his words but deeds He mov'd to Imitation Which are indeed the best of seeds To spring up Reformation Transcending was his Poverty Which quits of worldly cares Admitting of no Property And this the Heart prepares To fix it self on Heav'nly gain All Earthly to despise Which at the last doth prove but vain Dress't up in false disguise He so much lov'd pure Chastity Of Body and of Mind That if he felt the contrary Allays he strait did find He disciplin'd his Flesh full sore In thorns he tumbled so Untill his very flesh they tore Or rolled in the snow Francis the Humble Men him call He did excell in this The place whence Lucifer did fall Is thought now to be his This Virtue he did recommend To his and 't was his pleasure To name them Minors to this end That they might seek this Treasure 1. King 15. v. 22. Obedience he well knew to be Better than Sacrifice Thô Father of them all was he Yet still he did devise Subject to be unto another And therfore on the way Obedience strict unto his brother He promis't and did pay And as he the Creatour still Humbly obey'd in all So did dumb Creatures do his will Still ready at his call Brothers and Sisters he them nam'd To all he was so sweet That Fish the Fire and Beast he tam'd Who did him kindly greet Our Works are crown'd with Patience Iam. 1. v. 4 Mat. 10. v. 22. That our reward doth merit For all the Pains we feel in sense Or anguish of the Spirit With Christ to suffer he desir'd In Pain Mat. 16. v. â—4 Mark 8. v. 34. or any loss To imitate what he requir'd In bearing of the Cross The Queen of Virtues 1. Co. 13. v. 13. Charity His heart had so inflam'd That it would almost melted be When God's Love was but nam'd Mat. 22. v. 39. His Neighbour's Love possest him so That for his dear Soul 's good The hardest things he 'ld undergo To ' th shedding of his bloud This caus'd him journy to begin To Egypt's King that he Might to Christ's Church those faithless win Or else a Martyr be In sweetness he did so excell The Sultan freely gave Him leave to preach where he thought well And no disturbance have Missing his aim which was to dy For th' Faith of JESUS dear And finding no great profit by His Preaching Christ's Faith here He doth return with weeping eyes Bewailing his great loss Resolves his Love to Sacrifice To Christ upon the Cross Devotîon great he had to all God's Saints in chief his Mother Whom he did his dear Lady call But yet above all other He priz'd the Passion of his Lord As Treasure house of Grace Which doth to souls good thoughts afford And ill away doth chase Io. 3. v. 16. Eph. 6. v. 2. This is a Glass wherein we see Our God's great Love to us Who rather than we damn'd should be Chose to be treated thus And also how he Sin did hate That he would rather dy Than see men live in sinfull state Void of Felicity This teacheth us to love God here As also to hate Sin And as we love him still to fear Lest we should fall therein And if by Sin we 've lost God's Love Here 't is restor'd again Rom. 5. v. 9.10.11 Off'ring our tears to him above Joyn'd with Christ's bitter pain This Passion Francis preach't to all And thus their Ezech. â—â— v. 4. Rev. 7. v. 3. Foreheads cross't Imprinting how for Adam's fall Our Saviour's Life was lost That they to him be gratefull still Prov. 23.26 And to him give their heart Abhorring Sin to do his will And never from him part All Virtues that Christ taught Mankind Appear'd in Francis clear To print them deep in others mind His labour was while here But now grown weak that Death draws nigh He knows by Revelation And does employ his thoughts solely In Heav'nly Contemplation Let all learn here how to prepare For Death while they do live To love God still Deut. 6 v. 5. Rev. 14 v. 7. and sin beware And thus due honour give To teach us this Christ gave example Which he doth now renew In Francis who in manner ample Hath laid it to our view THE THIRD PART Containing the remainder of his life from the receiving of the holy Stygmes to his Death PRetend I shall not to recount The Miracles he wrought Which were so many they surmount In number frail man's thought The actions of his whole life were But one continu'd wonder To whom all things while be was here Obedience prompt did render Before his Death I 'l only tell How JESUS did him grace With Priviledge that did excell And worthily takes place Of all yet given unto any Which clearly doth declare His merits were both great and many Which thus rewarded were He being on the Mount Alvern In contemplation high Of JESUS'S Passion did so burn In Love that he must dy For his dear Lord or undergo Like pain our sins him gave Christ heard his Pray'r and yielded so His Wounds that he should have Behold a glorîous Seraphin Descending from above As thô he crucify'd had been Which did inflame his love Isai 6. v. 2. Six-wing'd he was two vail'd his head His feet two two did fly And while Saint Francis marveled The Seraphin draws nigh And on the Cross there did appear His dear Lord Crucify'd Fast nail'd upon 't as once when here He for all Mankind dyâ—d This griev'd him and did so inflame His heart with Love's great fire That to be nail'd unto the same Was now his whole desire Lo from hands feet and side did stream Five clear but bloudy rays Which pierc't like places as they came Where marks remain'd always In hands and feet like Nails were plain In 's Side the Wound of Spear Which bled and put him to such pain As thô he should dy here Having receiv'd these stygmes there He now might truly say Let no one molestation bear Gal. 6 v. 17. But readily obey Since thus with Wounds my Body 's sign'd Of my Redeemer dear Th' example which in me you find To follow do not fear To him this may be well apply'd I live Gal. 2. v. 20. thô now not I But JESUS Christ my Crucify'd Doth live and in me ly O marv'lous Man true friend of God Phil. 3. v. â— Gen. 28.12 Than Man an Angel rather Who under foot the World hast trod And mounted Jacob's ladder By Vice's hate and Virtue 's love Thou walkedst without blame And thus Poor Sinners thou didst move While here to do the same Obtain that we may imitate Thy footsteps in true Love That we may Sin as truly hate And live with thee above Those sacred Wounds he did receive Two years or thereabout Before this frail Life he did leave Which clear'd Men of all doubt For they did oftentimes appear Thô his humility Indeavour'd to conceal
them here Till he should bury'd be They oft did bleed with such great pain That he had dy'd thereby But that God would have him remain The World to edify His Body now with labour spent Made weak for JESUS'S sake And he to Contemplation bent But little food did take And thô by Sword as he desir'd He could not Martyr dy Yet greater pains as God requir'd He suff'red patiently And off'red up in flames of Love His Soul an Holocaust Which daily did ascend above To him he loved most Knowing his Death was near at hand Not able now to go That he be carry'd doth command To Portiunculo Our Lady's Church from Angels nam'd The place that he lov'd best And here to dy he ever aim'd And take his finall rest To shew his love to Poverty Mat 27. v. 35. And Christ to imitate He naked on the ground would dy So strip't him as be sate The same in his last Testament He doth his Brothers give For he by JESUS dear was sent Poor Ps 87. v. 16. like him here to live Mat. 18. v. 17. He recommends Obedience Most strict unto Christ's Church That Heresy on no pretence Among his Brothers lurch True Patiênce and Humility With other Virtues rare He leaves them as a Legacy And doth for Death prepare He gives his blessing to his Brothers To live in Love and Peace The same he recommends to others Here after his decease His soul to JESUS recommending Replenish't with great merit By hands of Angels there attending To God resigns his Spirit He being dead his sacred Flesh Wither'd before and hard Became most limber soft and fresh To youth might be compar'd Which with his Wounds like Rubies dress't Was glorious to behold Assisiûm Men would have it rest With them more priz'd than gold A stately Church they for it build And in a Vault it lay Which incorrupt and fresh doth yield Delights unto this day The World 's great wonder it remains The Wounds appear therein What favours great and immense gains Did his true Pennance win Thus did Christ's Church-Repairer dy When he had thousands gain'd From Worldly Love Flesh-liberty Which had true Faith so stain'd He in his Order lives again Which to Perfection guides And as Reveal'd shall still remain As long as World abides Great Saints this Order hath brought forth As to the World is known But what 's the number or their worth Is known to God alone The Rule doth so to Virtue bind That if Men well keep it Not one among them they shall find who 'l not in glory sit OF THE CONFRATERNITY OF THE CORD In the cords of Adam I will draw them in the Cords of Charity Ose 11. v. 4. BEsides his Holy Orders three The Pope of his accord Confirm'd a Confraternity Where Girdle is a Cord For those who cannot undergo Those strict Rules yet desire By this blest Cord men should them know Related to the Frier Saint Francis made choice of a Cord For Girdle as the best Memoriall of his dying Lord In all his sorrows dress't For if you mind it all along Throughout his Passion still They led him bound in Cords full strong Wherever was their will This Passion in men's hearts to print Was always his desire Which soften can a heart of flint And set it all on fire With love unto its Saviour dear Who for Man thus did dy And never any pains to fear His love to shew thereby Saint Dominick poor Francis lov'd And would his Rule embrace But since by him 't was not approv'd He begg'd his Cord in th' place That thô he could not of that be He would have some relation To him by this a Memory Of Christ's most bitter Passion Persons of greatest quality Which this World doth afford Have thought it a great dignity To be girt with this Cord That they might be related to This Order while they live The great Indults to gain also Which Holy Church doth give Which are as great as any be Continually confirm'd Unto this Confraternity And all therein concern'd Which hath not any obligation Men binding under Sin But minds us of Christ's bitter Passion That we may glory win Five Paters and five Ave's more You daily are to say To mind how Christ was wounded sore Upon that dolefull day In hands and feet and in his Side These five you must salute And there with confidence abide Till you obtain your suit For what can God the Father here Deny his only Son When in his sight his Wounds appear Which he hath undergon To reconcile a sinfull soul Unto his Justice great And to dispense rich Grace's dole From his great Mercy 's seat With arms spred forth the Friers say These Pray'rs and make a Cross And thus Saint Francis us'd to pray Reminding that our loss Repaired was upon the Tree When Christ ' shands feet and side Were pierc't Which wounds effectuall be When thus by faith apply'd When Amaleck the Hebrews fought Exod. 17 v. 11. Moyses his arms stretch't out And praying thus success he brought But when they fell was doubt Of Victory which did foreshow How Christ for man should dy And now he 's dead we praying so His Death do signify Upon the Cross five Virtues rare Christ practis'd to teach us Daily to beg and take like care To imitate him thus In Patience and Humility Which he doth recommend Obedience and strict Poverty With Love unto the end More pious Practices are there Belonging to the Cord Which by this Saint ordained were To bind men to their Lord In bonds of true Obedience And perfect Charity That when the Soul departeth hence It live Eternally Behold how Francis's Life was spent In Mankind's Reformation Christ's seamless Garment that was rent And much defac't in fashion That is the Church with Heresy And vicîous life distain'd He brought unto its Purity Thousands of Souls regain'd Thus Moyses-like he did bring back Pharao's the Devils Exod. 3. v. 10. Slaves Their Souls with filth of Sin made black c. 14. v. 29. He by the Red Sea saves Reminding what Christ did endure On th' Cross to free from Sin And by example leads secure Through th' Desart we are in Deut. â— v. 2. Unto the rich Land promised That 's Heav'n Iosue 3. v. 17. Exod. 3. v. 8. the place of Bliss Where with sweet Milk and Hony fed The chast and pure Soul is That is the Vision of God clear And of his full Fruition Of losing it void of all fear How happy 's this condition Dear Father pray unto thy Lord. My life while I am here With thine in all things may accord That Hell I may not fear Dear JESUS grant for Francis sake That I thee always love And my life's Pattern by his take So reign with thee above Amen THE BOOKS ADDRESS TO THE READER YOu gentle Reader who have read me ôre Grant this Request to read me yet once more If curious Fancy to the first did move Let now your Motive be Devotion 's love And that your reading may advantage bring Attend not to the Verse but to the thing The sense consider deeply in your mind Imprint the same then you will surely find A hidden Treasure which doth rarely ly Within the bosom of Dame Poetry Virtue 's discover'd Vice laid to your view That this you fly that eagerly pursue Read not as Pilat ask't What 's Verity And then went forth Io. 18. v. 38. He did not really Seek Knowledge and much less did he intend To act he would be Jews and Cesar's friend He would not know lest coÌ„scieÌ„ce should approve What Christ should say Io. 19. v. 12. he lose Cesar's love that young Man who ask't of christ to know Which way to Heav'n he might securely go When Christ bid hiÌ„ the world and Riches leave This wholsom counsell he would not receive v. 21. He would no more discourse with him v. 22. and why To th' World and Flesh he had too strong a ty Beware the like when you have read this Book Lay 't not aside no more on it to look Because it pleaseth not the Flesh and Bloud But be assur'd when its right understood It will your Soul to Virtue 's Practice win With ravishments to that and hate to Sin Remember only Beast that cud did chew Was clean esteem'd â—ev 11.3 â—eut 14.8 â—en 8 v. â— â—â—k 3. v. â— 55 and sacrific'd to shew That if by reading you 'l God 's love obtain You must reflect and in the sense remain Of what you read and thus you will reap gain Or else your reading will but prove in vain Expect no Finis to this Book FOr as Man's Life a Warfare is Iob. 7. v. 1. Gal. 5. v. 17. ' Gainst Viceâ— and Virtue undertook Is hard 〈…〉 you miss The Crown 〈◊〉 promis't only those Who do persevâ—â— to the end Mat 10. v. 22. Mat. 25. v. 13. You must be watchfull till Death close Your eyes hence you will want a friend Oft to consult as virtuous Guide This Book will prove unto you such If in its reading you 'l abide 'T will give your heart a zealous touch Then daily here take your repast And let the End begin again Thus do as long as Life doth last That you may here secure remain Amen
thou didst know me water thou wouldst give And water beg which makes the soul to live This tear-probatick water healeth all Infirmities of soul Iohn 5. v. 4. when being mov'd By contrite heart Ps 50. v. 19. and from the eyes doth fall It still prevails with God as hath been prov'd In David Peter Magdalen who gain'd Sin 's pardon and God's holy grace obtain'd Since Christ this water craves his Thirst allay Shed tears proceeding from true love and grief Let these be bread unto you night and day Ps 41. v. 4. And doubt not they will bring your soul relief For Magdalen's caus'd God Io. 11. v 35. v. 44 made man to weep And raise her brother from his deadly sleep Christ also thirsted our perfection here That we might our Creatour imitate Math. 5. v. 48. And therefore did like us on Earth appear Coloss 1 v. 28. To teach us Virtues love and sin's true hate Before he came Virtue was little known Gen. 6. v. 5.12 Less practis'd nature was to vice so prone Reason obscur'd by sin and Will deprav'd Eph. 4. v. 18. The careless Soul seem'd to be ignorant Of future life and what corrupt Flesh crav'd She granted not consid'ring her own want And giving scope to sensuality v. 19. Made that her Heav'n with wordly Vanity But when Christ came he taught us to deny The Belly-God and Idol-Wealth to hate Phil. 3. v. 19. Coloss 3. v. 5. Which teach the soul the true God to defy And place her Joy in Lust and worldly state With the true God these Dagons cannot stand 1. Kings 5. v. 3. Their base desires still thwarting his command Against the Flesh Christ war did here declare By Fasting Watching Travels Cold and Heat Thus teaching us our Flesh still to beware 1. Pet. 2. v. 11. And as our greatest Enemy to treat Riches and Honours he did also fly To teach the World's conteÌ„pt would naked dy Christ also taught profound Humility Joyn'd with Obedience even unto death Philip. 2. v. 8. All injuries he suffer'd patiently And pray'd for Foe to his expiring breath Luk. 23. v. 34. These Virtues with the rest that we might learn He thirsted since they are our chief concern Did this allay the Thirst of Christ no no. He more and more still thirsted our soul's good That he might Grace and life on us bestow He thirsted death and shedding of his bloud Luk. 12. v. 50 A bloudy baptism is for me behind Till it be don how much I 'm prest in mind The great desire Christ had of mans salvation Math. 21. v. 7.8.9 Made him with joy and Triumph to ascend And to admit this 〈◊〉 Acclâ—mation Hosanna from those who did him attend They also strew'd Palm branches in his way Thus representing his victorious day When Christ the Law of Moyses had coÌ„pleated Math. 26. v. 28. A Sacrament of Love he did ordain Where his beloved with his Flesh he treated Math. 28. v. 20. Resolving thus on Earth still to remain Did this as yet allay his loving thirst No it was still as great as at the first Nothing this burning thirst could satisfy Love's feaver had so much enflam'd his heart But shedding bloud and on the Cross to dy He was so deeply wounded with Love's dart He therfore rises Math. 2â— v. 46. and in hast doth go To meet with Judas now his mortall foe Who had betray'd him to the wicked Jews Math. 26. v. 15. For thirty pence a compact he did make Knowing the place of Pray'r wch christ did use Resolv'd him there with armed host to take Math. 26. v. 23. Christ knew his heart and treacherous design Yet Love would not permit him to decline Ioh 18. v. 1. But to the Garden cheerfully he went And to declare that he was passible As God he did to Nature represent His future pains which were so terrible Luk. 22. v. 44. To the inferiour part which was to dy That he fell in a bloudy Agony The sense rejected what the soul approv'd Accepting all that did advance our good The sense at this with fear was so much mov'd That Christ was bathed in a sweat of bloud Luk. 22. v. 42. He pray'd he might be freed yet did resign Thy will be done o Father and not mine Great was the fear and terâ—our yet his Love 1. Ioh. 4. v. 18 Transcended and at last expell'd all fear Our soul's salvation he preferr'd above His life and ease as after did appear Math 26 v 46 Mark 14 This made him boldly meet his enemies His Love all pain and torment now defies This made him take scoffs v. 42. Math 26.27 Mark 15. Lâ—k 22.23 Io. 19. blows rebukes and scorns False accusations and nere to reply His Whips at Pillar and his Crown of Thorns And Sentence that as guilty he must dy This made him bear his Cross till he did fall This nayl'd him to 't this made him tast the gall This made him Luk. 23. v. 34. hanging on the Cross to pray For those that put him to this shamefull death Their malice still with love he did repay Which love was constant to his dying breath His thirst could not be quench't untill he dv'd Io. 19. v. 34. And they with lance had pierct his sacred side His victory could not his thirst allay But Sampson like who had a thousand kill'd With a jaw bone Iudg. 15. v. 19. in that victorious day With burning thirst had dyed in the field But that God caus'd a fountain clear to spring Out of that bone which sweet allays did bring Thus Christ thô by his Cross he had subdu'd And overcome our mortall enemy Thirsted on th' Cross and to his Father su'd On our behalf to gain a Legacy Which was the seaven sacraments that be Life-giving fountains flowing from that Tree I thirst O Father from my Wounds let flow Those sacrameÌ„ts which may MaÌ„s wants supply And by them you in mercy may bestow Grace to their souls that they may never die And thus preserve what I so dearly bought And make them practise what on Earth I taught These were the FoutaiÌ„s which the Prophet saw In spirit when he did the same foretell Out of your saviour's Fountains you shall draw Isai 12. v. 3. Water in joy while here on earth you dwell Isai 55. v. 1. Come come make hast all you who thirsty be Drink at these Fountains which to all are free Behold the good God's thirst brought to maÌ„kiÌ„d It made him man and here on Earth to dwell The way to virtue it caus'd us to find It purchast Heaven and preserv'd from Hell O let us thirst his pleasure to fulfill That we may never act against his will Let this thirst last whilst here on Earth we are Which will preserve us from Eternall thirst And teach us those vain pleasures to beware Which make the soul
grace abide And glory at our death do win Let 's all praise Christ by joynt consents Who purchast us these Sacraments Amen THE TWO TABLES AFTER SHIPWRACK BAPTISM AND PENNANCE Baptize in the Name of the Father Math. 28. v. 19. Great ships which seem to dare the seas Are oft stav'd on a Rock Which carefull Pilot might with ease Have sav'd from fatal knock If he Land mark or Beacon had With care kept in his eye In storms and tempests ere so bad He might have steered by But now alas it is too late The Ship is broke and all The goods are lost O dolefull fate That often doth befall The Negligent Now all his care Must be his life to save Since Ship is lost and all its ware Lest Sea should prove his grave And to do this he finds small hope No other ship is nigh To lend him boat or cast him rope To save his life therby Till laying hold of plank or table He passes through the waves At length finds footing firm and stable Whereby his life he saves A stately ship God once did place On this World 's dangerous waves This fraighted was with holy grace Which here from shipwack saves This ship was Man the Pilot soul â—en 4 v. 〈◊〉 Eccli 5. v. 17. His Guide was reason's light His will had power to controul And make him steer aright The crafty Pirat who did see That Man would sail secure Untill this Light extinguih't be The same did strait procure Gen. 3. v. 4. With lies he tempts and doth prevail The right way not to steer Poor man believes secure doth sail The Rock he doth not fear Gen. 2. v. 17. This Rock was the forbidden Tree Which he was not to touch If so death's prize he was to be God's Pact with him was such Gen. 3. v. 6. The devill tempts with Eve his wife He eats and fears no blame Thus sense depriv'd his soul of life And we partake the same Gen. 3. v. 15. c. 22. v. 18. Ps 131. v. 11. Math 27. v. 26. For all were lost and still had been Had not God in his love Promis'd Redemption from this sin And all guilt to remove Christ by his death did this fulfill And Sacraments ordain As helps for us to do his will And favours here obtain Of these Baptism and Pennance are Those which we Tables call Ordain'd our losses to repair And save us after fall Rom. 5. v. 12. Gen. 3. v. 19. The first shipwrack that Men sustain'd Was by Origînall Sin From this by death Christ them regain'd Or else all damn'd had been Thô Christ from pains of Hell did save Rom. 5. v. 8 9.10 Io 3. v. 5. By shedding of his Bloud Yet joys of Heav'n no one shall have But by Baptismall floud This Christ ordain'd that so his merit Math. 8. v. 19. Might be to Man apply'd And that he now new born in spirit Might in his grace abide Hence t is that Children christ'ned be Christ dy'd for all 2. Cor. 5. v. 16. Marc. 10. v. 14. who saith The little ones let come to me Althô they have not faith The Parents faith may here suffice As well as Parents fall Did cast them out of Paradise And purchast Hell withall When Christ'ning Font cannot be had Desire and Love supply Or else some Saints case had been bad Who did without it dy Of Baptism sev'rall sorts there be Water Love's Fire and Blood If th' first to have man is not free The other are as good The fruits of this great Sacrament Tit. 3. v. 3. Are Justifying grace The sin which we have by descent That doth our soul deface And actûall are remitted but Act. 2. v. 38. Io. 3. v. 5 Marc. 16. v. 16. Here grief is still requir'd Heav'n gates are op'ned which were shut Where 's all can be desir'd After this Sacrament receav'd Esay 59. v. 2. Who in great sin doth fall His soul of this grace hath bereav'd Rom. 6. v. 25. And purchast Hell withall This second shipwrack we do name From which the soul to save Hebr. 6. v. 4.5.6 No one can twice baptize the same What help then can he have Our mercifull Redeemer hath Left us a second Table Which joyned with a perfect Faith Grace to restore is able This Sacrament of Pennance is The soul's security Which if the soul doth willing miss It 's lost eternally THE SECOND PART OF PENNANCE Whose sins you remit they are remitted Jo. 2â— v. 23. CHrist Math. 9. v. 13. who came sinners frail to save As we read in Saint John Io. 20. v. 23. Absolving Pow'r in his Church gave And this to Priest alone Ibid. Whose sins on Earth you do remit And whose you do retain The first in Heav'n I also quit The other shall remain We sin in thought in word or deed All sin comes from these three Three ways to satisfy there 's need That sin remitted be So Pennance that 's the Sacrament Contains a triple part Confess the fault I am 5. v. 16. Math. 5. v. 25. the wrong'd content With sorrow from the heart 2. Cor. v. 10. These three when as they perfect be And joyn'd with Absolution As Sacrament impart to thee Of grace a distribution Where God is reconcil'd again To thee in perfect love From Hell thou' rt freed and dost remain God's Heir to Heav'n above Let no one here this doubt admit Suggested by his foe How can this Pennance small acquit Of sin when all men Know Sin doth deserve Eternall pains And what proportion's this Pennance is but while life remains And that for ever is It 's true Math. 5. v. 27. God's Justice seeks severe Proportion to the debt And these two equall ballanc't were Ps 84. v. 11. When Mercy Justice met That was when Christ Man to regain Upon the Cross did dy This Sacrament he did ordain His merits to apply To sinfull soul that 's gone astray And Baptism doth the same Let none deny then but man may Remit sin in Christ's name Iohn 20. v. 23. If you believe Christ's God and Man Believe he cannot ly And by this Sacrament he can His Justice satisfy And thô Christ's merits did supply Our inability Think not because he once did dy You are so quit and free Luk. 13. v. 3. Rom. 2. v. 6. That you may Pennance now neglect And good works set apart As thô our saviour would protect A wicked sinfull heart No Christ will not encourage Sin Ps 44. v. 8. Heb. 1. v. 9. Which odious is to God Be sure if you do fall therein You 'l feel his scourging rod. Luk. 13. v. 3. Except in heart you do repent And as Christ hath ordain'd Make use of Pennance Sacrament Where pardon is obtain'd First see that you true sorrow have For sins you have committed Your soul you can't without this save Nor of sin be acquitted To have this
and hearken night and day Iob. 32. v. 8 Heb. 1. v. 14. Unto God's inspirations Which I inspire and them obey Repelling all Temptations Which come from Satan and to know The good from bad ask me Who am to teach you here below And your Instructor be God says Exod. 23. v. 20. My Angel shall precede And keep you in the way Contemn him not v. 21. who you doth lead But do his voice obey v. 22. And I an Enemy will be To your's and will chastize Those who do any hurt to thee In goods or otherwise As Gabriël Luk. 1. v. 26. I Message bring To you from God above To love and practise every thing That 's good I do you move Like Raphaël Tob. 12. v. 14. J'm sent to thee That I may make thee whole When serpent's bite hath made thee see What ill Sin brings the Soul 4. Esdr 4. Antiph at Bened. in the office of the Angel Guardian Act. 12. v. 7. I am 4. v. 7. As Uriell is Shepheard chief Orê God's beloved Flock So I from you do chase the Thief Awaking like a Cock When he assaults I put in mind What ill comes by consent If you resist here you shall find Relief with Soul's content And thus like Michaël I fight Rev. 12 v. 7. Rev. 12 v. 9. Against the Dragon fell Who would rob you of Grace's light And plunge your Soul in Hell I check I move I pray to God I leave no way untry'd That you may scape God's heavy rod And in his love abide Be mindfull then oft in the day Of me Tob. 5. v. 15. Gen. 48. v. 16. your loving Guide And me as oft devoutly pray With you still to abide Sin not and thus your self deceive Because Men do not see What 's hid from others I perceive And nothing's hid from me Set guard on th' Tongue Prov. 18. v. 21 Mat. 12. v. 34. for in its hands Is life and death of Soul It test fies how your heart stands And if you 'l keep it whole Shut Eyes and Ears ' gainst Objects bad Which by them enter in And cause the Heart to be full sad When they have made it sin Gen. 9.21 Coloss 3. v. 5. Take equall care of all your senses And Members guard them well Raise up against them these strong fences The Fear of God and Hell Rom. 6. v. 13. Make them to serve your Maker dear As Virtues Instrument To purchase Heaven with them here This was your God's intent Receive all Crosses chearfully From hand of your good God Math 16. v 24. Prov. 3. v 12. Heb. 12. v 6. Rev. 3. v. 19. With them you must your glory buy And kiss his scourging Rod. Who doth in life chastize you here To spare you afterward And keep you in his Love and fear The Soul's securest guard In all distress Ps 9. v. 11. Ps 17. v. 31. put confidence In God your Fathêr above And in dear JESUS thô gone hence Since he dy'd for your Love The presence of the Holy Ghost Wisd 1. v. 4. With clean heart seek to have The Pray'rs beg of the Heav'nly Host That God your soul will save With good thoughts I 'le you oft inspire Comply then with the least Nourish't spark-like 't will set on fire Your Soul to act what 's best But if first motion you neglect And that be not attended Your heart God leaves then to direct When slighted he 's offended When you do pray with Faith attend Mat. 21. v. 22. And God in Heav'n adore Devout persever to the end Christ's Mother's help implore Such Pray'rs with joy I do present To God and with you crave What you do ask with due intent In due time you may have These counsells take and still obey My holy Inspiration Thus shall I teach you Virtues way Which leads unto Salvation And at your Death with joy present Your Soul unto God's Throne Where we for êre in joys content Shall praise him Three and One. Honour Pup and Praise to God above Who doth his Angels send Thanks to you Custos for your Love Who do your Charge attend I vow that I will you obey When I your voice do know That I may not deceiv'd be pray Or in my duty slow Amen A DIALOGUE BETWEEN LIBERTY AND MORTIFICATION Mortify your Members which are upon the Earth Coloss 3. v. 5. Lib. AS slumbering I lay Me thought I saw a Man His hair was turned gray His colour waxed wan Lean-fac'd and hollow-ey'd His Body skin and bone I ask't He thus reply'd Mor. J'm Mortification Lib. Where do you live and why Do you the Flesh thus treat Mor. I live in Monastery Where I do little eat My sleep the like my Flesh With Discipline I tear Mat. 11. v. 29.30 And this doth me refresh Christ's painfull Cross to bear All this I do to keep 1. Cor. 9. v 27. Ps 6. v 7. Flesh subject to the spirit For past Sins I do weep And to increase my merit The hardest Virtues I Do practise and thus stand Prepar'd Phil. 1. v. 20.21.23 for Christ to dy When Faith and Love command Lib. What needs this strict Life now Coloss 1. v. 20. Act 1 v. 10. c. 7. v. 55. Christ hath Sin 's debt full pay'd And this you must allow Heav'n Gates are open layd Enjoy what pleasure 's here While God you life doth send Believe and never fear But Heav'n shall be your end God pleasant things did make On Earth 3. Esd◠8. v. 44. for men to use And pleasures you to take As sinfull do refuse Are you than God more wise To judge what 's good and evill 1. Tim. 2. v. 4. D' you think he 'l Sin disguise To cheat you to the Devill Mor. 'T is true when God did make The World and Man therein Gen. 1. v. 29 Gen. 2. v. 17. He made all for his sake To use and without Sin Excepting Knowledge Tree Which thô its fruit was good To eat forbid was he He eat Gen. 3. v. 6.7 and guilty stood And thus did he by Sin Forfeit his right to all Pleasures and grace must win Luk. 13. v. 3. By tast of bitter gall I grant Christ's Death did free From Hell yet that of Heaven Man might possessor be Many commands are given Io 3. v. 5. He first baptiz'd must be And when hath use of reason Mat. 19. v. 17. God's ten Commands must he Keep strict break them 't is Treason Condemning 〈◊〉 to dy His Justice to appease Mat. 3. v. 8.10 ◠He must here satisfy By works which may him please Gal. 5. v. 24. That 's corporall affliction With sorrow from the heart Joyn'd with the contradiction Of his rebellious part Mark 8. v. 34. And Christ to follow right He must himself deny Bear Crosses 2. Cor. 4. v. 17. and thus fight To live Eternally For Christ
evill This lesser Light was Magdalen To Moon compar'd and she Was once Eclips't by Sin and thus Did not the danger see For as the Moon from Sun hath light So when the Earth's between The Moon 's obscur'd because she is By Sun no longer seen So God the Light of Mary's Soul By earthly Carnall Love Was parted from her and through Sin Did grace's light remove But when the Sun of Justice rose Malac. 4. v 1. Luk. 1. v. 78. And in this World appear'd With Mercy he did her behold And from Sin 's darkness clear'd And set her up a Light to be To all in sinfull state That they by her example might Repent before too late And never more return to Sin But perfectly Christ joyn As she did after lead on Earth A pure Life and divine No one of Pardon may despair Or to recover grace Since Magdalen a Sinner great In glory hath a place Althô their Night be perfect dark And danger great appears When this full Moon reflects her light 'T will free the heart from fears For thô the first part of her life With Sin was dark as Night The other part Moon-like doth give To Sinners guiding light Which if they follow it will bring Them out of darksom Sin To Christ the Sun of Justice bright A new life to begin Saint Luke c. 7. v. 37. who her Conversion writ Calls her the City-Sinner Who touch't with sorrow ran to Christ v. 36. Where he was sat at dinner Who Mark 16 v. 9. as Saint Mark affirms did cast Out of her seaven Devills For she had been addicted much Unto all sorts of evills Saint Gregory doth call these Devills The seaven Deadly Sins To which she long time slave had been But now her freedom wins And now Rom. 5. v. 20. where Sin did once abound Grace also doth abound She makes Vice Virtue 's Instrument She Pardon sought and found On Sin she once had plac't her love To Christ she now it gave Love was her Death Love was her Life Thus freed was Sathan's Slave Her Senses and her Members too Which she to Sin did use She now makes Instruments to grace And forth her Pardon sues Her Ears which unto lewd discourse Before were wholly bent She now lends to Christ's words most sweet Which made her heart relent Her Feet which ran before to sin She doth imploy to find Her now beloved and dear Lord That she may ease her mind And hearing where at Meat he sat Luk. 7. v. 37. She boldly did appear And feared not expell'd to be 1. Io. 4. v. 18. Love had expell'd and Fear She who did use to take first place Now humbly stands behind Her Lord and with tears in her Eyes Luk 7. v. 38. Unto his Feet inclin'd Those Eyes which with their wanton looks Lament 3. v. 51. Of Grace had robb'd her soul Shed Floud which wash't her Saviours Feet Who was to make her whole Her golden Locks which had inslav'd Poor souls in Cupid's snare Luk 7. v. 38. To wipe the Feet of her dear Lord She us'd as Towell rare Her Lips which had sin's poyson suck't And plac't it in her Heart v. 38. Continu'd kissing Christ's chast Feet And from them would not part Untill she had on them pour'd forth Her oyntments rich and sweet Which caus'd her Lord most mercifull With Mercy her to greet Woman v. 50. thy sins I do remit Go homeward now repair Because thou lovest much v. 47. thy sins Thô many pard'ned are What Joy these words did cause in her No Tongue can well express Nor Heart conceive except her own It was to that excess Learn here Poor Soul of Magdalen How to return to God To free thy self from Sin 's great load And Justice heavy Rod. First Ear give unto Gospel word Inspir'd or taught by Tongue With Mary run thy Lord to seek And Pennance not prolong Hate Sin love JESUS and declare The Sorrow that 's within By outward Tears prest from the Heart Through thy deep sense of Sin Imploy thy hair that is thy goods Christ's Feet the Poor to feed Tob. 12. v. 9. Fear not but Alms will thee relieve And help in time of need Pour forth thy oyntments that 's cast out True Virtue 's fragrant Smell Which will raise up thy Soul above In Heav'nly Joys to dwell Give Kiss of Peace to Christ that is Hate Sin commit no more And Christ will thee his Blessing give Luk. 7. v. 50. And Peace to thee restore Grant JESU that we Magdalen's Steps of Repentance trace And as we follow'd her in Sin May follow her to grace Dear Magdalen for JESU'S sake Pray unto him for me That in this life in all distress My Helper thou maist be THE SECOND PART Containing her life after her conversion unto Christ's Ascension BEhold the change of Mary's Life Which first to Sin was bent In service of her Master dear Was after wholly spent We never read she sinn'd again But follow'd her dear Lord Administring to him Mark 15. v. 41. Luk 10. v. 39. and his Attending to his word Luk. 10. v. 39. v. 40. Which sitting at his Feet to hear Her Sister did complain Of her as idle but her Lord Would have her there remain Say'ng Martha thou art busy'd much v. 41. And dost declare thy Heart Dressing my Meat but Mary here v. 42. Hath chose the better part Her brother being sick she sent Io. 11. v. 3. To let Christ know the same Say'ing whom thou lov'st is sick and he v. 7. With his Disciples came She met him and as she did use v. 32. Fell down before his Feet With Kisses from a loving Heart She did her dear Lord greet Where she renew'd her Tears again And so much did lament That Christ shed Tears with her v. 35. and thence Unto the Grave he went Say'ng Lazarus arise v 43. come forth He rose up suddenly To the great joy of sisters both And all the standers by Dear Mary shed these tears for me That I in Bliss may rest Since they prevail'd with God to weep And grant thee thy request In gratitude before Christ's Death She brought rich ointments Io. 12. v. 3. v. 5. worth Three hundred pence and as he sat On 's Head she pour'd them forth At this the Traytor Judas griev'd And said v. 4. Mark 14. v. 4. why this excess What she deem'd little he thought much Who priz'd his Master less Mat. 26. v. 15. When he sold him for thirty pence O Judas tell me why Thou didst not ask her who 'ld give more Before her Lord should dy When Christ was nail'd unto the Cross And all his friends were fled Io. 19. v. 25. Mary stood constant weeping by With sorrow almost dead When dead she help't to take him down And in the Tomb to lay Then marking well the Tomb Mark 15. v. 47.
she went To keep the Sabbath-day But little rest sad Mary found Reflecting on her Lord. No meat no drink or sleep I judge She did her self afford Early next morn Mark 16. v. 1. with Marys two She took her ointments dear To give her Lord the last farewell The Guards she did not fear Nor who should roll away the stone v. 4. Which passed much their strength Love gave her wings Love gave her will Love brought her joy at length But lo Mary a second grief Lik 24. v. 3. The Body is not here The Tomb is open some have stol'n Away my Lord I fear Chear up Mary An Angel asks Woman Io. 20. v. 13. why dost thou weep I know not where they 've laid my Lord Which wounds my heart full deep v. 2. She runs and tells his Brethren this Peter and John ran fast And found what she had said was true And back again they past But Mary still stood weeping at The Tomb v. 11. would not depart Where her Lord's Body last was lay'd She had intomb'd her heart No longer could Christ's clemency Forbear but did appear v. 15. Say'ng Woman why do you thus weep And whom do you seek here She took him for a Gard'ner by His habit v. 15. and replies If thou him took'st I 'le fetch him back Tell me but where he lies Christ seeing Mary's loving tears No longer could conceal Himself but open'd Mary's eyes And did himself reveal MARY v. 16. says Christ She knew him then And Rabby she reply'd She saw he was no Gard'ner but Her Lord who for her dy'd And fell down at her usual place His Feet to kiss but see New grief Her Lord denies her this Say'ng v. 17. Woman touch not me v. 17. But go and tell my Brothers dear That I again do live Mat. 28. v. 7.10 In Galily they shall me see Where I will blessing give Mary obeys and in the way v. 9. Christ lets her kiss his feet Love made him first appear to her Her Love with Love did meet How oft to her Christ did appear The Scripture doth not tell 10. 11. v. 5. But we may judge it often was For he lov'd Mary well And when to Heav'n he did ascend Act. 1. v. 14. Mary was with the rest When Holy Ghost he promis't them And his Beloved Bless't Behold how Mary serv'd her Lord And never did depart From him in Joy or Misery So constant was her Heart Grant JESUS dear for Magd'len's sake That I adhere to Thee In Life and Death and that her Prayr's True Joy may bring to me Dear Mother Look in the old Hymn at Lauds beg this of your Lord As you did for your Brother That in this Life he 'l give me grace And glory in the other THE THIRD PART Containing the rest of her life after Christ's Ascension to her death YOu 'l say While Christ was here on Earth Mary was led in hand Now he is gone and out of sight Let 's see how she doth stand Io. 11. v. 44. Christ raising Laz'rus up from Death Confirm'd his doctrin so How to defame and blast the same The Jews no longer know Io. 12. v. 10. To kill him therfore they resolve But God permitting not How to destroy the family They next contrive and plot The brother sisters and some more They put into a boat Without Sails Oars or any guide Upon the Sea to float Intending to destroy them thus of humane help depriv'd But by God's Providence they all Safe at Marselles arriv'd Where Magdalen began to preach One God and Saviour dear Such Doctrine these poor Heathens blind Before did never hear From Idols many turned were By word and works she wrought Till at the last they would adore Her for the God she taught Which made her beg of God to take Her from the praise of men Convey'd she was by Angels hands Into a lonely Den. Where never Man or Woman she Beheld for thirty years Her meat was what the Mount did yield Her drink was wrought by tears For shedding tears for her past sins And Death of Master here Immediatly at her request Sprung up a Fountain clear To keep fresh in her memory Her dear Lord's death and loss She begs some Instrument of God An Angell brings a Cross She spent her life in tears of love And heav'nly Contemplation Her Heart curs't Satan nêre could move With any vain Temptation Christ her dear Lord could nêre forget This his dear Penitent But to her seaven times a day His gloriôus Angels sent Who by their virtue rais'd her up Into the air so high That with a ravish't Soul she heard The Heav'nly Harmony And in that space of thirty years As Mary lived there Her Lord an hundred and ten times Did gloriously appear What ravishments he gave her then Of Joy and what excess Excells Man's fancy to conceive Or Tongue well to express God willing now that Magdalen In soul this World should leave Reveal'd her who from Maximin Christ's Body did receive And being thus prepar'd for Death Her Soul left presently Her Mortall Body and with wings Of Love to God did fly Where now with him she doth remain In joy of Heav'nly Bliss Become a Patroness for those Who here have done amiss Behold the Soul of Magdalen At first defil'd with sin Refin'd by Love and purg'd by tears At last did Heaven win Let no poor Sinner then despair Of Mercy here and Grace If Mary's Life he 'l imitate And her rare Virtues trace This let him beg of God in faith Of JESUS Passion dear And merits of this glorious Saint Whose Pray'rs he 'l ever hear Blest Mary my poor love accept And be to me a Mother Pray in this Life God's Grace I have And Glory in the other Amen THE LIFE OF THE SERAPHICALL FATHER S. FRANCIS IN VERSE DIVIDED INTO THREE PARTS The First Part to the making of his Rule GOd made Man's nature innocent Adorned with Free-will Gen 4. v. 7. Eccli 15. v. 17. Gen. 2. v. 17. And gave him one Commandement His pleasure to fulfill To break it Death to keep it Life Was for Eternity And while on Earth void of all strife And human misery Luk. 10. v. 18. Rev. 12. v. 9.12 Curs't Satan who from glory fell Did hate Man's happy state Made for his place in joy to dwell Where once this proud Fiend sate Wisd 2. v. 24. Gen. 3. v. 4. And to deprive him of his Bliss He tempts the fruit to take Thou shalt not dy 't is not amiss Do but experience make Man yielding to his Wife's desire v. 6. Rom. 5. v. 12. Made that unhappy tast Incurr'd for him and his Hell-Fire Who here on Earth were plac't Environed with misery In Reason blinded so They fell into Idolatry Their God they did not know For this and many other sins Gen 6. v. 7. v. 8. God thought all
eternally accurst Let 's Grace and Virtue thirst untill we dy That we may quench it in God's deity Amen THE SEAVEN SACRAMENTS I saw seaven golden Candlesticks and in the midst of them one like the son of Man Apoc. c. 1. v. 12. and 13. The sun gives light unto the eye Io. 1. v. 9. So doth God's grace unto the soul That man may walk secure therby And from sin's wound preserve it whole But if this light should be put out The soul would perish without doubt For nature is so weak and frail And flesh and blood to sin so prone The enemy would soon prevail Io. 15. v. 5. If God should leave poor man alone Grace is the soul's security Against her mortall enemy This grace Christ purchast on the Tree And that it might with us remain The Sacraments ordained be Which also do lost grace regain These are the conduits which conveigh Gods grace to souls which him obey These from the side of Christ did flow These with his bloud death were bought By their right use God doth bestow His gracious gifts as we are taught These signs Christ in his Church did place Still in themselves conferring grace Rev. 1. v. 13. S. John the shape of one did see Midst seaven candlesticks of gold Who seem'd the son of man to be And seaven starrs in 's hand did hold v. 16. Which shews the Sacraments receive From Christ the grace they in us leave In Exodus w' are also told Moyses commanded was to frame Exod. 25. v. 31.37 A Candlestick of purest gold And place seav'n Lamps upon the same Which were to burn and to give light In th' Tabernacle day and night This Candlestick did signify Christ's Church The seaven lamps declare The Sacraments wherein doth ly Prov. 8. v. 31. The oyl of Grace and true lights are Illuminating with God's grace The soul of man his resting place Seav'n things our bodies do require To their beginning and support When they are born they food desire But yet not of the strongest sort Breast-milk feeds them while they are yong And grosser meat when they are strong Physick's requir'd when Health doth fail Salves are apply'd to wounded parts When Physick seem's nought to prevail Rich Cordialls must revive their hearts Superiours they are govern'd by By Marriage they do multiply These seaven things most needfull are To give us life and it maintain Seav'n Sacraments Christ did prepare For souls whilst here they do remain Baptism the first Tit. 3. v. 5. Io 3. v. 5. regenerates By water souls which God creates For thô the soul is innocent Yet when it 's in the Body plac't United Ps 50. v. 7. t is incontinent Guilty and in it's self defac't Rom. 5. v 12 Tit. 3. By Adam's sin it dead remains Baptismall grace it's life regains By Confirmation it is fed With milky grace till it be strong It must not tast that living Bread To the adult this doth belong Act ◠v. 17. This gives to it the Holy Ghost To strengthen it against Hell's Host Who seek the soul's first fruit to gain When use of reason doth appear By Confirmation do remain In us God's Spirit Love and Fear It doth enable us to fight That we may put the dev'l to flight Let no one then this Sacrament Neglect You Parents still take care That you to Bishop do present Your children but first them prepare To this great gift of Confirmation That it may prove to their Salvation When reason's ripe a stronger food Christ in his love did here ordain His pretious Body MarK 14. v. 22.23 Io. 6 V. 56. and his Bloud That he with us might still remain And we not fear the greatest evill Being dreadfull made unto the devill Of this transcendent act of love I shall not now pretend to treat Nor how much it doth us behove Oft to receive this Heau'nly Meat There and the rest I do reserve To treat alone as they deserve Iob. 7. v. ◠Mans life on Earth a Warfare is ' Gainst devil World and Flesh he fights Iames. 3. v. 2. He often erres and doth amiss And wounded is by satans sleights A sovêrain Salve Christ did prepare To heal and keep him from despair This Sacramentall Pennance is Which Io. 20. v. 23. right apply'd doth heal the soul Where God gives to it Peace's Kiss And grace all passions to controul To root out all inord'nate Love And six it's joys on God above What requisites most needfull are That Pennance may work these effects J shall hereafter full declare And also what are the defects Which hinder Sacramentall grace And hatefull sin set in its place When sickness doth so much prevail That you expect your Friend to dy And usûall Physick seems to fail Rich Cordialls then you must apply Life to preserve till Nature 's spent Which also death somtimes prevent Thus Extream Unction doth apply The Churches Pray'r Iam. 5. v. 14. if death appear To those who agonizing ly Which God is often pleasd to hear And longer life grant V. 15. to this end That they their former may amend Or else it doth prepare to death V. 15. By full remission of their sin That when they yield their vitall breath Life everlasting may begin O! always beg you ne're may dy Without this sacred remedy Judges and Magistrates we need The Body Politick to guide So Priests and Prelates Act. 20. v. 28. rule and feed All such as in the Church abide Luc. 22. v. 19. Hence t is that such might still remain Christ Holy Order did ordain Io. 20. v. 22. Act. 13. v. 3 c. 6. v. 6. 1. Tim. 4. v. 14. 2. Tim 1. v. 6. These have their power from above The Holy Ghost Christ to them gave Those they ordain Christ doth approve And they the self same power have They are the Guides unto our soul Good to promote and Vice controul Priests consecrate the Sacrament Of the most Holy Eucharist They do absolve the Penitent As being authoriz'd by Christ Io. 20. v. 23. Whose sins you quit the same do I And whose you bind the same I ty By Wedlock Bodies multiply And souls which God in them creates The Sacrament doth grace apply Mat 19. v 6. And God this Contract consecrates Who grace to Man and Wife doth give Eph 5. v. 33. That they in mutûall love may live That they their duty may fulfill Breeding their Children in God's fear To love him and fulfill his will That when at Judgment they appear They may not bear their Children's blame As being Authors of the same Here you compendiously do see The virtue of the Sacraments As also why they seaven be Which sacred number represents The seav'nfold grace of God's bles't Spirit Which we by Sacraments do merit These seaven stars are our true Guide That we may shun the Gulf of sin By these we in God's
greif consider well Rom. 6. v. 23. What fruit by sin you gain With loss of Heav'n you purchase Hell And devil's slave remain For what is sin but à privation Of your act 's rectitude Contempt of God and your salvation And all ill doth intrude Your soul 's possessed by the devill Where he doth rule and reign Compelling it to what is evill This is a sinners gain This well consider'd must needs move 1. Iohn 3. v. 8. Your soul sin to repent But chiefly loss of your God's love In heart you must lament This most of all let soul resent Isay 59. v 2. Ier. 17. v. 13. Osee 4. v. 12. That God is from her parted Who is her Center of content Because she prov'd false hearted Here let your soul grieve bitterly With sorrow from the heart Hence forth resolve you 'l rather dy Than from your Lord depart If he 'l be reconcil'd again Zach. 1. v 3. Isai 1. v. 18. Such sorrow will him win To come to you and there remain Remitting all past sin Next Act. 19. v. 18. all the sins you do recall To mind you must confess Their nature circumstance and all What 's doubtfull still express If you conceal but one great sin Or what much aggravates Act. 5. v. 4. A greater evill you fall in Such sacriledge God hates It maketh void your whole Confession And no sin there is quitted When Priest absolves but new trangression And mortall sin 's committed And all sins after while you live Thô you confess them plain And Priest doth Absolution give Unpardon'd still remain For till the first sin be confess 't That once you did conceal God pardons none of all the rest Be sure then it reveal With all which you since that committed How oft' confess 't receiv'd That sacriledge may be remitted And Conscience be reliev'd When you to Priest your sins confess Let neither shame or fear You hinder but still truth express And make Confession clear Fear not the Priest will them disclose For he is sure of this If ever he discovers those His soul condemned is Thirdly this Sacrament requires You satisfy for wrongs And this as Priest of you desires To Pennance this belongs Exod. 22. v 1 Luk. 19. v. 8. Your neighbour satisfaction make Restoring what 's his due And ask his pardon for God's sake That God may pardon you To God your satisfaction is Ps 50. v. 19. A contrite humble heart To mend what you have don amiss No more from him to part By sinfull thought Esay 59. v. 2. by word or deed Be sure you this intend Math. 10. v. 22. Pray him to help in time of need Persever to the end Thô all this cannot strait be done Yet really resolve This to perform when you are gone That Priest may you absolve Thus Sacrament works it's effect Io. 20. v. 23. Which is your sins Remission And grace of God which will direct To mend your life's condition Be sure avoid this great abuse Which I fear some fall in To make this sacramentall use An instrument to sin Because Christ left this help for all Who truely do repent They little care how oft they fall And lost grace less resent For Who presumes to sin because He may here find salvation Directly runs into the jaws Of Hell to his damnation For to confess thus without doubt He never is absolv'd Till he doth also cast this out And better is resolv'd This Sacrament was not ordain'd T'embolden you in sin But that when grace is here regain'd You may abide therein Luk 7. v. 38. With Magdalen past sins lament And follow Christ your Lord Thus you will find true hearts content When Christ and you accord All praise and glory to Christ's Name Mark 2. v. 10.11 Who sin did here remit As Man and to men gave the same Full power to acquit As Father me to Earth did send Iohn 20. v. 21. I also do send you Absolve poor Sinners to this end That they good life renew Amen THE SACRAMENT OF LOVE OR THE SACRAMENT OF SACRAMENTS This is my Body This is my Bloud Math. 26. v. 26.28 MOsaick Sacraments Adieu To this you must resign the place You were but Figures Hebr. 10. v. 1. here 's the true Fountain and source of heav'nly grace Io. 6. v. 49.51 You did prefigure what is here True God and Man our JESUS dear Not oxen Levit. 1. v. 2. c. 7. v. 9. Gal. 2. v. 19. c. 5. v. 2. sheep nor calves or bread Are off'red here as in that Law Those types and figures now are dead Aaron like sacrifice nêre saw True God and Man 's our Sacrifice And here upon our Altar lies He 's Sacrifice Hebr. 9. v. 28. Hebr. 9. v. 12.14 and Sacrament And first did offer-Sacrifice The Priest by his Commandement The Consecrating Words applies By death he sacrific'd on th' Cross It 's offred here without life's loss Io. 1. v. 14. God's son for Man's sake did descend From Heav'n took flesh and man became And practis'd virtue to this end Io. 13. v. 15. Math. 16. v. 24. Luk 9. v. 23. That Man might learn to do the same If you will my Disciple be Deny your self follow me Io. 19. v. 28. And when the scriptures were fulfill'd And what of him was writ compleated Thô innocent the Jews him kill'd Whom they before had vilely treated His Love nail'd him unto the Cross Man to redeem and his great loss He dy'd but once yet still doth dy Revel 13. v. 8. And shall as long as world doth last As to th' effect not really His suff'ring state is gon Rom. 6. v. 9. and past That memory of this remain A Sacrifice he did ordain In the last Supper he did make With his Disciples he took seat And Blessing Bread and Wine said Math. 26. v. 26.28 Take This is my Body which you eat This is my Bloud Luk 22. v. 19. do you the same As a Memoriall in my Name Thus Phaenix-like he still revives Thô for our sins he once was dead Like Pelican to save our lives Io. 6. v. 55.58 His children with his flesh he fed What Mother ever did in stead Of Milk with her bloud children feed Here did he perfectly fulfill What Salomon of him did write The sons of men who do my will Prov. 8. v. 31. To be with them is my delight Whom by my Death I did revive With my own flesh I keep alive And this I do that they may be Rais'd up from their poor humble state 2. Petr. 1. v. 4. And that they may be one with me By perfect love and sin's true hate Io. 6. v. 56. Who eats my Flesh abides in me And to him I 'le united be Mercy and Love did me incline To leave my Father's glorious Throne That I might Man's frail Nature joyn To my divine and make them
to all sort of sin And hard to leave when once they fall therein Feed not your Bellies swine-like Iam. 5. v. 5. to the knife Seek not joys here but in the other life Hence fly your drinking friends society Mind you were made to joyn a Deity Cast not away this Counsel as they use Away its Melancholy Here 's abuse Dan. 5. v. 5. Beware Balthasar's hand upon the wall Wâ—ch while he 's drinking writes his great downfall Luk. 21. v. 34. That night he lost his life do you beware God's eye above doth see and will not spare The least of faults but note it down by hand Severe much more shall drunkard guilty stand Who hundreds hath made partners in his sin Poor sottish soul henceforth do thou begin A Reformation leave this Mother Vice Attendants all will vanish in a trice Fix thought on Heaven Phil. 3. v. 20. let thy converse be With Angels that is the society God made thee for and there with him to dwell While brutish drunkards buried are in Hell DEATH AND LIFE Are in the hands of the tongue Prov. 18. v. 21. THe soul thô active yet while here Within the Body sâ—â—â—s confin'd Math. 12. v. 34. In this defective doth appear Not able to declare her mind Without the use of instruments Of which the Tongue is always chief In the revealing her intents Her love her hate her joy her grief Hence 't is the Tongue participates In her soul's actions good or ill So do the lips which are the gates That shut and open at her will Thus death and life are said to be In the Tongûes power 〈◊〉 her hands Althô the sin's formality Is in the Will which all commands But yet from fault the Tongue 's not free Some Tongues so ready are to speak Eecli 4. v. 34 Eccli 32. v. 10.11 Like Fancy they as nimble be Let fly at all and thus they break The Laws of Reason God and Man With evill words they wound the soul They speak before their Reason can Well judge what 's right and them controul Hence 't is Saint James declares that he Who to Religion doth pretend And leaves his Tongue at liberty Of his Religion there 's an end Iam. 1. v. 26. Except a Man his Tongue refrain And make of it Religious use Ps 139. v. 12. He doth pretend to it in vain T is not Religion but abuse A Tongue that 's let at liberty Iam 3. v. 8. Saint James doth call a restless evill Abounding with iniquity And brings the soul unto the Devill It swears it curses v. 9.10 it blasphemes It lyes detracts and causeth strife It treats men with injurious Names Which oft occasions loss of life It doth the innocent defame By telling stories too and fro Iam. 3. v. 6. It puts the whole World in a flame Such Tongue to ' scape what man doth know Ps 56. v 5. Ps 13. v. 3. David compares it to a sword Under its lips Asp's poyson is Hundreds somtimes but with a word Infecting or with whispeâ—ing hiss Detracting words it doth let fly Prov 24 v. 9 21 Eccli 20. v. 28.30 To th' loss of others Reputation Thus wounds the souls of standers by And many times to their Damnation For they do oft too much attend And credit the Detractours speech When they the absent should defend Math. 7. v. 12. As Christian Charity doth teach And thus they guilty do become Rom. 1. v. 32 Lev. 5. v. 1. By Silence seem to give consent In their defence are wholy dumb And lend their ear with much content Hear what Saint Bernard says of this Men to detract or others hear Which of these two more wicked is It doth not plain to me appear Again the Tongue by words impure 1. Cor. 15. v. 33. Provokes the Hearers unto Lust For which one day let man be sure A strict account he render must As instrumentall to their evill As envying their dear soul's salvation Against his God he joyns the devill And brings their souls unto damnation O fy lascivious Man for shame Beware your Tongue Eccli 27. v. 7. Math. 12 v. 34. for it doth show You are in heart the very same Since by his Tongue Man's Heart we know Let then your Tongue be chast and pure And Heart convert from that great Vice Rev. 21. v. 27. For no uncleanness we are sure Shall ever enter Paradise See what great evills men run in By their unchast detracting Tongue Besides their own most wicked sin All hearers sins to them belong Coloss 3. v. 8. Beware this Vice then from this day And of your Tongue most carefull be Ps 18. v. 14. Still with King David humbly pray From others sins O Lord spare me Some Tongues are good and Life do give By Godly counsell Pray'r and Preaching They gain from sin and win to live In virtue by their pious Teaching Souls to convert of all good works Saint Denis calls the most divine Let them be with the Jews or Turks Dan. 12. v. 3. Such Teachers shall with glory shine Choice silver saith wise Salomon That pure Tongue is Prov. 10. v. 20. which many teacheth To worship God and call upon His Holy Name and if it preacheth Good doctrine from all errours quit He truly names it Prov. 15. v. 4. Wood of life Reviving all that tast of it Such Tongues are always void of strife To injuries they make reply With meek with mild with humble spirit They always speak with charity Which pleaseth God and grace doth merit They pray they sing they praise God's Name If gratefull office they can do They still are ready for the same True Charity prompts thereunto Such blessed Tongues are instruments Eccli 37. v 21.22.26 To do themselves and others good They cross the Devil 's curst intents Christ's Death to frustrate and his Bloud Which he by wicked Tongues oft gains Destroying Christian Charity Well knowing Christ's most bitter pains For such will ineffectuall be The nature of the Tongue you see It is the best and worâ—â— of things As you do use it certainly Death to the soul Eccli 37. v. 21. Ps 100. v 6 Eph 4. v. 29. or life it brings Of others tongues do you beware Lest you be partner in their sin And of your own take equall care That you the same Gulf fall not in Come Children hear Ps 33. v. 12. and credit me Saith David I 'le teach you God's fear Who with long life would blessed be And see good days while he is here v. 14. Let him his Tongue refrain from ill His lips let not deceitfull be Thus he 'l perform his Makers will Long Life and happy days shall see But since it doth to God belong Prov. 16. v. 1. As Salomon the Wise declares To govern and to rule the Tongue Ps 140. v. 3. With David let us make our Pray'rs Put to
if their reason they had lost They will not suffer in the least They curse blaspheme not fearing God Nor his severe chastizing rod. Nay Man God's Image they fear not To curse blaspheme and wish all evill As thô their God they had forgot They sacrifice Man to the Devill Wishing the Devill him to take Thô God made Man dy'd for his sake Gen. 4. v. 3.4 To own God Man did Sacrifice And give to him still of the best By cursing Man his God defies Gives man to th' Devill with the rest Who oft upon the Devill calls To him by cursing prostrate falls O bold affront O dread contempt Of our great God and King of Kings Vile rebell Man who dares thus tempt The Lord and Maker of all things When thou call'st on the Devill fear He may thee strait in pieces tear Thô God doth the Blasphemer spare Permitting him still here to live Yet he and his the worse do fare For wicked curses he doth give Wisd 1 v. 6. No wonder since he oft doth call For Pox and Plague they should befall And if this Vice he will not mend But in the same perversly dy Hell-Fire most sure will be his end There with his Devill-God to ly In fiery bed and ever shall With curses on the Devill call Let all men then in time beware And this good scripture-counsell take Not once to curse or vainly swear Which enemies to God them make Who such doth leave and when he parts The Dev'd doth soon possess their hearts Hear then the Wiseman Eccli 23. v. 10. seldom name God or his Saints in conversation And when you do pronounce the same Show great respect and veneration Thus you this Precept will not break Thô you their Names should often speak Still Honour Praise Ps 95. v. 8. and Glory give To God's blest Name while you are here Love fear and serve him while you live And then to dy you will not fear With the Profane you will not ly But praise God's Name Eternally Amen A LYAR TO BE EXCLUDED Lying Lips are abomination to our Lord. Prov. 12. v. 22. IF Man did think on his once happy state A Ly of all things in the World he 'ld hate Since by a Ly the Devill did deceive Gen. 3. v. 4. His Father Adam and his Mother Eve And by it brought them into God's displeasure With justice loss of all the greatest treasure v. 7. Besides they were cast out of Paradise To toil for Bread v. 23. this was sins dâ—adly price With blinded reason and depraved will Heavn's loss Hells gains who caÌ„ coÌ„ceive the ill And shall a Lyar heav'nly joys regain No He in Hell for ever must remain Heav'ns King is Truth there nought but Truth shall enter Lyars desceÌ„d into the lowest Center Io. 14. v. 6. Io. 8. v. 44. To Lying Devill Father of all Lyes Brought forth by envy wch the Truth defyes These are the Parents of a Lying Man A baser off-spring bring me if you can A Lyar of all creatures is the worst By God and Man deservedly accurst Prov. 6. v. 17. Ibid. 12. v. 22. Since Angel-like by thought men can't declare Their minds by Tongue as instrumeÌ„t they are To tell their thoughts that meÌ„ might know their mind And freely deal with them in ev'ry kind This ordinance of God is by a Ly Orêthrown and all human society Destroy'd for since a Lyar no one can Believe who dares converse with such a Man All Trade is stop't discourse MaÌ„'s great delight Is silenced by this accursed wight Who name of Man doth not deserve but rather Of Devill in man's shape for he 's his Father Io. 8. v. 44. Dumb Beasts will not allow his company They make true signs his ToÌ„gue does aways ly Where shall we then find place for him I 'le tell In lonely Desart till he goes to Hell Or that he may repent and poor soul save Cut out his Tongue let him go to his grave Speechless since of it he made such bad use That Hell is due to him for the abuse Without eye hand or tongue Math 2â— v. 8.5 it 's better go To God than with them to our mortall foe It is no wonder that God hates a Ly Since that it strikes at his blest Deity Truth is God's Essence this a Ly denies All Verity and God it still defies Beware for Ananias and his wife For telling Ly were both depriv'd of life Act. 5. v. 5.10 For laÌ„d they sold they brought short of the price And gave Saint Peter this was Hell's advice He askt They boldly told him this is all At his rebuke for lies they dead did fall Who taught you to the holy Ghost to ly v. 3. To God and man you do the truth deny Great reason also Men have to despise A lyar Prov. 24. v. 9. who by his detracting Lyes Defames their Credit and doth cause such strife That Love destroys and many times Man's life By quarrels he doth raise Yea Lyes alone Kingdoms and Families have overthrown Who is there living that hath yet forgot The horrid Oatish Presbyterian plot Where Oates and Bedloe with hell's cursed crew Vented their Lyes and still invented new How many men did they send to the grave When Royall family 't was hard to save Then Lying devills did break Pale of Hell And ever since with men on Earth do dwell Who seem to have possest the greatest part Of this poor Nation lodging in man's heart To dispossess them and to Hell confine By loving Truth let ev'ry true Heart joyn Zach 8. v. 16. A Lyar then Eccli 28. v. 15. is enemy accurst To God and Man and to himself the worst For Lying mouth Wisd 1. v. 11. saith Salomon doth kill The souls of them who bear this wicked will O monstrous Man Io. 8. v. 44. that is for nothing good Not Man but devil if right understood That hissing serpent which Man first deceiv'd Teacheth to whisper words of Truth bereav'd Eccls 10. v 11. Rom. 1. v 30. Prov. 5. v. 13. Iam. 3. v. 6. I 'le tell you this but look you do not tell The Man concern'd O curst Firebrand of Hell Who with thy toÌ„gue dost put the world in flaÌ„es Curst serpent devil fits thee of all Names Besides detraction Lying doth produce Many more sins This Proverb is in use Give me a Lyar I 'le give thee a Thief By Lying he doth think to gain belief Theft to conceal but if he 'l not amend Hell by the Gallows soon will be his end A man that is to cursed Lying bent While here in part receives his punishment This is his Plague when he speaks Truth as just No one believes him or his word will trust See here how useless Lyar is on Earth He had been happy stifled in birth You Parents to whom God doth children give Teach them by Truth in love of God to live Let not the
Lying devill them deceive By Lyes of joys their dear souls to bereave O wicked Parents who while young neglect This dev'lish Vice in children to correct You Lyars guilty of this deadly crime Leave off Repent amend while you have time Speak what is just Eph. 4. v. 25. do not the truth deny The Lying devill and his Lyes defy Love and serve God his just Laws still attend Thus once a Lyar may make happy end THE TRUE ART OF LOVING WELL. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God Math. 22. v. 37. I Shall not here like Ovid teach The Art of brutish Carnall Love But that which did exceed his reach Practis'd by Seraphins above Which God Io. 13. v. 34. made man did teach to men To joyn them to their God agen To love those only who love you Or objects that your senses please Math 5. v. 46. What do you more then Heathens do Or brutes â—ho Belly love and ease Your God above whom you don't see I 'le teach to love and Enemy This Christ did teach v. 44. while he was here By words Luk 23. v. 34. and his most rare example The same to follow do not fear Rom. 5. v. 15. He for you grace hath purchas 't ample He hath rais'd Man unto this state He can love those Act 7. v. 60. who do him hate To do this cast your eye above Contemplate God's most lovely features Then for his sake you 'l learn to love In him all his beloved creatures And most of all Gen. 1. v. 26. his Image dear Which wrap't in flesh is placed here The Elements to Center tend As Water Earth the Air and Fire Where they do rest as in their end To hold them back doth force require The iron doth to Loadstone cleave That it may virtue thence receive Ps 72. v. 26. God Center is to soul of man Which here to Body is confin'd And without him there 's nothing can Give satisfaction to her mind He is the Loadstone where she gains Perfection and content remains For what are objects of Man's love Wealth Power Beauty Riches Glory All these are found in God above In high degree saith sacred story Wisd 1. v. 7.1 Ioh 4. v. 19. God all perfections doth contain Since he loves you love him again He loves you not for interest As if you could him profit bring But that you may with him have rest In glory of your heav'nly King Where you with Angels shall always In joy sing forth his glorious praise Love makes the consort of the Quire For all their Notes are tun'd by Love And Love is all their hearts desire Their God is Love 1. Ioh 4. v. 16. that reigns above By Love you do him perfect joyn To love him truly then incline To gain your loving heart's consent Gen. 1. v. 26. 1. Ioh 4. v. 9 Ioh 1. v. 14. Ioh. 20. v. 17. Behold what here on Earth is don All creatures made for your content Nay he has sent his only son To take your flesh and Brother be From sin and Hell to set you free All objects of true Love are here Laid open to your corp'rall view Since all that 's perfect doth appear In Christ who God and Man is true Ps 44. v. 5. He is the beauty of Mankind In Body features grace and mind He is not only amiable In body but likewise in heart His love to you was firm and stable Ioh. 13. v. 1. Till Death did soul and Body part While here on Earth for your souls sake No pains did he refuse to take He fasted pray'd he watch't he taught Cold Hunger Thirst he did endure Salvation for your soul he sought And to make future Glory sure Ro. 5. v. 8. By bitter pains he dy'd on th' tree Thus much thy JESUS loved thee Now he to heaven is ascended Io. 14. v. 2.1 Io. 2. v. 2. Rom. â— v. 34. Heb. 7. v. 25. Beholding Father face to face His Love to you is still extended He hath prepared you a place That it may be your finall home He is your Advocate become Love this your God-Man who loves you And for your sake hath done all this In all your ways prove to him true Against his Laws nêre do amiss His blessed will be sure obey Math. 19. v. 17. To Heav'n it is the only way THE SECOND PART I say to you love your Enemies Math. 5. v. 44. If you love me Ioh. 14. v. 15. saith Christ our Lord Be sure you keep this my command Ioh. 15. v. 12. Math. 22. v 39 1 Ioh. 4. v. 20. With one another still accord Your Brother love as your right hand Who doth not here his Brother love Loves not his God who is above Not only love him who loves you For blindest Heathen doth the same But love your Enemy Math. 5. v. 44. as true Tender his life his goods his fame So you who Enemies have been To me Math. 6 v. 12.14 shall love and pardon win God made man's soul his image dear To live with him eternally And thô to sin he did not fear And thus became his Enemy Revenge on him he did not take But taking flesh dy'd for his sake Here learn of God Math. 5. v. 45. your Heav'nly Father Who sinner feeds as well as just To feed your Enemy yea rather Than friend so you may humbly trust Luk. 6. v. 38. That God your soul with grace will feed Since you fed Foe in time of need You cannot love his wickedness But as God's Image you must love 1. Ioh. 4. v. 20. To 's Pattern Kindness here express If Peace you love that is above Then mercifull to you he 'l be Who for his sake lov'd Enemy The Just dost lesser stand in need Of love Rom 8. v. 2. than he who is in sin From satan's pow'r the first is freed While this 2. Timi 2. v. 26. his slavery lyes in O pray that God will set him free Then God will mercy shew to thee But if Revenge thou seek'st to take Math. 18. v. 32 33. For injury that 's gone and past Thou liable thy self dost make To guilt forgiven and at last As cruell damn'd thy soul will be Not shewing Mercy shew'd to thee With joy forgive then Man's offence Since Christ our Lord hath promis't you Mark 11. v 25 Eccli 28. v 2. Mark 4. v. 24. For sin it shall make recompense And debt remit which to it's due What measure you give to your Brother The same shall you have and no other His loss is most when he wrongs thee In body goods or reputation Without Repentance his will be The loss of God and soul's salvation Pray you the Father as the Son Forgive Luk. 23. v. 34. he knows not what h 'as don If you saw Beast in danger great You strait would run his life to save And enemy away would beat
Yet you here no compassion have â—â— Pet. 5. â— 8 Where Dev'l hath got man in his pow'r And soul is ready to devour Again if JESUS thou dost love Reflect for sinners he did dy And see thou his Disciple prove Who prayed for his Enemy If thou dost hate the tempting Dâ—vill 2. Tim. 2. v. 25.26 Pray for thy Brother drawn to evill Lest God should for thy cruelty Let thee fall into sinfull state And in thy wickedness to dy And then Repent but when too late O that I had my Brother lov'd Then God had not his Grace remov'd Besides remember that thy Foe Isay 38. v. 7. Is also thy own flesh and bloud If he chance evill way to go Indeavour thou to make him good Let 's all in love united be Against our common Enemy Thus for God's love and JESUS sake As also bound by Nature's Law Compassion on thy Brother take All rancour from thy heart withdraw Exod. 32. v 32. Rom. 9. v. â— God's Image love bewail his loss Since Christ redeem'd him by the Cross Revenge and Envy came from Devill Who envy'd God and our blest state Beware this Coloss 3. v. 8. Eccl. 28. v 1 as the greatest evill Which ' gainst Man shutteth Heav'ns gate There all do burn like Seraphin No Envy-fire can enter in God came from Heaven Luk 12. v. 49. to cast fire Upon the Earth that is Man's Heart And that it burn is his desire That he may never from him part Deut. 4 v. 24. Heb 12. v. 29. God is this fire of Charity By love Man joyns him perfectly Love then your God who did you make That you may live Eternally And love your Brother for his sake Not only Friend Math. 5. v. 44. but Enemy So you 'l do that for which he came Joyn Heav'n and Earth in love's great flame OF PRIDE God resists the proud to the humble he gives grace 1. Petr. 5. v. 5. PRoud Lucifer like Morning star All other Angels did excell Till he by Pride with God made war Luk 10. v. 18. Isai 14. v. 14. And thus from Heav'nly Glory fell Within the Sun I 'le place my seat As God himself I will be great He look't on his capacity Which by Creation he receiv'd And this forgetting would not be To God beholding but deceiv'd By Pride Isai 14. v. 13. to Glory did intend By his own power to ascend He others tempts with this proud thought Rveal 12. v. 7. But Michaël did him resist At last to his consent he brought One whole third part which glory mis't The third part of the stars I saw v. 4. The Dragon down with 's Tayl to draw When this Temptation once had past And try'd the nine Angelick Quires God did confirm the good but cast v. 9. The proud into Eternal fires Who 's like to God says Michaël Proud Lucifer be gone to Hell He after finds in Paradise Poor Man created for his place And gives to him the same advice God's Image in him to deface Eat but the fruit of this fair Tree Gen. 3. v. 5. And like to God thou strait shalt be Proud Eve desirous to be great The fruit Gen. 3. v. 6. bêing pleasant to the eye Took and persuades Adam to eat And both lost Paradise therby As dust thou art v. 19. to dust return And in Hell fire hereafter burn Behold here our first Parents fall And had not God made Man once dy'd Rom. 5. v. 12.18 The Devi'l by this had gain'd us all The curst effect of hatefull Pride And thô we are redeem'd in part Still of that sin we find the smart For we are still to Pride so prone That our best actions scarce are free So had we that to tempt alone In danger great our souls would be Eccli 10. v. 14. Dan. 3. v. 5. How many have rebell'd by Pride And would on Earth be deify'd Nabuchodonosor we read On Earth as God would be ador'd His lot was fire who êre did dread The true God v. 6. and this act abhorr'd God for his Pride made him a Beast Dan 4. v. 30. With brutes to live and make his feast And what are all the proud of heart But senseless Brutes and void of reason To arrogate what is God's part Unto themselves which is high Treason 1. Cor. 4. v. 7. What hath Man but what God did give Humble and gratefull let him live For when he once doth glory in What he receiv'd as thô his own It is a sacrilegious sin Which seeks the Giver to dethrone He would have men adore him here For his great parts which do appear And if his will they 'l not obey His Heart with fiery Fury burns He seeks their life to take away Or prejudice in life-concerns O child of Lucifer beware This Pride in thee God will not spare God doth resist 1. Pet. 5. v. 5 c. and hate the Proud And doth withdraw his helping grace Without which 't is by all allow'd No one shall see his blessed face Without Grace no one can do good Ioh. 15. v. 5. Which was the purchase of Christ's bloud Pride Eccl. 10. v. â— v. 15. which both God and Man do hate Is root of sin and all that 's evill v. 14. v. Iob 41. v. 25. Eccli 10. v. 15. Ibid. It makes Man to Apostatate Withdraws his Heart to joyn the devill From curses he shall nêre be free And in the end subverted be All virtues Pride doth overthrow Gen. 3. v 5 6 All vice came from this Cursed Tree It seeks its Glory here below With Lucifer its place shall be Who doth himself on Earth exalt Shalâ— humbled be for this default Isay 2. v. 12. Math. 23. v. 12 Math. 5. v. 3. And who is Humble in this life With humble Christ shall reign above While here he lives is void of strife And gains of ev'ry Man true love Blest Virtue of Humility Which doth from Hell and Devill free THE SECOND PART God gives grace to the Humble PRoud Lucifer had gain'd such footing In soul of Man by Adam's Sin Gen. 3. v. 7. And Pride in Nature had such rooting Whose Slave poor Man long time had been Humility without God's grace Had never more regained place And no small grace was here requir'd Man's Nature now to innovate Since to be great most men desir'd And did abhorr the humble state Example no less than divine Could make Men to the same incline God therfore who did reign above In power and great Majesty Would Man become for poor Man's love And teach him true Humility Luk. 2. v. 7. Humility made him poor born The same his Life did here adorn Scorn and Contempt he still endur'd With humble death Phil. 2. v. 8. upon the Cross That we might all be well assur'd This way we must redeem our loss I gave example Math 11. v.
prevail We beg to pray they will not fail Iob. 42. v. 8. God sent Job's friends who had offended To beg that he would for them pray v. 8. To grant what Job askt he intended Thô their Request he cast away Rev. 5. v. 8. Thus Saints by Pray'r our wants relieve Thô to us Grace they cannot give And doubt not but our Pray'rs they hear For they our thoughts in God do know In whom as in a Chrystal clear They see all things which are below If Angels know not Sin is quit Luk. 15. v. 7. How can they'n Heav'n rejoyce at it And since the Saints for friends might pray When here I am 5. v. 16. why not now they are gone Will God this Privîledge take away That they shall leave their friends alone If here 't was counted Charity Shall they in Heav'n less loving be This doctrine false from Devils came 1. Tim. 4. v. 1. Who are to Saints and Sinners foes To lessên Saints honour is their aim That we may this advantage lose If tempting Dev'ls may here assault Why not Saints prayîng defend from fault In all your life time night and day Make Pray'r to God become your Brother The blessed Saints desire to pray For you and chiefly your dear Mother Io. 19. v. 27. Christ gave her Mother unto Saint John So she 's the same to evêry one Beg that she will your Mother be And next to God of you take care To pray for your felicity And that all Sin you may beware Now and in the hour of your Death When you must yield your vitall breath For on that hour all doth depend It Sorrow brings or lasting joy Beg her by Pray'r you to defend That Satan may you not annoy Pray Mother that I dy in love To live with you and God above Amen OF FASTING AND THE CONTRARY JESVS fasted forty days and forty nights Math. 4.2 YOu see that our first Enemy The Dev'l by Pray'r is overthrown How Flesh the next subdu'd may be I shall endeavour to make known Hest 14. v. 2.1 Cor. 9. v. 27. Pray'r doth prevent the Devil's aim Fasting rebelliôus Flesh doth tame Yet 't is most certain that without Fasting your Pray'r doth little avail When Flesh is pamper'd Rom. 8. v. 5.7.8.13.1 Pet. 2. v. 11. there 's no doubt The Dev'l will soon with you prevail The Flesh is his chief Instrument By which he gains the soul's consent For Stomack full with meat and drink Obscures the poor soul's Understanding That she on God can little think And thus she leaves the sense commanding Consenting to what Flesh requires Sleep Sloth Gal. 5. v. 19.20 and all unchast desires Hence 't was that when God Laws did give To Man he grounded them on Fasting That he might still obedient live And thus obtain Life everlasting Phil. 3. v. 19. The Belly-God you must deny Which doth the true God still defy To Man God's first Law was that he Should keep strict Fast and to abstain Gen. 2. v. 17. Eat not the fruit of this fair Tree And in my love thou shalt remain The Fruit was fair Gen. 3. v. 6. and pleas'd the Eye Man eat lost all by Gluttony And we his children from that time Of Gluttony do feel the smart By this our Parents hainous crime From God averted in our heart 1. Cor. 15. v. 50. Gal 5 v 17 Inclin'd unto Flesh-Liberty The Soul 's most Mortall Enemy The second Law which God did give Was to great Moyses in the Mount If by that Law we justly live To God we once must give account Exod 23 v 16 T' approach God there he had not dar'd Had he not been by Fast prepar'd v. 18. Exod. 31. v 18. He fasted forty days and nights And then receiv'd the ten Commands Which guide our Reason like ten Lights v. 18. And written were by God's own hands In stony Tables to declare The people Stony-hearted were For thô the Wonders were so great God wrought for them by Moyse's hand Ungratefully they him did treat Ps 104. And often in Rebellion stand While Moyses fasts in their behalf Exod. 32. v. 4. They make themselves a golden calf v. 6. v. 19. v. 4. They eat they drink about it dance The God of Heaven they deny This Idol's honour to advance This was the fruit of Gluttony When Moyse's zeal this evill saw v. 19 He broke the Tables of the Law Here in a trice one Gluttônous Act Made void the Fast of forty days Exod 33. v. 4 Exod. 32. v. 31. Exod. 34. v. 28. v. 29. Moyses makes them this Sin retract And for this wicked people prays And by like Fast he did obtain The Tables of the Law again Our Saviour when he did intend Mat. 4. v. 2. To give to us the Law of grace Kept forty days Fast to this end That we this Virtue might embrace Without this Gal. 5. v. 24. we pretend in vain God's Law to keep or Grace obtain You see in Fasting God did give The Laws of Nature Moyse's Grace To shew if blameless you will live And have your Reason still take place Rom. 8. v. 13.1 Cor. 15. v. 50. By Fasting you the Flesh must tame Or doubtless you will miss your aim 1. Cor. 9. v. 27. Fasting doth curb the Flesh delights And leaves the Soul to domineer Who freed from Flesh couragious fights Against the Dev'l and doth not fear Who of his Weapon Flesh disarm'd Can little do by Fasting charm'd The Soul by Fasting here doth live Like Angel rul'd by Reasons light To whom God Grace doth freely give Prov. 8. v. 31. 3. King 19 v 8 4 King 2 v 11. To be with her is his delight Elias day and night did fast And hence in fiery Chariot pass't The force of Fasting's very great God threatning Ninives overthrow Ionas 3. v. 4. v. 5. v. 10. Their Fast approach't his Mercy seat And Grace on them he did bestow What pow'r hath Fasting here you see Which made God change his first Decree Gen. 3. v. 7. Gen. 9. v. 22. Gen. 19. v. 33. Numb 11. v. 33. Ps 77. v. 30.31 By eating Man lost Innocency By drinking Noah's shame did appear By drinking Lot lost Continency Who God in th'desart did not fear But eat and drank and Belly fill'd When they were fat fed God them kill'd Luk. 16. v. 19. v. 22. Rich Dives feasted gorgeously Nothing was wanting to his Tast Hungry in Hell now he doth ly In Fire among the devills plac't v. 21. Poor Laz'rus Begg'd Bread at his door v. 22. Who feasts with God for evermore Feasting if you consider well Is Man's most mortall Enemy Blindfold it leads the soul to Hell When Reason's blind it doth not see v. 24. Of Gluttony what is the fate Till damn'd it doth repent too late Fasting of Chastity's the Mother S. Basil Hom de
side Yet all these pardon'd were What greater sins can you conceive Or more ungrate full Men Yet those when they did evill leave And did return agen With tears of Eyes Ioel. 2. v. 12. and grief of heart With hope and Faith conjoyn'd By fervent Pray'r and Pennance smart v. 13. To Mercy God inclin'd Who did receive them in his love And grace on them bestow Ezech. 18 v. 22. Rom. 5. v. 20. The guilt of sin he did remove Where Vice now Virtues grow Thus they with many more became Great Saints and reign above Remitted sins Luk 7. v. 47. increase the flame Of Gratitude and Love If any sin he 'l not forgive It 's that which you are in Despairing Mercy 1. Io. 5. v. 16. Ier. 18. v. 12.13 while you live The greatest of all sin By this you do deny in him Ps 144. v. 9. Eph. 4. v. 19. His greatest Attribute Which leads the soul unto Hell's brim Despair's accursed fruit God's Mercy 's greater than Man's Sin So is the Price Christ gave Upon the Cross his Soul to win And from Damnation save Put trust in God Ps 90. v. 14.15 and in the merit Of Christ thy Saviour dear Leave Sin Ezech. 18. v. 32. by Faith raise up your spirit And pardon never fear Des I grant all 's true that you do say But yet this Mercy I Who Sinner am know not the way To gain or to apply Christ's merits to my Soul I fear Prov. 28. v. 9. While J'm in state of Sin My sighs and Pray'rs God will not hear This oft hath proved been Hope That is while Heart remains perverse Ready to sin again Eccli 34. v. 31. But when Man grieves his sinfull course And doth from sin refrain By Sacraments let him apply Christ's merit to his soul Christ promis't who can never ly Io. 20. v. 23. That he will make it whole Desp Sweet Hope Rom. 8. v. 24. which dost to Heav'n bring Your Convert I will be Dev'lish Despair away I 'le fling And hearken unto thee I 'le weep I 'le grievee I 'le leave all sin By Sacraments will I God's Mercy seek his grace to win Eccli 2. v. 11. And thus in Hope will dy Amen OF DEATH Remember thy last Ends and thou wilt not sin for ever Eccl. 7. v. 40. It is appointed for all men once to dy Hebr. 9. v. 27. THe soul of Man since Adam's fall Eph. 4. v. 18 19. Is so obscur'd by Flesh and Bloud The senses seem to govern all As if the soul nought understood Men to this life do so attend They little think upon their End The whole Earth sayeth Jeremy Ier. 12. v. 11. With desolation's desolate And he declares the reason why That we may mend before too late No one considers deep in heart That from this life he must depart Much less 2. Cor. 5. v. 10. that he account must give Of all what ever he hath done And that he must for ever live In joys or sorrow when he 's gone This want of true consideration Is chiefest cause of Man's damnation The Wiseman therfore doth advise That in your ways you mindfull are Of your last things Eccli 7. v 40. thus you 'l be wise And for a happy death prepare You 'l never sin or do amiss While this your Meditation is What is grim Death in picture made With Dead-Man's skull and standing by Hour-glass with crooked Sithe and spade Arm and Leg-bones that cross do ly Death nothing is but Life's privation The soul and Body's separation But yet how sad that hour will prove When Flesh and soul must separate Which were so firmly joyn'd in love No tongue is able to relate S. Denis Ps 54. v. 5. Among all other dreadfull things That day to Man most terrour brings That puts an end to carnall pleasures Which then to Soul cause bitter grief That separates from Worldly treasures Luk. 12. v. 20. Which then afford men no relief That parts from Children Wife and Friend To Worldly joys that puts an end That quells the spirit of the proud And stubborn disobedient heart That makes the Sinner cry aloud His guilty Soul 's loath to depart Wealth honour Pow'r will not prevail When Death arrests he takes no Bail Your Life to mend he 'l grant no space But to the Judge your Soul present Where bribes or friendship find no place To late 't will be then to repent Eccl. 11. v. 3. As at that hour you 're found to be So you 'l be for Eternity Delights and Pleasures wanton Love Which were before your heart 's content In that most dreadfull hour Wisd 5. v. 3. will prove Grief to your Soul which will lament To think how for these pleasing toys She is depriv'd of reall joys Those then will pass and leave behind A strict account for her to make Why she let them possess her mind And Pleasure with the Flesh did take Since she was made for joys above And to contemn all Carnall Love Then Glory Honour Power Wealth In which vain Men do put their trust Youth Beauty Valour Courage Health Will all be buried in the dust That Man will vile to God appear Who seem'd so great and glorious here Eccls. 1 v. 8. All these you 'l own then to be vain On which before you plac't your love Despairing then you will remain To think upon your God above How he will justly you condemn Who did for these his Laws contemn Ps 33. v. 22. O dreadfull day to wicked Soul Which here in body did neglect Her sense and passions to controul And crooked Nature to correct Still yielding with depraved will Her Flesh-desires here to fulfill Whereas in Body she was plac't Corrupted Nature to restrain And what she found in it defac't By grace and Virtue to regain But she let senses govern all By which the Dev'l procur'd her fall Mat. 25. v 7. The Prudent Virgins imitate With oyl in Lamp prepar'd remain Not with the foolish v. 8. when too late To seek v. 10. and knock but all in vain The gate is shut you are forgot The Bride-groom says v. 12. I know you not Have oyl of works in Lamps of Faith ' Gainst midnight-Death â—â—â—l 5.6 â—â—â—m 2. 〈◊〉 4.24 thus ready stand And glory not as scripture saith In Faith alone lest Spouse command You Ecâ—â—â—â—â—at 22. v. v. 12.13 not adorn'd with works to ly In fire yet dark and nêre to dy Take warning then before too late Deut. 32. v. 29. And that your life you may amend On your departure meditate That Worldly pleasures will have end That Riches you must leave behind Which will at Death perplex the mind O Death Eccli 41. v. 1. how bitter is the thought Of thee to those who do possess Peace in their Riches which have brought Their Soul to Sin and Wickedness To leave their
Idols is their grief Which now can yield them no relief These thoughts will draw your love frō wealth From carnall pleasures still refrain If you will keep your Soul in health Think what at Death by them you 'l gain Rev. 18. v. 7. How much you liv'd in pleasures here So much of torments you may fear Since then the pleasures of the Flesh Wealth Honour Glory are but vain Phil. 3. v. 8. Eccli 2. v. 10.11 Isai 40. v. 6. And at Death can't Your soul refresh As base and vile do you disdain Esteem them all mere Vanity Which pass away immediatly Iames. 1. v. 10. Coloss 3. v. 1.2 And fix your love upon those pleasures Which are prepar'd for you above Those Honours Glory Joys and Treasures Which will both true and lasting prove Love nothing but in God Ps 41. v. 3. Luk. 2. v. 29. and he From fear of Death will set you free While you live here be enemy To Flesh and Bloud Gal. 5. v. 24. Fast Watch and Pray Relieve the Poor in Charity Be Humble Patient and Obey Still Virtue practise and Sin fly Thus you will stand prepar'd to dy Besides that Death doth put an end To all those Worldly Vanities It doth the soul from Body send To lasting Joys Mat. 25. v. 13. or Miseries And there 's not any certainty When this great Day or Hour shall be God doth the Hour of Death conceal That we may always ready stand 1. Thess 5. v. 2. Mat. 24. v. 44. Thief-like it doth upon us steal Believe it then to be at hand In Conscience clear with Virtues drest That when you dy your Soul may rest What Madness t is but for an Hour To ly in sin and hazard all 1. Io. 3. v. 8. To keep within the Devil's power And not to God for Mercy call If in that Hour you chance to dy Your soul is damn'd Eternally Fear Death before it comes and be Mat. 24. v. 44. Upon your guard against that Hour Love God and be assured he Will you defend from Satans power Eccl. 8. v. 12. c. 12. v. 24. Prov. 28. v. 14. Thrice happy man that liveth here Replenish't with God's Love and Fear Then come Death early come it late Foreseen or sudden when you dy Prov. 14. v. 26. Eccli 33. v. 26. 1. Io. 4. v. 16. Iob. 14. v. 14. Fear hath secur'd you from Hell's gate Love joyn'd you to the Deity Let Death be always in your mind That you these blest effects may find Amen OF JUDGMENT After Death followeth Judgment Hebr. 9. v. 27. AS we are servants placed here Our Masters pleasure to fulfill 2. Cor. 5. v. 10. So we before him must appear To prove if we have done his Will Where ev'ry one reward shall have As here he did himself behave Death's only Messenger to cite All Souls before God's dreadfull Throne Where he will pass a Judgment right And Justice do to ev'ry one Twice God will Judge at Death the Soul When Bodies rise he 'l Judge the whole Dan. 7. v. 10. Rev. 20. v. 12. As soon as Soul from Body parts All 's op'ned to the Conscience view Who knows the secrets of Mens Hearts Will pass a Sentence just and true The Soul that moment knows its doom Go thou Accurs't or Blessed come Yet God will have one Genêrall day When soul and Body shall appear The Bodies 1. Thess 4. v 16. v. 17. which before dead lay Shall rise with horrid dread and Fear All must appear at Trumpet 's sound To that Assize all men are bound Rom 2. v. 5 6. Mat. 7. v. 15. God will have all men publick try'd Who good and bad were shall appear God's Judgments will be justify'd Thô some Men were disguised here Wolves sheep-skins then must lay aside No one Hebr. 4. v. 13. that day his fault can hide As Bodies did with souls partake And share with them in sinfull acts They also here account must make And judged be of all their facts If good with soul they 'l happy be If bad condemn'd to misery Again this Judgment-day must be That Christ who here was vilify'd Mat. 24. v. 30. May then appear in Majesty By who all Causes must be try'd 2. Tim. 4. v. 1. Hen then shall Judge the Quick and Dead Who Thief-like to the Judge was lead Before this Dreadfull day there shall Luk. 21. v. 25. Math. 24. v. 7. Strange signs in Sun and Moon be seen Great Earth-quakes also shall befall Great Wars and Tumults rise between Father and Son Brother and Brother v. 7. All Nations fighting one another Besides the Anti-Christian cheat Mat. 24. v. 24. With sword and Wonders shall compell Most Men from Christ's Faith to retreat And draw them with himself to Hell 2. Thess 2. v. 8. He shall be kill'd by JESUS Spirit And cast in fire as he shall merit Ose 3. v. 5. Isai 10. v. 21. Math. 24. v. 29. Then the hardhearted faithless Jew Shall be converted to Christ's Faith Soon after these things will ensue The Judgment-Day as Scripture Saith Before which there will yet appear More dreadfull Signs recounted here The sun shall be obscur'd v. 29. Act. 2. v. 20. Mat. 24. v 29 Luk 21. v. 26. Rev. 6. v. 14. the Moon Shall lose her light like Bloud appear As dark as Midnight shall be Noon Which shall fill Men with Dread and Fear The Stars shall fall the Heavens mov'd By Earth-quakes Mountains be remov'd From Heav'n most dreadfull fire shall fall Luk. 21. v. 25 Rev. 6. v. 16. The sea most horrid noise shall make Sinners shall on the Mountains call To hide them and with Terrour quake With Fear they 'l dry Luk 21. v. 26. and wither away How Dreadfull then will be that Day The Ensign of the Son of Man The Cross Mat. 24. v. 30. shall in the Sky appear They 'l tremble who here from it ran Who lov'd it Dan. 7. v. 9 Mat. 25. v. 31. shall with joy draw near Then shall be plac't the Judgment Seat And Christ appear in glory great Dan. 7. v. 10. v. 10. Ps 96. v. 3. Mat. 24. v. 31. Mat. 25. v. 6. Milliôns of Angels shall attend Him Fire shall run before his face He then his Angels forth will send To summon all unto that place At Midnight they 'l the Trumpet sound Which will throughout the World resound Arise you Dead 1. Thess 4. v. 16.17 come out of Grave You also who alive remain Appear that you may sentence have Of Joys or Everlasting Pain The Dead shall rise Rev. 20. v. 12. Math 24. v. 12. and all shall stand Astonish't at this great Command Souls shall their Bodies repossess 11. The Just with joy shall enter in But those who liv'd in wickedness With grief Rev. 2◠v. 13. reflecting on their sin As Bodies good or wicked are They shall
men to kill Just Noah for his God's Mercy wins Who always did his will Gen. 15. v. 13. Exod. 1. v. 14. Exod. 3. v. 10. Soon after they return'd to sin Th' Egyptians them inthrall'd God Moyses sent their hearts to win For Mercy they then call'd Exod. 14. v. 2â— Exod 20. Exod â—6 v. 4 13. By the Red sea they all were freed Commands he gave them ten Whom Moyses did in Desart feed And brought them back agen Unto the Land of Promise which Iosue 3. v. 17. With milk and honey flow'd Where they became a Nation rich In blessings there bestow'd Here they did oftentimes rebell Against their God most high Iudg 2. v. 12.17 And by the Serpents craft they fell Into Idolatry They oft for this chastized were 4. King 25. v. 11. And into Bondage led Some were corrected by dread fear Ps 77. v. 14. When others were struck dead But Vice with men did still renew Till our Redeemer came And laid it open to the view Which caus'd in men a shame And by his Virtues rare did win Them Virtue here to love Which drew their hearts from filthy Sin Now fix't on God above And when for Adam's fault he dy'd And freed from sin and Hell He form'd a Church out of his side Where Men secure might dwell Not fearing Sathan's strength 1. Tim. 3. v. 15. or sleights Again them to deceive He left therein such guiding Lights If they would to them cleave The Ark of Noah prefigur'd this Gen. 7. v. 1.23 Which sav'd all Souls within But who to enter here did miss Did perish in their sin v. 23. So those who in God's Church abide Pure in their conversation 1. Tim. 3. v. 15. And from that Faith do never slide Find therein true salvation But after Christ was gone Alas And his Apostles dead 2. Petr. 2. v. 1.2 v. 13. v. 10.18 Iud. v. 19. v. 12. He and the Truth blasphemed was Men by their senses led Forsook their Faith and doing good And running to all vice Trod under foot Christ's pretious Bloud Which was their Soul's great price At this God was offended sore Saint John reveals the same Rev. 7. v. 1. He power gave to Angels four Whom he sent in his Name To punish men by sea and Land Destroying all therein For Man's offence who now did stand Defil'd with hainous sin But God who 's still to Mercy bent Once more was pacify'd Another Moyses here was sent Among us to abide Who by his Life was to renew Christ's Passion in our mind And lay his Life unto our view That we might Virtue find Another Angel v. 2. says Saint John I saw come from the East Who cry'd unto the four hurt none Sea Earth Trees Fish or Beast Vntill in th' forehead with the Cross v. 3. I 've sign'd God's servants dear Teaching by sin what heavy loss What comfort 's in God's fear Poor Francis of Assise was he Born rich a Merchants son With other youth at first too free In pleasures he did run Yet to the Poor in charity He always did increase Which caus'd him to elected be God's Anger to appease Lo How God Sinners of all Men Chose Sinners to recall King David Peter Magdalen And Francis last of all As fittest Patterns here to win Them to Repentance by Assuring them Ezech 13. v. 15.16 if they 'l leave Sin They in his Love shall dy You may him well an Angel call For his chast Life and pure From which he never more did fall It always did endure Seraphicall for his great Love Doth Holy Church him name From Seraphins who burn above Absorp't in Love's great flame He had the Sign of God above Rev. 7. v. 2. As after did appear The Wounds that Christ had for our love He in his Flesh did bear He sign'd all men in th'forehead deep Renewing in their mind Christ's Passion and his deadly sleep He suffred for Mankind While yet a Merchants Life he led An Alms was begg'd but he Deny'd to give as busied Thô other times most free Lo he runs after speedily As pitty did him move And gave with Vow nêre to deny Ought asked for God's Love Another begs who was full bare He knew him nobly born He gave the cloaths which he did wear And put on his all torn These acts of pitty mov'd God so That Francis Mercy wins For Charity conceals 1. Petr. 4. v. 8. you know A multitude of Sins Next night in sleep Christ did appear And shew'd where Jewels were Saith These are for my souldiers here Who Holy Cross do bear He strait prepares for th' Holy Land Where Souldiers wore a Cross He did not Visions understand And thus was at a loss Till Christ reveal'd to him again He mean't not that Warfare But that to suffer and take pain With him he must prepare By his example to recall Sinners from their sad state To save them from Eternall thrall And cause them Sin to hate To teach them Virtue and true way To Heaven Gal. 5 v. 24. Phil. 3. v. 18.19 by the Cross Which glory gives in th' latter day When Sinners shall find loss With tears he prays both day and night To know God's holy will And how to do this work he might His pleasure to fulfill Christ from a Cross to Francis spake Go thou my Church repair Which falling is He care did take All things prepared are Saint Damians Church wherein he pray'd He did intend to mend Great Sums of mony that were pay'd He sav'd unto this end And gave them to the Pastor free The same work to compleat Who did refuse to take them he Did fear his Father's heat But Francis left the mony there Which when his Father knew He ready was his hair to tear So high in rage he flew And presently in hast did run Mony and Son to find To punish him who had this don He was resolv'd in mind Poor Francis but a Proselyte For fear hid in a cave Not yet arriv'd to virtue's height Resolv'd himself to save The Priest shew'd to his Father then Colos 3. v. 5. Where his God-mony lay He taking it was pleas'd agen And quiet went away But Francis seem'd to be asham'd At this his cowardise And his small Love to Christ he blam'd And begg'd of God advice Who gave him grace and courage too He strait to th' City went Resolv'd for Christ to undergo What malice could invent By Fasting pale and poorly clad He sadly walk't along The people thought he had been mad With cryes about him throng His Fathers hears goes forth to see Lays on him viôlent hands Brings home a Pris'ner close to be Lock't up and bound in bands His Mother more inclin'd to pitty Watch't opportunity When 's Father was gone out of th' City And set her dear Son free He missing him at his return Seeking at last did find With Avarice his heart did
burn Which made him thus unkind While he in Vice his mony spent His Father minded not But now to Virtue he is bent He deems him but a Sot To th' Bishop he must with him go His Birth-right to resign Tim. â— v. 9. Francis deem'd Riches now a Foe And therfore don't repine But strips off all his cloaths withall And gives them altogether And says I now may truly call Not you but God my Father At this the Bishop wept with heart Embrac't him in his arms And cloath'd him who in joy did part Reviv'd with heav'nly charms He goes poor Lepers now to tend He wipes their sores with kiss What did him highly first offend He now esteems a bliss But all this while did Francis see Himself at loss which way The Church-repairer he might be And Christ thus to obey He could not tell or yet did know What Rule he should walk by Which did perplex and grieve him so That he wept bitterly Fearing that for his past sins still God was with him offended And would not plain declare his will Till something were amended He therfore wept fasted and pray'd Wither other acts austere Off'ring Christ's merits which once pay'd A Price for Sin most dear All this doth teach how hard a thing 'T is Justice to appease God's Mercy to our Souls to bring Ezech 33. v. 11.12 Ps 90. v. 15. Sin 's burthen here to ease Yet if with Francis we persever In Love in tears in grief With Francis we shall find God ever At hand to our relief SAINT FRANCIS THE SECOND PART OF HIS LIFE From the making of his Rule unto the receiving of the Stygmes a little before his Death TO God Man's duty twofold is As David doth record Ps 36. v. 27. 1. Pet. 3. v. 11. Do good decline from what 's amiss So thou shalt please thy Lord. The latter Francis had fulfill'd To good he was inspir'd The way he knew not thô he will'd To do what was requir'd But entring in the Church one day He heard that Gospel preaching Which doth relate what Christ did say When he sent his to teaching Take neither mony Mark 6. v. â— 8 Luk 10. v. 7. 1. Cor. 9 v. 13.14 purse or meat Shoo 's Staff two coats with you What 's set before you freely eat It is the Preachers due These words as from Christ to him said He takes and goes away Says Here my Rule 's before me laid And I will it obey The Life of Christ to imitate Must I and mine begin Which surely is the perfect state Mark 10. v. 21. For Mortals to live in Christ came Io. 8. v. 12. and taught all men the way Which leads unto Salvation Soon after men did from it stray I 'm sent for Reformation Not only my own soul to feed With heav'nly Contemplation But also to instruct where need And preach to ev'ry Nation His secûlar garments lay'd aside Heb. 4. v. 12. He cloath'd himself in grey Course cloth his nakedness to hide His shoo 's he cast away He made a Girdle of a Cord His Habit like a Cross To mind the Passion of his Lord Who had redeem'd Man's loss He presently began to preach With words that pierc't full deep And all poor Sinners he did teach To sorrow sigh and weep With confidence in God's great love If they 'l new Life begin And crave his Mercy Ionas 3. v. 10. that 's above The malice of Man's Sin His words were simple plain inflam'd With fervour of the spirit The Converts number can't be nam'd To gain which he did merit Many did Pennance for their ill Forsook the World would have Him teach them how to do God's will To whom a Rule he gave Not made by him but from above Reveal'd as he declares Teaching to hate what Flesh doth love Freeing from Worldly cares Obedienee true pure Chastity He vows to keep always And also such strict Poverty Not used in those days His Lents were many lodging hard No linnen he did wear No shoo 's his feet from thorns to guard Which oft his Felsh did tear With discipline he did chastise 1. Cor. 9. v. 27. His Body that the Spirit Might rule and still he did devise How to increase his merit Th' Apostles Life he thus trac't out Who twelve were sent to teach Luk 9. v. â— 2 Perfection and the World about The Faith of Christ to preach So he when twelve divided his And sent them to this end To preach the Faith and what amiss In manners to amend And after when they met again He found that many were Converted and that not in vain They preach't God's love and fear Their fervent words their humble looks With faces pale and thin Their Habit poor were Christian books To read perfection in Now that his Rule more force might have With it to Rome he went To be confirm'd and there he gave It to Pope Innocent Who thought it hard and did deny The same Rule to approve There were Rules many to walk by Made to increase God's love But lo To rest when sleep did call This Vision he did see The Lat'ran Church began to fall And to supported be By one poor man and he did know That Francis was the same He then approv'd it bid him go And teach it in God's Name And said to those who by him stood That Francis would repair God's Church decay'd by doctrine good And his example rare Poor Francis strait made his Profession There in Christ's Vicar's hand To keep the Rule without transgression And what it did command And after the Pope's blessing had He humbly went away Prais'd God and in his heart full glad For his success that day And so return'd unto Assise Where Monks did to him give A Church which he did highly prize And there resolv'd to live He lov'd this Church because 't was small The sitter for Poor Friers Lady of Angels they it call Because Angelick Quires Were here oft heard and he therfore Commands when he is dead This Church be counted evermore Of all his Orderâ—s head Moreover his desire was much This place should honour have Of all Christ did appear and such A boon unto him gave That whosoever enters in And right confessed be Shall Pardon have and also win Indulgence Plenary Was Francis's Love with this content Who Rule had made for Men No no. He knew that he was sent Each sex to bring agen From way of Vice to Virtue 's path And therfore made another For Women which same strictness hath And made Saint Clare their Mother And as he knew that all were not Of like ability And Wedlock was some others lot Which makes a worldly ty He made a third Rule for all kinds Rich Poor Wedded and free Leading to Virtue yet not binds Under sin's Penalty As our Redeemer when he came Did teach by word and deed So did Saint Francis do the same And sow'd Example's seed Not only by