A Sovereign Salve, Text 1 – Section 1
THE Sick Souls Spirituall Songs.
SAint *Jam. 5. 13.James his advice is, That if any be afflicted, he ſhould pray; if any be merry, that he ſhould ſing. And therefore it may ſeeme ſtrange to one that …ledge… not verſed in this ſoule-healing faculty, …ledge…hat I ſhould ſpeake †See Mr. Boltons Inſtruct. for the right comforting of afflict. Conſc. pag. 284, &c. How godly ſorrow, and ſpirituall joy may conſiſt together.of ſinging to ſuch …ledge…d and ſorrowfull ſoules.
But having found by experience, that …ledge…any ſuch diſtreſſed ſoules (when they have …ledge…eene left to themſelves, and to their owne …ledge…hoyce) have deſired (in the intermiſſion …ledge…f their fits) to ſpend their time in ſinging, …ledge…ather then in any other exerciſe: Yea, and …ledge…aving met with ſome which (at ſuch times) …ledge…ould ſeldome pray, but in Meter: There…ledge…ore for their ſakes have I made this col…ledge…ection following, of ſuch Pſalmes, and Spi…ledge…ituall Songs, as may be of moſt uſe for …ledge…hem at ſuch times.
The Pſalmes are,
THe ſixt Pſalme.
The thirteenth Pſalme.
The two and twentieth Pſalme.
The one and fiftieth Pſalme.
The eighty ſixt Pſalme.
The ninetieth Pſalme.
The hundred and ſecond Pſalme.
The hundred forty one Pſalme.
The other Spirituall Songs are,
THe Lamentation of a Sinner.
The Humble ſuite of a Sinner.
The Complaint of a Sinner.
ANd if any ſick Soule ſhall deſire mor…redge… variety of ſuch Spirituall Songs, h…redge… may procure the Booke, called, The ſeve…redge… ſobbes of a ſorrowfull Soule for ſinne; an…redge… Mr. Richard Kilbies Booke, called, The unburthening of a loaden Conſcience: In bot…redge… which Bookes, are plenty and variety o…redge… them; eſpecially in the latter, where th…redge… ſaid Mr. Kilby (being a man who felt the ſmart of a wounded ſpirit) did for his own uſe, and according to his preſent diſtreſſes compoſe divers of them, and uſed them to comfort himſelfe in God, by way of ſing…ledge…ng.
EPHES. 5. 19. Speaking unto your ſelves in Pſalmes, and Hymnes, and Spirituall Songs.
ANd if any be deſirous to ſing Pſalmes, or Songs of Thankſgiving unto God …ledge…y himſelfe, or with others, for Gods mer…ledge…ifull deliverance of him from his diſtreſſes, …ledge…e may (if he cannot make choyce of better …ledge…imſelfe) make uſe of theſe following.
The thirty fourth Pſalme.
The hundred and third Pſalme.
The hundred and ſixteenth Pſalme.
The third part of the hundred and …ledge…ighteenth Pſalme.
The hundred and thirty eight Pſalme.
The hundred forty fift Pſalme.
To Father, Sonne and Holy Ghoſt,
All glory be therefore;
As in beginning was, is now,
And ever ſhall be more.
Another Doxologie, or Thankſgiving of Mr. Richard Kilbie's making,
and to be ſung to the tune of the hundred Pſalme.
O Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghoſt,
Thou onelyonly God, and Lord of all;
Thy Name be bleſſed evermore,
Of all thy Creatures, great and ſmall.
Amen, Amen, Amen, ſay I;
Gods Name for ever bleſſed be:
O Heaven, O Earth, O Creatures all,
Say ye, Amen, Amen, with me.
THE END.
GROUNDS OF COMFORT, For the Friends of the DISTRESSED: IN CASE, That after all theſe, or other meanes uſed, God ſend him not Releaſe, or Comfort, but ſuffers him to dye in that Diſtreſſed eſtate, and that after ſome fearfull manner.
JOB 13. 15.
Though he ſlay me, yet will I truſt in him.
LONDON, Printed for RICHARD ROYSTON.
M. DC. L.
Grounds of Comfort FOR The Friends of the Diſtreſſed.
The things which may comfort the Friends of the Diſtreſſed in this caſe, are either more generall, or ſuch as reſpect ſome particular eſtate, wherein the Diſtreſſed Partie may dye, and depart this World.
SECT. I.
Wherein the more generall comforts are ſet downe.
THE which are theſe;
1. They muſt know, that no man can judge of the finall eſtate of any man, by any outward things, whether they be bleſſings, or judgements, whether they befall him in life, or death: For (as Solomon ſaith) all things (that Eccleſ. 9. 2.is, all outward things) come alike to all; & the ſame condition (in reſpect of them) is to the juſt, and the wicked; to the good, and to the pure, and to the polluted; and to him that ſacrificeth, and to him that ſacrificeth not; as is the good, ſo is the Sinner; he that ſweareth, and he that feareth an oath.
2. They muſt know, that All things work together for good, to thoſe that love God: for ſo doth Saint Paul aſſure us. And if all Rom. 8. 28. See BB. Cowper in loc.things, then even death it ſelfe, be the manner of it what it will be.
3. They muſt know, that it is not death, no nor the manner of it, be it what it will be, that can Separate Gods child from the love of God in Chriſt; for ſo the ſame Apoſtle is perſwaded, and no doubt but he would have Rom. 8. 38, &c.us be perſwaded of it too.
4. They muſt know, that God will not judge his child according to that he is in the particular inſtant of his death, but according to that he hath beene, or hath deſired, and endeavoured to be, in the generall courſe of his life. And therefore *See Mr. Perkins Workes in fol. vol. 1. pag. 492. col. 2. b. Mr. Greenhams Workes in fol. pag. 9. Mr. Boltons Inſtruct. for comforting of afflicted Conſciences, pag. 230.we are not to miſtruſt Gods mercy in death, be it never ſo uncomfortable, if it hath beene before, in any time of our life, ſealed up unto us in our vocation, and ſanctification.
5. They muſt know, that all kinds of death, be they what they will be, which may betide Gods child, are determined and appointed by God, and that for ends ſeeming beſt to his infinitely-wiſe, and ever bleſſed Majeſtie. It may be for the glory of his juſtice to †See Mr. Bolton, ubi ſupra, pag. 458, &c. Dr. Deniſons Monument, or Tombe-ſtone, pag. 65.harden thoſe about him, who were ſo farre from being wonne by his godly life, that they rather hated him, and it; and therefore now ſeeing ſuch an end of it, may hate it the more. It may be for the glory of his mercy to his childs ſoul; that having taſted ſo deeply of this bitter cup in the end of his life, he may be the better prepared to drinke the more ſweetly and fully of the Well of life, and of thoſe Rivers of endleſſe pleaſures with him in Heaven. For an immediate tranſlation from the depth of temporary horrour, to the height of endleſſe joy, makes even the joyes of Heaven ſomething more joyfull to a bleſſed ſoule.
Whatſoever Gods ends are herein (for his counſels are inſcrutable, and his waies paſt finding out) let it ſuffice you, that your Friend in this end of his life, and manner of his death, doth glorifie God, as being ſerviceable to thoſe ends for which he had ordained it.