The Seven Days, Title page – Table of contents
HEPTAMERON, THE SEVEN DAYES: That is, MEDITATIONS AND PRAYERS, VponUpon the vvorke of the LORDS CREATION. Together with other certaine Prayers and Meditations, moſt comfortable for all Eſtates, &c.
By M. A. Symſon, Minister at Dalkeith.
SAINCT-ANDREWS, Printed by Edward Raban, Printer to the Vniverſitie. 1621.
TO THE RIGHT NOBLE AND VERTVOVS LADIE, DAME MARGARET HAY, Counteſſe of Dumfermeling, Eternall Felicitie.
MADAME,
SInce it hath pleaſed our OMNIPOTENT CREATOR, and gracious Redeemer, to heape vponupon your Ladiſhip manie and ſundrie honourable Priuiledges of Nature, and Grace; and by them, amongſt manie others, your good Friendes and Seruantes, to ingage mee, of a long time, to honour & ſerue your Ladiſhip with ſuch Graces and Dueties by manie Teſtimonies of your comfortable kindneſſe and care of mee, as I hauehave hitherto (with a conſtant intention to bee thankfull) declared my willingneſſe to expreſſe, that I ſhould not come (with the common ſort of this declining Age) guiltie of the foule imputation of Ingratitude, as the weakneſſe of my wit and ſkill might afford, I did communicate with your Ladiſhip (for your priuate vſe) theſe MEDITATIONS, vponupon that fundamentall ground of Faith which is THE LORDS CREATION OF THE WORLD, to bee vſed of your Ladiſhip with daylie Prayer & Meditation, that yee might neuer want matter wherein yee might rejoyce in the goodneſſe, wiſedome, and power of that Creator; with a perſwaſion, that his wiſe Prouidence reacheth vntounto the conſeruatiō of the ſame, in MercieMercy and Iuſtice, vntounto the conſummation of the Worlde, wherein your Ladiſhip hath your comfortable entreſſe, euen according to the Lordes euerlaſting Decree of your Election Calling, Iuſtification, Sanctification, and hope to bee glorified, with all the reſt of his Saincts and elect Angels, in the euerlaſting ſellowſhip of his Kingdome, beſides the manie Obligations wherewith I ſtand indebted to my Lord your Noble Husband, for his Lordſhips fatherlie care and patrocinie of mee in all mine affai…es, that your honour ſhould not bee ſmoothered in the Chriſtian affection which yee carrie to the Common-wealth of the Lordes Church, not onelie in permitting, but likewiſe in vrging that this Benefite might bee made of a publicke priuiledge, to the vſe of all them that by a common affection with you ſtriue to worke out their ſaluation in feare and trembling, and ſo make their election ſure, I hauehave, according to my duetie, dedicated this little Treatiſe to paſſe foorth vnderunder your Ladiſhips protection; that the thankes of the paines which I hauehave taken in contriuing the ſame for your Ladiſhips priuate vſe, may redound vntounto your ſelfe, Madame, from as manie as ſhall finde the benefite thereof for their information, and ſtirring vp vntounto anie duetie of Religion. And as it can neither ſtand with my Profeſſion & your Ladiſhips ſinceritie, nor yet the ſuperlatiue dignitie of ſuch a glorious ſubject to pollute the ſame with the intiſing wordes of humane wiſedome: knowing your Ladiſhip to be as farre from all delight in aſſentation and flattering, as yee are from the affectation of ſalfe and vndeſerued praiſe; I hauehave contented my ſelfe in the ſimplicitie of the Lordes trueth, to commende vntounto your Ladiſhip, and all the reſt of Gods Sainctes, the conſtant and carefull practiſe of the Fayth and knowledge which may bee reaped by the reading and meditation of this Doctrine, with Prayer and thankeſgiuing to the Lord, for the happie ſucceſſe of the ſame: not that I would wiſh your Ladiſhip by this diſtinction of the matter to ſeuerall dayes, to bee ſo ſuperſtitiouſlie tied vntounto the ſame, as if the whole particulars of the Creation ſhould not bee at all times before your Eyes, as a faire Garden, whereof yee ſhould beholde the beautie, and ſmell the fragrant Odours together: But heerewithall (if it may pleaſe the Lordes gracious Majeſtie) yee may reſent the goodneſſe, power and wiſedome of God in the Creation of euerie creature vponupon its owne day when it was made.
So wiſhing the ſucceſſe of theſe exerciſes to bee according to mine affection, and intention, for the Chriſtian profit and progreſſe in the faith of the trueth, which is according to godlineſſe, I beſeech God to bleſſe your Ladiſhip, with my Lord your Husband, and your hopefull Sonne Lorde CHARLS, with all Proſperitie in this Life, and euerlaſting happineſſe in the Life to come, I reſt.
Your Lad. ſeruitour, A. SYMSON.
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.
GEntle and Chriſtian Reader, ſith yee receiued ſo tenderly my firſt Booke, Of the ſeuen words which our Lord ſpak vpō the Croſſe, I hauehave taken courage to preſent this Booke, Of the Creation, alſo to your conſideration: which ſuppoſe it preceed the other in time, ſo long as the Creation of the Worlde doeth Mans Redemption purchaſed by the death of Christ, yet they ſucceede in effect and woorth: for it had beene farre better that neither the World for vsus, nor wee for our ſelues, had beene made, than that wee ſhould not hauehave beene redeemed by him.
This, if yee peruſe diligentlie, and meditate conſideratiuelie, I doubt not but that yee ſhall ſee the Lord more clearelie in his owne workes: this beeing, as it were, a mirrour and looking Glaſſe, wherein wee may perfectlie beholde Himſelfe, his Omnipotencie Wiſedome, LoueLove, Goodneſſe, &c.
By this alſo yee may draw nearer and nearer vntounto the Lord your God, and become more frequent and acquainted with him, by daylie meditating vponupon his woorthie Workes, prayſing him, giuing him thankes for the ſame, and praying vntounto him to continue his graces towardes you ſtill vntounto the ende.
I did reade Sainct Ambroſe his HEXAMERON, and the woorthie D. BARTAS: and I trust yee ſhall perceiue the direction of one Spirit, guiding vsus all vntounto one and the ſelfe ſame Ende.
I perſwade my ſelfe that there are manie well minded Christians, who will likewell of this Booke; and againe others will perhaps diſlike of it, euen ſuch as esteeme of nothing but that which is forged in their owne Shop: yea, they know no better means to grace themſelues than by diſgracing others, as Sainct Hierome ſayeth in his Epiſtle vntounto Sainct Auguſtine.
But I craue at thine handes (moſt courteous Reader) that (ſince in anie mans worke there will …ee ſome Droſſe amongſt Golde) thou wouldeſt chooſe the beſt, (if i… were but in the Dongue-hill) and paſſe by the other with a cha…itable conſtruction: in the meane time accepting this in good part: and if it pleaſe God to continue his graces with mee, thou mayest expect more. foreign.
A. Symſon.
ON THE BOOKE.
GOD binding with hid Tendons this great ALL,
Did make a LVTE, which had all parts it giuen:
This LVTES round Bellie was the azur'd Heauen;
The Roſe thoſe Lights which Hee did there inſtall:
The Baſſes were the Earth and Ocean:
The Treble ſhrill the Aire: the other Strings,
The vnlike bodies, were of mixed things:
And then His Hand to breake ſweete Notes began.
Thoſe loftie Concords did ſo farre rebound,
That Floods, Rocks, Meadows, Forreſts did them heare:
Birds, Fiſhes, Feaſts danc'd to their ſiluer ſound.
Onlie to them Man had a deafned Eare.
Now him to rouſe from ſleepe ſo deepe and long,
God wak'ned hath the Eccho of this Song.
W. D.
ON THE SEVEN DAYES.
THe glorious God the Firſt Day made the Light:
Next ſtretcht the Firmament in bredth & hight:
The Third dryde Earth, and it with Plants He ſtor'd:
The Fourth the Heauens with Lamps of light decor'd:
Fift th'Aire with Fowls, with Fiſhes filde each Flood:
The Sixt made Beaſts and Man: and all were good.
On the Seuenth Day the Lord from worke did rest;
Therefore that Day Hee ſanctifi'd and blest.
I. A.
AN ANTIPHONE, or EPODE, For VV. D. his Heptachordon, TO THE AVTHOR.
THis ſeuen ſtring'd Lute, as ſhewes the ſacred Storie,
GOD made to ſhew the brightneſſe of his Glorie.
On which, by diuerſe Handes, ſixe thouſand Springs
Beene playde; and all to prayſe that King of Kings.
Now last the Sonne of that ſweet Swan-like Singer,
Who Chriſt in Armes embracing would not linger
Longer on Earth, harmoniouſlie doth rayſe
On it Notes fit the furious fits t'appeaſe
Of Soules Saule-like, and of their franticke follie
Them charme, to ſound his prayſe who's only holie.
Therefore, my Brother deare, well mayst thou thinke
Employde thy Paines, thy Paper, Penne and Inke,
Whereby poore Soules are ſav'd, Gods Name's extoll'd,
And thine 'mongst neuer-dying names enroll'd.
M. I. ADAMSON.
THE CONTENTS OF THIS BOOKE.
AN humble Confeſsion of ſinnes. Pag. 1
A Meditation on the firſt days work. Pag. 19
A Prayer on the first Day. Pag. 22
A Meditation on the ſecond Day. Pag. 27
A Prayer on the ſecond Day. Pag. 30
A Meditation on the third Day. Pag. 36
A Prayer on the third Day. Pag. 38
A Medit. on the fourth Day. Pag. 50
A Prayer on the fourth Day. Pag. 62
A Med. on the fifth Day. Pag. 68
A Pr. on the f…fth Day. Pag. 74
A Meditat. on the ſixth Day. Pag. 79
A Prayer on the ſixth Day. Pag. 85
A Meditation on the ſeuenth Day. Pag. 91
A Prayer on the ſeuenth Day. Pag. 102
Morning Prayer. Pag. 108
Euening Prayer. Pag. 114
A Meditation on the Church. Pag. 120
A prayer for the Church. Pag. 125
A meditation on the holie Communion. Pag. 133
A prayer before the Communion. Pag. 139
A thankeſgiuing after the Communion. Pag. 141
A Medit. of the trouble of Conſcience. Pag. 143
A prayer for a troubled Conſcience. Pag. 149
A meditation of Kinges. Pag. 155
A Prayer for the King, &c. Pag. 158
A Meditation of Sickneſſe. Pag. 161
A prayer for a ſicke perſon. Pag 163
A prayer for a Woman in trauell. Pag. 169
A meditation of Perſecution. Pag. 173
A prayer for one perſecuted. Pag. 177
A meditation of Famine. Pag. 182
A prayer in time of Famine. Pag. 184
A meditation of Peſtilence. Pag. 187
A prayer in time of pestilence. Pag. 189
A Meditation of the Sword. Pag. 191
A prayer in time of the Sword. Pag. 194
A Meditation of Death. Pag. 197
A Prayer at the houre of Death. Pag. 200
FINIS.