Mount Tabor. Or Private exercises of a penitent sinner Serving for a daily practice of the life of faith, reduced to speciall heads comprehending the chiefe comforts and refreshings of true Christians: also certain occasionall observations and meditations profitably applyed. Written in the time of a voluntary retrait from secular affaires. By R.W. Esquire. Published in the yeare of his age 75. Anno Dom. 1639. The contents of the booke are prefixed.

7 Vpon six verses of the 12 Chapter of S. Luke,

IN one of my paper-books which I had when I was a school-boy, I find this short note written with mine own hand at that time, Lu. 12.35. to the 40. v. whether it was the text of some Sermon I then heard, or upon what other occasion I then wrote it, is forgotten (as all worldly things must shortly be with me.) But now turning to the place of that Gospel. I find it to be a part of our blessed Sa∣viours Sermon to his Disciples, not long before his passion, and to con∣tain a most waighty and necessary du∣ty enjoyned to us all, for our timely preparation for death, and our Lords

second comming in these words fol∣lowing, (Vers. 35.) Let your loynes begirded about, and your lights burn∣ing. (Vers. 36.) And ye your selves like unto men that waite for their Lord when hee will returne from the wedding, that when he commeth and knocketh, they may open unto him im∣mediately. (Vers. 37.) Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he commeth shall finde watching: verily, I say unto you, that hee shall gird himselfe, and make them to sit downe to meat, and will come forth and serve ••hem. (Vers. 38.) And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so; Blessed are those servants. (Vers. 39.) And this know, that if the good man had known what houre the thiefe would come, he would have watched, and n••t have suffered his house to be broken thorough. (Verse 40.) Be ye therefore ready also; for the sonne of man commeth at an houre, when you think not.

In which word, our blessed Savi∣our

requires of us, for our own good and finall comfort an hourely watchfulnesse and preparation for the time of our change, that we may be ready when it commeth, telling us plainly that it will come at an houre we thinke not; and therefore to be expected and provided for that houre, if we will be safe: urging this most needfull dutie, by two exam∣ples or parables, the one, from the happie reward of so doing; twise pronouncing those servants blessed, whom the Lord when hee commeth shall find watching: the other from the danger of neglecting this watch, wherein we wilfully give the thiefe opportunity to breake our house tho∣rough, to our utter undoing. That if the former reason of reward and blessing will not moove us, out of love and dutie to see so gracious a Lord, and for our owne finall glory, to be ready with our loines girded (all carnall and worldly affections suppressed) and our lights burning (in bumble 〈◊〉〈◊〉, repentance and o∣bedience)

to open unto him at the first knock, yet the very feare of be∣ing surprised by that cruell murther∣ing thiefe (our ghostly enemy) who every houre watcheth to take us at advantage, for bringing us to utter confusion, should awaken us, and make us careful to put this holy duty into serious and conti uall practise, for our owne finall safety and peace, and the glory of our most gra••ious God in our salvation; reckoning e∣very day and houre to be our last, and so graciously imploying our few remaining daies of mortality here, as neither desiring nor needing any morrow: that so whensoever wee shall be called hence, we may be rea∣dy and enter into the joy o•• our bles∣sed Lord and Saviour, and remaine with him where he is in glory for e∣ver and ever. Here this weake medi∣tation of mine I will conclude with M George Withers, prayer and medi∣tation, upon the 98. Psalme.

O Almighty Son of God; we blesse and praise thee for the manifestati∣on of thy mercy to the whole world is the miraculous work of our redempti∣on, thou didst come unto us, in despised weaknesse, yet hast thou therein shewen such unresistable power, that it prevai∣led against the wisdome of the worldly wise, and magnified thy derided crosse, above all the most renowned deities of the Gentiles. This thou didst by ap∣pearing in a contemptible state: oh how glorious and how powerfull wilt thou be in thy second comming? It now draweth ni••h: O, let it not come upon us as a thief in the night, but as the travaile upon a woman who keep∣eth a just reckoning, and joyes in the hopes of her birth more then she feares the paines of her tr••velling; so ac∣cording to the counsell of thy holy Spi∣rit, we may expect and receive thee with praises, triumphs and rejoycings, Amen.