Hand and Who does make His Intercession also for our Sake Who then shall seperate Us from Christs Dear Love Shall Tribulation shall Distresses move Shall Persecution Famine Nakednesse Shall Peril Shall the Sword do more then These Through Him that loved Us so much Before In All these Things W' are Conquerours and more For I 'm perswaded Neither Death it is Nor Life Nor Angels Principalities Nor Powers Nor Present Things Nor Things to come Nor Height Nor Depth Nor Creature that takes room Shall be'able Us to sep rate from the Love Of God in Iesus Christ our Lord Above O Blest the Time that Christ for all once di'd Is He Our Life Abhorre Self-Homicide LAUS DEO Wife Traveller through Wildernesse does lead The Christian Pilgrim teaching where to tread From Feind in Worlds Way Foes he warnes his Freind Through Deepe vp Steepe shewes Heavn's his Journeys end F. Barlow fecit The Second Book A GUIDE TO THE Land of the Living FOR THE DISCONTENTED That are in the Dangerous Path TO SELF-MVRDER A Comfort to All in Distresse By Way of Divine Poem Perspective Moral Prospect Consolatory Essay Sen. Lib. 4. Controversiar in Proaemio Multiplicatur ex industria quo condiscimus ut levetur quo discernimus The Manuduction A Hand may be welcome to One that needs it either in the declivity or steep descent from a Rock or amidst the Labyrinth and wandring on to Losse in a Wildernesse To this purpose Distressed Friend the Authour proffers His as a help Enough peradventure to Keep thee from Falling Or Preserve thee in the Way It may serve thee for a Prop if not for a Guide And seeing that the Best Dayes are Evill to Good Men and Bad Men make All their Dayes Evill Time gives Life a sad Progression And the Vitiosity of Manners makes Time seeme to receive Corruption Least thou should'st grow weary of Either Thou art here desired to ponder them Both Lest abused Life should prove thy Rock or not well considered Time might become thy Willdernesse Supposing therefore that thy Desperate Intentions are diverted thy Fury allayed and that a more sober Temper hath reduced thee to Better Inclinations by his former Verse he conceives it not amisse as a careful Physitian to prescribe thee a Diet after his operative Drugs or not Unlike the wary Pilot to set up some mark to avoid a second danger Thou hast been out of thy Way and in hazard of Great Losse even Losse forever Take that Crosse for thy direction yea let That Crosse that did afflict thee lead thee home to thy Happinesse Not by seeking to run from It But by Submitting to it Though the way be rugged It is direct And being straight Turne not Temptation is on either Hand Presumption may as dangerously overthrow thee as Desperation was like to ensnare to undoe thee There allures a Spotted Panther And Here lurkes a Seising Tyger Both Devourers Though in divers wayes To avoid the Perill of such Passages the sutblety and Fury of such Beasts it is Best to take Direction and One along with thee With such Intention in Charity unto thee The Authour hath under God's Blessing fitted himself with Provisions Instructions for such a journey Not to be Imploy'd is ery hurtfull for thee Dost here him call Away CANTO I. The Den of Idlenesse 1. AWake Dark Soul Arise And let us go To finde out what is fit to Know Who sitteth stiil still sets Corruptions Weeds to grow 2. In Den of Idlenesse so dark so fowl In which bred Monsters hisse and howl The sidelong Hag see half asleep doth stretch and scowl 3. Behold her nodding Head and Pointing Hand To Numerous Vices round that stand Taking their Q from Her to act her meant Command 4. Behold where many an open silent Grave That gape like pits about that Cave To swallow living Men where seeming Death they have 5. Behold where several Gins are scatt'rd wide To catch the Carelesse on each Side See'st not how Cov'ring Leaves their cunning Dangers hide 6. Near that Dens wanton Mouth does rise a Spring To whose soft Musick Birds do sing Inchaunting Passengers with Notes and Murmuring 7. But that to Satans Prison is a Port. Tentations Usher to the Fort. Mark How that Way some dance and sing to Hell in Sport 8. Hark! Drumming Drones do loaden home arrive From robbing Bees of Honey in Hive With others Labours see how Drones do live and thrive 9. Come off from those strange winding Wayes Make haste For he 's intrapt that stayes Beware of stumbling There are many strew'd Delayes 10. Didd'st eye the Spring near Den that runs so clear Within this Lake not moving Here A standing Scum of stinking Drain doth foul appear 11. Where poys'nous Serpents ugly Toads do breed From Filth on which again they feed As if with Nature's Sins Corruptions were agreed 12. 'T is well th' art past This Circes charming Power With Comfort thou hast spent This Hower Keep on Th' ast scap't Tentations beckning to devour PERSPECTIVE I. 1. ADen is the Place of Theeves There Idlenesse is lodg'd as the greatest waster of time and theif of Things 2. It is dark by Ignorance It is foul by Sloth Vices and Sins like Monsters Exuberances of the minde do Breed therein that hisse with Impudence and howl by too Late Repentance The hag the Witch layes along to shew her Security and Carelesnesse half asleep her Improvidence by stretching Indisposition to Imployment and by scowling Scorn at Reproof 3. By Nodding Shee discovers the Vanity of her Desires By Pointing her Unaptnesse and imperfection to Command 4. She buries Men Alive Either running them into Undreamt of Dangers or covering them with neglected Obscurity that they at best passe their silent Dayes Without leaving any impression by their Footsteps left to worthy Notice or Memory 5. Her Gins are temptations that catch the Imprudent With False Glosses Vaine Pretences as with covering Leaves Idleness hides her contrived Deceits 6. Vain Discourses and wanton Designes are the spring at the Mouth of her Den which dance to the Notes of the Birds of Pleasure 7. But this way leads to the Fort of Irrevocable losse And to the Prison of Unavoydable Destruction In which Men intoxicated with Folly sport on to Ruine 8. The Drones embleamatize and hold the Glasse unto The slothfull they rob the Hives and prey upon the Hony of the Bees the Honest mans Goods and Labour 9. It is no safe going on in Her enthralling Fascinations Or standing still Unbusi'd For Delayes not only breed but Bring forth Dangers 10. Her stream of pleasures and gliding waters of Vaine Conceptions stand settle and corrupt in A lake of filth the Sinke of Vice and Sin describing by the noisomness of the Waters their Rottenness by the poyson of Serpents their Infection and by the Ugliness of Toads their Deformity MORAL I. TAke the Moral from S. Hierom from Plutarch from Seneca Otium parit Fastidium Exercitium Famem Fames autem
before they are aware 9. The Doleful Dale Denotes the Depth of Mourning Land Flouds Are violent extream inordinate Sorrows which tosse and tumble us with Anxietie and hurries Reason impetuously away with fruitlesse Complainings Shallowes Are moderate Griefs Deep Excesse of Passion which too often casts away Life throwing it into the Dead Sea of Destruction 10 Detractions Hounds So called as well for their spending so much at the Mouth Hunting as pursuing the Chace and seizing behinde the innocent Game Envie Endures not anothers Welfare and dwells next Ambition Still watching those that are before her and malicing those that are Above her 11. Thou must passe by the Uncertainties and Vanities of the World lest thou be vexed as Sysiphus with continual and fruitlesse Labour about what is not worth thy pains Of no better Value are the Trinkets of the Worlds Pleasures and the Magazine of Earthly Riches 12 When thou turn'st thy Back upon the World by despising it the Sun-shine of Gods Grace and his Blessing breaks out upon thee thou art enlightned and comest to Knowledge of thy Self And as a green Plain is free and pleasant to the Discovery of the Sight Thou hast instead of former Vexation and the Darknesse of thine Ignorance thy Minde thy Conscience quieted and thine Understanding of Knowledge and present Comforts opened by the Apprehension of the Benefits of such Afflictions which are but for a time and the Happinesse hereafter which is to last for ever MORAL III. HE that passeth through the Wildernesse of this World must walk with Circumspection and Prudence that he neither loseth his Way nor his Time and must rather make Observation of all Accidents then be in Passion at any He must Arm himself with prevention of Occasions of Evil And having the Consideration of the world 's proper Nature must shield himself with the expectation of Suffering for nothing more surprises than our mistake of things for what they are not and our trust and confidence in those things that cannot relieve us or will not help us Or our stupidity with which we voluntarily lay down even in the open mouth of common Perils Nor must he let himself loose to his passions which rather torture the mind with their violence than afford any advantage with their clamour or heal any misaduenture with their corrosive Despise the world and thou art a good Day 's Journey onward to Happinesse Observe S. Augustine in this matter In fornace ardet palea purgatur Aurum Illa in cinerem vertitur et illud Sordibus exuritur Fornax mundus Aurum Iusti Ignis tribulatio Artifex Deus Quod vult ergo Artifex facio Ubi ponit me Artifex tolero Iubeor ego tolerare novit ille purgare Ardeat licet palea ad incendendum me et ad consumendum me illa quasi in cinerem vertitur ut ego sordibus caream The Gold is purged while the Straw burns in the fire This turns to Ashes when that is refined from it's foulnesse The furnace is the world the Just are the Gold Tribulation the Fire And God the Great Operator I submit my self therefore by Obedience to whatsoever He pleases to command I set down contented in what condition soever the Almighty Disposer placeth me He commands me to suffer because he knowes best whom to try and how to order What though the Straw doth burn to fire me to consume me Mark the End The Difference That is therefore turned into Ashes that I may appear the more refined S. Gregory speaks herein with Fulnesse and Clearnesse Plerumque postquam in hoc Mundo non possumus obtinere quod volumus postquam in terrenis Desideriis de impossibilitate lassâ—mur tunc mentem ad Deum reducimus tum placère incipit quod displicebat Et quae nobis amata fuerant praecepta repentè dulcescunt in Memoria Peccatrix anima quae adulteria conata esse non potuit discernit fideliter esse Conjux Qui ergò hujus Mundi adversitatibus fracti ad Dei amorem redeunt atque à praesentis vitae Desideriis corriguntur Quid isti Fratres charissimi nisi ut intrent compelluntur For the most part it happens that when we cannot obtain what in this World we so greedily would so earnestly thirst for and so violently hunt after After we are tired with the Vanity of our Wishes and the Impossibility of our earthly too low Desires then turn we home to our selves then bend we our Mindes to the best Repose to the proper Center of our Hearts to God Then comes a holy longing into our Souls and those Things begin to displease us which before we so much desired Yea those Commandments of his that seem'd so bitter to our Pallats and so irksome to our Natures in an instant become amiable to our Dispositions and sweet to our Remembrances Then that wandring Sinner The Soul who might not be brought home as a Harlot findes her self faithfully rendred into the happy Condition of a Spouse Whoso therefore that are broken by the Adversities of this World do return to the Love of God are corrected and as it were whipped by Afflictions from the Desires of this present Life what are they Dearest Brethren but compelled and in a Manner forced into Happinesse Hear the same Father most excellently in another Place Quisquis adversitate tribulatione frangitur à quo fractus est minime contemplatur Nam qui quod non erat facit factum sine gubernatione non deserit Et qui benignè hominem condidit nequaquam injustè cruciari permittit nec sinit neglectè perire quod est qui hoc etiam quod non fuit creavit ut esset Many a Man is bruised with Adversity and broken with Tribulation But few consider aright few look up to Heaven upon the Hand from whence the Stroak comes For He that made what was not deserteth not nor exileth what he hath so made from his Governance and Protection And He that out of the Bounty of his Grace made Man permitteth him not to be unjustly afflicted at all Nor doth suffer through Negligence to perish what Is who created even this World that was Not that it should Be. PROSPECT III. THat Chaos which was faign'd of Old By Men is acted as 't was told An indigested Matter There Does in Mens Mindes alive appear Dark Death is interwov'n with Life With killing Love embracing strife With worldly Joy as dismal Ruth A Lye must lay with Bed-bound Truth For Watrie Lust Terrene Desire And Ayerie Hope sleep with Zeal's Fire Sin with Religion seems to lye I' th' Silence of Adulterie A Chaos All. Till th' only Light Does show the Day divides the Night So Men distinguisht are by Ills These Grace renewes Those Nature fills So Nature in her falling Dresse Showes Eden's Garden Wildernesse From whence the World has tane the Fashion To form a Christians Tribulation CONSOLATORY ESSAY III. TRibulations surprise the Improvident as Armed Men starting out of an
blows But it is the Office of Meditation in her sober and steady steps alwaies to promote to our view Things that are past and behind us Contemplation is a free perceivance of Things with quicknesse of sight in the glasse of Wisedome with a wary consult Meditation searcheth out things that lay hidden Contemplation admires those things that are perspicuous therefore is she called here ground-eyeing meditation The book in her hand is the Bible the holy Scriptures which is her Rule to mesure by 7. With Reverence enter Reverentia est Virtus aliquâ praelatione sublimitatis debitae honorificationis cultum exhibens sayes Tully Reverence is a kind of Vertue that presenteth the proper Tender of due Worship to some Person in whom its Estimation conceiveth a sublimitie a Being far above it self And to whom is such so justly due as God whose Essence is above the Reach of any Capacity or Understanding whose Holinesse so Pure as not conceiveable by All imagination Whose Power is Infinite beyond all Comprehension And whose Glory is Ineffable and Everlasting dwelling beyond all possibility of Thought in Eternity We must approach him then with Awe and Reverence in our Prayer as he is in himself not only Absolute in Essence but as Relative to us in that he is our Creator and we his Creatures yea the Workmanship of his hands Prostrat lay with the greatest Humiliation of Body and Soule of All that we can to expresse our sense of the Debt we owe to so great a Maker and with shame to acknowledg our vile Transgressions and foolish as much as abominable Rebellions against the Wonderfull Love of so Gracious a Redeemer O come let us Worship and Fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker Then rise Then raise thy Head thy Hands Dart up thine Eyes Sursum corda And lift up thine Heart on high And to next Altar take thy way Make ready then thy Soul as a Sacrifice upon the Altar of thy Ready Prayer Knock thy Breast Shew contrition for thy sin and indignation against thy self Kneel Shew Humility and Lowness of Spirit with the buckling of thy body Offer with thy Heart what taught to say Offer thy self in that prayer to the Father thatthe Lord of Life his beloved Son in whom he is well pleased hath taught thee to say and doubt not to be accepted 8. Devotion when th' ast breath'd a groan will lead c. When thou hast thus Ejaculated thy Spirit thy Devotion will conduct thy desires to Heaven Six Altars though but one Are six Petitions though but One Prayer All which do hang upon a mighty Corner Stone Depend upon Christ. Because he was it's Author and was and is the All-wise Directer and commander of the same 9. Each Altar has his Censer burn Each Petition has it's proper Virtue That Fires in proper Turn Comes in its due Order inflaming the breast with the Holy Spirit From whose Flames flies a Bird this Prayer thus said hath such an effectual Force and power of obtaining according to our Saviours Word and Promise that it raiseth us up from Death to life in Christ as Phenix from Urn by his death and Resurrection 10 A Burning Lamp with shining Light It is Christs example in Life and Doctrine who not onely taught us to pray but left us the Forms wherewith himself prayed His Prayers were perfect patterns They were short and Full very decent because in Order His Prayers were pure and meek chast and comely clear and lovely grave and weighty Oratio si pura si casta fuerit coelos penetrare vacua non redibit If prayer be clean and undefiled without spot and uncorrupted it returns not back from through-pierced Heaven without a Blessing Hearken to what our Saviour sayes in the sixth of S. Matthew And when thou prayest be not as the Hypocrites for they love to stand and pray in the Synagogues and in the corners of the streets because they would be seen of men Verily I say unto you they have their reward But when thou prayest enter into thy Chamber and when thou hast shut thy Dore pray unto the Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Also when you pray use no vain Repetitions as the Heathen For they think to be heard for their much babling Be ye not like unto them therefore for your Father knoweth whereof ye have need before ye ask him Pray after this manner Our Father Oratio paucis verbis res multiplices comprehendit ut sit citò simplicitas fidei sufficientia suae saluti addisceret prudentia ingeniosorum profunditate Mysteriorum stupesceret This prayer contains many things in few Words that in short there may be preserved simplicity of Faith that we may perfectly learn what is sufficient for our own health and the knowledge of the nicest Wits may be astonished at the Depth of the Mysteries contained therein But mark the Eleventh of Saint Luke And so it was That as He was praying in a certain place when when he ceased one of his Disciples said unto Him Master teach us to pray as Iohn also taught his Disciples And he said unto them when ye pray Say so there was a command Our Father Dicendo Pater Noster veniam peccatorum poenarum interitum justificationem sanctificationem liberationem filiorum adoptionem haereditatem Dei fraternitatem cum Unigenito copulatam Sancti Spiritus dona largissima uno sermone significavit By saying Our Father he signified unto us even in one Word not onely the Pardon of our sins the Death of Punishment our justification our sanctification and our deliverance but his Adoption of us Sons and Co-heirs of God and our being made Brethren and joyned with his onely Sone and so sharers of the most Bountifull Gifts of the Holy Ghost Whose constant eye winks not for day or night His example his Precepts ought to be alwayes before us as they are alwaies in being I' th midst o' th Church Example is c. As Christ is in the midst of his Church so let him be in the midst of our Hearts That is his place So ought our Bodies to be the Temples of the Holy Ghost which is that Fire that has an everlasting brightnesse which irradiateth Spirituall Graces upon our Souls and warmeth them with continual comforts 18. Then on shee does conduct thy Pace c. Here the Emission of our prayers by our Devotion Supplication in the Spirit and the manner of Supplication is further described Here Devotion of the heart as an Ambassador carries our Petitions up towards the Throne of God Orationis purae magna est virtus velut fidelis Nuntius mandatum peragit penetrat quò caro non pervenit saith Saint Austin Great is the Force and efficacy of sincere Prayer Like a trusty Messenger it presents our desires and breaks through the Heavens where Flesh and blood cannot come
timeri that the Lion is frighted by and stands in awe of the Cock Angui quoque Gallus terrori est The Serpent cannot endure him Basiliscus ipsum horret The Basilisk doth tremble at the sight of this Champion Hunc aiunt mirabile dictu cùm Gallum videre forte contingit animo tremere et cum cucurientem audit tanto terrore concuti ut emoriatur It is scarce to be beleeved what is said of him that when the Basilisk chanceth to see the Cock he is stricken with a strange terrour but when he hears him he is so wonderfully affrighted that he dies upon the place Quam rem non ignorantes qui per immensas Cyrenensium solitudines quae pestem illam et singulare in terris malum gignunt iter faciunt Gallum itineris comitem sibi adjungunt qui cantu suo truculentissimam illam bestiam longè abigat reporteth Aelian lib. 3. c. 31. Whereof those Travailers that passe the dangerous and vast Lybean Deserts which produce such a mischief and where onely a Creature of that pestilent nature is bred and brought forth for safety sake they make the Cock their companion in their Travell who at the Clapping of his wings and the shrillness of his crowing may drive away farr from them a Beast of that horrid countenance There is much more furniture of this sort if the roome were not so small and this place so straight Some are of Opinion that Christ is meant by the Cock in holy Scripture dormientes excitans et quasi calcaribus comminationum that I may use their words pungens stimulans Waking those that laid asleep in sin and security and as it were pricking with the spurs of his threats and striking with the sharp heel of his comminations So Vitriacus Cardinalis Venerable Bede lib. 9. Expos. Tob. c. 7. Interprets thus Gallum puto esse unumquemque Sanctorum qui in nocte tenebris hujus mundi accipiunt per fidem intelligentiam virtutis constantiam clamandi ad Deum ut aspiceret jam dies permanens et amoveantur umbrae vitae praesentis qui urgent item sequenti clamore precum suorum dicentes Emiâ—â—te Lucem tuam et veritatem tuam Quod de Prophetis intelligere possumus qui certatim annunciaverunt Diei et Solis adventum I conceive the Cock to be every one of the Saints that receive in the Night and Darknesse of this world understanding by Faith and the constancy of the virtue of crying to God that the ever living Day might behold them and that the shadowes of this present life may be removed still enforcing their continued cryes and petitions in these words Let thy light and thy trueth break forth Which we may likewise understand of the Prophets who in a manner strived to exceed one another in the annunciation of the comming of the Day and the Sun But nearer our matter is their Verdict that apply it to the Messengers of the Gospel Gallus succinctus lumbos id est praedicatores inter hujus noctis tenebras verum manè nunciantes The Cock that hath his loins girt is the Preacher of the word who declares the Truth betimes in the morning amidst the darknesse of this night Praedicator quisque plus actibus quam vocibus insonet et bene vivendo vestigia sequacibus imprimat ut potius agendo quam loquendo quo gradiatur ostendat quia et Gallus ipse cum jam edere cantus parat prius alas excutit et semetipsum feriens vigilantiorem reddit The Preacher must sound by his life as well as his doctrine and by living well Leave to his followers the footsteps of a good example that he may shew them their way whither they are to goe rather by good deeds than words by the hand and the foot rather than the Tongue Because the very Cock when he prepares himself to crow first smites his wings and striking himself makes himself the more watchful His Note is Hora est jam nos de somno surgere It is time that we should awake from sleep from sin Evigilate justi Nolite peccare Awake unto righteousnesse sin not The Cock then is the Preacher The wild Beasts are the World the Flesh and the Devill The crowing of the Cock is the Publication of the Cospel which remembred Peter when he denied his Master The frighting of those wild Beasts is the repelling and driving away Temptations But Simia odit Gallum the Ape the world doth hate despiseth his Voice and with the deaf Adder stoppeth his eares though the Charmer charmeth never so wisely Here Self by Self does Resignation dwell In the Farm in the Soul does Resignation inhabite In God's Promises in the obedience to his will and Commandements does Christianity rest self by self laying by and casting off all manner of self confidence or trust in any worldly help or strength onely submitting unto Divine Pleasure and God's Dispose Within a spatious Farm of doing well A godly Life and Conversation He payes Himself for Rent No coin needs tell Here the Will is taken for the whole Man so is the Will accepted at Gods Hands for the Deed. No Coin needs tell God delighteth in Obedience rather than Sacrifice Mans Self is the best payment to be tendred unto God being enstamped in his Creation with the Image of Himself and being as it were new minted in his Redemption But every New Year sends to 's Lord a Heart At his Regeneration and being renewed in the Spirit he presents what his Lord reserves Da mihi Cor Give me thy Heart that belongeth unto God only and is the best New Years Gift to the Master of All. A Wreath of Laurel Is Praise unto his Holy Name and everliving acknowledgement for all his Blessings especially for that of our Salvation Or a winged Dart Is Prayer that flies up to Heaven that sticketh and remaineth there which is for assisting Grace or for whatsoever the Soul standeth in need of Such is his Tenure which for all he payes in part This is the Jew and Christian commanded to do by the Commandments in the Law and by the Love that is required in the Gospel He that loveth me keepeth my Commandments saith our blessed Lord and Saviour Yet the most Righteous cannot be perfect in this World he payeth but part for all his Dutie and with an earnest Will it is accepted too through Faith in Christ. All is the Lords and he pleaseth to accept our acknowledgement He requireth only that we glorifie him for all his Benefits 5. The Lord say some and those say well All acknowledge not the Lord only his Elect know by Faith who God is and where he dwelleth Above th' Empyraean Hill aloft doth dwell Heaven is his Throne The Glory of his Seat can none that 's Mortal tell It is ineffable Neither Eye hath seen nor Ear hath heard nor can Heart conceive nor can it enter into the Thought of Man the wonderful things that are
adjunctum opus tacitè reprimunt dùm cogitationes protinus se causis propriis ad utilitatem subdunt Suppose that Reason went abroad a visiting and left the house of the minde to the Dispose of her servants the Thoughts When the Mistresse is thus out of the way what a noise what gossiping there is among the Maids But let Reason return unto the minde again when the Mistresse comes home no sooner her Foot at the Door but all is hush all Disorder vanishes and as every Maid betakes her self silently to her Work the Thoughts in like manner become well ordered and for much benefit to the Minde adjoyn themselves and set themselves on Work in their proper Businesse Let us look upon a Neoterick Ut figuli celerrimâ rotae manus concitatione in dissimiles propè infinitas elegantes tamen imagines mollieres argillae massam transmutant Simili ratione meditatio afficit ut infinita rerum abstrusarum genera acriter ratiocinando assequamur paria paribus contraria contrariis praeterita prasentibus comparemus As the Potter transforms the Masse of purer Clay with the swift Motion of his turning Hand into many unlike and in a manner numberlesse Figures yet curious shapes After the same manner worketh Meditation She brings it so to passe that we may reach untold sorts of secret things by a quick and inward reasoning comparing like to like contrarie with contrary and weighing with the present things what went before Let 's hear what another sayes Cùm bonum sit objectum voluntatis nostrae adeo quòd nihil possit esse amatum nisi bonum aut sub specie boni Cumque intellectus concipiat infinitam bonitatis abyssum in Deo valdè frigida esset voluntas quae non instar alterius Phoenicis exardesceret in amoris divini ignem contemplando lucidissimos solis justitiae radios Discute igitur alas tuas instar Phoenicis et erige cortuum inter meditandum et invenies te convertendum in cinerem vermes dum agnoscis tuam utilitatem coram infinita et immensa illa bonitate Dei When what is Good is the object of our Wills so nothing can be affected but That or something like it Seeing then that the Vnderstanding may conceive the infinite Abysse of Goodnesse that is in God the Will were Ice if it should not as another Phoenix flie all on fire with Divine Love by Contemplation beholding those most glorious Rayes of the Sun of Righteousnesse Display thy Wings then like the Phoenix raise thy Heart and mount thy Spirit between thy Meditations and with Iob thou shalt finde thy Self converted into Dust and Worms while thou doest acknowledge thine own Vileness in the Presence of that most Infinite and most Immense Goodnesse of the Lord. PROSPECT XII WHen wicked Policies doe raign They rowle their Trenches in the Brain And subtly winde false Works with Art To Undermine the Noblest Heart While Cunning spendeth utmost Skill To act what 's New invented Ill Makes Stratagems walks untrod Wayes Their hid Designes to height to raise Do make 't their Businesse to surprize What Truth can't gain they wu'd by Lies And all is but to make a Prey O' th' Soul which still they wu'd betray What Vizards do they wear For Ends O most unjust each other rends None sooner ruine brings them to Than Craft does Cunnings self undo While Sin doth seek all wayes to thrive Religious Sails to Heavenward drive Sin falls with Plots and th' Soul does gain By Contemplation Hope to raign CONSOLATORY ESSAY XII AS Men hear they tell the News But as they see they know so 't is in Plautus that old Comoedian Qui audiunt audita dicunt qui vident planè sciunt The Tongue and the Hand are very unruly Members especially when Honesty and Reason are not their Masters The Tongue seemeth the more desperate but the Hand appeareth the more dangerous What is spoken may be helped by Supposition of Mistaking or Disagreement in the Reporters or Death For then Breath and Life vanish together whereas that of the Hand appeareth to Posterity surviveth the Writer and Reader and remaineth as a Thousand Witnesses Illis est Thesaurus stultis in Linguâ situs Et questui habeant malè loqui melioribus Sayes the same Plautus Those Fools think Treasures placed in the Tongue That count belying Betters Gain for Wrong Incautus fuerit si propriâ manu tale aliquid comprehenderit â quâ utique re unicè cavere debes quòd nihil sit quo tam facile convincaris It is Macrobius He may be accounted indiscreet that leaveth a loose Action under his own Hand which a man ought with special care to avoid lest it become a snare to take his want of foresight Wherefore as no Vice layes a more foul aspersion upon Man then that of Ingratitude So no evidence is so strong to taint him therewith or convict him thereof as his own Hand-writing in Detestation of that Vice and his Actual Approbation of the Contrary How comes it then that Christians that have so often set their Hands to so many Obligations to God as have been so often iterated in and since Baptisme should fall away in such a manner as by the Wickednesse of their Hands and the ungodlinesse of their impudent Actions to testifie against themselves their own Impiety and to divulge abroad the Characters of their not lesse great than Abominable ingratitude To unman themselves by ingratitude to their Maker to unchristian themselves by unthankfulnesse to their Redeemer when the least that can be done in such a Case is to render Obedience for Creation Dutie for Protection and to return Praise for Blessings Do the Dumb Beasts give Thanks in their Looks and cast their Eyes unto the Hands that feed them Shall condemn'd Androgeo finde Gratitude in a Den of Lions And can any Christian be at a Losse when he Looks for it in his Bosom My Friend and Brother Christian Ubi animus ibi oculus The Watch of thine Eye goeth as the Spring of thine Affection directeth Let 's mark our Blessed Saviours advice He preacht it in the Mount Lay not up Treasures for your selves upon the Earth where the Moth and Canker corrupt and where the Theeves dig through and steal But lay up Treasures for your Selves in Heaven where neither the Moth nor Canker corrupteth and where the Theeves neither dig through nor steal For where your Treasure is there will your Heart be also Hast thou had a dejected Look from a heavie Heart as if th' adst lost thy Comfort and couldst not finde thy Happinesse Didst seek it in the Earth that Treasure is not in Mines nor in the Darknesse of so dull an Element Look upward Soul Look upward and be thankful Look upward and be mindful Be mindful of all that the Lord so wonderfully hath done for Thee so mercifully hath done unto Thee so bountifully hath bestowed upon Thee Strive to turn thine Eyes towards him from Vanitie And intreat His help to quicken thee in his Way Canst thou tell the number of his Mercies Canst thou tell how many be the Rays of the Sun And canst thou consider all his Blessings Look up and rejoyce at the excellent Goodnesse of the Lord Look up with the Eyes of Faith through the Heavens and behold the Brightnesse of His Glory that he hath prepared for the Saints Meditate and Look all about Thee Contemplate and cast up thine Eyes above Thee Here is Comfort There is Joy Here Christ easeth thy Burden There he gives Thee a reward Observe then his Testimonies and obey his Statutes Let thy Soul then magnifie his Name Let thy Lips sing Praises to his Holinesse Let thy Breast become a smoaking Altar And let thy Soul be all a flame of holy Love Let all thy Breath be as sweet smelling Incense up to Heaven Fix there thy Faith thy Hope thy Heart thy Soul That 's thy Place thy dwelling Hasten as directed thither Only remember thou art Mortal Deal thine Alms Give thy Dole before thou goest Praise ye the Lord For it is good to sing unto our God For it is a pleasant Thing and Praise is comely The Lord doth build up Jerusalem and gather together the disperâ—â— of Israel He healeth those that are broken in Heart 〈◊〉 bindeth up their Sores He counteth the number of the Stars and calleth them all by their Names Great is our Lord and great is his Power his Wisdom is infinite The Lord relieiveth the meek and abaseth the wicked to the Ground Sing unto the Lord with Praise Sing upon the Harp unto our God! Praise the Lord. For his Mercie endureth for ever FINIS