he will own thee repent and hee 'l pardon thee pray to him and he will heare thee His Prayer O God whose glory is the end of my creation and whose free mercy is the cause of my redemption that gavest thy Sonne thy onely Sonne to die for mee who else had perished in the common deluge of thy wrath What shall I render for so great a mercy What thankfulnesse shall I returne for so infinite a love Alas the most that I can do is nothing the best that I can present is worse then nothing sinne Lord if I yeeld my body for a sacrifice I offer nothing but a lumpe of filth and loathsome putrifaction or if I give my soule in contribution I yeeld thee nothing but thy Image quite defaced and polluted with my lusts or if I spend the strength of the whole man and with both heart and tongue confesse and magnifie thy Name how can the praises of my sinfull lips that breath from such a sink bee pleasing to thee But Lord since thou art pleased in thy well-pleasing Sonne to accept the povertie of my weake endeavours send downe thy holy Spirit into my heart clense it from the filth of my corruptions and make it fit to praise thee Lord open thou my mouth and my lips shall shew forth thy praise Put a new song into my mouth and I will praise thee and confesse thee all day long I will not hide thy goodnesse in my mouth but will bee showing forth thy truth and thy salvation Let thy prayses be â—y honour and let thy goodnesse be the subject of my undaunted Song Let neither reputation wealth nor life been pretious to mee in comparison with thee Let not the worlds derision daunt mee nor examples of infirmitie deject me Give mee courage and wisedome to stand for thy honour O make mee worthy able and willing to suffer for thy Name Lord teach me to deny my selfe and to resist the motions of my owne corruptions create in mee O God a single heart that I may love the Lord Jesus in sinceritie remember not O Lord the sinnes of my feare and pardon the hypocrisie of my self-my self-love Wash me from the staines and guilt of this my hainous offence and deliver mee from this fearefull judgement thou hast threatned in thy Word Convince all the Arguments of my unsanctified wit whereby I have become an advocate to my sinne Grant that my life may adorne my profession and make my tongue an instrument of thy glory Assist me O God that I may praise thy goodnesse and declare thy wonders among the children of men Strengthen my faith that it may trust Thee and let my works so shine that men may praise thee That my heart beleeving unto righteousnesse and my tongue confessing to salvation I may be acknowledg'd by thee here and glorified by thee in the kingdome of glory The worldly mans Verdour FOr ought I see the case is even the same with him that prayes and him that does not pray withâ— him that sweares and him that feares an oath I see no difference if any those that they call the wicked have the advantage Their crops are even as faire their flocks as numerous as theirs that weare the ground with their religious knees and fast their bodies to a skelliton nay in the use of blessings which onely makes them so they farre exceed they tearme mee reprobate and stile mee unregenerate 'T is true I â—ate my labours with a jolly heart drinke frolick cups sweeten my paines with time-beguiling sports make the best advantage of my owne pray when I thinke on 't sweare when they urge mee heare Sermons at my leasure follow the lusts of my owne eyes and take the pleasure of my own wayes and yet God bee thanked my Barnes are furnisht my sheepe stand sound my Cattle strong for labour my pastures rich and flourishing my body healthfull and my bagges are full whilst they that are so pure and make such conscience of their wayes that run to Sermons â—igge to Lectures pray thrice a day by the hower hold faith and troth prophane and drinking healths a sinne doe often finde leane harvests easie flocks and emptie purses Let them bee godly that can live on Ayre and Faith and eaten up by Zeale can whine themselves into an Hospitall or blesse their lippes with charitable scrapps If godlinesse have this reward to have short meales for long prayers weake estates for strong faiths and good consciences upon such bad conditions let them boast of their pennyworths and let mee bee wickedâ— still and take my chance as falls Let mee have judgement to discover a profitable Farme and wit to take it at an easie Rent and Gold to stock it in a liberall manner and skill to manage it to my best advantage and luck to finde a good encrease and providence to husband wisely what I gaine I seeke no further and I wish no more Husbandry and Religion are two severall occupations and looke two severall wayes and he is the onely wise man can reconcile them BUt stay my soule I feare thy reckoning failes thee If thou hast judgement to discover wit to bargaine Gold to employ skill to manage providence to dispose canst thou command the Clouds to droppe or if a wet season meet thy Harvest and with open sluces overwhelme thy hopes canst thou let downe the floodgates and stop the watry Flux Canst thou command the Sunne to shine Canst thou forbid the Mildewes or controll the breath of the malignant East Is not this Gods sole Prerogative And hath not that God said When the workers of iniquitie doe flourish it is theâ— that shall be destroyed for ever Psal. 92. 12. Job 21. 7. Wherefore doe the wicked live become old yea are mightie in power 8. Their seed is establisht in their sight and their off-spring before their eyes 9. Their houses are safe from feare neither is the wrath of God upon them 10. Their Bull gendereth and faileth not their Cow calveth and casteth not her Calfe 11. They send forth their little ones like a flock and their children daunce 12. They take the Timbrell and the Harp and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ 13. They spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment they goe downe to the Grave Nil in Paraenes Woe bee to him that pursues emptie and fading pleasures because in a short time hee fats and pampers himselfe as a Calfe to the slaughter Bernard There 's no misery more true and reall then false and counterfeit pleasure Hierom. It 's not onely difficult but impossible to have heaven here and hereafter To live in sensuall lusts and to attaine spirituall blisse to passe from one paradise to another to be a mirrour of felicitie in both worlds to shine with glorious rayes both in this globe of earth and the orbe of heaven HOw sweet a feast is till the reckoning come A faire day ends often in a cold night and the road that 's pleasant ends in
rambles through all the Spheares and brings with it confusion and combustion my reeking sword shall vindicate my reputation and rectifie the injuries of my honorable name and quench it self in plenteous streames of blood Come tell not mee of Charitie conscience or transgression My Charitie reflects upon my self begins at home and guided by the justice of my passion is bound to labour for an honorable satisfaction My conscience is blood-proofe and I can broach a life with my illustrious weapon with as little reluctation as kill a Flea that sucks my blood without Commission and I can drinke a health in blood upon my bended knee to reputation BUt hark my soule I heare a languishing a dying voyce cry up to heaven for vengeance It cries aloud and thunders in my startling eare I tremble and my shivering bones are fill'd wâ—â—â—h horror It cries against me and heare what â—â—eaven replies All that take up the sword shall perish by the sword Matth. 26. 52. Levit. 19. 18. Thou shall not avenge or beare any grudge against the Children of my people but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe I am the Lord Deut. 32. 35. To me belongeth vengeance and recompence Ezek. 25. 12 13. Because that Edom hath delt against the house of Iudah by taking vengeance and bath greatly offended and reveng'd himselfe upon them Therefore thus saith the Lord God I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom and will cut off man and beast from it Matth. 5. 39. Resist not evill but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheeke turne to him the other also Tertull. What 's the difference between one that doth an injury and another that out-ragiously suffers it except that the one is fiâ—st and the other second in the offence but both are guilty of mutuall injury in the sight of God who forbids every sinne and condemnes the offender Tertull. How can wee honouâ— God if wee revenge our selves Gloss. Every man is a murtherer and shall bee punished as Cain was if hee doe as Caindid either assâ—ult his brother with violence or pursue him with hatred REvenge is an Act of the Irascible affections deliberated with malice and executed without mercy How often O my soule hast thou cursed thy selfe in the perfectest of Prayers How often hast thou turn'd the spirituall bâ—dy of thy Saviour into thy dâ—mnation Can the Sunne rise to thy comfort that hath so often set in thy wrath So long as thy wrath is kindled against thy brother so long is the wrath of God burning against thee O wouldst thou offer a pleasing sacrifice to heaven Goe first and be reconciled to thy brother I but who shall right thy honor then Is thy honour wrong'd Forgive and it is vindicated I but this kind of heart-swelling can brooke no Powltresse but revenge Take heed my soule the remedy is worse then the disease If thy intricate distemper transcend thy power make choyce of a Physitian that can purge that humor that foments thy malady Rely upon him submit thy will to his directions hee hath a tender heart a skilfull hand a watchfull eye that makes thy welfare the price of all thy painâ—s expecting no reward no fee but prayses and Thanksgiving His Prayer O God that art the God of peace and the lover of unitie and concord that dost command all those that seeke forgivenesse to forgive that hatest the fâ—oward heart but shewest mercy to the mecke in spirit With what a face can I appeare before thy mercy-seate or with what countenance can I lift up these hands thus stained with my brothers blood How can my â—ippes that daily breath revenge against my brother presume to owne thee as my father or expect from thee thy blessing as thy child If thou forgive my trespasses O God as I forgive my trespassers in what a miserable estate am I that in my very prayers condemne my selfe and doe not onely limit thy compassion by my uncharitablenesse but draw thy judgements on my head for my rebellion That heart O God which thou requirest as a holy present is become a spring of malice These hands which I advance are ready instruments of base revenge My thoughts that should be sanctified are full of blood and how to compasse evill against my brother is my continuall meditation The course of all my life is wilfull disobedience and my whole pleasure Lord is to displease thee My conscience hath accused me and the voyce of blood hath cryed against mee But Lord the blood of Jesus cries louder then the blood of Abell and thy mercy is farre more infinite then my sinne The blood that was shed by me cries for vengeance but the blood that was shed for me sues for mercy Lord heare the language of this blood and by the merits of this voyce be reconciled unto mee That time which cannot be recalled O give mee power to redeeme and in the meane time a setled resolution to reforme Suppresse the violence of my headstrong passion and establish a meeke spirit within mee Let the sight of my owne vilenesse take from me the sense of all disgrace and let the Crowne of my reputation be thy honour Possesse my heart with a desire of unitie and concord and give mee patience to endure what my impenitence hath deserved Breath into my soule the spirit of love and direct my affections to their right object turne all my anger against that sinne that hath provoked thee and give me holy revenge that I may exercise it against my selfe Grant that I may love thee for thy selfe my self in thee and my neighbour as my selfe Assist me O God that I may subdue all evill in my selfe and suffer patiently all evill as a punishment from thee Give me a mercifull heart O God make it slow to wrath and ready to forgive Preserve me from the act of evill that I may be delivered from the feare of evill that living here in charity with men I may receive that sentence of Come ye blessed in the kingdom of glory The secure mans Triumph SO now my soule thy happinesse is entaild and thy illustrious name shall live in thy succeeding Generations Thy dwelling is establish'd in the fat of all the land thou hast what mortall heart can wish and wantest nothing but immortalitie The best of all the land is thine and thou art planted in the best of Lands A land whose Constitutions make the best of Government which Government is strengthned with the best of â—aws which Lawes are executed by the best of Princes whose Prinâ—e whose Lawes whose Government whose land makes us the happiest of all subjects makes us the happiest of all people A land of strength of plenty and a land of peace where every soule may sit beneath his Vine unfrighted at the horrid language of the hoarse Trumpet unstartled at the warlike summons of the roaring Cannon A land whose beautie hath surpriz'd the ambitious hearts of forraigne Princes and taught them by their martiall
all my friends forsake mee If to gaine a good estate out of nothing and to regaine a desperat debt which is as good as nothing bee the fruits and signe of a bad conscience God helpe the good Come tell not me of griping and Oppression The world is hard and hee that hopes to thrive must gripe as hard What I give I give and what I lend I lend If the way to heaven bee to turn begger upon earth let them take it that like it I know not what ye call Oppression The Law is my direction but of the two it is more profitable to oppresse then to bee opprest If debtors would bee honest and discharge our hands were bound but when their failing offends my bagges they touch the Apple of my eye and I must right them BUt hah what voyce is this that whispers in mine eare The Lord will spoile the soule of the Oppressors Prov. 22. 23. Prov. 21. 22. Robbe not the poore because hee is poore neither oppresse the afflicted in the gates for the Lord will plead their cause and spoile the soule of those that have spoled him Ezek. 22. 19. The people of the land have used oppression and exercised Robbery and have vexed the poors and needy yea they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath Zach. 7. 9. Execute true judgement and shew mercy and compassion every man to his brother and oppresse not the widow nor the fatherlesse nor the stranger nor the poore and let none of you imagine evill in your hearts against his brother But they refused to hearken therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of Hosts Bernard p. 1691. Wee ought so to care for our selves as not to neglect the due regard of our neighbour Bern. ibiâ—â— He that is not mercifull to another shall not find mercy from God but if thou will'st bee mercifull and compassionate thou shalt bee a benâ—factor to thy owne soule IS it wisdome in thee O my soul to covet a happinesse or rather to account it so that is sought for with a judgement obtained with a Curse and punished with damnation And to neglect that good which is assured with a promise purchased with a blessing and rewarded with a Crowne of Glory Canst thou hold a full estate a good pennyworth which is bought with the deare price of thy Gods displeasure Tell mee what continuance can that Inheritance promise that is raised upon the ruines of thy Brother Or what mercy canst thou expect from heaven that hast denied all mercy to thy Neighbour O my hard-hearted soule consider and relent Build not an house whose posts are subject to bee rotted with a curse Consider what the God of truth hath threatned against thy crueltie Relent and turne compassionate that thou mayst bee capable of his compassion If the desire of Gold hath hardned thy heart let the teares of true Repentance mollifie it soften it with Aarons oyntment untill it become Wax to take the impression of that seale which must confirme thy Pardon His Prayer BUt will my God bee now entreated Is not my crying sinne too loud for Pardon Am I not sunke too deepe into the Jawes of Hell for thy strong arme to rescue Hath not the hardnesse of my heart made mee uncapable of thy compassion O if my teares might wash away my sinne my head should turne a living Spring Lord I have heard thee speake and am affraid the word is past and thy judgements have found mee out Fearefulnesse and trembling are come upon mee and the Jawes of Hell have overwhelmed mee I have oppressed thy poore and added affliction to the afflicted and the voyce of their misery is come before thee They besought mee with teares and in the anguish of their soules but I have stopt mine eares against the cry of their complaint But Lord thou walkest not the wayes of man and remembrest mercy in the middest of thy wrath for thou art good and gratious and ready to forgive and plenteous in compassion to all that shall call upon thee Forgive mee O God my sinnes that are past and deliver mee from the guilt of my Oppression Take from mee O God this heart of stone and create in my brest a heart of flesh Asswage the vehemency of my desires to the things below and satisfie my soule with the sufficiency of thy Grace Inflame my affections that I may love thee with a filiall love and incline mee to relie upon thy fatherly providence Let mee account godlinesse my greatest gaine and subdue in mee my lusts after filthy lucre Preserve mee O Lord from the vanitie of selfe-love and plant in my affections the true love of my neighbours Endue my heart with the bowels of compassion and then reward mee according to thy righteousnesse Direct mee O God in the wayes of my life and let a good Conscience bee my continuall comfort Give mee a willing heart to make resâ—itution of what I have wrongfully gotten by oppression Grant mee a lawfull use of all thy Creatures and a thankfull heart for all thy benefits Bee merciâ—ull to all those that groane under the burthen of their owne wants and give them patience to expect thy deliverance Give mee a heart that may acknowledge thy favours and fill my tongue with praise and thanksgiving that living here a new life I may become a new creature and being engraffed in thee by the power of thy grace I may bring forth fruit to thy honour and glory The Drunkards Iubile VVHat Complement will the severer world allow to the vacant houres of frolique-hearted youth How shall their free their joviall spirits entertaine their time their friends What Oyle shall bee infused into the Lampe of deare societie if they deny the priviledge of a civill rejoycing Cup It is the life the radicall humor of united soules whose love-digestive heate even ripens and ferments the greene materialls of a plighted faith without the helpe whereof new married friendship falls into divorce and joyn'd acquaintance soone resolves into the first Elements of strangenesse What meane these strict Reformers thus to spend their houâ—e-glasses and bawle against our harmelesse Cups to call our meetings Riots and brand our civill mirth with stiles of loose Intemperance where they can sit at a fisters Feast devoure and gurmundize beyond excesse and wipe the guilt from off their marrowed mouths and cloath their surfeits in the long fustain Robes of a tedious Grace Is it not much better in a faire friendly Round since youth must have a swing to steep our soule-afflicting sorrows in a chirping Cup then hazard our estates upon the abuse of providence in a folish cast at Dice Or at a Cockpit leave our doubtfull fortunes to the mercy of unmercifull contention Or spend our wanton dayes in sacrificing costly presents to a fleshly Idoll was not Wine given to exhilarate the drooping hearts and raise the drowzie spirits
this no day designed but At what time soever If my unseasonable heart should seeke him now the worke would be too serious for so greene a seeker My thoughts are yet unsetled my fancy yet too too gamesome my judgement yet unsound my Will unsanctified To seeke him with an unprepared heart is the high way not to finde him or to finde him with unsetled resolution is the next way to lose him and indeed it wants but little of prophanenesse to bee unseasonably religious What is once to bee done is long to bee deliberated Let the boyling pleasures of the rebellious flesh evaporate a little and let mee drayn my boggy soule from those corrupted inbred humors of collapsed nature and when the tender blossomes of my youthfull vanitie shall begin to fade my setled understanding will begin to knot my solid judgement will begin to ripen my rightly guided will be resolved both what to seeke and when to find and how to prize till then my tender youth in her pursuit will bee disturb'd with every blast of honour diverted with every flash of pleasure misled by Counsell turned back with feare puzzl'd with doubt interupted by Passion withdrawne with prosperitie and discurag'd with adversitie TAke heed my soul when thou hast lost thy self in thy journey how wilt thou find thy God at thy journeys end Whom thou hast lost by too long delay thou wilt hardly find with too late â—diligence Take time while time shall serve that day may come wherein Thou shalt seek the Lord but shalt not finde himâ— Hos. 5. 6. Esay 55. 6. Seeke the Lord while he may bee found call upon him while he is neare Heb. 12. 17. He found no place for repentance though hee sought it with teares carefully Thou foole this night will I take thy soule from thee Revel. 2. 21. I gave her a space to repent but shee repented not Behold therefore I will cast her Greg. lib. Mor. Seeke God whilst thou canst not see him for when thou seest him thou canst not find him seeke him by hope and thou shalt finde him by faith In the day of grace hee is invisible but neare in the day of judgement he is visible but farre off Ber. Ser. 24. If wee would not seeke God in vaine let us seeke him in truth often and constantly Let us not seeke another thing in stead of him nor any other thing with him nor for any other thing leave him O My soule thou hast sought wealth and hast either not found it or cares with it thou hast sought for pleasure and hast found it but no comfort in it Thou soughtest honour and hast found it and perchance fallen with it Thou soughtest friendship and hast found it false societie and hast found it vaine And yet thy God the fountaine of all wealth pleasure honour friendship and societie thou hast slighted as a toy not worth the finding Be wise my soule and blush at thy owne folly Set thy desires on the right objâ—ct Seeke wisdome and thou shalt find knowledge and wealth and honour and length of dayes Seeke heaven and earth shall seeke thee and deferre not thy Inquest lest thou lose thy opportunitie To day thou maist find him whom to morrow thou mayst seek with teares and misse Yesterday is too late to morrow is uncertaine to day is onely thine I but my soule I feare my too long delay hath made this day too late feare not my soule hee that has given thee his Grace to day will forget thy neglect of yesterday seeke him therefore by true repentance and thou shalt find him in thy Prayer His Prayer O God that like thy pretious Word art hid to none but who are lost and yet art found by all that seek thee with an upright heart cast downe thy gratious eye upon a lost sheep of Israel strayed through the vanitie of his unbridled youth and wandred in the wildernesse of his owne invention Lord I have too much delighted in mine owne wayes and have put the evill day too farre from mee I have wallowed iâ— the pleasures of this deceitfull world which perish in the using and have neglected thee my God at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore I have drawne on iniquitie as with Cart-ropes and have committed evill with greedinesse I have quencht the motions of thy good spirit and have delayed to seeke thee by true and unfaigned repentance In stead of seeking thee whom I have lost I have withdrawne my selfe from thy presence when thou hast sought mee It were but justice therefore in thee to stop thine eares at my petitions or turne my Prayers as sinne into my bosome But Lord thou art a gratious God and full of pity and unwearied compassion and thy loving kindnesse is from generation to generation Lord in not seeking thee I have utterly lost my selfe and if-thou find mee not I am lost for ever and if thou find mee thou canst not but finde me in my sinnes and then thou find'st mee to my owne destruction How miserable O Lord is my condition How necessary is my confusion that have neglected to seeke thee and therefore am afraid to bee found of thee But Lord if thou looke upon the all-sufficient merits of thy Sonne thy justice will bee no loser in shewing mercy upon a sinner In his name therefore I present my selfe before thee in his merits I make my humble approach unto thee in his name I offer up my feeble Prayers for his merits grant mee my petitions Call not to mind the rebellions of my flesh and remember not O God the vanities of my youth Inflame my heart with the love of thy presence and reliâ—â— my meditations with the pleasure of thy sweetnesse Let not the consideration of thy justice overwhelm me in despaire nor the meditation oâ— thy mercy perswade mee to presume Sanctiâ—fie my will by the wisedome of thy Spirit thaâ— I may desire thee as the chiefest good Quickeâ— my desires with a servent zeale that I may seeke my Creator in the dayes of my youthâ— Teach mee to seeke thee according to thy wilâ— and then bee found according to thy promise that living in mee here by thy grace I may here after raigne with thee in glory The Hypocrites Prevarication THere is no such stuffe to make a cloake on as Religion nothing so fashionable nothing so profitable it is a Livery wherein a wise man may serve two masters God and the world and make a gainefull service by either I serve bâ—ah and in both my selfe in prevaricating with both Before man none serves his God with more severe devotion for which among the belt of men I work my own ends serve my self In private I serve the world not with so strict devotion but with more delight where fulfilling of her servants lusts I work my end and serve my self The house of Prayer who more frequents then I In all Christian duties who more forward then I I fast with those that fast that
hope for nothing but the execution of thy judgements Yet Lord know withall thou art a gracious God of evill repenting thee and slow to wrath I know thy nature and propertie is to show compaâ—â—ion apt to conceive but readier to forgive I know thou takest no pleasure in destruction of a sinner but rather that hee should repent and live In confidence and full assurance whereof I am here prostrate on my bended knees and with an humble heart Nor doe I presse into thy holy presence truâ—ing in my owne merits leâ—t thou shouldest deale by me as I have dealt by others but being encouraged by thy gracious invitation and heavy laden with the burthen of my sinnes I come to thee O God who art the refuge of a wounded soule and the Sanctuary of a broken spirit Forgive O God forgive me what is past recalling and make mee circumspect for the time to come Open mine eyes that I may see how vaine a thing I am and how polluted from my very birth Give me an insight of my owne corruptions that I may truely know and loath my selfe Take from me all vaine-glory and selfe-love and make mee carelesse of the worlds applause Endue mee with an humble heart and take this haughty spirit from me Give me a true discovery of my owne merits that I may truely feare and tremble at thy judgements Let not the worlds contempt deject me nor the disrespects of man dismay mee Take from mee O God a scornefull eye and curbe my tongue that speakes presumptuous things Plant in my heart a brotherly love and cherish in me a charitable affection Possesse my soule with patience O God and establish my heart in the feare of thy name that being humbled before thee in the meeknesse of my spirit I may bee exalted by thee through the freenesse of thy Grace and crowned with thee in the kingdome of glory The covetous mans care BEleeve mee the Times are hard and dangerous Charitie is growne cold and friends uncomfortable an emptie Purse is full of sorrow and hollow Bagges make a heavy heart Povertie is a civill Pestilence which frights away both friends and kindred and leaves us to a Lord have mercy upon us It is a sicknesse very catching and infectious and more commonly abhord then cured The best Antidote against it is Angelicâ— and Providence and the best Cordiall is Aurumpotabile Gold-taking fasting is an approved soveraigne Debts are ill humors and turne at last to dangerous obstructions Lending is a meere consumption of the radicall humour and if consumed brings a patient to nothing Let others trust to Courtiers promises to friends performances to Princes favours Give me a Toy call'd Gold give me a thing call'd Mony O blessed Mammon how extreamely sweet is thy all-commanding presence to my thriving soule In banishment thou art my deare companion In captivitie thou art my pretious ransome In trouble and vexation thou art my daintie rest In sicknesse thou art my health in griefe my onely joy in all extremitie my onely trust Vertue must vaile to thee Nay Grace it selfe not relisht with thy sweetnesse would even displease the righteous palates of the sonnes of men Come then my soule advise contrive project Goe compasse Sea and Land leave no exploit untryed no path untrod no time unspent afford thine eyes no sleepe thy head no reâ—t Neglect thy ravenous belly uncloathe thy backe deceive betray sweare and forsweare to compasse such a friend If thou bee base in birth 't will make thee honorable If weak in power it will make thee formidable Are thy friends few 'T will make them numerous Is thy cause bad 'T will make thee Advocates True wisedome is an excellent helpe in case it bend this way and learning is a gentile Ornament if not too chargeable yet by your leave they are but estates for â—earme of life But everlasting Gold if well advantag'd will not onely blesse thy dayes but thy surviving children from generation to generation Come come let others fill their braines with deare bought wit turne their pence into expencefull chariâ—e and store their bosomes with unprofitable pietie let them lose all to save their imaginary consciences and begger themselves at home to be thought honest abroad Fill thou thy baggs and barnes and lay up for many yeers and take thy rest BUt O my soule what follows wounds my heart and strikes me on my knees Thou foole this night will I take thy soâ—k from thee Luk. 12. 20. St. Matth. 6. 24. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon Job 20. 15. Heâ— hath swallowed downe riches and he shall vomit them up againe God shall cast them out of his belly Prov. 15. 17. He that is greedy of gaine troubles his owne house but he that hateth gifts shall live 2 Pet. 2. 3. Through covetousnesse they shall with feigned words make marchandize of you whose judgement now of a long time lingreth not and whose damnation slumbreth not Nilus in Paraenes Wâ—e to the covetous for his riches forsake him and hell fire takes him S. August O thou covetous man why dost thou treasure up such hidden mischiefe why dost thou dote on the Image of the King stamped on coyne and hateâ—t the Image of God that shines in men August The riches which thou treasurest up are lost those thou charitably bestoâ—est is truely thine VVHat think'st thou now my soule If the judgment of holy men may not informe thee let the judgements of thy angry God enforce thee Weigh thy owne carnall affections with the sacred Oracles of heaven and light and darknesse are not more contrary What thou approvest thy God condemnes What thou desirest thy God forbids Now my soule if Mammon be God follow him if God be God adherâ— to him Thou canst not serve God and Mammon If thy conscience feele the hooke nibble no longer Many sinnes leave thee in the way this followes thee to thy lives end the roote of evill the canker of all goodnesse It blinds Justice poysons Charity strangles Conscience be slaves the affections betrayes friendship breakes all relations It is a roote of the Devills owne planting Pluck it up Thinke not that a pleasure which God hath threatned nor that a blessing which heaven hath cursed Devoure not that which thou or thy heyre must vomit up Bee no longer posseâ— with such a Devill but cast him out and if hee bee too strong weaken him by Fasting and exorcise him by Prayer His Prayer O God that art the fulnesse of all riches and the Magazeen of all treasure in the enjoyment of whose favour the smallest morsell is a rich inheritance and the coursest Pulse is a large portion without whose blessing the greatest plenty enriches not and the highest diet nourishes not how have I an earthworm and no man fixt my whole heart upon this trasitory world and neglected thee the onely desiderable good I blush O Lord to confesse the basenesse of my life and am utterly asham'd of mine owne foolishnesse I have
placed my affections upon the nasty Rubbish of this world and have slighted the inestimable Pearle of my salvation I have wallow'd in the mire of my inordinate desires and refused to bee washt in the streames of thy compassion I have put my confidence into the faithfulnesse of my servant and have doubted the providence of thee my gratious Father I have served unrighteous Mammon with greedinesse and have preferred drosse and dung before the Pearly gates of New Jerusalem Thou hast promised to bee all in all to those that feare thee and not to faile the soule that trusts in thee but I refused thy gratious offer and put my confidence in the vanity of the Creature But gratious God to whom Repentance never comes unseasonable that find ' â—t an â—are when sinnes finde a tongue regard the conâ—rition of a bleeding heart and withdraw not thy mercy from a pensive soule Give mee new thoughts O God and with thy holy Spirit new mould my desires Informe my will and sanctifie my affections that they may relish thy sweetnesse with a full delight Create in me O God a spirituall sense that I may take pleasure in things that are above Give mee a contented thankfulnesse for what I have that I may neither in povertie forsake thee nor in plentie forget thee Arme me with a continuall patience that I may cheerfully put my trust in thy providence Moderate my care for momentary things that I may use the world as if I used it not Let not the losse of any earthly good too much deject mee lest I should sinne with my lippes and charge thee foolishly Give mee a charitable hand O God and fill my heart with brotherly compassion that I may chearefully exchange the corruptible treasure of this world into the incorruptible riches of the world to come and proving a faithfull steward in thy spirituall houshold I may give up my account with joy and bee made partaker of thy eternall joy in the kingdome of thy glory The Self-lovers Self-fraud GOd hath required my heart and he shall have it God hath commanded truth in the inword parts and hee shall bee obeyed My soule shall praise the Lord and all that is within me and I will serve him in the strength of my desires And in common cases the tongues profession of his name is no lesse then necessary But when it lies upon a life upon the saving of a livelihood upon the flat undoing of a reputation the case is altered My life is deare my faire possessions pretious and my reputation is the very Apple of mine eye To save so great a slake mee thinks equivocation is but veniall if a sinne If the true loyaltie of mine heart stands sound to my Religion and my God my well-informed Conscience tels mee that in such extremities my frighted tongue may take the priviledge of a Sâ—â—â—â— or a mentall reservation if not in the expression of a faire compliances What shall the reall breach of a holy Sabbath dedicated to Gods highest glory bee tolerated for the welfare of an Oxe May that breach bee set upon the score of mâ—rcy and commended above sacrifice for the savegard of an Asse And may I not dispense with a bare lippe deniall of my urg'd Religion for the necessary preservation of the threatned life of a man for the saving of the whole livelihood and subsistence of a Christian What shall I perish for the want of food and die a Martâ—â— to that foolish conscience which forbids mee to rub the eares of a little standing Corne Iacoâ— could purchase his sick fathers blessing with a downe-right lye and may I not diâ—semble for a life The young mans great possessions taught his timerous tongue to shrinke from an decline his hearts profession and who could blame him Come if thou freely give thy house canst thou in conscience bee denied a hiding-roome for thy protection The Syrian Captaine hee whose heart was fixt on his now firme resolv'd and true devotion reserv'd the house of Rimmâ—n for his necessary attendance and yet went in peace Peter upon the rock of whose confession the Church was grounded to save his liberty with a false nay with a perjur'd tongue nay more at such a time when as the Lord of life in whose behalfe hee drew his Sword was question'd for his innocent life denied his Master and shall I bee so great an unthrist of my blood my life to lose it for a meere lippe-deniall of that Religion which now is setled and needs no blood to seale it BUt stay my Conscience checks me there 's a judgement thunders Harke He that denies me before men him will I deny before my Father which is in heaven Match 10. 33. 2 Tim. 3. 1 2. Know that in the latter dayes perillous times shall come For men shall be lovers of their owne selves Esay 45. 23. I have sworne by my selfe the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousnâ—sse and shall not return that unto mee every knee shall bow and every tongue shall sweare Rom. 10. 10. with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made to salvation Luke 9. 26. Whosoever shall bee ashamed of me and my words of him shall the Sonne of man bee ashamed when hee shall come in Glory August The love of God and the world are two different things if the love of this world dwell in thee the love of God forsakes thee renounce that and receive this it 's fit the more nobler love should have the best place and acceptance Theoph. It is not enough onely to beleeve with the heart for God will have us confesse with our mouth every one that confesses that Christ is God shall finde Christ professing to the Father that that man is a faithfull servant but those that deny Christ shall receive thâ—â— fearefull doome Nescio vos I know you 〈◊〉 MY soule in such a time as this when the civill Sword is warme with slaughter and the wasting kingdome welters in her blood wouldst thou not give thy life to ransome her from ruine Is not the God of heaven and earth worth many kingdomes Is thy welfare more considerable then his glory dar'st thou deny him for thy owne ends that denied thee nothing for thy good Is a poore clod of earth wee call Inheritance prizable with his greatnesse Or a puffe of breath wee call life valuable with his honour in comparison of whom the very Angels are impure Blush O my soule at thy owne guilt Hee that accounted his blood his life not worth the keeping to ransome thee a wretch lost by thy owne rebellion deserves hee not the abatement of a lust to keepe him from a new crueifying My soule if Religion bind thee not if judgements terrifie thee not if naturall affection inâ—line thee not yet let common reason perswade thee to love him above a trifle that loved thee above his life And thou that hast so often denied him deny thy self for ever and
Hell If worldly pleasures had the promise of continuance prosperitie were some comfort but in this necessary vieissitude of good and evill the prolonging of adversitie sharpens it It is no common thing my soule to enjoy two heavens Dives found it in the present Lazarus in the future Hath thy encrease met with no damage thy reputation with no scandall thy pleasure with no crosse thy prosperitie with no adversitie Presume not Gods checks are symptomes of his mercy but his silence is the Harbinger of a judgement Bee circumspect and provident my soule Hast thou a faire Summer provide for a hard Winter The worlds River ebbes alone it flowes not Hee that goes merrily with the streame must hale up Flatter thy selfe therefore no longer in thy prosperous sinne O my deluded soule but be truly sensible of thy owne presumption Look seriously into thy approaching danger and humble thy selfe with true contrition If thou procure sowre Hearbs God will provide his Passeover His Prayer HOw weake is man O God when thou forsakest him How foolish are his Counsels when hee plots without thee How wilde his progresse when hee wanders from thee How miserable till hee returne unto thee How his wit failes How his wisedome falters How his wealth melts How his providence is befool'd and how his soule beslav'd Thou strik'st off the Chariot wheeles of his Inventions and hee is perplext Thou confoundest the Babel of his imaginations and he is troubled Thou crossest his designes that hee may feare thee and thou stop'st him in his wayes that he may know thee How mercifull art thou O God and in thy very judgements Lord how gracious Thou mightst have struck me into the lowest pit as easily as on these bended knees and yet been justified in my confusion But thou hast threatned like a gentle father as loath to punish thy ungracious childe Thou knowest the crooked thoughts of man are vaine still turning point to their contrivers ruin Thou saw'st me wandring in the maze of death whilst I with violence pursued my owne destruction But thou hast warn'd me by thy sacred Word and tooke me off that I might live to praise theâ— Thou art my confidence O God Thou art the rock the rock of my salvation Thy Word shall bee my guide for all thy paths are Mercy and Truth Lord when I looke upon my former worldlinesse I utterly abhorre my conversation strengthen mee with thy assistance that I may leade a new life make mee more and more sensible of my owne condition and perfect thou the good worke thou hast begun in mee In all my designes bee thou my Counsellour that I may prosper in my undertakings In all my actions bee thou my guide that I may keepe the path of thy Commandements Let all my owne devises come to nought lest I presume upon the Arme of flesh let not my wealth encrease without thy blessing lest I bee fatted up against the day of slaughter Have thou a hand in all my just imployments then prosper thou the worke of my hands O prosper thou my handy-worke That little I enjoy confirme it to me and make it mine who have no interest in it till thou owne mee as thy Child Then shall my soule rejoyce in thy favours and magnifie thy name for all thy mercies Then shall my lips proclaime thy loving kindnesse and sing thy praises for ever and for ever The Lascivious mans Heaven CAn flesh and blood bee so unnaturall to forget the Lawes of Nature Can blowing youth immure it selfe within the Icey walls of Vestall Chastitie Can lusty diet and mollicious rest bring forth no other fruits but faint desires rigid thoughts and Pblegmatick conceits should wee bee stockâ— and stones and having active soules turne altogether passives Must wee turne Anchâ—rites and spend our dayes in Caves and Hermitages and smother up our pretious houres in cloysterd folly and recluse devotion Can Rosie cheekes can Ruby lippes can snowy brests and sparkling eyes prescut their beauties and perfections to the sprightly view of young mortalitie and must wee stand like Statues without sense or motion Can strict Religion impose such cruell Taskes and even impossible commands upon the raging thoughts of her unhappy votaries as to withstand and contradict the instinct and very principles of Nature Can faire-pretending pictie be so barbarous to condemn us to the flames of our affections and make us Martyrs to our owne desires Is 't not enough to conquer the rebellious Actions of imperious flesh but must wee manacle her hands darken her eyes nay worse restraine the freedome of her very thoughts Can full perfection bee expected here Or can our worke be perfect in this vale of imperfection This were a life for Angels but a task too hard for fraile for transitory man Come come we are but men but flesh and blâ—od and our borne frailties cannot grapple with such potent tyranny What nature and necessitie requires us to doe is veniall being done Come strive no more against so strong a streame but take thy fill of beautie solace thy wanton heart with amorous contemplations cloathe all thy words with courtly Rhetorick and soften thy lips with dialects of love surfeit thy selfe with pleasure and 〈◊〉 thy passion into warme delights VValke into Natures universall Bower and pick what flower does most surprize thine eye drink of all waters but be tied to none Spare neither cost nor paines to compasse thy desires Enjoy varieties Emparadise thy soule in fresh delights The change of pleasure makes thy pleasure double Ravish thy senses with perpetuall choyce and glut thy soule with all the delicates of love BUt hold There is a voyce that whispers in my troubled eare a voyce that blanks my thoughts and stops the course of my resolves A voyce that chills the bosome of my soule and fills me with amazement Harke They which doe such things shall not inherit the kingdome of God Gal. 5. 21. Exod. 20. 14. Thou shalt not commit Adultery Matth. 5. 28. Whosoever lookes upon a woman to lust after her hath committed Adultery with her already in his heart Rom. 13. 13. Let us walke honestly as in the day not in rioting nor in drunkennesse nor in chambering nor in wantonnesse 1 Pet. 2. 11. Abstaine from fleshly lusts which warre against the soule Nilus in Paraen Woe bee to the fornicator and adulterer for his garment is defiled and spotted and the heavenly Bridegroome casts him out from his chast nuptialls A world of presumptuous and hainous offences doe arise and spring from the filthy fountaine of adulterous lust whereby the gate of heaven is shut and poore man excluded from God S. Gregor. Mor. Hence the flesh lives in sensuall delights for a moment but the immortall soule perisheth for ever LUst is a Brand of originall fire rak'd up in the Embers of flesh and blood uncover'd by a naturall inclination blowne by corrupt communication quencht with fasting and humiliation It is rak'd up in the best uncovered in the
Oratory to make their vaine attempts A land whose strength reades vanitie in the deceived hopes of Conquerours and crownes their enterprizes with a shamefull overthrow A land whose native plentie makes her the worlds Exchange supplying others able to subsist without supply from forraigne kingdomes in it selfe happy and abroad honorable A land that hath no vanitie but what by accident proceeds and issues from the sweetest of all blessings peace and plentie that hath no miâ—ery but what is propagated from that blindnesse which cannot see her owne felicitie A land that flowes with Milke and Hony and in briefe wants nothing to deserve the title of a Paradise The Curbe of Spaine the pride of Germany the â—yde of Belgia the scourge of France the Emperesse of the world and Queene of Nations She is begirt with walls whose builder was the hand of heaven whereon there daily rides a Navyâ— Royall whose unconquerable power proclaimes her Prince invincible and whispers sad despaire into the fainting hearts of forraigâ—e Majesty She is compact within her self in unitie not apt to civill discords or intestine broyles The envie of all nations the ambition of all Princes the terror of all enemies the security of all neighboring States Let timerous Pulpits threaten ruine let prophecying Church-men dote till I beleeve How often and how long have these loud sonnes of Thunder false prophesied her desolation and yet she stands the glory of the world Can Pride demolish the Towers that defend her Can drunkennes dry up the Sea that walls her Can flames of lust dissolve the Ordnance that protect her BEe well advis'd my soule there is a voyâ—â— from heaven roares louder then those Ordinance which saith Thus saith the Lord The whole land shall be desolate Jer. 4. 27. Esay 14. 7. The whole earth is at rest and at quiet they breake forth into singing Yea the Firre trees rejoyce at thee and the Cedars of Lebanon sing c. Yet shalt thou be brought downe to hell to the sides of the Pit Jer. 5. 12. They have bâ—lied the Lord and said It is not hee neither shall evill come upon us neither shall wee see sword or famine 1 Cor. 10. 12. Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall Luke 17. 26. They did eate and drink and they married wives and were given in marriage untill the flood came and destroyed them all Gregor. Mor. A man may as some build a Castle upon the rowling waves as ground a solid comfort upon the uncertaine ebbs and fluxes of transient pleasures S. August Whilst Lot was exercised in suffering reproach and vilence he continued holy and pure even in the filth of Sodom but in the mount being in peace and safetie he was surprised by sensuall securitie and defiled himselfe with his owne daughters 〈◊〉 prosperous and happy state is often the occasion of more miserable ruine a long peace hath made many men both carelesse and cowardly and that 's the most fatall blow when an â—â—â—xpected enemy surprises us in a deep sleep of peace and security Greg. Mag. SEcuritie is an improvident carelesnesse casting out all feare of approaching danger It is like a great Calme at Sea that foreruns a storme How is this verified O my sad soule in this our bleeding nation VVer 't thou not but now for many yeares even nuzzl'd in the bosome of habituall peace Didst thou foresee this danger Or could'st thou have contrived a way to bee thus miserable Didst thou not laugh invasion to scorne or didst thou not lesse feare a Civill warreâ— Was not the Title of the Crowne unquestionable And was not our mixt government unapt to fall into diseases Did wee want good Lawes or did our Lawes want execution Did not our Prophets give lawfull warning or were wee moved at the sound of Judgments How hast thou liv'd O my uncarefull soule to see these prophesies fulfill'd and to behold the vialls of thy angry God pour'd forth Since mercies O my soule could not allure thee yet let these judgements now at length enforce thee to a true Repentance Quench the Firebrand which thou hast kindled turne thy mirth to a right mourning and thy feasts of joy to humiliation His Prayer O God by whom Kings raigne and kingdoms flourish that settest up where none can batter downe and pullest downe where none can countermand I a most humble Sutor at the Throne of Grace acknowledge my selfe unworthy of the least of all thy mercies nay worthy of the greatest of all thy judgements I have sinned against thee the Author of my beeing I have sinned against my conscience which thou hast made my accuser I have sinned against the peace of this Kingdome whereof thou hast made me a member If all should doe O God as I have done Sodom would appeare as righteous and Gomorraâ— would be a president to thy wratâ— upon this sinfull nation But Lord thy mercy is inscrutable or else my misery were unspeakable for that mercy sake be gratious to mee in the free pardoning of all my offences Blot them out of thy remembrance for his sake in whom thou art well pleased Make my head a fountaine of teares to quench that brand my sinnes have kindâ—ed towards the destruction of this flourishing kingdome Blesse this kingdome O God Establish it in pietie honour peace and plenty Forgive all her crying sinnes and remove thy judgements farre from her Blesse her governour thy servant our dread Soveraigne Endue his soule with all religious civill and princely vertues Preserve his royall person in health safetie and prosperitie prolong his dayes in honour peace or victory and crowne his death with everlasting glory Blesse him in his royall Consort unite their hearts in love and true Religion Blesse him in his Princely issue Season their youth with the feare of thy Name Direct thy Church in doctrine and in discipline and let her enemies bee converted or confounded Purge her of all superstition and heresie and root out from her whatsoever thy hand hath not planted Blesse the Nobilitie of this land endue their hearts with truth loyaltie and true policy Blesse the Tribe of Levi with pietie learning and humilitie Blesse the Magistrates of this kingdome give them religious and upright hearts hating covetousnesse Blesse the Gentry with sinceritie charitie and a good conscience Blesse the Commonaltie with loyall hearts painefull hands and plentifull encrease Blesse the two great Seminaries of this Kingdome make them fruitfull and faithfull nurseries both to the Church and Common-wealth Blesse all thy Saints every where especially those that have stood in the gappe betwixt this kingdome and thy judgements that being all members of that Body whereof thou Christ art head we may all joyne in humiliation for our sinnes and in the propagation of thy honor here and be made partakers of thy glory in the kingdome of glory The Presumptuous mans Felicities TEll bauling Babes of Bugbeares to fright them into quietnesse or terrifie youth with old wives sables to keep their wild