Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	life_n	live_v	love_v	12,614	5	6.7212	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77267	The penitent pilgrim bemoning his sinfull condition. Faith appeares vnto him affording him comfort hope seconds that comfort charity promiseth him in this vaile of missery to cover all his scarlett sins wth: [sic] ye white robe of mercy, & conduct him safly to ye kingdome of glory. By Io: Hall	Brathwaite, Richard, 1588?-1673, attributed name.; Hall, John, 1627-1656, attributed name.; Herdson, Henry, attributed name.; Le Blon, Christof, d. 1665, engraver.	1651 (1651)	Wing B4275aA; ESTC R224400	106,709	434

thee Nay how often hast thou gone downe even unto the gates of Hell and least thou shouldst enter in he with-held thee How often hast thou drawne neare even to the gates of death and lest they should take thee in hee preserv'd thee Thus hath hee delivered thee from all evill and yet for all this good which hee has done thee thou hast requited him with evill And now thou concludest For thine is the Kingdome power and glory for ever and ever Amen Oh how ready thou art here to acknowledge his power and yet to deny it in thy life But confesse thou must his power not onely with mouth but heart and practise of a good life if ever thou meanest to partake with him in the Kingdome of glory O my sweet Saviour as thou hast taught mee by this absolute forme of Prayer how I am to make my prayer and hast promised to grant me my request if I pray effectually as I ought so kindle in my heart true devotion tbat no place may be left for distraction Here thou hast taught how and in what manner I am to pray O let me not lose the benefit of it by losing my selfe when I pray CHAP. 64. He renders a private account of his Faith and in every article of the Creede hee finds a fainting failing weaknesse and want I Beleeve in God the father Almighty maker of heaven and earth This first Article of our Beliefe was made by Christs first Apostle Saint Peter And herein thou professest that thou believest But that is not enough The Devils doe beleeve and tremble Thou must not onely believe God but believe in God and that he is thy God Againe thou art not only to believe God and believe in God but solely love God and wholly live to God For as wee are to believe with heart unto righteousnesse and confesse with mouth unto salvation so are we to bring forth fruits hereof in an holy and blamelesse conversation O how much hast thou failed in the first what then may wee looke for at the last And in Iesus Christ his onely Sonne our Lord. Of this second Article was Saint Iohn the Evangelist Author one who was right deare in the eyes of his Master our blessed Saviour and one who leaned on his bosome at his last Supper And here thou confessest Iesus Christ the second person in the blessed Trinity to be the Sonne of God to be our Lord. But hast thou by a contrite heart regenerate life made him thy Lord Thou saist thou dost beleeve in him but dost thou love him in whom thou believest And how shouldst thou be lesse then his Lover so long as thou beleev'st him to be thy saviour But wher be any Signes of this love O if thou didst truly love him in whō thou believ'st thou wouldst rather leave to live then leave to love him in whom thou believest Which was conceived by the Holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary This third Article S. Iames the Greater composed whereby thou art taught to beleeve all sanctification to be included in his Conception all humility in his Nativity But dost thou as every Christian should do seriously consider for whose sake this Virgin was conceived for whose sake thy sweet Saviour became so humbled that the Son of God should become the son of Man that the Son of Man might become the son of God that the immortall should become mortall that the mortall might become immortall that the living Lord should dye that the dying man might live that the free should become bound that the bound might become free that God should descend from heaven to earth that he might draw us from earth to heaven that God should become humbled that Man might be exalted that He should become poore that we might be enriched and reckoned amongst the transgressors that we amōgst his Saints might be numbred Hast thou I say meditated of this how he was borne for thee that thou mightst be re-borne in him O I feare thou hast beene more ready to partake of this benefit then by acknowledgeing it to bee thankefull for it Suffered under Pontius Pilat was crucified dead and buried This fourth Article Saint Andrew framed wherein thou seest and perhaps admirest the unjust proceedings of a wicked Iudge for thou hearest one and that an odious and malicious one pronouncing the sentence of death upon the Lord of life and inclining to the voice and vote of the people delivering a murdring delinquent to murder the innocent Nay pronouncing a sentence against his owne Conscience for hee washed his hands but not in innocence Againe thou hearest and beleevest that hee was crucified and yet it grieves thee not to crucifie him afresh with new sinnes Thou beleevest that hee died and was buried and yet thou daily diest not to sin but in sin and hast now not three dayes but many yeares laine buried in them He descended into hell This fifth Article Saint Philip added and thou beleevest in it He descended that thou mightst ascend to the place whereto hee is ascended Yet where be there any tokens of thy desire to ascend unto him Ascend unto him thou canst not unlesse thou descend into thy selfe for whom he so humbly descended The third day he rose againe from the dead This sixt Article Saint Thomas annexed An Article proper for Thomas who touching Christs Resurrection was so incredulous And here thou seest that late crucified man now acquit himselfe of death like a victorious Lord. And hence thou rejoycest but unlesse thou rise from sinne and live to righteousnesse Christs Resurrection shall afford thee small comfort in the bed of thy sicknesse Hee ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the father Almighty This seventh Article Saint Bartholomew penned And by this thou beleevest that hee is now ascended who for thy sake descended And as from his rising came the hope of thy Resurrection so from his ascending the hope of thy glorification But thou must rise with him before thou canst reigne with him rise with him who was free from all sin from the Grave of sin that thou maist reigne with him who dyed for thy sin in his heavenly Sion And as hee sitteth on the right hand of God the father Almighty where he offers up his prayers for thee sheweth those glorious scars of his precious wounds to his Father for thee performs the faithfull office of a loving Mediator for thee So art thou in thy prayers to remember the necessity of his Saints upon earth But cold is thy charity in performing such a duty From whence he shall come to judge both the quick and the dead This eight Article was by S. Matthew published and by this thou believest how he who was judged unjustly shall judge the whole world in Equity For the Father judgeth none but hath given up this judgement unto his Son in whose brest are laid up all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge And this

with one but the unbeseeming'st one of all my Guests for his complexion seem'd so withered and decayed his body so meagre and macilent as he appeared rather like some Anatomy then any living Creature This poor marrow-eaten Wretch I found sighing and making a pittifull mone as if some heavy mis-chance had befalne him but inquiring the reason of his sorrowing he told mee that the occasion of his griefe proceeded not from any mishappe falling to himselfe but for the happinesse he perceived many others lived in For to see anothers field flourish or his goods to increase and prosper was such an eye-sore unto him as nothing could more distemper him This I conceived to be a base condition and such as to humanity had very small relation So as I resolved to quit my house of him and give him his Pasport finding nothing in him but an harsh unsociable humour rejoycing in nothing more then the ruine of another yet desiring to sift him a little further and to the bottom to make tryall of his nature I took first occasion to demand of him of what Parents hee descended and in what Coast he first planted and he told mee that Iewry was his native Countrey and his Parents Iewes with whom he long time remained neare to the Lake Asphaltos I asked of him what content he could take in the World when nothing but the evill successe of others presented him any object of joy in the world And he answer'd mee if I knew what strange content the Envious man apprehended from others misfortunes I would preferre that humour before any personall honour for said hee whosoever stands so affected hee cannot want variety of Subjects to minister to him that content which he desired I must indeed confesse quoth he that I am of necessity now then to encounter with some arguments of discontent as I did this very Morning in seeing your Neighbours Pastures so fruitfull their harvest so hopefull but for one of these Objects I shall find an hundred occasions of content No place is exempted from mee no person excepted from playing one part or other in this enterlude of folly O how it joyes mee to see a proud ambitious spirit entring lists with his Competitor where the one must necessarily fall to advance the other Honour was their bait and it proves their baine Againe to see a Love-sick amorous Foole put his whole patrimony on his back to enamour his light Mistresse with a phantastick Dresse and in the end come home with a repulse and so like a Child put finger i th' Eye or laying it to heart make the losse of her fancy the Cloze of his misery Againe to see a miserable covetous Father scraping up an injurious estate for a Prodigall Child who before his Fathers Funerall bee solemnized takes as much paines how to scatter it as ever his raking Father did to gather it Or to see a base worlding spend himselfe in sighs and teares for the losse of his beast making himselfe no better by his foolish mourning then that poor senselesse Creature for which he mourned To see wisemen lament for the death of their Children as if death were some new thing or that there were no hope after Death To see a confident Client faile in his Suite or an Earth-worme stript of his estate And is not this brave sport for an envious spirit This I considered and methought I begun to bee taken with the pleasure of it The report of others well-fare became distastfull to mee their mis-fortunes cheerefull newes unto me Others Weale became my Wo others Wo my Weale O my redeemer thou who art perfect charity remove from mee the rust of envy Too long ha's this canker eaten mee O let mee neither do nor wish that unto anther which I would not have done nor wished to my selfe O make mee such an enemy to this Sinne as I may live in love yea rather cease to live then surcease to love thee for thy selfe my Neighbour for thy sake CHAP. 53. Gluttony NO sooner had I dismist this starveling then I encountred another cleare of another temper plumpe he was and well-liking one who cared not much what arrow of Gods judgment were shot so famine were left out He told mee he had beene a professor of Philosophy in the Epicures Academy How he was by nation a Sidonian and descended from the Vitellian family Albeit in the manner of his discourse he discovered no great arguments of a Scholler being of a dull and clodded fancy and of apprehension slow and heavy His providence meerly consisted in purveyance for the belly Wherein hee observed such delicacie as hee scorned much to sit at that Table which was not stored with all Variety I told him Strangers were not to be so curious but rather contented with whasoever was for the present provided Wherewith seeming a little moved Sir said he I am neither so wanting in friends nor fortunes as I need rely upon reversions I have thus long lived and fed deliciously making my Bellie my Deitie And if you knew what delight there were in a luscious Tooth and what pleasure in full Dishes what strength they afford to nature and how they infuse into the Bloud a fresh reviving vigour I am perswaded you would preferre this delight before any other pleasure Sir answer'd I take me not up so shortly I was never yet knowne such a niggard as for sparing a little trash to starve my Belly Others through their misery may stand indebted to it but for my part I will rather choose to abridge mine Inventorie then be so taxed by it But by your favour I must tell you what I have heard that Surfets kill more then the Sword How he who makes a God of his Bellie surfets in the delight of such a daintie Deitie And I have sometimes read Lessius his practise in Physick How when Nature grew so weake in him as there was no hope of recovering him and that his Physicians had left him yet by prescribing himselfe a strict Diet and by duely observing what he had prescribed he even in his declining age became youthfull in his recreations fresh and cheerfull and even to his death strong and healthfull And yet he for all this died said my delicious Guest and tell me then what did his rules of Physick availe him Go to Sir he that lives Physically lives miserably let us cramme and feed our selves fat while wee live satisfy our desires in what wee love So long as wee live in the World let us enjoy with all freedom the pleasures of the World Abstinence suites better with an hermitage then a Pallace Take so much paines one day as goe into a Monasterie and what will you find there but as Climacus observeth Breathing Coarses their spirits wasted their radicall moisture with their Lampe-oyle consumed nothing left to present the resemblance of men save only bare Sceletons or fleshlesse Images of men and these so uselesse for Earth as their sole

THE PENITENT PILGRIM Few and evill have the dayes of my life been Gen Cap 47. V. 9. LONDON Printed by John Dawson 1641. 4 Alter quasi Phoenix Video et Vou●a D Worthy is the lambe c. Reu 5. 12. 3 Vt Pelecanus The Penitent Pilgrim bemoning his sinfull Condition C As a lambe to the slaughter c. Jsa 53.7 2 Halcyonis instar Faith appeares vnto him affording him Comfort B Behold the lambe of God c. Joh 1. 29. 1 Tanquam Aquila Hope Seconds that Comfort Charity Promiseth him in this vaile of Missery to cover all his Scarlett Sins w th y e white Robe of Mercy Conduct him safly to y e Kingdome of Glory A The lambe slaine from the beginning c. Reu 13. 8. By Io Hall London Printed for Will Sheares 1651 TO THAT IMMACVLATE LAMBE CHRIST JESVS THE SOLE SAVIOUR AND RECEIVER OF EVERY PENITENT SINNER HATH THIS POORE PILGRIM HUMBLY HERE PRESENTED THESE HIS PENITENTIALL TEARES The Summe or Graduall Symptome of the Penitent PILGRIM CHAP. 1. THe poore Penitent Pilgrim bemones his present sinfull condition 2 His comming into Idumaea the companions hee consorted with there 3 How his owne Meniey became his deadliest Enemy 4 His encounters with the world 5 His Combat with the flesh 6 What Assaults hee suffered by the Divell both in company and privacy 7. Three Engines by his spirituall Enemy reared that his Fort might be razed 8. The Concupiscence of the flesh 9. The Concupiscence of the eyes 10. The pride of life 11. How neither the Law of Nature nor Grace could call him home from his wandring course 12. Hee takes a view of the whole Decalogue and hee scarce finds in it one Commandement wherein either in part or in all hee has not beene a most grievous Delinquent 13 Hee examines himselfe touching the First Commandement 14 His breach of the Law touching the Second Commandement 15 His transgressing of the Third in prophaning Gods name 16 His dishonour to Gods Sabbath 17 Hee confesseth how this bloody issue of sin streamed forth likewise into a breach of the second Table and first of disobedience to his parents 18 His contempt of the second in his practising mischiefe against his Neighbour 19 His contempt of the Third in playing the Wanton 20 His breach of the Fourth in his cunning defeating of his Neighbour 21 His breach of the Fifth in suppressing testimonies to witnesse a truth or suborning witnesses to maintaine an untruth 22 His dis-esteeme of the Sixt and last in coveting what was anothers and desiring to increase his owne with the losse of others 23 Hee takes a view of those seven spirituall works of mercy and acknowledgeth his failings in each of them 24 Teaching the ignorant 25 Correcting the delinquent 26 Counselling the indigent 27 Comforting the afflicted 28 Suffering injuries patiently 29 Forgiving offences heartily 30 Praying for his Persecutors fervently 31 Hee takes the like view of those seven corporall works of mercy and acknowledgeth likewise his failings in each of them 32 Feeding the hungry 33 Giving drinke to the thirsty 34 Harbouring the harbourlesse 35 Cloathing the naked 36 Visiting the sick 37 Visiting redeeming the captive 38 Burying the dead 39 With sorrow of heart he remembers those eight Beatitudes whereof hee hath deprived himselfe by giving entertainment to sin 40 Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven 41 Blessed are the meeke for they shall possesse the Earth 42 Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted 43 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be satisfied 44 Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy 45 Blessed are the cleane in heart for they shall see God 46 Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God 47 Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the kingdome of heaven 48 How seven Guests under a colour of lodging with him sought his undoing 49 Pride 50 Covetousnesse 51 Lechery 52 Envy 53 Gluttony 54 Wrath. 55 Sloath. 56 How by their treacherous assault his Cinque ports become endangered 57 Sight 58 Hearing 59 Smell 60 Taste 61 Touch. 62 Being thus encompassed with danger hee prepares himselfe for prayer 63 He repeats the Lords prayer and in every particular he finds himselfe a great Offender 64 Hee renders a private accompt of his Faith and in every Article of the Creed he finds a fainting failing weaknesse and want 65 Having thus examined himselfe and found in the whole course of his life a fainting in faith and failing in works He recals to mind those Quatuor Novissima or Foure last Remembrances Memorials hourely necessary for all Christians 66 Death 67 Iudgement 68 Hell 69 Heaven 70 With the Remembrance of these He becomes afflicted in spirit 71 Faith appeares vnto him with a cheerefull presence affording him comfort in his affliction 72 Hope seconds that comfort 73 Charity promiseth him in this vaile of misery to cover all his scarlet sinnes with the white robe of mercy and by keeping her company conduct him safely to the kingdome of glory 74 He takes comfort And now wearied with sojourning longer in Idumaea he turnes to Canaan 75 The poore penitent Pilgrims last Will and Testament His Funerall Obsequies The Pilgrims Prayer I Ooke upon me deare Father thy poore Penitent Pilgrim I confesse Lord I confesse that if thou shouldst deale with mee according to my iniquity there were no hope at all left to me of mercy For what houre in all my life since my first entrance into this life wherein I have not in some manner or measure nay above all measure become a grievous transgressour But there is mercy with thee and therefore art thou feared mean time I of all others have greatest cause to feare for abusing thy mercy I have plentuously tasted of thy love and considering it I have many times resolved to become a faithfull convert and zealous observer of thy Law But these faire promises closed in a weake performance No sooner was there the least opportunity offered me of sinning then it found in me an easie impression Pregnant was J in conceiving prompt in consenting and prone in committing Yet Lord when I was going down even to the gates of hell lest I should enter in thou held me And when I drew neere the gates of death lest they should receive me thy grace prevented me Whence I perceived by the influence of thy sweet Spirit whereby I became enlightned that whensoever I fell it was through my owne frailty but whēsoever I rose it was through thy great mercy Yea I found thee ready in every opportunity to afford me thy helping hand in my greatest necessity When I wandred thou recalled me when I was ignorant thou instructed me when I sinned thou corrected mee when I sorrowed thou comforted me when I fell thou raised me when I stood thou supported mee when I went

bloud redeemed with his Angells numbred made capable of happinesse inheritour of goodnesse partaker of reason commaunder of passion what hast thou to doe with this Flesh from whom thou sufferest so many evills By meanes of the Flesh are strange sinnes imputed to thee sins of her own hatching sinnes which thy purer condition should have so highly hated as nothing could relish thee lesse then to be so accoutred By her that loose Libertine thy fleshly Idumaean are thy works of righteousnesse accompted as a menstruous Cloath by her art thou brought to nothing esteemed as a vaine thing and in manner nothing For tell me O tell me poore deluded Soule what other thing is this Flesh whose society thou seemest so highly to tender but meere foame made Flesh and cloathed with fraile honour But shouldest thou consider O my Soule what will become of her how after Death her honour shall lye in the dust how shee shall be stinking Carrion full of misery and corruption meate for wormes Againe how neatly so ever shee seeme now tricked trimmed and tyred shee is no more but Flesh and that Flesh and the beauty thereof as the flower of the field Againe wouldest thou but consider her present condition as thou hast already heard of her Originall corruption and read an Atomy Lecture on her beauty to allay the heat of thy fancy Wouldst thou I say but consider with a cleare and dis-interessed eye what goeth out by the mouth nosthrills and other passages of the body thou wouldest soone confesse that thou never lookst upon a more stinking Dunghill Againe shouldest thou but reckon up all her miseries how shee is loaden with sinnes surprized with passions polluted with illusions prone alwayes to all manner of evill and addicted to al vice thou wouldest find thereby meanes of this staine of sinne full of all confusion and shame For by company of this flesh became man like unto vanity because from it and none but it drew man that staine of concupiscence by which he became attached attainted so wholly crooked and corrupted as he set his love on nothing but vanity practised nothing but workes of iniquity O leave to love her then whose love is thy losse estrange thee from her wayes for her pathes lead unto death And now give mee leave to talke a little with thee O my Flesh And first resolve mee if ever I came into any place wherein I could promise to my selfe peace In this populous Citie I cannot take my walke in any street wherein I am not subject to bee taken by thy deceit Thou sendest forth those two light Spies to purvey and bring in Objects of lust by these am I wounded by these doe I suffer a continual Combat Neither are these wounds cured now when my youth has left mee when these daily Messengers of death summon me For though I bee neerer my Grave I am nothing richer in Grace Though those follies of my youth have now left me and woe is mee that I did not leave them before they left me yet other aged maladies grow strong in me against which I must prepare my selfe for the encounter or I am undone for ever Would you heare what my distempers are They are these Though few bee my houres hoary my haires yet am I as numerous in my worldly cares as if I were but even now entring into the world I cannot without an envious eye see my Neighbours field flourish others prosperity gives me occasion of repining others adversity grounds of rejoycing Honour I would have yet can I hardly support my selfe much lesse that Honor which is conferred on me Alas poore mouldred earth Now when I carry about me such constant Companions of my mortality when Aches Cramps and Coughes are my ages livery Now when Death waits at the Wicket and bids me come away and leave the world seeing it is weary of me and fit me for my shrowding sheet being all that is left me yet have I a moneths mind to be greater or richer or more eminent in the eye of the World as if I could dispense with age or make a truce with death Thus am I encountred with new temptations Night and day am I beleagred nor can I find any rest so fierce and furious is this Combatant my Flesh O how justly then may I complaine of this my houshold enemy And how may I escape her subtilty It is her Delicacy that has undone me for by pamphering her have I famished my selfe I tooke pitty of her weaknesse and I cherish'd her and behold now I am abused by her Shee has wounded mee with her eye no with both her eyes has shee surpriz'd mee For with her right eye she shew'd me prosperity and by inclining to her caused me to commit idolatry And with her left eye shee darted adversity at mee and so made me murmure against him that made me O how I feele my selfe now failing and falling to earth yet how are my thoughts so glued to earth as if they had no other place to thinke on O my God from the depth of thy mercy looke upon the depth of my misery thou knowest my necessity let me not become a prey to mine enemy Sweet Iesu thou hast taught my fingers to fight give mee the mastery in this combat with my flesh CHAP. 6. What assaults he suffer'd by the Divell both in company and privacy O Thou envious one was it not sufficient for thee to lose thy selfe by thy Pride but like a cruell cunning Nimrod haunt day and night after innocent blood Thou art for ever lost and thou wouldst have my poore soule in the same state And to bring thy purpose about thou hast practised with people of my owne family to betray my Fort unto the Enemy Thou hast winnowed me and as thou found mee affected thou wrought upon me Thou had baites in store for every soule to take him napping in his Darling sinne If thou foundst him labor of that birth wherein thou perished thou couldst suggest to him thoughts of his owne abilities bring him to a disdaine of others Tell him the State did not take sufficient notice of his worth Advise him to hold an higher opinion of himselfe and by contemning others to raise his owne estimate But whereto ayme all these trains to undoe him for being fed with these conceits he begins to aspire to places of honour wherein being crossed of his hopes he fals into discontent which clozeth the unhappy Scene of his life in misery and contempt Or deprived of what hee once enjoyed and to an unexpected thraldome confined with the heavy memory of his former felicity and present misery hee either lives desperately encountred with those affrighting thoughts of danger or takes his leave at once both of life and honour Againe if thou foundst him Covetous thou hadst Achans wedge and Gehaza's treasure in readinesse for him Hee shall have his desires and a Leprosie to boot If riotous the Rich-mans table could not bee better furnished

Moaths become feeding Thou hadst oyle and meale in thy Pitcher yea thy store-houses surfeted of plenty and thy wine-presses groaned in their fulnesse yet must the hungry soule perish rather then be relieved The thirsty die ere hee bee refreshed The naked be utterly starved ere hee be cloathed Look then and take a full view of thine inward man and see if there be any thing in him that may justifie thee by him Sift and search him the more thou shalt discover him the more thou shalt be ashamed of him Whence then thy pride whence thy vaine-glory Resolve thy selfe to teares fall prostrate before the Throne of grace If thou have a desire to be like thy Saviour love humility it is the best badge of Christian honour In whomsoever dwelleth the pride of life that soule cannot dwell in Christs love These are severall lodgings and are reserved for severall persons O my Redeemer give me a perfect knowledge of my present condition that by it I may learne true humiliation Let not the hand of the sinner move me nor the foot of pride draw neare mee Hee knowes not himselfe that can bee proud Oh keepe me from being proud that I may know my selfe CHAP. 11. How neither the Law of Nature nor of Grace could call him home from his wandring course THe wild Asse which runneth here and there and snuffeth the wind in the wildernesse was a tame and serviceable Creature in comparison of me a Runnagate to my Fathers house and a most rebellious sinner Wee account that Subject who owes allegeance to his Prince not fitting to live if hee at any time practise against him and worthily doe wee so account him Woe is me what have I then deserved Many yeares are now gone and past since I left my Fathers house since I divided my portion with Harlots since I rebelled against my Prince that Prince of Princes Meanes had hee made and sundry Messengers had hee sent to recall me Hee opened unto me the Law of Nature and there hee shewed before my face and unto my shame what Iustice and Temperance what Moderation and Continence what excellent morall vertues appeared even in those who were Heathens and knew no God These onely pertak't some weake glimpses of a naturall light They knew not what Eternity meant nor where that Heavenly City was to bee found yet hated these to wrong one another or to doe to another what they would not have done by an other to themselves These loved goodnesse without hope of reward Their ambitiō was only to be remembred after death or by their commendable lives leave to others examples how to live Yet were all their vertues but splendid vices nay meerly sin because whatsoever is not of faith is sin From these then taking me by the hand he brought me to the Law of Grace Where he shewed me what wondrous things he had done for mee How though I was bound infinitely bound unto his Majesty Even by the Law of Nature for my creation in distinguishing me from all others nay in setting me above all others in giving me a command over all others yet had it bin nothing to have created me had he not likewise redeemed me lost I was and eternally lost he spared not his own to make me one of his own Nor had althis sufficed me for everwas I failing and falling had he notlikewise sent his Holy Spirit to preserve me from a finall falling And now what heart so hard whom these many benefits would not soften And yet I the more miserable I carelesse of my owne state or what may hereafter befall my poore sinfull soule have not beene as yet either allured with his mercies or awaked with his judgements I had a Law in my Members that foolishly sent forth her Prohibition to stay proceedings in all other Courts I applied my eare to the Cimball and to the Timbrell I tooke my fulnesse of pleasure in sinne No sense could take delight in any Object wherein I strove not to satisfie her appetite Thus did I transgresse the Law of Nature and by that meanes made my selfe worse then an Heathen Thus did I reject the motions of Grace and so dishonour'd the style of a Christian O my good Shepherd call this thy lost sheep now back from wandring Bring him to thy Sheepfold where hee may find plenteous refreshing Write thy Law in his heart Let it be as a Frontlet unto his eyes As a chaine to his neck As a bracelet to his arme Let him looke into it and as in a Glasse correct himselfe by it O teach me thy Law that my soule may take delight in it and live CHAP. 12. He takes a view of the whole Decalogue and hee scarce finds in it one Commandement wherein either in part or in all he has not beene a most grievous sinner VVHo would not think it strange that any one should forget what the very sight of himselfe might make him remember I can neither looke upon mine hands nor feet but their number and account might cause me to call to mind that sacred number which was delivered to Moses in the Mount But admit I should lay this Holy Decalogue aside in mine owne house my private family yet when at any time I come into Gods house my very care cannot chuse but bring it to my memory The view whereof is heavy to mee For what one Commandement in all that Decalogue which in part or in all proves mee not an high delinquent A grievous Sinner and what is worse a slow Repenter O when that Booke shall be opened and my sinfull life compared to what is in it when this marke of distinction shall be set over my head Behold the man and his workes O how full of shame and confusion shall I stand before that just Iudge of the ten Tribes when that Lord of Lords that great God of Hosts who is powerfull in revenge when he sees the malice of men to abound when hee shall shout in the clouds when hee shall come openly when his fury shall break silence when round about him a fire shall burne and in his presence a strong tempest shall assaile us when hee shall call the Heaven from above and the earth to judge his people when lo before so many thousands of people all my iniquities shall bee laid naked when before so many legions of Angels all my offences shall be opened not only of my workes but even of my thoughts and words when before so many Iudges I poore delinquent shall stand as have gone before mee in good workes when I shall bee put to shame by such as rebuke me and by so many as have given me examples of living godly When before many witnesses shall my conscience be convinced as with their profitable instructions have admonished me or by their just actions have left themselves for examples to be imitated by me O in what case shall I then stand what shall I be able to answer in my

said There is no God For hadst thou reteined in thee one thought of God thou wouldest have trembled to have done that which thou hast done against the Majesty of God Nay whereas he has told thee that there is but one God and him shalt thou serve Thou hast made to thy selfe many Gods one to fullfill thy pleasure another to advance thee to honour another for filthy lucre Oh how can I remember this without heavinesse of heart To leave him who gave me beeing To leave him who is my portion without whom I have no beeing O my good God do not leave mee for what am I without thee or what can I do unlesse thou helpe mee All the Gods of the Gentiles are Divels It is thou Lord onely that hast made Heaven Earth Thou onely O Lord art my God Those Gods who have not made Heaven and Earth let them perish from Heaven and Earth let Heaven Earth praise that God who hath made Heaven and Earth CHAP. 14. His breach of the Law touching the second Commandement BRing forth thy golden Calfe thy treasures of Horeb thy Dagon thy Moloc Tell me hast thou not reared these Idols in thine heart These were but made of Gold and Silver these are the Metalls which thou doest honour Where the treasure is there is the heart Oh upon how unworthy a Subject hast thou bestowed it Oh that thou hadst razed those moulten Images those graven Idols too long ingraven in thine heart which thou so unhappily adored Oh that thou had seene into the vanity of this painted Earth What a folly it was for an unthankfull people to set them up a God in the Image of a Calfe that eateth hay And art thou any Wiser in thy generation Of corruptible things hast thou made thy Gods and on those who could not helpe themselves hast thou relyed What daily sacrifices hast thou offered to those moulten Images These kept thee awaking when thou shouldst sleepe These made thee fearefull to Dye These made thy thoughts strangers to thy true God Oh how bitter is death unto him that putteth his trust in his riches O hatefull Idolatry to be so unhappily wealthy as to make a reasonable Soule to do worship unto vanity Gehazi became a foule Leper by making himselfe such an Idolater O my loose thoughts whither do yee hale mee nay to what fearefull conclusions have yee already brought mee Reason told mee besides that weake beamling of grace that darted upon mee that there was nothing in these but vexation of spirit How the love of the Creature took mee off from loving my Creator How bowing to these so hardned my heart as it could finde no knees to bow to heaven O depart from mee yee workers of iniquity yee drawers of mee to Idolatry In you have I found nothing but vanity Vaine in your promises but lighter in your performances Yee and none but yee brought mee to forget God from whom commeth all good and to fight under his Banner who was a profest enemy to the Crosse of my Saviour But alas where shall I turne mee where may I fly for succour in this time of danger I have fled from him who had comfort in store for mee and polluted my Soule with spirituall Idolatry It is best for mee to leave my selfe and to leane on him who gave himselfe for mee My Soule is of too precious a price to be left to such a keeper as will betray her to her enemy for a moments pleasure O my sweet Saviour receive thou mee into thy bosom Decline my affection wholly from adoring these Moulten Images of worldly vanity Let me imprint thee my crucified Iesu in my heart so shall I ascribe all honour to him whom I love best my blessed Redeemer CHAP. 15. His transgressing of the Third in prophaning Gods name VIle Worme filthy dung Sinfull dust darest thou prophane his name at whose voice the Mountaines shall quake tremble at the breath of whose nostrills the high hills shall be melted the mountaines shall be laid levell with the valleyes the whole foundation of the Earth shall shake and be removed And yet unhappy Pilgrim thou feared'st none of these things Thou went'st on in Dishonouring his Name nay in minting new Oaths as if the reprobate had not already found out enow to dishonour his Maker And these thou held'st a great grace to thy discourse For the imaginations of thy deceitfull heart were so set on mischiefe as thou heldst Deepe Oaths the breaths or accents of a brave spirit the strength or sinnews of any discourse This made thee consort and keepe company with the Dames of the time for with this title are they highly pleased to suck from them this profane venom this spawne of the most odious senselesse Sinne that ever the Divell suggested Senselesse indeed For there is no one Sin which either one way or another affords not some vaine delight unto the Sense whereas this Sinne is so senselesse of any such Object as it onely affrights the Conscience Affright yea and worthily may it affright Seeing Gods judgements shall never depart from the Swearers House Stand amazed poor miserable Pilgrim while thou hearest this Put thy selfe in the Ballance and tell mee whether during all these dayes of thine unhappy pilgrimage thou hast not practised this Sin Sometimes in deceiving thy Brother with subtile Contracts binding the value of thy commodities with an Oath to enforce him to beleeve what thy Conscience told thee was not true Sometimes in thy good resolves calling God to witnesse that thou hast fixed thy resolves on this and if God please thou meanest to effect it and thou wer 't perswaded that it would please God that it should be effected meane time thou either weakly failed in what thou intended or else never meant to performe what thou so ceremoniously vowed Againe how earnestly hast thou sworne and herein taken his blessed name highly in vaine that thou wouldst not sleepe till thou hadst revenged thy selfe of thine Enemy And far more constant wer't thou in pursuit of this ill then in performing ought that was good How deepely hast thou vowed to procure thy pleasure which enjoyed how carelesly were thy vowes regarded with what coldnesse rendred Thou hast read how such prophane Transgressors as these should be taken away from the presence of God never to see his face And yet for all this wouldst not thou lose the glory inglorious glory of one Oath for the forfeit of such a prize Not one part or Member of thy glorious Maker thy sweet Saviour but must bee piece meale rent torn divided to have thine hatefull humour satisfied That precious Head that was with thornes crown'd must bee affresh pierced That precious Side which was with a Speare pierced must be againe wounded Those broad-spreading Armes so cruelly racked Those pure Hands so pittifully nailed must be anew opened Those humble Feet which were so unmercifully bored must be againe pounced Every wound must be revived

Salmon shall my soule be made though she be now soil'd with the leprosie of sin Yea but dangerous wounds require longer cures My afflicted conscience tels mee that I have grievously sinned against his sacred Majesty both in quantity and quality I have not had God before mine eyes the pathes of righteousnesse were estranged from me Those sinnes which with such greedinesse I had committed had sent forth their cry to the clouds they were of no inferior nature but suchas derogated highly from the honour of my Maker What may I then expect but that those Viols of his wrath should be poured forth even to the bottome if hee did not looke upon me with his eye of fatherly compassion It is true my deare Lord it is true No sinner ever exceeded me in number and nature yet comming to thee with an humble contrite heart receive me loving Father for one of thine Though my sinnes might justly make a partition wall betwixt my soule and thee my sweet Spouse for ever yet hast thou promised to be a Saviour to every penitent sinner O Lord looke upon me in thy mercy for my soule is sore vexed within me CHAP. 19. His Contempt of the Third in playing the Wanton IS it time to feast and play the Wanton when the Flood is comming Every houre ushers me to my Grave yet am I still farre off from receiving the motions of Grace Woe is me that my Dalilah has rob'd mee of my strength What a long time of youth did I lead as if that Spring would ne're have done How strongly nay how strangely have I beene taken with a whorish behaviour as if there had beene no well-beseeming beauty but what was accompanied by impudence How often have I taken delight in the count●nance of a strange woman How desirous have I beene to take how ready to bee taken That Belcone could not open nor in her opening discover the feature of a woman which my wanton eye did not fixe on Forbidden fruit and stolne waters were ever sweetest Lightnesse had got such possession of mee as were it in action or discourse there was nothing which took mine eare more or made the houre lesse tedious I had read how that the Adulterer and Whore-monger God would judge How that the pleasure of fornication was short but the punishment of the Fornicator eternall And sometimes I had the grace to consider with my selfe what thing this Eternity was And the more I begun to consider it the further I was from it yet I found it to bee such a thing as admitted no end and yet I unfortunately made a forfeiture of it for a moments pleasure Pleasure shall I call it no that cannot be properly called a pleasure but a torture which dams the soule for ever I found the deceitfulnesse of this sinne with what resolves I made hourely to become a true and unfeined Penitent never to returne to my vomit I consider'd how a continent soule was the precioust treasure how God would not dwell in that heart that was infected with this sinne All this I applyed to my heart but alas how long did it remaine uncorrupt No sooner was there an occasion of temptation offered then my vaine heart quite forgot what shee had resolved The thought of Eternity was presently choaked with an hapleste desire of enjoying what was lighter then vanity Woe is me that any reasonable soule should bee so deluded That neither the promises of a better life nor the shame of this present life could decline mee from working such iniquity I found how all bread was sweet unto the Adulterer How none was more estranged from his love then whom hee was bound most to love Thus I perished with open eyes for I knew well how the Harlot would bring a man even to a morsell of bread How her paths were full of deceipt and how her foot-stepps led unto death And I understood how there was nothing to be compared to a vertuous Woman and what felicity I enjoyed in such a Choice With what pious Obsequies I solemniz'd her Funeralls whom I once enjoyed with what purposes I entertained to remaine a constant Widdower after such time as I was deprived of her Yet though ripenesse of yeares had nipped in mee the blossoms of of youth nay though age had writ deepe furrows in my brow yet found I youth enough in my doating fancy For I am ashamed to thinke with what an unbeseeming lightnesse I encountered a strange face How soone I could gather by the wandring motion of her eye the disposition of her heart Thus in my declining age begun I to renue my acquaintance with light love and to practise that which did least become me So dangerous is the custome of sinne when it has taken full seazure or possession of the soule O my sweet Iesu clense me from my secret sinnes and give mee grace to remember these things with heavinesse of heart Let me goe all the day mourning and with teares of hearty contrition move thy tender heart to compassion O cure this bloody issue of my sinne apply unto my bleeding wounds a present cure As thou lookt upon Magdalen and made her an holy Saint of an hainous sinner so looke upon mee with the eye of pitty that I may find thee in the day of my visitation a gracious Saviour CHAP. 20. His breach of the Fourth in his cunning defeating of his Neighbour MY conscience hath oft-times told me and woe is mee that I remembred it not how there were many other kinds of Theft besides purloyning or imbezling of my Neighbours goods In defeating him of what was due unto him nay in finding what I knew to bee his and not restoring it unto him this even this convinc'd my conscience of guilt and that I was a Robber of him These seeme but light sinnes and of such easie digestion as they seeme no sinnes at all But these must not be forgotten for they are writ in his Booke with a pen of steele and are not to be wiped away but with the soft Spunge of his mercy I have often thought out of the foolishnesse of mine heart that privily to take away or defeat any one of small toyes or trifles as I accounted them was no sinne because they were of small or no weight whereas if I had knowne the quality of sinne aright I would have confest that it was not the value of the thing but the intention of the heart that made the sinne It skils not much whether the substance be vile or precious which is unjustly procured or injuriously required so as the affection bee to either of these equally corrupted Though they be of different dammage in respect of him from whom they are taken yet bring they equall detriment to him by whom they were taken O with what sighes with what teares did that devout Father bewayle his breaking into an Orchard though hee was then a Boy and therefore pardonable These are now so easily dispenc'd with as