THE royal RECEIPT: OR, HEZEKIAHS physic. A SERMON DELIVERED At PAVLS-Crosse, on MICHAELMAS Day, 1622.  
By ELIAS PETLEY  deut. 30.19. 
— Behold, J haue set before you Death and Life, therefore choose Life.—  
LONDON, Printed by B.A. for EDWARD BLACKMORE, and are to be sold at his Shop, at the great South door, going up into S. PAVLES. 1623.   

TO THE REVEREND AND RIGHT WORSHIPFVL, Mr. DOCTOR DONNE, Dean of the Cathedrall Church of S. paul. LONDON.  
LOth to expose my first endeavours public, to the broad abuse& open prejudice of this injurious& capricious Age( reverend Dean) and being wholly destitute of any dependence on the Patronage and Mecaenaship of Great ones, with whose magnificent Titles, Books of all sorts daily come mustering into the World. Whilst I bethought me to select some charitable Guardian, I know not what strong confidence resolving on the goodness of your nature, so prevailed with me, that I should presume to thrust forth these unpolished and imperfect meditations under the authority of your name. This poor Infant had for a while till some few sands were expired, a breathing, such as it was, within the confines of that renowned Church whereof the providence of God hath made you a worthy governor. When 'twas gon the importunity of some Shunemites would haue it fetched again. Vouchsafe( oh man of God) to sand but the staff of your Approbation to lay vpon the face of the dead Child, and it shall receive a happy reuiuall. I sand it to you( Learned Sir) in the same words that old jacob dismissed his sons, Now God almighty give thee mercy in the sight of the Man. Your favourable acceptation, shall for ever bind me to invert the prayer on yourself, The almighty give the Man mercy in the sight of God.  
Your Worships, in all duty to be commanded, ELIAS PETLEY.   

THE royal RECEIPT.  ESAY 38.2.3. 2. KINGS 20.2.3. 
Then Hezekiah turned his face towards the wall and prayed unto the Lord, and said, Remember now Oh Lord I beseech thee how I haue walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and haue done that which is good in thy sight, and Hezekiah wept sore.  
NOtwithstanding, there is no man can plead ignorance to the universal Decree of God, concerning the necessity of mans natural mortality. Statutum est, &c. 
Heb. 9.27.  It is appointed for all men to die once; and every one can say with the wise woman of Tekoah unto david, 
2. Sam. 14.14,  we must all die. Yet we see most men in the world so live, as though they should never die, and( alas) so die as though they should never live. When the time of our dissolution draws on, our souls are rather chased out by violence, then yielded by obedience into the hands of our Redeemer. That we may therefore learn so to live that we may die happily; and so to die, that we may live eternally: the providence of God no doubt checked my meditations( troubled with Martha about many things) with vnum est necessarium: This one thing is necessary:& because, Plus movent exempla quam praecepta, 
Luk. 10.42.  Examples haue more powerful inducement to persuasion, then rules& precepts: I therefore made choice of this admirable and royal pattern of Hezekiahs godly behaviour, both in life and death, where at his supposed death he makes commemoration of his life, that his godly life may be consolation at his death.  
The whole story I may not unfitly call the tragic. Comedy of Hezekias, where in the three rules of the Stage are observable:( for we all play our parts on the Stage of this World, théatron egenéthemen, saith the Apostle, 
1. Cor. 4 9.  We are made a spectacle or Theatre to the world, to the Angels and to men.) Viz. Protasis, Epitasis, Catastrephe. The Protasis or Enarration of the danger is in the beginning of the Chapter, In those dayes was Hezekiah sick unto the death. The Actors in the first Scene are Frailty, he was sick; mortality, unto the death; Mutabitie, in those dayes he was sick.  
If any might bee privileged from the infirmities of nature, the kings prerogative might challenge a precedency, who hath the title of God assigned him( not by any Sycophant) but by God himself. 
Psal. 82.  Dixi dy estis. I haue said, you are gods: hath he said it, and shall it not stand? Yea, true it is, gods they are, but frail, mortal, mutable gods: gods not in respect of their nature, but in regard of their power; gods not by human constitution, but by divine institution; gods not by nativity, but by authority; gods not by reputation of their persons, but by the deputation of their office. Daxi, eloim, a name not ousías, of essence; but exonsías, of power and authority. Qui ceteris Deus sibi homo, a God to others, and a man to himself: therefore saith the Psalmist, You shall die like men, though ye live like gods; ye shall die like men: it cannot bee denied a King hath Ius vitae& necis, lawful power over life and death, yet the life that he gives to another, he cannot award himself; and the death he afflicts on others, he cannot avoid himself, he cannot deliver his own soul from the hand of the grave. Pal. 89.47.  
Hezekiah is sickness, and weakness, an misery can creep and nestle in the royal blood of. Caesar, as well as in the vlcerate and putrefied sores of a lazar. wherefore saith Plutarch in his book of Tranquilitie, to this purpose: It is not the velvet Slipper can fright away the gout, nor the golden Ring preserve the finger from a fellow, nor a crown ar Diadem, keep away the headache; nor the Purple role preserve the body from a fever. Nay if you mark it, the great ones for the most part are of a more puling and weakly constitution, their delicate breeding and delicious feeding makes their bodies more capable of diseases, how do they toss and tumble on their beds of ivory, and take no rest on their downy pillow: whereas The labouring man, saith Solomon, 
Eccl. 5. v. 12.  sleeps sweetly, whether he eat much or little.  
We all haue our treasure( saith the Apostle) 
2. Cor. 4.7.  in earthen vessels; the strongest are soon broken, a little knock of sickness clatters them in pieces. Those quos melione luto finxit praecordia Tiatan, whom nature hath formed and made up of a finer mettall, they are the more brittle, however all of the same mould, and of the same dirt. 
Vitrei sumus inter varios casus ambulantes Aug.  I myself also ama mortal man, and the offspring of him that was first made of the earth.( saith Solomon) nasci& mori. 
Wis. 7.1.  Epictetus told Adrian, to be born and to die is common to the Prince and to the beggar: principality theoon bíos nomízetai, tó mé thanein ouch echei t' alla' dechei. It is deemed the life of gods, only wants immortality. 
14.15.  Alexanders wound, and Antigonus his sickness, could humble the lofty minds of those proud balsams, and make them say with Peter to Cornelius, 
Acts 10.26.  kai gar ego anthropos, for I myself also am a man. Nay as Paul and Barnabas to the men of Iconium and Listra, andres homoiopatheis, men of the same passions that others are.  
3. In those dayes according to the better interpretation( as I think) when the angel of God had raised the siege of the assyrians by the slaughter of a hundred fourscore and five thousands in one night: so that when there was a hook in the nostrhils of Zenacherib, sickness was a bait unto Hezekiah in those daies, 
Cro. 27.29.  when the day of trouble, rebuk and blasphemy, was turned to ioy and mirth and melody, a sudden overcast again. In those dayes when the daughter of Sion was laughing at the projects of the defeated adversary, 
22.  their ioy is turned into heaviness to weep for Hezekiah. That clothed them with Scarlet and other delights. 
2. Sam. 1.24.  The king of Ashur could not shoot an Arrow against the city, yet now the arrows of the almighty stick fast in his soul, 
33.  it was prophesied of Zenacherib by the way that he came, 
34.  by the same shall he return again: it is verified of Hezekiah, 
Gen. 3.19.  Dust thou art, and to the dust thou shalt return again: in those dayes when Hezekiah looks for quietness, ease and tranquilitie; sickness a homebred enemy betrays the Castle of his health to the common adversary. When Hezekiah looks to enjoy all things, he cannot enjoy himself.  Valeat possessor oportet.— 
The second rule is the Epitasis or the aggravation of this danger, that is in the expedition of the Prophet with the tidings of death: And Esayas the Prophet the son of Amos came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith Iehouah, set thy house in order for thou shalt die and not live. When the children of God were brought to any fearful exigence, their fairest& chiefest course for relief, was to repair unto the Prophets of God, as the Israelites at the oppression of the taskmasters, persecution of Egyptians, prevailing of Amelech, burning at Taberah, biting of fiery Serpents, they fly and cry with open mouth to Moses the Prophet of God. The Sunamite when her child was departed, makes hast unto the Prophet the man of God. Thus a silly wench could relate to Naamans wife, 
2. King 4 22.  would my Master were with the Prophet that is in Samaria, 
2. King 5.3.  he would recover him of his leprosy. The gift of healing it should seem was then beslowed on the Prophets, sure I am they were the spiritual Phisitians to poure in the balm of Gilead into the gaping wounds of Gods afflicted ones. 
jer. 5. ult.  God hath given me saith Esay, 
Esa. 50.4.  the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to minister a word in season to him that is a weary. Good reason therefore had Hezekiahs wearied soul to expect some comfortable news from the Prophet the ambassador of God; but behold when his distressed heart, being dried, parched, and shrieueld as it were with anguish, did pant and gasp for some refreshing gale of consolation from the Lord, Behold I say: a new supply of misery, the Prophet most unseasonably plies a corrosive to a green wound, poureth vinegar vpon Nitre, 
Pro. 25.10. Phil. 2.27.  that the good king might haue lúpen epi lúpen, sorrow vpon sorrow, kaì kú nati kuma kulindei, one wave of affliction cometh rolling on the neck of another: our Prophet like the last of Iobs unwelcome messengers comes with the heaviest news, presents him with the lees of the cup of trembling, 
Esa. 51.17.  heaps up the measure of his troubles with a sad forbode of a present death. Morieris& non vives, thou shalt die and not live. This ugly presage adds to the austerity of death, and the lingering expectation presents it in more fearful and dismal shapes, Postquam adempta spes est, lassus curâ confectus stupet. When all hopes that support the feeble soul are dashed and bereaved, the residue of life is but an attendance on death; and this delay is nothing else but an eeking and production of it, and as it were, a champing or mastichation on the bitterness of this potion. 
Ecclesiasticus 41.1.  O mors quam amara est tui recordatu( saith Ben-sirach,) Oh death how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that lives at rest in his possessions. Besides, these sinister and fatal predictions of death, like so many Night-Rauens and shrieking daughters of the owl are commonly sent to amaze and terrify those, whose impieties are mature and white unto the harvest of vengeance. The Prophet Elias tells Ahab and jesabel where dogs liked the blood of Naboth, 
1 King 21.19.  there their tongues shall be read with the purple that is now flowing in their vein. The same Prophet tells Ahazias to his face, 
2. King 1.4.  that he is for euerbed-rid, &c.  
Thus Ahijah the Prophet in Shiloh tells the disguised wife of Ierobeam, 
1. King. 14.12.  no sooner she should set foot with in the gates of her city, but death should seize on her sick son Abiah. I marvell not that these( like the mutinous crew in Moses camp) should be preaduertised, 
Num. 16 29.  that they shall not die the death of all men. You see these ominous iudgments were on notorious, exemplary, and criminal malefactors. But that the same knell should go for Hezekiah, a pious, a good man, a pious and good king, 
Eccles 9.2.  that all things should come alike unto all the same event, to the righteous and to the wicked, to him that sacrifizeth, and him that sacrificeth not. This is the Epitasis in aggravating Hezekiahs tragedy. The Catastrophe is the issue and turning these troublesone passages, to a happy& unexpected conclusion; on which part my purpose is onely to insist a this time; Thou shalt die and not live. What should Hezekiah good man do in this case? he perceives in himself the sense of death, he hears by the Prophet the sentence of death, he knows neither how to undergo the one, nor overcome the other; may he not say as david unto Gad in his constraind choice of the famine, the plague, and the sword, 
●. Sa. 14.14.  I am in a great strait, the enlarging out of this strait, the winding of himself out of these troubles, the means of his recovery, we may style the divine physic of a faithful soul, consisting of a threefold method.  
1 A preparative, fitting and preparing himself by solitary meditation. Ver. 2. Then Hezekiah. &c.  
2. A purgative, in the form of prayer, where he purges and acquits himself from a scandal the times were likely to charge him with. Remember, &c.  
3. A restorative, prayers with infusion of tears, devotion and contrition compounded together; and Hezekrah wept with great weeping.  
In the first, note his demeanour to the 

Prophet.  
prophesy.    
And first of the former. One might well think that Esayas( though a man of royal descent and noble family, yet broken the form of good manners, abruply to come into the Kings chamber, and there bluntly without any ambages, intimations, and circumlocutions( as Nathan dealt with david in a parable) 
2. Sam. 12.  in down right and peemptory terms delivers his message: Set thy house in order. i. Go make thy will, Thou shalt die and not live. You are ciuiliter mortuus: there is no remedy, away you must to the land where all things are forgotten.  
How doth Hezekiah take this? he flies not in the face of the Prophet, but faciem suam auertit: turns away his face: his silence expresseth his reverence, his aversion argues his moderation, the deportment implies the same acceptance of the Prophet wee read of in the latter end of the next chapter. Good is the word of the Lord which thou last spoken, It is a most excellent virtue to give courteous entertainment to the ambassadors of God, though they treat of unpleasing subiects. This moderate, gracious, and mildred temper were all the Saints of God of: with job they lay their finger on their mouth, because it was the Lords doing: when Moses declared to Aaron the the reason of Gods fearful iudgment on his two sons Nadab and Abihu: 
Leuit. 10.3.  the text saith, & tacuit Aaron, it made up Aarons mouth, he held his peace. When Samuel  told such a tale concerning the destruction of Elies family that should make the ears of every one that hears it tingle. 
1 Sam. 3 10.  What saith the good old man? it is the Lord, he may do as seems good in his own eyes. The same was Dauids resolution when he fled from lerusalem at the conspiracy of Absalon, 
2. Sam. 15.27.  he bids Zadok the Priest carry back the ark into the city,& on the inquiry at the Oracle, if the Lord say thus, I haue no delight inhim, Lo here I am, &c. Zadok might reply, What shall become of me then? Note Note the words of the Text, And the king said unto Zadok, Art not thou a Seer? return unto the city in peace. This immunity had the Prophets of God, this privilege in the opinion of david, because he was a Seer, his liberty might bee to return in safety. Thus the godly look not on the condition of the man like Iehu's companions, Wherefore came this mad fellow hither? but on the commission which is sealed with Sic dicit Dominus. Thus saith the Lord. The entertainment of the world is contrary, harsh, and unpleasing: these men the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for us, 
2. Sam. 3. last.  jeroboam lays violent hands on the Prophet, 
1 King 13.4.  Ananias commands Paul to bee smitten on the mouth, 
Act. 23.2.  and a base Officer smites Christ with the palm of his hand before he is bidden. 
joh. 18.22.  If david play a lesson on his harp to charm Sauls melancholy madness, 
1. Sam. 18.11.  he lets fly a javelin to fasten him and the wall together. When Michaiah  told Ahab the true event of the battle in Ramoth-Gilead, whats his salary? Take this fellow& put him in prison, 
2. Cro. 18.26.  and feed him with the bread of affliction and water of affliction: this was the ordinary diet of all the old tell troths, joseph to the ditch, jeremy to the dungeon, Esay to the Saw, John Baptist to the block, what should I stand reckoning when our saviour saith, 
Mat. 23.35.  all the race of the Prophets from righteous Abel, &c. had the same mead that we must look for, you shall be hated of al men for my names sake. What hated for the truth? for thou Lord art the truth? yes veritas odium parit●: the question S. Paul put to his Galatians is out of question: 
Gal. 4.16.  am I become your enemy because I tell you the truth? a professed enemy saith, 
1. King. 21.20  Ahab to Elias, Hast thou found me oh mine enemy? The guilty conscience is of a peevish elvish nature, always freting at reprehension: 
Psal. 39.12.  When thou with rebukes dost chasten man for sin, he is as it were a moth freting a garment( saith our translation of the psalm) he will bee worming to find a hole in the Prophets cote by some means or other. If Timothy charge them that are rich in this world, 
1. Tim. 6.17.  they that are rich will ouer-charge him. If Dauids Messengers come to comfort churlish Hanun, they shall find small comfort, he( most shamefully and injuriously) shaved half their beards, and curtaild their garments and sent them away. 
2. Sam. 10.4.  If Titus rebuk apot omoos, sharply or cuttingly, his two edged sword of the word shall scarce fence him from disparagement and inconveniency. Such is our queasinesse, we are more offended with the bitterness of a wholesome potion, than with the noysomnes of a dangerous and deadly poison. More angry with the Samaritan for pouring in wine with his oil than with the theeues that rob and spoil us by the high way to jericho, 
Luk. 10.34.  Instead of bringing down every mountain and high hill,& making every path strait& even by the preaching of John. I may borrow the Psalmists words to another sense, and say; tange montes& fumabunt, touch the mountaines and they will smoke: like little Sinays, all on fire. The fear of this makes some degenerous minded men, in a manner to leave the word of God and serve at tables, 
Act. 6.2.  What makes such insensible colloguing, daubing with untempered mortar, sowing pillows under elbows, laying cushions for dogs, healing the hurts of Gods people with sweet words, 
jer. 23.17.  No evil shall come unto you though ye walk after the imaginations of your own hearts. But a carnal, sensual, servile, temporising baseness. Those that earn Balaams wages so smoothly, shall one day bee condemned with Balaams words, 
Num. 24.13.  though the king should give me a house full of gold and silver, I cannot go beyond the commandement of the Lord.  
What an imposture it is to forth& hony over the credulous patient with persuasion of a long life, when we read in his face the Characters of death, to lul him with the confidence of secure peace when we sensibly descry the fellow with the pale horse( in the revelation) come posting like jehu the son of Nimshi, and marching furiously Abrahams policy was counted his infirmtie, to tell Abimelech Sara was his sister when shee was his wife, he had wellnigh made him sin: 
Gen. 20.9  but it was the inveterate malice of the old serpent to thwart the Sentence of God with Non moriemini, Ye shall not die. Wherefore my brethren deal plainly, stand fast in that liberty wherein Christ hath made you free, be not entangled in these snares of flattery; let Nathan insinuate to david, 
2. Sam. 22.17.  Tu es homo; Thou art the man. Let John Baptist tell his Herod; 
Mark. 6.18.  Non licitum est tibi; It is not lawful for thee to haue thy brother Phillips wife. Let Paul withstand Peter to his face at Antioch. 
Galat. 2.24.  Let Esayas the son of Amos say to Hezekiah, Morieris& non vives; speak and spare not, set an iron forehead against brazen-faced sin. son of man, faith God, speak unto them all that I shall command thee, be not afraid of their faces lest I destroy thee. But bee sure you come with Sic dicit Dominus.  
This is the nicest and curious point in your chirurgery to search and gauge a wound with your probe of reproof advisedly: 
Albert. g●nt. delega. lib 1 vid K●k. Curs. phil. ●… p. 33.8.  there is as much need of Caution as of Courage, Circumspection as dexterity: the ambassador( though vpon safe terms) may not step out of the circled of his Commission: the word of God is our Prescript, Mandate, and Commonitory: Within the limits and compass whereof wee are bound to contain ourselves on peril of our souls.  
You that turn many to righteousness shine as stars saith Daniels▪ angel, 
Dan. 12.3.  as you may not be Iudes wandring stars, 
Iud ep. 13.  shooting into superior orbs: so you may not be Iohus falling stars, whose name is called Absint hium, Worm-wood, 
Reu. 8 11.  to turn the waters of admonition into bitterness. Doth a fountain sand forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? My brethren these things ought not so to bee, faith Saint james, 
Ia. 3.10 11.  Beware then you make not the Pulpit a Pasquil. That Sermons be not Satyrs to vent a private spleen in a public audience, to suborn the sacred word as an Adnocate to carnal emulation, to aim at the Churches disgrace through the loins of some mens personal offences, to dive beyond sobriety in to the secrets of Gods scrutiny, peeping like the men of Beth-shemesh into the ark, 
1. Sam 6.19.  presuming above that which is written, to be tampering twixt the Hammer and the anvil, matters of state, as far from the text as our calling: to draw lascivious characters, and embellish idle Pamphlets with the oil of Gods Tabernacle: to flush a doctrine of sedition, and then spring a Couie of wicked uses, of which sort are they which creep into houses and lead captive silly women. These extrauagancies haue no warrant, no show and pretext of Sic dicit Dominus. Let Timothy be instant, 
2. Tim 3.6. 2. Tim 4.2.  and let Titus rebuk withall authority, 
Tit. 2.8. ●…  but with sound speech, such as cannot be condemned. Let him that speaketh saith Peter, 
1. Pet. 4.11.  speak as the Oracles of God: let him use sharpness according to the power which the Lord giveth to edification and not unto destruction. 
2. Cor. 13,10.  Let him not bring strange fire to offer before the Lord. Take the fire of your zeal from the Altar of Gods word, 
provver. 25.12.  and use it in the Censers of charity, come with Sic dicit Dominus. Then great ones will pray with david, Let the righteous rarher reprove me. And a wise reprover on an obedient ear shall be like jewels of gold and ornaments of much fine gold.  
Now observe Hezekiahs deportment to the prophesy in a mutual reference as the prophesy hath relation unto him, and as he hath relation unto the prophesy. Thou shalt die and not live. He doth not expostulate with God, nor darken counsel by words without knowledge( as job was taxed) 
job. 34.2,  he doth not moote the case, and fill his mouth with arguments. As who should say;  
Is this the recompense of all my faithful service? is this the fruit of my labours in the replantation of religion, had I been devoted to the sin of my progenitors, had I cast my religion in the mould, my predecessors left at Dan and Bethel, walking in the paths of Nebats son in not repealing the Statutes of Omri, I could look for no other wages of Sin but Death, &c. Here we find no such glottering, no such repining against God, whose proceeding in iudgement is often secret, always just, but he yields himself with a sweet resignation to the disposal of almighty God, 
Luke 21.19  he possesseth his soul( while he may possess it) with patience, even while he is dying, he expects the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the living, and methinks in this patience, I behold a brave courage and heroical magnanimity, he is not dejected, dammed, or dismade at this tidings, his heart doth not droop& faint like Nabals, 
1. Sam. 25.  that went away like a ston, but he stirs and musters up the faculties of his soul, to make his account with God, encounter with Death. again, consider as he hath reference to the prophesy, he turned his face to the wall, for whether should he turn himself? to the World? paragei to schema, the fashion of this World it passeth away from him,& he from it: Should he turn his Face to the treasures of his House? or pleasures of his household? there his chiefest comforts are his greatest tortures, according to the estimate of their supposed worth ariseth the multiplication of sorrow and discontent. For by how much he was affencted with ioy in the fruition of them, by so much is he afflicted with grief in parting from them. Their pleasantness makes him but the more unwilling to foregoe them, and this struggling with necessity is not the lest cause of misery. Should he with Asa turn his Face unto the physician, Doctâ plus valet arte malum, the disease poseth the Doctor, the help of Drugs may patch this Tabernacle, but when the cords are broken and the stakes loosed,& this Tabernacle must down and be dissolved, What should those skenóraphoi, rent-menders busy themselves any more? The Apothecarte makes a confection and is not able to finish his own work. Non est in medico— it is not all His aromatique Spices and precious Ointments( whereof he had great store) can ad one grain or scruple to his life. Should he turn his Face unto his courteous and noble attendants? here one disquiets his panting soul with the distracted State of the Common-wealth, another with the vnsetlednesse of the true Religion, all of them bemoaning the loss either of their Master or their Office. May not he say to these as job to his friends, 
job. 16.2.  Miserable comforters are ye all. Wherefore to turn from them as so many remoras and pulbackes to devotion, he turns his Face to the wall; not of the sanctuary( as the called paraphrast wedges a guess in to the Text) that whether he could not go with the paces of his body he might tend with the purposes of his mind, but simply to the wall of his Chamber, it may be there was some Image erected to represent the invisible God. I make answer the second Commandement was not then sponged out of the decalogue. Wherefore then? That he might recollect his fainting Spirits, that without hindrance or preturbation of other objects he might freely and amply enlarge himself and poure forth his complaints in the sight of his Maker. 
Ille dolet vere qui sine teste dolet. He is sorry with a witness that is sorry without a witness.  Faciem suam vertit ad parietem vt cor effusius leuaret ad dominim, A mind disposed to devotion desines a solitary sequestration. The soul of Man like a curio is and well-tuned Instrument, being sit for a divine harmony may quickly be disordered by the lest brush of casualty. Our saviour the president of piety, we read still he went aside to pray: in his Supplications on the Mount of Oliues all night before his Passion, He was the paschal lamb set apart from the the Flock before the Oblation, 
zachary 12.  in the mourning of Hadad rimmon, Theres the family of euerne Tribe apart,& their wives apart. jeremy saith, 
ieremy. 13 17  My soul sha●… weep for them in secret places. Let me alone( saith job) that I may speak, I poure out my heart by myself, saith the Psalmist, 
psalm 42.7.  and as is his practise, so is his precept, Commune with your hearts in your chamber: 
psalm 4.  to which our saviour alludes, 
Mat. 6.6.  when thou prayest enter into thy chamber and shut the door. Saint Chrysostome gathers this lesson from the habit and posture of the Angels that hid their face and feet with their wings Teaching us( saith he) 
Chrys. de epat.  in time of prayer in a divine rapture to forget ourselves and hid our human nature, being saith he one hased and environed with a cheerful reverence to behold nothing conterminate about us, but to think ourselves planted amongst the thickest of the Angels. mind those things which are above, and not those things which are vpon the earth: this rectifying and well managing our meditations is the dressing and preparing our lively Sacrifice, otherwise our payers are the Sacrifice of a fool, what greater contumely and disgrace can bee offered to the worship of God, than to present the skin of ostentation stuffed with gestures and compliments in stead of the substantial body of a spiritual Holocaust: To bring vitulos labiorum the calves of our lips in the exelsis the high places of our tongues and brains, and not on the Altar of our hearts, to turn thy face unto the wall, and not thy faith unto the Lord, is gross and inexcusable Idolatry. Let this teach us to drive away all carnal, wandring and unbeseeming thoughts as Abraham did the foul that troubled his Sacrifice. 
Gen. 15.11.   
again, be not like the hypocrites to stand and pray in the synagogues and corners of the street, Hezekiah turns his face, as though he would haue none take notice of what he did but onely God. Yet far be it from me to tax either of hypocrisy or vainglory, the custom of some men, who in the Temple or assembly, privately curne their face to the wall, to pay the tribute of a thankful mind. To those who are such fervent reprehenders of things indifferent, I might answer with Saint Paul, 
Rom 14 4 10.  Tu quis? Who art thou that judgest? and Quid iu? Why dost thou judge thy brother. That apology the Pharisees made for Saint Paul may serve in this case against a Pharisee, 
A●…. 23.9.  If an angel or spirit hath spoken unto him, lets not fight against God. It may be bee the spirit of supplication hath kindled the good motions of piety in his heart, should he extinguish them to prevent thy cavil? If thou hast faith, haue it to thyself? it may bee the beating of the poor Publicans breast in the Temple is more acceptable to God then the noise of thy parlour-exercise. 
Luke 1 ●.  Let not therefore Michol mock david for dancing afore the ark, 
2, Sam. 6.20.  with how glorious: nor Eli say Hanna is drunk for moving her lips in the temple: nor the Presidents accuse Daniel for praying with his window open. 
Dan. 6.10.  I say then, let a man in the simplicity of his heart without glancing at popular applause, put up his vows to God or perform any other christian duty; though the gazing eye of the whole world were fixed on him; the candour& singleness of his ingenuous intention shall warrant and bear out the openness of his action: so S. Austin, Qui ergo non ideo facit. He that doth it not that it may appear unto men, though in the appearance of men. Neminem videt in cord, he sees none in his heart, but onely God to whom or for whom he doth his works of charity, yet I deny not S. Pauls decorum, let all things be done decently and in order; it is commended to Christian prudence to suit our actions with convenient& correspondent circumstances.  
Hezekiah prayed. No doubt but all the faithful and loyal people from Dan to Beersheba had solemn prayers and supplications to God in the behalf of their King, What? the breath of their nostrils, the anointed of the Lord, the light, the lamp, the glory of Israel! And great reason, as the people said to david. Art not thou worth ten thousand of us, the jewel of the lands felicity is laid up in the Casket of the Kings safety, That wee may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 
1. Tim. 2.2.  every subject of what degree and condition soever, may justly claim a right and interest in the kings happiness, unless such as blow the trumpet of rebellion with the son of Bichri, saying, We haue no part in david, nor inheritance in the son of less. 
2. Sam. 20.  Yet though the levites pray, the Priests pray, the Prophets pray, the Nobles and Commons, and all Israel are on the knees of their soul in the behalf of their king, yet would Hezekiah pray for himself. It is good for every man to be his own Chapla●…. Each mans a Priest for his own soul, a holy Priesthood, saith Peter to offer up spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God through Iesus Christ, 
1 Pet. 2.5.  qui sibi nequam cvi bonus, he that will not pray for himself, how should he pray for another, why should another pray for him? Prayer is the principal work of charity, and charity( saith the proverb) begins at home. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Primum vide si nosti diligere te tum commendam tibi proximum. Si nondum nosti diligere te timeo ne decipias proximum sicut te. He that will cousen himself, how will he deal well with his neighbour? david in love to jerusalem, not onely entreats others to pray for it. 
Psal. 122.6.7.  Oh pray for the peace of jerusalem, but himself preys. Peace be within thy walls, &c. He that cannot pray for the peace of conscience, will never pray( at lestwise effectually) for the peace of the Church. pharaoh desires Moses prayer, Saul requests Samuels prayer, Simon Magus entreats Simon Peter to pray for him, shameless people as they are; they haue not the grace to pray for themselves, yet they haue the face to solicit others. I know it is a blessed thing to haue the prayers of the Church for thee, but with thee also: the absence or not appearance of thy prayers non-suites the proceedings of the Church in the Court of heaven for thee. Therefore Saint Paul wills his Romans, 
Rom. 15.30.  Sunagonizesthai, to strive and contend together with him in their prayers to help him to wrestle with God for a blessing( for the word imports as much) This should teach every man to follow his own suite to solicit his own cause, for he that serves God by his attorney shall go to heaven by a proxy.  
Hezekiah prayed. And to whom doth he pray? to the Angels? to the Saints? to the spirits of just and perfect men? the liturgy of his Church had no ora pro nobis in it. He was well informed what Esayas had taught in his time concerning God, 
Esay. 63.16.  Thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us; those limited and circumscribed spirits haue no distinct and peculiar knowledge of human affairs, they cannot discern our individual and personal states such knowledge is to excellent for them. It is Gods attribute to be cardiognostes, the knower of the heart, and david makes it a divine property to hear prayers. 
psalm 65.2.  Oh thou that hearest the prayers, to thee shall all flesh come: our petitions pass not through the hands of every Courtier, one mediator twixt God and man. 
1. Tim. 2.5.  The man Christ Iesus he is the onely master of requests, whom haue I heaven but thee O Lord. Let the papists mingle-mangle themselves like the Priests of Baal with the invocation of God knows what Saints. learn wee of Hezekiah to call vpon Iehouah. He prad unto the Lord: But to small purpose might some think at this time. Can the judge of the whole world reverse a sentence once pronounced? is the strength of Israel as man that he should lye, or the son of man that he should repent? 
Numb. 23.19.  Doth he use lightness? are not his words yea yea, nay nay? Wherefore then doth Hezekiah move God after a definitive iudgement? beloved: it is so with God that he can mutare sententiam& non consilium, change his sentence and not his decree: because his secret and divine purposes are sometimes reserved for a fit occasion to reveal and manifest themselves: which occasion must often be struck out of contraries, like fire out of flint and steel. So then he doth not mutare voluntatem, change his will, but velle mutationem, will a change, the alteration subsists not in the disposer of the thing, but in the thing disposed of. Hence Hezekiah entreats God, though against God; like the father of the faithful that hoped even against hope, 
Rom. 4.18.  though he kill me( saith Job) yet will J trust in him. So Hezekiah, Though I must die, yet will I pray to him, for who knows if God will turn from the execution of his fierce wrath. This admirable privilege of a most constant and confident affiance, hath the saving Faith of Gods chosen. A most noble prerogative, prouotare a Deo ad Deum, to appeal from God to God himself, and to implead his majesty to remove the cause from the Common Pleas of his Iustice, to the chancery of his mercy: It can make way through a crowd of oppositions and conditional comminations, to the Throne of Grace,& there obtain a favourable and plausible audience. Faith it is that can scale and batter the Walls of heaven, and take the kingdom thereof by violence. learn we then, 
〈…〉.  

1. When we can do no good else, we may pray,  
2. Prayer may do us good, when nothing else can.    
1. When we, &c. When the botch, boin, or plague-sore of Hezekiah glued& fastened him to his couch, when the violent disease like strakes of wild-fire, whurrie through his veins, dry up his vital and animal Spirits, suck and drain out the very marrow of his soul, what can he do? how should he drive out the barbarous enemy from the borders of the holy land? how can he oversee the Rulers in the gate for administration of Iustice? how can he prosecute his happy reformation of religion? in what maner should he express his zeal for the Lord of Hosts, he cannot compass Gods Altar, nor tread in the Court of the House of the Lord, yet this( which is far more excellent) he hath a familiar colloquy and parley with God, a free conference with his maker. I will not lavish time to be copious in things obvious, onely apply it, art thou therfore hemd in with the iudgments of God, dost thou suffer the terror thereof with a troubled mind? canst thou discern no possibility of evasion? confided fili mi, bee of good cheer, the miseries that press down thy body shall weigh up thy soul: the same clay that seems to plaster and clam up the eyelids of thy faith shall recover and restore thy sight again: the same hand of providence that stops the common way to heaven shall let in thy soul at the posterne-gate of mercy, that it may haue an ample and free recourse unto thy saviour, that thou mayst say with S. Paul, 
1. Cor. 16 9.  A large and effectual door was opened unto me. In a word, you whose bowels of compassion yerne, for the lavish effusion of that blood which is precious in the sight of the Lord, if you can do nothing else, pray, &c. Prayer can do us good when nothing else may, when health and wealth, liberty, means, maintenance, courage, wisdom, policy,& all the acoutrements of nature shall bee stripped off,& these temporal blessings sly away like a dream, and be chased away as a vision of the night: 
job. 20.8.  when the sweet abundance of outward pleasures that once ouerflowd the banks of happiness( like jordan in the time of harvest) 
Ios. 3.15. Eccl●… s. 40. ●…  is dried up and decayed. Oh then! welfare prayer. In the imminent necessity of present extremity prayer avails. When the earth is Iron, and the the heauens brass, tis prayer obtains the former and later rain. This opens& shuts the casements of heaven: it dares stop the canon-mouth of thunder: it will step in and ward a blow when the vengeance of God is smiting: it can bind the arms of iustice,& male up those plagues that are stored for an evil day, it can rescue and acquit a miserable debtor attached vpon an execution, You see how it can keep of death:& we red in holy book how it hath rend ope the prison bard with ston,& brought out captives from the gates of the grave: it was a large promise of Christ, quodcunque petieritis, 
Mat. 7.7.  whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name it shall be given: it was a gracious precept, inuoca me in die tribulationis, 
jer. 29.12.  call vpon me in the time of trouble, and I will hear thee: and it was the continual experiment of the Saints, 
Psa. 116.  in their distress they called vpon the Lord, and he heard them and delivered them, &c. Oh therfore in the time of misery call vpon the God of mercy, in the hour of death direct thy prayers to him that hath the power of death: what a blessed flight hath the mind in meditation, when mounted on the wings of faith and repentance, it sores up in the presence of God, and takes sanctuary in the merciful arms of Iesus Christ.  
The next part of this divine physic is the purgative, Hezekiahs pills sine quibus esse noll: wherewith he purgeth and assoiles himself from the scandalous imputation the iniquity of the times were likely to charge him withall, They are foully mistaken that think Hezekiah pleads merit in this place, no more then Nehemiah there. 
Nehe. 13.22.  Remember me oh Lord according to this, and spare me according to the multitude of thy mercies. It is not the justification of himself, but the illustration of a good cause Hezekiah stands vpon. The matter that troubled his mind was this, to wit, the fickle estate of Religion which along time afore him was far-worne and overgrown with idolatry and superstition: now but while afore his sickness imperfectly reformed and newly restored to the primitive dignity of Moses institution( as Moses formed all things according to the pattern in the Mount; So Hezekiah reformed according to the pattern of Moses) which now by his death( having no heir to succeed him in his sovereignty or piety) is likely not onely again to bee shuffled out by former abuses and profanations, but idolatry to get higher hand: because those that were always nuzzled in it, would be ready enough to say that Hez: sudden death, was a punishment of God for the dissolution of their high places( to which the land generally was devoted.) And this you may see was Rabshekahs argument to exsperate the superstitious people against their eligious King, for maintaining the liberties of their opinion by rebellion. But if you say we trust in Iehouah our God is not that he whose high places and altars Hezekiah hath taken away, &c. 
2. King. 18.22.  mark how by this insinuation he cunningly winds a persuasion into the ouer-credulous hearts of the ignorant people, that Hezekiahs alteration was rather an innovation and provocation of Gods wrath to himself, than any sincere reformation of religion, that it was a trick of state to bind men to come up to jerus: whereas the high-place and altars in the country( the monuments of their ancient fathers) might better serve their turn. By this suggestion of Rabshekah you plainly perceive how he scattereth the seeds of disloyalty in the hearts of Hezekiahs subiects, withdraws them from their natural allegiance, confirms and strengthen them in their former ignorance, disables the reformation set on foot, and makes them that are weak in faith to fall off and becomes apostates to their God, and traitors to the king. And now to set a colour and gloss on these pretences Hezekiahs untimely death shall bee alleged. From the drift of the story take onely this observation by the way. The misconstructions of prejudicate opinions conceived by suspicious idolatry, when they do forestall, bank, and stop the currents of good attempts, before they come to a full perfection, not onely derogate from godly endeavours, but cast a scandal and obloquy on the undertakers. It is not death so much as the adherent inconveniences that Hezekiah would avoyde. He refuseth not to pay the debt we all owe by nature, but it seems to be exacted before it is due, in regard of the course of nature, the thrid of his life being not spun to the ordinary length of his ripe age, in regard of Gods promise for perpetual issue to inherit the throne of david, which was now in the loins of a dying man, in regard of the work of the Lord he had undertaken, which was now at a stay and vnaccomplished. Therfore Hezekiah prays that his grave may not be a bank to raise up their superstition higher. He prays, seeing his faith was built not on the sandy ground of human inventions and traditions, but on the rock of Gods word that a sudden breach of life might not open a gap to let in the stream of faction, sweep away the memorial of his deeds with a strong tide of calumniation. Therefore says he, on na Iehouah zekar-na, Remember oh Lord I beseech thee. This is that e'roótema tes suneidéseoos, which Saint Peter makes the soul and form● of baptism, the adstipulation of a good Conscience, 
1 Pet. 3.21.  that can answer all the objections of Satan at the time of death, when he is most busy to confounded us with his Sophisiry. Thus when God as a judge sat vpon Abimilech, and cast him, saying, Thou art a dead man, he pleads not guilty, In the integrity of my heart, and innocency of my hands, haue I don this. 
Gen 20,5.  Thus Samuel deposed at the resignation of his magistracy, could challenge all Israell vpon his uncorrupted honesty, 
1. Sam. 12.3.  Behold here I am, witness against me, whose ox haue I taken, whose ass haue I taken, whom haue I defrauded, whom haue I oppressed, at whose hands haue I taken any bribe? Should these entergatories be propounded not only by them that ride on white asses, that sit in Iudgement, but even by them that handle the pen of the Writer, 
judge. 5.10.14.  No doubt but answers would be made to the particulars, for their right-hands are full of bribes, 
Ps 26.10.  and the Rulers love to say with shane, give ye. 
Os. 4.18.  Thus david aquits himself for the matter of competition with Saul, The Lord reward me according to my righteous dealing, according to the cleannesse of my hands shall he recompense me. 
Psa. 18.10.  Thus Paul at the Councell-bord, 
Act. 23.1.  Men& brethren, I haue lived in all good conscience before God unto this day. Nehemiah, jumps, with the memento in our Text, 
Nehe. 5.19.  think vpon me for good, according to all that I haue done unto this people, The reason of this bouldesse, and confident affiance, is, The great God, hath planted in every Mans breast, a just and faithful Steward, 
Luke 16.6.  one that will not huddle his accounts, and when we owe a hundred, bid take the Bill, and set down fifty, He keeps a just reckoning, 
Ro. 2.15.16.  an even tally with God, by which we shall haue euge, or apage, in that day when God shal judge the secrets of mens harts, by Iesus Christ, the Conscience bearing witness.  
It can not be denied, that through the corruption of our sinful nature, nothing is pure, Who can bring clean out of unclean, saith job, 
job. 9.20.  if I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me. Wherefore, even our minds and consciences are defiled, yet by the benefit of the covenant of Grace, ye are washed, sanctified, cleansed. 
Heb 9.  The blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God, purgeth the Conscience from dead works, to serve the living God, 
1. joh. 1.7.  The strong dosis of our saviours blood, purgeth us from all sin. By this means we are restored to the illumination of Knowledge, perfection of Faith, practise of good works, perpetual study of renovation, and sanctification of God in our hearts. Hence, hence ariseth that been actae vitae iucundissima recordatio, the sweet review and pleasant meditation of a well-spent life, that murus chaeneus, brazen sconce to beat back the bullets of slander into the Face of malicious accusers, that whereas they speak evil of you as of evil doers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 
1. Pet. 1.16.  This makes the righteous bold as a Lion, 
Pro. 28.1.  in all disadvantage and misprisions, to triumph and rejoice, nay, to boast. Our boasting, our glorying, is this, the testimony of our Conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God we haue had our conversation. 
2. Cor. 10.11.  Ah, what a sweet contentment will this be at our departing, what hony of consolation shall we find in that Lion of Death, that we can say with Paul, 
2. Cor. 4.4.  Nullius mihi conscius sum, I know nothing by myself, with david, 
Psa. 69 5.  Lord thou knowest my simplicity, with job, 
job. 16.19.  my witness is in heaven,& my record is on High, with Simeon, Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace, with Hez, onna Iehouah zekar●na, remember oh Lord, &c.  
The same Register of God, sits in the Lumher-house of Sin, and takes an inventory of all things, The sins of judah, are written with the Pen of Iron, and the point of a Diamond. 
jer. 17.1.  And though the wicked discern it not, because they are in darkness, yet when God either in the general or particular Visitation shall search jerusalem with a lantern, and shall light his Candle, The Spirit of Man( saith Solomon) is the Candle of the Lord, Then the deeds of darkness shall appear to be engrossed in capital Letters, so that one may run, that readeth them, 
Hab. 2.2.  Though for a while they disport themselves with God, and set a good colour on their impieties, yet when the Foule-weather of Affliction shall make the Painted. wall give again,& the daubing with untempered mortar shall fall off, and let in through the holes& crannies, the beams of that Light they thought to bee extinguished, Then Lord! what symptoms of perplexed sorrow and amazement startle the passions of the soul? How doth a swarm of doubts and distractions sting the very Conscience, How doth the vengeance of God tear and rend the cawls of their hearts enclosed in their own fat, When the sins of their youth, and iniquities of their age, shall hale them( like so many gripping Catch-poles) to the tribunal seat of Iustice, With what anguish is their souls blistered and tormented, being ready to appear before that God, that is a consuming fire, Then with what fearful yels and lamentable eiulations do they howl and roar vpon their Beds, 
Ose. 7.4.  Yet, though the pains of Hell gets hold vpon them, they never call vpon God, neither is God in all their thoughts, Some fragments indeed, and broken pieces of prayers they mutter out, as impertinent to the occasion, as imperfect and dismembered in the composing of them. How careful therefore should we be in the time of health, with Noah the preacher of righteousness, 
Gen. 6.22.  to build the ark of a good conscience before the flood of Gods judgements come, With prudent joseph, 
Gen. 40.48.  to lay up in the Granaries of our harts, the immortal Sced of the Word, ere the Famine pinch vs. With Solomons provident Ant, 
Prou. 6.7.  to hoard up Food of Consolatiion, ere the winter overtake vs. With the unjust, but the Wise Steward, 
Luke 16.1.  to plot for entertainment, ere we be thrust out of our Office. With the wise Virgins, 
Mat. 25.  to haue the oil of Grace, in the Lamps of our Faith, before the Bride-Grooms come. Wouldst thou then, with the penitent thief, haue a memento mei? Thou must first haue a memento Dei. Shall Christ remember thee in Paradise? Remember thou Christ in calvary. They which like not to retain God in their knowledge, 
Rom. 1.28.  God likes not to retain them in his knowledge. I will profess in that day. I know ye not, depart from me ye workers of iniquity. 
Mat. 7.23.  And it is a just retaliation or requital with God, Seeing thou hast forgotten the Law of thy God, I will also forget thee. 
Os. 4.6.  As the Prophet Ose records, and Jeremy also, 
jer. 23.29.  Therefore I will utterly forget thee, and forsake thee: Wherefore, 

1. Put thyself in mind of God.  
2. Put God in mind of thyself.    
1. Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth, Then thy Creator will remember thee in the day of thy death. Rembember what I say unto you, Let the Word of God be as Frontlets to thine Eyes, bind them about thy Neck, and writ them on the Tables of thine Heart. Say with david, 
Psa. 119.  J will never forget thy Commandements. Remember the Promises of God with Faith, the judgements of God with fear, the Mercies of God with love, His Benefits with Thankes, His Precepts with Obedience. His Chastisements with Patience. Remember thy Creation with reverence, Thy Redemption with Holinesse, Thy Proseruation with righteousness, Thy Glorification with joyfulness. Remember God in all places, at all times, up sitting, down lying, at evening, morning,& noon day. Haue I not remembered thee in my Bed, and thought vpon thee when J was waking, Ps. 63.7. Know ye not what a fearful thing it is to forget God. The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all the people that forget God. 
Ps. 9.17.  In Hell and Death, there is no man remembers thee: 
psalm. 6.5.  Yet, dives hath in Hell a woeful memento. 
Luke 16.25.  son, remember, that thou in thy life-time hadst thy good, &c. 
psalm 50.22.  Now then, consider this all ye that forget God, before ye go to the Land where all things are forgotten. 
Psa. 88.12.  One day, thou wilt say to God, Oh remember me for Iesus sake; now, God saith, Remember me for Iesus sake. It is the Ministers duty to put you in mind of these things( saith S. Paul to Timothy) 
2. Tim. 2.15.  Put them in remembrance; Nay, to rouse you from the slumber of security, as the Mariners did Jonah, 
joh. 1.6.  What meanest thou, oh sleeper? You that are the Lords remembrances, keep not silence, saith Esay. 
Esay. 62.6.  I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, saith Peter. 
2. Pet. 1.12.  If I forget thee oh Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, &c. 
Psa. 137.5.6.   
2. Put God in mind of thyself. Prayer is Gods remembrancer. While way pray, God remembers us, and forgets our sins: While we neglect this holy duty, he remembers our sins, and forgets vs. You will say with the Psalmist, 
Ps. 77.9.  Can God forget to be gracious? No, it is impossible. Can a Woman forget her sucking Child? 
Esay. 49.17.  Grant she may, yet will not J forget thee. J haue graven thee on the palms of my Hands, saith God unto his Church. Now his writing, his engrauing, cannot be defaced, cannot be altered. Shall the laws of the Medes and Persians, silly paynim, arrogate immutability? Shall Pilate, an Earthly Magistrate, bear out the virtue of a Warrant, with Quod scripsi, scripsi? And shall not the council of the Great God, the Decree of the mighty judge of the whole World, be Yea, and Amen. A book of remembrance was written before the Lord( saith Malachy) 
Mal. 3.16.17.  for them that feared him and thought vpon his Name, and those that think vpon his Name will be always calling on it. In regard of the absolute perfection of the divine Nature, the Omniscience of God cannot possibly be stained with oblivion. For, Known unto God are all his works from the foundation of the World. Yet, his pleasure is to haue the appointed means used for the execution of his Will, unto which our dull natures are whetted by such figurative speeches applied to the divine Nature of the immortal God, As express the passion of mortal Men. As to forget, to hid himself, to absent himself, to turn away his Face, to with-draw his countenance, &c. Such therefore as frequently resort unto God by their prayers and supplications, they are Gods familiar acquaintance, He hath taken special notice of them, He remembers them. But, such as never show themselves to God by a holy conversation, they are mere strangers. When they shall come to claim acquaintance, and scrue themselves into familiarity, Christ shakes them off with non novi vos, I know you not, I remember no such. How art thou my sheep, and never heardest my voice? How should you be known to be my Disciples, if you love not one another? How art thou my soldier? I never saw thee in my service, I find no such name in the Muster-booke of those that are in my pay. By what token, what sign, canst thou bring thyself into the memory of thy saviour? The foundation of God stands sure, and hath this seal, The Lord knows who are his. Now therefore, in the acceptable time, labour by all means to make thyself known to God, that thy Face may shine like Moses his Face, with being often conversant with God. Put thyself forward, be always employed in his service, be a companion unto those that are Gods Children, friends, and fauourits, remain in his house, let thy soul be waiting still vpon God, be always preferring thy petitions, the more importunate the more welcome, in all things let your requests be made known to God,& not coldly, remissly, carelessly, without any heat, or life, but with obsecration, onna Jehouah, J beseech thee, oh Lord, it is no slight moving, put an earnest urging& pressing our petitions, makes them speed well. Jacobs wresting, forced out a blessing. The widows troublesone molestation, made the unjust judge avenge her of her adversary, Luke 18.5. The importunity of the Neighbour that borrowed three Loafes, made his friend rise at mid-night. This obtestation and vehement beseeching, argues a sense and feeling of our own wants, and awful reverence of the majesty of God, a persuasion of his gracious benignity, a confident hope of obtaining the desires of our Heart, a precious valuation of the gift we sue for, and a pledge of a thankful acceptation. The Church of England puts the like form of prayer in our mouths. Many of us, pass it over, Magis vsu quam sensu, more by the formality and rotunditie of the words, than the efficacy of the matter comprised in them. The effectual fervent prayers of a righteous man avail much, saith S. james, 
Iam 5.16.  And mark you what he saith of a righteous Man, a good Conscience furnisheth Hezekiah with matter. The good Man, out of the good treasure of his Heart, brings forth good things. It is this ston that props up the wearied hands of Moses, and makes them steady. It is the abundarie& Common place book of our orisons. Innocence( saith david) must go before incense, Ablution of the hands before Oblation by the hands. I will wash my hands in innocency, so will I compass thy Altar. 
Ps. 26.6.  In this laver of innocency, doth Hezekiah now bathe his soul( for so much as here is expressed, seems to me rather a Preface to what he intended, than the prayer itself.) This cleared ourselves, strengtheners our cause, and puts a bashful Petitioner home to God. No such hindrance to devotion, as customary sin: This dead Fly, corrupts the ointment of devotion, and makes it stink in the Nostrils of God. The prayer of the wicked is an abomination: offering of Swins Flesh, cutting off a Dogges neck, the most offensive and injurious to the Worship of God, that impiety itself can devise. If I regard iniquity in my heart( saith david) 
Psa. 66.16.  God will not hear my prayer.  
All sins make a separation, a great gulf betwixt you and your God, more especially Idolatry security, and cruelty, the crying sins of this land. For the first, jer. 11.13. God complains, the streets of jerusalem are full of Altars, Therefore I will not hear, in the time they cry unto me. 2. security, Prou. 28.9. He that turns away his ear from hearing the Law, his prayer shall be abominable. So Zachary, As God cried& they would not hear, so they cried and God would not hear. 3. For cruelty, Es. 1.15. When you make many prayers, I will not hear: When you spread forth the hands, I will hid mine Eyes: For your hands are fall of blood. So jeremiah, 
jer. 7.9.  Will you steal, and murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and stand before me in this House where my Name is called vpon. In general, saith the blind Man, God hears not sinners: But, if any be a worshipper of God, him God heareth. 
John. 9.31.  In this auspicious assurance, doth Hezekiah begin his prayers, onna Ieh. &c.  
Emortuales piorum vocessunt obseruandae. Saith one, There is great heed to be taken to the last words& ejaculations of godly men, when they are ready to depart this World, because, then repentance is brought to a head and perfected, the lusts of sin are extinguished, the vanities of worldly pleasures contemned, the temptations of satan vanquished, the joys of the kingdom of heaven graciously represented, whereupon some remarkable testimony of their happy transmigration drops from them like the Mantle of Elias, when he was taken up to heaven. Time would fail me to instance in our blessed saviour, Moses, jacob, david, Paul, Simeon, Stephan, with the whole army of Martyrs, who like so many divine Swans, in melodious raptures, warbled forth their souls into the hands of God. Let this royal pattern afore our Eyes, be Instar omnium: instead of all, to stir you to your wonted patience and attention, I promise brevity in taking it out and handling it.  
In these few words is comprised the character of a true Saint, the description of a godly Man: 

1. Verit as in mente.  
2. Sincerit as in cord.  
3. Bonitas in opere.    
1. Truth in the intentions of the mind without imposture and falsification: J haue walked in Truth.  
2. sincerity in the affections of the Heart without hypocrisy and dissimulation: With a perfect Heart.  
3. goodness in the actions of his life without malice or criminal aberration: J haue done that which is good.  
Hithaelachetti, I haue walked, You know in Scripture, the course of our life is called, A way. Our saviour mentions two ways, the broad, and the narrow. Of the former, saith Salomon, There is a way seems pleasant, but the end thereof is death. But behold, I show you a more excellent way, the way of truth, the way of life. The way, truth, and life, Homini est iter ad Deum per Deum& hominem, Mans way to God is by God and man Christ Iesus. Quo itur Deus, qua itur homo, As God our journeys end, as Man our way unto it. So S. Augustine, 
Aug. de civi. 11. 2.  and S. basil also, 
basil.  When our Lord is termed a way, we must advance our minds to a more sublimed sense than the vulgar and common acception, for we understand the order and race of the works of righteousness, and illumination of knowledge, by which we are brought to the perfect and near course of religion. I need not therefore sand you with the Prophet Jeremiah, 
jer. 6.16.  to inquire for the old way, neither need you inquire with the Wise-men in the East, where is he? But you being taught of God, shall hear a voice behind you, saying, 
Esay 30.21.  Haec est via, ambulate in illa: This is the way, walk in it. Now, for our direction and safe proceeding in the way, these three things are principally necessary:  
1. Light to show the way. i. Truth in the mind by the Word revealing it.  
2. Sight to know the way. i. Perfection of the heart by Faith receiving it.  
3. Might to go the way. i. goodness in actions, by our good-workes practising it.  
1. To haue light, and no sight, makes our traveler grovel at noon day, because that Instrument and Organ of the Eye of Faith, which should receive the promises of God, the object of happiness, and convey those species, and apparent semblances, to the soul to be discerned, is defective or wanting. If the light which is in you be darkness, now great is that darkness. Saith our saviour, 
2. Pet. 2.9.  He that lackth these things is blind and cannot see a far off. Peter.  
2. To haue sight, and no light, is a misery not inferior to the former, When the comfortable light of the gospel is taken away, When the diaphanes, and perspicuity of Scriptures is clouded and obscured with a strange language, When supine ignorance shall make up the windows of the soul so close, that the rays of the gospel cannot pierce into thee, When the heavy sleep of profane atheism, binds the senses, and shuts up the Eye-lids: When in a strange ecstasy, the dreams of enthousiasm, or a private Spirit, shall delude the fancy with false apparitions, and gross expositions: There must needs ensue a gloomy darkness, And the night comes wherein no Man can walk.  
3. To haue light and sight, 
Ecclces. 12.3.  Yet, if might, ability, and a loco-motiue faculty, be wanting: If the Keepers of the House shall tremble, and the strong Men shall bow themselves: If with Mephibosheth, thou be lame on both legs, a Cripple in thy active and passive obedience. How canst thou say with S. Paul? I haue finished my course: I haue run the race, that is set before me, how with Hezekiah? hithalachetti, I haue walked. But when the nimble Feet of practise shall be directed by the perfect Eye of Faith, and that enlightened by the Word of Truth, this enables a Palmer to make hast with an even course unto the Holy Land.  
Before thee in Truth. There is the conformity and correspondence of the intellect, to the pattern and model of all Truth: that is, The renewing in the Spirit of the Mind, by the hearing of the Word.  
And with a perfect Heart. There is conformity of the Will and affection unto the intellect, transformed by the renovation of the Mind, when the exorbitant and irregular passions, are brought to the obedience of Christ, Doing the will of God from the Heart, Eph. 6.6.  
And haue done that which is good in their Eyes. Not Video meliora proboque deteriora sequor: approve the better and follow the worse: But, feci, I haue done it. There is the conformity and adaequation of his practise in every good word and work, answerable to the former congruity of Heart and Mind, to the Truth of God. He adds, in thine Eyes, because, whatsoever the will of Man doth naturally pursue with an eager desire, be it never so foul an evil, it is masked with a show of Virtue, and embraced in the appearance of good( as that devil in the likeness of Samuel.) And because God seeth not as Man seeth, his pure Eyes can endure no uncleanness. Therefore not that which Bleer-Eyed reason conjectures to be good, but what those Eyes that are over the righteous, vouchsafes to behold as a pleasing object, That haue I done.  
1. To do good without truth in the knowledge and sincerity in the Heart, is but, splendidum peccatum, a glorious sin. The highest reach of honest infidelity, comes many degrees short of heaven: Such good works may slack the Fire of Hell, but not extinguish: They may make damnation( it may bee) more tolerable, but not less durable. whatsoever is not of Faith, is sin, and Qui non credunt etiam nunc condemnantur, 
Rom. 14.23. John 3.18.  They that beleeue not, are damned all ready.  
2. To walk in Truth without sincerity of affection and uprightness in action, is but an idle swimming speculation of the truth, changing indeed the truth of God into a lye. 
Ro. 1.25.  This comes far short of the devil, who is the father of lies yet knows more truth than the world beside.  
he that saith I know God and keeps not his commandements( in plain terms saith John) He is a liar and the truth is not in him. 
1. joh. 2.4.   
3. To haue good motions and inclinations of the heart without directions of the truth and operation of life, is a mere impotency to godliness like Balaams wish, let me die the death of the righteous but cares not to live the life of the righteous: these abortive inchoations, and faire blossoms never came to any ripeness and maturity in grace, but vanish like the apple of sodom into smoke, or the flashes of a blazing meteor into stinking air:  
Wherefore this threefold cord must not easily be broken, these twines may not be vnraueld & quae non prosunt singula iuncta inuant: like the wheels in Ezekiels vision, 
Ezek. 1.6.  one wheel within another, like the wings of the Cherubims on the mercy seat one must touch another, like the seraphical order in the heavenly quire iste ad istum, vuus ad vuum, mutually answering one another. This reciprocal coherence and entortled dependence seems to be each an exegesis and illustration, nay a proof and demonstration of the other. I haue walked in truth how know you that, because with a perfect heart, how know you that is perfect. The heart of man is deceitful above all things who can know it. tot mendacij latebris scatet cor humanum tam fraudulenta hypocrysi tectum est vt seipsum sepe fallat, the heart of man breaks out into so many secret burrowholes or lurking places of deceit, it is cased or covered with such fraudulent hypocrisy, that many times it deciues itself, or a man puts a trick vpon his own soul. This is an infallible token of a perfect heart to eschew evil and do good: bonum feci, I haue done good when the evil of the tongue keeps touch with the motions or wheels of the heart, and are both set and kept according to the son of righteousness it makes the true watch of a Christian. This triplicity in unity answers to the holy trinity, and that all were in her: wee haue a testimony beyond exception even of God himself. 2. Cron. 31.20. and he wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord, shall wee briefly and in a word dismiss the particulars, the first is beëmeth, in truth how can that be? 
Psal 116.10.  seeing omuis homo mendax, every mans a liar, in that he is a sinner he's a liar, and he that saith he hath no sin( is the greater liar) because he deceives himself and there is no truth in him: Hezekiah speaks not in respect of his personal infirmities, for in many things wee offend all: but in respect of his godly fidelity in his royal office squaring all his proceedings ecclesiastic and civil according to the rule& method of all truth, take a view of them both, in his Church government observe his deforming the worship of the false gods, reforming the worship of the true God, with what courage, zeal, and magnanimity dissolved he the forgeries of superstition crept into the Church? how did he demolish their idols and carved images? stock up their groves? deface their high places? break down their altars erected in every nook and canton of the city? in a word all the religions of profanation specially the brazen Serpent. By them abused how did he pound and stamp them in pieces and set them floating in the brook of Kidron. And for reformation mark what zeal he hath for the Lord of hosts, the first year, nay the first month after his inauguration he opened the doors of the house of the Lord, whose locks and hinges were rusted for want of usage.  
How sumptuously repaired he the Temple whose ruins made her desolate? how carefully he made the levites carry forth the filth that defiled the holy places? how cheerfully did he courage up the drooping spirits of the sons of Aaron? how faithfully restored he the Church goods and consecrated wealth and embeziled? how diligently did did he stablish divine service with trumpets and Church-musique? how solemnly did he celebrate the passeouer with the joyful concourse of the whole nation. Lastly how clearly did he through the vail of Moses behold the grace and truth that comes by Iesus Christ, as his frequency in prayer, his patience in trouble, his confidence in danger, his perseverance in faith, 
D pride ox.  give abundant witness for politic affairs, prosperity is the hand-maid of piety, it is impossible the state of that common-welth should totter that is upheld by the pillars and supportments of true religion. I speak not how he freed his subiects from the oppression of Assyri●… s tyranny. How he vanquished the Philistines and out in pieces that continual rod of the Church, how his prayers defeated the army of Zenacherib. I let pass his pious works, as buildings, fortifications, water-workes, provision and munition for upholding and maintaining truth. Oh happy land with such a King. Now whilst I read a Lecture of Hezekiah, tell me, did not your hearts burn within you whilst I made a relation of your own happiness. I know you haue made the application already with a thankful jubilee for the prosperous reign of our good Hezekiah who being sick could turn his face and pray onna lehouah. Remember &c. as you heard that King of Bishops our former most worthy Diocesser out of this Chapter in this place to a solemn assembly declare unto you,& deservedly we may ever thank our God for him. For never yet was the Christian world blessed, with so wise, so learned, so vigilant, so constant a defender of the truth as he is at this day. witness in these troublesone times of war the peaceable and flourishing estate of true religion: witness that gracious succour and relief to harborle ste exiles persecuted for the truths sake: witness his daily encouragement to the Ministers of Gods truth: witness that uniform reformation for preaching fundamental points of truth on sabbath after-noones, the most direct and happiest course for aduancement of the truth which is according to godliness: witness his zealous exactness in the balances of iustice. I might overwhelm you with a cloud of witness. I onely appeal to those excellent and eternal monuments of truth, his writings, and speeches, published amongst us, when every leaf, page., and line is an indelible track and footestep of his walking in truth. therefore the Lord heard his prayers and lengthened his yeeres( and I beseech God our sins may not shorten them) heeatked oh Lord and thou gavest him a long life yea even for ever and ever.  
Come we to ourselves with Iere. inquisition run to and fro through the streets of jerusalem, look and inquire if ye can find a man or if there bee any that seeketh truth. Where( tell) shall wee spy out a true Nathaniel in whom there is no guile: who can make that earnest protestation of Saint Paul. I speak the truth before God, I lye not! or say with Iacobs sons when joseph would bear them down, they were spies, we are true men. Gen. 42.11.  
Vetus illa est quaerela, as B. jewel begins that excellent and elegant apology, it is an ancient complaint derived from the first times even of the patriarchs and Prophets, confirmed by the letters and testimonies of all memory that truth goes a pilgrimage vpon earth, wee know not where shee it resident, like the son of man shee hath not where to lay her head: yet me thinks I hear an obstreperous Papist quarrel and contend, that truth is the minion of the Pope: his infallible iudgement hath instald her in Saint Peters chair, heic illius arma, heic currus fuit, shall wee inquire at his holinesse for the sacred way of truth? I fear me Pontius Pilates expostulation, shall bee all the satisfaction wee get there: quid est veritas? what is truth? with what a confused heap of notirious lies, palpable impostures, gross illusions doth he guile his catholic admirers, onely he proves Saint Pauls saying true. The coming of the man of sin is in lying wonders and deceivableness of unrighteousness. There bundles of Legends and packs of incredible fibles themselves are ashamed of: and Canus saith he that wrote the golden Legend was a man of a brazen face and a leaden heart. Their image which they so stiffly maintain, the Prophet Habakuk calls them doctors mendacij the teachers of lies. 
Heb. 1.18.  The Prophet ieremy Doctrina vanitatis, the Doctrine of vanity, 
jer. 10.8.  Zach. says there teraphim are speakers of a lye. 
Zach. 10.2.  Because not onely the outward shape and visible similitude resembles nothing less then what it importeth, we know that an idol is nothing in the world. But also that in ward notion conceived and fashioned, in the brain is nothing else but a mere fulsie speech, vain speculation of carnal invention, if then those images are teachers of lies what are the patrons of them? idle shepherds, they that make them( saih the Psalmist) 
Zach. 12.17.  are like unto them, so are all they that put their trust in them: their doctrine of aquiuocation and mental reservation: quanam veritas what truth is this their apish exorcisms and conjuration of the devill with belles and tapers. Q. v. what truth is this? their adoration of holy relics, immunity, and rotten bones. Q. v. what truth is this. Their prodigious miracles wrote not onely by our Ladies shrine at Laureto Sichem Haull, 
Turselin Lipsius.  but by every pain and Triobolarie S. foisted into the Popes Almanake. What truth is this? their transubstantiation where the Shaueling waves up his breaden god and never saith I haue a lye in my right hand. 
Esay. 44.20.  I should wonder that men( otherwise, very discreet, judicious, and learned) should yield assent to such toys but that our Apostle saith, God shall sand ihem strong delusions that they should beleeue a lye.  
But you that haue the way of truth more clearly revealed and the light of the Gospel shining in your Goshan. hath not the Lord a controversy with this land etiam quia nulla veritas, because there is no truth, truth is perished from among you. We find saith Saint Basil. two significations of truth, 
Basil in Ps. 15.  the one is the apprehension of those things that altogether belong unto a blessed life. The other is the wholesome knowledge of such things as appertain onely unto this. For the former, is not the gold become dross! the religion full of hypocrisy! full of dissimulation, under the colour of long prayers to devour widows houses! under the pretence of pious uses to suck the blood of the fatherless, and prey vpon goods of Orphans! Haue wee not sheeps clothing, wolves ravening, Salomons guilded potsheads, 
Pro. 29.23.  our saviours painted sepulchers, men that make religion a thoroughfare to their advantages, the profession of truth a saueguard to their covetous and corded enterprises, whose bowels would not yern to see Iacobs sons comfort their father, mourning for that child themselves unnaturally bereaved him of? 
Gen. 37.35.  to see jezabel proclaim a feast; 
1 Kin. 21.9.  Gehezi fetch apparel for the young Prophets of Mount Ephraim? 
2. Kin. 5 22.  Hanballat protect Nehemiah? 
Neh 6.11.  Herod inquire for the star? the Scribes make apology for the sabbath, and Iudas pled for the poor, quanam veritas, what truth is this? may not wee say with Saint james, this mans religion is vain, and with Saint Paul they change the truth of God into a lye.  
For truth in moral and civil conversation, is more precious than the gold of Ophir, the onyx and the sapphire, a rare jewel, I will get me( saith Iere.) 
jer 5.5.  unto the great men and will speak unto them for they haue known the way of the Lord, and the judgements of their god, but these haue altogether broken the yoke, the suaue ingum, the sweet yoke of the knowledge of the truth, I would to God in the seats of Iustice there were no coriuption at the bench, no bribery at the bar, no partiality in pleading, no calumniation in the witness, no peruertion in the sentence: in the Church, I would to God there were no eclesiastical emulation, no heretical Aspersion, no papistical inclination, no simonicall usurpation, no hypocritical dissimulation, in the Ciue I would to God the Commerce and traffic might happily thrine without sinister and abusive dealings, in garbling and sophisticating the wears, in darkening the lights, impairing the weights without having a ston, and a ston, the measures of leaves and gabs of deceits 
John 〈…〉  I would to God the Contract: and Leagues of amity, might be struck without perjury, disloyalty, treachery, dishonesty, and the new devised trade of breaking, I would to God that speeches and reports were purged from the Leuin of malice, envy, and debate, and the like sour and unsavoury corruption. God forbid that I should sin against the Lord, in ceasing to pray for you in the same words of our blessed saviour, sanstifie them with thy truth, thy word is the truth. But woe is me, there is none righteous( saith Micah) 
Mich. 7.2.  every man hunts his neighbour with a net, that they may do evil with both hands earnestly, every one is an hypocrite and adissembler, Es. 9.17. They haue no courage for the truth. jer. 9.3. what a lamentable thing is this where the shivering soul sits vpon the lips ready to take her flight into another world, we must be forced to say contrary to Hez. remember how I haue walked in the counsel of the ungodly, in falsehood with a deceit full heart and haue done that which is wicked in thine eyes &c. Wherefore( saith the Apostle) putting away lying, let every man speak the truth unto his neighbour. 
Eph. 4 15.2.4.  Hereby you shall express the image of God created in righteousness and holinesse of truth, hereby you may assure yourselves to bee the children of God for so many as are the sons of God are lead by the spirit of God which holy convoy is called pneuma aletheas joh. 14.17. the spirit of truth saith our saviour shall led you into all truth, heer's your onely comfort when you he sick vpon your bed, when this earthly tabernacle shall be dislolued, you shall dwell in the Lords tabernacle and rest vpon his holy hill, he that speaketh the truth from his Heart, and useth no deceit in his tongue( saith the Psalmist.) basil notes, that the truth is from the Heart: because, out of the abundance of the Heart, the tongue speaketh.  
The Aream of speech, flows from the source and spring of the inward affections: Thereupon saith Hezekiah, in the next place, velef shalem, with a perfect Heart. The Heart it is that God requires: My son give me thy Heart: Not thy brains or thy rains, thy Hand or thy Head, but thy Heart: And aptly, because nothing can replenish the Heart of Man, but God onely. trees sunt capsulae: There are three little closets and cells for the three Persons in the Trinity, yet one Heart for one God. I will praise God with the best member that I haue, that is, my Heart. It is the principal part both in essence and existence, dignity and virtue; whereupon dependeth our life, moving, being; therefore fittest for God, in whom we live, moon, and haue our being.  
Some translate integro cord, with a whole Heart, Cor vnum, via vna, an entire Heart: All your affections& faculties of your soul, must hoc agere, be intent vpon this one thing.  
1. Sine compositione obiecti, without compounding the object: There is no coparcinorie with God. Woe be to the sinner( saith Ben: mirach) that goes two manner of ways. The Law forbids causey garments, sowing Miscellane, yoking ox& ass together, to intimate how hateful it is to that God( whose Nature is most simplo) to haue, copes-mates. For us to consult with Flesh and Blood in mats of Religion. The God of Truth, is like the natural Mother of the Child, all or none. No concord twixt Christ and Belial, If God be God follow him, saith Elias, 1. Kings 18.21.  
2. Integro cord, Sine diuisione subiects, without dividing the Heart into several tenements and parcels. We may not haue our affections scattered like the portions of Medea's Children. The Heart cannot live like insect creatures, as Eare-wigges, wasps,& Emits, &c. which will crawl being cut in pieces, aner dipsuchos, 
Arist. de anim. 4.7.  saith Saint james, 
james. 1.8  A double minded man is unconstant in all his ways, For when the Mind brancheth itself into many intentions, it breeds a puzzle and confusion in all actions. 
Cum animus diuiditur in multa fit minor in singula.  Nusquam est qui vbique est, He that is every where is no where. It is a sign of a cloyed stomach to be tasting of every dish: variety may please the palate, but nourisheth not the body. He that travels with his Religion, may find many an host but few friends: beware then of distraction like Metius Suffetius, hovering twixt the Albans and the romans, was drawn in pieces with wild Horses. Deborah cursed Meros, 
Iud. 5.23  because it was q. meros grae. part for Sisera, part for Deborah. So Nehemiah, 
Neh. 13  anathematized those people that spake half Ashodod, half Hebrew. God spewes out Laodicea, 
Reu. 3.16  being neither hot nor could. Oh then, in a word remember that entole megale, the great Commandement our saviour speaks of, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, &c.  
Others commonly translate, perfecto cord, with a perfect Heart. Now who can say, my Heart is perfect. There is none so just vpon the Earth, that doth good and sins not, saith the Preacher. 
Eccle. 7.22  So the Prophet jeremiah, 
jer. 17.9  The Heart is deceitful above all things, desperately wicked. Who can know it? Perfection is considered after a fourefould manner: it is either,  
1. original, at the Creation in the primitive state of innocency. God made Man perfect, but he found out many inventions. He had many tricks in his Head to undo himself. This then is lost and is irrecoverable.  
2. Legal, in the strict observance and due performance of every jot and puntilio of the Law, that the rigour of Gods severest Iustice can exact: And this is impossible.  
3. moral, in the comppleat attaimment of all virtuous habits, by the constant study and frequent practise of moral precepts and observations: And this is improfitable.  
4. evangelical, in a careful and earnest endeavour of entire obedience to the whole Law, having by saving Faith, the consummation of the All-suflicient righteousness of Christ imputed. And this perfection in never so weak a manner, in never so small a measure, is true and absolute perfection. A new born Babe hath as perfect a Heart, as the oldest Man and greatest Giant. every child of God, by the benefit of New-birth, hath the perfection of all parts, though in this World he hath not all parts of perfection. But( saith the Apostle) When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part is done away, 1. Cor. 13.10.  
The Heart then is perfect:  
1. Comparatiué, By way of comparison, in respect of those Men, whose Hearts the god of this World hath blinded with the manifold attaintures of uncleanness. 
Eph. 4.   
2. Inchoatiué, By way of inchoation and perfect beginning of Grace, being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will accomplish it unto the day of our Lord Iesus Christ. 
Phil 1.6.   
3. Acceptiué, By way of acceptance, such are the riches of his mercy, and abundant goodness of his fauourale indulgence, that he accepteth a Man according to that which he hath,& not according to that which he hath not. 
2. Cor. 8.12.   
4. Affectiué, By way of affection, God crownes the desires of the Heart& adorns the purposes of the mind, with such a profitable increase of persevering growth, that mean and poor attempts at first, arise at length to a good scantling of perfection. See a pattern of S. Paul, I count not myself to haue apprehended, as though I were already perfect: but this one thing I do, forgetting that which is behind, and reaching forth to that which is before, I press toward the mark of the prise &c.  
You see an affection is a kind of perfection, for so implies the consequent exhortation. Let as many as be perfect, be thus minded, &c. 
Phil. 3 1● 15  You may attain unto this perfection by looking into the perfect law of Liberty, 
Iam 1.25.  by which, as in a glass, 
2. Cor. 3.18.  you are changed from glory to glory, that you may be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. In a word, follow your endeavours with daily and devout prayer, because saith james, 
Iam. 1.17.  every good and perfect gift is from the Father of Light. And I doubt not the Man of God may be perfect and thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 
2. Tim. 3.17.   
The word naturally signifies a peaceable Heart, for indeed, the perfection of the Heart consists in the peace and concord of the affections, love is the bond of perfection, A peaceable heart is a loving heart, Charity is a bond, because it unites and combines the disordered passions in a pleasant harmony, and peaceable tranquilitie. The Heart of a Christian, is like the Needle in a compass, being touched with the Load-stone of the holy Spirit, and secretly guided by the Pole, that is the love of God. In all the tempests and storms that beat vpon the silly Bark of the soul, when all the stowage and layding tumble up and down, and the Mariners themselves flagger and reel to and fro like a drunken Man, and are at their wits ends: Then this peaceable Heart is not moved, 
Psal 112.  he will not be afraid of any ill tidings, his Heart stands fast, his Heart is estably  shed.  
This peace is threefould.  
1. eternal will God, Rom. 5.1. being justified by Faith, we haue peace with God.  
2. internal with ourselves, when the terrors of God do not war against our Conscience, nor the desires mutiny against the Law of God, and this is begotten of the former, both wrote by Christ, who is pax nostra, our peace, Eph. 2.14. concluded on by the blood of his cross Col. 1.20.  
3. external, with others, living without quarrels, brabbles, and contentions, though not without troubles, and molestations, in the world you shall haue troubles. endeavour as much as possible to haue peace with all men. 
Ro. 12.18.  This privilege we enjoy by our Rex shalem, the King of peace, This is the prosperous estate Christs Disciples had given them by legacy. My peace I give unto you: My peace I leave unto you, saith our saviour unto them in his last Will and Testament.  
As for the ungodly it is not so with them, nulla pax impijs saith Esay 
Es. 57.20.21.  the wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt, there is no peace saith my God unto the wicked. How ere in a reckless security, they flatter themselves saying, peace peace, they make a covenant with death, and with Hell they are at agreement, yet they, by this very compact proclaim open war against heaven, and bid defiance to the Lord of Hosts, they despite the spirit of grace and like obstinate rebels, show themselves to bee theomachoi fighters against God. No peace within them: their tumultuous conscience sounds alarm to buckle with the judgements of God, which they know are ready to encounter them, concupiscence hotly pursuing the pleasures of sin for a season like the Ephesian Copper smith makes an uproar, and civil combustion in them, all the passions of the mind, as love, ioy, fear, sorrow, anger, hope &c. are become mutinous, so that like the race of Cadmus his armed men, which came up of serpents teeth, they mutually slay one another, or rather like the garrison of the Philistines being smote with a divine terror every ones sword is against his fellow, thus the seditious thoughts in the breast of a wicked man, with an vnplacable fury discomfite and melt each other. 
Populumque potentem in sua victrici conuersum viscera dextra. luke.  No peace without them: all the creatures of God set themselves in a battalia against their makers enemy, the Angels fight against egyptians and Assyrians, the slarrs fight in their course against Sisera the Son and moon, against Amalech. the fire from heaven against Sodom. The waters against the old world, the air infected with pestilence in the time of King david slay threescore and five thousand, the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and covered the congregation of Abiram. That which should be, for their wealth is an occasion of falling, their table is made a snare in the imprecation of the Psalmist, and saith job. the meat in their bowels shall turn to the poison of Asps. Finally they are of a quarrelsome and wrangling nature; like Ishmael whose hand was against every man, and every mans hand against him, oh then with Hez. walk Velef Shalem with a peaceable and quiet heart, endeavour saith the Apo. to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Eschew evil and do good, seek peace and ensue it. I would dismiss you now with the peace of God, onely a word or two of the third part, for I  told you they were insepraably twisted the threefold cable to fasten to the Anchor of your hope, which must not easily bee broken. Ve ha thou beënecha hashithi. I haue done that which is good in thine eyes, the kingdom of heaven saith our Saviour, comes not ek paratërëseoos, by observation, 
Luke 17.12.  it is not in words, but in power saith Saint Paul, 
1. Cor. 4.20.  not every one that saith Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doth the will of my Father. 
Mat 7.21.  The lawyer propounded his question wisely, quid faciam, 
Luke 10.25.  master what shall I do to inherit everlasting life, as our saviours answer infers he fac et vive, do this and live. It in not sufficient to haue perfection of heart without operation of good, justification and sanctification are inseparable, by faith we are justified, by good works wee are sanctified, wee are justified by the righteousness which is of God, thorough faith which is perfect, not inherent: we are sanctified by the fruits of the spirit and practise of new obedience which is inherent and not perfect. Of the one wee say with Saint Paul, 
Ro. 4.5.  to him that worketh not but believeth, faith is accounted for righteousness. Of the other wee say with Saint John, 
2. John. 3.7.  qui facit justiciam justus est, he that doth rithteousnesse is righteous.  
The Church of Rome scandalizeth our doctrine in this point( as in al things else) charging us to preach against good works, that they are necessary to salvation, quasi tingi tantum& credere satis sit homine Christiano, as if only to bee baptized and to beleeue, were sufficient for a Christian man. Know proud Rome wee aclowledge their necessity, wee exclude their meritorious dignity, wee say faith alone( instrumentally) justifies, but justifying faith is not alone, the heat of fire burns, and not the light, and yet the heat is not without the light, the eye alone sees and not the head, yet the eye sees not out of the head. We remit the idle faith to the cloister, the dead faith to limbo our saving faith, and the faith of Gods elect, it is always opperatiue di agàpës e'nergouméne, working by love like Dorcas full of good works, 
Eph. 2.8. Tit. 1.1. Gal. 5.6.  always putting the hand to charitable exercise, our Church saith with old Isaae let me feel thee my son, if thy hands bee the hands of Esau rough with oppression, extortion, simony, usury, bribery, &c. shee presently concludes thou art the profane Esau, and there is no blessing for such miscreants: wee exhort nay wee charge you with Timothy to be rich in good works, 
1. Tim. 6.17.  to abound in charity, to be filled with the fruits of righteousness, 
Phil. 1.11.  to cast your bead vpon the waters, to give a portion to s; eauen and also to eight, 
Eccl. 11.1.  to enlarge your bowels of compassion, to your poor brethren, with job to be a foot to the lame, aneye to the blind, 
job. 29.15.  a relief to those that are in prison fast bound in misery and iron.  
We propound the same example with our saviour, Be ye merciful, as your heavenly Father is merciful. 
Luke ●. 36.  Your doing good, is a means to glorify God. Sic luceat lux vestra, let vour light so shine before Men, that they seeing your good works, may glorify, our Father which is in heaven. They are a confirmation of your Election, 
2. Pet. 1.10.  to make it sure, give all diligence to make your election sure. They are demonstrations of repentance, 
Mat. 3.8.  Bring forth therefore fruits worthy amendment of life, They are the intendment of our coming into the World, created to good works. They are incitements and encouragements of the Saints to a spiritual emulation, Let us provoke one another to love and to good works. 
Heb. 10.24.  These things if you know, happy are you if you do them, As we must do good, so we must be careful to do it well, kalon me kalon eimë kaloos, a good matter may be marred in the manner of the doing, The pharisees Trumpet blows away his charity: To do good out of a humour, is not to give, but to cast away a benefit. When a good turn is racked out of a man, it is thankes enough to forgive the benefactor, saith Seneca. Therefore for well managing and disposing your good deeds, take with you the rule of Hezekiah, lephaneca, beënecha, before the Face of God, in his eyes, in his sight. he that is thoroughly possessed with a full persuasion of the divine presence, will always demean himself, and order his actions with an awful reverence, as beseeming the respect of so great a majesty. walk before me, saith God to Abraham, and be perfect: as if his presence were the path way to perfection. For out of this careful& constant deportment, resulteth that divine virtue so often spoken of in holy Writ. Timor Iehouae, the fear of the Lord, whereby the godly dares not do any thing he knows will be offensive,& give distaste to God. This apprehension restrains the sallying desires of the Flesh, it bridles the bounding of the wanton appetite, suppresseth and keeps down affectation of vain glory, it chokes and stifles that insolence which by vapouring would sully the bightnesse of good works, it cuts off the sprouting suggestions of Satan, it weeds out the tares of an overweening valuation, whereby Men commonly hug& applaud themselves in good assays: Finally, it hedges up all gappes, makes up all occasions of sin, teaching us to answer with chast joseph to his lust-full mistress, How can I do this great wickedness, 
Gen. 39.9.  How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?  
The want of this persuasion, of lephanecha, opens the Sluce-gate to let in atheism and profaneness, drown the World, Tush say they, God cares not for it, neither is there understanding in the most High. Were Men certainly resolved, that God doth eye them in all their affairs, would they do such things in secret as they would be ashamed the least Child should behold them? 
A●●on pu●… t 〈…〉 conspectu dei, a●●… us sanctis angel●…▪ quod p●… e in conspectu hominum, Eras●… al  Durst they dishonour his Sacred titles, abuse his Word, defile his sanctuary, disgrace his Name, profane his Sabboths, baffle and flout his Minister? Durst they then crucify, again the Lord of Life, trample on the blood of the covenant, and brave the menacies of God with presumptuous sins? Would they contest and quarrel with his Iustice, saying, Where is the God of Iudg●ment? 
Mal. 2.17  What is the almighty that we should serve him? 
job 21.15  Would the murderer watch for the mid-night, the Adulterer for the twie-light? saying, No eye shall see me. Quid prodest habuisse latendi facultatem, cum latendi fiduciam non hahent, What advantage hath the secrecy of sin without security, With what confidence can an offendor hid himself where the judge apparently discerneth him? Quam ob rem in divinitatis sinu nos agere credamus, think yourselves seated in the very bosom of the Deity, set thyself before the Eyes of God, set God always before thine Eyes, knowing echei theos ekdikon o'mma, God hath a revenging Eye. And as the apostle saith, 
Heb. 4.13  All things are naked and open, tetrachelismena( so open as the Sacrifice that is cleft asunder through the Chine or Back-bone) to the Eyes of him with whom we haue to do.  
But what of all this? Exitus ergo quis est oh gloria, Doth he stand vpon condignity or congruity of his merits, Alas! Hezekiah knows, when he hath done all he can he is but an unprofitable seruant. what is the illation, what then doth he infer vpon these premises? vaieuk, he wept, his trembling, faltering tongue is not able to utter the desires of his Heart, but his tears become his orators, Atque etiam lacrymae pouderae vocis habent: These are the ambitious suitors, to entreat, and pled, and importunately intercede for him, as if they should usurp the words of the Psalmist, 
Psal 39. 1●.  Oh spare me a little, that I may recover my strength before I go hence and be no more seen, hold not thy peace at my tears, &c. tears haue a more persuasive and moving eloquence than speech, they are more emphatical than words, One saith of Peters weeping, Jnuenio quod fleuit non invenio quid dixit, I find he wept, I find not what he said. So may I say of Hezekiahs request, &c.  
This is the third part of the Kings method of physic, the restorative,& fitly so, because God presently restores him, saying, I haue heard thy prayers,& seen thy tears. The ingredients are both prayers and tears, not tears alone, for so Esau could lift up his voice and weep, but prayers and tears, devotion and contrition. This is the spiritual electuarie, the Golden cordial, Amber-greest, dissolved pearl, and precious distillation of the Saints of God. This is the Spirit of generous Wine, locked up in the Cellar of the Spouse, reserved in Gods Bottle, put my tears into thy Bottle. This nectar and nepenthe, stays the beloved with Flagons, and feasts him with the Wines vpon the Lees well refined. 
Esay 30.6. Can. 3.6.  The Wines of prayer, vpon the Lees of a troubled Spirit. devotion is the reasonable Sacrifice, Compunction is the letting out the life of it before the Lord, the pouring forth the flood of tears in the blood of the Sacrifice, or because every Sacrifice must be salted with Salt, the brinish tears are the Salt and condiment to season the oblation of prayers. The perfume of the Tabernacle, was made of myrrh and frankincence, of each alike, the bitter myrrh is sorrow, and contrition, the incense is prayers, let my prayer bee set before thee as incense, both together make a sweet smell in the nostrils of God, the sweet odours are the prayers of the Saints, in this mystical sense saith the spouse in the Cant. 
Can. 3 6.  Vado ad montem myrrhae& ad collem thuris, I get me to the mountaines of myrrh,& to the hills of frankincense, the mount of contrition, and hills of devotion, thus jacob had power over the Angel saith Ose. He wept and made his supplication.  
He wept, there is mons mirrhae the mountain of myrrh, he made his supplication, ther's colle● thuris, the hills of frankincence, thus Hanna ●rauit eum esset amaro animo flens largiter, in the biternesse of her soul, thats her myrrh shee prayed unto the Lord, that is her frenkincerce. a'gathoi dar'a dàkrnes a'ndres, good men are always weeping men. This world is nothing else to them, but the valley of Bochim weepers, 
judge 2.5.  the dry eyes are a sign of a barren heart, like the mountaines of Gilboah, vpon you bee neither due nor rain, the godly with job say ros pernoctabat in ramo meo, the due lay all night vpon my branch. 
job. 29.19.  What do I speak of due, the metaphor is too narrow, as in the Creation, spiritus dei incubuit supper aquas, the spirit of God lay and brooded on the waters. So the same being spiritus supplicat ●onum, the spirit of supplication. Zach. 12.10. It sits and broods vpon the waters of repentance in the new creation of a faithful convert. And again as in the redemption, the spirit of God descended in the shape of a dove, vpon Christ in jordan, so in the baptism of repentance, doth the spirit of God appear in the shape of a mournful dove. Thou hast doves eyes by the riuers of water, saith the beloved. 
Cant. 5.12.   
Bechi gad●l, great weeping, ahissus abissum vocat: one deep calls another, because of the noise of the waterpipes: the depth of misery on the depth of mercy, by the noise of devout tears. Here is the spiritual inundation that bears up the ark of Noah nearer unto heaven, great weeping, sobbing, lamentation, and great mourning, torrents, and land-floods, cataracts, and falls of water, that breaks all the bays and bears away all oppositions, that stop the passage of there orisons, like the men of Mizpah, they wept and powred out water before the Lord. 
1. Sam. ●…  david was a miracle in weeping, he drenched and soust himself, he made his bed swim in tears.  Mirandum est vnde illi oculis suffecerit humour. 
ieremy cries out for tears, as if his head were on fire, and nothing could quench it but a fountain. 
jer. 9.1.  Oh that my head were water, quis dabit, who will give my head water, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, &c. The Church lets tears run down like a river, Lament. 2.18. weeping is such a strengthening to prayers that the Scriptures term it meat and drink, luctu suo anima pascitur the soul finds a great repast and nourishment in mourring est quadam flere voluptas, it is a kind of pleasure to weep, wee read of bread of tears, and drink of tears. 
Psa. 80.5.  But lacrymas in mensura, tears in measure saith the Psalmist. He that hath not his measure of them hear, shall haue them without measure hereafter. Blessed are they then that mourn now, for they shall bee comforted: heaviness may endure for a night, but ioy cometh in the morning, they that sow in tears, shall reap the harvest of eternal life in ioy: he that goes on his way weeping, shall doubtless come again and bring his sheaves with him, the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting ioy, sighing and sorrow shall be done away, God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. 
Es. 51.11.  I say then, of this sanctified weeping in the words of the Psalmist. Ps. 84.6. Blessed are they that going through the vale of misery, use it for a well, whose pools are filled with this water.  
FINIS.   

In some Copies, the Printer entreats the courteous Reader to correct these Errors.  
Pag. 5. lin. 22. leave out ugly, p. 18. l. 17. for boni cramp, red boyn, p. 33. l. 32. f. or, r. and. l. 35. f. evil, r. Dial, p. 34. l. 3. f. her, r. Hez. l. 23. f. relic, r. relics, p. 37. l. 15. f. fulsie speech, r. fancy, Spectre. l. 17. f. idle, r. Idol, l. 23. f. immunity, r. mummy, l. 26. f. pain, r. puny, p. 36. l. 14. f. corded r. sordid, p. 37. l. 7. f. leaves, r leanness, p. 38. l. 5. f. Aream, r. stream. There are other literal, figurative, and punctual faults, which the Ingenuous will either mend or pardon. For greek I had none such Notes as I might not omit, I haue expressed in Italian Letter.  Graeciam in ●… ium portans.—