regaine a desperate debt which is as good as nothing be the fruits and sign of a bad conence God help the good Come tell not mee of griping and Oppression The world is hard and he 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 turne 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 bags they touch the Apple of my eye and I must right them His Punishment BUt hah what voice is this that whispers in mine eare The Lord will spoil the soul of the Oppressors Prov. 22. 23. Pro. 21. 22. Rob not the poor because he is poore neither oppresse the afflicted in the gates for the Lord wil plead their cause and spoile the soule of those that have spoyled him Ezek. 22. 19. The people of the land have used oppression and exercised Robbery and have vexed the poor 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 campâ—ssion on 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 His Proofes Bernard p. 1691. We ought so to care for our selves as not to neglect the due regard of our neighbour Bern. ibid. He that is not mercifull to another shall not find mercy from God but if thou wil'st bee mercifull and compassionate thou shalt bee a benefactor to thy owne soule His Soliloquy IS it wisdom 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 denyed all mercy to thy Neighbour O my hard-hearted soul consider and relent Build not an house whose posts are subject to be rotted with a curse Consider what the God of truth hath threatned against thy cruelty Relent and turn compassionate that thou mayst be capable of his compassion on If the desire of Gold hath hardened thy heart let the tears 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 sin too loud for pardon am I not sunk too deep into the jaws of Hell for thy strong arme to rescue Hath not the hardnesse of my heart made me uncapable of thy compassion O if my teares might wash away my sin 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 me out Fearfulnesse and trembling are come upon mee and the Jaws 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 souls but I have stopt mine ears against the cry of their complaint But Lord thou walkest not the ways of man and remembrest mercy in the middest of thy wrath for thou art good and gracious and ready to forgive and plenteous in compassion to all that shall call upon thee Forgive mee O God my sins that are past and deliver me from the guilt of my Oppression Take from mee O God this heart of stone and create in my breast a heart of flesh Asswage the vehemency of my desires to the things below and satisfie my soul with the sufficiency of thy Grace Inflame my affections that I may love thee with a filiall love and incline me to relie upon thy fatherly providence Let me account godlinesse my greatest gaine and subdue in me my lusts after filthy lucre Preserve me O Lord from the vanity of self-self-love and plant in my affections the true love of my neighbours Endue my heart with the bowells of compassion and then reward me according to thy righteousnesse Direct mee O God in the wayes of my life and let a good Conscience be my continuall comfort Give me a willing heart to make restitution of what I have wrongfully gotten by oppression Grant me a lawfull use of all thy Creatures and a thankfull heart for all thy benefits Be mercifull to all those that groan under the burden of their owne wants and give them patience to expect thy deliverance Give me 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 ingraffed in thee by the power of thy grace I may bring forth fruit to thy honour and glory The Drunkards Jubile VVHat Complement will the severer world allow to the vacant houres of frolique-hearted youth How shall their free their joviall spirits entertain their time their friends What Oyle shall bee infused into the lampe of deare society if they deny the priviledge of a civill rejoycing Cup It is the life the radicall humour of united soules whose love-digested heat even ripens and ferments the greene materialls of a plighted faith without the help whereof new married friendship fals into divorce and joyn'd acquaintance soon resolves into the first Elements of strangenesse What mean these strict Reformers thus to spend their houâ—e-glasses and bawle against our harmless Cups to call our meetings Riots and brand our civil mirth with stiles of loose Intemperance where they can sit at a sisters Feast devoure and gurmundize beyond excesse and wipe the guilt from off their marrowed mouths and cloath their surfeits in the long fustian 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 foolish 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 of dejected souls Is not the liberall Cup
comforts then His Sentence COnsider O my soule and know that the day will come and after that another wherein for all these things God will bring thee to judgment Eccles. 11. 9. Prov. 14. â—3 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heavinesse Eccles. 2. 2. I said in my heart Goe to now I will prove thee with mirth and therefore enjoy pleasure and behold this also is vanity I said of laughter it is mad and of mirth what doth it St. James Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth and been wanton ye have nourished your hearts as in the day of slaughter Eccles. 7. 4. The heart of the wise man is in the house of mourning but the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth His Proofes Isid. in Synonymis Pleasure is an inclination to the unlawful objects of a corrupted mind allured with a momentary sweetnes Hugo Sensuality is an immoderate indulgence of the flesh a sweet poyson a strong plague a dangerous potion which effeminates the body and enerves the soule Cass. Lib. 4. Ep. They are more sensible of the burthen of affliction that are most taken with the pleasures of the flesh His Soliloquy VVHat hast thou now to say O my soule why this judgment seconded with divine proofes backt with the harmony of holy men should not proceed against thee Dally no longer with thy owne salvation nor flatter thy owne corruption Remember the wages of flesh are sin and the wages of sinne death God hath threatned it whose judgements are terrible God hath witnessed it whose words are Truth Consider then my soul and let not momentarie pleasures flatter thee into eternity of torments How many that have trod thy steps are now roaring in the flames of hell and yet thou triflest away the time of thy repentance O my poor deluded soul presume no longer repent to day lest to morow come too late Or couldst thou ravell out thy dayes beyond Methusalem tell me alas what will eternity be the shorter for the deduction of a thousand yeers Be wisely provident therefore O my soul and bid vanity the common sorceresse of the world farewell life and death are yet before thee Chuse life and the God of life will seal thy choice Prostrate thy self before him who delights not in the death of a sinner and present thy petitions to him who can deny thee nothing in the name of a Saviour His Prayer O God in the beauty of whose holinesse is the true joy of those that love thee the full happinesse of those that fear thee and the onely rest of those that prize thee In respect of which the transitory pleasures of the world are lesse then nothing in comparison of which the greatest wisdom of the world is folly and the glory of the earth but drosse and dung How dare my boldnesse thus presume to presse into thy glorious presence What can my prayers expect but thy just wrath and heavie indignation O what return can the tainted breath of my polluted lips deserve but to bee bound hand and foot and cast into the flames of Hell But Lord the merits of my Saviour are greater then the offences of a sinner and the sweetnesse of thy mercy exceeds the sharpnesse of my misery The horrour of thy judgments have seized upon me and I languish through the sense of thy displeasure I have forsaken thee the rest of my distressed soule and set my affections upon the vanity of the deceitfull world I have taken pleasure in my foolishnesse and have vaunted my self in mine iniquity I have flattered my soule with the hony of delights whereby I am made sensible of the stink of my affliction wherefore I loath and utterly abhor my self and from the bottom of my heart repent in dust ashes Behold O Lord I am impure and vile and have wallowed in the puddle of mine own Corruptions The Sword of thy displeasure is drawn out against me and what shal I plead O thou preserver of mankind Make me a new Creature O my God and destroy the Old man within me Remove my affections from the love of transitory things that I may run the way of thy Commandements Turne away mine eyes from beholding vanity and make thy testimonies my whole delight Give mee strength to discern the emptiness of the creature and inebriate my heart with the fulness of thy joyes Bee thou my portion O God at whose right hand stand pleasures for ever more Be thou my refuge and my shield and suffer mee not to sinke under the corruptions of my heart let not the house of mirth beguile me but give me a sense of the evil to come Accept the free-will offerings of my mouth and grant my petitions for the honour of thy Name then will I magnifie thy mercies O God and praise thy name for ever and ever The Vain-glorious mans vaunt VVHat tell'st thou me of Conscience or a pious life They are good trades for a leaden spirit that can stand bent at every frown and want the braines to make a higher Fortune or courage to atchieve that honour which might glorifie their names and write their memories in the Chronicles of Fame 'T is true Humility is a needfull gift in those that have no quality to exercise their pride and patience is a necessary grace to keep the world in peace and him that hath it in a whole skin and often proves a vertue born of meer necessity And civil honesty is a fair pretence for him that hath not wit to act the Knave and makes a man capable of a little higher stile then Foole And blushing modesty is a pretty innocent quality and serves to vindicate an easie nature from the imputation of an il-breeding These are inferiour Graces that have got a good opinion in the dull wisdome of the world and appeare like water among the elements to moderate the body Politique and keep it from combustion nor doe they come into the work of honour Virtue consists in Action and the reward of action is Glory Glory is the great soule of the little world and is the Crowne of all sublime attempts and the point whereto the crooked wayes of policy are all concentrick Honour consults not with a pious life Let those that are ambitious of a Religious reputation abjure all honorable Titles and let their dough-bak'd spirits take a pride in suf-ferance the Anvile of all injuries and bee thankfully baffled into a quiet pilgrimage Rapes murthers treasons dispossessions riots are veniall things to men of honour and oft co-incident in high pursuits Had my dull Conscience stood upon such nice points that little honour I have wonne had glorified some other arme and left me begging Morsells at his Princely gates Come come my soule Id factum juvat quod fieri non licet Fear not to doe what crownes thee being done Ride on with thy Honour and create a name to live with faire Eternity Enjoy thy purchas'd Glory
thee not yet let common reason perswade thee to love him above a trifle that loved thee above his life And thou that hast so often denied him denie thy selfe for ever and 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 me 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 â—or 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 putrefaction or if I give my soul 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 be pleasing to thee But Lord since thou art pleased in thy well-pleasing Son to accept the poverty of my weak 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 be showing forth thy truth and thy salvation Let thy praises be my honour and let thy goodnesse be the subject of my undaunted Song Let neither reputation wealth nor life be pretious to me in comparison with thee Let not the worlds derision daunt mee nor examples of infirmity 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 sincerity remember not O Lord the sinnes of my feare and pardon the hypocrisie of my self-my self-love Wash me from the staines and guilt of this my hainous offence and deliver me from this fearfull 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 adorâ—e 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 J see the case is even the same with him that prayes and him that does not pray with him that sweares and him that feares an oâ—th 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 only makes them so they farre exceed they terme me reprobate and stile me unregenerate 'T is true I eate 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 me hear Sermons at my leasure follow the lusts of my owne eyes and take the pleasure of my own wayes and yet God be thanked my Barnes are furnisht my sheep stand sound my Cattle strong for labour my pastures rich and flourishing my body healthfull and my bags are full whilst they that are so pure and make such conscience of their wayes that run to Sermons figge to Lectures pray thrice a day by the houre hold faith and trâ—th prophane and drinking healths a sinne do often finde leane harvests easie flocks and emptie purses Let them be godly that can live on Aire and Faith and eaten up by Zeale can whine themselves into an Hospiâ—all or blesse their lips with charitable scrapps If godlinesse have this reward to have short meals for long prayers weake estates for strong faiths and good consciences upon such bad conditions let them boast of their pennyworths and let me be wicked still and take my chance as falls Let me 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 seek no further and I wish no more Husbandry and Religion are two severall occupations and look two severall wayes and he is the onely wise man can reconcile them His Withering BUt stay my soule I fear 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 drop 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 iniquity doe flourish it is that they shall bee destroyed for ever Psal. 92. 13. Job 21. 7. Wherefore do the wicked live become old ye are mighty in power 8. Their seed is establisht in their sight and their off-spring before their eyes 9. Their houses are safe from fear neither is the wrath of God upon them 10. Their Bull gendereth and faileth not their Cow calveth and casteth not her Calfe 21. 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 go downe to the Grave His Proofs Nil in Paraenes Wee be to him that pursues empty and fading pleasures because in a short time he fats and pampers himself as a Calf to the slaughter Bernard There is 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 attain spirituall blisse to passe from one paradise to another to be a mirrour of felicity in both worlds to shine with glorious rayes