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VAriable, and therfore mi∣serable con∣dition of Man; this minute I was well, and am ill, this minute. I am surpriz'd with a sodaine change,
& alteration to worse, and can impute it to no cause, nor call it by any name. We study Health, and we deliberate vp∣on our meats, and drink, and Ayre, and exercises, and we hew, and wee polish euery stone, that goes to that building; and so our Health is a long & a regular work; But in a minute a Ca∣non batters all, ouer∣throwes all, demolishes all; a Sicknes vnpreuen∣ted for all our diligence, vnsuspected for all our
curiosi••ie; nay, vndeser∣ued, if we consider on∣ly disorder, summons vs, seizes vs, possesses vs, de∣stroyes vs in an instant. O miserable condition of Man, which was not imprinted by God; who as hee is immortall him∣selfe, had put a coale, a beame of Immortalitie in∣to vs, which we might haue blowen into a flame, but blew it ou••, by our first sinne; wee beggard our selues by hearkning after false ri∣ches, and infatuated our
selues by hearkning af∣ter false knowledge. So that now, we doe not onely die, but die vpon the Rack, die by the tor∣ment of sicknesse; nor that onely, but are pre-afflicted, super-afflicted with these ielousies and suspitions, and appre∣hensions of Sicknes, be∣fore we can cal it a sick∣nes; we are not sure we are ill; one hand askes the other by the pulse, and our eye askes our own vrine, how we do. O multiplied misery
we die, and cannot en∣ioy death, because wee die in this torment of sicknes; we are tormen∣ted with sicknes, & can∣not stay till the torment come, but pre-apprehē∣sions and presages, pro∣phecy those torments, which induce that death before either come•• and our dissolution is concei∣ued in these first changes, quickned in the sicknes it selfe, and borne in death, which be••res date from these first changes. Is this the honour which
Man hath by being a litle world, That he hath these earthquakes in him selfe, sodaine shakings; these lightnings, sodaine flashes; these thunders, sodaine noises; these E••clypses, sodain offuscati∣ons, & darknings of his senses; these blazing stars sodaine fiery exhalati∣ons; these riuers of blood, sodaine red waters? Is he a world to himselfe onely therefore, that he ha••h inough in himself, not only to destroy, and execute himselfe, but to
presage that execution vpon himselfe; to as••ist the sicknes, to antidate the sicknes, to make the sicknes the more irre∣mediable, by sad appre∣hensions, and as if hee would make a fire the more vehement, by sprinkling water vpon the coales, so to wrap a hote feuer in cold Me∣lancholy, least the feuer alone shold not destroy fast enough, without this contribution, nor perfit the work (which is destruction) except we
ioynd an artificiall sick∣nes, of our owne melan∣choly, to our natural, our vnnaturall feuer. O per∣plex'd discomposition, O ridling distemper, O miserable condition of Man.
IF I were but meere dust & ashes, I might speak vnto the Lord, for the Lordes hand made me of this dust, and the Lords hand shall recol∣lect
these ashes; the Lords hand was the wheele, vpon which this vessell of ••lay was framed, and the Lordes hand is the Vrne, in which these a∣shes shall be preseru'd. I am the dust, & the ashes of the Temple of the H. Ghost; and what Marble is so precious? But I am more then dust & ashes; I am my best part, I am my soule. And being so, the breath of God, I may breath back these pious expostulations to my God. My God, my God, why is
not my soule, as fensible as my body? Why hath not my soule these ap∣prehensions, these presa∣ges, these changes, those antidates, those iealou∣sies, those suspitions of a sinne•• as well as my body of a sicknes? why is there not alwayes a pulse in my Soule, to beat at the approch of a tentation to sinne? why are there not alwayes waters in mine eyes, to testifie my spiritual sicknes? I stand in the way of tentati∣ons, (naturally, necessa∣rily,
all men doe so: for there is a Snake in euery path, tentations in euery vocation) but I go, I run, I flie into the wayes of tētation, which I might shun; nay, I breake into houses, wher the plague is; I presse into places of tentation, and tempt the deuill himselfe, and soli∣cite & importune them, who had rather be left vnsolicited by me. I fall sick of Sin, and am bed∣ded and bedrid, buried and putrified in the pra∣ctise of Sin, and all this
while ha••e no presage, no pulse, no sense of my sicknesse; O heighth, O depth of misery, where the first Symptome of the sicknes is Hell, & where I neuer fee the feuer of lust, of enuy, of ambiti∣on, by any other light, then the darknesse and horror of Hell it selfe•• & where the first Mes∣senger that speaks to me doth not say•• Thou mayst die, no, nor Thou must die, but Thou art dead: and where the first notice, that my Soule hath of
her sicknes, is irrecoue∣rablenes, irremediablenes: but, O my God, Iob did not charge thee foolishly, in his temporall afflictions, nor may I in my spiritu∣all. Thou hast imprin∣ted a pulse in our Soule, but we do not examine it; a voice in our consci∣ence, but wee doe not hearken vnto it. We talk it out, we iest it out, we drinke it out, we sleepe it out; and when wee wake, we doe not say with Iacob,* 1.1 Surely the Lord is in this place, and I
knew it not: but though we might know it, we do not, we wil not. But will God pretend to make a Watch, and leaue out the springe? to make so many various wheels in the faculties of the Soule, and in the organs of the body, and leaue out Grace, that should moue them? or wil God make a springe, and not wind it vp? Infuse his first grace, & not second it with more, without which, we can no more vse his first grace, when
we haue it, then wee could dispose our selues by Nature, to haue it? But alas, that is not our case; we are all prodigall sonnes, and not disinheri∣ted; wee haue receiued our portion, and mis∣spent it, not bin denied it. We are Gods tenants heere, and yet here, he, our Land-lord payes vs Rents; not yearely, nor quarterly, but hourely, and quarterly; Euery mi∣nute he renewes his mercy, but wee will not vnder∣stand,* 1.2 least that we should
be conuerted, and he should heale vs.
O Eternall, and most gracious God, who considered in thy selfe, art a Circle, first and last, and altogether; but con∣sidered in thy working vpon vs, art a direct line, and leadest vs from our beginning, through all our wayes, to our end, enable me by thy grace, to looke forward to
mine end, and to looke backward to, to the cō∣siderations of thy mer∣cies afforded mee from the beginning; that so by that practise of con∣sidering thy mercy, in my beginning in this world, when thou plā∣tedst me in the Christian Church, and thy mercy in the beginning in the other world, whē thou writest me in the Booke of life, in my Election, I may come to a holy consideration of thy mercy, in the beginning
of all my actions here•• That in all the begin••nings, in all the accesses and approches of spiri••tuall sicknesses of Sinn, may heare and hearke•• to that voice,* 1.3 O thou Ma•• of God, there is death in th•• pot, and so refraine from that, which I was so hungerly, so greedily flying to.* 1.4 A faithfull Am••bassador is health, says thy wise seruant Solomon•• Thy voice receiued, in the beginning of a sick∣nesse, of a sinne, is true health. If I can see that
light betimes, and heare that voyce early, Then shall my light breake forth as the morning,* 1.5 and my health shall spriug foorth speedily. Deliuer mee therefore, O my God, from these vaine imagi∣nations; that it is an o∣uercurious thing, a dan∣gerous thing, to come to that tendernesse, that rawnesse, that scrupu∣lousnesse, to feare euery concupiscence, euery offer of Sin, that this suspici∣ous, & iealous diligence will turne to an inordi∣nate
deiection of spirit, and a diffidence in thy care & prouidence; bu•• keep me still establish'd, both in a constant assu∣rance, that thou wil•• speake to me at the be∣ginning of euery such sicknes, at the approach of euery such Sinne; and that, if I take knowledg of that voice then, an•• flye to thee, thou wil•• preserue mee from fal∣ling, or raise me againe when by naturall infir∣mitie•• I am fallen: do•• this, O Lord, for his sake
who knowes our natu∣rall infirmities, for he had them; and knowes the weight of our sinns, for he paid a deare price for them, thy Sonne, our Sauiour, Chr: Iesus, Amen.
THe Heauens are not the lesse constant,
because they moue con∣tinually, because they moue continually one and the same way. The Earth is not the more constant, because it lyes stil continually, because continually it changes, and melts in al the parts thereof. Man, who is the noblest part of the Earth, melts so away, as if he were a statue, not of Earth, but of Snowe. We see his owne Enuie melts him, hee growes leane with that; he will say, anothers beautie
melts him; but he feeles that a Feuer doth not melt him like snow, but powr him out like lead, like yron, like brasse melted in a furnace: It doth not only melt him, but Calcine him, reduce him to Atomes, and to ashes; not to water, but to lime. And how quick∣ly? Sooner then thou canst receiue an answer, sooner then thou canst conceiue the question; Earth is the center of my body, Heauen is the center of my Soule; these two
are the naturall place of these two; but tho•• goe not to these two, i•• an equall place: My b••••dy falls downe withou•• pushing, my Soule do•••• not go vp without pu••ling: Ascension is m•• Soules pace & measur•• but precipitation my b••dies: And, euen Angell•• whose home is Heaue•• and who are winge•• too, yet had a Ladder 〈◊〉〈◊〉 goe to Heauen, by step•• The Sunne who goes 〈◊〉〈◊〉 many miles in a minu•••• The Starres of the Fi••••mament,
which go so ve∣ry many more, goe not so fast, as my body to the earth. In the same in∣stant that I feele the first attempt of the disease, I feele the victory; In the twinckling of an eye, I can scarse see; instantly the tast is insipid, and fatuous; instantly the appetite is dull and de∣sirelesse•• instantly the knees are sinking and strengthlesse; and in an instant, sleepe, which is the picture, the copy of death, is taken away,
that the Originall, Death it selfe may succeed, and that so I might haue death to the life. It was part of Adams punish∣ment, In the sweat of thy browes thou shalt eate thy bread•• it is multiplied to me, I haue earned bread in the sweat of my browes, in the labor of my calling, and I haue it•• and I sweat againe, & againe, from the brow•• to the sole of the foot•• but I eat no bread, I tast no sustenance: Misera∣ble distribution of Man∣kind,
where one halfe lackes meat, and the o∣ther stomacke.
DAuid professes him∣self a dead dog,* 1.6 to his king Saul, & so doth Me∣phibosheth to his king Da∣uid:* 1.7 & yet Dauid speaks to Saul, and Mephibosheth to Dauid. No man is so little, in respect of the greatest man, as the grea∣test in respect of God; for here, in that, wee haue not so much as a measure
to try it by; proportiō is no measure for infinitie. He that hath no more of this world but a graue, hee that hath his graue but lent him, til a better man, or another man, must bee buried in the same graue, he that hath no graue, but a dung-hill, hee that hath no more earth, but that which he carries, but that which hee is, hee that hath not that earth, which hee is, but euen in that, is ano∣thers slaue, hath as much proportion to God, as if
all Dauids Worthies, and all the worlds Monarchs, and all imaginations Gy∣ants were kneaded and incorporated into one, and as though that one were the suruiuor of all the sonnes of men, to whom God had giuen the world. And there∣fore how little soeuer I bee, as God calls things that are not, as though they were, I, who am as though I were not, may call vpon God, and say, My God, my God, why comes thine anger so
fast vpon me? Why dost thou melt me, scatter me, powre me like wa∣ter vpon the ground so instantly? Thou staidst for the first world, in Noahs time, 120 yeres; thou staidst for a rebel∣lious generation in the wildernesse 40 yeares, wilt thou stay no mi∣nute for me? Wilt thou make thy Processe, and thy Decree, thy Citation, and thy Iudgement but one act? Thy Summons, thy Battell, thy Victorie, thy Triumph, all but one
act; & lead me captiue, nay deliuer me captiue to death, assoon as thou declarest mee to be ene∣my, and so cut me off e∣uen with the drawing of thy sword out of the scabberd, and for that question, How long was he sicke? leaue no other answere, but that the hand of death pressed vpon him from the first minute? My God, my God, thou wast not wont to come in whirlwinds, but in soft and gentle ayre. Thy first breath brea∣thed
a Soule into mee, and shall thy breath blow it out? Thy breath in the Congregation, thy Word in the Church, breathes communion, and consolation here, and con∣summation heereaf••er; shall thy breath in this Chamber breathe disso∣lution, and destruction, di∣uorce, and separation? Surely it is not thou; it is not thy hand. The de∣uouring sword, the con∣suming fire, the winds from the wildernes, the diseases of the body, all
that afflicted Iob, were from the hand of Satan; it is not thou. It is thou; Thou my God, who hast led mee so conti∣nually with thy hand, from the hand of my Nurce, as that I know, thou wilt not correct mee, but with thine own hand. My parents would not giue mee o∣uer to a Seruants corre∣ction, nor my God, to Satans.* 1.8 I am fallen into the handes of God with Dauid, and with Da∣uid I see that his Mercies
are great. For by that mercy, I consider in my present state, not the haste, & the dispatch of the disease, in dissoluing this body•• so much, as the much more hast, & dispatch, which my God shal vse, in recollecting•• and reuniting this dust againe at the Resurre∣ction. Then I shall heare his Angels proclaime the Surgite M••rtui•• Rise yee dead. Though I be dead I shall heare the voice the spunding of the voice, and the working
of the voice shall be all one; and all shall rise there in a lesse Minute, then any one dies here.
O Most gracious God, who pursuest and perfitest thine own pur∣poses, and dost not only remember mee by the first accesses of this sick∣nes, that I must die, but informe me by this fur∣ther proceeding therin, that I may die now,
who hast not only wa∣ked mee with the first, but cald me vp, by cast∣ing me further downe, and clothd me with thy selfe, by stripping me of my selfe, and by dulling my bodily senses, to the meats, and eases of this world, hast whet, and sharpned my spirituall senses, to the apprehen∣sion of thee, by what steps & degrees soeuer it shal please thee to go, in the dissolution of this body, hasten O Lord that pace, and multiply O my
God those degrees, in the exaltation of my Soule, toward thee now, & to thee then. My tast is not gone away, but gone vp to sit at Dauids table, To tast,* 1.9 & see, that the Lord is good: My stomach is not gone, but gone vp, so far vpwards toward the Supper of the Lamb, with thy Saints in heauen, as to the Table, to the Cōmuni∣on of thy Saints heere in earth: my knees are weak but weak therfore that I should easily fall to, and fix my selfe long
vpon my deuotions to thee.* 1.10 A sound heart is the life of the flesh; & a heart visited by thee, and dire∣cted to thee, by that vi∣sitation is a sound hart. There is no soundnesse in my flesh,* 1.11 because of thin•• anger. Interpret thin•• owne worke, and call this sicknes, correction and not anger, & there is soundnes in my flesh•• There is no rest in my bones,* 1.12 because of my sinne; transfer••e my sinnes, with which thou ar•• so displeased, vpon him,
with whome thou art so well pleased, Christ Iesus, and there will be rest in my bones: And, O my God, who madest thy selfe a Light in a Bush, in the middest of these brambles, & thornes of a sharpe sicknesse, ap∣peare vnto me so, that I may see thee, and know thee to be my God, ap∣plying thy selfe to me, euen in these sharp, and thorny passages. Doe this, O Lord, for his sake, who was not the lesse, the King o•• Heauen, for
thy suffering him to be crowned with thornes, in this world.
WEe attribute bu•• one priuiledge, and aduantage to Mans body, aboue other mo∣uing creatures, that he is not as others, groueling•• but of an erect, of an
vpright form, naturally built, & disposed to the contemplation of Hea∣uen. Indeed it is a thank∣full forme, and recom∣pences that soule, which giues it, with carrying that soule so many foot higher, towards heauen. Other creatures look to the earth; and euen that is no vnfit obiect, no vnfit contemplation for Man; for thither hee must come; but be∣cause, Man is not to stay there, as other creatures are, Man in his naturall
forme, is carried to th•• contemplation of tha•• place, which is his hom•• Heauen. This is Man prerogatiue; but wha•• state hath he in this di••••nitie? A feuer ca•• filli•• him downe, a feuer ca•• depose him; a feuer ca•• bring that head, whic•• yesterday caried a crou•• of gold, fiue foot to••wards a crown of glory as low as his own foo•• to day. When God cam•• to breath into Man th•• breath of life, he foun•• him flat vpō the groū••
when hee comes to withdraw that breath from him againe, hee prepares him to it, by laying him flat vpon his bed. Scarse any prison so close, that affords not the prisoner two, or ••hree steps. The Ancho∣rites that barqu'd them∣selues vp in hollowe trees, & immur'd them∣selues in hollow walls; That peruerse man, that barrell'd himselfe in a Tubb, all could stand, or sit, and enioy some change of pasture. A
sicke bed, is a graue, an•• all that the patient saie•• there, is but a varying o•• his owne Epitaph. Eue••ry nights bed is a Typ•• of the graue: At nigh•• wee tell our seruants a•• what houre wee wil•• rise; here we cannot tel•• our selues, at what day what week, what mo••neth. Here the head lie•• as low as the foot; th•• Head of the people, a••lowe as they, whom those feete trod vpon And that hande tha•• signed Pardons, is to••
weake to begge his owne, if hee might haue it for lifting vp that hand: Strange fet∣ters to the feete, strange Manacles to the hands, vvhen the feete, and handes are bound so much the faster, by how much the coards are slacker; So much the lesse able to doe their Offices, by how much more the Sin∣newes and Ligaments are the looser. In the Graue I may speak tho∣rough the stones, in the
voice of my friends, an•• in the accents of thos•• wordes, which thei•• loue may afford my me••mory; Here I am min•• owne Ghost, and rathe•• affright my beholders then instruct them; the•• conceiue the worst o•• me now, and yet fea•••• worse; they giue me fo•• dead now, & yet won••der how I doe, whe•• they wake a•• midnight and aske how I doe, ••••••morrow. Miserable and, (though common to all) in human postu••
where I must practise ••y lying in the graue, by ••ying still, and not pra∣ctise my Resurrection, by ••ising any more.
MY God, and my Ie∣sus, my Lord, and my Christ, my Strength, and my Saluatiō, I heare thee, and I hearken to thee, whē thou rebukest thy Disciples, for rebuking ••hem, who brought ••hildren to thee;* 1.13 Suffer
little children to come t•• mee, saiest thou. Is ther•• a verier child then I a•• now? I cannot say wit•• thy seruant Ieremy, Lor•• I am a child, and cann•• speake; but, O Lord, I a•• a sucking childe, an•• cannot eat, a creepin•• childe, and cannot go•••• how shall I come t•• thee? Whither shall 〈◊〉〈◊〉 come to thee? To thi•• bed? I haue this weake and childish froward••nes too, I cannot sit vp•• and yet am loth to go t•• bed; shall I find thee 〈◊〉〈◊〉
bed? Oh, haue I alwaies done so? The bed is not ordinarily thy Scene, thy Climate: Lord, dost tho•• not accuse me, dost thou not reproach to mee, my former sinns, when thou layest mee vpon this bed? Is not this to hang a man at his owne dore, to lay him sicke in his owne bed of wantonnesse? When thou chidest vs by thy Prophet for lying in beds of Iuory,* 1.14 is not thine an∣ger vented; not till thou changest our bedds of I∣uory,
into bebs of Ebony Dauid sweares vnto thee,* 1.15 that hee will not go•• vp into his bed, till he ha•• built thee a House. To go•• vp into the bed, denote•• strength, and promi••e•• ease; But when tho•• saiest,* 1.16 That thou wilt ca•• Iesubel into a bed, tho•• mak'st thine own com••ment vpon that, Tho•• callest the bed Tribul••••tion, great Tribulation•• How shal they come t•• thee, whom thou ha•••• nayled to their bed•• Thou art in the Congr••••gation,* 1.17
& I in a solitude: when the Centurions ser∣uant lay sicke at home, his Master was faine to come to Christ; ••he sicke man could not. Their friend lay sicke of the Palsey,* 1.18 and the four cha∣ritable men were faine to bring him to Christ; he could not come.* 1.19 Pe∣ters wiues mother lay sicke of a feuer, & Christ came to her; shee could not come to him. My friends may carrie mee home to thee, in their prayers in the Congrega∣tion;
Thou must com•• home to me in the visi••tation of thy Spirit, an•• in the seale of thy Sacra••ment: But when I a•• cast into this bedd, m•• slacke sinewes are yro•• fetters, and those thi•• sheets, yron dores vpo•• me;* 1.20 And, Lord, I haue lo••ued the habitation of th•• house, and the place whe•• thine honour dwelleth: lye here,* 1.21 and say, Blesse are they; that dwell in th•• house; but I cannot say I will come into thy hous•• I may say,* 1.22 In thy fea••
will I worship towards thy ••oly Temple, but I cannot ••ay in thy holy Temple••:* 1.23 And, Lord, the zeale of thy House, eats me vp, as fast as my feuer; It is not a Recusancie, for I would come, but it is an Ex∣cōmunication, I must not. But Lord, thou art Lord of Hosts, & louest Acti∣on; Why callest thou me from my calling? In the•• graue no man shall praise thee; In the doore of the graue, this sicke bed, no Man shal heare mee praise thee: Thou
hast not opned my lips that my mouth migh•• shew thee thy praise, bu•• that my mouth migh•• shew foorth thy praise But thine Apostles fear•• takes hold of mee, th•••• when I haue preached to ••••thers,* 1.24 I my selfe should be cast-way; and therefo•••• am I cast downe, that might not be cast awa•••• Thou couldst take m•• by the head,* 1.25 as tho•• didst Abacuc, and carr•••• mee so; By a Chariot, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thou didst Eliah, & ca••••rie me so; but thou ca••••riest
me thine own pri∣uate way, the way by which thou carryedst thy Sonne, who first lay vpon the earth, & praid, and then had his Exalta∣tion, as himselfe calls his Crucifying, and first de∣scended into hell, and then had his Ascension. There is another Station (in∣deed neither are stations but prostrations) lower then this bed; To mor∣row I may be laid one Story lower, vpon the Floore, the face of the earth, and next day ano∣ther
Story, in the graue, the wombe of the Earth: As yet God sus∣pends mee betweene Heauen and Earth, as a Meteor; and I am not in Heauen, because an earthly bodie clogges me, and I am not in the Earth, because a heauen∣ly Soule sustaines mee•• And it is thine owne Law,* 1.26 O God, that if a man bee smitten so by ano••ther, as that hee keepe hi•• bed, though he dye not, hee that hurt him, must take care of his healing, and
recompence him. Th•• hand strikes mee into this bed; and therefore if I rise againe, thou wilt bee my recom∣pence, all the dayes of my life, in making the memory of this sicknes beneficiall to me, and if my body fall yet lower, thou wilt take my soule out of this bath, & pre∣sent it to thy Father, wa∣shed againe, and againe, and again, in thine own teares, in thine owne sweat, in thine owne blood.
O Most mightie an•• most merciful God who though thou hau•• taken me off of my feet hast not taken me off o•• my foundation, whic•• is thy selfe, who thoug•• thou haue remoued m•• frō that vpright forme, in which I could stand and see thy throne, th•• Heauens, yet hast not re∣moued from mee tha•• light, by which I can li•••• and see thy selfe, who
though thou haue wea∣kened my bodily knees, that they cannot bow to thee, hast yet left mee the knees of my heart, which are bowed vnto thee euermore; As thou hast made this bed, thine Altar, make me thy Sa∣crifice; and as thou ma∣kest thy Sonne Christ Ie∣sus the Priest, so make me his Deacon, to mini∣ster to him in a chereful surrender of my body, & soule to thy pleasure, by his hands. I come vn∣to thee, O God, my God, I
come vnto thee, so as I can come, I come to thee, by imbracing thy comming to me) I come in the confidence, & in the application of thy seruant Dauids promise,* 1.27 That thou wilt make all my bed in my sicknesse; All my bedd; That which way soeuer I turne, I may turne to thee; And as I feele thy hand vpon all my body, so I may find it vpon all my bedde, and see all my correcti∣ons, and all my refresh∣ings to flow from one,
and ••he same, and all from thy hand. As 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hast made these feather•••• ••hornes, in the sharpnes of this sicknes, so, Lord, make these thornes, fea∣thers, againe, feathers of thy Do••e, in the peace of Conscience, and in a holy recourse to thine Arke, to the Instru∣ments of true comfort, in thy Institutions, and in the Ordinances of thy Church. Forget my bed, O Lord, as it hath beene a bedde of sloth, and worse then sloth,
Take mee not, O Lord, at this aduantage, to te••••rifie my soule, with say••ing, now I haue me thee there, where tho•• hast so often departe from me; but hauin•• burnt vp that bed, b•• these vehement heate and washed that bed i•• these abundant sweat•• make my bed againe, Lord, and enable me a••••cording to thy co••••mand,* 1.28 to commune wi•••• mine owne heart vpon 〈◊〉〈◊〉 bed, and be still. To pr••••uide a bed for all m••
former sinnes, whilest I lie vpon this bed, and a graue for my sins, before I come to my graue; and when I haue deposed them in the wounds of thy Sonn, to rest in that assurance, that my Con∣science is discharged frō further anxietie, and my soule from farther dan∣ger, and my Memory from further calumny. Doe this, O Lord, for his sake, who did, and suffe∣red so much, that thou mightest, as well in thy Iustice, as in thy Mercy,
doe it for me, thy Sonne our Sauiour, Christ Iesus••
IT is too little to cal•• Man a little World•• Except God, Man is diminutiue to nothing Man consistes of mor•• pieces, more parts, the•• ••he world; then the
world doeth, nay then the world is. And if those pieces were exten∣ded, and stretched out in Man, as they are in the world, Man would bee the Gyant, and the world the Dwarfe, the world but the Map, and the man the World. If all the Veines in our bo∣dies, were extented to Riuers, and all the Si∣newes, to vaines of Mines, and all the Mus∣cles, that lye vpon one another, to Hilles, and all the Bones to Quarries
of stones, and all the ••••ther pieces, to the pr••••portion of those whic•• correspond to them i•• the world, the aire wou•••• be too litle for this Or•••• of Man to moue in, t•••• firmament would b•• but enough for this sta•••• for, as the whole wor•••• hath nothing, to whic•• something in man do•••• not answere, so ha•••• man many pieces, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 which the whol wor•••• ha••h no representatio•• Inlarge this Meditatio•• vpon this great worl••
Man, so farr, as to consi∣der the immensitie of ••he creatures this world produces; our creatures are our thoughts; creatures that are borne Gyants: that reach from East to West, from earth to Hea∣uen, that doe not onely bestride all the Sea, and Land, but span the Sunn and Firmament at once; My thoughts reach all, comprehend all. Inex∣plicable mistery; I their Creator am in a close prison, in a sicke bed, a∣ny where, and any one
of my Creatures, m•• thoughts, is with t•••• Sunne, and beyond t•••• Sunne, ouertakes t•••• Sunne, and ouergoes t•••• Sunne in one pace, o•• steppe, euery wher•••• And then as the oth•••• world produces Serpen•• and Vipers, malignan•• & venimous creature•• and Wormes, and Cate••••pillars, that endeauo•••• to deuoure that worl•• which produces the•• and Monsters compile•• and complicated of d••••uers parents, & kinds, 〈◊〉〈◊〉
this world, our selues, produces all these in vs, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 producing diseases, & ••••cknesses, of all those ••orts; venimous, and in∣fectious diseases, fee∣ding & consuming dis∣eases, and manifold, and entāgled diseases, made vp of many seueral ones. And can the other world name so many venimous, so many consuming, so many monstro••s crea∣••ures, as we can diseases, of all these kindes? O miserable abūdance, O ••eggarly riches•• how
much doe wee lacke 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hauing remedies for eu••••rie disease, when as y•••• we haue not names f•••• them? But wee hau•• Hercules against the•• Gyants, these Monster•• that is, the Phisician; 〈◊〉〈◊〉 musters vp al the for•••• of the other world, •• succour this; all Natu•••• to relieue Man. We ha•••• the Phisician, but we 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not the Phisician. Hee we shrinke in our p••••••portion, sink in our d••••••••nitie, in respect of ve•••• meane creatures, w••••••
••re Phisicians to them∣••elues. The Hart that is ••ursued and wounded, they say, knowes an Herbe, which being ea∣••en, throwes off the ar∣row: A strange kind of vomit. The dog that pur∣sues it, though hee bee subiect to sicknes, euen prouerbially, knowes his grasse that recouers him. And it may be true, that the Drugger is as neere to Man, as to other crea∣tures, it may be that ob∣uious and present Sim∣ples, easie to bee had,
would cure him; b•••• the Apothecary is not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 neere him, nor the P••••••sician so neere him, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 they two are to oth•••• creatures; Man hath n•••• that innate instinct, to a••••ply those naturall me••••••cines to his present da••••ger, as those inferio•••• creatures haue; he is n•••• his owne Apothecary, h•••• owne Phisician, as th•••• are. Call back therefo•••• thy Meditations agai•••••• and bring it down•••• whats become of ma•••• gre••t extent & propo••••••tion,
when himselfe shrinkes himselfe, and consumes himselfe to •• handfull of dust; whats become of his soaring thoughts, his compas∣sing thoughts, when himselfe brings him∣selfe to the ignoranc••, ••o the thoughtlesness•• of the Graue? His dis∣eases are his owne, but the Phisician is not; hee hath them at home, but ••ee must send for the Phisician.
I Haue not the right••ousnesse of Iob,* 1.29 but haue the desire of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 I would speake to the •• mighty•• and I would reas•••• with God. My God, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 God, how soone wou••••dest thou haue me go•••• to the Phisician, & ho•••• far wouldest thou ha•••• me go with the Phisi••••••an? I know thou h•••• made the Matter, a•••• the Man, and the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and I goe not from th••••
when I go to the Phisi∣cian. Thou didst not make clothes before ther was a shame of the na∣kednes of the body; but thou didst make Phisick before there was any grudging of any sicknes; for thou didst imprint a medicinall vertue in ma∣ny Simples, euen frō the beginning; didst thou meane that wee should be sicke, whē thou didst so? when thou madest them? No more then thou didst meane, that we should sinne, when
thou madest vs: tho•• fore-sawest both, bu•• causedst neither. Tho•• Lord,* 1.30 promisest hee•• trees, whose fruit shall b•••• for meat, and their lea•••• for Medicine. It is th•• voyce of thy Sonn, W•••• thou bee made whole That drawes from th•••• patient a cōfession tha•• hee was ill,* 1.31 and coul•• not make hims••lfe w•••• And it is thine own•• voyce, Is there no Phisi••cian?* 1.32 That inclines vs disposes vs to accep•• thine Ordinance. An••
••t is the voyce of the Wise man, both for the matter, phisicke it selfe, The Lorde hath created Medicines out of the Earth,* 1.33 and hee that is wise, shall not abhorre them, And for the Arte, and the Person, The Phisician cutteth off a long disease. In all these voyces, thou sendest vs to those helpes, which thou hast affor∣ded vs in that. But wilt not thou auowe that voyce too,* 1.34 Hee that hath sinned against his
Maker, let him fall into th•• hands of the Phisician; an•• wilt not thou affoor•• me an vnderstanding o•• those wordes? Tho•• who sendest vs for •• blessing to the Phisic••••an, doest not make it •• curse to vs, to go, whe•• thou sendest. Is not th•• curse rather in this, th•••• onely hee falls into th•• hands of the Phisician that casts himself who••ly, intirely vpon the Phi••sician, confides in him relies vpon him, attend all from him, and neg••lects
that spirituall phi∣••icke; which thou also hast instituted in thy Church•• so to fall into the ••ands of the Phisician; is a sinne, and a punishment of ••ormer sinnes; so, as Asa••fell, who in his disease, sought not to the Lord,* 1.35 but•• ••o the Phisician. Reueale therefore to me thy me∣••hod, O Lord, & see, whe∣ther I haue followed it; ••hat thou mayest haue glory, if I haue, and I pardon, if I haue not, & helpe that I may. Thy Method is,* 1.36 In time of thy
sicknesse, be not negligent•• VVherein wilt thou haue my diligence ex∣pressed? Pray vnto th•• Lord, and hee will mak•• thee whole. O Lord, •• doe; I pray, and pray thy Seruaunt Dauid•• prayer,* 1.37 Haue mercy vp••on mee, O Lord, for I a•• weake; Heale mee, O Lord, for my bones ar•• vexed: I knowe, that euen my weakenesse is a reason, a mot••ue, to induce thy mercie, and my sicknes an occasion of thy sending health
When art thou so rea∣die, when is it so sea∣sonable to thee, to com∣miserate, as in miserie? But is Prayer for health in season, as soone as I am sicke? Thy Method goes further; Leaue off from sinne,* 1.38 and order thy handes aright, and cleanse thy heart from all wicked∣nesse; Haue I, O Lord, done so? O Lord, I haue; by thy grace, I am come to a holy detesta∣tion of my former sin; Is there any more? In thy Methode there is
more; Giue a sweet sauor•• and a memoriall of fin•• flower, and make a fat of••fering, as not being. And Lord, by thy grace, I haue done that, sacrificed •• little, of that litle whic•• thou lentst me, to them for whō thou lentst it and now in thy metho•• and by thy steps, I am come to that, Then gi•••• place to the Phisician,* 1.39 fo•• the Lord hath created him let him not goe from the•• for thou hast need of him I send for the Phisicia•• but I will heare him en••ter
with those wordes of Peter,* 1.40 Iesus Christ ma∣keth thee whole; I long for his presence, but I look•• that the power of the Lord,* 1.41 should bee present to heale mee.
O Most mightie, and most merciful God, who art so the God of health, & strength, as that without thee, all health is but the fuell, and all strēgth, but the bellows
of sinne; Behold me•• vnder the vehemenc•• of two diseases, and vn••der the nece••sity of tw•• Phisiciās, authorized b•• thee, the bodily, and th•• spiritual Phisician. I com•• to both, as to thine Ordi••nance, & blesse, and glo••rifie thy Name, that i•• both cases, thou hast af••forded help to Man by the Ministery of man•• Euen in the new Ierusa••lem,* 1.42 in Heauen it selfe, i•• hath pleased thee to dis∣couer a Tree, which i•• a Tree of life there, bu••
the leaues thereof are for the healing of the Nations; Life it selfe is with thee there, for thou art life; and all kinds of Health, wrought vpon vs here, by thine Instruments, de∣scend from thence.* 1.43 Thou wouldest haue healed Ba∣bylon, but she is not hea∣led; Take from mee, O Lord, her peruersenesse, her wilfulnesse, her re∣fractarinesse, and heare thy Spirit saying in my Soule, Heale mee, O Lord, for I would bee healed. Ephraim saw his
sickenesse,* 1.44 and Iudah his wound; then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to King Iareb, yet could no•• hee heale you, nor cure you of your wound. Keepe me back O Lord, from them who mis-professe artes of healing the Soule, or of the Body, by meanes not imprinted by thee in the Church, for the soule, or not in nature for the body; There is no spirituall health to be had by superstition, nor bodily by witchcraft•• thou Lord, and onely thou art Lord
of both. Thou in thy selfe art Lord of both, and thou in thy Son art the Phisician, the applyer of both.* 1.45 With his stripes wee are healed, sayes the Prophet there; there, be∣fore hee was scourged, wee were healed with his stripes; how much more shall I bee healed now, now, when that which he hath already suffred actually, is actu∣ally, and effectually ap∣plied to me? Is there a∣ny thing incurable, vp∣on which that Balme
dropps? Any vaine 〈◊〉〈◊〉 emptie, as that that blo•••• cannot fil it?* 1.46 Thou pro••misest to heale the ear•••• but it is when the i••••habitants of the eart•• pray that thou woulde•••• heale it.* 1.47 Thou promi••sest to heale their W••••ters, but their miery pl••••ces, and standing waters•• thou sayest there, Tho•• wilt not heale: My retu••••n••ng to any sinne, if should returne to the a••bilitie of sinning ouer all my sins againe, thou wouldest not pardon••
••eale this earth, O my ••od, by repentant tears, ••nd heale these waters, ••hese teares from all bit∣••••rnes, frō all diffidence, ••rom all deiection, by e∣••••ablishing my irremo∣••able assurance in thee. ••hy Sonn went about hea∣••••ng all manner of sicke∣••esses.* 1.48 (No disease incu∣••able, none difficult;* 1.49 he ••ealed them in passing) ••ertue went out of him,* 1.50 ••nd he healed all, all the ••ultitude (no person in∣••urable) he healed them ••uery whit, (as himselfe
speaks) he left no relike of the disease; and wi•••• this vniuersall Phisici•••• passe by this Hospital and not visit mee? no•• heale me? not heale m•• wholy? Lord, I look•• not that thou shoulde•• say by thy Messenger t•• mee,* 1.51 as to Ezechias, B••••hold, I will heale thee, an•• on the third day thou sha•••• goe vp to the house of th•• Lord. I looke not th•••• thou shouldst say to m•••• as to Moses in Miriam•• behalfe,* 1.52 when Mos•••• would haue had he••••
heald presently, If her ••ather had but spit in her ••ace, should she not been a∣shamed seuen dayes? Let her be shut vp seuen daies, ••nd then returne; but if ••hou be pleased to mul∣tiply seuen dayes, (and seuen is in••inite) by the number of my sinnes, (and that is more infi∣nite) if this day must re∣moue me, till dayes shall ••ee no more, seale to me, my spirituall health in affording me the Seales of thy Church, & for my ••emporall health, pro∣sper
thine ordinance, i•• their hands who sha•••• assist in this sicknes, i•• that manner, and in th•• measure, as may mo•••• glorifie thee, aud mo•••• edifie those, who ob••serue the issues of th•• seruants, to their own•• spirituall benefit.
AS Sicknesse is th•• greatest misery. s•• the greatest misery o••
••icknes is solitude; when ••he infectiousnes of the disease deterrs thē who ••hould assist, from cō∣••ing; Euen the Phisici∣••n dares scarse come. So∣••itude is a tormēt, which is not threatned in hell it selfe. Meere vacuitie, the first Agent, God, the first instrument of God, Nature, will not admit; Nothing can be vtterly ••nptie, but so neere a ••egree towards Vacu∣tie, as Solitude, to bee ••ut one, they loue not. When I am dead, & my
body might infect, the•• haue a remedy, th•••• may bury me; but w•••• I am but sick, and mig•••• infect, they haue no ••••••medy, but their absen•••• and my solitude. It is •••• excuse to them that a •••• great, and pre••end, & y•••• are loth to come; it is •••• inhibition to those w•••• would truly come, b••∣cause they may be ma•••• instruments, and pe••••ducts, to the infectiō•••• others, by their cōmin•••• And it is an Outlawry, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Excommunication vpo••
••he patient, and seperats ••im from all offices not onely of Ciuilitie, but of ••orking Charitie. A long ••icknesse will w••ary ••••i••nds a•• last, but a pe∣••tilentiall sicknes auerts them from the begin∣••ing. God himself wold ••dmit a fig••••e of Society, ••s there is a plurality of ••ersons in God, though ••here bee but one God; & all his exte••nall acti∣ons testifie a loue of So∣••i••tie and communion. In Heauen ther•• are Ordens of Angels, and Armies of
Martyrs, & in that hou•••• many mansions; in Ear•••• Families, Cities, Church•• Colleges, all plurall thing•• and lest either of th•• should not be compa•••• enough alone, there 〈◊〉〈◊〉 an association of bo•••• a Communion of Sain•••• which makes the M••••••tant, and Triumpha•••• Church, one Parish; 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that Christ, was not o•• of his Dioces, when h•• was vpon the Earth, n•••• out of his Temple, wh•••• he was in our flesh G•••• who sawe that all th••••
••ee made, was good, ••ame not so neer seeing 〈◊〉〈◊〉 defect in any of his works, as when he saw ••hat it was not good, ••or man to bee alone, ••herefore h••e made him 〈◊〉〈◊〉 helper; and one that ••hould helpe him so, as ••o increase the number, ••nd giue him her owne, ••••d more societie. Angels, ••ho do not propagate, ••or multiply, were ••ade at first in an abū∣••ant number; and so ••ere starres: But for ••he things of this world,
their blessing was, En∣crease; for I think, I nee•• not aske leaue to think that there is no Phenix nothing singular, no••thing alone: Men tha•• in here vpon Nature on••ly, are so far from think••ing, that there is an••••thing singular in th•••• world, as that they wi•••• scarce thinke, that th•••• world it selfe is singula•• but that euery Plane•• and euery Starre, is an••other World like this They finde reason t•• conceiue, not onely••
pluralitie in euery Spe∣cies in the world, but a pluralitie of worlds; so that the abho••rers of Solitude, are not solitary; for God, and Nature, and Reason concurre a∣gainst it. Now, a man may counterfeyt the Plague in a vowe, and mistake a Disease for Religion; by such a re∣••iring, and recluding of ••imselfe from all men, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to doe good to no ••an, to conuerse with ••o man. God hath two ••estamēts, two Wils; but
this is a Scedule, and no•• of his, a Codicill, and no•• of his, not in the body o•• his Testaments, but inter∣lind, and postscrib'd by o••thers, that the way t•• the Communion of Saint•• should be by such a sol••••tude, as excludes all do••ing of good here. Th•••• is a disease of the mind•• the height of an inf••••ctious disease of the bo••dy, is solitude, to be left ••••lone: for this makes 〈◊〉〈◊〉 infectious bed, equa•••• nay worse then a gra•••• that thogh in both 〈◊〉〈◊〉
equally alone, in my bed I know it, and feele it, and shall not in my graue: and this too, that in my bedd, my soule is still in an infectious body, and shall not in my graue bee so.
O God, my God, thy Son tooke it not ill at Marthaes handes, that when he said vnto her, Thy brother Lazarus shall rise againe,* 1.53 she expostu∣lated
it so far with him, as to reply, I know that h•• shal rise againe in the Re∣surrection, at the last day•• for shee was miserable by wanting him then•• Take it not ill, O my God, frō me, that thogh thou haue o••dained i•• for a blessing, and for •• dignitie to thy people, That they should dwell a∣lone,* 1.54 and not bee reckoned among the Nations, (be∣cause they should be a∣boue them) & that they should dwell in safetie a∣lone,* 1.55 (free from the infe∣station
of enemies) yet I ••ake thy leaue to remē∣ber thee, that thou hast sa••d to,* 1.56 Two are better then one; And Woe be vn∣to him that is alone when he falleth•• and so, when he is fallen, and laid in the bedde of sicknesse too.* 1.57 Righteousnesse is immortall; I know thy wisdome hath said so; but no Man, though couered with the righteousnes of thy Sonne, is immor∣••all so, as not to die; for he who was righteousnes it selfe, did die. I know
that the Son of righteous••nes,* 1.58 thy Son, refused no•• nay affected solitariness•• lonenesse, many, man•• times; but at all time•• he was able to cōman•• more then twelue legions 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Angels to his seruice;* 1.59 an•• when he did not so, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 was farre from being ••••lone; for, I am not alon•• saies he,* 1.60 but I, and the F••••ther that sent me. I canno•• feare, but that I shall a••••waies be with thee, an•• him; but whether thi•• disease may not alien, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 remooue my friends, 〈◊〉〈◊〉
••hat they stand aloofe frō ••ny sore,* 1.61 and my kinsmen stād afar off, I cannot tel. •• cannot feare, but that thou wilt reckon with me from this minute, in which, by thy grace, I see thee•• whe••her this vnder∣standing, & this will, and this memory, may not decay, to the discourage∣ment, and the ill interpre∣tation of thē, that see that heauy change in me, I cānot tell. It was for thy blessed, thy powerfull Sonne alone,* 1.62 to tread the wine-presse alone, and none
of the people with him; am not able to passe thi•• agony alone; not alon•• without thee; Thou a•••• thy spirit; not alone wi••••••out thine; spirituall an•• temporall Phisicians, a•••• thine; not alone witho•••• mine; Those whom th•• bands of blood, or frien••••ship•• hath made mine•• a•••• mine; And if thou, o•• thine, or mine, abando•••• me, I am alone, and w•• vnto me if I bee alone•• Elias himselfe fainte•• vnder that apprehēsion•• Loe,* 1.63 I am left alone; an••
Martha murmured at that,* 1.64 and said to Christ, Lord, doest not thou care, that my sister hath left me to serue alone? Neither could Ieremiah enter in∣to his Lamētations, from a higher groūd, then to say,* 1.65 How doth the citie sit solitary, that was full of people. O my God, it is the Leper, that thou hast cō∣demned to liue alone;* 1.66 Haue •• such a Leprosie in my Soule, that I must die alone; alone without thee? Shall this come to such a Le••rosie in my
body, that I must die ••••lone? Alone witho•••• them that should assi•••• that shold comfort m•••• But comes not this E••••postulation too neere murmuring? Must I b•••• cōcluded with that,* 1.67 th•••• Moses was commaunded 〈◊〉〈◊〉 come neere the Lord alon•••• That solitarines, & d••••reliction, and abando••ning of others, dispose•• vs best for God, who ac••cōpanies vs most alon•••• May I not remember & apply to;* 1.68 that thogh•• God come not to Iacob
till he found him alone, ••et when he found him alone, hee wrestled with him, and lamed him? That when in the dereliction and forsaking of friends and Phisicians, a man is left alone to God, God may so wrestle with this Iacob, with this Con∣science, as to put it out of ioynt, & so appeare to him, as that he dares not looke vpon him face to face, when as by way of reflection, in the consola∣tion of his temporall or spirituall seruants, and
ordinances hee durst, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 they were there?* 1.69 But •• faithfull friend is the phi∣sicke of life, and they th•• feare the Lord, shall find him. Therefore hath th•• Lord afforded me bo•••• in one person, that Ph••••sician, who is my faith••full friend.
O Eternall, and mo•••• gracious God, wh•••• calledst down fire from Heauen vpon the sinfu•••• Cities, but once, and op••••nedst
the Earth to swal∣low the Murmurers, but once•• and threwst down the Tower of Siloe vpon sinners, but once, but for thy workes of mercie repeatest them often, & still workest by thine owne paternes, as thou broghtest Man into this world, by giuing him a helper fit for him here, ••o whether it bee thy will to continue mee ••ong thus, or to dismisse me by death, be pleased to afford me the helpes fit for both conditions,
either for my weak sta•• here, or my finall tran••••migration from hence•• And if thou mayest r••••ceiue glory by that wa•••• (and, by all wayes tho•••• maist receiue glory) gl••••rifie thy selfe in preser••uing this body from suc•• infections, as migh•• withhold those, wh•• would come, or in da••••ger thē who doe come•• and preserue this soule 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the faculties thereof, fr•••• all such distempers, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 might shake the assu••rance which my selfe &
others haue had, that be∣cause thou hast loued me, thou wouldst loue me to my end, and at my end. Open none of my dores, not of my hart, not of mine eares, not of my house, to any supplanter that would enter to vn∣dermine me in my Reli∣gion to thee, in the time of my weaknesse, or to defame me, & magnifie himselfe, with false ru∣mors of such a victory, & surprisall of me, after I am dead; Be my salua∣tion, and plead my salua∣tion;
work it, and decla•••• it; and as thy triumpha•••• shall be, so let the M••••tant Church bee assure•• that thou wast my 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and I thy seruant, to, an•• in my consummatio•• Blesse thou the learning and the labours of th•••• Man, whō thou sende•••• to assist me; and sinc•• thou takest mee by th•• hand, & puttest me int•• his hands (for I come t•• him in thy name, who in thy name comes t•• me) since I clog not m•• hopes in him, no nor my
••••ayers to thee, with any ••••mited conditions, but ••wrap all in those two ••etitions, Thy kingdome ••••me, thy will be done, pro¦••er him, and relieue ••••e, in thy way, in thy ••••me, and in thy mea∣••••re. Amen.
•• Obserue the Phisici∣an, with the same ••iligence, as hee the dis∣••ase; I see hee feares, ••nd I feare with him: I
ouertake him, I ouem him in his feare, an•• go the faster, because•• makes his pace slow•• feare the more, beca•••••• he disguises his fear, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 I see it with the mo•••• sharpnesse, because 〈◊〉〈◊〉 would not haue me 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it. He knowes that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 feare shall not disord•••••• the practise, and exerci•••••• of his Art, but he kno•••• that my fear may diso••••der the e••fect, and wo••••king of his practise. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the ill affections of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 spleene, complicate, an••
••ingle themselus with ••••ery infirmitie of the ••••dy, so doth feare insi∣••••at it ••elf in euery acti∣•••• or passion of the mind; ••nd as wind in the body ••ill counterfet any dis∣••ase, and seem the Stone, & ••eem the Gout, so feare will counterfet any dis∣••ase of the Mind; It shall ••eeme loue, a loue of ha∣uing, and it is but a fear, a iealous, and suspitious ••eare of loosing; It shall ••eem valor in despising, and vnderualuing dan∣ger, and it is but feare, in
an ouer-valuing of ••••••••nion, and estimation, and feare of loosing that man that is not afraid•• a Lion, is afraid of a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not afraid of starui•••• & yet is afraid of so•••• ioynt of meat at the tab•••• presented to feed hi•• not afraid of the so•••••• of Drummes, and Tru••••pets, and Shot, and tho•••• which they seeke 〈◊〉〈◊〉 drowne, the last cries o•• men, and is afraid 〈◊〉〈◊〉 some particular harm••••nious instrument•• so muc•• afraid, as that with an••
of these the enemy might ••riue this mā, otherwise ••aliant enough, out of ••••e field. I know not, what fear is, nor I know ••ot what it is that I fear ••ow; I feare not the ha∣stening of my death, and yet I do fear the increase ••f the disease; I should ••elie Nature, if I should deny that I feard this, & ••f I should say that I fea∣••ed death, I should belye God; My weaknesse is ••rom Nature, who hath ••ut her Measure, my ••trength is from God,
who possesses, & distri••butes infinitely. As the euery cold ayre, is no•• dampe, euery shiuering not a stupefaction, so eue••ry feare, is not a feare••••••nes, euery declination•• not a running away, ••••uery debating is not resoluing, euery wis•• that it were not thus, •• not a murmuring, no•• deiection though it b•••• thus; but as my Phisici•••• fear puts not him fro•• his practise, neither do•••• mine put me, from r••••ceiuing from God, an••
Man, and my selfe, spiritu∣••ll, and ciuill, and morall ••ssistances, and conso∣••ations.
MY God, my God, I find in thy Booke, that ••eare is a stifling spirit, a spirit of suffocation; That ••••shbosheth could not speak,* 1.70 not reply in his own defence ••o Abner, because hee was ••fraid. It was thy seruāt ••obs case too,* 1.71 who be∣fore hee could say any ••hing to thee, saies of thee,
Let him take his rod awa•• frō me,* 1.72 and let not his fear•• terrifie mee, then would speake with him, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 feare him; but it is not •••• with mee. Shall a feare 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thee, take away my d••••uotiō to thee? Dost tho•• command me to spea•••• to thee, and commaun•• me to feare thee, and d•••• these destroy one ano••ther? There is no per••••plexity in thee, my God; 〈◊〉〈◊〉 inextricablenes in the•• my light, & my clearn•••• my Sun, and my Moon•• that directest me as 〈◊〉〈◊〉
in the night of aduersity and fear, as in my day of prosperity & confidēce. I must thē speak to thee, at all times, but when must I feare thee? At all times to. Whē didst thou rebuke any petitioner, with the name of Impor∣tunate?* 1.73 Thou hast pro∣po••d to vs a parable of a Iudge that did Iustice at last, because the client was Importunate, and troubled him; But thou hast told vs plainely, that thy vse in that parable, was not, that thou wast troubled
with our importuni∣ties, but (as thou saye•••• there) That wee should a••••wayes pray.* 1.74 And to th•••• same purpose thou pro••posest another, that Is•••• presse my friend, when he•••• is in bed, at midnight, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 lend mee bread, though h•••• will not rise because I a•• his friend, yet because•• mine importunitie, he wil•••• God will do this, when••soeuer thon askest, an•• neuer call it importunit••e Pray in thy bed at mid••night, and God wil n•••• say, I will heare thee t•• mo••row
vpon thy knees, at thy bed side; pray vpon thy knees there, then, & God will not say, I will heare thee on Sunday, at Church; God is no dilatory God, no froward God; Praier is neuer vnseaso∣nable, God is neuer asleep nor absent. But, O my God, can I doe this, and feare thee; come to thee, and speak to thee, in all places, at all houres, and feare thee? Dare I aske this question? There is more boldnesse in the question, then in the com∣ming:
I may doe it•• though I feare thee; •• cannot doe it, except feare thee. So well has•• thou prouided, that w•• should alwayes fea•••• thee, as that thou ha•••• prouided, that we shol•• fear no person but the•• nothing but thee; n•• men? No. Whom?* 1.75 Th•• Lord is my helpe, and m•• saluation, whome shall feare? Great enemies: no•• great enemies; for no ••••nemies are great to them that feare thee••* 1.76 Feare not the people of th••
l••••d, for they are Bread to you; They shall not on∣••y not eat vs, not eat our bread, but they shall bee our Bread; Why should, we feare them? But for all this Metaphoricall Bread, victory ouer e∣nemies, that thought to deuoure vs, may we not feare, that we may lack bread literally? And feare famine, though we feare not enemies? Young Lyons do lacke,* 1.77 and suffer Hunger, but they that seeke the Lord, shall not want any good thing.
Neuer? Though it be•• well with them at on•• time, may they not fea•• that it may be worse•• Wherfore should I feare 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the dayes of euill,* 1.78 saies th•• seruant Dauid? Thoug•• his own sins had mad•• them euill, he feared th•••• not•• No? not if this euil•• determin in death? No•• though in a death•• no•• though in a death infli••ct••d by violence by ma••lice, by our own des•••••• feare not the sentence 〈◊〉〈◊〉 death,* 1.79 if thou feare God Thou art, O my God, so
far from admitting vs, that feare thee, to feare others, as that thou ma∣kest others to feare vs; As Herod feared Iohn,* 1.80 be∣cause hee was a holy, and a iust man, & obserued him How fully then O my a∣bundant God, how gently, O my sweet, my easie God doest thou vnentangle m••e, in any scruple ari∣sing out of the conside∣ration of this thy feare? Is not this that which thou intendest, when thou sayst,* 1.81 The secret of the Lord is with them, that
feare him; The secret, th•• mistery of the right v•••• of feare. Dost thou no•• meane this, when tho•• sayest,* 1.82 Wee shall vnde••••stand the feare of the Lord•• Haue it, and haue benef•••• by it; haue it, and stan•• vnder it; be directed b•• it, and not bee deiecte•• with it. And dost tho•• not propose that Chur•••• for our example, whe•• thou sayest,* 1.83 The Churc•• of Iudea, walked in t•••• feare of God; they ha•• it, but did not sit dow•• lazily, nor fall down••
weakly, nor sinke vn∣der it. There is a feare which weakens men in the seruice of God: Adam was afrayde,* 1.84 be∣cause hee was naked. They who haue put off thee, are a prey to all. They may feare, for thou wilt laugh,* 1.85 when their feare comes vpon them, as thou hast tolde them,* 1.86 more then once; And thou wilt make them feare,* 1.87 where no cause of feare is, as thou hast told them more then once too.* 1.88 There is a feare
that is a punishment o•• former wickednesses, & induces more: Thoug•• some said of thy Sonne, Christ Iesus,* 1.89 that hee wa•• a good Man, yet no M•••• spake openly, for feare 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Iewes:* 1.90 Ioseph was h•••• Disciple; but secretly, fo•• for feare of the Iewes: Th•• Disciples kept som•• meetings,* 1.91 but with dores shut, for feare of the Iewes. O my God, thou giuest vs feare for bal∣last to cary vs stedily in all weathers. But thou wouldst ballast vs, wit••
such sand, as should haue gold in it, with that feare which is thy feare; for tke feare of the Lord is his treasure.* 1.92 Hee that hath that, lacks nothing that Man can haue, no∣thing that God does giue. Timorous men thou rebukest;* 1.93 Why are yee fearfull, O yee of little faith? Such thou dismis∣sest from thy Seruice, with scorne, though of them there went from Gideons Army,* 1.94 22000. and remained but 10. Such thou sendest far∣ther
then so; thithe•• from whence they n••••uer returne, The fearefu•••• and the vnbeleeuing,* 1.95 i•••••• that burning lake, which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the second death. There 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a feare, & there is a hope which are equall abo••minations to thee; fo•• they were confounded,* 1.96 b••••cause they hoped, saies th•• seruant Iob: because they had mis-placed, mis-ce••∣tred their hopes; they ho∣ped, and not in thee, an•• such shall feare, and no•• feare thee. Bu•• in th•• feare, my God, and my
feare, my God, and my hope, is hope, and loue, & confidence, and peace, and euery limbe, and ingre∣dient of Happinesse en∣wrapped; for Ioy in∣cludes all; and feare, and ioy consist together; nay, constitute one another; The women d••parted from the sepulchre,* 1.97 the women who were made super∣numerary Apostles, Apo∣stles to the Apostles; Mo∣thers of the Church, and of the Fathers, Grandfathers of the Church, the Apostles themselues, t••e women,
Angels of the Resurrec••••••on, went from the sep••••••chre, with feare and i•• they ran, sayes the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and they ran vpon tho•••• two legs, feare, & ioy; 〈◊〉〈◊〉 both was the right leg•• they ioy in thee O Lor•• that feare thee, and fear•• thee only, who feele th•••• ioy in thee. Nay, thy fear•••• and thy loue, are in••e∣perable; still we are cal∣led vpon, in infinite pla∣ces, to feare God; yet th•• Commandement, which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the roote of all, is, Tho•• shalt loue the Lord thy God••
Hee doeth neither, that doth not both; hee omits neither,* 1.98 that does one. Therfore when thy ser∣uant Dauid had said,* 1.99 that the feare of the Lord is the beginning of wise∣dome, And his Sonne had repeated it againe, Hee that collects both, calls this feare,* 1.100 the root of wis∣dome; And that it may embrace all, hee ca••ls it wisedome it selfe. A wise man therefore is neuer without it, neuer with∣out the exercise of it: Therefore thou sent••st
Moses to thy people That they might learne•• feare thee all the dayes •• their liues:* 1.101 not in he••••uy, and calamitous, bu•• in good, and cheerf•••• dayes too: for, No•••• who had assurance 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his deliuerance, yet m••••ued with feare,* 1.102 prepar•• an Arke, for the sauing•• his house.* 1.103 A wise man 〈◊〉〈◊〉 feare in euery thing. An•• th••refore though I pr••••tend, to no other degre•• of wisedome, I am a••bundantly rich in thi•• that I lye heere posse••••
with that feare, which ••s thy feare, both that ••his sicknesse is thy im∣mediate correction, and ••ot meerely a naturall ••ccident, and therefore ••earefull, because it is a ••earefull thing to fall into ••hy hands, and th••t this ••eare preserues me from all inordinate feare, ari∣sing out of the infirmi∣••ie of Nature, because ••hy hand being vpon me, thou wilt neuer let me fall out of thy hand.
O Most mightie God 〈◊〉〈◊〉 mercifull God, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 God of all true sorrow, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 true ioy to, of all feare, •• of al hope to, as thou ha•••• giuen me a Repentan•••• not to be repented of, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 giue me, O Lord, a fea•••• of which I may not b•• afraid. Giue me tende•• and supple, and confo••••mable affections, that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 I ioy with them that i•••• and mourne with them that mourne, so I ma••
feare with them that feare. And since thou hast vouchsafed to dis∣couer to me, in his feare whom thou hast admit¦••ed to be my assistance, ••n this sickenesse, that ••here is danger therein, ••et me not, O Lord, go a∣••out to ouercome the sense of that fear, so far, as to pretermit the fit∣ting, and preparing of my selfe, for the worst ••hat may bee feard, the passage out of this life. Many of thy blessed Martyrs, haue passed out
of this life, without a•••• showe of feare; But th•• most blessed Sonne him••selfe did not so. T•••• Martys were known•• be but men, and therfo•••• it pleased thee, to fill t•••• with thy Spirit, and th•• power, in that they d•••• more then Men; Thy S•••• was declard by thee, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by himselfe to be G•••• and it was requisite, th•••• he should declare him••selfe to be Man also, i•• the weaknesses of ma•••• Let mee not therefo•••• O my God, bee ashame••
of these feares, but let me feele them to deter∣mine, where his feare ••id, in a present submit∣••ing of all to thy will. And when thou shalt ••aue inflamd, & thawd my former coldnesses, ••nd indeuotions, with ••hese heats, and quench∣••d my former heates, with these sweats, and ••nundations, and recti∣fied my former pre∣••umptions, and negli∣gences with these fears, ••ee pleased, O Lord, as one, made so by thee, to
thinke me fit for th•••• And whether it be th•• pleasure, to dispose 〈◊〉〈◊〉 this body, this garme•••• so, a•• to put it to a fa••••ther wearing in th•• world, or to lay it vp i•• the common wardrope, th•• graue, for the next, glo••rifie thy selfe in th•• choyce now, & glorif•••• it then, with that glory which thy Son, our S••••uiour Christ Iesus hat•• purchased for them whome thou make•• partakers of his Resu••••rection. Amen.
THere is more feare, therefore more cause. If the Phisician desire help, the burden grows great: There is a grouth of the Disease then; But ••here must bee an Au∣••umne to; But whether an Autumne of the disease
or mee, it is not my pa•••• to choose: but if it bee of me, it is of both; My disease cannot suruiu•• mee, I may ouer liue i•• Howsoeuer, his desiring of others, argues his ca••••dor, and his ingenuitie; 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the danger be great, he•• iustifies his proceeding•• & he disguises nothing that calls in witnesses•• And if the danger be not great, hee is not a••••bitious, that is so read•• to diuide the thankes and the honour of th•• work, which he beg••••
alone, with others. It diminishes not the dig∣nitie of a Monarch, that hee deriue part of his care vpon others; God hath not made many Suns, but he hath made many bodies, that receiue, and giue light. The Ro∣manes began with one King; they came to two Consuls; they returned in extremities, to one Di∣ctator•• whether in one, or many, the soueraigntie is the same, in all States, and the danger is not the more, and the proui∣dence
is the more, whe•• there are more Phisici∣ans; as the State is the happier, where busines∣ses are carried by more counsels, then can be in one breast, how large soeuer, Dise••ses them∣selues hold Consultations, and conspire how they may multiply, and ioyn with one another, & ex∣alt one anothers force so; and shal we not cal•• Phisicians, to consultati∣ons? Death is in an old mans dore, he appeare•• and tels him so, & dea••••
is at a yong mans backe, and saies nothing•• Age is a sicknesse, and Youth is an ambush, and we need so many Phisicians, as may make vp a Watch, and spie euery inconue∣nience. There is scarce any thing, that hath not killed some body; a haire, a feather hath done it•• Nay, that which is our best Antidote against it, hath donn it; the best Cordiall hath bene deadly poyson; Men haue dyed of Ioy, and allmost for∣bidden their friends to
weep for thē, whē they haue seen thē dye laugh∣ing. Euen that Tiran Dy••••nisius (I thinke the same•• that suffered so much a••••ter) who could not d•••• of that sorrow, of tha•• high fal, from a King t•• a wretched priuate ma•••• dyed of so poore a Ioy, as to be declard by the peo••ple at a Theater, that he•• was a good Poet. We sa•• oftē th••t a Man may li•••• of a litle; but, alas, o•• how much lesse may a Man dye? And therfore the more assistants, th••
better; who comes to a day of hearing, in a caus of any importāce, with one Aduocate? In our Fu∣nerals, we our selfs haue no interest; there wee cannot aduise, we can∣not direct: And though some Nations, (the Egip∣tians in particular) built thēselues better Tombs, then houses, because they were to dwell longer in them; yet, amongst our selues, the greatest Man of Stile, whom we hane had, The Conqueror, was lest, as soone as his soule
left him, not only with∣out persons to assist at his graue, but without a graue. Who will keepe vs then, we know not•• As long as we can, l••t vs admit as much helpe as wee can; Another, and another Phisician, is not another, and another Indication, and Symptom of death, but an other•• and another Assistant, and Proctor of life: No•• doe they so much feed the imagination with apprehension of danger, as the vnderstanding
with comfort; Let not one bring Learning, an∣other Diligence, another Religion, but euery one bring all, and, as many Ingredients enter into a Receit, so may many men make the Receit. But why doe I exercise my Meditation so long vpon this, of hauing plentifull helpe in time of need? Is not my Meditation rather to be enclined another way, to condole, and com∣miserate their distresse, who haue none? How
many are sicker (per¦chance) then I, and laid in their wofull straw at home (if that co••ner be a home) and haue no more hope of helpe, though they die, then of preferment, though they liue? Nor doe no more expect to see a Phisician then, then to bee an Officer after; of whome, the first that takes knowledge, is th•• Sexten that buries them•• who buries them in obliuio•• too? For the•• doe but fill vp the num∣ber
of the dead in the Bill, but we shall neuer heare their Names, till wee reade them in the Booke of life, with our owne. How many are sicker (perchance) then I, and thrown into Ho∣spitals, where, (as a fish left vpon the Sand, must stay the tide) they must stay the Phisicians houre of visiting, and then can bee but visited? How many are sicker (perchaunce) then all we, and haue not this Hospitall to couer them,
not this straw, to lie in, to die in, but haue thei•• Graue-stone vnder them and breathe out thei•• soules in the eares, and in the eies of passengers, harder then their bed, the flint of the stre••t•• That taste of no part of our Phisick, but a sparing dyet; to whom ordinary porridge would bee Iu∣lip enough, the refuse of our seruants, Bezar e∣nough, and the off scou¦••ing of our Kitchin ta∣bles, Cordiall enough. O my soule, when thou art
not enough awake, to blesse thy God enough for his plentifull mer∣cy, in affoording thee many Helpers, remem∣b••r how many lacke them, and helpe them to them, or to those other things, which they lacke as much as them.
MY God, my God, thy blessed Seruant Au∣gustine begg'd of thee,
that Moses might come and tell him what he•• meant by some place of Genesis: May I ha•••• leaue to aske of th•• Spirit, that writ th•• Booke, why when D••••uid expected newes fi•••• Ioabs armie,* 1.104 and that th•• Watchman tolde him that hee sawe a man ru••••ning alone, Dauid conclu••ded out of that circum∣stance,* 1.105 That if hee ca•••• alone, hee brought 〈◊〉〈◊〉 newes? I see the Gra••••mar, the word signifie so, and is so euer accep••ted,
Good newes; but I see not the Logique, nor the Rhetorique, how Dauid would prooue, or per∣swade that his newes was good, because hee was alone, except a grea∣ter cōpany might haue made great impressions of danger, by implo∣ring, and importuning present supplies. How∣soeuer that bee, I am sure, that that which thy Apostle sayes to Ti∣mothy,* 1.106 Onely Luke is with me, Luke, and no body but Luke•• hath a taste of
cōplaint, & sorrow in it•• Though Luke want no testimony of abilitie, o•• forwardnes, of constancie, & perseuerance, in assist∣ing that great building which S. Paul laboured in, yet S. Paul is affected with that, that ther was none but Luke, to assist•• We take S. Luke to haue bin a Phisician, & it ad∣mits the application the better, that in the pre∣sence of one good Phi∣sician, we may bee glad of more. It was not on∣ly a ciuill spirit of poli∣cy,
or order that moued Moses father in law, to perswade him to diuide ••he burden of Gouern∣mēt,* 1.107 & Iudicature, with others, & take others to his assistance, but it was ••lso thy immediat spirit O my God, that mou'd Moses to present vnto ••hee 70 of the Elders of Israel,* 1.108 to receiue of that spirit, which was vpon Moses onely before, such •• portion as might ease ••im in the gouernmēt of that people; though Moses alone had in∣dowments
aboue all thou gauest him othe•• assistants. I consider th•• plentifull goodnesse, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 my God, in employing Angels, more then on•• in so many of thy re∣markable workes. O•• thy Sonne, thou saist,* 1.109 I•• all the Angels of God w••••••ship him; If that bee i•• Heauen, vpon Earth, h•••• sayes that hee could co••••maund twelue legions 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Angels;* 1.110 And when H••••uen, and Earth shall b•• all one, at the last day•• Thy Sonne, O God, the S••••
of Man,* 1.111 shall come in his glory, and all the holy An∣gels with him. The An∣gels that celebrated his birth to the Shepheards,* 1.112 the Angels that celebra∣ted his second birth, his Resurrection to the Ma∣ries, were in the plurall,* 1.113 Angells associated with Angels.* 1.114 In Iacobs ladder, they which ascended and descended, & maintain'd the trade between Hea∣uen and Earth, between thee and vs, they who haue the Commission,* 1.115 and charge to guide vs in
all our wayes, they wh•••• hastned Lot,* 1.116 and in him•• vs, from places of dan∣ger, and tentation, the•• who are appoynted to in∣struct & gouerne vs in th•• Church heere,* 1.117 they who are sent to punish the dis∣obedient and refractar••••,* 1.118 they that are to be the Mowers,* 1.119 and haruest me••, after we are growne ••p in one field, the church, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the day of Iudgmēt, they that are to carrie o•••• soules whither they ca••••••ed Lazarus,* 1.120 they who at∣tend at the seueral gate••
of the new Ierusalem,* 1.121 to admit vs there; all these, who administer to thy seruants, from the first, to their last, are Angels, Angels in the plurall, in euery seruice, Angels as∣sociated with Angells. The power of a single Angell wee see in that one, who in one night destroyed almost 200. thousand in Sennacheribs army,* 1.122 yet thou often imployest many; as we know the power of sal∣uation is abundantly in any one Euangelist, and
yet thou hast afforded vs foure.* 1.123 Thy Sonne pro••claimes of himselfe, th•• thy Spirit, hath annoynte•• him to preach the Gospel•••• yet he hath giuen othe••s for the perfiting of the S. in the worke of the Mi••••••stery.* 1.124 Thou hast made him Bishop of our soules,* 1.125 but there are others Bi••shops too. Hee gaue the holy Ghost,* 1.126 & others gaue it also. Thy way, O m•• God, (and, O my God, tho•• louest to walk in thine own waies, for they are large) thy way from th••
beginning, is multiplica∣tion of thy helps; and ther∣fore it were a degree of ingratitude, not to accept this mercy of affording me many helpes for my bodily health, as a type and earnest of thy graci∣ous purpose now, and euer, to affoord mee the same assistances. That for thy great Helpe, thy Word, I may seeke that, not frō corners, nor Con¦uenticles, nor schismatical singularities, but frō the assotiation, & commu∣nion of thy Catholique
Church, and those per∣sons, whom thou has•• alwayes furnished th•• Church withall: And that I may associate th•• Word, with thy Sacr••••ment, thy Seale with thy Patent; and in that S••••cramēt associate the sig•••• with the thing signified, the Bread with the Bod•• of thy Sonne, so, as I ma•• be sure to haue receiu•••• both, and to bee ma•••• thereby, (as thy blesse•• seruant Augustine sayes) the Arke, and the Mon••••ment, & the Tombe of th••
most blessed Sonne, that hee, and all the merits of his death, may, by that receiuing, bee buried in me, to my quickning in thi•• world, and my im∣mortall establishing in the next.
O Eternall, and most gracious God, who gauest to thy seruants in the wildernes, thy Man∣••a, bread so conditiond, qualified so, as that, to
euery man, Manna tasted like that, which that man liked best, I humbly be∣seech thee, to make this correction, which I ac∣knowledg to be part of my daily bread, to tast so to me, not as I would, but as thou wouldest haue it taste, and to con∣form my tast, and make it agreeable to thy will•• Thou wouldst haue th•• corrections tast of hum••••liation, but thou woul¦dest haue them tast •• consolation too; taste o•• danger, but tast of ass••••rance
too. As therefore thou hast imprinted in all thine Elements, of which our bodies con∣sist, two manifest quali∣ties, so that, as thy fire dries, so it heats too; and as thy water moysts, so it cooles too, so, O Lord, in these corrections, which are the elements of our re∣generation, by which our soules are made thine, imprint thy two quali∣ties, those two operati∣ons, that as they scourge vs, they may scourge vs into the way to thee:
that when they haue shewed vs, that we are nothing in our selues, they may also shew vs, that thou art all things vnto vs. When therfore in this particular circū∣stance, O Lord (but none of thy iudgements are circumstances; they are all of the substance of thy good purpose vpon vs•• whē in this particular, that he, whō thou has•• sent to assist me, desires assistants to him, thou hast let mee see, in how few houres thou cans••
throw me beyond the helpe of man, let me by the same light see, that no vehimence of sick∣nes, no tentation of Sa∣tan, no guiltines of sin, no prison of death, not this first, this sicke bed, not the other prison, the close and dark graue, can remooue me from the determined, and good purpose, which tho•• sealed concerning mee. Let me think no degree of this thy correction, casuall, or without signi∣fication; but yet when I
haue read it in that lan∣guage, as it is a correcti∣on, let me translate it in∣to another, and read it as a mercy; and which of these is the Originall, and which is the Translati∣on, whether thy Mercy, or thy Correction, wer•• thy primary, and origi∣nal intētion in this sick∣nes, I cannot conclude, though death conclud•• me; for as it must neces∣sarily appeare to bee •• correction, so I can hau•• no greater argument o•• thy mercy, then to die i••
thee, and by that death, to bee vnited to him, who died for me.
STil when we return to that Meditation, that Man, is a World, we find new discoueries. Let him be a world, and him self will be the land, and misery the sea. His mise∣ry,
(for misery is his, his own; of the happinesses euen of this world, h••e is but tenant, but of mi∣sery the free-holder; of happines hee is but the farmer, but the vsufru∣ctuary but of misery, the Lord, the proprietary) his misery, as the sea, swells aboue all the hilles, and reaches to the remotest parts of this earth, Man; who of himselfe is bu•• dust, and coagula••ed and kneaded into earth; by teares, his ma••te•• is ••arth, his forme, misery. In this
world, that is Mankinde, the highest ground, the eminētest hils, are kings; and haue they line, and lead enough to fadome this sea, and say, My mi∣sery is but this deepe? Scarce any misery equal to sicknesse; and they are subiect to that equally, with their lowest sub∣iect. A glasse is not the lesse brittle, because a Kings face is represented in it, nor a King the lesse brittle, because God is re∣presented in him. They haue Phisicians continu∣ally
about them, & ther∣fore sicknesses, or the worst of sicknesses, con∣tinuall feare of it. Are they gods? He that calld them so, cannot flatter. They are Gods, but sick•• gods; and God is presen∣ted to vs vnder many human affections, as fa•• as infirmities; God is cal∣led angry, and sorry, and weary, and heauy; bu•• neuer a sicke God: for then hee might die like men, as our gods do. The worst that they could say in reproch, & scorn••
of the gods of the Hea∣thē, was, that perchance they were asleepe; but Gods that are so sicke, as that they cannot sleepe; are in an infirmer con∣dition. A God, and need a Phisician? A Iupiter & need an Aesulapius? that must haue Rh••ubarbe to purge his Choller, lest he be too angry, and Aga∣rick to purge his s••••gme, lest he be too drowsie; that as Tertullian saies of the Aegyptian gods, plants and herbes, That God was beholden to Man, for grow∣ing
in his garden, so wee must say of these gods•• Their eternity, (an eter∣nity of threescore & ten yeares) is in the Apothe∣caryes shop, and not in the Metaphoricall Deity. But their Deitye is bet∣ten expressed in their hu∣mility, then in their ••eighth; when aboun∣ding and ouerflowing, as God, in means of do∣ing good, they descend, as God, to a communi∣cation of their abun∣dāces with men, accor∣ding to their necessities,
then they are Gods. No man is well, that vnder∣stands not, that values not his being well; that hath not a cheereful∣nesse, and a ioy in it; and whosoeuer hath this Ioy, hath a desire to communicate, to propagate that, which occasions his happi∣nesse, and his Ioy, to o∣thers; for euery man loues witnesses of his happinesse; and the best witnesses, are ex∣perimentall witnesses; they who haue tasted
of that in themselues, which makes vs hap∣pie: It consummate•• therefore, it perfits the happinesse of Kings, to confer, to transfer, ho∣nor, and riches, and (as they can) health, vpon those that need them.
MY God, may God, I haue a warning from the Wise man,* 1.127 tha•• when a rich man speaketh, euery man holdeth his tong••
and looke what hee saith, they extoll it to the clouds; but if a poore man speake, they say, what fellowe is this? And if hee stumble, they will help to ouerthrow him. Therefore may my words be vnderualued, and my errors aggraua∣ted, if I offer to speak of Kings; but not by thee, O my God, because I speak of them as they are in thee, & of thee, as thou art in them. Certainly those men prepare a way of speaking negligently, or irreuerently of thee, that
giue themselues that li∣berty, in speaking of thy Vice-gerents, Kings:* 1.128 for thou who gauest Augu∣stus the Empire, gauest it to Nero to, and as Vespa∣sian had it from thee, so had Iulian; Though Kings deface in them∣selues thy first image, in their owne soule, thou giuest no man leaue to deface thy second Image, imprinted indelibly in their power. But thou knowest, O God, that if I should be slacke in cele∣brating thy mercies to
mee exhibited by that royall Instrument•• my Sou••raigne, to many o∣ther faults, that touch vpon Allegiance, I should add the worst of all, In∣gratitude; which consti∣••utes an il man, & faults which are defects in a∣ny particular sunction, are not so great, as those that destroy our humani∣tie•• It is not so ill, to bee an ill subiect, as to be an ill man•• for he hath an v∣niuersall illnesse, ready to blow•• and powre out it selfe into any mold, a∣ny
form, and to spend it selfe in any function. As therfore thy Son did vp∣on the Coyne, I look vp∣on the King, and I ask•• whose image, & whose inscription hee hath; and he hath thine; And I giue vnto thee, that which i•• thine, I recommend his happines to thee, in al•• my sacrifices of thanks, for that which hee en∣ioyes, and in al my prai∣ers, for the continuance and inlargement of thē But let me stop, my G••d, and consider; will no••
this look like a piece of art, & cunning, to con∣uey into the world an opinion, that I were more particularly in his care, then other men? And that heerein, in a a shew of humilitie, and thankefulnesse, I magni∣fie my selfe more then there is cause? But let not that iealousie stopp mee, O God, but let me go forward in cele∣brating thy mercy exhi∣bited by him. This which hee doth now, in assist∣ing so my bodily health,
I know is common to me with many? Many, many•• haue tasted of that expression of his gracio••snes. Where hee ••an giue health by his owne hands, hee doth•• and to more then any of his predecessors haue done: Therefore hath God reserued one diseas•• for him, that hee onely might cure it, though perchance not onely by one Title, and Interest, nor only as one king. To those that need it not, in that kind, and so cannot
haue it by his owne hand, he sends a donatiue of health, in sending his Phisician: The holy King S. Lewis in France, & our Maud is celebrated for that, that persōally they visited Hospitals, & assi∣sted in the Cure, euen of loathsome Diseases. And when that religious Em¦press Placilla, the wife of Theodosius was told, that she diminished her ••elfe to much in those perso∣nal assistances, & might doe enough in sending ••eliefe, shee said, Shee
would send in that capaci∣tie, as Empresse, but shee would go to, in that capaci∣tie, as a Christian, as a fel∣low member of the body o•• thy Son, with them.* 1.129 So thy seruāt Dauid applies him selfe to his people, so he incorporates himselfe in his people, by calling them his brethren, his bones, his flesh; and when they fel vnder thy hand, euen to the pretermit∣ting of himselfe, he pres∣ses vpon thee, by praye•• for them;* 1.130 I haue si••••ned, but these sheepe what
haue they donne? let thine hand I pray thee be against me and against my fathers house. It is kingly to giue;* 1.131 whē Araumah gaue that great, & free present to Dauid, that place, those instrumēts for sacrifice, and the sacrifices them∣selues, it is said there, by thy Spirit, Al these things did Araumah giue, as a King, to the King. To giue is an approaching to the Condition of Kings, but to giue health, an appro∣ching to the King, of Kings, to thee. But this
his assisting to my bodi∣ly health, thou knowest O God, and so doe some others of thine Honora∣ble seruants know, is bu•• the twy-light, of that day, wherein thou•• tho∣row him, hast shind vp∣on mee before; but the Eccho of that voyce, whereby thou, through him, hast spoke to mee before; Then, when he, first of any man con∣ceiu'd a hope, that I might be of some vse in thy Church, and descen∣ded to an intimation, to
a perswasiō, almost to a solicitatiō, that I would embrace that calling. And thou who hadst put that desire into his heart, didst also put into mine, an obedience to it; and I who was sicke before, of a vertiginous giddines, and irresoluti∣on, and almost spent all my time in consulting how I should spend it, was by this man of God, and God of men, put into the poole, and recouerd: when I asked, perchāce, a stone, he gaue me bread,
when I asked, perchāce, a Scorpion, he gaue me a fish; whē I asked a tem∣porall office, hee denied not, refused not that, but let mee see, that hee had rather I took this. These things, thou O God, who forgettest nothing, hast not forgot, though per∣chance, he, because they were benefits, hath; but I am not only a witnesse, but an instance,* 1.132 that ou•• Iehosophat hath a care to ordaine Priests, as well as Iudges: and not only to send Phisicians fo••
temporall, but to bee the Phisician for spirituall health.
O Eternall and most gracious God, who though thou haue reser∣ued thy tresure of perfit ioy, and perfit glory, to be giuen by thine own hands then, whē by see∣ing thee, as thou art in thy selfe, and knowing thee, as we are known, wee shall possesse in an instant, and possesse for
euer, all that can any way cōduce to our hap∣pinesses, yet here also in this world, giuest vs such earnests of that full pay∣ment, as by the value of the earnest, we may giue some estimat of the tre∣sure, humbly, and thāk∣fully I acknowledge, that thy blessed spirit in∣structs mee, to make a differēce of thy blessings in this world, by that difference of the Instru∣ments, by which it hath pleased thee to deriue them vnto me. As we see
thee heere in a glasse, so we receiue frō thee here by reflexion, & by instru∣ments. Euen casual things come from thee; and that which we call Fortune here, hath another name aboue. Nature reaches out her hand, and giues vs corne, and wine, and oyle, and milk, but thou fillest her hand before, and thou openest her hand, that she may rain down her showres vp∣on vs. Industry reaches out her hand to vs, and giues vs fruits of our la∣bor,
for our selues, & our posteritie; but thy hand guides that hand, when it sowes, and when it wa∣ters, and the increase is from thee. Friends reach out their hands, & pre∣fer vs, but thy hand sup∣ports that hād, that sup∣ports vs. Of all these thy instruments haue I recei∣ued thy blessing, O God, but bless thy name most for the greatest; that as a member of the publike, and as a partaker of pri∣uate fauours too, by thy right hand, thy power∣full
hand set, ouer vs, I haue had my portion, not only in the hearing, but in the preaching of thy Gospel. Humbly beseech∣ing thee, that as thou continuest thy wonted goodnes vpon the whol world, by the wonted meanes, & instruments, the same Sun, and Moon, the same Nature, and In∣dustry, so to continue the same blessings vpon this State, and this Church by the same hand, so long, as that thy Son when he comes in the clouds, may
find him, or his Son, or his sonnes sonnes ready to giue an account, & able to stand in that iudgmēt, for their faithfull Stew∣ardship, and dispensation of thy talēts so abūdant∣ly cōmitted to them; & be to him, O God, in all distēpers of his body, in all anxieties of spirit, in all holy sadnesses of soule, such a Phisician in thy proportion, who art the greatest in heauen, as hee hath bin in soule, & body to me, in his proportiō, who is the greatst vpon earth.
THey haue seene me, and heard mee, ar∣raign'd mee in these fet∣ters, and receiu'd the eui∣dence; I haue cut vp mine own Anatomy, diffected my selfe, and they are gon to read vpon me. O how manifold, and per∣plexed a thing, nay, how wanton and various a thing is ruine and destru∣ction?
God presented to Dauid three kinds, War, Famine, and Pestilence; Satan left out these, and brought in, fires frō hea∣uen, and windes from the wildernes. If there were no ruine but sicknes, wee see, the Masters of that Art, can scarce nūber, not name all sicknesses; euery thing that disorders a fa∣culty, & the function of that is a sicknesse: The names wil not serue thē which are giuen frō the place affected, the Pluris•••• is so; nor from the effect
which it works, the fal∣ling sicknes is so; they cā∣not haue names ynow, from what it does, nor where it is, but they must extort names frō what it is like, what it resem∣bles, & b••t in some one thing, or els they would lack names; for the Wolf, and the Canker, and the Polypus are so; and that question, whether there be more names or things, is as perplexd in sicknesses, as in any thing else; except it be easily resolud vpon that side, that there are
more sicknesses thē names. If ruine were reduc'd to that one way, that Man could perish noway but by sicknes, yet his danger were infinit; and if sick∣nes were reduc'd to that one way, that there were no sicknes but a feuer, yet the way were infinite still; for it would ouer∣lode, & oppress any na∣turall, disorder and dis¦compose any artificiall Mem••ry, to deliuer the names of seuerall Feuers; how intricate a worke then haue they, who ar••
gone to consult, which of these sicknesses mine is, and then which of these feuers, and then what it would do, and thē how it may be countermind. But euen in ill, it is a de∣gree of good, whē the euil wil admit consultation. In many diseases, that which is but an accident, but a symptom of the main dis∣ease, is so violēt, that the phisician must attend the cure of that, though hee pretermi•• (so far as to in∣termi••) the cure of the di∣sease it self. Is it not so in
States too? somtimes the insolēcy of those that are great, put the people into commotions; the great dis∣ease, & the greatest dan∣ger to the Head, is the in∣solency of the great ones; & yet, they execute Martial law, they come to present executions vpō the people, whose commotion was indeed but a simptom, but an accident of the maine disease; but this symptom, grown so violent, wold allow no time for a con∣sultatiō. Is it not so in the accidents of the diseases
of our mind too? Is it not euidently so in our affe∣ctions, in our passions? If a cholerick man be ready to strike, must I goe about to purge his choler, or to breake the blow? But where there is room for consultatiō, things are not desperate. They consult; so there is nothing rash∣ly, incōsideratly done; and then they prescribe, the•• write, so there is nothing couertly, disguisedly, vna∣vowedly done. In bodily diseases it is not alwaies so; sometimes, assoon as
the Phisicians foote is in the chamber, his knife is in the patients arme; the disease would not allow a minutes forbearing of blood, nor prescribing of other remedies. In States & matter of gouernmēt it is so too; they are som∣times surprizd with such accidēts, as that the Magi∣strat asks not what may be done by law, but does that, which must neces∣sarily be don in that case But it is a degree of good, in euill, a degree that ca∣••ies hope & cōfort in it, when we may haue r••••course
to that which is written, and that the pro∣ceedings may bee apert, and ingenuous, and can∣did, and auowable, for that giues satisfaction, and acquiescence. They who haue receiued my Anatomy of my selfe, con∣sult, and end their consul∣tatiō in prescribing, and in prescribing Phisick; pro∣per and conuenient re∣medy: for if they shold come in again, and chide mee, for some disorder, that had occasion'd, and inducd, or that had hast∣ned and exalted this sick∣nes,
or if they should be∣gin to write now rules for my dyet, and exercise when I were well, this were to antidate, or to postdate their Consultati∣on, not to giue phisick. It were rather a vexation, then a reliefe, to tell a condemnd prisoner, you might haue liu'd if you had done this; & if you can get your pardon, you shal do wel, to take this, or this course hereafter. I am glad they know (I haue hid nothing from them) glad they consult,
(they hide nothing frō one another) glad they write (they hide nothing frō the world) glad that they write and prescribe Phisick, that there are re∣medies for the present case.
My God, my God, al∣low me a iust in∣dignation, a holy detes∣tation of the insolēcy of that Man, who because he was of that high rāke, of whō thou hast said,
They are gods, thought himselfe more then e∣quall to thee; That king of Aragon Alfonsus, so perfit in the motions of the heauenly bodies, as that hee aduentured to say, That if he had bin of councell with thee, in the making of the heauens, the the heauens should haue bin disposed in a better order, then they are.* 1.133 The king A∣masiah would not in∣dure thy prophet to re∣prehend him, but asked him in anger, Art thou made of the kings councell••
When thy Prophet E∣saias askes that questiō who hath directed the spirit of the Lord,* 1.134 or being his councellor hath tought him. It is after hee had setled and determined that of∣fice, vpon thy sonne, and him onely, whē he ioyns with those great Titles, The mighty God,* 1.135 and the prince of peace, this also, the Councellor; and after he had setled vpon him, the spirit of might, and of councell.* 1.136 So that thē, thou O God, thogh thou haue no councell from Man,
yet doest nothing vpon man, without councell; In the making of Man there was a consultation; let vs make man.* 1.137 In the preseruing of Man, O thou great preseruer 〈◊〉〈◊〉 men,* 1.138 thou proceededst by councell; for all thy ex∣ternall workes, are the workes of the whole Trinity, and their hand is to euery action. How much more must I ap∣prehend, that al you bles••sed, & glorious persons of the Trinitie are in Con∣sultation now, what you
wil do with this in firm body, with this leprous Soule, that attends, guilti∣ly, but yet comfortably, your determination vpō it. I offer not to counsell them, who meet in con∣sultatiō for my body now, but I open my in••••rmi∣ties, I anatomise my body to them. So I do my soule to thee, O my God, in an hūble confession, That there is no veine in mee, that is not full of the bloud of thy Son, whō I haue crucified, & Cruci∣fied againe, by multiply∣ing
many, and often re∣peating the same sinnes that there is no Artery in me,* 1.139 that hath not the spi∣rit of error,* 1.140 the spirit of lust, the spirit of giddines in it••* 1.141 no bone in me that is not hardned with the cu∣sto••e of sin, and nouri∣shed, and soupled with the marrow of sinn; no si∣news, no ligamēts, that do not tie, & chain sin and sin together. Yet, O bles∣sed and glorious Trinity, O holy, & whole Colledge, and yet but one Phisician, if you take this confession
into a consult••••••on, my case is not desp••rate my destructiō is not decreed; If your consultation deter∣min in writing, if you re∣fer mee to that which is written, you intend my recouery: for al the way, O my God, (euer constant to thine owne wayes) thou hast proceeded opē∣ly, intellig••bly, manifestly, by the book. From thy first book, the book of life, ne∣ue•• shut to thee, but neuer throughly open to vs; frō thy second book, the booke of Nature, wher though
subobscurely, and in sha∣dows, thou hast expres∣sed thine own Image; frō thy third booke; the Scrip∣tures, where thou hadst writtē all in the Old, and then lightedst vs a cādle to read it by, in the New Testament; To these thou hadst added the booke of iust, and vsefull Lawes, e∣stablished by them, to whom thou hast com∣mitted thy people; To those, the Manualls, the pocket, the bosome books of our own Consciences, To ••hose thy partcular books
of all our particular sins; and to those, the Booke with seuen seales, which only the Lamb which was slaine, was found worthy to opē;* 1.142 which, I hope, it shall not disagree with the meaning of thy blessed Spirit, to interpre••e, the promulgation of their par∣don, and righteousnes, who are washed in the blood of that Lambe; And if thou refer me to these Bookes, to a new reading, a new triall by these bookes•• this feuer may be but a bur∣ning in the hand, and I
may be saued, thogh not by my book, mine own conscience, nor by thy o∣ther books, yet by thy first, the book of life, thy de∣cree for my election, and by thy last, the book of the Lamb, and the shedding of his blood vpon me; If I be stil vnder cōsultation, I am not cōdemned yet; if I be sent to these books I shall not be condem'd at all: for, though there be somthing written in some of those books (par∣ticularly in the Scriptur••) which some men turne to poyson, yet vpon these
consultations (these confes∣sions, these takings of our particular cases, into thy consideration) thou in∣tendest all for phisick, & euen from those Senten∣ces, from which a too••late Repenter will sucke desperation, he that seeks thee early, shall receiue thy morning dew, thy sea∣sonable mercy, thy for∣ward consolation.
O Eternall and most gracious God, who art of so pure eyes, as
that thou canst not look vpon sinn, and we of so vnpure constitutions, as that wee can present no obiect but sin, and ther∣fore might iustly ••eare, that thou wouldst turn thine eyes for euer from vs, as, though we cannot indure afflictions in our selues, yet in thee we can•• so thogh thou canst not indure sinne in vs, yet in ••hy Sonn thou canst, and he hath taken vpon him se••fe, and presented to thee, al those sins, which might displease thee in
vs. There is an Eye in Nature, that kills, assoon as it sees, the eye of a Serpent; no eye in Na∣ture, that nourishes vs by looking vpon vs; But thine Eye, O Lord, does so. Looke therefore vp∣on me, O Lord, in this di∣stresse, and that will re∣call mee from the bor∣ders of this bodily death; Look vpon me, and that wil raise me again from that spirituall death, in which my parents bu∣ried me, when they be∣got mee in sinne, and in
which I haue pierced euen to the lawes of hell, by multiplying such heaps of actuall sins, vp∣on that foundation, that root of originall sinn. Yet take me again, into your Consultation, O blessed and glorious Trinitie; & thogh the Father know, that I haue defaced his Image receiued in my Creation; though the Son know, I haue neglected mine in∣terest in the Redemption, yet, O blessed spirit, as thou art to my Consciēce, so be to them a witnes, that
at this minute, I accept that which I haue so of∣ten, so often, so rebelli∣ously refused, thy blessed inspirations; be thou my witnes to them, that at more poores then this slacke body sweates teares, this sad soule weeps blood; and more for the displeasure of my God, then for the stripes of his displeasure. Take me then, O blessed, & glo∣rious Trinitie, into a Re∣cōsultation, and prescribe me any phisick; If it bee a long, & painful holding
of this soule in sicknes, it is phisick, if I may discern thy hand to giue it, & it is phisick, if it be a speedy departing of this Soule, if I may discerne thy hand to receiue it.
THis is Natures nest of Boxes; The Heauens containe the Earth, the
Earth, Cities, Cities, Men. And all these are Concen∣trique; the common cen∣ter to them all, is decay, ruine; only that is Ecoen∣trique, which was neuer made, only that place, or garment rather, which we can imagine, but not demonstrate, That light, which is the very ema∣nation of the light of God, in which the Saints shall dwell, with which the Saints shall be appa∣reld, only that bends not to this Center, to Ruine; that which was not
made of Nothing, is not threatned with this an∣nihilation. All other things are; euen A••gels, euē our soules; they moue vpon the same poles, they bend to the same Center; and if they were not made immortall by pre∣seruation, their Nature could not keepe them from sinking to this cen∣ter, Annihilation. In all these (the frame of the he∣uens, the States vpō earth, & Men in them, compre∣hend all) Those are the greatest mischifs, which
are least discerned; the most insensible in their wayes come to bee the most sensible in their ends. The Heauens haue had their Dropsie, they drownd the world, and they shall haue their Fe∣uer, and burn the world. Of the dropsie, the flood, the world had a fore∣knowledge 120 yeares before it came; and so some made prouision a∣gainst it, and were sau••d•• the feuer shall break out in an instant, & consume all; The dropsie did no
harm to the heauens, frō whence it fell, it did not put out those lights, it did not quench those heates; but the feuer, the fire shall burne the fur∣nace it selfe, annihilate those heauens, that b••eath it out; Though the Dog-Starre haue a pestilent breath, an infectious ex∣halation, yet because we know when it wil rise, we clo••he our selues, & wee die•• our selues, and wee shadow our selues to a sufficient preuētion; but Comets and blazing
starres, whose effects, or significations no man can interrupt or frustrat, no man foresaw: no Al∣manack tells vs, when a blazing starre will bre••k out, the matter is carried vp in secret; no Astrologer tels vs when the effects wil be accomplishd, for thats a secret of a higher spheare, then the other; and that which is most secret, is most dangerous. It is so also here in the so∣cieties of men, in States, & Commōwealths. Twen∣tie rebellious drums make
not so dāgerous a noise, as a few whisperers, and secret plotters in cor∣ners. The Canon doth not so much hurt against a wal, as a Myne vnder the wall; nor a thousand e∣nemies that threaten, so much as a few that take an oath to say nothing. God knew many heauy sins of the people, in the wildernes and after, but still he charges thē with that one, with Murmu∣ring, murmuring in their hearts, secret disobedien∣ces, secre•• repugn••nces
against his declar'd wil; and th••se are the most deadly, the most pernici∣ous. And it is so to, with the diseases of the body; and that is my case. The pulse, the vrine, the sweat, all haue sworn to say no∣thing, to giue no Indicati∣on of any dangerous sick∣nesse. My forces are not enfeebled, I find no de∣cay in my strength; my prouisions are not cut off, I find no abhorring in mine appetite; my counsels are not corrup∣ted nor infatuated, I find
no false apprehēsions, to work vpon mine vnder∣stāding•• and yet they see, that inuisibly, & I feele, that insensibly the disease preuailes. The disease hath established a King∣dome, an Empire in mee, and will haue certaine Arcana Imperij, secrets of State, by which it will proceed, & not be boūd to declare ••hem. But yet against those secret con∣spiracies in the State, the Magistrate hath the ra••k•• and against these insen∣sible diseases, Phisicians
haue their examiners; and those these imploy now.
MY God, my God, I haue bin told, and told by relation, by her own brother, that did it, by thy seruant Nazian∣zen, that his Sister in the vehemēcy of her prayer, did vse to threaten thee, with a holy importunitie, with a pious impudencie. I dare not doe so, O•• God; but as thy seruant Augu∣stin, wisht that Adam had
not sinned, therefore that Christ might not haue died, may I not to this one purpose wish,* 1.143 That if the Serpent before the tentation of Eue, did goe vpright, and speake, that he did so still, because I should the sooner heare him, if he spoke, the soo∣ner see him, if he went vpright? In his curse, I am cursed too; his creeping vndoes mee: for how∣soeuer hee begin at the heele, and doe but bruise that;* 1.144 yet he, and Death in him is come into our win∣dowes;
into our Eyes, and Eares, the entrāces, & in∣lets of our soule. He works vpon vs in secret, & we doe not discerne him; And one great work of his vpon vs, is to make vs so like himselfe, as to sin in secret, that others may not see vs; But his Master-piece is, to make vs sin in secret so, as that we may not see our selus sin. For the first, the hi∣ding of our sins from o∣ther men, hee hath in∣duo'd that, which was his off-spring from the
beginning,* 1.145 A lye: for man, is in Nature, yet, in posses••ion of some such sparkes of ingenui∣tie, & noblenesse, as that, but to disguise Euill, hee would not lye. The bo∣die, the sinne, is the Ser∣pents, and the garment that couers it, the lye, is his too. These are his; but the hiding of sinne from our selues, is Hee himselfe: when we haue the sting of the Serpent in vs, and doe not sting our selues, the venim of sin, and no remorse for
sinn, then, as thy blessed Sonne said of Iudas, Hee is a deuill,* 1.146 not that he had one, but was one, so we are become deuils to our selues, and we haue not only a Serpent in our bo∣some, but we our selues, are to our selues that Serpent. How farre did thy seruant Dauid presse vpon thy pardon, in that petition,* 1.147 Clense thou me from secret sinns? can any sin bee secret? for, a great part of our sinnes, though, sayes thy Pro∣phet, we conceiue them in
the darke, vpon ou•• bed, yet sayes he, We doe them in the light; there are ma∣ny sins, which we glorie in doing, and would not doe, if no body should know thē. Thy blessed seruant August confesses, that hee was ashamed of his shamefastnes, and ten∣dernesse of Conscience, and that he often be lied himself with sinnes, which he neuer did, lest he should be vnac∣ceptable to his sinfull com∣panions. But if we would conceale them, (thy Pr••∣phet found such a desire,
and such a practise in some, whē he said,* 1.148 Thou hast trusted in thy wicked∣kednes, and thou hast sayd, None shall see me) yet can we conceale thē? Thou O God, canst heare of them by others; The voice of Abels blood,* 1.149 will tell thee of Cains murder; the Heauens themselues will tell thee Heauē shal reueale his iniquity;* 1.150 a smal creature alone, shall doe it,* 1.151 A bird of the ayre shall carry the voice, and tell the matter: Thou wilt trou∣ble no Informer, thou thy
selfe reuealedst Adams sin,* 1.152 to thy selfe; And the manifestation of sin is so ful to thee,* 1.153 as that thou shalt reueale all to all, Thou shalt bring euery worke to Iudgement, with euery se∣cret thing, and there is no∣thing couered, that shall not bee reuealed:* 1.154 But, O my God, there is another way of knowing my sins, which thou louest better then any of these; To know them by my Confession. As Phisicke works so, it drawes the peccant humour to it selfe,
that when it is gathered together, the weight of it selfe may carry that humour away, so thy Spirit returns to my Me∣mory my former sinnes, that being so recolle∣cted, they may powre out them••elues by Con∣fession. When I kept silence, sayes thy seruant Dauid, day, and night, thy hand was heauy vpon mee,* 1.155 But when I said,* 1.156 I wil confesse my transgressions vnto the Lord, thou forgauest the in∣iquitie of my sinne. Thou interpretest the very pu••∣pose
of Confession so well, as that thou scarce lea∣uest any new Mercy for the action it selfe. This Mercy thou leauest, that thou armest vs thereup∣on, against relapses into the sinnes which wee haue confessed. And that mercy, which thy seruant Augustine apprehends, when he sayes to thee, Thou hast forgiuē me those sinnes which I haue done, and those sinnes which on∣ly by thy grace I haue not done: they were done in our inclination to them,
and euen that inclination needs thy mercy, and that Mercy he calls a Pardon. And these are most tru∣ly secret sinnes, because they were neuer done, and because no other man, nor I my selfe, but onely thou knowest, how many and how great sinnes I haue sca∣ped by thy grace, which without that, I should haue multiplied against thee.
O Eternall, and most gracious God, who as thy Sonne Christ Iesus, though hee knew all things, yet said hee knew not the day of Iudgement, because he knew it not so, as that he might tell it vs; so though thou knowest all my sins, yet thou knowest them not to my comfort, except thou know them by my telling them to th••e, how shall I bring to thy knowledg by that way,
those sinns, which I my selfe know not? If I ac∣cuse my selfe of Originall sin, wilt thou ask me if I know what originall sin is? I know not enough of it to satisfie others, but I know enough to condemne my self, & to solicit thee. If I confesse to thee the sinnes of my youth, wilt thou aske me, if I know what those sins were? I know them not so well, as to name them all, nor am sure to liue houres enough to name them al, (for I did
thē then, faster then I can speak them now, when euery thing that I did, conduc'd to some sinne) but I know thē so well, as to know, that no∣thing but thy mercy is so infinite as they. If the naming of Sinnes, of Thought, Word, and Deed, of sinns of Omission, and of Action, of sins against thee, against my neigh∣bour, and against my self, of sinns vnrepented, and sinnes relapsed into after Repentance, of sinnes of Ignorance, and sinnes a∣gainst
the testimonie of my Conscience, of sinnes against thy Commaunde∣ments, sinnes against thy Sonnes Prayer, and sinns against our owne Creed, of sins against the laws of that Church, & sinnes against the lawes of that State, in which thou hast giuen mee my sta∣tion, If the naming o•• these sinnes reach not home to all mine, I know what will; O Lord pardon me, me, all those sinnes, which thy Sonne Christ Iesus suffered for,
who suffered for all the sinnes of all the world; for there is no sinne a∣mongst all those which had not been my sinne, if thou hadst not beene my God, and antidated me a pardon in thy pre∣uenting grace. And since sinne in the nature of it, retaines still so much of the author of it, that it is a Serpent, insensi∣bly insinuating it selfe, into my Soule, let thy brazen Serpent, (the con∣templation of thy Sonne crucified for me) be e∣uermore
present to me, for my recouery against the sting of the first Ser∣pent; That so, as I haue a Lyon against a Lyon, The Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah, against that Lyon, that seekes whom hee may deuoure, so I may haue a Serpent against a Ser∣pent, the Wisedome of the Serpent, against the Ma∣lice of the Serpent, And, both against that Lyon, and Serpent, forcible, and subtill tentations, Thy Doue with thy O∣liue, in thy Arke, Humi∣litie,
and Peace, and Re∣conciliation to thee, by the ordinances of thy Church•• Amen.
WHence can wee take a better ar∣gument,
a clearer d••∣monstration, that all the Greatnes of this world, is built vpon opinion of others, and hath in it self no reall being, nor pow∣er of subsistence, then from the heart of man? It is alwayes in Action, and motion, still busie, still pretending to doe all, to furnish all the powers, and faculties with all that they haue; But if an ••nemy dare rise vp a∣gainst it, it is the soonest endangered, the soonest defeated of any part.
The Braine will hold out longer then it, and the Liuer longer then that; They will endure a Siege; but an vnnatural heat, a rebellious heat, will blow vp the heart, like a Myne, in a minute. But howsoeuer, since the Heart hath the birth∣right, and Primogeniture, and that it is Natures el∣dest Sonne in vs, the part which is first borne to life in man, and that the other parts, as younger brethren, and seruants in this family, haue a de∣pendance
vpon it, it is reason that the princi∣pall care bee had of it, though it bee not the strongest part; as the el∣dest is oftentimes not the strongest of the fa∣mily. And since the Braine, and Liuer, and Heart, hold not a Trium∣uirate in Man, a Soue∣raigntie equally shed vp∣on them all, for his well-being, as the foure Ele∣ments doe, for his very being, but the Heart a∣lone is in the Principali∣tie, and in the Throne, as
King, the rest as Sub∣iects, though in eminent Place, and Office, must contribute to that, as Children to their Pa∣rents, as all persons to all kindes of Superiours, though oftētimes, those Parents, or those Supe∣riours, bee not of stron∣ger parts, then them∣selues, that serue and o∣bey them that are wea∣ker; Neither doth this Obligation fall vpon vs, by second Dictates of Nature, by Consequences, and Conclusions arising
out of Nature, or de∣riu'd from Nature, by Discourse, (as many things binde vs, euen by the Law of Nature, and yet not by the primarie Law of Nature; as all Lawes of Proprietie in that which we possesse, are of the Law of Na∣ture, which law is, To giue euery one his owne, and yet in the primarie law of Nature, there was no Proprietie, no Meum & Tuum, but an vniuersall Communitie o∣uer all; So the obedi∣ence
of Superiours, is of the law of Nature, and yet in the primarie law of Nature, there was no Superioritie, no Ma∣gistracie;) but this con∣tribution of assistance of all to the Soueraigne, of all parts to the Heart, is from the very first dictates of Nature; which is in the first place, to haue care of our owne Preseruation, to looke first to our selues; for therefore doth the Phi∣sician intermit the pre∣sent care of Braine, or
Liuer, because there is a possibilitie, that they may subsist, though there bee not a present and a particular care had of them, but there is no possibilitie that they can subsist, if the Heart perish: and so, when we seeme to be∣gin with others, in such assistances, indeed wee doe beginne with our selues, and wee our selues are principally in our contemplation; and so all these officious, and mutuall assistan∣ces,
are but complements towards others, and our true end is our selues. And this is the reward of the paines of Kings; sometimes they neede the power of law, to be obeyd; and when they seeme to be obey'd vo∣luntarily, they who doe it, doe it for their owne sakes. O how little a thing is all the greatnes of man, and through how false glasses doth he make shift to multi∣ply it, and magnifie it to himselfe? And yet this
is also another misery of this King of man, the Heart, which is also ap∣plyable to the Kings of this world, great men, that the venime & poy∣••on of euery pestilenti∣all disease directs it selfe to the heart, affects that, (pernicious affection,) and the malignity of ill men, is also directed vp∣on the greatest, and the best; and not only great∣nesse, but goodnesse looses the vigour of beeing an Antidote, or Cordiall a∣gainst it. And as the
noblest, and most gene∣rous Cordialls that Na∣ture or Art afford, or can prepare, if they be often taken, and made fami∣liar, become no Cordi∣alls, nor haue any extra∣ordinary operation, so the greatest Cordiall of the Heart, patience, if it bee much exercis'd, ex∣alts the venim and the malignity of the Enemy, and the more we suffer, the more wee are insul∣ted vpon. When God had made this Earth of nothing, it was but a lit∣tle
helpe, that he had, to make other things of this Earth: nothing can be neerer nothing, then this Earth; and yet how little of this Earth, is the greatest Man? Hee thinkes he treads vpon the Earth, that all is vn∣der his fe••te, and the Braine that thinkes so, is but Earth; his highest Region, the flesh that couers that, is but earth; and euen the toppe of that, that, wherein so many Absolons take so much pride, is but a
bush growing vpon that Turfe of Earth. How litle of the world is the Earth? And yet that is all, that Man hath, or is. How little of a Man is the Heart; and yet it is all, by which he is: and this continually subiect, not onely to forraine poysons, conueyed b•• others, but to intestine poysons bred in our selues by pestilentiall sicknesses. O who, if before hee had a bee∣ing, he could haue sense
of this miserie, would buy a being here vpon these conditions?
MY God, my God, all that thou askest of mee,* 1.157 is my Heart, My Sonne, giue mee thy heart; Am I thy sonne, as long as I haue but my heart? VVilt thou giue mee an Inheritance, a Filiation, any thing for my heart? O thou, who saydst to Satan, Hast thou conside∣red
my seruant Iob,* 1.158 that there is none like him vp∣on the earth, shall my feare, shall my zeale, shall my iealousie haue leaue to say to thee, Hast thou considered my Heart, that there is not so peruerse a Heart vpon ea••th; and woul∣dest thou haue that; and shall I be thy Sonne, thy eternall Sonnes Coheire, for giuing that?* 1.159 The Heart is deceitfull, aboue all things, and desperate∣ly wicked; who can know it? Hee that askes that
question, makes the an∣swere, I the Lord search the Heart. When didst thou search mine? Dost thou thinke to finde it, as thou madest it in A∣dam? Thou hast sear∣ched since, and found all these gradations in the ill of our Hearts,* 1.160 That euery imagination, of the thoughts of our hearts, is onely euill continually. Doest thou remember this, and wouldest thou haue my Heart? O God of all light, I know thou knowest all; and it is
Thou,* 1.161 that declarest vnto man, what is his Heart. VVithout thee, O Soueraigne goodnesse, I could not know, how ill my heart were. Thou hast declared vnto mee, in thy Word, That for all this deluge of euill, that hath surrunded all Hearts, yet thou soughtest and foundest a man after thine owne heart,* 1.162 That thou couldest and wouldest giue thy peo∣ple Pastours according to thine owne heart;* 1.163 And I can gather out of thy
Word, so good testimo∣ny of the hearts of men, as to finde single hearts, docile, and apprehensiue hearts; Hearts that can, Hearts that haue learnt; wise hearts, in one place, and in another, in a great degree, wise, perfit hearts; straight hearts, no peruersnesse with∣out, and cleane hearts, no foulenesse within; such hearts I can find in thy Word; and if my heart were such a heart, I would giue thee my Heart. But I find stonie
hearts too, and I haue made mine such: I haue found Hearts,* 1.164 that are snares; and I haue con∣uersed with such; hearts that burne like Ouens;* 1.165 and the fuell of Lust, and Enuie, and Am∣bition, hath inflamed mine; Hearts in which their Masters trust, And hee that trusteth in his owne heart,* 1.166 is a foole; His confidence in his owne morall Constan∣cie, and ciuill fortitude, will betray him, when thou shalt cast a spiri∣tuall
dampe, a heaui∣nesse, and dei••ction of spirit vpon him. I haue found these Hearts, and a worse then these, a Heart into the which the Deuill himselfe is entred, Iudas heart.* 1.167 The first kind of heart, alas, my God, I haue not; The last are not Hearts to bee giuen to thee; What shall I do? With∣out that present I can∣not bee thy Sonne, and I haue it not. To those of the first kinde, thou giuest ioyfulnes of heart,* 1.168
and I haue not that; To those of the other kinde, thou giuest faint∣nesse of heart:* 1.169 And bles∣sed bee thou, O God, for that forbearance, I haue not that yet. There is then a middle kinde of Hearts, not so pe••fit, as to bee giuen, but that the very giuing, mends them: Not so despe∣rate, as not to bee ac∣cepted, but that the ve∣ry accepting dignifies them.* 1.170 This is a melting heart, and a troubled heart; and a wounded
heart, and a broken heart, and a contrite heart; and by the po∣werfull working of thy piercing spirit, such a Heart I haue; Thy Sa∣muel spake vnto all the house of thy Israel,* 1.171 and sayd, If you returne to the Lord with all your hearts, prepare your hearts vnto the Lord. If my heart bee prepared, it is a returning heart; And if thou see it vpon the way, thou wilt carrie it ••ome; Nay, the prepara∣tion is thine too; this
melting, this wounding, this breaking, this con∣trition, which I haue now, is thy Way, to thy Ende; And those discom∣forts, are for all that, The earnest of thy Spirit in my heart;* 1.172 and where thou giuest earnest, thou wilt performe the bar∣gaine. Naball was con∣fident vpon his wine, but in the morning his heart dyed within him;* 1.173 Thou, O Lord, hast giuen mee Wormewood, and I haue had some diffidence vpon that;
and thon hast cleared a Morning to mee againe, and my heart is aliue. Danids heart smote him,* 1.174 when hee cut off the skirt from Saul;* 1.175 and his heart smote him, when hee had numbred his people: My heart hath strucke mee, when I come to num∣ber my sinnes; but that blowe is not to death, because those sinnes are not to death, but my heart liues in thee. But yet as long as I remaine in this great Hospitall, this sicke, this disease∣full
world, as long as I remaine in this le∣prous house, this flesh of mine, this Heart, though thus prepared for thee, prepared by thee, will still be sub∣iect to the inuasion of maligne and pestilent vapours. But I haue my Cordialls in thy pro∣mise;* 1.176 when I shall know the plague of my heart, and pray vnto thee, in thy house, thou wilt pre∣serue that heart, from all mortall force, of that infection: And
the Peace of God,* 1.177 which passeth all vnderstand∣ing, shall keepe my Heart and Minde through Christ Iesus.
O Eternall, and most gracious God, who in thy vpper house, the Heauens, though there bee many Mansions, yet art alike, and equal∣ly in euery Mansion, but heere in thy lower house, though thou fillest
all, yet art otherwise in some roomes thereof, then in others, other∣wise in thy Church, then in my Chamber, and o∣therwise in thy Sa∣craments, then in my Prayers, so though thou bee alwayes present, and alwayes working in euery roome of this thy House, my bo∣dy, yet I humbly be∣seech thee to manifest alwayes a more effectu∣all presence in my heart, then in the other Offi∣ces. Into the house of
thine Annoynted, dis∣loyall persons, Traitors will come; Into thy House, the Church, Hy∣pocrites, and Idolatrers will come; Into some Roomes of this thy House, my Body, Tenta∣tions will come, Infecti∣ons will come, but bee my Heart, thy Bed∣chamber, O my God, and thither let them not en∣ter. Iob made a Couenant with his Eyes, but not his making of that Co∣uenant, but thy dwel∣ling in his heart, ena∣bled
him to keepe that Couenaunt. Thy Sonne himselfe had a sadnesse in his Soule to death, and hee had a reluctation, a deprecation of death, in the approaches thereof; but hee had his Cordiall too, Yet not my will, but thine bee done. And as thou hast not deliuered vs, thine adopted sonnes, from these infectious tentations, so neither hast thou deliuered vs ouer to them, nor with∣held thy Cordialls from vs. I was baptized in
thy Cordiall water, a∣gainst Originall sinne, and I haue drunke of thy Cordiall Blood, for my recouerie, from a∣ctuall, and habituall sinne in the other Sa∣crament. Thou, O Lord, who hast imprinted all medicinall vertues, which are in all crea∣tures, and hast made euen the flesh of Vipers, to assist in Cordialls, art able to make this pre∣sent sicknesse, euerla∣sting health, this weak∣nes, euerlasting strēgth,
and this very deiection, and faintnesse of heart, a powerfull Cordiall. When thy blessed Sonne cryed out to thee, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken mee, thou diddest reach out thy hand to him; but not to deliuer his sad soule, but to receiue his holy soule; Neither did hee longer desire to hold it of thee, but to recom∣mend it to thee. I see thine hand vpon mee now, O Lord, and I aske not why it comes,
what it intends: whe∣ther thou wilt bidde it stay still in this Body, for some time, or bidd it meet thee this day in Paradise, I aske not, not in a wish, not in a thought: Infirmitie of Na∣ture, Curiositie of Minde, are tentations that of∣fer; but a silent, and absolute obedience, to thy will, euen before I know it, is my Cordiall. Preserue that to mee, O my God, and that will preserue mee to thee; that when thou hast
Catechised mee with af∣fliction here, I may take a greater degree, and serue thee in a higher place, in thy kingdome of ioy, and glory. Amen.
VVHat will not kill a man, if a
vapor will? how great an Elephant, how small a Mouse destroyes? to dye by a bullet is the Souldiers dayly bread; but few men dye by haile-shot: A man is more worth, then to bee sold for single mo∣ney; a life to be valued aboue a trifle. If this were a violent shaking of the Ayre by Thunder, or by Canon, in that case the Ayre is condensed aboue the thicknesse of water, of water baked into Ice, almost petrifi∣ed,
almost made stone, and no wonder that that kills; but that that which is but a vapor, and a vapor not forced, but breathed, should kill, that our Nourse should ouerlay vs, and Ayre, that nourishes vs, should destroy vs, but that it is a halfe Atheis∣me to murmure against Nature, who is Gods immediate Commissioner, who would not think himselfe miserable to bee put into the hands of Nature, who does
not only set him vp for a marke for others to shoote at, but delights her selfe to blow him vp like a glasse, till shee see him breake, euen with her owne breath? nay if this infectious vapor were sought for, or trauail'd to, as Plinie hunted after the vapor of Aetna and dard, and challenged Death in the forme of a vapor to doe his worst, and felt the worst, he dyed; or if this vapor were met withall in an ambush,
and we surprized with it, out of a long shut•• Well, or out of a new o∣pened Myne, who wold lament, who would ac∣cuse, when we had no∣thing to accuse, none to lament against, but For∣tune, who is lesse then a vapour: But when our selues are the Well, that breaths out this exhala∣tion, the Ouen that spits out this fiery smoke, the Myne that spues out this suffocating, and strang∣ling dampe, who can e∣uer after this, aggrauate
his sorrow, by this Cir∣cumstance, That it was his Neighbor, his familiar friend, his brother that destroyed him, and de∣stroyed him with a whispering, & a calum∣niating breath, when wee our selues doe it to our selues by the same meanes, kill our selues with our owne vapors? Or if these occasions of this selfe-destruction, had any contribution from our owne wils, a∣ny assistance from our owne intentions, nay frō
our owne errors, wee might diuide the re∣buke, & chide our selues as much as them. Feuers vpon wilful distempers of drinke, and surfets, Consumptions vpon intē∣perances, & licentious∣nes, Madnes vpon mis∣placing, or ouer-ben∣ding our naturall facul∣ties, proceed from our selues, and so, as that our selues are in the plot, and wee are not onely passiue, but actiue too, to our owne de∣struction; But what
haue I done, either to breed, or to breath these vapors? They tell me it is my Melancholy; Did I infuse, did I drinke in Melancholly into my selfe? It is my thought∣fulnesse; was I not made to thinke? It is my study; doth not my Calling call for that•• I haue don no∣thing, wilfully, peruers∣ly toward it, yet must suffer in it, die by it; There are too many Examples of men, that haue bin their own exe∣cutioners, and that haue
made hard shift to bee so; some haue alwayes had poyson about them, in a hollow ring vpō their finger, and some in their Pen that they vsed to write with: some haue beat out their braines at the wal of their prison, and some haue eate the fire out of their chim∣neys:* 1.178 and one is said to haue come neerer our case then so, to haue strāgled himself, though his hands were bound, by crushing his throat between his knees; But
I doe nothing vpon my selfe, and yet am mine owne Executioner. And we haue heard of death, vpon small occasions, and by scornefull instru∣ments; a pinne, a combe, a haire, pulled, hath gan∣gred, & killd; But when I haue said, a vapour, if I were asked again, what is a vapour, I could not tell, it is so insensible a thing; so neere nothing is that that red••ces vs to nothing. But extend this vapour, rarifie it; from so narow a roome, as our
Naturall bodies, to any Politike body, to a State. That which is fume in vs, is in a State, Rumor, and these vapours in vs, which wee consider here pestilent, and infe∣ctious fumes, are in a State infectious rumors, detracting and disho∣nourable Calumnies, Li∣bels. The Heart in that body is the King; and the Braine, his Councell; and the whole Magistracie, that ties all toge••her, is the Sinewes, which pro∣ceed from thence; and
the life of all is Honour, and iust respect, and due reuerence; and therfore, when these vapors, these venimous rumors, are directed against these Noble parts, the whole body suf••ers. But yet for all their priuiledges, they are not priuiledged from our misery; that as the vapours most perni∣tious to vs, arise in our owne bodies, so doe the most dishonorable ru∣mours, and those that wound a State most, a∣rise at home. What ill
ayre, that I could haue met in the street, what channell, what shambles, what dunghill, what vault, could haue hurt mee so much, as these home-bredd vapours? What fugitiue, what Almes-man of any forraine State, can doe so much harme, as a Detracter, a Libeller, a scornefull Ie∣ster at home? For, as they that write of Poy∣sons, and of creatures naturally disposed to the ruine of Man, do as well mention the Flea,
as the Viper, because the Flea,* 1.179 though hee kill none, hee does all the harme hee can, so euen these libellous and li∣centious Iesters, vtter the venim they haue, though sometimes vertue, and alwaies power, be a good Pigeon to draw this va∣por from the Head, and from doing any deadly harme there.
MY God, my God, as thy seruant Iames,
when he asks that que∣stiō, what is your life, pro∣uides me my answere,* 1.180 It is euen a vapor, that ap∣peareth for a little time, & then vanisheth away, so if he did aske me what is your death, I am pro∣uided of my answere, It is a vapor too; And why should it not be all one to mee, whether I liue, or die, if life, and death be all one, both a vapor. Thou ha••t made vapor so indifferent a thing, as that thy Blessings, and thy Iudgements are
equally expressed by it, and is made by thee the Hierogliphique of both. Why should not that bee alwaies good, by which thou hast decla∣red thy plentifull good∣nes to vs?* 1.181 A vapor went vp from the Earth, and watred the whole face of the ground, And that by which thou hast im∣puted a goodnes to vs, and wherein thou hast accepted our seruice to thee, sacrifices; for Sa∣crifices, were vapors,* 1.182 And in th••m it is said,
that a thicke cloude of in∣c••nce went vp to thee.* 1.183 So it is of that, wherein thou comst to vs, the dew of Heauen, And of that wherein we come to thee•• both are vapors; And hee, in whom we haue, and are all that we are or haue, tēporally, or spiritually, thy blessed Son, in the persō of wise∣dome, is called so to; she is (that is he is) the vapor of the power of God,* 1.184 and the pure influence frō the glo∣ry of the Almighty. Hast thou, Thou, O my God, perfumed vapor, with
thine own breath, with so many sweet accep∣tations, in thine own word, and shall this va∣por receiue an ill, and in∣fectious sense? It must; for, since we haue dis∣pleased thee, with that which is but vapor, (for what is sinne, but a va∣por, but a smoke, though such a smoke, as takes away our sight, and dis∣ables vs from seeing our danger) it is iust, that thou punish vs with va∣po••s to For so thou dost, as the Wiseman tels vs, Thou canst punish vs by
those things, wherein wee offend thee; as he hath expressed it there, B•• beasts newly created, brea∣thing vapors.* 1.185 Therefore that Commination of ••hine, by thy Prophet,* 1.186 I will shew wonders in the heauen, and in the Earth, bloud and fire, and pillars of smoke••* 1.187 thine Apostle, who knewe thy mea∣ning best, calls vapors of smoke.* 1.188 One Prophe•• presents thee in thy ter∣riblenesse, so, There went out a smoke at his No∣strils, and another, the
effect of thine anger so,* 1.189 The house was filled with smoake; And hee that continues his Pro∣phesie, as long as the world can continue, de∣scribes the miseries of the latter times so, Out of the bottomlesse pit a∣rose a smoke,* 1.190 that darke∣ned the Sunne, and out of that smoke came Locusts, who had the power of Scor∣pions. Now all smokes begin in fire, & all these will end so too: The smoke of sin, and of thy wrath, will end in the
fire of hell. But hast thou afforded vs no means to euaporate these smokes, to withdraw these va∣pors? When thine Angels fell from heauen, thou tookst into thy care, the reparatiō of that place, & didst it, by assuming, by drawing vs thither•• when we fel from thee here, in this world, thou tookst into thy care the reparation of this place too, and didst it by assu∣ming vs another way, by descending down to assume our nature, in
thy Son. So that though our last act be an ascen∣ding to glory, (we shall ascend to the place of Angels) yet our first act is to goe the way of thy Sonn, descending, and the way of thy blessed spirit too, who descended in the Doue. Therefore hast thou bin pleased to af∣ford vs this remedy in Nature, by this applica∣tion of a Doue, to our lower parts, to make these vapors in our bo∣dies, to descend, and to make that a type to vs,
that by the visitation of thy Spirit, the vapors o•• sin shall descend, & we tread them vnder our feet. At the baptisme of thy Son, the Doue descen∣ded, & at the exalting of thine Apostles to preach, the same spirit descēded. Let vs draw down the vapors of our own pride, our own wits, our own wils, our own inuētions, to the simplicitie of thy Sacraments, & the obe∣dience of thy word, and these Doues, thus appli∣ed, shall make vs liue.
O Eternall and most gracious God, who though thou haue suf∣fred vs to destroy our selues, & hast not giuen vs the power of repara∣tion in our s••lues, hast yet afforded vs such meanes of reparation, as may easily, and fami∣liarly be compassed by vs, prosper I humbly beseech thee this means of bodily assistance in this thy ordinary crea∣ture, and prosper thy
meanes of spirituall as∣sistance in thy holy or∣dinances. And as thou hast caried this thy crea∣ture the Doue, through all thy wayes, through Nature, and made it na∣turally proper to con∣duce medicinally to our bodily health, Through the law, and made it a sacrifice for sinne there, and through the Gospel, and made it, & thy spi∣rit in it, a witnes of thy sonnes baptisme there, so carry it, and the quali∣ties of it home to my
soule, and imprint there that simplici••y, that mild∣nesse, that harmelesnesse, which thou hast im∣printed by Nature in this Creature. That so all vapours of all diso∣bedience to thee, be∣ing subdued vnder my feete, I may in the pow∣er, and triumphe of thy sonne, treade victori∣ously vpon my graue, and trample vpon the Lyon, and Dragon,* 1.191 that lye vnder it, to deuoure me. Thou O Lord by the Prophet callest the
Doue,* 1.192 the Doue of the Valleys, but promisest that the Doue of the Val∣leyes shall bee vpon the Mountaine: As thou hast layed mee low, in this Valley of sickenesse, so low, as that I am made fit for that question, asked in the field of bones,* 1.193 Sonne of Man, can these bones liue, so, in thy good time, carry me vp to these Mountaynes, of which, euen in this Val∣ley, thou affordest mee a prospect, the Moun∣tain where thou dwel∣lest,
the holy Hill, vnto which none can ascend but hee that hath cleane hands, which none can haue, but by that one and that strong way, of making them cleane, in the blood of thy Sonne Christ Iesus. Amen.
WEe say, that the world is made of sea, & land, as though they were equal; but we know that ther is more sea in the Western, thē in the Eastern Hemisphere•• We say that the Firma∣ment is full of starres; as
though it were equally full; but we know, that there are more stars vn∣der the Northerne, then vnder the Southern Pole. Wee say, the Elements of man are misery, and hap∣pinesse, as though he had an equal proportion of both, and the dayes of man vicissitudinary, as though he had as many good daies, as ill, and that he liud vnder a perpetu∣all Equinoctial, night, and day equall, good and ill fortune in the same measure. But it is far frō
that; hee drinkes misery, & he tastes happinesse; he mowes misery, and hee gleanes happinesse; hee iournies in misery, he does but walke in happinesse; and which is worst, his misery is positiue, and dogmaticall, his happi∣nesse is but disputable, and problematicall; All men call Misery, Misery, but Happinesse changes the name, by the taste of man. In this accident that befalls m••e now, that this sicknesse de∣clares it selfe by Spots,
to be a malignant, and pestilentiall disease, if there be a comfort in the declaration, that therby the Phisicians see more cleerely what to doe, there m••y bee as much discomfort in this, That the malignitie may bee so great, as that all that they can doe, shall doe nothing; That an enemy declares himselfe, then, when he is able to sub∣sist, and to pursue, and to atchiue his ends, is no great comfort. In in∣testine Conspiracies, vo∣luntary
Confessions doe more good, then con∣fessions vpon the Rack; In these Infections, when Nature her selfe confesses, and cries out by these outward de∣clarations, which she is able to put forth of her selfe, they minister com∣fort; but when all is by the strength of Cordials, it is but a Confession vpon the Racke, by which though wee come to knowe the malice of that man, yet wee doe not knowe, whether
there bee not as much malice in his heart then, as before his con∣fession; we are sure of his Treason, but not of of his Repentance; sure of him, but not of his Complices. It is a faint comfort to know the worst, when the worst is remedilesse; and a wea∣ker then that, to know much ill, & not to know, that that is the worst. A woman is comforted with the birth of her Son, her body is eased of a burthen; but if shee
could prophetically read his History, how ill a man, perchance how ill a sonne, he would proue, shee should receiue a greater burthē into her Mind. Scarce any pur∣chase that is not cloggd with secret encumbrāces; scarce any happines, that hath not in it so much of the nature of false and base money, as that the Allay is more then the Mettall. Nay is it not so, (at least much towards it) euen in the exercise of Vertues? I must bee
poore, and want, before I can exercise the vertue of Gratitude; miserable, and in torment, before I can exercise the vertue of patience; How deepe do we dig, and for how course gold? And what other Touch-stone haue we of our gold, but com∣parison? Whether we be as happy, as others, or as our selus at other times; O poore stepp toward being well, when these spots do only tell vs, that we are worse, then we were sure of before.
MY God, my God, thou hast made this sick bed thine Altar, and I haue no other Sacrifice to offer, but my ••elf; and wilt thou accept no ••pot∣ted sacrifice? Doeth ••hy Son dwel bodily in this flesh, that thou shouldst looke for an vnspotted∣nes here? Or is the Holy Ghost, the soule of this bo∣dy, as he is of thy Spouse,* 1.194 who is therfore all faire, and no spot in her? or hath thy Son himself no spots,
who hath al our stains, & deformities in him? Or hath thy Spouse, thy Church, no spots, when e∣uery particular limbe of that faire, & spotles bo∣dy, euery p••rticular soule in that Church is full of staines, and spots? Thou bidst vs hate the garment,* 1.195 that is spotted with the flesh. The flesh it selfe is the garment, and it spot∣teth it selfe, with it self. And if I wash my selfe with snow water;* 1.196 mine own clothes shall make me abo∣minable; and yet no man
yet euer hated his owne flesh:* 1.197 Lord, if thou looke for a spotlesnesse, whom wilt thou looke vpon? Thy mercy may goe a great way in my soule, & yet not leaue me with∣out spots; Thy correcti∣ons may go far, & burn deepe, and yet not leaue me spotles: thy children apprehended that, whē they said,* 1.198 From our for∣mer iniquitie wee are not cleansed, vntill this day, though there was a plague in the Congregation of the Lord; Thou r••in••st vp∣on
vs, and yet doest not alwaies mollifie all our hardnesse; Thou kind∣lest thy fires in vs, and yet doest not alwayes burne vp all our drosse; Thou healst our woūds, and yet leauest scarres; Thou purgest the blood, and yet leauest spots. But the spots that thou ha∣test, are the spotts that we hide.* 1.199 The Caruers of Images couer spotts, sayes the Wise man; When we hide our spotts, wee be∣come Idolatrers of our owne staines, of our
own foulenesses. But if my spots come forth, by what meanes soeuer, whether by the strēgth of Nature, by voluntary confessiō, (for Grace is the Nature of a Regenerate man, and the power of Grace is the strength of Nature) or by the ver∣tue of Cordialls, (for euē thy Corrections are Cordi∣als) if they come forth either way, thou recei∣uest that Confession with a gracious Interpretati∣on.* 1.200 When thy seruant Iacob practised an Inuen∣tion to procure spotts in
his sheepe, thou diddest prosper his Rodds; and thou dost prosper thine owne Rodds, when cor∣rections procure the dis∣couery of our spotts, the humble manifestation of our sinns to thee; Till then thou maist iustly say, The whole need not the Phisician;* 1.201 Till wee tell thee in our sicknes, wee think our selues whole, till we shew our spotts, thou appliest no medi∣cine. But since I do that, shall I not,* 1.202 Lord, lift vp my face without spot, and
be stedfast, and not feare. Euen my spotts belong to thy Sonnes body, and are part of that, which he came downe to this earth, to fetch, and chal∣lenge, and assume to himselfe. When I open my spotts, I doe but pre∣sent him with that which is His, and till I do so, I detaine, & with∣hold his right. VVhen therfore thou seest them vpon me, as His, and seest them by this way of Confession, they shall not appear to me, as the
pinches of death, to de∣cline my feare to Hell; (for thou hast not left th•• holy one in Hell, thy Sonne is not there) but these spotts vpon my Breast, and vpon my Soule, shal appeare to mee as the Constellations of the Fir∣mament, to direct my Contemplation to that place, where thy Son is, thy right hand.
O Eternall, and most g••atious God, who
as thou giuest all for no∣thing, if we consider a∣ny precedent Merit in vs, so giu'st Nothing, for Nothing, if we consider the acknowledgement, & thankefullnesse, which thou lookest for, after, accept my humble thankes, both for thy Mercy, and for this par∣ticular Mercie, that in thy Iudgement I can dis∣cerne thy Mercie, and find comfort in thy cor∣rections. I know, O Lord, the ordinary dis∣comfort that accompa∣nies
that phrase, That the house is visited, And that, that thy markes, and thy tokens are vpon the patient; But what a wretched, and discon∣solate Hermitage is that House, which is not vi∣sited by thee, and what a Wayue, and Stray is that Man, that hath not thy Markes vpon him? These hea••es, O Lord, which thou hast broght vpon this body, are but thy chafing of the wax, that thou mightest seale me to thee; These spots
are but the letters; in which thou hast writ∣ten thine owne Name, and conueyed thy selfe to mee; whether for a present possession, by ta∣king me now, or for a future renersion, by glo∣rifying thy selfe in my stay here, I limit not, •• condi••ion not, I choose not, I wish not, no more then the house, or land that passeth by any Ci∣uill conueyance. Onely be thou euer present to me, O my God, and this bed-chamber, & thy bed-chamber
shal be all one roome, and the closing of these bodily Eyes here, and the opening of the Eyes of my Soule, there, all one Act.
I Would not make Man worse then hee
is, Nor his Condition more miserable then it is. But could I though I would? As a Man can∣not flatter God, nor oue•• prayse him, so a Man cannot iniure Man, no•• vnderualue him. Thus much must necessarily be presented to his re∣membrance, that those false Happinesses, which he hath in this World, haue their times, & their seasons, and their Critical d••yes, & they are Iudged, and Denominated accor∣ding to the times, when
they befall vs. What poore Elements are our happinesses made off, if Tyme, Tyme which wee can scarce consider to be any thing, be an ess••n∣tial part of our h••pines? All things are done in some place; but if we consider place to be no more, but the next hol∣low Superficies of the Ayre, Alas, how thinne, & fluid a thing is Ayre, and how thinne a filme is a Superficies, and a Su∣perficies of Ayre? All things are done in time
too; but if we consider Tyme to be but the Mea∣sure of Motion, and how∣soeuer it may seeme to haue three stations, past, present, and future, yet the first and last of these are not (one is not, now, & the other is not yet) And that which you call present, is not now the same that it wa••, when you began to call it so in this Line, (before you sound that word, present, or that Monosyl∣lable, now, the present, & the Now is past,) if this
Imaginary halfe-nothing, Tyme be of the Essence of our Happinesses, how can they be thought du∣rable? Tyme is not so; How can they bee thought to be? Tyme is not so; not so, conside∣red in any of the parts thereof. If we consider Eternity, into that, Tyme neuer Entred; Eternity is not an euerlasting flux of Tyme; but Tyme is as a short parenthesis in a longe period; and Eter∣nity had bin the same, as it is, though time had
neuer beene; If we con∣sider, not Eternity, bu•• Perpetuity, not that which had no tyme to beginne in, but whic•• shall out-liue Tyme an•• be, when Tyme shall be•• no more, wh••t A Minu•••• is the life of the Dura∣blest Creature, compare•• to that? And what •• Minute is Mans life i•• respect of the Sunnes, o•• of a tree? and yet how little of our life is Occasi∣on•• opportunity to receyu•• good in; and how litle of that occasion, doe wee
apprehend, and lay hold of? How busie, and per∣plexed a Cobweb, is the Happinesse of Man here, that must bee made vp with a Watchfulnesse, to lay hold vpon Occasion, which is but a little peece of that, which is Nothing, Tyme? And yet the best things are No∣thing without that. Ho∣nors, Pleasures, Possessi∣ons, presented to vs, out of time, in our decrepit, and distasted, & vnap∣prehensiue Age, loose
their office, & loose their Name; They are not Ho∣nors to vs, that shall ne∣uer appeare, nor come abroad into the Eyes of the people, to receiue Honor, from them who giue it: Nor pleasures to vs, who haue lost our sense to taste them•• nor possessions to vs, who are departing from the pos∣session of them. Youth is their Criticall Day; that Iudges them, that Denominates them, that inanimates, and informes them, and makes them
Honors, and pleasures, and possessions, & when they come in an vnap∣prehensiue Age, they come as a Cordiall when the bell rings out, as a Pardon, when the Head is off. We reioyce in the Comfort of fire, but does any Man cleaue to it at Midsomer; Wee are glad of the freshnesse, & coolenes of a Vault, but does any Man keepe his Christmas there; or are the pleasures of the Spring acceptable in Au∣tumne? If happinesse be
in the season, or in the Clymate, how much happier then are Birdes then Men, who can change the Climate, and accompanie, and enioy the same season euer.
the day, if we were sure to haue more dayes, to make vp our haru••st? When thou biddest vs take no thought for tomor∣row;* 1.205 for sufficient vnto the day (to euery day) is the euill thereof, is this truely, absolutely, to put of all that concernes the present life? When thou reprehendest the Galati∣ans* 1.206 by thy Message to them, That they obserued dayes, and Moneths, and Tymes, and Yeares, when thou sendest by the same Messenger, to for∣bid
the Colossians all Criticall dayes,* 1.207 Indicatory dayes, Let no Man Iudge you, in respect of a holy∣day, or of a new Moone, or of a Saboth, doest thou take away all Conside∣ration, all destinction of dayes? Though thou remoue them from be∣ing of the Essence of our Saluation, thou leauest them for assistances, and for the Exaltation of our Deuotion, to fix our selues, at certaine perio∣dicall, & stationary times, vpon the consideration
of those things, which thou hast done for vs, and the Crisis, the triall, the iudgment, how those things haue wrought vpon vs, and disposed vs to a spirituall recouery, and conualescence. For there is to euery man a day of saluation,* 1.208 Now is the accepted time, now is the day of saluation, And there is a great day of thy wrath,* 1.209 which no man shal be able to stand in; And there are euill dayes before, and therfore thou warnest vs, and armest
vs,* 1.210 Take vnto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand in the euill day. So far thē our daies must be criticall to vs, as that by consideration of them, we may make a Iudgment of our spiritual health; for that is the cri∣sis of our bodily health; Thy beloued seruant S. Ioh. wishes to Gaius,* 1.211 that he may prosper in his health so as his soule prospers; ••or if the Soule be leane, the marrow of the Body is but water; if the Soule wither, the verdure and
the good estate of the body, is but an i••lusion, & the goodliest man, a feare∣full ghost. Shall wee, O my God, determine our thoughts, & shal we ne∣uer determin our dispu∣tations vpon our Clima∣clericall yeares, for parti∣cular men, and periodical yeres, for the life of states and kingdoms, and neuer cōsider these in our long life, & our interest in the euerlasting kingdome? We haue exercisd our curio∣sity in obseruing that A∣dam•• the eldest of the el∣dest
world, died in his climactericall yere, & Sem the eldest son of the next world, in his; Abrahā the father of the faithfull, in his, & the blessed Virgin Mary, the garden, where the root of faith grew, in hers. But they whose Climacteriques wee ob∣serue, imployd their ob∣seruation vpon their cri∣tical dayes, the working of thy promise of a Mes∣sias vpō them. And shall we, O my God, make lesse vse of those dayes, who haue more of thē? We••
who haue not only the day of the Prophets,* 1.212 the first dayes, but the last daies, in which thou hast spoken vnto vs, by thy Son? We are the children of the day,* 1.213 for thou hast shind in as ful a Noone, vpon vs, as vpon the Thessaloniās; They who were of the night, (a Night, which they had superinduc'd vpon thē∣selues) the Pharises; pre∣tended, That if they had bin in their Fathers daies,* 1.214 (those indicatory, and iu∣dicatory, those Criticall
dayes) they would not haue been partakers of the bloud of the Prophets; And shal we who are in the day, these Daies, not of the Prophets, but of the Son, stone those Prophets againe, and crucifie that Son againe, for all those euident Indications, and critical Iudicatures which are afforded vs? Those opposd aduersaries of thy Son, the pharises with the Herodiās, watch'd a Critical day; Then whē the State was incensd a∣gainst him,* 1.215 they came to
tempt him in the dāgerous question of Tribute. They left him, & that day was the Critical day to the Sa¦duces, The same day, saies thy Spirit, in thy word, the Saduces came to him to question him about the Re¦surrection;* 1.216 and them hee silenc'd; They left him; & this was the Criticall day for the Scribe, expert in the Law, who thoght himselfe learneder then the Herodian,* 1.217 the Pharise or Saduce; and he tēpted him about the great Com∣mādement; & him•• Christ
left without power of replying. When all was done, & that they wēt about to begin their cir∣cle of vexation, and ten∣tation again, Christ silē∣ces them so, that, as they had taken their Criticall dayes, to come, in That, and in that day, so Christ imposes a Criticall day vpon them, From that day forth,* 1.218 saies thy Spirit, no man durst aske him a∣ny more questions. This, O my God, my most bles∣sed God, is a fearefull Crisis, a fearefull Indica∣tion,
when we will stu∣dy, and seeke, and finde, what dayes are fittest to forsake thee in; To say, Now, Religion is in a Neutralitie in the world, and this is my day, the day of libertie; Now I may make new friends by changing my old religiō, and this is my day, the day of aduancement. But O my God, with thy ser∣uāt Iacobs holy boldnes, who though thou lamedst him,* 1.219 would not let thee goe, till thou hadst giuen him a blessing, Though thou
haue laid me vpon my hearse, yet thou shalt not depart from mee, from this bed, till thou haue giuen me a Crisis, a Iudg∣ment vpon my selfe this day.* 1.220 Since a day is as a thousand yeres with thee, Let, O Lord, a day, be as a weeke to me; and in this one, let me cōsider seuen daies, seuen critical daies, and iudge my selfe, that I be not iudged by thee. First, this is the day of thy vi∣sitatiō, thy comming to me; and would I looke to be welcome to thee,
and not entertaine thee ••n thy comming to me? We measure not the visi∣tations of great persons, by their apparel, by their equipage, by the solemnity of their cōming, but by their very cōming; and therefore, howsoeuer thou come, it is a Crisis to me, that thou woul∣dest not loose me, who seekst me by any means. This leads me from my first day, thy visitation by sicknes, to a secōd, to th•• light, and testimony of my Conscience. There I
haue an euening, & a mor∣ning; a sad guiltinesse in my soule, but yet a cheer∣full rising of thy Son to•• Thy Euenings and Mor∣nings made dayes in the Creation, and there is no mention of Nights; My sadnesses for sins are eue∣nings, but they determin not in night, but deliuer me ouer to the day, the day of a Conscience deie∣cted, but then rectified, accused, but then ••cquit∣ted, by thee, by him, who speaks thy word, & who is thy word, thy
Son. From this day, the Crisis and examinatiō of my Cōscience, breaks out my third day, my day of preparing, & fitting my selfe for a more especial receiuing of thy Sonne, in his institutiō of the Sa∣crament: In which day though th••re be many dark passages, & slippry steps, to them who wil entangle, and endanger themselues, in vnne∣cessary disputations, yet there are light houres inough, for any man, ••o goe his whole iourney
intended by thee; to know, that that Bread and Wine, is not more really assimilated to my body, & to my blood, then the Body and blood of thy Sonne, is commu∣nicated to me in that a∣ction, and participation of that bread, and that wine. And hauing, O my God, walkd with thee these three dayes, The day of thy visitation, the day of my Conscience, The day of preparing for this seale of Reconcilia∣tion, I am the lesse afraid
of the clouds or storms of my fourth day, the day of my dissolution & trās∣migratiō frō hence. No∣thing deserues the name of happines, that makes the remēbrāce of death bitter;* 1.221 And O death 〈◊〉〈◊〉 bitter is the remēbrance of thee, to a man that liues at rest, in his possessions, the Man that hath Nothing to vexe him, yea vnto him, that is able to receiue meat? Therefore hast thou, O my God, made this sick∣nes, in which I am not able to receiue meate,
my fasting day, my Eue, to this great festiual, my dissolution. And this day of death shall deliuer me ouer to my fift day, the day of my Resurre∣ction; for how long a day soeuer thou make that day in the graue, yet there is no day between that, and the Resurrecti∣on. Then wee shall all bee inuested, reapparel∣led in our owne bodies; but they who haue made iust vse of their former dayes, be super∣inuested with glorie,
wheras the others, con∣demned to their olde clothes, their sinfull bo∣dies, shall haue Nothing added, but immortalitie to torment. And this day of awaking me, and re∣inuesting my Soule, in my body, and my body in the body of Christ, shall present mee, Bodie, and Soule, to my sixt day, The day of Iudgement; which is truely, and most lite∣rally, the Critical, the De∣cretory day; both because all Iudgement shall bee manifested to me then,
and I shall assist in iud∣ging the world then•• and because then, that Iudgement shall declare to me, and possesse mee of my Seuenth day, my Euerlasting Saboth in thy rest, th•• glory, thy ioy, thy sight, thy s••lfe; and where I shall liue as long, without reckning any more Dayes after, as thy Sonne, and thy Holy Spirit liued with thee, before you three made any Dayes in the Creation.
O Eternall and most gracious God, who though thou didst per∣mit darknesse to be be∣fore light in the Creation, yet in the making of light, didst so multiplie that light, as that it en∣lightned not the day only, but the night too, though thou haue suffe∣red some dimnesse, some clouds of sadnesse & dis∣consolatenesse to shed themselues vpon my soule, I humbly blesse
and thankfully glorifie thy holy name, that thou hast afforded mee the light of thy spirit, against which the prince of darkenesse cannot pre∣uaile, nor hinder his illu∣mination of our darkest nights, of our saddest thoughts. Euen the visi∣tation of thy most bles∣sed Spirit, vpon the blessed Virgin, is called an ouershadowing: There wa•• the presence of the Holy Ghost, the foun∣taine of all light, and yet an ouershadowing; Nay
except there were some light, there could bee no shadow. Let thy merci∣full prouidence so go∣uerne all in this sicknesse, that I neuer fall into vt∣ter darknesse, ignorance of thee, or inconsideration of my selfe; and let those shadowes which doe fall vpon mee, faintnesses of Spirit, and condemnati∣ons of my selfe, bee ouer∣come by the power of thine irresistible light, the God of consolation; that when those shadowes haue done their office
vpon mee, to let me see, that of my selfe I should fall into irrecouerable darknesse, thy spirit may doe his office vpon those shadowes, and disperse them, and establish mee in so bright a day here, as may bee a Criticall day to me, a day wherein, and whereby I may giue thy Iudgement vpon my selfe, and that the words of thy sonne, spoken to his Apostles, may reflect vpon me,* 1.222 B••hold, I am with you alwaies, euen to the end of the world.
NAturall Men haue cōceiued a two fold vse of sleepe; That it is a refreshing of the body in this life; That it is a pre∣paring of the soule for the next; That it is a feast, and it is the Grace at that feast; That it is our recreation, and cheeres vs, and it is our Catechisme, and instructs
vs; wee lie downe in a hope, that wee shall rise the stronger; and we lie downe in a knowledge, that wee may rise no more. Sleepe is an Opiate which giues vs rest, but such an Opiate, as per∣chance, being vnder it, we shall wake no more. But though naturall men, who haue induced secondary and figura∣tiue considerations, haue found out this second, this emblematicall vse of sleepe, that it should be a representation of death,
God, who wrought and perfected his worke, be∣fore Nature began, (for Nature was but his ap∣prentice, to learne in the first seuen daies, and now is his foreman, and works next vnder him) God, I say, intended sleepe onely for the refreshing of man by bodily rest, and not for a figure of death, for he intended not death it selfe then. But Man ha∣uing induced death vp∣on himselfe, God hath ta∣ken Mans Creature, death, into his hand, and men∣ded
it; and whereas it hath in it selfe a fearefull forme and aspect, so that Man is afraid of his own Creature, God presents it to him, in a familiar, in an assiduous, in an agreeable, and acceptable forme, in sleepe, that so when hee awakes from sleepe, and saies to himselfe, shall I bee no otherwise when I am dead, than I was euen now, when I was asleep, hee may bee ashamed of his waking dreames, and of his Melancholique fan∣cying out a hor••id and
an affrightfull figure of that death which is so like sleepe. As then wee need sleepe to liue out our threescore and ten yeeres, so we need death, to liue that life which we cannot out-liue. And as death being our ene∣mie, God allowes vs to de∣fend our selues against it (for wee victuall ou•• selues against death, twice euery day, as often as we eat) so God hauing so sweetned death vnto vs, as hee hath in sleepe, wee put our selues into our
Enemies hands once eue∣ry day; so farre, as sleepe is death; and sleepe is as much death, as meat is life. This then is the misery of my sicknesse, That death as it is pro∣duced from mee, and is mine owne Creature, is now before mine Eies, but in that forme, in which God hath molli∣fied it to vs, and made it acceptable, in sleepe, I cannot see it: how ma∣ny prisoners, who haue euen hollowed them∣selues their graues vpon
that Earth, on which they haue lion long vn∣der heauie fetters, yet at this houre are ••sleepe, though they bee yet working vpon their owne graues, by their owne waight? hee that hath seene his friend die to day, or knowes hee shall see it to morrow, yet will sinke into a sleepe betweene. I cannot; and oh, if I be entring now into Eternitie, where there shall bee no more distinction of houres, why is it al my businesse
now to tell Clocks? why is none of the heauinesse of my heart, dispensed into mine Eie-lids, ••hat they might fall as my heart doth? And why, since I haue lo••t my de∣light in all obiects, can∣not I discontinue t••e facultie of seeing them, by closing mine Ei••s in sleepe? But why rather being entring into that presence, where I shall wake continually and neuer sleepe more, doe I not interpret my con∣tinuall waking here, to
bee a p••rasceue, and a preparation to that?
MY God, my God, I know, (for thou hast said it) That he that keepeth Israel,* 1.223 shall neither slumber, nor sleepe: But shall not that Israel, o∣uer whom thou watch∣est, sleepe? I know, (for thou hast said it) that there are Men,* 1.224 whose damnation sleepeth not; but shall not they to whom thou art Saluati∣on,
sleepe? or wilt thou take from them that eui∣dence, and that testimony, that they are thy Israel, or thou their saluation? Thou giuest thy beloued sleepe.* 1.225 Shall I lacke that seale of thy loue? You shall lie downe,* 1.226 and none shall make you afraid; shal I bee outlawd from that protection?* 1.227 Ionas slept in one dangerous storme, and thy blessed Sonne in ano∣ther.* 1.228 Shall I haue no vse, no benefit, no applicati∣on of those great Exam∣ples? Lord, if hee sleepe,
he shall doe well,* 1.229 say thy Sonnes Disciples to him, of Lazarus; And shall there bee no roome, for that Argument in me? or shall I bee open to the contrary? If I sleepe not, shall I not bee well, in their sense? Let me not, O my God, take this too precisely, too literally: There is that neither day nor night seeth sleepe with his eies,* 1.230 saies thy wise seruant Solomon; and whether hee speake that of worldly Men, or of Men that seeke wisdome,
whether in iustification or condemnation of their watchfulnesse, we can not tell: wee can t••ll,* 1.231 That there are men, that cannot sleepe, till they haue done mischiefe, and ••hen they can; and wee can tell that the rich man cannot sleepe,* 1.232 because his abundance will not let him.* 1.233 The tares were sow∣en when the husbandmen were asleepe; And the elders thought it a pro∣bable excuse, a credible lie, that the wa••chmen which kept the Sepul∣chre,
should say,* 1.234 that the bodie of thy son was stolne away, when they were a∣sleepe: Since thy blessed Sonne rebuked his Dis∣ciples for sleeping, shall I murmure because I doe not sleepe?* 1.235 If Samson had slept any longer in Gaza, he had beene ta∣ken; And when he did sleepe longer with Deli∣lah, he was taken.* 1.236 Sleepe is as often taken for na∣turall death in thy Scrip∣tures, as for naturall rest. Nay sometimes sleepe ha••h so heauy a sense, as
to bee taken for sinne it selfe,* 1.237 as well as for the punishment of sinne, Death.* 1.238 Much comfort is not in much sleepe, when the most fearefull and most irreuocable Malediction is presen∣••ed by thee,* 1.239 in a perpe∣tuall sleepe. I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunke, and they shall sleepe a perpetu∣all sleepe, and not wake. I must therefore, O my God, looke farther, than into the very act of slee∣ping, before I mis-inter∣pret
my waking: for since I finde thy whole hand light, shall any fin∣ger of that hand seeme heauy? since the whole sicknesse is thy Physicke, shall any accident in it, bee my poison, by my murmuring? The name of Watchmen be∣longs to our profession; Thy Prophets are not onely seers, indued with a power of seeing, able to see, but Watchmen, euer∣more in the Act of see∣ing. And therefore giue me leaue, O my blessed
God, to inuert the words of thy Sonnes Spouse; she said,* 1.240 I sleepe, but my heart waketh; I say, I wake, but my heart sleepeth; My body is in a sicke weari∣nesse, but my soule in a peacefull rest with thee; and as our eies, in our health, see not the Aire, that is next them, nor the fire, nor the spheares, nor stop vpon any thing, till they come to starres, so my eies, that are open, see nothing of this world, but passe through all that, and fix
themselues vpon thy peace, and ioy, and glory aboue. Almost as soone as thy Apostle had said, Let vs not sleepe,* 1.241 lest we should be too much discomforted, if we did, he saies againe,* 1.242 whether we wake or sleepe, let vs liue together with Christ. Though then this ab∣sence of sleepe, may argue the presence of death (the Originall may exclude the Copie, the life, the pi∣cture) yet this gentle sleepe, and rest of my soule betroths mee to
thee, to whom I shall bee married indissolubly, though by this way of dissolution.
O Eternall and most gracious God, who art able to make, and dost make the sicke bed of thy seruants, Chappels of ease to them, and the dreames of thy seruants, Prayers, and Meditations vpon thee, let not this continuall watch••ulnes
of mine, this inabilitie to sleepe, which thou hast laid vpon mee, bee any disquiet, or discomfort to me, but rather an ar∣gument, that thou woul∣dest not haue me sleepe in thy presence. What it may indicate or signi∣fie, concerning the state of my body, let them con∣sider to whom that consideration belongs; doe thou, who onely art the Physitian of my soule, tell her, that thou wilt afford her such defensa∣tiues as that shee shall
wake euer towards thee, and yet euer sleepe in thee; & that through all this sicknesse, thou wilt either preserue mine vn∣derstanding, from all de∣caies and distractions, which these watchings might occasion, or that thou wilt reckon, and account with me, from before those violencies, and not call any peece of my sicknesse, a sinne. It ••s a heauy, and indeli∣ble sinne, that I brought into the world wi••h me•• It is a heauy and innu••merable
multitude of sins, which I haue hea∣ped vp since; I haue sinned behind thy backe (if that can be done) by wilfull absteining from thy Congregations, and omitting thy seruice, and I haue sinned before thy face, in my hypocrisies in Prayer, in my ostentation, and the mingling a re∣spect of my selfe, in prea∣ching thy Word; I haue sinned in my fasting by repining, when a penu∣rious fortune hath kept mee low; And I haue
sinned euen in that ful∣nesse, when I haue been at thy table, by a neg∣ligent examination, by a wilfull preuarication, in receiuing that hea∣uenly food and Physicke. But, as I know, O my gracious God, that for all those sinnes com∣mitted since, yet thou wilt consider me, as I was in thy purpose, when thou wrotest my name in the booke of Life, in mine Election: so into what deuiations so••uer I stray, and wander, by
occasion of this sicknes, O God, returne thou to that Minute, wherein thou wast pleased with me, and consider me in that condition.
* 1.243WE haue a Conue∣nient Author, who writ a Discourse of Bells when hee was Prisoner
in Turky. How would hee haue enlarged him∣selfe, if he had beene my fellow Prisoner in this sicke bed, so neere to that steeple, which neuer cea∣ses, no more than the harmony of the spheres, but is more heard. When the Turkes tooke Con∣stantinople, they melted the Bells into Ordnance; I haue heard both Bells and Ordnance, but ne∣uer been so much affe∣cted with those, as with these Bells. I haue lien neere a steeple,* 1.244 in which
there are said to be more than thirty Bels; And neere another, where there is one so bigge,* 1.245 as that the Clapper is said to weigh more than six hundred pound•• yet neuer so affected as here. Here the Bells can scarse so∣lemnise the funerall of any person, but that I knew him, or knew that hee was my Neigh∣bour: we dwelt in hou∣ses neere to one another before, but now hee is gone into that house, into which I must fol∣low
him. There is a way of correcting the Children of great per∣sons, that other Children are corrected in their be∣halfe, and in their names, and this workes vpon them, who indeed had more des••rued it. And when these Bells tell me, that now one, and now another is buried, must not I acknowledge, that they haue the correction due to me, and paid the debt that I owe? There is a story of a Bell in a Monastery,* 1.246 which, when
any of the house was sicke to death, rung al∣waies voluntarily, and they knew the ineuita∣blenesse of the danger by that. It rung once, when no man was sick; but the next day one of the house, fell from the steeple, and died, and the Bell held the reputation of a Prophet still. If these Bells that warne to a Fu∣nerall now, were appro∣priated to none, may not I, by the houre of the fu∣nerall, supply? How ma∣ny men that stand at an
execution, if they would aske, for what dies that Man, should heare their owne faults condem∣ned, and see themselues executed, by Atturney? We scarce heare of any man preferred, but wee thinke of our selues, that wee might very well haue beene that Man; Why might not I haue beene that Man, that is carried to his graue now? Could I ••it my selfe, to stand, or sit in a∣ny Mans place, & not to lie in any mans graue?
I may lacke much of the good parts of the meanest, but I l••cke no∣thing of the mortality of the weakest; Th••y may haue acquired better a∣bilities than I, but I was borne to as many infir∣mities as they. To be an incumbent by lying down in a graue, to be a Doctor by teaching Morti••icati∣on by Example, by dying, though I may haue seni∣ors, others may be elder than I, yet I haue pro∣ceeded apace in a good Vniuersity, and gone a
great way in a little time by the furtherance of a vehement feuer; and whomsoeuer these Bells bring to the ground to day, if hee and I had beene compared yester∣day, perchance I should haue been thought like∣lier to come to this pre∣ferment, then, than he. God hath kept the pow∣er of death in his owne hands, lest any Man should bribe death. If man knew the gaine of death, the ease of death, he would solicite, he would
prouoke death to assist him, by any ••and, which he might vse. But as when men see many of their owne professions preferd, it ministers a hope that that may light vpon them; so when these hourely Bells tell me of so many funerals of men like me, it pre∣sents, if not a desire that it may, yet a comfort whensoeuer mine shall come.
MY God, my God, I doe not expostu∣late with thee, but with them, who dare doe that: Who dare expostu∣late with thee, when in the voice of thy Church, thou giuest allowance, to this Ceremony of Bells at funeralls. Is it enough to refuse it, because it was in vse amongst the Gentiles? so were fu∣neralls too. Is it because some abuses may haue
crept in, amongst Chri∣stians? Is that enough, that their ringing hath been said to driue away euill spirits? Truly, that is so farre true, as that the euill spirit is vehemently vexed in their ringing, therefore, because that action brings the Con∣gregation together, and vnites God and his peo∣ple, to the destruction of that Kingdome, which the euill spirit vsurps. In the first institution of thy Church, in this world, in the foundation of
thy Militant Church, a∣mongst the Iewes, thou didst appoint the calling of the assembly in,* 1.247 to bee by Trumpet, and when they were in, then thou gauest them the sound of Bells, in the garment of thy Priest•• In the Tri∣umphant Church,* 1.248 thou imploiest both too, but in an inuerted Order, we enter into the Trium∣phant Church by the sound of Bells, (for we enter when we die;) And then we receiue our fur∣ther edification, or con∣summation,
by the sound of Trumpets, at the Re∣surrection. The sound of thy Trumpets thou didst impart to secular a••d ci∣uill vses too, but the sound of Bells onely to sacred; Lord let not vs breake the Communion of Saints, in that which was intended for the ad∣uancement of it; let not that pull vs asunder frō one another, which was intended for the assem∣bling of vs, in the Mili∣tant, and associating of vs to the Triumphant
Church. But he for whose funerall these Bells ring now, was at home, at his iournies end, yesterday; why ring they now? A Man, that is a world, is all the things in the world; Hee is an Army, and when an Army mar∣ches, the Vaunt may lodge to night, where the Reare comes not till to morrow. A man ex∣tends to his Act and to his example; to that which he does, and that which he teaches; so doe those things that con∣cerne
him, so doe these bells; That which rung yesterday, was to con∣uay him out of the world, in his vaunt, in his soule•• that which rung to day, was to bring him in his Reare, in his body, to the Church; And this continuing of ringing after his entring, is to bring him to mee in the application. Where I lie, I could heare the Psalme, and did ioine with the Congregation in it; but I could not heare the Sermon, and these latter
bells are a repetition Ser∣mon to mee. But, O my God, my God, doe I, that haue this feauer, need other remembran∣ces of my Mortalitie? Is not mine owne hol∣low voice, voice enough to pronounce that to me? Need I looke vpon a Deaths-head in a Ring, that haue one in my face? or goe for death to my Neighbours house, that haue him in my bosome? We cannot, wee cannot, O my God, take in too many helps for religious
duties; I know I cannot haue any better Image of thee, than thy Sonne, nor any better Image of him, than his Gospell: yet must not I, with thanks con∣fesse to thee, that some historicall pictures of his, haue sometimes put mee vpon better Meditations than otherwise I should haue fallen vpon? I know thy Church needed not to haue taken in from Iew or Gentile, any supplies for the exaltati∣on of thy glory, or our deuotion; of absolute ne∣cessitie
I know ••hee nee∣ded not; But yet wee owe thee our thanks, that thou hast giuen her leaue to doe so, and that as in making vs Christians, thou diddest not destroy that which wee were be∣fore, naturall men, so in the exalting of our reli∣gious deuotions no•• we are Christians, thou hast beene pleased to conti∣nue to vs those assistan∣ces which did worke vpon the affections of naturall men before: for thou louest a good man,
as thou louest a good Christian: and though Grace bee meerely from thee, yet thou doest not plant Grace but in good natures.
O Eternall and most gracious God, who hauing consecrated our liuing bodies, to thine owne Spirit, and made vs Temples of the holy Ghost, doest also requir•• a respect to bee giuen to
these Temples, euen when the Priest is gone out of them, To these bodies, when the soule is depar∣ted from them; I blesse, and glorifie thy Name, that as thou takest care in our life, of euery haire of our head, so doest thou also of euery graine of ashes after our death. Neither doest thou only doe good to vs all, in life and death, but also wouldest haue vs doe good to one another, as in a holy life, so in those things which accompa∣nie
our death: In that Contemplation I make account that I heare this dead brother of ours, who is now carried out to his buriall, to speake to mee, and to preach my funerall Sermon, in the voice of these Bells. In him, O God, thou hast accomplished to mee, euen the request of Di∣ues to Abraham; Thou hast sent one from the dead to speake vnto mee. He speakes to mee aloud from that steeple; hee whispers to mee at these
Curtaines, and hee speaks thy words;* 1.249 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth. Let this praier therfore, O my God, be as my last gaspe, my expiring, my dying in thee; That if this bee the houre of my trans∣migration, I may die the death of a sinner, drow∣ned in my sinnes, in the bloud of thy Sonne; And if I liue longer, yet I may now die the death of the righteous, die to sinne; which death is a resur∣rection to a new life. Thou
killest and thou giuest life: which soeuer comes, it comes from thee; which way soeuer it comes, let mee come to thee.
PErchance hee for whom this Bell tolls, may bee so ill, as that he knowes not it tolls for
him; And perchance I may thinke my selfe so much better than I am, as that they who are a∣bout mee, and see my state, may haue caused it to toll for mee, and I know not that. The Church is Catholike, vni∣uersall, so are all her Acti∣ons, All that she does, belongs to all. When she baptizes a child, that acti∣on concernes mee; for that child is thereby con∣nected to that Head which is my Head too, and engraffe•• into that
body, whereof I am a member. And when she buries a Man, that action concernes me; All man∣kinde is of one Author; and is one volume; when one Man dies, one Chap∣ter is not torne out of the booke, but translated into a better language; and euery Chapter must be so translated; God emploies seuerall translators; some peeces are translated by Age, some by sicknesse, some by warre, some by iustice; but Gods hand is in euery translation; and
his hand shall binde vp all our scattered leaues againe, for that Librarie where euery booke shall lie open to one another: As therefore the Bell that rings to a Sermon, calls not vpon the Preacher onely, but vpon the Con∣gregation to come; so this Bell calls vs all: but how much more mee, who am brought so neere the doore by this sicknesse. There was a contention as farre as a suite, (in which both pietie and dignitie, religi∣on,
and estimation, were mingl••d) which of the religious Orders should ring to praiers first in the Morning; and it was de∣termined, that they should ring first that rose earliest. If we vnderstand aright the dignitie of this Bell, that rolls for our euening prayer, wee would bee glad to make it ours, by rising early, in that appli∣cation, that it might bee ours, as wel as his, whose indeed it is. The Bell doth toll for him that thinkes it doth; and
though it intermit a∣gaine, yet from that mi∣nute, that that occasion wrought vpon him, hee is vnited to God. Who casts not vp his Eie to the Sunne when it rises? but who takes off his Eie from a Com••t, when that breakes out? who bends not his eare to any bell, which vpon any oc∣casion rings? but who can remoue it from that bell, which is passing a peece of himselfe out of this world? No Man is an Iland, intire of it selfe;
euery man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the l••sse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Mannor of thy friends, or of thine owne were; Any Mans death diminishes me, be∣cause I am inuolued in Mankinde; And there∣fore neuer send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee. Neither can we call this a begging of Miserie or a borrowing of Miserie, as though we
were not miserable e∣nough of our selues, but must fe••ch in more from the next house, in taking vpon vs the Miserie of our Neighbours. Truly it were an excusable coue∣tousnesse if wee did; for affliction is a treasure, and ••carce any Man hath enough of it. No Man hath affliction enough, that is not matured, and ripened by it, and mad•• ••it for God by that af∣fliction. If a Man carry treasure in bullion, or in a wedge of gold, and haue
none coined into currant Monies, his treasure will not defray him as he tra∣uells. Tribulation is Trea∣sure in the nature of it, but it is not currant mo∣ney in the vse of it, ex∣cept wee get nearer and nearer our home, heauen, by it. Another Man may be sicke too, and sicke to death, and this af••liction may lie in his bowels, as gold in a Mine, and be of no vse to him•• but this bell that tels mee of his af••liction, digs out, and applies that gold to mee••
if by this consideration of anothers danger, I take min•• owne into Contemplation, and so secure my selfe, by ma∣king my recourse to my God, who is our onely securitie.
MY God, my God, Is this one of thy waies, of drawing light out of darknesse, To make him for whom this bell tolls, now in this dim∣nesse
of his sight, to be∣come a superintendent, an ouerseer, a Bishop, to as many as heare his voice, in this bell, and to giue vs a confirmation in this acti∣on? Is this one of thy waies to raise strength out of weaknesse, to make him who cannot rise from his bed, nor stirre in his bed, come home to me, and in this sound, giue mee the strength of healthy and vigorous in∣structions? O my God, my God, what Thunder is not a well-tuned Cymball,
what hoarsenesse, what harshnesse is not a cleare Organ, if thou bee plea∣sed to set thy voice to it? and what Organ is not well plaied on, if thy hand bee vpon it? Thy voice, thy hand is in this sound, and in this one sound, I heare this whole Consort. I heare thy Iaacob call vnto his sonnes, and ••ay;* 1.250 Gather your selues together, that I may tell you what shall be∣fall you in the last daies: He saies, That which I am now, you must bee then. I
heare thy Moses telling mee, and all within the compasse of this sound, This is the blessing where∣with I blesse you before my death;* 1.251 This, that before your death, you would consider your owne in mine. I heare thy Pro∣phet saying to Ezechias, Set thy house in order, for thou shalt die, and not liue;* 1.252 Hee makes vs of his fa∣milie, and calls this a set∣ting of his house in or∣der, to compose vs to the meditation of death. I heare thy Apostle say∣ing,
I thinke it meet to put ••ou in remembrance,* 1.253 know∣ing that shortly I must goe out of this Tabernacle. This is the publishing of his will, & this bell is our legacie, the applying of his present condition to our vse. I heare that which makes al sounds musique, and all musique perfit; I heare thy Sonne himselfe ••aying,* 1.254 Let not your hearts be troubled•• Only I heare this change, that whereas thy Sonne saies there, I goe to prepare a place for you, this man in thi••
sound saies, I send to pre∣pare you for a place, for a graue. But, O my God, my God, since heauen is glory and ioy, why doe not glorious and ioyfull things leade vs, induce vs to heauen? Thy lega∣cies in thy first will, in thy old Testament were plentie and victorie; Wine and Oile, Milke and Honie, alliances of friends, ruine of enemies, peacefull hearts, & cheerefull coun∣tenances, and by these galleries thou brough∣test them into thy bed-chamber,
by these glories and ioies, to the ioies and glories of heauen. Why hast thou changed thine old way, and carried vs, by the waies of discipline and mortification, by the waies of mourning and lamentation, by the waies of miserable ends, and mi∣serable anticipations of those miseries, in appro∣priating the exemplar miseries of others to our selues, and vsurping vp∣on their miseries, as our owne, to our owne pre∣iudice? Is the glory of
heauen no perfecter in it selfe, but that it needs a foile of depression and in∣gloriousnesse in this world, to set it off? Is the ioy of heauen no perfecter in it selfe, but that it needs the sourenesse of this life to giue it a taste? Is that ioy and that glory but a comparatiue glory and a comparatiue ioy? not such in it selfe, but such in comparison of the ioiles∣nesse and the inglorious∣nesse of this world? I know, my God, it is farre, farre otherwise. As thou
thy selfe, who art all, art made of no substances, so the ioyes & glory which are with thee, are made of none of these circum∣stances; Essentiall ioy, and glory Essentiall. But why then, my God, wilt thou not be∣ginne them here? pardon O God, this vnthankfull rashnesse; I that aske why thou doest not, finde euen now in my selfe, that thou doest; such ioy, such glory, as that I conclude vpon my selfe, vpon all, They that finde not ioy
in their sorrowes, glory in their deiections in this world, are in a fearefull danger of missing both in the next.
O Eternall and most gracious God, who hast beene pleased to speake to vs, not onely in the voice of Nature, who speakes in our hearts, and of thy word, which speakes to our eares, but in the speech
of speechlesse Creatures, in Balaams Asse, in the speech of vnbeleeuing men, in the confession of Pilate, in the speech of the Deuill himselfe, in the recognition and attestati∣on of thy Sonne, I hum∣bly accept thy voice, in the sound of this sad and funerall bell. And first, I blessethy glorious name, that in this sound and voice, I can heare thy instructions, in ano∣ther mans to consider mine owne condition; and to know, that this bell
which tolls for another, before it come to ring out, may take in me too. As death is the wages of sinne, it is due to me••; As death is the end of sick∣nesse, it belongs to mee; And though so disobe∣dient a seruant as I, may be afraid to die, yet to so mercifull a Master as thou, I cannot be afraid to come; And therefore, into thy hands, O my God, I commend my spirit; A surrender, which I know thou wilt accept, whether I liue or die; for
thy seruant Dauid made it,* 1.255 when he put himselfe into thy protection for his life; and thy blessed Sonne made it, when hee deliuered vp his soule at his death; declare thou thy will vpon mee, O Lord, for life or death, in thy time; receiue my surrender of my selfe now, Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spi∣rit. And being thus, O my God, prepared by thy correction, mellow∣ed by thy chastisement, and conformed to thy
will, by thy Spirit, ha∣uing receiued thy pardon for my soule, and asking no reprieue for my body, I am bold, O Lord, to bend my prayers to thee, for his assistance, the voice of whose bell hath called mee to this deuoti∣on. Lay hold vpon his soule, O God, till that soule haue throughly considered his account, and how few minutes soeuer it haue to remaine in that body, let the pow∣er of thy Spirit recom∣pence the shortnesse of
time, and perfect his ac∣count, before he passe a∣way: present his sinnes so to him, as that he may know what thou forgi∣uest, & not doubt of thy forgiuenesse; let him stop vpon the infinitenesse of those sinnes, but dwell vpon the infinitenesse of thy Mercy: let him dis∣cerne his owne demerits, but wrap himselfe vp in the merits of thy Sonne, Christ Iesus: Breath in∣ward comforts to his heart, and affoord him the power of giuing
such outward testimonies thereof, as all that are about him may deriue comforts from thence, and haue this edification, euen in this dissolution, that though the body be going the way o•• all flesh, yet that soule is go∣ing the way of all Saints. When thy Sonne cried out vpon the Crosse, My God, my God, Why hast thou forsaken me? he spake not so much in his owne Person, as in the person of the Church, and of his afflicted members, who
in deep distresses might feare thy forsaking. This patient, O most blessed God, is one of them; In his behalfe, and in his name, heare thy Sonne crying to thee, My God, my God, Why hast thou forsaken me? and forsake him not; but with thy left hand lay his body in the graue, (if that bee ••hy determination vpon him) and with thy right hand receiue his soule in∣to thy Kingdome, and v∣nite him & vs in one Cō∣munion of Saints. Amen.
THe Bell rings out; the pulse thereof is changed; the tolling was a faint, and intermitting pulse, vpon one side; this stronger, and argues more and better life. Hi••
soule is gone out; and as a Man who had a lease of 1000. yeeres after the expiration of a short one, or an inheritance after the life of a Man in a Consumption, he is now entred into the possessi∣on of his better estate. His soule is gone; whither? Who saw it come in, or who saw it goe out? No body; yet euery body is sure, he had one, and hath none. If I will aske meere Philosophers, what the soule is, I shall finde a∣mongst them, that will
tell me, it is nothing, but the temperament and har∣mony, and iust and equall composition of the Ele∣ments in the body, which produces all those facul∣ties which we ascribe to the soule; and so, in it selfe is nothing, no sepe∣rable substance, that ouer∣liues the body. They see the soule is nothing else in other Crea∣tures, and they affect an impious humilitie, to think as low of Man. But if my soule were no more than the soule of a beast,
I could not thinke so; that soule that can reflect vpon it selfe, consider it selfe, is more than so. If I will aske, not meere Philosophers, but mixt Men, Philosophicall Di∣uines, how the soule, being a separate substance, en∣ters into Man, I shall finde some that will tell me, that it is by genera∣tion, & procreation from parents, because they thinke it hard, to charge th•• soule with the guilti∣nesse of Originall sinne, if the soule were infused
into a body, in which it must necessarily grow foule, and contract origi∣nall sinne, whether it will or no; and I shall finde some that will tell mee, that it is by immediate infusion from God, be∣cause they think it hard, to maintaine an immor∣tality in such a soule, as should be begotten, and deriued with the body frō Mortall parents. If I will aske, not a few men, but almost whole bodies, whole Churches, what becomes of the soules of the righ∣teous,
at the departing thereof from the body, I shall bee told by some, That they attend an expi∣ation, a purification in a place of torment; By some, that they attend the frui∣tion of the sight of God, in a place of rest; but yet, but of expectation; By some, that they passe to an immediate possession of the presence of God. S. Augu∣stine studied the Nature of the soule, as much as any thing, but the salua∣tion of the soule; and he sent an expresse Messen∣ger
to Saint Hierome, to consult of some things concerning the soule: But he satisfies himselfe with this: Let the depar∣ture of my soule to salua∣tion be euident to my faith, and I care the lesse, how darke the entrance of my soule, into my body, bee to my reason. It is the going out, more than the com∣ming in, that concernes vs. This soule, this Bell tells me is gone out; Whi∣ther? Who shall tell mee that? I know not who it is; much lesse what he
was; The condition of the Man, and the course of his life, which should tell mee whither hee is gone, I know not. I was not there, in his sick∣nesse, nor at his death; I saw not his way, nor his end, nor can a••ke them•• who did, thereby to conclude, or argue, whi∣ther he is gone. But yet I haue one neerer mee than all these; mine owne Charity; I aske that; & that tels me, He is gone to euerlasting rest, and ioy, and glory: I owe
him a good opinion; it is but thankfull charity in mee, because I receiued benefit and instruction from him when his Bell told: and I, being made the fitter to pray, by that disposition, wherein I was assisted by his occa∣sion, did pray for him; and I pray not without faith; so I doe charitably, so I do faithfully beleeue, that that soule is gone to euerlasting rest, and ioy, and glory. But for the bo∣dy, How poore a wret∣ched thing is that? wee
cannot expresse it so fast, as it growes worse and worse. That body which scarce three minutes since was such a house, as that that soule, which made but one step from thence to Heauen, was scarse thorowly con∣tent, to leaue that for Heauen: that body hath lost the name of a dwel∣ling house, because none dwels in it, and is ma∣king haste to lose the name of a body, and dis∣solue to putrefaction. Who would not bee af∣fected
to see a cleere & sweet Riuer in the Mor∣ning, grow a kennell of muddy land water by noone, and condemned to the saltnesse of the Sea by night? And how lame a Picture, how faint a representation, is that, of the precipitatiō of mans body to dissolution? Now all the parts built vp, and knit by a louely soule, now but a statue of clay, and now, these limbs melted off, as if that clay were but snow•• and now, the whole house is but a
handfull of sand, so much dust, and but a pecke of Rubbidge, so much bone. If he, who, as this Bell tells mee, is gone now, were some excellent Ar∣ti••icer, who comes to him for a clocke, or for a garment now? or for counsaile, if hee were a Lawyer? If a Magistrate, for iustice? Man before hee hath his immortall soule, hath a soule of sense, and a soule of vegitation before that: This im∣mortall soule did not for∣bid other soules, to be in
vs before, but when this soule departs, it carries all with it; no more ve∣getation, no more sense: such a Mother in law is the Earth•• in respect of our naturall Mother; in her wombe we grew; and when she was deliuered of vs, wee were planted in some place, in some calling in the world; In the wombe of the Earth, wee diminish, and when shee is deliuered of vs, our graue opened for another, wee are not transplanted, but trans∣ported,
our dust blowne away with prophane dust, with euery wind.
MY God, my God, if Expostulation bee too bold a word, doe thou mollifie it with ano∣ther; le•• it be wonder in my selfe; let it bee but probleme to others; but let me aske, why woul∣dest thou not suffer those, that serue thee in holy seruices,* 1.256 to doe any
office about the dead, nor assist at their funerall? Thou hadst no Counsel∣lor, thou needest none; thou hast no Controller, thou admittest none Why doe I aske? in Ce∣remoniall things (as that was) any conuenient rea∣son is enough; who can bee sure to propose that reason, that moued thee in the institution there∣of? I satisfie my selfe with this; that in those times, the Gentiles were ouerfull, of an ouer-re∣uerent respect to the me∣mory
of the dead: a great part of the Idolatry of the Nations, flowed from that; an ouer-amorous de∣uotion, an ouer-zealous celebrating, and ouer-stu∣dious preseruing of the memories, and the Pi∣ctures of some dead per∣sons:* 1.257 And by the vaine glory of men, they entred into the world; and their statues, and pictures con∣tracted an opinion of diuinity, by age: that which was at first, but a picture of a friend, grew a God in time, as the wise
man notes,* 1.258 They called them Gods, which were the worke of an ancient hand. And some haue assigned a certaine time, when a picture should come out of Minority, and bee at age, to bee a God, in 60. yeeres after it is made. Those Images of Men, that had life, and some Idols of other things, which neuer had any being, are by one common name, called promiscuously, dead, and for that the wise man re∣prehends the Idolatrer;
for health he praies to that which is weake,* 1.259 and for life he praies to that which is dead. Should we doe so, saies thy Prophet;* 1.260 should we goe from the liuing to the dead? So much ill then, being occasioned, by so much religious cō∣plement exhibited to the dead; thou ô God, (I think) wouldest therefore inhi∣bit thy principall holy ser∣uants, from contributing any thing at all to this dangerous intimation of Idolatry; and that the people might say, surely
those dead men, are not so much to bee magni∣fied, as men mistake, since God will not suffer his holy officers, so much as to touch them, not to see them. But those dangers being re∣moued, thou, O my God, dost certainly al∣low, that we should doe offices of piety to the dead, and that we should draw instructions to pie∣ty, from the dead. Is not this, O my God, a holy kinde of raising vp ••eed to my dead brother, if I,
by the meditation of his death, produce a better life in my selfe? It is the blessing vpon Reuben, [ 1] Let Reuben liue,* 1.261 & not die, and let not his men be few; let him propagate many. And it is a Malediction, That that dieth, let it die;* 1.262 let it doe no good in dy∣ing: for Trees without fruit,* 1.263 thou by thy Apostle callst, twice dead. It is a second death, if none liue the better, by me, after my death, by the manner of my death. Therefore may I iustly thinke, that
thou madest that a way to conuay to the Aegyp∣tians, a feare of thee, and a feare of death,* 1.264 that there was not a house, where there was not one dead; for therupon the Aegyp∣tians said, we are all dea•• men; the death of others, should catechise vs•• to death.* 1.265 Thy Sonne Christ Iesus is the first begotten of the dead; he rises first, the eldest brother, and he is my Master in this sci∣ence of death: but yet, for mee, I am a younger brother too, to this Man,
who died now, and to e∣uery man whom I see, or heare to die before mee, and all they are vshers to mee in this schoole of death. I take therefore that which thy seruant Dauids wife said to him, to bee said to me;* 1.266 If thou saue not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt bee slaine. If the death of this man worke not vpon mee now, I shall die worse, than if thou hadst not afforded me this helpe: for thou hast sent him in
this bell to mee, as tho•• didst send to the Angel•• of Sardis,* 1.267 with commissi∣on to strengthen the things that remaine, and that are ready to die; that in this weaknes of body, I migh•• receiue spiritual streng••h, by these occasions. This is my strength, that whe∣ther thou say to mee, as thine Angell said to Gede∣on;* 1.268 Peace bee vnto thee, feare not, thou shalt not die, or whether thou say, as vnto Aaron, Thou shalt die there;* 1.269 yet thou wil•• preserue that which is
ready to die, my soule, from the worst death, that of sinne.* 1.270 Zimrie died for his sinnes, saies thy Spirit, which he sinned in doing euill; and in his sinne, which he did to make Isra∣el sinne. For his sinnes, his many sinnes; and then in his sinne, his particular sinne: for my sinnes I shall die, whensoeuer I die, for death is the wa∣ges of sinne; but I shall die in my sinne, in that particular sinne of resi∣sting thy spirit, if I ap∣ply not thy assistances.
Doth it not call vs to a particular considerati∣on, That thy blessed Sonne varies his forme of Commination, and ag∣grauates it in the variati∣on, when hee saies to the Iewes, (because they refu∣sed the light offered) you shall die in your sinne;* 1.271 And then when they proceeded to farther dis∣putations, and vexati∣ons, and tentations, hee addes,* 1.272 you shall die in your sinnes; he multiplies the former expressing, ••o a plurall. In this sinne••
and in all your sinnes; doth not the resisting of thy particular helps at last, draw vpon vs the guiltinesse of all our for∣mer sinnes? May not the neglecting of this sound ministred to mee in this mans death, bring mee to that miserie, as that I, whom the Lord of life loued so, as to die for me, shall die, and a Crea∣ture of mine owne shall be immortall•• that I shall die,* 1.273 and the worme of mine owne conscience shall neuer die?
O Eternall and most gracious God, I haue a new occasion of thanks, and a new occa∣sion of prayer to thee, from the ringing of this bell. Thou toldst me in the other voice, that I was mortall, and ap∣proaching to death; In this I may heare thee say, that I am dead, in an irre∣mediable, in an irrecoue∣rable state for bodily health. If that bee thy language in this voice,
how infinitely am I bound to thy heauenly Maiestie, for speaking so plainly vnto mee? for euen that voice, that I must die now, is not the voice of a Iudge, that speaks by way of con∣demnation, but of a Phy∣sitian, that presents health in that: Thou presentest mee death as the cure of my disease, not as the ex∣altation of it; if I mi∣stake thy voice herein, if I ouer-runne thy pace, and preuent thy hand, and imagine death more
instant vpon mee than thou hast bid him bee, yet the voice belongs to me; I am dead, I was borne dead, and from the first laying of these mud-walls in my conception, they haue moldred away, and the whole course of life is but an actiue death. Whether this voice in∣struct mee, that I am a dead man now, or remem∣ber me, that I haue been a dead man all this while, I humbly thanke thee for speaking in this voice to my soule, and I hum∣••ly
beseech thee also, to ••ccept my prayers in his behalfe, by whose occa∣sion this voice, this sound is come to mee. ••or though hee bee by death transplanted to thee, and so in posses∣sion of inexpressible happinesse there, yet here vpon earth thou hast giuen vs such a por∣tion of heauen, as that though men dispute, whether thy Saints in heauen doe know what we in earth in particular doe stand in need of, yet
without all disputation, wee vpon earth doe know what thy Saints in heauen lacke yet, for the consummation of their happinesse; and there∣fore thou hast affoorded vs the dignitie, that wee may pray for them. That therefore this soule now newly departed to thy Kingdome, may quickly returne to a io••∣full reunion to that body which it hath left, and that wee with it, may soone enioy the full con∣summation of all, in body
and soule, I humbly beg at thy hand, O our most mercifull God, for thy Sonne Christ Iesus sake. That that blessed Sonne of thine, may haue the comsummation of his dig∣nitie, by entring into his last office, the office of a Iudge, and may haue so∣cietie of humane bodies in heauen, as well as hee hath had euer of soules•• And that as thou hatest sinne it selfe, thy hate to sinne may bee expres∣sed in the abolishing of all instruments of sinne,
The allurements of this world, and the world it selfe; and all the tempo∣rarie r••uenges of sinne, the stings of sicknesse and of death; and all the castles, and prisons, and monuments of sinne, in the graue. That time may bee swallowed vp in E∣ternitie, and hope swal∣lowed in possession, and ends swallowed in infi∣nitenesse, and all men or∣dained to saluation, in body and soule, b•• one in∣tire and euerlasting sacri∣fice to thee, where thou
mayest receiue delight from them, and they glo∣rie from thee, for euer∣more. Amen.
ALl this while the Physitians them∣selues haue beene pati∣ents, patiently attending when they should see any land in this Sea, any earth, any cloud, any in∣dication of concoction in these waters. Any disor∣der of mine, any preter∣mission of theirs, exalts
the d••sease, accelerates the rages of it; no dili∣gence accelerates the con∣coction, the maturitie of the disease; they must stay till the season of the sick∣nesse come, and till it be ripened of it selfe, and then they may put to their hand, to gather it, before it fall off, but they cannot hasten the ripe∣ning. Why should wee looke for it in a disease, which is the disorder, the discord, the irregularitie, the commotion, and rebel∣lion of the body? It were
scarce a disease, if it could bee ordered, and made obedient to our times. Why should wee looke for that in disorder, in a disease, when we cannot haue it in Nature, who is so regular, and so preg∣nant, so forward to bring her worke to perfection, and to light? yet we can∣not awake the Iuly-flow∣ers in Ianuarie, nor retard the flowers of the spring to Autumne. We cannot bid the fruits come in May, nor the leaues to sticke on in December.
A woman that is weake, cannot put off her ninth moneth to a tenth, for her deliuerie, and say shee will stay till shee bee stronger; nor a Queene cannot hasten it to a se∣uenth, that shee may bee ready for some other pleasure. Nature (if w•• looke for durable and vi∣gorous effects) will not admit preuentions, nor anticipations, nor obliga∣tions vpon her; for they are precontracts, and she will bee left to her liber∣tie. Nature would not
be spurred, nor forced to mend her pace; nor pow∣er, the power of man; greatnesse lou••s not that kinde of violence neither•• There are of them that will giue•• that will doe iustice, that will pardon, but they haue their owne seasons for al these, and h•• that knowes not them, shall starue before that gift come, and ru∣ine, before the Iustice, and dye before the par∣don saue him: some tree beares no fruit, except much dung be laid about
it, and Iustice comes not from some, till they bee richly manured: some trees require much visi∣ting, much watring, much labour; and some men giue not their fruits but vpon importunitie; some trees require incision, and pruning, and lopping; some men must bee inti∣midated and syndicated with Commissions, before they will deliuer the fruits of Iustice; some trees require the early and the often accesse of the Sunne; some men
open not, but vpon the fauours and letters of Court mediation; some trees must bee ••ousd and kept within doores; some men locke vp, not onley their liber••litie, but their Iustice, and their compassion, till the sollicitation of a wife, or a sonne, or a friend, or a seruant turne the key. Re∣ward is the season of one man, and importunitie of another; feare the season of one man, and fauour of another; friendship the season of one man,
••nd naturall affection of ••nother; and hee that knowes not their sea∣sons, nor cannot stay ••hem, must lose the ••ruits; As Nature will not, so power and great∣nesse will not bee put to change their seasons; and shall wee looke for this Indulgence in a disease, or thinke to shake it off before it bee ripe? All this while therefore, we are but vpon a defen••iue warre, and that is but a doubtfull state: Especial∣ly where they who are
besieged doe know the best of their defences, and doe not know the worst of their enemies power; when they cannot mend their works within, and the enemie can increase his numbers without•• O how many farre more miserable, and farre more wor••hy to be lesse mise∣rable than I, are besieged with this sicknesse, and lacke their Sentinels, their Physitians to watch, and lacke their munition, their cordials to d••f••nd, and perish before ••••e
••nemies weaknesse might inuite them to sally, be∣fore the disease shew any declination, or admit any way of working vpon it selfe? In me the siege is ••o farre slackned, as that we may come to fight, and so die in the field, if I die, and not in a prison.
MY God, my God, Thou a••t a direct God, may I not say, a lite∣rall God, a God that
wouldest bee vnder∣stood literally, and accor∣ding to the plaine sense of all that thou saiest? But thou art also (Lord I intend it to thy glory, and let no prophane mis∣interpreter abuse it to thy diminution) thou art a figuratiue, a metaphori∣call God too: A God in whose words there is such a height of figures, such voyages, such pere∣grinations to ••e••ch re∣mo••e and precious me∣taphors, such extentions, such spreadings, such
Curtaines of Allegories, such third Heauens of Hyperboles, so harmoni∣ous eloquutions, so retired and so reserued expressi∣ons, so commanding per∣swasions, so perswading commandements, such si∣newes euen in thy milke, and such things in thy words, as all prophane Authors, seeme of the seed of the Serpent, that creepes, thou art the doue, that flies. O, what words but thine, can expresse the inexpressible texture, and composition of thy word; in which, to one
Man, that argument that binds his faith to be∣leeue that to bee the Word of God, is the re∣uerent simplicity of the Word, and to another, the maiesty of the Word; and in which two men, equally pious, may meet, and one wonder, that all should not vn∣derstand it, and the o∣ther, as much, that any man should. So, Lord, thou giuest vs the same Earth, to labour on, and to lie in; a house, and a graue, of the same earth; so Lord, thou giuest vs
the same Word for our satisfaction, and for our Inquisition, for our instru∣ction, and for our Admi∣ration too; for there are places, that thy seruants Hierom and Augustine would scarce beleeue (when they grew warm by mutual letters) of one another, that they vn∣derstood them, and yet both Hierome and Augu∣stine call vpon persons, whom they knew to bee farre weaker, than they thought one ano∣ther (old women & young maids) to read thy Scrip∣tures,
without con••ining them, to these or those places. Neither art thou thus a figuratiue, a Meta∣phoricall God, in thy word only, but in thy workes too. The stile of thy works, the phrase of thine Actions, is Metaphoricall•• The institution of thy whole worship in the old Law, was a cōtinuall Al∣legory; types & figures o∣uerspread all; and figure•• flowed into figures, and powred themselues ou•• into farther ••igures; Cir∣cumcision carried a fig•••••• of Baptisme, & Baptis••••
carries a figure of that pu∣rity, which we shall haue in perfection in the new Ierusalem. Neither didst thou speake, and worke in this language, onely in the time of thy Pro∣phets; but since thou spokest in thy Son, it is so too. How often, how much more often doth thy Sonne call himsel••e a way, and a light, and a gate, and a Vine, and bread, than the Sonne of God, or of Man? How much oftner doth he ex∣hibit a Metaphoricall Christ, than a reall, a lite∣rall?
This hath occasi∣oned thine ancient ser∣uants, whose delight it was to write after thy Copie, to proceede the same way in their expo∣sitions of the Scriptures, and in their composing both of publike liturgies, and of priuate prayers to thee, to make their ac∣cesses to thee in such a kind of language, as thou wast pleased to speake to them, in a figuratiue, in a Metaphoricall lan∣guage; in which manner I am bold to call the comfort which I receiue
now in this sicknesse, in ••he indication of the con∣coction and maturity ther∣of, in certaine clouds, and residēces, which the Phy∣sitians obserue, a discoue∣ring of land frō Sea, after a long, and tempestuous voyage. But wherefore, O my God, hast thou pre∣sented to vs, the afflictiōs and calamities of this life, in the name of waters? so often in the name of wa∣ters, and deepe waters, and Seas of waters? must we looke to bee drowned? are they bottomlesse, are
they boundles? Thats not the dialect of thy lan∣gauge; thou hast giuen a Remedy against the dee∣pest water, by water; a∣gainst the inundation of sinne, by Baptisme; and the first life, that thou gauest to any Creatures, was in waters, therefore ••hou do••••t not ••hr••••ten v••, wi••h an irrem••dia∣blenesse, when our affli∣ction is a Sea. It is so, if we consider our selues; so thou callest Genneza∣reth, which was but a lake, and not salt, a Sea;
so thou callest the Medi∣terranean Sea, still the great Sea; because the in∣habitants saw no other Sea; they that dwelt there, thought a Lake, a Sea, and the others thought a little Sea, the greatest, and wee that know not the afflictions of others, call our owne the heauiest. But, O my God, that is truly great, that ouerflowes the chan••ell; that is really a great affliction, which is aboue my strength, but, thou, O God, art
my strength, and then what can bee aboue it?* 1.274 Mountaines shake with the swelling of thy Sea, se∣cular, Mountaines, men strong in power, spirituall mountaines, men strong in grace, are shaked with afflictions;* 1.275 but thou laiest vp thy sea in store-houses; euen thy corrections are of thy treasure, and thou wilt not waste thy cor∣rections; when they haue done their seruice, to humble thy patient, thou wilt call them in againe; for,* 1.276 thou giuest the Sea
thy decree, that the wa∣ters should not passe thy Commandement. All our waters shal run into Ior∣dan,* 1.277 & thy seruants passed Iordan dry foot; they shall run into the red Sea (the Sea of thy Sons bloud) & the red Sea, that red Sea, drownes none of thine. But,* 1.278 they that saile in the Sea, tell of the danger thereof; I that am yet in this affliction, owe thee the glory of speaking of it; But, as the wise man bids me,* 1.279 I say, I may speak much, and come short;
wherefore in summe, thou art all. Since thou art so, O my God, and affliction is a Sea, too deepe for vs, what is our refuge? thine Arke, thy ship. In all other Seas, in all other afflicti∣ons, those meanes which thou hast ordained; In this Sea, in Sicknesse, thy Ship is thy Physitian.* 1.280 Thou hast made a way in the Sea, and a safe path in the waters, shewing that thou canst saue from all dangers; yea, though a man went to Sea without art; yet where I finde all
that, I finde this added, Neuerthelesse thou woul∣••est not, that the worke of thy wisdome should be idle. Thou canst saue with∣out meanes; but thou hast told no man that thou wilt: Thou hast told euery man, that thou wilt not. When the Centurion beleeued the Master of the ship more than Saint Paul,* 1.281 they were all opened to a great danger; this was a preferring of thy meanes, before thee, the Author of the meanes; but, my
God, though thou beest euery where, I haue no promise of appearing to me, but in thy ship: Thy blessed Sonne preached out of a Ship:* 1.282 The meanes is preaching, he did that; and the Ship was a type of the Church; hee did it there•• Thou gauest S. Paul the liues of all them,* 1.283 that saild with him; If they had not beene in the Ship with him, the gift had not extended to them.* 1.284 As soone as thy Son was come out of the ship, immediatly there met him
out of the tombes, a man with an vncleane spirit, and no man could hold him, no not with chaines. Thy Sonne needed no vse of meanes; yet there wee apprehend the dan∣ger to vs; if we leaue the ship, the meanes; in this case, the Physitian. But as they are Ships to vs in those Seas, so is there a Ship to them too, in which they are to stay. Giue mee leaue, O my God, to assist my selfe with such a construction of these words of thy
seruant Paul, to the Cen∣turion, when the Mari∣ners would haue left the Ship,* 1.285 Except these abide in the Ship, you cannot bee safe; Except they who are our ships, the Physi∣tians, abide in that which is theirs, and our ship, the truth, and the sincere and religious wor∣ship of thee, and thy Gos∣pell, we cannot promise our selues, so good safe∣ty; for though we haue our ship, the Physitian, he hath not his ship, Reli∣gion; And meanes are
not meanes, but in their concatenation, as they de∣pend, and are chained to∣gether.* 1.286 The ships are great, saies thy Apostle, but a helme turnes them; the men are learned, but their religion turnes their labours to good: And therefore it was a heauy ••••••se, when the third part o•• the ships perished:* 1.287 It is a heauy case, where ei∣ther all Religion, or true Religion should forsake many of these ships, whom thou hast sent to conuey vs ouer these
Seas. But, O my God, my God, since I haue my ship, and they theirs, I haue them, and they haue thee, why are we yet no nee∣rer land? As soone as thy Sonnes Disciple had ta∣ken him into the ship, immediatly the ship was at the land,* 1.288 whither they went. Why haue nor they and I this dispatch? Eue∣ry thing is immediatly done, which is done when thou wouldst haue it done. Thy purpose terminates euery action, and what was done be∣fore
that, is vndone yet. Shall that slacken my hope? Thy Prophet from thee, hath forbid it.* 1.289 It is good that a man should both hope, and quietly wait for the saluation of the Lord. Thou puttest off many iudgements, till the last day, many passe this life without any; and shall not I endure the putting off thy mercy for a day? and yet, O my God, thou puttest me not to that; for, the as∣surance of future mercy, ••s present mercy. But what
is my assurance now? What is my seale? It is but a cloud; that which my Physitians call a cloud, in that, which giues them their Indication. But a Cloud? Thy great Seale to all the world, the raine-bow, that ••ecured the world for euer, from drowning,* 1.290 was but a re∣flexion vpon a cloud. A cloud it selfe was a pillar which guided the church, and the glory of God,* 1.291 not only was, but appeared in a cloud. Let me returne, O my God, to the conside∣ration
of thy seruant Eli∣ahs proceeding,* 1.292 in a time of desperate drought; he bids them look towards the Sea; They looke, and ••ee nothing. He bids thē againe and againe, seuen times: and at the seuenth time, they saw a little cloud rising out of the Sea; and presently they had their desire of raine. Seuen dayes, O my God, haue we looked for this cloud, and now we haue it; none of thy Indicati∣ons are friuolous; thou makest thy signes, seales;
and thy Seales, effects; and thy effects, consolati∣on, and restitution, wher∣soeuer thou maiest re∣ceiue glory by that way.
O Eternall and most gracious God, who though thou passedst o∣uer infinite millions of generations, before thou camest to a Creation of this world, yet when thou beganst, didst ne∣uer intermit that worke, but continuedst day to
day, till thou hadst perfi∣ted all the worke, and de∣posed it in the hands and rest of a Sabbath, though thou haue beene pleased to glorifie thy selfe in a long exercise of my pa∣tience, with an expectati∣on of thy declaration of thy selfe in this my sick∣nesse, yet since thou hast now of thy goodnesse afforded that, which af∣fords vs some hope, if that bee still the way of thy glory, proceed in that way, and perfit that worke, and establish me
in a Sabbath, and rest in thee, by this thy seale of bodily restitution. Thy Priests came vp to thee, by steps in the Temple; Thy Angels came downe to Iaacob, by steps vpon the ladder; we finde no staire, by which thou thy selfe camest to Adam in Paradise, nor to So∣dome in thine anger; for thou, and thou o••ely art able to doe all at once. But, O Lord, I am not wearie of thy pace, nor wearie of mine owne pa∣tience. I prouoke ••he••
not with a praier, not with a wish, not with a ••ope, to more haste than consists with thy pur∣pose, nor looke that any other thing should haue entred into thy purpose, but thy glory. To heare thy ••steps comming to∣wards mee, is the same comfort, as to see thy face present with mee; whether thou doe the worke of a thousand yeere in a day, or extend the worke of a day, to a thousand yeere, as long as thou workest, it is light,
and comfort. Heauen it selfe is but an extention of the same ioy; and an extention of this mercie, to proceed at thy lei∣sure, in the way of resti∣tution, is a manifestation of heauen to me here vp∣on earth. From that peo∣ple, to whom thou ap∣pearedst in signes, and in Types, the Iewes, thou art departed, because they trusted in them; but from thy Church, to whom thou hast appea∣red in thy selfe, in thy Sonne, thou wilt neuer
depart; because we can∣not trust too much in him. Though thou haue af∣forded me these signes of restitution, yet if I confide in them, and beginne to say, all was but a Na∣••urall accident, and na∣ture begins to discharge her selfe, and sh••e will perfit the whole worke, my hope shall vanish be∣cause it is not in thee. If thou shouldest take thy hand vtterly from me, and haue nothing to doe with me, Nature a∣lone were able to destroy
mee; but if thou with∣draw thy helping hand, alas how friuolous are the helps of Nature, how impotent the assistances of Art? As therefore the morning dew, is a pawne of the euening fatnesse, so, O Lord, let this daies comfort be the earnest of to morrowes, so f••rre as may conforme me entire∣ly to thee, to what end, and by what way so••uer thy mercie haue appoin∣ted mee.
THoug•• counsel seeme rather to consist of spirituall parts, than acti∣on, yet action is the spirit and the soule of counsell. Counsels are not alwaies determined in Resoluti∣ons; wee cannot alwaies say, this was concluded;
actions are alwaies deter∣mined in effects; wee can say this was done. Then haue Lawes their reue∣rence, and their maiestie, when wee see the Iudge vpon the Bench execu∣ting them. Then haue counsels of warre their impressions, and their ope∣rations, when we see the seale of an Armie set to them. It was an ancient way of celebrating the memorie of such as deser∣ued well of the State, to afford them that kinde of statuarie representati∣on,
which was then called Hermes; which was, the head and shoul∣ders of a man, standing vpon a Cube, but those shoulders without armes and hands. All together it figured a constant suppor∣ter of the state, by his counsell: But in this Hie∣rogliphique, which they made without hands, they passe their conside∣ration no farther, but that the Counsellor should bee without hands, so farre, as not to reach out his hand to forraigne ten∣tations
of bribes, in mat∣ters of Counsell, and, that it was not necessary, that the head should employ his owne hand; that the same men should serue in the execution, which as∣sisted in the Counsell; but that there should not belong hands to euery head, action to euery counsell, was neuer inten∣ded, so much as in figure, and representation. For, as matrimonie is scarce to bee called matrimonie,* 1.293 where there is a resoluti∣on against the fruits of
matrimonie, against the hauing of Children, so counsels are not counsels, but illusions, where there is from the beginning no purpose to execute ••he determina••ions of ••hose counsels. The arts and sciences are most properly referred to the head; that is their proper Element and Spheare; But yet the art of prouing, Logique; and the Art of perswading, Rhetorique, are deduced to the hand, and that expressed by a hand contracted into a
sist, and this by a hand en∣larged, and expanded; and euermore the power of man, and the power of God himselfe is expres∣sed so•• All things are in hi•• hand•• neither is God so often presented ••o vs, by names that carry our consideratiō vpon coun∣sell, as vpon execution of counsell, he is oftner cal∣led the Lord of Hosts, ••han by all other names, that may be referred to the other signification•• Hereby•• therefore wee take into our meditati∣on,
the slipperie conditi∣on of man, whose happi∣nesse, in any kinde, the de∣fect of any one thing, con∣ducing to that happi∣nesse, may ruine; but i•• must haue all the peeces to make it vp. Without counsell, I had not got thus farre•• withou•• acti∣on and practise, I should goe no farther towards health? But what is ••he present nec••ssary action? purging: A withdrawing, a violating of Nature, a farther weakening: O deare price, & O strange
way of addition, to doe it by substraction; of re∣storing Nature, to violate Nature; of prouiding strength, by increasing weaknesse. Was I not sicke before? And is it a question of comfort to be asked now, Did your Physicke make you sicke? Was that it that my Phy∣sicke promised, to make me sicke? This is ano∣ther step, vpon which we may stand, and see far∣ther into the miserie of man, the time, the season of his Miserie; It must
bee done now: O ouer-••••nning, ouer-watchfull, ouer-diligent, and ouer-sociable misery of man, that seldome comes a∣lone, but then when it may accompanie other miseries, and so put one another into the higher exaltation, and better ••eart. I am ground euen to an attenuation, and must proceed to euacua∣tion, all waies to exinani∣••ion and annihilation.
MY God, my God, the God of Order, but yet not of Ambition, who assignest place to euery one, but not con∣tention for place, when shall it be thy pleasure to put an end to all these quarrels, for spirituall precedences? when shall men leaue their vnchari∣table disputations, which is to take place, faith or re∣pentance, and which, when we consider faith, and works? The head
and the hand too, are re∣quired to a perfit naturall man; Counsell and action too, to a perfit ciuill man; saith and works too, to him that is perfi••ly spiri∣tuall. But because it is easily said, I beleeue, and because it doth not easi∣ly lie in proofe, nor is ea∣sily demonstrable by a∣ny euidence taken from my heart, (for who sees th••••, who f••••rches those Rolls••) whether I doe beleeue, or no, is it not therefore, O my God, that thou dost so frequently,
so earnestly, referre vs to the hand, to the obseruati∣on of actions? There is a little suspition, a little im∣putation laid vpon ouer-tedious and dilatorie coun∣sels. Many good occasi∣ons slip away in long consultations; and it may be a degree of sloth, to be too long in mending nets, though that must bee done.* 1.294 He that obserueth the wind, shall not saw, and he that regardeth the ••••ouds, shall not reape; that is, he that is too di∣latorie, too superstitious
••n these obseruations, and ••tudies but the excuse of his owne idlenesse in ••hem; But, that which ••he same wise and royall seruant of thine, saies in ••n other place, all accept, ••nd aske no comment vp∣on it,* 1.295 He becommeth poore, that dealeth with a slacke hand•• but the hand of the diligent maketh rich; All euill imputed to the ab∣sence, all good attributed to the presence of the ••and. I know, my God, (and I blesse thy name for knowing it•• for all
good knowledge is from thee) that thou conside∣rest the heart; but thou takest not off thine eie, till thou come to the hand. Nay, my God, doth not thy spirit inti∣mate, that thou begin∣nest where wee beginne, (at least, that thou al∣lowest vs to beginne there) when thou orde∣rest thine owne answer to thine owne question,* 1.296 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Thus, he that hath cleane hands, and a pure heart? Doest
••••ou not (at least) send 〈◊〉〈◊〉, first to the hand? ••nd is not the worke of ••heir hands, that decla∣••••tion of their holy zeale, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the present execution ••f manifest Idolatrers, ••••lled a consecration of ••••emselues,* 1.297 by thy holy ••pirit? Their hands are ••alled all themselues: for, ••uen counsell it selfe goes ••nder that name, in thy word, who knowest best ••ow to giue right names: ••ecause the counsell of the ••riests assisted Dauid, Saul saies, the hand of the
Priest is with Dauid••* 1.298 And that which is often said by Moses, is very of∣ten repeated by thy o∣ther Prophets,* 1.299 These and these things, the Lord spake, and the Lord said, and the Lord comman∣manded, not by the coun∣sels, not by the voice, but by the hand of Moses, and by the hand of the Prophets: Euermore we are referred for our Eui∣dence, of others, and of our selues, to the hand, to action, to works. There is something before it,
beleeuing; and there is some thing after it, suffe∣ring; but in the most e∣minent, and obuious, and conspicuous place, stands doing. Why then, O my God, my bl••ss••d God, in the waies of my ••pirituall strength, come ••l so slow to action? I was whipped by thy rod, before I came to consultation, to consider my state, and shall I go•• no farther? As hee that would describe a circle in paper, if hee haue brought that circle with∣in
one inch of finishing yet if he remoue his com∣passe, he cannot make i•• vp a perfit circle, excep•• he fall to worke againe to finde out the sam•• center•• so, though setting that foot of my compass•• vpon thee, I haue gon•• so farre, as to the conside∣ration of my selfe, yet i•• I depart from thee, my center, all is vnperfit•• This proceeding to acti∣on therefore, is a retur∣ning to thee, and a wor∣king vpon my selfe by thy Physicke, by thy pur∣gatiue
physicke, a free and entire euacuation of my soule by confession. The working of purgatiue physicke, is violent and contrary to Nature. O Lord, I decline not this potion of confession, how euer it may bee contrary to a naturall man. To take phys••cke,* 1.300 and not according to the right me∣thod, is dangerous. O Lord, I decline not that method in this physicke, in things that burthen my consci∣ence, to make my confes∣sion to him, into whose
hands thou hast put th•• power of absolution. •• know that Physicke may be made so pleasant,* 1.301 as tha•• it may easily be taken; bu•• not so pleasant as the ver••tue and nature of the me••dicine bee extinguished I know, I am not sub••mitted to such a confes∣sion as is a racke and tor••ture of the Conscience but I know I am not ex∣empt from all. If it were meerely problematicall left meerely indifferent whether we should tak•• this Physicke, vse thi••
confession, or no, a great Physitian acknowledges this to haue beene his practise,* 1.302 To minister ma∣ny things, which hee was not sure would doe good but neuer any other thing, but such as hee was sure would doe no harme. The vse of this spirituall Physicke can certainly doe no harme; and the Church hath alwaies thought that it might, and doubtlesse, many humble soules haue found, that it hath done them good. I will there∣fore
take the cup of Sal∣uation,* 1.303 and call vpon thy Name; I will fill this Cup of compunction, as full as I haue formerly filled the Cups of wo••ld∣ly confections, that so I may scape the cup of Malediction, and irreco∣uerable destruction that depends vpon that. And since thy blessed and glorious Sonne, being offered in the way to his Execution,* 1.304 a Cup of Su••∣pefaction, to take away the sense of his paine, (a charity afforded to
condemned persons or∣dinarily in those places, and times) refused that ease, and embraced the whole torment, I take not this Cup, but this vessell of mine owne sinnes, into my contem∣plation, and I powre them out here accor∣ding to the Motions of thy holy Spirit, and any where, according to the ordinances of thy holy Church.
O Eternall, and most gracious God, who hauing married Man, and Woman together, and made them one flesh, wouldest haue them also, to become one soule so, as that they might maintaine a sim∣pathy in their affections, and haue a conformity to one another, in the acci∣dents of this world, good or bad, so hauing marri∣ed this soule and this bo∣dy in me, I humbly be∣seech
thee, that my soule may looke, and make her vse of thy mercifull proceedings towards my bodily restitution, & goe the same way to a spirituall. I am come by thy goodnesse, to the vse of thine ordinary meanes for my body, to wash away those peccant humors, that endangered it. I haue, O Lord, a Ri∣uer in my body, but a Sea in my soule, and a Sea swoln into the depth of a Deluge, aboue the Sea. Thou hast raised vp cer∣taine
hils in me hereto∣fore, by which I might haue stood safe, from these inundations of sin. Euen our Naturall fa∣culties are a hill, and might preserue vs from some sinne. Education, study, obseruation, exam∣ple, are hills too, and might preserue vs from some. Thy Church, and thy Word, and thy Sa∣craments, and thine Or∣dinances, are hills, aboue these; thy Spirit of re∣morse, and compunction, & repentance for former sin,
are hills too; and to the ••op of all these hils, thou hast brought mee here∣tofore; but this Deluge, this inundation, is got a∣boue all my Hills; and I haue sinned and sin∣ned, and multiplied sinne to sinne, after all these thy assistances against sinne, and where is there water enough to wash away this Deluge? There is a red Sea, greater than this Ocean; and there is a lit∣tle spring, through which this Ocean, may powre it selfe into that red Sea. Let
thy Spirit of true contri∣tion, and sorrow passe all my sinnes through these eies, into the wounds of thy Sonne, and I shall be cleane, and my soule so much better purged than my body, as it is or∣dained for a better, and a longer life.
IF man had beene left alone in this world, at first, shall I thinke, that he would not haue fal∣len?
If there had beene no Woman, would not Man haue serued, to haue beene his owne Tempter? When I see him now, subiect to in∣finite weakenesses, fall into infinite sinne, with∣out any forraine tenta∣tions, shall I thinke, hee would haue had none, if hee had beene alone? GOD saw that Man needed a Helper, if hee should bee well; but to make Woman ill, the Deuill saw, that there needed no third.
When God, and wee were alone, in Adam, that was not enough; when the Deuill and wee were alone, in Eue, it was enough•• O what a Giant is Man, when hee fights against him∣selfe, and what a dwarfe, when hee needs, or ex∣ercises his owne assi∣stance for himselfe? I cannot rise out of my bed, till the Physitian en∣able mee, nay I cannot tel, that I am able to rise, till hee tell me so. I doe nothing, I know no∣thing
of my selfe: how little, and how impo∣tent a pe••ce of the world, is any Man alone? and how much lesse a peece of himselfe is that Man? So little, as that when it falls out, (as it falls out in some cases) that more misery, and more oppression, would bee an ease to a man, he cannot giue himselfe that mise∣rable addition, of more mi∣sery•• A man that is pressed to death, and might be eased by more weights, cannot lay those more
weights vpon himselfe: Hee can sinne alone, and suffer alone, but not repent, not bee ab∣solued, without ano∣ther. Another tels mee, I may rise; and I doe so. But is euery raising a preferment? or is euery present preferment a sta∣tion? I am readier to fall to the Earth now I am vp, than I was wh••n I lay in the bed: O per∣uerse way, irregular mo∣tion of Man; euen ri∣sing it selfe is the way to Ruine. How many men
are raised, and then doe not fill the place they are raised to? No cor∣ner of any place can bee empty; there can be no vacuity; If that Man doe not fill the place, other men will; complaints of his insuf∣ficiency will fill it; Nay, such an abhorring is there in Nature, of va∣cuity, that if there be but an imagination of not filling, in any man, that which is but imagina∣tion neither, will ••ill it, that is, rumor and voice,
and it will be giuen ••ut, (vpon no ground, but Imagination, and no man knowes, whose imagination) that hee is corrupt in his place, or insufficient in his place, and another prepared to succeed him in his place. A man rises, some∣times, and stands not, because hee doth not, or is not beleeued to fill his place; and some∣times he stands not, be∣cause hee ouer-fills his place: Hee may bring so much vertue, so
much Iustice, so much integrity to the place, as shall spoile the place, burthen the place; his integrity may bee a Li∣bell vpon his Predeces∣sor, and cast an infamy vpon him, and a bur∣den vpon his successor, to proceede by exam∣ple, and to bring the place it selfe, to an vn∣der-value, and the mar∣ket to an vncertainty. I am vp, and I seeme to stand, and I goe round; and I am a new Argu∣ment of the new Philo∣sophie,
That the Earth ••oues round; why may •• not beleeue, that the ••hole earth moues in a round motion, though that seeme to mee to stand, when as I seeme ••o stand to my Compa∣••y, and yet am carried, in a giddy, and cir∣cular motion, as I stand? Man hath no center, but misery; there and onely there, hee is fixt, and sure to finde him∣selfe. How little soeuer he bee raised, he moues, and moues in a circle,
giddily; and as in the Heauens, there are bu•• a few Circles, th••t goe about the whole world, but many Epicicles, and other lesser Cir∣cles, but yet Circles, so of those men, which are raised, and put into Circles, few of them moue from place to place, and passe through many and beneficiall places, but fall into lit∣••le Circles, and within a step or two, are at their end, and not so well, as they were in
••he Center, from which ••hey were raised. Eue∣••y thing serues to exem∣••lifie, to illustrate mans ••isery; But I need goe ••o farther, than my selfe; ••or a long time, I was not ••ble to rise; At last, I ••ust bee raised by o∣••hers; and now I am vp, I am ready to sinke lower than before.
MY God, my God, how large a glasse
of the next World is this? As wee haue an Art, to cast from on•• glasse to another, and so to carry the Species a great way off, so hast thou, that way, much more; wee shall haue a Resurrection in Heauen; the knowledge of that thou castest by another glasse vpon vs here; we feele that wee haue a Resurrection from sinne; and that by another glasse too; wee see wee haue a Resurrection of the body, from the mise∣••ies
and calamities of ••his life. This Resurre∣••tion of my body, shewes me the Resurrection of ••ny soule; and both ••ere seuerally, of both ••ogether hereafter. Since ••hy Martyrs vnder the Altar, presse thee with ••heir solicitation for the Resurrection of the bo∣dy to glory, thou woul∣dest pardon mee, if I should presse thee by Prayer, for the accom∣plishing of this Resur∣rection, which thou hast begunne in me to 〈2 pages missing〉〈2 pages missing〉
blessed and glorious Tr••••nity, was none to heare but you three, and yo•• easily heare one ano••ther, because you sa•• the same things. Bu•• when thy Sonne cam•• to the worke of Re••demption,* 1.305 thou spokest and they that heard it tooke it for Thunder and thy Sonne himself•• cried with a loud voice•• vpon the Crosse, twice•• as hee, who was to prepare his comming•• Iohn Baptist,* 1.306 was th•• voice of a cryer, and
••ot of a Whisperer. Still, ••f it be thy voice, it is a loud voice;* 1.307 These words, ••aies thy Moses, Thou ••okest with a great voice, ••nd thou addest no more, ••aies hee there; That which thou hast said, is ••uident, and it is euident, ••hat none can speake so ••oud; none can binde vs ••o heare him, as wee ••ust thee. The most high vttered his voice: what was his voice?* 1.308 The Lord ••••undred from heauen, it might bee heard; But ••his voice, thy voice, is
also a mightie voice;* 1.309 not onely mightie in power, it may be heard, nor migh∣tie in obligation, it shoul•• be heard, but mightie in operation, it will be•• heard; and therefore has•• thou bestowed a whol•• Psalme vpon vs,* 1.310 to lead•• vs to the consideration of thy voice. It is such a voice, as that thy Sonne saies,* 1.311 the dead shall hear•• it; and thats my state•• And why, O God, doest thou not speake to me•• in that effectuall loudnesse? Saint Iohn heard a voice,* 1.312
••••d hee turned about to see ••he voice: sometimes we ••••e too curious of the ••••strument, by what man ••od speakes; but thou ••peakest loudest, when ••hou speakest to the ••eart. There was silence, ••nd I heard a voice,* 1.313 saies ••ne, to thy seruant Iob. I ••earken after thy voice, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thine Ordinances, and •• seeke not a whispering ••n Conuenticles; but yet, O my God, speake louder, ••hat so, though I doe ••eare thee now, then I may heare nothing but
thee. My sinnes crie a∣loud; Cains murther di•• so; my afflictions cri•• aloud;* 1.314 The flouds hau•• lifted vp their voice, (an•• waters are afflictions) bu•• ••hou, O Lord, art migh••tier than the voice o•• many waters; than ma••ny temporall, many spi••rituall afflictions; tha•• any of either kinde; and why doest thou no•• speak to me in that voice?* 1.315 What is man, and where∣to serueth he? what is hi•• good, and what is his euill? My bed of sinne is no••
••uill, not desperatly euill, for thou doest call mee out of it; but my rising out of it is not good, (not perfitly good) if thou call not louder, and hold me now I am vp. O my God, I am afraid of a fearefull application of ••hose words, when a man ••ath done, then hee begin∣••eth;* 1.316 when his body is vnable to sinne, his sin∣full memory sinnes ouer his old sinnes againe; and that which thou wouldest haue vs to re∣member for cōpunction,
wee remember with de∣light.* 1.317 Bring him to me in his bed, that I may kill him, saies Saul of Dauid; Thou hast not said so, that is not thy voice. Ioasb his owne seruants slew him, when hee was sicke in his bed;* 1.318 Thou hast not ••uffered that, that my seruants should so much as neglect mee, or be wearie of mee, in my sicknesse. Thou threat∣nest,* 1.319 that as a shepheard takes out of the mouth of the Lion, two legs, or a peec•• of an eare, so shall
the children of Israel, that ••well in Samaria, in the corner of a bed, and in Da∣••ascus, in a couch bee ta∣••en away. That euen they that are secure from danger, shall perish; How much more might I, who was in the bed of death, die? But thou hast not dealt so with mee.* 1.320 As they brought out sicke persons in beds, that thy seruant Peters shadow might ouer-shadow them; Thou hast, O my God, ouer-shadowed mee, re∣freshed mee: But when
wilt thou doe more? when wilt thou doe all? when wilt thou speake in thy loud voice? when wilt thou bid mee take vp my bed and walke?* 1.321 As my bed is my affe∣ctions, when shall I beare them so as to subdue them? As my bed is my afflictions, when shall I beare them so, as not to murmure at them? When shall I take vp my bed and walke? not lie downe vp∣on it, as it is my pleasure, not sinke vnder it, as it is my correction? But, O
my God, my God, the God of all flesh, and of all spirit too, let me bee content with that in my ••ainting spirit, which thou declarest in this decaied flesh, that as this body is content to sit still, that it may learne to stand, and to learne by standing to walke, and by walking to trauell, so my soule by obeying this thy voice of rising, may by a farther and far∣ther growth of ••hy grace, proceed so, and bee so established, as may re∣moue
all suspitions, all iealousies betweene thee and mee, and may speake and heare in such a voice, as that still I may bee acceptable to thee, and satisfied from thee.
O Eternall and most gracious God, who hast made little things to signifie great, and con∣uaid the infinite merits of thy Sonne in the water of Baptisme, and in the Bread and Wine of thy
other Sacrament, vnto vs, receiue the sacrifice of my humble ••hanks, that ••hou hast not onely af∣••orded mee, the abilitie ••o rise out of this bed of wearinesse & discom••ort, ••ut hast also made this bodily rising, by thy grace, an earnest of a second re∣surrection from sinne, and of a third, to euer∣lasting glory. Thy Sonne himselfe, alwaies infinite in himselfe, & incapable ••f addition, was yet plea∣sed to grow in the Vir∣gi••s wombe, & to grow
in stature, in the sight of men. Thy good pu••po∣ses vpon mee, I ••now, haue their determination and perfection, in thy holy will vpon mee; there thy grace is, and there I am altogether; but manifest thē ••o vnto me in thy seasons, and in thy measures and degrees, that I may not onely haue that comfort of knowing thee to be infi∣nitely good, but that also of finding thee to bee euery day better and bet∣ter to mee: and that as
••hou gauest Saint Paul, ••he Messenger of Satan, to humble him, so for my ••umiliation, thou maiest giue me thy selfe, in this ••nowledge, that what ••race soeuer thou af∣••ord mee to day, yet I ••hould perish to morrow, if I had not to morrowes grace too. Therefore I begge of thee, my daily bread; and as thou gauest mee the bread of sorrow for many daies, and since the bread of hope for some, and this day the bread of possessing, in
rising by that strength, which thou the God of all strength, hast infused into me, so, O Lord, con∣tinue to mee the bread of life; the spirituall bread of life, in a faithfull assu∣rance in thee; the sacra∣mentall bread of life, in a worthy receiuing of thee; and the more reall bread of life, in an euer∣lasting vnion to thee. I know, O Lord, that when thou hadst created Angels, and they saw thee produce fowle, and fish, and beasts, and
wormes, they did not im∣portune thee, and say, shall wee haue no better ••reatures than these, no better companions than these; but staid thy lei∣sure, and then had man deliuered ouer to them, not much inferiour in nature to themselues. No more doe I, O God, now that by thy first mercie, I am able to rise, importune thee for pre∣sent confirmation of ••ealth; nor now, tha•• by thy mercie, I am brought to see, that thy
correction hath wrought medicinally vpon mee, presume I vpon that spirituall strength I haue; but as I acknowledge, that my bodily strength is subiect to euery pu••••e of wind, so is my spirituall strength to euery blast of vanitie. Keepe me there∣fore still, O my gracious God, in such a proportion of both strengths, as I may still h••••e some∣thing to thanke thee for, which I haue receiued, & still something to pray for, and aske at thy hand.
HOw ruinous a farme hath man taken, in ••aking himselfe? how ••eady is the house eue∣••y day to fall downe,
and how is all the groun•• ouer-spread with weeds•• all the body with diseases? where not onely euery turfe, but euery stone•• beares weeds; not onely euery muscle of the flesh, but euery bone of the bo∣dy, hath some infirmitie•• euery little flint vpon the face of this soile, hath some infectious weede, euery tooth in our head, such a paine, as a constant man is afraid of, and yet ashamed of that feare, of that sense of the paine. How deare, and how of∣••••n
a rent doth Man ••ay for this farme? hee ••ies twice a day, in ••ouble meales, and how ••••tle time he hath to raise 〈◊〉〈◊〉 rent? How many ho∣•••• daies to call him from ••s labour? Euery day is ••alfe-holy day, halfe spent ••n sleepe. What repara∣••ions, and subsidies, and ••ontributions he is put to, ••esides his rent? What ••edicines, besides his di∣••••? and what Inmates ••e is faine to take in, be∣sides ••is owne familie, what infectious diseases,
from other men. Adam might haue had Para∣dise for dressing and kee∣ping it; and then his ren•• was not improued to such a labour, as would haue made his brow sweat; and yet he gaue it ouer; how farre greater a rent doe wee pay for this farme, this body, who pay our selues, who pay the farme it selfe, and can∣not liue vpon it? Nei∣ther is our labour at an end, when wee haue cut downe some weed, as soone as it sprung vp,
corrected some violent ••nd dangerous accident of a disease, which would ••aue destroied speedily; ••or when wee haue pul∣led vp that weed, from the very root, recouered ••ntirely and soundly, from that particular disease; but the whole ground is of an ill na••ure, the whole soile ill disposed; there are ••nclinations, there is a propensnesse to diseases in the body, out of which without any other disor∣der, diseases will grow, and so wee are put to a
continuall labour vpon this farme, to a continu∣all studie of the whole complexion and constitu∣tion of our body. In the distempers and diseases of soiles, sourenesse, drinesse, weeping, any kinde of barrennesse, the remedy and the physicke, is, for a great part, sometimes in themselues; sometime the very situation re∣leeues them, the hanger of a hill, will purge and vent his owne malig∣nant moisture; and the burning of the vpper
••urfe of some ground (as ••ealth from cauterizing) ••uts a new and a vigo∣rous youth into that soile, ••nd there rises a kinde of Phoenix out of the ashes, •• fruitfulnesse out of that which was barren be∣fore, and by that, which is the barrennest of all, ashes. And where the ground cannot giue it ••elfe physicke, yet it re∣ceiues Physicke from o∣ther grounds, from o∣ther soiles, which are not the worse, for ha∣uing contributed that
helpe to them, fro•• Marle in other hils, o•• from slimie sand in othe•• shoares: grounds help themselues, or hurt no other grounds, fro•• whence they receiu•• helpe. But I haue take•• a farme at this hard rent and vpon those heau•••• couenants, that it can af∣ford it selfe no helpe; (no part of my body, if it were cut off, would cure another part; in som•• ca••es it might preserue a sound part, but in no case recouer an infected)
••nd, if my body may haue ••ny Physicke, any Medi∣••ine from another body, one Man from the flesh of another Man (as by Mummy, or any such composition,) it must ••ee from a man that is dead, and not, as in o∣ther soiles, which are ne∣uer the worse for contri∣buting their Marle, or their fat slime to my ground. There is nothing in the same man, to helpe man, nothing in man∣kind to helpe one another, (in this sort, by way of
Physicke) but that hee who ministers the helpe, is in as ill case, as he that receiues it would haue beene, if he had not had it; for hee, from whose body the Physicke comes, is dead. When therefore I tooke this farme, vn∣dertooke this body, I vndertooke to draine, not a marish, but a moat, where there was, not water mingled to offend, but all was water; I vndertooke to perfume dung, where no one part, but all was equally
vnsauory; I vndertooke to make such a thing wholsome, as was not poison by any manifest quality, intense heat, or cold, but poison in the whole substance, and in the specifique forme of it. To cure the s••arpe acci∣dents of diseases, is a great worke; to cure the dis∣ease it selfe, is a greater; but to cure the body, the root, the occasion of dis∣eases, is a worke reser∣ued for the great Physi∣tian, which he doth ne∣••er any other way, but
by glorifying these bodies in the next world.
MY God, my God, what am I put to, when I am put to consi∣der, and put off, the root, the fuell, the occasion of my sicknesse? What Hy∣pocrates, what Galen, could shew mee that in my body? It lies deeper than so; it lies in my soule: And deeper than so; for we may wel con∣sider the body, before the
soule came, before ina∣nimation, to bee without sinne; and the soule b••∣fore it come to the body, before that infection, to be without sinne; sinne is the root, and the fuell of all sicknesse, and yet that which destroies body & soule, is in neither, but in both together; It is in the vnion•• of the body and soule; and, O my God, could I preuent that, or can I dissolue that? The root, and the fuell of my sicknesse, is my sinne, my actuall sinne; but euen
that sinne hath another root, another fuell, origi∣nall sinne; and can I de∣uest that? Wilt thou bid me to separate the leuen, that a lumpe of Dowe hath receiued, or the salt, that the water hath con∣tracted, from the Sea? Dost thou looke, that I should so looke to the fuell, or embers of sinne, that I neuer take fire? The whole world is a pile of fagots, vpō which w••e are laid, and (as though there were no other) we are the bellowes.
Ignorance blowes the fire,* 1.322 He that touched any vncleane thing, though he knew it not, became vn∣cleane,* 1.323 and a sacrifice was required, (therefore a sin imputed) though it were done in ignorance. Igno∣rance blowes this Coale; but thē knowledge much more; for,* 1.324 there are that know thy iudgements, and yet not onely doe, but haue pleasure in others, that doe against them. Nature blowes this Coale;* 1.325 By na∣ture wee are the children of wrath: And the Law
blowes it, thy Apostle, Saint Paul, ••ound, That sinne tooke occasion by the Law, that there∣fore because it is forbid∣den, we do some things. If wee breake the Law, wee sinne;* 1.326 Sinne is the transgression of the Law; And sinne it selfe becomes a Law in our members.* 1.327 Our fathers haue im∣printed the seed, infused a spring of sinne in vs:* 1.328 As a fountaine casteth out her waters, wee cast out our wickednesse;* 1.329 but we haue done worse than our fa∣thers.
We are open to in∣finite tentations, and yet, as though we lacked,* 1.330 we are tempted of our owne lusts. And not satisfied with that, as though we wer•• not powerfull enough, or cunning enough, to demolish, or vndermine our selues, when wee our selues haue no pleasure in the sinne, we sinne for others sakes.* 1.331 When Adam sin∣ned for Eues sake, and Salomon to gratifie his wiues,* 1.332 it was an vxori∣ous sinne: When the Iud∣ges
sinned for Iezabels sake,* 1.333 and Ioab to obey Dauid,* 1.334 it was an ambiti∣ous sinne:* 1.335 When Pilat sinned to humor the peo∣ple,* 1.336 and Herod to giue farther contentment to the Iewes, it was a popular sinne: Any thing serues, to occasion sin, at home, in my bosome, or abroad, in my Marke, and aime; that which I am, and that which I am not, that which I would be, proues coales, and embers, and fuell, and bellowes to sin; and dost thou put me, O
my God, to discharge my selfe, of my selfe, be∣fore I can be well? When ••hou bidst me to put off ••he old Man,* 1.337 doest thou meane, not onely my old habits of actuall sin, but the oldest of all, origi∣nall sinne? When thou biddest me purge out the ••euen,* 1.338 dost thou meane, not only the sowrenesse of mine owne ill contra∣cted customes, but the innate tincture of sin, imprinted by Nature? How shall I doe that which thou requirest,
and not falsifie that which thou hast said, that sin is gone ouer all? But, O my God, I presse thee not, with thine owne text, without thine owne com∣ment; I know that in the state of my body, which is more discernible, than that of my soule, thou dost effigiate my Soule to me. And though no A∣natomist can say, in dis∣secting a body, here lay the coale, the fuell, the occasion of all bodily dis∣eases, but yet a man may haue such a knowledge
of his owne constituti∣on, and bodily inclina∣tion to diseases, as that he may preuent his dan∣ger in a great part: so though wee cannot as∣signe the place of origi∣nall sinne, nor the Nature of it, so exactly, as of a∣ctuall, or by any dili∣gence deuest it, yet ha∣uing washed it in the wa∣ter of thy Baptisme, wee haue not onely so clean∣sed it, that wee may the better look vpon it, and discerne it, but so weak∣ned it, that howsoeuer it
may retaine the former nature, it doth not retaine the former force, and though it may haue the same name, it hath not the same venome.
O Eternall and most gracious God, the God of securitie, and the enemie of securitie too, who wouldest haue vs alwaies sure of thy loue, and yet wouldest haue vs alwaies doing some∣thing
for it, let mee al∣waies so apprehend thee, as present with me, and yet so follow after thee, as though I had not ap∣prehended thee. Thou enlargedst Ezechias lease for fifteene yeeres; Thou renewedst Lazarus his lease, for a time, which we know not: But thou didst neuer so put out any of these fires, as that thou didst not rake vp the embers, and wrap vp a future mortalitie, in that body, which thou hadst then so reprieued.
Thou proceedest no o∣therwise in our soules, O our good, but fearefull God: Thou pardonest no sinne so, as that that sinner can sinne no more; thou makest no man so acceptable, as that thou mak••st him impec∣cable. Though there∣fore it were a diminution of the largenesse, and de∣rogatorie to the fulnesse of thy mercie, to looke backe vpon those sinnes which in a true repen∣tance•• I haue buried in the wounds of ••hy
Sonne, with a iealous or suspicious eie, as though they were now my sinnes, when I had so ••ransferred them vpon ••hy Sonne, as though ••hey could now bee rai∣sed to life againe, to con∣demne mee to death, when they are dead in ••im, who is the fountaine of life, yet were it an ir∣regular anticipation, and an insolent presumption, to think•• that thy present mercie extended to all my future sinnes, or that there were no embers, no
coales of future sinnes left in mee. Temper therefore thy mercie so to my soule, O my God, that I may neither de∣cline to any faintnesse of spirit, in suspecting thy mercie now, to bee lesse hearty, lesse sincere, than it vses to be, to those who are perfitly reconciled to thee, nor presume so of it, as either to thinke this present mercie an an∣tidote against all poisons, and so expose my selfe to tentations, vpon confi∣dence that this thy mer∣cie
shall preserue mee, or that when I doe cast my selfe into new sinnes, I may haue new mercie at any time, because thou didst so easily afford mee this.
IT is not in mans body, as it is in the Citie, that when the Bell hath rung, to couer your fire, and ••ake vp the embers, you may lie downe, and sleepe without feare. Though you haue by
••••ysicke and diet, raked vp the embers of your ••isease, stil there is a feare of a relapse; and the greater danger is in that. ••uen in pleasures, and in ••••ines, there is a propriety, •• Meum & Tuum; and a man is most affected with that pleasure which is his, his by former en∣••oying and experience, and most intimidated with those paines which are his, his by a wofull ••ense of them, in former ••fflictions. A couetous ••erson, who hath preoc∣cupated
all his senses, filled all his capacities, with the delight of gathe∣ring, wonders how any man can haue any taste of any pleasure in any opennesse, or liberalitie; So also in bodily paines, in a fit of the stone, th•• patient wonders why a∣ny man should call the Gout a paine: And hee that hath felt neither, but the tooth-ach, is as much afraid of a ••it of that, as either of the o∣ther, of either of the o∣ther. Diseases, which we
••euer felt in our selues, ••ome but to a compassi∣•••• of others that haue ••ndured them; Nay, ••ompassion it selfe, comes ••o no great degree, if wee ••aue not felt, in some ••roportion, in our selues, ••hat which wee lament ••nd condole in another. But when wee haue had ••hose torments in their ••••altation, our selues, wee ••emble at a relapse. ••hen wee must pant ••hrough all those fierie ••eats, and saile thorow ••ll those ouerflowing
sweats, when wee must watch through all those long nights, and mourne through all those long daies, (daies and nights, so long, as that Nature her selfe shall seeme to be peruerted, and to hau•• put the longest day, and the longest night, which should bee six moneths asunder, into one natu∣rall, vnnaturall day) when wee must stand at the same barre, expect the re∣turne of Physitians from ••heir consultations, and not bee sure of the s••me
verdict, in any good In∣dications, when we must goe the same way ouer againe, and not see the same issue, this is a state, a condition, a calamitie, in respect of which, any other sicknesse were a ••onualescence, and any greater, lesse. It addes to the affliction, that relap∣ses are, (and for the most part iustly) imputed to our selues, as occasioned by some disorder in vs; and so we are not onely passiue, but actiue, in our owne ruine; we doe not
onely stand vnder a fal∣ling house, but pull it downe vpon vs; and wee are not onely execu∣ted, (that implies guilti∣nesse) but wee are execu∣tioners, (that implies dis∣honor;) and executioners of our selues, (and that implies impietie.) And wee fall from that com∣fort which wee might haue in our first sick∣nesse, from that meditati∣on, Alas, how generally miserable is Man, and how subiect to diseases, (for in that it is some degree of
comfort, that wee are but in the sta••e common to all) we fall, I say, to this discomfort, and selfe accu∣sing, & selfe condemning; Alas, how vnprouident, and in that, how vn∣thankfull to God and his instruments am I, in ma∣king so ill vse of so great benefits, in destroying so soone, so long a worke, in relapsing, by my disor∣der, to that from which they had deliuered mee; and so my meditation is fearefully transferred from the body to the
minde, and from the consideration of the sicknesse, to that sinne, that sinfull carelesnesse, by which I haue occa∣sioned my relapse. And a∣mongst the many weights that aggrauate a relapse, this also is one, that a relapse proceeds with a more violent dispatch, and more irremediably, because it finds the Countrie weakned, and depopulated before. Vpon a sicknesse, which as yet appeares not, wee can scarce fix a feare, because
wee know not what to feare; but as feare is the busiest and irksomest af∣fection, so is a relapse (which is still ready to come) into that, which is but newly gone, the nearest obiect, the most immediate exercise of that affection of fear••.
MY God, my God, my God, thou mightie Father, who hast beene my Physitian; Thou glorious Sonne, who hast beene my physicke; Thou blessed Spirit, who hast prepared and applied all to mee, shall I alone bee able to ouerthrow the worke of all you, and relapse into those spiri∣tuall sicknesses, from which your infinite mer∣cies haue withdrawne me? Though thou, O
my God, h••ue filled my measure with mercie, yet my measure was not so large, as that of thy whole people, the Nati∣on, the numerous and glorious nation of Israel; and yet how often, how often did they fall into relapses? And then, where is my assurance? how easily thou passedst ouer many other sinnes in them, and how vehe∣mently thou insistedst in those, into which they so often relapsed; Those were their mur∣murings
against thee, in thine Instruments, and Ministers, and their turnings vpon other gods, and embracing the Idolatries of their neighbours. O my God, how slipperie a way, to how irrecouerable a bottome, is murmuring? and how neere thy selfe hee comes, that mur∣mures at him, who comes from thee? The Magistrate is the gar∣ment in which thou apparellest thy selfe; and hee that shoots at the
cloathes, cannot say, hee meant no ill to the man: Thy people were feareful examples of that; for, how often did their murmuring against thy Ministers, end in a de∣parting from thee? when they would haue other officers, they would haue other gods; and still to daies murmuring, was to morrowes Idolatrie; As their murmuring in∣duced Idolatrie, and they relapsed often into both, I haue found in my selfe, O my God, (O
my God, thou hast found it in me, and thy finding it, hath shewed it to me) such a transmigra∣tion of sinne, as makes mee afraid of relapsing too. The soule of sinne, (for wee haue made sinne immortall, and it must haue a soule) The soule of sinne, is disobedi∣ence to thee; and when one sinne hath beene dead in mee, that soule hath passed into ano∣ther sinne. Our youth dies, and the sinnes of our youth with it; some
sinnes die a violent death, and some a naturall; pouertie, penurie, impri∣sonment, banishment, kill some sinnes in vs, and some die of age; many waies wee become vn∣able to doe that sinne; but still the soule liues, and passes into ano∣ther sinne; and that, that was licentiousnesse, growes ambition, and that comes to indeuoti∣on, and spirituall cold∣nesse; wee haue three liues, in our state of sinne; and where the sinnes o••
youth expire, those of our middle yeeres enter; and those of our age after them. This transmigra∣tion of sinne, found in my selfe, makes me afraid, O my God, of a Relapse: but the occasion of my feare, is more pregnant ••han so; for, I haue had, I haue multiplied Relap∣ses already. Why, O my God, is a relapse so odi∣ous to thee? Not so much their murmuring, and their Idolatry, as their relapsing into those sinnes, seemes to affect
thee, in thy disobedient people. They limited the holy one of Israel,* 1.339 as ••hou complainest of them: That was a mur∣muring; but before thou chargest them with the fault it selfe, in the same place, thou chargest them, with the iterating, the redoubling of ••hat fault, before the fault was named; How oft did they prouoke mee in the Wildernesse; and grieue me in the Desart? That which brings thee to that exasperation
against them, as to say, that thou wouldest breake thine owne oath,* 1.340 rather than leaue them vnpu∣nished, (They shall not see the land, which I sware vnto their fathers) was because they had tempted thee ten times, infinitely; vpon that, thou threat∣nest with that vehemen∣cie,* 1.341 if ye do in any wise goe backe, know for a certain∣ty, God will no more driue out any of these Nations from before you; but they shall be snares, and traps vnto you, and scourges
in your sides, and thornes in your eies, till ye perish. No tongue, but thine owne, O my GOD, can expresse thine indigna∣tion, against a Nation relapsing to Idolatry. I∣dolatry in any Nation is deadly; but when the dis∣ease is complicated with a relapse (a knowledge and a profession of a former recouerie) it is desperate: And thine an∣ger workes, not onely where the euidence is pregnant, and without exception, (so thou saiest,
when it is said,* 1.342 That certaine men in a Citie, haue withdrawne others to Idolatrie, and that inquirie is made, and it is found true, the Citie, and the inhabitants, and the Cattell are to bee destroi∣ed) but where there is but a suspicion, a rumor, of such a relapse to Ido∣latrie, thine anger is a∣wakened, and thine indignation stirred.* 1.343 In the gouernment of thy seruant Iosua, there was a voice, that Reuben and Gad, with those of Ma∣nasseh,
had built a new altar. Israel doth not send one to enquire;* 1.344 but the whole congrega∣tion gathered to goe vp to warre against them; and there went a Prince of euery Tribe: And they obiect to them, not so much their present de∣clination to Idolatry, as their Relapse;* 1.345 is the ini∣quity of Peor too lit∣tle for vs? An idolatry formerly committed, and punished with the slaughter of twenty foure thousand delinquents. At
last Reuben, and Gad sa∣tisfie them, that that Al∣tar was not built for Ido∣latry, but built as a pat∣terne of theirs, that they might thereby professe themselues to bee of the same profession, that they were; and so the Army returned without bloud. Euen where it comes not so farre, as to an actuall Relapse in∣to Idolatry, Thou, O my GOD, becommest sensible of it; though thou, who seest the heart all the way, pre∣uentest
all dangerous ef∣fects, where there was no ill meaning, how euer there were occasion of suspicious rumours, giuen to thine Israel, of relap∣sing. So odious to thee, & so aggrauating a weight vpon sinne, is a relapse. But, O my God, why is it so? so odious? It must bee so, because hee that hath sinned, and then repented, hath weighed God and the Deuill in a ballance; hee hath heard God and the Deuill plead; and after hearing, giuen
Iudgement on that side, to which he adheres, by his subsequent practise;* 1.346 if he returne to his sinne, hee decrees for Satan; he pre∣fers sinne before grace, and Satan before God; and in contempt of God, declares the precedency for his aduersary: And a contempt wounds deeper than an iniury; a relapse deeper, than a blasphemy. And when thou hast told me, that a relapse is more odious to thee, neede I aske why it is more dange∣rous,
more pernitious to me? Is there any other measure of the greatnesse of my danger, than the greatnesse of thy displea∣sure? How fitly, and how fearefully hast thou ex∣pressed my case, in a storm ••t Sea, if I relapse? (They mount vp to Heauen,* 1.347 and they goe downe againe to the depth:) My sicknesse brought mee to thee in repentance, and my re∣lapse hath cast mee far∣ther from thee:* 1.348 The end of that man shall be worse than the beginning, saies
thy Word, thy Sonne; My beginning was sick∣nesse, punishment for sin; but a worse thing may follow,* 1.349 saies he also, if I sin againe: not onely death, which is an ••nd, worse than sicknesse, which was the beginning, but Hell, which is a begin∣ning worse than that end.* 1.350 Thy great seruant denied thy Sonne, and he denied him againe; but all before Repen∣tance; here was no relapse. O, if thou haddest euer re-admitted Adam into
Paradise, how abstinent∣ly would hee haue wal∣ked by that tree? and would not the Angels, that fell, haue fixed them∣selues vpon thee, if thou hadst once re-admitted them to thy sight? They neuer relapsed; If I doe, must not my case be as desperate? Not so des∣perate, for,* 1.351 as thy Maie∣stie, so is thy Mercie, both infinite: and thou who hast commanded me to pardon my brother seuenty seuen times, hast limited thy selfe to no
Number. If death were ill in it selfe, thou woul∣dest neuer haue raised any dead Man, to life a∣gaine, because that man must necessarily die a∣gaine. If thy Mercy, in pardoning, did so farre aggrauate a Relapse, as that there were no more mercy after it, our case were the worse for that former Mercy; for who is not vnder, euen a ne∣cessity of sinning, whilst hee is here, if wee place this necssity in our own infirmity, and not in thy
Decree? But I speak not this, O my God, as pre∣paring a way to my Re∣lapse out of presumption, but to preclude all acces∣ses of desperation, though out of infirmity, I should Relapse.
O Eternall and most gracious God, who though thou beest euer infinite, yet enlargest thy selfe, by the Number of our prayers, and takest
our often petitions to thee, to be an addition to thy glory, and thy great∣nesse, as euer vpon all oc∣ca••ions, so now, O my God, I come to thy Ma∣iestie with two Prayers, two Supplications. I haue Meditated vpon the Ie∣louzie, which thou h••st of thine owne honour; and considered, that Nothing can come nee∣rer a violating of that h••∣nor, neerer to the Nature of a scorne to thee, then to sue out thy P••rdon, and receiue the Seal••s of
Reconciliation to thee, and then returne to th••t sinne, for which I needed, and had thy pardon be∣fore. I know that this comes to neare, to a ma∣king thy holy Ordinan∣ces, thy Word, thy Sacra∣ments, thy Seales, thy Grace, instruments of my Spirituall Fornications. Since therefore thy Cor∣rection hath brought mee to such a participa∣tion of thy selfe (thy selfe, O my God, cannot bee parted) to such an intire possession of thee, as that
I durst deliuer my selfe ouer to thee this Minute, If this Minute thou wouldst accept my dis∣solution, preserue me, O my God the God of con∣stancie, and perseuerance, in this state, from all relapses into those sinnes, which haue induc'd thy former Iudgements vpon me. But because, by too lamentable Experience, I I know how slippery my customs of sinne, haue made my wayes of sinne, I presume to adde this petition too, That if my
infirmitie ouertake mee, thou forsake mee not. Say to my Soule, My Sonne, thou hast sinned, doe so no more;* 1.352 but say also, that though I doe, thy Spirit of Remorce, and Compunction shall neuer depart from mee. Thy Holy Apostle, Saint Paul,* 1.353 was shipwrackd thrice; & yet stil saued. Though the rockes, and the sands, the heights, and the shal∣lowes, the prosperitie, and the aduersitie of this world do diuersly threa∣ten mee, though mine
owne leakes endanger mee, yet, O God, let mee neuer put my selfe a∣board with Hymeneus,* 1.354 nor make shipwracke of faith, and a good Consci∣ence, and then thy long∣liud, thy euerlasting Mer∣cy, will visit me, though that, which I most ear∣nestly pray against, should fall vpon mee, a relapse into those sinnes, which I haue truely re∣pented, and thou hast ful∣ly pardoned.
Gen. 28.16.
Mat. 13•• 16.
2 Reg. 4.40.
Prou. 13.17.
Esa. 58.8
1 Sam. 24 15.
2 Sam. 9.8.
2 Sam. 24.14.
Psa. 34.8
Prou. 14.30.
Psa. 38.3
Ibid.
Mat. 19.13.
Amos 6 4.
Psal. 132 3.
Apoc. 2.22.
Mat. 8.6
8.4.
8.14.
Psa. 26.8.
84.4.
5.8.
69.10.
1 Cor. 9.27.
2. Reg. 2.11.
Exod. 21 18.
Psa. 41.3
Psal. 4.4.
Iob 13.3.
Ez••c. 47.12.
Ioh. 5.6
Ier. 8.22
Ecclus. 38.4
Ecclus. 38.15.
1. Chro. 16.12.
Ecclus ••8.9
Ps. 6.2:
v. 10.
v, 12.
Act. 9.••4.
Luc. 5.17.
Apo. 22.2••.
Ier. 51.9.
Ose: 5.13.
Esa.
2 Ch••o: 7.14.
Ezech: 47.11.
Mat. 4.23.
Luc. 6.19.
Io: 7.23.
2. Reg. 20.••.
Num: 12.14.
Io: 13.23.
Num; 23.9
Deu: 33.28.
Eccles. 4.10.
Sap. 1.9.
Mat. 14.23.
Mat. 26.13.
Io. 8.16.
Psa. 38.11.
Esa. 63.3.
1. reg•• ••4.14.
Luc. 10.40.
Ier. 1.1.
Leu: 13.46.
Exo: 14.2.
Gen. 32.24.
Ecclus. 6.16.
2 Sam: 3.11
9.34.
Iob 9.34.
Luc: 18.1.
Luc. 11.5.
Psa. 27.1.
Num: 14.9.
Ps: 35.70.
46.5
Ecclus 41 3.
Mar. 6.20.
Psa: 25.14.
Pro: 2.5.
Act. 9.31.
Gen. 3.10.
Pro: 1.26:
10.24.
Ps: 14.5.
53 6.
Io: 7.13.
19.38.
29.19.
Esai: 33.6.
Mat. 8.26.
Iud: 7.3.
Apo: 21.8.
Iob. 6.20.
Mat. 28.8.
Ps: 111.10.
Pro. 1.7.
Ecclus. 1.20.27.
Deu: 4.10,
Heb: 11.7.
Ecclus: 18.27.
2 Sam. 18 25.
So al, but our Tran∣slation takes it. Euen Burcdorf. & Schind∣ler.
2.4.11.
Exod. 18 13.
Num. 11 16.
Heb. 1.6
Mat. 26.53.
Mat. 25.31.
Luc. 21.15.
Io. 20.12.
Gen. 28.12.
Psa. 91.13.
Gen. 19.15.
Apo. 1.20.
Apo. 8.2.
Mat. 13.39.
Luc. 16.22.
Apoc. 21.12.
1. Reg. 19.35.
Luc. 4.18.
Eph. 4.11.
1. Pet 2.25.
Io. 20.22.
Ecclus. 13.23.
Augus∣tus,
2 Sam. 19.12.
2 Sam. 24.••••.
v. 17.
2 Chro. 14.8.
2. Chro. 25.16.
42.13.
9.6.
11.2.
Gen. 1.26.
Iob.
1. Tim. 4.1.
Ose. 4.12
Esa. 19.14.
Apoc. 7.1.
Iosephus.
Iere. 9.21
Io. 8.44.
Ioh. 6.70
Ps. 19.12
Esay 47.10.
Gen. 4.10.
Ier. 20.27.
Eccle. 10.20.
Gen. 3.8.
Eccles. 12.14.
Mat. 10.26.
Psal. 32.34.
8.5.
Prou. 23.26.
Iob. 1.8
Ier. 17 9
Gen. 6.5
Amos 4.14.
1 Sam. 13 14.
Ier. 3.15.
Ezech. 11 19.
Eccles. 7.26.
Prou. 28.26.
Io. 13.2.
Ecclus. 50.23.
Leuit. 26 36.
Ios. 2.11.
1 Sam. 7.3.
2. Cor. 1.22.
1. Sam. 25.37.
24.5.
1. Sam. 24.10.
1. Reg. 8.38.
Phil. 4.7
Coma, la∣tro. in Val. Max.
Ardio∣nus.
4.14.
Gen. 2.6.
Leuit. 16 23.
Ezech. 8.11.
Sap. 7.24.
Sap. 11.18.
Ioel. 2.30.
Act. 2.19.
Psa. 78.8.
Esa. 6.4.
Apo. 9.2.
Psa. 91.13.
Eze. 7.16
37.3.
Can. 4.7.
Iud. 23.
Iob 9.30.
Ephes. 5.29.
Iosua 22.17.
Sap. 13.14.
Gen. 30.33.
Mat. 9.12.
Iob 11.15.
Dan. 7, 9.
Mat. 20.6.
6••34.
4.10.
2.16••
2. Cor. 6.2.
Apoc. 6.17.
Eph. 6.1.
3. Ioh. v. 2.
Heb. 1.2.
2. Thes. 5.8.
Mat. 23.30••
Mat. 22.15:
V. 23.
V. 34.
V. 46.
Gen. 32.26.
2 Pet. 3.8
Ecclus. 41.1.
Mat. 28.20.
Psa. 121.1.
2 Pet. 2.3.
Psa. 127 1.
Leu. 26.6.
Ion. 1.5.
Mat. 8.24.
Io. 11.12.
Eccles. 8.16.
Pro. 4.16.
Eccles. 5.12.
Mat. 13.25.28.13.
26.40.
Iud. 16.3.
vers. 19.
Eph. 5.14.
1 Thes. 5.6.
Ier. 51.59.
Can. 5.8
1 Thes. 5.6.
vers. 10.
Magius.
Antwerp
Roan.
Roccha.
Num. 10 1.
Exo. 18.
Apoc. 14 13.
Gen. 49.1.
Deut. 33 1.
2 Reg. 20.1.
2 Pet. 2.13.
Ioh. 14.1.
Psal. 31.5.
Leuit. 21 1.
Sap. 14.14.
Sap. 13.9.
Sap. 13.18.
Esay 8.14.
Deu. 33.6.
Zechar. 11.9.
Iud. 12.
Exo. 12.30.
Apo. 1.5.
1 Sam. 19.11.
Apoc. 3.2••
Iud. 6.23
Num. 20.26.
1 Reg. 16 18.
Ioh. 8.21
Vers. 24.
Esay 66.14.
Psal. 46.3.
Psa. 33.7
Psa. 8.29
Ios. 3.17
Ecelus. 43.24.
vers. 27.
Sap. 14.3.
Act. 17.11.
Luc. 5.3.
Act. 27.24.
Mar. 5.2.
Act. 27.31.
Iac. 3.4.
Apo. 8.9.
Io. 6.21.
Lam. 3.26.
Exo. 13.21.
16.10.
1 Reg. 19.43.
August.
Eccles. 11.4.
Prou. 10 4.
Psal. 24.3.
Exod. 31.29.
1 Sam. 22.17.
Leuit. 8.36.
Gal••n.
Galen.
Galen.
Psa. 106 12.
Mar. 15 23.
Io. 12.28.
Mat. 27 46.50.
Deut. 5.22.
2 Sam. 22.14.
Psal. 68 33.
Psal. 29.
Io. 5.25.
Apo. 1.12.
Iob. 4.16
Psa. 93.3.4.
Ecclus. 8.8.
Ibid. v. 7.
1 Sam. 19.15.
2 Chro. 24.25.
Amos 3.12.
Act. 5.15.
Mat. 96
Leu. 5.2
Num. 15 22.
Rom. 1.32.
Eph. 2.3.
1 ••o. 3.4.
Rom. 7.23.
Ier. 6.7.
7.26.
Iacob. 1.14.
Gen. 3.6.
1 Reg. 1••.3.
1 Reg. 21
1 Par. 22 3.
Lu••. 23.23.
Act. 12.3.
Eph. 4.22.
1 Cor. 5.7.
Psal. 78.41.
Num. 14 22.
Ios. 23.12.
Deut. 13 12.
I••s. 22.11.
1.12.
Num. 25 4.
Tertull.
Psa. 107 26.
Mat. 12.45.
Io. 8.14.
Mar. 14 70.
Ecclus. 2.18.
Ecclus. 21.1.
2. Cor. 11.25.
Timo. 1.19.