himself is their security and surely he is sufficient to repay thee SOVL 26. Surely they are deceived that say a Crown hath more Thorns then Jewels in it That Ambition is a Mountain whose ascent is craggie and its top of Glasse If State be a Prison t is a Golden one and who can be more secure then he that is encompassed with huge Armes with what raptures is my soul inspired to see it self elevated above the Common Rank like some New Star stuck in the Firmament the Object of all mens eyes and wonder CHRIST 27. If thy Prison be of Gold the more is thy misery for it is the stronger A silly Shepheard is a far more happy King then thou whiles he makes a Mole-Hill his Throne none seek to rend it from him and being but low his Fall cannot be Great his Innocent Subjects obey his Voice and without murmuring pay him the Tribute of their Silver Fleeces But thou deceivest thy self in thy Security on a Throne Do'st thou think to escape Storms and Thunder by ascending a Mountain If thou wilt ascend unto the Stars indeed thou must do it by descending for humility is the readiest flight to Heaven and that is a path so plain and smooth thou needest not seaâ— falling and there alone thoâ— can'st rest secure for Legions oâ— Angels shall be thy Guard anâ— thousands of Cherubins witâ— their flaming Swords defend theâ— SOVL 28. But Lord I am a Souldieâ— and shall I forego my Fame whicâ— speaks me great and Ringâ— through the Universe Whilst 〈◊〉 carve out a Monument of my owâ— Glory with my Sword where if 〈◊〉 perish it is Nobly and in the Beâ— of Honour CHRIST 29. Thy Fames story must bâ— writ with thy own Blood thy gaâ—ping wounds must be the mouth 〈◊〉 to speak thee Famous see at whaâ— a rate thou purchasest empty Honour And wilt thou for a blast oâ— breath lose thy own breath and 〈◊〉 â—t be in a bad Cause thy Soul too But if thou fightest under my Banners thou shalt subdue Sin and Hell Monsters and Devils and every drop of blood thou loosest I will Esteem as a Pretious Ruby SOVL 30. What though I have not Virtue Yet I can look so like her that simple ones can call me pious CHRIST 31. But thou must be pious and not onely seem so else thy God when he comes to bind up his Jewels will easily discern such Bristow Stones from Diamonds and give thee the reward of Hypocrites SOVL 32. But Lord thy Servants do not only lead a life full of Misery but often leave this Life with a bloody Exit CHRIST 33. Alas my Yoak is easy to all them that bear it for my Spirit strengthens them in all their troubles nay I can make them even in love with Death it self and sweeten that bitter Cup to them SOVL 34. Surely Death is a grim Servant what can there be in him to enamour me is it his Beauty Ah no! Night and Darkness are in his face his Embraces are rough he darts not smiles but a deadly shaft and is this a Beauty to be ravished with CHRIST 35. Is a Feast the worse because a Black-amoore Ushers thee to it Such is Death or else Death is but like a dark Vaile drawn o're thy face and although thou dost sit in a scarlet Cloud yet thou shalt rise again with greater Lustre of Immortality and Glory SOVL 36. Thou art all sweet oh my Saviour thou hast overcome and now I find all my supposed delights but as a dream Now I see my Delila's Deformity She that I once thought fair as Heaven but I now look on her eyes as Nauplius false Light set to draw the Grecians to their Ruines on her Cheeks as beds that for one Rose bear a thousand Thorns on her lips as soft wax wherewith we sealed many a wicked bargain on her locks as fatall Giues that have kept me too long a Prisoner that bosome which I called Loves Tempe is now as a Valley hideous with Thorns her voice is as the Screetch Owles which bodes destruction Oh that foolish man should trust these Syrens Farewell for eveâ— all you false Beauties farewell my Delilahs I will sigh no more to puffe the spark of Affection into a flame in my Minions breast to thee sweet Jesu shall they be sent to thee shall all my vowes be paid thou shalt be the Sun under whose sweet influence I will desire to live thy Armes the Prison from which I will pray never to be freed when I fit by the murmurs of a Brooke it shall be to consider its Obedience to its Makers Command in paying the Tribute of its water to the Sea And how I have run backwards when I lye under a Tree's fair shade it shall be to admire the soft musick of its leaves as if every leafe were a tongue to sing its Makers Praise and how mine hath either been silent or else Blaspheming of him I will be Ambitious but it shall be of thy Favour My Riches I 'le distribute to the Poor and then they will have wings indeed and take their flight to Heaven The desires of my heart shall be to be dissolved and to be with my Saviour For Lord the Walls of my Clayey Prison hinder my Soul from viewing thee fully it can but peepe through the Casements of my eyes and so by reflex in thy word see some weak glimmerings of thee This this is the way to make me a Conquerour me thinks already my wars are done and I have nothing now to expect but Rewards and Triumphs hence forward is laid up for me a Crown of Life and Glory A PREPARATION TO THE LORDS SUPPER OUr Blessed Saviour knowing how weak man is to perform his Duty least we should faint in our Pilgrimage to the New Jerusalem hath provided for our Sustenance his own flesh and blood A Food which the Angels have not do thou therefore run often and with Joy to the Supper of thy dearest Lord and not with the Israelites seem to have Manna so long about thy Tents that now thou loathest it thou often faintest in thy Combat with Satan and therefore hast often need of this Cordial of this Chalice of blessing to comfort thee and canst thou too often remember thy Saviour Or is that which he hath done for thee not worthy thy memory But have a care that thou comest prepared for Bees suck honey from this flower but Spiders poyson And if thou unworthily receivest this water of life will become as the waters of Marah it will be bitter unto thy Soul It is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb put on therefore thy Royal Robes but Purples or Tyrian silks is not the wedding Garment wherewith thou must be cloathed but Faith Hope Repentance Eucharist and Charity and now that Christ will come in and Sup with thee let not the filthiness of the Room drive him away Aspicis ut veniant ad candida tecta Columbae Accipiet nullas sordida
Juvenilia SACRA OR Divine Youthfull Meditations CONSISTING Of a Dialogue between Christ and the Soul A Preparation to the Lords Supper Characters of the Pious and Impious Man Of the Good and Wicked Woman The Foure Quarters of the Year Ten Historicall Ten Scripture and Ten Occasional Applications By P. B. Gent. London Printed by Tho. Mabb for John Playfere at the White Bear in the Upper Walk of the New-Exchange 1664. Perlegi hunc Libellum cui Titulus Juvenilia Sacra in quo nihil reperio sanae fidei Disciplinae Ecclesiae Anglica aut bonis moribus contrarium Joh. Hall R. â— D. Episc Lon. Ã sac Domest Mar. 15. 1663. TO HIS Honoured Friend Francis Dashwood Esq SIR I Have Read of Pylades and Orestes and many others but the Past Present or Future Age have not nor will never Produce such a Stupendious Example of Friendship as Yours to me which though I cannot Requite yet I will never Cease to Acknowledge I here Present You the Fruits of my Youthfull Idle Hours and it will be a Repetition of your former Courtesie to Protect and Accept such a Trifle yet therein You have Your own Picture drawn in the Character of my Piouâ— Man which if it be not to the Life the World wilâ— conclude that it is not because You wanted Merrit but the Unskilfulness of Your Humble Servant P. B Courteous Reader PErhaps in the Perusal of my little Book thou mayest think me too Satyrical but I hope thy Ingenuity will apply these Invectives to those unto whom they were directed to the Vicious for mistake me not I am none of those that think all they which wear black patches cannot go to Heaven I only aime at such as hang them out as the Ensignes of Lust neither do I carp at all that are attired in Gorgeous Apparrel No for surely the Lillies Beauty and Solomons Royalty was not displeasing to God But only at such who are proud in them that hug their Inventions for devising fantastique fashions that spend most of their time in pruning of their Locks and setting those Netts to catch Fools Suppose you should be Enamoured of a false though a seeming Lovely Beauty and at the Instant of the Injoyment of your Imaginary Heaven when your Sun should disrobe her self of her Shroud If then I say instead of the Beams of a dazling Beauty you should meet with nothing but Deformity Those Tresses which you have Esteemed as the Netts of Cupid as the Beams of the Sun should prove the horrid spoils of the dead and those teeth which you call'd Pearles should be false as her self and confin'd each night into a Box would not this fright your resolution This is all that I have endeavoured to do to unmask the Strumpet and shew you her ugly Visage hoping it may perswade you no longer to serve so deformed a Mistris Here thou wilt finde Heavenly Milk for Babes Counsel for Young Men and such was I being but sixteen when I wrote most of them hereafter when my Judgment grows Riper with my Years I shall endeavour to give thee more solid food If you reap any Fruit by the perusall of my Book I am too well paid for my Labour in Composing it Thine P. B. Heaven and Earth in a Dialogue betwixt the Soul and Christ CHRIST 1. AH Foolish Soul how often have I displayed unto thee the Beauties and Riches of Heaven propos'd such Glories as thy dim eyes were too weak to behold Why wilt thou feed on huskes empty pleasures when thou mayest be satisfied with Heavenly Manna and Fountains of ever Living Waters why will you walk in the wayes of Sin which are black as Egyptian darkness horrid and full of precipices and decline the milkie paths of Heaven which are smooth and full of Innocency SOVL 2. True Lord but yet my Darling World comes with ten thousand charms and ravishes my Soul and can those paths be unpleasant which are strewed with pleasure and paved with love if thy paths are so smooth how then comes it that thy Servants so often stumble in them sure they are either rugged or as you say hells are so they are dark t is the Poets milkie way is full of Stars CHRIST 3. Thy Darling and all her Charme will soon leave thee doest thou trust to terrene pleasures Alas the World is but a rotten staire to mount up to Glory Had Jacobs Ladder had one such round in it he could never have mounted up to Heaven by it Could'st thou by the eye of Faith but see the beauty of holiness the charms of thy Saviour how would thy enlarged Soul be ravished with them and if there be any rubbs in Heavens path there are no precipices they do but stumble not fall whereas the wicked when they are once fallen are like the Elephant they seldome rise and as the Poets so is Heavens milkie way full of Stars it is stuck full of the Pious Examples of my Saints which may serve as so many Constellations to guide thee And I thy Saviour am thy North Star by which if thou doest stear thou canst not erre SOVL 4. But Lord are not thy paths more rugged then those of sin Loves fire with a kind of mistick heat onely cherishes our Souls and who would not rather live in such a flame then such as do thy Servants who are consumed by that of Martyrdom what are thy cares but deaths heads sighs and tears and are these thy pleasures is this Heavens banquet CHRIST 5. The Paths of sin seem smooth but alas they are paved with thorns though sin hath subtilly covered them with flowers and guilded her poison Hells flames are not so black as those of lust instead of cherishing thy Soul it preyes upon it whereas the Fire of Martyrdom doth make you like Gold to come out of it more glorious And if Deaths Heads Sighs and Tears are such harsh food unto thee it is because thou knowest not how to use them aright and besides this thou shalt eat Celestial Manna and if all this will not please thee thou shalt by faith eat my Flesh and drink thy Saviours Blood SOVL 6. When I assault a Beautie what delight it is to see what prettie shifts it will make to avoid being conquered how sometimes I am forced to let mine eyes showre on her stonie heart till their continual dropping have worn away its hardness what prettie devices it makes us invent when Doves are our Post-Masters how sometimes I seek to bribe my prettie Enemie with gifts and then how I glory in my Conquest my thinks Caesar did not so well deserve a triumph for subduing the Universe as I for Vanquishing my little World CHRIST 7. And I will teach thee how thou shalt woe Heaven how thou shalt make the Heavens bow and come down and catch thy pious whispers and my Holy Dove shall be the Carrier of them and bring them into my Fathers bosome and thus shalt thou subdue Heaven and thousands of
Angels shall rejoyce at thy Victory and thou shalt ride in Triumph on a Cherubs wings and thus shalt thou enter the everlasting Gates of the King of Glory SOVL 8. How do the Ravishing Charms of a beautious Face allure my Soul Who would not be an Astronomer in such a Skie O! I could eternally gaze on her faire Stars and view the mistick Circles and Lines of that little Heaven CHRIST 9. How then wouldest thou be ravished at thy Saviours Beauties when Angels themselves are not Eagles enough to behold such a Sun without vailing their faces with their wings SOVL 10. Oh but then her eyes have a powerfull influence over me with what a Divine Light they pierce through my Soul How doth it ravish my heart to behold those prettie Babies in them how like airie Cherubs they dance on our twisted Beams Had Adam fallen for such Apples he had in some sort been more excusable CHRIST 11. And wilt thou loose Heaven again for an Apple If her eyes are Stars they are blazing ones and such as portend thy Ruine Troy had stood had not Hellens eyes set it on Fire Thou wilt prove but a bad Pilate if thou Stearest by those Stars Ah how Glorious how full of charming Innocency must thy Saviours eyes be which as my Spouse sings are as the Doves washed with milk SOVL 12. Who can see her cheeks and not admire their rich Carnation or who but views the Cherries of her Lips and would refuse such a Banquet CHRIST 13. And canst thou not forbear to quaffe poison because it is in a ruby Cup If her Cheeks be Beds of Roses dost thou not care if thou art smothered in them Oh how fragrant are the Roses of thy Saviours Cheeks how soft are those beds of Spices how sweet must his Lips be That like Lillies drop with sweet smelling Myrrhe SOVL 14. Can she be lesse then Heaven From whom the same effects proceed Doth not the Lightning of her eyes like that of Heaven melt the soul yet spare its sheath Is there not the Harmony of the Sphears in her tongue If man be called a little world surely woman is a little Heaven and then what mistick fetters are her locks when Kings in the midst of Mighty Armes have been enchained by them And how Lord am I able to break those fetters when the great Sampson he to whom the strongest bonds were but as Flax before the Fire was manacled by them CHRIST 15. And if Beauty do spread her locks to catch thee must thou needs be taken T is the degenerate Flie is trapt in the subtil net of a Spiders web the Noble Eagle breaks through such a weak toile SOVL 16. How doth the presence of my fair one Chear my heart those Clouds of sorrow which benighted my Soul fly away at the approach of my fair Sun But ah her absence is my Hell then my eyes are loath to open their lidds since that which onely was pleasing to them is gone unlesse it be to free a tear which they detained in their Cristal Prisons CHRIST 17. Foolish Soul thus to Joy when thy ruine is near and bewail it absent were those tears shed because thy Son of Righteousnesse had withdrawn his face they were worthily spent indeed thou shouldest resemble the pretty Mary Gold which when night is come and it is deprived of its beloved object it hangs down its weak head and washes its Cheeks in tears but as soon as its Sun appears it advances its Crown and displaies its Saffron Cheeks and if any tears appear on them they are tears of Joy For after a while I will come unto thee again and comfort thy sick soul with Apples and kisse away thy tears with the kisses of love and I will fill thy heart with joy till it over-flow its banks and I will leave thee no more but we will fly to the Mountains of Myrrhe to the Hills of Frankincense and there will I give thee my Loves there shalt thou enjoy pleasures and beauties as lasting as yours are fading SOVL 18. Can that Beauty be fading that hath a continuall Summer in its Cheeks for forty years And how can the Lillies of her Cheeks wither seeing they have two such Chrystal Fountains as her eyes to water them two such Suns to cherish them with their heat and influence CHRIST 19. Alas how short a moment is thy forty years to the eternity of thy Saviours Beauty Dost thou place thy Felicity in such fading Beauties when in that space its Lillies and Roses shall wither and then not all her Charms nor her Angels voice shall bribe Death the silent Rhetorick of her eyes shall not woe him to defer the stroke one moment but those Chrystal Fountains shall be dryed up and darknesse possesse the Orbes of those fair Suns SOVL 20. But Lord there are more variety of pleasures in the service of sin then in thine sometimes sweet society joyes my soul sometimes again I recreate my self sitting by the sweet murmurs of some purling Brookes and bathing in it or under the shade of some lovely Grove CHRIST 21. This and more then this can I give thee thou shalt sit with greater pleasure under the shaddow of my wings thou shalt sit by the streams of Righteousnesse and bath thy Soul in them thou shalt commune with Heaven it self and quiers of Angels with Joyful Hallelujahs shall salute thy Eare. SOVL 22. Sometimes my Fancy iâ— both pleased and busied to view magnificent Palaces how theiâ— Towring heads seem to kisse thâ— Clouds the statelinesse of their Gates the Richnesse of their pavements and glittering with Gold CHRIST 23. And I will carry thee to the New Jerusalem to my Fathers Mansions whose every Gate is Pearle the Streets are paved with Gold and precious Stones that which is now thy Idol thou shalt then tread under thy feet and how glorious a reflex must they make being guilded by the Beams of the Son of Righteousnesse there is no other Son the Glory of God and the Lamb are the Light thereof And then wilt thou say Fool that I was I had thought that thy Jerusalem had been like one of our Citties SOVL 24. They say Riches have wings and fly away true they fly away but then they send me home in their stead sweet Wines delicious Cates and gorgeous Apparrel and who would part with such beloved Minions since they make me respected of all Nay I think my self almost a God whilst I walk in the midst of my thousands of Angels CHRIST 25. If they are Angels they are evil ones they fly away and send thee home sweet Wines and delicious Cates that is Feavers and Surfets dost thou trust to such helps as are swallowed in the curling of Neptunes or thy Princes frown But wilt thou be Rich indeed Oh! then Treasure up thy Wealth in Heaven if thou wilt put out thy money to the highest Interest put it out to the Poor and then thou needest not fear to loose it for God
have got this Pearle my Christ have attained such riches to which theirs is but Drosse and Dung 10. DIogenes was a man so much despising Riches that being proferd great Wealth by Alexander he bid him stand out of the Sun-shine as being a comfort that all his Riches could not bring him He chose a Tub for his Pallace a Wooden dish was all his Houshold-stuffe and Water and Herbs his chiefest Sustenance Though some may take this for a Tale of a Tub yet surely it is a great example of a Generous and Moderate life which without doubt was full of a perfect Tranquility His minde was calm not like the Merchants tossed with every Wind more then his Ship nor alarum'd with Thieves seeing he had nothing but his Wooden dish to loose and Christians may be ashamed to be so farr out-gone by a Heathen in Morral Vertue but yet we finde this Diogenes whose diet was so spare to desire the unchaste embraces of a Lais Ah! how then doth the Pampring of our bodyes now a dayes put oyle to the flame and increase our natural lustful desires â—t is a worthy sentence of Hesiod that half is better then the whole one dish will serve nature better then ten for with our many Courses we course away our Health though Bread and Water be all my Food as long as the Sun of Righteousnesse shines on me I will not envy Sardanapalus all his daints of the Sea and Land Scripture Applications This Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy Mouth but thou shalt Meditate therein Day and Night 1. UNmatchable was the strength of Sampson yet could he notwithstand the charming allurements of Delilah but by her treachery his so admired strength was brought to nought How carefull therefore ought we to be to eschew the company of these subtill charmers to stop our ears to these Syrens Harmony doth their pleasing Warbling Ravish thee Oh! consider their Lustfull Layes will lull thee a sleep to thy ruine Doest thou admire them for their Lilly hands Know that therewith they will lead thee to all uncleannesse Perhaps their Golden Locks may ensnare thee but be assured that every curle is a chain to hold thee to thy sin Or if their twinkling eyes have bewitched thee consider them as false Lights as the fatall Funeral piles of thy honour and chastity thy Saviour had not whereon to lean his Head and wilt thou rest on a downy Bed with thy lewd Minion Oh no! but reject these Delilah's since they like Sylla and Charybdys miserably Shipwrack all those that approach them 2. NAaman Captain of the Host of Assyria was a Leaper who was Cured by Elisha by being dipt seaven times in the River Jordan Most Leaprous is my soul wash it therefore Oh my Saviour in the Jordan of thy blood but are not Abana and Pharphar Rivers of Damascus better then the Streams that flow from thee Oh no! they may wash the filth from our bodies but never from our souls T is only the Rivolet of thy blood can make us perfectly clean Oh! be thou my Jesus or the Physitian to my sick soul and heal me and for my Cure I will not return thee money or coyne nor offer up unto thee Sheep or Oxen but Prayers Thanks and Tears Sacrifices most acceptable unto thee Incense which smells sweetest in thy Nostrills 3. VVHen the Israelites abode in Shittim the Daughters of Moab allured then to commit Whoredoms and thence we see a sad story of Cozby arise who was slain in the lustfull embraces of her Lover in the sight of all the Congregation And yet how many Daughters of Moab have we in these dayes Ah! how many Delilahs which wear the Sun of Darknesse in their Faces and I fear to in their hearts who preferr a white Cheek or a Cherry Lip before the beauty of Holinesse it self and which covet no other Heaven but their Lovers Armes Fools thus for a moment of fading pleasures to purchase everlasting Torments For let them know their Patches do not Beautifie their Faces but set so many black spots upon their Souls their Anointing and Painting causes them to slide the quicker into Hell and their Pouders and Perfumes do but make them a daintier bit for Divels 4. VVHen Goliah Encountred David he was Armed with a Helmet of Brasse and a Coat of Maile with a Sphear like a Weavers Beam but on the contrary David comes in the Name of the Lord of Hosts the God of the Armies of Israel and thus with a Sling and a Stone only he Slays this mighty Phylistine Victory is in the hand of God and in vain is the strength of man without his assistance if God be on thy side let not the number of Enemies dismay thee for he can defend his Elisha with Charriots of fire and save his David both out of the Paw of the Lion and out of the Hand of the Phylistine He that comes in the name of the Lord of Hosts is sufficiently armed against all Encounters thus Guarded I 'le not fear the World the Flesh no nor Satan himself for when the Tempter comes I will meet him with my Saviours answer It is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve This this is the way with these Weapons with David I will strike the Monster in the forehead and slay him 5. SInfull Soddom sinned against God and Just God Punished Soddom But what was wretched Sodoms sin which hath not been in our habitations what Crime did miserable Gomorrah perpetrate which we have not committed Niniveh in forty days could Repent at the Preaching of one Jonas and we not in fourty years though hundreds thunder daily in our ears the emminent Judgments of God upon us Purples and Silks are the Sack-cloath and Powders and Perfumes the Ashes which we Repent in Ah! our God we have justly deserved that thou shouldst make our Land a place of dead mens Sculls an Island encompassed with her own Blood Once what Land more Righteous then England and alas now who more sinfull she was once the Daughter of Nations the joy and perfection of the whole Earth but now her Beauty is departed from her she is black but no more comely Lord we were once thy Darlings as dear unto thee as the Apple of thine eye Oh! therefore do not leave â—is nor forsake us but draw us with the Cords of thy Love that we may once more run after thee Poure the Oyle of thy Mercy into our Souls and heal us that thou again mayest be our God and we thy People 6. WHen I call to mind my Christs Death I cannot but admire the goodness of my Saviour that he the Son of the King of Kings should suffer his precious side to be pierced with a Spear His Sacred Temples those beds of sweetest Spices to be rent and torn and all to preserve me from destruction But must no less then the blood of the King of Heaven be the Balm to
Fortresse by Storme His second Squadron hath black Ensignes under which fight Dispair and he gives a furious Assault Next comes Covetousnesse who seeks to Bribe and Betray the Fortresse and with these are all other deeds of Darknesse but his third Squadron have White Ensignes and under these are all catching Pleasures and Allurements Ambition Fame Pride Riot and Lasciviousnesse 'T is these that come with the white Flag of Truce and yet mean War t is these that seem to be the least considerable Troops and yet the most to be feared t is these lay all the Ambushes with these are his Artillery and that is Woman out of the Loop-holes of her eyes she discharges her murderers this is the fatal Flame that sets the whole Fortresse on fire and besides these that he may not omitt any thing on his part he hath intelligence within even thy own thoughts thou thy self art foe to thy self and Satan beats thee with thy own Weapons but that which shews the height of his Policy is that he will be sure to storm the Fort in the Weakest place but do thou Jesu stand in the breach and repell him back do thou Man the Castle with Assurance and Constancy Strengthen Faith that it may keep its Ground cause Repentance to open the Flood-gates of his Eyes and drown its Foes and thus shall the Siege be raised and thou remain Conquerour and Faithfull Souldier to the King of Heaven who will reward thy Victory with a Wreath of Glory 10. The Ship THis World is a Sea Man is the weak Barke that is tossed in that Restlesse and Stormy Ocean our hands are two of the Oares that Row us thither and every good Deed we Act we fetch a Stroak towards Heaven and the Almighties Spirit is the gentle Blast that fills our Sails for without it we are becalm'd He that sails with the Tide glides towards Hell Orphans sighs are the winds that drive him swiftly on he hath often a merry Gale and he seldom thinks on the sadnesse of his Voyage till he almost arrive at the Dismal Haven of Death and though God the Searcher of Hearts who knows if he liv'd longer whether he would steer a new course may pardon him yet this is dangerous and he often Miserably Perishes But he that will steer in a direct course to Heaven must Saile against the Tide and he must always be Rowing for whilest he is idle the Stream carries him backwards he will often meet with a thousand Impediments in his Voyage Though Historians doubt whether there be any Syrens yet in this Sea he will meet with many Riches is the Fatall Remora which sticks to the bottome of the Vessel and hinders its course but above all he must have a care he doth not Shipwrack himself against the White Rock of a Womans Breast And besides these he shall meet with other Storms which will drive him back again but he must Wrastle with these difficulties and tug against the Stream and if he chance to overcome the Tempest Zephyrus gently filling his Sailes and he enjoys Peace and Tranquillity let him consider that after the wanton play of Porposes there comes a Storm and therefore repair the Breaches which the Tempest hath made hath Dispair enterd cast it out and resume thy Anchor of Hope and at last thy Voyage shall be Prosperous and thy Barke shall unlade its Pretious Fraight in the Bosome of its Saviour that Great Factor of Souls who will Treasure it in his Coelestial Store-house and binde it up amongst his Jewels to all Eternity A Table of the several Subjects in this Book HEaven and Earth a Dialogue wherein Christ Convinces the Soul that all those Honours Gifts and Pleasures which it imagines to injoy here are to be found in him with advantage page 1 A preparation to the Lords Supper p. 25 Character of the Pious Man p. 37 Character of the Impious Man p. 44 Character of the Good Woman p. 50 Character of the Wicked Woman p. 55 The four Quarters of the Year And First of Spring or Infancy p. 61 Second Of Summer or Youth p. 67 Third Of Autumn or Man-hood p. 73 Fourth Of Winter or Old Age p. 78 Ten Historical Applications 1. Henry the Fifth By his Example to forsake this Worlds Vanities p. 83 2. Ixions Cloud or the vanity of Earthly pleasures p. 85 3 Caesars Herods and Swedlands Kings death or the Frailty of Mans Life p. 86 4. The Exchange Or Divine Trafick p. 87 5. Zeuxis Tablet against Painting p 89 6. Sinon or the Hypocrite p. 91 7. Demosthenes Oration Against Commedies p. 92 8. Thersites Or the Back-biter p. 94 9. Aesops Cock Christ our Pearle of Price p. 95 10. Diogenes An Example of Temperance p. 96 Ten Scripture Applications 1. Sampson Lust to be avoided p. 98 2. Naaman Christs blood can only cleanse Vs p. 100 3. Cozby Lusts punishment p. 101 4. David and Goliah God alone the Giver of Victory p 102 5. Soddom Its sins compared to Englands p. 103 6. Christs Death Expressing his Love to Vs p. 105 7. The Prodigal Gods mercy upon Repentance p. 106 8. The Widdows Mite God regards not the full hand but the heart of the Giver p. 108 9. Christ Riding on an Asse His Humility p. 109 10. Peters Sermon The words power and our hardness of heart p. 110 Ten Occasional Applications 1. On a withered Rose Our backwardness to Repentance and Gods mercy p. 112 2. The Fly in the Candle Carnal Security p. 115 3. On a Blotted Paper Against Patches p. 116 4. The Sow in the Mire or the worldling p. 118 5. The Whipping of a Tap or Fatherly Correction p. 120 6. On a Fleet of Ships in the night Christ our Pilote p. 121 7. The dropping of the Eaves Mercies cannot mollifie us p. 123 8. On a Ship-wrack Christ the Rock of our Salvation p. 124 9. The Castle Man a Besieged Fortresse p. 126 10. The Ship the World a Sea wherein poor man is tossed p. 128 FINIS ERRATA'S For CAres Page 4. line 8. Pilate p. 8. l. 6. Sâ—earest p. 8. l. 7. Armes p. 9. l. 17. Soâ—s p. 13. l. 6. Brooks p. ibid. l. 13. Son p. 14. l. 20. Armes p. 16. l. 20. sit p. 20. l. 18. may for p. 48. l. 22. party p. 51. l. 9. Tâ—rget p. 61. l. 5. Lillies p. 62. l. 22. intseat p. 64. l. 19. indissolvable p. 69. l. 2. strikt p. 69. l. 5. wained p. 70. l. 17. Ferâ—ore p. 73. l. 2. strain p. 77. l. 9. Ecclip'd p. 79. l. 10. our p. 87. l. 14. Worldling p. 96. l. 2. staid p. 107. l. 1â— sports p. 119. l. 9. Read Cares Pilote Steerest Armies Suns Brook Sun Armies set may be for parley Turget Lillie intreat indissoluble strict weaned Fervore staire Ecclips'd ours Worldlings staind spots
heal our wounded Souls Shall my Jesus shed forth more drops of Blood then I shed tears Shall he be Crucified for me and I not Crucifie my Sins Ah no! I will not be ingrateful to such a Saviour to such a sweet Redeemer But I will bath my self in Repentant Tears I will weep day and night because of my sins my mouth shall continually Praise my ever Blessed Redeemer 7. WE Read that though the Prodigall had spent his Wealth in Riot yet when he came to his Father with the confession of his fault in his mouth he not onely pardons him but kills a fatted Calf for joy of his return and receives him gladly Men cannot be readier to sin then God to forgive a penitent Sinner Art thou turn'd Prodigal and hast forsaken thy Heavenly Fathers House spent thy Coelestial Treasure by turning his Grace into Wantonnesse Yet if thou wilt at length return Oh! he will Receive thee with Embraces of Love and kisse thee with the kisses of his mouth yea there will be rejoycing in Heaven and it will be a day worthy an Angels joy wherein a Son is new born to the King of Glory Dispair not then Oh my Soul to find pardon at the hands of thy Mercifull Father it is in his power alone to make a Blackamore white nay wert thou stai'd as much as was Manasses that made the Temple slow with innocent blood if thou wilt but wash thy wounds with penitent tears he will poure the oyle of his mercy into them and heal thee 8. THe poor Widdow casting but two Mites into the Treasury was more praised by our Saviour then those Rich men which cast in plentifully of their Abundance It is not the largeness of Almes but the freeness of heart by which it is given not the length of Prayer but its fervency that is pleasing unto God The short but humble Petition of the Publican was sooner accepted then the long vain Glorious Prayer of the Pharisee and the Widdows two Mites before the Rich mens great gifts let the Wealthy cast in of their Abundance but I though I cannot with Solomon Sacrifice thousands of Oxen yet will I endeavour to offer up unto thee my heart This Lord is the Mite I give thee give thee dId I say Alas that was thine before and I must pay thee Tribute with thine own Coyne But I have so defac't the Image of the Great Caesar of Heaven which was stamped on it that thou wilt scarce know it for thine own yet Lord if I can sincerely tender it to thee even this dispised Mite thou wilt not contemn 9. CHrist going to see Jerusalem Rode thither not in one of Caesars Glittering Charriots but on an Humble Asse The King of Kings he that Rides in Triumph on the Clouds he that Sits mounted on Cherubins dained to Ride on an Asse and surely a better Triumph then any of the Caesars and by this we may see how far above all men he was meek whose Triumph the subject of our greatest pride was more humble then others humblest actions and wherefore did he thus debase himself but to teach us Humility what do we see in our selves to be proud of Is it our frailty or because we are born of the dust How goodly a thing it is to see a poor worm a clod of dust clad in the pomps of the silk worms spoils to vaunt it self Oh! our God give us humble Souls Pride and Ambition puffs up the heart of man and the path to Heavens gate is too narrow for the swelling ambitious Soul to walk in those who in their own conceits are goodly Caedars in Gods are but dispised Shrubs fit stubble for Hells Fire 10. HOly Peter by that Excellent Sermon of his Crucified Saviour converted thousands to the Faith Great Orpheus who with the Musick of thy tongue didst not only make Trees and Stones but very Beasts to dance Those Brests which were Barbarous and Raging like a Tempestuous Sea thou madest smooth as the brow of a Cherubin Thy Saviours words are now true thou art become a Fisher of Men and hast taken no less then three thousand at a draught If this be so what then is the reason that instead of having three thousand converted at a Sermon I fear we have three thousand Sermons and scarce one converted Have the Dispensers of the Word now a dayes less skill in Angling for Souls then this Blessed Fisher Oh no! surely it is the hardness of our hearts which were they not more obdure then Stones the Hammer of the Word would break them were we not exceeding secure those Sons of thunder would waken us not deafer then Adders those Sacred Charmers would Charm us OCCASIONAL Applications Vel bonas cogitationes alat animus vel statim malas extinguat 1. On a Withered Rose THis Flower in the Gayeties of her Youth was Fresh and Glittering like a New Married Bride but being Coy and Self-conceited She defended her self from all those that would crop her with her prickles At last time blasting her Orient hue she is rejected of all and stands in a corner unregarded bedewing her Cheeks each Morn for her former folly Thus Lord in the pride of my youth have I disdained thee thou hast woed me till thy locks were wet with the dew of Heaven thou didest promise to transplant me into thy Garden water me with thy tears and nourish me under the shaddow of thy wings Oh! what a happy flower had I then been but I like a sullen Rose stubbornly denyed Crucified thee afresh and prickt thy fingers I knew Lord that the Offering of the first Fruits were most pleasing unto thee that the blooming Rose and early morning virtues smelt sweetest in thy nostrills Yet have I continued in sin whilst I was able to sin and now return unto thee because I can sin no more Whilst my Tapour was long and its flame shining as the Lamp of Heaven I spent my Light in Satans Court and now come to burn my Snuff in thy Palace Oh! that my head were waters and my eyes Fountains of tears that I might weep night and day for my Youths follies Oh! how justly may I fear that thou wilt refuse Satans leavings that because in my Youth I rejected the things that did belong unto my peace that now they are hid from my eyes Is a wrinckled Beauty a fit Spouse for the King of Glory Will he inhabit Ruines But Lord thou art merciful if our Return be hearty we can never come too late unto thee therefore will I not dispair to be admitted amongst that Blessed Posy of Flowers which thou wilt place in thine own Bosome 2. The Fly in the Candle THis Fly and Ambitious Icarus soaring too nigh its Sun the Candle scorches its wings and so perishes Thus too many poor Christians dallie with Hell and nibble too long till they are taken with the snare they deem the day far off and themselves secure though at the brink of the Burning Lake