all my friends forsake mee If to gaine a good estate out of nothing and to regaine a desperat debt which is as good as nothing bee the fruits and signe of a bad conscience God helpe the good Come tell not me of griping and Oppression The world is hard and hee that hopes to thrive must gripe as hard What I give I give and what I lend I lend If the way to heaven bee to turn begger upon earth let them take it that like it I know not what ye call Oppression The Law is my direction but of the two it is more profitable to oppresse then to bee opprest If debtors would bee honest and discharge our hands were bound but when their failing offends my bagges they touch the Apple of my eye and I must right them BUt hah what voyce is this that whispers in mine eare The Lord will spoile the soule of the Oppressors Prov. 22. 23. Prov. 21. 22. Robbe not the poore because hee is poore neither oppresse the afflicted in the gates for the Lord will plead their cause and spoile the soule of those that have spoled him Ezek. 22. 19. The people of the land have used oppression and exercised Robbery and have vexed the poors and needy yea they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath Zach. 7. 9. Execute true judgement and shew mercy and compassion every man to his brother and oppresse not the widow nor the fatherlesse nor the stranger nor the poore and let none of you imagine evill in your hearts against his brother But they refused to hearken therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of Hosts Bernard p. 1691. Wee ought so to care for our selves as not to neglect the due regard of our neighbour Bern. ibiâ—â— He that is not mercifull to another shall not find mercy from God but if thou will'st bee mercifull and compassionate thou shalt bee a benâ—factor to thy owne soule IS it wisdome in thee O my soul to covet a happinesse or rather to account it so that is sought for with a judgement obtained with a Curse and punished with damnation And to neglect that good which is assured with a promise purchased with a blessing and rewarded with a Crowne of Glory Canst thou hold a full estate a good pennyworth which is bought with the deare price of thy Gods displeasure Tell mee what continuance can that Inheritance promise that is raised upon the ruines of thy Brother Or what mercy canst thou expect from heaven that hast denied all mercy to thy Neighbour O my hard-hearted soule consider and relent Build not an house whose posts are subject to bee rotted with a curse Consider what the God of truth hath threatned against thy crueltie Relent and turne compassionate that thou mayst bee capable of his compassion If the desire of Gold hath hardned thy heart let the teares of true Repentance mollifie it soften it with Aarons oyntment untill it become Wax to take the impression of that seale which must confirme thy Pardon His Prayer BUt will my God bee now entreated Is not my crying sinne too loud for Pardon Am I not sunke too deepe into the Jawes of Hell for thy strong arme to rescue Hath not the hardnesse of my heart made mee uncapable of thy compassion O if my teares might wash away my sinne my head should turne a living Spring Lord I have heard thee speake and am affraid the word is past and thy judgements have found mee out Fearefulnesse and trembling are come upon mee and the Jawes of Hell have overwhelmed mee I have oppressed thy poore and added affliction to the afflicted and the voyce of their misery is come before thee They besought mee with teares and in the anguish of their soules but I have stopt mine eares against the cry of their complaint But Lord thou walkest not the wayes of man and remembrest mercy in the middest of thy wrath for thou art good and gratious and ready to forgive and plenteous in compassion to all that shall call upon thee Forgive mee O God my sinnes that are past and deliver mee from the guilt of my Oppression Take from mee O God this heart of stone and create in my brest a heart of flesh Asswage the vehemency of my desires to the things below and satisfie my soule with the sufficiency of thy Grace Inflame my affections that I may love thee with a filiall love and incline mee to relie upon thy fatherly providence Let mee account godlinesse my greatest gaine and subdue in mee my lusts after filthy lucre Preserve mee O Lord from the vanitie of self-selfe-love and plant in my affections the true love of my neighbours Endue my heart with the bowels of compassion and then reward mee according to thy righteousnesse Direct mee O God in the wayes of my life and let a good Conscience bee my continuall comfort Give mee a willing heart to make resâ—itution of what I have wrongfully gotten by oppression Grant mee a lawfull use of all thy Creatures and a thankfull heart for all thy benefits Bee merciâ—ull to all those that groane under the burthen of their owne wants and give them patience to expect thy deliverance Give mee a heart that may acknowledge thy favours and fill my tongue with praise and thanksgiving that living here a new life I may become a new creature and being engraffed in thee by the power of thy grace I may bring forth fruit to thy honour and glory The Drunkards Iubile VVHat Complement will the severer world allow to the vacant houres of frolique-hearted youth How shall their free their joviall spirits entertaine their time their friends What Oyle shall bee infused into the Lampe of deare societie if they deny the priviledge of a civill rejoycing Cup It is the life the radicall humor of united soules whose love-digestive heate even ripens and ferments the greene materialls of a plighted faith without the helpe whereof new married friendship falls into divorce and joyn'd acquaintance soone resolves into the first Elements of strangenesse What meane these strict Reformers thus to spend their houâ—e-glasses and bawle against our harmelesse Cups to call our meetings Riots and brand our civill mirth with stiles of loose Intemperance where they can sit at a fisters Feast devoure and gurmundize beyond excesse and wipe the guilt from off their marrowed mouths and cloath their surfeits in the long fustain Robes of a tedious Grace Is it not much better in a faire friendly Round since youth must have a swing to steep our soule-afflicting sorrows in a chirping Cup then hazard our estates upon the abuse of providence in a folish cast at Dice Or at a Cockpit leave our doubtfull fortunes to the mercy of unmercifull contention Or spend our wanton dayes in sacrificing costly presents to a fleshly Idoll was not Wine given to exhilarate the drooping hearts and raise the drowzie spirits
Oratory to make their vaine attempts A land whose strength reades vanitie in the deceived hopes of Conquerours and crownes their enterprizes with a shamefull overthrow A land whose native plentie makes her the worlds Exchange supplying others able to subsist without supply from forraigne kingdomes in it selfe happy and abroad honorable A land that hath no vanitie but what by accident proceeds and issues from the sweetest of all blessings peace and plentie that hath no miâ—ery but what is propagated from that blindnesse which cannot see her owne felicitie A land that flowes with Milke and Hony and in briefe wants nothing to deserve the title of a Paradise The Curbe of Spaine the pride of Germany the â—yde of Belgia the scourge of France the Emperesse of the world and Queene of Nations She is begirt with walls whose builder was the hand of heaven whereon there daily rides a Navyâ— Royall whose unconquerable power proclaimes her Prince invincible and whispers sad despaire into the fainting hearts of forraigâ—e Majesty She is compact within her self in unitie not apt to civill discords or intestine broyles The envie of all nations the ambition of all Princes the terror of all enemies the security of all neighboring States Let timerous Pulpits threaten ruine let prophecying Church-men dote till I beleeve How often and how long have these loud sonnes of Thunder false prophesied her desolation and yet she stands the glory of the world Can Pride demolish the Towers that defend her Can drunkennes dry up the Sea that walls her Can flames of lust dissolve the Ordnance that protect her BEe well advis'd my soule there is a voyâ—â— from heaven roares louder then those Ordinance which saith Thus saith the Lord The whole land shall be desolate Jer. 4. 27. Esay 14. 7. The whole earth is at rest and at quiet they breake forth into singing Yea the Firre trees rejoyce at thee and the Cedars of Lebanon sing c. Yet shalt thou be brought downe to hell to the sides of the Pit Jer. 5. 12. They have bâ—lied the Lord and said It is not hee neither shall evill come upon us neither shall wee see sword or famine 1 Cor. 10. 12. Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall Luke 17. 26. They did eate and drink and they married wives and were given in marriage untill the flood came and destroyed them all Gregor. Mor. A man may as some build a Castle upon the rowling waves as ground a solid comfort upon the uncertaine ebbs and fluxes of transient pleasures S. August Whilst Lot was exercised in suffering reproach and vilence he continued holy and pure even in the filth of Sodom but in the mount being in peace and safetie he was surprised by sensuall securitie and defiled himselfe with his owne daughters 〈◊〉 prosperous and happy state is often the occasion of more miserable ruine a long peace hath made many men both carelesse and cowardly and that 's the most fatall blow when an â—â—â—xpected enemy surprises us in a deep sleep of peace and security Greg. Mag. SEcuritie is an improvident carelesnesse casting out all feare of approaching danger It is like a great Calme at Sea that foreruns a storme How is this verified O my sad soule in this our bleeding nation VVer 't thou not but now for many yeares even nuzzl'd in the bosome of habituall peace Didst thou foresee this danger Or could'st thou have contrived a way to bee thus miserable Didst thou not laugh invasion to scorne or didst thou not lesse feare a Civill warreâ— Was not the Title of the Crowne unquestionable And was not our mixt government unapt to fall into diseases Did wee want good Lawes or did our Lawes want execution Did not our Prophets give lawfull warning or were wee moved at the sound of Judgments How hast thou liv'd O my uncarefull soule to see these prophesies fulfill'd and to behold the vialls of thy angry God pour'd forth Since mercies O my soule could not allure thee yet let these judgements now at length enforce thee to a true Repentance Quench the Firebrand which thou hast kindled turne thy mirth to a right mourning and thy feasts of joy to humiliation His Prayer O God by whom Kings raigne and kingdoms flourish that settest up where none can batter downe and pullest downe where none can countermand I a most humble Sutor at the Throne of Grace acknowledge my selfe unworthy of the least of all thy mercies nay worthy of the greatest of all thy judgements I have sinned against thee the Author of my beeing I have sinned against my conscience which thou hast made my accuser I have sinned against the peace of this Kingdome whereof thou hast made me a member If all should doe O God as I have done Sodom would appeare as righteous and Gomorraâ— would be a president to thy wratâ— upon this sinfull nation But Lord thy mercy is inscrutable or else my misery were unspeakable for that mercy sake be gratious to mee in the free pardoning of all my offences Blot them out of thy remembrance for his sake in whom thou art well pleased Make my head a fountaine of teares to quench that brand my sinnes have kindâ—ed towards the destruction of this flourishing kingdome Blesse this kingdome O God Establish it in pietie honour peace and plenty Forgive all her crying sinnes and remove thy judgements farre from her Blesse her governour thy servant our dread Soveraigne Endue his soule with all religious civill and princely vertues Preserve his royall person in health safetie and prosperitie prolong his dayes in honour peace or victory and crowne his death with everlasting glory Blesse him in his royall Consort unite their hearts in love and true Religion Blesse him in his Princely issue Season their youth with the feare of thy Name Direct thy Church in doctrine and in discipline and let her enemies bee converted or confounded Purge her of all superstition and heresie and root out from her whatsoever thy hand hath not planted Blesse the Nobilitie of this land endue their hearts with truth loyaltie and true policy Blesse the Tribe of Levi with pietie learning and humilitie Blesse the Magistrates of this kingdome give them religious and upright hearts hating covetousnesse Blesse the Gentry with sinceritie charitie and a good conscience Blesse the Commonaltie with loyall hearts painefull hands and plentifull encrease Blesse the two great Seminaries of this Kingdome make them fruitfull and faithfull nurseries both to the Church and Common-wealth Blesse all thy Saints every where especially those that have stood in the gappe betwixt this kingdome and thy judgements that being all members of that Body whereof thou Christ art head we may all joyne in humiliation for our sinnes and in the propagation of thy honor here and be made partakers of thy glory in the kingdome of glory The Presumptuous mans Felicities TEll bauling Babes of Bugbeares to fright them into quietnesse or terrifie youth with old wives sables to keep their wild
he will own thee repent and hee 'l pardon thee pray to him and he will heare thee His Prayer O God whose glory is the end of my creation and whose free mercy is the cause of my redemption that gavest thy Sonne thy onely Sonne to die for mee who else had perished in the common deluge of thy wrath What shall I render for so great a mercy What thankfulnesse shall I returne for so infinite a love Alas the most that I can do is nothing the best that I can present is worse then nothing sinne Lord if I yeeld my body for a sacrifice I offer nothing but a lumpe of filth and loathsome putrifaction or if I give my soule in contribution I yeeld thee nothing but thy Image quite defaced and polluted with my lusts or if I spend the strength of the whole man and with both heart and tongue confesse and magnifie thy Name how can the praises of my sinfull lips that breath from such a sink bee pleasing to thee But Lord since thou art pleased in thy well-pleasing Sonne to accept the povertie of my weake endeavours send downe thy holy Spirit into my heart clense it from the filth of my corruptions and make it fit to praise thee Lord open thou my mouth and my lips shall shew forth thy praise Put a new song into my mouth and I will praise thee and confesse thee all day long I will not hide thy goodnesse in my mouth but will bee showing forth thy truth and thy salvation Let thy prayses be â—y honour and let thy goodnesse be the subject of my undaunted Song Let neither reputation wealth nor life been pretious to mee in comparison with thee Let not the worlds derision daunt mee nor examples of infirmitie deject me Give mee courage and wisedome to stand for thy honour O make mee worthy able and willing to suffer for thy Name Lord teach me to deny my selfe and to resist the motions of my owne corruptions create in mee O God a single heart that I may love the Lord Jesus in sinceritie remember not O Lord the sinnes of my feare and pardon the hypocrisie of my self-love Wash me from the staines and guilt of this my hainous offence and deliver mee from this fearefull judgement thou hast threatned in thy Word Convince all the Arguments of my unsanctified wit whereby I have become an advocate to my sinne Grant that my life may adorne my profession and make my tongue an instrument of thy glory Assist me O God that I may praise thy goodnesse and declare thy wonders among the children of men Strengthen my faith that it may trust Thee and let my works so shine that men may praise thee That my heart beleeving unto righteousnesse and my tongue confessing to salvation I may be acknowledg'd by thee here and glorified by thee in the kingdome of glory The worldly mans Verdour FOr ought I see the case is even the same with him that prayes and him that does not pray withâ— him that sweares and him that feares an oath I see no difference if any those that they call the wicked have the advantage Their crops are even as faire their flocks as numerous as theirs that weare the ground with their religious knees and fast their bodies to a skelliton nay in the use of blessings which onely makes them so they farre exceed they tearme mee reprobate and stile mee unregenerate 'T is true I â—ate my labours with a jolly heart drinke frolick cups sweeten my paines with time-beguiling sports make the best advantage of my owne pray when I thinke on 't sweare when they urge mee heare Sermons at my leasure follow the lusts of my owne eyes and take the pleasure of my own wayes and yet God bee thanked my Barnes are furnisht my sheepe stand sound my Cattle strong for labour my pastures rich and flourishing my body healthfull and my bagges are full whilst they that are so pure and make such conscience of their wayes that run to Sermons â—igge to Lectures pray thrice a day by the hower hold faith and troth prophane and drinking healths a sinne doe often finde leane harvests easie flocks and emptie purses Let them bee godly that can live on Ayre and Faith and eaten up by Zeale can whine themselves into an Hospitall or blesse their lippes with charitable scrapps If godlinesse have this reward to have short meales for long prayers weake estates for strong faiths and good consciences upon such bad conditions let them boast of their pennyworths and let mee bee wickedâ— still and take my chance as falls Let mee have judgement to discover a profitable Farme and wit to take it at an easie Rent and Gold to stock it in a liberall manner and skill to manage it to my best advantage and luck to finde a good encrease and providence to husband wisely what I gaine I seeke no further and I wish no more Husbandry and Religion are two severall occupations and looke two severall wayes and he is the onely wise man can reconcile them BUt stay my soule I feare thy reckoning failes thee If thou hast judgement to discover wit to bargaine Gold to employ skill to manage providence to dispose canst thou command the Clouds to droppe or if a wet season meet thy Harvest and with open sluces overwhelme thy hopes canst thou let downe the floodgates and stop the watry Flux Canst thou command the Sunne to shine Canst thou forbid the Mildewes or controll the breath of the malignant East Is not this Gods sole Prerogative And hath not that God said When the workers of iniquitie doe flourish it is theâ— that shall be destroyed for ever Psal. 92. 12. Job 21. 7. Wherefore doe the wicked live become old yea are mightie in power 8. Their seed is establisht in their sight and their off-spring before their eyes 9. Their houses are safe from feare neither is the wrath of God upon them 10. Their Bull gendereth and faileth not their Cow calveth and casteth not her Calfe 11. They send forth their little ones like a flock and their children daunce 12. They take the Timbrell and the Harp and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ 13. They spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment they goe downe to the Grave Nil in Paraenes Woe bee to him that pursues emptie and fading pleasures because in a short time hee fats and pampers himselfe as a Calfe to the slaughter Bernard There 's no misery more true and reall then false and counterfeit pleasure Hierom. It 's not onely difficult but impossible to have heaven here and hereafter To live in sensuall lusts and to attaine spirituall blisse to passe from one paradise to another to be a mirrour of felicitie in both worlds to shine with glorious rayes both in this globe of earth and the orbe of heaven HOw sweet a feast is till the reckoning come A faire day ends often in a cold night and the road that 's pleasant ends in