——————————
Devotions
vpon
Emergent Occasions, and se-
uerall steps in my Sickens:
Digested into
1. Meditations vpon our Hu-
mane Condition
2. Epostvlations and De-
batements with God.
3. Prayer vpon the seuerall Oc-
casions, to him.
By Iohn Donne, Deane of
S. Pauls, London.
London,
Printed by A. M. for Thomas
Iones. 1624.
——————————
—————————— TO THE
MOST EXCEL-
lent Prince, Prince
Charles.
Most Excellent Prince,
I Hauehaue had
three Births;
One, Natu-
rall, when I came in-
A3A2 to
—————————— The Epistle to the World; One
Supernatural, when
I entred into the
Ministery; and now,
a preter-naturall
Birth, in returning
to Life, from this
Sicknes. In my se-
cond Birth, your
Highnesse Royall
Father vouchsafed
mee his Hand, not
onely to sustaine mee
in it, but to lead mee to
—————————— Dedicatorie. to it. In this last
Birth, I my selfe am
borne a Father:
This Child of mine,
this Booke, comes
into the world, from
mee, and with mee.
And therefore, I pre-
sume (as I did the
Father to the Fa-
ther) to present the
Sonne to the Sonne;
This Image of my
Humiliation, to the A3 liue-
—————————— The Epistle liuely Image of his
Maiesty, your High-
nesse. It might bee
enough, that God
hath seene my De-
uotions: But Ex-
amples of Good
Kings are Com-
mandements; And
Ezechiah writt the
Meditations of his
Sicknesse, after his
Sicknesse. Besides,
as I haue liu'd to see, not
—————————— Dedicatorie. (not as a Witnesse
onely, but as a Par-
taker) the happi-
nesses of a part of
your Royal Fathers
time, so shall I liue,
(in my way) to see
the happpinesses of
the times of your
Highnesse too, if
this Child of mine,
inanimated by your
gracious Acceptati on,
—————————— The Epistle, &c. on, may so long pre-
serue aliue the Me-
mory of
Your Highnesse
Humblest and
Deuotedst
IOHN DONNE.
—————————— Stationes, siue Pe-
riodi in Morbo, ad
quas referuntur Me-
ditationes se-
quentes.
1 INsultusInsultus Morbi primus;
2 Post, Actio loesa;
3 Decubitus sequitur tandĕ;
4 Medicusq; vocatur;
5 Solus adest; 6 Metuit;
7 Socios sibi iungier instat;
8 Et Rex ipse suum mittit;
9 Medicamina scribunt;
10 Lentè & Serpenti sata-
unt occurrere Morbo. 11 No-
——————————
11 Nobilibusq trahunt,
a cincto corde, venenum,
Succis, & Gemmis; &
quae Generosa, ministrant
Ars, & Natura, instillant;
12 Spirante Columbâ,
Suppositâ pedibus, reuocan-
tur ad ima vapores;
13 Atq; Malum Genium,
numeroso stigmate, fassus,
Pellitur ad pectus, Morbiq;
Suburbia, Morbus:
14 Idq; notant Criticis,
Medici, euenisse diebus.
15 Interea a insomnes Noctes
ego duco, Diesq:
16 Et properare meum, cla-
mant, e turre propinqua
Obstreperae Campanae, alio-rum in funere, funus.
17 Nunc lento sonitu dicunt,
Morieris; 18 At inde, Mortuus
——————————
Mortuus es, sonitu celeri,
pulsuq; agitato.
19 Oceano tandem emenso,
aspicienda resurgit
Terra; vident, iustis, Medici,
iam cocta mederi
Se posse, indicijs; 20 Id agunt;
21 Atq; annuit Ille,
Qui per eos clamat, linquas
iam Lazare lectum;
22 Sit Morbi Fomes tibi
Cura; 23 Metusq; Relabi.
—————————— Errata.
Pag. 40. pro 2.3. Meditat.
Pag. 43. vlt. pasture, posture.
Pag. 96. lin. penult. flesh. God,
Pag. 158. in Marg. Buxdor.
Pag. 173. li. 13. add, hast.
Pag. 184. in marg. Augustin.
Pag. 185. lin. 17. blow. flow.
—————————— Deuotions. 1 Devotions. 1.
Insultus Morbi primus;
The first alteration, The
first grudging of the
sicknesse. 1. Meditation. VAriableVariable, 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, B &and
—————————— 2 Deuotions. & 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 cu-
—————————— Deuotions. 3 curiositie; 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 out,
by our first sinne; wee
beggard our selues by
hearkning after false ri-
ches, and infatuated our B2 selues
—————————— Deuotions. 4 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
—————————— Deuotions. 5 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 beares date from
these first changes. Is
this the honour which B3 Man
—————————— Deuotions. 6 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
hath inough in himself,
not only to destroy, and
execute himselfe, but to pre
—————————— Deuotions. 7 presage that execution
vpon himselfe; to assist
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 B4 ioynd
—————————— Deuotions. 8 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. 1. Expostvlation. IFIf 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
—————————— Deuotions. 9 lect these ashes; the Lords
hand was the wheele,
vpon which this vessell
of clay 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 B5 not
—————————— Deuotions. 10 not my soule, as sensible
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,
—————————— Deuotions. 11 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
—————————— Deuotions. 12 while haue 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 see 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
—————————— Deuotions. 13 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,Gen. 28.
16.Surely the
Lord is in this place, and I knew
——————————Deuotions. 14 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
—————————— Deuotions. 15 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; but hourely,
and quarterly; Euery mi-
nute he renewes his mercy,
but wee will not vnder-
stand,Mat. 13.
16.least that we should bee
——————————Deuotions. 16 be conuerted, and he should
heale vs. 1. Prayer. 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
—————————— Deuotions. 17 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
—————————— Deuotions. 18 of all my actions here:
That in all the begin-
nings, in all the accesses
and approches of spiri-
tuall sicknesses of Sinn, I
may heare and hearken
to that voice, 2 Reg. 4.40.O thou Man
of God, there is death in the
pot, and so refraine from
that, which I was so
hungerly, so greedily
flying to. Prou. 13.17.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
—————————— Deuotions. 19 light betimes, and heare
that voyce early, Then
shall my light breake forth
as the morning,Esa. 58.8and 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
—————————— Deuotions. 20 nate deiection of spirit,
and a diffidence in thy
care & prouidence; but
keep me still establish'd,
both in a constant assu-
rance, that thou wilt
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, and
flye to thee, thou wilt
preserue mee from fal-
ling, or raise me againe,
when by naturall infir-
mitie I am fallen: doe
this, O Lord, for his sake who
—————————— Deuotions. 21 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. 2. Actio Læsa.
The strength, and the fun-
ctiō of the Senses, & other
faculties change and faile. 2. Meditation. THeThe Heauens are not
the lesse constant, be-
—————————— Deuotions. 22 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
—————————— Deuotions. 23 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
—————————— Deuotions. 24 are the naturall place
of these two; but those
goe not to these two, in
an equall place: My bo-
dy falls downe without
pushing, my Soule does
not go vp without pul
ling: Ascension is my
Soules pace & measure
but precipitation my bo-
dies: And, euen Angells
whose home is Heauen
and who are winged
too, yet had a Ladder to
goe to Heauen, by steps
The Sunne who goes so
many miles in a minute
The Starres of the Fir-
mament
——————————Deuotions. 25 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, C that
—————————— Deuotions. 26 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-
—————————— Deuotions. 39327 kind, where one halfe
lackes meat, and the o-
ther stomacke. 2. Expostvlation. DAuidDauid professes him-
self a dead dog, 1 Sam. 24.
15. to his
king Saul, & so doth Me-
phibosheth to his king Da-
uid: 2 Sam. 9.
8. & 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 C2 to
—————————— Deuotions. 2828 to try it by; proportiōproportion 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
—————————— Deuotions. 29 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 C3 fast
—————————— Deuotions. 30 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,act;
—————————— Deuotions. 31 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-
C4 thed
—————————— Deuotions. 32 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 heereafter;
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
—————————— Deuotions. 33 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. 2 Sam. 24.
14. I am fallen into
the handes of God with
Dauid, and with Da-
uid I see that his Mercies C5 are
—————————— Deuotions. 34 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 Mortui, Rise yee
dead. Though I be dead
I shall heare the voice
the sounding of the
voice, and the working of
—————————— Deuotions. 35 of the voice shall be all
one; and all shall rise
there in a lesse Minute,
then any one dies here. 2. Prayer. 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
—————————— Deuotions. 36 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
—————————— Deuotions. 37 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,Psa. 34.8& 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
—————————— Deuotions. 38 vpon my deuotions to
thee. Prou. 14.
30.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,Psa. 38.3because of thine
anger. Interpret thine
owne worke, and call
this sicknes, correction
and not anger, & there
is soundnes in my flesh.
There is no rest in my
bones,Ibid.because of my sinne;
transferre my sinnes,
with which thou art so displeased, vpon him, with
—————————— Deuotions. 39 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 of Heauen, for thy
—————————— Deuotions. 40 thy suffering him to be
crowned with thornes, in
this world. 3. Decubitus sequitur
tandem.
The Patient takes his bed. 2.3. Meditation. WEeWee attribute but
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 vp-
—————————— Deuotions. 41 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 42 forme, is carried to the
contemplation of that
place, which is his home
Heauen. This is Mans
prerogatiue; but what
state hath he in this dig-
nitie? A feuer can fillip
him downe, a feuer can
depose him; a feuer can
bring that head, which
yesterday caried a crown
of gold, fiue foot to-
wards a crown of glory
as low as his own foot
to day. When God came
to breath into Man the
breath of life, he found
him flat vpōvpon the groūdground; when
—————————— Deuotions. 43 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
three 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 pastureposture. A sicke
—————————— Deuotions. 44 sicke bed, is a graue, and
all that the patient saies
there, is but a varying of
his owne Epitaph. Eue-
ry nights bed is a Type
of the graue: At night
wee tell our seruants at
what houre wee will
rise; here we cannot tell
our selues, at what day
what week, what mo-
neth. Here the head lies
as low as the foot; the
Head of the people, al-
lowe as they, whom
those feete trod vpon
And that hande that
signed Pardons, is too weake
—————————— Deuotions. 45 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,
vvwhen 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
—————————— Deuotions. 46 voice of my friends, and
in the accents of those
wordes, which their
loue may afford my me-
mory; Here I am mine
owne Ghost, and rather
affright my beholders
then instruct them; they
conceiue the worst of
me now, and yet fear
worse; they giue me for
dead now, & yet won-
der how I doe, when
they wake at midnight
and aske how I doe, to-
morrow. Miserable
and, (though common
to all) in human posture where
—————————— Deuotions. 47 where I must practise
my lying in the graue, by
lying still, and not pra-
ctise my Resurrection, by
rising any more. 3. Expostvlation. MYMy 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
them, who brought Mat. 19.
13.
children to thee; Suffer little
—————————— Deuotions. 48 little children to come to
mee, saiest thou. Is there
a verier child then I am
now? I cannot say with
thy seruant Ieremy, Lord
I am a child, and cannot
speake; but, O Lord, I am
a sucking childe, and
cannot eat, a creeping
childe, and cannot goe;
how shall I come to
thee? Whither shall I
come to thee? To this
bed? I haue this weake
and childish froward-
nes too, I cannot sit vp,
and yet am loth to go to
bed; shall I find thee in bed?
—————————— Deuotions. 49 bed? Oh, haue I alwaies
done so? The bed is not
ordinarily thy Scene, thy
Climate: Lord, dost thou
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 Amos 6.
4.
of Iuory, is not thine an-
ger vented; not till thou
changest our bedds of I-
D uory,
—————————— Deuotions. 50 uory, into bebs of Ebony.
Dauid sweares vnto
thee, Psal. 132 .
3.that hee will not goe
vp into his bed, till he has
built thee a House. To goe
vp into the bed, denotes
strength, and promises
ease; But when thou
saiest, Apoc. 2.
22.That thou wilt cast
Iesubel into a bed, thou
mak'st thine own com-
ment vpon that, Thou
callest the bed Tribula-
tion, great Tribulation
How shal they come to
thee, whom thou hast
nayled to their bed?
Mat. 8.6Thou art in the Congre-
gation,
—————————— Deuotions. 51 gation, & I in a solitude:
when the Centurions ser-
uant lay sicke at home,
his Master was faine to
come to Christ; the sicke
man could not. Their
friend lay sicke of the
Palsey, 8.4. and the four cha-
ritable men were faine
to bring him to Christ;
he could not come. 8.14.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-
D2 tion
—————————— Deuotions. 52 tion; Thou must come
home to me in the visi-
tation of thy Spirit, and
in the seale of thy Sacra-
ment: But when I am
cast into this bedd, my
slacke sinewes are yron
fetters, and those thin
sheets, yron dores vpon
me; Psa. 26.8. And, Lord, I haue lo-
ued the habitation of the
house, and the place when
thine honour dwelleth:
lye here, 84.4. and say, Blesse
are they; that dwell in the
house; but I cannot say
I will come into thy house
I may say, 5.8.In thy feare will
—————————— Deuotions. 53 will I worship towards thy
holy Temple, but I cannot
say in thy holy Temple: 69.
10.
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-
cōmunicationcommunication, 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 D3 hast
—————————— Deuotions. 54 hast not opned my lips,
that my mouth might
shew thee thy praise, but
that my mouth might
shew foorth thy praise.
But thine Apostles feare
takes hold of mee, 1 Cor. 9.
27. that
when I haue preached to o-
thers, I my selfe should be a
cast-way; and therefore
am I cast downe, that I
might not be cast away;
Thou couldst take mee
by the head, 2. Reg. 2.
11. as thou
didst Abacuc, and carrie
mee so; By a Chariot, as
thou didst Eliah, & car-
rie me so; but thou car riest
—————————— Deuotions. 55 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-
D4 ther
—————————— Deuotions. 56 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, Exod. 21 .
18. O God, that if a
man bee smitten so by ano-
ther, as that hee keepe his
bed, though he dye not, hee
that hurt him, must take
care of his healing, and recom=
—————————— Deuotions. 57 recompence him. Thy
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. D5 3. Pra-
——————————Deuotions. 58 3. Prayer. O Mostmost mightie and
most merciful God,
who though thou haue
taken me off of my feet,
hast not taken me off of
my foundation, which
is thy selfe, who though
thou haue remoued me
frōfrom that vpright forme,
in which I could stand,
and see thy throne, the
Heauens, yet hast not re-
moued from mee that
light, by which I can lie
and see thy selfe, who though
—————————— Deuotions. 59 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
—————————— Deuotions. 60 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,
Psa. 41.3That 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
—————————— Deuotions. 61 and the same, and all
from thy hand. As thou
hast made these feathers,
thornes, in the sharpnes
of this sicknes, so, Lord,
make these thornes, fea-
thers, againe, feathers of
thy Dove, 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
—————————— Deuotions. 62 Take mee not, O Lord,
at this aduantage, to ter-
rifie my soule, with say-
ing, now I haue me
thee there, where thou
hast so often departed
from me; but hauing
burnt vp that bed, by
these vehement heate
and washed that bed in
these abundant sweats,
make my bed againe,
Lord, and enable me ac-
cording to thy com-
mand, Psal. 4.4.to commune with
mine owne heart vpon my
bed, and be still. To pro-
uide a bed for all my former
—————————— Deuotions. 63 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
—————————— Deuotions. 64 doe it for me, thy Sonne
our Sauiour, Christ Iesus. 4. Medicusq; vocatur.
The Phisician is sent for. 4. Meditation. ITIt is too little to cal
Man a little World.
Except God, Man is
diminutiue to nothing
Man consistes of more
pieces, more parts, then
the world; then the world
—————————— Deuotions. 65 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
—————————— Deuotions. 66 of stones, and all the o-
ther pieces, to the pro-
portion of those which
correspond to them in
the world, the aire would
be too litle for this Orbe
of Man to moue in, the
firmament would be
but enough for this star
for, as the whole world
hath nothing, to which
something in man does
not answere, so hath
man many pieces, of
which the whol world
hath no representation.
Inlarge this Meditation
vpon this great world Man,
—————————— Deuotions. 67 Man, so farr, as to consi-
der the immensitie of
the 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
—————————— Deuotions. 68 of my Creatures, my
thoughts, is with the
Sunne, and beyond the
Sunne, ouertakes the
Sunne, and ouergoes the
Sunne in one pace, or
steppe, euery where.
And then as the other
world produces Serpents
and Vipers, malignant
& venimous creatures
and Wormes, and Cater-
pillars, that endeauor
to deuoure that world
which produces them
and Monsters compiled
and complicated of di-
uers parents, & kinds, so this
—————————— Deuotions. 69 this world, our selues,
produces all these in vs,
in producing diseases, &
sicknesses, of all those
sorts; 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 monstrous crea-
tures, as we can diseases,
of all these kindes? O
miserable abūdance, O
beggarly riches! how much
—————————— Deuotions. 70 much doe wee lacke of
hauing remedies for eue-
rie disease, when as yet
we haue not names for
them? But wee haue
Hercules against the
Gyants, these Monsters
that is, the Phisician; hee
musters vp al the forces
of the other world,
succour this; all Nature
to relieue Man. We have
the Phisician, but we are
not the Phisician. Hee
we shrinke in our pro-
portion, sink in our dig-
nitie, in respect of very
meane creatures, who are
—————————— Deuotions. 71 are Phisicians to them-
selues. The Hart that is
pursued and wounded,
they say, knowes an
Herbe, which being ea-
ten, 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
—————————— Deuotions. 72 would cure him; but
the Apothecary is not
neere him, nor the Phi-
sician so neere him, as
they two are to other
creatures; Man hath now
that innate instinct, to ap-
ply those naturall mede-
cines to his present dan-
ger, as those inferior
creatures haue; he is not
his owne Apothecary, his
owne Phisician, as they
are. Call back therefore
thy Meditations again
and bring it downe;
whats become of mans
great extent & propor-
tion,
—————————— Deuotions. 73 tion, when himselfe
shrinkes himselfe, and
consumes himselfe to a
handfull of dust; whats
become of his soaring
thoughts, his compas-
sing thoughts, when
himselfe brings him-
selfe to the ignorance,
to the thoughtlesness
of the Graue? His dis-
eases are his owne, but
the Phisician is not; hee
hath them at home, but
hee must send for the
Phisician. E 4.Ex-
—————————— Deuotions. 74 4. Expostvlation. I Hauehaue not the righte-
ousnesse of Iob, Iob 13.3. but
haue the desire of
I would speake to the all
mighty, and I would reason
with God. My God,
God, how soone woul-
dest thou haue me goe
to the Phisician, & how
far wouldest thou have
me go with the Phisici-
an? I know thou hast
made the Matter, and
the Man, and the Art,
and I goe not from thee when
—————————— Deuotions. 75 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 frōfrom the
beginning; didst thou
meane that wee should
be sicke, whēwhen thou didst
so? when thou madest
them? No more then
thou didst meane, that
we should sinne, when E2 thou
—————————— Deuotions. 76 thou madest vs: thou
fore-sawest both, but
causedst neither. Thou,
Lord, Ezec. 47.
12. promisest heere
trees, whose fruit shall be
for meat, and their leaues
for Medicine. It is the
voyce of thy Sonn, Wilt
thou bee made whole
That drawes from the
patient a cōfession that
hee was ill, Ioh. 5.6 and could
not make himselfe wel.
And it is thine own
voyce, Is there no Phisi-
cian? Ier. 8.22 That inclines vs
disposes vs to accept
thine Ordinance. And it
—————————— Deuotions. 77 it is the voyce of the
Wise man, both for the
matter, phisicke it selfe,
The Lorde hath created
Medicines out of the Ecclus.
38.4
Earth, 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 Ecclus.
38.15.
that voyce too, Hee that
hath sinned against his E3 Ma-
—————————— Deuotions. 78 Maker, let him fall into the
hands of the Phisician; and
wilt not thou affoord
me an vnderstanding of
those wordes? Thou
who sendest vs for a
blessing to the Phisici-
an, doest not make it a
curse to vs, to go, where
thou sendest. Is not the
curse rather in this, that
onely hee falls into the
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
—————————— Deuotions. 79 lects that spirituall phi-
sicke; which thou also
hast instituted in thy
Church: so to fall into the
hands of the Phisician; is a
sinne, and a punishment of
former sinnes; so, as Asa-
fell, who in his disease,
sought not to the Lord, 1. Chro.
16.12.but
to the Phisician. Reueale
therefore to me thy me-
thod, O Lord, & see, whe-
ther I haue followed it;
that thou mayest haue
glory, if I haue, and I
pardon, if I haue not, &
helpe that I may. Thy Ecclus
38.9
Method is, In time of thy E4 sick-
—————————— Deuotions. 80 sicknesse, be not negligent:
VVWherein wilt thou
haue my diligence ex-
pressed? Pray vnto the
Lord, and hee will make
thee whole. O Lord, I
doe; I pray, and pray
thy Seruaunt Ps. 6.2:. Dauids
prayer, Haue mercy vp-
on mee, O Lord, for I am
weake; Heale mee, O
Lord, for my bones are
vexed: I knowe, that
euen my weakenesse is
a reason, a motiue, to
induce thy mercie, and
my sicknes an occasion
of thy sending health When
—————————— Deuotions. 81 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,v. 10.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 E5 more;
—————————— Deuotions. 82 more; Giue a sweet sauor
and a memoriall of fine
flower, and make a fat of-
fering, as not being. And
Lord, by thy grace, I haue
done that, sacrificed a
little, of that litle which
thou lentst me, to them
for whō thou lentst it
and now in thy method
and by thy steps, I am
come to that, Then give
place to the Phisician,v,. 12.for
the Lord hath created him
let him not goe from thee,
for thou hast need of him
I send for the Phisician
but I will heare him en-
ter
—————————— Deuotions. 83 ter with those wordes
of Peter, Act. 9.
34.Iesus Christ ma-
keth thee whole; I long for
his presence, but I look;
that the power of the Lord, Luc. 5.
17.
should bee present to heale
mee. 4. Prayer. O Mostmost 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
—————————— Deuotions. 84 of sinne; Behold mee
vnder the vehemence
of two diseases, and vn-
der the necessity of two
Phisiciās, authorized by
thee, the bodily, and the
spiritual Phisician. I come
to both, as to thine Ordi-
nance, & blesse, and glo-
rifie thy Name, that in
both cases, thou hast af-
forded help to Man by
the Ministery of man.
Euen in the new Ierusa-
lem, Apo. 22.
2. in Heauen it selfe, it
hath pleased thee to dis-
couer a Tree, which is
a Tree of life there, but the
—————————— Deuotions. 85 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. Ier. 51.9.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 sick-
—————————— Deuotions. 86 sickenesse, Ose:. 5.
13.and Iudah his
wound; then went Ephraim
to the Assyrian, and sent to
King Iareb, yet could not
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
—————————— Deuotions. 87 of both. Thou in thy
selfe art Lord of both,
and thou in thy Son art
the Phisician, the applyer
of both. Esa.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 drops?dropss?
—————————— Deuotions. 88 dropps? Any vaine so
emptie, as that that blood 2 Chro:
7.14.
cannot fil it? Thou pro-
misest to heale the earth
but it is when the in-
habitants of the earth
Ezech:
47.11. pray that thou woulde
heale it. Thou promi-
sest to heale their Wa-
ters, but their miery pla-
ces, and standing waters
thou sayest there, Thou
wilt not heale: My retur-
ning to any sinne, if
should returne to the a-
bilitie of sinning ouer
all my sins againe, thou
wouldest not pardon. Heale
—————————— Deuotions. 89 Heale this earth, O my
God, by repentant tears,
and heale these waters,
these teares from all bit-
ternes, frō all diffidence,
from all deiection, by e-
stablishing my irremo-
vable assurance in thee.
Mat. 4.
23.Thy Sonn went about hea-
ving all manner of sicken-
esses. (No disease incu-
rable, none difficult; Luc. 6.
19. he
healed them in passing)
vertue went out of him,
Io:. 7.23.and he healed all, all the
multitude (no person in-
curable) he healed them
euery whit, (as himselfe speaks)
—————————— Deuotions. 90 speaks) he left no relike
of the disease; and with
this vniuersall Phisician
passe by this Hospital
and not visit mee? not
heale me? not heale me
wholy? Lord, I look
not that thou shouldest
say by thy Messenger to
mee, 2. Reg. 20.
5. as to Ezechias, Be-
hold, I will heale thee, and
on the third day thou shall
goe vp to the house of the
Lord. I looke not that
thou shouldst say to me
as to Moses in Miriams
behalfe, Num:. 12.
14. when Moses
would haue had her heald
—————————— Deuotions. 91 heald presently, If her
father had but spit in her
face, should she not been a-
shamed seuen dayes? Let
her be shut vp seuen daies,
and then returne; but if
thou be pleased to mul-
tiply seuen dayes, (and
seuen is infinite) by the
number of my sinnes,
(and that is more infi-
nite) if this day must re-
moue me, till dayes shall
bee no more, seale to me,
my spirituall health in
affording me the Seales
of thy Church, & for my
temporall health, pro-
sper
—————————— Deuotions. 92 sper thine ordinance, in
their hands who shall
assist in this sicknes, in
that manner, and in that
measure, as may most
glorifie thee, aud most
edifie those, who ob-
serue the issues of the
seruants, to their own
spirituall benefit. 5. Solus adest.
The Phisician comes. 5. Meditation. ASAs Sicknesse is the
greatest misery. so
the greatest misery of sick-
—————————— Deuotions. 93 sicknes is solitude; when
the infectiousnes of the
disease deterrs thē who
should assist, from cō-
ming; Euen the Phisici-
an dares scarse come. So-
litude 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
emptie, but so neere a
degree towards Vacu-
tie, as Solitude, to bee
but one, they loue not.
When I am dead, & my body
—————————— Deuotions. 94 body might infect, they
haue a remedy, they
may bury me; but when
I am but sick, and might
infect, they haue no re-
medy, but their absence
and my solitude. It is an
excuse to them that are
great, and pretend, & yet
are loth to come; it is an
inhibition to those who
would truly come, be-
cause they may be made
instruments, and pesti-
ducts, to the infectiōn
others, by their cōming.
And it is an Outlawry, an
Excommunication vpon the
—————————— Deuotions. 95 the patient, and seperats
him from all offices not
onely of Ciuilitie, but of
working Charitie. A long
sicknesse will weary
friends at last, but a pe-
stilentiall sicknes auerts
them from the begin-
ning. God himself wold
admit a figure of Society,
as there is a plurality of
persons in God, though
there bee but one God;
& all his externall acti-
ons testifie a loue of So-
ietie and communion. In
Heauen there are Ordens
of Angels, and Armies of Mar-
—————————— Deuotions. 96 Martyrs, & in that house
many mansions; in Earth
Families, Cities, Churches,
Colleges, all plurall things
and lest either of these
should not be company
enough alone, there is
an association of both
a Communion of Saints
which makes the Mili-
tant, and Triumphant
Church, one Parish; So
that Christ, was not out
of his Dioces, when he
was vpon the Earth, nor
out of his Temple, when
he was in our flesh. God
who sawe that all that hee
—————————— Deuotions. 97 hee made, was good,
came not so neer seeing
a defect in any of his
works, as when he saw
that it was not good,
for man to bee alone,
therefore hee made him
a helper; and one that
should helpe him so, as
to increase the number,
and giue him her owne,
and more societie. Angels,
who do not propagate,
nor multiply, were
made at first in an abū-
dant number; and so
were starres: But for
the things of this world, F their
—————————— Deuotions. 98 their blessing was, En-
crease; for I think, I need
not aske leaue to think
that there is no Phenix,
nothing singular, no-
thing alone: Men that
in here vpon Nature on-
ly, are so far from think-
ing, that there is any-
thing singular in the
world, as that they will
scarce thinke, that this
world it selfe is singular
but that euery Planet
and euery Starre, is an-
other World like this
They finde reason to
conceiue, not onely a plu-
—————————— Deuotions. 99 pluralitie in euery Spe-
cies in the world, but a
pluralitie of worlds; so
that the abhorrers 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-
tiring, and recluding of
himselfe from all men,
as to doe good to no
man, to conuerse with
no man. God hath two
Testamēts, two Wils; but F2 this
—————————— Deuotions. 100 this is a Scedule, and not
of his, a Codicill, and not
of his, not in the body of
his Testaments, but inter-
lind, and postscrib'd by o-
thers, that the way to
the Communion of Saints
should be by such a soli-
tude, as excludes all do-
ing of good here. This
is a disease of the mind: as
the height of an infe-
ctious disease of the bo-
dy, is solitude, to be left a-
lone: for this makes an
infectious bed, equall,
nay worse then a grave,
that thogh in both I be equal-
—————————— Deuotions. 101 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. 5. Expostvlation. 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, Io:.
13.
23. she expostu-
F3 lated
—————————— Deuotions. 102 lated it so far with him,
as to reply, I know that he 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 ordained it
for a blessing, and for a
dignitie to thy people,
That they should dwell a-
lone,Num;. 23.
9and not bee reckoned
among the Nations, (be-
cause they should be a-
boue them) & that they Deu:. 33.
28.
should dwell in safetie a-
lone, (free from the infe-
station
—————————— Deuotions. 103 station of enemies) yet I
take thy leaue to remē-
ber thee, that thou hast
said to, Eccles. 4.
10.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. Sap. 1.9.Righteousnesse is
immortall; I know thy
wisdome hath said so; but
no Man, though couered
with the righteousnes
of thy Sonne, is immor-
tall so, as not to die; for
he who was righteousnes
it selfe, did die. I know F4 that
—————————— Deuotions. 104 that the Mat. 14.
23. Son of righteous-
nes, thy Son, refused not,
nay affected solitarinesse,
lonenesse, many, many
times; but at all times
he was able to cōmand
more then twelue legions of Mat. 26.
13.
Angels to his seruice; and
when he did not so, he
was farre from being a-
lone; for, I am not alone
saies he, Io. 8.16.but I, and the Fa-
ther that sent me. I cannot
feare, but that I shall al-
waies be with thee, and
him; but whether this
disease may not alien, &
remooue my friends, to that
—————————— Deuotions. 105 that Psa. 38.
11. they stand aloofe frō
my sore, and my kinsmen
stād afar off, I cannot tel.
I cannot feare, but that
thou wilt reckon with
me from this minute, in
which, by thy grace, I see
thee; whether 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, Esa. 63.
3.to tread the
wine-presse alone, and none F5 of
—————————— Deuotions. 106 of the people with him;
am not able to passe this
agony alone; not alone
without thee; Thou art
thy spirit; not alone with
out thine; spirituall and
temporall Phisicians, are
thine; not alone without
mine; Those whom the
bands of blood, or friend-
ship; hath made mine, are
mine; And if thou, or
thine, or mine, abandon
me, I am alone, and wo
vnto me if I bee alone
Elias himselfe fainted
vnder that apprehēsion 1. regReg. 14.
14.
Loe, I am left alone; and Mar-
—————————— Deuotions. 107 Martha murmured at Luc. 10.
40.
that, 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, Ier. 1.1.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; Leu:. 13.
46.
Haue I such a Leprosie in
my Soule, that I must die
alone; alone without
thee? Shall this come
to such a Leprosie in my body,
—————————— Deuotions. 108 body, that I must die a-
lone? Alone without
them that should assist
that shold comfort men.
But comes not this Ex-
postulation too neere a
murmuring? Must I bee
cōcluded with that, that
Exo:. 14.
2.Moses was commaunded to
come neere the Lord alone?
That solitarines, & de-
reliction, and abando-
ning of others, disposes
vs best for God, who ac-
cōpanies vs most alone?
May I not remember
& apply to; Gen. 32.
24. that thogh
God come not to Iacob till
—————————— Deuotions. 109 till he found him alone,
yet 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 ordi-
—————————— Deuotions. 110 ordinances hee durst, if Ecclus. 6.
16.
they were there? But a
faithfull friend is the phi-
sicke of life, and they that
feare the Lord, shall find
him. Therefore hath the
Lord afforded me both
in one person, that Phi-
sician, who is my faith-
full friend.
5. Prayer. O Eternalleternall, and most
gracious God, who
calledst down fire from
Heauen vpon the sinful
Cities, but once, and ope-
nedst
—————————— Deuotions. 111 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,
so whether it bee thy
will to continue mee
along thus, or to dismisse
me by death, be pleased
to afford me the helpes
fit for both conditions, either
—————————— Deuotions. 112 either for my weak stay
here, or my finall trans-
migration from hence.
And if thou mayest re-
ceiue glory by that way
(and, by all wayes thou
maist receiue glory) glo-
rifie thy selfe in preser-
uing this body from such
infections, as might
withhold those, who
would come, or in dan-
ger thē who doe come
and preserue this soule in
the faculties thereof, from
all such distempers, as
might shake the assu-
rance which my selfe & others
—————————— Deuotions. 113 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;
—————————— Deuotions. 114 tion; work it, and declare
it; and as thy triumphant
shall be, so let the Mili-
tant Church bee assured
that thou wast my God
and I thy seruant, to, and
in my consummation.
Blesse thou the learning
and the labours of the
Man, whō thou sendest
to assist me; and since
thou takest mee by the
hand, & puttest me into
his hands (for I come to
him in thy name, who
in thy name comes to
me) since I clog not my
hopes in him, no nor my prayersPrayers
—————————— Deuotions. 115Prayers to thee, with any
limited conditions, but
inwrap all in those two
petitions, Thy kingdome
come, thy will be done, pro-
sper him, and relieue
me, in thy way, in thy
time, and in thy mea-
sure. Amen. 6. Metuit.
The Phisician is afraid. 6. Meditation. I Obserueobserue the Phisici-
an, with the same
diligence, as hee the dis-
ease; I see hee feares,
and I feare with him: I ouer-
—————————— Deuotions. 116 ouertake him, I ouerrun
him in his feare, and I
go the faster, because he
makes his pace slow, I
feare the more, because
he disguises his fear, and
I see it with the more
sharpnesse, because hee
would not haue me see
it. He knowes that his
feare shall not disorder
the practise, and exercise
of his Art, but he knows
that my fear may disor-
der the effect, and wor-
king of his practise. As
the ill affections of the
spleene, complicate, and mingle
—————————— Deuotions. 117 mingle themselus with
every infirmitie of the
body, so doth feare insi-
nuat it self in euery acti-
on or passion of the mind;
and as wind in the body
will counterfet any dis-
ease, and seem the Stone,
& seem the Gout, so feare
will counterfet any dis-
ease of the Mind; It shall
seeme loue, a loue of ha-
uing, and it is but a fear,
a iealous, and suspitious
feare of loosing; It shall
seem valor in despising,
and vnderualuing dan-
ger, and it is but feare, in an
—————————— Deuotions. 118 an ouer-valuing of opi-
nion, and estimation, and a
feare of loosing that. A
man that is not afraid of
a Lion, is afraid of a Cat;
not afraid of staruing,
& yet is afraid of some
ioynt of meat at the table
presented to feed him
not afraid of the sound
of Drummes, and Trum-
pets, and Shot, and those
which they seeke to
drowne, the last cries of
men, and is afraid of
some particular harmo-
nious instrument; so much
afraid, as that with any of
—————————— Deuotions. 119 of these the enemy might
driue this mā, otherwise
valiant enough, out of
the field. I know not,
what fear is, nor I know
not what it is that I fear
now; I feare not the ha-
stening of my death, and
yet I do fear the increase
of the disease; I should
belie Nature, if I should
deny that I feard this, &
if I should say that I fea-
red death, I should belye
God; My weaknesse is
from Nature, who hath
put her Measure, my
strength is from God, who
—————————— Deuotions. 120 who possesses, & distri-
butes infinitely. As then
euery cold ayre, is not a
dampe, euery shiuering is
not a stupefaction, so eue-
ry feare, is not a feareful-
nes, euery declination is
not a running away, e-
uery debating is not a
resoluing, euery wish,
that it were not thus, is
not a murmuring, nor a
deiection though it be
thus; but as my Phisicians
fear puts not him from
his practise, neither does
mine put me, from re-
ceiuing from God, and Man,
—————————— Deuotions. 121 Man, and my selfe, spiritu-
all, and ciuill, and morall
assistances, and conso-
lations. 6. Expostvlation. MYMy God, my God, I find
in thy Booke, that
feare is a stifling spirit, a
spirit of suffocation; That
Ishbosheth could not speak,
2 Sam:. 3.
11not reply in his own defence
to Abner, because hee was
afraid. It was thy seruāt
Jobs case too, 9.34. who be-
fore hee could say any
thing to thee, saies of thee, G Let
—————————— Deuotions. 122 Let him take his rod away
frō me,Iob 9.34.and let not his feare
terrifie mee, then would I
speake with him, and not
feare him; but it is not so
with mee. Shall a feare of
thee, take away my de-
uotiō to thee? Dost thou
command me to speak
to thee, and commaund
me to feare thee, and do
these destroy one ano-
ther? There is no per-
plexity in thee, my God; no
inextricablenes in thee
my light, & my clearnes
my Sun, and my Moone
that directest me as wel in
—————————— Deuotions. 123 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? Luc:. 18.
1. Thou hast pro-
posd 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 G2 with
—————————— Deuotions. 124 with our importuni-
ties, but (as thou sayest
there) That wee should al-
wayes pray. Luc. 11.5. And to the
same purpose thou pro-
posest another, that If I
presse my friend, when hee
is in bed, at midnight, to
lend mee bread, though hee
will not rise because I am
his friend, yet because of
mine importunitie, he will.
God will do this, when-
soeuer thon askest, and
neuer call it importunitie.
Pray in thy bed at mid-
night, and God wil not
say, I will heare thee to-
mor-
—————————— Deuotions. 125 morrow 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-
G3 ming:
—————————— Deuotions. 126 ming: I may doe it,
though I feare thee; I
cannot doe it, except
feare thee. So well hast
thou prouided, that we
should alwayes feare
thee, as that thou hath
prouided, that we shold
fear no person but thee,
nothing but thee; no
men? No. Whom? Psa. 27.
1.The
Lord is my helpe, and my
saluation, whome shall I
feare? Great enemies: not
great enemies; for no e-
nemies are great to
them that feare thee. Num:. 14.
9.
Feare not the people of the land,
—————————— Deuotions. 127 land, for they are Bread to
you; They shall not on-
ly 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, Ps:. 35.
70.and
suffer Hunger, but they
that seeke the Lord, shall
not want any good thing. G4 Ne-
—————————— Deuotions. 128 Neuer? Though it bee
well with them at one
time, may they not feare
that it may be worse?
Wherfore should I feare in 46.5
the dayes of euill, saies thy
seruant Dauid? Though
his own sins had made
them euill, he feared them
not. No? not if this euill
determin in death? Not
though in a death; not
though in a death infli-
cted by violence by ma-
lice, by our own desert;
feare not the sentence of Ecclus 41.
3.
death, if thou feare God
Thou art, O my God, so far
—————————— Deuotions. 129 far from admitting vs,
that feare thee, to feare
others, as that thou ma-
kest others to feare vs;
As Herod feared Iohn, Mar. 6.
20.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
mee, in any scruple ari-
sing out of the conside-
ration of this thy feare?
Is not this that which
thou intendest, when
thou sayst, Psa:. 25.
14.The secret of
the Lord is with them, that G5 feare
—————————— Deuotions. 130 feare him; The secret, the
mistery of the right vse
of feare. Dost thou not
meane this, when thou
sayest, Pro:. 2.5.Wee shall vnder-
stand the feare of the Lord?
Haue it, and haue benefit
by it; haue it, and stand
vnder it; be directed by
it, and not bee deiected
with it. And dost thou
not propose that Church
for our example, when
thou sayest, Act. 9.
31.The Church
of Iudea, walked in the
feare of God; they had
it, but did not sit down
lazily, nor fall downe weak-
—————————— Deuotions. 131 weakly, nor sinke vn-
der it. There is a feare
which weakens men
in the seruice of God:
Adam was afrayde, Gen. 3.
10.be-
cause hee was naked.
They who haue put
off thee, are a prey to
all. They may feare,
for thou wilt laugh, Pro:.
1.26:. when
their feare comes vpon
them, as thou hast tolde 10.24.
them, more then once;
And Ps:. 14.5. thou wilt make them
feare, where no cause of
feare is, as thou hast
told them 53 .6. more then once
too. There is a feare that
—————————— Deuotions. 132 that is a punishment of
former wickednesses, &
induces more: Though
some said of thy Sonne, Io:. 7.13.
Christ Iesus, that hee was
a good Man, yet no Man
spake openly, for feare of
the Iewes: 19.38.Ioseph was his
Disciple; but secretly, for
for feare of the Iewes: The
Disciples kept some 29.19.
meetings, 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, with such
—————————— Deuotions. 133 such sand, as should
haue gold in it, with that
feare which is thy feare;
for tke feare of the Lord
is his treasure. Esai:. 33.
6. Hee that
hath that, lacks nothing
that Man can haue, no-
thing that God does
giue. Timorous men
thou rebukest; Mat. 8.
26.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, Iud:. 7.3. 22000.
and remained but 10.
Such thou sendest far-
ther
—————————— Deuotions. 134 ther then so; thither
from whence they ne-
uer returne, The feareful
and the vnbeleeuing, Apo:. 21.
8.into
that burning lake, which is
the second death. There is
a feare, & there is a hope
which are equall abo-
minations to thee; for
they were confounded, Iob. 6.20.be-
cause they hoped, saies thy
seruant Iob: because they
had mis-placed, mis-cen-
tred their hopes; they ho-
ped, and not in thee, and
such shall feare, and not
feare thee. But in thy
feare, my God, and my feare,
—————————— Deuotions. 135 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 departed from Mat. 28.
8.
the sepulchre, 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, the women, An-
—————————— Deuotions. 136 Angels of the Resurrecti-
on, went from the sepul-
chre, with feare and ioy;
they ran, sayes the text,
and they ran vpon those
two legs, feare, & ioy; &
both was the right legg;
they ioy in thee O Lord
that feare thee, and feare
thee only, who feele this
ioy in thee. Nay, thy feare
and thy loue, are ins-
eperable; still we are cal-
led vpon, in infinite pla-
ces, to feare God; yet the
Commandement, which is
the roote of all, is, Thou
shalt loue the Lord thy God Hee
—————————— Deuotions. 137 Hee doeth neither, that
doth not both; hee omits
neither, Ps:. 111.
10. that does one.
Therfore when thy ser-
uant Dauid had said,
Pro. 1.7. 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, Ecclus. 1.
20.27. the root of wis-
dome; And that it may
embrace all, hee calls it
wisedome it selfe. A wise
man therefore is neuer
without it, neuer with-
out the exercise of it:
Therefore thou sentest Mo-
—————————— Deuotions. 138 Moses to thy people
That they might learned
feare thee all the dayes of Deu:. 4.
10,.
their liues: not in hea-
uy, and calamitous, but
in good, and cheerful
dayes too: for, Noah
who had assurance of
his deliuerance, yet mo-
ued with feare, Heb:. 11.
7.prepared
an Arke, for the sauing of
his house. Ecclus:.
18.27.A wise man wil
feare in euery thing. And
therefore though I pre-
tend, to no other degree
of wisedome, I am a-
bundantly rich in this
that I lye heere possest with
—————————— Deuotions. 139 with that feare, which
is thy feare, both that
this sicknesse is thy im-
mediate correction, and
not meerely a naturall
accident, and therefore
fearefull, because it is a
fearefull thing to fall into
thy hands, and that this
feare preserues me from
all inordinate feare, ari-
sing out of the infirmi-
tie of Nature, because
thy hand being vpon
me, thou wilt neuer let
me fall out of thy hand. 6. Pray-
—————————— Deuotions. 140 6. Prayer. O Mostmost mightie God &
mercifull God, the
God of all true sorrow, &
true ioy to, of all feare, &
of al hope to, as thou hast
giuen me a Repentance
not to be repented of, so
giue me, O Lord, a feare
of which I may not be
afraid. Giue me tender,
and supple, and confor-
mable affections, that as
I ioy with them that ioy
and mourne with them
that mourne, so I may feare
—————————— Deuotions. 141 feare with them that
feare. And since thou
hast vouchsafed to dis-
couer to me, in his feare
whom thou hast admit-
ted to be my assistance,
in this sickenesse, that
there is danger therein,
let me not, O Lord, go ab-
out to ouercome the
sense of that fear, so far,
as to pretermit the fit-
ting, and preparing of
my selfe, for the worst
that may bee feard, the
passage out of this life.
Many of thy blessed
Martyrs, haue passed out of
—————————— Deuotions. 142 of this life, without any
showe of feare; But thy
most blessed Sonne him-
selfe did not so. The
Martys were known to
be but men, and therfore
it pleased thee, to fill them
with thy Spirit, and thy
power, in that they did
more then Men; Thy Son
was declard by thee, &
by himselfe to be God
and it was requisite, that
he should declare him-
selfe to be Man also, in
the weaknesses of man.
Let mee not therefore
O my God, bee ashamed of
—————————— Deuotions. 143 of these feares, but let
me feele them to deter-
mine, where his feare
did, in a present submit-
ting of all to thy will.
And when thou shalt
haue inflamd, & thawd
my former coldnesses,
and indeuotions, with
these heats, and quench-
ed my former heates,
with these sweats, and
inundations, and recti-
fied my former pre-
sumptions, and negli-
gences with these fears,
bee pleased, O Lord, as
one, made so by thee, to thinke
—————————— Deuotions. 144 thinke me fit for thee;
And whether it be thy
pleasure, to dispose of
this body, this garment
so, as to put it to a far-
ther wearing in this
world, or to lay it vp in
the common wardrope, the
graue, for the next, glo-
rifie thy selfe in thy
choyce now, & glorifie
it then, with that glory
which thy Son, our Sa-
uiour Christ Iesus hath
purchased for them whome thou makest
partakers of his Resur-
rection. Amen. 7. Sc-
—————————— Deuotions. 145 7. Socios sibi iungier
instat.
The Phisician desires to
haue others ioyned with
him. 7. Meditation. THereThere is more feare,
therefore more cause.
If the Phisician desire
help, the burden grows
great: There is a grouth
of the Disease then; But
there must bee an Au-
tumne to; But whether
an Autumne of the disease H or
—————————— Deuotions. 146 or mee, it is not my part
to choose: but if it bee
of me, it is of both; My
disease cannot suruiue
mee, I may ouer liue it
Howsoeuer, his desiring
of others, argues his can-
dor, and his ingenuitie; If
the danger be great, hee
iustifies his proceedings
& he disguises nothing;
that calls in witnesses;
And if the danger be
not great, hee is not am-
bitious, that is so readie
to diuide the thankes
and the honour of that
work, which he begun alone,
—————————— Deuotions. 147 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-
H2 dence
—————————— Deuotions. 148 dence is the more, wher
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, Diseases 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 call
Phisicians, to consultati-
ons? Death is in an old
mans dore, he appeares
and tels him so, & death is
—————————— Deuotions. 149 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 H3 weepeweep
—————————— Deuotions. 150 weep for thē, whē they
haue seen thē dye laugh-
ing. Euen that Tiran Dyo-
nisius (I thinke the same,
that suffered so much af-
ter) who could not die
of that sorrow, of that
high fal, from a King to
a wretched priuate man
dyed of so poore a Ioy, as
to be declard by the peo-
ple at a Theater, that hee
was a good Poet. We say
oftē that a Man may live
of a litle; but, alas, of
how much lesse may a
Man dye? And therfore
the more assistants, the bet-
—————————— Deuotions. 151 better; who comes to a
day of hearing, in a caus
of any importānce, 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 H4 left
—————————— Deuotions. 152 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, let vs
admit as much helpe as
wee can; Another, and
another Phisician, is not
another, and another
Indication, and Symptom
of death, but another,
and another Assistant,
and Proctor of life: Nor
doe they so much feed
the imagination with
apprehension of danger,
as the vnderstanding with
—————————— Deuotions. 153 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 H5 many
—————————— Deuotions. 154 many are sicker (per-
chance) then I, and laid
in their wofull straw at
home (if that corner 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 the
Sexten that buries them,
who buries them in
obliuion too? For they
doe but fill vp the num-
ber
—————————— Deuotions. 155 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
—————————— Deuotions. 156 not this straw, to lie in,
to die in, but haue their
Graue-stone vnder them
and breathe out their
soules in the eares, and
in the eies of passengers,
harder then their bed,
the flint of the street?
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-
ring of our Kitchin ta-
bles, Cordiall enough. O
my soule, when thou art not
—————————— Deuotions. 157 not enough awake, to
blesse thy God enough
for his plentifull mer-
cy, in affoording thee
many Helpers, remem-
ber how many lacke
them, and helpe them
to them, or to those
other things, which
they lacke as much as
them. 7. Expostvlation. MYMy God, my God, thy
blessed Seruant Au-
gustine begg'd of thee, that
—————————— Deuotions. 158 that Moses might come
and tell him what hee
meant by some places
of Genesis: May I haue
leaue to aske of the
Spirit, that writ the
Booke, why when Da-
uid expected newes frō 2 Sam. 18 .
25.
Ioabs armie, and that the
Watchman tolde him
that hee sawe a man run-
ning alone, Dauid So al, but
our Tran-
slation
takes it.
Euen
BurcdorfBuxdor.
& Schind-
ler. conclu-
ded out of that circum-
stance, That if hee came
alone, hee brought good
newes? I see the Gram-
mar, the word signifies
so, and is so euer accep-
ted,
—————————— Deuotions. 159 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, 2.4.11.Onely Luke is with
me, Luke, and no body
but Luke; hath a taste of com-cō-
—————————— Deuotions. 160 cōplaint, & sorrow in it:
Though Luke want no
testimony of abilitie, of
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,
—————————— Deuotions. 161 cy, or order that moued
Moses father in law, to
perswade him to diuide
the burden of Gouern-
mēt, Exod. 18 .
13. & Iudicature, with
others, & take others to
his assistance, but it was
also thy immediat spirit
O my God, that mou'd
Moses to present vnto
thee 70 of the Elders of
Israel, Num. 11 .
16. to receiue of that
spirit, which was vpon
Moses onely before, such
a portion as might ease
him in the gouernmēt
of that people; though
Moses alone had in-
dow-
—————————— Deuotions. 162 dowments aboue all
thou gauest him other
assistants. I consider thy
plentifull goodnesse, O
my God, in employing
Angels, more then one,
in so many of thy re-
markable workes. Of
thy Sonne, thou saist, Heb. 1.6Let
all the Angels of God wor-
ship him; If that bee in
Heauen, vpon Earth, hee
sayes that hee could com-
maund twelue legions of
Angels; Mat. 26.
53. And when Hea-
uen, and Earth shall be
all one, at the last day,
Thy Sonne, O God, the Son of
—————————— Deuotions. 163 of Man, Mat. 25.
31.shall come in his
glory, and all the holy An-
gels with him. The An-
gels that celebrated his
birth to the Shepheards, Luc. 21.15.
the Angels that celebra-
ted his second birth, his
Resurrection to the Ma-
ries, were in the plurall,Io. 20.12.
Angells associated with
Angels. Gen. 28.
12. 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, Psa. 91.
13.
and charge to guide vs in all
—————————— Deuotions. 164 all our wayes, they who
hastned Lot, Gen. 19.
15. and in him,
vs, from places of dan-
ger, and tentation, they
who are appoynted to in-
struct & gouerne vs in the
Church heere, Apo. 1.
20. they who
are sent to punish the dis-
obedient and refractarie, Apo. 8.
2.
they that are to be the
Mowers, Mat. 13.
39. and haruest men,
after we are growne up
in one field, the church, at
the day of Iudgmēt, they
that are to carrie our
soules whither they Luc. 16.
22. cari-
ed Lazarus, they who at-
tend at the seueral gates of
—————————— Deuotions. 165 of the new Ierusalem, Apoc. 21.
12. 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. 1. Reg.
19.35.
thousand in Sennacheribs
army, yet thou often
imployest many; as we
know the power of sal-
uation is abundantly in
any one Euangelist, and yet
—————————— Deuotions. 166 yet thou hast afforded
vs foure. Luc. 4.
18. Thy Sonne pro-
claimes of himselfe, that
thy Spirit, hath annoynted
him to preach the Gospels,
yet he hath giuen others Eph. 4.
11.
for the perfiting of the Sts
in the worke of the Mini-
stery. Thou hast made
him Bishop of our soules, 1. Pet 2.
25.
but there are others Bi-
shops too. Hee gaue the
holy Ghost, Io. 20.
22. & others gaue
it also. Thy way, O my
God, (and, O my God, thou
louest to walk in thine
own waies, for they are
large) thy way from the be-
—————————— Deuotions. 167 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 168 Church, and those per-
sons, whom thou hast
alwayes furnished thy
Church withall: And
that I may associate thy
Word, with thy Sacra-
ment, thy Seale with thy
Patent; and in that Sa-
cramēt associate the signe
with the thing signified,
the Bread with the Body
of thy Sonne, so, as I may
be sure to haue receiued
both, and to bee made
thereby, (as thy blessed
seruant Augustine sayes)
the Arke, and the Monu-
ment, & the Tombe of the most
—————————— Deuotions. 180169 most blessed Sonne, that
hee, and all the merits of
his death, may, by that
receiuing, bee buried in
me, to my quickning in
this world, and my im-
mortall establishing in
the next. 7. Prayer. O Eternalleternall, and most
gracious God, who
gauest to thy seruants in
the wildernes, thy Man-
na, bread so conditiond,
qualified so, as that, to I euery
—————————— Deuotions. 170 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 thy
corrections tast of humi-
liation, but thou woul-
dest haue them tast of
consolation too; taste of
danger, but tast of assu-
rance
—————————— Deuotions. 171 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: I2 that
—————————— Deuotions. 172 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 hast
sent to assist me, desires
assistants to him, thou
hast let mee see, in how
few houres thou canst throw
—————————— Deuotions. 173 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 thou hast
sealed concerning mee.
Let me think no degree
of this thy correction,
casuall, or without signi-
fication; but yet when I I3 haue
—————————— Deuotions. 174 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, were
thy primary, and origi-
nal intētion in this sick-
nes, I cannot conclude,
though death conclude
me; for as it must neces-
sarily appeare to bee a
correction, so I can haue
no greater argument of
thy mercy, then to die in thee,
—————————— Deuotions. 175 thee, and by that death,
to bee vnited to him,
who died for me. 8. Et Rex ipse suum
mittit.
The King sends his owne
Phisician. 8. Meditation.STilStil 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-
I4 ry,
—————————— Deuotions. 176 ry, (for misery is his, his
own; of the happinesses
euen of this world, hee
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 but
dust, and coagulated and
kneaded into earth; by
teares, his matter is earth,
his forme, misery. In this world,
—————————— Deuotions. 177 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-
I5 ally
—————————— Deuotions. 178 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 sicke
gods; and God is presen-
ted to vs vnder many
human affections, as far
as infirmities; God is cal-
led angry, and sorry, and
weary, and heauy; but
neuer a sicke God: for
then hee might die like
men, as our gods do. The
worst that they could
say in reproch, & scorne of
—————————— Deuotions. 179 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 Rheubarbe to
purge his Choller, lest he
be too angry, and Aga-
rick to purge his stegme,
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
—————————— Deuotions. 180 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-
ter expressed in their hu-
mility, then in their
heighth; 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
—————————— Deuotions. 181 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
—————————— Deuotions. 182 of that in themselues,
which makes vs hap-
pie: It consummates
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.
.88. Expostvlation. MYMy God, may God, I
haue a warning
from the Wise man, Ecclus.
13.23. that
when a rich man speaketh,
euery man holdeth his tongue and
—————————— Deuotions. 183 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
—————————— Deuotions. 184 giue themselues that li-
berty, in speaking of thy
Vice-gerents, Kings: Augus-
tus,Augus
tin. 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
—————————— Deuotions. 185 mee exhibited by that
royall Instrument, my
Soueraigne, to many o-
ther faults, that touch
vpon Allegiance, I should
add the worst of all, In-
gratitude; which consti-
tutes 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 blowflow, and powre out
it selfe into any mold, a-
ny
—————————— Deuotions. 186 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 aske
whose image, & whose
inscription hee hath; and
he hath thine; And I giue
vnto thee, that which is
thine, I recommend his
happines to thee, in all
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 God,
and consider; will not this
—————————— Deuotions. 187 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
—————————— Deuotions. 188 I know is common to
me with many? Many,
many, haue tasted of
that expression of his
gracionsnesgraciousnes. Where hee
can giue health by his
owne hands, hee doth;
and to more then any
of his predecessors haue
done: Therefore hath
God reserued one disease
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
—————————— Deuotions. 189 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 herselfe
to much in those perso-
nal assistances, & might
doe enough in sending
reliefe, shee said, Shee would
—————————— Deuotions. 190 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 of
thy Son, with them. 2 Sam. 19.
12. 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 prayer
for them; 2 Sam.
24.14. I haue sig-
ned, but these sheepe what haue
—————————— Deuotions. 191 haue they donne? let thine
hand I pray thee be against
me and against my fathers
house. It is kingly to giue;
v. 17. whq 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
—————————— Deuotions. 192 his assisting to my bodi-
ly health, thou knowest
O God, and so doe some
others of thine Honora-
ble seruants know, is but
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
—————————— Deuotions. 193 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, K when
—————————— Deuotions. 194 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, 2 Chro. 14.
8. that our
Iehosophat hath a care to
ordaine Priests, as well
as Iudges: and not only
to send Phisicians for tem-
—————————— Deuotions. 195 temporall, but to bee the
Phisician for spirituall
health.
8. Prayer. O Eternalleternall 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 K2 euer,
—————————— Deuotions. 196 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
—————————— Deuotions. 197 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-
K3 bor,
—————————— Deuotions. 198 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
—————————— Deuotions. 199 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 K4 find
—————————— Deuotions. 200 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. 9. Me-
—————————— Deuotions. 201 9. Medicamina scribūt.
Vpon their Consultation,
they prescribe. 9. Meditation. THeyThey 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-
K5 ction?
—————————— Deuotions. 202 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 Plurisie
is so; nor from the effect which
—————————— Deuotions. 203 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, & but 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
—————————— Deuotions. 204 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
Memory, to deliuer the
names of seuerall Feuers;
how intricate a worke
then haue they, who are gone
—————————— Deuotions. 205 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
pretermit (so far as to in-
termit) the cure of the di-
sease it self. Is it not so in States
—————————— Deuotions. 206 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
—————————— Deuotions. 207 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, they
write, so there is nothing
couertly, disguisedly, vna-
vowedly done. In bodily
diseases it is not alwaies
so; sometimes, assoon as the
—————————— Deuotions. 208 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 car-
ries hope & cōfort in it,
when we may haue re-
—————————— Deuotions. 209 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-
—————————— Deuotions. 210 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
—————————— Deuotions. 211 (they hide nothing froō
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.
9. Expostvlation. 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
—————————— Deuotions. 212 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, 2. Chro.
25.16.
then they are. 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
—————————— Deuotions. 213 When thy Prophet E-
saias askes that questiō
who hath directed the spirit 42.13.
of the Lord, 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, 9.6. and the
prince of peace, this also,
the Councellor; and after
he had setled vpon him,
the spirit of might, and of 11.2.
councell. So that thē, thou
O God, thogh thou haue
no councell from Man, yet
—————————— Deuotions. 214 yet doest nothing vpon
man, without councell;
In the making of Man
there was a consultation;
let vs make man. Gen. 1.
26. In the
preseruing of Man, O
thou great preseruer of
men, 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 willwil
—————————— Deuotions. 215 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 infirmi-
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, whoō I
haue crucified, & Cruci-
fied againe, by multiply-
ing
—————————— Deuotions. 216 ing many, and often re-
peating the same sinnes
that there is no Artery in
me, 1. Tim. 4.
1. that hath not the spi-
rit of error, the spirit of lust,
the spirit of giddines in it, Ose. 4.12
Esa. 19.
14. no bone in me that is not
hardned with the cu-
stome 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
—————————— Deuotions. 217 into a consultion, my
case is not desporrate 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 opō-
ly, intelligibly, manifestly,
by the book. From thy first
book, the book of life, ne-
uer shut to thee, but neuer
throughly open to vs; frō
thy second book, the booke
of Nature, wher though L sub-
—————————— Deuotions. 218 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
those thy partcular books of
—————————— Deuotions. 219 of all our particular sins;
and to those, the Booke
with seuen seales, which
only the Lamb which was Apoc. 7.1.
slaine, was found worthy to
opē; which, I hope, it shall
not disagree with the
meaning of thy blessed
Spirit, to interprete, 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 L2 may
—————————— Deuotions. 220 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 Scripturs)
which some men turne
to poyson, yet vpon these
—————————— Deuotions. 221consultations (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.
9. Prayer. O Eternalleternall and most
gracious God, who
art of so pure eyes, as L3 that
—————————— Deuotions. 222 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 feare,
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
thy Sonn thou canst, and
he hath taken vpon him
selfe, and presented to
thee, al those sins, which
might displease thee in vs.
—————————— Deuotions. 223 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 L4 which
—————————— Deuotions. 224 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
—————————— Deuotions. 225 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 L5 of
—————————— Deuotions. 226 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. 10. Lentè & Serpenti sata-
gunt occurrere Morbo.
They find the Disease to steale
on insensibly, and endeauour
to meet with it so. 10. Meditation. THisThis is Natures nest of
Boxes; The Heauens
containe the Earth, the Earth,
—————————— Deuotions. 227 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
—————————— Deuotions. 228 made of Nothing, is not
threatned with this an-
nihilation. All other
things are; euen Angels,
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
—————————— Deuotions. 229 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
—————————— Deuotions. 230 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 breath
it out; Though the Dog-
Starre haue a pestilent
breath, an infectious ex-
halation, yet because we
know when it wil rise,
we clothe our selues, &
wee diet our selues, and
wee shadow our selues
to a sufficient preuētion;
but Comets and blazing starres
—————————— Deuotions. 231 starres, whose effects, or
significations no man
can interrupt or frustrat,
no man foresaw: no Al-
manack tells vs, when a
blazing starre will break
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
—————————— Deuotions. 232 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, secret repugnances against
—————————— Deuotions. 233 against his declar'd wil;
and these are the most
deadly, the most perni-
cious. 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
—————————— Deuotions. 234 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 them. But yet
against those secret con-
spiracies in the State, the
Magistrate hath the rack;
and against these insen-
sible diseases, Phisicians haue
—————————— Deuotions. 235 haue their examiners; and
those these imploy now.
10. Expostvlation. MYMy 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
—————————— Deuotions. 236 not sinned, therefore that
Christ might not haue died,
may I not to this one
purpose wish, That if
the Serpent before the Iosephus.
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; Iere. 9.21 yet he, and Death in
him is come into our win-
dowes
—————————— Deuotions. 237 dowes; into our Eyes, and
Eares, the entraāces, & 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 be-
—————————— Deuotions. 238 beginning, Io. 8.44.A lye: for
man, is in Nature, yet,
in possession 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 239 sinn, then, as thy blessed
Sonne said of Iudas, Hee
is a deuill, Ioh. 6.70 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, Ps. 19.12Clense 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
—————————— Deuotions. 240 the darke, vpon our 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 Pro-
phet found such a desire, and
—————————— Deuotions. 241 and such a practise in
some, whē he said, Esay 47.
10. 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, Gen. 4.
10. will tell
thee of Cains murder;
the Heauens themselues
will tell thee Heauē shal Ier. 20.
27.
reueale his iniquity; a smal
creature alone, shall doe
it, Eccle. 10.
20.A bird of the ayre shall
carry the voice, and tell the
matter: Thou wilt trou-
ble no Informer, thou thy M selfe
—————————— Deuotions. 242 selfe reuealedst Adams Gen. 3.8.
sin, to thy selfe; And the
manifestation of sin is Eccles. 12.
14.
so ful to thee, as that thou
shalt reueale all to all, Thou
shalt bring euery worke to
Iudgement, with euery se-
cret thing, Mat. 10.
26.and there is no-
thing couered, that shall
not bee reuealed: 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
—————————— Deuotions. 243 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 themselues by Con-
fession. When I kept silence,
sayes thy seruant Dauid,
day, and night, thy hand Psal. 32.
34.
was heauy vpon mee, But
when I said, 8.5.I wil confesse
my transgressions vnto the
Lord, thou forgauest the in-
iquitie of my sinne. Thou
interpretest the very pur-
M2 pose
—————————— Deuotions. 244 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
—————————— Deuotions. 245 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. M3 10. Pray-
—————————— Deuotions. 246 10. Prayer. O Eternalleternall, 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 thee,
how shall I bring to thy
knowledg by that way, those
—————————— Deuotions. 247 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 M4 themthē
—————————— Deuotions. 248 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
—————————— Deuotions. 249 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 of
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, M5 who
—————————— Deuotions. 250 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
—————————— Deuotions. 251 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 252 litie, and Peace, and Re-
conciliation to thee, by the
ordinances of thy Church.
Amen. 11. Nobilibusq; trahunt, a
cincto Corde, venenum,
Succis & Gemmis, & quae
generosa, Ministrant
Ars, et Natura, instillant.
They vse Cordials, to keep
the venim and Malig-
nitie of the disease from
the Heart. 11. Meditation. WHenceWhence can wee
take a better ar-
gument
—————————— Deuotions. 253 gument, a clearer de-
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
enemy dare rise vp a-
gainst it, it is the soonest
endangered, the soonest
defeated of any part. The
—————————— Deuotions. 254 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
—————————— Deuotions. 255 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 256 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
—————————— Deuotions. 257 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
—————————— Deuotions. 258 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 259 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 260 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
—————————— Deuotions. 261 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-
son 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 no-
—————————— Deuotions. 262 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
—————————— Deuotions. 263 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 feete, 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
—————————— Deuotions. 264 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 by
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
—————————— Deuotions. 265 of this miserie, would
buy a being here vpon
these conditions?
11. Expostvlation. MYMy God, my God, all
that thou askest of
mee, Prou. 23.
26. is my Heart, My
Sonne, giue mee thy heart;
Am I thy sonne, as long
as I haue but my heart?
VVWilt thou giue mee an
Inheritance, a Filiation,
any thing for my heart?
O thou, who saydst to
Satan, Hast thou conside-
N red
—————————— Deuotions. 266 red my seruant Iob, Iob. 1.8that
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 earth; and woul-
dest thou haue that; and
shall I be thy Sonne, thy
eternall Sonnes Coheire,
for giuing that? The
Heart is deceitfull, aboue Ier. 17 .9
all things, and desperate-
ly wicked; who can know
it? Hee that askes that que-
—————————— Deuotions. 267 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,
Gen. 6.5That 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 N2 Thou,
—————————— Deuotions. 268Thou, Amos 4.
14. that declarest
vnto man, what is his
Heart. VVWithout 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 1 Sam. 13 .
14.
heart, That thou couldest
and wouldest giue thy peo-
ple Pastours according to Ier. 3.15.
thine owne heart; And I
can gather out of thy Word,
—————————— Deuotions. 269 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 N3 hearts
—————————— Deuotions. 270 hearts too, and I haue
made mine such: I haue
found Hearts, Ezech. 11 .
19.that are
snares; and I haue con-
uersed with such; hearts
that burne like Ouens; Eccles. 7.
26.
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, Prou. 28.
26.is a foole;
His confidence in his
owne morall Constan-
cie, and ciuill fortitude,
will betray him, when
thou shalt cast a spiri-
tuall
—————————— Deuotions. 271 tuall dampe, a heaui-
nesse, and deiection 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. Io. 13.2. 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 Ecclus. 50.
23.
giuest ioyfulnes of heart, N4 and
—————————— Deuotions. 272 and I haue not that;
To those of the other
kinde, thou giuest faint-
nesse of heart: Leuit. 26 .
36. 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 perfit, 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. Ios. 2.11. This is a melting
heart, and a troubled
heart; and a wounded heart,
—————————— Deuotions. 273 heart, and a broken
heart, and a contrite
heart; and by the po-
werfull working of
thy piercing spirit, such
a Heart I haue; 1 Sam. 7.
3.Thy Sa-
muel spake vnto all the
house of thy Israel, 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
home; Nay, the prepara-
tion is thine too; this N5 mel-
—————————— Deuotions. 274 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 2. Cor. 1.
22.
in my heart; and where
thou giuest earnest, thou
wilt performe the bar-
gaine. Naball was con-
fident vpon his wine,
but in the morning his 1. Sam.
25.37.
heart dyed within him;
Thou, O Lord, hast
giuen mee Wormewood,
and I haue had some
diffidence vpon that; and
—————————— Deuotions. 275 and thon hast cleared a
Morning to mee againe,
and my heart is aliue.
DanidsDauids 24.5.heart smote him,
when hee cut off the skirt
from Saul; 1. Sam.
24.10. 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
—————————— Deuotions. 276 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. Reg. 8.
38.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
—————————— Deuotions. 277 the Peace of God, Phil. 4.7which
passeth all vnderstand-
ing, shall keepe my Heart
and Minde through Christ
Iesus.
11. Prayer. O Eternalleternall, 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 278 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
—————————— Deuotions. 279 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
—————————— Deuotions. 280 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
—————————— Deuotions. 281 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
—————————— Deuotions. 282 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
—————————— Deuotions. 283 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 Cate-
—————————— Deuotions. 284 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. 12. — Spirante Columbâ
Suppositâ pedibus, Reuo-
cantur ad ima vapores.
They apply Pidgeons, to
draw the vapors from
the Head. 12. Meditation. VVHatWhat will not
kill a man, if a vapor
—————————— Deuotions. 285 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
—————————— Deuotions. 286 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
—————————— Deuotions. 287 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
—————————— Deuotions. 288 and we surprized with
it, out of a long shutt
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
—————————— Deuotions. 289 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 O our
—————————— Deuotions. 290 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
—————————— Deuotions. 291 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 O2 made
—————————— Deuotions. 292 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: Coma, la-
tro. in
Val.
Max. 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
—————————— Deuotions. 293 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 reduces vs to
nothing. But extend this
vapour, rarifie it; from so
narow a roome, as our O3 Na=
—————————— Deuotions. 294 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 together, is
the Sinewes, which pro-
ceed from thence; and the
—————————— Deuotions. 295 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 suffers. 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 O4 ayre,
—————————— Deuotions. 296 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
—————————— Deuotions. 297 as the Viper, because the
Flea, Ardio-
nus. 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.
12. Expostvlation. MYMy God, my God, as
thy seruant Iames, O5 when
—————————— Deuotions. 298 when he asks that que-
stiō, what is your life, pro-
uides me my answere,
4.14.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 hast made vapor
so indifferent a thing,
as that thy Blessings,
and thy Iudgements are equally
—————————— Deuotions. 299 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? Gen. 2.6.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, Leuit. 16 .
23.
And in them it is said, that
—————————— Deuotions. 300 that a Ezech. 8.
11. thicke cloude of in-
cence went vp to thee. 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, Sap. 7.
24.and the
pure influence frō the glo-
ry of the Almighty. Hast
thou, Thou, O my God,
perfumed vapor, with
—————————— Deuotions. 301 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-
pors to For so thou dost,
as the Wiseman tels vs,
Thou canst punish vs by
—————————— Deuotions. 302 those things, wherein wee
offend thee; as he hath
expressed it there, By
beasts newly created, Sap. 11.
18. brea-
thing vapors. Therefore
that Commination of
thine, by thy Prophet, Ioel. 2.
30.I
will shew wonders in the
heauen, and in the Earth,
bloud and fire, and pillars
of smoke; Act. 2.
19. thine Apostle,
who knewe thy mea-
ning best, calls vapors
of smoke. Psa. 78.
8. One Prophet
presents thee in thy ter-
riblenesse, so, There went
out a smoke at his No-
strils, and another, the effect
—————————— Deuotions. 303 effect of thine anger
so, Esa. 6.4.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 Apo. 9.2. a-
rose a smoke, 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
—————————— Deuotions. 304 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
—————————— Deuotions. 305 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
—————————— Deuotions. 306 that by the visitation of
thy Spirit, the vapors of
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. 12. Pray-
—————————— Deuotions. 307 12. Prayer. O Eternalleternall 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 selues, 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
—————————— Deuotions. 308 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 309 soule, and imprint there
that simplicity, 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, Psa. 91.
13. that
lye vnder it, to deuoure
me. Thou O Lord by
the Prophet callest the oue,Doue,
—————————— Deuotions. 310Doue, Eze. 7.16 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, 37.3.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,
—————————— Deuotions. 311 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. 1. Inge-13. Inge-
—————————— Deuotions. 312 13. Ingeniumq; malum, nu-
meroso stigmate, fassus
Pellitur ad pectus, Morbiq;
Suburbia, Morbus.
The Sicknes declares the infe-
ction and malignity thereof
by spots. 13. Meditation. WEeWee 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
—————————— Deuotions. 313 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 P that;
—————————— Deuotions. 314 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 mee now,
that this sicknesse de-
clares it selfe by Spots, to
—————————— Deuotions. 315 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 may 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-
P2 lun-
—————————— Deuotions. 316 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
—————————— Deuotions. 317 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 P3 could
—————————— Deuotions. 318 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 319 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. P4 13.Ex
—————————— Deuotions. 320 13. Expostvlation. MYMy God, my God, thou
hast made this sick
bed thine Altar, and I
haue no other Sacrifice
to offer, but my self; and
wilt thou accept no spot-
ted sacrifice? Doeth thy
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, Can. 4.7.
who is therfore all faire,
and no spot in her? or hath
thy Son himself no spots, who
—————————— Deuotions. 321 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 particular soule
in that Church is full of
staines, and spots? Thou
bidst vs hate the garment, Iud. 23.
that is spotted with the
flesh. The flesh it selfe is
the garment, and it spot-
teth it selfe, with it self.
And Iob 9.30. if I wash my selfe
with snow water; mine own
clothes shall make me abo-
minable; and yet no man P5 yet
—————————— Deuotions. 322 yet euer hated his owne Ephes. 5.
29.
flesh: 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, Iosua 22.
17.From our for-
mer iniquitie wee are not
cleansed, vntill this day,
though there was a plague
in the Congregation of the
Lord; Thou ruinest vp-
on
—————————— Deuotions. 323 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. Sap. 13.
14.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 owneown
—————————— Deuotions. 324 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. Gen. 30.
33. When thy seruant
Iacob practised an Inuen-
tion to procure spotts in
—————————— Deuotions. 325 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, Mat. 9.
12. The whole need not the
Phisician; 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, Iob 11.
15.Lord, lift vp
my face without spot, and be
—————————— Deuotions. 326 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. VVWhen
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
—————————— Deuotions. 327 pinches of death, to de-
cline my feare to Hell;
(for thou hast not left thy
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.
13. Prayer. O Eternalleternall, and most
g atious God, who as
—————————— Deuotions. 328 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
—————————— Deuotions. 329 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 heates, 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
—————————— Deuotions. 330 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, I
condition 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
—————————— Deuotions. 331 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.
14. Idq; notant Criticis,
Medici euenisse Diebus.
The Phisicians obserue
these accidents to haue
fallen vpon the criticall
dayes. 14. Meditation. I Wouldwould not make
Man worse then hee is,
—————————— Deuotions. 332 is, Nor his Condition
more miserable then it
is. But could I though
I would? As a Man can-
not flatter God, nor ouer
prayse him, so a Man
cannot iniure Man, nor
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
dayes, & they are Iudged,
and Denominated accor-
ding to the times, when they
—————————— Deuotions. 333 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 essen-
tial part of our hapines?
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;
—————————— Deuotions. 334 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 was,
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 Ima-
—————————— Deuotions. 335 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
—————————— Deuotions. 336 neuer beene; If we con-
sider, not Eternity, but
Perpetuity, not that
which had no tyme to
beginne in, but which
shall out-liue Tyme and
be, when Tyme shall bee
no more, what A Minute
is the life of the Dura-
blest Creature, compared
to that? And what a
Minute is Mans life in
respect of the Sunnes, or
of a tree? and yet how
little of our life is Occasi-
on, opportunity to receyue
good in; and how litle
of that occasion, doe wee appre-
—————————— Deuotions. 373337 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 Q their
—————————— Deuotions. 338 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 339 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 Q2 in
—————————— Deuotions. 376340 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.
14. Expostvlation. MYMy God, my God
wouldest thou cal
thy selfe the Ancient of
dayes, Dan. 7.9. if we were not to
call our selues to an ac-
count for our dayes?
wouldest thou chide vs Mat. 20.
6.
for standing idle heere all the
—————————— Deuotions. 377341 the day, if we were sure
to haue more dayes, to
make vp our haruest?
When thou biddest vs
6. 34.take no thought for tomor-
row; 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 4.10.Galati-
ans by thy Message to
them, That they obserued
dayes, and Moneths, and
Tymes, and Yeares, when
thou sendest by the
same Messenger, to for- Q3 bid
—————————— Deuotions. 342 bid the Colossians all
Criticall dayes, 2.16. 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
—————————— Deuotions. 343 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, 2. Cor. 6.
2.Now is
the accepted time, now is
the day of saluation, And
there is a great day of thy
wrath, Apoc. 6.
17. which no man
shal be able to stand in;
And there are euill dayes
before, and therfore thou
warnest vs, and armest Q4 vs,
—————————— Deuotions. 344 vs, Eph. 6.1. 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 3. Ioh. v.
2. Gaius, that
he may prosper in his health
so as his soule prospers; for
if the Soule be leane, the
marrow of the Body is
but water; if the Soule
wither, the verdure and the
—————————— Deuotions. 380345 the good estate of the
body, is but an illusion, &
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-
Q5 dest
—————————— Deuotions. 381346dest 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
—————————— Deuotions. 347 who haue not only the
day of the Prophets, Heb. 1.2. the
first dayes, but the last
daies, in which thou hast
spoken vnto vs, by thy
Son? We are the children
of the day, 2. Thes. 5.
8. 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,
Mat. 23.
30. (those indicatory, and iu-
dicatory, those Criticall dayes)
—————————— Deuotions. 384348 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 Mat. 22.
15:. was incensd a-
gainst him, they came to tempt
—————————— Deuotions. 385349 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 V. 23.
question him about the Re-
surrection; 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, V. 34. the Pharise
or Saduce; and he tēpted
him about the great Com-
mādement; & him, Christ left
—————————— Deuotions. 350 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, V. 46. 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 351 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 Gen. 32.
26. though thou lamedst
him, would not let thee goe,
till thou hadst giuen him a
blessing, Though thou haue
—————————— Deuotions. 388352 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. 2 Pet. 3.8 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
—————————— Deuotions. 389353 and not entertaine thee
in 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 the
light, and testimony of
my Conscience. There I haue
—————————— Deuotions. 354 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 acquit-
ted, by thee, by him,
who speaks thy word,
& who is thy word, thy Son,Son.
—————————— Deuotions. 355Son. 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 there 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, to
goe his whole iourney in-
—————————— Deuotions. 392356 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
—————————— Deuotions. 393357 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; Ecclus.
41.1. And O death how
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
—————————— Deuotions. 358 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, where-wher-
—————————— Deuotions. 359 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
—————————— Deuotions. 396360 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, thy glory, thy ioy,
thy sight, thy selfe; 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. 14. Pray-
—————————— Deuotions. 361 14. Prayer. O Eternalleternall 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 R and
—————————— Deuotions. 362 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
was the presence of the
Holy Ghost, the foun-
taine of all light, and yet
an ouershadowing; Nay except
—————————— Deuotions. 363 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 R2 vpon
—————————— Deuotions. 364 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, Mat. 28.
20.Behold, I am
with you alwaies, euen to
the end of the world. Intereè
—————————— Deuotions. 365 Intereè insomnes noctes
Ego duco, Diesque.
I sleepe not day nor night. 15. Meditation. NAturallNaturall 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 R3 vs;
—————————— Deuotions. 366 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 367 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-
R4 ded
—————————— Deuotions. 368 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 horrid and an
—————————— Deuotions. 369 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 our
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 R5 Enemies
—————————— Deuotions. 370 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
—————————— Deuotions. 371 that Earth, on which
they haue lion long vn-
der heauie fetters, yet at
this houre are asleepe,
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
—————————— Deuotions. 372 now to tell Clocks? why
is none of the heauinesse
of my heart, dispensed
into mine Eie-lids, that
they might fall as my
heart doth? And why,
since I haue los t my de-
light in all obiects, can-
not I discontinue the
facultie of seeing them,
by closing mine Eies 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
—————————— Deuotions. 373 bee a parasceue, and a
preparation to that?
15. Expostvlation. MYMy God, my God, I
know, (for thou
hast said it) Psa. 121.
1.That he that
keepeth Israel, 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, 2 Pet. 2.
3.whose
damnation sleepeth not;
but shall not they to
whom thou art Saluati-
on,
—————————— Deuotions. 374 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 Psa. 127 .
1.
sleepe. Shall I lacke that
seale of thy loue? You
shall lie downe, Leu. 26.6.and none
shall make you afraid; shal
I bee outlawd from that
protection? Ion. 1.5. Ionas slept in
one dangerous storme, and Mat. 8.
24.
thy blessed Sonne in ano-
ther. Shall I haue no vse,
no benefit, no applicati-
on of those great Exam-
ples? Lord, if hee sleepe, he
—————————— Deuotions. 375 he shall doe well, Io. 11.
12. 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 Eccles. 8.
16.
nor night seeth sleepe with
his eies, saies thy wise
seruant Solomon; and
whether hee speake that
of worldly Men, or of
Men that seeke wisdome, whe-
—————————— Deuotions. 376 whether in iustification
or condemnation of their
watchfulnesse, we can
not tell: wee can tell,
Pro. 4.
16. That there are men, that
cannot sleepe, till they
haue done mischiefe, and
then they can; and wee
can tell that the rich man
cannot sleepe, Eccles.
5.12.because his
abundance will not let
him. Mat. 13.
25.
28.13.The tares were sow-
en when the husbandmen
were asleepe; And the
elders thought it a pro-
bable excuse, a credible
lie, that the watchmen
which kept the Sepul-
chre
—————————— Deuotions. 377 chre, should say, 26.40.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? Iud. 16.
3. 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. vers. 19.Sleepe
is as often taken for na-
turall death in thy Scrip-
tures, as for naturall rest.
Nay sometimes sleepe
hath so heauy a sense, as to
—————————— Deuotions. 378 to bee taken for Eph. 5.
14.sinne it
selfe, as well as for the
punishment of sinne,
Death. 1 Thes.
5.6. Much comfort
is not in much sleepe,
when the most fearefull
and most irreuocable
Malediction is presen-
ted by thee, Ier. 51.
59. 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
—————————— Deuotions. 379 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 380 God, to inuert the words
of thy Sonnes Spouse; she
said, Can. 5.8I 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 them-
—————————— Deuotions. 381 themselues vpon thy
peace, and ioy, and glory
aboue. Almost as soone
as thy Apostle had said,
Let vs not sleepe, 1 Thes.
5.6. lest
we should be too much
discomforted, if we did,
he saies againe, vers. 10.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,
—————————— Deuotions. 382 thee, to whom I shall
bee married indissolubly,
though by this way of
dissolution.
15. Prayer. O Eternalleternall 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 watchfulnes of
—————————— Deuotions. 383 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
—————————— Deuotions. 384 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 is a heauy, and indeli-
ble sinne, that I brought
into the world with me,
It is a heauy and innu-
merable
—————————— Deuotions. 385 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 S sinned
—————————— Deuotions. 386 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 soeuer I
stray, and wander, by occa-
—————————— Deuotions. 387 occasion of this sicknes,
O God, returne thou to
that Minute, wherein
thou wast pleased with
me, and consider me in
that condition. S2 16. Et
—————————— Deuotions. 388 16. Et properare meum
clamant, è Turre pro-
pinqua, Obstreperae
Campanae aliorum
in funere, funus.
From the bels of the church
adioyning, I am daily
remembred of my buri-
all in the funeralls of
others. 16. Meditation. Magius.WEWe haue a Conue-
nient Author, who
writ a Discourse of Bells
when hee was Prisoner in
—————————— Deuotions. 389 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, Antwerp in which S3 there
—————————— Deuotions. 390 there are said to be more
than thirty Bels; And
neere another, where
there is one so bigge, as
that the Clapper Roan. 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
—————————— Deuotions. 391 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 deserued 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, Roccha. which, when S4 any
—————————— Deuotions. 392 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 exe-
—————————— Deuotions. 393execution, 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 fit my
selfe, to stand, or sit in a-
ny Mans place, & not to
lie in any mans graue? S5 I
—————————— Deuotions. 394 I may lacke much of
the good parts of the
meanest, but I lacke no-
thing of the mortality of
the weakest; They 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 Mortificati-
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
—————————— Deuotions. 395 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 pro-
—————————— Deuotions. 396 prouoke death to assist
him, by any hand, 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. 16. Ex-
—————————— Deuotions. 397 16. Expostvlation. MYMy 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
—————————— Deuotions. 398 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
—————————— Deuotions. 399 thy Militant Church, a-
mongst the Iewes, thou
didst appoint the calling
of the assembly in, Num. 10 .
1. 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, Exo. 18. 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 400 summation, by the sound
of Trumpets, at the Re-
surrection. The sound of
thy Trumpets thou didst
impart to secular and 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.
—————————— Deuotions. 401 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
—————————— Deuotions. 402 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
—————————— Deuotions. 403 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,duties;
—————————— Deuotions. 404 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
—————————— Deuotions. 405 cessitie I know shee 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 now 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
—————————— Deuotions. 406 as thou louest a good
Christian: and though
Grace bee meerely from
thee, yet thou doest not
plant Grace but in good
natures.
16. Prayer. O Eternalleternall and most
gracious God, who
hauing consecrated our
liuing bodies, to thine
owne Spirit, and made
vs Temples of the holy
Ghost, doest also require
a respect to bee giuen to these
—————————— Deuotions. 407 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
—————————— Deuotions. 408 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 409 Curtaines, and hee speaks
thy words; Apoc. 14 .
13.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 T killest
—————————— Deuotions. 410 killest and thou giuest life:
which soeuer comes, it
comes from thee; which
way soeuer it comes, let
mee come to thee. 17. Nunc lento sonitu
dicunt, Morieris.
Now, this Bell tolling soft-
ly for another, saies to
me, Thou must die. 17. Meditation.PErchancePerchance hee for
whom this Bell tolls,
may bee so ill, as that he
knowes not it tolls for him;
—————————— Deuotions. 411 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 engraffed into that T2 body,
—————————— Deuotions. 412 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
—————————— Deuotions. 413 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-
T3 on,
—————————— Deuotions. 414 on, and estimation, were
mingled) 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
—————————— Deuotions. 415 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 Comet, 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; T4 euery
—————————— Deuotions. 416 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 lesse, 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
—————————— Deuotions. 417 were not miserable e-
nough of our selues, but
must fetch 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
scarce any Man hath
enough of it. No Man
hath affliction enough,
that is not matured, and
ripened by it, and made
fit for God by that af-
fliction. If a Man carry
treasure in bullion, or in a
wedge of gold, and haue T5 none
—————————— Deuotions. 418 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 affliction
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
affliction, digs out, and
applies that gold to mee: if
—————————— Deuotions. 419 if by this consideration
of anothers danger, I
take mine owne into
Contemplation, and so
secure my selfe, by ma-
king my recourse to my
God, who is our onely
securitie.
17. Expostvlation. MYMy 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
—————————— Deuotions. 420 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
—————————— Deuotions. 421 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 say; Gen. 49.
1.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
—————————— Deuotions. 422 heare thy Moses telling
mee, and all within the
compasse of this sound,
This is the blessing Deut. 33 1.where-
with I blesse you before my
death; 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 2 Reg. 20.1.
thou shalt die, and not liue;
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,
—————————— Deuotions. 423 ing, 2 Pet. 2.
13.I thinke it meet to put
you in remembrance,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
saying, Ioh. 14.1.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 this sound
—————————— Deuotions. 424sound 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 425 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
—————————— Deuotions. 426heauen 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
—————————— Deuotions. 427 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
—————————— Deuotions. 428 in their sorrowes, glory in
their deiections in this
world, are in a fearefull
danger of missing both
in the next.
17. Prayer. O Eternalleternall 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
—————————— Deuotions. 429 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
—————————— Deuotions. 430 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 mee; 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
—————————— Deuotions. 431 thy Psal. 31.
5.seruant Dauid made
it, 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 432 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 433 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 V such
—————————— Deuotions. 434 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 of 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
—————————— Deuotions. 435 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
thy 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. V2 18. At
—————————— Deuotions. 436 18. —At inde
Mortuus es, Sonitu cele-
ri, pulsuque agitato.
The bell rings out, and tells
me in him, that I am
dead. 18. Meditation. THeThe 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. His soulsoule
—————————— Deuotions. 437soule 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 V3 tell
—————————— Deuotions. 438 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
—————————— Deuotions. 439 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
the soule with the guilti-
nesse of Originall sinne,
if the soule were infused V4 into
—————————— Deuotions. 440 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 441 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-
V5 ger
——————————Deuotions. 442 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;
—————————— Deuotions. 443 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 aske 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
—————————— Deuotions. 444 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 can-
—————————— Deuotions. 445 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
—————————— Deuotions. 446 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 hand-
—————————— Deuotions. 447handfull 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-
tificer, 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
—————————— Deuotions. 448 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 449 ported, our dust blowne
away with prophane
dust, with euery wind.
18. Expostvlation. MYMy 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, Leuit. 21 .
1. to doe any office
—————————— Deuotions. 450 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
—————————— Deuotions. 451 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: Sap. 14.
14. 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
—————————— Deuotions. 452 man notes, Sap. 13.
9.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
—————————— Deuotions. 453 for health he praies to that Sap. 13.
18.
which is weake, and for
life he praies to that which
is dead. Should we doe so,
saies thy Prophet; Esay 8.
14.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
—————————— Deuotions. 454 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 seed
to my dead brother, if I, by
—————————— Deuotions. 455 by the meditation of his
death, produce a better
life in my selfe? It is the
blessing vpon Reuben,
Let Reuben liue, Deu. 33.
6.& not die,
and let not his men be few;
let him propagate many.
And it is a Malediction,
That that dieth, let it die; Zechar.
11.9.
let it doe no good in dy-
ing: for Trees without
fruit, Iud. 12. 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
—————————— Deuotions. 456 thou madest that a way
to conuay to the Aegyp-
tians, a feare of thee, and
a feare of death, Exo. 12.
30. that there
was not a house, where
there was not one dead;
for therupon the Aegyp-
tians said, we are all dead
men; the death of others,
should catechise vs to
death. Apo. 1.5. 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
—————————— Deuotions. 457 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 Sam.
19.11.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 X this
—————————— Deuotions. 458 this bell to mee, as thou
didst send to the Angell
of Sardis, Apoc. 3.2 with commissi-
on to strengthen the things
that remaine, and that are
ready to die; that in this
weaknes of body, I might
receiue spiritual strength,
by these occasions. This
is my strength, that whe-
ther thou say to mee, as
thine Iud. 6.23Angell said to Gede-
on; Peace bee vnto thee,
feare not, thou shalt not
die, or whether thou say,
as vnto Num. 20.
26. Aaron, Thou shalt
die there; yet thou wilt
preserue that which is ready
—————————— Deuotions. 459 ready to die, my soule, from
the worst death, that of
sinne. 1 Reg. 16 .
18.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. X2 Doth
—————————— Deuotions. 460 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, Ioh. 8.21 (because they refu-
sed the light offered) you
shall die in your sinne;
And then when they
proceeded to farther dis-
putations, and vexati-
ons, and tentations, hee
addes, Vers. 24.you shall die in your
sinnes; he multiplies the
former expressing, to a
plurall. In this sinne, and
—————————— Deuotions. 461 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, Esay 66.
14. and the worme of
mine owne conscience shall
neuer die? X3 18.
—————————— Deuotions. 462 18. Prayer. O Eternalleternall 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
—————————— Deuotions. 463 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 X4 instant
—————————— Deuotions. 464 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-
bly
—————————— Deuotions. 465 bly beseech thee also, to
accept my prayers in his
behalfe, by whose occa-
sion this voice, this
sound is come to mee.
For 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 X5 without
—————————— Deuotions. 466 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 ioi-
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
—————————— Deuotions. 467 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
—————————— Deuotions. 468 The allurements of this
world, and the world it
selfe; and all the tempo-
rarie reuenges 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, be one in-
tire and euerlasting sacri-
fice to thee, where thou mayest,
—————————— Deuotions. 469 mayest receiue delight
from them, and they glo-
rie from thee, for euer-
more. Amen. 19. Oceano tandem e-
menso, aspicienda re-
surgit Terra; vident,
iustis, medici, iam
cocta mederi se posse,
indicijs.
At last, the Physitians, af-
ter a long and stormie
voyage, see land; They
haue so good signes of
the concoction of the disease,
—————————— Deuotions. 470 disease, as that they
may safely proceed to
purge. 19. Meditation. ALlAll 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
—————————— Deuotions. 471 the disease, 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
—————————— Deuotions. 472 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
—————————— Deuotions. 473 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 we
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
—————————— Deuotions. 474 be spurred, nor forced to
mend her pace; nor pow-
er, the power of man;
greatnesse loues 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 he 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 475 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
—————————— Deuotions. 476open not, but vpon the
fauours and letters of
Court mediation; some
trees must bee hous'd and
kept within doores;
some men locke vp, not
onley their liberalitie,
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, and
—————————— Deuotions. 477 and naturall affection of
another; and hee that
knowes not their sea-
sons, nor cannot stay
them, must lose the
fruits; 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 defensiue
warre, and that is but a
doubtfull state: Especial-
ly where they who are besieged
—————————— Deuotions. 478besieged 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
worthy 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 defend,
and perish before the enemies
—————————— Deuotions. 479enemies 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
so farre slackned, as that
we may come to fight,
and so die in the field,
if I die, and not in a
prison.
19. Expostvlation. MYMy God, my God,
Thou art a direct
God, may I not say, a lite-
rall God, a God that wouldest
—————————— Deuotions. 480 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 fetch re-
mote and precious me-
taphors, such extentions,
such spreadings, such Curtaines
—————————— Deuotions. 481 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 Y man.Man,
—————————— Deuotions. 482 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
—————————— Deuotions. 483 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-
Y2 tures,
—————————— Deuotions. 484 tures, without confining
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 figures
flowed into figures, and
powred themselues out
into farther figures; Cir-
cumcision carried a figure
of Baptisme, & Baptism car-
—————————— Deuotions. 485 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 himselfe
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-
Y3 rall?
—————————— Deuotions. 486 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
—————————— Deuotions. 487 now in this sicknesse, in
the 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 Y4 they
—————————— Deuotions. 488 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
thou dost not threaten
vs, with an irremedia-
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
—————————— Deuotions. 489 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
channell; that is really a
great affliction, which
is aboue my strength,
but, thou, O God, art Y5 my
—————————— Deuotions. 490 my strength, and then
what can bee aboue it?
Psal. 46.
3.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; Psa. 33.7 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, Psa. 8.29thou giuest the Sea thy
—————————— Deuotions. 491 thy decree, that the wa-
ters should not passe thy
Commandement. All our
waters shal run into Ior-
dan, Ios. 3.17 & 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, Ecelus.
43.24.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, vers. 27. I say, I may speak
much, and come short; where-
—————————— Deuotions. 492 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.
Sap. 14.3.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
—————————— Deuotions. 493 that, I finde this added,
Neuerthelesse thou woul-
dest 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 Act. 17.
11.
Master of the ship more
than Saint Paul, 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 494 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: Luc. 5.3. 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, Act. 27.
24.
that saild with him; If
they had not beene in
the Ship with him, the
gift had not extended to
them. Mar. 5.2.As soone as thy Son
was come out of the ship,
immediatly there met him out
—————————— Deuotions. 495 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 ser-
—————————— Deuotions. 496 seruant Paul, to the Cen-
turion, when the Mari-
ners would haue left the
Ship, Act. 27.
31.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
—————————— Deuotions. 497 not meanes, but in their
concatenation, as they de-
pend, and are chained to-
gether. Iac. 3.4.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
curse, when the third part Apo. 8.9.
of the ships perished: 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.
—————————— Deuotions. 498Seas. 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 Io. 6.21.
at the land, 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
—————————— Deuotions. 499 fore that, is vndone yet.
Shall that slacken my
hope? Thy Prophet from
thee, hath forbid it. Lam. 3.
26.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,
is present mercy. But what is
—————————— Deuotions. 500 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 secured
the world for euer, from
drowning, Exo. 13.
21. was but a re-
flexion vpon a cloud. A
cloud it selfe was a pillar
which guided the church,
and the glory of God, 16.10. not
only was, but appeared in
a cloud. Let me returne, O
my God, to the conside
ration
—————————— Deuotions. 501 ration of thy 1 Reg.
19.43.seruant Eli-
ahs proceeding, in a time
of desperate drought; he
bids them look towards
the Sea; They looke, and
see 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
—————————— Deuotions. 502 and thy Seales, effects;
and thy effects, consolati-
on, and restitution, wher-
soeuer thou maiest re-
ceiue glory by that way.
19. Prayer. O Eternalleternall 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 503 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
—————————— Deuotions. 504 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 onely 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 thee not
—————————— Deuotions. 505 not with a praier, not
with a wish, not with a
hope, 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, Z and
—————————— Deuotions. 506 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;
—————————— Deuotions. 507 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-
turall accident, and na-
ture begins to discharge
her selfe, and shee 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 destroyZ2 me;mee;
—————————— Deuotions. 508 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 farre as
may conforme me entire-
ly to thee, to what end,
and by what way so euer
thy mercie haue appoin-
ted mee. 20. Id
—————————— Deuotions. 509 20. Id agunt.
Vpon these Indications of
digested matter, they
proceed to purge. 20. Meditation. THoughThough 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; Z3 acti-
—————————— Deuotions. 510 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 511 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-
Z4 tations
—————————— Deuotions. 512 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 August. matrimonie,
where there is a resoluti-
on against the fruits of matri-
—————————— Deuotions. 513 matrimonie, against the
hauing of Children, so
counsels are not counsels,
but illusions, where there
is from the beginning
no purpose to execute
the determinations of
those 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 Z5 sist,
—————————— Deuotions. 514 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 his
hand; neither is God so
often presented to vs, by
names that carry our
consideratiō vpon coun-
sell, as vpon execution of
counsell, he is oftner cal-
led the Lord of Hosts,
than by all other names,
that may be referred to
the other signification,
Hereby, therefore wee
take into our meditati-
on,
—————————— 515 Deuotions. 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 it
must haue all the peeces
to make it vp. Without
counsell, I had not got
thus farre; without acti-
on and practise, I should
goe no farther towards
health? But what is the
present necessary action?
purging: A withdrawing,
a violating of Nature, a
farther weakening: O
deare price, & O strange way
—————————— Deuotions. 516 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
—————————— Deuotions. 517 bee done now: O ouer-
cunning, 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
heart. I am ground euen
to an attenuation, and
must proceed to euacua-
tion, all waies to exinani-
tion and annihilation. 20. Ex-
—————————— Deuotions. 518 20. Expostvlation. MYMy 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
—————————— Deuotions. 519 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 perfitly 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
that, who searches those
Rolls?) whether I doe
beleeue, or no, is it not
therefore, O my God, that
thou dost so frequently, so
—————————— Deuotions. 520 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. Eccles.
11.4.He that obserueth
the wind, shall not saw,
and he that regardeth the
clouds, shall not reape;
that is, he that is too di-
latorie, too superstitious in
—————————— Deuotions. 521 in these obseruations, and
studies but the excuse
of his owne idlenesse in
them; But, that which
the same wise and royall
seruant of thine, saies in
an other place, all accept,
and aske no comment vp-
on it, Prou. 10 .
4.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
hand. I know, my God,
(and I blesse thy name
for knowing it; for all good
—————————— Deuotions. 522 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,
Psal. 24.
3.Who shall ascend into the
hill of the Lord? Thus,
he that hath cleane hands,
and a pure heart? Doest thou
—————————— Deuotions. 523 thou not (at least) send
us, first to the hand?
And is not the worke of
their hands, that decla-
ration of their holy zeale,
in the present execution
of manifest Idolatrers,
called a Exod. 31.
29.consecration of
themselues, by thy holy
spirit? Their hands are
called all themselues: for,
euen counsell it selfe goes
under that name, in thy
word, who knowest best
how to giue right names:
because the counsell of the
priests assisted Dauid,
Saul saies, the hand of the Priest
—————————— Deuotions. 524 Priest is with Dauid:
1 Sam.
22.17. And that which is often
said by Moses, is very of-
ten repeated by thy o-
ther Prophets, Leuit. 8.
36.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, belee-
—————————— Deuotions. 525beleeuing; 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 blessed
God, in the waies of my
spirituall strength, come
I so slow to action? I
was whipped by thy
rod, before I came to
consultation, to consider
my state, and shall I goe
no farther? As hee that
would describe a circle
in paper, if hee haue
brought that circle with-
in
—————————— Deuotions. 526 in one inch of finishing
yet if he remoue his com-
passe, he cannot make it
vp a perfit circle, except
he fall to worke againe
to finde out the same
center, so, though setting
that foot of my compasse
vpon thee, I haue gone
so farre, as to the conside-
ration of my selfe, yet if
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
—————————— Deuotions. 527 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 physicke, Galen. 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
—————————— Deuotions. 528 hands thou hast put the
power of absolution. I
know that Physicke may
be made so pleasant, Galen.as that
it may easily be taken; but
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 take
this Physicke, vse this con-
—————————— Deuotions. 529confession, or no, a great
Physitian acknowledges
this to haue beene his
practise, Galen.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-
Aa fore
—————————— Deuotions. 530 fore take the cup of Psa. 106 .
12. Sal-
uation, and call vpon thy
Name; I will fill this
Cup of compunction, as
full as I haue formerly
filled the Cups of world-
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, Mar. 15 .
23. a Cup of Stu-
pefaction, to take away
the sense of his paine,
(a charity afforded to con-
—————————— Deuotions. 531 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. Aa2 20.
—————————— Deuotions. 532 20. Prayer. O Eternalleternall, 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
—————————— Deuotions. 533 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-
Aa3 taine
—————————— Deuotions. 534 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
—————————— Deuotions. 535 are hills too; and to the
top 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 Aa4 thy
—————————— Deuotions. 536 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. 21 At-
—————————— Deuotions. 537 21 — Atque annuit Ille,
Qui, per eos, clamat,
Linquas iam, Lazare,
lectum.
God prospers their pra-
ctise, and he, by them,
calls Lazarus out of his
tombe, mee out of my
bed. 21. Meditation. IFIf man had beene left
alone in this world, at
first, shall I thinke, that
he would not haue fal-
Aa5 len?
—————————— Deuotions. 538 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
—————————— Deuotions. 539 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
—————————— Deuotions. 540 thing of my selfe: how
little, and how impo-
tent a peece 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
—————————— Deuotions. 541weights 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 when 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
—————————— Deuotions. 542 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 fill it,
that is, rumor and voice, and
—————————— Deuotions. 543 and it will be giuen out,
(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
—————————— Deuotions. 544 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 545 sophie, That the Earth
moues round; why may
I not beleeue, that the
whole earth moues in a
round motion, though
that seeme to mee to
stand, when as I seeme
to stand to my Compa-
ny, 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, gid-
—————————— Deuotions. 546 giddily; and as in the
Heauens, there are but
a few Circles, that 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-
tle Circles, and within
a step or two, are at
their end, and not so
well, as they were in the
—————————— Deuotions. 547 the Center, from which
they were raised. Eue-
ry thing serues to exem-
plifie, to illustrate mans
misery; But I need goe
to farther, than my selfe;
for a long time, I was not
able to rise; At last, I
must bee raised by o-
thers; and now I am
vp, I am ready to sinke
lower than before.
21. Expostvlation. MYMy God, my God,
how large a glasse of
—————————— Deuotions. 548 of the next World is
this? As wee haue an
Art, to cast from one
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-
ries
——————————Deuotions. 549 ries and calamities of
this life. This Resurre-
ction of my body, shewes
me the Resurrection of
my soule; and both
here seuerally, of both
together hereafter. Since
thy Martyrs vnder the
Altar, presse thee with
their 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 health.
—————————— Deuotions. 550 health. But, O my God,
I doe not aske, where
I might aske amisse,
nor begge that which
perchance might bee
worse for mee. I haue
a Bed of sinne; delight
in Sinne, is a Bed; I
haue a graue of sinne;
senselesnesse in sinne, is a
graue; and where La-
zarus had beene foure
daies, I haue beene fifty
yeeres, in this putrifacti-
on; Why dost thou not
call mee, as though did-
dest him, Io. 11.
43. with a loud
voice, since my Soule is
—————————— Deuotions. 551 is as dead as his Body
was? I need thy thun-
der, O my God; thy mu-
sicke will not serue me.
Thou hast called thy
seruants, who are to
worke vpon vs, in thine
Ordinance, by all these
loud Names, Winds,
and Chariots, and falls
of waters; where thou
wouldest be heard, thou
wilt bee heard. When
thy Sonne concurred
with thee, to the ma-
king of Man, there it
is but a speaking, but
a saying; There, O bles-
—————————— Deuotions. 552 blessed and glorious Tri-
nity, was none to heare
but you three, and you
easily heare one ano-
ther, because you say
the same things. But
when thy Sonne came
to the worke of Re-
demption, Io. 12.
28.thou spokest
and they that heard it
tooke it for Thunder
and thy Sonne himselfe
cried with a loud voice,
vpon the Crosse, twice;
as hee, who was to
prepare his comming,
Iohn Baptist, Mat. 27 .
46.50. was the
voice of a cryer, and not
—————————— Deuotions. 553 not of a Whisperer. Still,
if it be thy voice, it is a
loud voice; Deut. 5.
22.These words,
saies thy Moses, Thou
spokest with a great voice,
and thou addest no more,
saies hee there; That
which thou hast said, is
euident, and it is euident,
that none can speake so
loud; none can binde vs
to heare him, as wee
must thee. The most high
vttered his voice: what
was his voice? 2 Sam.
22.14.The Lord
thundred from heauen, it
might bee heard; But
this voice, thy voice, is Bb also
—————————— Deuotions. 554 also a mightie voice; Psal. 68 .
33. not
onely mightie in power, it
may be heard, nor migh-
tie in obligation, it should
be heard, but mightie in
operation, it will bee
heard; and therefore hast
thou bestowed a whole
Psalme vpon vs, Psal. 29. to leade
vs to the consideration
of thy voice. It is such
a voice, as that thy Sonne
saies, Io. 5.25.the dead shall heare
it; and thats my state;
And why, O God, doest
thou not speake to me.
in that effectuall loudnesse?
Saint Iohn heard a voice, Apo. 1.
12. and
—————————— Deuotions. 555 and hee turned about to see
the voice: sometimes we
are too curious of the
instrument, by what man
God speakes; but thou
speakest loudest, when
thou speakest to the
heart. There was silence,
and I heard a voice, Iob. 4.16 saies
one, to thy seruant Iob. I
hearken after thy voice,
in thine Ordinances, and
I seeke not a whispering
in Conuenticles; but yet,
O my God, speake louder,
that so, though I doe
heare thee now, then I
may heare nothing but Bb2 thee.
—————————— Deuotions. 556 thee. My sinnes crie a-
loud; Cains murther did
so; my afflictions crie
aloud; Psa. 93.
3.4.The flouds haue
lifted vp their voice, (and
waters are afflictions) but
thou, O Lord, art migh-
tier than the voice of
many waters; than ma-
ny temporall, many spi-
rituall afflictions; that
any of either kinde; and
why doest thou not
speak to me in that voice?
Ecclus.
8.8.What is man, and where-
to serueth he? what is his
good, and what is his euill?
My bed of sinne is not euill,
—————————— Deuotions. 557 euill, 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
those words, Ibid. v. 7.when a man
hath done, then hee begin-
neth; 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, Bb3 wewee
—————————— Deuotions. 558 wee remember with de-
light. 1 Sam.
19.15.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.
Ioash his owne seruants 2 Chro.
24.25.
slew him, when hee was
sicke in his bed; Thou hast
not suffered that, that
my seruants should so
much as neglect mee, or
be wearie of mee, in my
sicknesse. Thou threat-
nest, Amos
3.12.that as a shepheard
takes out of the mouth of
the Lion, two legs, or a
peece of an eare, so shall the
—————————— Deuotions. 559 the children of Israel, that
dwell in Samaria, in the
corner of a bed, and in Da-
mascus, in a couch bee ta-
ken 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.
Act. 5.
15. 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 Bb4 wilt
—————————— Deuotions. 560 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? Mat. 96
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
—————————— Deuotions. 561 my God, my God, the
God of all flesh, and of
all spirit too, let me bee
content with that in my
fainting 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 thy grace,
proceed so, and bee so
established, as may re-
Bb5 moue
—————————— Deuotions. 562 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.
21. Prayer. O Eternalleternall 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
—————————— Deuotions. 563 other Sacrament, vnto vs,
receiue the sacrifice of
my humble thanks, that
thou hast not onely af-
forded mee, the abilitie
to rise out of this bed of
wearinesse & discomfort,
out 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
of addition, was yet plea-
sed to grow in the Vir-
gins wombe, & to grow in
—————————— Deuotions. 564 in stature, in the sight of
men. Thy good purpo-
ses vpon mee, I know,
haue their determination
and perfection, in thy
holy will vpon mee;
there thy grace is, and
there I am altogether;
but manifest thē so 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 thou
—————————— Deuotions. 565 thou gauest Saint Paul,
the Messenger of Satan,
to humble him, so for my
humiliation, thou maiest
giue me thy selfe, in this
knowledge, that what
grace soeuer thou af-
ford mee to day, yet I
should 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
—————————— Deuotions. 566 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 567 wormes, they did not im-
portune thee, and say,
shall wee haue no better
Creatures 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
health; nor now, that
by thy mercie, I am
brought to see, that thy correction
—————————— Deuotions. 568 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 puffe 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 haue some-
thing to thanke thee for,
which I haue receiued, &
still something to pray
for, and aske at thy hand. 22. Sit
—————————— Deuotions. 569 22. Sit morbi fomes
tibi cura;
The Physitians consider
the root and occasion,
the embers, and coales,
and fuell of the disease,
and seeke to purge or
correct that. 22. Meditation. HOwHow ruinous a farme
hath man taken, in
taking himselfe? how
ready is the house eue-
ry day to fall downe, and
—————————— Deuotions. 570 and how is all the ground
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-
ten
——————————Deuotions. 571 ten a rent doth Man
pay for this farme? hee
paies twice a day, in
double meales, and how
little time he hath to raise
his rent? How many ho-
ly daies to call him from
his labour? Euery day is
halfe-holy day, halfe spent
in sleepe. What repara-tions, and subsidies, and
contributions he is put to,
besides his rent? What
medicines, besides his di-
et? and what Inmates
he is faine to take in, be-
sides his owne familie,
what infectious diseases, fromfrom
—————————— Deuotions. 572 from other men. Adam
might haue had Para-
dise for dressing and kee-
ping it; and then his rent
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, cor-
—————————— Deuotions. 573 corrected some violent
and dangerous accident
of a disease, which would
haue destroied speedily;
nor when wee haue pul-
led vp that weed, from
the very root, recouered
entirely and soundly, from
that particular disease;
but the whole ground is
of an ill nature, the whole
soile ill disposed; there are
inclinations, 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 con-
—————————— Deuotions. 574 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 turfe
—————————— Deuotions. 575 turfe of some ground (as
health from cauterizing)
puts a new and a vigo-
rous youth into that soile,
and there rises a kinde of
Phoenix out of the ashes,
a 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
selfe 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
—————————— Deuotions. 576 helpe to them, from
Marle in other hils, or
from slimie sand in other
shoares: grounds help
themselues, or hurt no
other grounds, from
whence they receiue
helpe. But I haue taken
a farme at this hard rent
and vpon those heauie
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 some
cases it might preserue a
sound part, but in no
case recouer an infected) and
—————————— Deuotions. 577 and, if my body may haue
any Physicke, any Medi-
cine from another body,
one Man from the flesh
of another Man (as by
Mummy, or any such
composition,) it must
bee 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 Cc Phy-
—————————— Deuotions. 578 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 vn-
—————————— Deuotions. 579 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 sharpe 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-
uer any other way, but Cc2 by
—————————— Deuotions. 580 by glorifying these bodies
in the next world.
22. Expostvlation. MYMy 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
—————————— Deuotions. 581 soule came, before ina-
nimation, to bee without
sinne; and the soule be-
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 Cc3 that
—————————— Deuotions. 582 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
wee are laid, and (as
though there were no
other) we are the bellowes. Igno-
—————————— Deuotions. 583 Ignorance blowes the
fire, Leu. 5.2He that touched any
vncleane thing, though
he knew it not, became vn-
cleane, Num. 15 .
22. 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, Rom. 1.
32.there are that
know thy iudgements, and
yet not onely doe, but haue
pleasure in others, that
doe against them. Nature
blowes this Coale; Eph. 2.3.By na-
ture wee are the children
of wrath: And the Law Cc4 blowes
—————————— Deuotions. 584 blowes it, thy Apostle,
Saint Paul, found,
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 Io. 3.4.Sinne is the
transgression of the Law;
And sinne it selfe becomes
a Law in our members. Rom. 7.23.
Our fathers haue im-
printed the seed, infused
a spring of sinne in vs: Ier. 6.7.As
a fountaine casteth out her
waters, wee cast out our
wickednesse; 7.26.but we haue
done worse than our fa-
thers
—————————— Deuotions. 585 thers. We are open to in-
finite tentations, and yet,
as though we lacked, Iacob. 1.
14.we
are tempted of our owne
lusts. And not satisfied
with that, as though
we were 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. Gen. 3.6. When Adam sin-
ned for Eues sake, and
Salomon 1 Reg.
11.3.to gratifie his
wiues, it was an vxori-
ous sinne: When the Iud-
Cc5 ges
—————————— Deuotions. 586 ges sinned for Iezabels 1 Reg. 21
sake, and Ioab to obey 1 Par. 22.
3.
Dauid, it was an ambiti-
ous sinne: Luc. 23.
23. When Pilat
sinned to humor the peo-
ple, and Herod to giue
farther contentment to the Act. 12.
3.
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
—————————— Deuotions. 587 my God, to discharge
my selfe, of my selfe, be-
fore I can be well? When
thou bidst me Eph. 4.
22.to put off
the old Man, doest thou
meane, not onely my
old habits of actuall sin,
but the oldest of all, origi-
nall sinne? When thou
biddest me 1 Cor.
5.7. purge out the
seuen, 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
—————————— Deuotions. 588 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
—————————— Deuotions. 589 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
—————————— Deuotions. 590 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.
22. Prayer. O Eternalleternall 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
—————————— Deuotions. 591 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
—————————— Deuotions. 592 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 makest 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 thy Sonne,
—————————— Deuotions. 593 Sonne, with a iealous or
suspicious eie, as though
they were now my
sinnes, when I had so
transferred them vpon
thy Sonne, as though
they could now bee rai-
sed to life againe, to con-
demne mee to death,
when they are dead in
him, who is the fountaine
of life, yet were it an ir-
regular anticipation, and
an insolent presumption,
to thinke that thy present
mercie extended to all
my future sinnes, or that
there were no embers, no coales
—————————— Deuotions. 594 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
—————————— Deuotions. 595 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. 23. —Me
—————————— Deuotions. 596 23. — Metusque, Relabi.
They warne mee of the
fearefull danger of re-
lapsing. 23. Meditation. ITIt is not in mans body,
as it is in the Citie, that
when the Bell hath rung,
to couer your fire, and
rake vp the embers, you
may lie downe, and
sleepe without feare.
Though you haue by physicke
—————————— Deuotions. 597 physicke and diet, raked
vp the embers of your
disease, stil there is a feare
of a relapse; and the
greater danger is in that.
Euen in pleasures, and in
paines, there is a propriety,
a Meum & Tuum; and a
man is most affected
with that pleasure which
is his, his by former en-
ioying and experience,
and most intimidated
with those paines which
are his, his by a wofull
sense of them, in former
afflictions. A couetous
person, who hath preoc-
cupated
—————————— Deuotions. 598 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, the
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 fit of
that, as either of the o-
ther, of either of the o-
ther. Diseases, which we neuer
—————————— Deuotions. 599 neuer felt in our selues,
come but to a compassi-
on of others that haue
endured them; Nay,
compassion it selfe, comes
to no great degree, if wee
haue not felt, in some
proportion, in our selues,
that which wee lament
and condole in another.
But when wee haue had
those torments in their
exaltation, our selues, wee
tremble at a relapse.
When wee must pant
through all those fierie
heats, and saile thorow
all those ouerflowing sweats,
—————————— Deuotions. 600 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 haue
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
their consultations, and
not bee sure of the same verdict,
—————————— Deuotions. 601 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
conualescence, 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 Dd onely
—————————— Deuotions. 602 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 603 comfort, that wee are but
in the state 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 Dd2 minde,
—————————— Deuotions. 604 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
—————————— Deuotions. 605 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 feare. Dd3 23. Ex-
—————————— Deuotions. 606 23. Expostvlation. MYMy 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
—————————— Deuotions. 607 my God, haue 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-
Dd4 murings
—————————— Deuotions. 608 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 609 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
—————————— Deuotions. 610 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
—————————— Deuotions. 611 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 of youth
—————————— Deuotions. 612 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
than 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 613 thee, in thy disobedient
people. Psal. 78.
41.They limited the
holy one of Israel, as
thou 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 that
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
—————————— Deuotions. 614 against them, as to say,
that thou wouldest breake
thine owne oath, Num. 14 .
22. 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, Ios. 23.
12.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
—————————— Deuotions. 615 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, whenwhen
—————————— Deuotions. 616 when it is said, Deut. 13 .
12.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. Ios. 22.
11. In
the gouernment of thy
seruant Iosua, there was
a voice, that Reuben and
Gad, with those of Ma-
nasseh,
—————————— Deuotions. 617 nasseh, had built a new
altar. Israel doth not
send one to enquire;
1.12. 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; Num. 25 .
4.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
—————————— Deuotions. 618 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
—————————— Deuotions. 619 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 Iudge-
—————————— Deuotions. 620Iudgement on that side, to
which he adheres, by his
subsequent practise; Tertull. 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,
—————————— Deuotions. 621 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
at Sea, if I relapse? (They
mount vp to Heauen, Psa. 107 .
26.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: Mat. 12.
45.The end
of that man shall be worse
than the beginning, saies thy
—————————— Deuotions. 622 thy Word, thy Sonne;
My beginning was sick-
nesse, punishment for sin;
but Io. 8.14. a worse thing may
follow, saies he also, if I sin
againe: not onely death,
which is an end, worse
than sicknesse, which
was the beginning, but
Hell, which is a begin-
ning worse than that
end. Mar. 14 .
70. 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 Pa-
—————————— Deuotions. 623Paradise, 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, Ecclus. 2.
18.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 Num-
—————————— Deuotions. 624 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?Decree?
—————————— Deuotions. 625 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.
23. Prayer. O Eternalleternall and most
gracious God, who
though thou beest euer
infinite, yet enlargest thy
selfe, by the Number of
our prayers, and takest Ee our
—————————— Deuotions. 626 our often petitions to
thee, to be an addition to
thy glory, and thy great-
nesse, as euer vpon all oc-
casions, 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 hast
of thine owne honour;
and considered, that
Nothing can come nee-
rer a violating of that ho-
nor, neerer to the Nature
of a scorne to thee, then
to sue out thy Pardon,
and receiue the Seals of Recon-
—————————— Deuotions. 627Reconciliation to thee,
and then returne to that
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 Ee2 I
—————————— Deuotions. 628 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 infir-
—————————— Deuotions. 629infirmitie ouertake mee,
thou forsake mee not.
Say to my Soule, My
Sonne, thou hast sinned, doe Ecclus.
21.1.
so no more; but say also,
that though I doe, thy
Spirit of Remorce, and
Compunction shall neuer
depart from mee. Thy
Holy Apostle, Saint Paul, 2. Cor.
11.25.
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 Ee3 owne
—————————— Deuotions. 630 owne leakes endanger
mee, yet, O God, let mee
neuer put my selfe a-
board with Hymeneus, Timo. 1.
19.
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. FINIS.