Time Well Spent in Sacred Meditations, Part 32 – Part 41
Death.
1. This amongſt others ought often to be thought on, to have all things in a We are to be in readineſſe againſt our departure out of this vvorld, daily preparing for the ſame.readineſſe againſt our departure out of this wretched world, and therefore not onelyonly to ſet our outward eſtate in order (which naturall wiſe men doe) for the good and peace of our poſteritie, but eſpecially to ſet our ſpirituall ſtate in ſuch a readineſſe, that wee may with continuall care and comfort, waite for our change, and our Saviours ſecond comming, and withall to leave to our poſteritie ſome teſtimonie of Gods ſatherly dealing with us, and fidelitie in performing his promiſe to us, the ſeede of faithfull parents, that our poſterity may be hereby ſtirred up to ſerve the Lord God of their fathers.
2. Wee can better away To meditate on death or judgemēt, vvhichwhich beſt liked.to meditate on death which Sathan covereth with eternitie following; then on the day of judgement where wee all muſt make our accounts.
3. The bare meditation of death doth ſo farre move us from ſuffering with delight to dwell on earthly things, as reaſon diſſwadeth us to make any coſt about a tenement, where wee know we ſhall dwell but a while, yet ſuch imaginations of death build up in the meane time the kingdome of pride in us. Wherefore it ſhall bee Hovv to meditate on death profitably.more availeable, when wee meditate of putting off this Tabernacle, wee thinke alſo of putting on the Tabernacle of Righteouſneſſe, and how without that we ſhall never ſtand with comfort before Chriſt in his Kingdome.
4. As wee are ſo to Hovv to thinke of life and death.thinke of life that wee bee content to die, ſo wee are to thinke of death, that wee be contented to live. The feare of death is no more to be diſliked, then The feare of death not to be diſliked.not to feare, for both may be with good conſcience, and in faith, if they exceed not; for its allowed by grace and nature to feare Gods judgements.
5. To call to minde old ſinnes of them which are The uſe to be made of dying people.a dying is neceſſary to bee done of thoſe which viſite them, for if they have truly repented them, then are they not guilty of them, and others may profit thereby. If they bee guilty, the trouble of their minde ſhall turne to their good, in that they finde their judgement in this world, and eſcape the everlaſting judgement to come.
Decay in grace.
1. A moſt grievous A great judgement it is not to thrive by the many helps vvee have of our ſpirituall nouriſhment.judgement of God it is (though ſecret and therefore not to us ſo ſenſible) that having many excellent helps for our ſpirituall nouriſhment, yet Gods curſe ſeemeth to be thereon, in that wee thrive ſo little thereby, wherein notwithſtanding the Lord is to be cleered, who (giving his grace ordinarily by meanes) doth moſt juſtly The cauſes hereof.keepe it from us, partly for our unworthineſſe, either for ſome olde ſinne 1.unrepented of, or ſome preſent corruption not reſiſted, 2.and partly for our contempt of it, in that we ſetting ſo little by it, have ſo ſleightly ſought it, and having received it in any meaſure, were no more charie and carefull in keeping it, but through our careleſſeneſſe loſt it, and through our pride and preſumption provoked the Lord to take it from us, let our earneſt purpoſe and The R… medie.prayer bee, for the better obtaining of it, to avoide the letts, and to uſe more carefully and conſtantly all good helps, and particularly holy conference, which by experience wee ſhall finde to be exceeding profitable.
2. The cauſes why many The cauſes vvhy many decreaſe in godlineſſe.decreaſe in godlineſſe be divers, as namely the neglect of thoſe meanes 1.which before they uſed eſpecially of the private dealings with themſelves, and brotherly conferences in ſuch ſtrict manner as before, whereof wee be ſoon wearie, in that by nature wee ſeeke our eaſe, and through cuſtome grow cold, and through ſecurity and pride waxe blinde and ſee not our neede thereof. So alſo that wee by Satans 2.ſuggeſtion and our owne corruption doe privily fall into a good liking of our eſtate in regard of former grace received, wherby it comes to paſſe, that wee feeling our ſelves to bee freed from the danger of ſinne and condemnation, doe not ſo feare it, neither are terrified with the ſight of it in us, but through a privie preſumption of our ſafety, we eaſily pardon our ſelves, and deale not ſo ſtraitly with our ſelves as before, and thus ſinne creepes ſore upon us to our great hurt. Some there be, though the 3.fewer, who more then they ought torment themſelves for their little growth. Others (and thoſe the greater ſort) 4.who have and doe continue in a careleſſe peace, whom indeed it much cō cerneth to be humbled for their little growing in grace. The meane wherin a man may with ſome The Remedies.comfort ſtay himſelfe muſt partly ariſe from a duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page wiſe judgeing of himſelfe by comparing his former and preſent eſtate both in the uſe and profit received by the meanes: wherein this may fitly be conſidered, that a young plant doth more ſenſibly ſhew his growth, then an olde tree, but the olde tree brings forth more ſound fruit in his ſeaſon; the decay or want whereof wee muſt thus remedie, even by calling our ſelves to a ſtrait account, to ſee upon what warrant wee enjoy our peace, and ſo to feare our hearts with ſuch teſtimonies of Scripture as doe tell us that this life is not the life of a Chriſtian, who muſt bee a new creature, and muſt walke in the ſpirit, and muſt mortifie the deeds of the fleſh, that ſo we may withdraw peace from our conſciences till wee ſee ſome change of our troubled ſtate, and recoverie thereof.
Delay.
Many times when wee Why the Lord often delayeth comfort.have uſed all good meanes the Lord deferreth the ſucceſſe, that we being the more humbled, may bee the fitter to receive comfort.
Delight.
Who ſo delighteth in Who the Lord delighteth inthe Lord, in him doth the Lord delight.
Devills.
1. By creation good A deſcription of the devills or evill ſpiritsSpirits; by their fall damned and wicked ſpirits changed into evill: finite, immortall, inviſible, adverſaries to mans ſalvation, exceeding many, of great power, Lyons, able to doe any thing not above nature; in reſpect of their malice, compared to Dragons; their ſubtiltie, Serpents; their experience, termed olde, uſing ſecret ambuſhes with ſhewes of good; tempting the prophane, never to minde ſalvation; the civill to reſt in common honeſtie, as the carnall proteſtant in outward holineſſe; the weake beleever either to be ſcrupulous, or to take vice for vertue through ignorance; the ſtrong to ſin againſt knowledge and preſume, to hinder a greater duty by a leſſe, to uſe good actions to bad ends, to doe evill that good may come thereof, to grieve ſo for one ſinne as to neglect others; ſo running into extremities; yea to winke at ſinne, to thinke it tolerable, to taſt it, to commit it, to continue in it, to defend it.
2. This is much to bee lamented, that in time of ſuperſtition men were more feared with the devill when they heard of his hornes, clawes, hollow Of olde, men vvere more affraid of the devill then novv.voice, and ſuch like, then now in the Goſpell when they heare of his privie working and fighting againſt mens ſoules, which is much more dangerous, and yet is nothing feared, and yet wee can never beleeve and feele the gracious Note.help of Gods holy Angels, till wee beleeve and feele the hidden aſſaults of Satan and his Spirits.
3. As God and his good Angels are about us, ſo is The protection of the good angels comforteth in vvell doing; as the evill ſpirits being about us humbleth in evill doing.the devill and his evill ſpirits; and as good Angels have beene ſeene, ſo have and may bee the wicked ſpirits, not ſoules of men, but devills in the ayre; and the knowledge hereof is greatly for our comfort in well-doing, that being in great danger voide of all helpe of man, yet God is with us, and his Angels, for our humbling in evill doing, that though no man ſee or can hurt us, yet the devill and his ſpirits bee about us.
Diſcerning.
1. Many are outwardly Man ſeeth not as God ſeeth.well, that is, rich in this world, which are inwardly ill, that is, poore in Gods account, and many hate outward evill things, which for want of ſpirituall knowledge, or the ſpirit of diſcerning, ſee not the corruptions of the heart.
2. Wiſedome muſt bee Wiſedome and charitie requiſitdeſired in diſcerning of men, but charitie in judgeing and praying for them.
3. They with whom we would converſe may Three notes vvhereby to try thoſe vvith vvhom vve vvould converſe.be tryed by theſe three notes, 1. Whether in profeſſing godlineſſe, they ſpeake upon grounded knowledge. 2. What feeling they have of their inward corruptions. 3. How loving they are to others in being ready to do them good, and warie to ſpeake of their infirmities, and that with griefe.
Diſcipline.
1. Wee are bound to be thankfull to God for that diſcipline wee have, (though there bee great want of it) for its the Lords will to advance his glory hereby, in taking that to Gods vviſdome in affording no ſtricter diſcipline.himſelfe, which if we had ſtricter diſcipline wee would attribute to it, for beſides that hee doth that by his word and prayer which may bee done by diſcipline, it may be diſcipline would hide many hypocrites, which now are diſcovered, and cover many a Chriſtian heart which now are knowne, for they that bee godly now, be godly of conſcience, being a diſcipline to themſelves, but many may ſeeme godly under diſcipline which doe it for feare rather then for love.
2. This is a good order A good order of diſcipline.of diſcipline, firſt generally to declare that, 1. Sinne is broken forth. 2. To name the ſinne. 3. The partie offending, after to admoniſh him, then to ſuſpend him, laſtly to leave him to Satan.
Deſpaire.
1. Its a fearefull and dangerous policie of Satan to make men continue in ſinne without care of recoverie, in taking from them all hope thereof, which he Hovv the devill driveth to deſpaire.doth by perſwading them that their ſinnes bee ſo great, ſo many, and of ſo long continuance that they cannot be forgiven.
2. A dangerous policie of Satan it is to provoke Satan tempteth at ſometimes to deſperation, as at other to preſumption.men to deſpaire inperſwading them they have no faith at all, becauſe they have it not in this and that particular: againe in provoking to preſumption to perſwade them thus, I hope I have faith in generall, and therefore my faith is ſound in every particular.
Diſtruſt.
1. Diſtruſt is a doubting of Gods helpe in our Hovv capitall a ſin diſtruſt is,neede: its a capitall ſinne above others, robbing God of his truth, power, wiſedome, merciemercy, and his other attributes, drawing others by our example to diſtruſt, which in like manner robbeth man of his chiefe comfort in all diſtreſſes.
2. How prone we are Wee are prone to it.to it may appeare in our tryalls of paine, debt, and the like, wherein we truſt to meanes.
3. Wee fall into this by Hovv vvee fall thereinreſting too much on meanes, neglecting to meditate on Gods truth.
4. To truſt on God is Hovv to remedie it.the ſpeciall remedie to cure this maladie.Gods former liberalitie doth not prejudice his future mercies.
5. Its a common temptation to afflicted conſciences to perſwade themſelves after ſome few deliverances that they can looke for no more, becauſe the Lord hath beene ſo liberall, but theſe muſt know that God is not like man, for his gifts are without repentance, and when he beginnes to ſhew merciemercy he will never ceaſe.Note.
Doctrine.
When there is a doctrin generall or equitie in the word, the exāples though particular may bee generally applyed.