apprehend Divine things Ev'n into holy Heaven you see we behold our Mediator who is our Redeemer sitting at the Right hand of his Father and conceive the Mystery of the Trinity and the Blessednese that is prepared for those that love the Lord Jesus and expect his appearing Fides est perceptio veritatis rerum cum assertione sine causarum cognitione Faith is a discerning Understanding of the Truth with a Claim of things without the Knowledge of their Causes The fresh green Grasse is gemm'd with pearlie Teares we are renewed by Faith alwaies growing upward Green grasse is beautiful to the Sight So is faith to our Saviour There are Tears of Repentance and Tears of Joy and Love which give a lustre and beauty to the Faith of the Spouse in the Eye of the Bridgroom For so saith he in the Canticles Behold thou art fair my Love Behold thou art fair Thine Eyes are like the Doves among the locks thine haire is like the Flock of Goats which look down from the Mountain of Gilead Thou art all fair my Love and there is no spott in thee And Faith's Pavillion stands neer Fig's fruit-bearing Tree It is said Faith's Pavilion because it is no lasting place both in respect of Man who is Mortall as also of his future Being For though by Faith we are carried to Heaven it leaves us there when wee come to Fruition It is placed near Fig's fruit-bearing Tree minding the Figtree in the Gospell that was cursed because it bare no Fruit. Faith is dead without Works The Figtree is a Plant of soveraign Vertue and it's Fruit is a pretious Medicine against most Diseases 7. The Tent 's wide Doore Repentance is the Introduction to Faith Or take it for offer'd Grace or the Calling of the Spirit Or for the desire of Salvation A Damsell sits before Faith must be pure like a Virgin She sits It must be fixed and before too For Faith is a belief of things that not onely are past and are but to be She mindeth things to come and so the Tent 's wide door may mind her of Eternity With a Chair made like a Heart The Heart is Faith's Chair of State Her Eyes to Heaven That 's the Place for expectation of Comfort She believes that Christ is her Mediator and Intercessor there Do Plead for mercie 's store Ther 's her mentall Prayer for Pardon and begging Grace that is Gods Bounty Mercie 's store is Christ's Merits Her Left 's erect As laying hold of Christ's merit The Left hand is said to be nearest the Heart Right hand on Breast is plac't Shewing her Contrition Humility and acknowledgment of her Unworthinesse of his so great Favours Athwart Signifying the sense of the Soul's trouble for Sin committed Create in mee a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within mee 8. So Faith dispos'd Faith in such application to Christ shewes her Armourie mention'd by Saint Paul 9. Upon her shield of Gules c. Sets forth Christ's Death and Passion To make her Foes amaz'd in fight By which he conquer'd Death and Hell Resplendently a Crosse of Or doth gild His Resurrection after his Passion 10. Not far from hence On Place of Eminence Hope accompanieth a stedfast faith It is allwaies neer her And hope is placed on high to denote that she loveth to be neer her Object Christ who hath prepared a Reward in Heaven which She Keepeth still in her Eye Tria considero In quibus tota Spes mea consistit Charitatem Adoptionis Veritatem Promissionis Potestatem Redditionis There are Three Things wherein Hope acknowledgeth her Self to consist God's exceeding love in his Adoption His perfect Truth in His Promise And His Almighty Power in Performance Christ is risen from the Dead and is made the First-Fruits of them that slept For as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall All be made alive 1. Cor. 15. 20 22. Tenariff A mountaine that is accounted the highest in the world A Lady deckt with Beautie 's Excellence The Soul adorn'd with heavenly Graces The rejoycing of Spirit in as it were the present Enjoyment of the Celestial Joyes that the Soul shall fully possesse hereafter Stands firm Ther 's her steadfastnesse and Constancie By Cable holding Ther 's her strength assisting Grace given from above Anchor'd in the Skie Ther 's her Repositorie In Heaven in Christ. My wellbeloved is mine and I am his He feedeth among the Lillies And a little before she Sang. He brought me into the wine-seller love was his Banner over me Stay me with Flagons and comfort me with Apples For I am sick of Love His left hand is under my Head and his right hand doth embrace me 11. A Fount near these The Embleam of Charity who cannot be far from her Two Sisters Dicit Fides parata sunt magna inexcogitabilia bona a Deo fidelibus suis Dicit spes mihi illa servantur Curro ego ait charitas ad illa It is Saint Bernards Great and unconceivable Good things are by God prepared for his Believers sayes Faith They are Kept for me cryes Hope I run to them for them rejoyceth Charity In dimpled Vale doth please As a dimple in a Chin maketh it seem lovely so doth Charity make beautiful whom soever she inhabits Adimpled Vale fertile by receiving showry Blessings A dimpled Vale shews it's humility which is lovely in the Eye of Heaven A flying statue bears Love's Name Charitie 's Embleam Love like Fire is pyramidall mounteth upward Whose Breasts run Cream into Pacifick Seas She nourisheth others with the best of Plenty and Relief and is free in good offices for Atonement By Cistern fill'd Such a Heart is replenisht with Grace and Supply'd with Blessings From milkie way it'h'Heavenly Frame From the Infinite store of Divine Bounty by the Free Giver of All good gifts 12. Where th'Hungry feed c. Shews the works of Charity Si non vultis in ista eremo siti mori bibite charitatem fons est quem voluit Deus ponere ne deficiamus abundantius cum bibamus cum ad patriam venerimus If you would not dye in the Wildernesse with thirst drink charity It is a Fountain which God has pleased to place there least we should faint but we shall drink more abundantly of it even our Fill when we come into the Holy Land into the Heavenly Canaan so Saint Augustine MORAL VII FOrtitude is a Cardinal Vertve And Virtus in medio posita Vertue has her habitation and being in the Mean wherefore to consider Fortitude as she is passive here she is that Vertue that moderateth Grief whereby a Man undantedly undergoes difficulties and bears things that are averse to his naturall Disposition with a patient mind and a preparation or Fortification to That and Active Fortitude is called Resolution The excesse of Fortitude is Rashnesse and too much Boldnesse The defect thereof is Timiditie and too much Softnesse Perfect Fortitude is conversant with terrible things
gives a nearer Terme and Speaks it a manendo from tarrying and not moving from it's place Another inclines to Mons a moveo quod a terra in altum moveatur because it is cast up high overtopping the rest Some other a minis as if it's height did threaten the Skye But as every mans Fancy works more especially in Criticisme under favour it may be conceived Mons quasi monens a Mountain a Mark an Advertisement and it carries a plausible construction with it to advertise us of the Greatnesse of the Creator in the narrower object more suitable to the Eye which cannot receive at once the vastnesse of the whole Earth only thus it is represented in Abstract as a Map of the whole Fabrick Every Creature having an Impresse of the Excellence of the Most Mighty and Most Wise Maker thereof this hath it's place and order by his Dispose in an extraordinary manner as intimating the vastnesse immovablenesse immutability and eminency of the Creator above the perception of the inferiour Creatures of the Vallies So Hills and Mountains seem the stairs to Heaven If we did conceive that the Heathen had not altogether lost the memory of Noah's Floud but preserved it by the Continuance of Tradition and Antiquity of History as Ovid a Roman to whom the Latine Tongue was genuine mentioneth in that of Deucalion it is not likely to prove a mistake that Mons should be derived from manens because the Ark rested upon Mount Ararat a Mountain in Armenia yet the former Contract of Monens hath solid reason to underprop it if we look either into Holy writ or cast an eye upon the Superstition of the Heathen Most of all the Great works that it pleased God to manifest unto men were upon the Turrets of the Earth That great Triall of Abraham's Faith in offering up of Isaac who was a Figure of Christ was by especiall command to be done upon a mountaine As it is in the 22. of Genesis And He said Take now thine only Son Isaac whom thou lovest and get thee into the Land of Moria and offer Him there for A burnt Offering upon one of the mountaines which I will shew thee Canaan that Land of Promise was a high Countrey For Jacob sent his Sons down into Egypt for Corn And concerning their return it is Said Gen 45. 25. Then they went up from Egypt and came into the Land of Canaan When the Israelites murmured in Rephidim for water Gods answer to Moses was Exod. 17 5. 6. Go before the People and take with thee of the Elders of Israel and thy Rod wherewith thou Smotest the River take in thine hand and go Behold I will stand there before thee upon the Rock in Horeb and thou shalt smite on the Rock and water shall come out of it that the people may drink And when Amaleck fought with Israel in Rephidim Moses said to Iosua Chuse us out Men and go fight with Amaleck To morrow I will stand on the Top of the Hill with the Rod of God in mine hand When Moses held up his Hand Israel prevailed But when he let his Hand down Amaleck prevailed They propped up his Hands and Iosua discomfitted Amalek From Mount Sinai the Lord declared Israel to be his peculiar People Moses went up unto God for the Lord had called him out of the Mount unto Him Saying Thus shalt thou say unto the House of Iacob and tell the Children of Israel c. If you will heare my Voice indeed and Keepe my Covenant then ye shall be my chiefe treasure above All people though All the Earth be mine Ye shall be also A Kingdome of Priests and an Holy Nation When Moses brought the People out of the Tents to meet with God and they stood in the nether part of the Mount Mount Sinai was all on Smoak because the Lord came down upon it in fire and the Smoak thereof ascended as the Smoak of a Furnace and all the Mount trembled exceedingly And when the Sound of the Trumpet blew long and waxed louder and louder Moses spake and God answered him by Voice For the Lord came downe upon Mount Sinai on the Top of the Mount and when The Lord called Moses up into the Top of the Mount Moses went up c. Exod. 19. And in the 20. chapt God spake all these words c. Viz. the Ten Commandements After the delivery whereof All the People saw the Thunder and Lightnings and the sound of the Trumpet and the Mountain Smoaking and when the People saw it they fled and stood afar off There were Temporall and Civill Ordinances and the making of the Tabernacle appointed by God There the Lord said unto Moses Thus shalt thou say unto the Children of Israel Ye have seene that I have talked with you from Heaven And Moses by command went afterwards up with Aaron Nadab and Abâ—â—u and Seventy of the Elders of Israel And they saw the God of Israel And under His Feet was as it were a worke of a Saphire stone and as the very Heaven when it is Cleare And upon the Nobles of Israel He laid not his Hand Also they saw God and did eat and drink c. And the Glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai and the Cloud covered it Six dayes And the Seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the Cloud And the Sight of the Glory of the Lord was like consuming Fire on the Top of the Mountain to the Eyes of the Children of Israel And Moses entred into the Middes of the Cloud and went up to the Mountain And Moses was in the Mount Fourty dayes and Fourty nights Moses also came down from God in Mount Horeb. With the Second Tables went Moses up to God in Mount Sinai and the Lord descended in a Cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the Name of the Lord. So the Lord passed before his face and cried The Lord The Lord Strong Mercifull and Gracious Slow to Anger and Abundant in Goodnesse and Truth Reserving Mercy for thousands Forgiving Iniquity and Transgression and Sin and not making the wicked inocent visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children and upon Childrens Children unto the third and fourth generation And when the Children of Israel with all the Congregation departed from Kadesh they came unto the Mount Hor And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the Mount Hor neere the coast of the Children of Edom. Numb 20. when Balack the King of the Moabites had sent for Balaam to curse the Children of Israel who were advanced to the Plain of Moab he carries him first up into the High Places of Baal that thence he might see the utmost part of the People and God met Balaam there as Numb 23. But blessed Israel as the Lord had spoken Then Balak brought him inro Sadesophim the field of the Spies or of those that watched for them the motion of Israel to the Top of Pisgah And the Lord
Rest to be found upon Earth but in God Nor any Safety but under the shadow of His Wings What conceive we of His wonderful Wisdom that prefer our own imaginations before It Why raise we our Vain Desire against His most Holy Pleasure and make the Rebellion of our Hearts to be as the Sin of Witchcraft Why fondly hast we to every Bush for shelter Or think we to avoid the storme by the nimblenesse of our failing Feet Come then my sad Companion in distresse My other Self in Misery Sit thee down by me Sit thee down and rest thee Many say who will shew us any good But Lord lift up thy countenance upon us Thou hast given me more joy of Heart than they have had when their wheat and their Wine did abound I will lay me down and also sleep in peace For Thou Lord onely makest me to dwell in Safety Hath the Lord humbled thee and set thee down in the shadow Hath he besieged thee with many Troubles Hath he beset thee with a multitude of Afflictions Is there no way to escape Doe His Arrowes fly about thee O consider what thou hast deserved Remember that His Patience is wonderfull and His loving Kindnesse above measure His Corrections are gentle and His Mercies never fail those that trust in him His Straightnings are Life and His Goodnesse surpasseth understanding Why holdest out And giv'st not up the Place Resigne Hath Abraham but one Son His Joy His onely comfort And must Isaac be a Sacrifice Were there not Cattel enough among all the Herds for one Offering Nor a nearer place than a strange Countrey for an Altar Must he travaile to his Losse the Losse of his onely Son his beloved And must that come by his own hand too And was his obedience without grutching with cheerfulnesse Without question O how great was his Faith But what followed The stroak was restrained Isaac saved a Ram presented and in his stead offered Abraham proved and approved For so calls the Angel of the Lord from heaven Abraham Abraham Lay not thine hand upon the Child Neither do any thing unto him For now I know that thou fearest God Seing for My sake thou hast not spared thine onely Son O the infinite mercy of the Lord He is tender and full of compassion Is He the onely stay and Refuge Withstand him not Submit Resigne Whither is Ionas run from his Message from the Lord that sent him to Ninive Can a ship hide him Or the Sea promise him Safety He runs from a Calm to a Storm From the God of peace and power to the inconstancie of the Creature Is a Lot better than a Portion Or a Whal's Belly a more pleasing Entertainment than a City Is the Deep more comfortable than the brightnesse of the Heavens Or a dying habitation in the Living more to be esteemed than a lively Publication of God's warning to those that were otherwise appointed to dy Let every Ionas that is out of the way turn againe For the Lord is gracious and His Mercy endureth for ever Alas for thee Murmur not Keep not thy Will Let it not be thine own Resigne CANTO XII The Holy Hill of Contemplation The Downs of Cogitation 1. FRom Hill to Hill we go Now leav'st thou things below Sublimer Things to Know Here mighty Waves of terrene Seas As green as Neptune's Sight may please His rowl in Storme In Quiet these These Downs are stil'd all spred with silken Grasse Thick Short and smooth as slipp'ry Ice or Glasse A Carpet made of Plush it seems to those that Passe 2. All ore this Flowrie Place Bright Stars grow space by space And shew their Sweets and Grace Here Swallowes plumed Oares do plie With agile Pineons Swiftnesse trye Who shall dart quickest as they flie From Poast to Poast here Coursers run amain And freely of Themselves away doe straine So course fleet Thoughts upon the beating Braine 3. Out from Thelema's Cave Comes driving like a Wave In Noble Habit Brave For DIANOIA in her Looke Clasping in Hand an unbound Book And sits as if she fresh awoke Within a Wagon that doth nimblie glide Whose noiselesse Wheels do whirle on either side By Dromedaries drawn wherein Shee doth abide 4. Behinde her stands a Wight All clad in Snowie White That guides her Wagon right SANCTIFICATION some Her Name Heaven-born She is For such her Fame She shines as now from thence she came Oft Oil she pours upon the Damsels Head With Rod she Flies and Hornets striketh Dead That buz about the Ears o' th' Dame where once they bred 5. Thus ore the Downs she drives At PHRONTIS Height arrives Oft Holy Hill atchieves Where Contemplation sits so high To whom We passe on by and by Let DIANOIA go and spie There let the Dame go take a sweet Repose So modest She 's She never doffs her Clothes And none but One what 's on her Breast yet ever knowes The Promontory of Meditation 6. On Promontory there doth dwell Wise Phrontis that old Deeds does tell And Future Happinesse does spell A Holy One did build her dwelling place And did bestow upon it pious Grace As if an Hermit she there spends her dayes Except she take unseen a Journey through the Ayre ' Lights Takes a walk i' th' Portico o' th' House of Prayer And thence as oft unseen doth Home again repaire 7. From out her Studie She doth eye Both Land Sea and all doth try That 's worthy notice far or nigh She takes much pleasing pains to get by Heart The rarest Skill in Meletetick Art So findes She Puritie of Minde is part So She perceives what he must be that Meditates Devout and wisely skill'd in any case he states And with prepar'd Affections as the same relates 8. Her Object she doth keep in sight The manner of 't perpends aright Dividing draws so hits the white She has a Mint of Businesse and Lore She takes from Memorie what was before And layes it up in Recordation's Store Three friendly Helps she has whens'ever she growes weak When speechlesse Logicks Knowledge makes her speak When Deaf Attention cures Her Stupour Praying breaks 9. Her Librarie is large and fair In 3 Ranks plac't about her chair On those she reads in arbour'd air The first holds Natures Books the Creatures all The next Redemptions works that sav'd from fall Sanctification's gave a growing tall A Sedentarie Quiet She does Love and Chuse And Temperance to visit her doth often use For Solitude all Company She doth refuse 10. She 's beckned oft abroad by Love To take a Walk in shadie Grove As oft admireth Things above For Admiration gives to her a Law As doth the Load stone that doth Iron draw Her laughing ere seld any Creature saw No dwelling's here Our Souls do burn with high Desire To Contemplations holy Hill their Flames aspire Away Let 's mount O let 's not quench such kindling Fire The Holy Hill of Contemplation 11. Aloft now raise Thy Self with
into Iesus Christ Baptized be Into His Death have been Baptiz'd We then With Him by Baptism in t ' His Death for Men Are buri'd that as Christ was rais'd from Dead By th' Glory of the Father We so led Should Walk in Newnesse of our Life and be As He that is so dead from Sin is free SECT XXIX Invitation to the Direction BUt O distressed Souls leave These Come near And I will point where Heaven do's bright appear As Those that sink down Fathoms in a Well At dining time to one another tell Seest not though Noon it is yet dark here far From this our Depth we may behold a Star SECT XXX The Direction FIrst prostrate fall Then humbly upward rise On bended Knees And mount thy dewed Eyes Strike Srike thy Breast Till th' hast new fi'rd thy Heart With Holy Zeal And earnest strain each Part With Penitence Get Faith to sharpen sight Now stedfast look through Heaven Behold the Light Behold the Lamb of God in Glory sit At 's Fathers Right Hand See Him from thy Pit Behold Him There thy Mediator See! What is' t can now so much discomfort thee But if thy too weak Eye can't long thus look Behold His Picture in the Holy Book There read him clos'd within the Virgins Womb That He to Fold might fetch the stray'd Sheep home Observe Him combating the Devil Twice By Active Passive doubled Victories In Desart foil'd him spoil'd him On the Crosse For Human gain and wu't Thou make it Losse Observe his Miracles And thou shalt finde He cur'd the Deaf the Dumb the Lame the Blinde Read on And 'twixt times pray as thou do'st read And praise too That He Life gave to the Dead But lest these Things thou may'st not understand Receive a Pescue from a Holy Hand Choose such as did in Persecution stand For who in Tryal left the Truth can He Be well conceiv'd to be a Guide for Thee SECT XXXI An Orthodox Divine the Best Instructer HE will unlock the Treasures of Salvation From Genesis unto the Revelation He 'l shew Thee the Original of All What is Pure Truth and what 's Apocryphal H 'as no new Lights to Lead Thee up and down Nor fancies Revelations in his Crown He 'l preach to Thee for Gods sake Not for Ends Nor takes he Pains that marres His labour mends He point blank damns none But instructeth All To shun the Way wherein the Desp'rate fall He lops presumptuous Growths Lest bearing Top Too much from High they down do Headlong drop O how lies Man if out o' th' Line of Grace Too ope to th' Enemie in every place He dares not take Religion for A Cloak Nor cry up Dunghil-Steam for Altar-Smoak He dares not meddle with the Holy Things Without Commission whence he Warrant brings Nor will he turn Apostate for Mens Hands No Might he have a Dean and Chapters Lands He knowes well How th' Apostleship was given And how 't was left as 't was receiv'd from Heaven T'Apostles and to th' Angel of each Church Whose Office was to feed Not Kill Not Lurch He knowes It was deriv'd by single Streams And is not drown'd in Consistorian Dreams He I teach thee Mercie as his Master meek He tells thee Christians no Revenge must seek Revenge on others then 's A dangerous Shelf ' Void Shipwrack Lay not Hands upon thy Self Ah haplesse Time Wolves Sheep-Skins o're them draw But thou may'st know Them by the Tearing Paw SECT XXXII Preservation by Assumption and Religious Reason ME thinks I hear him say what now I write God First did out of Darknesse bring the Light And wu't do Contrarie to what he then Reduce that Light to Darknesse back agen God in 's own Image did Man first create Wu't that destroy Turn Self-Assassinate How in Gods Image at Gods Image strike Thus Self-divided 'gainst Thy Self turn Pike God blest Both Bade Both Increase and Multiply And with a Curse wu't Thou turn Natures Key He gave Them Freedom on All Fruits to carve And must thy Spight amidst that Plenty starve He Thee Dominion o're the Creatures gave And wu't Thou to the Serpent turn a Slave The Tree of Life and That which made too wise He placed in the midst of Paradise What Nought but Root and Branch Wu't stab the First And taste thine own Death in the other curst Eve had Excuse The Serpent did deceive But Thou deceiv'st Thy Self Who shall Relieve Must Man for Flesh and Bone of Bone Dear Parents leave And joyn to her as One And She was but a Rib ta'ne from his Side Which Way then canst Thou Self from Self divide What Law pretend'st to justifie That Force That both commits A Rape and makes Divorce For Sin God drove Them out They loath dismisse Thou Fly'st Thy Self Yea Barricad'st from Blisse Eves Eldest Son that first did Murther Act Gave Blood a Voice that cry'd against his Fact And though but banisht seem'd to die with Fear So sweet was Life They'd kill Him every where And wu't Thou midst the Safety that Thou hast Thy Self undo And into Horrour cast And was his Sentence more than he cu'd bear What must Self-Murder thinkst Thou needs then fear Sin links to Sin A Lye made Murder worse Was Mercie short that his Despair must curse Eve might forget her Grief for Abels Death And have some Joy restor'd her in a Seth. But Thou damm'st up the Hopes of Life to flow Thou cutt'st thine own Root What can ever grow Nor can this Crime admit of Reparation Repentance thus prevented is Damnation Noah's Ark thou sink'st Thou blott'st out Abrahams Creed All Families shall be blessed in his Seed And Thou deny'st That Promise by Thy Deed. For truly did'st beleive That Christ were come To cure The Leprous Palsi'd from the Tombe To raise the Dead Thou couldst not Wretch then have A desp'rate Thought Since His will All wou'd Save Or did'st conceive The Love of God to Man How Infinite It was above Our Span To send His Onely Son Of Such Esteeme From Heaven to Earth that He might Man redeeme To suffer Scorns sharp Scourges Crosse and Death And even His Father's wrath to give us Breath To bid Us lay Our Burthens on his Back And In His Name to beg whats'ere we lack To tell He came to Save and Not Condemne How melted He o're Deaf Hierusalem Dust-blind Hierusalem with Prophets Bones Shee must dismantled be for murd'rous Stones How often did He call the People clock As Hen her Chickens But they stirr'd like Rock T' was not bad Memory that Him forgot But perverse Wilfullness For they would not They would not Turn nor Know what did belong To their Day 's Peace nor heare the Charmer's Song How he embalm'd Prediction of their Fall Chief Only Mourner for Their Funrall He He bequeathed All Salvation's Good And Sign'd The Testament with 's Pretious Bloud And left Two Blessed Sacraments as Seales By which to Us A Proper Right He deales O wonderfull the
Grace Thy Love does give Jesus Thou woo'st Us Not to Dye but Live He teaches Us the Meanes to Certain Cure The Means to Health that is For ever Sure He is the Life the Light the Guide the Way Unto the Dead the Blinde the Lame the Stray To help our Wants He teaches how to pray He is the Best Physitian to the Sick He Wits restores unto the Lunatick He is the Shepheard that does Watch and Keep From Wolf-like Satan his Believing Sheep Then let 's not make our Reason lesse then Sense To flye Protection and such Providence He leads his to the Pastures ever green And in Communion oft by them is seen He drives Them by the Streams that ever run And after folds them at the Setting Sun His Yoke is easie and his Burthen Light 'T is Day in Goshen Though in Egypt Night SECT XXXIII By Comparatives in Law and Gospel BY Mighty Wonders He redeem'd the Slave By Miracles as great he preacht to Save He Waters Walls made and a Path midst Seas Through which his People made their Passe with Ease And when pursuing Pharaoh with his Host Thought to destroy their Wheels and all was lost The Waves did close So what was firm before Was Waters Throat as was the Earths to Core By Day a Cloud he was a Fire by Night To guard and to conduct his People right And that he might his mighty Arm expresse He led them fourty Yeers through Wildernesse As many Dayes He in the Flesh did fast When in the Wildernesse He Satan cast The Womans Seed the Serpent found did feel It bruise his Head as he had bruis'd His Heel A Wildernesse for Paradise had Stain For Wildernesse was Paradise a Gain From Heaven with Manna and with Quails he fed His People broaching Rock the while he led Three Fishes and two Loaves were Thousands Bread He was the Brazen Serpent that did heal Which on Mount Calvarie He did reveal And as on Sinai He the Law did give A Judge He 'l come to th' Dead and those that Live The Nations Then were scatt'red and did fall He was their Dread the Mighty General And by his Conduct and so great Command He marches Conquest into Holy Land This This was He that conquer'd Hell and Death And broke the Chains of Darknesse forg'd Beneath He He victorious from his Tomb do's rise And raises Man as his Redeemed Prize Wu't Thou turn Sadducee and This withstand Or wu't Thou rise with Halter in thy Hand He has Ascended up in Triumph where Thou may'st by Faith in Glory finde Him There SECT XXXIIII Supposition of Satisfaction BY This I deem Thy Frenzie does abate For whom Thou erst did serve Thou now do'st hate I see thy streaming Eyes thy mournful Tears Wash off thy Blacknesse Christs Blood drowns thy Fears Thou wond'rest at thy Sin 'gainst God so Good And start'st at th' Offering to Moloch Bloud Do Sigh againe That will blow Holy Fire Sighes are the Bellowes to Divine Desire Those Groanes like Thunder in the troubled Ayre Will make thy Brest as Skye Serene and faire What though thou dost endure A storme or Two By This thou storm'st tak'st Heaven and entrest to Thou safely maist commit Thus Violence This holy Murder slayes thy First Offence SECT XXXV Consolation 'T is well thou dost complaine And wisely Say Thou hadst forgotten Untill Now to pray Th' art Now alive Thou walk'st and talk'st with God Thou hast his Kisse H' hath cast away his Rod. When first the Subtile Hunter did prevaile He took Thee Sleeping Then he did assaile He frighted Thee with Specters and grim Dreames He cast A Mist 'twixt Thee and Truth 's clear Beams O look not Back And eye the Deadly Place Where thou had'st fall'n had it not been for Grace With th' Apprehension where thou late didst tread Be not as he at Rochester strook Dead But rayse with prayse to Heaven thy thankfull Head When God's Protction leaves Us what are We Our drunken Madnes reales to Misery Hel's Craft insinuates Ease from Present pain Gives Torment There leaves here Eternall Staine SECT XXXVI Satans Craft and Policie SO Lucifer undoes our Reasons Stock Insensibly He drawes Us up a Rock And seems to rest Us in this Grot that Cave With pleasing Sense of what we think to have With Shadowes coz'ning our deluded Eye And does pretend to lead us to the Skie Until H' has mounted Us to th' Slipp'rie Top Where staggering down We into Hell do drop Thus does his Subtlety set hidden Traps Most greedily rejoycing in our Lapse His Kindnesse wu'd destroy Us. For behold He offers Poyson in a cup of gold Mark How at First he gilded over Vice His Apple was The Cheat of Paradise Like Gods we should be Know both Good and Evill But Rebells to The Subject's of the Devill SECT XXXVII Incouragement against Temptation Shall we believe A Lye Or him that saith The truth He is O let Us give Him Faith Thou shalt not Kill did God in 's Law expresse No Not be Wroth His Gospell sayes That 's Lesse Let 's Mind Our League in Baptisme made gain'st Evill That we wu'd fight 'gainst World The Flesh and Devill That we wu'd joyn our Force sans Fear of Losse Like valiant Souldiers under Christ his Crosse. We so are Christians So we stoutly stand And make our Ground good whilst w' obey Command His Standarts our Protection So We shall Be Safe Let whatsoever can befall A Foil We may have not a Final Fall SECT XXXVIII Advance of Resolution THen let the World raise muster cheating Weights Let tickling close-armd Flesh draw forth her Baits And let the Devil set out slye Deceits Let them embodie All We dread no Harms Yea Let Hell come too with it's Magick Charms Let 's keep close Order And our Christian Arms Jesus The Word And then they break amain The World turns Back when we Heaven Heaven do claim We fight so fast the Flesh has lost her Force Resistance makes him flie Prayer makes him curse Hell's Charms do vanish Jesus At Thy Name Thou wert our Captain So we overcame SECT XXXIX Prevention BUt if the Devil stalks to Thee Alone And thinks He has Advantage One to One And tempts Thee as thy Saviour set high Showes Kingdoms and their Glory in thine Eye And promises the Gift of such Worlds All If that Thou down to Worship him wu't fall Cashier him with Christs Word Hence Satan get The Lord thy God to Worship is thy Debt Him only shalt Thou serve He 's gone and 's Net SECT XL. Summary Fortification TAke Courage Fellow-Christians Let 's rejoyce I hear Hearts Comfort from a Heavenly voice God spar'd not His own Son But for Us All Did Him deliver up How How then shall He not with Him give freely Us All Things Since He 's the Fountain of All Good that springs Who is He that Condemns 'T is Christ that di'd Yea rather that is ris'n in Heaven t' abide Who is at Gods right
doe it Thy way Thou art His Creature Thou must be guided by Him Heaven is the Place of Joy And Thine in Designe But Thou must not goe Laughing Thither There is a Great Difference betwixt Creatures Though of the same Species In their Outward Forms In their Internall Dispositions which are distinguisht by their Race and Kinds That we call their Nature One Cock crowes and Soundes to the Battel Another reioyceth upon his Dunghil There is no Lesse Difference by their Education which may well be stil'd A second Nature One Dog of the same Litter pursues the Hare The Other runs to the wheel or the Port The One prefers his Chace the Other his Breakfast There are Joyes of Heaven and Joyes of Earth Both are Joyes Of the same Name But not of the same Nature The Mirth of this world is Folly And the Laughter of it Madnesse With Such unwholsome Cates the World glutteth her Darlings In matters belonging to Heaven the Course is Clean contrary For thy better Health thou must be fed with course Fare And be kept to a strict Diet. Wu'dst thou have A Blessing Take up the Crosse Wu'dst thou reioyce Indeed Learn Lachrymae Or Sing the Lamentation of A Sinner Put on Mourning It is lined with Scarlet Thy Joy is Inward It is wiser than to make a Noise What hast thou of thine Owne that Thou should'st expect a Better Crop than Thistles But though thy Heart has a Feaver meddle not with Hellebore Despaire Not My Friend Yea My Brother that art so perplexed Has Sorrow broke over thee like A raging Tide Or is A Shelf between Thee and Thy Desires Thou wud'st have what thou canst Not Peradventure what wu'd hurt thee And this Vexation is intollerable Recollect thy Self Thou art A Christian Thou art Not to receive Thy Portion Here. It is Black money But upon Exchange Thy Silver Thy Gold Thy Bank is in Heaven And where Thy treasure is let Thy mind be also Pine not to death then for the Losse of A Husband A Wife A Brother A Sister A Friend A Mistris A Sweetheart Thy Fame Thy Goods Thy Liberty or the Like What wud'st thou God hath His will His time Be not precipitate Be Not impatient Art Thou betray'd So was Thy Master Art thou contemned Thou deserv'st it Why should Man regard Thee when Thou respect'st not God If at all Not as Thou should'st Thou understandst not the language of God's mercy in Thine Afflictions He corrects Thy Sins past And by Them works in thee a deeper Loathing of Thy Natural Corruption So prevents thee from Falling into many Other Sins whereunto thy Disposition is too prone Does He afflict thee Thou art His Son He seals unto Thee thine Adoption Thou art else A Bastard Remember what became of Eli's Sons The purest Corne is Cleanest fanned The finest Gold is oftest tried The sweetest Grape is hardest pressed And the truest Christian is heaviest Crossed In blurred characters read The Beauty of God's Love Thus hast Thou Tribulation sent to thee as A token It is thy Summons too Thou art cited to Heaven Art thou Afflicted Thy Heart is hereby weaned from Falling too much in Love with the world Thou art hereby reclaymed from thy Dotage upon It's Vanities It is to sharpen thy Desires as well as to sett them right that They may shoot Upward as to heat to inflame thy Longing for Eternall Life What Comparison is there between the Ioyes of this world and Ioyes Everlasting The world is Thy Stepmother Shee misuseth Thee Shee striketh Thee Love her Not. Doth God afflict Thee He musters thee He takes notice of thine Arms His Graces He doth exercise thee that thou maist the Better use them He trieth thy Faith Reioyce in thy Tribulation Doth God send thee Affliction He gives thee His Livery The Crosse is His Badge and thy Cognisance He shewes to the world His Children's Love and Service Sanctified Affliction is the Conduit-pipe to thy true Conversion and Repentance David's troubles Hezekiah's sicknesse The Prodigal's Misery fac't them about and led them weather-beaten home upon their Knees That is the comfortable Posture that Creeping Climbs Heaven In Affliction how is thy Heart softned with Pitty How is it melted with Compassion Thou art Partner with Another in Distresse and Misery Thou art moved to condole His and so lessenest thine Own The Bearing of Afflictions are the means the Examples that like Trumpets proclaim and manifest the Faith and vertues which God hath bestowed upon His Children that strengthen that enliven that give courage to those which have not received so great a measure of Faith By Afflictions He makes thee conformable to the Image of Christ. He being the Captain of our Salvation was made perfect through Sufferings So fight So overcome So receive A Crown Doth God humble the Godly by their Afflictions in respect of their state and misery He glorifieth Himself by His deliverance of them when they call upon Him He afflicteth not Alwaies for Sins Sometimes for His Own Glory What is it then that so much troubles thee that thou art weary of thy Life Mark How God hath blessed thee How He hath protected thee And that should put a Hymn into thy mouth and fetch Bloud in thy Cheeks Thy Fear made thee seem more wretched than thou art Thou didst not know the Honey that is within the Carkasse of the Lyon Bath in the brinish Sea It will heal thy Soares It will cure thine Itch. Though It smarts It is wholsome Through many Tribulations you shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven CANTO V. The Cell of Humility 1. NOw com'st thou to the Low and Happy Cell Of A fair Virgin on Her Knees 'T is where Humilitie does dwell Her up-cast Eye Heaven's Brightnesse sweetly sees Meek Gesture and such Posture with Her Mind agrees 2. Of Herbs the secret Vertue Shee does Ken. Much Skill Shee hath in Chir'geon's Art Full oft Shee heals the Sores of Men And though it doth occasion Pain and Smart Doth Tumours launce asswage with Balm the swelling Part. 3. Shee mindes not much the Doore or Table 's End Who passeth Hers must stoop much down It makes the stiffest Backe to bend On Earth Her Hempen Napkin looking brown Is spred which homely Cates in Earthen Dish do crown 4. Beyond Her Cell there lies A Path well trod To much-sought Truth 's faire Christall Spring Besides This Path some Students plod And leaving It 's Straight Way to Errour fling Who still in Crooked Blindnesse leades them wandring 5. Upon the Ground 's greene Turf the Larks do breed Who Climb with Songs the Lofty Skye Her Land is sown with smallest Seed Which beareth Plants that grow up very High In which Joy'd Birds do sing and make sweet Melody 6. About Her much white-flowr'd Self heal does grow That Inward Outward Wounds does cure And quieteth the Aking Brow And what is Sound it causeth so t' endure A rugged blacke dry Mouth from Swelling that makes pure 7. The
blows But it is the Office of Meditation in her sober and steady steps alwaies to promote to our view Things that are past and behind us Contemplation is a free perceivance of Things with quicknesse of sight in the glasse of Wisedome with a wary consult Meditation searcheth out things that lay hidden Contemplation admires those things that are perspicuous therefore is she called here ground-eyeing meditation The book in her hand is the Bible the holy Scriptures which is her Rule to mesure by 7. With Reverence enter Reverentia est Virtus aliquâ praelatione sublimitatis debitae honorificationis cultum exhibens sayes Tully Reverence is a kind of Vertue that presenteth the proper Tender of due Worship to some Person in whom its Estimation conceiveth a sublimitie a Being far above it self And to whom is such so justly due as God whose Essence is above the Reach of any Capacity or Understanding whose Holinesse so Pure as not conceiveable by All imagination Whose Power is Infinite beyond all Comprehension And whose Glory is Ineffable and Everlasting dwelling beyond all possibility of Thought in Eternity We must approach him then with Awe and Reverence in our Prayer as he is in himself not only Absolute in Essence but as Relative to us in that he is our Creator and we his Creatures yea the Workmanship of his hands Prostrat lay with the greatest Humiliation of Body and Soule of All that we can to expresse our sense of the Debt we owe to so great a Maker and with shame to acknowledg our vile Transgressions and foolish as much as abominable Rebellions against the Wonderfull Love of so Gracious a Redeemer O come let us Worship and Fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker Then rise Then raise thy Head thy Hands Dart up thine Eyes Sursum corda And lift up thine Heart on high And to next Altar take thy way Make ready then thy Soul as a Sacrifice upon the Altar of thy Ready Prayer Knock thy Breast Shew contrition for thy sin and indignation against thy self Kneel Shew Humility and Lowness of Spirit with the buckling of thy body Offer with thy Heart what taught to say Offer thy self in that prayer to the Father thatthe Lord of Life his beloved Son in whom he is well pleased hath taught thee to say and doubt not to be accepted 8. Devotion when th' ast breath'd a groan will lead c. When thou hast thus Ejaculated thy Spirit thy Devotion will conduct thy desires to Heaven Six Altars though but one Are six Petitions though but One Prayer All which do hang upon a mighty Corner Stone Depend upon Christ. Because he was it's Author and was and is the All-wise Directer and commander of the same 9. Each Altar has his Censer burn Each Petition has it's proper Virtue That Fires in proper Turn Comes in its due Order inflaming the breast with the Holy Spirit From whose Flames flies a Bird this Prayer thus said hath such an effectual Force and power of obtaining according to our Saviours Word and Promise that it raiseth us up from Death to life in Christ as Phenix from Urn by his death and Resurrection 10 A Burning Lamp with shining Light It is Christs example in Life and Doctrine who not onely taught us to pray but left us the Forms wherewith himself prayed His Prayers were perfect patterns They were short and Full very decent because in Order His Prayers were pure and meek chast and comely clear and lovely grave and weighty Oratio si pura si casta fuerit coelos penetrare vacua non redibit If prayer be clean and undefiled without spot and uncorrupted it returns not back from through-pierced Heaven without a Blessing Hearken to what our Saviour sayes in the sixth of S. Matthew And when thou prayest be not as the Hypocrites for they love to stand and pray in the Synagogues and in the corners of the streets because they would be seen of men Verily I say unto you they have their reward But when thou prayest enter into thy Chamber and when thou hast shut thy Dore pray unto the Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Also when you pray use no vain Repetitions as the Heathen For they think to be heard for their much babling Be ye not like unto them therefore for your Father knoweth whereof ye have need before ye ask him Pray after this manner Our Father Oratio paucis verbis res multiplices comprehendit ut sit citò simplicitas fidei sufficientia suae saluti addisceret prudentia ingeniosorum profunditate Mysteriorum stupesceret This prayer contains many things in few Words that in short there may be preserved simplicity of Faith that we may perfectly learn what is sufficient for our own health and the knowledge of the nicest Wits may be astonished at the Depth of the Mysteries contained therein But mark the Eleventh of Saint Luke And so it was That as He was praying in a certain place when when he ceased one of his Disciples said unto Him Master teach us to pray as Iohn also taught his Disciples And he said unto them when ye pray Say so there was a command Our Father Dicendo Pater Noster veniam peccatorum poenarum interitum justificationem sanctificationem liberationem filiorum adoptionem haereditatem Dei fraternitatem cum Unigenito copulatam Sancti Spiritus dona largissima uno sermone significavit By saying Our Father he signified unto us even in one Word not onely the Pardon of our sins the Death of Punishment our justification our sanctification and our deliverance but his Adoption of us Sons and Co-heirs of God and our being made Brethren and joyned with his onely Sone and so sharers of the most Bountifull Gifts of the Holy Ghost Whose constant eye winks not for day or night His example his Precepts ought to be alwayes before us as they are alwaies in being I' th midst o' th Church Example is c. As Christ is in the midst of his Church so let him be in the midst of our Hearts That is his place So ought our Bodies to be the Temples of the Holy Ghost which is that Fire that has an everlasting brightnesse which irradiateth Spirituall Graces upon our Souls and warmeth them with continual comforts 18. Then on shee does conduct thy Pace c. Here the Emission of our prayers by our Devotion Supplication in the Spirit and the manner of Supplication is further described Here Devotion of the heart as an Ambassador carries our Petitions up towards the Throne of God Orationis purae magna est virtus velut fidelis Nuntius mandatum peragit penetrat quò caro non pervenit saith Saint Austin Great is the Force and efficacy of sincere Prayer Like a trusty Messenger it presents our desires and breaks through the Heavens where Flesh and blood cannot come
nourishment prove thy greater destruction Desir'st to have the Father to hear thee to accept thee Say the Prayer that his Son taught thee Say it intentively zealously heartily understandingly and 't is enough The Son directs thee to the Father and puts words into thy mouth to that purpose If thou wilt be reckoned amongst the wise neglect them not If thou wilt not be numbred amongst the Froward and the Despisers refuse them not Seem not wiser then Wisdom it self lest the Wisdom that thou admirest so much in thine own eyes prove altogether foolishness A short prayer is too long for a wandring mind a short prayer is best for a weak Devotion Thy Devotion at the best is apt to tyre for a little way The Publicans Lord have mercy upon me A sinner may save thee sooner then a long Tautologie of Words then many a Lord Lord made use on to fill up disorderly vacuities immethodical matter and non-sence haesitations If thou wouldst have Prayers for thy particular wants for several occasions Go to holy David's box of precious Balsam Use this or the like Turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me for I am desolate and afflicted The troubles of my heart are enlarged O bring me out of my distresses Look upon mine afflictions and my pain and forgive all my sins Consider mine enemies for they are many and they hate me with cruel hatred O keep my soul and deliver me Let me not be ashamed For I put my trust in thee Then let thy mouth sing forth his praise and God even thy God shal give thee his blessing Rejoyce in his holy Name Yea let them that seek the the Lord rejoyce Psal. 105. 3. Desinat apte Liber non Laus pietate Secundus Wise Traveller through Wildernesse does lead The Christian Pilgrim teaching where to tread From Feind in Worlds Way Foes he warnes his Freind Through Deepe vp Steepe shewes Heavn's his Iourneys end F. Barlow fecit The Third Book THE Pilgrim's Passe TO THE LAND OF THE LIVING Sil. Ital. Explorant adversa viros perque aspera duro Nititur adlaudem Virtus interrita clivo Crosses the boldest Courages assail Let what can come stout Virtue must prevail OR Affliction tries the Man But 's Vertue strains Through all Opposals till the Top he gains The Encouragement NAture is so apt to tire especially in so great a journey as it was but reason to give her some repose And there could not be a fitter place wherein to rest her afflicted Head and wearied Feet then in the House of Prayer A place of no less safety then Refreshment where there are Viands of all sorts as well to entertain the strongest Appetites as to settle please and nourish the more crasie stomacks Through a Wilderness is an uncomfortable Passage no better is this World stuff't with Thorns and Bryars stor'd with Thicks and Woods fill'd with Rocks and stones inhabited by wilde Beasts and savage Creatures replenished with dangers and difficulties of all sorts But chear up The worst is behinde the and having so well Refreshed thou canst not faint Thou art a Pilgrim and art used to Travel Thou canst not now but with delight move on Get but up upon Faiths Mount and thou shalt discover the holy Land Such a sight will ravish thee such a Hope will sharpen thy Desires and keep thee from ever growing weary Thou wilt then on lively and rejoyce that thou art in the way to so excellent a Countrey that thou art so near thy journeys end A better End then thou couldest expect or hope for To this end mayst thou safely hasten It is thy happiness Thus mayst thou with a holy kind of Impatience long to be loosed but it must be that thou mayst be with Christ. I need not call away I find thee me thinks so reudy to go Then on in Gods name BOOK III. CANTO VII The Mount of Faith 1. THou canst not stay 'T is High 't is Craggie way That to the Mount of Faith does lead Hear'st not one call as if he preach't to Day Be wary of thy steps As he does call so tread 2. Now look about Th' ast past ore stumbling doubt See some asleep upon that side That blinde Guides cast the further way about With Images inarm'd in Dreams lay round about their Guid. 3. On th' other Hand A Rout there there a Band Imaginations way advance Each Zeal makes Noise as at it does understand Each does 'gainst t'other cry so to Pantheon dance 4. The Praeco calls Still still beware of Falls For now your way grows sharp and steep You must climb over rugged stones like Walls Set footing wisely Hold by hands And sometimes creep 5. That way deceives And them of wit bereaves For thinking still they upward go Hypocrisie them draws and never leaves Till she doth cast them down to Pride that 's fall'n Below 6. The Top appears The blew Skyes brightness clears Even into holy Heaven you see The fresh green grass is gemm'd with pearly Tears And Faith's Pavillion stands near Figs fruit bearing Tree 7. The Tents wide Door A Dam'sel sits before Within A Chair made like a Heart Her eyes to Heaven do plead for Mercies store Her Lefts erect Right hand on breast is plac't athwart 8. So Faith dispos'd Her Shield is there disclos'd Salvations Helmet also Shows Truth 's Girdle wrought all Lilli'd ore and Ros'd Th ' Righteous Brest-Plate Words Sword Gospel-Shooe deck Rows 9. Upon her Shield Of Gules the bloody Field To make her Foes amaz'd in Fight Resplendently a Cross of Or doth guild With which fierce World false Flesh Hels Craft she puts to flight 10. Nor far from hence On place of Eminence Atenariff that 's mounted high A Lady deck't with Beauties Excellence Stands firm by Cable holding Anchor'd in the skye 11. A Fount near these In dimpled Vale doth please A flying Statue bears Loves Name Whose Breasts run Cream into Pacifick Seas By Cestern fil'd from Milkie way in th' heavenly Frame 12. Where th'Hungry feed The Sick that Cordials need Cure from blest Hand of Charis finde Who still delights to do a Pious Deed And th'helpless helps the Naked clothes and leads the Blind PERSPECTIVE VII 1. THe Mount of Faith It is so called for the Loftinesse of the Position of the Place above the neighb'ring inferiour Earth To go to the Etymologie of the word A Mount which is the diminutive expression of a Mountain is derived a Monte which is the Latine word for it Whence it doth come there is no little Contest among the Grammarians Quidam a movendo per antiphrasin Some would have it as from Not moving because Mountains are steady in their places Such Vast Bodies stand fixed as irremoveable by Art as they are by Nature A little nearer the matter though much differing from the Sound of the word is their opinion for Moâ—s ab â—minendo quasi eminens as hath been first mentioned Scaliger backs the Sence of a non movendo but
met Balaam there and putt an answer in his Mouth There did he blesse them also Then Balak removes him to the Top of Peor where the Spirit of the Lord Came upon him But there he blessed them also The Lord commands Moses to goe up into the Mount Abarim that thence he might behold the Land before his death which he had given unto the Children of Israel as it is in the 27. of Numbers And in the 34. of Deuteronomie Moses went from the Plain of Moab up into Mount Nebo unto the Top of Pisgah that is over against Jericho and the Lord shewed him all the Land of Gilead unto Dan. c. Hieru alem was placed upon the Hills too When they went to keep their Feasts there It is said that they went up to Hierusalem to worship where was Mount Sion Many other Examples might be shewed out of the Holy writ to demonstrate Gods appearance upon the Mountains In Holy Gospell there is frequent mention of the Selection of Mountains for Prayer and Preaching by our Blessed Saviour who likewise Suffered death upon Mount Calvarie The Heathen thought to find their false Gods in Groves on High Places as Moloch Adram-melech Baal c. These Idols had distinctive names from the Mountains where in they were worshiped as Baul-Peor Baal-Zebub Baal-Thephon Baal-Berith c. So was Iupiter call'd Olympius Capitolinus c. But all this discourse does aim at the setting forth of the fittnesse of the Terme of Mount for the place of Residence for Faith Since it is not onely the Representation of Heaven where the Throne of God is mentioned to be but the certainty of finding him by Faith that appeared frequently upon the Mountains and Suffered upon a Mount It may therefore be called the Mount of Faith in regard of it's Elevation above the things of this World and in respect of the Eminency of the Obiect of our Faith Thou can'st not stay shewes the Constancie of a Christian Pilgrim's Course He must on Non progredi est regredi If He standes still though but a little he loseth much ground Without Perseverance neither he that fights shall gain the victory nor he that conquereth shall wear the Palm or have the Triumph T is continuall Endevour and the Vigour of a dayly additional Force that gains the Goal of what we aim at No Merit can be fostered without it No Reward can be obtained but by it Patience bids Farewell if not with it Constancie has her life in it Peace is gained through it All bonds and tyes are knit for it The golden Chain of Unanimity is made of it It is not he that begins a good work but he that continueth to the End with so doing that shall be Saved Perseverandum est assiduo studio robur addendum donec bona mens sit et bona voluntas est can Seneca say We must persevere and ever send in supply with diligence wherewith still to reinforce while the mind is well sett and the will is rightly bent But he speaks higher something above a Philosopher as we may take his Sence In excelso est beata vita sed perseverantia penetrabilis Let Happinesse be immur'd in Heaven Perseverance will scale it 'T is high The way to Faith is out of Sight to Reason Credimus quod non videmus Faith is of Things not seene And it is high because it is conversant onely with Heavenly Things T is high because the Object of our Faith that was exalted Super crucem exaltatus that was exalted upon the Crosse is ascended to the right hand of His Father Fides aliquando recipit quod Ratio non praesumit Such Gifts are by Divine Grace bestow'd on Faith as Reason cannot hope for Ti 's craggie way It is very difficult to Flesh and Bloud a hard matter for Sense or Reason to believe Natures Feet are very tender and cannot endure rugged stones of Affliction and Tryal that lay in the Narrow way of Faith Lapis quidem durus est Sed cùm factum fuerit de eo opus desistere nescit This kind of stone is very hard it will last the better when it is well laid in a building The Divel puts a thousand Questions to a Novice in the School of Faith Questions are one sort of those stones Hear'st not one call as if he Preach't to day This points at the saying of the Prophet David in his Invitatory Psalm to the Worship and praise of the Lord and Exhorting to repentance with a lowd call To day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation and as in the day of temptation in the Wilderness When your Fathers tempted me proved me and saw my works This also hath reference to that of Saint Iohn the Baptist Now also is the Ax laid to the Root of the Trees therefore every Tree which beareth not good fruit is hewen down and cast into the Fire c. This alludeth likewise to that of the Prophet Ionas as shewing that there must be a continual renewing of Repentance for the obtaining of a firm Faith Yet forty dayes and Niniveh shall be overthrown So the people of Niniveh believed God c. Ionah 3. 4 5. This mindeth that of Saint Paul to the Hebrews 12. Wherefore let us also seeing we are compassed with so great a cloud of Witnesses cast away every thing that presseth down and the sin that hangeth so fast on Let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking unto Iesus the Author and finisher of our Faith Who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross and despised the shame and is set at the right hand of the Throne of God Faith comes by Hearing Hearing by the Preaching of the Word If therefore none can hear without a Preacher How can any believe without Hearing and how can he understand without Faith Or how can he do any thing that is good without Understanding The word of God must be preached that the hearer may believe the believer may understand and who so understands may persevere in the exercise of welldoing For neither works without Faith nor Faith without Woeks justifie those that have a kind of ability given them to use the freedom of their Will The holy Spirit comes to the Door and knocketh It is not broken ope it is a fair Render of Possession not a Burglary Be wary of thy steps Consider before thou dost any thing For Actions leave their prints behind them Go not every way that Temptation inviteth the Not be carryed away with every Wind of Doctrine according to that carefull direction of Saint Paul 2 Tim. 3. This know also that in the last daies shall come perillous Times For men shall be Lovers of their own selves Covetous Boasters Proud Cursed speakers Disobedient to Parents Unthankful Unholy without natural affection truce-breakers false accuses intemperate fierce despisers of them which are good Traytors heady high-minded lovers of pleasures
non vindicari After any Such thing be begun not to repay the like Injury The Third Non facere vexaâ—â—iea quae passuses sed quiescere Not onely Not to return to him that has wrongd'd thee such things as thou hast suffer'd but to sit down quiet The fourth is Tribuere seipsum in patiendo mala To submit the Will to the suffering of evil things The Fifth Ampliùs tribuere ille vult qui fecit He is much more to submit himself that occasioned those things The Sixth Non odio habere qui operatur haec Not to hate or think amiss of him that doth these things The Seventh Diligere To love one another The Eight Benefacere To do good for one another And the last as consummation of all being that strength which perfects the cure gains the victory Deum pro ipso deprecari To pray to God heartily in his behalf MORAL IX VVHo so intends to win a Christian Field must use his Shield more then his Sword He that endureth most gains the day He must not play the man so much as the Christian if he means to conquer This conquest must be over the lesser World Mans self and yet it is the greater Victory Fortior est quise quam qui fortissima vincit Maenia Who does not grasp himself though span The World is Dwarff unto the man 'T is naturally against Mans upward posture to bear Therefore the more difficult He that undergoes but common griefs has many shoulders to ease his burthen He 's strong indeed that without help can bear his own So speaks the Chorus in Seneca's Troas Dulce maerenti populus dolentum Dulce lamentis resonare gentes Lentiùs luctus Lachrimae quae mordent Turbas quas fletu simili frequentat Semper ah semper dolor ipse magnus Gaudet in multos sua fata mitti Seque non solum patuisse poenae Ferre quam sortem patiuntur omnes Nemo recusat Nemo se credit miserum licet sit Tolle faelices Removeto multo Divites auro Removeto centum Rura qui scindunt opulenta bobus Pauperi surgent animi jacentes Est miser nemo nisi comparatus Dulce in immensis posito ruinis Neminem laetos habuisse vultus Ille deplorat queriturque fatum Qui secans fluctum rate singulari Nudus in portus cecidit petitos Aequior casum tulit procellas Mille qui ponto pariter carinas Obrui vidit tabulâque littus Naufraga spargi mare cum coäctis Fluctibus Corus prohibet reverti The sad man 's pleas'd when groans go round Such musicks sweet when Nations sound Tears and Mourning gentler gnaw When many such sad Buckets draw Ah ever ever sorrows great In many's bosom woes do seat Chear'd not alone to spread their pain To bear the burthen when all strain None then refrain That he is wretched who does hold From height snatch Wantons Take from 's Gold On heaps the Rich Remove's hard told Fed Kine with 's hundred grounds fat Feed Their equal's then the man in need But pair'd no man's a wretch indeed What 's pleasent in vast ruins place None then will shew a chearful face 'T is he does wail and 's fate complain Whose single Boat does cut the main And nought but 's look't for Port does gain Better to him were storm and chance When 's eye a thousand Waves saw dance And swallow Keels the shore all spread With Shipwracks Characters he read North-winds forc't seas back measures tread But Christian Patience is not so much eased by others miseries as she is the reliever of others in miserie She is not onely a good Pilot but a fair Sea-mark PROSPECT IX AL scourg'd with whips and pierc't with steel Mild backs fierce pains and torture feel Fell wrath does please it's itch of spite To tear the Virtuous with delight Diogmus had ten heads before The Monster must have one yet more With much more horrid face and look Then all the Vizards th' other took When age a new Tooth up does shoot T is bigger then the next unto 't It seldom but a Grinder proves In pieces breaks what stomack loves While quenchless Fury more does rage Each Martyr's Fires a shining stage In those bright coals a Saint may see The face of his Eternity Do Load with Irons Gawl to bones And cast the Innocent on stones Imprison th' Living 'mong the Dead Ye Bracelets give makes Bridal-bed Mistake not your dark dungeon He Has light enough that Heaven does see Invent And heap us mischiefe 's store To 'th patient God gives strength for more Abuse Gods patience too but men The Day comes Who shall Judge be then O let not patience more incense Least Triumph tramples Violence O stop wild force For who so kicks Does wound himself against the Pricks CONSOLATORY ESSAY 9. OPinion deceives us more than things So comes our Sense to be more certain than our Reason Men differ more about Circumstances than matter The Corruption of our Affections misguides the Result of our Reason We put a Fallacy by a false Argument upon our Vnderstandings If the Vitiosity of Humor doth oft put a Cozenage upon the radiancy of sight so that it sees through deceiving Eyes the false Colours of things Not as they are but as they seem Peradventure Choler hath given a Percolation to the Chrystalline humor of the Eye or Phlegme hath made an uneven commixture or thickness in the Optick Organ or the like by which means all is represented yellow or all seems black or of the darker Dye that the Sight returns to the common Sense why may not mens understandings be likewise so deceived As sure they are abused For most men yea many of the higher Form of Brain being in love with their own Parts or their Credit commit first the Error then undertake make it a part of their Resolution rather then to recede from misapprehended or delivered Untruths to account it as a concernment of honour and maintenace of affected reputation either to proceed to further Obliquity or at least to take up the stand with Obstinacy By this Means have we not only lost much of our Peace but even the clear Evidence of Truth How comes else such a Gladiatory in the Schools to omit the Pulpits such Challenges of the Pen such Animosities in Discourse as if our Natures were lesse inclinable to Conversation than a Combat Nor have Things Indifferent been hereby made the onely occasion of the Quarrel of such Division But overrun with Misprision and overcome by Pertinacy they sett sail to the Anticyrae goe besides themselves not onely in falling from but by putting the Question upon the principles of Reason and the very Fundamentalls of Religion Wherby some unwisely thinking to add to their stature to become Gyants among Men have fallen lesse then the least of Beasts not retayning so much as the Prudence of the Bee yea coming short of the providence of the Pismire Not arriving at the Knowledg of the Oxe For he knowes
Now thou hast pleasant and smooth way Th' art even within sight of thy happiness As'scaping storm thou now mayst Anchor cast Th' art come to much perfection in Christianity when thou attainest to Self-Resignation and the contempt of the world Thou hast escaped and got out of the jaws of a world of trouble th' art in sight of thy Port heaven is in thine eye the storm is over Thou hast a calm in thy breast Bid sowre and bitter things farewel Sweets tast Thou takest leave of pain and care For comforts come not to thine eye only but to thy enjoyment See fertil Land enrich't by ploughmans pains This alludes to the Parable of the husbandman or the sower that went out to sow seed S. Matth. 13. 3. The Ploughman here is that Husbandman that Sower The fertil Land is the hearts of the Faithful The enriching of that Land by the Ploughmans pains is the culture of the Ministry of the Word that by ploughing up those wild and overgrown hearts breaking in sunder and turning up their inordinate affections they are enriched and fitted to receive the sown seed of the word and to bring forth a full and plentiful Crop in due season according to the expression in the next verse Does shew him plenty plac't in several veins That is Our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ from whom the Apostles in Primitive times received the Apostleship as he had received it from his Father and the Bishops in that and after Ages received and derived the same successively from them as also the Pastors and Ministers of the holy word who likewise receive their subadministrations from those superiour hands that Church Congregate whereof Christ is the head is that Ploughman meant in this Allegory who behold the plenty of the Crop appearing the Congregation of the faithfull in the Church Militant arising and shewing the Saints upon earth being part of the number with those in the Church Triumphant that were given to the Son by the Father to bestow upon them eternal life when all Power was given him over all flesh as it is in the 17. of S. Iohn Making manifest his Doctrine in his holy Gospel by their Christian profession and Godly conversation by their believing and stedfast faith and their active Obedience to his commandments .. The fields with fulness laugh the Swain at pregnant gains The Lord delighteth to see his Vine fruitfull and the Saints rejoyce in the strength of his Salvation As Solomon singeth Cant. 8. 5. Who is this that cometh up out of the Wildernesse leaning upon her well-beloved Swain is a Pastoral tearm for a Shepherd The fields by a Metonymie that is continens pro re contentâ that which contains is taken for that which is contained are the sheep that feed in the fields Who is she that cometh up out of the wildernesse like pillars of smock perfumed with Myrrh and Incense and with all the spices of the Merchant Cant. 3. 6. Thy teeth are like a fleck of sheep in good order which go up from the washing which every one bring out twins and none is barren among them The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want sings David also He maketh me to rest in green pastures and leadeth me by the still waters Ps. 23. 4. T is pleasant news the crowing Cock It is a sign that they have past the Wildernesse and are come near some habitation which is no little comfort to the Pilgrim and traveller Poor Christians in this world are glad when the wilderness the world is behind them when they are near their happy expectation when they draw towards their journeys end Cupio dissolvi esse cum Christo was Saint Pauls longing he fain wu'd put off his mortality that he might put on immortality He was sick of love needs must he be with Christ. The crowing Cock Victoriae Hieroglyphicum is the Hieroglyphick of victory Hinc lacedaemonii as Plutarch relates cum hostem viribus profligassent Gallum immolabant upon this account the Lacedaemonians when they had worsted and scattered their enemies the crowing Cock vigiliarum signum a sign of watching therefore dedicated to Mercury Alciate is of the like opinion making him the Emblem of vigilance Instantis quod signa canens dat Gallus Eöi Et revocet famula ad nova pensa manus Turribus in sacris effingitur Aerea mentem Ad superos pelvis quod revocet vigilem Rendred by the Author Because the crowing Cock doth trumpet up the Sun Calls houshold hands to vie with day begun On hallow'd Pinacles he 's plac't that 's guilded head To heaven the watchful thoughts of men may lead Alciate hereby intimating a twofold vigilance One of the Body the other of the Mind Corporis vigilantiam Gallus referat qui homines ad labores solet excitare The Cock referreth to the former because his crowing awakeneth and stirreth men up to labour Campana verò quia mentem ad Deum excitat Symbolum interioris vigilantiae continet The Cock referreth to the latter as a Bell that raiseth up the mind to God and so doth signifie the Symbole of watchfulness unto the mind How he to comfort 's dawns the chaunting clock Candoris animi signum The crowing Cock is a sign of candour and integrity of mind For that Emblem of a Cock with the motto over his head of Sic animus expressed the same to the Life setting forth that he who demonstrateth the clearnesse of his mind cannot be disturbed cannot be offended à quavis externâ injuriâ by any outward injury whatsoever And as that lofty Wit Scaliger acutely mentions in his Riddle of a Hen it may be said of the Cock. Cui lux ante diem tenebrae sunt ante tenebras Fore day sees Light Fore dark sees night He discovers comfort and Emblematizeth Providence and foresight Which sense more particularly closeth with the Meaning of the Traveller here though all the rest are congruous to a Christian who though he meet with much offence in his journey yet the vigour of his spirit to God-ward clearnesse of his Conscience towards Man his foreknowledge of future happinesse and foresight of approaching evils makes him prudent in his walking comforts him preserves him amidst his troubles and leads him wisely on to Self-Resignation to the giving himself up to Gods dispose under which shelter is the only safety How he does wilde Beasts fright when he his Wings does knock The Cock for his Courage and Magnanimity is called Martis pullus Mars his Bird quasi ad bella pugnasque magnoperè propensus being exceeding ready to the Battel and very forward to the Combat He is animal solare for his regard of the Sun and he hath a Majestie in his Eye A Trumpet in his Throat and the Shock of a Battel in his Breast and the Stroak of the Day in his Wings and Daggers in his Heels If we may believe Plinie Solinus Aelian Proclus Lucretius and others it will appear Gallum à Leone
timeri that the Lion is frighted by and stands in awe of the Cock Angui quoque Gallus terrori est The Serpent cannot endure him Basiliscus ipsum horret The Basilisk doth tremble at the sight of this Champion Hunc aiunt mirabile dictu cùm Gallum videre forte contingit animo tremere et cum cucurientem audit tanto terrore concuti ut emoriatur It is scarce to be beleeved what is said of him that when the Basilisk chanceth to see the Cock he is stricken with a strange terrour but when he hears him he is so wonderfully affrighted that he dies upon the place Quam rem non ignorantes qui per immensas Cyrenensium solitudines quae pestem illam et singulare in terris malum gignunt iter faciunt Gallum itineris comitem sibi adjungunt qui cantu suo truculentissimam illam bestiam longè abigat reporteth Aelian lib. 3. c. 31. Whereof those Travailers that passe the dangerous and vast Lybean Deserts which produce such a mischief and where onely a Creature of that pestilent nature is bred and brought forth for safety sake they make the Cock their companion in their Travell who at the Clapping of his wings and the shrillness of his crowing may drive away farr from them a Beast of that horrid countenance There is much more furniture of this sort if the roome were not so small and this place so straight Some are of Opinion that Christ is meant by the Cock in holy Scripture dormientes excitans et quasi calcaribus comminationum that I may use their words pungens stimulans Waking those that laid asleep in sin and security and as it were pricking with the spurs of his threats and striking with the sharp heel of his comminations So Vitriacus Cardinalis Venerable Bede lib. 9. Expos. Tob. c. 7. Interprets thus Gallum puto esse unumquemque Sanctorum qui in nocte tenebris hujus mundi accipiunt per fidem intelligentiam virtutis constantiam clamandi ad Deum ut aspiceret jam dies permanens et amoveantur umbrae vitae praesentis qui urgent item sequenti clamore precum suorum dicentes Emiâ—â—te Lucem tuam et veritatem tuam Quod de Prophetis intelligere possumus qui certatim annunciaverunt Diei et Solis adventum I conceive the Cock to be every one of the Saints that receive in the Night and Darknesse of this world understanding by Faith and the constancy of the virtue of crying to God that the ever living Day might behold them and that the shadowes of this present life may be removed still enforcing their continued cryes and petitions in these words Let thy light and thy trueth break forth Which we may likewise understand of the Prophets who in a manner strived to exceed one another in the annunciation of the comming of the Day and the Sun But nearer our matter is their Verdict that apply it to the Messengers of the Gospel Gallus succinctus lumbos id est praedicatores inter hujus noctis tenebras verum manè nunciantes The Cock that hath his loins girt is the Preacher of the word who declares the Truth betimes in the morning amidst the darknesse of this night Praedicator quisque plus actibus quam vocibus insonet et bene vivendo vestigia sequacibus imprimat ut potius agendo quam loquendo quo gradiatur ostendat quia et Gallus ipse cum jam edere cantus parat prius alas excutit et semetipsum feriens vigilantiorem reddit The Preacher must sound by his life as well as his doctrine and by living well Leave to his followers the footsteps of a good example that he may shew them their way whither they are to goe rather by good deeds than words by the hand and the foot rather than the Tongue Because the very Cock when he prepares himself to crow first smites his wings and striking himself makes himself the more watchful His Note is Hora est jam nos de somno surgere It is time that we should awake from sleep from sin Evigilate justi Nolite peccare Awake unto righteousnesse sin not The Cock then is the Preacher The wild Beasts are the World the Flesh and the Devill The crowing of the Cock is the Publication of the Cospel which remembred Peter when he denied his Master The frighting of those wild Beasts is the repelling and driving away Temptations But Simia odit Gallum the Ape the world doth hate despiseth his Voice and with the deaf Adder stoppeth his eares though the Charmer charmeth never so wisely Here Self by Self does Resignation dwell In the Farm in the Soul does Resignation inhabite In God's Promises in the obedience to his will and Commandements does Christianity rest self by self laying by and casting off all manner of self confidence or trust in any worldly help or strength onely submitting unto Divine Pleasure and God's Dispose Within a spatious Farm of doing well A godly Life and Conversation He payes Himself for Rent No coin needs tell Here the Will is taken for the whole Man so is the Will accepted at Gods Hands for the Deed. No Coin needs tell God delighteth in Obedience rather than Sacrifice Mans Self is the best payment to be tendred unto God being enstamped in his Creation with the Image of Himself and being as it were new minted in his Redemption But every New Year sends to 's Lord a Heart At his Regeneration and being renewed in the Spirit he presents what his Lord reserves Da mihi Cor Give me thy Heart that belongeth unto God only and is the best New Years Gift to the Master of All. A Wreath of Laurel Is Praise unto his Holy Name and everliving acknowledgement for all his Blessings especially for that of our Salvation Or a winged Dart Is Prayer that flies up to Heaven that sticketh and remaineth there which is for assisting Grace or for whatsoever the Soul standeth in need of Such is his Tenure which for all he payes in part This is the Jew and Christian commanded to do by the Commandments in the Law and by the Love that is required in the Gospel He that loveth me keepeth my Commandments saith our blessed Lord and Saviour Yet the most Righteous cannot be perfect in this World he payeth but part for all his Dutie and with an earnest Will it is accepted too through Faith in Christ. All is the Lords and he pleaseth to accept our acknowledgement He requireth only that we glorifie him for all his Benefits 5. The Lord say some and those say well All acknowledge not the Lord only his Elect know by Faith who God is and where he dwelleth Above th' Empyraean Hill aloft doth dwell Heaven is his Throne The Glory of his Seat can none that 's Mortal tell It is ineffable Neither Eye hath seen nor Ear hath heard nor can Heart conceive nor can it enter into the Thought of Man the wonderful things that are
all Asia this Paul hath perswaded and turned away much people saying That they be not Gods that are made with hands So that not onely this thing is dangerous unto us that the State should be reproved but also that the Temple of the great goddess Diana should be nothing esteemed And that it would come to pass that her magnificence which all Asia and the World worshippeth should be destroyed Now when they heard it they were all of wrath and cryed out saying Great is Diana of the Ephesians And the whole city was full of confusion and they rushed upon the common place with one assent and caught Gaius and Aristarchus c. And when Paul would have entred c. Some cryed one thing and some another and the assembly was out of order and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together Upon Alexanders appearing to appease them when they knew that he was a Iew there arose a shout almost for the space of two houres of all Men Crying Great is Diana of the Ephesians There a Band Armed Zeals Men of Question and Contention that would either silence or destroy those which adhere unto or publish the Truth or force them into their own madness Such was the Conspiracy of more then forty Jews that bound themselves by an Oath to kill Paul Acts 23. Imaginations way advance Following their own Humors and the Chrotchets of their own Crowns presumptuously preferring their own Misapprehensions Each Zeal makes wise as it does understand Every one seems to be in the right and wu'd be accounted before others in judgement This is a painted Fire it has no true Heat Here Passion is mistaken for Zeal Every one will have a Religion of his own making and carryes it on with a several Furie Every mans Apprehension goes for Judgement Each does 'gainst th' other cry Shews not only their confusion but their contention and uncharitableness being full of questions to perplex and put out of countenance a pell mell of Noise and Negations to drown the voice of Truth So to Pantheon dance Pantheon saies Dion the Historian was a Temple in Rome so called Quod in Martis Venerisque imaginibus sub ipso Templo constitutis omnium Dearum imagines effictae erant Because under the images of Mars and Venus set up in that place they faigned and meant that all Gods whatsoever were Worshipped Under Wealth under Force and Lust stalks in the Idoltary of all Vices The Temple was round and open in the top as counterfeiting Heaven in its Circular Figure and so might give a conceit of Adoration of all the Host of heaven as that Idolatry in the time of the Prophets There they thought the Gods dwelt Pantheon was made by Agrippa to Iupiter the Revenger who is very near akin to Pluto in the sense of Fable Of late times 't is called the Church Divae Mariae rotundae the Church of S. Mary the Round 4. The Praeco calls Gods holy Word and his Ministers direct the way and give warning of dangers So the Prophets of old and S. Iohn the Baptist Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand For this is he of whom it is spoken by the Prophet Esaias saying The voice of one that cryeth in the wilderness is Prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths straight Still still beware of Falls An ingemination for the greater notice of Dangers to stir up a diligent care against stumbling by Temptations or falling away from the Faith For now your way grows sharp and steep In regard of our approaching to more subtle underminings and more violent assault that with earnest labour we should undertake to pass Tryals and the sifting of the Tempter T is sharp and steep very difficult for Flesh and Blood to endure that is soft and heavy unwilling and unweldy for such displeasing and troublesom employment You must climb over rugged stones like walls Sins raise a wall of partition between God and us especially those stony sins of Cruelty Oppression Malice and Uncharitableness We must strive to gain a Masterie of our selves we must deny our selves conquer the concupiscences of the flesh climbing is a diligent labour Set footing wisely Walk soberly with prudence with all care and watchfulness for so it behoves a Christian. Persever with steddiness Hold by hands By Charitable deeds which fasten us to Faith and maintain thy Faith with thy Courage For the hands are not only the Stewards and dispencers of bounty but the Guard and Weapons of the man And sometimes creep Denoting Humility and Prayer and Christian Patience The higher thou goest thou art more subject to storms and liable to eminent and precipitious dangers 5. That way deceives Of Schism Error Heresie Seducing Temptation the speciousness of Superstition the pretence of Holiness Sanctimonious Pollicie Blessed is the man that doth not walk in the counsel of the wicked nor stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the seat of the scornful And them of wit bereaves Quos Jupiter perdere vult dementat prius Pharaohs heart was hardened before his destruction According to that which Jesus answered the people S. John 12. 35. Yet a little while is the light with you walk while ye have light lest the darkness come upon you For he that walketh in the dark knoweth not whither he goeth While ye have Light believe in the Light that ye may be the children of the Light Vitia nostra quae amamus defendimus maluimus excusare illa quam excutere We are given to defend the Errors we have embraced and we are apter to excuse such evils then to renounce them For thinking still they upward go Imagining that they are in the Right being abused with a salse Opinion No way is like theirs to Heaven This is Satans Deceptio visus his juggling with depraved Consciences and deluded Understandings Hypocrisie them draws and never leaves Hypocrisie is a subtile Evil a secret poyson a Hidden Venom and the Moth of Sanctity It pretends all 's well it deludes Prosperity and belies Curiosity and with a cruel Art it stabs Virtue with its own Dagger It kills a Fast with Fasting and makes Prayer undo it self it throws down Mercy with a seeming Pitty it destroies with cooling a Fever and in a cold Cup it giveth hot Drink Quod corporibus est Hydrops hoc Hypocrisis animabus What the Dropsie is to Bodies Hypocrisie is to Souls Haec enim Hydrops bibendo sitit Hypocrisis inebrietata est siti For as the Dropsie with drinking thirsteth Hypocrisie is Drunk to Thirst. Till shee doth cast them down to pride Till shee destroyes them with Ambition till she doth throw them down to Hell Pride is Satan who possesses men with a Spirituall Pride That 's fallen below Lucifer fallen from Heaven into the Dungeon of utter darkness prepared for the Divel and his Angels 6. The Top appears When we attain Faith our souls are elevated The blew Skies brightness clears Our souls
prepared for those which love the Lord and expect his Appearing None like his tennant keeps a house so free The Godly Man the true Christian is the happy Tennant unto the Lord of Lords His Service is the only Liberty It is a reasonable Service saith S. Paul His Tenure is in Capite He holds of the King of the Lord of Lords His Grant is in Hee Farm he depends on the King on the King of Kings His is a Perpetuity an Eternity of Blisse to Himself and his Heirs to his Body and Soul for ever He does no Homage Healtie or other Service to any other then such as is especially comprised in his Feoffment only such as is contained in his Covenant according to Sacred Scripture He is a Free-holder that he may give his Lord his Voice that he may magnifie his Maker that he may praise his Holy Name He keeps Christmas continually by his Bounty and loving Entertainment of his Neighbour and he is allow'd for 't He keeps open House alwayes by his Charity and compassionate relieving of the Needie and shall be rewarded through Christ for it At every Court yet must surrender be There must be obedience to his Commandments a ready and dayly submission to his blessed pleasure His Court is a signification of his Will and power Surrender is in manus Domini a yielding up into the Lords hands what the Tennant holdeth of him T is Curia Baronis He is Lord of the Mannor even Lord of the whole earth for he is Soveraign of all In this Court his Suitors are Free-holders Those Free-holders Judges such are the Saints who are in design joyned to the great Lord at the last grand Court the final summons the day of Judgement Their Oath is their lawful Covenant exhibited by the Priest to the Conscience and sealed with a kiss of the Book by believing stedfastly in God according to his holy word This is a Court Christian likewise wherein the great Bishop of our souls is supreme Judge and from whom there is no appeal It is Curia Requisitionum a Court of Requests too a Court of Equity a Court of Mercy instituted to the like purpose as the Chancery His Court is every day for he is the Lord for ever He then regrants The Lord is ready to be found by those that seek him Iob must surrender his children his estate his good name his friends his health his All with The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken with a Blessed be the name of the Lord and then the Lord regrants causeth his friends to submit to him and gives him twice so much as he had before Iob 42. 10 11. Then came unto him all his Brethren and all his Sisters and all they that had been of his acquaintance before and did eat bread with him in his house and had compassion of him and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him and every man gave him a piece of money and every one an earing of gold This was the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes None bountiful as he O wonderful Mercy and unspeakable bounty of him that is the free giver of all good gifts O Lord our God how excellent is thy Name in all the world which hast set thy glory above the Heavens Out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger When I behold the Heavens even the work of thy fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained What is man say I that thou art mindfull of him and the son of man that thou visitest him For thou hast made him a little lower than God and crowned him with glory and worship Thou hast made him to have dominion in the works of thine hands thou hast put all things under his feet All sheep and Oxen yea and the beasts of the field the fouls of the air and the fish of the Sea and that which passeth through the paths of the Seas O Lord our Governour how excellent is thy name in all the world Ps. 8. A fence doth grow about th'encircled ground c. His Vineyard is hedged in from the injury of the beasts of the field His Providence and Protection is over all them that trust in him All things thrive that are within his enclosure He is their strength and defence he guardeth as with a shield 6. That river which in poast does go c. Here under the Allegory of a River the Rain and the Sea is described the nature and manner of a Christian Self-Resignation As the River pays its tribute unto the Ocean for what it hath received from its bounty conveyed up through the earth to the head and rising fountain of the River The Sea likewise that is in position above the earth from its immense abundance returneth a continual supply for such thankfulness duty return and resignation and as the waters send up their vapours in clouds to heaven Heaven poureth down his Blessings in showres to refresh the waters and supply the Rivers that in Love resign themselves unto the Sea again God is resembled by that bottomlesse sea that unsearchable Abysse whose inscrutable paths are past finding out The sea is a glass of the Deity in which man may by the weakness of expression to sense in a manner behold and have some conception in his mind of the otherwise incomprehensible Almighty The River is man that as it were flows from his Creation His soul as the River is the Representation of the floud of the sea is in likenesse according to the image of God his Creator from whom it hath its spirituality and immortality for the very damned shall live for ever though t is an everlasting death in such a Life by torment and the privation of such blisse as the blessed shall enjoy The Clouds denote contentedness of resignation in parting with its naturall Place the element of Waters the World The people therein are a heap of Waters that Tide it to and fro in their several generations The fury of a multitude is compared in Scriptures to the raging of waters The River and the Sea even in obedience to the sun send up their waters in vapours as his beams id a manner please to summon For which resignation are poured down again from the Firmament sweet waters like blessings in showres and rain that raise the streams of the River fattening the neighbouring grounds with the abundance of heavens bestowed bounty and as it were dancing over their before confining banks for joy in the after smiling meadows and poast it floud away unto the Sea in earnestness of desire to carry news of what it 's more than Channel could contain hath yet received and to communicate with the waves of the Sea their swelling felicity yet in the Rivers Semicircling and Meandring courses it appeareth to embrace the earth with seeming expression of Love and