man of Sin that Western Anti-christ the Pope and upon that Mystery of Iniquity Babylon the great the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth which is also spiritually called 〈◊〉 and Egypt and literally Rome the Throne and Seat of the Beast and two-horned Beast the false Prophet which is come now into remembrance before thee O God to give unto her the Cup of the Wine of the fierceness of thy wrath she saith now in her heart I sit iâ— Queen and am no Widdow and shall see no sorrow therefore shall her Plagues 〈◊〉 in owâ— Diâ—â—y Death and Mourning and Famine and she shall be utterly 〈◊〉 with Fire for strong are thou 〈◊〉 God that Judgeth her And the Beaâ—â— the Pope that was and is not that is the Eight Head and is of the Seventh shall go into Perdition and be taken and with him the false Prophet the Roman Church and Hierarchy that wrought Miracles before him with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the Beast and them that worshipped his Image These both shall be cast alive into a Lake of Fire burning with Brimstone First in this life by a direfull excommunicaâ—tion by all the Churches of Christ and after this life 〈◊〉 the Fiery Lake of Hell O Almighty Saviour who 〈◊〉 King of Kings and Lord of Lords shall my Tongue 〈◊〉 my glorified condition as hath been shewed sing thy praises declare and perpetuate the memory of these thy wonderfull actings after thou hast done them O 〈◊〉 me now before thou doest them as beholding 〈◊〉 very neer through the Perspective of thy Word by the Eye of my Faith Sing that new Song of praises before thy Throne concerning thy great and marvellous proâ—idences with the hundred forty and four thousand thy Virgins and redeemed ones that stand with thee oâ— Mount Sion the Figure of thy Church and tryumphingly declare with the Angel that the Hour of thy Judgment is come and that Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City because she made all Nations drink of the Wine of the wrath of her Fornication Let me also as by the same prospect of Faith beholding the Call and Conversion of thy antient People Israel and scattered Jewes to be at hand and the total destruction of Gog and Magog the blasphemous Mahumetan Turk by their Sword and in their Land and bless and praise thy Name for it is wonderfull fearfull and glorious O my Lord hast thou also declared and promised by thy Holy Apostle John that thou wilt shortly Lay hold on the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Devil and Sathan and bind him for a thousand years Casting him into the bottomless Pit and shutting him up and setting a Seal upon him that he should deceive the Nations no more untill the thousand years shall be fulfilled And that then all the ends of the World shall remember and turn unto thee O Lord and all the Kindreds of the Nations shall worship before thee And the Kingdomes of this World shall become the Kingdomes of Thee our Lord and of thy Christ and He shall raign for ever Lord shall I we see such a blessed and happy age as this when as a natural and rational effect of Sathans binding and thy casting him and all his Legions of Devils into the local Hell and of thy plentuous pouring forth of the gifts and graces of thy Spirit according to the Prophets the whole World shall be converted to Christianity all Wars and Contentions shall cease Swords shall be turned into Plow-shares and Speares into Pruning-hooks and the Nations shall learn Warre no more And long life and peace and plenty shall Crown this Orbe when all Idolatry Ignorance open profaneness and wickedness shall be laid aside and purity light and unity in life and doctrine worship and discipline shall shine forth throughout the Earth even above the Primitive times when saving knowledge and a Salomonial wisdome shall cover the Earth even as the Waters cover the Seas Shall I I say behold all this by faith through the gracious illumination of thy blessed Spirit in thy Word of Truth And shall I not cry out with holy David Lord open thou my Lips and my Mouth shall shew forth thy praise yea often glorify thee in singing the 96. Psalme which being a clear Prophesie of this time thy Spirit indited to that purpose as also the 97. the 98. the 99. and the 100. Psalmes O Lord hast thou foretold and promised by thy Prophet Daniel That Judgment shall be given unto the Saints of the most High and that the Saints shall possess the Kingdome That then Righteousness shall be the Girdle of thy Loynes and faithfulness the Girdle of thy Reines That thou wilt give us Judges as at the first and Counsellers as at the beginning and that thou wilt make our Exactors righteousness That the Judgment shall fit and the Kingdome and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdome under the whole Heaven shall be given to the People of the Saints of the most High whose Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome and all Dominions shall serve Him Yea is this that fift and universal Monarchie and victorious Kingdome which is by thy Almighty Power and Spirit to be acted and carryed on by thy Saints when as it is witnessed by the Prophets and thy Servant David Thou shalt break thy Enemies with a Rod of Iron and shalt dash them in pieces like a Potters Vessel when the Lord at thy right hand shall strike through Kings in the Day
a Glass darkly and imperfectly taken a view of the Land of Promise the Inheritance of the Saints in light and presented to the Lord and to his Spouse the Church what discoveries he hath in great mercy given me as concerning Eternal Life that last and great Article of the Christian faith begun visibly in the Saints glorified condition in the new Heaven and new Earth and continued unto Eternity in the Heaven of Heavens Wherein concluding with the glorification and blessed use and exercise of our Tongues in that happy state I thought it proper both as to the general subject I have been upon as being the Vision exercise and Tryumph of Faith and as to the subject matter both lauditory to God and declarative to one another about which our Tongues shall in our renewed life be imployed to declare in this life with all humility and thankfulness of Heart and Tongue to both which my Pen is but the Secretary in the Ejaculatory part of that Meditation what by faith I behold and am assured from the Word of Truth shall come to pass here and be injoyed by me and all Gods Elect in the life to come and shall be there a blessed Subject of our praises to all Eternity In which Song of 12. parts or Jacobs Laddar of 12. Staves whose foot stands upon Earth and top reaches to Heaven we may by faith ascend beginning here upon Earth in this present Year of our Lord 1666. by twelve successive Steps wonderfull and most signal periods noted afore in the Margint to the last and highest ascent the Glorification of the Saints in the Heavens Being now come to Hercules Pillars the Ne-plus ultra of Faith beyond which all sacred Scripture the light of Faith is silent I can proceed nor walk any further in these Contemplations lest walking without a Light I fall into the Darkness of Error It being alike sinfull curiosity and presumption to inquire what God will do after this silence When time shall be no longer as to ask what he did before time was and before this World was Created Wherefore I shall here conclude these my imperfect Meditations and with all humility and reverence return all Honour Glory and Praise to thee O glorious Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost one God blessed for ever for thy most gracious assistance by the light of thy Word and Spirit in this great Work a subject too weighty for Angels how much more for me a simple sinfull and weak Worm Lord I acknowledge that whatsoever is good right and true in this Treatise is of and from thee who art Goodness Light and Truth and to thee alone belongs the praise and that whatsoever therein is Hay or Stuble is mine who humbly takes shame therefore and Petitions for thy free pardon in my Lord Christ Jesus beseeching thee that in the assurance of thy love and mercy in him and in the faith light and assurance of thy glorious Truths herein declared out of thy Word I may with Holy Job all the Days of my appointed time wait until my Change come And with zealous Paul desire to depart and to be with Christ that so my faith and hope may be swallowed up in the possession of thee and Vision may be changed into fruition Thy Spirit and thy Bride say come And let him that heareth say come Thou O Lord that testifieth these things sayest Surely I come quickly Amen Even so come Lord Jesus The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all Amen Soli Deo Gloria An Advertisement by the Author to the Reader FOr the more cleer and fuller proof of the Twelve great things mentioned in the Conclusion of this Work I refer the Reader to my Treatise almost ready to be published Entitled An humble Exposition of most of the Scripture-Prophesies concerning Twelve great Periods to be fulfilled to the Church beginning to be manifested in the Year 1666. and concluding with the end of our Lords Mediatory Kingdome and the Translation of the Saints to the highest Heavens FINIS AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE Of the Things contained in the TREATISE Intitulated MEDITATIONS ON FAITH A. THe Affections lose their appetite if ye do but change the object viz. Spiritual for Temporal Page 4 Christs Agony as described should much act upon our spirits Page 27 The use and abuse of the Affections Page 45 46 All Arts and Sciences are in the Scripture as Metaphysick Phylosophie Astronomy Chronologie Rhetorick c. Page 71 Christs answer to the soul complaining of her Affections Page 81 The Antiquity of the Scriptures Page 102 Of the Affections glorified Page 151 Of holy Anger glorified Page 160 A Soliloquium upon it Page 161 An Ejaculation upon it Page 161 A caution against blotting Assurance Page 185 B. The Body of man like the pool of Bethesda with its five Porches Page 22 The curse and judgement of the Body Page 52 The Souls complaint against the Body with Christs answer Page 88 89. c. Of the Body glorified Page 164 Of the spirituality and swiftness of our Bodies at the Resurrection Page 169 A soliloquium and ejaculation on those two qualities of the Body Page 170 The glorious shining of the Body at the Resurrection Page 171 A soliloquium on that shining of the Body Page 173 Item an ejaculation upon it Page 174 Of the Immortality of the Body glorified Page 175 C. The Certain condition of man is to be uncertain Page 8 A man may be a Conduit-pipe to others and be a Vessel of dishonour himself Page 15 17 Of Christs Death and Burial Page 33 34 His victory over Hell Page 35 His Resurrection Page 36 His Ascension Page 38 Man in respect of Conscience is as one possessed Page 42 A Contemplation on love Page 47 A Contemplation on the insatisfaction in Riches Honours Pleasures Wisdom Page 49 A Contemplation on fear Page 51 A Contemplation on the sinfulness of the Eyes Ears Nostrils Taste and Touch Page 56 Of Christs Priestly Office Page 57 The occasion of Christs Priest-hood Page 58 A Contemplation upon Christs Priest-hood Page 60 Of Christs satisfaction Page 61 Christs answer to the poor soul complaining of his Conscience Page 75 The souls general Complaint answered by Christ Page 85 86 The souls Complaint against her Senses Tongue and Members of her body and Christs answer to it Page 88 89 A meditation on the excellency of Christs person Page 99 Against Coveteousness Page 123 An Ejaculation upon the glorious Change of the body at the Resurrection Page 185 D. Demas described Page 14 A Dialogue between Christ and the poor complaining soul in many particulars which Christ answers and satisfies Page 74 Our victory by Christ over Death Page 130 Our victory over the fear of Death Page 132 Our victory over the pain and separation by Death Page 133 All things fall short of the Duration of glorified Bodies and Souls and the high
they may have a like effect upon you as to your spiritual food and edification as the â—irst and second concoction hath in the stomack as to a good and perfect digestion and turning the Meat into a fit Chile to be sanâ—â—fied and made good blood and spirits besides an after chewâ—ng of the Cud by remeditation and practice in a Gospel and spiritual signification will much difference and distinguish you that 〈◊〉 clean Christians from those that are unclean who for want of the heat of Divine affections devour but not digest holy things To include I desire my great suffering condition abounding with sorrows hopes and fears and all kinds of Tentations discomforts and distractions my above Twenty removes to several Residences and more than seven years Exile and separation from my â—ooks dearest Friends and Relations my ignorance infirmities and sinfulness as being the greatest of sinners the least of Saints 〈◊〉 excuse and apologize for me to any of my Brethren of the â—hurches of Christ that shall with you read these Contemplations â—â— to any defects or errors therein as being one of the lowest â—â—rms in the School of Christ and therefore ready in all humility to submit any thing herein contained to the Judgement of the Saints that are learned or judicious and to give or receive light or satisfaction to or from any that differ from me in Opinion Which I cannot but expect because of the diversity and rarity of a great part of this subject which may be a reason that plowing with no man's Heifer in some things I may walk alone yet left not in the dark and without as seems to me a clear light of holy Scripture hoping that this Essay of mine as to those great future mysteries and periods of the Churches state may give some new light through the free condescention of God's spirit to me his poor Exile in Patâ—os as to the understanding of many Scripture Prophesies in my Judgment much mistaken by former Expositors both ancient and modern and that though my weak light be but as a rush Candle yet it may be an occasion of the inflaming and lighting up of great and shining Tapers both in this generation and in the Age to come Most loving gracious and faithful Consort and hopeful Children whom I greatly long after in the bowels of Jesus Christ And for whom in the words of the Apostle Paul I frequently pray that your love may aboâ—nd yet more and more in knowledge and in all Judgment that ye may approve things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence until the day of Christ Being filled with the Fruits of Righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God Phil. 1.8 9 10 11. For this cause I bow my Knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner Man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heigth and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God Ephes. 3.14 15 16 17 18 19. Having the Eyes of your understanding enlightened that ye may know what is the hope of his Calling and what the Riches of the glory of his Inheritance in the Saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us wards who believe according to the working of his mighty Power Ephes. 1.18 19. That you all with open Face beholding as in a Glass the glory of the Lord may be changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 Finally my dear Brethren Sisters and Fellow members in Christ for all other Relation and Denomination shall shortly be laid aside Farewell be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace And the God of peace and love shall be with you 2 Cor. 13.11 Amen Yours in all sincere and tender affection as doubly Obliged by Nature and by Grace W. W. This 29th of June 1666. Sweetnese of Forme Feature Heere 's Combinde Yet much below the Beautie of her minde The True Effigies of the Lady Katherine Harington Wife to Sir James Harington and Baronet AN EPISTLE TO THE ELECT LADY And her Children My true Yoke-fellow and Dearly beloved Children Whom I love in the Truth HEar ye the Instruction of a Father and attend to know understanding forget it not neither decline from the words of my Mouth First seek the Kingdome of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you Wisdome is the principal thing the one thing needful and with all your gettings get understanding forsake her not and she shall preserve you Love her and she shall keep you Exalt her and she shall promote you she shall bring you to honour when you do embrace her she shall give to your Head an Ornament of grace a Crown of Glory shall she deliver unto you and the Years of your Life shall be many When you go your steps shall not be straitned and when you run you shall not stumble Take fast hold of Instruction let her not go keep her for she is your life Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ who is the power of God and the wisdome of God God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past to the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last Days spoken unto us by his Son who he hath appointed Heir of all things by whom also he made the Worlds Therefore ye ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that ye have heard lest at any time ye should let them slip For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward How shall you escape if you neglect so great salvation If he that despised Moses Law dyed without mercy under two or three witnesses See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on Earth much more shall not ye escape if ye turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven Hear ye therefore the word which the Lord Jesus speaketh unto you who spake by the Prophets and is the Lord God of the Holy Prophets since all Scripture is given by Inspiration of God even from him who is the Eternal Word of God and is profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works Counsel is mine
it is common among Men A Man to whom God hath given riches wealth and honour so that he wanted nothing for his Soul of all that he desireth yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof but a stranger eateth it this is vanity and it is an evil disease Let every Man abide in the same Calling in which he was called Let none stand idle all the Day For an idle Soul shall suffer hunger And by much sloathfulness the building decayeth and through idleness of the hands the House droppeth through Behold this was the iniquity of Sodom abundance of idleness Avoid ye therefore their sin lest ye be consumed as was that City upon which the Lord rained Brimstone and Fire from the Lord out of Heaven Seest thou a Man diligent in his business he shall stand before Kings he shall not stand before mean Men But drowsiness shall cloath a Man with rags Wherefore be not sloathful in business as private Persons Let him that Ruleth do it with diligence lest when I come and reckon with you the sloathful and unprofitable Servant be cast into utter Darkness where shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth Be ye angry but sin not let not the Sun go down upon your wrath Like Simeon and Levy Instruments of Cruelty are in their habitations for in their anger they slew a Man and in their self-will they digged down a wall Cursed be their anger for it was fierce and their wrath for it was cruel I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel Therefore be not hasty in Spirit to be angry for anger resteth in the bosome of fools Whosoever is angry with his Brother without a cause shall be in danger of the Judgment One of the works of the Flesh is hatred therefore thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy heart They that hate the righteous shall be desolate He that faith he is in the Light and hateth his Brother is in darkness even until now Whosoever hateth his Brother is a Murderer and ye know that no Murderer hath Eternal Life abiding in him Woe to them that hate good and love evil All they that hate me love death Use not your liberty for a Cloke of maliciousness But let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil-speaking be put away from you with all malice and be ye kinde one to another tender-hearted forgiving one to another even as God for my sake hath forgiven you The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out Water therefore leave off contention before it be medled with Walk honestly as in the Day not in strife and envying Let nothing be done through strife For where strife and envying is there is confusion and every evil work The Spirit that is in you lusteth to envy which slayeth the silly one and is the rottenness of the bones Charity suffereth long envyeth not Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evil speaking as new born babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby Dearly beloved avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay it saith the Lord. Therefore if thine Enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink for in so doing thou shalt heap Coals of Fire on his head Be not over-come of evil but overcome evil with good Pride and arrogancy and the evil way and the froward mouth do I hate Only by pride cometh contention and where it cometh there cometh shame But with the lowly is wisdom Wherefore let him that standeth take heed lest he fall Be not high-minded but fear For who maketh thee to differ from another And what hast thou that thou hast not received Now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as though thou hadst not received it Thus saith the Lord let not the wise Man glory in his wisdome neither let the mighty Man glory in his might let not the rich Man glory in his riches But let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord that exercise loving kindness Judgment and righteousness in the Earth For in these things I delight saith the Lord. Pride cast the Angels out of Heaven Your first Parents out of Paradice and the wicked World into Hell For the wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God Behold that which I have built I will break down and that which I have planted will I pluck up And seekest thou great things for thy self seek them not For behold I will bring evil upon all flesh How can ye believe who receive honour one of another and seek not the honour which comes from God only He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord for not he that commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall finde rest to your Souls Whosoever shall humble himself as a little Child the same is greatest in the Kingdome of Heaven Whosoever exalts himself shall be abased and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted Be ye not ambitious like Absalon and Adonijah least ye partake of their Judgments and violent deaths Give thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in my Name For it is good to sing praise unto our God for it is pleasant and praise is comely Be ye not therefore guilty of the great sin of ingratitude with Hezekiah and the nine Lepers who rendered not again according to the benefits done unto them In these last times Men shall be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud blaspheamers disobedient to Parents unthankful unholy without natural affection despisers of those that are good Traytors from such turn away Whoso rewardeth evil for good evil shall not depart from his House Example in King Joash who remembred not the kindness which Jehojada the Father of Zacharias had done unto him but slew his Son Therefore his Servants conspired against him for the blood of the Son of Jehojada the Priest and slew him on his Bed Whoso loveth pleasure shall be a poor man he that loveth Wine and Oyl shall not be rich Woe unto the Land whose Princes eat in the morning But blessed is the Land whose Princes eat in due season for strength and not for drunkenness Woe unto you that are full for ye shall hunger Woe unto you
thou shalt have praise of the same For he is the Minister of God to thee for good but if thou do that which is evil be afraid for he beareth not the Sword in vain for he is the Minister of God a Revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil Wherefore ye must needs be subject not only for wrath but for Conscience sake For this cause pay you Tribute also for they are Gods Ministers attending continually upon this very thing Render therefore to all their dues Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custome to whom Custome Fear to whom Fear Honour to whom Honour The whole World lies in wickedness And this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and that Men love darkness rather than Light because their deeds are evil Jewes and Gentiles are all under sin as it is written There is none righteous no not one There is none that understandeth There is none that seeketh after God Take heed therefore that the Light which is in you be not darkness If the Light that is in you be darkness how great is that darkness Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God Because many false Prophets are gone out into the World If any Man shall say unto you Loe here is Christ or there believe it not For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect Behold I have told you before such are false Apostles deceitful workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ And no marvel for Sathan himself is transformed into an Angel of Light Therefore it is no great thing if his Ministers also be transformed as the Ministers of Righteousness whose end shall be according to their works To the Law and to the Testimony If they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them This is that sure Word of Prophesie whereunto you do well that ye take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a dark place until the Day dawn and the Day-Star arise in your Hearts Knowing this first that all Scripture is given by Inspiration of God And that no Prophesie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation For the Prophesies came not in old time by the will of Man But holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost When I was upon Earth they brought young Children unto Me that I should touch them and my Disciples like some in these last days rebuked those that brought them But when I saw it I was much displeased and said unto them suffer little Children to come unto Me and forbid them not For of such is the Kingdome of God Verily I say unto you whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little Child he shall not enter therein And I took them up in my Armes and put my Hands upon them and blessed them Baptism is now the only way for little Children to come to the Lord Christ. The Promise is made to you and to your Children and to all that are afar of even as many as the Lord your God shall call The unbelieving Husband is Sanctified by the believing Wife and the unbelieving Wife is Sanctified by the believing Husband or else were your Children unclean but now they are holy The Examples of the Apostles Baptizing whole Families are of great force And the History of their practice and of the first Churches planted by them is to be believed with an Historical faith and looked upon with much reverence by all true Christians both in this point and in the change of the Jewish Sabbath to the Lord's Day As holding forth without doubt an Apostolical Institution The Lord spake to Moses saying The Land shall be divided for an Inheritance according to the number of Names to many thou shalt give more Inheritance and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours Oxe nor his Ass nor any thing that is thy Neighbours Give to him that asketh and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away For the poor you have always with you I charge you that are Rich in this World that you trust not in uncertain Riches but in the living God who gives you all things richly to enjoy that you do good that you be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate When as many as were possessed of Lands or Houses sold them and brought the price of the things which were sold and laid them down at the Apostles Feet in that most sad time of Persecution and distribution was made unto every Man according as he had need Even then Peter said unto Ananias why hath Sathan filled thy heart to lye to the Holy Ghost and to keep back part of the price of the Land Whilst it remained Was it not thy own And after it was sold Was it not in thine own Power Let no Man therefore seek his own but every one anothers wealth For there are some that walk disorderly working not at all but are busie-bodies Now them that are such I command that with quietness they work and eat their own Bread that they may have to give to him that needeth Come out of Babylon my People but count not the blood of the Covenant by which ye were sanctified an unholy thing If ye have been once born again of Water and the Spirit Can a Man be so again born the second time The Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the counsel of God as being not Baptized of John against themselves Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the holy Ordinance of God Seeing you have been Baptized into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost This only would I know of such Received you the spirit and your Convertion by and under the first Baptisme or your second Having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect in the Flesh Now the works of the Flesh are hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions envyings but the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace If ye bite and devour one another take heed that you be not consumed one of another And that it be not truly said of you by my Saints They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us But they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us But
Chore of Glory to Eternity Right honourable and renowned Gentlemen as I have presum'd to present and direct this weak Piece to your view so what I have above written in Zeal to God's glory and unfeigned love to your Souls shall be my Apology to the following subject As that my end therein is primarily the glory of God whose praises is my duty as well as his command to exalt in my own Soul and others as hath been declared and to perpetuate as much as in me lies to my Posterity and to all future Generations what great and free love mercy and goodness he hath shewed to me and mine herein endeavouring to imitate the Holy example of that Royal Psalmist King David who hath thus in Verse exprest both his resolution and practise Come unto me all ye that fear God and I will tell you what he hath done for my Soul I say for my Soul as may appear in some degree in the alluzions and applications in several temporal mercies and personal deliverances commemorated in this Book I acknowledging to Angels and Men that God's Fatherly love in Christ and care of my poor Soul in supporting preserving and delivering it from Sin Sathan and the World my mighty Adversaries and from innumerable spiritual evils and temptations Do as far transcend to the glory of his free grace be it spoken my temporal and corporal deliverances and mercies as the Heaven is above the Earth and my unvaluable Soul is more precious than this poor Hut of Earth I sojourn in Here possibly some great Men or rare Wits who Eagle-like soar far above my mean parts and gifts may uncharitably sensure and object to say no more What doth this poor Man's Personal or spiritual mercies and deliverances concern us To such I answer Are you Christians and fellow-members of Christ's Body and will you not weep with those that weep and rejoice with those that rejoice As God commands you Can you be living Members although in the highest rank in this spiritual Body and not sympathize and be affected with the grief or weal of the lowest Christians its Feet O take heed lest such pride and insensibleness declare you to be no living Member of one Church However I am assured all those that fear God now and in Ages to come shall read with delight rejoice and praise God with me for his gracious providences and merciful deliverances recorded in this following Treatise Which I although cloathed in a plain and low stile in the Opinion it may be of some carping Momusses and over-curious Criticks whom nothing will please but what 's their own or what is like Sphynkes Ridles to be understood by a few Or that is not imbroidered with humane strains of Wit and Eloquence or bumbasted and imbossed with affected praises and needless Epithites For my part I have not endeavoured to humour such nor to drown matter in words but without affectation vaunting or racking in Prose or in Verse I have desired to keep to my own Genuine and natural Dialect And to be understood rather than to be so obscure as to need a Comment What you finde is good herein it flowes although through my Leaden Pipe from the Spirit of the Lord the unexhaustible Fountain of Grace and goodness what is incongruous or evil it is the sinful slime and filth which naturally cleaves to every humane Aquaeduct except the Holy Scripture Nam Humanum est Errare which being in voluntary is pardoned by the Lord I doubt not of yours unless I should be so uncharitable as to think you disdain to imitate so Divine a Pattern To conclude my Lords and Gentlemen I confess I was heartily grieved for my own and your great ingratitude when upon a diligent inquiry I could finde few or none Monuments or Returns of this Nature although I am assured all of you are vastly indebted to our great and gracious God for numberless spiritual and temporal blessings mercies and deliverances and which is worse many of you have great Incomes given you by him and to this end of wit parts and gifts with which you might and ought to make to him a just and thankful repayment especially since our liberal Heavenly Father expects from you but his own Coin lent you to improve to his glory and but a sincere praiseful and declared acknowledgments for real and unvaluable benefits This serious and sad consideration of my own and your sinfull Omissions stirred me up speedily lest I should dye ungratefull to Pen and publish this Work not only in discharge of my duty to the only great and glorious God my loving and merciful Father But as an humble Essay and Copy for you to write by which if but any one of you follow I shall rejoyce much because such an one hath received great good thereby and the Lord by him much glory But if none I shall weep in secret for your Ingratitude And have much joy and peace in that herein I have done my duty to God and to you But I hope better things of you In which charitable expectation I subscribe my self my Lords and Gentlemen Your most humble Servant In the Lord J. H. OCCASIONAL MEDITATIONS ARGUMENT Vpon the Lord's most gracious Sustentation of Me when I was Born a Moneth before my full time Soliloquium or Discourse EVery extraordinary acting of Nature is not only to be admired but to be observed by us wherefore was I so over-hasty to be Born which the wisest of the Heathen accounted the bginning of their misery Was I weary of my Eight Moneths Prison and ambitious of a freer Place and Air Or was my heart more hot than others and therefore sooner needed the refreshing fanning of my Lungs Or was the Womb weary of such a sinful burden or rather did my loving Mother's affectionate longing to see and enjoy me occasion this Abortion was it weakness in her or too early strength in me that relaxt or brake in Pieces the silver Bonds of the Womb was I by the care of the Nurse wrapt in the Skin of a Lamb as in a second Womb to preserve and renue my heat and life were some or all these the natural causes of my unexpected Birth and preservation yet it becomes me as a Christian to look far higher even to him who is the cause of causes the beeing of Beeings Natura Naturans God blessed for ever whose Eternal Will and Decree was the first cause the others but secondary Yea he was the Midwife that brought me forth thus sooner into this World of sin and misery In sense of which my sad condition as by a natural instinct with all other Infants the first thing I did then was to weep and cry How much more cause have I now and that experimentally with humble Paul to cry out O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of Death and to sigh out this my Prayer and spiritual Hymn unto the Lord The NEW BIRTH
did raise my admiration but not my devotion After this having heard extolled the wit and language of our English Poets and that their Playes a fit name for such Airy Poems were much Visited and by the Youth of our Nation preferred above the best of Sermons As also that they were acted to the life in the publick Theatres I weâ—t thiâ—ther and was both an Auditor and Spectator where I heard wiâ— and language abused Being told of the Noble Buildings of both Exchanges and of the great concourse to them of Coaches and Persons of the best Quality I expected better things there but found in that place an Exchange but as for the Company the like or the same The Shop-keepers and their Feminines being like the Company of Players I saw lately that know how to act all parts currantly and sedantly especially those of lying equivocation dissimulation and over-reaching when they meet with Country Ignoramuses After some time I adventured at the instance of some of my acquaintance not therein my friends to go into a Tavern I stopt and thought the fair structure rich Sign-bush and Bason had some resemblance to the Roman Tryumphant Arches But my admiration was soon chang'd into a detestation for the roaring and singing bawling and swearing of their Tenants at will the knocking of Pots the scraping of Fidlers the gaping of Tapsters at the Bar not of truth and Justice but too often of the contrary made me think it to be a Bedlam a place full of mad-men or the House of Circes where by mixt intoxicating and adulterated Liquors rational Men are changed into Swine Dogs Goats and Lyons yea into all kind of Beasts and bruitishness My mind tasting no good nor finding any satisfaction in these things I thought to entertain it with more private and as most think although therein deceived harmless delights and recreations such as Complemental Visits of fair and vertuous Ladies Balls and mixt Dancings yea I assaid by chast and modest Rules or Bonds to bind Cupid as I vainly held forth in an Herogliphical Order But for and after all these carnal pleasures my heart was and is sad yea I found my soul empty of that Rest and happiness I sought after and being seasonably and graciously taught by the same spirit of wisdome that instructed Solomon I sealed and that experimentally with him to that truth of God Vanity of Vanities all is vanity and vexation of Spirit And though I saw an end of all perfection in Earthly things with holy David yet the Law and Word of God is exceeding broad which caus'd me diligently to attend upon some living Oracles of God in those times Seraphical Holesworth devout Taylor pious Gouge eloquent Shute with others by whose holy wooings and love-tokens my first love to my Spouse begun about a year before in the Country was now renewed increased and confirmed and these great temptations of the World and my Enemy Sathan prevented and overcome who thus a while after my first Conversion assaulted me as he did my Saviour as soon as he entred upon his Office deceitfully shewing to me in these Cities as in a time and contracted Map the Vanities of all the World and the empty glory thereof insinuating to me the enjoying of them would I fall down and worship him that is yield to his temptations and enslave my self to him by the wicked possessing of all these sinful Lusts and delights But blessed be the Lord who hath broaken the Snare and I am escaped For which great deliverance and manifold mercies accept O Lord in my dear Mediator's hand my multiplied praises both here and in this following Psalm of Thanksgiving The METROPOLIS Ejaculation or Hymn on the former Subject LOrd thy Word is Verity Child hood Youth are Vanity Else had not such Troops of Vice Waited on me in Disguise Blest be that Power which from thee Made them Gibeonites to me So that they shall hence-forth be Hart-hewers Water-drawers In my Sacrifice to Thee When in Courts I saw Men rise On Prides Wings by Flatteries View'd dear God their Luxury Sinful Lusts and Gluttony Through thy help I left that place As a School of Vice not Grace A Quag-mire where the rich of 't Lose Estates spent at Court-rates When Poor Beggars mount aloft When Sins Parks Vicinity Had almost impailed Me And those Heards of Women spies Had neer filtcht away my Eyes Then thou shewest me Lord that time Was not mine to lose but thine And that those that spend a Day On such sights and vain delights Do but with white Devils play In the Garden call'd the Spring Where the Flowers and Fruit are sin In which Bound by Day and Night Devils walk like Angels bright Where young Adams by their suit Eat again forbidden Fruit. There thou call'st me Lord to thee From those Groves Of wanton Loves Promist better things to Me. Thence to Theatres I went Where vain Wits their Poems vent Heard and saw such Ribaldry As defiles both Eare and Eye For Man's mind inclin'd to ill Runs not up but down the Hill There thy spirit to me told He 's asleep that comes to seek In a Cole-pit veins of Gold To Exchanges Old and New I repair'd as worth my View There my Eares were deft with Cries Lackt you Sir what will you buy Pride and Conscience in that place I saw sold all things but Grace Lord thou kept'st my wit and purse From deceits And lying Cheats And their Females which were worse Then to Taverns I went in Which I found the sinks of sin There the Devil's Revels be Lust and Drinking Gluttonie Swearing Dancing Carding Dice Cheating and all other Vice On their Doors Lord set a Cross To keep me All that love thee From Souls Bodies Plague and loss Last I thought of a reserve How to please and yet preserve Me from all unchast delights By a choice of vertuous wights Who agreed aâ— modest â—â—lls Oft to meet by mutual calls By mixt Dancing will not quall Sathan's wiles Who Vs beguiles Give an Inch He 'l take an â—ll Blessed Lord that mâ—dest me see Sin and dangers misery And that all things here below Are but Ciphers in a row That a Father was to me When my Parents left me free In my Youth and in a place Where all Vice Hath its rise And true vertues in disgrace Yet where Sathan hath his Thrones Thou hadst Churches precious Ones Vnto which thou leddest thy Youth And declared to me thy truth There thou gavest to me thy love Kist me call'd me Spouse and Dove And imbrac't me in thy Armes Made me tast Thy delicates And deliver'd me from harmes Is thy love Lord set upon Such an Aethiopian Did'st thou take me from the Pâ—ts Cleanse me from my Leopard's spots Let me a chast comfort be Now and ever unto thee Till I be by Angels led My first rise To Paradise
Then to Heaven thy Marriage â—ed ARGUMENT Vpon God's goâ—dness and gracious Providence to me in his choice and gift of a rich beautiful fruitful and which is above all faithful and religious Wife Soliloquium or Discourse HAving expended above the third part of my life in a single condition both God and Nature taught me that it was not good for Man to be alone no not in innocency much less in a state of corruption and temptation Wherefore after many motions interviews and disappointments the good and all-wise ordering Providence of my most gracious God and Father chose for and gave to me as a fit loving and helpful consort and yoke fellow The eldest Daughter and Co-heir of a worthy Person that was a Knight Alderman and Lord-Major of London a Wife not only fruitful in Children but in many other blessings As being a builder up of my Family by a large Portion One of Natures best Pieces for beauty and proportion The Psalmists Olive and Vine for fruitfulness And which is above all and the rarest perfection of that Sex a Person chast faithful and religious For favor is deceitful and beauty is vain but a Woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised Of whom as far as my Observation reaches at this Day I can truly say with Solomon Many Daugâ—ters have done virtuously but she hath excelled them all An eminent Witness of this her Vertue was her publick spirit care and love to me and her family In her voluntary sale and parting with her Jointure and own Land yielding a considerable Revenue and an unparallel'd House and Seat for the payment of Debts and making provision for our Children yea which is much more to her perpetual honour she was blessed be God to be his great and chiefest Instrument for the restoring part of the estate to the Heir and for the maintenance of the Family to which during my above Eight Years separation she remains to be under God a most careful Supportress Which great blessing O Lord continue to me and the Family in giving her health and long life that she may eat the labour of her hands and see her Childrens Children and peace upon Israel And as my thankful and perpetual acknowledgment and remembrance of such a plenitude of blessings Accept this my humble Hymn of Praise in the hand of my dear Saviour in whom thou hast given me these and all other Mercies Amen The Good WIFE Ejaculation or Hymn upon the former Subject O Lord that out of Man the Woman made And in blest Marriage her to him repaid Making two one a new That he and she Might be one Cabinet of Chastity A choice Elixar of Society And fruitful Seed plot of Posterity I bless thy Name that dost me dignifie Not only to declare and testifie Thy gracious wisdome in this mysterie Of Wedlock But me Tenant made in Fee To these rich blessings by thy choice and lone Of all these Mercies Treasur'd up in one When in this Worlds couzening Lottery Where for one Prize a hundred Blanks do lie My self I ventur'd Thou O Lord draw'st out For me a Ring of Gold set all about With precious Stones One was a Diamond Of Chastity next it in the same round Saphires of Faith and Hope with the Onyx Stone Of Sun-like Charity divinely shone A fift was a fair Rubie of sweet modesty Joyn'd with a Jasper of Fidelity An Emrauld next was set of Constancy With a rich Topaz of true Prudency Sweet Ametists of Loves which loyal are Incircled this Ring and Jewel rare And for to give a splendor to each Eye All those were fill'd with much Humility With this thou didst me Wed givest me to wear Till now neer Six and Thirty Year Blest be thy Grace no Hearts dividing far Disturbing Vs by a Domestick War She is O Lord that blessed Vine by which Thou dost o're-spread my House and it inrich With Sixteen hopeful Branches unto whom Drie Breasts thou gavest not nor miscarrying Womb Yea thou allaidst to her the curse of Sin The pains of births and breeding she was in And which doth much exceed all Earthly wealth Thou gavest Vs both a great degree of health Pelican-like thy Instrument of good Did feed her young ones thrice with her own Blood When others lessen portions through expence She made hers greater by her Providence And was thy help during my happy faâ—e To more than double our Patern Estate And when thou mouldrest it to nought her pains Was thy blest means for to restore again A part of what was lost that she might be Mother and Father to her Family To Vs from Parents Lord descends our Land But prudent Wives are gifts from thy own Hand What 's wanting here to her perfection View in her Picture drawn by Solomon Lord hast thou multiplied thy loves And thus By doubling Vnits caus'd an Overplus Of blessings Let me not divide by Sin Thy Mercies nor substract them in And by Ingratitude Let my sum be Addition of Praises unto Thee And pious fruits so shall my Tongue and Life Be one like Soul and Body Man and Wife A living Sacrifice of Thankfulness A free-will Offering till I thee possess And in that Vnion there most clearly see Of holy Marriage the great Mystery Amen ARGUMENT Vpon the great and Holy Mystery held forth to Vs by God in Marriage Soliloquium or Discourse MArriage is honourable amongst all Men and the Bed undefiled but Whoremongers and Adulterers God will Judge Wherefore Wives submit your selves unto your own Husbands as unto the Lord For the Husband is the Head of the Wife as Christ is the Head of the Church Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ so let Wives be unto their own Husbands in every thing Husbands love your Wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it so ought Men to love their Wives as their own Bodies For no Man ever hated his own Flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it even as the Lord the Church For we are Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones For this cause shall a Man leave his Father and Mother and be joyned unto his Wife and they two shall be one Flesh. This is a great mystery but I speak of Christ and his Church Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his Wife even as himself and let the Wife see that she reverence her Husband Thus far the Apostle Eph. chap. 5. vers 22 23 24 25 28 29 30 31 32 33. From whose words especially his conclusion This is a great mystery I infer that Marriage although not in a strict and Popish sence yet as to a larger meaning and construction of the Word may be called a Sacrament as holding forth by outward and visible signes and things spiritual mysteries and instructions Of this nature in Scripture and many instances as the Ark Rain-bow Red Sea Rock Manna
recovery by thy blessing upon the Medicine of a poor Widdow even after that the utmost endeavours of a skilful Doctor proved uneffectual The fifth and last dangerous encounter was with another Pursivant of Death a second painful and perilsome Ague From this Ague also after three very accute fits thou gavest me a happy and healthful recovery Lord what shall I render unto thee for these five most gracious recoveries and as it were new lives And for thy deliverance from many other lesser Distempers Yea what have I to return unto thee since all I am is thine and all my most spiritual Sacrifices are lame weak and sickly Lord although such were forbidden under the Law yet under thy Gospel we have a great High Priest which takes away the iniquity and infirmity of our holy things in whom thou hast declared even from Heaven that thou art well pleased with us And who is that compassionate Physician that came not to heal the whole but the sick Blessed Saviour heal now the infirmities of my Soul as thou hast done these of my Body That according to thy promise the dumb may sing and the lame may skip as the Lamb Yea open thou my Lips and my Mouth shall shew forth thy praise O Lord God what is Man that thou visistest him or the Son of Man that thou regardest him That as a Father and Nurse thou shouldest watch over us from Morning to Night and from Night to Morning That the left hand of thy gracious providence should be alwayes under my head and that the right hand of thy unchangeable and fervent love should continually imbrace me That thou shouldest lead me to Heaven by the Gates of Hell That thou shouldest wound me that thou mightest heal me Humble me that thou mightest exalt me That thou shouldest exercise me with sickness to teach me how to overcome Death The height and summ total of all sicknesses O for ever blessed be thy Name that gives me not only believingly but practically and feelingly to seal the truth of that cordial Word that saith That tribulation brings forth patience and patience experience and experience hope which makes us not ashamed Wherefore my heart which thou hast enlarged my lips which thou hast opened and my life which thou hast thus often renewed through Grace doth praise thee this Day for these and all others thy great Mercies and desires to perpetuate my thankful acknowledgment in this and the following Memorial to all Generations Amen The BETHESDA Ejaculation or Hymn on the former Subject TRue is that Axiome since the Curse Best things corrupted become worse Than others which are less refin'd By Man and Angels fall we find This truth confirm'd yea our best meatâ— Putrified are Diseases Seats Hence came my Surfeit by that food That pleas'd my tast was sweet and good This tempted me to an Excess That alwayes brings forth Putridâ—ess Which Nature striving to cast out By Vomit made me sick throughout This first assault Thou Lord withstood Of Death thus withering my Bud Of Childhood And by Friends advice Purg'd out my sickness and its rice Restoring health to me and joy To Parents grieved by my annoy All sins a surfeit and abuse Of what is good through our misuse A Lust rebelling to Excess And yet a want of Holiness Lord Vomit Purge me and supplie Thy Grace so shall I live not die Man's Life from Birth doth hasten on Towards Death by a Consumption Of moisture Radical like Lights We wast this Oyl by burning bright But Rheums and Coughs accession Addes Wings to Dissolution Such was my state for many Years Which ballanc't me 'twixt hopes and feares Vntil in Mercy thou though'st good To blesâ— the means drie up this Flood Of Mall-concocted humors So That it no more my Earth o're-flow O Lord the streames that drown'd my Soul Are wicked Lusts let Grace controle This Deluge lest it more and more Consume thy radicating store That Body Soul restor'd again May be it 'h full of Grace not wain As Art by Succors Forcers mount Waters upon a like accompt Rheum pumping Coughs raise it and Aire Above out of their place Hence are Those stiches pains and Plurisies Which us indanger and Disease Such was the cause such the effect Of my third sickness whose Aspect Prefigur'd and made way for Death By Stitches Coughs shortness of breath Yea all one Night to add to pain Thunders did roar and Lightnings flame When thus upon thy wrack I lay Lord thou didst turn my Night to Day And answered from thy glorious Throne My prayers teares my sighs and groans And blâ—st weak means refresht my Soul And on a suddain made me whole A wonder next a Miracle Was this my quick recovery Which merits Lord a Pyramid A Trophy that cannot be hid Of praise That Saints in after Days May bless love trust in thee alwayes Lord frothy Distillations Lustful Inflammations Shorten still thy Spirits breath Threatning to me a worser Death By pricks of Conscience and Heart grief O give unto my Soul relief Dry up O Lord these Springs of sin That do obstruct thy breathings in My sickly Soul Let Conscience be Freed from its pains as cleans'd by thee So shall my Soul and Body live And to Thee living praises give The Bodies Earth-quake Agues are Shaking us like a pent-up Aire Then breaking forth through our Earths pores It casts out Flames and Waters store Imbalming us with sweat as 't were To fit us for our Sepulchre Such was my two last Sicknesses Deaths prelude and a long recess Of Health which no Court-Pagentry Could flatter for to stay with me Nor yet my Office which transfer I did to God's Commissioner An all-controling Ague which Like the Familiar of a Witch Did haunt me at set-hours each Day At first till Mercy did allay And to each other chang'd my fit Lest I should be burnt up by it Here sometimes I as frozen lay Shaking for cold as Seamen say Those do neer the North pole Anon Burnt up as one i' th torrid Zone For eight Hours space at whose retreat I almost drowned was with sweat Thus alternative cold and heat Predominant were in the same seat And subject So the Scriptures tell Sinners tormented are in Hell Where weeping wailing gnashing Teeth Shew cold and heat and easless grief Out of this Aguish Hell in which I twice was cast some Years betwixt I cryed with David Jonah Then Thou savest me as thou did'st them Wherefore as they so I will bless Thee in my Heart Tongue Life and Verse O Lord I have since Life began Been sick of a Quotidian Which sometime doth me greatly shake With faithless fears which makes me quake Anon mad Anger boyles my blood Breaths out ill humors like a Flood O purge out quite this Malady And passions tune to Harmony So shall such holy temp'rament Give health to both with sweet content And fear
Baptisme and in thy faithful promise made to me as well as to Abraham since thou hast given me to believe and to plead it here before thee I will be thy God and the God of thy Seed What shall I render unto thee O Lord for all these thy benefits Since I and my Children are but like seventeen Cyphers which signify nothing unless thou place with and before us that only blest Unite thy Holy One the Lord Jesus in and by whom we shall be accounted of a great value with thee and be numbred amongst thy Saints O let me and my Childrens Children obey and glorifie thee until time be swallowed up in Eternity that what is wanting now as to our thankfulness may be in some measure although never enough for thy mercies are unmeasurable be supplyed in the length of years and by so many and in and by their multiplyed Generations for whose sakes as well as for this present Age I humbly Register here both thy blessings and my perpetual praises Amen The BEE-HIVE A thankfull Poem on the same Subject HAst thou O gracious God so highly honor'd me As to co-work and be thy humble Instrument To bring forth Souls array'd with Immortality 〈◊〉 worth than this whole world with its rich ornaments 〈◊〉 being living Images of Thee by right Of Christ in posse to be glorious Saints in Light Hast thou by me O Lord as thy blest second cause 〈…〉 that for their rare excelling frame Are 〈◊〉 worlds and through obedience to thy Lawes And Faith shall be like thee and truly fear thy Name Hast thou me given sixteen Tongues and sixteen pair Of Hands and Feet to praise serve thee for thine they are And shall my Muse be silent All these Tongues be dâ—mb As to thy praise No Lord through thy assisting grace I and my swarm of Children shall become A holy Quire a little Church thy dwelling Place The Trumpets of that Goodness which gives me to see Sixteen fair Branches from one blessed Tree Lord did thy Abraham esteem one Isaac more Than all his Earthly wealth Are a Posterity The living Monuments of Parents a rich Ore Our lively Pourtraictures in whom we never die Pillars of Families and the Foundations And Builders up of Churches Cities Nations The strength of Kingdomes Riches of a State The honour and defence of their weak aged Sires As ready for to meet the Enemies in the Gate A gift only from thee the fruit of chast desires Natures prime Flowers for beauty and which long endure Our choicest Houshold-stuff and richest Furniture O let me as my prop'â—est act of Gratitude As living Sacrifices offer them to thee And to thy Service since such servitude Their freedome is as once I did in Baptisme Lord hear my fervent Prayer and answer give Granting them all in thee a renew'd life to live Amen ARGUMENT Vpon the Lord's most bountiful goodness in giving me an Estate of Inheritance of about Three Thousand Three Hundred Pounds a Year and upon his wise and righteous Providence since in his Re-assumption and taking it from me Naked come I out of my Mothers Womb and naked shall I return thither The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord. Soliloquium or Discourse HOw wonderful various and mysterious are the actings of God in this World so that no Man knoweth love or hatred by all that is before them All things come alike to all There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked Let no Man therefore rashly Judge himself or his Brother as to these mundain and subsolary Dispensations lest he be judged of the Lord and possibly before he dies in another give Judgment upon himself This was the great sin of Job's Religious Friends and David's wicked Enemies in their change and low condition who censured the one for his hypocrisie and the other as a Rebel and a Traytor Wherefore as private persons Judge not before the time when the Lord hath promised that the righteousness of all his people shall shine forth as the light and their Judgment as the Noon-day Man's state in this World is much like the Moon to Day in the full glorious and lightsome to Morrow in the Wane dark and scarcely visible The Holy Spirit styling all our good things here uncertain Riches and compares them to an Eagle that hath Wings and suddainly flies away Of this truth the Lord to his praise be it spoken for shall I receive good and not evil from the Lord hath made me an eminent Example when he ordered my light to be blown out by one breath And I and my numerous Family to be lest to starving and darkness And all this not in hatred but in his wonderful love which I shall here declare to all the people of God from experience which is the truest demonstration and to the carnal World to whom this is a great mystery My gracious God since this my suffering condition having instead of my Earthly possessions given me himself the everlasting fulness of all things to be my unvaluable Inheritance The knowledge and assurance of which inestimable gift of being his and he mine And of the Concomitants and fruits thereof Eternal Life and Glory notwithstanding my early Convertion I would had it been purchaseable have given a World for in my prosperity For what shall a Man gain though he possess the whole World if he lose his Soul yea what shall a Man give in Exchange for his Soul And as to the present Cloud over me the World beholds only the dark not the light-side thereof Viz. The wonderful providences and preservations confer'd and accumilated both upon me and mine during my above Eight Years restraint and separation which is the Lord give me leave and life I shall in all humble thankfulness to God's glory and his Churches good more at large declare He having preserved me often as he did David Daniel and the Three Children in the Cave Lyons Den and Fiery Furnace and provided for me and mine as strangely as he did for Eliath when fed with Flesh by the Beaks of wilde and Flesh-devouring Ravens Eternal Father Son and Holy Ghost Three glorious Persons One Omnipotent and Incomprehensible God and Beeing my God in Covenant my gracious Father in thy only begotten and beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ my alone Redeemer The only Fountain of love and goodness for thou art love and a God of tender mercies Who didst not only give me a large paternal Estate but when that was all taken from me for five Years in the late Wars didst in that time of my want and necessity relieve me and my numerous Family by the gift of a good Revenue the Legacy of my Wiâ—es Father who did not only after the end of the late troubles in the Year 1646. Restore