9. A Prayer against the temptation of the Diuel.
OVr life (O Lord) passing thorow so dangerous a wildernes, cannot chuse but meete with many sins: euery sin is a temptation; to ouercome euerie temptation is a glorious victory; and the reward of that victory, is an euerlasting crowne of starres: for there can be no conquest without a combat; & there can be no combat without an enemy to encou¯ter with; and no enemy is more ready to set vpon vs, and more subtil in his fight, nor more cruell where he subdues, then that arch-traytor to thy kingdome, and old enemy to mankind, the Diuell. Giue him therfore (O Lord) no power ouer me: or if it be thy pleasure that I must enter into the lists with him, let my trials bee like those of Iob, to exercise my faith, and not to confound my soule: to which battel when I must be summoned, stand thou (O my Sauiour) in my sight to inspire mee with courage, and plant a guard of Angels on either side of mee, to take my part if I shrink; that in the end I may bee ledde away in triumph. Breake (O my God) all the snares which daily and howerly this politick hunter pitcheth to intrap me, in the lustines of my health and youth. But aboue all, suffer mee not to fall into those, which he spreadeth at the houre of my death, to catch my soule at her departure. O Lord driue away despaire, that it may not enter at that time (nor any other) into my bosome; neither let mee be afraid that I knock at the gates of thy mercy too late, or distrust thy grace, because so many thousands of sins do muster themselues before me: but comfort me with the sweet physicke of thy promises, and with the examples of thy holiest seruants, who all sinned grieuously; yet didst thou seale them a pardon. In my meditations stand, O Lord, at my elbow, that my soule may not wander and so bee lost. Defend mee from the arrow of death eternall: saue mee from the iawes of the redde Dragon: keepe me from entring into the gates of hell. Amen.
10. A Prayer for the Euening.
THus (O God) am I neerer to old age then I was in the morning, but (I feare) not neerer to goodnes: for he that striues to do best, comes short of his duety. The night now stealeth vpon me (like a thiefe.) O defend me from the horrors of it. When I am to lie downe in my bedde, let me imagine I am to lie in my winding sheete: and suffer me not to close mine eyes, til my soule & I haue reckoned and made euen, for all the offences which not only this day, but all the former minuts of my life, I haue committed against thy diuine Maiestie. Pardon them, O LORD, forgiue mee my sinnes, which are more infinite then the starres, and more heauie then if mountaines lay vpon my bosome; but thy mercy, and the merits of my Redeemer do I trust in. In his Name doe I sue for a pardon. Suffer, O LORD, no vncleane thoughts this night to pollute my body and soule: but keep my cogitations chaste, and let my dreames be like those of innoce¯ts & sucking babes. Gra¯t, O Lord, that the Sun may not go down vpo¯ my wrath. But if any man this day hath done me wrong, that I may freely and heartily forgiue him, as I desire at thy hands to bee forgiuen. Whether I sleepe or wake, giue thy Angels charge ouer mee, that at what houre soeuer thou callest mee, I may like a faithfull souldier be found ready to encounter death, and to follow the Lambe wheresoeuer he goeth. Amen.
FINIS.
The Phoenix.
THE fourth and last Bird which you are to behold, flying out of Noahs Arke, is the Phoenix. The Phoenix of all other birds liueth to the longest age: so must our Prayers fly vp in bright flames all the dayes of our life: wee must be petitioners euen to the houre and last minute of our breath. The Phoenix hath the goodliest feathers in the world: and Prayers are the most beautifull wings by which we may mount into heauen. There is but one Phoenix vpo¯ earth, as there is but one tune, in which God delighteth, and that is the Prayer of a sinner. When the Phoenix knoweth shee must die, shee buildeth a nest of al the sweetest spices, and there looking stedfastly on the Sunne: shee beateth her wings in his hottest beames, and betweene the¯ kindleth a fire amongst those sweet spices, & so burneth her selfe to death. So when we desire to die to the vanities of the world, wee must build vp a nest, and fill it with faithfull sighes, grones, teares, fasting, and prayer, sackecloth & ashes, (all which in the nostrils of the Lord are sweete spices) and then fixing our eyes vpon the crosse where the glorious Sonne of God payed the ransome of our sinnes, we must not cease till with the wings of faith and repentance, wee haue kindled his mercie, and in that sweete flame haue all our fleshly corruptions consumed & purified. Out of those dead ashes of the Phoenix, doeth a new Phoenix arise. And euen so out of the ashes of that one repentance, shall we bee regenerate and borne anew.
CHRIST is the true Phoenix.
CHrist (out of the purest flames of loue) kindled a fire which drunk vp the wrath of his father, wherein all men should haue beene drowned for sinne, and in that fire did hee die to redeeme vs that were lost. Yet left hee not there. To haue died for vs had beene nothing, vnlesse like a true Phoenix he had beene raised vp againe: as therefore a graine of wheat is cast into the earth, and there first rots and then quickens againe, & after yeeldeth it selfe in a tenfold measure: so was our Sauiour cast into his sepulcher, there lay his dead body for a time, & then was quickened, and then raised vp: and in that rising did hee multiply those benefits which before hee sowed amongst vs, when he was torne in pieces and scattered on the crosse. Whe¯ he died; he died alone, but when he did rise, he did not rise alone. for in his resurrection do we all ascend vp into heauen. Hee fought hand to hand with death, that death might not kill vs, & shewed vs his resurrection, that wee might die more willingly, because wee haue hope to liue eternally. Vpo¯ those fiue altars therefore, of the death, burial, resurrection, ascension, & comming of Christ in glorie, doe wee offer vp fiue Thanksgiuings, or rather fiue Sacrifices, (imitating therein the Phoenix, who maketh her owne bodie a burnt offering)
THE Phoenix.
The PHOENIX bringeth life.
Vigilate & Orate.
Printed at London by H. B. for N. B. 1609.
To the two worthie and worthily admired Ladies, Sarah, wife to the right Worshipful, Sir Thomas Smith Knight, and Catharine, wife to the right Worshipfull Sir Iohn Scot, Knight.
Vertuous Ladies:
NO tunes (I know) can be more welcome to ears so chast and vndefiled as yours are, then the Diuine Musicke of Prayers and Meditations. And therefore am I bold to bestow vpon you both a Bird, whose voice yeeldeth none but heauenly sounds. There is but one Phoenix (at one time) in the world: It is rare in shape, and rare in quality; for which cause, I send it flying to your bosoms; sithence you both are like the Phoenix (Rare) as well in the perfection of bodie, as the excellency of minde. It is a Bird to which Christ suffereth himselfe to bee compared. And it may aptly bee a figure of his resurrection: so that my hopes are, you will gladly receiue it, because Christ his death and rising again, are two strong, stedfast, and maine anchors to which (as appeareth by your liues) your faith is fastned, thereby to lay hold on saluation. You are sisters in loue, as you are sisters by the lawes of marriage: Indifferently therefore to you both doeth this our Phoenix offer vp his heauenly songs. Heare them, I beseech you, if not for any worth that is in them, yet for the loue you zealously beare to him, of whose glorious resurrection, ascension, &c. they make onely mention. And thus crauing pardon of both your Ladiships, for this my boldnesse, which groweth out of my loue and respect to your Names & Families. I wish you all the happinesse that this earthly paradise can yeeld, and pray, that at your going from thence, you may enter into the euerlasting Paradise of Heauen.
Humbly deuoted to your Ladyships, Tho. Dekker.
To the Reader. Christian Reader:
THou hast by these three former birds of Noahs Arke, gotten three blessings. The Doue hath ministred comfort to thine afflicted mind, in a number of those stormes of tribulation which shal fall vpon man in this life. The Eagle hath armed thy Soule with courage, and taught it to soare high with the wings of Prayer, till they beat at the very gates of heauen, & from thence receiue mercie. The Pellican hath playd the true Physition, and (where thou art full and foule with diseases bred by sinne) that teacheth the way to cure thee, and to attaine to the health of saluation. The
fourth & last bird is now flying out towards thee; spred therfore thine armes wide open to welcome it: and this Phoenix will carie thee vp to a second life, that shall be euer, euerlasting.
The fiue Altars stand prepared before in order, the Sacrifices are at hand. And thus much to shew that our Prayer must resemble the Phoenix. And thus much to shew that the true and only Phoenix is Christ Iesus.
1. SACRIFICE. A Thankesgiuing for all those benefits which wee reape by the death of Christ.
WHat thankes (O Lord) can wee powre foorth? What Hymnes shall we sing? What praises haue wee to crowne thee with, or what giftes can we bestow worthy enough vpon thee, that didst not spare thine owne and only deerest Sonnes blood, to saue vs? (that were miserable and condemned castaways) But, O Lord, thou in thy prouidence didst foresee, that all thy glorie, and in thy wisedome and compassion didst consent that all the health of mankind should consist in the death of thy blessed Sonne. Wee were the arch-traytors, but hee answered all our treasons at a most dreadfull barre. Wee had transgressed, but hee was the Lamb that was to bee sacraficed. Glorified bee thy Name for being so full of pitie: Glorified be thy Sonnes death, for being so full of charitable pietie. For let vs reckon before thee (O Father) and betweene vs & our soules, how much we are indebted for this thy Sonnes suretie-ship. Wee owed all, and hee payed the vtmost farthing. Let vs summe vp the foote of this accompt, and take a note of our gaines, and his losses in this voiage. Hee ventured his life, and lost it: wee ventured nothing, but were vpon point of shipwrake, and yet came home sauers. By his death wee are ingrafted into the Tree of life, his blood doeth giue it nourishment. His nailing on the crosse cleft the dores of hell in sunder, and set wide open the gates of heauen: Christ by this meanes is become our way, our guide, our hauen. Would we walke safely? Christ is our path: would we not stumble? Cstrist is our leader: would wee not be cast away? Christ is our Pilot.
What need wee now to feare? whom should we fly from now, for sathans head is broken in sunder: sinne is vanquished: death is ouercome: hell is swallowed vp: the diuel that had power ouer death, is put to flight. Before wee liued in slauerie, but now we dwell within the liberties of the holy citie. Before we were spotted, & foule as leapers, but the precious drops that fell from Christs side, haue clensed our soules, & now they look as white as snow. In a most desperate state liued we before, but now in the most happie: for wee are bought, and payd for, and none can lay claime to vs now, but Iesus Christ. To quit which loue of his (albeit there is nothing in vs of value that can giue him satisfaction) yet rather then to pay no part of the debt, let vs tender downe so much as wee can make. And that is, not to forget his kindnesse: which that wee may neuer doe; let vs print him in our hearts, ingraue him on our hands, write him on our brests, yea, weare him in our garments. Set the sorowes of his suffering for euer before our eyes.
When wee sit to meate, let vs thinke vpon the traitour that dipt his finger with him in the dish: when the night approcheth, let it bee a memoriall of his apprehension with bils and staues: It was a deed of darkenesse, and therfore done in the night. When wee doe but stretch foorth our armes, let vs call to mind how hee was racked vpon the crosse. The branches of these meditations shall beare this fruit; by turning ouer the leaues of his death and passion, we shall still read the storie of our owne end: and nothing can more fright a man out of the companie of sinne, then when hee looketh vpon that which he is sure to goe to, and that is his graue: so to meditate, is to liue well: so to liue, is to die well; for no pil remaines to make death taste bitter afterward, vnlesse it were taken downe before. He that thus fights is sure to conquer: he that thus conquers is sure to be crowned; he that is ambitious of that crowne, will desire to bee dissolued and to be with Christ: hee that so desires, doeth not die patiently, but hee liues patiently, and dieth ioyfully. Such a death, O Lord, let me die, for in the sepulcher of thy Sonne, death (that once was terrible) is swallowed vp: so that now we may triumphantly sing, Where is thy sting, O death? Where is thy victorie, O hell?
The sting of death is sinne, but that is taken out: the power of sinne is the Law, but that is satisfied. Thankes therefore, and immortall honour be giuen to our glorious GOD, who hath giuen vs so noble a victorie, through the death onely of his Sonne Iesus Christ. Amen.
2. SACRIFICE. A Thankesgiuing for all those benefits which we reape by the buriall of Christ.
THE graue is full of horror, the house of the dead is the habitation of sadnesse, for the body receiueth no comfort, when it commeth to lodge in this last & fardest Inne. When our feete step vpon that shore, wee are robd of all our honours, stript out of all our gay attires, spoiled of all our gold and siluer, forsaken by our friends, fled fro¯ by our kinsfolkes, yea, abhorred to bee looked vpon by our owne children: nothing is left vs but a poore mantle of linnen to hide our nakednesse; that is the last apparell wee must weare, and when that is worne out, wee must bee turned out of all.
A dreadfull thing therefore would it bee to dwell in this land of euerlasting silence and darkenesse, but that Christ himselfe hath gone thither before vs. How infinitelie are wee bound to him, that (in this battell of death) wee are not thrust vpon any danger, but what he hath gone thorow. How aboue measure doeth hee loue vs, to trie the ice first, before he suffer vs to venture ouer? Hee went into the graue before vs, to shew that we all must follow him. But what riches may we gather out of this his sepulcher? What treasure lieth hid in these coffins of the dead? This cleere gaines we gather; this profitable knowledge wee gaine, that as Adam was made of a piece of clay, so all the sonnes of Adam must crumble into dust. The wombes of our mothers are the first lodgings that wee lie in, and the womb of the earth is appointed to be the last. The graue is a But at which all the arrowes of our life are shot; and the last arrowe of all hits the marke.
Yet suffer vs, O Lord, not to repine, whether in the morning, at noone, or at mid night, that is to say, in our cradle, in our youth, or old age, wee go to take our long sleepe, but let vs make this reckoning of our yeres, that if we can liue no longer, that is vnto vs our old age; for hee that liueth so long as thou appointest him (though hee die in the pride of his beautie) dieth an olde man. Sithence then that wormes must bee our last companions, & that the pillowes vpon which wee are to rest for euer, are within but dead mens sculles, whereof should wee bee proud? Why should wee disdaine the poorest begger? when the hand that swayes a Scepter, and the hand that holdes a sheepe-hooke, being found together in the earth are both alike. What madnesse is it so to pamper the flesh with curious meates, and costly wines, when (doe what we can) we do but fatten it for crawling vermine? What folly is it, to cloth our bodie in sumptuous attires, when (let them be neuer so gorgeous) we shall carry with vs but a winding-sheete? Why doe we bathe our limmes in sweete waters, and embalme our bodies with rich perfumes, when no carion in the world can smel more noisome, then must our carcases? Blessed therefore bee the sepulcher that held our Sauiours bodie, sithence it is a booke wherein wee may learne how to contemne this foolish loue of our selues. Happie was thy buriall (O IESVS) that prepared our way to our last habitation. Thanks bee rendred vnto thee for thy loue; glorie to GOD thy FATHER, for his compassion towards mankind. So be it. Amen.
3. SACRIFICE. A Thankesgiuing for all the benefits which wee reape by the resurrection of Christ.
CHRIST is risen againe. O happie tidings! O blessed message! He is risen from an ignominious death, to a life full of glorie. Hee is risen now, to fall no more: the Iewes haue done their crueltie: death hath done his worst: hell hath spitte forth her venome: for in spite of all their malice, Christ is risen in triumph. Receiue your lights againe you lamps of heauen: darknes flie from the world: you graues that yawned and cast out your dead, close vp your deuouring iawes. Sithence Christ is risen, let all the world reioyce; As at his crucifying all the whole world felt paines in his suffering. How happy is miserable man made by this resurrection of his glorious Redeemer? For now is he sure, that his body fals not like the body of a beast (for then his estate were more then most wretche
d) but that the Lord killeth, and maketh aliue againe, and that he bringeth downe to the graue, and fetcheth vp againe. My Redeemer now liueth, and by his life, doe I know that I shall rise out of the earth at the latter day; and that I shall bee clothed againe in my frailtie, as my Sauiour was at his resurrection in his owne flesh. What a blessing therefore is by this meanes powred vpon vs? For albeit our bodies are laid downe (to rest) in deformity, in vglines, in contempt, in basenes, in pouerty, and in dishonour; yet shall they be raised in beauty, in brightnesse, in fulnes of riches and in glory. We were afflicted in Christ when we saw him hanging on the crosse in torments: But we are made ioyfull in Christ, seeing him raised from the dead in triumph. The cogitation of this his resurrection, and so consequently of our owne calling vp from death to life, is a spurre vnto vs whilst we are vpon earth, to runne the race of blessednes. We are not to awaken out of our dead sleepes, and to be apparelled with the selfe same flesh, skinne and bone for nothing: but there is a goale, proposed, and a garland propounded; and to winne that must we begin to runne in this life. Giue therefore (O God) alacrity to our hearts, that we with cheerefulnes may set forward. Giue wings to our souls, that with swiftnes we may make our flight: giue strength to vs in our race, that wee faint not till wee come to the end; and giue vs grace to run wel without stumbling, that we may win the prize with honor. Gra¯t (O Lord) that we may goe into our graues in peace; so shall we be sure to come from our graues in gladnes. Glorified for euer be thy Name, that workest these wonders of saluation for vs: With all admiration let vs adore thee, that holdest out such bright crownes of immortality for vs. Suffer vs, O Lord, to deserue them on earth, to be promised them at our departure from earth, and to weare them with thee in heauen. Amen.
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