PELâ—â—â—â—ICIDIVM OR THE CHRISTIAN ADVISER AGAINST Self-Murder Together with A Guide and the Pilgrims Passe To the Land of the Living In Three Books Soles occidere redire possunt Senec. LONDON Printed for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and are to be sold at the Signe of the George in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1653. PELLICANICINIUM SInce All the World is Folly well may one Be th' Hieroglyphick not alone As unprun'd Trees Men all abroad expresse In strange Wild growths A Wildernesse In which alone does dwell each friendless Man Each ' mong'st the rest 's A Pellican This That about the Neast flame hidden brings To take The Foule with singed wings Whose Piety to save her Young from Fire Makes her a Prey to sharp Desire This Pellican owns none that so unclean Do Her Self-Death's Example meane Yet hath she heard within her lonely Place As she t' her Young did put the Case The shreiking Newes that from New Troy did cry Self-murder which did cause her fly From Wildernesse of Beasts to That of Men Where each House seems A Dragon's Den. With stretched Pineons she her Flight does take Leaves Young does not her Young forsake And to that Forrest of hewn Trees squar'd stone Where Thousands dwell yet live Alone She comes And on a sacred Mountain's Head Takes stand and then the Round does tread Earst dedicated was that Place to Paul Not for his cruell Deeds when Saul But for such Acts his Courage did discusse With Beasts in Fight at Ephesus Upon that lofty seeming Ruine she Does all about Destruction see There mounted high as on a Tower she stands To ' th' Desart sings Divine Commands To That forsaken Place with op'ning Wings Pointing her Beak t' her Breast she sings This uncouth Note Why changed Mortalls Why With horrid Deeds thus blast ye Skye How are your Voices chang'd too by done Wrong Now Groanes now Cryes beare Parts in Song And what so tunable was Sweet before Now beares the Burthen does deplore Were once your Hands too smooth your Face too fair Must Faith be traffick for Despair Ah Troynovant Thy too unhappy state May justly feare from Heaven Troy's Fate Which nought can hinder but such â—louds from Eyes Of Penitence as drown Sin 's Cryes Who made The World Who turns the starry Ball Is not Th' Allmighty Head of All What 's Pleasure made is ord'red by His Will His Hests were Lawes And must be still 'T is not Inferiour Wit of things below Can cause by wisdome Ought to grow His Creatures All are All from Him derive Without Him there is Nought can thrive Let Him but turne his Back to Self leave all I' th' darke they reel to ruine fall And but His Way Most High can Not be found His Walk is Not like Paths on ground What Blindnesse then possest bewitched sight That needs it must forsake The Right What unknown God do you adore in vain What Idols set you up in brain Are Those Thy Gods that did from Egypt free Or what doest call thy Liberty Or what Religion is it that you coine When All Sins with Devotion joyne Is Heaven not just or does forget to pay The Debt you scoar'd but yesterday Dispute it not Nor cast with recklesse Mind Approaching Judgments so behind Hark! How the Night-Ravens croak Strange sights appear When Seasons alter Judgment 's near When Self-Destruction does among you rage Soon Publick Fury may engage O stand not out Apostates least you burne To common Ashes in One Urne Returne to Life as I to Death for Young returne The Prooeme SInce Adam's Fall his Posterity became Partakers not Onely of his Sin but his Sorrow I will greatly multiply thy Sorrow and thy Conception In sorrow shalt thou bring forth c. said God to Eve Gen. 3. 16. Grief is antienter than the Eldest Son of the World And by production of Time as Sin increased Sorrow had the bigger growth The Dayes of the Years of my Pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty Years Few and Evill have the Dayes of the Years of my Life been and have not attained unto the Dayes of the Yeares of the Life of my Fathers in the dayes of their Pilgrimage So Iacob to Pharaoh Gen 47. 9. Every Day was in new Labour and every Minute a step onward in Pilgrimage Life then is a Long Journey on Foot And the further we goe the wearier we are It is Fabled of Iupiter that being wearied with the brabbles of Pleasure and Sorrow he linkt them together with an Adamantine Chain that the One should not part from the Other Invicem cedunt Dolor ac Voluptas Sayes the Poet Grief hangs at the Skirt of Pleasure Sorrow is her close Attendant Why make men then such a Wonder at the Miseries of the world As if they had not heard of them Why are some so dejected at usual and unavoydable Burthens groaning and crying out under them yea and many times thinking to throw them off overthrow themselves And whence the Source of All This but that they have laid by as uselesse the Reason of Men and cast off or forgotten the Religion of Christians For as their Reason may be sufficiently informed by the Many Experiments in This World of the Instability and Violence of the same which may render Notions enough to convince the Understanding Religion likewise might in the Soundness of it's Principles and by the strength of it's Superstructures so evidence by Faith the Certainty of Hope and Assurance of Future Enjoyment of Celestiall Things that Our Souls being as it were transanimated by Divine Contemplation should not onely despise the Calamities of This World as Trifles But rather rejoyce in the Blessing to suffer Crosses and Afflictions Here especially to be accounted worthy thereof in A Good Cause These being Nothing in their Greatest Bulk and Number compared with the Unspeakable Rejoycings of Hereafter It is want of Faith that makes us fall Below our Reasons and to subject Our selves to a Lower Kind of sense than Bruites So Geat is the Punishment of God for Our Aversion and Turning Our backs upon Him that instead of Being near the Degree of the Angells As He created us He leaves Us infatuated to fall into a grosser sense than Beasts How else can it possibly come to pass that Any Distresse should so overpower Us to destroy Our own Lives As if we had proclaim'd war against Our selues which even Nature by Instinct and it 's own secret Impulse doth dictate to preserve Cor est primum Vivens et ultimum moriens The Heart is readiest to welcome Life at First and most loath to part with it at Last by the Adhaesion of Nature which is a Lecture of Self-preservation unto All. How much more are we to listen to and obey The Divine Law putting so strict an Obligation upon Us when It commands Thou shalt not Kill This considered I cannot but stand Amazed at the Steam of so much Humane Bloud running in streams and the open Veins dayly bleeding of so many Christians
before they are aware 9. The Doleful Dale Denotes the Depth of Mourning Land Flouds Are violent extream inordinate Sorrows which tosse and tumble us with Anxietie and hurries Reason impetuously away with fruitlesse Complainings Shallowes Are moderate Griefs Deep Excesse of Passion which too often casts away Life throwing it into the Dead Sea of Destruction 10 Detractions Hounds So called as well for their spending so much at the Mouth Hunting as pursuing the Chace and seizing behinde the innocent Game Envie Endures not anothers Welfare and dwells next Ambition Still watching those that are before her and malicing those that are Above her 11. Thou must passe by the Uncertainties and Vanities of the World lest thou be vexed as Sysiphus with continual and fruitlesse Labour about what is not worth thy pains Of no better Value are the Trinkets of the Worlds Pleasures and the Magazine of Earthly Riches 12 When thou turn'st thy Back upon the World by despising it the Sun-shine of Gods Grace and his Blessing breaks out upon thee thou art enlightned and comest to Knowledge of thy Self And as a green Plain is free and pleasant to the Discovery of the Sight Thou hast instead of former Vexation and the Darknesse of thine Ignorance thy Minde thy Conscience quieted and thine Understanding of Knowledge and present Comforts opened by the Apprehension of the Benefits of such Afflictions which are but for a time and the Happinesse hereafter which is to last for ever MORAL III. HE that passeth through the Wildernesse of this World must walk with Circumspection and Prudence that he neither loseth his Way nor his Time and must rather make Observation of all Accidents then be in Passion at any He must Arm himself with prevention of Occasions of Evil And having the Consideration of the world 's proper Nature must shield himself with the expectation of Suffering for nothing more surprises than our mistake of things for what they are not and our trust and confidence in those things that cannot relieve us or will not help us Or our stupidity with which we voluntarily lay down even in the open mouth of common Perils Nor must he let himself loose to his passions which rather torture the mind with their violence than afford any advantage with their clamour or heal any misaduenture with their corrosive Despise the world and thou art a good Day 's Journey onward to Happinesse Observe S. Augustine in this matter In fornace ardet palea purgatur Aurum Illa in cinerem vertitur et illud Sordibus exuritur Fornax mundus Aurum Iusti Ignis tribulatio Artifex Deus Quod vult ergo Artifex facio Ubi ponit me Artifex tolero Iubeor ego tolerare novit ille purgare Ardeat licet palea ad incendendum me et ad consumendum me illa quasi in cinerem vertitur ut ego sordibus caream The Gold is purged while the Straw burns in the fire This turns to Ashes when that is refined from it's foulnesse The furnace is the world the Just are the Gold Tribulation the Fire And God the Great Operator I submit my self therefore by Obedience to whatsoever He pleases to command I set down contented in what condition soever the Almighty Disposer placeth me He commands me to suffer because he knowes best whom to try and how to order What though the Straw doth burn to fire me to consume me Mark the End The Difference That is therefore turned into Ashes that I may appear the more refined S. Gregory speaks herein with Fulnesse and Clearnesse Plerumque postquam in hoc Mundo non possumus obtinere quod volumus postquam in terrenis Desideriis de impossibilitate lassâ—mur tunc mentem ad Deum reducimus tum placère incipit quod displicebat Et quae nobis amata fuerant praecepta repentè dulcescunt in Memoria Peccatrix anima quae adulteria conata esse non potuit discernit fideliter esse Conjux Qui ergò hujus Mundi adversitatibus fracti ad Dei amorem redeunt atque à praesentis vitae Desideriis corriguntur Quid isti Fratres charissimi nisi ut intrent compelluntur For the most part it happens that when we cannot obtain what in this World we so greedily would so earnestly thirst for and so violently hunt after After we are tired with the Vanity of our Wishes and the Impossibility of our earthly too low Desires then turn we home to our selves then bend we our Mindes to the best Repose to the proper Center of our Hearts to God Then comes a holy longing into our Souls and those Things begin to displease us which before we so much desired Yea those Commandments of his that seem'd so bitter to our Pallats and so irksome to our Natures in an instant become amiable to our Dispositions and sweet to our Remembrances Then that wandring Sinner The Soul who might not be brought home as a Harlot findes her self faithfully rendred into the happy Condition of a Spouse Whoso therefore that are broken by the Adversities of this World do return to the Love of God are corrected and as it were whipped by Afflictions from the Desires of this present Life what are they Dearest Brethren but compelled and in a Manner forced into Happinesse Hear the same Father most excellently in another Place Quisquis adversitate tribulatione frangitur à quo fractus est minime contemplatur Nam qui quod non erat facit factum sine gubernatione non deserit Et qui benignè hominem condidit nequaquam injustè cruciari permittit nec sinit neglectè perire quod est qui hoc etiam quod non fuit creavit ut esset Many a Man is bruised with Adversity and broken with Tribulation But few consider aright few look up to Heaven upon the Hand from whence the Stroak comes For He that made what was not deserteth not nor exileth what he hath so made from his Governance and Protection And He that out of the Bounty of his Grace made Man permitteth him not to be unjustly afflicted at all Nor doth suffer through Negligence to perish what Is who created even this World that was Not that it should Be. PROSPECT III. THat Chaos which was faign'd of Old By Men is acted as 't was told An indigested Matter There Does in Mens Mindes alive appear Dark Death is interwov'n with Life With killing Love embracing strife With worldly Joy as dismal Ruth A Lye must lay with Bed-bound Truth For Watrie Lust Terrene Desire And Ayerie Hope sleep with Zeal's Fire Sin with Religion seems to lye I' th' Silence of Adulterie A Chaos All. Till th' only Light Does show the Day divides the Night So Men distinguisht are by Ills These Grace renewes Those Nature fills So Nature in her falling Dresse Showes Eden's Garden Wildernesse From whence the World has tane the Fashion To form a Christians Tribulation CONSOLATORY ESSAY III. TRibulations surprise the Improvident as Armed Men starting out of an
into Iesus Christ Baptized be Into His Death have been Baptiz'd We then With Him by Baptism in t ' His Death for Men Are buri'd that as Christ was rais'd from Dead By th' Glory of the Father We so led Should Walk in Newnesse of our Life and be As He that is so dead from Sin is free SECT XXIX Invitation to the Direction BUt O distressed Souls leave These Come near And I will point where Heaven do's bright appear As Those that sink down Fathoms in a Well At dining time to one another tell Seest not though Noon it is yet dark here far From this our Depth we may behold a Star SECT XXX The Direction FIrst prostrate fall Then humbly upward rise On bended Knees And mount thy dewed Eyes Strike Srike thy Breast Till th' hast new fi'rd thy Heart With Holy Zeal And earnest strain each Part With Penitence Get Faith to sharpen sight Now stedfast look through Heaven Behold the Light Behold the Lamb of God in Glory sit At 's Fathers Right Hand See Him from thy Pit Behold Him There thy Mediator See! What is' t can now so much discomfort thee But if thy too weak Eye can't long thus look Behold His Picture in the Holy Book There read him clos'd within the Virgins Womb That He to Fold might fetch the stray'd Sheep home Observe Him combating the Devil Twice By Active Passive doubled Victories In Desart foil'd him spoil'd him On the Crosse For Human gain and wu't Thou make it Losse Observe his Miracles And thou shalt finde He cur'd the Deaf the Dumb the Lame the Blinde Read on And 'twixt times pray as thou do'st read And praise too That He Life gave to the Dead But lest these Things thou may'st not understand Receive a Pescue from a Holy Hand Choose such as did in Persecution stand For who in Tryal left the Truth can He Be well conceiv'd to be a Guide for Thee SECT XXXI An Orthodox Divine the Best Instructer HE will unlock the Treasures of Salvation From Genesis unto the Revelation He 'l shew Thee the Original of All What is Pure Truth and what 's Apocryphal H 'as no new Lights to Lead Thee up and down Nor fancies Revelations in his Crown He 'l preach to Thee for Gods sake Not for Ends Nor takes he Pains that marres His labour mends He point blank damns none But instructeth All To shun the Way wherein the Desp'rate fall He lops presumptuous Growths Lest bearing Top Too much from High they down do Headlong drop O how lies Man if out o' th' Line of Grace Too ope to th' Enemie in every place He dares not take Religion for A Cloak Nor cry up Dunghil-Steam for Altar-Smoak He dares not meddle with the Holy Things Without Commission whence he Warrant brings Nor will he turn Apostate for Mens Hands No Might he have a Dean and Chapters Lands He knowes well How th' Apostleship was given And how 't was left as 't was receiv'd from Heaven T'Apostles and to th' Angel of each Church Whose Office was to feed Not Kill Not Lurch He knowes It was deriv'd by single Streams And is not drown'd in Consistorian Dreams He I teach thee Mercie as his Master meek He tells thee Christians no Revenge must seek Revenge on others then 's A dangerous Shelf ' Void Shipwrack Lay not Hands upon thy Self Ah haplesse Time Wolves Sheep-Skins o're them draw But thou may'st know Them by the Tearing Paw SECT XXXII Preservation by Assumption and Religious Reason ME thinks I hear him say what now I write God First did out of Darknesse bring the Light And wu't do Contrarie to what he then Reduce that Light to Darknesse back agen God in 's own Image did Man first create Wu't that destroy Turn Self-Assassinate How in Gods Image at Gods Image strike Thus Self-divided 'gainst Thy Self turn Pike God blest Both Bade Both Increase and Multiply And with a Curse wu't Thou turn Natures Key He gave Them Freedom on All Fruits to carve And must thy Spight amidst that Plenty starve He Thee Dominion o're the Creatures gave And wu't Thou to the Serpent turn a Slave The Tree of Life and That which made too wise He placed in the midst of Paradise What Nought but Root and Branch Wu't stab the First And taste thine own Death in the other curst Eve had Excuse The Serpent did deceive But Thou deceiv'st Thy Self Who shall Relieve Must Man for Flesh and Bone of Bone Dear Parents leave And joyn to her as One And She was but a Rib ta'ne from his Side Which Way then canst Thou Self from Self divide What Law pretend'st to justifie That Force That both commits A Rape and makes Divorce For Sin God drove Them out They loath dismisse Thou Fly'st Thy Self Yea Barricad'st from Blisse Eves Eldest Son that first did Murther Act Gave Blood a Voice that cry'd against his Fact And though but banisht seem'd to die with Fear So sweet was Life They'd kill Him every where And wu't Thou midst the Safety that Thou hast Thy Self undo And into Horrour cast And was his Sentence more than he cu'd bear What must Self-Murder thinkst Thou needs then fear Sin links to Sin A Lye made Murder worse Was Mercie short that his Despair must curse Eve might forget her Grief for Abels Death And have some Joy restor'd her in a Seth. But Thou damm'st up the Hopes of Life to flow Thou cutt'st thine own Root What can ever grow Nor can this Crime admit of Reparation Repentance thus prevented is Damnation Noah's Ark thou sink'st Thou blott'st out Abrahams Creed All Families shall be blessed in his Seed And Thou deny'st That Promise by Thy Deed. For truly did'st beleive That Christ were come To cure The Leprous Palsi'd from the Tombe To raise the Dead Thou couldst not Wretch then have A desp'rate Thought Since His will All wou'd Save Or did'st conceive The Love of God to Man How Infinite It was above Our Span To send His Onely Son Of Such Esteeme From Heaven to Earth that He might Man redeeme To suffer Scorns sharp Scourges Crosse and Death And even His Father's wrath to give us Breath To bid Us lay Our Burthens on his Back And In His Name to beg whats'ere we lack To tell He came to Save and Not Condemne How melted He o're Deaf Hierusalem Dust-blind Hierusalem with Prophets Bones Shee must dismantled be for murd'rous Stones How often did He call the People clock As Hen her Chickens But they stirr'd like Rock T' was not bad Memory that Him forgot But perverse Wilfullness For they would not They would not Turn nor Know what did belong To their Day 's Peace nor heare the Charmer's Song How he embalm'd Prediction of their Fall Chief Only Mourner for Their Funrall He He bequeathed All Salvation's Good And Sign'd The Testament with 's Pretious Bloud And left Two Blessed Sacraments as Seales By which to Us A Proper Right He deales O wonderfull the
Ambuscado They are overcome before they think on 't The Foolish scorn and The Desperate throw away their Arms. So will not an experienc't Souldier hazard He will not move before his Scouts come in He will not go unprovided He is acquainted with Dangers He Knows their Subtleties as well as their Malice Thé wise Travailer will not cast off his Cloak for Every Sunshine He expecteth foul weather A calm Sea cozens not the Seaman's Eye He stands prepared for though unseen yet not unlookt for Storms Expect Tribulation Life and Death appear to Men masked and have false Faces So goes the Story Life which is so ill-favoured hath the Fair hath the Beautiful Mask which makes her of Most to be so Beloved Sometimes Passion pulls it off and Then men are frighted with the Uglinesse of her Look Death which is Fair hath the gastly Vizard which makes her by Most to be so Feared and hated But when That Mask doth slip her Beauty appearing She is much Affected Sweetly Welcomed and Joyfully Entertained Life indeed has many Spots and Warts in her Face and no few wrinckles in her Forehead Her Eyes look much asquint And her Cheeks are all furrowed She is Fair in Prosperitie's Eye only In Prosperitie's whose Brain is intoxicated She seems to have a sharp Tongue to speak too much to talk too long to Those that are in Misery But Her Counsel is wholsomest when it is in the tritest and plainest Language And wise men do well understand it She has ever Sweat on her Brow brawny Hands and often a Thorn in her Foot A Coach gives her the Gout And a Feast puts her into a Feaver She is healthfullest at Lowest Pension Nature is content with a Little Desire is Satisfied with Nothing Affliction seems to rob or take from Death what 's her Due Paying some of her Hours to Death for A Quit-Rent And stands Out to maintain Death's Title Mille modis morimur is One of Her Cases And She has Books enough for 't And wants not many an Experienc't Lawyer to become her Pleader Though Affliction sues In forma Pauperis Death seemeth therefore to be Her Friend But yet is somewhat Lordly For Death will hardly be intreated to visit Affliction though much invited This is to shew the troublesome Condition of Man whose whole Life is a Procession week from Crosse to Crosse. Initium vitae caecitas et oblivio possidet progressum Labor dolor exitum error omnia Childehood is a foolish Simplicitie Youth a rash Heat Manhood a carking Carefulnesse Old Age a noysome Languishing And his History is a Tragi-comedy of Errours Man is Instabilis tellus a floating Island tossed up and down with many Tribulations Affliction hems him in on every Side Whosoere thou art therefore that art Distressed in mind for any outward Losse or Crosse Or hast an Inward Convulsion for some Sin that seeks to overpower thee and throw thee down as from a Precipice Read This short well-intended Tract of a weak â—nditer and under God's Blessing thou maist profit as well peradventure as by a Greater Lesson from a Learned Hand Read This as An Epitaph upon the Living who are dayly buried in a world of Sorrows But dig not thine Own Grave with Anxietie Nor do a Certain Mischief to avoid a Seeming Inconvenience Heap not Affliction upon Affliction lest the Burthen become too heavie Tye not more knots upon the Scourge Quid misero miserius non miserante Seipso who shall have pitty upon Thee if Thou beest Cruel to Thy Self It is not thy Case Alone For Every Man has his Pressure as well as Thou And Some far Greater What art Thou that hast not deserv'd a Punishment Hast chang'd Thy Voice to Groans Be Patient Thine owne Unquietnesse rather than The Weight thou carri'st wrings thy Shoulders Examine the True Nature of what it is afflicts thee Thou maist think That a Monster which is but a Shadow Is it a Devil Or a Bugbear Bring it to the Test of thine Understanding Use All good means to quiet and still The Hubub in thy Bosom If thou canst carry Thy Burthen no further Go to thy Friend thy Priest thy Pastor thy Physitian Open it to Him He will carry Part of it for Thee Or direct thee that thou maist find Ease But by All means avoid All Occasions of aggravating Thy Misery For Thy Present Grief will goe out of It Self if Thou add'st not Fuell to it If thou wilt needs see thy Afflictions in a Glasse let it not be a Multiplying or a Magnifying Glasse that may represent Them More or More Horrid Give as little Freedom to Thy Passions as thou can'st For Those Wild Horses will run Suddenly away with The Whole Man If Thy Friend give Counsel listen to it It is as precious as Balsam Comfort to One despairing is as Cordials to The Dying Refuse it not Nor The Means to have it A wise word in Time may Save Thy Goods Thy Body Yea thy Soul from Eternal Losse The Sick have need of the Physitian Be not Obstinate against kind persuasion For That is as if thou didst sow up thy Mouth when thou hast an empty stomack Repentance and that oft too late too payes home the Denyal of good Offers In any Case have a Care that thou rely'st not too much upon Thine Own Judgment Have a Care of Solitude if thy Thoughts be not good enough to keep thee Company Keep not That Secret that will like Joab stab thee with An Embrace in the Dark Why should'st Thou be the Devil 's Second against Thy Self CANTO IV. The Fruitful Vale of Tears 1. PAce on awhile unto yon Little Hill Whose shadie Top sends forth two Springs That curle about His Cheeks like Rings And down into that Fruitful Vale of Tears distill 2. Where groaning Turtles moan their Love-lost Mates By Fowlers Hands to Death betray'd And many sad Wightes side-long laid Whose Groans Sighs do seem to sympathize their Fates 3. Take Rest And cast about thy wat'rie Eyes Upon the Sweetnesse of the Plain That oft is washt with dropping Rain Which causeth Flowers to grow as from dead Roots to rise 4. There stand Some telling many'a Heavie Tale While Others bid them gather Flowers To dresse their Bosoms up like Bowers Some Hearts-ease Violets Some chuse Lilies of the Vale. 5. On Cammomil Some lay their rest lesse Heads Some under Walnut-Trees couch Low Which being beaten best do grow Adonis Plant thrives most when some upon It treads 6. Some stoop and gather Hearbs to cure their Wounds Some cool their Heat with Lemons sharp Some charm their Sadnesse with the Harp And Some with sweating Brows are digging up the Grounds 7. For where before Arm'd Thorn so stiff did grow A Bush of Rosemarie doth rise To which a Woodbine Tendrils tyes And with its Cups of Flowers doth make a lovely Show 8. Where divers rending Briars did run and spread A pleasant Vine with ripening Grapes As if from Earth they made Escapes
stand To patience Dwelling now from hence we must disband PERSPECTIVE VIII A Camp is an Artificiall place of strength a Fortification for an Enemy against an Army anciently used by great Commanders and Generals to secure their Souldiers and the Train belonging to them It is not Ager a field for the Plough-share but Campus a field of War from whence this Word is derived And a Camp is not a place of Defence but of Offence from whence Forces may annoy an Enemy So sometimes it is used by Militarie Power to sit down before a Fort Castle Town or City to begirt besiege distress and take such places by Assault Surprise or Stratagem Resolution is the fixing of Courage and the vigor of Fortitude Here more especially it is the Spirit and Intentive strength of Faith a Christian earnestness of Mind set to perform Gods Commands with a valiant Courage maugre all resistance peril or Temptation as also to suffer therefore and undergo upon all occasions with an undanted mind what Peril soever Cross Calamity or what Evill can betide as also a determinate purpose to master and overcome the Passions the treacherous Rebels of the Mind Fortitudo est Virtus pugnans proaequitate saies Cicero Thus Resolution is an Excellent Commander to Order the unruly Affections to keep them to Duty Such a Caesar S. Gregory means in 8. Book of Morals saying Fortitudo justorum est carnem vincere propriis voluntatibus contraire delectationeÌ„m vitae praesentis extinguere hujus mundi aspera pro aeternis praemiis amare prosperitatis blandimenta contemnere adversitatis malum in corde superare The Gallantry of a Christians Resolution is to Conquer the Flesh to withstand Inbred Appetite to oppose natural desires to combate and overthrow our own Inclinations to delight in hardship for Heavens sake and to make nothing of the Thorns and Rubs of this World for the Reward of hereafter to contemn the blandishments and smoothings of Prosperity and with a noble heart to tread upon and scorn the fear of Adversity Hence is the Canto stil'd The Camp of Resolution 1. Reviving Soul Is as one that hath swounded is fetcht again with Hot Waters or as a condemned person that has newly obtain'd his Pardon So the Soul is raised from death to life from sin to grace by Regeneration of Faith by being New-born in Christ whereby it rejoyceth in the Comforts of the Spirit March on We proceed in a Christian course with cheerfulness The day is clear To the visibility of Faith there is a shining forth of the Truth Christ is made manifest unto us To Resolutions Camp now drawst thou near Thou approachest and obtainest strength and abilitie to Performance to do or endure thou hast gotten well onward to the Power of Resistance of Temptations Some skulking Enemies behold Consider thy Corrupt Inclinations and the subtilty of Temptations observe the rising of thy Passions But other some picqueiring bold Picqueiring is by small numbers of Horse which are termed Parties go forth from their Camp Garrison or Quarters either to seek booty or to surprize careless Enemies or to fetch in Scouts of the Enemie for Intelligence or to discover the manner of the Enemies Posture or to beat up Quarters and to give Alarum Sometimes to dare the Enemy and to seek to draw him out and engaging him by offering to fetch in somewhat that is in his eye which in Honour he must not part with therefore are such Adventurers said to be bold At Circumspection's Scouts do disappear Temptations and Affronts of the World are not forward to appear when watchfulness is in the Thoughts and wariness attends the Senses and Actions that nothing be done inconsulte without consideration That the ends of Intentions and Purposes be look't upon through Desires prompting to them which are their beginnings Temptations vanish when they are thus taken notice of Thick Woods Ignorance bewildes and fascinates with their gloominess and Briars The Shadiness denote the stupidity of Ignorance the thickness with Thorns and Rubbage shows the many michiefs and disadvantages which accompany the same Here is a discovery how Passions lurking in us watch their opportunities to carry us out of our selves Ignorance is the strength wherein Passions nestle and inhabit Loose Boggs Are the deceitfulness and pollution of sin and temptations that prevail when they dwell in an Enthralled Mind they hold it fast and cleave to it that it is hard to get out of their hands these swallow in mire those that lay fast in them and throw dirt at those that part from them Temptations keep a correspondence with corrupt Affections Whence quick Excursions they make out Come suddenly upon us to surprize us Excursion is a sudden and speedy Marching out of Horse upon Command into the Enemies Countrey to surprise and disadvantage them and to fetch in Pillage Forrage and Provisions And oft their multitude Sins Temptations are very numerous and give very frequent onsets Is manly fought With Christian Courage to Resist and beat back Principas obstâ—re to foil them in their first advance or at least to overthrow them in their Charge Oft foil'd discover'd by the quick-ey'd Master Scout By Circumspection and diligent Watchfulness Watch lest ye enter into Temptation Our Saviours advice 2. From Vices strengths The World the Flesh and the Divel corrupt Affections giving way and the Passions Assisting Are frequent Inrodes made Invasions as an Enemy advancing into a Countrey into contrary Quarters with Regiment Brigade or some more considerable Army Stern injury Wrong has a sullen look and a Churlish hand sparing none And Impudence invade So bold is sin and so little out-countenance Temptation High Resolutions well-kept Field Temptations think to give an unlookt for On-set and to Daunt or Abate Christian Courage But that is too high for their Attempts too great to be disadvantaged because it is received from above and the Camp is too strong the mind is better composed and fortified the Affections are in better order than to have such weakness as to be liable to much disadvantage The Field well kept is by assisting Grace But his stout men do scorn to yield The Christians affections are better bent they account it a dishonour to their Calling and Profession to give ground or to cry Quarter They serve the power of the onely strength their's is an honourable service they scorn to yeild to Outlaws Runnagates and the weaker force of a base Enemy Temerity does flying lose his Blade Rashness loseth both Honour and Power Suddain Temptations against Pious Resolution soon lose their weapons Self opinion A discovery of the baseness of Pride and the Folly of Self-opinion like the mad man in Athens that thought all the Ships were his own that came into the Harbour It would own others worth having none it self here also it shews how subject that sin is to lying Superbia Cupiditas in tantum est unum ut nec sapientia sine cupiditate nec sine superbia
this groaning the crying out and roaring of thine afflictions Be patient thou art a Christian. Chear up Thou hast heaven before thee Thy journey is not long Blessed are they which mourn for they shall be comforted Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake So preached Christ in the Mount Rejoyce and be exceeding glad For great is your reward in Heaven For so persecuted they the Prophets that were before you In patience therefore possesse your souls saith this Apostle S. Paul Be patient Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivers them out of all CANTO X. The Ruins of Mortification 1. BEtween two Hills as those of Faith and Hope Thou goest into a gloomy Glade Where Groves of Yew do cast their shade Thou findest there a Pallace that had scope Balconies Rooms of pleasure large and long With Arras and with Pictures hung With Aviarie's sweets where wanton voices sung 2. All now dropt down within on Ruin's Tomb Lay buri'd in a rubbish Graff As Corn within a heap of Chaff The Persons and the lustie of each Room Where numbers dwelt before now 's desolate And whispers tell the walls their state The ruin'd place of flesh is sad Necrosis Gate 3. The Gate-house onely stands The other Walls Do seem to shoulder friendless Ayre There melancholy Bats repair Each screetching Owl to one another calls Aside this Gate-house down some steps do turn Into a Vault where 's many an Um Which she with Ashes fills of Flesh that late did burn 4. About this hollow room lye gasping sins That usually before they dye Do give a groan or make a cry Which nought from her of soft compassion wins She upward looketh with a pleased eye That dead their wickedness there lye While on a Tomb with Arm across she sitteth by 5. Her Right hand underneath her breast is plac't Her Left upon a Yoke doth lean Her right foot Fear-wash't very clean Upon an Earthly Globe treads that 's defac't Her bare Left 's set upon the gelid Ground That sheweth here and there a Wound Whose bleeding drops preserve her body ever sound 6. Upon her shoulders she doth bear a Cross Which makes her bend a little down Shee 's very lovely but shee 's brown And listens not to oft-brought News of losse From off a stone a Lamp doth glimmer light As day were mixt with some of night And near the Wall Sculs Letters form words Life does write 7. Such even composure of each mortal Head Seems lively Truth in death to speak Whose Language doth not silence break Your life is hid with Christ in God Y' are dead When Christ that dy'd to make us living here Who is Our Life brings glory near In Glory then shall also ye with him appear 8. Without the Gate an aged Porter stands Most gravely casting up his eye Neglecting who so passeth by On Crosier leaning both his clasped hands And to the curious does deny his Name He has a reason for the same He he expecteth Glory for his scorned fame 9. Behold pursu'd by many furious Hounds From ore the hills a deadly Chase In that spoyl'd Grove's his heavy Case The Stagge doth fall and weepeth to his wounds While th'Huntsmen winde the death of this their prize A live Hart from dead Stagge doth rise Starts up they all pursue for Prey Past reach he flies 10. A wanton woman see in this fair Grove Drest all with fashions and with toys Discarding powdred Singing-boys Does change her Vest as she does change her Love She bids them all Be gone And leave her there That shade admits no fierce heat near They gone On firie breast oft drops a cooling tear 11. But see a Hagge that 's filthy and obscene Descends into a purging Spring How 'bout her water she does fling Throw by her putrid clothes And make her clean Sweet Youth and Beauty then to her return Her scorn does former Garments spurn She hideth 'mong the trees Desires to Death doth mourn 12. There lyes by wrath fell Anger 's Garment torn From whom wild Fury rends his cloaths Away throws Blasphemy his Oaths Her wrought long Gown layes Malice by forlorn Concupiscence does naked run and cry All follow her to th' Vault that 's nigh And falling there before Necrosis howl and dye PERSPECTIVE X. THe Sense and meaning of the Title of this Canto is Obvious enough to learned Understandings But Feminine mindes are of a weaker Apprehension for whom since there hath been already so much pains taken as to translate all the Latine Sentences and Verses related out of several Authors upon necessary occasion by the writer hereof He thinketh it very convenient to set down his intention likewise herein Ruins are the Monuments of a former building the carkass of some goodly body the Yesterday of strength and beauty The Reliques and deformity of Rage and sad spectacle of sins disorder Ruins nest is made by War in ashes Ruins Bed is made by peace in Dust. Wrath throws down and demolishes Age brings to decay and discomposes what former Art with many a laborious hand had made for use and fashion'd comely Ruins are the fall of a late standing building Mortification is a making dead a Consumption of life Ruin is a destruction to a building Mortification the Ruine to a Body But this is not the sense of Mortification here Here it is derived à morte from death too but applyed to a greater purpose Totam hominis miseriam Deus complectitur mortis vocabulo The breach of one word of Command introduc't it Disobedience against one Not undid was the Ruine of All. For so we find it in the 17. of the Second of Genesis But of the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil thou shalt not eat of it For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death To know Mortification the better let us enquire into the divers sorts or degrees of death and those are four The first is Mors spiritualis a Spiritual death which is the privation of the Spiritual life whereby the whole man is Ruin'd and destroy'd Vivit tantùm peccato He lives to sinne onely And that kinde of Life is the worst of Death Then there is Mors affectionum a death of Affections Quae est privatio primaevae foelicitatis The privation of former Happinesse And that is immissio omnis generis calamitatum The sad inlet of that raging Tide of all sorts of Calamities and all kindes of evil The third is Mors spiritualis vel corporalis a death of the soul and body mistake me not I pray this we call a Natural death which is a privation of this Animal life The last is Mors Aeterna Everlasting death which in holy Scriptures is called a Second death Mortification here claims the nearest kindred to the
all within that String Life is of higher Price then any Thing There 's Hope to cure all These There 's None in Death For There thou stranglest Hope in stifling Breath Because th' hast injur'd Others must Thou still Increase thy doing Wrong to lessen Ill Bethink thee then And make not more thy Curse Since Ill to Ill is Step from Step to Worse For there 's no Price that can this Reck'ning pay Turn back Repent Thy Score may waste away SECT IX The unfortunate Merchant SEek not that poison Merchant for thy Taste Must thou be lost 'cause Ships away are cast Canst fear a Prison whence there may be Bail And flee'st from that into a Hopelesse Goal Wu'd any Mad Man seek the Sergeant's Hand On Such an action too as ere shall stand Losses may be regain'd but this can never This is a Losse but Once but Losse for ever SECT X. The Bloody Murtherer BUt whom behold I There with Hands so red And Face so pale as if he were half dead Lay down that Dagger Mercies endlesse Store Cain's Fact exceeds or Iudas Sale or More SECT XI The curious Zealot AH What say'st Thou that break'st asunder Text And seekst out Scruples that thou may'st be vext And look'st for such Decrees of God as Fate Poring to know whom He 'd predestinate Those Characters are legible to 'th Wise I' th' Book of God as saving Mysteries Do well and be accepted Can'st not see Thou wantest Faith Thou want'st Humilitie No Wonder Then Though Desperation make Thee ready Fuel for the Brimstone Lake SECT XII The tender Conscienc't Despairer WHat ayl'st poor Tender Conscience late misled Why That was â—tone He gave Thee 'T was not Bread Said He Too vile to live to spend Gods store Thou do'st but heap up Sin with spending more Thou tread'st on groaning Earth and robb'st the Good By wrongful eating up the Godly's Food Hast Thou lesse Right unto the Creature than For whom All was at first created Man Or has the Serpent chang'd his former Cheat To ' a Contrarie as false Thou must not Eat He meant not Thee God made Thee Living Heir O' th' Earth unnaturalize not by Despair Canst be a Burthen to the silent Earth And wert not to thy Mother 'fore thy Birth Deluding Satan see thy Soul wu'd Presse He takes advantage of thy heavie Dresse And leads to Mischief by the Wildernesse He 's now turn'd Saint to turn Thee from thy Joy To'a dark Labyrinth the better to destroy Shines not the Sun on All The Bad The Good Bears not Earth equally for all her Food 'Twixt Good and Bad what difference makes the Main Or what Distinction Windes or falling Rain No Eurthen thou unto the Earth canst be Unload thy Sin The Burthen is on Thee SECT XIII A horrid yet true Story of one that hang'd himself upon his Knees with a Bible on a Stool open before him and a Paper to signifie that he had repented VVHat Storie have I heard What rueful Tale What monstrous Match of Piety and Bale E'en to Beliefs Abortion That a Crime So big shou'd bear Religion out of Time Can any Christian make his Will of 's Minde Before so black a Deed to leave Behinde To shew his Act spawn'd not from Discontent But that he was Prepared did Repent And that of Death he need not be afraid The Sacred Book was ope and 'fore him laid Mad Zeal to Blindnesse he makes double Pairs In Kneeling Posture Hanging joyns to Prayers What greater Sin cu'd Satan ere devise Than put Devotion into Bloudshot Eyes Are Cursed Fruits produc't by Blessed Trees How comes else Blasphemie upon its Knees Where Gods Church is must there Hells Chappel be Religion Witchcraft and Idolatrie What Jugling Cozenage This To gild Damnation 'T is a strange Tenet sure What Damn'd Salvation I did repent saidst thou Thou didst resolve The greatest Sin to act that could involve For cou'dst have clear'd by Sorrow thy past Score Thou in This One hast done them Millions o're The Pardon of all Those This does prevent To much One Such Who shall for This repent Nay Who is' t can Such Actors past their Scenes When off the Stage have lost their Time and Means For as the Tree does fall so must it lie Until the mighty Judge does come to try Then as our Deeds have been or Good or Ill He will our Measures with our own Corn fill Blest They shall reign that did obey's Commands Hells Zelot Who requir'd This at thy Hands Religion if ye make a Pedlars Trusse From such Gear in 't Good Lord deliver us SECT XIV One that will not plead to save his Goods IS That a Christian standeth at the Bar That will not be to 's Wife or Childe a Scar Why didst ought then unjust Offences be The greatest stains unto a Familie Speak Mute Pull off thy vain Pretences Hoods Wu't cast thy Self away to save they Goods For ought thou Know'st the Jewries tender Heart Or Judges Wisdom way may finde to start Wu't Thou upon thy Life commit a Rape And block the Door by which thou might'st escape SECT XV. A Desperate Malefactor COndemned Malefactor why such strife Within thy strugling Breast to shorten Life Thou hast not many dayes Make use of Those Wu't thou turn Hangman to preserve thy Clothes Yea rather then the People see thy Day Thou wilt prevent and make thy self away There may be yet Reprieve At worst thy Death Repenting paid will give thee Heavenly Breath SECT XVI A Wench with Childe ANd Why that Physick Wench Hast loos'd thy Shooe Wu't to Adulterie adde Close Murder too What though th' ast broke thy Leg thy Credit 's lame By breaking Neck do'st think to cure the same More salvage then a Tygresse brutish wilde Hast neither Mercie on thy Self nor Childe By Covering Sin and seeking Shame to hide How many might have liv'd that fouly dy'd Blinde Wounds than open ones more long endure And oft prove Mortal that might else have Cure SECT XVII A Despairing Client WElcome from Westminster If I may say What wu't not answer Hast not gain'd the Day The Tryal went against thee by thy Look How comes this Pen-Knife in thy Sleeve I took Thou dost not mean for Losse of Land or Pelf To draw and enter Judgement gainst thy Self Let too hot Passion take some cooling Ayre And raise a Title unto Heaven by Prayer Wu't spoil a good Cause by thy loud Despair Come all the Rest of much Distorted mindes Come Bring your Griefs like Loads of several kindes And let me shew you where 's your Rest your Balm The last to be your Cure the first you Calm SECT XVIII Instruction from the frame of Nature SPell first in Nature's Book Gods bigger Print And read his Glory in his Creatures in 't As first he gave joynt-Being unto All. One does another to his Dutie call The Sun provokes the Plants to flow'r and seed Heats living Creatures in their Kindes to breed He gilds the Day and
when Grace lives in the Inward Man Grace intertains those that come unto her refreshes dejected Spirits gives Guifts enriches the poor in Spirit and bestowes a Blessing the Blessing of the Gospell But no staying here the Soul must on from Glasse to Rock from sight of Sin by Affliction to Repentance The Passe Up and Down Is Prosperyty and adversity Height of Mind and Humbled Condition The Mourners Are Sorrowes of Heart which lay in dejection for Deeds done amisse These are instrumentall or Ministerial Servants to Repentance Who is call'd a Widow As forsaken and left by Sin her dead and Unlawfull Mate or forsaking the World to whom her Soul was wedded She is said Young Because it renewes the Soul Young So Repentance best when early 8. When half-way down the Rock Signifies humbled by afflictions The sighing wind is heard Sorrowfull expressions From hollow Vault From the Inward Man to which Sorrowes seem to be behinde to come short of the Repentance of the Acknowledgement they seek to manifest for the former Commission of Deeds misdone Half-way down the Rock Is Penitencie's Grott in the Breast in the Heart in the Conscience of the Sinner who is Saxei generis of a Rocky and stony Nature there is the Place of true Repentance The Grott Is a place of Solitude of Stone of Tears of Uncomfortablenesse of Mortification of Grief The Two Springs of Dolour Are Weeping Eyes whose Tears as they fall seem to run with a Noise of Groans from within 9. The Description of a Natural Grotto setteth forth the Sad Acts of Repentance 10. Repentance prevails and obtains Pardon by Christ from above when the stonie Heart melts and drops the Tears of Grief True Repentance is full of Fits and Passions importunate and persevering Till the Distressed Soul receives the Comfort of Remission from Grace by the Holy Spirit as by an Angell from Heaven 11. The Effects of Repentance are here shadowed The Mourner's well â—s Christ. Nature's Moles Are Originall Sin The Spots Actuall Transgressions The scouring waters are Christ's Sufferings applyed to Repentant Tears by Faith Distilling Healing The Promises being the means of Recovery On the Top of the water Swims the Balm Of the Bloud of Christ which is a certain Cure to Believers and the Assurance of their Hope 12. Sin thus purged by Christ's Bloud washed away in his Wounds and the Soul bathed in Tears appears restored by Grace in his pristine Beauty Sorrow is wip't away And the Cryes of Conscience are silenced Yet Sins rise dayly Sorrowes come in fresh Rank and must be by dayly repentance so done away which give direction likewise for a continuing of our selves and a willing and patient taking Up and bearing of the Crosse through the many Tribulations in this world through which we must passe with Comfort in Hope MORAL II. DIvine Grace calls us from our wandrings amidst greatest Dangers by Recollection and the Remembrance of Evils committed by us whereby having the Sight our selves and seeking by Repentance to the Rock of our Faith we finde Christ to heal us who is the Well of Life and the Fountain of our Salvation Take Hugo's Interpretation to this Purpose Poenitentia appellata quasi Punientia eò quod ipse homo in se poenitendo punit quod male admisit Tria enim quae sunt in percussione Pectoris i. e. Pectus Sonus Manus significant quod Poenitentia est de his quae Mente Voce Opere peccavimus Repentance is not to refuse the word a Pennance upon or punishing of our selves in such a manner that there is a Reluctancie and serious Sorrow in the whole Man that he is provoked by such Resentment to punish in himself what Sin soever he hath foolishly admitted or wickedly committted Now there are three things requisite to a stroak on the Breast the Breast the Sound of the Blow and the Hand all which denote that Repentance is concerning all Offences of Thought Word or Deed. So comes Contrition from within Confession out of our Mouthes and Satisfaction from our Hands to make up a real Repentance Hear Isidore-deliver his Sentence Poenitentia est Medicamentum vulneris Spes salutis per quam Deus ad Misericordiam provocatur quae non temporâ— pensatur sed profunditate Luctus Lachrymarum Poenitentia autem non mensium ac temporum cursu pensatur sed poenâ quâ animâ cruciatur mortificatur caro Repentance is the Balsam for a Wound the Hope of Health whereby God is provoked to Mercie which is not regarded for the length of Time but the Depth of Sorrow and the Seriousnesse of Tears spent in it Therefore it is not the Moneths or Seasons of Mourning that prevail so much with Him as that infliction upon our selves that mortifies the Flesh and that Affliction within our selves that cruciates the Spirit Observe S. Cyprians Minde herein O Poenitentia quid de te novi referam Omnia ligata tu solvis Omnia clausa tu reseras Omnia adversa tu mitigas Omnia contrita tu sanas Omnia confusa tu lucidas Omnia Desperata tu animas O Repentance How shall I finde tearms or Language enough to commend thee Thou dost set free all things that are bound Thou openest all things that are shut and revealest all things that are hid Thou allayest all things that come crosse Thou bindest up and healest all things that are broken Thou lettest in Light to all things out of Order And thou givest New Life and as it were another Soul to All things gasping in Death and Desperate PROSPECT I. WHen sad Eyes see so bad a Time All Ills One Heap make for One Crime And Wicked Nature acts her Part T' extract Sin 's Grosse by Chymick Art And o're the Helm drawes All 's Offence To quicken Wrath with Quintessence Me thinks Men should not still adde more Rather abstract from such a Store Unlesse they think The more they dare That Heaven is ty'd Them more to spare Or that some Subtlety takes place To damn by Universal Grace A Miracle or like't behold The wanton Young The doating Old The Mindlesse Noble And the Show Of Common Men so hard to know Are in a Dungeon All in Chains Each with his Will too so remains And yet the Prison Door stands ope The Chains are loose They might have Scope Who wu'd be so perversly bent That might be free Why not Repent CONSOLATORY ESSAY I. SIn through Negligence or wilfulnesse undiscover'd is a secret Fire in the House the more close the more dangerous Discovery then is the Best Introductive to Cure Self-Examination is in the First Place necessary to this purpose as water to quench what is so Unruly Such Fire is This It will consume All if not taken in time Call then for water to quench it as well as thou cryest Fire And do it soon too There is more than ordinary Hazard in Delay But art thou asham'd to repent The shame lies in the Commission of the Sin
Sacrifice of thy Soul And that thou then discoursest with the Deitie Think of thy Saviour more than thy Sin Doest see Another Law in thy members warring against the Law of thy mind and bringing thee into Captivity to the Law of Sin which is in thy Members And thereupon groanest out Saint Paul's words O wretched Man that I am Who shall deliver me from the body of this Death Seek to make his Application I thank God through Jesus Christ Our Lord by whom we have now received the Atonement Resolve One good Deed of Charitie That will warme thy Heart That may kindle a holy flame in thy Soul Resolve to pray as soon as thou awakest So thou prevent'st Sin from taking Possession With the Psalmist seek him early in the morning Run to thy knees at Noon Day Or when any Temptation assaulteth thee Resolve not to couch thy Head on thy Pillow before thy Peace-Offering And that thou beest to God and Man reconciled Thy Bed may prove thy Grave And there is a Resurrection Resolve against any Notorious Sin whereof thine Own Conscience shall arraign thee Guilty Make A Covenant with thine Eyes thine Eares thy Lips thy Hands thy Feet and thy Thoughts too For these are the Tinder of Iniquity Leave not God till thou hast obtained A Blessing Wrastle for it as Iacob He loves to be sought He delighteth to hear thee call upon Him And is pleased to see a stout Champion what thou see'kst is not worth his Giving if not worth Thy Contending for Strike thy Breast That thy rockie Heart may be mollified That it may have the comfortable Metamorphosis from Stone to Flesh So shalt thou be reconciled to thy displeased Father So Christ will own thee will send the Comforter unto thee And thy Body shall become the Temple of the Holy Ghost Thou shalt grow from grace to grace even to Eternall Glorie Take up thine Arms then With Them the Ingemination that the Lord deliver'd to Ioshua Be strong and of a good courage c. Be strong and very courageous that thou maist obserue to doe according to All the Law c. Turn not from it to the Right hand or to the Left that thou maist prosper whither soever thou goest CANTO IX The Lodge of Patience 1. PAce softly on The Way is deep 'T is foul with Showers The Clouds did weep Wade through that Slough This thawed Clay That mires This tires Best pick thy way Ore some deep Ditches thou must leap On bare foot passe sharp Stones on heap Through furzie Queaches thou must goe That prick and wound from Head to Toe Mark Sun and Thou thy Way shalt know Then com'st thou breathlesse unto Sand An open Countrey and a barren Land 'T is there The Lodge of Patience does on Crutches stand 2. It stands upon a Hillie Plain Where Camels Food with Labour gain On bitter Broom on Wormwood Gall On some sowre Hearbs they diet All Both They and Patience whom you see Beside her Lodge beneath a Tree That Palm with Shade to Her is Kinde She Smiles at Rufflings of the Winde On Stone she sits her Head does binde An Eagle sometimes does descend And layes a panting Dove down by his Friend With such his Labour oft her Commons he does mend 3. Beneath that Place there runs a Spring Whose Waters Sent from Brimstone bring Yet is there wholsome Taste most Sweet Her Wine it is and Bath for Feet To be in Storms She much delights She 's us'd to Goblins Not to Frights Wilde Boars do sometimes passe that Way And Tygres that do seek for Prey At her they try but dare not stay She drawes a Box that 's hid by Her When opening it forth flameth dreadful Fire At which amated they forsake her Then their vain Desire 4. Her stilted crazie seeming Lodge Has here a Patch and there a Bodge Is lin'd with Adamant within To keep fierce Storms from breaking in The torne Thatch Cover o're her Head Beneath is floared all with Lead Two wide Doors are to South and North. So Heat and Cold come and passe forth Their Malice she counts little worth Her Chambers haunted are with Sprites That offer dreadful Visits Dayes and Nights She sings or sleeps secure neglecting Fancies Frights 5. When Eyes unclose sad Sights appear With threatning Dart grim Death seems near Ill Newes of all sorts buzze in Ear And say Th' are Tokens sent from Fear The Sprites do groan and make a Noise Like starving Pris'ners screaming Voice With Scourges Others smartly strike Another tears what she does like And 'gainst her every where's a Pike All these she feels and foils by stay To spite them more she fervently doth Pray They tremble Then and roar They vanish soon away 6. With sober Pace abroad she walks And with her Self and Heaven she talks From whence an Angel cometh down And shewes the Figure of a Crown A Viol gives of Cordial smell Of Essence 't is for Her not well At Sent whereof she springs with Joy Which nothing after can annoy Such Comfort Mischief can't destroy A Cot-Lamb skippeth by her Side Her Steps to harmlesse Sports become a Guide Oft Disadvantages she meets oft turns them quite aside 7. Wilde Satyrs make their lewd Assaults Their Hairinesse can't blush at Faults They mock They mow Like Dogs they bark And she is robb'd by many'a Shark But still unmov'd She mindes Above To that Place only points Her Love All other Trifles She doth scorn Her Noble Spirit 's better borne She smiles at what wu'd make forlorn At Home She takes down Fortunes Wheel Forth-drawn Disasters she doth spin and reel To Providence she gives the Web from Loom of Steel 8. Before Her Lodge a Column stands As by Semiramis'es Hands So vast so high of Marble made Nor Time nor Tempest should invade Of Constancie this bears the Name Heroick Record unto Flame On it such worthies Names She writes As David Iob whose Lives were Lights With such great Letters She endites The History of Martyrdome That so down to Posteritie 't may come And if not Shame strike Persecution dumb 9. Upon the Column's Chapter 's writ In Letters Large for Reading It. MY BODIE' 's HARD MY HEAD IS HIGH 'BOVE FINGERS REACH OR INJURIE Aloft doth stand an Amazon A Snake her Right Foot treads upon Her Left Arm 's lockt within a Shield Which bears a Crosse in Bloodie Field Her Right Hand up to Heaven is held She boldly looketh towards East And seems to slight fierce Storm or furious Beast Whens'ere this roars or that does aim to strike her Breast 10. Not far off hence there lies a Shoar Where breaking Waves aloud do roar Where Shipwrackt Marriners were cast And like the Waves they cry'd agast They wrung their Hands They tore their Hair Sav'd Life was tortur'd by Despair To th' Lodge did crawl sad Stories tell She to her Viol bade them smell Their Griefs did vanish They were well Praise then they did begin to Sing She bade them
be Heat or Cold they are welcome to Patience as they come she is not disturbed they have free Entrance they have free passage Naked came I out of my mothers womb and Naked shall I returne thither The Lord hath given the Lord hath taken blessed be the Name of the Lord. That was patient Iob's Quietus est for his Losses Their malice She counts little worth Alluding to Job's Friends Patience overcommeth malice by enduring Her Chambers haunted are with Sp'rits This pointeth at Job's messengers One Evill treads upon the Heels of another Such News rides poast to trie the Patient One Affliction one Trouble or another is still at the good man's Elbow She sings She sleeps secure c. She is undisturbed Her mind is settled on things above as she accounteth these Lower matters but Dreams and Fancies 5. When Eyes unclose sad Sights appeare Nulla dies sine dolore Every Day produceth new Disasters When we do look for light Grief's Tears ore cloud the Sight One spectacle of Grief or other is the Monument of our Affections and shews us the Tomb of our Selves With threatning Dart grim Death drawes near Omnem crede Diem que non sperabitur hora. Think Death with every Day doth come To dig the Grave or build a Tombe Affliction is like sicknesse the warning-piece of mortality Persecution like a Ruffian taks Patience by the Throat to fright her Yet she 's unmov'd though Ultimum terribilium mors the terriblest of All things Death appear Ill News of All Sorts buz in Eare Temptations of all Kinds that assault thee and insinuate with thee And Say th' are Tokens sent from Feare The Falsity of their Pretence This is the world's nature to send poyson in in a present Iob's Friends pretend Comfort in a Visit but when they open it it is Affliction The Sp'rits do groan and make a Noise The frailty of Nature by our own Passions within us do groan the malice of the world seems to shreike and the Devill encompassing the Earth and seeking whom he may devour doth roar All these as one conspire to amaze the Resolution of the Soul With Scourges others smartly strike This the Cruelty of the World that beats by Oppression the Weak and wounds with Injuries the Innocent Another tears what she does like Satan tries us most by hurting or robbing us of what we seem to affect best he seeks to tear from us what he thinks is most dear unto us And 'gainst her every where's a Pique Life is besieg'd begirt round with mischief All these she feels and foils by stay By restraint of passions by Recollection Patience perceving their drift and discovering their purposes overcoms them but not without assisting Grace for the Continuance whereof She prays To spite them more she fervently doth pray Fervent Prayer is a scourg to Satan It calls down the Power before which he trembles and which he seeks to avoid 6 With sober Pace This sets forth not only her Perseverance but her Sobriety Bonam vitam ego puto mala pati bona facere sic perseverare usque ad Mortem sayes S. Bernard I account that a good Life which consists in doing good and suffering evil and to continue in so doing even to Death Sobrietas temeritatem fugit pericula cuncta declinat Sobriety is too steady to be rash and so wise as to prevent the occasion of Evil. Sobrietatis perseverantia inaestimabilis est animi Fortitudo The Perseverance of Sobrietie is an inestimable Vigour of the Minde Abroad Ab aliis patimur She suffers Injuries from the World that is neither her Friend nor her Home She walks This differs her from a sinnie Patience She is not stupid She keeps her course And with her Self The Soul meditates discourseth to her self the wonderful goodnesse of God in all his Blessings and Benefits and what he suffered for her Redemption And since he suffered so much for her how much is she bound to undergo even any thing whatsoever for so gracious a Lord. Besides it is the way that leads to Happinesse She compares her Sufferings and finds them small in respect of the Greatnesse of others And Heaven she talks By Ejaculations of Spirit by Prayer There is such a Discourse of the Mouth and Hand too by good Conversation From whence an Angel cometh down The Holy Spirit descendeth into such a Heart And shewes the picture of a Crown Gives assurance of the Reward according to the Promises by Faith A Violl gives of Cordial Smell Of Comforts still to cheer her up in all her Calamities and to refresh her in her Trouble Of Essence 't is for her not well The Contemplation of Gods Power his Truth his Goodnesse His Excellence which changeth her Tribulations into Rejoycings At Scent whereof c. In Such Contemplation and beholding the Exnellencie of the Reward She is extasi'd and slighteth what this World can do unto her A Cot-Lamp skippeth by her Side The Embleam of rejoycing Innocence Gaude de Innocentia exulta Gaude inquam Quia nbique illaesaes ubique secura Si tentaris proficis si humiliaris eregeris Si pugnas vinceris si occideris coronaris Tu in securitate liberaes in periculo tuta in custodia lata Tibi omnis reatus adjicitur Tibi universa malitia subjugatur Te potentes honorant suscipiunt principes Magnates exquirunt Et illi nonnunquam te desiderant qui impugnaverunt Tibi boni parent mali invident zelant aemuli inimici succumbunt Nec unquam poteris victrix non esse etiam si inter homines judex justus defuerit Rejoyce of thine Innocence and praise the Lord I say rejoyce For thou art every where shot-free Thou art every where secure If thou beest tempted thou becomest the stronger If thou beest humbled thou art raised the higher If thou fightest thou gettest the Victory If thou beest killed thou receivest a Crown In Servitude thou art free In Danger thou art safe In a Prison thou art cheerful All blame is thrown upon thee But all Malice is subjugated under thee Potentates do honour thee Princes admit thee Great men seek after thee and they sometimes desire thee that are most Enemies unto thee Good men obey thee Wicked men envie thee Thy Friends are in love with thee Even thine Enemies submit unto thee Nor canst thou ever but prevail let there be but a just Judge amongst Men so S. Chrysostome By her Side is meant her Integrity of Heart her Innocence of Conscience Her Steps c. Innocence with Patience is a beautifull and a pleasant Example Oft Disadvantages c. She prevents inconveniences and waves Injuries 7. Wilde Satyrs make their lewd Assaults Satyrs among the ancient Heathen were taken for Gods Their form was in the upper parts like Man in the lower like a Goat with crooked Hands and Horns upon their Heads going erect and are said to have inhabited among the Eastern Mountains of India in subsolanis Indorum Montibus Wilde
Such are the phantasms of worldly delights that take their turns in our Brains not being worthy of comparison with pious and noble thoughts Ob hoc tenebrarum commercium et si alioquin tetricae et luridae non defuit tamen sua cui placeret Dea Proserpina Scil. Inferni regis uxor From their commerce with the darke though they be very unpleasant in shape or colour yet they have not wanted a Patronesse among the heathen Goddesses even Proserpina the wife of Pluto The faigned Powers of Hell Proserpina is Beauty Worldly Fame and the like Pluto is Riches and worldly wealth Ye may know what manner of Things those are by the Beast and Bird that they patronize Each screeching Owl to one another calls One sin gives the alarum to another in the Conscience till all be quieted by repentance The Owl is Avis luctisona funebris A mournful a Funeral bird So here it signifies the Lamentation of a sinner The punishing himself with sorrow and mortifying himself with grief for his sin committed Bubonem cum apparuit mâ—li ominâ—s esse aut bellum aut famem aut mortem portendere vetus persuasio fuit ad nostrum usque saeculum derivatur It was an old Augurie and remains as a continued vulgar opinion a popular Ethnick tradition even in latter times that the appearance of an Owl was either a sign of ill luck or War or Famin or Death All pertinent to this sense For here under the Owls is mentioned that sin must leave his place the flesh is overthrown as in the field by the Spirit sin is like to have no more sustenance For Mortification is at hand A side this Gatehouse down some steps do turn Alluding to turning from former ways aside from the world the Discourse of the Tongue is changed into a pious and sober language the Actions of the Hands are altered into Religious and Virtuous Deeds the Steps are downward to denote Humility and they turn to shew Repentance Into a Vault where 's many an Urn Mortification dwels very low and out of sight A Vault for Urns is a repository for the Dead used by the Romans and other Nations heretofore Such is man the burial place of disorderly affections when he is quickened in Christ. Which she with Ashes fills of flesh that late did burn The overcoming of the Temptations of the flesh by the power of the spirit 4. About this hollow Room lye gasping sins This shews the loathness of sin to leave us and our close League with it that we must dye at parting This Room is the Conscience That usually before they dye c. Before sin leaves us our natures being possess 't therewith shew much reluctancie and before it goes it will represent it self in the ugliest shape and make a horrid noise in the Conscience to Tempt to Despair or seek to move compassion in the Affections Which nought from her of soft compassion winnes The Mortified Soul is resolved of a New life and regards not any temptations She upward looketh with a pleased eye Heaven is her Comfort and delight She is pleased in the destruction of Gods enemies That dead their wickedness there lye She triumpheth in her conquest under Christs Banner While on a Tomb with arms acrosse she sitteth by The proper emblem of Mortification The soul sits in a sad Posture upon a Funeral seat a place for Tears a place of Mortality 5. Her right hand underneath her breast is plac't Signifying her Reverence Her Left upon a Yoke c. Her Patience A yoke is the Emblem of Patience Her Right foot tear-wash't very clean Her repentance and amendment of Life Upon an earthly Globe treads that 's defac't Her contempt of the World which is a deformed object in her Eye Her bare lefts set upon the Gelid Ground Her Humilitie That sheweth here and there a wound Her Charity and compassion Whose bleeding drops preserve her c. She is ever dying to the world and killing the flesh 6. Upon her shoulders she doth bear a Crosse Her Obedience Which makes Her bend a little down Her Patience She 's very lovely but she 's brown Shee is accepted in the Eye of her Saviour though nothing beautifull in the worlds opinion And listens not to oft brought news of loss Her Prudence and Resolution From off a stone a Lamp doth glimmer light Her Life is not specious but austere It is a despised labouring through many tribulations a strugling through temptations Or thus Our Lamps our Natures are subject to many imperfections our corruptions like Oyl will fire therein but mortification permits them not to flame forth and shine out they have but their Glimmerings The Lamp is plac't upon stone to shew it is mortal A stone is a thing without life and used to cover the dead As day were mix't with some of night This alludeth to the Painters artificial mixing of colours with his nimble pencil touching those brighter with some of the sadder hue which makes them shew much darker for the better draught of his piece to the Life often causing shadows to set off the livelier colours So the Traveller here makes one composure of day and night to set forth that the life of mortification is a continual death So is life resembled unto day and night mentioned as the privation of the same And near the walls Skul 's Letters form words Life does write Here the Traveller straineth his fancy to the resemblance of wise sentences heretofore accustomed to be written upon the walls within the rooms of wel disposed persons houses which offered to the ey of those that came near them the Memory of something that was worthy the observation For such a silent kind of instruction does he here build or set skulls one upon another against the wall to fashion words and of such words so formed to compose sentences The Skulls are Men men dead to the World the Letters are numbers of men the Words are Nations of men â—he Sentences are the worlds of men or the successive generations of the distinct Ages in the world Life writes mortality upon all these both by precept and example and publisheth it as by a writing upon the Table of the Universal world as the Skulls thus supposed in their order here are imagined to signifie upon this wall But this is not all For here it is meant concerning Regenerated men who are dead to sin Mortifying the Lusts thereof in their earthly bodies Christ is their life who is the Word charactereth in their soules the Comfort and Assurance of happiness as it is expressed from the words of S. Paul Col. 3. 4. in the next Stanza in those lines Your life is hid with Christ in God c. Stanza 7. 7. Such even composure of each Mortal head c. This Stanza was unlocked in the former The Door stands open 8. Without the Gate an aged Porter stands Contempt of the world he is said aged for his experience which conduceth
to bring him to what he is he is said Porter as shutting out or warding against the same And is properly Porter here because he letteth in to Mortification He stands to watch and to resist For such is that Posture of standing ready Most gravely casting up his eye The Soul contemning the World most devoutly looketh up to heaven the onely place of Hope and Happinesse The Soul in that condition casteth up his Eye raiseth his Faith to Christ in whom he hopeth to enjoy the Comforts of a better being Neglecting who so passeth by Setting at nought the enmity of Satan the Rebellion of the flesh and the malice of the world On Crosier leaning both his clasped hands laying hold by Faith fast upon and being assisted by the Crosse and Passion of Christ of his Saviour who is his strength and his supporter And to the curious does deny his name The curious are Tempters and deriders The worldling asks what 's the matter when any man forsakes the world They account a mortified man a thing fit for nought but a dull house a Bedlam S. Paul is accounted as a mad man when he speaks mysteries to Festus that he does not understand The Mortified man glorieth not in Name nor Fame but onely with S. Paul in Christ Jesus Crucified And upon good ground too He has a reason for the same He has Gods word for his authority his commandments for his law and his promises for his reward He he expecteth glory for his scorned fame He is iterated to make the man the more remarkable He indeed is a rare Bird he that forsakes the world and mortifies his corrupt Affections is worth the noting But the world understands him not But gives him scorn for fame which he exchangeth for the hope of future glory 9. Behold pursu'd by many furious hounds This Stanza doth allegorize and from under a cloud discover the condition of man before and after his Conversion or the hard condition of the Virtuous and godly man in this world Like Actaeon is the unregenerate pursued by Hounds Dogges of his own bringing up None are hotter enemies than his owne sinnes They pursue him over the hills they call to remembrance all his fore-past evils They drive him over the lofty places of height of pleasure and ambition They overthrow him in the spoyled Grove of his Idolatry and false Worship It is such a spoyl'd Grove despoyl'd of the Jdols as Iosiah caused to be cut down in his Reformation of the Jews Sin brings him here into the state of death which is his heavy case The falling of the Stagge upon his knees and weeping is man's humiliation and repentance To his wounds he weepeth at the sight of his sins he is very much dejected While he lies in this sad condition and Satan thinks him in despair and his vices and enemies seem to vaunt over his destruction by Faith he is regenerate new-born metamorphos'd or rather turnd into a Hart the Lord's his Redeemer's his Saviour's beloved and hath thereby a vivification and newness of Life and escapeth from his spiritual and worldly enemies that are his violent pursuers From such Hounds S. Paul gives the Caveat Phil. 3. 2. Beware of Dogges beware of evil workers c. 10. A wanton woman see within this Grove c. This Stanza discourseth under a wanton woman that throws off her Toyes abandons her bad company changes her Affections c. The course of a true Penitent that must mortifie all evil desires as well as Actions Here especially by this wanton is meant Fornication having relation to Colos. 3. If ye then be risen with seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Set your affections on things which are above and not on things which are on the earth For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God c. Mortifie therefore your Members which are on the earth Fornication uncleannesse the inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousness which is Idolatry This and the following Stanza's are directed by this Chapter of S. Paul for the mortification of sin 11. But see a Hagge c. This Stanza expresseth under this Hagge Mortification of and conversion from Uncleanness which is the outward act of Fornication which must be avoided As also all manner of sins of the Tongue as censuring Back-biting Lying Swearing Foul speaking of the Heart as Anger Wrath and Malice Which are mentioned in the following Stanza 12. There lies by Wrath fell Anger 's garment torn One sin quarrels with another but sins Garments are torn in relation to that of putting off the old man A mortified man must be rid of his sins as of infected cloaths Col. 3. 8 9 10. MORAL X. THe skilfull Chirurgeon that would preserve the Bodies health doth scarrifie a part to stupifie it and to let it blood and in other cases doth mortifie and cicatrize to prevent the mischief of a Gangreen Ense recidendum est ne pars sincer a trahatur Virtue and Vice cannot live together We cannot at once serve two Masters We cannot serve God and Mammon We must throw down and trample upon Idols if we mean to serve the Living God There is but one Phoenix and that hath a very sweet Note as Lactantius Firmianus which continueth his race by the death of his Predecessor who gathering rich spices to his compiled Nest in the face of the Sun fireth them and therein consumeth in his Age and from his Ashes ariseth the living young Who so dyeth to the world liveth such a Phoenix unto happiness PROSPECT X. THe Richest spice that Merchants hand Hath rapt for gain from Eastern Land When bruised most doth sweetest smell It 's Fragancie's within does tell The Artist's stroaks must break it's Gate For rare Perfume to flie thereat With such and fam'd Arabian Gumms Pollinctors drest the Guests of Tombs Who mauger death that spoils his prey Made marbled flesh made Torch of Clay Preserv'd the still-kept Form entire Wastlesse by time except By fire So th' Ancients did embalm the dead After their precious Unguents spread Thus lent a being after death And gave perfume instead of breath The soul to life doth greater rise When she the flesh most mortifies The sight is strange but blest the womb That bears a child within a Tomb. CONSOLATORY ESSAY X. FOr want of a right Apprehension of Things as they are in themselves as in their own Natures we are led too often and carried too far out of the Way We are many times cozen'd with Mock-shewes for real Things Hence our Affections taking all at the Voleé wanting likewise Direction by true Knowledge to their proper Marks do not so much misse their Aim as altogether miscarry This is a visible Discovery of want of Judgement too Or that it is so perverted as it is become the Childe of a Harlot and not of a lawful Mother the Natural-born of Sense and not the Son of Reason How
else can it come to passe that the Noble Soul of Man should so basely please it self with as foul as general a habit and custome of brutish hunting for the Back and Belly And to roâ— in the Mire with trivial Vanities and sordid Pleasures Yea to run with Ambition after a Butter-flie a painted light thing a popular Name a Breath a Nothing And to neglect the divine Contemplation gallant Attempt and most excellent Acquisition of Heavenly matters How else comes it about that no pains is thought enough to fetch a little glittering Earth from the remotest parts of the World from the Indies It is no more Nor of the Dignitie of that which lies upon the Surface Gold hath the lower place by Nature No storm must withstand us No length of Journey tire us Nor Hazard discourage us No we must ha 't Though it brings Pluto's Plagues with it Covetousnesse Contention and a thousand Evils Yet is it neither Food nor Raiment Midas found in the Fable that it was not edible And Licurgus in the Constitution of his Laconian Common-wealth and in the Institution of his Lawes condemned it as not necessary He therefore shut it out of their Gates for a Wrangler or more properly for the prevention of a Quarrel It was against his Communitie and Commutative Justice How else ariseth it that we are so hurried about with our Passions as if we rode upon theSphears with a rapid motion for the obtaining of those things that are so far from being necessary as they are not convenient as for Pleasures in regard of Health and rest for Honours in respect of Contentment and safe enjoyment Were any of these things either of Value or Certainty there were some excuse for Appetite Let us go to Solomon the wisest of men to him that had the Treasury of Knowledge of all from the Cedar to the Shrub that abounded with the means and judgment in the variety of his Experiments What sayes he after his large Progresse Vanitie of vanities saith the Preacher vanitie of vanities all is vanitie What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the Sun That 's his Beginning And what sayes he in the midst of his Inquisition Lo this onely have I found that God made man upright but they have many inventions And what 's his winding up in the close of All Take his own Words and Gods Holy Spirit in them Let us hear the End of all Fear God and keep his Commandments For this is the whole dutie of Man For God shall bring every work into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil How Follie and Death are in a Conspiracie together The Vanities of the World are Sin and the Wages of Sin is Death It is time to look about us since our enemies are at hand But which way shall we escape them Let us contemn the World and we avoid its Folly Let us mortifie our selves and we have the better of Death Draw then near thou sad-fac't Soul that hast been overcome with the one and art in Danger of the other Me thinks I see Death in thy Face Thou look'st as though he were in thy Head if not in thy Heart Thou art Miserie all over and die thou must Thou must not lose thy longing Thou hidest from the Day and the Night is a Burden Companie is grievous and Solitude dangerous yet thou lov'st it How strangely thine Imaginations work and as vainly How thy Breast is upon the Rack and thy thoughts upon the Tenters How thy Wishes flie into the Winde and thy Groans do answer one another by Ecchoes What contrivances thou hast in thy secret Paths and how cunning thou art to seek out a Mischief Thou art now rich enough For thou art resolv'd thy Poverty shall not starve thee thou may'st do that thy self Thou art now great enough another shall not give thee a Fall Wilt thou undo thy self that another may not undo thee 'T is not to be altered Die thou wilt Only the manner of Death is the question Come hither Backsliding Man Here is thy nearest way and thy best Death And since nothing would down with thee but Death thou shalt have enough of self-killing Here is a Death that is at hand and full of safety Thou may'st do it by good Authority This Death is lawful Thou shalt not need to travel among opinions to search among the learned for Arguments to strain the sence of Mutilation or to put the Fallacie upon eadem est ratio totius partium Thou shalt not need to trie thy Wit to gather poyson Here is a Death to purpose Thou must kill thy self all over The Dagger or the like strikes but at a Part This strikes at all Mortifie the Flesh and the sinful Members thereof and thou offerest a Sacrifice and committest not a Murder But Sacrifice not as those to Moloch For that is such a Sacrifice as has Murder and Abomination joyn'd to it Draw thine Affections off from the World And thou hast drawn a Dagger against Temptations Fast and thou starvest thy worser self Fast ad mortificationem carnis non usque ad mortem corporis to the mortification of thy sinful Flesh not to the destruction of thy human Body Pray and thy wicked purposes fall by a holy Sword Mortify thy Lusts and in that instant th' art a dead man And thou shalt not need to fear thy dying For thou risest to a new life and hast given thee a better Being Since thou wert so bloudy minded thou shalt have enough of Self-killing even to wearinesse Thou must Kill by mortifying thy Self dayly and thou shalt have Joy and Life by it Since thou wert so bloudy minded take thy Saviour's Bloud and may I say with reverence Sanguinem sitisti sanguinem bibe Did'st thou thirst for Bloud Drink that not as there it was spoken a punishment or contempt to Cyrus but as a Mystery of Reconciliation of Christ to thy Soul and as Sanguis est rivus vitae Bloud is the River of life so shalt thou tast vitam in sanguine the fountain of everlasting life by the streame of that Bloud Ego sum fons ego sum vita sayes our Saviour I am the Well and I am the life When Sara was old and dead to worldly Affections she bare Isaac the Child of Promise If thou hast not mortified in thee worldly Affections thou shalt never arrive at the Joy of the Spirit Therefore we faint not saith Saint Paul but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed dayly 2. Cor. 4. 16. Therefore if any man be in Christ let him be a new creature Old things are passed away Behold all things are become new verse 17. Does thine Eye offend thee Pluck it out Prevent occasion that 's the sence of the Letter according to the most Learned Expositors and hath coherence with the other parts of holy Scripture Art thou libidinous Fasting is the
good In 's Person Brooks so fill by Floud Of Grace the Covenant call'd Derivative From whence Beleevers Title do derive His Mediatorship did erst atchieve Parties Conditions and their Seals She does Behold Prerogatives by Faith She seeth manifold Such as Saint Iohn Saint Paul have so divinely told 21. Most humbly She Looks up to see Trines Mysterie Father the Creator is New Creatour Son O Blisse Holy Spirit 's Seal to This. In Earnest of Redemption so Regeneration does new flow In such a manner few do know The Church Regenerate the first-born may Those Spirits of Just men so made perfect say Nature divine partake those with allay O' th' Righteousnesse o' th' Kingdom For 't is seal'd To those and those to It with Reverence anneal'd So One with Jesus Christ Mediatour thus reveal'd 26. As Wondrous was Gods free giv'n grace To bring to passe Redemption in Designe The TRINITIE did joyn In Counsell most Divine Interpellation Covenant past For all to be perform'd and last For all were Providences cast Administrations Author FATHER is SON Grand Administrator unto These The Principle of speciall Ordinances The HOLY GHOST Subministrators from Sublime Take Government so ordination claim from Prime Words Sacraments Administration passe through Time 27. Means to save All The Church then call HIERARCHICALL And MINISTERIAL whence Church congregate in Sense Kingdome of God from thence By calling Saints and with Christ One As Hee Apostle was alone Without Whom Government is none As Rivers may divide from out a Lake That 's ever full of which their Streams partake Whose various Courses that vast Floud does make So Government from One to Twelve came whence again Those subdivided into lesser Brooks did vein So from Apostles Bishops influence obtain 28. Her down-cast Eye Sees Man must die Sin 's Wages trie The Bubble of his Breath Must needs be broke by Death His Bodie grav'd beneath Yet 's Soul does flie to place of Rest To Paradise that keepes the Best But wicked Ones with Sin are prest Until the Resurrections Trump does blow When all the teeming Graves their Dead shall show And every One Reward to Deeds shall know The glorious Judge Just Jesus comes to Sentence All. The Righteous then to th'Right shall hear his Blessed Call When Go ye cursed shall be Then the wicked's Fall 29. And now behold Her Locks like gold For us Shee 's told By Angell from Above Whom Seraph wings do move Encircling round with Love Chuse Mortals either here aloft to dwell By Faith by Love by doing well Or desperate leap with Horrour into Hell Chuse Chuse Eternitie of Blisse or Pain E'relasting Losse Or everlasting Gaine Bath i' th' Lambs Blood O wash away your Stain Could ye conceive the Joyes that here are Infinite And glory such as Tongues nor Pens could ere indite To gain this Place All earthly Torments Smiles wu'd slight 30. Hear'st this Away Let 's make no Stay But use our Day Down through the Wildernesse Amidst the Worlds Distresse Let Joyfull Courage Presse When w' are return'd unto our Place Let 's Minde these Things in any Case Life's short Good Life a narrow Space Let 's listen still to hear the silent Feet Of Death who 'l bring home Bliss wrapt in a sheet The blessed Angels then with Joy will greet Then tune we Tongues to Steps with never-failing Praise Let pious Works our Hearts our Souls to Heav'nward raise Let Hands Let Thoughts Let All God magnifie alwayes PERSPECTIVE XII DOwns are an open Place of intermixed Hills and Dals commonly upon the Coast and many times in the Inland Where somtimes they are a rising Ridg of Hills and Valleys whose free and pleasant scope overtop and overlook the neighbouring inferiour Countrey And from the declining and ascending position of the Earth as the high and more swelling Waves in the deeper Seas are not unlikely to have derived their name from their seeming to carry their Passengers over them up and down These for their healthful Ayr by their Loftinesse pleasant prospect by their opennesse and smooth Turf for their Evenesse do often invite in the delightfull seasons of the Year Persons of quality and leisure to take the Ayr upon them and to spend some time in recreation Horsmen choose such places thereupon to make and run races with their swiftest Coursers to try their courage wind and swiftnesse of their Heels Such are Newmarket Heath or Bainstead Downs They are called the Downs of Cogitation Because Thoughts are full of motion and uncertainty that have their erection and dejection upon the Mind as the first Stanza mentions 1. From hill to hill we goe c. Here is a Comparison between the Downs and the Waves of the Sea Both much agreeing in their resemblances with one another And both expressing the manner of Cogitation 2 All ore this flowry place c. The pleasure of Thoughts is compared in this Stanza to Flowers their subtility and quicknesse to the nimble flight of Swallowes And here Swallowes seeme to be matched as Coursers to expresse in a poeticall manner both the pleasure and swiftnesse of Cogitation together 3. Out from Thelema's Cave c. Here is first described the origination and purification of Cogitation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Voluntas the Will and Affection from whence Thoughts as Waters out of the head of a Spring do take their rise and have their flux As the Heart is such are the Thoughts And that is Thelema's Cave in the side of the Downs the Man This being taken from that vulgar though not true opinion according to Anatomists that the Heart is placed in the left side of the Body A Generous Heart dresseth or setteth forth the Thoughts in Gallantry and Noblenesse So appears Dianoia Cogitation fair and beautifull when Devotion is in the Heart and Charity in the Hand which is an unbound Book the obedience unto Holy Writ ready to be dispensed according to active piety Thoughts seem awaked when drawn out of the sleep of Sin and darknesse of pollution Sitting is a Posture of steadinesse and Recollection Thoughts dwell in a Waggon as the old Scythians that never used Houses but such Receptacles as might more properly be call'd their Moveables than their Habitations Silent wheels is the imperceptibility of Thought Drawn with Dromedaries is their velocity as also the tenacity by Cogitation of things first apprehended For though a Dromedary be a kind of Cammell it differs in dorso The Cammel has a Bunch on his Back the Dromedary two Fins as I may call them the one near his Wallis the other more backward to the Chine both upon the Ridg of his back which fall down loose upon his sides without weight and rise and claspe in an imposed Burden With an unperceived Pace Dromedaries move with great strength and swiftnesse Whereupon Livie reciteth them as very usefull in Warlike expeditions His utebantur praecipuè in bellicis expeditionibus And Curtius in his 7. booke mentions that Polydamus was sent
adjunctum opus tacitè reprimunt dùm cogitationes protinus se causis propriis ad utilitatem subdunt Suppose that Reason went abroad a visiting and left the house of the minde to the Dispose of her servants the Thoughts When the Mistresse is thus out of the way what a noise what gossiping there is among the Maids But let Reason return unto the minde again when the Mistresse comes home no sooner her Foot at the Door but all is hush all Disorder vanishes and as every Maid betakes her self silently to her Work the Thoughts in like manner become well ordered and for much benefit to the Minde adjoyn themselves and set themselves on Work in their proper Businesse Let us look upon a Neoterick Ut figuli celerrimâ rotae manus concitatione in dissimiles propè infinitas elegantes tamen imagines mollieres argillae massam transmutant Simili ratione meditatio afficit ut infinita rerum abstrusarum genera acriter ratiocinando assequamur paria paribus contraria contrariis praeterita prasentibus comparemus As the Potter transforms the Masse of purer Clay with the swift Motion of his turning Hand into many unlike and in a manner numberlesse Figures yet curious shapes After the same manner worketh Meditation She brings it so to passe that we may reach untold sorts of secret things by a quick and inward reasoning comparing like to like contrarie with contrary and weighing with the present things what went before Let 's hear what another sayes Cùm bonum sit objectum voluntatis nostrae adeo quòd nihil possit esse amatum nisi bonum aut sub specie boni Cumque intellectus concipiat infinitam bonitatis abyssum in Deo valdè frigida esset voluntas quae non instar alterius Phoenicis exardesceret in amoris divini ignem contemplando lucidissimos solis justitiae radios Discute igitur alas tuas instar Phoenicis et erige cortuum inter meditandum et invenies te convertendum in cinerem vermes dum agnoscis tuam utilitatem coram infinita et immensa illa bonitate Dei When what is Good is the object of our Wills so nothing can be affected but That or something like it Seeing then that the Vnderstanding may conceive the infinite Abysse of Goodnesse that is in God the Will were Ice if it should not as another Phoenix flie all on fire with Divine Love by Contemplation beholding those most glorious Rayes of the Sun of Righteousnesse Display thy Wings then like the Phoenix raise thy Heart and mount thy Spirit between thy Meditations and with Iob thou shalt finde thy Self converted into Dust and Worms while thou doest acknowledge thine own Vileness in the Presence of that most Infinite and most Immense Goodnesse of the Lord. PROSPECT XII WHen wicked Policies doe raign They rowle their Trenches in the Brain And subtly winde false Works with Art To Undermine the Noblest Heart While Cunning spendeth utmost Skill To act what 's New invented Ill Makes Stratagems walks untrod Wayes Their hid Designes to height to raise Do make 't their Businesse to surprize What Truth can't gain they wu'd by Lies And all is but to make a Prey O' th' Soul which still they wu'd betray What Vizards do they wear For Ends O most unjust each other rends None sooner ruine brings them to Than Craft does Cunnings self undo While Sin doth seek all wayes to thrive Religious Sails to Heavenward drive Sin falls with Plots and th' Soul does gain By Contemplation Hope to raign CONSOLATORY ESSAY XII AS Men hear they tell the News But as they see they know so 't is in Plautus that old Comoedian Qui audiunt audita dicunt qui vident planè sciunt The Tongue and the Hand are very unruly Members especially when Honesty and Reason are not their Masters The Tongue seemeth the more desperate but the Hand appeareth the more dangerous What is spoken may be helped by Supposition of Mistaking or Disagreement in the Reporters or Death For then Breath and Life vanish together whereas that of the Hand appeareth to Posterity surviveth the Writer and Reader and remaineth as a Thousand Witnesses Illis est Thesaurus stultis in Linguâ situs Et questui habeant malè loqui melioribus Sayes the same Plautus Those Fools think Treasures placed in the Tongue That count belying Betters Gain for Wrong Incautus fuerit si propriâ manu tale aliquid comprehenderit â quâ utique re unicè cavere debes quòd nihil sit quo tam facile convincaris It is Macrobius He may be accounted indiscreet that leaveth a loose Action under his own Hand which a man ought with special care to avoid lest it become a snare to take his want of foresight Wherefore as no Vice layes a more foul aspersion upon Man then that of Ingratitude So no evidence is so strong to taint him therewith or convict him thereof as his own Hand-writing in Detestation of that Vice and his Actual Approbation of the Contrary How comes it then that Christians that have so often set their Hands to so many Obligations to God as have been so often iterated in and since Baptisme should fall away in such a manner as by the Wickednesse of their Hands and the ungodlinesse of their impudent Actions to testifie against themselves their own Impiety and to divulge abroad the Characters of their not lesse great than Abominable ingratitude To unman themselves by ingratitude to their Maker to unchristian themselves by unthankfulnesse to their Redeemer when the least that can be done in such a Case is to render Obedience for Creation Dutie for Protection and to return Praise for Blessings Do the Dumb Beasts give Thanks in their Looks and cast their Eyes unto the Hands that feed them Shall condemn'd Androgeo finde Gratitude in a Den of Lions And can any Christian be at a Losse when he Looks for it in his Bosom My Friend and Brother Christian Ubi animus ibi oculus The Watch of thine Eye goeth as the Spring of thine Affection directeth Let 's mark our Blessed Saviours advice He preacht it in the Mount Lay not up Treasures for your selves upon the Earth where the Moth and Canker corrupt and where the Theeves dig through and steal But lay up Treasures for your Selves in Heaven where neither the Moth nor Canker corrupteth and where the Theeves neither dig through nor steal For where your Treasure is there will your Heart be also Hast thou had a dejected Look from a heavie Heart as if th' adst lost thy Comfort and couldst not finde thy Happinesse Didst seek it in the Earth that Treasure is not in Mines nor in the Darknesse of so dull an Element Look upward Soul Look upward and be thankful Look upward and be mindful Be mindful of all that the Lord so wonderfully hath done for Thee so mercifully hath done unto Thee so bountifully hath bestowed upon Thee Strive to turn thine Eyes towards him from Vanitie And intreat His help to quicken thee in his Way Canst thou tell the number of his Mercies Canst thou tell how many be the Rays of the Sun And canst thou consider all his Blessings Look up and rejoyce at the excellent Goodnesse of the Lord Look up with the Eyes of Faith through the Heavens and behold the Brightnesse of His Glory that he hath prepared for the Saints Meditate and Look all about Thee Contemplate and cast up thine Eyes above Thee Here is Comfort There is Joy Here Christ easeth thy Burden There he gives Thee a reward Observe then his Testimonies and obey his Statutes Let thy Soul then magnifie his Name Let thy Lips sing Praises to his Holinesse Let thy Breast become a smoaking Altar And let thy Soul be all a flame of holy Love Let all thy Breath be as sweet smelling Incense up to Heaven Fix there thy Faith thy Hope thy Heart thy Soul That 's thy Place thy dwelling Hasten as directed thither Only remember thou art Mortal Deal thine Alms Give thy Dole before thou goest Praise ye the Lord For it is good to sing unto our God For it is a pleasant Thing and Praise is comely The Lord doth build up Jerusalem and gather together the disperâ—â— of Israel He healeth those that are broken in Heart 〈◊〉 bindeth up their Sores He counteth the number of the Stars and calleth them all by their Names Great is our Lord and great is his Power his Wisdom is infinite The Lord relieiveth the meek and abaseth the wicked to the Ground Sing unto the Lord with Praise Sing upon the Harp unto our God! Praise the Lord. For his Mercie endureth for ever FINIS