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
we Thinke nothing good for us but what may be Pleasing to nature but the God of grace Oft from his dearest servants hides his face And makes them for a time in wants a to live That he to them eternall life may give Psal 94 12.13 14. He often suffers them to be perplext And by infernall spirits strangely vext That they might walke more humbly in his sight And feare to sin against his grace and might Yet in due time they b shall find ease and rest And with great gladnesse see their foes supprest For sure his mercies are and from above He loves them with an everlasting c love Simile A wise Physitian through his skill and art Cures many times a man by taking part Of that away which does by d nature feed The vitall spirits when they moisture need He can so temper poyson by his skill That it will prove a very wholesome pill And shall not God who by his power brings Light out of darknesse and doth call such things As never were shall he not able be To make his crosse our chiefe felicitie Psal 68 4â— Psal 103.19 He that could turne those waters into blood Can turne what we terme ill unto our e good He that could cause cleare water to be wine A barren tree to be a fruitfull vine Without all controversie if he please And see it for our good can with like ease Convert our sorrowes into joy our teares To sollid mirth yea our soul-wounding feares And doubting of his care and providence Unto well-grounded hope and confidence He can so order all our crosses here That to the world at length it may appeare That it was good for us to beare the rod And scourges of so mercifull a God If by affliction then thou hop'st to finde Good to thy soule peace to thy troubled minde Looke not so much upon the a Crosse to see What hope or likely-hood therein may bee As to the promise b which the Lord hath made Which shall stand good when earth and heaven fade Cast all thy soule-disturbing cares aside God can and will what 's for thy good provide Could we our hearts unto this temper bring And fully be perswaded of this thing We should not so much stagger as we doe When we the crosse of Christ should undergoe Simile What grievous tortures do the sick endure From time to time in waiting for a cure As launcing c searing cupping losse of blood Hoping all will at length bee for their good E'vn so this would correct the too much feare That is in us if we perswaded were That all the troubles of this present life As losse of friends of husband children wife Of goods good name yea and of life if we Be cal'd thereto much for our good will be Then thou oh mighty God of gods who art The framer and disposer of the heart Convince our minds and so our hearts perswade That in these brinish waters we may wade With chearfulnesse of spirit soule and mind Although we saile against both tide and wind For sure we are though stormes and waves may rore We safely shall at length be brought to shoare And when this pilgrimage shall have an end The noble peeres of heaven shall attend Upon our persons and with triumph bring Us to the city of our heavenly king Unto a city made of gold most pure Whose ground-worke shall for evermore endure Unto a city that shall neither have Need of the Sun or Moone Revel 21.43 for God that gave Them lifght and splendor at the first will be Our light and life to all eternitie O joy above all joyes what can annoy The soule that is possessed with this joy O light above all lights without whose light Man cannot judge the day time from the night What mists and fogs mans mind should so obscure That he should not discerne thy light so pure O light of all the world teach us the way That leads unto this light that so we may In despite of all lets behold at length Thy blessed face in vigour and full strength O blessed sight God in himselfe to see My selfe in God and God himselfe in me O soule-rejoycing-sight what shall I see My friends and kindred in felicitie O full and perfect light what a shall I so Enlightend be hereby as God to know As I am knowne what shall I understand The secret works of his alworking hand Shall I poore sylly wretch acquainted be With all the secrets of the Trinitie How shall my soule triumph when in this place I shall behold my Maker face to face How shall I shout for joy exult and sing When I shall reigne with my eternall king If in his mothers wombe Iohn Baptist were Constrain'd to leape for joy when Christ drew neare Unto his mother Mary how shall we Exult for joy when Christ himselfe will be Not onely with us but in us that so Our joy and peace might ever over flow If that the Israelites for joy did sing When Salomon the wise was crowned king What cause shall we have to rejoyce when we Shall Christ behold in pompe and Majestie The wisemen greatly did triumph when they Found out the babe which in a manger lay How then shall we rejoyce triumph and sing When on his throne we see him sit as king O happy sweetnesse and sweet happinesse Thy soule-rejoycing joyes who can expresse 1. Cor. 2.9 Here 's fulnesse without loathing strength and health Without decay or sicknesse gaine and wealth Without losse or deceit peace without feare Joy without griefe love without hatred here 1. Cor. 13.15 Is knowledge without error holinesse Without uncleannesse truth and godlynesse Without dissembling concord without strife Beauty without deformity Dan. 12. Esay 32. and life Without the feare of death or any fainting Fame without shame and feature without painting Rest without sloath or labour grace and glory Transcending a all things that are transitory O holy judgement seat shall I appeare Before a Judge Acts 10 23. Mat. 3 9 Ioh 8.34 that neither will for feare Nor favour partiall be what shall I see Those men condemn'd who have condemned me Without a cause how can they in this case Without amazement looke me in the face O blessed fellowship what shall I be By grace united to the Trinitie Shall I bee seated in the Angels row Who for my sins deserve to be below The worst of all the divells oh what heart Is able to conceive the hundred part Of those soul-chearing joyes which from this roote In great aboundance dayly spring and shoote O blessed feast of feasts here is indeed The true and perfect Manna which will feed And please the b eater so that he no longer After the world shall either thirst or hunger O reall royall feast who can relate What King did such a feast e're celebrate We reade in Esther of a feast Est 1.4 that were Kept by King Assuerus halfe a yeare But
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
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
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
some to Rome in hope They shall obtaine a pardon from the Pope Some into France Bermoodes and Barbadoes Who here have vapour'd with such great bravadoes As if that they had meant the heavens to bring Under their feet and to disthrone the King But blessed be the Lord yea blessed be His holy name to all eternitie These strange polluting mists are blowne away And we behold the dawning of the day Our Sun we hope with splendor will appeare Our frozen hearts againe to thaw and cheare Now God which made the q) Psal 104.19 Sun to rule the day Grant such like mists may never beare like sway Great buzzards little birds may sore afright And with their talons wound them in the night But when the Sun shall shine forth in his hiew The little birds great buzzards will pursue An old devouring fox may hurt the sheepe In a darke night when Shepheards are asleepe But when the Sun to Horizon doth touch Hee takes his den nay oft his feare is such That all his life lies in his heeles his bed And den he leaves he dare not shew his head Where he hath made his prey and mischiefe done But will into some other Lordship run Yet oft he leaves so strong a sent behind him That by his foot-steps wee know where to find him Fat bulls of Basan with their hornes may gore And hurt the lesser bullocks but the more They doe sooner to 'th blocke their heads are brought Because they are oft better fed then taught He that Elias could so strangely feed When he was pincht with poverty and need As by a (r) 1 King 17. â— raven can what way seemes best To him our bodies and our soules opprest Releive and comfort yea (s) Rom. 11 33 34 35. Psal 7â— 14 15.16.17 18 19 20. 2 King 14.26 27. and that oft by Those waies and meanes which to a carnall eye Seemes most unlikely and not onely so But altogether (t) Mat. 19.26 Apud homines hoc mpossibile apud Deum autem omnia sunt possibilia planè Deo nihil d fficile Tertull. ad Prax. Cui voluisse fecisse est Psal 115.3 135.6 7. Qui dixit facta sunt Psal 148 5.33.6 Vbi definit humaâ—um ibi incipit divinum auxilium ler. 32.27 Gen. 18 14. opposite thereto Hee that a sonne the Shunamite could give And after raise him up from death to live Can give us grace the life of grace and when Our soules seeme dead give (v) sal 66.8 Psal 71.18.19 2â— 21 22. life to them agen He that made * 2 Kings 6 6. iron swim and could of stones Raise children up and by Elisha's bones Revive the dead (w) Psal 7 18 24. Iude 24. can if it may please him Our drooping soules command aloft to swim He that could make (x) Qui modo Saâ—lus eâ—as in verso homine Salvus Factus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qâ—i modo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eras a persecuting Saul A lover of his Saints a preaching Paul And could convert Manasses from these crimes Whereby he had so many waies and times Offended God can in what way seemes strange To carnall reason worke in us a change He that could cleanse the (y) Exod. 4.7 Mat 8.2 Lâ—c. 10 14. Leper of his sore And men borne (z) Luc. 4.18 blinde to perfect sight restore Can cleanse our (a) 1 Ioh 17. Psa 51.10 Ezek. 36.25 Ioh. 15.3 soules from sins foule blot and stain And to their former sight restore again He that could give b limbs to the lame to walke To (c) Exod. 4.11 deafe and dumb eares tongues to heare and talke Strength to the impotent health to the sicke A quiet mind unto the d lunaticke For each disease and sore a salve can find Whether paines of the body soule or mind That God which could the (e) 1 Kings 1â— 10.11.12 13.14 widowes oile augment And by his grace f five hundred men content With five small loaves and two little fishes As well as with five hundred costly dishes Can both (g) Ephes 3.20 increase that modicum we have And satisfie our soules with what we crave What though thy house and dwelling be but small Was not thy Lord contented with a stall He that with Nimrod thinks to raise his name By building Babels or enlarge his same By shewes and titles shewes himselfe but vaine For he and * Qu câ—uâ—d altum est haud diu tatum manet Apollod they must both to dust againe Where is brave (h) Iam cinis est detam magno restat Achil. Nelcio quid par vam quod non bene compleat uâ—nan Ovid met Hector and his glory where Are those nine worthies whose name once was deere And dreadfull too alas they and their glory Lie now intomb'd within a little story Where 's grave Mecaenas and divine Apollo Loe these are gone and we their steps must follow What though thou art not dect with rich array The sage Futrape lus right wise y â—ad his 〈◊〉 sâ—ould have the â—icheâ—t clâ—â—thes he had Think ng he did them harme himselfe much g od For it made him more humble them more pâ—cud Hor. Beggars and (i) Pallâ—da mors aequo pede pullat paâ—petum tabernas regume â—urres Qâ—id superbis pulvis cinâ— quâ—d veste nitida gloriaris subter testernitur tinea operimentum tuum erunt vermes hectua vestis crit Chrysist Entrapelus cuicunque nocere volebat vestimentâ— dabat pretiosa beatus enim jam pro pulcheris cunicam â—â—met concilia nora Kings must both returne to clay Besides gay clothes which fooles delight so in Wise men esteeme but as the badge of sin What though thou hast not choice of dainty dishes Christ fed on barly bread and little fishes Besides those (k) Ebrietas geâ—eâ—at multos in corpore morbos ergo nulla potest esse salute Salus Vivere natuâ—ae si convenienter aâ—aâ—ent mortales medica nil opus essâ—t â—pe Sine cereâ—e libeto friget Venuâ— venter mero estuans sâ—umat Hierom things which best the palate pleases Oft fils the body full of foule diseases Doe not we dayly see that drunkenesse And lust provoking (l) Multa sercula multoâ— moâ—boâ— Quae nâ—si divitibâ—s nequeunt cont ngere mensis Hor. lib. 2. Sa. vr 4. Nascitur libido conviv is nutritur deliclis vino accâ—nditur Vnde hoc Annagram salutare Opto tibi multam nullam tibi poto salutem Est potior poâ—a sicca salute Salus Iob 1.5 Lu. 2.12 Ioseph Mat. Christ amiserâ—nt conviviis Eccl. 31.16.17 18 37 C. 29. meats eat with excesse Make men more wanton and more seeble grow More prone to vice to pious deeds more slow If thou hast meat and drinke clothes for thy back And Gods good blessing here can be no lack Note those that are in greater want and need As well as those that doe in wealth
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
The same the child what hast it can doth make And so beginnes to suck as if it thought To fill its empty belly with a draught But it not liking of the tast dislikes And leaves the brest and it in anger strikes Our natures are alas too prone and apt With worldly vanities to be entrapt Besides the divell useth so much art To blind the mind and to delude the heart Of sinfull man with pleasures profits gaines Thereby to bring them to eternall paines That should not God through his abundant graces Somewhat their beauty and faire forme deface And sometimes crosse us in our pompe and wealth And sometimes in our vigour strength and health Our hearts would be to a Egypt so much wed That we for stincking leekes should shunne the bread Which came downe from above the bread of life For bread of sorrow discontent and strife Ecl 7.4 5. Esay 61.3 Ecl. 2.1 Againe in holy Scriptures we sh ll find Troubles and sorrow needfull in this kind For till we understand our b Christ-crosse rowe Unto our Father we can never goe For we are taught and that in sacred story â—eb 12.6 That God c corrects whom he receives to glory Sweet mercies bind the body and the soule To serve the Lord but crosses must enroule Us in the booke of life and make us sure His faithfull servants ever to endure For d were it not for this how should we know Whether we were adopted sonnes or no Should God not scourge us for our sinfull crimes We might well feare the plague of future times From pastimes great much bitternesse doth spring And sorrowes deepe their deep contentments bring The sweetest descants birds we know are taught When from the woods they to the cage are brought The choisest corne is alwaies cleanest drest The sweetest grape is ever hardest prest The sweetest fish in saltest waters live And cammomile trod under foot will give A fragrant smell the grape unprest will yeeld No sweet and pleasant wine a fruitfull field Will barren prove as husbandmen well know Unlesse they mucke and plow before they sow In troubles then let not our hearts despaire Let not our minds give way to needlesse care For sure I am he that his griefe extends Beyond the bounds of reason a God offends Does it not argue in us misbeliefe To have our soules ore-whelm'd with care and griefe As if we did conceive it was in vaine To hope we or our friends should rise againe Unto your conscience let me but appeale Does not this quench the heate of godly zeale Does not this grieve the Spirit of God and make Your hearts and minds unfit to unâ—ertake Religious duties Does not this offend Such as their minds to godly courses bend May not the world conceive it is in vaine To serve the Lord if this be all the gaine Of godlinesse Does not this scandalize And make Gods worship hatefull in mens eies Does not the skilfull archer rightly know That a too much bending breaks a brittle bow Does not the husbandman well understand That too much raine doth hurt upon the land We if we be not senselesse and starke blinde May see this hurt both body soule and minde Let hope support us then a showre of raine Oft laies great stormes and makes it calme againe And calmes as I have heard some Seaman say Have been more hurtfull then some stormes for they Finding great Neptune sometimes over kinde Have waited for some happy gales of winde Till they have been halfe starv'd and forc'd to eat That which some men on shore would scarce cal meat Thinke not that wealth then is the ground of joy Or that all troubles do the soule annoy For godly sorrow in times of distresse Shall bring forth fruits of peace and righteousnesse Seed cast into the bowels of the earth Becomes more fruitfull by a second brth That man from grace to grace may daily grow He must be truly humbled and brought low For daily sun-shine without timely showres Rather consumes then causes fruit or flowers 1 Cor. 11.31.32 Lastly b God strikes because we should not be Condemn'd unto eternall misery Hosea 2 6. Yea for this end God oft corrects his own When as the wicked scape as men unknown Psal 14.2.53.1 Which makes such fooles in heart to boast and say There is no God that we ought to obey Or if there be a God we are more blest Then those that are with want and need opprest In a safety in our houses we still dwell Iob 21. usque ad 14. v. Our stock encreaseth each thing prospers well That we both take in hand and goe about Our names grow famous all the world throughout We have more then we aske or what we crave Or would have come to passe we forthwith have Psal 10.3.5 6 Amo 6 4. Iob 21 4. Ev'n to our hearts content we softly lie Stretcht out upon our beds of Ivory We have the fairest objects for the eie That may be had from France or Italy The sweetest smelling odours for the nose Muske Civet powders and the damaske rose All sorts of musicke which may please the eare Revive our spirits and dull senses cheare We have our pleasant walks and summer bowers Our gardens deckt with strange-outlandish flowers For sustenance we take no thought or care For we have plenty of superfluous fare Twice in a day we have brought to our boards What b water earth and aire to man affords The Persian Kings for dainties we exceed On roots and herbs like swine we scorne to feed We have our jellies marrow pies rich sacke Oringo roots potatoes for the backe Poore John comes not within our cellar door No we have ale strong beer and wine great store Besides our March beer and a cup of Hum That'le make a Cat to speake a Cato dumbe And if our squeamish stomacks loath to eat Bacon or Beefe or any such grosse meat We can have Mutton Lambes young Kid and Veal Capon Duck Partridge Woodcocke Phesant Teaâ—e Our carkasses are deckt with rich attire As silke and sattins and what we desire Within the compasse of the sea or land Our purses or our persons may command We have both hawkes and hounds for our delight Cards dice and tables fit our humours right We eat and drinke our fill and rise to play With mirth and merriment we drive away The time we hunt we hawke we fowle we fish To please our appetite with some new dish When such who thinke themselves more pure perhaps Would be contented with our crusts and scraps But let these fooles this ponder well in minde That they a greater difference shall finde When the great Shepherd of the soul a appeares With all his company of noble Peers Matth. 24 31. His Angells Martyrs Saints for to divide The goats from sheep the impure from the tride Acts 17.32 When once the Judge of all the world shall come To passe that just and everlasting
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
with patience stay his fathers leasure But if he have not one thing or another He grows sicke of the father or the mother What is the cause that there is so much strife Between the husband and his lawfull wife Who ought to have one heart one will and a minde What is the cause so many are inclin'd Closely to filch and steale one from the other With fraud and guile such things as they can smother What made that cursed cative to betray His loving Master sure the love of clay Mat. 26.15 Quid dabitis O cursed avarice Which the Apostle tearms the root of vice What makes the Judge b the poor mans cause neglect And with such reverence the rich respect The clinch-fists Lawyers mouth is closely shut Till in his hand a fee his client put And after that his cause shall have no end Whilst he hath land to sell or coine to spend And thus with tricks and shifts and strange delaies They wealthy grow by other mens decaies And to requite the Divell for his shifts They give their soules to him for new-yeares gifts The sacrilegious c patron robs Christs Spouse Sacriledge The holy Church to furnish his owne house The cruell Land-lord racks his rent so high That he racks out his tenants hearts thereby The Tradesmen playing upon poore mens needs In raising of his prices much exceeds Cruelty and deceit Or by false weights or insufficient wares The Countrey man beguiles cheats and insnares Some Barber Surgeons as I have been told Will oft prolong a cure for love of gold For if perchance one fall into their hands That hath good store of money goods or lands Their hearts consent to make of him a prey Their heads invent how in what friendly way They their intent may bring to passe and seem Such as they would the world should them esteem And that of them men might not judge amisse They use some complementing way as this Which I will briefly unto you relate That honest men their knavery may hate Y' are very welcome Sir boy reach a chaire A cushion too and fetch a cup of beere This Gentleman and I may drinke a cup Before his sores we venture to rip up Oh art thou com'd 't is well where is thy dame In bed now fie upon her fie for shame These City dames minde nothing but their ease Run quickly sirrah to her for her keyes Come cut a toast and wash a pot and fill Me a full cup Sir with heart and good will I drinke to you I thanke you honest friend And I would pledge you would it not offend The humour of my leg you need not feare To drinke a cup or two of such milde beer Boy fill him up his cup I dare presume Into his leg this beer will never sume Now in the name of God Sir when you will I shall be ready to improve my skill I feare you have conceal'd your griefe too long And thereby done your selfe the greater wrong Turne but your chaire more fully to the light And what it is I will resolve you right Oh heavens what a malady is here I vow 't is ten times worse then I did feare To meddle with it I am halfe afraid Yet Sir I pray you be not you dismaid You may be sure I 'le do the best I can And I can do as much as any man Yet for my part I will assure you this As yet I do not know what sore it is But be it what it will or can I feare It scarcely will be heal'd in halfe a yeare Well to be briefe he takes in hand this sore And seemes for aid the heavens to implore But note their knavery for when they please They can asswage their paine and give them ease Perhaps this monster is six months and more In healing of some ordinary sore And sometimes makes him better sometimes worse According as he finds him strong in purse For if he find the yellow humor stay With speed he takes his corrosive away And in a weeke or two will heale it more Then he had done in twice six weekes before I might speake more at large and somewhat say Of such Physitians as incline this way But they by this may see their owne disease And cure themselves if that their worships please The cursed Usurer that biting thiefe From others labours gets his whole reliefe Vsurie And for this truth as well by night as day Christ in his members closely does betray Not with What will you give me but commands Eight in the hundred at his debters hands Let him be rich or of a meane estate He will not lose a penny of the rate Before he will do so his greedy hands Shall seise upon his body goods and lands Some of this sort in theft theeves far exceed Prov. 6 30. For oftentimes they steale but for their need Yea some are worse then Iudas in this kind Iudas betraying Christ but once we find Iudas struck with remorse desires to pay His mony backe these oftentimes betray Christ in his members and have hearts so hard That they no honest course of life regard They care not so they get but muck and mire And satisfie their lust and fond desire Though they their Lord and Master Jesus sell And damne themselves unto the pit of hell Nay shall I say that some are worse then hell Should I say so the truth I should but tell Hell and the divell torment only those That unto God and godlinesse are foes These good and bad hell none before they die These while they live in want and miserie Vanitie of youth and old age We are growne vaine in words in thoughts and deeds With vaine conceits each man his fancie feeds Some in the aire build-Castles and suppose True honour chiefly to subsist in showes Old doting Misers are most prone to crave When they should have their minds upon the grave As if they thought true happinesse and blisse Was not in worth equivalent with this We may admire it yet it is no wonder Sith that their thoughts have ever been kept under The yonger sort of each sex and degree Make this their care that they from cares be free Therefore their minds and wits are ever bent To find out sports and pastimes to prevent The melancholy humour for say they In such the divell beares the greatest sway Hang care and sorrow saies mad-braines for that My father spend-all said would kill a cat Fill me the tother pipe and tother pot What shall I spare that which I never got Lightly it came and lightly it shall goe By others gaines I will not wealthie grow E're this estate be gone some friend or other Will leave the world and give me such another Le ts a eat and drinke our fills whilst we have health In sicknesse who can take delight in wealth God knowes what may become of our estates When we are gone who knowes at what low rates Land
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
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
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