Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A66466
|
Divine poems and meditations in two parts / written by William Williams ...
|
Williams, William, b. 1613.
|
1677
(1677)
|
Wing W2786; ESTC R8131
|
55,180
|
128
|
the Matter indifference is like to have a better composure and my Adversary is become my friend When I returned to the Kings-Bench I took it to be my duty to return thanks and praises to God for his so great a mercy never to be forgotten The which I did in the manner as is hereunto annexed which I hope God hath accepted of For since which time I began to write these following meditations which never before did dare to adventure on such subjects But since I am never well nor at quiet with my soul but when I am about such exercises and I was so far from helps as it is well known that I had to many hindrances I will not say to you that I present you with the fruits of idle hours but of the best hours that ever I spent For it hath set more gladness in my heart than when the Corn and wine and oyl encreased It may be that the reverend Clergy will be offended with me for presuming to take upon me to descant on Scriptures I humbly beg their pardons Yet I hope I have not abused any text that I have insisted on But kept close to the matter of it without making any vain fictions and truly I had scarce any book but the bible And I was without that too until I complained of it as one of my greatest wants for my spiritual refreshment to a very good Lady Madam Scawen who presently sent me a very good Bible And I was beholding to Mr Stretch the Minister of the Kings Bench which really is a very civil person to prisoners doing them any good offices that lies in his power he lent me also Doctor Featleys Sermons And from thence as in my dayly practice and observations as my fancy led me I took some things to meditate on for my divertisement The which I hope they will charitably censure these weak exercises and accept them not as coming from a colledg but a Prison I have much hopes of their favors for I have communicated some of these to several good Divines from whom I have had good encouragement which I shall ever most thankfully acknowledge I believe that there be some that will taxe me for too much boldness for coming forth in print And condemn these as weak and indigested I am sensible enough of the weakness of them and therefore they may save that Labor But should I be without reproof I should fare much better than many far my betters who cannot escape the tongues of such carping Zoilus's who have only wit to censure and not to amend and think nothing well done because they do it not yet will quarrel at the private divertisements of a poor Prisoner Should I to add to the heat of their fiery tongues burn these papers or let them rot by me I am sure it would do less good than they will do now For though they want the rethorical streins of great learning yet they are the plain and harmless exercises of an old man a Prisoner that may have the good hap to meet with more charitable and courteous persons that will friendly accept them from a Prisoner under so long and severe a Calamity These Boanerges or Sons of Thunder I shall not Court but leave them to their carping dispositions But you whose pious Charity will be pleased to take this little Babe into your hands and dispise it not though born in a Prison It speaks the language of the Scriptures I have some eminent predecessors and presidents even from Prisons and I hope I do shew the duty and honor I have ever born to the doctrin and discipline of the Church of England In which I was born and bread And I have ever taken it to be my duty to defend it even in the worst of times to my irreparable ruin as is too visible Therefore I hope it will meet with more charitable humble and good dispositions that will friendly accept of and charitably pass by a Prisoners failings And if they may have the good fortune to find acceptance It will give much satisfaction for the pains taken by Your hearty well wishing friend William Williams Psalm 32.11 Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord mercy embraceth him on every side INTRODUCTION A Prisoners thanksgiving that was by Habeas Corpus brought to the Chancery Bar by one that he had trusted with his Estate the first day of Trinity term where having exprest himself it moved so much pitty that it pleased God to raise to his assistance Sir Francis Winnington and Sir John King most effectually to plead his cause without ever being spoke to or retained meerly out of principles of pitty and charity for which the Prisoner at his return to the Kings-Bench wrote as followeth CAn I forget thy mercies Lord this day So freely shew'd me can I make delay To give thee praise oh Lord 't was by thy power I spake so feelingly that happy hour Wherein thou shewd'st thy goodness Lord 't was thine All powerful providence not art of mine Thou didst direct great councel to assist A prisoner poor encountred in the list With other councel whose design yet mist me Lord thou didst ' ope their mouths for to assist me For which I shall for ever praise thy name Too weak's my pen for to express the same Accept dear Lord my thankful hearts expression That 's fill'd with praises let not the Transgression Of my frail heart be hindrance to declare Thy prasses in a work so plous rare That Lawyers which are men design'd for hire Should freely speak 't was cause thou didst inspire Their hearts and made them unto pitty bent To plead the cause of the poor innocent That was by wiles and promises seduc'd Being assured much good should be infus'd To me and mine But Lord thou truly art The God of truth and searcher of the heart Thou know'st what cruel threats I have endur'd That did expect relief and be assur'd Of some kind usage but that I must see My whole dependance is alone on thee Thou hast still by thy own Almighty power Preserv'd me to this very day and hour Dear Lord 't was thou that dost provide for me Means of support when prest with misery Continue still thy all preserving power Leave me not helpless in my latest hour A waken still in me a thankful heart That from depending on thee may not part But let my hope be cast on thee that can Preserve me from the cruel rage of Man VVhose projects are to starve this body frail Oh keep me Lord that they may not prevail Thou that canst bless the little stock of meal And by thy power art able to reveal VVonderful providences to preserve The weakest mortals who in faith thee serve Give me content oh let me not repine At thy just dealings for those sins of mine Pardon my youthful wandrings aged faults My many weaknesses and numerous halts My crooked walks oh let my sad condition Excite a pious grief for my
DIVINE POEMS AND MEDITATIONS IN TWO PARTS Written by William Williams of the County of Cornwall Gent. when he was Prisoner in the Kings-Bench in the Sixty second and Sixty third year of his Age. Psalm 5.1 Ponder my words O Lord consider my meditations LONDON Printed by J. Redmayne for the Author and are to be sold by John Williams at the Crown and John Crump at the Three Bibles in St. Pauls Church-Yard 1677. LICENSED March the Seventh To the Honorable Sir Francis Winnington Knight Sollicitor General to His Majesty King Charles the Second and a Member of this present Parliament And to Sir John King Knight Sollicitor to His Highness the Duke of York NOble Gentlemen your words spoken for me in the High Court of Chancery the First day of Trinity Term 1675. were like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver they are fit to be Recorded to posterity to encourage other Worthy Persons that now live and may succeed you to be kind and take part to assist Prisoners for they can be grateful if ingenuous you little thought what you then spoke for me would be the subject and occasion of all these following Lines The First I took it to be my duty to present to God as my Thanksgiving And then to you which bountifully rewarded and encouraged my gratitude This unexspected mercy did so raise my contemplations which were formerly exercised in vainer fancies 't was God and you that raised my Meditations on more Diviner Poems if there be any thing in them that be good let God have the Glory and you as his Instruments and the for ever most thankful acknowledgments of your favors to the infinite comfort of From my lodging in the Mint in South-wark March 10. 1676. Your Honors most faithful and obliged Servant William Williams To the Worshipful Arthur Sprye Esq one of His Majesties Justices of the Peace for the County of Cornwal and a Member of this present Parliament Worthy Sir REnowned Homer for whom Seven Cities contended for the Honor of being the place of his Birth when he first betook himself to Poetry thought himself obliged to express his thankfulness to his Benefactors and first to Mentor who took care of him when he had sore eyes and to his Master which brought him up in Learning and he gratefully requited Tychicus the Leather-seller that received him into his House If I endeavor to imitate the worthy example of this darling of the Muses and render you my most hearty thanks and record to all ages your so Generous Free and Bountiful love to me and care of me when a Prisoner deserted by my Kindred and Relations not sparing your pains in Travel and cost on my occasions with your bounty to me other waies never to be forgotten which hath set me sometimes into Admiration of Gods great mercy to me in raising me such a Friend that hath sent me so many comforting Letters which as so many Cordials have revived my sad and drooping Spirits And that you who are so eminently imployed in the publick and have so many great affairs of your own should lay all aside and Travel and expend on my occasions which did never nor ever was in a capacity so highly to engage you And all this done when I was cast down so low when no satisfaction from me was visible your favors were then so clear and continued without any reserve to your self Your indefatigable pains in being the instrument in Gods hands of setting me at liberty which is to me the beginning of a new life Should not these so eminent favors call me to gratitude I were worse than the beast that perish Sir It hath not a little rejoyced my soul that God in my old Old age hath enabled me amid all this more than Three years calamity to have something of my own to present you with though not worthy of you They are my Two last years exercises by way of Meditations in the Kings-Bench They were for the most part written in the House But Corrected and Enlarged in the Rules I beseech you accept them as the most grateful acknowledgment of your so much Care Pains Travel and Expence for me It is the only requital that ever I can be capable of and that I can tell afterages that I can be thankful I shall be most rude and ungrateful if I forget the favors which I have so chearfully received from the Right Honorable Right worshipful and many of my noble countrymen and others by whose bounty and favors I have bin supported in this my so long imprisonment Most thankfully acknowledging their favors especially of some which have exceeded far beyond my expectation and all beyond my deserts Sir I pray that you will take these papers with the author into your protection and continue your favor that God will continue his grace and favor to you shall ever be the desires of my heart while I breath and remain Your ever obliged Servant William Williams TO THE READER Courteous Reader IT is not unknown to many that have bin and some that now are prisoners in the Kings-Bench in what a sad disconsolate condition I was for many moneths after I came Prisoner to that uncomfortable place finding my self reduced from so plentiful a condition to the sad calamities of a Prison neglected by my kindred and relations from whom I had most cause to expect comforts And to add to my griefs I was encountred with railing Rabshecah's and cursing Shimei's to the great discomfort of my soul In Trinity term 1675 I was called by Habeas Corpus to answer a bill in chancery endeavoring to turn me over to the fleet for a contempt as the adversary pretended It grieved me much to think of a remove and renew a new place of Torment I not thinking my self able to answer the court as might be acceptable did retain councel But before I was called my councel went of pretending he had business to attend the Parliament then sitting So I was left to my self But it pleased God soon to supply that defect to my great advantage by enclining the hearts and tongues of the eminent and ever to be honored persons Sir Francis Winnington and Sir John King To improve the reasons I then delivered with so much pious and charitable zeal for me against councel retained against me that they got me an order for my return And at another time enclined one Mr John Hearl a councel at law and my noble Countryman in like manner to defend my cause at the Rouls unknown to me and without a fee for which I make him this my thankful acknowledgment These so eminent mercys from God and so great favors from persons of so high place and parts with whom I had never spoken nor seen their faces as I knew of made me admire Gods great mercy to me a Prisoner meerly upon principals of Honor and Charity These providences my Adversary observing Gods dealing with me stopt the violence of his proceeding and