sincere That it may now and ever be displaid Against all such as shall thy truth invade Returne O God let not thy wrath proceed Shew us some favour helpe us in our need So fill our hearts with mercy that thy praise We may extoll with gladnesse all our daies O let that peace of thine which passeth all Our understandings keep our soules from thrall Yea soules and bodies both let it preserve So in thy feare that we may never swerve From thee our onely God but through thy grace In godlinesse may finish this our race That when we yeeld up this life transitory We evermore may dwell with thee in glory These and what else O Lord thou knowest best In thy great wisdome for us we request Not as desert for nothing's due but shame And hel-fire unto us but in the name And for the sake of that Son of thy love Who for our sakes alone came from above To whom with thee O God of saving grace And to thy holy Spirit in the next place We give all honour and desire t' adore Thy holy Name both now and evermore Amen PARTICVLAR REMEDIES AGAINST DESPAIRE COLLECTED Out of DAVID his PSALMES And applied to the severall Conditions of men in this vale of Misery By F T. Psal 107.43 Hosea 14.10 He that is wise to record well in minde These things shall understand how kinde And good God is to such as meekly beare His rod and thereby learne his Name to fear Psal 34.8 Taste then and see how good God is and just Blessed are they which in his mercy trust LONDON Printed by THO HARPER MDCXLIII Remedies against despaire in times of warre THe Lord of hosts doth take our part his eie Prevents all harme on him our hope doth lie He causeth warres to cease he breaks the bow He cuts the speare and charrets burnes also Be still and know that I am God and I Throughout the earth my selfe will magnifie Psal 46.7.9.10 God breakes the arrowes of the bow the shield The sword the speare the battle in the field Thou art more bright and shalt remaine for aye More puissant then mountains high of prey Stout-harted men yea mountaines strong and steepe Through thee are spoiled and have slept their sleep The mighty men of warre great men of might Have found both hearts and hands unfit to fight At thy rebuke thou that dost Iacob keepe The charret and the horse are cast a sleepe Thou even thou art to be dred and who Shall able be thy wrath to undergoe When thou to judgement shalt O God arise To helpe the meeke and heare their dolefull cries Surely unto thy praise mans might and rage Shall turne and thou the remnant shalt asswage Psal 76.3.4.5.6.7 8.9.10 The speare-mens ranks the calves and bulls of might God will destroy and all that love to fight This is our God that saves us from all wrong Issues of life and death to him belong Psal 63.30.20 Ungodly men consult against the good And plot how to condemne the guiltlesse bloud But still my refuge is the Lord most just Yea my God is the rock in whom I trust Psal 94.21.22 The arrowes of the Lord are sharpe to sting The hearts of those that fight against the King Psal 45.5 Our eares have heard our fathers have us told The mighty workes which thou hast done of old How by thy might thou cast the heathen out And didst subdue such as were strong and stout And in their place didst plant them by thy hand That they in safety might possesse the land They did not conquer by the sword their arme Their strength could not O Lord them save from harm But thy right hand thine arme thy strength and might Because in them thou tookest great delight Through thee alone we have thrust back our foes And troad those downe that up against us rose Unto my bowe no confidence I gave Neither from danger could my sword me save Thou hast us sav'd for honour of thy name Thou hast our foes put to reproach and shame Psal 44.1.2.3.5.6.7 As we have heard of old and oft have beene Told of thy goodnesse we have also seene Ev'n in the city of our God that he Will it establish to eternitie Psal 48.8 God is our hope and strength our rock and aid Ready to helpe when we are much dismaid Then though the earth be mov'd and mountaines fall Into the sea we will not feare at all Though waters rage and troubled be though waves Beat downe high mountaines God his people saves For there a river is whose streames will cheare The City of the Lord his Saints most deare God in the midst thereof doth dwell for aye Therefore it shall not perish or decay Psal 46.1.2.3.4.5 An hoast of men Lord I discomfite shall In thee through thee I shall leap o're the wall Psal 18.29 Let God arise and manifest his might And then his foes shall put themselves to flight But godly men before him shall rejoyce Yea leap for joy and sing with pleasant voice Psal 68.1.3 God is my rock shall man make me dismaid God is my strength why should I be afraid Psal 27.1 O sing unto the Lord new songs of praise For he hath wrought great wonders in our daies His owne right hand and holy arme alone With great renowne his foes hath overthrowne The Lord declares his saving health and might His justice eke in all the heathens sight He calls to mind his mercy truth and grace To Israel and all his faithfull race That all the world might see and know right well The goodnesse of the Lord to Israel Remedies against despaire in case of want and poverty THe poore shall eat and be suffic'd and they That seeke God praise him and shall live for aye The poore and needy he will not despise Nor hide his face from their complaints and cries Psal 22.24.26 Although I be of meane degree and poore The Lord is mindfull of me evermore Psal 40.17 Delight your selves in God with hearts entire And he will give to you your hearts desire Psal 37.4 All wait on thee yea things void of all reason That thou their food maist give them in due season Psal 104.27 The needy God will raise out of the dust Out of the dung the poore that in him trust Psal 113.7 For want of food the lions may be pin'd But such as feare the Lord shall succour find Psal 34.9.10 I have been yong and now aâ— waâ—ed old And in this case to speake I dare be bold That I the godly man did never see Forsaken quite nor his posterity Through want constrained for to beg their bread But ever have been by Gods goodnesse fed Psal 37.25 Cast thou thy burthen on the Lord and he In times of dearth and want will nourish thee Psal 56.24 Trust in the Lord to do good give thy mind Dwell in the land and thou shalt succour find Psal 37.3 Comfort for the godly when vengeance is powred downe upon the
Lord are not grievous Psal 119.40 and that his commandements are not burthensome for frst The regenerate are partakers of the divine nature of Christ whereby they are inabled to doe and suffer all things Credenti omnia sunt possibilia Iohn 1.5 all things are posible to them that beleeve Secondly they have spirits well qualified humble and meek minds loving and tractable dispositions towards Christ and love takes away difficulty leve fit quod bene fertur onus love makes a heavie burthen light Thirdly they have Christ the head of all the faithfull as fellow-members to sympathize with them in their sufferings solamen miseris socios hâ—buisse doloris they have the God of hosts within them the hosts of the Lord without them the God of hosts and all the hosts of God for them if men dare offend God will and can defend What need Mattheus care if an angry Peter cut off his eare if Christ be by to cure it againe What need Iob feare the roaving Sabbeans and robbing Chaldeans if Gods protection uphold him What need Lot feare to bee carried away captive if Abraham follow to redeem him What need a Christian feare to sustaine trouble sorrow need sicknesse or any other adversity since Christ the Son of God will make his yoake easie and God our tender Father will in his due time both ease release us Yea God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost are ever ready to apply their helping hands and wee commonly say multorum manibus grande levatur onus many hands make light worke Yet in the holy Scriptures we finde that many godly and Religious men through the imbecility of the flesh the extremity of paine and strong assaults of the Divell thereupon have been for a time so possessed with a spirit of heavinesse thâ—t they have appeared to themselves and others for a time as men utterly lost and forsaken and by this means have beene made unfit to serve God and scandalized their Religion to prevent this and such like evills which might hence arise I have in this small Treatise proposed to your serious consideration First the brevity of affliction or difference between the Crosse and the Crowne Secondly the benefit that comes to the soule by affliction Thirdly what Christ hath suffered for us Fourthly the ends why God afflicts his people Fifthly the author of affliction And these five thoughts as Davids five smooth stones being rightly placed in the sling of the heart and levelled by the steady hand of faith will be sufficiently able to beat down the great Goliah of our soules despaire first consider the difference between the Crosse and the Crowne the brevity of suffering the perpetuity of reigning afflictions are but for a short time during the time of this present life I count Rom. 8.18 2 Cor. 12. saith the Apostle c. Therefore the time of affliction is sometime termed a day of triall sometimes a night of sorrow Heavinesse may endure for a night saith the Psalmist but joy comes in the morning sometimes to an houre of watching as Christ said to his three Disciples Matth 26.40 Can you not watch with me one houre Besides this the burthen of afflictions 2. Tim. 2 12. 2 Cor. 1.2 3 4 5. hath consolations qualifying As the sufferings of Christ doe abound so his consolations much more Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousnesse sake Let Stephen have his eyes in prayer to see the heaven opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of God and he shall nor be moved with the stones which the Jewes violently throw at him Let Moses see him which is invisible and he shall not feare Pharaoh but rejoyce rather to suffer with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Let Paul and Silas consider for whose sake they are imprisoned and they will sing and rejoyce in the midst of their sufferings Secondly the power of the oppressor is limited his daies are numbred I have said you are Gods but ye shall dye like men the rod of the wicked shall not alwaies rest on the backe of the godly God will either cut off the oppressor in his fury or take the oppressed to his mercy Statutum est omnibus semel mori It is appointed for all men once to dye Quicquid generatur corrumpitur omne ortum interit Here is our comfort then if we dye we shall live like Angells if we live we shall see our enemies dye like men post hac veâ—it judicium and then commeth judgement Christ our blessed Saviour God and Man will one day come to exercise a judiciall course against them otherwise God should be unjust in rewarding and the godly of all men most miserable Secondly Rom. 5.4 Luke 24 26. Rom. 8.17 Acts 14.21 Heb. 12.6 7. consider the benefit that comes by affliction Via crucis est via lucis the crosse is the high way to the Crowne we must goe through Rethshemesh to Betheden through many tribulations into the Kingdome of heaven Affliction to the soule is as physicke to the body more wholesome then toothsome for although simply in it selfe it be not good yet being prescribed directed and ordered by the wise hand of God it oftentimes proves very usefull and advantagious to the soul David speakes upon his owne experience Psal 119.71 that it was good for him and Paul affirmes the same There is no affliction for the present joyous but it brings forth the quiet fruits of righteousnesse Adam in the garden of pleasure was overcome by the Serpent when Iob upon the dunghill of misery was more then a conquerer Affliction makes men mourne for their sins beati sunt qui lâ—gent Blessed are they which mourn Affliction makes men humble and humility makes the soule happy Deus resistit superbis dat gratiam hâ—nilibus God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble Afflictions make men meek beati sunt mites Blessed are the meek Psal 3.25 for they shal inherit the earth Dirigit mansuetes injudicio docebit mites in vias suas Affliction makes men hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Beati qui â—surium Blessed are they which hunger c. Affliction doth purge and purifie the soule beati mundo corde Blessed are the pure in heart c. Heb. 12.1 2 4. Thirdly Inspice vulnera pendentis Christi sanguinem morientis pretium redimentis cicatrices resurgentis capâ—t habet inclinatum ad osculandum cor aptum ad diligendum brachia extenta ad amplexandum totum denique corpus expositum ad redimendum Aug. de pas Christi Consider what Christ hath done and suffered for thee Multa dixit mira fecit durapassus est verba durlora verbera how he was incarned and assumeth the nature not of pure and immortall Angels but of sinfull mortall men how he came from Galilee to Nazaret from a Region to a hamlet from
our selves and see Whether our hearts be humbled for till we Returne with contrite spirits Num. 21.5 1 Ioh 1.9 3 Kâ—â—g cap. 8.49 to 50. â—am 3.42 43 44. Psal 66.16 17 18. and confesse The vildnesse of our sin and wickednesse And c stedfastly resolve them to forsake God will not heare the prayers which we make Simile The father takes no pleasure or delight To scourge his tender childe Ier. 3 4 5. so that he might By faire meanes win him but if once he finde In him a stubborne and a wilfull minde He will correct him and correct him till He does submit himselfe unto his will Let not th' afflicted then much daunted be At the a prolonging of their misery Heb 12. 1 2.3.4 Exod. 1.12 Luke 24.26 Acts 14 11. But be assur'd that God intends by this To bring their soules unto eternall blisse What though thou art afflicted more then all Thy friends besides What if the Lord should call Thee out alone to suffer for his word If he a greater measure will afford Of strength to thee thou hast small cause to grudge Or of his justice rashly for to judge Simile The wise Physitian will not give the childe The purge the father takes but one that 's milde One that may with his tender yeares agree And to his nature correspondent be The great Physitian of our soules doth know What we are able best to undergoe Psal 119.72 Psal 7.10 Rom 8.25 Heb. 4.13 He knowes the frame and nature of our hearts He tries the reines and our most inward parts And will not lay his hand on all alike Neither at all times with the same rod strike One man is crossed in his reputation Another in his birth and education Parents sometimes are crossed with a childe That proves a prodigall and growes so wilde That he will not be rul'd doe what they can Standing in awe neither of God nor man The childe with an ill father and the wife With such a husband that her very life Seems as a hell on earth some in their health By daily sicknesses some in their wealth By losse of goods then a let not mortall men Dispute why where by whom what how and when They suffer at Gods hands But be content Sith they have sin'd to beare the punishment Simile The good Physitian will not seek so much To give his physicke as the cure of such As he shall take in hand and therefore tries One way at first if that serve he applies No more but leaves them off b but if he finde Much dregs and corrupt matter still behinde He useth launcing cupping letting bloud Yea any way whereby to doe them good And if at any time he intermit It is because his patients are not fit By reason of their weaknesse not that he Intends to leave them off and thus we see God deales with his owne people many times In purging them from soule-corrupting crimes For when the waies of God we are not taught Esay 50 â— Nor by the first c crosse profit as we ought He either lets it longer on us lie Or sends another though not presently Ier. 5.3.6 Esay 9.17.20 Hos 5.12 13 14. Amos 4.6 usque ad 13. Because we cannot beare it let 's then learne To profit by our troubles and discerne The hand of him that strikes and for what ends The Lord unto his children crosses sends And when at any time we see his hand Stretcht out against a City Towne or Land Lam. 3.40 Let us both search our hearts and waies to see Wherein we might offend his Majesty And so incense his wrath but we alas As if it were a trifle let it passe We sleep a securely on our sinfull beds Till vengeance be powr'd down upon our heads We wanting wisdome to discerne aright The evill b imminent Gods threatning slight Seldome or never doe we take to heart These sins which justly cause God to depart From his owne Saints we doe not understand Wherefore the Lord in justice plagues our land We all are c apt enough to blame the times But few or none record their bloudy crimes We say the times are bad and thinke them strange But where 's the fault what is' t that makes this change Esay 59.1.2.3.4 Lam. 3.42 43 44. Ie eâ— 5 25. usque ad finem Doubtlesse our crying sins our great backslidings Our scoffing of Religion and deridings Those that with fervent d zeale professe the same Though with the losse of life goods or good name Our high-aspiring minds our great excesse In e diet and attire our drunkennesse Our swine-like rooting in this muck and mire Our f whoredome and inordinate desire Our g worshipping false gods our adoration Of the true God after a strange fashion Our taking of Gods name so oft in vaine By sin-procuring words and oaths prophane Our stubbornnesse and disobedience â— Pet. 2.13 Exoâ— 2â— â—8 Rom. 13.1.2.7 To h governours whom with great reverence We freely ought t' obey in all commands That equall with Gods Law and Justice stands Our prophanation of that day of â—est Which chiefly God for his owne service blest Exod 16 2â— Deâ—t â— 12 Exod 20 10. Our sacriledge the wounding and the tearing Our neâ—ghbours credits by false witnesse bearing Hâ—â— 27 usque ad 13. Our inhumanity and great a oppressions Our getting with injustice great possessions Our grinding poore men as it were to dust For lucre of the world which mothes and rust Shall in the end consume our guile and fraud Our usury and theft our little laud Our great contempt of God and Christ in all His morall and Lawes Evangelicall Our tyrannizing o're Gods people here As if we were set in a higher sphere Or regiment a purpose for this end When as the God of Justice does intend That such as are advanc'd to high degree Carefull preservers of his flock should be That they should helpe the fatherlesse and weak And in the poore mans case uprightly speak Our b discontentment and ingratitude Towards the Lord for such a multitude Of undeserved blessings Esay 1.2.5 cap. 4 5 6. Ier. 2 5. usque ad 12. Rom. 1.21 usque ad finem which ofttimes We have repaid with most provoking crimes These are the locâ—sts daughters which St. Iohn Notes in his holy Revelation Revel 9 7.10 Who fâ—ces have as faire as men but beare Stings in their tailes O fly from them and feare With sweet embracements ivâ—e kills the tree With vaine delights thy lusts will murther thee As Iacob to his houshold so speake I Unto each City Countrey Family Away with those strange gods that are among you Zephan 1.8 9. Ierem. 5.7 8 9. Esay 5 11. â—2 Esay 28.1 2 3. Acts 12.21 22. Esay 6.3 4 5. And change your garments for these things wil wrong you Away with whoâ—edome drunkennes and pride Gods purity cannot such sins abide Away with all prophanenesse filthy talking Lust and uncleannesse
they aloft to swim Supported with bulrushes of vaine hope What great applause they should gaine from the Pope The divels Vicar and how much it might Enlarge their freedome but God that gives light In midst of darknesse did their plots disclose Unto the admiration of all those That were then present or should after heare By their forefathers how once England were So undermin'd that had not Gods right hand Upheld the props and pillars of the land Psal 124. False hearted Papists had soone brought us all Into great bondage servitude and thrall But blessed be the Lord may England say Which no time hath us given as a prey Unto their bloody teeth yea blessed be His holy name to all eternitie We as a bird escap'd the fowlers grin And they themselves were a justly caught therein Iob. 4.8 Psal 27.2 And yet we have not turn'd to him aright Nor done the thing that 's pleasing in his sight His bow against us hath b been lately bent Anno 1602. Into our chiefest Cities he hath sent The plague and pestilence and feares of dearth Of late strange inundations of the earth Anno 1640. Great threats of civill warrs which God above Prevent for his great mercy sake and love Anno 1641. 1642. I cannot tell what some wish think or say But I am sure this is the ready way To mangle overthrow and ruinate The good and welfare both of church and state For should such bloody times in England come We might well feare a dreadfull day of doome To us hath God his faithfull Prophets sent To give us warning of the punishment For which our bloudie sinnes aloud do crie For our offending of his Majestie But we not liking of their heavie newes Have not refrain'd them strangely to abuse Unto our shames we cannot but confesse We have been oft convinc'd of wickednesse As how our sins if we did not repent And turne in time would not alone prevent All hope of mercy and of future grace But bring our soules to that infernall place Where we should evermore tormented be In everlasting chaines of misery And yet the Lord we have not truly sought Nor hereby been instructed as we ought We therefore justly may expect the sword Amos 8.11 A famine not of bread but of the word Let it be our chiefe wisdome then betimes To meet the Lord let us confesse our crimes Unto his throne let us appeale this day With contrite hearts and in this manner pray Thou mighty God of Gods thou King of Kings The maker and disposer of all things Dispose so of our hearts mindes thoughts and waies That we may evermore set forth thy praise We must confesse O Lord unto our shame But to the glory of thy dreadfull name That we too often have provok'd thine ire And caus'd thy wrath to burne as hot as fire By our abuse of mercy and of grace That thou migthst justly make our dwelling place And chiefest Cities desolate and void And without mercy let us be destroi'd From off the earth yea thou mightst justly take Thy blessed Candlesticke away and make Us live in darkenesse because thou hast sent The light into the world with this intent That we the path and way might cleerly see That lead to life eternall but still we In ignorance have taken more delight Then in beholding of thy blessed light All things which thou hast made doe stand in awe Of thee their Maker and by natures law Observe their course and order yea and praise Thy holy name according to their waies But man whom thou hast made all things to rule Knowes not his Maker as the oxe or mule Their owner or their Masters crib therefore Thou might'st ev'n in thy fury give us o're To our owne waies and cause us to become Like stocks and stones which are both deaf and dumb We have receiv'd such mercies at thy hands As thou hast not bestow'd on other lands With Angells food we have been daily fed Unto thy selfe O Lord thou hast us wed But we like harlots have thee quite forsaken And for our guides our owne devices taken So that shouldst thou us suddenly divorce We must confesse thy justice upon force Great plenty thou hast giv'n us many years And freed our hearts from terrifying fears Of forraine and domestick enemies Yea thou hast slaine our foes before our eies But we hereby thinking our selves cock-sure Have grown so carelesse wanton and secure That we have quite forgotten thee our God So that shouldst thou now scourge us with the rod Of war and want we could not but confesse That we by reason of our wickednesse Have justly this deserv'd yea ten times more Should thou in justice Lord with us quit score So that our mouthes are stopt in our defence We cannot speake a word of consequence But to thy mercy we our selves betake And humbly thee beseech for Christ his sake Thy people whom thou hast redeem'd to spare That so thou maist unto the world declare That thou art good to Israel thy deare And faithfull Spouse and to all such as fear And worship thee let not wilde boares destroy Thine heritage let not the fox annoy Thy pasture-sheep let not the vineyard fade Or be laid waste which thy right hand hath made Let not fat Buls of Basan with their horns Nor ramping Lions Tygers Unicornes Have any leave from thee to hurt the same For honour of thy great and dreadfull name Refresh it with the dewes of thy good grace That it may fructifie and grow apace So underprop it by thy mighty hand That in the greatest storms it firme may stand Let thine own arme so fence it round about That it may flourish all the world throughout That Cedars strong and tall and mountaines high And such small shrubs which in the vallies lie In time of scorching heat when as the sun In Leo shall begin his course to run May shade themselves under thy well spred vine Till he to Virgo passe a milder signe Thou that upon the heavens high dost ride Thou that sits at the sterne our ship to guide Now in these last these worst and evill daies Guide thou our sliding feet into the waies Of peace and truth thou that in safety keepes Thy chosen flock O thou that never sleepes Nor slumbers now with speed thy truth defend And from thy holy hill some succour send All power is in thy hand declare the same That heathen men may magnifie thy name Let not O Lord those that seeke to betray Thy holy ones have any cause to say Where is the God become that should you save Who will deliver you now from the grave O thou that causest hills like wax to melt Defend thy Sion wherein thou hast dwelt So many yeares thou that dost dwell on high Against thy foes thy selfe now magnifie Let not the tares and weeds destroy the wheat Let not devouring catterpillars eate Thy pleasant fruite we cannot but confesse With griefe
of heart thy crops grow lesse and lesse But stinking weeds encrease and flourish so That shortly they thy crop will overgrow Unlesse for honour of thy name with speed Thou wilt vouchsafe O Lord the same to weed O deale not with us after our deserts Nor after the uprightnesse of our hearts What would become of sinfull mortall man If thou his sinfull life shouldst strictly scan If thou shouldst marke what we have done amisse Who could expect to reape eternall blisse Psal 78.13 14. Thou that in Zoan by thy mighty hand Couldst so divide the seas that on drie land Our forefathers might passe canst also heale The breaches of our Church and Common-weale Our land 's divided and divided so That we amongst our selves can hardly know Whom we may safely trust which makes all those Which doe thee and thy word of truth oppose As chiefly Papists to rejoyce and say Ha ha so so there goes the game away Thou mightst in justice Lord we doe confesse Us of our lives and livings dispossesse Thou mightst deprive us of the meanes of grace And from beholding of thy blessed face And give us up into such Heathens hands For ever to remaine in cruell bands Of slavery and thraldome because we Have broke our covenant so oft with thee Yet Lord now in our need some pity take Ev'n for thy mercy truth and promise sake Thou hast we know been mercifull indeed To Israel yea thou hast Iacobs seed Restor'd from thraldome yea O God we finde In holy Writ thou blott'st out of thy minde All their misdeeds and heinous wickednesse Whereby they did thy holy Laws transgresse Thou didst asswage thy wrath and mitigate Thine anger towards them yea in a state Of happinesse didst seat them so that they Might be a people unto thee for aye O let thy people in this sinfull land Such mercies finde O Lord now at thy hand Turne us O God oâ— saving health from all Our evill waies which unto heaven call For vengeance on us let thine anger cease And from all hellish thraldome so release Our bodies and our soules that still we may With freedome magnifie thee day by day Vengeance O Lord doth properly belong Unto thy Majesty revenge the wrong That hath been and now is done unto thee By such as hate thy truth in sanctity O judge of all the world thy selfe exalt Against all such as would thy truth assault Let not the wicked and the worldly wise Over thy faithfull people tyrannize Let not false-hearted Papists who conspire The ruine of thy Church have their desire Let Superstition and Idolatry Like to a rotten hedge for ever be Trod underfoot let merit-mongers all Be like a rotten house and tottering wall Give not the soule Lord of thy Turtle Dove Unto the Beast remember in thy love And tender mercies such as are opprest By wicked men or any way distrest Thy faithfull covenant consider well For they are cruell that on earth now dwell The shepheard seeks to fleece his flock the lambe Growes ravenous and woolvish to her dam The bird the nest where she was hatcht bewraies Iudas his Master cunningly betraies Behold but how the wicked thee defame And how the foolish folke blaspheme thy name Arise arise and thine owne cause maintaine For thou hast said the helpe of man is vain Why dost thou sit as one that 's fast asleepe Why is thy wrath so hot against thy sheepe Thinke on thy congregations and behold Those places which thou hast possest of old But above all the rest remember well Mount Sion wherein thou was wont to dwell Let not the foolish laugh thy Saints to scorne Nor let the wicked man lift up his horne In sunder break their hornes but raise on high The horns of such as serve thee faithfully Confound them in their wicked plots with shame That daily labour to obscure thy name Cast downe those mighty mountaines which oppose Thee in thy waies but let O Lord all those That wish well unto Sion firmely stand As Cedar trees in this our realme and land O let thy Gospell flourish in despite Of such as most abhorre thy sacred light And for this end we humbly thee desire The hearts of all our rulers to inspire With so much wisedome and soule-saving grace That they may daily labour to deface All superstitious worship and advance Thy blessed word and sacred ordinance Thy jugdement Lord upon the King bestow Thy righteousnesse upon the Prince that so He may his loyall subjects rule aright And eke defend the poore against the might Of such as would them wrong without a cause Yea many times against his and thy lawes Let those high mountaines under him encrease In this his realme true zeale and godly peace And let the little hills their minds apply To punish vice and manage equitie Lord let thy Priests be clothed with thy truth And righteousnesse as Naomi and Ruth Make them to live in love that there may be In life and doctine a sweet harmonie Let Moses now and Aron Lord appeale Unto thy throne let Phineas with zeale True judgement execute without delay That they in time thine irefull hand may stay That so our God thou maist continew still And we a people ready to fulfill Thy holy lawes and all our sinfull daies Shew forth thy noble acts and worthie praise Thy whole and holy Church O Lord preserve In unity and peace let not them swerve Or be misled with errors that desire To worship thee with hearts and minds intire Those that are simple ignorant and blind And earnestly desire the way to find That leads to life eternall by thy grace Illuminate O Lord that they thy face And blessed countenance may clearely see And with this fight so much delighted be That they may dally labour to obtaine More knowledge of thy word and thereby gaine Assurance of thy goodnesse to the just And faithfulnesse to those that put their trust In thy sure promises those that are weake And yet through godly zeale desire to speake In behalfe of thy truth yea if need be To seale the truth thereof and sanctity Ev'n with their bloud enable with thy hand In midst of flames of fire upright to stand O strengthen them by thy al-working might Couragiously to fight the Lambs great fight Those that are borne of thine immortall seed And as new borne babes much desire to feed Upon the sincere milke of thy pure word Full streaming brests O Lord to them afford Lastly give peace in these unquiet daies Wherein pride guile and malice so much swayes For now O Lord great dangers are at hand As by thy frownes we clearly understand Thy ever-over and all ruling hand Hath brought astonishment upon our land Thou hast declared heavy things to thine And caused some of us to drinke the wine Of giddinesse so that we scarce can tell When we doe evill or when we do well O give a banner unto such as fear And worship thee with hearts and minds
LOrd thou art good as well as great and this Happy commixture is the ground of blisse What comfort would it be to us if thou O great Jehovah shouldst the heavens bow And come in majestie alas thy might Without thy goodnesse would but us affright If thou wer't only good and hadst not might When we were wrong'd where should we go for right If thou hadst onely might and wer 't not good Thy very name would frighten flesh and bloud But blessed be thy name O Lord of hosts Thy goodnesse is declar'd through all our coasts Yea we thy greatnesse and thy goodnesse find In Church and State in body soule and mind But we the greater oft the worser grow In doing ill we oft our greatnesse show Lord rather make us good then great what will Greatnesse availe us if our waies be ill Greatnesse without goodnesse Lord we know Will but procure our greater overthrow Therefore great God thy goodnesse we entreat To make us good how ere thou make us great If thou wilt grace us gratious God with might Give us grace with it for to use it right Amen Of the wisedome of God Meditati 2 THy wisedome is O Lord past finding out What man thinkes strange with ease thou bringst about But we are fooles and neither understand The words nor workes of thy almighty hand O blessed God we humbly thee desire Into our hearts true wisedome to inspire Make us to know thee and our selves aright Then shall our waies be pleasing in thy sight Amen Of the holinesse of God Meditati 3 LOrd thou art pure and holy we implore Thy holinesse to clense us more and more Each good and perfect gift must come from thee Lord make us such as thou wouldst have us be Amen Of the justice and wrath of God Meditati 4 WHat man Lord can abide thy wrath and ire Which being kindled burns as hot as fire O make us fearfull to offend thy Law Lest we before thee be as hay or straw Before a furnace grant that we may praise Thy holy name and serve thee all our daies Amen Of the truth of God Meditati 5 LOrd thou art true in all thy words and waies Justice and equity thy Scepter swayes We should be like thee but alas we finde Our hearts too much to fraud and guile inclin'd Lord breathe thy Spirit of truth into our hearts And write thy Laws within our inward parts Then shall our hearts be upright towards thee And eke our lives from foule offences free Amen Of the mercy of God Meditati 6 LOrd thou art mercifull as well as just Or else what would become of sinfull dust We should be like thee but our hearts are evill In cruelty we imitate the divell Lord make us kinde and pitifull that so In time of need thou maist us mercy show Amen Of the love and kindnesse of God Meditati 7 LOrd thou art kinde thy love endures for aye Upon good grounds we can with reverence say Thou seemest for to doat on man for when He went astray thou broughtst him home agen When he had from thy holy Precepts swerv'd And thereby thy displeasure had deserv'd The penalty of death then didst thou give Thy Son to suffer death that he might live O that our hearts could understand aright The greatnesse of this love that so we might With body soule and minde strive to adore Thy holy name both now and evermore Amen Short Meditations and Ejaculations upon the Lords Prayer Medita ∣ tion 1 LOrd we are sinfull in our purest works Much pride hypocrisie and evill lurks We cannot hallow thee it is our shame That we may in us Hallowed be thy name Amen Medita ∣ tion 2 I cannot but my misery condole My heart my minde my body and my soul Have been slaves to the world the flesh and divell Nimble and prompt to run into all evill But in thy service lame dead deafe and dumb My soule release Lord Let thy Kingdome come Amen Medita ∣ tion 3 A constant pure and cheerfull sacrifice We know Lord is wel-pleasing in thine eyes Quicken our hearts that are of life bereaven And let thy will be done here as in heaven Amen Medita ∣ tion 4 Thou art Our Father where then should we go But unto thee for what we want below All creatures by thy providence are fed Give us good God this day our daily bread Amen Medita ∣ tion 5 Lord thou art full of kindnesse and of pity Loath to destroy the meanest Towne or City If they repent O helpe us to confesse And leave our sins forgive our wickednesse Remit our faults unlose our chaines and fetters Forgive our debts as we forgive our debters Amen Medita ∣ tion 6 Lord thou art full of Majesty and might Able to put our greatest foes to flight Subdue those lusts that tend to reprobation And let us not be led into temptation Amen Medita ∣ tion 7 Thou art the God of Hosts the King of Kings And hast command within thee of all things Let not the world the flesh nor yet the divell Reigne over us Deliver us from evill Amen A few short Meditations or Eiaculations upon the ten Commâ—ndements Mediti ∣ tation 1 THou art the Lord our God the God of all Our souls and bodies thou hast brought from thral Grant we in word and deed may all agree To have no other God but only thee Amen 2. Precept Mediti ∣ tation 2 Thy goodnesse largely Lord hath been exprest To us and ours when we have been distrest Yet we like fooles have aid and succour sought From Idols vaine which our own hands have wrought Open our eyes O blessed God that we May leave our folly and returne to thee Amen 3. Precept Mediti ∣ tation 3 Most blessed God thy sacred will and minde Fully set forâ—h in sacred Writ we finde Thou wouldst noâ— have us take thy name in vaine We of our selves cannot O Lord refraine O give us grace thy name for to adore In word and deed both now and evermore And if we call thee witnesse for to beare Lord make us carefull that the truth we sweare Amen 4. Precept Mediti ∣ tation 4 Because that we are ready to forget To keep the day which thou apart hast set For thy owne selfe and service we may finde A memorandum to put us in minde Yet we must needs confesse unto our shame We are too prone to violate the same Incline our hearts to keep this Law that so We may escape thy wrath and endlesse woe And in thy holy place may ever sing Sweet songs of praise to thee our worthy King Amen 5. Precept Mediti ∣ tation 5 Lord thou wouldst have us honour and obey Our Parents Pastors and such as beare sway O grant we may withhold no honour due That happy dayes for ever may ensue Amen 6. Precept Mediti ∣ tation 6 Life is thy only gift therefore ought we To have our hearts and hands from murther free Keep us from bloudshed
lest with cursed Cain Our soules for ever burne in endlesse paine Amen 7. Precept Mediti ∣ tation 7 The pure in heart enricht with saving grace With joy shall see the glory of thy face To filthy lusts Lord we are much enclin'd O sanctifie both body soule and minde As we have faulty been herein so grant We may repent and leave this filthy haunt Amen 8. Precept Mediti ∣ tation 8 We know thy Law doth say thou shalt not steal Yet we both rob thy Church and Common-weal In both we are but drones we live to spend What others get and for no other end We in thy vineyard idle stand yea we Ev'n in our private callings sloathfull be Nay Lord we as if of all grace bereft Against thy majesty use fraud and theft Our conscience knowes it to bee very true Our practice shewes that we withhold thy due Thy due is honour glory laud and praise But we blaspheme thee by our evill waies Yea we might see were we not like blind moles Our theft toward our rulers bodies soules O Lord bow downe the heavens and behold Us in thy Son with mercies manifold Unto thy justice we dare not appeale Nor to our merits for if thou shouldst deale With us as we have dealt with thee we might Justly expect that thou shouldst us requite With everlasting woe O blessed God Rather correct us with thy tender rod Use us like children though we must confesse We have been rebells ready to transgresse Upon the least enticements of the divell The world the flesh to ought that hath been evill Make us in word and deed more just and true That we may give to God and man their due Amen 9. Precept THou lovest truth Lord in the inward parts But we have both deceitfull tongues and hearts Grant we may not for envie feare or gaine False witnesse beare dissemble lie or faigne Amen 10. Precept IT is thy will that we should be content With what in mercy thou to us hast sent But we are apt to murmur and repine And to accuse thy providence divine As if thou wert unjust or didst not know How upon men thy blessings to bestow We thinke some have too little some too much When others prosper we are apt to grutch To covet and desire those things which we In conscience know anothers right to be Lord make us for be content with what Thou hast appointed for to be our lot Have mercy Lord upon us and incline Our hearts to keepe all these thy laws divine Amen A few other short Ejaculations 1. Ejaculation WE cannot pray nor praise thee as we would Indeed we can do nothing as we should For when our minds are bent to do thy will Our adversaries tempt us most to ill O that our waies were so direct that we Might keepe they statutes O that we could be What thou wouldst have us be Lord we desire To worship thee with hearts and minds intire Lord let our sighes and groanes acceptance find For perfect deeds accept our willing mind Amen 2. Ejaculation OUr many slips our weaknesse do proclaime Yet we desire to love and feare thy name We have not faith we speake it Lord with griefe Yet we believe Lord helpe our unbeliefe Amen 3. Ejaculation LOrd we are Pilgrims apt to go astray To lose our selves or faulter by the way O let thy holy word and spirit guide And strengthen us that we may never slide Amen 4. Ejaculation LOrd in the world I am a silly sheepe Thou art the shepeheard of my soule oh keepe Me safely in thy sheepefold let me not Wander in by-waies as one quite forgot Rather then I should in such waies remaine Use any meanes to fetch me home againe Amen 5 Ejaculation LOrd I am deafe and dumbe yea lame and blind O by thy word illuminate my mind Make me the tidings of true joy to heare That thou again my broken bones mayst cheare Guide and direct my feet into thy waies Open my mouth and I shall shew thy praise My heart is hard I cannot turne to thee For Christ his sake in mercy turne to me Amen 6. Ejaculation MY foes are many mighty of great power Subtile and such as would my soule devoure But I am weake not able to withstand The least of them without thy helping hand O helpe thy servant Lord my God most just For in thee wholly do I put my trust Unlesse thou be my buckler and my shield I know my false and fainting heart will yield Me with thy holy armour arme that I May never shrinke nor from my colours fly Amen 7. Ejaculation HOw long O Lord how long wilt thou withhold Thy favour from me is thy love growne cold How long wilt thou reject me I am thine Unto my suite O Lord thine eare incline I sue for mercy let thy mercy save Me from the power of sin hell and the grave Then shall I sing thy praises and rejoyce Amongst thy Saints with heart and chearefull voice Amen 8. Ejaculation I Was conceiv'd brought forth and borne in sin And all my life and daies have spent therein And by this meanes that image quite defac'd Which through thy mercie once in me was plac'd Sin as a leprosie hath overspred Both soule and body so that from the head Unto the foot there is no part that we Knowing our selves aright can say is free Lord wash us in the bloud of Christ and so We shall be whiter then the driven snow Renew thy image in us once againe We are thy creatures do not us disdaine Of all faults past wipe out the totall sum And give us grace that for the time to come We may resist the world flesh and the divell Learne to doe well by ceasing to doe evill Amen 9. Ejaculation THou all my life hast beene my tender father Leave me not now but shew me mercy rather In my distresse the sorrowes of the grave Lay hold on me O for thy Sonnes sake save Me from her jawes receive me to thy glorie When thou shalt call me from things transitorie Amen Epilogus sive conclusio ad lectorem Lectores LIbrum hunc cui titulus est The Soules Solace in time of trouble or Soveraigne Remedies against Despaire in manus vestras humillime commendo aequo cum animo eum perlegite quamvis curtas abreviatas hasce in venietis meditationes de utilitate tamen his vobiscum bene digestis ne dubitetis obsecro Deum consolationis ut sint mihi vobisque omnibus solamen vitâ articulo mortis FINIS
Heaven to earth from Joy to sorrow from the Crowne to the crosse from his Fathers house where were many Mansions to lie in a manger from a Hall to a stall from eternall life to dye a shamefull death from glory to ignonimie For he that thought it no robbery to bee equall with God made himselfe of no reputation and came downe from Heaven and became man pro servis Dominus pro gregepaster obit propopulo Rex mactatur pro milite ductor and all this he hath done for us yea when we were his utter enemies He was wounded for our sins and broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes we are healed Pharmaca sunt potius quam vulnera vulnera Christi Curat enim plagis vulnera nostra suit The serious and right consideration of these things will make us truly submissive humble and thankfull and to cry out with the Prophet David Quid retribuam Domino pro omnibus quae tribuit mihi primo nihil eram fecit me pererar quaesivit me Psal 116.11 quaerens invenit me lapsum redemit emptum liberavit we deserve fratrem fecit me What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits c. he made me of nothing he sought me when I was lost and seeking mee he found me c. O bone Iesu quid tibi moris est nos debuimus tu solvis nos peccavimus tu luis opus sine exemplo gratia sine merito charitas sine moâ—o Bernard de pasâ— Christi O sweet Jesu what dost thou mean We owe and thou paiest we sinne thou pardonest a work without example grace without merit love without measure quid mirum erit si malus servus vitam deponet pro bonâ— Domino cum bonus Dominus vitam deposuit pro malo servo What wonder is it for an evill servant to lay downe his life for a good Master when a good Master hath first laid downe his life for an evill servant Fourthly consider why God afflicts his people as namely first Iam. 1.2 that those excellent graces of his Spirit in their hearts might appeare more famous and illustrious in the eies of the world Haector a quis noscet felix si troja fuisset How had the faith of Abraham the patience of Iob the meeknesse of Moses and fidelity of many of the Apostles been so illustrious if God had not proved them Stellae interdiu latent nocte micant virtus non apparet in prosper is micat in adversis Torches and Tapers shew dimme when the Sunne shines the Moone and Staâ—â— appeare not at noone our love zeale hope and fidelity is best seen in time of extremity Secondly that the edge of their affections might be taken off from the world the pomps and vanities thereof Thirdly for the subduing and quelling of some lust yet unmortified Zach. 13 9. Fourthly that we might prize and value his favours blessings and benefits at a higher rate â—ona magis carendo quam fruendo sentimus bona à terga fâ—rmosissima we never know the right worth of a thing untill we are sensible of the want of it meat is sweet to the hungry rest to the weary c. Fifthly that they might not be condemned with the wicked of the world hereafter the father suffers his childe to burne his finger in a candle to prevent the danger of a greater fire Sixtly to try the disposition of their hearts the father crosseth his child of his will to see of what humour and disposition he is to see whether he will grumble murmure or repine or no. Seventhly to discover the hypocrisie of many who in the time of peace and prosperity will make great shew of Religion and Piety when as indeed their chiefest holinesse towards God is to palliate and cover their foul injuries towards men saepe latet vitium proximitate boni it is the nature of hypocrisie to get as neare Religion as it can And it is not easily discovered the drosse can hardly bee distinguished from the silver till it come out of the furnace the Player hardly knowne untill he be unmaskt now times of trouble and persecution are Gods unmasking times times of discovery if the Player want his wonted auditory and applause he presently growes out of heart if these have not their wonted health peace and plenty they are ready to forsake their God and Religion and to say as Iorams prophane Pursevant did This evill is of the Lord 2 Kings 6.33 Esay 58.3 Mal. 3.14 1 Sam. 28.6 7. and why should we depend any longer on him Whereas the godly then cleave nearest unto the Lord. Bels keep their tune whether they ring for funeralls or festivalls they that are truly Religious will bee Religious as well in want as in wealth in adversity as well as in prosperity in solitudine as well as in theatro in private as well as in publicke Fifthly and lastly consider who corrects thee thou art under the hand of a wise God and pitifull Father who both can and will order all things for thy good prosperity adversity sicknesse health life death Rom. 8 28. omnia cooperantur and all things else shall worke together for the good of such as love the Lord for nothing happens to the godly by chance or fortune as many ignorantly suppose there 's not a sparrow falls to the ground without the providence of God there is not a haire upon our heads but it is numbred Eccles 2. usque 14. Esay 55.9 Rom. 11.33.34 Repine not then at the hand of God neither let thy heart be troubled at the continuance of trouble His waies are not as our waies he is infinitely wise knows what will make most for his glory our good our extremity is oftentimes his fittest opportunity In monte videbitur Deus In the mount will the Lord be seen and God usually affords the greatest comforts in greatest troubles first that we might bid his comforts more hartily welcome Secondly that his power providence wisdome and goodnes might be more evidently seen in the delivery Grudge not at the prosperity of the wicked wealth is not the badge but the baggage of vertue and according to the Roman word Impedimentum for it is as advantagious to him that travells towards heaven as a long cloak is to him that is to run a race therefore saith Christ it is a hard matter for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Secondly riches are but res mediae good or bad as they are used therefore true happinesse cannot consist in abundance they cannot deliver the soul from the power of death nor pains of hell the rich man died Luke 16. and was carried to hell Thirdly they are uncertain hodie Craesus cras Crodus he that is a King today may be a beggar to morrow and therefore no solid ground of felicity Stulte hà c nocte eripient animam tuâ—m Thou
otherwise how can men deale In matters that concerne a Commonweale That have not discipline what makes a state More weake and poore then this unhappy sate What makes the Artist lay aside his art And take himselfe unto the plough and cart What makes our foes triumph our weakenesse sure What makes us weake contempt of literature What makes art despicable in the eies Of such as wont the meanest art to prize Cause gold is thought more worth then art for he That is best able to bestow a fee Shall have a place let him be knave or foole Or one perhaps that never went to schoole And here indeed I might my thoughts inlarge My over-loaden stomach to discharge And speake of many things though to small boot But I will onely at some gunners shoot Yet will I for some of my brethrens sake A Saker Minion or some smal piece take For loath I am their weaknesse to disclose But much more loath to make the world suppose That all are such no I would cut my tongue Out of my head before I 'de do thâ—â— wrong I know some are deserving for their parts Honest and able men of good desarts Well then my care must be to levell right That I may hit the black and misse the white The Gunner as some know wâ—nkes of an eie That he the marke the better might espie But there 's small hope that he should hit the marke That wants both eies or levels in the darke I durst let such a Gunner for a tester Shoot at my cap from Christmas day till Easter Some scarce know how if that to proofe it came To charge a Cannon and discharge the same Yet these are best thought of by some and why Cause they have gold and gold can credit buy I would to God that those to whom't belonges Would take a course for to redresse such wronges For what they meane I do not understand Unlesse it be to undermine the land Though a God in mercy hath remooved farre Great thunder-threatning stormes of civill warre And for these many yeares preserv'd our land We cannot tell what dangers are at hand Though we be now at peace with France and Spaine We are not sure how long this shall remaine As safe as we suppose our selves to be E're long we may great alterations see To crosse the proverbe here a heavie purse Upon a land in this kind bringes a curse Not a light heart needs must their spirits droope Whose safety rests upon faire Venus troope Need must that Kingdome in great danger be When those are blind which should the ill foresee But thus much by the way I come from hence To speake of things of greater consequence What though this night may prove a night of sorrow Psal 30.5 We shall have perfâ—ct joy and peace to b morrow He that sav'd Ionas without saile or oare 3. Ionah Can safely bring our crazie Barks to shore Let mirth and sadnesse of each other borrow So live to day as so to die to morrow For what know we but that e'ne in a trice Our paines and pangs mâ—y prove a paradise Those evills which we thinke will soon'â— betide us God if he please with ease can put beside us They that in trouble teares and sorrow sow Psal 1â— 6.5 6. Iohn 16.20 Esa 35 10 16.13 14. Psaâ— 3.11.27 Shall reap in joy their joyes shall overflow They that as Pilgrimes wander in this race Shall have at length with Christ a dwelling place They that saile in this sea and are opprest With waves and stormes at length shall find true rest Esay 64 9. Maâ— 3 17. Num. 14.13 They that are trod here underfoot one day Over those e tyrants shall the Scepter sway Ieâ—â— 30.20 They that go on now weeping in the way Luk. â— 21 And good seed beare forth doubtlesse shall one day Returne with gladnesse and have cause to sing For they with joy their sheaves with them shall bring 2 Tim. 2 12. 1 Pâ—t 5 10. 2 Cor 1.5 â— They that Christs crosse with perseverance beare His crowne of glory shall for ever weare Besides our troubles are but transitory But everlasting is the crowne of glory What though the way be difficult and hard Looke with the eye of faith on the reward Before thee set and thou wilt soone confesse Rom. 8.18 That all the troubles of this wildernesse May not a compare with that estate of blisse Which God our guide long since prepar'd for his Besides we need not doubt but that his grace Phil. 4.13 1 Cor. 10 13. 2 Cor. 3 5 2 Cor. 12.9 Iude 24. v. Heb. 2.18.7.24 Will mightily suppot us in our race For had we faith upon him to depend Unto our troubles he would put an end Or give us meekenesse humbly to submit And so much strength as he for us thought fit Simile The tender father willing for to try His childs obezance and humility Some heavie weight upon his shoulder laies The child submits and readily obeyes His father seeing then a willingnesse In him to beare that which would overpresse His tender backe his hand applieth so That under it with ease the child may goe If then the earthly parent be thus mild And carefull not to overload his child Psal 103.13 Iob 34 23. We need not feare at all but that our God Will give us meeknesse to endure his rod And so encrease our strength that still we may His Crosse upon our shoulders beare away He knowes our frailties and whereof we 're made He knowes we are but dust and apt to fade He knowes full well the cruelty of those That to our welfare are most deadly foes He knowes the world is subtile and how apt We are with golden baits to be intrapt He knowes that roring lyon which each houre 1 â—eâ—â—â— Our deare-bought-soules seekes closely to devoure Is mercilesse and how the flesh with guile Both soule and body labours to defile And how we are not able to withstand The least of them should he withdraw his hand Our tender father therefore for this end To us his holy Spirit of truth did send Rom 8 26. And when our soules are so perplext that we Through anguish of our paine and miserie In so good tearmes c cannot our mind reveale That man may understand to God appeale We with a mournefull sigh a sob a grone He will conceive for what we make our mone And in due time we shall such mercy finde 1 Cor. 3.4 5. As shall give ease to body soule and mind The Church of God in Egypts slavery Exod 2 23 24. Could not tell how to pray but with a sigh Exprest their minds to him who knew the thought Of each mans heart and suddenly he brought Them out of bondage by his mighty hand And after brought them to the blessed land Of promise where with freedome they his will And holy testimonies might fulfill Simile So great affection doth
the father beare Unto his tender child his sonne most deare That seeing him lie sick upon his bed As if his soule were from his body fled That he both speakes and weepes the child alas As if it were a trifle lets it passe He takes him by the hand my child quoth he Knew I thy wants I soone would sucker thee The child not able to expresse a word Unto his tender father doth afford A smiling looke and fixing of his eye Full fast upon him striveth earnestly To make his mone to shew where lies his paine But wanting strength his striving is in vaine His father does the best he can to ease Him of his paine and what he thinks may please His mind or palate he forthwith takes care How to provide the same he does not spare His purse nor person but as one that were Out of his wits he without heed or feare Goes runs and rides and makes with spur and whip His horse o're vallies and high mountaines skip But finding still his labour to no end He makes what haste he may or can to send For its deare mother and his tender wife And bids the messenger run as for life And tell her that her child is growne so weake That for a world a word it cannot speake She hearing this sad newes makes no delay Her husband runs to meet her by the way And meeting her his mind doth thus unfold Deare-heart I doubt not but thou hast been told How that my sonne lies sick and cannot speake His heart with paine is ready for to breake And mine with griefe because I understand Not what he meanes when he with head and hand And other moving parts does what he can To shew his mind to me unhappy man I pray thee goe and see if thou canst find By any signes its meaning or his mind And though it cannot speake through griefe and paine Yet if thou canst imagine guesse or gaine By any signe what it desires of me Doubt not my love it shall soone granted be More tender mercies will God manifest Unto his children when they are opprest With waves of sorrow and in such distresse That how to pray aright or to expresse Their minds they known not a he accepts their sighes Their sobs their teares their grones and mournfull cries He takes their godly meaning for the deed In peeces he 'le not break the bruised reed Nor quench the smoking flax Mat. 12. Esay 42 1. Psal â—2 12.33.1 oh then be glad And much reioyce in God you that are sad In heart because you cannot pray draw near To him with boldnesse doubt not God will heare The chatt'ring of his Saints and their request Will grant or what in wisdome he sees best For we oft times for want of judgement crave And earnestly desire such things to have As are at best but losse drosse dung and durt And such as might both soule and body hurt The earthly parent will not give a stone Unto his child when he for bread makes mone Mat. 7.7 Not yet a serpent when he craves a fish Nor for an egge a scorpion nor a dish Of deadly poison if then parents know How on their children good things to bestow Much better can our heavenly Father tell What 's for our good who does so far excell In grace and wisdome parents whilst they live For want of judgement to their children give Such things as prove their bane yea oft such things As strange diseases on the bodie brings Psal 75 3 104 8.145.14 But God that did both earth and heaven frame And every thing perteining to the same Who governs all things by his mighty hand Their ends and natures well doth understand He knowes what 's pleasing unto flesh and blood And what may further our eternall good And therefore doth in mercy oft denie a Us what we aske with zeale and fervencie Yea when we aske for stones he gives us bread The food of life eternall yea in stead Of serpents fishes and for dung and drosse A weighty crowne of glory yea for losse Of life goods or good name eternall gaine In stead of pearles and jewells he a chaine Of his celestiall graces will bequeath Whose splendor will obscure all things beneath In stead of partridge woodcocks snipes and phesants Which now a daies are meats for clowns and peasants In stead I say of such like dainty fare Which many make their god God will prepare A table for his Saints deckt with such meate As shall them so suffice that thereof eate That they shall never thirst nor hunger more After those things they thirsted for before In stead of costly buildings and great places Which upstarts oft for want of grace disgraces We with the Angels shall in heaven sing Sweet songs of praise to our eternall King In stead of great attendance and respect Which many as some more then God affect We have the blessed Angels to attend Our persons and from harme us to defend In stead of high-borne kindred and great friends On which so many fooles too much depends God makes himselfe a father and a mother A wife to one a husband to another In stead of milke and hony wine and oyle Whereof too many prodigalls make spoile We have the sincere milke of his pure word Which doth both hony wine and oyle afford For rich attire whereby so proud some grow That they themselves or friends can hardly know With robes of sanctity he cloathes us here That we for aye his princely robes may weare In stead of musick for to please the eare A pleasing voice we shâ—ll from heaven heare Saying this is the way to life and light Deâ—tro 4.12 Ezek. 33 32. Turne neither to the left hand nor the right The second thought VVHo is' t that strikes us is' t a deadly foe Or one desirous of our overthrow No ti 's our best and dearest friend nay rather Psal 94.12.66.10 Laâ— 1.12 Our ever-loving God and tender father What comfort may this yeeld unto a soule That is constrain'd its weaknesse to condole Who can expresse what ease the grieved find When they this truth consider well in mind Troubles and sorrowes may the good befall But this will make them triumph over all Simile The sick man need not doubt distrust or feare His Doctors care who hath a father deare For his Physitian nor the least doubt make Whether those med'cines he may safely take Which he prescribes not onely with great care But with his owne hand likewise does prepare Lesse cause Gods people have to be afraid In time of triall or so much dismaid When they should suffer for the Gospells sake Which lies then bleeding as it were at stake If they consider well who doth them call Yea for what end and purpose and withall How by his mightie and all-ruling hand He governs all things both on sea and land So that the divell nor his instruments Can bring to any purpose their
intents Without leave from above this truth we find Marke 5.12 Confirm'd by Scripture to confirme the mind Of all the faithfull how the divels were Not able of themselves once to draw neare The heard of swine for they of Christ besought Not only leave to goe as if they thought That of small force but to be sent that so They might be able into them to go What comfort may the soule from hence apply Unto its selfe in its extemity How may it reason with the Lord and say My God my guide my judge my staffe and stay Could not the divels go into those swine Without thy sufferance and leave divine Couldst thou oh Lord by thy almighty hand So mercilesse a creature so command As fire and such a fire in such a place That those three children through thy strength and grace Could walke i' th midst thereof Dan. 3.17 and not so much As have their garments smell was thy power such And shall I feare the face of mortall man Whose life is but a bubble blast or span I know oh God of might thou art the same Psal 75.2 Numb 1â— 23 Thou canst not change Jehovah is thy name Thou didst the Jsraelites with Manna feed And gav'st them quailes in their great want and need Thou brought'st forth streames from rockes both hard and high Thou mad'st great swelling rivers to be drie Bashan and Carmell are at thy command Great Princes at thy voice amazed stand The Cedars tall thy voice asunder rends At thy rebuke great-swelling Neptune bends Thou canst effect things opposite to nature To pleasant wine thou canst turne running water Saint Iohn th'Evangelist was put to boile Into a Cauldron full of scaulding oile Yet by thy hand of providence oh God He rather came annointed forth then sod I know thy hand hath wrought many a wonder Psal 89 5 6.7 to thâ— 19. Psal 74 14.15.16 17.18 Psal 136.4 Psal 78.13.21 Dividing seas and cleaving rocks asunder Slack in thy promise I thee never tooke Thou hast no time thy chosen flock forsooke At thy command I never tooke up armes But thou hast stood between me and my harmes 1. Sam. 17.35 3â— Then though my foes in campe against me lie And will in battle picht their forces trie I in thy name will be both strong and stout Because thy hand doth fence me round about For sure I am thy all supporting grace Will strengthen me my foes quite to deface Dan. 3. Had not those hungry lions so much power As Daniel thy deare servant to devoure Could they not hurt him with their griping pawes Nor teare his limbs asunder with their jawes Then give me blessed Lord true faith that I In time of triall may on thee relie Being assured that it is the rod Of a kind father and a loving God 1 Sam 3.18 It is the Lord saith Eli that doth smite Let him do what seems good in his owne sight I was as dumbe and would not speake a word Because I knew that it was thou oh Lord Iob. 1.21 The Lord doth give saith Iob and take away And blessed be his holy name for ay Lament 3.37.38 Amos 3.6 What evill's there in any place or land That is not wrought by my alworking hand A sea of comfort for the comfortlesse In times a of trouble sorrow and distresse Is this our father and our tender God Like children let us humbly kisse the rod How may this elevate our drooping hearts When Sathan with his sore-soule-wounding-darts And such as are his factors here below Our soules and bodies seeke to overthrow Anno 1588. Had not the Lord himselfe may England say Been on my side when mountaines high of prey And such as did delight to swim in blood Came in upon me as a swelling flood Their rageing streames had overwhelmed all My worthy cedars shrubs and bushes small Had not the Lord himselfe the soule may say Been on my side hell gates before this day Against me had prevail'd death and the grave Had made of me a bondman and a slave Simile How grievous to the child would it appeare If for a fault committed he should heare His tender father in his fury say Unto his servants take you him away Out of my sight and presence and for it Give him what punishment you shall thinke fit If this were our condition surely we Of all men should most miserable be But knowing that we neither can nor shall Thus in the hands of men or divells fall We may triumph and in our troubles sing Glory be to the Lord Our Supreme King Whose word a lion to a lambe can turne At whose command the fire shall cease to burne Mountaines shall dance the roofe of heaven shall shake Iob. 26.10.11 Earth like an asping leafe for feare shall quake The stars shall cease to shine the moone perforce Shall be compel'd to alter in her course Rocks shall grow moist great hils shall be made plaine Great swelling Neptune shall be cleft in twaine A raven shall Elias feed the flood Shall not hurt Noah nor such as be good The greedie whale shall Ionas cast on shore Whom she had swallowed downe three daies before The crowing of a cocke shall Peter bring Upon his knees a viper shall not sting A holy Paul a stone in Davids sling Shall bring Goliah to the dust the Sun Shall cease his swift and wonted course to run The fire of Sodom shall not hurt at all A holy Lot prison nor bonds a Paul A cruell Pharoh nor a bloodie Saul A Moses or a David no nor all The pollicie and might of divels in hell Or of their instruments which so excell In hellish subtletie a shall able be To hurt the godly in the least degree The Lord doth reigne oh let the earth rejoyce And let his Saints triumph with chearfull voice The third thought Rom 8.28.29 THough troubles grievous seeme to flesh and blood Yet all things worke c together for the good Of such as love the Lord whether they be Advanc'd to honour or in low degree Whether they be in sicknesse or in health 2. Reg. 6.27.30.33 Whether they be in poverty or wealth For nothing d happens to the just by chance But by the hand of divine providence And though God seeme to disregard our cries And mournfull teares and for a time e denies Our earnest suites yea in our greatest need And cause our troubles much more to exceed 1 Cor. 19.9 Yet he no time hath his forsooke nor will Because he will his promises fulfill A wise Physitian seekes not for to please The sicke mans fancie but looke what may ease And miâ—igate his paine he will apply Though for the present he encrease thereby The measure of his griefe and as it were Add sorrow unto sorrow feare to feare Yet in the end he cures him of his paine And to his former health restores againe Such is the weaknesse of our flesh that
That such as truly love and feare his name Will do his will thouhg to their losse and shame Sins nor sonnes though they be darlings deare Will they withhold that Gods law truly feare God Abraham commands to slay his sonne The word 's no sooner spoke but it is done Reason might seeme to put in ifs and ands And challenge God upon such harsh commands The flesh might reason thus What shall I slay My onely sonne the sonne might seeme to say O father deare can you find in your heart The head and shoulders of your sonne to part Your sonne your only sonne your sonne and heire Heire of the promise upon whom your care And love hath been so sixt what will you prove A murtherer of your child where is that love Which once did flame like fire is there no sparke Of thy good nature left a riddle darke For nature to conceive a thing most strange How in a fathers nature such a change So strangely should be wrought Oh let me pause A little with my selfe what might this cause What have I done wherein have I offended Cannot my fault by faire meanes be amended O spare a little and withhold thy hand And I will doe what thou shalt me command But he regarding God more then the crie And moan of Isaac seemes thus to replie My child my tender child my sonne most deare I have command to sacrifice thee here Or otherwise my love to thee is such That for a world thy life I would not touch Simile The file may take a way the rust and durt But rather does the weapon good then hurt The flaile may bruise the straw the chaffe great winds May blow a way but still the seedsman finds His corne more fit for use the furnace may Both wood and drosse with heate consume away The purge may drive ill humors from the heart And not hurt it or any other part Troubles oft purge our soules from some soule sin Or other which we have long lived in Before I was afflicted I astray Did goe saith David but now I obey And keepe thy statutes daily in my mind And more delight and comfort therein find Then can the rich man in his wine or oile Or the undanted victor in his spoile So stubborne is the will so crosse the mind The heart so hard and understanding blind That cords of mercy will not us withdraw 1 Sam. 6.20 1 Sam. 12.10 From the transgressing of Gods holy law Troubles and a sorrows oftentimes prevaile When admonitions and good counsell faile Troubles made David to refraine from sleepe Sicknesse King Ezekiah made to weepe Egypts burthen servitude and thrall Made Israel upon the Lord to call Judgements upon his knees proud Pharaoh brought The prodigall how to returne want taught Simile A tender father strives to win his child With gifts faire promises and speeches mild Using what meanes he can from time to time To make him see the vilenesse of his crime He talkes to him and oft in talking weepes And seemes to reason with him in his sleepes His yearning heart with griefe is so opprest That dainties will not downe he cannot rest In any place but goes from friend to friend To see if they can tell what course will mend A prodigall some tells him this some that Some bids him take no care for such a brat Some bids him keepe him short and others say To give him scope will be the onely way He listens to their counsells and first tries All faire and gentle meanes he can devise So loath is he his darling should be lost That he regards no labour care or cost Yet when he finds all this to be in vaine He sends him over sea to France or Spaine And to the Master of the ship gives way To keep him short and curbe him day by day Untill such time as he shall clearely find Him of another nature will and mind The dingthrift knowes not this but lives in hope That he shall have more liberty and scope He goes aboord the ship as one that were Void of all humane reason wit or feare He thinks to have the like or more command Upon the sea then he had upon land Luke 15 16. But when this prodigall is through great need Constrain'd on durtie husks with swine to feed And calls to mind upon what daintie fare His fathers servants feed he then takes care How to returne his folly to confesse Hâ—s great rebellion and unworthinesse To be his son and therefore much desires To be but as a servant which he hires For yearely wage so that he may obtaine His former love and countenance againe This course the Lord is forc'd oft times to take With his when they his holy waies forsake To follow their owne fancies and delight To satisfie their sinfull appetite Should God not sometimes strike us with his rod We should forget that there was any God Nay should not God oft strike we soone should grow So well conceited that we a should not know God or our selves aright but run on still The measure of iniquitie to fill Should we have all things at our hearts desire We should like swine so wallow in the mire Heb. 11.9.10 Of worldly pleasures that our hearts would be More bent to trash then true felicitie Had not the Israelites been in distresse And long perplexed in the wildernesse The land of promise had not welcome beene Neither had they Gods love so clearely seene Tidings of a peace unto the souldier brings More true contentment then all other things The wether beaten Marriner desires To be on shore the traveller aspires The top of some high hill hoping to see His journeys end the labourer would be Rather at b rest then roast the silly slave Expects a day to come when he might have His liberty the sick man prizeth c health And fortitude the poore and needy wealth The hungry food the naked cloathes the blind Their sight the cripple limbs the sick in mind And soul-afflicted joy and such as know The paines and miseries they undergo Who suffer in some sort the pangs of hell In soule and mind whilst upon earth they dwell Will heaven prize and ever thinke it best To be with Christ in his soule-easing rest Simile So dearely loves the child the mothers brest That quietly one houre it scarce will rest Without the same yet when the child is growne Unto some bignesse and begins alone To creepe about the mother much desires To weane it off and for that purpose hires One for to tend her child that so she may Keepe for a day or two out of the way The child growes mother-sick and is so wed Unto the brest that it will not be fed With any other food but roares and cries Both day and night as it i' th cradle lies She hearing this to be of so small boote With some unpleasant thing as 't might be soote Her brest besmeares to trie if it will take
doome Venite ite come ye truly blest Matth. 25.34 Enter into my everlasting rest Come you true Iacobs and my blessing take Goe cursed Esau's to the burning lake For you have sold your birthright grace and glory For gaine and pleasure and things transitory O come ye blessed Martyrs you at stake Have burned for my truth and Gospel sake Lives lands nor livings friends nor kindred deare Matth. 3.18 Could make you swerve or to forsake my feare You have not serv'd the Lord your God in vaine Your greatest losse shall be your greatest gaine Come now from labour unto perfect rest From bloudy Tyrants hands to Abrahams breast From shame to honor from the jawes of death Esay 25.8.9.10 To joyes eternall from those toyes beneath To things of consequence from drosse and losse To perfect gaine from bearing of my crosse Unto the wearing of my Crowne from paine In happinesse for ever to remaine In meeknesse you have suffer'd at the hands Of wicked men much wrong in cruell bands Of slavery and thraldome many yeares You have been kept Apoc. 21.4 Esay 25.8 Apoc. 7.17 but now behold your teares Are vanished you shall possesse a Crowne Of everlasting glory and renowne Upon my a throne you shall in judgement sit 1 Cor. 6.2 And see your foes sent toth'infernall pit Which burns with fire and brimstone they shall hear Unto their great astonishment and feare This dreadfull sentence past Depart from me O all ye workers of iniquity Mat. 25.41.7.23 Psâ—l 5.4.5 The pleasures of this life like as a streame Have flow'd upon you Psal 76.5.73.17.18 19 Iam. 5.1.2.3.4.5 Psal 17.14 but now as a dream They shall deceive you and not only so But aggravate your misery and woe Because your b plenty you have oft abus'd And to relieve my servants have refus'd Nay in their wants you have so backward been To comfort them that I have often seen You persecuting some with bloudy hands And driving others into forraigne lands Therefore depart from me but is this all No it might seem a punishment too small Yea in some sort a favour if they might Have leave to goe and keep out of his sight Simile As at th'Assises some desire to see The Judge the malefactor glad would be If he might have that favour or that grace As not to see his countenance or face But being upon force constrain'd t' appeare Before an angry Judge in how great feare And horrour stands he then because he knows He cannot justifie himselfe in those Condemning crimes which are against him brought Nor have of friendship one conceit or thought Because he is indited for such things As present death unto the actor brings High treason he against his King hath wrought And the destruction of his Judge oft sought And can he hope for mercy at his hands Who hath thus forfeited his life and lands Out of his sight the Judge bids him depart That 's his desire but this strikes to his heart Be gone depart from me unto that place From whence thou can'st and there for a short space Thou shalt remaine and after dragged be To end thy dayes in paine and misery Thus at the great Assise when Christ shall come To judge the world no doubt there will be some 1 Cor. 1.7 Heb 9.28 Apoc 9.6 Esay 2.18.20 21. Hosea 10.8 Luke 23.30 With joy expecting when he should appeare When others seek to hide their heads for feare Not daring to behold the Judge his face Nor to abide the splendor of the place Such being guilty will with all their heart Wish that they might out of his sight depart So holy is the Judge so pure his throne That it can be delightfull unto none But holy Saints so that if Christ should say Depart from me and there his censure stay It might a favour seem could they thereby From everlasting paines and torments flie Therefore a this holy Judge in his just ire Bids them depart unto eternall fire Matth 25.41 Esay â—0 33 Is this Gods dealing let us then induce Unto our profit hence a triple use As first let no man thinke that man most blest That hath most gold and silver in his chest For outward things we fully may possesse And yet fall short of reall happinesse The raine both upon good and bad doth fall The Sun sends forth his beames alike on all Yea oftentimes the wicked wealth possesse When as the godly are in great distresse Ierem. 18. Eccles 2. tot cap. And secondly let not the godly be Much troubled when they wicked men shall see Grow wealthy in the world but labour still To be submissive to their Fathers will Simile Perhaps the hired servant or the slave May for the present time more money have Then 's Masters son yet must he not compare For mastership because he is his heire Ungodly men may for a time advance Themselves o're Gods belov'd inheritance They may command as Lords and domineere And think to make the godly stand in feare Of their high lookes and threats but God one day His mercy and his justice will display Psal 58.10 Mal. 3.17 18. And with an everlasting crowne reward Such as unto his laws have had regard 2 Thess 1.6 7 8 9 10. Mal. 4.1.2 When such as did on earth the just disdaine Shall be rewarded with eternall paine As sheep goe to the fold they to the grave And in that day the just shall Lordship have Their beauty shall consume when they shall go From their brave buildings to eternall woe Simile It falls out with the godly in this case As with a Partridge which the Hauke doth chase The silly Partridge knowes not where to rest Nor where in safety she may build a nest To save her selfe and young ones for if she Presume to foare aloft and in a tree Shall thinke to hide herselfe the Haukes quicke eye And flying vermine her would soon discrie Should she creep in some hollow place ith'ground To save herselfe from harme she would be found By creeping vermine should she take a flight Up to the mount the Hauke still by his might Would make her fall the greater should she take The water for her refuge it would make An end of her should she creep in a bush Into the same the nimble dogs would rush And pull her out againe and thus we see That she from feare and danger is not free When as the Hauke is highly entertain'd And worthy thought of most to be mantain'd In Princely houses and esteemed fit Upon the hand of some great Lord to fit But now observe their ends and you shall see That there a greater difference will be The Partridge being dead and neatly drest With Kings and Princes is in great request When as this stinking fowle as nothing worth Unto the dunghill with disdaine's cast forth God suffers many times his children here To be in extreame wants and as it were Lost and forsaken
all ungodly walking For these infect pollute and much defile Each house and Countrey City Towne and I le Psal 38.18 For what is past unfainedly be sorry And spend your time hereafter to his glory Boast not great Britaine of thy force and a might 1 Sam. 2 9. It 's God that does prepare the hands to fight If thou hast great Jehovah on thy side Thou need'st not fear thy foes ouâ—rageous pride But if he be against thee all thy powers Psal 127.1.2.3 Wel-fortified Cities Castles Towers Thy multitude of people store of weâ—lth Bulwarks and walls thy fortitude and health Thee cannot save thy Towers whose lofty roofe Threaten the Heavens are not vengeance proofe Thou by thy sins hast highly God offended And without doubt some evill is intended Unlesse thou b meet him by thy true repentance And thereby cause him for to change his sentence Thy forty dayes have been twice forty yeares And yet in mercy God to strike forbeares Thee in his bosome he had rather cherish 2 Pet. 3.9 1 Sam. 15 26. Then in thy sins thou should'st for ever perish Goe then with speed thy time no longer spend In vanities thy heart in pieces rend Thy antick-apish fashions lay aside Let sackcloth serve thy nakednesse to hide Unfift thy selfe reforme returne repent With brinish teares thy bloudy crimes lament Repent in dust and ashes pride must fall And if not here it doubtlesse elsewhere shall Thy forces which thou trustest in will faile thee Wealth in the houre of death will not availe thee About things needlesse trouble not thy braine Thy study turne into a better straine Wrestle with God a let not thy courage faile By earnest suites thou maist at length prevaile Goe sue and sue againe take no deniall Matth 7.7.8 Marke 11.24 Thou maist obtaine upon a further triall To stand upon b deserts it is in vaine Then crie for mercy crie and crie amaine Mercy sweet Lord good Lord what shall I doe For Jesus Christ his sake some mercy show My sins are great thy mercies Lord are greater Though I be sinfull Lord I am thy creature On thy sweet mercy all my hope relies To thee my only rock I bend my eies Knock at H aven gates as if thou wouldst all break Till God to thee a word of comfort speake Possesse him with thy sad complaint and griefe Give him no rest untill thou findst reliefe And if it please him for to heale thy sore Lest worse things happen to thee sin no more Iohn 5 14. But stâ—y my mâ—se hast thou made known thine errant According to the tenure of thy warrant Hâ—st thou not skipt the sins which are her bane Fâ—e thou art out and must begin againe Yet let prudentia be thy tutor still And let charissa moderate thy quill Let not thy passion make thee too austere In passing sentence be not too severe Choler hath often made me fume and swell But I have curb'd it as a fiend of hell I would not blaze abroad anothers shame In hel-hatcht libells that should want a name I never did affect to scold or brawle As many men have done to purpose small Will loftie spirits be out-braved No Reason their stubborne wills must overthrow And how shall wit or reason there be found Where haire-brain'd choller does so much abound Yet on the other side I blame as much All such as tongue-tide are and chiefly such As are in place and have command to tell Our Iuda of her sins our Israel Esay 58.1 Of her transgressions these are sicke and weake In soule and minde I mean they cannot speake A plaine or perfect word or else for feare They should discountenance the upper sphere They with the dog-star will lye hid at noone And when they barke it will be at the moone You know my meaning well I cannot stay To make it plaine but in conclusion say Were not their words so eaven we should see That many men by odds would better be Here 's a Scyllâ— and Charybdis shall I shun The danger of the one and headlong run Upon the other No it were far better That in my horn-booke I knew not a letter I 'le b looke before I leap yea and before I le run upon such rocks I 'le keep on shore Then my best way as I suppose will be To have recourse unto my Geometry And to this brain-sick study bend my minde Betweene these two extreams a meane to finde Which if I doe I 'le take my rule and square And compasse too and then I need not care What malice can invent nor need I feare To view the Zenith of the upper sphere Some for my a paines perhaps may call me foole And say it were more fit I went to schoole To learne my Accidence then to relate The misdemeanours of so high a State I must confesse full loath I am to enter And yet my vow compells me for to venture Yet I will have my rule and compasse by me That if in malice any should belie me Such demonstration I may draw at large As ever shall an honest minde discharge Yea by this rule I 'le draw my lines so squarely And cypher out these evill times so fairely That in conclusion they shall answer make It 's very true it is but our mistake Thus having made my way I will begin To name and to anâ—tomize each sin Injustice and oppression shall be first Injustice and Oppression For these alone will make a land accurst We were of late to such disorders growne That what we had we scarce could call our owne Monopolists and new found tricks in store To make the Common-wealth both bare and poore But blessed be the Lord we are befriended Herein we see the matter well amended Our hearts are growne luke-warme yea and stone cold There 's scarce a man alive that dare be bold To speake the truth for feare he should offend His noble Patron Parish or deare friend Some with the Gergesites their hogs prefer Before their sweet Redeemer others are With Demas too too prone Christ to forsake And for their part this present world to take This hellish charret tearmed avarice Covetousnesse Runs swiftly on foure wheels of sin and vice Faint courage greedy-griping churlishnesse Contempt of God of death forgetfulnesse The horses drawing it are chiefly two Greedy to catch and loath for to forgoe The carter driving it desire to have The whip held in one hand is called save The reine i' th other stoppage and the road Wherein he drives is pleasing a smooth and broad The footmen running by are chiefly three Envie deceit and grosse hypocrisie The journies end is everlasting woe For to the pit of hell we headlong goe Unlesse the Lord of his preventing grace Block up our way and crosse us in our race What is the cause the childe does so desire To see the death of his indulgent fire That he can neither wait on Gods good pleasure Nor yet
preserve the health and cleanse the bloud And how they will both soule and body make More fit and ready for to undertake Pious and holy works but when men will Their extreame raging fleshly lusts fulfill And take no care whither their souls shall goe Needs must their pastimes end in endlesse woe Others there are vainer then these by ods The vanity and folly of idolaters And such are they that bow to senselesse gods To graven images of wood or brasse To carved stones to pictures wrought in glasse O foolish folke is this the sum and scope Of your religion confidence and hope Out of the a Scriptures were you ever taught Deut. 6.13 14. Deut. 8 1. Exod 20 5 â—l 96 5 6 7 8 9. To serve and worship what your hands have wrought So void of humane reason can you be As to conceive a senselesse stone or tree Subject to rottennesse should be a God When underfoot the same is daily trod Where is your warrant then faith is not sound Which is not built upon a steady ground You say you have it from your honest Friars Beleeve them not they have been alwaies liars What are their legends but a masse of lies Cobwebs for to intangle butterflies You may have many gods and many gawds You must use beads and so you may your bawds You may use murther theft yea and what not Sith all shall be forgiven and forgot If to your ghostly b father you confesse How where when and with whom you did transgresse Is this Religion true How can it be Falshood and truth could never yet agree Your ground is false you much mistake the marke Greaâ— is their fault who keep you in the darke The word of God the only ground of faith The perfect rule of true Religion faith Thou shaâ—t not kill Exod 20 4. attempt how dare you then To murther Kings you bloudy minded men Out of the Scriptures can you bring good reasons To justifie rebellions murthers treasons What rule or warrant have you there to pray To stocks and stones does not the a Scripture say Exod 2â— 1 Luke 5 21. 3 Kings 8.39 40. God is the Lord thy God and him alone Thou shalt adore no Saint no b stocke or stone Esay 19 20. Ps 50 15 76 11. Iude 24 25. 1 Sam. 25 34. Esay 64 6. In c merits why doe you such trust repose How oft he does offend his God who knowes Be not deluded by your silly Friars Let God be true d and let your Priests be liars Rom 83.4 And some bewitched with a hellish pride The yoake of government will cast aside And for this cause in part I feare the hand Of great Jehovah is upon our land Object But some may say it is not without cause As snares and scourges some inflict our lawes And it is time to stir for if these might But have their wills where should we seek for right Answ Unto the Lord of hosts who only can Asswage the rage and raging might of man For we are told in holy Writ Psal 103.6 Heb. 10.34 that when We seeke to vindicate our selves e we then Dishonour and affront the Lord therefore When tyrants rage let 's God for aid implore The misbehaviour and incivill cariage of women Yet I have one thing more to doe that 's this To shew wherein some women do amisse A taske too hard for me who only have So small an insight let the wife and grave Then speake in their behalfe as they have found them For open hear-say I am loath to wound them Much I have read and much I have been told But what I 've seen to speake I may be bold Women are rebells yet I meane not all But such as love to scold to fight and brawle Such as do strive the scepter for to sway Such as would have their husbands to obey But are these matrons monsters I thinke rather A brood of hell the Divell is their father I speake not this so much in their disgrace For I my selfe perhaps if in their place Should faulty be herein as for to shame Men that have been and are herein too blame For did not men on women so much doat They would not be so oft cast over boat For if they get a man upon the hip O they will goe neare to get the master-ship Men must doe this or that or they will brawle Men must be rul'd and they must governe all Men must as slaves be subject to their wives Or they will make them weary of their lives I would men wiser were for in conclusion This great disorder will bring great confusion Man ought to love the woman to obey Ephes 5 22. 1. Pet. 3.1 Man may command she should entreat and pray Man is as head the woman as the heart The head we grant to be the upper part Where is thy wit O head where are thy brains That as thy head thy heart thus rules and reignes Where is thy courage thou faint-hearted snaile That thou pluck'st in thy horns if heart but raile Abuse of mercy Some rather wormes then men conceited elves In hope of a mercy oft delude themselves It matters not say they what Prophets say We hope to morrow will be as to day Amos 6.3.4 The Lord is just yet mercifull and b good And one that takes no pleasure in our bloud Will he that made us damne us Surely no Wisd 11.24.25 He made us that he might us show O brutish man will not you understand Till you stand under his revenging hand Will you not feare untill you feel his rod Why doe you thinke so slenderly of God Be well advis'd Eccl. 12.13 Psal 50.22 Esay 27.21 and for a truth this know That God is sure although to anger slow And that abuse of mercy will augment Thy everlasting paines and punishment I cannot but much wonder for to see How some will stand upon their pedigree And to their predecessors worth lay claime When by foule vices they disgrace the same The charge of many soules some rashly take And after little or no conscience make How they are fed Slothfulnesse in Clergimen so they but feed the purse They care not though their flock grow worse worse They feast and powre downe wine in silver bowles And in the meane time starve the peoples soules Some thinke it once a month they can prepare Themselves to preach that it is very faire I wonder how this blockishnesse should be In such as should foresee see oversee It is against Religion sense and reason That such as should preach in and out of season Should thinke a Sermon once a quarter well When as a each day they teach the way to hell We oft Gods holy name and day prophane By idle words and works and pastime vaine In seaven daies the Lord requres but one We by our deeds replie he shall have none Our hearts are so bewitcht with gaine and
pleasure Prophanation of the Sabbath day That in seven yeares we scarce can be at leasure To serve the Lord nay I may boldly say In seaventy yeares some scarce give God a day Some had much rather labour drinke or play Then go to church to heare to read and pray Some will be looking to their shops and trades Some walking in the fields with pretty maids Some in a taverne baudihouse or worse Some waiting in by-places for a purse Some in the streets some sitting at their doores Some in a pockie-alehouse with their whores For pleasure some who little conscience make Journeies on purpose on this day will take Yea some bold vassalls of this hellish breed Will say the better day the better deed O foolish man how darst thou thus prophane That day which God did purposely ordaine For his owne use and service dost thou thinke Because the Lord seemes for a while to winke At this and such foule sins that therefore he Unto a reckning will not b summon thee Thy selfe delude not with such vaine conceits God is most just in promises and threats Thou and the remnant of this hellish crew Shall to your torments one day find it true Some scoffe at good men and slight true devotion As if it were a hindrance to promotion Scoffing at religion If in a towne there shall be found a man Strict in his life he 's tearm'd a puritan If he so loath his sinnes as to inforce Himselfe unto a more religious course Then most men will or do he shall be blam'd Hated of most contemn'd revil'd misnam'd Object But you may say some are more nice then wise There is a sect too a pure in their owne eies Answ It may be so well grant this to be true Yet dare you then condemne all for a few Because some overshoot the marke shall we Shoot halfe the way because that from a tree Some evill and superfluous branches shoote Shall we in anger cut it up by th'root There ever was is and for time to come In church and common weale there will be some Of this and other sects yet we are sure That towards God we cannot be too pure Where shall our wicked b Michols then appeare Who never would Christs wedding garment weare How can or dare they looke him in the face Whom in his Saints they sought thus to disgrace The throne of God is pure needs must it then A torment be to all ungodly men Object But some may say they onely make a c show What 's in their hearts the Lord above doth know Answ T is true God only knowes how dare you then Presume to judge you sinfull sonnes of men Answer But grant there should be such shall we therefore Because they play the cheater play the whore Shall we Religion and our God forsake Because some men no better conscience make Because that some doe from their first love fall Shall we condemne and rashly censure all We should be like to God our heav'nly Father Who out of love and tendernesse had rather Spare many that are a faulty many waies Then one condemne which his decree obeyes Because the Doctor followes not the way Which he prescribes for others shall we say That physicke is not good or that because Some Lawyers are corrupt thinke ill of Lawes Because some hel-hounds in excesse will drinke Shall we the worse of Gods good creatures thinke Because like beasts some make themselves with wine Shall we despise the sweetnesse of the vine Because b through folly some will goe astray Shall we the fault upon Religion lay Indeed this is the folly of our times The father of a many wicked crimes For were not godlinesse so out of daâ—e We should not prize vice at so high a rate But some perhaps may say it matters not What bablers say a fooles bolt is soon shot Soone shot say ye I could speake more at large But loath I am to give the other charge For feare my Canons should recoile or hurt Your sense of hearing at her loud report But upon this we will not long dispute But rather to the throne of grace make sute That such disorders as have brought disgrace Upon our Church and Common-weales sweet face May be reform'd and that each man and woman Unto more holy lives themselves may summon And not so ready be to lay the fault On other men when they themselves do halt For this I say and dare affirme the same Though great ones for the most part beare the blame As they are rods and scourges in Gods hand It is our sins for which he plagues our land For had our hearts been pious towards God And loyall to the King had that been trod Under our feet that rules both heart and head No such disorders could have ever bred In Church and Common-weal well since we know Our sicknesse and our cure to God let 's goe With humble hearts and crave his helpe and aid Who of a Chaos earth and heaven made Yea let us goe and that without delay Unto his throne and in this manner pray Thou great Jehovah that dost all things frame And by thy providence dost rule the same Create in us new hearts new thoughts and waies And bring in order these disorder'd daies With griefe of heart we cannot Lord but speak We are in ev'ry part both sicke and weak And whither should we goe but unto thee Hosea 6.1 2 3. Deut. 32.39 1 Kings 2.6 7 8 9. Who hast a salve for every malady Lord heare and heale us for thy mercy sake For unto thee alone our moane we make Lord give us grace to loath and leave our errors Left in thy wrath thou multiply our terrors God as a loving father hath we know Anno 1588. Gi'vn warnings to us many yeares agoe We fairely warned were in a eightie eight When we were brought in t ' such a narrow strait That had not Gods right hand found out a way For us to scape we had without delay And mercy been destroy'd since this his hand Hath mightily upheld our sinfull land For had not God of his preventing grace And goodnesse toward us our stock and race That hellish plot of Gowries brought to light That feasting day had wrought a dolesome night Anno 1605. Another warning we may well remember Was given to us the fift day of November When those blood-thirsty Papists did conspire The house of Parliament to set on fire And that at such a time in such an houre As they without all mercy might devoure The royall King and Nobles of the land To give themselves a soveraigne command And to effect this hellish plot great care And paines they tooke the great ones did not spare Purses nor persons but as slaves fast bound To doe the divell service they were found To worke at under-rates to take what pay Might follow this most execrable way The pit was dig'd and we brought to the brim Ready to fall
wicked THe just and upright man shall joyfull be When he the vengeance of the Lord shall see For they shall wash their feet with triumph then Ev'n in the bloud of bloudy minded men And men shall say as cause they shall have just There is great fruit for such as in him trust Doubtlesse upon the earth a God there dwels That both in truth and righteousnesse excels Psal 58.10.11 As sheep go to the fold they to the grave And in that day the just shall Lordship have Their beauty shall consume when they shall goe From their owne dwellings to eternall woe But God will me preserve from endlesse paine Because he will receive my soule againe Psal 94.14.15 The just shall this behold and praise the Lord And laugh at him and say with one accord Behold the man that made not God his stay But trusted in his strength his mire and clay But I shall be like to an olive greene For in the Lord my trust hath ever beene Psal 52.7.8.9 Comfort for the godly in evill and dangerous times IN evill daies why should I feare though those That seek my life me cunningly inclose For they that put their trust in riches most And in the multitude thereof will boast Their brothers soule from hell can no way save Nor pay a price to free him from the grave Psal 49.5 6 7. Comfort for the godly against the conspiracy of the wicked AGainst the just the wicked may conspire And grash their teeth in madnesse and in ire But God shall laugh to scorne them and their way For why he sees the comming of his day They may draw out their swords and bend their bow The poore and needy man to overthrow But their owne swords shall pierce their wicked hearts Their bowes shall broken be in sundry parts He knowes the just mans daies and sees his way And his inheritance shall not decay Psal 37.12 13 14 15 18. The Lord will breake their counsells and disclose The plots wherein they do most trust repose Psal 33.10 Thou hast my table richly deckt although Mine enemies have sought my overthrow Psal 23.5 Comfort for captives strangers fatherlesse children and widowes THe Lord relieves the poore and fatherlesse The stranger and the widow in distresse He makes the solitary man to live In houses freedome he to slaves doth give Psal 146.9 Psal 68.5 6. Though godly men by tyrants are brought low And wanting harbor wander too and fro God raiseth them out of their troubles deep And makes them housholds like a flock of sheep Psal 107.39 When they did wander in the desart wide And found no place wherein they might abide Yea when their thirst and hunger was so great That death the faintnesse of their soules did threat Then did they crie to God in their distresse And he their grievances did soon redresse Psal 107.4 5 6. Though they were few their foes then to withstand Yea very few and strangers in the land And when they found no place for their abode But wandred too and fro the world abroad He suffered them no wrong at all to take But mighty Kings reproved for their sake Psal 105.12 13 14. Comfort for the godly in times of oppression OVer our heads thou hast made tyrants ride And us the raging fury to abide Of fire and water yet thou through thy grace Didst bring us forth unto a wealthy place Psal 66.12 13. The Lord 's with me I need not feare or doubt What man can doe though he be strong and stout Psal 118.6 Now for the great oppressures and the cries Of poore distressed men I will arise Saith God the living Lord and them restore Unto the liberties they had before Psal 12.5 I sought the Lord and he my suit did heare Yea he did free my soule from all my feare They shall both looke and run unto his name Their faces shall not be abash'd with shame But say this poore man to the Lord did call And he both heard and rid him out of thrall Psal 34.4 5 6. O praise the Lord his praise abroad display For he is good his mercy lasts for aye He thought on us yea in our base degree And from oppressors safely set us free Psal 136.1.23 I with my mouth will laud the Lord him I Amongst the multitude will magnifie For at the right hand of the poore he stands To save them from the bloudy tyrants hands Psal 109.30 31. God will avenge th' afflicted and the poore The just shall feare and praise him evermore Psal 140.12 Incline thine ears to me Lord when I pray And hearken to the words which I shall say For strangers up against me rise and they That pleasure take in blood seek to betray My soule with all the plots they can devise For God they have no time before their eyes Behold God is my helper straight at hand With them that stay my soule the Lord does stand Psal 54.2 3 4. Comfort for the godly in long affliction HIs chosen flocke he will not alwaies chide For ever they shall not his wrath abide For he knows well our molde and fashion just Our natures fraile and how we are but dust Psal 103.9.14 Though it for many yeares have been your lots To lie conceal'd amongst defiled pots Ye shall be like a dove whose wings like gold And silver shine when once she waxeth old Psal 63.13 For though the wicked ofttentimes by God To prove his Saints are used as his rod Yet shall it not their lot for ever be Lest they their hand put to iniquity Psal 125 3. The Lord himselfe hath chast'ned me full sore But never hath to death me given o're Psal 118.18 Comfort for the godly in any strait BLessed is he whom Iacobs God doth aid And he whose hope upon the Lord is staid Which did of nothing earth and heaven frame The sea and all pertaining to the same Which keeps his word and promises most sure From age to age for ever to endure Which doth proceed in justice to relieve His poore oppressed servants when they grieve Which gives bread to the hungry and sets free Such as are bound in chaines of misery Which does the blinde to sight and lame restore To limbs and loves the just man evermore Which helps the stranger in his great distresse And keeps the widow and the fatherlesse Psal 146.5 6 7 8 9. When as my parents deare did me forsake The Lord did me into his favour take Psal 27.12 When I in trouble am and heavinesse I 'le thinke on God my griefe I will expresse I will consider well the things of old And what in former times I have been told I will regard the workings of the Lord What he hath done long since I will record Yea whilst I live my tongue shall no time spare His counsells deep and wonders to declare Psal 77.3 5 11 12. The Lord hath mindfull been of our distresse And in his tender mercies will us blesse To Aarons house his blessings
he will show And to the house of Israel also Yea such as feare the Lord shall blessed be Both small and great of high and low degree To them the Lord will multiply his grace Yea unto them and to their stocke and race Psal 115.12 13. Our fathers have put confidence in thee And thou in mercy Lord hast set them free They were deliver'd when upon the name Of God they cal'd they were not put to shame That trusted in him Psal 22.4 5. God's just in all his waies his works are all Most pure he 's nigh to such as on him call Psal 145.17 18. Doubtlesse that man is blest whom God corrects And thereby in his holy law directs That he in evill daies may give him rest When sinners shall for ever be supprest For sure God will no time the just forsake Nor shun his chosen heritage to take Psal 95.12 13 14. Comfort for the godly in time of sicknesse VVHen we lie languishing upon our beds Of sorrow and of sicknesse God our heads And hearts doth hold he heals our griefes and sores And us at length to perfect health restores Pal. 41.5 When snares of Death me round about beset And paines of hell me caught as in a net Then on the name of God thus did I call Deliver thou my soule O Lord from thrall The Lord is mercifull unto the just And faithfull to all those that in him trust I was in wofull paine and misery And in his mercy he relieved me Psal 116.3 4 5 6. The foolish for by reason of their crimes Upon their heads great plagues heap oftentimes Their soules did loath all meats they wont before To hunger for they were brought to deaths door Than 〈◊〉 they crie to God for helpe and aid And he them heard according as they praid Psal 107.17 18 19 20. Though in the vale of death I walke I will No evill feare for thou art with me still Psal 23.4 Comfort for the weak ALL ye that trust in God be strong and bold Though ye be weak God will your hearts uphold Psal 31.24 The Lord your strength and courage will encrease The Lord will blesse you with eternall peace Psal 30.11 Hope in the Lord be strong and no way start And he will comfort and confirme thine heart Psal 27.16 My heart would faint should I not hope to see In life eternall thy felicity Psal 27.15 The fatnesse of the house the just shall feed To them thy pleasant rivers shall exceed Because the Well of life remaines with thee And in thy perfect light we light shall see Psal 36.8 9. The Lord hath bought the soules of all the just And none shall perish that in him do trust Psal 34.22 The Lord doth reigne then let the earth rejoyce And let his Saints triumph with pleasant voice Psal 97.1 I waited long and did with meeknesse beare And God at length to me inclin'd his eare He brought my feet out of the mire and clay Unto a rock he led me in his way Psal 40.1 2. The Lord upon the just doth fix his eyes His eares are alwaies open to their cries The godly crie and God in mercy hears And frees their soules from troubles pains and fears Unto the meeke the Lord is neare and kinde To save such as afflicted be in minde Great are the troubles which the good befall But God in mercy rids them out of all Psal 34.15 17 18 19. According to thy promises most just Thinke on thy servant for therein I trust In midst of troubles this my heart doth cheare This me revives when pains of death draw neare The proud of me have often made a scorne Yet shrinke I not from thee as one forlorn◠For I thy lasting judgements call to minde Therein O Lord I joy and comfort finde Psal 119.49 50 51 52. Such as trust in the Lord shall stand as sure As Sions mount for ever to endure And as the mighty mountains are about Jerusalem ev'n so without all doubt From henceforth and for ever God will those That trust in him with mercies great enclose Psal 125.1 2. Comfort for the penitent THe Lord is just and mercifull also Apt to forgive to wrath and anger slow Psal 103.8 We with our fathers Lord we must confesse Against thee have committed wickednesse The wonders thou didst work in Egypts land Our fathers did not rightly understand They did not call to minde the multitude Of thy great mercies to them but more rude And stubborne were yea in rebellion they Did rise and that at sea yea the red sea Yet didst thou save them for thine owne names sake That thou thy power to be known mightst make Still they provoked God to wrath and ire By their fond and inordinate desire Yet when he did behold their misery He heard in mercy their complaint and cry Psal 106.6 7 44. Thou hast O Lord been mercifull indeed To Israel yea thou hast Iacobs seed Restor'd from thraldome and O God we finde In holy Writ thou blott'st out of thy minde All their misdeeds and heynous wickednesse Whereby they did thy holy Laws transgresse My sins Lord I confesse with griefe of heart In this thy mercy let me have a part Psal 85.1 2. Of joy and gladnesse thou shalt make me heare That thou my broken bones O Lord maist cheare Psal 51.8 Give laud unto the Lord my soule let not The leaft of all his mercies be forgot That gave thee pardon and will give all times Pardon to such as will forsake their crimes After our sinnes with us he hath not dealt Nor forour sinnes have we his furie felt Psal 103.2.3.10 Comfort for the godly in time of dearth IN evill times they shall not danted be In times of dearth they shall Gods goodnesse see Psal 37.19 Behold the eies of God behold the just To helpe all such as in his mercy trust To free their soules while here they live on earth From the devouring jawes of death and dearth Psal 33.18.19 Comfort for the mariner in danger of shipwreck THey that in ships into great waters goe For and with merchandize both to and fro Observe and daily have Gods works in mind His wonders deep they in the deep do find For at his word the stormie winds arise Wherby the surges seeme to threat the skies They mount aloft and plunge the depth againe So that their soules consume with feare and paine They stagger like a drunkard to and fro Their skill is gone they know not what to doe Then did they cry to God for helpe and aide And he them heard according as they pray'd The boist'rous stormes he makes to cease the rage Of roaring waves his hand doth soone asswage Then are they glad then do they shout and sing When God doth them unto their haven bring Psal 107. from 23. to 30. A few short Meditations and ejaculations upon the ATTRIBVTES of God the Lords PRAYER and the ten COMMANDEMENTS Of the goodnesse and greatnesse of God Meditati 1