The Last Battle of the Soul, Religious tract 7 – Illustration 4

The Last Battle of the Soul · Religious tract 7 – Illustration 4

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mine or the water took away the life of my Children, than that a bloodie Herod should cutte all their throats most cruellie embrewing himselfe in their blood: While Dauid was in a great strait doubting of what plague to make choise, at last hee resolued saying, Let vsus fall into the hand of 2 Sam. 24. 142 Sam 24:14the Lord, (for his mercies are great) and let mee not fall into the hand of man.

O but will your Majestie say, To die and to be suffocate in the waters y^t is a matter of great sorrow: If he had died in a Battel honourablie; that had affoorded mee some comfort: Then would I hauehave heard of his valiantnesse: The Colonels and the Captaines & others of Martial Spirits had beene the Trumpeters of his praise, so should hee hauehave died with great honour.

Let it please your Majestie to wiegh the matter well in the Ballance of the Sanctuarie.

Indeede MADAME, to die in a Battell is by men accounted honorable: To die fighting with a bloodie Sword in the hand, is by men called, The Bedde of honour: **NoteBut in my judgement it is better for the Soule to die in water, than in war: For in the one man is often in a rage, thirsting like an Horse-leach after the blood of his Brother: At that time there is nothing sound or settled within him: All his thoughts are in an hurlie burlie: If instantlie hee die the Sunne of his life goeth downe vponupon his vvrath: His whole desire is bended for to destroy his Brother: But in the water his chiefest desire is for to saue himselfe: To die in war is to die by the hand of man, but Water is like the Pest which that great Warriour called, The hand of God.

O but alas, will your Majestie object such as die so▪ get not space once to cry Gods merciemercy.

God forbid MADAME that our Saluation should depend vponupon the last words of our life, or vponupon a prayer at the last gaspe: Our SaluationRom. 8. 1.Rom 8:1 is better fastened than so: There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus. Your Majestie knoweth that the day of Iudgment shall come in an instant vponupon both the Godlie and the wicked: Then shall they all bee changed in the twinkling of an eye: Not one of all the men and women then liuing vponupon earth shall get so much time wherin they mightLuk. 1…. 13.Luke 1:13 but say these few words, God be mercifull to me a sinner, & yet for all that shal we think that that suddē change shall bring any prejudice to the Saluation of Gods Elect & chosen ones?Rom. 11. 29Rom 11:29 God forbid: Whom God loueth hee loueth to the end: His giftes and graces are vvithout repentance.

I know that your Majestie would hauehave earnestlie desired that hee had bee found aliue, and that a Preacher by a prayer had commended his Soule into the hands of his Sauiour. For answere, I am assured that that young Prince was so well trained vp by your Majestie in the Schoole of pietie, that morning & euening hee was accustomed to be earnest at his priuate deuotion: It is the opinion of learned Diuines, That who carefullie in y^e morning hath cast his Soule into y^e Armes of his God, shall thereafter all the day finde the vertue of that prayer preuailing with God, though at the moment of death hee bee not able with his tongue to speake vntounto GOD: The prayers that were conceiued before cry vp to God at the last gaspe for merciemercy, peace, grace and reconciliation, through the blessed blood of Iesus, which cryeth for better thinges than the blood of Abel.Gen. 4, 10,Gen 4:10

Now seeing that without any doubting your Majestie is assured of his Saluation, consider these joyes of heauen which his Princelie Soule now enjoyeth: These joyes hauehave I described as I can in this second Volume of the Last battell▪ which I hauehave dedicated to your Majestie: There yee shall clearelie see that hee hath changeth for the better: **NoteWhile hee was aliue hee was but a Prince on Earth, and now the Lord hath made him a crowned King.

Thus intreating the most High to send vntounto your Majestie the COMFORTER himselfe, who can most cunninglie cure the wounded heart, I humlie take my leaue.

Your MAIESTIES most humble and most obedient Seruant M. Z. B. From Glasgow the 12. of Februarie 1629.

TO THE QVEENE Of BOHEMIA.

OVR poore life heere is not of single Ioyes,

But mixt with Gall, and worme-woode of annoyes:

The dint of Winds, and waues, and stors mie streames,

Wee must endure before wee reach to Heauens:

Paines heere wants pause, all is but losse and labour:

A thousand cares Within our hearts doe harbour.

The life of man on Earth is but a blaste,

I… comes with Teares and endeth with a gaspe:

All that is heere is with a speedie flight,

On jangling wheeles soone hurled out of sight.

All that is heere is out of Tune and tast,

All whirles about, but Rest will come at last.

VVaite still vntill that Day spring from on High,

Come downe with thousands brighter than the Skie.

Then mistie Cloudes of sorrowes shall depart,

When that Aurora shall rejoyce our Heart.

ANOTHER.

HEere bubbling Waters Seas of sorrowes dash,

Heere Waues, heere Winds which make the Cloudes to clash:

Heere Feuers, Fyres, heere fickle vanities,

Combined are to bring Calamities

To mortall man (not sparing young or olde)

Whose life is like vntounto a tale thats tolde,

Now happie hee who free from all distresse,

Rests in the Heauens, far from this wildernes.

A Prayer for the afflicted.

MY troubled Soule Lord counsell and comfort,

My Sternelesse-Boate conduct thou to her Port

From cloudie cares my muffled Spirit redresse,

And of mine heart the griefe and groanes represse:

My Spirit to Thee its Maker high aspires,

VVho art the Zenith of my best desires.

Your MAIESTIES most humble & obedient Seruant and Oratour M. Zacharie Boyd▪ Preacher of GODS Word at Glasgow.

Faultes escaped in printing.

The 2. Volume

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End of the text · Zacharie Boyd, The Last Battle of the Soul (1629)