affections in owe Such Toyes may work upon their timerous apprehensions when wholesome precepts faile and find no audience in their youthfull eares Tell not mee of Hell Devills or of damned soules to enforce me from those pleasures which they nickname sinne What tell ye mee of Law My soule is sensible of Evangelicall precepts without the needlesse and uncorrected thunder of the killiug Letter or the terrible periphrase of roaring Boanarges the teadiousnesse of whose language still determines in damnation wherein I apprehend God farre more mercifull then his Ministers T is true I have not led my life according to the Pharisaicall squire of their opinions neither have I found judgements according to their prophecies whereby I must conclude that God is wonderfully mercifull or they wonderfully mistaken How often have they thundred â—orment against my voluptuous life And yet I feele no paine How bitterly have they threatned shame against the vaunts of my vaine-glory Yet find I honor How fiercely have they preach'd destruction against my cruelty and yet I live VVhat Plagues against my swearing yet not infected What diseases against my drunkennesse and yet sound What danger against procrastination yet how often hath God been found upon the deathbed What damnation to Hypocrites yet who more safe What stripes to the ignorant yet who more scotfree What povertie to the slothfull yet themselves prosper VVhat falls to the proud yet stand they surest VVhat curses to the Covetous yet who richer VVhat judgements to the lascivious yet who more pleasure VVhat vengeance to the prophane the censorious the revengefull yet none live more unscourg'd VVho deeper branded then the Lyerâ—â— yet who more favor'd Who more threatned then the presumptuous yet who lesse punished Thus are wee foold and kept in awe with the strict fancies of those Pulpit-men whose opinions have no ground but what they gaine from popularitie Thus are wee frighted from the libertie of Nature by the politick Chimeraes of Religion whereby we are necessitated to the observing of those Laws whereof we find a greater necessitie of breaking BUt stay my soule there is a voyce that darts into my troubled thoughts which saith Because thou hast not kept my Lawes all the curses in this booke shall overtake thee till thou be destraoed Deut. 29. Deut. 29. 27. And the anger of the Lord was kindâ—ed against the land to bring upon it all the Curses that are written in this book 2 Chron. 34. 24. Thus saith the Lord Behold I will bring will upon this place and upon the inhabitants thereof even all the curses that are written in the booke Deut. 28. 15. But if thou wilt not hearken unto the vâ—yee of the Lord thy God to observe and doe all his Commandements and his statutes which I command thee this day all these curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee Bernard It is certaine thou must die and uncertaine when how or where seeing death is alwayes at thy 〈◊〉 Thou must if thou be wise â—lwayes be ready to die Bernard To commit a sinne is an humane frailtie to persist in it is a devillish obstinacy Bernard There are some who hope in the Lord but yet in vaine because they onely smooth and flatter themselves that God is mercifull but repent not of their sinne such confidence is vaine and foolish and leads to destruction PResumption is a sinne whereby wee depend upon Gods mercies without any warrant from Gods Word It is as great a sinne O my soule to hope for Gods mercy without Repentance as to distrust Gods mercy upon Repentance In the first thou wrongst his Iustice In the last his mercy O my presumptuous soule let not thy prosperitie in sinning encourage thee to sinne lest climbing without Warrant into his mercy thou fall without mercy into his judgement Be not deceived a long Peace makes a bloody Warre and the abuse of continued mercies makes a sharpe judgement Patience when slighted turnes to fury but ill-requited starts to vengeance Thinke not that thy unpunisht sinne is hidden from the eye of heaven or that Gods judgements will delay for ever The stalled Oxe that wallowes in his plenty and waxes wanton with ease is not farre from slaughter The Ephod O my desperate soule is long a filling but once being full the leaden cover must goe on and then it hurries on the wings of the wind Advise thee then and whilst the Lampe of thy prosperity lasts provide thee for the evill day which being come repentance will bee out of date and all thy prayers will finde no eare His Prayer GRatious God whose mercy is unsearchable and whose goodnesse is unspeakable I the unthankfull object of thy continued favours and therefore the miserable subject of thy continuall wrath humbly present my self-made misery before thy sacred Majestie Lord when I look upon the horridnesse of my sin shame strikes me dumb But when I turne mine eie upon the infinitnesse of thy mercy I am emboldned to poure forth my soule before thee as in the one finding matter for confusion so in the other Arguments for compassion Lord I have sinned grievously but my Saviour hath satisfied abundantly I have trespassed continually but he hath suffered once for all Thou hast numbred my transgressions by the haires of my head but his mercies are innumerable like the starres of the skie My sinnes in greatnesse are like the mountaines of the earth 〈◊〉 his mercy is greater then the heavens Oh if his mercy were not greater then my sinnes my sinnes were impardonable for his therefore and â—â—y mercies sake cover my sinnes and pardon my transgressions make my head a fountain of â—â—eares and accept my contrition O thou Well-â—â—ring of all mercie strengthen my resolution â—â—at for the time to come I may detest all sinne â—â—crease a holy anger in me that I may revenge my selfe upon my selfe for displeasing so gratious a Father Fill my heart with a feare of thy judgments and sweeten my thoughts with the meditation of thy mercies Goe forwards O my God and perfect thy own work in me and take the glory of thy owne free goodnesse furnish my mouth with the prayses of thy name and replenish my tongue with continuall thanksgiving Thou haâ—â— promised pardon to those that repent behold I repent Lord quicken my Repentance Thou mightst have made me a terrible example of thy justice and struck â—â—ee into hell in the height of my presumption but thou hast made me capable of thy mercies and an object of thy 〈◊〉 for thou art a gratious God of long-suffering and â—low to anger thy name is wonderfull and thy mercies incomprehensible Thou art onely worthy to bee praised Let all the people praise thee O God O let all the people praise thee Let Angels and Archangels praise thee Let the Congregations of Saints praise thee Let thy works praise thee Let every thing that breath's praise thee for ever and for ever Amen FINIS
all my friends forsake mee If to gaine a good estate out of nothing and to regaine a desperat debt which is as good as nothing bee the fruits and signe of a bad conscience God helpe the good Come tell not me of griping and Oppression The world is hard and hee that hopes to thrive must gripe as hard What I give I give and what I lend I lend If the way to heaven bee to turn begger upon earth let them take it that like it I know not what ye call Oppression The Law is my direction but of the two it is more profitable to oppresse then to bee opprest If debtors would bee honest and discharge our hands were bound but when their failing offends my bagges they touch the Apple of my eye and I must right them BUt hah what voyce is this that whispers in mine eare The Lord will spoile the soule of the Oppressors Prov. 22. 23. Prov. 21. 22. Robbe not the poore because hee is poore neither oppresse the afflicted in the gates for the Lord will plead their cause and spoile the soule of those that have spoled him Ezek. 22. 19. The people of the land have used oppression and exercised Robbery and have vexed the poors and needy yea they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath Zach. 7. 9. Execute true judgement and shew mercy and compassion every man to his brother and oppresse not the widow nor the fatherlesse nor the stranger nor the poore and let none of you imagine evill in your hearts against his brother But they refused to hearken therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of Hosts Bernard p. 1691. Wee ought so to care for our selves as not to neglect the due regard of our neighbour Bern. ibiâ—â— He that is not mercifull to another shall not find mercy from God but if thou will'st bee mercifull and compassionate thou shalt bee a benâ—factor to thy owne soule IS it wisdome in thee O my soul to covet a happinesse or rather to account it so that is sought for with a judgement obtained with a Curse and punished with damnation And to neglect that good which is assured with a promise purchased with a blessing and rewarded with a Crowne of Glory Canst thou hold a full estate a good pennyworth which is bought with the deare price of thy Gods displeasure Tell mee what continuance can that Inheritance promise that is raised upon the ruines of thy Brother Or what mercy canst thou expect from heaven that hast denied all mercy to thy Neighbour O my hard-hearted soule consider and relent Build not an house whose posts are subject to bee rotted with a curse Consider what the God of truth hath threatned against thy crueltie Relent and turne compassionate that thou mayst bee capable of his compassion If the desire of Gold hath hardned thy heart let the teares of true Repentance mollifie it soften it with Aarons oyntment untill it become Wax to take the impression of that seale which must confirme thy Pardon His Prayer BUt will my God bee now entreated Is not my crying sinne too loud for Pardon Am I not sunke too deepe into the Jawes of Hell for thy strong arme to rescue Hath not the hardnesse of my heart made mee uncapable of thy compassion O if my teares might wash away my sinne my head should turne a living Spring Lord I have heard thee speake and am affraid the word is past and thy judgements have found mee out Fearefulnesse and trembling are come upon mee and the Jawes of Hell have overwhelmed mee I have oppressed thy poore and added affliction to the afflicted and the voyce of their misery is come before thee They besought mee with teares and in the anguish of their soules but I have stopt mine eares against the cry of their complaint But Lord thou walkest not the wayes of man and remembrest mercy in the middest of thy wrath for thou art good and gratious and ready to forgive and plenteous in compassion to all that shall call upon thee Forgive mee O God my sinnes that are past and deliver mee from the guilt of my Oppression Take from mee O God this heart of stone and create in my brest a heart of flesh Asswage the vehemency of my desires to the things below and satisfie my soule with the sufficiency of thy Grace Inflame my affections that I may love thee with a filiall love and incline mee to relie upon thy fatherly providence Let mee account godlinesse my greatest gaine and subdue in mee my lusts after filthy lucre Preserve mee O Lord from the vanitie of selfe-love and plant in my affections the true love of my neighbours Endue my heart with the bowels of compassion and then reward mee according to thy righteousnesse Direct mee O God in the wayes of my life and let a good Conscience bee my continuall comfort Give mee a willing heart to make resâ—itution of what I have wrongfully gotten by oppression Grant mee a lawfull use of all thy Creatures and a thankfull heart for all thy benefits Bee merciâ—ull to all those that groane under the burthen of their owne wants and give them patience to expect thy deliverance Give mee a heart that may acknowledge thy favours and fill my tongue with praise and thanksgiving that living here a new life I may become a new creature and being engraffed in thee by the power of thy grace I may bring forth fruit to thy honour and glory The Drunkards Iubile VVHat Complement will the severer world allow to the vacant houres of frolique-hearted youth How shall their free their joviall spirits entertaine their time their friends What Oyle shall bee infused into the Lampe of deare societie if they deny the priviledge of a civill rejoycing Cup It is the life the radicall humor of united soules whose love-digestive heate even ripens and ferments the greene materialls of a plighted faith without the helpe whereof new married friendship falls into divorce and joyn'd acquaintance soone resolves into the first Elements of strangenesse What meane these strict Reformers thus to spend their houâ—e-glasses and bawle against our harmelesse Cups to call our meetings Riots and brand our civill mirth with stiles of loose Intemperance where they can sit at a fisters Feast devoure and gurmundize beyond excesse and wipe the guilt from off their marrowed mouths and cloath their surfeits in the long fustain Robes of a tedious Grace Is it not much better in a faire friendly Round since youth must have a swing to steep our soule-afflicting sorrows in a chirping Cup then hazard our estates upon the abuse of providence in a folish cast at Dice Or at a Cockpit leave our doubtfull fortunes to the mercy of unmercifull contention Or spend our wanton dayes in sacrificing costly presents to a fleshly Idoll was not Wine given to exhilarate the drooping hearts and raise the drowzie spirits
nor slander'd like thy â—accusers They that censure thy Gnats swallow their owne Camels What if the luxuriant stile of thy discourse doe chance to strike upon an obvious Oath art thou straight hurried into the bosome of a Plague What if the custome of a harmelesse oath should captivate thy heedlesse tongue can nothing under sudden judgement seize upon thee What if anothers diffidence should force thy earnest lips into a hasty Oath in confirmation of a suffering Truth must thou be straightwayes branded with damnation Was Ioseph mark'd for everlasting death for swearing by the life of Egypts King Was Peter when hee so denied his master straight damn'd for swearing and for-swearingâ— O flatter not thy selfe my soule nor turne thou Advocate to so high a sinne Make not the slips of Saints a precedent for thee to fall IF the Rebukes of flesh may not prevaile heare then the threatning of the Spirit which saith The Plague shall not depart from the house of the swearer Exod. 20. 7. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord the God in vaine for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vaine Zach. 5. 3. And every one that sweareth shall bee cut off Matth. 5. 34. Sweare not at all neither by heaven for it is Gods Throne nor by the earth for it is his footstoole But let your communication be Yea yea Nay nay for whatsoever is more then these commeth of evill Jer. 23. 10. Because of swearing the land mourneth Aug in Ser. The murtherer killeth the body of his brother but the swearer murthers his owne soule August in Psal. 88. It 's well that God hath forbidden man to sweare left by custome of swearing in as much as wee are apt to mistake wee commit perjury there 's none but God can safely sweare because there 's no other but may be deceived August de Mendacio I say unto you Sweare not at all lest by swearing ye come to a facilitie of swearing from a facilitie to a custome and from a custome ye fall into perjury O What a judgement is here How terrible How full of Execution The Plague the extract of all diseases none so mortall none so comfortlesse It makes our house a Prison our friends strangers No comfort but in the expectation of the months end I but this judgement excludes that comfort too The Plague shall never depart from the house of the swearer What never Death will give it a Period No but it shall bee entail'd upon his house his family O detestable O destructive sinne that leaves a Crosse upon the dores of Generations and layes whole families upon the dust A sinne whereto neither Profit incites nor Pleasure allures nor Necessitie compells nor Inclination of nature perswades a meere voluntary begun with a malignant imitation and continued with an habituall presumption Consider O my soule every Oath hath been a nayle to wound that Saviour whose blood O mercy above expression must save thee Bee sensible of thy Actions and his sufferings Abhorre thy selfe in dust and ashes and magnifie his Mercy that hath turn'd this judgement from thee Goe wash those wounds which thou hast made with teares and humble thy selfe with Prayer and true repentance His Prayer ETernall and omnipotent God before whose glorious name Angels and Archangels bow and hide their faces to which the blessed Spirits and Saints of thy triumphant Church sing forth perpetuall Hallelujahs I a poore Sprig of disobedient Adam doe here make bold to take that holy name into my sinne-polluted lippes I have hainously sinned O God against thee and against it I have disparaged it in my thoughts dishonoured it in my words profaned it in my actions and I know thou art a jealous God and a consuming fire as faithfull in thy promises so fearefull in thy judgements I therefore flie from the dreadfull Name of Jehovah which I have abused to that gratious Name of Jesus wherein thou art well pleased in that most sacred Name O God I fall before thee and for his beloved sake O Lord I come unto thee Cleanse thou my heart O God and then my tongue shall praise thee Wash thou my soule O Lord and then my lippes shall blesse thee Worke in my heart a feare of thy displeasure and give mee an awfull reverence of thy Name Set thou a Watch before my lips that I offend not with my tongue Let no respects entice mee to bee an instrument of thy dishonour and let thy attributes bee pretious in mine eyes teach mee the way of thy Precepts O Lord and make me sensible of all my offences Let not my sinfull custome in sinning against thy Name take from my guiltie soule the sense of my sinne Give mee a respect unto all thy Commandements but especially preserve mee from the danger of this my bosome sinne Mollifie my heart at the rebukes of thy servants and strike into my inward parts a feare of thy judgements Let all my communication bee order'd as in thy presence and let the words of my mouth bee governed by thy Spirit Avert those judgements from mee which thy Word hath threatned and my sinne hath deserved and strengthen my resolution for the time to come Worke in mee a true godly sorrow that it may bring forth in mee a newnesse of life Sanctifie my thoughts with the continuall meditation of thy Coâ—mandements and mortifie those passions which provoke mee to offend thee Let not the examples of others induce mee to this sinne nor let the frailties of my flesh seek Fig leaves to cover it Seale in my heart the full assurance of thy Reconciliation and looke upon mee in the bowells of compassion that crowning my weak desires with thy All-sufficient power I may escape this judgement which thy justice hath threatned here and obtaine that happinesse thy mercy hath promised hereafter The Procrastinators Remora's TEll mee no more of fasting prayer and death They fill my thoughts with dumps of Melancholy These are no subjects for a youthfull care no contemplations for an active soule Let them whom sullen Age hath weaned from aery pleasures whom wayward fortune hath condemn'd to sighes and groanes whom sad diseases have beslaved to drugs and diets let them consume the remnant of their wretched dayes in dull devotion Let them afflict their aking soules with the untunable discourses of mortalitie Let them contemplate on evill dayes and reade sharpe Lectures of their owne experience For me my bones are full of unctious marrow and my blood of sprightly Youth My faire and free estate secures me from the feares of fortunes frowne My strength of constitution hath the power to grapple with sorrow sicknesse nay the very pangs of death and overcome 'T is true God must bee sought What impious tongue dare be so basely bold to contradict so knowne a Truth And by repentance too What strange impietie dare deny it Or what presumptuous lips dare disavow it But there 's a time for all things yet none prefixt for
I may eate with those that eate I mourne with those that mourne No hand more open to the cause then mine and in their families none prayes longer and with louder zeale Thus when the opinion of a holy life hath cryed the goodnesse of my conscience up my trade can lack no custome my wares can want no price my words can need no credit my actions can lack no praise If I am covetous it is interpreted providence if miserable it is counted temperance if mâ—lancholly it is construed godly sorrow if merry it is voted spirituall joy if I be rich t is thought the blessing of a godly life if poor supposed the fruit of conscionable dealing if I be well spoken of it is the merit â—f holy conversation if ill it is the malice of Malignants thus I saile with every winde and have my end in all conditions This Cloake in Summer keepes mee coole in winter warme and hides the nasty Bag of all my secret lusts Under this Cloake I walke in publique fairely with applause and in private sinne securely without offence and officiate wisely without discovery I compasse Sea and land to make a Proselyte and no sooner made but he makes mee At a Fast I cry Geneva and at a Feast I cry Rome If I bee poore I counterfeit abundance to save my credit if rich I dissemble povertie to save charges I most frequent Schismaticall Lectures which I find most profitable from whence learning to divulge and maintaine new doctrines they maintaine mee in suppers thrice a weeke I use the helpe of a lie sometimes as a Religious Stratagem to uphold the Gospell and I colour oppression with Gods judgement executed upon the wicked Charity I hold an extraordinary dutie therefore not ordinarily to bee performed VVhat I openly reprove abroad for my owne profit that I secretly act at home for my owne pleasure BUt stay I see a hand-writing in my heart lamps my soule 't is characterd in these saâ— words Wâ—e hee to you Hypoerites Match 23. 13. Job 20. 5. The triumphing of the wicked is short and the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment Job 15. 34. The Congregation of the hypocrites shall bee desolate Psal. 11. 9. An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour but through knowledge shall the just bee delivered Luke 12. 1. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisie Job 36. 13. The hypocrites in heart heape up wrath they die in their youth and their life is amongst the uncleane Salvian de Gubern Dei l. 4. The hypocrites love not those things they professe and what they pretend in words they disclaime in practise their sinne is the more damnable because ushered in with pretence of pietie having the greater guilt because it obtaines a godly repute Hieron. Ep. Endeavour rather to be then to be thought holy for what profits it thee to bee thought to be what thou art not and that man doubles his guilt who is not so holy as the world thinkes him and counterseits that holinesse which be bath not HOw like a living Sepulcher did I appeare without beautified with gold and rich invention within nothing but a loathed corruption So long as this faire Sepulcher was clos'd it past for a curious Monument of the Builders Art but being opened by these spirituall Keyes 't is nothing but a Receptacle of offensive putrefaction In what a nasty dungeon hast thou my soule so long remain'd unstifled How wert thou wedded to thy owne corruptions that could'st endure thy unsavory filthinesse The world hated mee because I seemed good God hated mee because I onely seemed good I had no friend but my selfe and this friend was my bosome enemy O my soule is there water enough in Jordan to cleanse thee Hath Gilead Balme enough to heale thy superannuated sores I have finned I am convinced I am convicted Gods mercy is above Dimensions when sinners have not sinn'd beyond Repentance Art thou my soule truly penitent for thy 〈◊〉 Thou hast free Interest in his mercy fall then my soule before his Mercy seate and he will crown thy Pemitence with his pardon His Prayer O God before the brightnesse of whose All-discerning eye the secrets of my heart appeare before whose cleare omniscience the very entralls of my soule lie open who art a God of righteousnesse and truth and lovest uprightnesse in the inward parts How can I choose but feare to thrust into thy glorious presence or move my sinfull lips to call upon that Name which I so often have dishonored and made a Cloake to hide the basenesse of my close transgressions Lord when I look into the progresse of my filthy life my guilty conscience calls mee to so strict account and reflects to mee so large an Inventory of my presumptuous sinnes that I commit a greater sinne in thinking them more infinite then thy mercy But Lord thy mercies have no date nor is thy goodnesse circumscribed The gates of thy compassion are alwayes open to a broken heart and promise entertainement to a contrite spirit the burthen of my sinnes is grievous and the remembrance of my hypocrisie is intolerable I have finned against thy Majesty with a high hand but I repent mee from the bottome of an humble heart As thou hast therefore given mee sorrow for my sinnes so crowne that gift in the freenesse of remission Bee fully reconcil'd to mee through the all-sufficient merits of thy Sonne my Saviour and seale in my afflicted heart the full assurance of thy gratious favour Bee thou exalted O God above the heavens and let mee praise thee with a single heart cleanse thou my inward parts O God and purifie the closet of my polluted soule Fix thou my heart O thou searcher of all secrets and keepe my affections wholly to thee Remove from mee all by and base respects that I may serve thee with an upright spirit Take not the word of truth out of my mouth nor give mee over to deceitfull lips Give mee an inward reverence of thy Majestie that I might openly confesse thee in the truth of my sinceritie Bee thou the onely object and end of all my actions and let thy honour bee my great râ—ward Let not the hopes of filthy lucre or the praise of men incline me to thee neither let the pleasures of the world nor the feares of any losse entice mee from thee Keepe from mee those judgements my hypocrisie hath deserved and strengthen my resolution to abhorre my former life Give me strength O God to serve thee with a perfect heart in the newnesse of life that I may bee delivered from the old man and the snares of death Then shall I praise thee with my entire affections and glorifie thy name for ever and everâ— The Ignorant mans faltering YOu tell mee and you tell me that I must bee a good man and serve God and doe his will and so I doe for ought I know I am sure I am as good as God has made
he will own thee repent and hee 'l pardon thee pray to him and he will heare thee His Prayer O God whose glory is the end of my creation and whose free mercy is the cause of my redemption that gavest thy Sonne thy onely Sonne to die for mee who else had perished in the common deluge of thy wrath What shall I render for so great a mercy What thankfulnesse shall I returne for so infinite a love Alas the most that I can do is nothing the best that I can present is worse then nothing sinne Lord if I yeeld my body for a sacrifice I offer nothing but a lumpe of filth and loathsome putrifaction or if I give my soule in contribution I yeeld thee nothing but thy Image quite defaced and polluted with my lusts or if I spend the strength of the whole man and with both heart and tongue confesse and magnifie thy Name how can the praises of my sinfull lips that breath from such a sink bee pleasing to thee But Lord since thou art pleased in thy well-pleasing Sonne to accept the povertie of my weake endeavours send downe thy holy Spirit into my heart clense it from the filth of my corruptions and make it fit to praise thee Lord open thou my mouth and my lips shall shew forth thy praise Put a new song into my mouth and I will praise thee and confesse thee all day long I will not hide thy goodnesse in my mouth but will bee showing forth thy truth and thy salvation Let thy prayses be â—y honour and let thy goodnesse be the subject of my undaunted Song Let neither reputation wealth nor life been pretious to mee in comparison with thee Let not the worlds derision daunt mee nor examples of infirmitie deject me Give mee courage and wisedome to stand for thy honour O make mee worthy able and willing to suffer for thy Name Lord teach me to deny my selfe and to resist the motions of my owne corruptions create in mee O God a single heart that I may love the Lord Jesus in sinceritie remember not O Lord the sinnes of my feare and pardon the hypocrisie of my self-love Wash me from the staines and guilt of this my hainous offence and deliver mee from this fearefull judgement thou hast threatned in thy Word Convince all the Arguments of my unsanctified wit whereby I have become an advocate to my sinne Grant that my life may adorne my profession and make my tongue an instrument of thy glory Assist me O God that I may praise thy goodnesse and declare thy wonders among the children of men Strengthen my faith that it may trust Thee and let my works so shine that men may praise thee That my heart beleeving unto righteousnesse and my tongue confessing to salvation I may be acknowledg'd by thee here and glorified by thee in the kingdome of glory The worldly mans Verdour FOr ought I see the case is even the same with him that prayes and him that does not pray withâ— him that sweares and him that feares an oath I see no difference if any those that they call the wicked have the advantage Their crops are even as faire their flocks as numerous as theirs that weare the ground with their religious knees and fast their bodies to a skelliton nay in the use of blessings which onely makes them so they farre exceed they tearme mee reprobate and stile mee unregenerate 'T is true I â—ate my labours with a jolly heart drinke frolick cups sweeten my paines with time-beguiling sports make the best advantage of my owne pray when I thinke on 't sweare when they urge mee heare Sermons at my leasure follow the lusts of my owne eyes and take the pleasure of my own wayes and yet God bee thanked my Barnes are furnisht my sheepe stand sound my Cattle strong for labour my pastures rich and flourishing my body healthfull and my bagges are full whilst they that are so pure and make such conscience of their wayes that run to Sermons â—igge to Lectures pray thrice a day by the hower hold faith and troth prophane and drinking healths a sinne doe often finde leane harvests easie flocks and emptie purses Let them bee godly that can live on Ayre and Faith and eaten up by Zeale can whine themselves into an Hospitall or blesse their lippes with charitable scrapps If godlinesse have this reward to have short meales for long prayers weake estates for strong faiths and good consciences upon such bad conditions let them boast of their pennyworths and let mee bee wickedâ— still and take my chance as falls Let mee have judgement to discover a profitable Farme and wit to take it at an easie Rent and Gold to stock it in a liberall manner and skill to manage it to my best advantage and luck to finde a good encrease and providence to husband wisely what I gaine I seeke no further and I wish no more Husbandry and Religion are two severall occupations and looke two severall wayes and he is the onely wise man can reconcile them BUt stay my soule I feare thy reckoning failes thee If thou hast judgement to discover wit to bargaine Gold to employ skill to manage providence to dispose canst thou command the Clouds to droppe or if a wet season meet thy Harvest and with open sluces overwhelme thy hopes canst thou let downe the floodgates and stop the watry Flux Canst thou command the Sunne to shine Canst thou forbid the Mildewes or controll the breath of the malignant East Is not this Gods sole Prerogative And hath not that God said When the workers of iniquitie doe flourish it is theâ— that shall be destroyed for ever Psal. 92. 12. Job 21. 7. Wherefore doe the wicked live become old yea are mightie in power 8. Their seed is establisht in their sight and their off-spring before their eyes 9. Their houses are safe from feare neither is the wrath of God upon them 10. Their Bull gendereth and faileth not their Cow calveth and casteth not her Calfe 11. They send forth their little ones like a flock and their children daunce 12. They take the Timbrell and the Harp and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ 13. They spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment they goe downe to the Grave Nil in Paraenes Woe bee to him that pursues emptie and fading pleasures because in a short time hee fats and pampers himselfe as a Calfe to the slaughter Bernard There 's no misery more true and reall then false and counterfeit pleasure Hierom. It 's not onely difficult but impossible to have heaven here and hereafter To live in sensuall lusts and to attaine spirituall blisse to passe from one paradise to another to be a mirrour of felicitie in both worlds to shine with glorious rayes both in this globe of earth and the orbe of heaven HOw sweet a feast is till the reckoning come A faire day ends often in a cold night and the road that 's pleasant ends in