mis-spent dayes I abuse thy gracious patience no more with fruitlesse delaies but with my whole heart repent me for offending thee thou forthwith sparest me if I returne thou receivest me â— nay if I deferre my returne so my delay make me not presume thou waitest for me Thus doth thy mercy reclaime me straying invite me withstanding expect me foreslowing embrace me returning Thus hast thou taught me when I was ignorant comforted me when I was desolate raised mee from ruine restored me after my falling bestowed on mee begging found by me seeking and opened to me knocking And shall I bee forgetfull of these Nay Lord let my right hand sooner forget her cunning nay may I rather become razed out of the Booke of the living then I become forgetfull of thy gracious dealing I will returne then unto thee with a sorrowfull heart but with wings of hope because â—rom thee commeth my helpe I know Lord Because of unrighteous dealing and wrongs and riches gotten by deceit the Kingdom is translated from one people to another Deare Lord great sins require deepe sighes as I have beene infinite in sinning may I be incessant in sorrowing that sowing in teares I may reape with joy in the day of my translation THE PENITENT PILGRIM CHAP. 1. The poore penitent Pilgrim bemones his present sinfull condition O Draw neer me doe not turne your eyes from mee but looke upon mee the poorest penitent Pilgrim that ever sojourned in Idumaea O woe is mee that my Habitation is prolonged O woe is me that I have dwelt so long with the Inhabitants of Kedar Hence it is that mine house is become full of blacknesse no Guest but Sorrow lodgeth in it because the woful'st sinfull'st wretch that ever breathed is the owner of it O woe is mee where shall I turne me If to Heaven my sinnes become as bars to shut me from it Nay I have highly provoked his wrath who is commander of it If to Earth I find my selfe wholly unworthy that it should beare me having already so long born with me by bearing with that iniquity which it hath so long time received from me If to Hell O there I find the just portion of my inheritance a place sitting to punish my wickednesse I find Tophet prepared of old and for old Transgressors Such as have made an old League with the Old-man Such as have no acquain tance with the New-man And such an one am I of all others the most miserable man who have made my selfe an Alien to Sion because so wholly naturalized to sinne Worthily then may all the Elements fight against mee Nay all Gods Creatures professe themselves Enemies to mee because I have imagined mischiefe in my heart against Him who made both them and me Retire then sinfull soule poor comfortlesse soule and recollect thy selfe a little Leave the Company of men and hye thee to the waters of Marah Leave the world and fly into the Wildernesse Let thy dwelling bee with the Pellican and the O strich with the mournefull Turtle or the Sparrow on the house-top Let thy Musicke bee as the Chattring of the Crane As thine eye was the sense of sinne so let it bee the sense of sorrowing Never had poore Pilgrim more cause O my Redeemer make me sensible of my present state CHAP. 2. His comming into Idumaea The companions hee consorted with there YOung and so very young I was when I first came into Idumaea as my tender age required a Guardian to manage my youth And divers good and gracious Consorts there were whom at the first I received into my acquaintance And with these I lived for a little time familiarly and bettered my selfe much by their company But alas for griefe I continued not long with them Other Companions drew me from them Those good and vertuous ones betooke themselves as I thought to a course of life too strict for my loose affection to follow I felt the Spirit of youth ryoting within mee Those devout tasks which before I observed begun now to bee intermitted I held a sober regular life too eremiticall private retired walkes too stoicall I thought with my selfe how I had staied too long in the Tyring-house I must now shew my selfe upon the Stage where I played the Prodigals part to life for I bestowed my whole life upon the action of that part when I saw a Thiefe I followed him and with the Adulterer I divided my portion I bestowed the day in variety of follies and a great part of the Night in a delightfull remembrance of those follies Let us prepare our selves said one for the spoile and I had an hand as ready to further it as hee to demand it Let us drinke wine in bowles and carouse till our eyes be red let the day care for it selfe while the day of our life admits no care Let us take our full of pleasure said the wanton let our delight be in dalliance and I followed the stepsâ— of the whorish woman though her wayes led to death And I delighted my selfe in the company of the Drunkard yet had I read and the more my sinne not to reâ—eine To whom was woe to whom sorrow to whom strife to whom murmuring to whom wounds without cause and to whom rednesse of the eyes Even to them that tarry long at the wine to them that goe and seeke mixt wine And I had heard too nay my experience of others miseries had inform'd me too How because of the whorish woman a man is brought to a morsell of bread and how a woman will hunt for the precious life of a man And yet I considered not these things nor applied them to my heart but like the foole to the Stocks I laughed while I perished I sported in my misery and knew nothing how Ismael played with me O my Redeemer looke upon me in mercy and give me a sensible apprehension of my misery CHAP. 3. How his owne Meniey became his deadlieâ—t Enemy TOo true have I found that Proverbe Who can have a worser friend then he brings with him Foes I had without Feares within but my bosome friends I found ever to bee my busieâ—t foes And what lesse could I expect then that my bosome friends should prove my deadliest Foes being receivers and Abetters of my bosome sins O what disorderly passions raged nay raigned in me what divided thoughts of hope and feare were ever encountring me In my prosperity feare of adversity wrought upon me in my adversity hope of prosperity seazed on mee Neither did either of these conditions well content me for as thoughts of the one made mee proud so a conceit of the other made me impatient Now what hourely affronts did I suffer by my owne while I stood thus pursued by them I found nothing on earth worthy my desire yet were my crawling desires so fast glued to earth as if they had no other Heaven to aspire to Naturall Philosophy had sufficiently taught mee in my minority that
our love unto God is to doe such works as are acceptable unto God Now he has already told thee what Works may best suit thee and such as may move him to take most delight in thee And these are those Seven workes of Mercy Now take a little time before time leave thee to examine thy self impartially what a kind of proficient thou hast beene in these Whether thou hast not so carelesly borne thy selfe towards God in performing them as thou maist worthily acknowledge thy failings in each of them O Lord open thou mine heart and give mee understanding in all things let mee open mine heart unto thee and poure my selfe forth before thee and suffer mee not to flatter my selfe in my transgressions lest I perish eternally Thou hast prepared mee the wayes wherein I am to walke O Lord make my wayes streight before thee and so water me with the dew of thy grace that I may bring forth fruites of repentance plenteously CHAP. 24. Teaching the ignorant BRing forth that Schollar whom thou hast brought up in Christs Schoole Whom hast thou fed with the milke of his word Whom hast thou seene carried away with the blast of every vaine doctrine and hast sought to reclaime him whom hast thou at any time perceived to bee ignorant in the principles of faith and hast taken paines to informe him whom scismatically affected and thou laboured to convert him whom seditiously minded and thou sought to compose him Hast thou taken pitty of thy Brothers ignorance and brought him to a knowledge of God and himselfe with the spirit of meekenesse Nay hast thou taught thine owne family and by thine owne example wained them from folly O no poor Pilgrim these things have been farre from thee It is for thee rather to confesse how many from the light of the Gospel thou hast brought into ignorance How many thou hast deceived with a pretended zeale How many thou hast brought from the knowledge of the truth by intangling them in errors false opinions strange doctrines O how many have come unto thee to receive instruction from thee or to bee satisfied in some scruple wherin thou mightst have done an office of charity if it had pleased thee whilst thou regardlesse of those wounds of a troubled conscience either applyedst no cure at all unto them or else uncharitably left them intangled in more doubts then thou found'st them And was this the way to teach the ignorant in corrupting rather then correcting the delinquent In perplexing rather then resolving the truly Penitent O my best Master looke downe upon mee with the eye of thy favour I know well I might have brought many unto thee which by my loose life and false doctrine I have drawne from thee O teach me thy Law that I may not onely learne it my selfe but teach others by the patterne of my selfe to love live and delight in it CHAP. 25. Correcting the delinquent AS it is humility first to examine ones selfe so is it charity to correct in an other whatsoever he holds corrigible in himselfe Gods Law is the Glasse which will present to us every blemish that is upon the face of our soule Wherin we are ever charitably to consider and acknowledge too that whatsoever troubles our Brothers eye is but a mote compared to that beame which is in our owne But say unprofitable Pilgrim wherein hast thou done this Second spirituall worke of Meroy to Correct the delinquent Nay rather hast thou not cherished him in his sinnes and told him they were none when as they pierced the clouds and came up with a strong voyce even into the presence of God Hast thou not blessed the wicked in his evill wayes and mov'd him to make a league with his transgressions Yes Lord yes yet not unto all have I done this For some there be whom I have corrected nay censured rather then corrected For my desire was to have their sinnes published to their shame to have their good names taken away to have them houted at in the street which tasted more of detraction then correction For this I did not with the spirit of meeknesse as I was commanded but with the spirit of fury or indignation which brought them to bee rather hardned in sinne then reformed But I must confesse I offended farre oftner in the former then in the latter I meane in humoring sinne either to make me more endeared to them or else for feare lest the very like sinnes should bee found out and reproved in mee by them So as my owne guilt made mee to palliate their sin Deare Lord I know well I have often sinned herein I have stood in feare to reprove the transgressions of others and therefore became I Author of their death because that poyson which by crying against I might have expelled I have not expelled in humoring those which I should have corrected Nay what was more I conceived indignation against all such as reproved me for my vices so as those have I hated whom I ought to have loved and whatsoever distasted or displeased me I desired earnestly that they should not be O forgive me these And make me henceforth such an Enemy to all vices as I may correct my selfe with as impartiall sharpenesse Others with the spirit of compassion and meekenesse CHAP. 26. Counselling the indigent COunsell to the poore and needy is as a receipt unto the sicke in the time of his extremity what availes a Medicine unapplyed Physicke unministred or counsell un-imparted I have known such as were destitute in this kind how with teares in their eyes they importuned my advice and I had it in readinesse but would not minister it because hee was poore and despicable in the eye of the world that besought it And alas was this the cause Hadst thou beene well advised thou wouldst rather have given it because hee was poore and succourlesse that did request it For consider thy owne poore condition hard-hearted Pilgrim and in what case thou standest How thy good and gracious God should hee not looke downe upon thee with the eyes of his mercy and take pitty on thy poverty what might become of thee Into what straits has thy soule beene brought how dry desolate how weake and dis-consolate have bin thy staggring resolves How fainting and heartlesse have beene thy hopes Foes thou hadst without thee feares within thee not the least beamling of comfort shone upon thee Yet for all this thou foundst a faithfull Counsellor to advise thee a gracious Comforter to refresh thee And yet thou quite forgotst all this when thou sawest thy brother in necessity He complained to thee how hee was wronged and it lay in thine hand to redresse it but thou wouldst not be seene in it Thy Counsell at least thou mightst afford it but thou denied him it or which was worse so advised him in it as might rather hinder then further him in the pursuit of it Gracious Lord in whose brest are layd up all the treasures
at first it distasâ—ed mee for how could it sound well in the eare of reason to heare one breake forth into the immerited praise of an immoderate passion yet the conceit of revenge wrought so strongly on my affection that howsoever I opposed the premisses I approved well of his Conclusion O Lord terrible and just what would become of me if thou shouldst have my sinnes in thy remembrance or shouldst punish mee in thy wrathfull displeasure and yet beare I a malicious heart to my Brother Hee many times with many teares has besought my pardon yet would not all these worke in mee any remorse or compassion O looke downe upon mee with the eye of thy mercy remove from mee the spirit of fury and arme mee with the shield of patience and lenity I know Lord thou hast commanded vs not to suffer the Sunne to goe downe upon our wrath and yet many Sunnes nay many seasons have gone downe on my wrath I slept securely while wrath encompassed my bed and revenge lay a pillow for my head O thou mild Lambe imprint the memory of thy example in the Tablet of mine heart make mee to love mine enemy and with a wise Virgin Lampe fed with the oyle of charity follow thee my sweet Spouseâ— unto the heavenly Citie CHAP. 55. Sloath. BVt amongst all others who had liberally partak't of my bounty there was one who so little deserv'd it that in a carelesse security as one respectlesse of any courtesie hee would all the day long take his rest and scarcely rise without much adoe to take his necessary repast And one day I chanc'd to find him when all his Companions were addressing themselves to one exercise or another turning or rather rowling himselfe in his bed like a doore upon the hinges So as I begun to take him under hand and to reprove him bidding to shake off Sloath for shame and prepare himselfe for some taske lest in time he might incurre Margites censure who because hee neither digged plowed nor did any good thing all his time was not onely barred all civile society living but was not admitted to have his ashes deposited in the Vrne of his Ancestors dying I desired to know further of him what content hee could take in groveling after that manner in his bed of security while every creature according to his ranke or quality discovered some token of their industry And in a sluggish manner hee told mee how there was none but at one time or other hee might thrive provided that hee kept his shop Now what did any one know but that it was his Calling to make his shop his bed Neither was hee as hâ—e impudently pretented unimployed when hee seemed for rest most addicted For that very morning and no longer since hee told mee that hee kept his bed not so much for his owne ease as for composing a maine difference which two noble Ladies had referred to him For there had lately appeared to him two brave women attired in princely habit who contended much for superiority and the names of these two Ladies were Euphuia and Argia Now these after such time as they had appeared before him discovered both their Descents and Callings For Euphuia as she proved her selfe descended from an industrious family so shee shewed her selfe a true daughter for shee was wonderfully given to industry Whereas Argia was clear of another humor for nothing suited better with her disposition then to doe nothing These two accordingly as they stood severally affected brake forth into commendations of what their natures stood most inclined to Euphâ—ia affirmed that nothing improved any ones private estate or countrey more then Industry The other with no lesse confidence spake all she could in praise of privacy and a sleepy kind of security saying how that was well got that was got in a warme bed and that Timandra purchas'd as much pleasure in the embrace of her friend as ever Thalestris did in the discomfiture of her Foe The other to advance the honour of Armes with all other honest manuall employments with much moderation reproved her frowardnesse telling her that shee did but all this to shew her wit for else shee would spend no breath in commending Sloath which was the death of a living soule But said he so strangely did theâ—e two cloze in the knitting up of their arguments as with mutuall consent the difference was referred to me Now I am here consulting with my pillow to whether of these two I should give the preheminence Nor doe I intend to rise till I have composed the difference Thus did my lazie Guest play the easâ—e Arbitrator desiring rather a nappe in a corner then discharge the part of a Moderator So as I might easily conjecture to what side hee inclined most by his aversenesse from labour And indeed I must freely confesse I begunne not altogether to dislike his humour For when hee had more fully acquainted mee with the quality of his condition how and in what manner hee had ever lived how hee had shunned all publike employments desiring rather a Writ of ease then to dis-ease his owne quiet for anothers good Againe what a madnesse it was to toyle or turmoile ones selfe in the world to have a sickle in anothers corne or to have an oare in every ones boat To be accounted a wise and subtile Commissioner and so spend his spirits about a fruitlesse or thankelesse labour To play the carking Husband in gathering for a progeny of hopelesse Rake-hels To afflict himselfe in the hoording up of that which is got with paine and toyle kept with care and feare and lost with pangs and griefe No no said hee let the world wagge so I may enjoy my rest draw my Curtaines close take my morning nappe let the Husbandman meet with a Snake in the way Let the thirsty worldling play the Mole digge and delve I shall rather pitty his folly then envy his happinesse This humour the more I observed it the more I affected it So as I begunne to imitate my Guest and to sing the Sluggards Lullabe with yet a little and then a little And though poverty came so upon mee yet the enjoyment of a little Summer made me forgetfull of an ensuing Winter An hundred excuses would I mould purposely to sleepe securely and free my selfe of all busines though it did never so nearely concerne mee Either there was an Adder in the way or the weather was unseasonable or some indisposition to health injoyned me to keepe my bed Thus did my delicacy bring mee to security which howsoever I flatter'd my selfe was so farre divided from me as in the end I found my perplexed estate ever to danger most ingaged where weaknesse of opinion dreamed to mee that I was most secured O my Lord thou who art that heavenly Husbandman that desirest nothing more then Labourers in thine Harvest and art ready to pay every Workeman his penny though hee have but laboured one houre in thy Vineyard
honour another for filthy â—ucre Oh how can I remember this without heavinesse oâ— heart To leave him who gave me beeing To leave him who is my portion without whom I have no beeing O my good God do not leave mee for what am I without thee or what can I do unlesse thou helpe mee All the God of the Gentiles are Divels Iâ— is thou Lord onely that hast made Heaven Earth Thou onely O Lord art my God Those Gods who have not made Heaven and Earth let them perish from Heaven and Earth let Heaven Earth praise that God who hath made Heaven and Earth CHAP. 14. His breach of the Law touching the second Commandement BRing forth thy golden Calfe thy treasures of Horeb thy Dagon thy Moloc Tell me hast thou not reared these Idols in thine heart These were but made of Gold and Silver these are the Metalls which thou doest honour Where the treasure is there is the heart Oh upon how unworthy a Subject hast thou bestowed it Oh that thou hadst razed those moulten Images those graven Idols too long ingraven in thine heart which thou so unhappily adored Oh that thou had seene into the vanity of this painted Earth What a folly it was for an unthankfull thankfull people to set them up a God in the Image of a Calfe that eateth hay And art thou any Wiser in thy generation Of corruptible things hast thou made thy Gods and on those who could not helpe themselves hast thou relyed What daily sacrifices hast thou offsred to those moulten Images These kept thee a waking when thou shouldst sleepe These made thee fearefull to Dye These made thy thoughts strangers to thy true God Oh how bitter is death unto him that putteth his trust in his riches O hstefull Idolatâ—ry to be so unhappily wealthy as to make a reasonable Soule to do worship unto vanity Gehazi became a soule Leper by making himselfe such an Idolater O my loose thoughts whither do yee hale mee nay to what fearefull conclusions have yee already brought mee Reason told mee besides that weake beamling of grace that darted upon mee that there was nothing in these but vexation of spirit How the love of the Creature took mee off from loving my Creator How bowing to these so hardned my heart as it could sinde no knees to bow to heaven O depart from mee yee workers of iniquity yee drawers of mee to Idolatâ—ry In you have I found nothing but vanity Vaine in your promises but lighter in your performances Yee and none but yee brought mee to forget God from whom commeth all good and to â—ight under his Banner who was a profest enemy to the Crosse of my Saviour But alas where shall I turne mee where may I sly for succour in this time of danger I have fled from him who had comfort in store for mee and polluted my Soule with spirituall Idolatry It is best for mee to leave my selfe and to leane on him who gave himselfe for mee My Soule is of too precious a price to be left to such a keeper as will betray her to her enemy for a moments pleasure O my sweet Saviour receive thou mee into thy bosom Decline my affection wholly from adoring these Moulten Images of worldly vanity Let me imprint thee my crucâ—fied 〈◊〉 in my heart so shall I ascribe all honour to him whom I love best â—y blessed Redeemer CHAP. 15 His transgressing of the Third in prophaning Gods name VIle Worme filthy dung Sinfull dust darest thou prophane his name at whose voice the Moâ—ntaines shall quake tremble at the breath of whose nostrills the high hills shall be melted the mountaines shall be laid levell with the valleyes the whole foundation of the Earth shall shake and be removed And yet unhappy Pilgrim thou feared'st none of these things Thou went'stâ—n in Dishonouring his Name nay in miuting new Oaths as if the reprobate had not already found out enow to dishonour his Maker And these thou held'st a great grace to thy discourse For the imaginations of thy deceitfull heart were so set on mischiefe as thou heldst Deepe Oaths the breaths or accents of a brave spirit the strength or sinnews of any discourse This made thee consort and keepe company with the Dames of the time for with this tâ—tle are they highly pleased to suck from them this profane venom this spawne of the most odious senselesse Sinne that ever the Divell suggested Senselesse indeed For there is no one Sin which either one way or another affords not some vaine delight unto the Sense whereas this Sinne is so senselesse of any such Object as it onely affrights the Conscience Affright yea and worthily may it affright Seeing Gods judgements shall never depart from the Swearers House Stand amazed poor miserable Pilgrim while thou hearest this Put thy selfe in the Ballance and tell mee whether during all these dayes of thine unhappy pilgrimage thou hast not practised this Sin Sometimes in deceiving thy Brother with subtile Contracts binding the value of thy commodities with an Oath to enforce him to beleeve what thy Conscience told thee was not true Sometimes in thy good resolves calling God to witnesse that thou hast fixed thy resolves on this and if God plâ—ase thou meanest to effect it and thou wer 't perswaded that it would please â—od that it should be effected meane time thou either weakly failed in what thou intended or else never meant to performe what thou so ceremoniously vowed Againe how earnestly hast thou sworne and herein taken his blessed name highly in vaine that thou wouldst not sleepe till thou hadst revenged thy selfe of thine Enemy And far more constant wer't thou in pursuit of this ill then in performing ought that was good How deepely hast thou vowed to procure thy pleasure which enjoyed how carelesly were thy vowes regarded with what coldnesse rendred Thou hast read how such prophane Transgressors as these should be taken away from the presence of God never to see his face And yet for all this wouldst not thou lose the glory inglorious glory of one Oath for the forfeit of such a prize Not one part or Member of thy glorious Maker thy sweet Saviour but must bee piece meale rent torn divided to have thine hatefull humour satisfied That precious Head that was with thornes crown'd must bee affresh pierced That precious Side which was with a Speare pierced must be againe wounded Those broad-spreading Armes so cruelly racked Those pure Hands so pittifully nailed must be anew opened Those humble Feet which were so unmercifully bored must be againe pounced Every wound must be revived all his sorrowes renewed O unworthy Wretch what hope canst thou have that he will look on thee in mercy who hast so cruelly renued his wounds and increased his torments with thy prophane Oaths and hatefull Blasphemy How maist thou thinke to hide thy selfe in those Wounds which thou hast thus aggravated with thine impiety Was it not sufficient for thee
till I became a miserable Begger Then and never till then did I consider what I had done For by this time had I forgot my Fathers House So long and so sweetly had I been lulled in the Lappe of Sin But having now reap'd the fruites of my Disobedience I begun to have a remorse of Conscience and to have some small sensible feeling of repentance But never till such time as I had fed freely of those empty huskes of vanity and found my selfe so miserably poor as if I return'd not back to my Fathers House I might of necessity perish there were no remedy Nay I must to my shame confesse it that such was my disobedience and so crooked my will amidst my greatest necessities that this my aversion from evill and conversion to good rather proceeded from want of meanes then sincerity of will For had my Portion continued the arme of Sin had been nothing shortned And yet had my want brought mee to this naturall consideration as to thinke with my selfe what Pâ—rents were What benefits I had received from them how they had done for mee what I could never possibly do for them How Creatures endued onely with sense by a naturall instinct bore that tender love and obedience to their Parents as in their age they foster'd them on their wings they carried them desiring rather that they themselves should perish then their Parents suffer which gave a being unto them But these Considerations onely floated upon the Waters of mine heart they never sunck A natural pronenesse to obey the Lusts of my Flesh hung such heavy poizes on the Wings of my Obedience as they kept me from mounting desiring rather to dye then wholly to leave my rebellion Thus was I never weary of transgressing till my transgressions became weary of mee Neither was I sensible of what disobedience meant till I was brought to a Consideration of it through want Wo is mee How could I promise to my selfe length of dayes when I had disseised my selfe of that promise by my disobedient wayes How could I be lesse then rejected of my Father in Heaven who had borne my selfe so disobediently to my Father on Earth How could I look for an inheritance falling so desperately into all disobedience O my deare Lord to whom Obedience is better then Sacrifice call mee now home unto thee Let me no longer run on in my rebellious Course Like a Childe that feareth to be beate let mee tremble at thy judgments Like a Child that flyeth into his Fathers lappe let mee kisse thee for thy mercies Correct mee O Lord but not in thine anger for how shall I stand in thy displeasure O I know as there is no Sonne whom a Father will not correct with the rod of his love so is there no Father who has not a desire to deliver his Sonne Correct me O Lord as thou art my Saviour oh let it never be in thine heavy displeasure CHAP. 18. His contempt of the Second in his practising mischiefe against his Neighbour ONe may commit murder and shed no blood The very thoughts of our hearts may become Conspirators against our Neighbour and so wee murder him in our desires Caine sâ—ew his brother Abel which made him turne Runnagate by flying from Gods presence O how often have I slaine my brother in conceiving cruell thoughts which reflected upon his life fame and substance O how often have I in mine heart wished a sudden end unto mine Enemy And yet I was perswaded hee was not well prepared for death when I wished this unto him so as my desires were bent to murder him both in soule and body by wishing him so sudden and unprepared a death in his departure from the body Yea I will confesse against my selfe and with much bitternesse of heart will I acknowledge it that neither rich nor poore have beene freed from those murdâ—ring imaginations which my corrupt heart had secretly nursed For if he were rich I murdered him with Envy And in this act not only him but my selfe Wasting and eating up my owne marrow consuming my owne strength and falling away with a languishing desire of others ruine Againe were he poore I to my power murdered him by holding from him the staffe of bread when I might have relieved him by grating and grinding the face of the needy by oppressing him injuriously by laying heavier burdens on him then hee could beare O how can I remember these and sinke not downe with the horror of them Can I think that just God who heares the Orphans cry and bottles up the Widowes teares will not avenge himselfe of these things Can hee tender his little ones not revenge himselfe of those who make a prey and spoile of his little ones O no my Lord I know my guiltinesse is not hid from thee Nay I know well thou hast thy Bow ready bent and thine Arrowes in thy Quiver to shoot at the malicious and evill doer even at him that is of a subtile and deceitfull heart How then may I make my peace with thee How may I find favour in thy sight what shall I bee able to answer for my selfe against those my many Accusers While here one proves how I sought his life and with many bitter imprecations discovered my malice unto him Another accuseth me with impeaching his good name that precious perfume of every good man The third of his Substance saying that my wishes were often that he might be rest of it or it of him or that I my selfe might enjoy it with the losse of him Thus like a cruell and bloody Nimrod have I hunted for blood And though I did not actually shed it yet in desiring it and not seeking where I might to prevent it I cannot plead lesse then that I am guilty of it Now my fact is so foule that should I with the poore condemned Prisoner demand my Booke I could not hope to have the benefit of it yet there is a Booke wherein I have read what may afford mee much comfort by it At what timâ— soever a sinner doth repent him of his sinâ—e from the bottomâ— of his heart I will put away all his wickednesse out of my remembrance saith the Lord. It is the Lord that hath said it even he who as hee is gracious in his promise so is hee faithfull in his performance Hence is my trust that though my sinnes be as red as scarlet the blood of the Lambe will make them white Though my garments bee all red as those who came from Bosro my Saviour has in store a white roabe for me As white as the snow of Salmon shall my soule be made though she be now soil'd with the leprosie of sin Yea but dangerous wounds require longer cures My afflicted conscience tels mee that I have grievously sinned against his sacred Majesty both in quantity and quality I have not had God before mine eyes the pathes of righteousnesse were estranged from me Those sinnes which with such
Conscience will then accuse mee and say I am a Lyar. I confesse Lord I confesse I have not fed the hungry but rioted want only fatning my selfe in mine owne security O give mee henceforth a soft and compassionate heart that I may truly suffer with my poore Brother in his necessity and out of that store wherewith thou hast blessed me ever reserve a portion for the hungry I know Lord that thou art the Avenger of the poore For if Lazarus begge a Crum and may not have it Dives shall crave a drop but not receive it O cloath my soule with compassion that shee may avoid that fearfull condition Nay I never see any hungry begger but take pitty of him for his sake whereof he is a Member CHAP. 33. Giving drinke to the thirsty IT is wonderful thou shouldst not remember thy poore thirsty Brother with one cup of cold water when thy cup flowes over so plentuously partaking of Gods bounty in so ample a measure Thy custome has beene to rise early in the morning and to gather thy Companions together and to drinke till your eyes grew red and to put away farre from you the evill day in jollity and pleasure Meane time those very Snuffes which your excesse procured would have beene sweet drops to many poore thirsty soules who for want of drinke have fainted O but I can ghesse why thou who thus riotest in thy delights decaying thine health with healths art so forgetfull of thy thirsty Brother Deep drinkers are ever of the shallowest memories But I must tell thee that a day will come and fearefull will be that day when howsoever thou now with full cups and loose company removest these things far from thy memory all these neglects uncharitable neglects shall be presented before thee Then thou wilt find none with a light song to spend a serious houre Sulphur and brimstone will be then an unsavory potion And yet this must be thy portion because thou abused the good creatures of God in bestowing them on wantonnesse that might have ministred reliefe to others necessities Gracious Saviour thou who in thine extreme thirst hadst no better drinke given thee then Gall and Vinegar which when thou hadst tasted thou wâ—uldst not drinke perceiving the malice of the Iewes to be such as it raged even to thine end Give me grace to remember the state of my thirsty Brother To abhorre all surfetting and drunkenesse and to be helpfull to the Saints as well out of my scarcity as aboundance CHAP. 34. Harbouring the harbourlesse THe Pilgrims Harbour is a Christians Honour Mild Moses loving Lot faithfull Abraham were excellent patternes of this duty Some of these received Angels in the habit of Strangers That charitable widdow would have a bed-stead for a Prophet This I know well thou approvest for even thy selfe art here a Pilgrim upon earth sojourning up and downe in this vale of misery wholly harbourlesse unlesse some take pitty of thee For the very best that lives here upon earth has only a place of sojourning no place of abiding Wee come unto our Inne and the next morning we are gone But let mee returne to thee and now in good sadnesse tell mee hast thou to thy power performed this Office of charity Hast thou received such poore harbourlesse Guests as came unto thee Hadst thou a lodging for them in the time of necessity Took'st thou delight to conferre with them to minister what was needfull unto them was their sight deare unto thee and that for his sake who made both them and thee O no! me thinkes thou hangs downe thine head as one who acknowledg'd himselfe guilty Thou canst not find one of this sort to whom thou hast shewne this Worke of Mercy Others indeed there are to whom thou hast given free hospitality entertaining them cheerfully and inlarging thy bosome unto them in all offices of court'sie But these weâ—e none of Christs poore ones These were none of his little ones These were none that stood in need of any such favour These if their hearts would have servâ—d them might as well as thy selfe have performed these good offices and with a liberall hand supplyed others necessities And was this to harbour the harbourlesse Christ himselfe was an example unto thee of great poverty for whereas the Birds of the ayre had their nests and the foxes their holes yet had not hee a place whereon to rest his head Now thinke with thy selfe how memorable that worke of Magdalen was in pouring her boxe of precious oyntment upon his head how commendable that devout office of Ioseph of Arimathea was in begging the body of our blessed Saviour in embalming it and bestowing it in a new Sepulchre what an happy occasion little Zacheus had in receiving him and giving him harbour And if these were such good and acceptable Offices to the Head they cannot chuse but have their reward being with a single and sincere heart done to his Members Deare Saviour may it be mine honour to be hospitable to my poore harbourlesse Brother For I know whatsoever I doe to one of these little ones I doe it unto thee And what can I doe lâ—sse then serve thee with thine owne For what have I that I have not received from thee Bee it then my Crowne to give harbour to those needfull ones of thine which thou shalt vouchsafe to send unto me may I lodge them in my bosome for the love I beare thee but this I cannot doe unlesse thou give mee a liberall heart that I may more plenteously abound in these good workes of Charity CHAP. 35. Cloathing the naked GO into thy Wardroabe proud Pilgrim and see if thou findest not there two Coats Both these are not thine thy naked Brother has a property in one of them Bring it forth then unto him and cloath him for if thou keepe it from him and he perish thou and none but thou didst starve him But this little moveth thee so thou maist observe the fashion follow the vanity of the time and pride thy selfe in these borrowed beauties thou little carest how thy naked Brother fares Change and Choice of raiments hast thou in store for thee and these must bee cut slashed and indented as if thy very Garment had committed some foule crime and were for an Anatomy begged Neither is there any hope that such light Minioâ—s as thou consortest with should take any pitty of their naked Sister having so little pitty on their owne naked brests laid open to winde and weather to catch a deluded Lover Good God how much are the use of Cloaths inverted from what they were first intended For at first Cloaths were made to keepe out accidentall cold and to hold in naturall heat Whereas now they are made to let in cold and to keepe out heat O I must tell thee delicate Pilgrim that from top to toe if thou meet thy poor Brother destitute or unprovided and thou hast in store to supply him and yet doest deny him thou art
least drop of mercy who in all thy time hast been a stranger to the Workes of mercy Oh when hee shall demand of thee who gave himselfe for thee where bee those hungry soules which thou hast relieved those thirsty ones whom thou hast refreshed those naked ones whom thou hast cloathed Those harbourlesse Pilgrims whom thou hast harboured those sickly members whom thou hast visited those comfortlesse Captives whom thou hast redeemed those last Obits or Offices which thou to thy dead Brother should'st have performed what Advocate then canst thou find to plead for thee who is hee that will speake a good word for thee to the King that his wrath may be appeased towards thee oh none none Thou art wholly left to thy selfe and utterly lost in thy selfe and even in thine owne bosome shalt find that witnesse to accuse thy selfe as nothing may remaine but the expectance of a terrible and irrevocable sentence O God of mercy deale not with mee according to the measure of my sinnes for they are exceedingly multiplied but according to thy great mercy put away my iniquities that thy name may bee magnified O Lord thou who delightest in mercy and wilt have mercy on those on whom thou wilt have mercy make mee to delight in that wherein thou delightest that in the day of wrath I may find mercy CHAP. 45. Blessed are the cleane in heart for they shall see God CAn the Leopard lay away his spots or the Ethiopian his blacknesse As the Leper in the old Law was commanded to cry out I am uncleane I am uncleane So I a foule sinfull Leper may cry out in the same manner that men may shun me lest they become infected by my behaviour For as the soule is farre more precious then the body so is the Leprosie of sinne farre more dangerous then that of the skinne The Swan if at any time shee pride her selfe in her beauty no sooner lookes upon her blaâ—k feet then she wailes her plumes Miserable Pilgrim Looke at thy blacke feet how they are ever walking in the wayes of sinne Looke at thy blacke hands how they are ever with greedinesse committing sinne Looke at thy black prophane mouth how it is ever belching forth motives to sinne looke at thy blacke projecting braine how it is ever plotting new wayes or passages for sinne Look at thy blacke deceitfull heart how it is ever imagining how to strengthen the arme of sinne Looke at thy black corrupted Lever which proves thee a corrupt Liver how it is infected with sinne Nay looke at every part and every where shalt thou find this spirituall Leprosie raging and raigning spreading and streaming into every veine every joynt or artery And yet what an Idoll thou makest of thy selfe how ready thou art to justifie thy selfe How farre from craving thy good Physicians helpe as thou wilt rather dye then confesse thy want of health Truth is there is no sinne of a more dangerous quality then this spirituall Idolatry for by it whatsoever is in value least is honoured most And againe whatsoever in honour most is valued least Oh hadst thou unmindfull Pilgrim looked so carefully to the clensing of thine inward house as thou hast done to the needlesse trimming of thine outward house hadst thou beene as mindfull of clensing thine heart as thou hast beene of brushing thine habit oh then these leprous spots which now appeare so foulely on thee had never infected thee Then had thy life beene a Lampe unto others then had the affections of thine heart beene pure yea God himselfe had prepared in thee a Tabernacle for himselfe to dwell in a Bed of flowers for him to repose in a Temple for him to be praysed in See then what thou hast lost by losing that beauty which should have delighted him most The sight of God Woe is mee what a losse is this To be deprived and of that eternally in the fruition whereof consists all glory The sight of God! Woe is me that ever I was borne to lose that for which I was borne for which I was re-borne The sight of God! The nourishment of every Angelicall soule This have I lost by not clensing my heart for the cleane in heart shall only see God O clense mee from my secret sinnes O forgive me my strange sinnes O let mee now returne to thee with my whole heart and clense thou mine heart that I may make godlinesse my gaine and with these eyes see thee my God of Sion CHAP. 46. Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God I Beseech you that neighbour near me and whose testimony may much availe me speake for me have I since I sojourned amongst you laboured to compose peace or to prevent occasion of Suites Have I performed any office that might tend to peace Oh speake for me be it your charity to speak for me for unlesse your charity doe it sure I am my endeavours have little deserved it O no I see you cannot justly speake one good word to the King for mee For my conversation hath beene otherwise amongst you The spirit of contention and contradiction raigned in me and so farre divided was I from the bond of charity as I delighted in nothing more then nursing enmity Injuries I would beare none nay rather then embrace peace I would make injuries of none Neighbourly arbitrations I neither affected nor admitted it was my counsell ever that suits should bee commenced Let the Law try it though the cause were not worth a see for which we contended Nay to feed this fire of debate with new fuell I told such who repaired to mee for advise damnable advice to lead a deluded Client into the height of all vice that to beare an injury were to make every one their enemy How hee who forgives him that wrongs him encourageth him to picke a new quarrell at him while the remitting of one becomes the admitting of another yea where a wrong is threatned and not revenged it emboldneth the Actor to see it executed Thus lay I a snare privily to catch the simple and innocent doer and by my mischievous counsell to make him of a Lover of peace a common Barreter But evill Counsell is worst for the Counsellor this I find too true to my discomfort For now me thinks all those differences which I raised all those quarrels which I started present themselves before thee threatning nothing less then perdition to me for by the malicious instigation of Sathan they buzze like Bees about me and with strong hand bring mee forth before the face of heaven and earth publikely to accuse me This is hee say they who would be called the Child of God but how can hee have any interest in that title how dares he presume to derive any such promise from God who all his life time has beene a profest Enemy to the peace of God Hee has laboured to encourage Neighbour against Neighbour to bring all things into confusion by his distemper and