of Noblemens cloaths He is a great Necromancer for he asks counsell of the Dead i.e. books A man is known to be mortal by two things Sleep and Lust Love without end hath no end says the Spaniard meaning if it were not begun on particular ends it would last Stay a while that we may make an end the sooner Presents of love fear not to be ill taken of strangers To seek these things is lost labour Geese in an oyle pot fat Hogs among Jews and Wine in a fishing net Some men plant an opinion they seem to erradicate The Philosophy of Princes is to dive into the Secrets of men leaving the secrets of nature to those that have spare time States have their conversions and periods as well as naturall bodies Great deservers grow Intolerable presumers The love of money and the love of learning rarely meet Trust no friend with that you need fear him if he were your enemy Some had rather lose their friend then their Jest Marry your daughters betimes lest they marry themselves Souldiers in peace are like chimneys in summer Here is a talk of the Turk and the Pope but my next neighbour doth me more harm then either of them both Civill Wars of France made a million of Atheists and 30000 Witches We Batchelors laugh and shew our teeth but you married men laugh till your hearts ake The Divell never assailes a man except he find him either void of knowledge or of the fear of God There is no body will go to hell for company Much money makes a Countrey poor for it sets a dearer price on every thing The vertue of a coward is suspition A man's destiny is alwayes dark Every man's censure is first moulded in his own nature Money wants no followers Your thoughts close and your countenance loose Whatever is made by the hand of man by the hand of man may be overturned FINIS The Authour's PRAYER before SERMON O Almighty and ever-living Lord God! Majesty and Power and Brightnesse and Glory How shall we dare to appear before thy face who are contrary to thee in all we call thee for we are darknesse and weaknesse and filthinesse and shame Misery and sin fill our days yet art thou our Creatour and we thy work Thy hands both made us and also made us Lords of all thy creatures giving us one world in our selves and another to serve us then did'st thou place us in Paradise and wert proceeding still on in thy Favours untill we interrupted thy Counsels disappointed thy Purposes and sold our God our glorious our gracious God for an apple O write it O brand it in our foreheads for ever for an apple once we lost our God and still lose him for no more for money for meat for diet But thou Lord art patience and pity and sweetnesse and love therefore we sons of men are not consumed Thou hast exalted thy mercy above all things and hast made our salvation not our punishment thy glory so that then where sin abounded not death but grace super abounded accordingly when we had sinned beyond any help in heaven or earth then thou saidest Lo I come then did the Lord of life unable of himselfe to die contrive to do it He took flesh he wept he died for his enemies he died even for those that derided him then and still despise him Blessed Saviour many waters could not quench thy love nor no pit overwhelme it But though the streams of thy bloud were currant through darknesse grave and hell yet by these thy conflicts and seemingly hazards didst thou arise triumphant and therein mad'st us victorious Neither doth thy love yet stay here for this word of thy rich peace and reconciliation thou hast committed not to Thunder or Angels but to silly and sinfull men even to me pardoning my sins and bidding me go feed the people of thy love Blessed be the God of Heaven and Earth who onely doth wondrous things Awake therefore my Lute and my Viol awake all my powers to glorifie thee We praise thee we blesse thee we magnifie thee for ever And now O Lord in the power of thy Victories and in the wayes of thy Ordinances and in the truth of thy Love Lo we stand here beseeching thee to blesse thy word wher-ever spoken this day throughout the universall Church O make it a word of power and peace to convert those who are not yet thine and to confirme those that are particularly blesse it in this thy own Kingdom which thou hast made a Land of light a store-house of thy treasures and mercies O let not our foolish and unworthy hearts rob us of the continuance of this thy sweet love but pardon our sins and perfect what thou hast begun Ride on Lord because of the word of truth and meeknesse and righteousnesse and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things Especially blesse this portion here assembled together with thy unworthy Servant speaking unto them Lord Jesu teach thou me that I may teach them Sanctifie and inable all my powers that in their full strength they may deliver thy message reverently readily faithfully fruitfully O make thy word a swift word passing from the ear to the heart from the heart to the life and conversation that as the rain returns not empty so neither may thy word but accomplish that for which it is given O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and do so for thy blessed Son's sake in whose sweet and pleasing words we say Our Father c. BLessed be God! and the Father of all mercy who continueth to pour his benefits upon us Thou hast elected us thou hast called us thou hast justified us sanctified and glorified us Thou wast born for us and thou livedst and diedst for us Thou hast given us the blessings of this life and of a better O Lord thy blessings hang in clusters they come trooping upon us they break forth like mighty waters on every side And now Lord thou hast fed us with the bread of life so man did eat Angel's food O Lord besse it O Lord make it health and strength unto us still striving prospering so long within us untill our obedience reach thy measure of thy love who hast done for us as much as may be Grant this dear Father for thy Son's sake our only Saviour To whom with thee and the Holy Ghost three Persons but one most glorious incomprehensible God be ascribed all Honour and Glory and Praise ever Amen Mr G. HERBERT To Master N.F. upon the Translation of VALDESSO MY dear and deserving Brother your Valdesso I now return with many thanks and some notes in which perhaps you will disover some care which I forbear not in the midst of my griefes first for your sake because I would do nothing negligently that you commit unto me secondly for the Authour's sake whom I conceive to have been a true servant of God and to such and all that is theirs I owe
presence to imprint them in the mindes of the people as this Book teaches our prayers had been generally as well beloved as they were scorned And for my part I am apt to think That our prayers stood so long was a favour by God granted us at the prayers of these men who prayed for these prayers as well as in them and that they fell so soon was a punishment of our negligence and other sins who had not taught even those that liked them well to use them aright but that the good old woman would absolve though not so loud yet as confidently as the Minister himselfe Lastly The blessed Three in One did make these three men agree in one point more That one spirit which divides to every man gifts as he pleases seems to me to have dropt upon these three Elect vessels all of them some unction or tincture of the Spirit of prophesie Shall I say I hope or Fear Mr. Herberts lines pag. 190. should be verified Religion stands one Tipto in our Land Ready to passe to the American strand When height of malice and prodigious lusts Impudent sinnings Witchcrafts and distrusts The markes of Future Bane shall fill our cup Unto the brim and make our measure up When Sein shall swallow Tyber and the Thames By letting in them both pollutes her streams When Italy of us shall have her will And all her Kalender of sins fulfill Whereby one may foretell what sins next yeer Shall both in France and England Domineer Then shall Religion to America flee They have their times of Gospel even as we My God thou dost prepare for them a way By carrying first their Gold from them away For Gold and Grace did never yet agree Religion alwayes sides with poverty We think we rob them but we think amisse We are more poor and they more rich by this Thou wilt revenge their quarrell making Grace To pay our debts and leave our Ancient place To go to them while that which now their Nation But lends to us shall be our disolation I pray God he may prove a true prophet for poor America not against poor England Ride on Most Mighty Jesu because of the word of truth Thy Gospel is a light big enough for them and us But leave us not The people of thine holinesse have possessed it but a little while Isaiah 63.15 c. When some Farmers neer the place where Master Ferrer lived somewhat before these times desired longer leases to bee made them hee intimated that seven yeares would be long enough troublous times were coming they might thank God if they enjoyed them so long in peace But considering the accustomed modesty of Dr. Jackson in speaking of things not certain I much admire that strange Appendix to his Sermons partly delivered before the King about the Signes of the Times printed in the year 1637. touching the great Tempest of wind which fell out upon the Eve of the fifth of November 1636. He was much astonished at it and what apprehension he had of it appeares by these words of his This mighty wind was more then a signe of the Time Tempus ipsum admonebat The very time it selfe was a Signe and interprets this Messenger's voice better then a Linguist as well as the Prophets were any now could do Both wind and time teach us that truth often mentioned in these Meditations Thus much the Reader may understand that though we of this Kingdom were in firm League with all the Nations of the earth yet it is still in God's power we may fear in his purpose to plague this Kingdome by his owne immediate hand by this Messenger or by like Tempests more grievously then he hath don at any time by the Famine Sword or Pestilence to bury many living souls as well of superiour as inferiour Rank in the ruins of their stately Houses or meaner Cottages c. And what shall be thought of that which fell from his Pen in his Epistle Dedicatory of his Attributes written November 20 1627 and Printed 1628 in these words or more If any maintain That all things were so decreed by God before the Creation that nothing since could have fallen out otherwise then it hath done That nothing can be amended that is amisse I desire leave to oppugne his opinion not onely as an errour but as an Ignorance involving enmity to the sweet Providence of God as a forerunner of ruine to flourishing States and Kingdoms where it grows common or comes to full height Was this a conjecture of Prudence or a censure of the physicall influence or of the meritorious effect of these Tenets Or rather a Prediction of an Event Let the Reader judg In these they did agree The sequell will shew wherein they differed This Authour Mr. G. HERBERT was extracted out of a Generous Noble and Ancient Family His Father was RICHARD HERBERT of Blache-hall in Mountgomery Esq descended from the Great Sir RICHARD HERBERT in Edward the Fourth's time and so his Relation to the Noble Family of that Name well known His Mother was Daughter of Sir Richard Newport of Arcoll who doubtlesse was a pious daughter she was so good and godly a mother She had ten children Job's number and Job's distinction seven sons for whose education she went and dwelt in the University to recompence the losse of their Father Dr Dōn in giving them two Mothers And this great care of hers this good son of hers studied to improve and requite as is seen in those many Latin and Greek Verses the Obsequious Parentalia he made and printed in her memory which though they be good very good yet to speak freely even of this man I so much honour they be dull or dead in comparison of his Temple Poems And no marvel To write those he made his ink with water of Helicon but these Inspirations propheticall were distilled from above In those are weake motions of Nature in these Raptures of Grace In those he writ Flesh and Blood A fraile earthly Woman though a MOTHER but in these he praysed his Heavenly FATHER the God of Men and Angels and the Lord Jesus Christ His Master For so to quicken himself in Duties and to cut off all depending on man whose breath is in his nosthrils hee used ordinarily to call our Saviour I forget not where I left him He did thrive so well there that he was first chosen fellow of the Colledge and afterward Oratour of the Universitie The Memorials of him left in the Orators Book shew how he discharged the Place and himself intimates Church pag. 39. That whereas his Birth and Spirit prompted him to Martiall Atchievements The way that takes the Town and not to sit simpering over a Book God did often melt his spirit and entice him with Academick Honor to be content to wear and wrap up himselfe in a gown so long till he durst not put it off nor retire to any other calling However propably he might I have heard
are first a holy Life remembring what his Master saith that if any do Gods will he shall know of the Doctrine John 7. and assuring himself that wicked men however learned do not know the Scriptures because they feel them not and because they are not understood but with the same Spirit that writ them The second means is prayer which if it be necessary even in temporall things how much more in things of another world where the well is deep and we have nothing of our selves to draw with Wherefore he ever begins the reading of the Scripture with some short inward ejaculation as Lord open mine eyes that I may see the wondrous things of thy Law c. The third means is a diligent Collation of Scripture with Scripture For all Truth being consonant to it self and all being penn'd by one and the self-same Spirit it cannot be but that an industrious and judicious comparing of place with place must be a singular help for the right understanding of the Scriptures To this may be added the consideration of any text with the coherence thereof touching what goes before and what follows after as also the scope of the Holy Ghost When the Apostles would have called down fire from Heaven they were reproved as ignorant of what spirit they were For the Law required one thing and the Gospel another yet as diverse not as repugnant therefore the spirit of both is to be considered and weighed The fourth means are Commenters and fathers who have handled the places controverted which the Parson by no means refuseth As he doth not so study others as to neglect the grace of God in himself and what the Holy Spirit teacheth him so doth he assure himself that God in all ages hath had his servants to whom he hath revealed his Truth as well as to him and that as one Countrey doth not bear all things that there may be a Commerce so neither hath God opened or will open all to one that there may be a traffick in knowledg between the servants of God for the planting both of love and humility Wherfore he hath one Comment at least upon every book of Scripture and ploughing with this and his own meditations he enters into the secrets of God treasured in the holy Scripture CHAP. V. The Parsons Accessary Knowledges THe Countrey Parson hath read the Fathers also and the Schoolmen and the later Writers or a good proportion of all out of all which he hath complied a book and body of Divinity which is the storehouse of his Sermons and which he preacheth all his Life but diversly clothed illustrated and inlarged For though the world is full of such composures yet every mans own is fittest readyest and most savory to him Besides this being to be done in his younger and preparatory times it is an honest joy ever after to looke upon his well spent houres This Body he made by way of expounding the Church Catechisme to which all divinity may easily be reduced For it being indifferent in it selfe to choose any Method that is best to be chosen of which there is likelyest to be most use Now Catechizing being a work of singular and admirable benefit to the Church of God and a thing required under Canonicall obedience the expounding of our Catechisme must needs be the most usefull forme Yet hath the Parson besides this laborious work a slighter forme of Catechizing fitter for country people according as his audience is so he useth one or other or somtimes both if his audience be intermixed He greatly esteemes also of cases of conscience wherein he is much versed And indeed herein is the greatest ability of a Parson to lead his people exactly in the wayes of Truth so that they neither decline to the right hand nor to the left Neither let any think this a slight thing For every one hath not digested when it is a sin to take something for mony lent or when not when it is a fault to discover anothers fault or when not when the affections of the soul in desiring and procuring increase of means or honour be a sin of covetousnes or ambition and when not when the appetites of the body in eating drinking sleep and the pleasure that comes with sleep be sins of gluttony drunkenness sloath lust and when not and so in many circumstances of actions Now if a shepherd know not which grass will bane or which not how is he fit to be a shepherd Wherefore the Parson hath throughly canvassed al the particulars of humane actions at least all those which he observeth are most incident to his Parish CHAP. VI. The Parson praying THe Countrey Parson when he is to read divine services composeth himselfe to all possible reverence lifting up his heart and hands and eyes and using all other gestures which may expresse a hearty and unfeyned devotion This he doth first as being truly touched and amazed with the Majesty of God before whom he then presents himself yet not as himself alone but as presenting with himself the whole Congregation whose sins he then beares and brings with his own to the heavenly altar to be bathed and washed in the sacred Laver of Christs blood Secondly as this is the true reason of his inward feare so he is content to expresse this outwardly to the utmost of his power that being first affected himself hee may affect also his people knowing that no Sermon moves them so much to a reverence which they forget againe when they come to pray as a devout behaviour in the very act of praying Accordingly his voyce is humble his words treatable and flow yet not so slow neither as to let the fervency of the supplicant hang and dy between speaking but with a grave livelinesse between fear and zeal pausing yet pressing he performes his duty Besides his example he having often instructed his people how to carry themselves in divine service exacts of them all possible reverence by no means enduring either talking or sleeping or gazing or leaning or halfe-kneeling or any undutifull behaviour in them but causing them when they sit or stand or kneel to do all in a strait and steady posture as attending to what is done in the Church and every one man and child answering aloud both Amen and all other answers which are on the Clerks and peoples part to answer which answers also are to be done not in a hudling or slubbe ring fashion gaping or scratching the head or spitting even in the midst of their answer but gently and pausably thinking what they say so that while they answer As it was in the beginning c. they meditate as they speak that God hath ever had his people that have glorified him as wel as now and that he shall have so for ever And the like in other answers This is that which the Apostle cals a reasonable service Rom 12. when we speak not as Parrats without reason or offer up such sacrifices
every grief to the Physician nor for every quarrell to the Lawyer nor for every thirst to the pot Good service is a great enchantment There would be no great ones if there were no little ones It 's no sure rule to fish with a crosbow There were no ill language if it were not ill taken The groundsell speaks not save what it heard at the hinges The best mirrour is an old friend Say no ill of the yeer till it be past A mans discontent is his worst evill Fear nothing but sin The child says nothing but what it heard by the sire Call me not an olive till thou see me gathered That is not good language which all understand not He that burns his house warms himself for once He will burne his house to warm his hands He will spend a whole years rent at one meals meat All is not gold that glisters A blustering night a fair day Be not idle and you shall not be longing He is not poor that hath little but he that desireth much Let none say I will not drink water He wrongs not an old man that steals his supper from him The tongue talks at the heads cost He that strikes with his tongue must ward with his head Keep not ill men company lest you increase the number God strikes not with both hands for to the sea he made heavens and to rivers foords A rugged stone grows smooth from hand to hand No lock will hold against the power of gold The absent party is still faulty Peace and patience and death with repentance If you lose your time you cannot get mony nor gain Bee not a Baker if your head be of butter Ask much to have a little Little sticks kindle the fire great ones put it out Anothers bread costs dear Although it rain throw not away thy watering pot Although the sun shine leave not thy cloak at home A little with quiet is the only diet In vain is the mill-clack if the Miller his hearing lack By the needle you shall draw the thread and by that which is past see how that which is to come will be drawne on Stay a little and news will find you Stay till the lame messenger come if you will know the truth of the thing When God will no wind but brings raine Though you rise early yet the day comes at his time and not till then Pull downe your hatt on the winds side As the yeer is your pot must seeth Since you know all and I nothing tell me what I dreamed last night When the Fox preacheth beware geese When you are an Anvill hold you still when you are a hammer strike your fill Poore and liberall rich and covetous Hee that makes his bed ill lies there Hee that labours and thrives spins gold He that sows trusts in God He that lies with the dogs riseth with fleas Hee that repairs not a part builds all A discontented man knows not where to sit easie Who spits against heaven it falls in his face He that dines and leaves lays the cloth twice Who eates his cock alone must saddle his horse alone He that is not handsome at 20 nor strong at 30 nor rich at 40 nor wise at 50 will never be handsome strong rich or wise He that doth what he will doth not what he ought He that will deceive the fox must rise betimes He that lives wel sees afar off He that hath a mouth of his own must not say to another Blow He that will be served must be patient He that gives thee a bone would not have thee dy He that chastens one chastens twenty He that hath lost his credit is dead to the world He that hath no ill fortune is troubled with good He that demands misseth not unlesse his demands be foolish He that hath no hony in his pot let him have it in his mouth He that takes not up a pin slights his wife He that owes nothing if he makes not mouths at us is courteous Hee that loseth his due gets not thanks He that beleeves all misseth he that beleeveth nothing hits not Pardons and pleasantnesse are great revenges of slanders A marryed man turns his staffe into a stake If you would know secrets look them in grief or pleasure Serve a noble disposition though poor the time comes that he will repay thee The fault is as great as he that is faulty If folly were grief every house would weep He that would be wel old must be old betimes Sit in your place and none can make you rise If you could run as you drink you might catch a hare Would you know what mony is Go borrow some The morning Sunne never lasts a day Thou hast death in thy house and dost bewail anothers All griefs with bread are less All things require skill but an appetite All things have their place knew we how to place them Little pitchers have wide ears We are fools one to another This world is nothing except it tend to another There are three ways the Universities the Sea the Court. God comes to see without a bel Life without a friend is death without a witnesse Cloath thee in warre arme thee in peace The horse thinks one thing and he that saddles him another Mils and wives ever want The dog that licks ashes trust not with meal The buyer needs a hundred eyes the seller not one Hee carries well to whom it weighs not The comforters head never akes Step after step the ladder is ascended Who likes not the drink God deprives him of bread To a crazy ship all windes are contrary Justice pleaseth few in their owne house In time comes hee whom God sends Water a farre off quencheth not fire In sports and journeys men are known An old friend is a new house Love is not found in the market Dry feet warme head bring safe to bed Hee is rich enough that wants nothing One father is enough to govern one hundred sons but not a hundred sons one father Far shooting never kild bird An upbraided morsell never choaked any Dearths foreseen come not An ill labourer quarrels with his tools He that fals into the dirt the longer he stays there the souler he is He that blames would buy He that sings on friday wil weep on Sunday The charges of building and making of gardens are unknown My house my house though thou art small thou art to me the Escuriall A hundred load of thought wil not pay one of debts Hee that comes of a henn must scrape He that seeks trouble never misses He that once deceives is ever suspected Being on sea saile being on land settle Who doth his own businesse fouls not his hands Hee that makes a good warre makes a good peace He that works after his own manner his head akes not at the matter Who hath bitter in his mouth spits not all sweet He that hath children all his morsels are not his own Hee that hath the