THis World is a Royall Exchange, where all sorts of Men are Merchants: Kings hold Commerce with Kings, and their Voyages are vpon high Negotia­tions: As, the deare buying of ano­thers Country, with their owne Sub­iects Bloud: The Purchasing of new Crownes, and new Scepters, not satisfied with the old.

And, as Kings, so Princes, Dukes, Earles, Lords, Clergy-men, Iudges, Souldiers, haue their Trading in particular Marchandizes, and walke euery day for that purpose vpon this Old Royall Exchange.

They talke in seuerall Languages, And (like the mur­muring fall of Waters) in the Hum of seuerall businesses: insomuch that the place seemes Babell, (a Confusion of tongues.)

The best, (yet most incertaine) Commodity, which all these Merchants striue for, is Life: if Health begot into the bargaine, He is a Made man, into whose hands it comes. Yet when these two inestimable Treasures are shipped in one Bottome, together; There are Winds, and Waues, and Woes, which still fill the Sayles, and hang vpon the Tacklings.

[Page 2]What's the end of this Voyage.

Nay, though he casts a Girdle about the World, yet, Anchor he must in one Harbour or another, to come to shore, and Proclaime his Lading on this Ryalta, this Burse, or this Royall Exchange, And when the Ex­change-Bell rings. (his passing-Bell tolles) That's the warning-Peece to tell him hee must goe off, he must for that time talke there no more of his Transitorie Com­modities, the Exchange of this world with him is then done, and Home does he hasten to dine with Wormes.

This Earthly spacious Building, in which we Dwell, (as Tenants onely for life) is likewise a glorious The­ater, full of admirable Conueyances and Curiosities; The Frame or Module of it is round, with a Siluer mo­uing Roofe (call'd the Heauens) to couer it by day, and a Golden Canopy of Starres to Curtaine about it by Night.

In stead of Arras and Tapestrie, (which commonly doe now, and euer haue adorned, the old Amphithea­ters, this is richly hung round about with the Element of Ayre.

The beauties of the Earth are the Stage: Furnished bounteously, and set forth in all Brauery, with Woods, full of Trees, Gardens full of Flowers, Orchards full of Fruit, Fields full of standing Corne, (like so many Speares ready for a Battaile) Mountaines high in Pride, Valleys sweet in Pleasure.

[Page 3]Our Mothers Wombe is the Tyring-house, where we make vs ready; And our Cradle, the Musicke-Roome, for there we are sweetly strung with Innocence. No­thing (then) puts vs out of tune, but a peale of crying, And whats that? Onely a little Note, a little too high; which being mended, the Melodie is Heauenly; for, there is no Concord without Discord.

Vpon this goodly Stage, all sorts of People (Men, Women, and Children) are Actors; Some play Em­perours, some, Kings, some Beggars, some Wise-men, some Fooles. The hardest part to play is a good Man: and 'tis rare to see a long part giuen him to study.

On this stage are presented Tragedies, and Comedies; The terriblest Tragedie is that, of the Soule, fighting to get off (well,) from the Body. The best and most plea­sing Comedie, is that of a white Conscience, and the Peace of Mind.

Some haue Plaudits, Showts and Acclamations, and those are such who haue play'd good parts, and play'd them Brauely-well. Some goe hissed off the Stage. And that is for want of being perfect in those good parts, which are put into them.

Some, play very long Parts, (and they are old Men) some, haue done in the midst of the Play, (And they are young Men) some, being but in a Scaene, before they speake, are out, and lost, (And they are Children.)

Euery Actor hath his Entrance, euery one his Exit: As one comes out, another goes off, and sometimes mee­ting on the Stage together, they leaue the Stage together. But in the Conclusion, He that can get Angels to sit, in the Galleries of Heauen, and clap his action with theyr Immortall hands, he is the onely Roscius of the time, [Page 4] and one of the best Actors that euer stept on stage.

The sum, vpshot, and cloze of all, is this▪ That, as many Men as that walke on that Royall Exchange, and seeme rich, doe often breake and are lay'd in Prison: So in this World; when we appeare neuer so strong in Body, ne­uer so stirring in minde; yet, if health turnes Banque­rupt once, and that the Sergeant with the Blacke Rod, (Sicknesse) Arrests vs; if eyther Casualties, by Sea or Land, if losses, vexations, misfortunes or miseries, breake our hearts, whether then are we carried! To our euer­lasting Prison the Graue.

And so, when in this Magnificent Theater, we haue Ietted long on the Stage, And borne our Heads high; yet, our Parts being done, we are inforced to put off, our gay borrowed garments, and wrapping our selues in poore winding-Sheets, Hasten to our owne homes, and (still) that's the Graue.

The Graue then, is the Rendez-vouz where we all meet; The Market-place where the Drum of Death beates, to haue vs come together: The Towne-Hall, where all our brablings are ended: The Castle, to ap­peare at, which at the Assizes, the Body is bound ouer, and there it is Cast: In the Feild of dead mens Sculs, and fleshlesse bones, must the great Army of all Man­kind muster, on Mount Caluary, CHRIST lost his life, And in Dust and Ashes must we leaue Ours.

We need not read any Bookes to proue this: Euery man holds a Pen in his hand, to write a story of it.

To passe ouer the Volumes of the Graue, (filled by Adam and his Children,) in the first World; And clasping-vp, those likewise which haue beene euer since, after the Deluge, in this second World: Let vs cast our [Page 5] Eyes onely at that Blacke Rod, and that white Rod, which from time to time, haue first smitten, and then spared, This Kingdome of Great Britaine.

In the Raignes of William the Conquerour, Rufus, and Hen: 1. (his Brother,) Death walked vp and downe this Land in strange shapes: Men, Women, and Chil­dren, fell by the Pestilence: So great were the numbers of those who dyed, that the numbers of the liuing could harldy bury them. Cattell were stricken in the Feild, Birds drop'd from the Ayre, Fishes, perish'd in the Waters, Famine followed, Tillage went to Ruine, so that the Earth, which wont to feed others, had in the end no meate for her selfe.

Then, for foure Kings together, little mention is made of any deuouring mortality of people by the Pestilence; yet were there blazing Starres, Earthquakes, Stormes of Hayle, which kill'd Cattell, and beat downe Corne: with the Apparition of Spirits in the Ayre, in the like­nesse of strange, vgly Fowle, flying with fire in theyr Beakes, and doing much mischiefe to Houses.

But presently after in the Raigne of Hen: 3. the King­dome in generall was torne in pieces, by two Dragons, (Dearth, or want of victuals, and an exceeding great sweeping Plague.)

So, Edward the second, saw the fall of his people, and the famishing of his Countrey by the two fore-na­med Tyrants.

So, Edw. 3. in his long Raigne of fiftie yeeres, lamen­ted the losse of his then warlike Nation, so struck downe by a Pestilent Contagion, that many who had he [...]l [...]h in the morning, lay in their Graues at night: Forty Bo­dies at one time, crowding in those cold Beds together, for want of more and better roome.

[Page 6]Thirteene yeares after, Death spread his Cullors a­gaine, and then in that dismall Battell Henry Duke of Lancaster, his Dutchesse, and the Earle of Warwicke, fell vnder the cruell Conquerours hands.

Besides in one yeare, in a plot of ground, being at that time in Compasse, thirteene Acres, (then called Spittle-Croft, or the Charter-house, founded by Gualter Man­ny Knight of the Garter, who there lyes Intoomb'd,) were buried 50000. Persons, besides those who tooke vp their euerlasting lodgings in other places. In this yeare, the Blacke Rod smarted deeply: The Sword of Diuine Iustice had a sharpe terrible edge, and where it hit, it strucke home.

Few of the then following Kings, but had their Sub­jects snatched from them by these hot and speeding ca­lamities. We will now, (omitting all the rest) looke onely, at these two great Plagues indeed, (fresh, too fresh in our memories) the first, beginning when Q. Elizabeth left vs, and that K. Iames, tooke vs to be his people: The second, when K. Iames tooke his way to Heauen, and left both all his Kingdomes, and their mighty Nations, to his Royall Sonne, our most gracious Soueraigne King Charles, whose yeares the great Arithmetician of Hea­uen, multiply, and blesse the numbers, till they bee all golden ones. But, let vs now draw our Arrowes, to the Marke we ayme at; Those two last Visitations, this Hydra-Sicknesse with so many Heads, The Plague! Why carryes it the Name of Plague? Plaga signifies a stripe, and this Sicknesse, comes with a blow, or stripe, giuen by the hand of Gods Angell, when (as he did to Dauid) he sends him to strike a people for their sins.

Our sinnes therefore, were and are the Whirlewinds, [Page 7] breaking open Iehouahs Armory, and forcing him (the better to keepe vs from further Rebellion) to shoot his fiery and consuming indignation against vs. He hath se­uerall sorts of weapons; seuerall Punishments, for seue­rall Offences.

When Q. Elizabeth departed, and went on her Pro­gresse to Heauen; what a Traine followed her! How many thousands of Coffins, wayted on her Herse! 'Tis fit, at the Deaths of great Princes, that there should be a great number of Mourners. And so, at the comming in of new Kings, there is a kind of State to be obserued, that multitudes of the old Subiects, who haue done ser­uice to their Country before, should giue way to o­thers, to step into their places.

At the Arriuall therefore of King Iames, vpon this, his Crowne-Land, God beate a Path (narrow at first, though it stretched wider) to lead vs by the hand as it were, to this Funerall Ceremony of dying Subiects.

We were at the Coronation of our new King, (King Iames) not a new Nation, but the selfe-same stiffe-nec­ked people we were before. As mighty in our sinnes, as in our Multitudes. Roome therefore must be made; for our sins were so Ru [...]ianly, and such roaring Boyes, they did nothing but iustle one another for the wall, to try, which sinne should haue the vpper hand.

The Thunderer looking downe vpon this, was loath, to shoot his Arrowes feathered with Lightning, and hea­ded with Vengeance, vtterly to confound the Mis-doo­er. No; Pitty stood in his eyes, and Compassion lean'd vpon his Bosome. So that spying two Rods ly­ing before him, A White one, and a Blacke, the Blacke he threw by, till he should haue time (by compulsion) [Page 8] to vse it; And then, taking vp the white Rod, he lay'd it gently, vpon the head onely of one, who forthwith dyed of the Plague: And this was on the thirteenth of Ianuary, in the yeare 1602. Now almost twenty eight yeares agoe.

There dyed then but one of the Plague! O sparing Mercy! From such a huge Tree (as London is,) so laden with all sorts of Fruit, but one Apple to drop to the ground! No more to be shaken downe! But one wind­fall! A Mountainous Quarry of stony hearts, to haue but one poore pibble, digg'd away!

In the next weeke (that yeere) soft Mercy forgot the white Rod too and strucke None, None at all; Not One! In the Weeke after, foure felt the smart: Then 1. againe. Then none againe: then 3. then none: then 3. then 2. then 3. then 2. then 6. then 4. then 4. and then 8. So that in 15. Weekes, which by this time reached to the end of Aprill, there dyed of the Plague but 39. This was the Rod of Mercy, the white Rod, the Fatherly Correction! It goes on a little quicker; for then the Number swelling vp, and increasing by Tens, amoun­ted in Iune (23. day) to 72. (the highest;) So there dyed in these other 9. weekes, the full number of 297.

It increased then to hundreds weekely, so that in Iu­ly there dyed 917. in one weeke here. The white Rod, (no amendment in our liues being seene) was for a time layd by, and the blacke officer of Death, comming a­broad, thousands were stricken downe euery weeke: So that from Iuly 28. to October 13. being 12. weekes, were buried, twenty fiue thousand, sixe hundred and sixe. Here, the Diuine Iustice, sate in her full Throne, roab'd in Scarlet, with a face threatning Terrors.

[Page 9]But Mercy then step'd in, and held hands with Iu­stice, so that a Retreat was sounded; The terrible Exe­cution, was not so hotly pursued; The Pestilentiall E­nemy, retyr'd a little, and fell backe, yet so; that from October the 20. to Decemb. the 1. being seauen weekes, there dyed 600. and odde, 500. and odde, 400.200.100. and odde still euery weeke. And then abated againe to tens, (as at first it did rise by tens,) the greatest number of the Dead, in December 22. being onely 74.

So that in all these maine Battels, Seidges, Sallyes, Batteries, and skyrmishes; (Continuing for a whole yeare together, From De­cember. 23. Anno 1602. to December 21. Anno 1603. in and about London, (then the most de­solate of Cities,) there dyed, of all Diseases, 38244. Out of which number the Plague challenged, 30578. for her share: yet the yeare immediately following, (Giue thankes (ô noble Troynouant) giue thankes) thou then didst freely walke vp, and downe in health, when all thy Neighbours and Friends (when all the Shires in Eng­land) were mortally beleaguer'd by the same furious E­nemy.

Now, as when Q. Elizabeth resigned her Crowne and Scepter to King Iames, and that he fate in the Throne, all these changes were visibly seene: So, when the Royall Father went to rest, and that his most Prince­ly Sonne (CHARLES, our Royall succeeding King, and now gracious Soueraigne) was the Top-branch, of the Tree, (Nay, the Caedar it selfe,) A second An­gell was sent downe, to turne ouer the Audit-Bookes of our Transgressions.

And finding London (for her part) to be run out, in deepe Arrerages, she was not too suddainly nor too Ri­gorously call'd vpon, but the Steward of Gods Court, [Page 10] (Mercy) pointing with her white wand, onely at One, set a fine of Death vpon his head, and that party was ta­ken from thence on the sixth of Ianuary, Anno 1624. And this was the first Weekes worke of the Plague for that yeare. It began at One.

Death then had little to doe within the Walles or without, for his Infections, by the space of 12. weekes following; In which time there dyed no more but 26. of the Sicknesse. And then for 11. weekes following the former, it amounted to 480. The other foure weeks succeeding them, (wherein they fell by hundreds,) could shew in their Bils, of all Diseases, 3314, out of which the Plague tooke 1387.

And all these three Reckonings, grew to this last heighth, from the sixth of Ianuary, Anno 1624. to the 7. of Iuly, Anno 1625. being fully seauen and twenty weekes. But then on the 14. of Iuly, (being the same Moneth) the dead Marches began to come in by thousands in a company.

Obserue therefore in what dreadfull Equipage, the two Armies of both our Kings, (I meane King IAMES, and King CHARLES,) went along to those feare­full Encounters.

[Page 11]

So, by this Accompt, there fell in that great ouer­throw giuen to King Iames his Subjects, for 12. Weeks together, (when they drop'd downe by thousands) the full number of twenty nine thousand, one hundred and twenty: The terror and cruelty of the Plague sweeping from that number, twenty fiue thousand, sixe hundred and sixe.

But in that lamentable defeature of Bodies, which fell vpon vs in the raigne of K. Charles, Anno 1624. to the end of that yeere in 1625. There dyed in all, (with­in the Compasse of eleuen Weeks, thirty eight thou­sand, seauen hundred fourescore and eight: of which the blacke Rod of Pestilence smote, thirty thousand, [Page 12] eight hundred seauenty and sixe. The difference of the numbers in those twelue Weekes in King Iames his Raigne, and those eleuen in that yeere of King Charles, being: 14. thousand, nine hundred, thirty and eight: The latter exceeding the former (in a few weekes) by so much. The number of all the dead for those two yeares of the two Kings, Amounting to one hun­dred fifty, eight thousand, fiue hundred and foure.

Now, if within so small a Compasse, as a Citty, and the adiacent places, so many went out of the world, how many millions, did the whole Kingdome loose!

But note the exceeding, Incomprehensible loue of a Father to vs his Children; The mildnesse and Mercy, of our Iudge! On the 22. of December, which ended that yeere of 1604. (going on to 1605.) there was strucke but one: It began with one, and ended with one. O iust and euen Ballance, of the Heauenly Com­passion! How much are we in Thankes indebted (for more we are not able to pay) for this wonderfull spa­ring vs, Now, in this third Visitation! In that former yeares Iuly, about this time, there dyed 2471. of the Sicknesse; Now (praised be Heauen) the greatest num­ber is but sixty seauen. Here was a Fall! There is a Fa­uour.

In the end, this fall from such a great number to one, came to nothing,- (A Cypher.) And so continued a long time. Heauen held out a Flagge of Truce, and all was quiet; The Bils proclaimed no such mortall wars; The Sexton opened some few Graues for common Dis­eases, to lye in, and for fiue yeares together, the bur­ning Pestilence, had not kindled her fires amongst vs

[Page 13]Yet in that interim of yeares, other calamities afflic­ted vs; Warres eate vp many of our Gallants, the Sea swallowed others; Quarrels tooke away some, by the fatall stabbe or desperate fighting in the Feild. We haue but one doore, at which we come into the World, but a thousand Gates (set wide open) to send vs out of it. For such ill bargaines doe we make with life, that the Body and the Soule, being deere Partners, and setting vp together, doe euery day, by many deuises, plots, and conspiracies vndoe one another.

What one sinne, Vice or ill custome, since the Depar­ture of the last great Sicknesse is gone out of the King­dome, or hath forsaken the City?

Fasting and Prayer, (whilst Gods Artillery shot off, and battered downe the Wals of our flesh, making brea­ches into the liues and estates of thousands) Ran euery weeke to the holy Temples. Much Condoling, there was, much crying for Mercy, and mercy came downe. But where is fasting now, vnlesse with those that are al­most staru'd with hunger? At how few mens dores sits Charity? Yet are there great numbers of Religious, Godly, and Faithfull Relieuers of the Poore: But take all this City in a lumpe together, and how little true Charity, true Loue, true Christianity, true Friendship is there one to another? What cruelty dwels in our hearts, if we catch a man (by Law) at aduantage? How doe we grinde his Bones, and gnaw his heart in peeces? How doe Tradesmen enuy one another? How doe Gentlemen vndoe themselues and their Posterities by Ryots? How doe an infinite number of Schollers com­plaine of want? How doe Souldiers gape after spoyle! What Couetous Farmer, but is glad of a deere yeare? [Page 14] A dearth of Corne makes such Cormorants Fat? Is not Pride, (which fiue yeares agoe shew'd not her face in the Citty, being afraid of the Plague) now to bee seene jetting vp and downe in euery street! Does not the Drunkard that was then, haunt still the same Ta­uernes!

The Body is both the Caroach, in which, the Soule (being the Queene of life) rides, and the Coachman too, that driues her from one place to another, from one wickednesse to a worse; And the Horses, that draw vs, are our wilde passions, or our intemperate desires. Our sinnes with a Dyals motion, leade vs to destructi­on, in a soft pace, but insensible: Our Ruines steale vpon vs with woolly feet, all the time it comes after vs, but being ouertaken, It smites home: for, sinne is such a Boone companion, it goes to Bed with vs, and all night sits waking, on those very Pillowes, on which we lay our heads: when we rise, It makes vs ready, waytes when we goe forth, followes vs all day, and is more seruile, more fawning, more flattering then a slaue; And neuer goes in mourning, till he sees vs going to our Graues.

The Soule is the Mistresse, the Body the Chamber­maid, that rules that Mistresse; if the Soule sayes, I will rise, and doe good to day: O sayes the Chambermaid you are young enough, lye longer, take your ease, be merry, and care for nothing; Twenty yeeres hence you may doe these pious deeds, and by this wicked Councell of the Mayd, the Mistresse pulls backe her hand.

Thus from time to time, we deferre doing well, and thus from houre to houre, we headlong run vpon our owne miseries.

[Page 15]This being perceiued by him, whose eye measures all mens Actions. Now againe, (this yeare) hath he o­pened his Quiuer, and is still shooting the blacke and dismall Arrowes of the Pestilence, both at Country, and City: In many places of the Country, these darts of Contagion sticke vp to the very feathers; some harts haue beene strucke quite through here in the City, yet nothing to that Army which fell in the last Plague.

This began in March last, and then, from the ele­uenth day of March, to the eighteenth, it rise to foure. The totall of all that dyed that weeke, being 153. And of the Christenings 187. So that 34. came into the World more then went out of it.

Then, the Sicknesse fell, and at the beginning of A­prill was but one againe. Another Weeke dyed 2. then 7. then 3. the highest it hath since mounted to, in any one Weeke (and that was now in August) being 75.

So that in 8. of the greatest Weekes of sicknesse this Summer, (omitting the rest) there haue dyed of all Diseases, within London (being 97. Parishes within the Walles,) and the nine out-Parishes, and the Pest-house 1593.

Of the Plague in those 8. Weekes, 165. to which adde 54. of the sicknesse last Weeke, and 67. this Bar­tholmew weeke, it maketh 286.

Of Children in that short time, 402. of Consumpti­ons some 300.

And to repaire these losses and ruines amongst vs, obserue the numbers of Children christened, which in those few weeks amount to 1434. out of which deduct 402. buried, there remaines 1032. aliue. Then take that Number from the former 1594. of all diseases, there [Page 16] haue for these 8. Weekes but 561. departed out of the World more than are come into it: Westminster being not reckoned in this Accompt, The Burials there being very few, Neither is the greatest number of dead Bo­dies formerly set downe, so terrible as so to hurt, spartle, and afflict so mighty and populous a City, as we see it does, but that Country Townes round about, are infected, and for that cause onely are Faires and Concurses of People forbidden, for feare the Contagi­on by Throngs meeting together, (mingled with some infected Persons) should increase.

In the former passages of this yeares sicknesse, Note the great Mercy of God extended to Infants, in calling such a number of them to Heauen, because he would haue that place glorified with some white pure, and vn­spotted Soules, snatched from the Societie of the wic­ked.

Oh happy Fathers and Mothers, that are sure you haue so many Saints entertained aboue, before they could haue time to offend their Maker. You weepe for them when you follow them to their Graues, but you should rather call it a Tryumph, for they then are go­ing to a Coelestiall Coronation. If you but looke vp­on your Childrens cloathes, you call them to mind, and then, beat your breasts, and teare your hayre, but remember, they are cloathed in the roabes of immorta­lity. When you but talke of your little darlings, you tell how beautifull they were, how well-fauoured, how forward: but now, where they are, all the beauty of the world is vglinesse to that sweetnesse which they possesse: They haue faces and formes Angelicall, and are Play-fellowes and Companions with none but bles­sed Creatures.

[Page 17]Be glad therefore, that they are ridde from the miseries of the World; that Time neuer layd foule hands on them; they are free from want, hunger, thirst, diseases, cold, heat, weeping and wayling, and all other Calamities, which euen rocke vs in our Cradles; they are well and happy, we left behind them, miserable.

As therefore here you are counselled, to beare the absence of your little-ones with patience, so com­fort you others, with this, that both their Children and yours, are gone to that high Starre-Chamber Of­fice, where their names are entred into the Booke of Life.

Now albeit in so many set Battailes of the Pesti­lence in yeares before, and in the light skyrmislies of this Summer, so many haue falne: Yet (blessed be Heauen) wee are a populous Nation still; we haue Peace and Plenty, and all Blessings that Heauen and Earth can bestow vpon a people: sing therefore Hymnes vnto the Almighty IEHOVAH; send vp Sacrifices of Feare, Loue and Obedience to him: Cry to him, as DAVID did, when he numbred his people, and euery one say, I haue sinned ex­ceedingly, in that I haue done: therefore now LORD I beseech thee, take away the Trespasse of thy Ser­uant, for I haue done very foolishly, And then, though there dye of the people from Dan euen to Beer-sheba, seauenty thousand men, in three dayes: yet when the Angell, is stretching out his hand vp­on Ierusalem to Destroy it, The LORD will repent him of the Euill, and say to the Angell that destroy­eth the people; 2. Sam. [...]4. It is sufficient, Hold now thine hand. [Page 18] And then the blacke Warder shall be throwne downe to part Death and our Kingdome from falling into so terrible a Combat.

But art thou in feare of an Arrest, now that Writs are gone out (from the Kings-Bench Office of Hea­uen,) to Attach seuerall Mens Bodies! Art thou in doubt to be laid vp! In danger to be imprisoned in thy Graue! Hath sicknesse knock'd at thy doore! Does she sit on thy Beds side! Hath Infection blowne vpon thee with her Contagious, noysome and stinking breath! Hath the Pestilence, (Now in this present drooping, and sick-wing'd season) Printed her nayles within thy Flesh, and hast thou tokens sent thee to come a­way!

Fall on thy knees, Call for Mercy, to helpe thee, Cry out vpon thy sinnes, send for thy Heauenly Phy­sitian, to minister good things to thy Soule, settle thy minde in peace, shake off the world, looke vp at Heauen, Thither is thy Iourney, prepare for no voy­age else?

Art thou all-spotted ouer! They are GODS rich Ermines; to Inroabe thee like a King, and to set a Crowne of Glory on thy Head.

Art thou mark'd with Tokens, and hast thou thy Memory! Make vse of that Memory, and seeing those Markes are so set vp, That thine eye may shoote at them and hit them, now draw the last Arrow home, and winne the game of thy euerlasting Sal­uation.

Remember why those Tokens are sent: To make all the hast thou canst to set forward, for away thou must: Hug them therefore, as thy Louer; Kisse, [Page 19] and bid them welcome, th [...]nke that sweet Token-sen­der for his guift, and hauing nothing (which thou canst call thine) to send backe to him, leaue thy Bo­dy with some Friend in Trust, and bid thy Soule goe cheerfully on her journey.

Cheerfully indeed, and with all Alacrity, for now thou art trauailing into a farre Country, where all thy Friends are. There, thou shalt meet with thy old Parents, (thy old Father and Mother) ADAM and EVE.

There shalt thou see that great Nauigator of the World (NOAH) who in one ship, carried all the people in the world then liuing. There wilt thou find ABRAHAM and his Sonne ISAAC; Old IACOB, and his twelue Sonnes the Patriarches. MOSES and AARON will there receiue thee into GODS Sanc­tum Sanctorum; In that glorious Pallace, shalt thou behold, all the Kings of ISRAEL, all the Tribes of IVDA, all the ancient Prophets, all the Apostles, all the Saints and glorious Army of Martyrs, with bran­ches of Palme-trees in their Hands, and golden Starres sticking on their fore-heads.

Nay, there thou shalt see thy Redeemer sitting at the right hand of this Father; There (face to face) shalt thou see GOD himselfe, attended on by An­gels Archangels, Principalities, and Powers, Che­rubins, and Seraphins; And who would not reioyce, to be setting forward on this blessed Iourney, to the end he may at length come to be a fellow-Citizen, in the Heauenly HIERVSALEM.

All the Kingdomes on the Earth, are not worth the Seeling of that glorious Chamber of Presence, [Page 20] which is in this Court: This is a Kingdome, where there are no changes of Kings; No alterations of State: No losse of Peeres: No Warres: No Reuenges: No Citizens flying for feare of Infection: None dying of Them, that stay, No Women-keepers to rob you of your Goods, nor to hasten you to your End: In this Coelestiall Kingdome, there is true Majestie, True Glory, True Honour, True Beauty, True Peace, True Liberty, True Health: There is all Life, All Happinesse, All Immortality. To this-Kingdome, the King of Hea­uen and Earth, call vs when it is his Plea­sure.