The Last Battle of the Soul, Religious tract 1 · Part 9
THE SICKE MAN IN A SOVVNE, A SOLILOQVEE, Or a priuie conference betweene the Soule and the bodie of the sicke Man lying in a sowne.
The Bodie.
MY Soule desireth thou now to leaue mee that hauehave borne thee about mee so manie yeares?
If thou goe from mee I must no longer remaine among the inhabitants Isa. 38. 1…of the world, but incontinent after thy departure I a vassell of death must bee hid vnderunder the dust among crawling wormes, farre from the eyes of the liuing: These who were once glad to kisse my mouth shall abhorre to see my face: Is not the Graue a Babel a place of confusion? Doe not Iim and Zim resort there? Doe not the Satyres and the Fairies daunce Isa. 13. 21.there?
Mine haire startes all vp for feare, while I thinke vponupon these solitudes and mansions of silence, I faint at the verie thought thereof: Oh, my deare Soule wilt thou abide with mee no longer? If thou depart, my Beautie, my Colour, my Conference, my Companie and all is gone: Oh, shall all my senses now bee closed vp? shall I speake no more, heare no more, see no more than if I were a stone? Must I nowe goe remaine into the myre of mortalitie, the place of silence? Must I abide the long nights among the Graues, places fearfull to the liuing, where men make no resort?
O wretched weakling that I am, by Death, as I see, I shall bee grapled to the ground where I shall bee forced to make my bedde in the da…ke.
The Soule.
My Bodie bee not thou disquieted, I am but for a little space going before thee for to take seasin of Heauen for thee and for mee.
Though I bee absent for a space, I shall neuer forget thee: In Gods appointed time I shall come againe and fetch thee out of the muddie moulde of mortalitie.
At the first blast of ye last Trumpet I1 Cor. 15. 52 shall come downe, & shall enter into thee and quicken thee againe: At that time God shal cleanse thee from all thy corruptions, and shall mak thee like an Angel of God.
My sillie Bodie wee hauehave taken much pains together for to get a rest which we hauehave looked long for, but culd not find: now goe to thy rest till come againe for to bring thee to eternall repose: If thou were cōmanded to goe to labour & to pains, thou should hauehave some cause indeede to whine and to shrinke, as one hampered in a snare: But the Lord is now desiring thee like a wearied man to goe to thy rest for to sleepe soundlie into a bedde wherein thou shalt no more bee disquieted with dreames or with visions: When thou shalt once awake, thou shalt bee still with Iesus: If in merciemercy hee hath made mee to preuent thee in the possession of eternitie, let not his fauour toward mee worke in thee anie heart rising against that Majestie, who as the Potter doth with his clay, may doe with all his creatures what hee pleaseth.
The Bodie.
But, O my Soule, the Graue is fearefull: It is a retired solitude and a place of silence, a place of filthie stinke: I abhorre to thinke of it, how that in that dungeon of darknesse, and denne of corruption I must lye downe naked implunged in myrie slime among wormes, a lumpe of most vile and lifelesse clay. Alas, my Soule.
The Soule.
My Bodie bee not discouraged: *NoteThe Graue is a place where the bodie must lye till with the Eagle Psal. 103. 5there it cast its Bill, a meanes for to renew its youth: *NoteSo soone as once there it hath cast the old slugh of Nature, incontinent thereafter it shall become a new creature: Except, saide Christ, that the corne of Ioh. 12. 24wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone.
HaueHave patience but a little: New corne will come at the day of the resurrection: The dayes of mans mortalitie are the Lords seede time: The bodies of the Saincts are his seede, the Church yard is his fielde: Suffer now the Lord to sowe his owne ground.
Bee not disquieted nor cast down with griefe: It shall bee thy gaine to goe downe to the graue: There shalt1 Cor. 15. 42 thou be sowne in corruption, but thou shalt bee raised in incorruption: Thou duplicate page duplicate page shalt be sowne in dishonour, but thouvers. 43. shalt bee raised in glorie: Thou shalt bee sowne in weaknesse, but thou shalt bee raised in power: Thou shalt bee sowne a naturall bodie, but thou shaltvers. 44 bee raised a spirituall bodie: See what by Gods merciemercy shall bee the great gaine of the Graue.
After that the Graues of the godlie shall bee ripe, the Lord by an infinite power shall make all their bodies to bee taken vp, for like fine wheate to bee laide vp within his heauenlie Girnals: When thou shalt arise, it shall bee to an immortall happie life.
HaueHave patience for a little space, and bee not crabbed: Yet a little while and I shall not see thee, and againe a little while after the resurrection & I shall see thee, when thou shalt bee transchanged into the blessed estate of glorious immortalitie: Then shall I dwell in thee without anie spot or wrinkle: Let the hope of this, temper thy present griefe. Let not the Graue afray thee my deare Body, for it is the last bed which euerie man must sleepe in: Lye downe into it gladlie: Bee content with the silke worme an argument of the resurrection to bee enwrapped for a space in thy Winding sheete, till the chill colde winter-tide of this mortalitie bee pas…: At the glorious spring of eternitie; at the returne of the Sun of righteousnes Mal. 4. 2.so soone as the heat of the beating beames of Gods louelove shall pierce in vntounto thy Graue, in a moment in the twinkling of an eye thou shall be quickened and raised vp, yea, renewed and refined from the sinfull dust of corruption, and after that carried aboue the brightest azured skies vntounto the place of immortalitie amongpsal. 16. 11 pleasures for euermore.
The Bodie.
I cannot but lament and waile to bee depriued of thy companie: My dearest Soule full deare art thou to mee: If two strangers had beene but some fewe dayes in their journey together, they will hauehave a certaine regret for to leaue one another: What wonder is it then, that wee two who hauehave beene of such olde acquaintance, mourne at this last and long adew.
The Soule.
As thy louelove is great toward mee, so is mine also great toward thee my Bodie: But seeing it is the will of him who married vsus together that nowe wee bee put asunder, wee must submit our selues vntounto his good pleasure.
This separation shall be but or a little space, and that for the well of vsus both: *NoteThe husband will saile the seas and goe farre from home, in hope to returne with aduantage: The same hope encourageth his wife to liue lik a vvidow for a space: At last the husbāds returne with expected profite, is welcomed with greater joyes thā was his former presence.
It shall bee so with vsus my deare Bodie: At my returne in the day of the Resurrection there shall enter such a joy into thee, as eye neuer saw, eare neuer heard, yea, & which neuer could enter into the heart of man. As the long dark night maketh the morning seeme sweete to the wearied watch, who hath long looked for it, so shall our little absence be a certaine commendation of that presence, which after the great day shall bee for euer.
Cease in time I pray thee to stick at such earthlie conceits: I may no longer tarrie with thee, the Crowne of immortalitie is alreadie in sight.
The Bodie.
But alas, howe is this that thou should goe to glorie before mee? and leaue mee in the dust of death, a peace of moulding clay? HaueHave I done anie wrong but by thy counsell and direction? What hauehave I beeene but the instrument of thy sinne? All the action is from thee: Of all that is done amisse thou hast beene the inuenter the contriuer and arch-plotter: God is no accepter of persons or of parties: What then is my guilt, that I shuld be behind thee left into the Graue a fearefull denne of death and pite of corruption?
What a miserie is this for me that I should lye vnderunder the power and bonds of Death, a Carion vnderunder a Turfe warded in deaths most loathsome denne and abhorred jayle? There must I lye chill with cold stinking and rotting with my mouth full of earth and my bellie full of wormes, closed in a Coffine.
O what matter of melancholie is this, that within a few dayes where are my two beautifull twinkling eyes, shalbe nothing but fearefull eye-holes in a rotten skull, which shall bee nothing but a nect of clockes and abominable creeping thinges: Within a few yeares this head which nowe lyeth softlie vponupon this Pillow shall bee rolled and trinnelled vp and downe by the feete of the posteritie: Heere a bone and there a bone, and not a bone together, all shall lye scattered heere and there: the dogges shall play with some and Children shall playe with others; some shall lye drying before the Sunne, and others shall be bruised into pieces, and grund into powder: O what a change is in this our mortalitie! Behold presentlie what a starueling I am, beeing nothing but skinne and bone: Behold, and anone all shall be turned into stinke.
The Soule.
All such thoughtes are all but worldlie, heauie, dull, and formall: Suffer the Lord to sow his owne seede: Thou art afraid for the Turfe of the Graue: Care not for the Turfe, for vnderunder it shalt thou bee as a pickle of Corne vnderunder a clod: The Spring time of the Resurrection is not farre froe, when thou shalt rise vp more beautifullie in honour, power, and glorie, than euer thou was before.
Shall anie thing bee impossible vntounto Luk 18. 27God? Hee who in his death reuiued manie Sainctes, vvhose bodies Death had fast vnderunder the key of its power, shall with a blast of his voyce make open G…aues to let out all these who were prisoners of death, from Adam vntill that day.
Let this comfort cheare vp thine heart my Bodie: The Graue shall not bee able to keepe thee long *NoteAs Ionah was vomited out of the Bellie of Hell, so shalt thou bee deliueredIona. 2. 2. from that Monsters mawe.
The Bodie.
But in the meane time what reason is it yt I a carrionlie carkase shuld bee bund …oth hand and foote and committed close prisoner to the graue a cold and chillie house, while thou art set at libertie? Behold, how alreadie I am both withered and wanzed
The Soule.
The Graue to ye Godlie is no prison, but a resting bedde from their labours, where God re…resheth with sleepe the wearied bones of his beloued: The Prophet saith, That they rest in their beddes, and that they Isa. 57. 2.enter in peace: *NoteWhile the moulds are cast on them in the Graue it is but the drawing of their Bedde curtaine: The buried bodies of the Saincts are in their graue lik Babs lapped in swadling * Noteclothes in their Cradles: As a tyred man will not bee offended if hee bee sent to his bedde for to sleepe, neither should the wearied bodie bee grieued to goe to the Graue the place of rest and quietnesse.
Bee not peeuish nor peruerse my Bodie; enuie not mine happie estat: Though the Graue should bee to thee a prison, why should thou complaine because I am set at libertie? If it hath pleased God in mercy to bee good to mee, why art thou offended? May not the Lord say vntounto thee, Is thine eye euill because I am Matth. 20. 15good?
What happier should thine estat bee, though God should command mee to bee buried besides thee? May not God doe with his owne as hee pleaseth? Hee might hauehave taken thee to Heauen, and hauehave shute mee a prisoner in the Graue: In his justice hee might hauehave cast vsus both into Hell.
Thinke it then a merciemercy that hee is so good vntounto mee, who shall neuer count my glorie full till wee bee both crowned vvith immortalitie in the heauens: *NoteBee not offended at the Lords good will towards mee, but rather thank him that he hath made death to bee temporall in his merciemercy, which was eternall in his threatning: *NoteOf a corrasiue hee hath made a cordiall.
HaueHave patience O distressed Body: Suffer a little, that God may be true,Gen. 3. 19. Dust thou art and to dust shalt thou returne: Dust beeing once deliuered from the power of the Graue, shall reigne with God in glorie: *NoteThe Bodie is like gold which cannot bee rid of its drosse, till it bee molten and dissolued.
Againe as this death is not total neither shal …t be perpetuall for at yt first sound of the last trumpet all the beried bodies of yt faithfull shall lik the Eagle cast the bill of their mortalitie.
Now mine olde companion and yoke-fellow art thou not content to goe to bedde and there to sleepe till the morning of theresurrection come? That day shall mak an amends for all that we hauehave suffered in this valey of teares: Then shall all thy confusion bee turned into comforts.
Let vsus nowe bee content that the Lord loose the pines and slacke the cordes of this our Tabernacle of clay.
The Bodie.
Now glad am I my deare Soule that euer I had such a Soule as thee: now my deare Turtle goe with my blessing to the seruice of our God: Goe from the Crosse to the Crowne, from a prison to a Palace, from the mourning-weede to the wedding-garment: Goe dwell with the Lord and the Lambe, waite well vponupon him: Goe nowe from the blacke and dismall dayes of drooping distresse and dirtie distractions, to joye, to peace, to pleasure, to light, to life, to libertie: Goe heare that happie harmonie of heauenlie Musitians in heauenlie Mansions where mercies blesse without judgments blasts: Goe heare the voice of all the Menistrels of that celestiall Quire.
Bee thou aboue the Starres, while I am vnderunder a Turfe: All my comfort is in this that wee shall meete againe in Blisse: *NoteNow blessed Soule prepare thy Lampe, powre out thine oyle, the heauenlie wooer the Bridegroome Psal. 16. 11is come for to take thee to his Chambers of Charitie wherein are pleasures for euermore.
In hope of the Resurrection I goe gladlie to my Graue, whereout of I am assured to arise for to meete my Redeemer in the clouds: This Candle of my comfort shall neuer bee put out.
Nowe before wee shedde, let vsus shedde some teares: *NoteThe last raine of our afflictions, wherewith we mayCant. 2. 11 bath the bruises of our Lord which he in louelove did suffer for our glorie.
Now I goe to rest in the dust a prisoner of hope: Goe thou to thy God, attend well his seruice, and court his Countenance for euer in his most pleasant Yuorie Palaces: I am nowe refreshed with a cooling taste to immortalitie to come: Farewell my deare Soule and truest Turtle, mount vp nowe to the Heauens: Thou hast alreadie past all toyle and turmoyle: The way that rests vntounto the Kingdome is both smooth & euen, without anie rubbe of opposition thou shalt enter into immortalitie: O the showres of grace and merciemercy which raine downe vponupon vsus both: Farewell till that desired day of the Resurrection come.
The Pastour.
His eyes stirre a little, they are full of teares the tribute of Repentance: He beginneth to shake, he now seemeth to bee wakened out of his traunce: I will inquire what his minde is set vponupon. What meditations are these Sir that yee are vponupon? Yee seeme to hauehave beene in some good motion.
The sicke Man.
My Soule Sir and my bodie after a blessed agreement hauehave beene taking their adewes one from another: They hauehave bene blessing each other, be…ause they hauehave serued God together, they looke to bee one day both glorified together.
A sea of comfortes hath rained downe vponupon my Soule from the Heauens in most sweete and pleasant showers.
The Pastour.
Surelie that is a worthie exercise: Such good motions are plants of God and impressions of his finger: Happie are the Soule & the bodie that can serue God together with one shoulder: At that last day they shall hauehave a joyefull meeting, they two shalbe clasped together in louelove with such contentmentes as tongues of Angels are not able to expresse. But O when the vvicked soule shall returne from hell to take vp its bodie for to carie it to euerlasting torments, then shall they curse each other with manie a woe for their Fornications, Adulteries, Lyes, Deceits, Ryot & Drunkenesse: Then would the bodie if it could hauehave intelligence of the soules comming wish that a rock or a mountaine would fall vponupon it for to hide it from the Soule, that beeing voyde of life, it might bee free of feeling.
But the decree is come foorth, of necessitie they must bee joyned together: O but they then shall looke one to another like Lyons: Their feede shall receiue none agreement, no not: They shall neuer agree in anie thing but in this, to … together that their comfortlesse dolours may bee doubled: *NoteThis is a deare pennie-warth, so little pleasure for so much paine: In that day all the wicked shal bitterlie repent such barganes.
Now happie is your Soule Sir, and your bodie both, that are so well resolued to depart: Yee are certainelie blessed that euer yee were borne: *NoteBehold, nowe yee rest in hope of the resurrection, which shall bee in that great day of Gods generall assemblie, when all that euer tooke breath shall compeare before Christ the Iudge of the World, for to receiue that which they did in the flesh, bee it good bee it euill.
Now Sir, seeing yee are an inrolled Citizen of Heauen, and an adopted haire of God, vp still with your heart towarde that heauenlie Heritage, with sighes and grones beate on still at the doores of Gods merciemercy: God giueth vntounto prayer victory against himselfe.
Nowe the time draweth neere Sir, your houre is come to a quarter, fight out the good fight, fixe the eyes of your Faith vponupon the bloodie wounds of Iesus: Lay hold on him, listen to his voyce, ere it bee long yee shall heare these words of joye, Come Matth. 25. 21faithfull seruant and enter into thȳ Masters joye.
O Lord, the giuer of grace andA prayer of glorie; out of the blessed bowels of thy merciemercy bath and wash this Soule with that arteriall blood which sprang thorow the pierced filme of the heart of his Redeemer: At the beginning of this Battell, Lord thou did see howe his poore Soule was scorched with the flames of hellish temptations, which did burne the verie marrow out of his bones: this is thy ordinarie dealing with thine owne: Hell on earth is for the heires of Heauen: But heauen on earth is the portion of the heires of hell: Now, Lord, from his hell bring him to thine Heauens: Mak his Soule more clearelie to look vp toward the blessed bloodie wounds of his Sauiour, wherein hee may perceiue the props of his protection: Make his Soule now to be fullie possessed with an entire louelove to the fairenesse of thy face, wherein are pleasures Psal. 16 11for euermore.
The sicke Man.
Lord Iesus make clay againe withA prayer thy Spittle for to anointe my dimmed Luk. 2. 30.eyes, that clearelie with Simeon my Soule may see thy Saluation: We in our life receiue but ye first impositiō of handes like the man that saw men Mar. 8. 24.walking like trees: Now, Lord, at death giuegive mee the second imposition, that I may see thee euen as thou art.
The Pastour.
Lord, heare thou in Heauen… A prayerMaintaine the life of his louelove towards thee: Now vvater the seede vvhichwhich thou hast sowne: Weede out the tares vvhichwhich Sathan hath sowne: Pittie and pardon: Lay all his sinnes vponupon the Sonne of thy louelove Now let his feete be shod for the journey which hee is making to a better place: Inspire his Soule with the spirit of grace, till his life bee expired: Saue him by thy blood which saued thē that spilt it.
The sicke Man.
I finde Death besieging my heart with sēsible blowes: O bring out my Soule out of this bricke of bondage of the bodie: Mine heart stringes are so racked within mee that they are like to breake: The hope that is deferred Prou. 13. 12is the fainting of the Soule: Lord, helpe mee in this heauie houre.
The Pastour.
Lord, heare thou in heauen, and satisfie his hearts desire.
The sicke Man.
Pray, pray, that the Lord vphold mee in the throng of these throes wherewith mine heart is gripped, lest I be whollie swallowed vp of despaire.
The Pastour.
O Sauiour of mankinde, who outA prayer of thy meere merciemercy and louelove came vnderunder the charge of his accounts: Mak now answere for him as his Aduocat before that high Tribunall, before which his poore Soule is now arraigned to cōpeare: Turne all thy wrath in merciemercy, and thy Iustice-seat in a Throne of grace: Call home all his wandering thoughtes, settle and them vponupon thy selfe: Maintaine the life of his louelove: Make death to him a Messenger of merciemercy, and his paines a meane to bring him to thy pleasures: O Captaine of his Saluation vnderunder whose bloodie banner hee hath in his life made warre against the enemies of thy glorie, at death ouercome thou all the enemies of his Saluation: With thy Trumpets and Lampes terrifie all these merciles Midianites: Make them like a wheele & as the stubble before the winde: Graunt the victorie vntounto thy weake Seruant heere, that in the Heauens thou may crowne his Soule with glorious garlands of immortalitie, Lord heare vsus for the sake of thy Sonne vntounto whom with thee and the Spirite of Grace bee all glorie and honour, Amen.
Now Sir, vp with your heart to the Father of mercies: Fight out couragiouslie the fight of Faith: Christ now is holding out the Crowne, your Saluation is sealed, yee neede not feare, yee hauehave your warrant vnderunder the Broad Seale of the King of Heauen.
The sicke man.
O My deare Pastour, hee is come hee is come whom my Soule loueth:Cant. 7. 10 I am my Beloueds & his desire is towards mee: The lost sheepe is found: The vnthriftie Son is come home againe: All the snares of destruction are broken: My Soule is escaped like a Birde: I am now at a point, infinitlie desirous rather to goe to my God than to sojourneanie more on earth: Mine heart is more in God, than in my selfe I hauehave a begunne possession of Heauen by the first fruites: I looke for perfection in fulnesse of joye and Psal. 16. 11pleasures fore euermore.
O blessed Iesus set me as a Seale vponupon A prayerthine heart: O deare Sauiour,Cant. 8. 6. the Roote and the Rocke of my Saluation, loe I come: stretch out thinePsal. 40 7. Armes and take my Soule into thy bosome, yet a little while and I shall bee no more a stranger vvith thee Psa. 39. 12and a sojourner.
The Pastour.
O blessed bee our God for euermore who hath made you to triumph so ouer all your enemies after such vnuterable groanes of griefe where your mind was sore perplexed at the first: Hold fast now that which yee hauehave: Your heart is now richlie stored with the true treasures of godlinesse: Yee are but sipping of these joyes wherof in Heauen ye shal drink in a full cup.
The sicke Man.
Christ the Lord is mine: Hee is mine: Philip. …. 21Hee is to mee hoth in life and death aduantage: My comforts are in my Bosome: The Angelicali Guardes are heere about mee: I dye in the Faith of Iesus: Come euen Lord IesusA prayer come quicklie and loose this Soule a prisoner in clay groning to bee at liberty: O my Soule returne vntounto thy rest, psal. 116. 7for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee: Now may I say, This poore man Psal. 34. 6.cryed and the Lord hath heard him & deliuered him out of all his troubles.
The Pastour.
The Lord is with you, who ere it be long shall fulfill all your hearts desires, yea, hee shall doe aboue all that yee can thinke or wish: Now Sir, yee hauehave him whom your soule loueth: His Spirit is in the verie bosome of your heart: Hold fast the grip yee hauehave: Dye in his Armes, sleepe in the blessed bosome of your God: Full libertie is at the doore readie to enter in: Yet a little and yee shall hauehave a joyfull meeting with Christ and all his Angels in the Kingdome of your Father: Till yee come out of this bodie sticke fast by Faith to Christ your Redeemer: Claime boldlie that which hee hath deerelie purchased by his Blood.
O deare Iesus, his Staffe and his Strength, wrape now his Soule intoA prayer the white winding-sheete of thy righteousnesse: While hee hath life liue thou in him, yt while he breaths hee may liue to thee, and after death may liue with thee for euer: Let neither life nor death bee able to separate him from thy louelove: The neerer death approacheth for to separate his Soule from his bodie, d…aw thou the neerer vntounto his Soule, till thy Spirit the Spirit of Life fullie & finallie in all perfection liue into him the Soule of his Soule.
Fixe your eye nowe vponupon the heart of Christ, deadlie wounded for your transgressions: Behold that Speare-hole in his heart, which hee suffered for to sa…e you: Consider his bleeding woundes all dropping the balme of merciemercy, which hath proceeded from the bowels of his compassions: Hee it is who hath died for your sinnes, and is risen againe for your righteousnesse.
The sicke Man.
I know that my Redeemer liueth, hisIob. 19. 25 blood of an vnualuable price is the onelie ransome of my Soule: Hee onelie is the joye of mine heart, and the health of my countenance.
The Pastour.
Holde fast that confidence: Let your Soule repare vntounto the euerlasting Armes of his louelove: Shroud & shelter your selfe vnderunder the winges of the Almightie: Yee are nowe neere the ende of the Race: The Lord guarde you with his Grace, that no temptation of Satan be able trippe your heele before that yee be entered in his rest: Nowe the lowring showring seede-time of teares is past, and the Haruest of joye is hard at hand: Now Sir, Christ is at the doore: Beholde, hee standeth at the doore and knockes, hee is nowe for to suppe with you on earth, that yee may suppe with him for euer in the Heauens: Behold, hee is with you.
The sicke Man.
I hauehave found him whom my Soule loueth, I will surelie hold him, and will not Cant. 3. 4.let him goe: My Soule hath already taste of the fruite of Canaan by the report of the spye of my faith: Christ now is mine.
The Pastour.
Seeing yee hauehave him, wrap your soule into the bowels of his euerlasting compassions: waite on, perfectiō is the last gift: Lift vp continuallie the eyes of your spirit to the worthy woundes of Iesus: In them behold* Note & read in great Capitall characters the vnspeakable louelove of the Father.
The sicke Man.
O Lord▪ I hauehave waited for thy Saluation: Remember mee nowe whileGen. 49. 18 as thou art into thy Kingdome: Father into thine handes I commend my Luk. 23. 4…Spirit, my Soule I giuegive to thee who hast giuen it to mee.
The Pastour.
Now Sir, your wished houre is come: Christ is laying his Arm…s about you for to receiue your Soule in his bosome: Solace your selfe in your Sauiour, who hath made it free of al weights, that swiftly without anie let it may flee vp to its God: O the louelove of Iesus towardes you: Hee hath not onelie beene an Inte… cessour to pray for you, but an Advocatalso to pleade for you: By the vertue of his Blood your cause is win: And therefore homage ye now your heart sealed with ye sense of his louelove: Yeelde and surrender your Soule into the Armes of his merciemercy, that hee may perfect his graces in you with glorie in immortalitie.
The sicke Man.
Lord Iesus receiue my Spirit, andAct. 7. 59. glad it with thy glorie.
The Pastour.
He againe is fallen into a traunce: His battell is now neere an end: Let vsus waite a little & see what he doth.
Hee now beginneth a little for to stir: There is yet some life into him as I perceiue.
Now Sir, be glad: Christ is knocking at the doore for to call foorth your Soule from bondage to libertie, from your banishment to an heauenlie home, from a prison of paine to a palace of pleasures for euermore.
That we may hauehave assurance that ye die in the Faith of Iesus, shew vsus some signe: Lift vp your hand in token yt yee are assured to goe to God
Behold how he hath lifted vp his hand.
Cortenet quod lingua tacet.
His hande telleth what is in his heart: O but this poore Soule since the beginning of this bloodie Battell hath beene miserablie mangled, howed and hacked vponupon by most bitter and bloodie temptations what carnall, what spirituall: Now blessed bee God, from all his troubles he is come to his good things: We are all oblished to giuegive praise vntounto God, who hath set out this man before vsus as an excellent example and mirrour of his merciemercy.
It is the custome of God, as we see, to put his dearest Ones to the hardest proofe, as wise Builders put the greatest timber and the heart of the Oake to the greatest stresse.
*NoteManie thinke that Heauen standeth hard by their Bed-side, and that a light, Lord hauehave merciemercy, will make the doore of Heauen to goe wide open to ye wall, no not: Through man…e Act. 14 22tribulations we must enter into that Kingdome: *NoteAs Aprill showers goe before the May flowers, so must our teares trickle before our Triumphs: Wee must smert before we smile, and grone before wee glorie: All Christian Soules like Christ himselfe, must enter by the port of paines vntounto the palace of pleasures Psal. 16. 11for euermore: No co-reigning without a co-suffering.
O let vsus consider what paines this godlie man hath suffered in this fierie tryall since this Battell1 P…t, 4. 12 beganne: O with what difficulties hath hee swimmed thorow so many temptations: If the righteous scarcelie vers. 18.bee saued, where shall the vngodlie and the sinner appeare? *NoteO sowre Apple of Adams pride, many teeth hast thou set on edge.
The Sparrow by wandering & the Swal. low by flying may escape, but where sinProu. 26. 2 hath beene once, there must also be sorrow before that the sinner can come to joye: It is not so easie as manie men thinke to winne in at the doores of heauen, as though one Gods-mercy were enough for to doe the turne: *NoteBefore that a man be able to winne in at the straite gate for to enter into his euerlasting rest, hee must be buffeted with diuerse temptations, and broken with sorrowes till his heart become contrit that is, grund & bruished small as if it were corne in a Querne: *NoteThere is none entrie into rest for man before that in great griefe hee hath pluckt out his Matth. 5. 19right eye, euen his dearest darling & best bosome pleasure: *NoteHee that would lodge with God in eternitie muste heere lay holde on his Kingdome with an holie violence: What wonder that he auen be hard to win, seeing with all the infernall powers of darknesse, legions of our owne corruptions combined, oppose might & maine the grouth of Gods graces in our Soules.
Manie foolishlie in the idle rowings of their braines content with a blush of zeale, thinke that Heauen may bee winne with wishes, and therefore in their life skippe wantonlie ouer the threatnings of the Law, in hope that easilie at death they may catch at the promise of the Gospel: But who had seene this holie man of GOD vponupon the painefull racke of repentance, would count all the perishing pleasures of sinne too deare bought pleasures: *NoteSinne at the beginning is like poyson in perfume, pleasant at the first, but not long after it worketh deadlie, except yt it be repelled with some stronger Antidote: The way to heauen as wee see is not like the way to great ma…ket Townes easilie discerned by the multitude of footesteppes.
Our good Friende is nowe in the verie panges of death: A patient and Lambe▪ like death is this: His life is on his lippe: This wearied Traueler is nowe neare the ende of his journey: Seeing that the ende of a worke crowneth it, let vsus conceiue a Prayer whereby wee may lay his Soule into the bosome of his God, who shall refresh him with euerlasting comforts: O Lord, by the vigour of thy Spirit giuegive wings to our groueling prayers.
A Prayer for the sicke Man approaching vntounto Death.
O GOD of mercle and of mans Saluation, who thinketh nothing too deare for a repēting soule, were it to giuegive it a draught of the heart Blood of thy Sonne▪ wee heere vponupon the knees of our hearts humbled againe before the foote-stoole of the the Throne of thy Grace, put vp to thee our most humble sute for this thy seruant who is nowe comming to thee: His words now faile him, but thou, Lord, wilt neuer faile him: In stead of wordes let the crouding sobbes the Turtle finde roome into thine eares: Heaue vp his heart to thy merciemercy seate with the requests of thy Spirit, in sighs which cannot bee expressed.
O charitable Almes giuer open the hand of this Begger and thrust the money of thy merciemercy into it: Seale fast vp in his heart the remission of all his sinnes in the blood of Iesus: Burie all his transgressions in Christes Burial: Establish thy free Spirit within him: Take from him all dulnesse and deadnesse of spirit, all secure and hardened thoughts, all that may hinder him from comming vntounto thee: Continue his comfortes begunne: Bee thou the ende and the ender of his worke: Lorde, disapoint Sathan who by his charmes and cunning traines hath gone about both by force & fraud to catch this Soule of thy seruant.
Now Death is approaching: To thee belongeth the issues of death: Thou killest & thou makest aliue: thou bringest downe to the graue, and againe thou raisest vp: Now as euidentlie appeareth, thou art for to remoueIsa. 38. 11. this thy seruant from the Land of the l…uing, and thy will must bee done: Wee could hauehave wished the continuance of his Christian fellowship with the lengthening and enlarging of his dayes: But most humblie wee submitte all our affections vntounto thy good pleasure and will.
O Father of mercies in whose boundlesse bowels are moste pittifull compassions without anie passion, shew thy selfe mercifull, louing, and kinde towardes this Soule, which in the dayes of its fleshe hath beene with thee but a stranger and Psal. 39. 12… sojourner: His Soule now is saying to thee with Iohn his two Disciples▪ Ioh. 1. 38.Rabbi, Master where remaineth thou? Answere it as thou answered them louinglie, Come and see, and aftervers. 39. that tak it home to thine own house as Iohn tooke home thy Mother.Ioh. 19. 27
O deare Father of our Sauiour by Nature, O our dearest Father by adoption; bee fauourable to this thy seruant, euen for that blood wherewith thou art passing lie pleased: Forget and forgiue all his sinnes whatsoeuer: Lay now thy louing Armes about him: Claspe him hard to thy bosome, and keepe him fast till hee be surelie and softlie placed into the heauens.
Now, Lord, thou hast begunne to loofe this Soule out of its prison: Let earth goe to earth, and his Spirit returne to thee that gaue it: Place it into one of these heauenlie Mansions which thy Sonne is gone to prepare for these that are thine: Strengthen him now at the last and highest point of his tryall.
O Great IEHOVAH, who neuer hucketh to giuegive merciemercy to heart broken sinners, let him finde more and more yt thy bowels ouerflowing with merciemercy, are readie to receiue him: In the bottomelesse sea of thy merciemercy make his sinnes all to bee choaked, and his Soule deliciouslie to be bathed with euerlasting comforts.
And because Sathan in his last assaults is most furious, bee thou most powerfull in him by the vertue of thy Spirite: Blunt so the edge of all his temptations that they bee not able any more to wound his Spirit: Let thy secret louelove bee vntounto his Soule lik a Secret or jack in this bloodie battell, whereby he may be shielded from the bloodie blowes of a most cruell aduersarie: Put on him, Lord, the compleate armour of God, Ephes. 6. 13that hee may bee able to with-stand in this euill houre, and hauing done all, to stand: Before this Battell end make him with stomacke and courage to runne all his enemies throgh with the two edged sword of thy Spirit.
HaueHave now, Lord, a speciall care of him: Hemme in all his thoughts within the compasse of thy will: Possesse him so with the fulnes of thy presence, that in him there be found no roome for any ill motions: Furnish him with the supplie of all these graces which thou knowest to bee wanting into him: Let thy Spirit make residence in his heart, as in an house of God.
Now, Lord, while it is time to saue, saue the Soule of thy Seruant which is now readie to remoue: Open vntounto it that euer-flowing fountaine promised to the penitent of the house of Dauid for to tak away sinne and vncleannesse: O Fountaine of Grace, wash him and wash him throughlie with the blessed Blood of thy satisfaction: After that thou hast made him perfectly cleane, hold out thy succouring & helpful armes vntounto this Soule and take it into thy bosome: Let it there taste of the honie of thy Compassions.
In this time of gloummines & darknesse of death, inlighten his Soule with the light of thy countenance: Turne thy face now vntounto it: Hitherto it could see nothing but the Backparts of Thee that Great IEHOVAH, which bringeth joye but in parte: From such parts now bring him vntounto the fulnesse: Turne thy selfe vntounto this Soule that it may fullie see thy face wherein is fulnesse of joye.Psal. 16. 11
And seeing no man can see thy face & liue, let this thy Seruant now see thy face and die, that after death hee may liue with thee for euer in the Heauens: Let neither the louelove of life nor the feare of death turne his eyes from the prize of the high Philip. 13. 14calling of God: Make him now with a long steppe from the earth to the heauens to step in into immortalitie.
Now, Lord, engraue deepelie this Soule into the palmes of thine hands Set it as a seale on thine heart: Wrap it within the Mantle of thy merciemercy, war…e it within the bowels of thy louelove, lappe it in thy bosome with that vnspeakable joye which Christ hath purchased with vnspeakable paine, euen through the bloodie merites of his most bitter passions: His wordes now are failed: Square thou all his thoughts by the rule of thy Spirit of grace.
Lord, make these our weake prayers, to mount vp lik Pillars of smoke parfumed with the mercifull merites of thine onelie Sonne: To him with thee his Father, and with the Spirit of Grace, be all Glorie, Praise, Power, and Dominion for euer.
AMEN.
The spirituall Friend.
O deare Friende whome I hauehave seene a sorrow beaten sinner; Rejoyce now in your Sauiour, whose mercies hauehave beene the Bane of all your sinfull miseries: Cleaue still fast vntounto your Sauiour: Let not him goe whom your soule loueth, till ye come to Peniel where yee shall see him face to face.
The Lord refresh your weariedA prayer. soule with the soft & sweete breath of his Spirit: The Lord kned into your heart these spirituall meditations which are of the purest straine: O Father of mercies giuegive vntounto this soule a most sure Infef…ment of heauen by the hand of thy Spirit: Make some drops of thy Myrrhe to enter in by some litle creuice of his heart: Put in thine hand by the keye hole of the doore that his bowels may bee moued for thee: Let such a strength now repare from thee vntounto him, that the world may see that thy strength is made perfect in weaknesse.
It shall bee expedient that nowe yee his Pastour in a short prayer recommend him to God againe: Behold him now at the last gaspes, his eye stringes are broken: The water of death trickleth downe ouer his cheekes: His life is now drawen to an haire.
O Lord, while bodilie sight and senses faile, make spirituall sight and sense succeede in a greater perfection: Make a spaite of thy grace with a mightie streame to carrie him to glorie.A prayer
O deare Friend vp with your heart to your God: Nowe all your sins shall die with your sicknesse: The Rocke of your Saluation Iesus hath shiuered them in pieces: There is … Rom. 81.condemnation to these that are in Christ, who out of the pangs of louelove suffered yt paines of hell for mans Redēption▪ His Angels Sir are heere waiting vponupon your Soule for to carrie it to pleasures for euermore: Yet a little…sal. 16. 11 while and loe yee shall bee at the vpshotte of all your woe: Yee are nowe vtterlie out of the reach of all the powers * Noteof hell, euen vponupon the borders of euerlasting pleasures, vnmixed pleasures, which shall turne all your teares into triumphes.
The Pastour.
Now Sir, Gird vp the loynes of your 1 Pet. …. 13minde, make haste to your God, who shortlie shall put into your hād the palme of victorie: Sathan is chained vp now for doing you anie more harme: The night of your trouble is Luk. 1. 78.past: Christ that blessed Day spring hath brought a morning merciemercy vntounto your Soule: His graces in you hath shined more and more and so shall doe vntill the perfect day euen vntill your Soule carried on Eagles winges reach the hight of Heauen, where without teares or tediousnesse are pleasures for euermore.Psal. 16. 11
Though your tongue now faile you Sir, let your heart be busie with God in prayer, hee will hearten and encourage you in all the businesse: Your taske is at an end: Heaue vp your heart to Christ crucified with vsus, and that with sighes and sobbes the groanings of his owne Spirit.
Though your bodie now be cold, the Spirit of Iesus shall by a free and vitall operation maintaine the heate and vigour of your Soule.A prayer
The Spirit of comfort conueye vntounto your soule the warmest blood that euer heated the heart of Iesus.
Let vsus pray.
The last prayer for the sicke Man in the verie jawes of death.
O LORD, whose mercies are aboue all thy workes, it was neuer thy custome to send away a broken heart without comfort: Now heare the secret g…oanes and sighes of thy seruant, whose soule is ready in this gasping agonie to come out of its Tabernacle for to cōpeare before thee: Thou who hast giuen him thy Son for a ransome, giuegive him thy Spirit for a pledge: Furnish him with force for to fight and finish this Battell in victory: As thou hast bene at ye beginning of his beeing euen the beginner of his beeing, so now bee thou the ende at which hee aimes, euen the ende of all his woes.
And seeing hee is now in the narrow throat of death, helpe him by thy power, till hee hath past this passage▪ Put now into him a fresh li…e that in a strong vigour hee may runne with the feete of the Hinde till hee come to thee in ete…nitie: Make him now supple and nimble while he is neere the ende of his race: His sillie soule hath beene sore weather-driuen with many temptations, now let his battell take an end: Receiue his soule in thy Rest. and lull it in the bosome of thy pleasures.
Bee a shield and a shelter vntounto him for to hidde and couer him from the last blowes and painefull thrusts of his enemie the Deuill: Disapoint that euill one, while hee looketh for the greatest victorie: Let him receiue the foulest foile.
Loose now sweetlie these two which thou hast joyned together, that after his eyes with olde Simeon hauehave seene thy Saluation, he may depart in peace.
Seeing the Battell is nowe come to the la…f stroke, make thy Spirit, O Lord, in him to fight it out, that hauing ouercome, thou may put the palme of victorie into his hand after that the dayes of dangers are past: O draw this soule now vntounto thee with the strongest cordes of thy louelove: Proclaime vntounto his Conscience a full & a finall remission of his sinnes, whether Originall or actuall, whether of Commission or of Omission: Subscribe his pa…don with the arteriall blood of thy blessed Sonne.
O Father of mercies, the Spouse of all faithfull Soules, receiue this Spirit into thy wed locke-bedde: It was betrothed vntounto thee by thy faire promises in the Gospel, now according to thy promise accomplish and fulfill that blessed Band in the presence of thine Angels: Long, Lord, hath hee thought on it, and earnestlie longed for it: Seale thou it now with the sense of thy louelove: Fulfull it, Lord, and this day be thou the Bridegroome of his Soule: Heere hee hath seene but the Copie of thy countenance, let him now come where he may see thee euen as thou art: As thou gaue him his measure of grace in the world, so nowe giuegive him his portion of glorie b…sides thy selfe: Let nothing sway his thoughts from thee in this last ag…nie: Season so his heart with thy louelove that there bee no roome in his heart for any thing by thy selfe.
Now loose the pinnes of the Tabernacle, while his soule shall bee out of the bodie let it enter into ye Palace of pleasures: Say vntounto it as Laban saidGen. 24. 31 to Abrahams seruant, Come in thou blessed of the Lord: Thou who hast clasped his name within the Booke of life: Bind now his soule into the bundle of life: Drawe it out of this myrie mortalitie, & place it among the Angels and spirites of just men, who are alwayes in thy presencePsal. 16, 11 courting thy countenance, wherein i… fulnesse of joye.
VntoUnto the end and in the end, keepe his heart vnblameable in holinesse▪ that Sathan that roaring Lyon bee neuer able to catch him within the reach of his paw: Preserue the true rellish and sound joyes of thy Spirit of grace within him, till from grace thou bring him vntounto glorie, where thou shalt crowne thy giftes and graces with thy goodnesse.
O now open the euerlasting doores & let in this Soule decked with ye lawrels of victorie: Let all the Heauens welcome this conuerted sinner with songes and shoutes of joye.
O Spirit of Comfort, thou hast guided him thorow many seas of sorrowes, sit still at the Helme till thou hauehave brought him to his Hauen. O now crowne thy graces with thy glorie: Lord Iesus receiue my spirit.
To the Father, Sonne, and holie Ghost, be euerlasting praise and dominion for euer,
AMEN.