he will own thee repent and hee 'l pardon thee pray to him and he will heare thee His Prayer O God whose glory is the end of my creation and whose free mercy is the cause of my redemption that gavest thy Sonne thy onely Sonne to die for mee who else had perished in the common deluge of thy wrath What shall I render for so great a mercy What thankfulnesse shall I returne for so infinite a love Alas the most that I can do is nothing the best that I can present is worse then nothing sinne Lord if I yeeld my body for a sacrifice I offer nothing but a lumpe of filth and loathsome putrifaction or if I give my soule in contribution I yeeld thee nothing but thy Image quite defaced and polluted with my lusts or if I spend the strength of the whole man and with both heart and tongue confesse and magnifie thy Name how can the praises of my sinfull lips that breath from such a sink bee pleasing to thee But Lord since thou art pleased in thy well-pleasing Sonne to accept the povertie of my weake endeavours send downe thy holy Spirit into my heart clense it from the filth of my corruptions and make it fit to praise thee Lord open thou my mouth and my lips shall shew forth thy praise Put a new song into my mouth and I will praise thee and confesse thee all day long I will not hide thy goodnesse in my mouth but will bee showing forth thy truth and thy salvation Let thy prayses be â—y honour and let thy goodnesse be the subject of my undaunted Song Let neither reputation wealth nor life been pretious to mee in comparison with thee Let not the worlds derision daunt mee nor examples of infirmitie deject me Give mee courage and wisedome to stand for thy honour O make mee worthy able and willing to suffer for thy Name Lord teach me to deny my selfe and to resist the motions of my owne corruptions create in mee O God a single heart that I may love the Lord Jesus in sinceritie remember not O Lord the sinnes of my feare and pardon the hypocrisie of my self-love Wash me from the staines and guilt of this my hainous offence and deliver mee from this fearefull judgement thou hast threatned in thy Word Convince all the Arguments of my unsanctified wit whereby I have become an advocate to my sinne Grant that my life may adorne my profession and make my tongue an instrument of thy glory Assist me O God that I may praise thy goodnesse and declare thy wonders among the children of men Strengthen my faith that it may trust Thee and let my works so shine that men may praise thee That my heart beleeving unto righteousnesse and my tongue confessing to salvation I may be acknowledg'd by thee here and glorified by thee in the kingdome of glory The worldly mans Verdour FOr ought I see the case is even the same with him that prayes and him that does not pray withâ— him that sweares and him that feares an oath I see no difference if any those that they call the wicked have the advantage Their crops are even as faire their flocks as numerous as theirs that weare the ground with their religious knees and fast their bodies to a skelliton nay in the use of blessings which onely makes them so they farre exceed they tearme mee reprobate and stile mee unregenerate 'T is true I â—ate my labours with a jolly heart drinke frolick cups sweeten my paines with time-beguiling sports make the best advantage of my owne pray when I thinke on 't sweare when they urge mee heare Sermons at my leasure follow the lusts of my owne eyes and take the pleasure of my own wayes and yet God bee thanked my Barnes are furnisht my sheepe stand sound my Cattle strong for labour my pastures rich and flourishing my body healthfull and my bagges are full whilst they that are so pure and make such conscience of their wayes that run to Sermons â—igge to Lectures pray thrice a day by the hower hold faith and troth prophane and drinking healths a sinne doe often finde leane harvests easie flocks and emptie purses Let them bee godly that can live on Ayre and Faith and eaten up by Zeale can whine themselves into an Hospitall or blesse their lippes with charitable scrapps If godlinesse have this reward to have short meales for long prayers weake estates for strong faiths and good consciences upon such bad conditions let them boast of their pennyworths and let mee bee wickedâ— still and take my chance as falls Let mee have judgement to discover a profitable Farme and wit to take it at an easie Rent and Gold to stock it in a liberall manner and skill to manage it to my best advantage and luck to finde a good encrease and providence to husband wisely what I gaine I seeke no further and I wish no more Husbandry and Religion are two severall occupations and looke two severall wayes and he is the onely wise man can reconcile them BUt stay my soule I feare thy reckoning failes thee If thou hast judgement to discover wit to bargaine Gold to employ skill to manage providence to dispose canst thou command the Clouds to droppe or if a wet season meet thy Harvest and with open sluces overwhelme thy hopes canst thou let downe the floodgates and stop the watry Flux Canst thou command the Sunne to shine Canst thou forbid the Mildewes or controll the breath of the malignant East Is not this Gods sole Prerogative And hath not that God said When the workers of iniquitie doe flourish it is theâ— that shall be destroyed for ever Psal. 92. 12. Job 21. 7. Wherefore doe the wicked live become old yea are mightie in power 8. Their seed is establisht in their sight and their off-spring before their eyes 9. Their houses are safe from feare neither is the wrath of God upon them 10. Their Bull gendereth and faileth not their Cow calveth and casteth not her Calfe 11. They send forth their little ones like a flock and their children daunce 12. They take the Timbrell and the Harp and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ 13. They spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment they goe downe to the Grave Nil in Paraenes Woe bee to him that pursues emptie and fading pleasures because in a short time hee fats and pampers himselfe as a Calfe to the slaughter Bernard There 's no misery more true and reall then false and counterfeit pleasure Hierom. It 's not onely difficult but impossible to have heaven here and hereafter To live in sensuall lusts and to attaine spirituall blisse to passe from one paradise to another to be a mirrour of felicitie in both worlds to shine with glorious rayes both in this globe of earth and the orbe of heaven HOw sweet a feast is till the reckoning come A faire day ends often in a cold night and the road that 's pleasant ends in
hope for nothing but the execution of thy judgements Yet Lord know withall thou art a gracious God of evill repenting thee and slow to wrath I know thy nature and propertie is to show compaâ—â—ion apt to conceive but readier to forgive I know thou takest no pleasure in destruction of a sinner but rather that hee should repent and live In confidence and full assurance whereof I am here prostrate on my bended knees and with an humble heart Nor doe I presse into thy holy presence truâ—ing in my owne merits leâ—t thou shouldest deale by me as I have dealt by others but being encouraged by thy gracious invitation and heavy laden with the burthen of my sinnes I come to thee O God who art the refuge of a wounded soule and the Sanctuary of a broken spirit Forgive O God forgive me what is past recalling and make mee circumspect for the time to come Open mine eyes that I may see how vaine a thing I am and how polluted from my very birth Give me an insight of my owne corruptions that I may truely know and loath my selfe Take from me all vaine-glory and selfe-love and make mee carelesse of the worlds applause Endue mee with an humble heart and take this haughty spirit from me Give me a true discovery of my owne merits that I may truely feare and tremble at thy judgements Let not the worlds contempt deject me nor the disrespects of man dismay mee Take from mee O God a scornefull eye and curbe my tongue that speakes presumptuous things Plant in my heart a brotherly love and cherish in me a charitable affection Possesse my soule with patience O God and establish my heart in the feare of thy name that being humbled before thee in the meeknesse of my spirit I may bee exalted by thee through the freenesse of thy Grace and crowned with thee in the kingdome of glory The covetous mans care BEleeve mee the Times are hard and dangerous Charitie is growne cold and friends uncomfortable an emptie Purse is full of sorrow and hollow Bagges make a heavy heart Povertie is a civill Pestilence which frights away both friends and kindred and leaves us to a Lord have mercy upon us It is a sicknesse very catching and infectious and more commonly abhord then cured The best Antidote against it is Angelicâ— and Providence and the best Cordiall is Aurumpotabile Gold-taking fasting is an approved soveraigne Debts are ill humors and turne at last to dangerous obstructions Lending is a meere consumption of the radicall humour and if consumed brings a patient to nothing Let others trust to Courtiers promises to friends performances to Princes favours Give me a Toy call'd Gold give me a thing call'd Mony O blessed Mammon how extreamely sweet is thy all-commanding presence to my thriving soule In banishment thou art my deare companion In captivitie thou art my pretious ransome In trouble and vexation thou art my daintie rest In sicknesse thou art my health in griefe my onely joy in all extremitie my onely trust Vertue must vaile to thee Nay Grace it selfe not relisht with thy sweetnesse would even displease the righteous palates of the sonnes of men Come then my soule advise contrive project Goe compasse Sea and Land leave no exploit untryed no path untrod no time unspent afford thine eyes no sleepe thy head no reâ—t Neglect thy ravenous belly uncloathe thy backe deceive betray sweare and forsweare to compasse such a friend If thou bee base in birth 't will make thee honorable If weak in power it will make thee formidable Are thy friends few 'T will make them numerous Is thy cause bad 'T will make thee Advocates True wisedome is an excellent helpe in case it bend this way and learning is a gentile Ornament if not too chargeable yet by your leave they are but estates for â—earme of life But everlasting Gold if well advantag'd will not onely blesse thy dayes but thy surviving children from generation to generation Come come let others fill their braines with deare bought wit turne their pence into expencefull chariâ—e and store their bosomes with unprofitable pietie let them lose all to save their imaginary consciences and begger themselves at home to be thought honest abroad Fill thou thy baggs and barnes and lay up for many yeers and take thy rest BUt O my soule what follows wounds my heart and strikes me on my knees Thou foole this night will I take thy soâ—k from thee Luk. 12. 20. St. Matth. 6. 24. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon Job 20. 15. Heâ— hath swallowed downe riches and he shall vomit them up againe God shall cast them out of his belly Prov. 15. 17. He that is greedy of gaine troubles his owne house but he that hateth gifts shall live 2 Pet. 2. 3. Through covetousnesse they shall with feigned words make marchandize of you whose judgement now of a long time lingreth not and whose damnation slumbreth not Nilus in Paraenes Wâ—e to the covetous for his riches forsake him and hell fire takes him S. August O thou covetous man why dost thou treasure up such hidden mischiefe why dost thou dote on the Image of the King stamped on coyne and hateâ—t the Image of God that shines in men August The riches which thou treasurest up are lost those thou charitably bestoâ—est is truely thine VVHat think'st thou now my soule If the judgment of holy men may not informe thee let the judgements of thy angry God enforce thee Weigh thy owne carnall affections with the sacred Oracles of heaven and light and darknesse are not more contrary What thou approvest thy God condemnes What thou desirest thy God forbids Now my soule if Mammon be God follow him if God be God adherâ— to him Thou canst not serve God and Mammon If thy conscience feele the hooke nibble no longer Many sinnes leave thee in the way this followes thee to thy lives end the roote of evill the canker of all goodnesse It blinds Justice poysons Charity strangles Conscience be slaves the affections betrayes friendship breakes all relations It is a roote of the Devills owne planting Pluck it up Thinke not that a pleasure which God hath threatned nor that a blessing which heaven hath cursed Devoure not that which thou or thy heyre must vomit up Bee no longer posseâ— with such a Devill but cast him out and if hee bee too strong weaken him by Fasting and exorcise him by Prayer His Prayer O God that art the fulnesse of all riches and the Magazeen of all treasure in the enjoyment of whose favour the smallest morsell is a rich inheritance and the coursest Pulse is a large portion without whose blessing the greatest plenty enriches not and the highest diet nourishes not how have I an earthworm and no man fixt my whole heart upon this trasitory world and neglected thee the onely desiderable good I blush O Lord to confesse the basenesse of my life and am utterly asham'd of mine owne foolishnesse I have
placed my affections upon the nasty Rubbish of this world and have slighted the inestimable Pearle of my salvation I have wallow'd in the mire of my inordinate desires and refused to bee washt in the streames of thy compassion I have put my confidence into the faithfulnesse of my servant and have doubted the providence of thee my gratious Father I have served unrighteous Mammon with greedinesse and have preferred drosse and dung before the Pearly gates of New Jerusalem Thou hast promised to bee all in all to those that feare thee and not to faile the soule that trusts in thee but I refused thy gratious offer and put my confidence in the vanity of the Creature But gratious God to whom Repentance never comes unseasonable that find ' â—t an â—are when sinnes finde a tongue regard the conâ—rition of a bleeding heart and withdraw not thy mercy from a pensive soule Give mee new thoughts O God and with thy holy Spirit new mould my desires Informe my will and sanctifie my affections that they may relish thy sweetnesse with a full delight Create in me O God a spirituall sense that I may take pleasure in things that are above Give mee a contented thankfulnesse for what I have that I may neither in povertie forsake thee nor in plentie forget thee Arme me with a continuall patience that I may cheerfully put my trust in thy providence Moderate my care for momentary things that I may use the world as if I used it not Let not the losse of any earthly good too much deject mee lest I should sinne with my lippes and charge thee foolishly Give mee a charitable hand O God and fill my heart with brotherly compassion that I may chearefully exchange the corruptible treasure of this world into the incorruptible riches of the world to come and proving a faithfull steward in thy spirituall houshold I may give up my account with joy and bee made partaker of thy eternall joy in the kingdome of thy glory The Self-lovers Self-fraud GOd hath required my heart and he shall have it God hath commanded truth in the inword parts and hee shall bee obeyed My soule shall praise the Lord and all that is within me and I will serve him in the strength of my desires And in common cases the tongues profession of his name is no lesse then necessary But when it lies upon a life upon the saving of a livelihood upon the flat undoing of a reputation the case is altered My life is deare my faire possessions pretious and my reputation is the very Apple of mine eye To save so great a slake mee thinks equivocation is but veniall if a sinne If the true loyaltie of mine heart stands sound to my Religion and my God my well-informed Conscience tels mee that in such extremities my frighted tongue may take the priviledge of a Sâ—â—â—â— or a mentall reservation if not in the expression of a faire compliances What shall the reall breach of a holy Sabbath dedicated to Gods highest glory bee tolerated for the welfare of an Oxe May that breach bee set upon the score of mâ—rcy and commended above sacrifice for the savegard of an Asse And may I not dispense with a bare lippe deniall of my urg'd Religion for the necessary preservation of the threatned life of a man for the saving of the whole livelihood and subsistence of a Christian What shall I perish for the want of food and die a Martâ—â— to that foolish conscience which forbids mee to rub the eares of a little standing Corne Iacoâ— could purchase his sick fathers blessing with a downe-right lye and may I not diâ—semble for a life The young mans great possessions taught his timerous tongue to shrinke from an decline his hearts profession and who could blame him Come if thou freely give thy house canst thou in conscience bee denied a hiding-roome for thy protection The Syrian Captaine hee whose heart was fixt on his now firme resolv'd and true devotion reserv'd the house of Rimmâ—n for his necessary attendance and yet went in peace Peter upon the rock of whose confession the Church was grounded to save his liberty with a false nay with a perjur'd tongue nay more at such a time when as the Lord of life in whose behalfe hee drew his Sword was question'd for his innocent life denied his Master and shall I bee so great an unthrist of my blood my life to lose it for a meere lippe-deniall of that Religion which now is setled and needs no blood to seale it BUt stay my Conscience checks me there 's a judgement thunders Harke He that denies me before men him will I deny before my Father which is in heaven Match 10. 33. 2 Tim. 3. 1 2. Know that in the latter dayes perillous times shall come For men shall be lovers of their owne selves Esay 45. 23. I have sworne by my selfe the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousnâ—sse and shall not return that unto mee every knee shall bow and every tongue shall sweare Rom. 10. 10. with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made to salvation Luke 9. 26. Whosoever shall bee ashamed of me and my words of him shall the Sonne of man bee ashamed when hee shall come in Glory August The love of God and the world are two different things if the love of this world dwell in thee the love of God forsakes thee renounce that and receive this it 's fit the more nobler love should have the best place and acceptance Theoph. It is not enough onely to beleeve with the heart for God will have us confesse with our mouth every one that confesses that Christ is God shall finde Christ professing to the Father that that man is a faithfull servant but those that deny Christ shall receive thâ—â— fearefull doome Nescio vos I know you 〈◊〉 MY soule in such a time as this when the civill Sword is warme with slaughter and the wasting kingdome welters in her blood wouldst thou not give thy life to ransome her from ruine Is not the God of heaven and earth worth many kingdomes Is thy welfare more considerable then his glory dar'st thou deny him for thy owne ends that denied thee nothing for thy good Is a poore clod of earth wee call Inheritance prizable with his greatnesse Or a puffe of breath wee call life valuable with his honour in comparison of whom the very Angels are impure Blush O my soule at thy owne guilt Hee that accounted his blood his life not worth the keeping to ransome thee a wretch lost by thy owne rebellion deserves hee not the abatement of a lust to keepe him from a new crueifying My soule if Religion bind thee not if judgements terrifie thee not if naturall affection inâ—line thee not yet let common reason perswade thee to love him above a trifle that loved thee above his life And thou that hast so often denied him deny thy self for ever and