of heart thy crops grow lesse and lesse But stinking weeds encrease and flourish so That shortly they thy crop will overgrow Unlesse for honour of thy name with speed Thou wilt vouchsafe O Lord the same to weed O deale not with us after our deserts Nor after the uprightnesse of our hearts What would become of sinfull mortall man If thou his sinfull life shouldst strictly scan If thou shouldst marke what we have done amisse Who could expect to reape eternall blisse Psal 78.13 14. Thou that in Zoan by thy mighty hand Couldst so divide the seas that on drie land Our forefathers might passe canst also heale The breaches of our Church and Common-weale Our land 's divided and divided so That we amongst our selves can hardly know Whom we may safely trust which makes all those Which doe thee and thy word of truth oppose As chiefly Papists to rejoyce and say Ha ha so so there goes the game away Thou mightst in justice Lord we doe confesse Us of our lives and livings dispossesse Thou mightst deprive us of the meanes of grace And from beholding of thy blessed face And give us up into such Heathens hands For ever to remaine in cruell bands Of slavery and thraldome because we Have broke our covenant so oft with thee Yet Lord now in our need some pity take Ev'n for thy mercy truth and promise sake Thou hast we know been mercifull indeed To Israel yea thou hast Iacobs seed Restor'd from thraldome yea O God we finde In holy Writ thou blott'st out of thy minde All their misdeeds and heinous wickednesse Whereby they did thy holy Laws transgresse Thou didst asswage thy wrath and mitigate Thine anger towards them yea in a state Of happinesse didst seat them so that they Might be a people unto thee for aye O let thy people in this sinfull land Such mercies finde O Lord now at thy hand Turne us O God oâ— saving health from all Our evill waies which unto heaven call For vengeance on us let thine anger cease And from all hellish thraldome so release Our bodies and our soules that still we may With freedome magnifie thee day by day Vengeance O Lord doth properly belong Unto thy Majesty revenge the wrong That hath been and now is done unto thee By such as hate thy truth in sanctity O judge of all the world thy selfe exalt Against all such as would thy truth assault Let not the wicked and the worldly wise Over thy faithfull people tyrannize Let not false-hearted Papists who conspire The ruine of thy Church have their desire Let Superstition and Idolatry Like to a rotten hedge for ever be Trod underfoot let merit-mongers all Be like a rotten house and tottering wall Give not the soule Lord of thy Turtle Dove Unto the Beast remember in thy love And tender mercies such as are opprest By wicked men or any way distrest Thy faithfull covenant consider well For they are cruell that on earth now dwell The shepheard seeks to fleece his flock the lambe Growes ravenous and woolvish to her dam The bird the nest where she was hatcht bewraies Iudas his Master cunningly betraies Behold but how the wicked thee defame And how the foolish folke blaspheme thy name Arise arise and thine owne cause maintaine For thou hast said the helpe of man is vain Why dost thou sit as one that 's fast asleepe Why is thy wrath so hot against thy sheepe Thinke on thy congregations and behold Those places which thou hast possest of old But above all the rest remember well Mount Sion wherein thou was wont to dwell Let not the foolish laugh thy Saints to scorne Nor let the wicked man lift up his horne In sunder break their hornes but raise on high The horns of such as serve thee faithfully Confound them in their wicked plots with shame That daily labour to obscure thy name Cast downe those mighty mountaines which oppose Thee in thy waies but let O Lord all those That wish well unto Sion firmely stand As Cedar trees in this our realme and land O let thy Gospell flourish in despite Of such as most abhorre thy sacred light And for this end we humbly thee desire The hearts of all our rulers to inspire With so much wisedome and soule-saving grace That they may daily labour to deface All superstitious worship and advance Thy blessed word and sacred ordinance Thy jugdement Lord upon the King bestow Thy righteousnesse upon the Prince that so He may his loyall subjects rule aright And eke defend the poore against the might Of such as would them wrong without a cause Yea many times against his and thy lawes Let those high mountaines under him encrease In this his realme true zeale and godly peace And let the little hills their minds apply To punish vice and manage equitie Lord let thy Priests be clothed with thy truth And righteousnesse as Naomi and Ruth Make them to live in love that there may be In life and doctine a sweet harmonie Let Moses now and Aron Lord appeale Unto thy throne let Phineas with zeale True judgement execute without delay That they in time thine irefull hand may stay That so our God thou maist continew still And we a people ready to fulfill Thy holy lawes and all our sinfull daies Shew forth thy noble acts and worthie praise Thy whole and holy Church O Lord preserve In unity and peace let not them swerve Or be misled with errors that desire To worship thee with hearts and minds intire Those that are simple ignorant and blind And earnestly desire the way to find That leads to life eternall by thy grace Illuminate O Lord that they thy face And blessed countenance may clearely see And with this fight so much delighted be That they may dally labour to obtaine More knowledge of thy word and thereby gaine Assurance of thy goodnesse to the just And faithfulnesse to those that put their trust In thy sure promises those that are weake And yet through godly zeale desire to speake In behalfe of thy truth yea if need be To seale the truth thereof and sanctity Ev'n with their bloud enable with thy hand In midst of flames of fire upright to stand O strengthen them by thy al-working might Couragiously to fight the Lambs great fight Those that are borne of thine immortall seed And as new borne babes much desire to feed Upon the sincere milke of thy pure word Full streaming brests O Lord to them afford Lastly give peace in these unquiet daies Wherein pride guile and malice so much swayes For now O Lord great dangers are at hand As by thy frownes we clearly understand Thy ever-over and all ruling hand Hath brought astonishment upon our land Thou hast declared heavy things to thine And caused some of us to drinke the wine Of giddinesse so that we scarce can tell When we doe evill or when we do well O give a banner unto such as fear And worship thee with hearts and minds
sincere That it may now and ever be displaid Against all such as shall thy truth invade Returne O God let not thy wrath proceed Shew us some favour helpe us in our need So fill our hearts with mercy that thy praise We may extoll with gladnesse all our daies O let that peace of thine which passeth all Our understandings keep our soules from thrall Yea soules and bodies both let it preserve So in thy feare that we may never swerve From thee our onely God but through thy grace In godlinesse may finish this our race That when we yeeld up this life transitory We evermore may dwell with thee in glory These and what else O Lord thou knowest best In thy great wisdome for us we request Not as desert for nothing's due but shame And hel-fire unto us but in the name And for the sake of that Son of thy love Who for our sakes alone came from above To whom with thee O God of saving grace And to thy holy Spirit in the next place We give all honour and desire t' adore Thy holy Name both now and evermore Amen PARTICVLAR REMEDIES AGAINST DESPAIRE COLLECTED Out of DAVID his PSALMES And applied to the severall Conditions of men in this vale of Misery By F T. Psal 107.43 Hosea 14.10 He that is wise to record well in minde These things shall understand how kinde And good God is to such as meekly beare His rod and thereby learne his Name to fear Psal 34.8 Taste then and see how good God is and just Blessed are they which in his mercy trust LONDON Printed by THO HARPER MDCXLIII Remedies against despaire in times of warre THe Lord of hosts doth take our part his eie Prevents all harme on him our hope doth lie He causeth warres to cease he breaks the bow He cuts the speare and charrets burnes also Be still and know that I am God and I Throughout the earth my selfe will magnifie Psal 46.7.9.10 God breakes the arrowes of the bow the shield The sword the speare the battle in the field Thou art more bright and shalt remaine for aye More puissant then mountains high of prey Stout-harted men yea mountaines strong and steepe Through thee are spoiled and have slept their sleep The mighty men of warre great men of might Have found both hearts and hands unfit to fight At thy rebuke thou that dost Iacob keepe The charret and the horse are cast a sleepe Thou even thou art to be dred and who Shall able be thy wrath to undergoe When thou to judgement shalt O God arise To helpe the meeke and heare their dolefull cries Surely unto thy praise mans might and rage Shall turne and thou the remnant shalt asswage Psal 76.3.4.5.6.7 8.9.10 The speare-mens ranks the calves and bulls of might God will destroy and all that love to fight This is our God that saves us from all wrong Issues of life and death to him belong Psal 63.30.20 Ungodly men consult against the good And plot how to condemne the guiltlesse bloud But still my refuge is the Lord most just Yea my God is the rock in whom I trust Psal 94.21.22 The arrowes of the Lord are sharpe to sting The hearts of those that fight against the King Psal 45.5 Our eares have heard our fathers have us told The mighty workes which thou hast done of old How by thy might thou cast the heathen out And didst subdue such as were strong and stout And in their place didst plant them by thy hand That they in safety might possesse the land They did not conquer by the sword their arme Their strength could not O Lord them save from harm But thy right hand thine arme thy strength and might Because in them thou tookest great delight Through thee alone we have thrust back our foes And troad those downe that up against us rose Unto my bowe no confidence I gave Neither from danger could my sword me save Thou hast us sav'd for honour of thy name Thou hast our foes put to reproach and shame Psal 44.1.2.3.5.6.7 As we have heard of old and oft have beene Told of thy goodnesse we have also seene Ev'n in the city of our God that he Will it establish to eternitie Psal 48.8 God is our hope and strength our rock and aid Ready to helpe when we are much dismaid Then though the earth be mov'd and mountaines fall Into the sea we will not feare at all Though waters rage and troubled be though waves Beat downe high mountaines God his people saves For there a river is whose streames will cheare The City of the Lord his Saints most deare God in the midst thereof doth dwell for aye Therefore it shall not perish or decay Psal 46.1.2.3.4.5 An hoast of men Lord I discomfite shall In thee through thee I shall leap o're the wall Psal 18.29 Let God arise and manifest his might And then his foes shall put themselves to flight But godly men before him shall rejoyce Yea leap for joy and sing with pleasant voice Psal 68.1.3 God is my rock shall man make me dismaid God is my strength why should I be afraid Psal 27.1 O sing unto the Lord new songs of praise For he hath wrought great wonders in our daies His owne right hand and holy arme alone With great renowne his foes hath overthrowne The Lord declares his saving health and might His justice eke in all the heathens sight He calls to mind his mercy truth and grace To Israel and all his faithfull race That all the world might see and know right well The goodnesse of the Lord to Israel Remedies against despaire in case of want and poverty THe poore shall eat and be suffic'd and they That seeke God praise him and shall live for aye The poore and needy he will not despise Nor hide his face from their complaints and cries Psal 22.24.26 Although I be of meane degree and poore The Lord is mindfull of me evermore Psal 40.17 Delight your selves in God with hearts entire And he will give to you your hearts desire Psal 37.4 All wait on thee yea things void of all reason That thou their food maist give them in due season Psal 104.27 The needy God will raise out of the dust Out of the dung the poore that in him trust Psal 113.7 For want of food the lions may be pin'd But such as feare the Lord shall succour find Psal 34.9.10 I have been yong and now aâ— waâ—ed old And in this case to speake I dare be bold That I the godly man did never see Forsaken quite nor his posterity Through want constrained for to beg their bread But ever have been by Gods goodnesse fed Psal 37.25 Cast thou thy burthen on the Lord and he In times of dearth and want will nourish thee Psal 56.24 Trust in the Lord to do good give thy mind Dwell in the land and thou shalt succour find Psal 37.3 Comfort for the godly when vengeance is powred downe upon the
he will show And to the house of Israel also Yea such as feare the Lord shall blessed be Both small and great of high and low degree To them the Lord will multiply his grace Yea unto them and to their stocke and race Psal 115.12 13. Our fathers have put confidence in thee And thou in mercy Lord hast set them free They were deliver'd when upon the name Of God they cal'd they were not put to shame That trusted in him Psal 22.4 5. God's just in all his waies his works are all Most pure he 's nigh to such as on him call Psal 145.17 18. Doubtlesse that man is blest whom God corrects And thereby in his holy law directs That he in evill daies may give him rest When sinners shall for ever be supprest For sure God will no time the just forsake Nor shun his chosen heritage to take Psal 95.12 13 14. Comfort for the godly in time of sicknesse VVHen we lie languishing upon our beds Of sorrow and of sicknesse God our heads And hearts doth hold he heals our griefes and sores And us at length to perfect health restores Pal. 41.5 When snares of Death me round about beset And paines of hell me caught as in a net Then on the name of God thus did I call Deliver thou my soule O Lord from thrall The Lord is mercifull unto the just And faithfull to all those that in him trust I was in wofull paine and misery And in his mercy he relieved me Psal 116.3 4 5 6. The foolish for by reason of their crimes Upon their heads great plagues heap oftentimes Their soules did loath all meats they wont before To hunger for they were brought to deaths door Than 〈◊〉 they crie to God for helpe and aid And he them heard according as they praid Psal 107.17 18 19 20. Though in the vale of death I walke I will No evill feare for thou art with me still Psal 23.4 Comfort for the weak ALL ye that trust in God be strong and bold Though ye be weak God will your hearts uphold Psal 31.24 The Lord your strength and courage will encrease The Lord will blesse you with eternall peace Psal 30.11 Hope in the Lord be strong and no way start And he will comfort and confirme thine heart Psal 27.16 My heart would faint should I not hope to see In life eternall thy felicity Psal 27.15 The fatnesse of the house the just shall feed To them thy pleasant rivers shall exceed Because the Well of life remaines with thee And in thy perfect light we light shall see Psal 36.8 9. The Lord hath bought the soules of all the just And none shall perish that in him do trust Psal 34.22 The Lord doth reigne then let the earth rejoyce And let his Saints triumph with pleasant voice Psal 97.1 I waited long and did with meeknesse beare And God at length to me inclin'd his eare He brought my feet out of the mire and clay Unto a rock he led me in his way Psal 40.1 2. The Lord upon the just doth fix his eyes His eares are alwaies open to their cries The godly crie and God in mercy hears And frees their soules from troubles pains and fears Unto the meeke the Lord is neare and kinde To save such as afflicted be in minde Great are the troubles which the good befall But God in mercy rids them out of all Psal 34.15 17 18 19. According to thy promises most just Thinke on thy servant for therein I trust In midst of troubles this my heart doth cheare This me revives when pains of death draw neare The proud of me have often made a scorne Yet shrinke I not from thee as one forlorn◠For I thy lasting judgements call to minde Therein O Lord I joy and comfort finde Psal 119.49 50 51 52. Such as trust in the Lord shall stand as sure As Sions mount for ever to endure And as the mighty mountains are about Jerusalem ev'n so without all doubt From henceforth and for ever God will those That trust in him with mercies great enclose Psal 125.1 2. Comfort for the penitent THe Lord is just and mercifull also Apt to forgive to wrath and anger slow Psal 103.8 We with our fathers Lord we must confesse Against thee have committed wickednesse The wonders thou didst work in Egypts land Our fathers did not rightly understand They did not call to minde the multitude Of thy great mercies to them but more rude And stubborne were yea in rebellion they Did rise and that at sea yea the red sea Yet didst thou save them for thine owne names sake That thou thy power to be known mightst make Still they provoked God to wrath and ire By their fond and inordinate desire Yet when he did behold their misery He heard in mercy their complaint and cry Psal 106.6 7 44. Thou hast O Lord been mercifull indeed To Israel yea thou hast Iacobs seed Restor'd from thraldome and O God we finde In holy Writ thou blott'st out of thy minde All their misdeeds and heynous wickednesse Whereby they did thy holy Laws transgresse My sins Lord I confesse with griefe of heart In this thy mercy let me have a part Psal 85.1 2. Of joy and gladnesse thou shalt make me heare That thou my broken bones O Lord maist cheare Psal 51.8 Give laud unto the Lord my soule let not The leaft of all his mercies be forgot That gave thee pardon and will give all times Pardon to such as will forsake their crimes After our sinnes with us he hath not dealt Nor forour sinnes have we his furie felt Psal 103.2.3.10 Comfort for the godly in time of dearth IN evill times they shall not danted be In times of dearth they shall Gods goodnesse see Psal 37.19 Behold the eies of God behold the just To helpe all such as in his mercy trust To free their soules while here they live on earth From the devouring jawes of death and dearth Psal 33.18.19 Comfort for the mariner in danger of shipwreck THey that in ships into great waters goe For and with merchandize both to and fro Observe and daily have Gods works in mind His wonders deep they in the deep do find For at his word the stormie winds arise Wherby the surges seeme to threat the skies They mount aloft and plunge the depth againe So that their soules consume with feare and paine They stagger like a drunkard to and fro Their skill is gone they know not what to doe Then did they cry to God for helpe and aide And he them heard according as they pray'd The boist'rous stormes he makes to cease the rage Of roaring waves his hand doth soone asswage Then are they glad then do they shout and sing When God doth them unto their haven bring Psal 107. from 23. to 30. A few short Meditations and ejaculations upon the ATTRIBVTES of God the Lords PRAYER and the ten COMMANDEMENTS Of the goodnesse and greatnesse of God Meditati 1
lest with cursed Cain Our soules for ever burne in endlesse paine Amen 7. Precept Mediti ∣ tation 7 The pure in heart enricht with saving grace With joy shall see the glory of thy face To filthy lusts Lord we are much enclin'd O sanctifie both body soule and minde As we have faulty been herein so grant We may repent and leave this filthy haunt Amen 8. Precept Mediti ∣ tation 8 We know thy Law doth say thou shalt not steal Yet we both rob thy Church and Common-weal In both we are but drones we live to spend What others get and for no other end We in thy vineyard idle stand yea we Ev'n in our private callings sloathfull be Nay Lord we as if of all grace bereft Against thy majesty use fraud and theft Our conscience knowes it to bee very true Our practice shewes that we withhold thy due Thy due is honour glory laud and praise But we blaspheme thee by our evill waies Yea we might see were we not like blind moles Our theft toward our rulers bodies soules O Lord bow downe the heavens and behold Us in thy Son with mercies manifold Unto thy justice we dare not appeale Nor to our merits for if thou shouldst deale With us as we have dealt with thee we might Justly expect that thou shouldst us requite With everlasting woe O blessed God Rather correct us with thy tender rod Use us like children though we must confesse We have been rebells ready to transgresse Upon the least enticements of the divell The world the flesh to ought that hath been evill Make us in word and deed more just and true That we may give to God and man their due Amen 9. Precept THou lovest truth Lord in the inward parts But we have both deceitfull tongues and hearts Grant we may not for envie feare or gaine False witnesse beare dissemble lie or faigne Amen 10. Precept IT is thy will that we should be content With what in mercy thou to us hast sent But we are apt to murmur and repine And to accuse thy providence divine As if thou wert unjust or didst not know How upon men thy blessings to bestow We thinke some have too little some too much When others prosper we are apt to grutch To covet and desire those things which we In conscience know anothers right to be Lord make us for be content with what Thou hast appointed for to be our lot Have mercy Lord upon us and incline Our hearts to keepe all these thy laws divine Amen A few other short Ejaculations 1. Ejaculation WE cannot pray nor praise thee as we would Indeed we can do nothing as we should For when our minds are bent to do thy will Our adversaries tempt us most to ill O that our waies were so direct that we Might keepe they statutes O that we could be What thou wouldst have us be Lord we desire To worship thee with hearts and minds intire Lord let our sighes and groanes acceptance find For perfect deeds accept our willing mind Amen 2. Ejaculation OUr many slips our weaknesse do proclaime Yet we desire to love and feare thy name We have not faith we speake it Lord with griefe Yet we believe Lord helpe our unbeliefe Amen 3. Ejaculation LOrd we are Pilgrims apt to go astray To lose our selves or faulter by the way O let thy holy word and spirit guide And strengthen us that we may never slide Amen 4. Ejaculation LOrd in the world I am a silly sheepe Thou art the shepeheard of my soule oh keepe Me safely in thy sheepefold let me not Wander in by-waies as one quite forgot Rather then I should in such waies remaine Use any meanes to fetch me home againe Amen 5 Ejaculation LOrd I am deafe and dumbe yea lame and blind O by thy word illuminate my mind Make me the tidings of true joy to heare That thou again my broken bones mayst cheare Guide and direct my feet into thy waies Open my mouth and I shall shew thy praise My heart is hard I cannot turne to thee For Christ his sake in mercy turne to me Amen 6. Ejaculation MY foes are many mighty of great power Subtile and such as would my soule devoure But I am weake not able to withstand The least of them without thy helping hand O helpe thy servant Lord my God most just For in thee wholly do I put my trust Unlesse thou be my buckler and my shield I know my false and fainting heart will yield Me with thy holy armour arme that I May never shrinke nor from my colours fly Amen 7. Ejaculation HOw long O Lord how long wilt thou withhold Thy favour from me is thy love growne cold How long wilt thou reject me I am thine Unto my suite O Lord thine eare incline I sue for mercy let thy mercy save Me from the power of sin hell and the grave Then shall I sing thy praises and rejoyce Amongst thy Saints with heart and chearefull voice Amen 8. Ejaculation I Was conceiv'd brought forth and borne in sin And all my life and daies have spent therein And by this meanes that image quite defac'd Which through thy mercie once in me was plac'd Sin as a leprosie hath overspred Both soule and body so that from the head Unto the foot there is no part that we Knowing our selves aright can say is free Lord wash us in the bloud of Christ and so We shall be whiter then the driven snow Renew thy image in us once againe We are thy creatures do not us disdaine Of all faults past wipe out the totall sum And give us grace that for the time to come We may resist the world flesh and the divell Learne to doe well by ceasing to doe evill Amen 9. Ejaculation THou all my life hast beene my tender father Leave me not now but shew me mercy rather In my distresse the sorrowes of the grave Lay hold on me O for thy Sonnes sake save Me from her jawes receive me to thy glorie When thou shalt call me from things transitorie Amen Epilogus sive conclusio ad lectorem Lectores LIbrum hunc cui titulus est The Soules Solace in time of trouble or Soveraigne Remedies against Despaire in manus vestras humillime commendo aequo cum animo eum perlegite quamvis curtas abreviatas hasce in venietis meditationes de utilitate tamen his vobiscum bene digestis ne dubitetis obsecro Deum consolationis ut sint mihi vobisque omnibus solamen vitâ articulo mortis FINIS
preserve the health and cleanse the bloud And how they will both soule and body make More fit and ready for to undertake Pious and holy works but when men will Their extreame raging fleshly lusts fulfill And take no care whither their souls shall goe Needs must their pastimes end in endlesse woe Others there are vainer then these by ods The vanity and folly of idolaters And such are they that bow to senselesse gods To graven images of wood or brasse To carved stones to pictures wrought in glasse O foolish folke is this the sum and scope Of your religion confidence and hope Out of the a Scriptures were you ever taught Deut. 6.13 14. Deut. 8 1. Exod 20 5 â—l 96 5 6 7 8 9. To serve and worship what your hands have wrought So void of humane reason can you be As to conceive a senselesse stone or tree Subject to rottennesse should be a God When underfoot the same is daily trod Where is your warrant then faith is not sound Which is not built upon a steady ground You say you have it from your honest Friars Beleeve them not they have been alwaies liars What are their legends but a masse of lies Cobwebs for to intangle butterflies You may have many gods and many gawds You must use beads and so you may your bawds You may use murther theft yea and what not Sith all shall be forgiven and forgot If to your ghostly b father you confesse How where when and with whom you did transgresse Is this Religion true How can it be Falshood and truth could never yet agree Your ground is false you much mistake the marke Greaâ— is their fault who keep you in the darke The word of God the only ground of faith The perfect rule of true Religion faith Thou shaâ—t not kill Exod 20 4. attempt how dare you then To murther Kings you bloudy minded men Out of the Scriptures can you bring good reasons To justifie rebellions murthers treasons What rule or warrant have you there to pray To stocks and stones does not the a Scripture say Exod 2â— 1 Luke 5 21. 3 Kings 8.39 40. God is the Lord thy God and him alone Thou shalt adore no Saint no b stocke or stone Esay 19 20. Ps 50 15 76 11. Iude 24 25. 1 Sam. 25 34. Esay 64 6. In c merits why doe you such trust repose How oft he does offend his God who knowes Be not deluded by your silly Friars Let God be true d and let your Priests be liars Rom 83.4 And some bewitched with a hellish pride The yoake of government will cast aside And for this cause in part I feare the hand Of great Jehovah is upon our land Object But some may say it is not without cause As snares and scourges some inflict our lawes And it is time to stir for if these might But have their wills where should we seek for right Answ Unto the Lord of hosts who only can Asswage the rage and raging might of man For we are told in holy Writ Psal 103.6 Heb. 10.34 that when We seeke to vindicate our selves e we then Dishonour and affront the Lord therefore When tyrants rage let 's God for aid implore The misbehaviour and incivill cariage of women Yet I have one thing more to doe that 's this To shew wherein some women do amisse A taske too hard for me who only have So small an insight let the wife and grave Then speake in their behalfe as they have found them For open hear-say I am loath to wound them Much I have read and much I have been told But what I 've seen to speake I may be bold Women are rebells yet I meane not all But such as love to scold to fight and brawle Such as do strive the scepter for to sway Such as would have their husbands to obey But are these matrons monsters I thinke rather A brood of hell the Divell is their father I speake not this so much in their disgrace For I my selfe perhaps if in their place Should faulty be herein as for to shame Men that have been and are herein too blame For did not men on women so much doat They would not be so oft cast over boat For if they get a man upon the hip O they will goe neare to get the master-ship Men must doe this or that or they will brawle Men must be rul'd and they must governe all Men must as slaves be subject to their wives Or they will make them weary of their lives I would men wiser were for in conclusion This great disorder will bring great confusion Man ought to love the woman to obey Ephes 5 22. 1. Pet. 3.1 Man may command she should entreat and pray Man is as head the woman as the heart The head we grant to be the upper part Where is thy wit O head where are thy brains That as thy head thy heart thus rules and reignes Where is thy courage thou faint-hearted snaile That thou pluck'st in thy horns if heart but raile Abuse of mercy Some rather wormes then men conceited elves In hope of a mercy oft delude themselves It matters not say they what Prophets say We hope to morrow will be as to day Amos 6.3.4 The Lord is just yet mercifull and b good And one that takes no pleasure in our bloud Will he that made us damne us Surely no Wisd 11.24.25 He made us that he might us show O brutish man will not you understand Till you stand under his revenging hand Will you not feare untill you feel his rod Why doe you thinke so slenderly of God Be well advis'd Eccl. 12.13 Psal 50.22 Esay 27.21 and for a truth this know That God is sure although to anger slow And that abuse of mercy will augment Thy everlasting paines and punishment I cannot but much wonder for to see How some will stand upon their pedigree And to their predecessors worth lay claime When by foule vices they disgrace the same The charge of many soules some rashly take And after little or no conscience make How they are fed Slothfulnesse in Clergimen so they but feed the purse They care not though their flock grow worse worse They feast and powre downe wine in silver bowles And in the meane time starve the peoples soules Some thinke it once a month they can prepare Themselves to preach that it is very faire I wonder how this blockishnesse should be In such as should foresee see oversee It is against Religion sense and reason That such as should preach in and out of season Should thinke a Sermon once a quarter well When as a each day they teach the way to hell We oft Gods holy name and day prophane By idle words and works and pastime vaine In seaven daies the Lord requres but one We by our deeds replie he shall have none Our hearts are so bewitcht with gaine and
pleasure Prophanation of the Sabbath day That in seven yeares we scarce can be at leasure To serve the Lord nay I may boldly say In seaventy yeares some scarce give God a day Some had much rather labour drinke or play Then go to church to heare to read and pray Some will be looking to their shops and trades Some walking in the fields with pretty maids Some in a taverne baudihouse or worse Some waiting in by-places for a purse Some in the streets some sitting at their doores Some in a pockie-alehouse with their whores For pleasure some who little conscience make Journeies on purpose on this day will take Yea some bold vassalls of this hellish breed Will say the better day the better deed O foolish man how darst thou thus prophane That day which God did purposely ordaine For his owne use and service dost thou thinke Because the Lord seemes for a while to winke At this and such foule sins that therefore he Unto a reckning will not b summon thee Thy selfe delude not with such vaine conceits God is most just in promises and threats Thou and the remnant of this hellish crew Shall to your torments one day find it true Some scoffe at good men and slight true devotion As if it were a hindrance to promotion Scoffing at religion If in a towne there shall be found a man Strict in his life he 's tearm'd a puritan If he so loath his sinnes as to inforce Himselfe unto a more religious course Then most men will or do he shall be blam'd Hated of most contemn'd revil'd misnam'd Object But you may say some are more nice then wise There is a sect too a pure in their owne eies Answ It may be so well grant this to be true Yet dare you then condemne all for a few Because some overshoot the marke shall we Shoot halfe the way because that from a tree Some evill and superfluous branches shoote Shall we in anger cut it up by th'root There ever was is and for time to come In church and common weale there will be some Of this and other sects yet we are sure That towards God we cannot be too pure Where shall our wicked b Michols then appeare Who never would Christs wedding garment weare How can or dare they looke him in the face Whom in his Saints they sought thus to disgrace The throne of God is pure needs must it then A torment be to all ungodly men Object But some may say they onely make a c show What 's in their hearts the Lord above doth know Answ T is true God only knowes how dare you then Presume to judge you sinfull sonnes of men Answer But grant there should be such shall we therefore Because they play the cheater play the whore Shall we Religion and our God forsake Because some men no better conscience make Because that some doe from their first love fall Shall we condemne and rashly censure all We should be like to God our heav'nly Father Who out of love and tendernesse had rather Spare many that are a faulty many waies Then one condemne which his decree obeyes Because the Doctor followes not the way Which he prescribes for others shall we say That physicke is not good or that because Some Lawyers are corrupt thinke ill of Lawes Because some hel-hounds in excesse will drinke Shall we the worse of Gods good creatures thinke Because like beasts some make themselves with wine Shall we despise the sweetnesse of the vine Because b through folly some will goe astray Shall we the fault upon Religion lay Indeed this is the folly of our times The father of a many wicked crimes For were not godlinesse so out of daâ—e We should not prize vice at so high a rate But some perhaps may say it matters not What bablers say a fooles bolt is soon shot Soone shot say ye I could speake more at large But loath I am to give the other charge For feare my Canons should recoile or hurt Your sense of hearing at her loud report But upon this we will not long dispute But rather to the throne of grace make sute That such disorders as have brought disgrace Upon our Church and Common-weales sweet face May be reform'd and that each man and woman Unto more holy lives themselves may summon And not so ready be to lay the fault On other men when they themselves do halt For this I say and dare affirme the same Though great ones for the most part beare the blame As they are rods and scourges in Gods hand It is our sins for which he plagues our land For had our hearts been pious towards God And loyall to the King had that been trod Under our feet that rules both heart and head No such disorders could have ever bred In Church and Common-weal well since we know Our sicknesse and our cure to God let 's goe With humble hearts and crave his helpe and aid Who of a Chaos earth and heaven made Yea let us goe and that without delay Unto his throne and in this manner pray Thou great Jehovah that dost all things frame And by thy providence dost rule the same Create in us new hearts new thoughts and waies And bring in order these disorder'd daies With griefe of heart we cannot Lord but speak We are in ev'ry part both sicke and weak And whither should we goe but unto thee Hosea 6.1 2 3. Deut. 32.39 1 Kings 2.6 7 8 9. Who hast a salve for every malady Lord heare and heale us for thy mercy sake For unto thee alone our moane we make Lord give us grace to loath and leave our errors Left in thy wrath thou multiply our terrors God as a loving father hath we know Anno 1588. Gi'vn warnings to us many yeares agoe We fairely warned were in a eightie eight When we were brought in t ' such a narrow strait That had not Gods right hand found out a way For us to scape we had without delay And mercy been destroy'd since this his hand Hath mightily upheld our sinfull land For had not God of his preventing grace And goodnesse toward us our stock and race That hellish plot of Gowries brought to light That feasting day had wrought a dolesome night Anno 1605. Another warning we may well remember Was given to us the fift day of November When those blood-thirsty Papists did conspire The house of Parliament to set on fire And that at such a time in such an houre As they without all mercy might devoure The royall King and Nobles of the land To give themselves a soveraigne command And to effect this hellish plot great care And paines they tooke the great ones did not spare Purses nor persons but as slaves fast bound To doe the divell service they were found To worke at under-rates to take what pay Might follow this most execrable way The pit was dig'd and we brought to the brim Ready to fall
they aloft to swim Supported with bulrushes of vaine hope What great applause they should gaine from the Pope The divels Vicar and how much it might Enlarge their freedome but God that gives light In midst of darknesse did their plots disclose Unto the admiration of all those That were then present or should after heare By their forefathers how once England were So undermin'd that had not Gods right hand Upheld the props and pillars of the land Psal 124. False hearted Papists had soone brought us all Into great bondage servitude and thrall But blessed be the Lord may England say Which no time hath us given as a prey Unto their bloody teeth yea blessed be His holy name to all eternitie We as a bird escap'd the fowlers grin And they themselves were a justly caught therein Iob. 4.8 Psal 27.2 And yet we have not turn'd to him aright Nor done the thing that 's pleasing in his sight His bow against us hath b been lately bent Anno 1602. Into our chiefest Cities he hath sent The plague and pestilence and feares of dearth Of late strange inundations of the earth Anno 1640. Great threats of civill warrs which God above Prevent for his great mercy sake and love Anno 1641. 1642. I cannot tell what some wish think or say But I am sure this is the ready way To mangle overthrow and ruinate The good and welfare both of church and state For should such bloody times in England come We might well feare a dreadfull day of doome To us hath God his faithfull Prophets sent To give us warning of the punishment For which our bloudie sinnes aloud do crie For our offending of his Majestie But we not liking of their heavie newes Have not refrain'd them strangely to abuse Unto our shames we cannot but confesse We have been oft convinc'd of wickednesse As how our sins if we did not repent And turne in time would not alone prevent All hope of mercy and of future grace But bring our soules to that infernall place Where we should evermore tormented be In everlasting chaines of misery And yet the Lord we have not truly sought Nor hereby been instructed as we ought We therefore justly may expect the sword Amos 8.11 A famine not of bread but of the word Let it be our chiefe wisdome then betimes To meet the Lord let us confesse our crimes Unto his throne let us appeale this day With contrite hearts and in this manner pray Thou mighty God of Gods thou King of Kings The maker and disposer of all things Dispose so of our hearts mindes thoughts and waies That we may evermore set forth thy praise We must confesse O Lord unto our shame But to the glory of thy dreadfull name That we too often have provok'd thine ire And caus'd thy wrath to burne as hot as fire By our abuse of mercy and of grace That thou migthst justly make our dwelling place And chiefest Cities desolate and void And without mercy let us be destroi'd From off the earth yea thou mightst justly take Thy blessed Candlesticke away and make Us live in darkenesse because thou hast sent The light into the world with this intent That we the path and way might cleerly see That lead to life eternall but still we In ignorance have taken more delight Then in beholding of thy blessed light All things which thou hast made doe stand in awe Of thee their Maker and by natures law Observe their course and order yea and praise Thy holy name according to their waies But man whom thou hast made all things to rule Knowes not his Maker as the oxe or mule Their owner or their Masters crib therefore Thou might'st ev'n in thy fury give us o're To our owne waies and cause us to become Like stocks and stones which are both deaf and dumb We have receiv'd such mercies at thy hands As thou hast not bestow'd on other lands With Angells food we have been daily fed Unto thy selfe O Lord thou hast us wed But we like harlots have thee quite forsaken And for our guides our owne devices taken So that shouldst thou us suddenly divorce We must confesse thy justice upon force Great plenty thou hast giv'n us many years And freed our hearts from terrifying fears Of forraine and domestick enemies Yea thou hast slaine our foes before our eies But we hereby thinking our selves cock-sure Have grown so carelesse wanton and secure That we have quite forgotten thee our God So that shouldst thou now scourge us with the rod Of war and want we could not but confesse That we by reason of our wickednesse Have justly this deserv'd yea ten times more Should thou in justice Lord with us quit score So that our mouthes are stopt in our defence We cannot speake a word of consequence But to thy mercy we our selves betake And humbly thee beseech for Christ his sake Thy people whom thou hast redeem'd to spare That so thou maist unto the world declare That thou art good to Israel thy deare And faithfull Spouse and to all such as fear And worship thee let not wilde boares destroy Thine heritage let not the fox annoy Thy pasture-sheep let not the vineyard fade Or be laid waste which thy right hand hath made Let not fat Buls of Basan with their horns Nor ramping Lions Tygers Unicornes Have any leave from thee to hurt the same For honour of thy great and dreadfull name Refresh it with the dewes of thy good grace That it may fructifie and grow apace So underprop it by thy mighty hand That in the greatest storms it firme may stand Let thine own arme so fence it round about That it may flourish all the world throughout That Cedars strong and tall and mountaines high And such small shrubs which in the vallies lie In time of scorching heat when as the sun In Leo shall begin his course to run May shade themselves under thy well spred vine Till he to Virgo passe a milder signe Thou that upon the heavens high dost ride Thou that sits at the sterne our ship to guide Now in these last these worst and evill daies Guide thou our sliding feet into the waies Of peace and truth thou that in safety keepes Thy chosen flock O thou that never sleepes Nor slumbers now with speed thy truth defend And from thy holy hill some succour send All power is in thy hand declare the same That heathen men may magnifie thy name Let not O Lord those that seeke to betray Thy holy ones have any cause to say Where is the God become that should you save Who will deliver you now from the grave O thou that causest hills like wax to melt Defend thy Sion wherein thou hast dwelt So many yeares thou that dost dwell on high Against thy foes thy selfe now magnifie Let not the tares and weeds destroy the wheat Let not devouring catterpillars eate Thy pleasant fruite we cannot but confesse With griefe
LOrd thou art good as well as great and this Happy commixture is the ground of blisse What comfort would it be to us if thou O great Jehovah shouldst the heavens bow And come in majestie alas thy might Without thy goodnesse would but us affright If thou wer't only good and hadst not might When we were wrong'd where should we go for right If thou hadst onely might and wer 't not good Thy very name would frighten flesh and bloud But blessed be thy name O Lord of hosts Thy goodnesse is declar'd through all our coasts Yea we thy greatnesse and thy goodnesse find In Church and State in body soule and mind But we the greater oft the worser grow In doing ill we oft our greatnesse show Lord rather make us good then great what will Greatnesse availe us if our waies be ill Greatnesse without goodnesse Lord we know Will but procure our greater overthrow Therefore great God thy goodnesse we entreat To make us good how ere thou make us great If thou wilt grace us gratious God with might Give us grace with it for to use it right Amen Of the wisedome of God Meditati 2 THy wisedome is O Lord past finding out What man thinkes strange with ease thou bringst about But we are fooles and neither understand The words nor workes of thy almighty hand O blessed God we humbly thee desire Into our hearts true wisedome to inspire Make us to know thee and our selves aright Then shall our waies be pleasing in thy sight Amen Of the holinesse of God Meditati 3 LOrd thou art pure and holy we implore Thy holinesse to clense us more and more Each good and perfect gift must come from thee Lord make us such as thou wouldst have us be Amen Of the justice and wrath of God Meditati 4 WHat man Lord can abide thy wrath and ire Which being kindled burns as hot as fire O make us fearfull to offend thy Law Lest we before thee be as hay or straw Before a furnace grant that we may praise Thy holy name and serve thee all our daies Amen Of the truth of God Meditati 5 LOrd thou art true in all thy words and waies Justice and equity thy Scepter swayes We should be like thee but alas we finde Our hearts too much to fraud and guile inclin'd Lord breathe thy Spirit of truth into our hearts And write thy Laws within our inward parts Then shall our hearts be upright towards thee And eke our lives from foule offences free Amen Of the mercy of God Meditati 6 LOrd thou art mercifull as well as just Or else what would become of sinfull dust We should be like thee but our hearts are evill In cruelty we imitate the divell Lord make us kinde and pitifull that so In time of need thou maist us mercy show Amen Of the love and kindnesse of God Meditati 7 LOrd thou art kinde thy love endures for aye Upon good grounds we can with reverence say Thou seemest for to doat on man for when He went astray thou broughtst him home agen When he had from thy holy Precepts swerv'd And thereby thy displeasure had deserv'd The penalty of death then didst thou give Thy Son to suffer death that he might live O that our hearts could understand aright The greatnesse of this love that so we might With body soule and minde strive to adore Thy holy name both now and evermore Amen Short Meditations and Ejaculations upon the Lords Prayer Medita ∣ tion 1 LOrd we are sinfull in our purest works Much pride hypocrisie and evill lurks We cannot hallow thee it is our shame That we may in us Hallowed be thy name Amen Medita ∣ tion 2 I cannot but my misery condole My heart my minde my body and my soul Have been slaves to the world the flesh and divell Nimble and prompt to run into all evill But in thy service lame dead deafe and dumb My soule release Lord Let thy Kingdome come Amen Medita ∣ tion 3 A constant pure and cheerfull sacrifice We know Lord is wel-pleasing in thine eyes Quicken our hearts that are of life bereaven And let thy will be done here as in heaven Amen Medita ∣ tion 4 Thou art Our Father where then should we go But unto thee for what we want below All creatures by thy providence are fed Give us good God this day our daily bread Amen Medita ∣ tion 5 Lord thou art full of kindnesse and of pity Loath to destroy the meanest Towne or City If they repent O helpe us to confesse And leave our sins forgive our wickednesse Remit our faults unlose our chaines and fetters Forgive our debts as we forgive our debters Amen Medita ∣ tion 6 Lord thou art full of Majesty and might Able to put our greatest foes to flight Subdue those lusts that tend to reprobation And let us not be led into temptation Amen Medita ∣ tion 7 Thou art the God of Hosts the King of Kings And hast command within thee of all things Let not the world the flesh nor yet the divell Reigne over us Deliver us from evill Amen A few short Meditations or Eiaculations upon the ten Commâ—ndements Mediti ∣ tation 1 THou art the Lord our God the God of all Our souls and bodies thou hast brought from thral Grant we in word and deed may all agree To have no other God but only thee Amen 2. Precept Mediti ∣ tation 2 Thy goodnesse largely Lord hath been exprest To us and ours when we have been distrest Yet we like fooles have aid and succour sought From Idols vaine which our own hands have wrought Open our eyes O blessed God that we May leave our folly and returne to thee Amen 3. Precept Mediti ∣ tation 3 Most blessed God thy sacred will and minde Fully set forâ—h in sacred Writ we finde Thou wouldst noâ— have us take thy name in vaine We of our selves cannot O Lord refraine O give us grace thy name for to adore In word and deed both now and evermore And if we call thee witnesse for to beare Lord make us carefull that the truth we sweare Amen 4. Precept Mediti ∣ tation 4 Because that we are ready to forget To keep the day which thou apart hast set For thy owne selfe and service we may finde A memorandum to put us in minde Yet we must needs confesse unto our shame We are too prone to violate the same Incline our hearts to keep this Law that so We may escape thy wrath and endlesse woe And in thy holy place may ever sing Sweet songs of praise to thee our worthy King Amen 5. Precept Mediti ∣ tation 5 Lord thou wouldst have us honour and obey Our Parents Pastors and such as beare sway O grant we may withhold no honour due That happy dayes for ever may ensue Amen 6. Precept Mediti ∣ tation 6 Life is thy only gift therefore ought we To have our hearts and hands from murther free Keep us from bloudshed
are croaking ravens borne When the sweet nightingale sits on a Thorne Arguments moving the Author to write upon this subject I Can say for my conscience witnesse beares That I have taken notice many yeares Of these backsliding and declining times Wherein so many crimson colour'd crimes Have beene predominant I also have Seen honest dealing used as a slave Vertue suppressed and foule vices swarme Them most oppressed that have done lest harme In Church and Commonweale truth out of date Dissembling prised at too high a rate Knowledge disdain'd by some earthly moles As if that it were fatall to their soules And discipline both morall and divine Thought worth as much with men as pearls with swine Shepheards grow fearfull wolves and foxes bold Poore silly sheepe affrighted from the fold And how both in the Country and at Court Too many men have made their sins their sport I have observed how a golden Asse Hath got preferment when as some alasse Better for parts by manifold degrees Have gone without for want of bribes and fees Under the Sun an evill I have seene But stay under or over hath it beene Under thanke God though it did seeme of late Above the sun it selfe to elevate It is no wonder for to see the sun Eclips'd obscur'd by mists for that 's oft done It is not strange to see some vapours mount Up to the skies as if they made account To darken all the world it is not strange To see false-blazing-starres and comets range About the lower sphears but that those foggs Vapours and mists which rise from noisome bogs Should not alone strive to obscure the light But to extinguish it that so they might Have their designes this oft hath made me wonder And feare they would not be dispers'd asunder Without some claps of lightning and of thunder These and such observations with some other Which upon force I am constrein'd to smother Have ofttimes made me sad and I to cheare My drooping mind perplext with daily feare Of what in justice might ensue began To call to mind the miseries of man Gods tender mercies and exceeding love The ever-over-flowing joyes above To which good God us in thy mercy bring That we for aie may Halelujahs sing Arguments mooving the Author to publish it I Cannot say as many will pretend That at the earnest sute of some deare friend I have this little Book brought to your view Because my conscience knowes it is not true No no I kept it close within my brest Till conscience it no longer could digest For when I with my selfe consider'd well What curse upon that idle servant fell Who did interre his talent in the ground No quiet rest within my selfe I found Vntill I had resolv'd to make that knowne Which I intended for my selfe alone Non nobis natisumus Nec sibi nec patriae nec amicis commodus esse Qui studet huic vivo mortua vita placet In the defence of Poesie NOne I suppose but men in judgement weake In the dispraise of poesie will speak For howso'ere some censure of this art It is by God inspir'd into the heart And upon further triall will be found To be most antique and the very ground Of many other arts and to disclose As worthy things as eare was writ in prose Objection answered True some for want of grace more then of wit Divulge those things in rimes which are not fit As hell-hacht-libells ballads foolish songs To vent their malice or avenge some wrongs Done unto them as they conceive or friend And such as these I much more discommend Yea such if I might have my wish or will Should walke up Holborne not Pernassus hill For by their meanes this evill oft doth follow Men slight the Muses and despise Apollo Proximus est oratori poeta The Author to his Muse MY drowsie Muse I muse and musing rest As one amaz'd to see thee so opprest With sluggish thoughts behold the day awake Stir up thy selfe and off thy slumber shake Dost know thy taske To whom to dedicate This little booke which I have writ of late Prepare thy selfe then to be gone with speed Declare thy message but withall take heed Thou dost not so far erre as to mistake The parties herein meant and thereby make Thy selfe and booke a laughing stocke to those That of thee or the message nothing knowes That better thou this error maist prevent First understand to whom thou art not sent Not to the lofty high and haughty minde But to the contrite and to such as finde Through doubts feares horrors and distrustfull care Their soules oft wel-neare drowned with despaire Not unto such as covet or delight To satisfie their fleshly appetite Not to the worldly wise which far surmount In subtile plots but unto such as count Themselves as fooles so that they may obtain That wisdome which makes wise that perfect gaine Vnto the soule-sicke and all such as finde The want hereof in body and in minde Not to the selfe-conceited Pharisee Or merit mongers though of high degree Who of their seemâ—ng-good deeds make great brags When God esteems them but as filthy rags But to the Publican who through the sight Of his foule nature and Gods glory bright Dare not approach unto the throne of grace Being asham'd to looke him in the face Whom he unjustly many waies and times Hath so disgrac'd by such reproachfull crimes Not unto libertines who will give scope Vnto their raging lusts and live in hope To make the Lord amends before they die With some dissembling tear sob groan or sigh Not unto such as mercy and free grace Turne into wantonnesse for they the face And countenance of God shall never see Which is the height of true felicity And now my Muse go and thy charge attend And if thou know'st for what my book commend To all afflicted Saints and let them know I wish that everlasting joyes may flow Vpon them as a streame and so revive Their fainting soules when Sathan seeks to drive Them with what might he can to blacke despaire And to distrust Gods providence and care That then and all times else yea in all Assaults into this gulph they never fall Goe tell the weak in faith and such as finde Themselves poore sinfull simple wretched blinde That Gods right handwill helpe them that want might He saves the arme that hath no strength to fight He fils the empty with good things and sends The rich without his eare and heart attends Vnto a sinners suit his eyes behold The sorrowes of his Saints his mercies old He cals to minde he gives grace to the pure His counsels to the simple and obscure Declare thy comforts to the smoaking flax And bruised reed whose spirits melt like wax Whose mindes are so affrighted with the sight Of their most loathsome sins that day nor night They cannot rest tell them the Lord is near Vnto the meeke in heart and such as feare His holy name he will not
exceed Blessed be God thou hast no lack of bread Doves dung is little worth an Asses head Is not worth fourscore peeces thou art not Constrain'd to eate thy yong this was the lot Of some of whom we reade (m) 2 King 6 25. who maybe were As good as thou art and to God as deare Indeed to be * Peremtoria res estin gratitudo Bernad Ventus uâ—ens exiccans August ungratefull and repine May bring a famine upon thee and thine What man that is not voide of humane wit Will not confesse it to be meet and fit The * Matt 20. Master of the house and feast should be The chiefe disposer of his familie God is the great (n) Rom. 11.14.35 housholder we are all But as it were the ushers of his hall Beggars out of his service slaves to hell Bondmen to Sathan therefore may we well Give him free leave to doe what he thinks best And count our selves both happy and well blest If we have any part of what he carves He that hath (o) Gen 32 10. In paâ— suâ— omâ—ibus istis benisiciis tuis least hath more then he deserves What though in wealth thou dost not much abound Nor hast a penny to anothers pound Dost thou not know they are (p) Nam eum pos 〈◊〉 it plutima 〈◊〉 p aâ—t vela Tâ—â—â—lus 〈◊〉 plenitu d ncâ—â—mini 〈◊〉 siâ—â— Pessimâ—s non an e s tâ—aâ—ur coâ—â—oâ—i is auâ—o qâ—am corpus aura Bernard Hâ—b 2.5 Ecci 5 10. tormented more With scorching thirst and hunger then the poore They gape for more like to the grave or hell For in the midst of wealth they waâ—t as well That which they have as that they never had Which makes them discontented poore and sad With (q) D vit ae aâ—queâ—â—ctus coâ—â—â—es 〈◊〉 t. Omnem â—orâ— do â—omnolent â—â—cuâ—it â—on taâ—â—a est in mâ—lâ—is aâ—t magnis felicâ—asq an in parvis paucis securitas feares and cares their minds are so opprest That they must * watch whilst (r) Cantabit vacâ—â—s â—otam la 〈◊〉 vâ—ato Pâ—raâ—ae navigâ—â— vaâ—us non nâ—sidiantur mercibus onusta vi omni invidunt Chrysost poore men take their rest Their thoughts are ever troubled in this way How others may deceive them or how they May other men delude they live in feare Of theeves and robbers if perhaps they heare A doore but clatter with the wind their hearts Tremble and quake as struck with deadly darts Or else as if an ague had possest Their trembling bones they know not where to rest But by and by their cold fit 's gon and past And then they will begin to sweat as fast They thirst and thirst but for what do you think For bags of gold not for a cup of drinke They lie and thinke and thinking makes them sweat But would you know the cause of this their heate Doubtlesse their heart-distempering love of gold Makes them so out of temper hot and cold But would you thinke a miser should sweet so As to have need to shift from top to toe You may beleeve it for I have been told Their sheets have beene as yellow as their gold But more of this I will not speake a tittle It s good to heare and see and to say little Yet I confesse I cannot speake too much Because the vanity of men is such That for to purchase drosse muck mire and clay Which will condemne their soules another day They fondly will true joy and freedome sell And slaves become unto the pit of hell I wish with all my heart that such a miser Would leave his a folly and in time grow wiser That for the getting of a little pelfe He would not to the Divell give himselfe What though amongst great men thou art not known The b world we know respects and loves her owne I tell thee thou art happy in such wants For oftentimes they prove but Sycophants Make but inquirie of such as have tried them And they will say they are not semper idem Honour besides a c burthen is and who Knowes whether it be for his good or no For oftentimes it makes men prone to d lust Wanton forgetfull idle and unjust Inconstant cruell proud beyond all reason Apt against King and kingdome to plod treason On proose hereof I need no longer stand It is well knowne to most part of our land Beware then great ones by anothers e fall Unto remembrance your owne vices call Maugre the thirst of honour and renowne God from their seates the mighty will cast downe Show mercy follow peace doe poore men right Worship the Lord walke humbly in his sight For when man thinks to eternize his name He is most likely for to fall with shame Strive to be good not great the wise man knowes Honour in titles cannot long a repose This if you be not wise will in conclusion Bring soule and body both to sad confusion And for the arrogant how ere some deeme them As haire-brain'd fooles the wiser sort esteeme them What though thou hast not had such education As might beseeme thy kindred stock and nation T is not thy fault thy blemish blot or shame No no thy parents were too much to blame Who for to gather muck tooke so much care That they a penny scarce this way could spare Grieve not at this then for it is in vaine But rather b seeke true honour to obtaine In forme thy selfe well in Gods sacred word Which doth to man such waies and rules afford For course of life that if he marke the same Psal 21.5 6 7. Psal 112 6. He may obtaine an everlasting name What though thou art in prison when as some In sinfull pleasures swim their paine 's to come Didst thou those soule-tormenting paines but know That they eternally must undergoe Thou wouldst not judge so hardly of thy state Nor count thy selfe so much unfortunate Dispaire not in distresse thou dost not know What God intends wealth oft brings endlesse woe But let thy present state be alway such As not to be or'e joy'd or griev'd too much For let a man observe but in this kind His course of life and he shall sometimes find That looke what he hath most delighted in His greatest cause of griefe hath oft times beene And what he thought a crosse and to annoy Hath often been the ground of his best joy I must confesse although unto my shame That I have been herein to oft to blame I have been apt at each thing to repine That did but crosse this stubborne will of mine I sought preferment once and thought my selfe As fit as some that had more store of pelse I little thought preferment had been sold As I have found of late it is for gold I thought men had respected been for parts And honour had according to desarts But I have been deceiv'd the more 's the pity For it were better for each towne and city If it were
That such as truly love and feare his name Will do his will thouhg to their losse and shame Sins nor sonnes though they be darlings deare Will they withhold that Gods law truly feare God Abraham commands to slay his sonne The word 's no sooner spoke but it is done Reason might seeme to put in ifs and ands And challenge God upon such harsh commands The flesh might reason thus What shall I slay My onely sonne the sonne might seeme to say O father deare can you find in your heart The head and shoulders of your sonne to part Your sonne your only sonne your sonne and heire Heire of the promise upon whom your care And love hath been so sixt what will you prove A murtherer of your child where is that love Which once did flame like fire is there no sparke Of thy good nature left a riddle darke For nature to conceive a thing most strange How in a fathers nature such a change So strangely should be wrought Oh let me pause A little with my selfe what might this cause What have I done wherein have I offended Cannot my fault by faire meanes be amended O spare a little and withhold thy hand And I will doe what thou shalt me command But he regarding God more then the crie And moan of Isaac seemes thus to replie My child my tender child my sonne most deare I have command to sacrifice thee here Or otherwise my love to thee is such That for a world thy life I would not touch Simile The file may take a way the rust and durt But rather does the weapon good then hurt The flaile may bruise the straw the chaffe great winds May blow a way but still the seedsman finds His corne more fit for use the furnace may Both wood and drosse with heate consume away The purge may drive ill humors from the heart And not hurt it or any other part Troubles oft purge our soules from some soule sin Or other which we have long lived in Before I was afflicted I astray Did goe saith David but now I obey And keepe thy statutes daily in my mind And more delight and comfort therein find Then can the rich man in his wine or oile Or the undanted victor in his spoile So stubborne is the will so crosse the mind The heart so hard and understanding blind That cords of mercy will not us withdraw 1 Sam. 6.20 1 Sam. 12.10 From the transgressing of Gods holy law Troubles and a sorrows oftentimes prevaile When admonitions and good counsell faile Troubles made David to refraine from sleepe Sicknesse King Ezekiah made to weepe Egypts burthen servitude and thrall Made Israel upon the Lord to call Judgements upon his knees proud Pharaoh brought The prodigall how to returne want taught Simile A tender father strives to win his child With gifts faire promises and speeches mild Using what meanes he can from time to time To make him see the vilenesse of his crime He talkes to him and oft in talking weepes And seemes to reason with him in his sleepes His yearning heart with griefe is so opprest That dainties will not downe he cannot rest In any place but goes from friend to friend To see if they can tell what course will mend A prodigall some tells him this some that Some bids him take no care for such a brat Some bids him keepe him short and others say To give him scope will be the onely way He listens to their counsells and first tries All faire and gentle meanes he can devise So loath is he his darling should be lost That he regards no labour care or cost Yet when he finds all this to be in vaine He sends him over sea to France or Spaine And to the Master of the ship gives way To keep him short and curbe him day by day Untill such time as he shall clearely find Him of another nature will and mind The dingthrift knowes not this but lives in hope That he shall have more liberty and scope He goes aboord the ship as one that were Void of all humane reason wit or feare He thinks to have the like or more command Upon the sea then he had upon land Luke 15 16. But when this prodigall is through great need Constrain'd on durtie husks with swine to feed And calls to mind upon what daintie fare His fathers servants feed he then takes care How to returne his folly to confesse Hâ—s great rebellion and unworthinesse To be his son and therefore much desires To be but as a servant which he hires For yearely wage so that he may obtaine His former love and countenance againe This course the Lord is forc'd oft times to take With his when they his holy waies forsake To follow their owne fancies and delight To satisfie their sinfull appetite Should God not sometimes strike us with his rod We should forget that there was any God Nay should not God oft strike we soone should grow So well conceited that we a should not know God or our selves aright but run on still The measure of iniquitie to fill Should we have all things at our hearts desire We should like swine so wallow in the mire Heb. 11.9.10 Of worldly pleasures that our hearts would be More bent to trash then true felicitie Had not the Israelites been in distresse And long perplexed in the wildernesse The land of promise had not welcome beene Neither had they Gods love so clearely seene Tidings of a peace unto the souldier brings More true contentment then all other things The wether beaten Marriner desires To be on shore the traveller aspires The top of some high hill hoping to see His journeys end the labourer would be Rather at b rest then roast the silly slave Expects a day to come when he might have His liberty the sick man prizeth c health And fortitude the poore and needy wealth The hungry food the naked cloathes the blind Their sight the cripple limbs the sick in mind And soul-afflicted joy and such as know The paines and miseries they undergo Who suffer in some sort the pangs of hell In soule and mind whilst upon earth they dwell Will heaven prize and ever thinke it best To be with Christ in his soule-easing rest Simile So dearely loves the child the mothers brest That quietly one houre it scarce will rest Without the same yet when the child is growne Unto some bignesse and begins alone To creepe about the mother much desires To weane it off and for that purpose hires One for to tend her child that so she may Keepe for a day or two out of the way The child growes mother-sick and is so wed Unto the brest that it will not be fed With any other food but roares and cries Both day and night as it i' th cradle lies She hearing this to be of so small boote With some unpleasant thing as 't might be soote Her brest besmeares to trie if it will take
The same the child what hast it can doth make And so beginnes to suck as if it thought To fill its empty belly with a draught But it not liking of the tast dislikes And leaves the brest and it in anger strikes Our natures are alas too prone and apt With worldly vanities to be entrapt Besides the divell useth so much art To blind the mind and to delude the heart Of sinfull man with pleasures profits gaines Thereby to bring them to eternall paines That should not God through his abundant graces Somewhat their beauty and faire forme deface And sometimes crosse us in our pompe and wealth And sometimes in our vigour strength and health Our hearts would be to a Egypt so much wed That we for stincking leekes should shunne the bread Which came downe from above the bread of life For bread of sorrow discontent and strife Ecl 7.4 5. Esay 61.3 Ecl. 2.1 Againe in holy Scriptures we sh ll find Troubles and sorrow needfull in this kind For till we understand our b Christ-crosse rowe Unto our Father we can never goe For we are taught and that in sacred story â—eb 12.6 That God c corrects whom he receives to glory Sweet mercies bind the body and the soule To serve the Lord but crosses must enroule Us in the booke of life and make us sure His faithfull servants ever to endure For d were it not for this how should we know Whether we were adopted sonnes or no Should God not scourge us for our sinfull crimes We might well feare the plague of future times From pastimes great much bitternesse doth spring And sorrowes deepe their deep contentments bring The sweetest descants birds we know are taught When from the woods they to the cage are brought The choisest corne is alwaies cleanest drest The sweetest grape is ever hardest prest The sweetest fish in saltest waters live And cammomile trod under foot will give A fragrant smell the grape unprest will yeeld No sweet and pleasant wine a fruitfull field Will barren prove as husbandmen well know Unlesse they mucke and plow before they sow In troubles then let not our hearts despaire Let not our minds give way to needlesse care For sure I am he that his griefe extends Beyond the bounds of reason a God offends Does it not argue in us misbeliefe To have our soules ore-whelm'd with care and griefe As if we did conceive it was in vaine To hope we or our friends should rise againe Unto your conscience let me but appeale Does not this quench the heate of godly zeale Does not this grieve the Spirit of God and make Your hearts and minds unfit to unâ—ertake Religious duties Does not this offend Such as their minds to godly courses bend May not the world conceive it is in vaine To serve the Lord if this be all the gaine Of godlinesse Does not this scandalize And make Gods worship hatefull in mens eies Does not the skilfull archer rightly know That a too much bending breaks a brittle bow Does not the husbandman well understand That too much raine doth hurt upon the land We if we be not senselesse and starke blinde May see this hurt both body soule and minde Let hope support us then a showre of raine Oft laies great stormes and makes it calme againe And calmes as I have heard some Seaman say Have been more hurtfull then some stormes for they Finding great Neptune sometimes over kinde Have waited for some happy gales of winde Till they have been halfe starv'd and forc'd to eat That which some men on shore would scarce cal meat Thinke not that wealth then is the ground of joy Or that all troubles do the soule annoy For godly sorrow in times of distresse Shall bring forth fruits of peace and righteousnesse Seed cast into the bowels of the earth Becomes more fruitfull by a second brth That man from grace to grace may daily grow He must be truly humbled and brought low For daily sun-shine without timely showres Rather consumes then causes fruit or flowers 1 Cor. 11.31.32 Lastly b God strikes because we should not be Condemn'd unto eternall misery Hosea 2 6. Yea for this end God oft corrects his own When as the wicked scape as men unknown Psal 14.2.53.1 Which makes such fooles in heart to boast and say There is no God that we ought to obey Or if there be a God we are more blest Then those that are with want and need opprest In a safety in our houses we still dwell Iob 21. usque ad 14. v. Our stock encreaseth each thing prospers well That we both take in hand and goe about Our names grow famous all the world throughout We have more then we aske or what we crave Or would have come to passe we forthwith have Psal 10.3.5 6 Amo 6 4. Iob 21 4. Ev'n to our hearts content we softly lie Stretcht out upon our beds of Ivory We have the fairest objects for the eie That may be had from France or Italy The sweetest smelling odours for the nose Muske Civet powders and the damaske rose All sorts of musicke which may please the eare Revive our spirits and dull senses cheare We have our pleasant walks and summer bowers Our gardens deckt with strange-outlandish flowers For sustenance we take no thought or care For we have plenty of superfluous fare Twice in a day we have brought to our boards What b water earth and aire to man affords The Persian Kings for dainties we exceed On roots and herbs like swine we scorne to feed We have our jellies marrow pies rich sacke Oringo roots potatoes for the backe Poore John comes not within our cellar door No we have ale strong beer and wine great store Besides our March beer and a cup of Hum That'le make a Cat to speake a Cato dumbe And if our squeamish stomacks loath to eat Bacon or Beefe or any such grosse meat We can have Mutton Lambes young Kid and Veal Capon Duck Partridge Woodcocke Phesant Teaâ—e Our carkasses are deckt with rich attire As silke and sattins and what we desire Within the compasse of the sea or land Our purses or our persons may command We have both hawkes and hounds for our delight Cards dice and tables fit our humours right We eat and drinke our fill and rise to play With mirth and merriment we drive away The time we hunt we hawke we fowle we fish To please our appetite with some new dish When such who thinke themselves more pure perhaps Would be contented with our crusts and scraps But let these fooles this ponder well in minde That they a greater difference shall finde When the great Shepherd of the soul a appeares With all his company of noble Peers Matth. 24 31. His Angells Martyrs Saints for to divide The goats from sheep the impure from the tride Acts 17.32 When once the Judge of all the world shall come To passe that just and everlasting
all ungodly walking For these infect pollute and much defile Each house and Countrey City Towne and I le Psal 38.18 For what is past unfainedly be sorry And spend your time hereafter to his glory Boast not great Britaine of thy force and a might 1 Sam. 2 9. It 's God that does prepare the hands to fight If thou hast great Jehovah on thy side Thou need'st not fear thy foes ouâ—rageous pride But if he be against thee all thy powers Psal 127.1.2.3 Wel-fortified Cities Castles Towers Thy multitude of people store of weâ—lth Bulwarks and walls thy fortitude and health Thee cannot save thy Towers whose lofty roofe Threaten the Heavens are not vengeance proofe Thou by thy sins hast highly God offended And without doubt some evill is intended Unlesse thou b meet him by thy true repentance And thereby cause him for to change his sentence Thy forty dayes have been twice forty yeares And yet in mercy God to strike forbeares Thee in his bosome he had rather cherish 2 Pet. 3.9 1 Sam. 15 26. Then in thy sins thou should'st for ever perish Goe then with speed thy time no longer spend In vanities thy heart in pieces rend Thy antick-apish fashions lay aside Let sackcloth serve thy nakednesse to hide Unfift thy selfe reforme returne repent With brinish teares thy bloudy crimes lament Repent in dust and ashes pride must fall And if not here it doubtlesse elsewhere shall Thy forces which thou trustest in will faile thee Wealth in the houre of death will not availe thee About things needlesse trouble not thy braine Thy study turne into a better straine Wrestle with God a let not thy courage faile By earnest suites thou maist at length prevaile Goe sue and sue againe take no deniall Matth 7.7.8 Marke 11.24 Thou maist obtaine upon a further triall To stand upon b deserts it is in vaine Then crie for mercy crie and crie amaine Mercy sweet Lord good Lord what shall I doe For Jesus Christ his sake some mercy show My sins are great thy mercies Lord are greater Though I be sinfull Lord I am thy creature On thy sweet mercy all my hope relies To thee my only rock I bend my eies Knock at H aven gates as if thou wouldst all break Till God to thee a word of comfort speake Possesse him with thy sad complaint and griefe Give him no rest untill thou findst reliefe And if it please him for to heale thy sore Lest worse things happen to thee sin no more Iohn 5 14. But stâ—y my mâ—se hast thou made known thine errant According to the tenure of thy warrant Hâ—st thou not skipt the sins which are her bane Fâ—e thou art out and must begin againe Yet let prudentia be thy tutor still And let charissa moderate thy quill Let not thy passion make thee too austere In passing sentence be not too severe Choler hath often made me fume and swell But I have curb'd it as a fiend of hell I would not blaze abroad anothers shame In hel-hatcht libells that should want a name I never did affect to scold or brawle As many men have done to purpose small Will loftie spirits be out-braved No Reason their stubborne wills must overthrow And how shall wit or reason there be found Where haire-brain'd choller does so much abound Yet on the other side I blame as much All such as tongue-tide are and chiefly such As are in place and have command to tell Our Iuda of her sins our Israel Esay 58.1 Of her transgressions these are sicke and weake In soule and minde I mean they cannot speake A plaine or perfect word or else for feare They should discountenance the upper sphere They with the dog-star will lye hid at noone And when they barke it will be at the moone You know my meaning well I cannot stay To make it plaine but in conclusion say Were not their words so eaven we should see That many men by odds would better be Here 's a Scyllâ— and Charybdis shall I shun The danger of the one and headlong run Upon the other No it were far better That in my horn-booke I knew not a letter I 'le b looke before I leap yea and before I le run upon such rocks I 'le keep on shore Then my best way as I suppose will be To have recourse unto my Geometry And to this brain-sick study bend my minde Betweene these two extreams a meane to finde Which if I doe I 'le take my rule and square And compasse too and then I need not care What malice can invent nor need I feare To view the Zenith of the upper sphere Some for my a paines perhaps may call me foole And say it were more fit I went to schoole To learne my Accidence then to relate The misdemeanours of so high a State I must confesse full loath I am to enter And yet my vow compells me for to venture Yet I will have my rule and compasse by me That if in malice any should belie me Such demonstration I may draw at large As ever shall an honest minde discharge Yea by this rule I 'le draw my lines so squarely And cypher out these evill times so fairely That in conclusion they shall answer make It 's very true it is but our mistake Thus having made my way I will begin To name and to anâ—tomize each sin Injustice and oppression shall be first Injustice and Oppression For these alone will make a land accurst We were of late to such disorders growne That what we had we scarce could call our owne Monopolists and new found tricks in store To make the Common-wealth both bare and poore But blessed be the Lord we are befriended Herein we see the matter well amended Our hearts are growne luke-warme yea and stone cold There 's scarce a man alive that dare be bold To speake the truth for feare he should offend His noble Patron Parish or deare friend Some with the Gergesites their hogs prefer Before their sweet Redeemer others are With Demas too too prone Christ to forsake And for their part this present world to take This hellish charret tearmed avarice Covetousnesse Runs swiftly on foure wheels of sin and vice Faint courage greedy-griping churlishnesse Contempt of God of death forgetfulnesse The horses drawing it are chiefly two Greedy to catch and loath for to forgoe The carter driving it desire to have The whip held in one hand is called save The reine i' th other stoppage and the road Wherein he drives is pleasing a smooth and broad The footmen running by are chiefly three Envie deceit and grosse hypocrisie The journies end is everlasting woe For to the pit of hell we headlong goe Unlesse the Lord of his preventing grace Block up our way and crosse us in our race What is the cause the childe does so desire To see the death of his indulgent fire That he can neither wait on Gods good pleasure Nor yet
wicked THe just and upright man shall joyfull be When he the vengeance of the Lord shall see For they shall wash their feet with triumph then Ev'n in the bloud of bloudy minded men And men shall say as cause they shall have just There is great fruit for such as in him trust Doubtlesse upon the earth a God there dwels That both in truth and righteousnesse excels Psal 58.10.11 As sheep go to the fold they to the grave And in that day the just shall Lordship have Their beauty shall consume when they shall goe From their owne dwellings to eternall woe But God will me preserve from endlesse paine Because he will receive my soule againe Psal 94.14.15 The just shall this behold and praise the Lord And laugh at him and say with one accord Behold the man that made not God his stay But trusted in his strength his mire and clay But I shall be like to an olive greene For in the Lord my trust hath ever beene Psal 52.7.8.9 Comfort for the godly in evill and dangerous times IN evill daies why should I feare though those That seek my life me cunningly inclose For they that put their trust in riches most And in the multitude thereof will boast Their brothers soule from hell can no way save Nor pay a price to free him from the grave Psal 49.5 6 7. Comfort for the godly against the conspiracy of the wicked AGainst the just the wicked may conspire And grash their teeth in madnesse and in ire But God shall laugh to scorne them and their way For why he sees the comming of his day They may draw out their swords and bend their bow The poore and needy man to overthrow But their owne swords shall pierce their wicked hearts Their bowes shall broken be in sundry parts He knowes the just mans daies and sees his way And his inheritance shall not decay Psal 37.12 13 14 15 18. The Lord will breake their counsells and disclose The plots wherein they do most trust repose Psal 33.10 Thou hast my table richly deckt although Mine enemies have sought my overthrow Psal 23.5 Comfort for captives strangers fatherlesse children and widowes THe Lord relieves the poore and fatherlesse The stranger and the widow in distresse He makes the solitary man to live In houses freedome he to slaves doth give Psal 146.9 Psal 68.5 6. Though godly men by tyrants are brought low And wanting harbor wander too and fro God raiseth them out of their troubles deep And makes them housholds like a flock of sheep Psal 107.39 When they did wander in the desart wide And found no place wherein they might abide Yea when their thirst and hunger was so great That death the faintnesse of their soules did threat Then did they crie to God in their distresse And he their grievances did soon redresse Psal 107.4 5 6. Though they were few their foes then to withstand Yea very few and strangers in the land And when they found no place for their abode But wandred too and fro the world abroad He suffered them no wrong at all to take But mighty Kings reproved for their sake Psal 105.12 13 14. Comfort for the godly in times of oppression OVer our heads thou hast made tyrants ride And us the raging fury to abide Of fire and water yet thou through thy grace Didst bring us forth unto a wealthy place Psal 66.12 13. The Lord 's with me I need not feare or doubt What man can doe though he be strong and stout Psal 118.6 Now for the great oppressures and the cries Of poore distressed men I will arise Saith God the living Lord and them restore Unto the liberties they had before Psal 12.5 I sought the Lord and he my suit did heare Yea he did free my soule from all my feare They shall both looke and run unto his name Their faces shall not be abash'd with shame But say this poore man to the Lord did call And he both heard and rid him out of thrall Psal 34.4 5 6. O praise the Lord his praise abroad display For he is good his mercy lasts for aye He thought on us yea in our base degree And from oppressors safely set us free Psal 136.1.23 I with my mouth will laud the Lord him I Amongst the multitude will magnifie For at the right hand of the poore he stands To save them from the bloudy tyrants hands Psal 109.30 31. God will avenge th' afflicted and the poore The just shall feare and praise him evermore Psal 140.12 Incline thine ears to me Lord when I pray And hearken to the words which I shall say For strangers up against me rise and they That pleasure take in blood seek to betray My soule with all the plots they can devise For God they have no time before their eyes Behold God is my helper straight at hand With them that stay my soule the Lord does stand Psal 54.2 3 4. Comfort for the godly in long affliction HIs chosen flocke he will not alwaies chide For ever they shall not his wrath abide For he knows well our molde and fashion just Our natures fraile and how we are but dust Psal 103.9.14 Though it for many yeares have been your lots To lie conceal'd amongst defiled pots Ye shall be like a dove whose wings like gold And silver shine when once she waxeth old Psal 63.13 For though the wicked ofttentimes by God To prove his Saints are used as his rod Yet shall it not their lot for ever be Lest they their hand put to iniquity Psal 125 3. The Lord himselfe hath chast'ned me full sore But never hath to death me given o're Psal 118.18 Comfort for the godly in any strait BLessed is he whom Iacobs God doth aid And he whose hope upon the Lord is staid Which did of nothing earth and heaven frame The sea and all pertaining to the same Which keeps his word and promises most sure From age to age for ever to endure Which doth proceed in justice to relieve His poore oppressed servants when they grieve Which gives bread to the hungry and sets free Such as are bound in chaines of misery Which does the blinde to sight and lame restore To limbs and loves the just man evermore Which helps the stranger in his great distresse And keeps the widow and the fatherlesse Psal 146.5 6 7 8 9. When as my parents deare did me forsake The Lord did me into his favour take Psal 27.12 When I in trouble am and heavinesse I 'le thinke on God my griefe I will expresse I will consider well the things of old And what in former times I have been told I will regard the workings of the Lord What he hath done long since I will record Yea whilst I live my tongue shall no time spare His counsells deep and wonders to declare Psal 77.3 5 11 12. The Lord hath mindfull been of our distresse And in his tender mercies will us blesse To Aarons house his blessings