To fit it for immortal bliss Such thoughts too serious are Himself to every pleasure gives And drowns his soul in lust In all destructive sins he lives 'Till levell'd with the dust Give me O Lord that pious care And that obsequious love That all my actions may declare I seek that place above Where we from sin exempt shall be From sorrow and from tears And where no trouble we shall see Nor be disturb'd with sears Christ Crucified R. F. Behold and see if ever any pain Did match his sorrow who for us was slain Lo God bleeds on the Cross high Heav'n descends In blood to make man and his Maker friends When guilty man lay doom'd Eternally To Death and Hell ev'n God himself could dye And smile upon those wounds that spear that grave Which our Rebellion merited and gave This love exceeds all height yet I confess 'T was God that did it how could it be less Death J. D. Death be nor proud though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful for thou art not so For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow Die not poor death nor yet canst thou kill me From rest and sleep which but thy picture be Much pleasure then from thee much more must flow And soonest our best men with thee do go Rest of their bones and souls delivery Th' art slave to fate chance Kings and desperate men And dost with poyson war and sickness dwell Hard pains or poppy make us sleep as well And better then thy stroke why swell'st thou then One short sleep past we wake Eternally And death shall be no more death thou shalt dye The Resurrection I. D. At the round earth's imagin'd corners blow Your trumpets Angels men arise arise From death you numberless infinities Of souls unto your scatter'd bodies go All whom one floud did and fire shall or'ethrow All whom war death age agues tyrannies Despair law chance hath slain and you whose eyes Shall behold God and never tast death's wo. But let them sleep Lord and me mourn a space For if above all these my sins abound 'T is late to ask abundance of thy Grace When we are there Here on this lowly ground Teach me how to repent for that 's as good As if th' ' adst seal'd my pardon with thy blood The Judgment-Day R. C. Hear'st thou my Soul what serious things The Prophets say the Psalmist sings Of a strict Judge from whose sharp ray The world in flames shall fly away O that fire before whose face Heav'n and Earth shall find no place O those eyes whose angry light Must be the day of that dread night O that trump whose blast shall run An even round with th' circling sun And urge the murm'ring graves to bring Pale Mankind forth to meet their King Horrour of nature Hell and Death When a deep groan shall from beneath Cry out We come we come and all The caves of night answer one call O that book whose leaves so bright Will set the world in severe light O the Judge whose Hand whose Eye None can endure yet none can fly Yet thou giv'st leave dread Lord that we Take shelter from thy self in thee And with the wings of thine own Dove Fly to thy Sceptre of soft love Mercy my Judge mercy I cry With blushing cheek and bleeding eye The conscious colours of my sin Are red without and pale within O let thine own soft bowels pay Thy self and so discharge that day If sin can sigh love can forgive O say the word my soul shall live O when thy last frown shall proclaim The flocks of goats to folds of flame And all thy lost sheep found shall be Let come ye blessed then call me Heaven G. F. Behold this house where man doth now reside The flow'rs pour out their odours in his way To serve him all the creatures take a pride The winds do sweep his chambers ev'ry day And clouds do wash his rooms the ceiling gay Starred alost the gilded knobs imbrave If such a house God to another gave How shine those glitt'ring Courts he for himself will have And if a sullen cloud as sad as night In which the Sun may seem imbodied Depur'd of all his dross we see so white Burning in melted Gold his watry head Or round with Ivory edges silvered What Lustre super-excellent will he Lighten on those that shall his sun-shine see In that all glorious Court in which all glories be If but one Sun with his diffusive fires Can paint the Stars and the whole world with light And joy and life into each heart inspires And ev'ry Saint shall shine in Heaven as bright As doth the Sun in his transcendent might As saith may well believe what truth once sayes What shall so many Suns united Rayes But dazle all the eyes that now in Heav'n we praise Here that bright band that now in triumph shines And that before they were invested thus In earthly bodies carried Heavenly minds Pitch round about a Throne most glorious Their sunny tents and houses luminous All their Eternal day in Songs employing Joying their end without end of their joying While their Almighty Prince destruction is destroying Full but yet never cloy'd with what might whet And dull the keenest craving Appetite Where never Sun did rise nor ever set But one Eternal day and endless light Gives time to those whose time is infinite Speaking with thought obtaining without see Beholding him whom never eye could see And magnifying him that cannot greater be How can such joy as this want words to speak And yet what words can speak such joy as this Far from the world that might their quiet break Here the glad souls the face of beauty kiss Pour'd out in pleasure on their beds of bliss And drunk with Nectar-Torrents ever hold Their eyes on him whose Graces manifold The more they do behold the more they would behold Happiness F. Q. I love and have some cause to love the earth She is my Makers creature therefore good She is my Mother for she gave me birth She is my tender Nurse she gives me food But what 's a creature Lord compar'd with thee Or what 's my Mother or my Nurse to me I love the Air her dainty sweets refresh My drooping soul and to new sweets invite me Her shrill-mouth'd quire sustain me with their flesh And with their Polyphonian notes delight me But what 's the air or all the sweets that she Can bless my Soul withal compar'd to thee I love the Sea she is my fellow-creature My careful Purveyor she provides me store She walls me round she makes my diet greater She wasts my treasure from a forreign shore But Lord of Oceans when compar'd with thee What is the Ocean or her wealth to me To Heaven's high City I direct my Journey Whose spangled Suburbs entertain mine eye Mine eye by contemplations great attorney Transcends the Crystal pavement of the Sky But what is Heav'n great God compar'd to thee Without thy presence Heav'n's no Heaven to me Without thy presence earth gives no refection Without thy presence sea affords no treasure Without thy presence air 's a rank infection Without thy presence Heav'n it self 's no pleasure If nor possest if not enjoy'd in thee What 's earth or sea or air or Heav'n to me The highest honours that the world can boast Are Subjects far too low for my desire The brightest beams of Glory are at most But dying sparkles of thy living fire The proudest flames that earth can kindle be But nightly Glow-worms if compar'd to thee Without thy presence wealth are bags of cares Wisdom but folly joy disquiet sadness Friendship is treason and delights are snares Pleasures but pain and mirth but pleasant madness Without thee Lord things be not what they be Nor have they being when compar'd with thee In having all things and not thee what have I Not having thee what have my labours got Let me enjoy but thee what farther crave I And having thee alone what have I not I wish nor Sea nor Land nor would I be Possest of Heav'n Heav'n unpossest of thee FINIS
had straight forward gone To endless death but thou dost pull And turn us round to look on one VVhom if we were not very dull VVe could not choose but look on still Since there is no place so alone The which he doth not fill Sundayes the Pillars are On which Heaven's Palace arched lies The other dayes fill up the spare And hollow room with vanities They are the fruitful Beds and Borders In God's rich Garden that is bare VVhich parts their ranks and orders The Sundayes of man's Life Threaded together on time's string Make bracelets to adorn the wife Of the Eternal Glorious King On Sunday Heaven's Gate stands ope Blessings are plentiful and rife More plentiful than hope This day my Saviour rose And did inclose this Light for his That as each Beast his Manger knowes Man might not of his Fodder miss Christ hath took in this piece of ground And made a Garden there for those VVho want Herbs for their wound The Rest of our Creation Our great Redeemer did remove VVith the same shake which at his Passion Did earth and all things with it move As Sampson bore the doors away Christ's hands though nailed wrought our Salvation And did unhinge that day The brightness of that day VVe sullied by our foul offence VVherefore that Robe we cast away Having a new at his expence VVhose Drops of Blood paid the full price That was required to make us gay And fit for Paradise Thou art a day of Mirth And where the week dayes trail on ground Thy Flight is higher as thy Birth O let me take thee at the bound Leaping with thee from seven to seven Till that we both being toss'd from Earth Fly hand in hand to Heaven The Church G. S. in Psal 84. O how amiable are Thy abodes great God of war Happy men who spend their dayes In thy Courts there sing thy praise Happy who on thee depend Thine their way and thou their end One day in thy Courts alone Far exceeds a Million In thy house contemn'd and poor I had rather keep a door Than with wicked men possess All that they call happiness O thou Shield of our defence O thou Sun whose influence Sweetly glides into our hearts Thou who all to thine imparts Happy O thrice happy he VVho alone depends on thee The Young Man's Mirth F. Q. * Eccl. 11.9 Young man Rejoyce what jolly mirth is here Let thy heart chear thee what delicious chear In thy Young dayes thy cares will relish sweeter Walk thy own wayes thy cares will pass the fleeter Please thine own heart carve where it likes thee best Delight thine Eyes and be a joyful Guest But know withall the day will come whereon Thy Judge will doom thee for the deeds th' hast done O what a Feast O what a reckoning 's here Thy cates are sweet the shot 's extreamly dear Grace G. H. My Stock lies dead and no increase Doth my dull Husbandry improve O let thy Graces without cease Drop from above If still the Sun should hide his Face Thy house would but a Dungeon prove Thy works nights Captives O let Grace Drop from above The Dew doth every Morning fall And shall the Dew out-strip thy Dove The Dew for which Grass cannot call Drop from above Death is still working like a Mole And digs my Grave at each remove Let Grace work too and on my Soul Drop from above Sin is still hammering my heart Unto a hardness vold of love Let suppling Grace to cross his Art Drop from above O come for thou dost know the way Or if to me thou wilt not move Remove me where I need not say Drop from above Contentment R. S. I dwell in Grace's Court Enricht with Virtue 's rights Faith guides my wit Love leads my will Hope all my mind's delights In lowly vales I mount To pleasure's highest pitch My honest meanness Honour brings My poor Estate is rich My Conscience is my Crown Contented thoughts my rest My heart is happy in it self My Bliss is in my Breast Enough I reckon wealth A mean the surest Lot That lies too high for base contempt Too low for envies shot My wishes are but few All easie to fulfil I make the limits of my power The bounds unto my will I feel no care of Coin VVell-doing is my wealth My mind to me an Empire is VVhile Grace affordeth health Prosperity F. Q. Take heed thou prosperous sinner how thou liv'st In sin and thriv'st Thou that dost flourish in thy heaps of Gold And Sums untold Thou that hadst never reason to complain Of Cross or Pain VVhose unafflicted Conscience never found Nor check nor wound Believe it Prosper thy deceitful lease Affords thee neither wealth nor joy nor peace Thy Golden heaps are nothing but the price Of Paradise Thy flatt'ring pleasures and thy aery joyes But painted toyes Thy peaceful Conscience is but like a dog Ty'd in a clog Believe it Prosper thy deceitful Lease Allows thee neither wealth nor joy nor peace Thy heaps of Gold will stand thee in no steed At greatest need Thy empty pleasure will convert thy laughter To groans hereafter Thy silent Conscience when inlarg'd will roar And rage the more Believe it Prosper thy deceitful lease Affords thee neither wealth nor joy nor peace Paradise G. H. I bless thee Lord because I GROW Among thy trees which in a ROW To thee both Fruit and Order OW What open Force or hidden CHARM Can blast my Fruit or bring me HARM While the inclosure is thine ARM. Inclose me still for fear I START Be to me rather sharp and TART Then let me want thy hand and ART When thou dost greater Judgments SPARE And with thy knife but prune and PARE Ev'n fruitful trees more fruitful ARE. Such sharpness showes the sweetest FREND Such cuttings rather heal then REND And such beginnings touch their END Several sins F. Q. Drunkenness It is a Thief that oft before his face Steals man away and layes a beast in 's place Cross sin It is a show'r which e're we can get in And find a shelter wets us to the skin Sin of Infirmity Is like the falling of an April-show'r 'T is often rain and sun-shine in an hour Sin of Custom Is a long show'r beginning withthe light Oft-times continuing till the dead of night Sin of Ignorance It is a hideous mist that wets amain Though it appears not in the form of rain Crying sin It is a sudden show'r that tears in sunder The cope of Heaven and alway comes with thunder Sin of Delight Is like a feather'd show'r of snow not felt But soaks to th' very skin when e're it melt Sin of Presumption Does like a show'r of hail both wet and wound With sudden death or strikes us to the ground The sin of Sins It is a sulph'rous show'r like that which fell On Sodom strikes and strikes to th' pit of Hell Lord let thy saving Grace thy servants shrow'd Till we arrive where
The Key of Knowledg Opening The PRINCIPLES of RELIGION And The Path of Life Directing The PRACTICE of true PIETIE Design'd For the Conduct of Children and Servants in the right way to Heaven and Happiness By T. W. D. D. Prov. 22.6 Train up or Chatechize a Child in the way he should go and when he is Old he will not depart from it Psal 119.9 VVherewith shall a Young man cleanse his way By taking heed thereto according to thy VVord LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside near Mercers Chappel 1682. The Preface To all young Persons who desire a happy life here and in the end Eternal life in Heaven REmember thy Creatour in the Daies of thy youth * Eccles 12.1 is the wise Counsel of the wisest of men Solomon A multitude of young People neglecting this great Duty and never seriously thinking of that God that made them have run headlong into Hell fire And what a wofull thing is it for any to spend their time in vain Pleasures here and then to lie roaring in intolerable pains in Hell for ever and ever Take heed lest this be thy state who now readest these Lines Know tho' thou perceivest it not thou now standest upon the very edge and brink of Eternity The least touch of God's hand may send thee into another world Thou art a mortal Creature As sure as thou livest thou must at length die and then what shall become of thy Soul to Eternity When thy Body drops into the dust thy Soul which never dies will go to Heaven or Hell there to remain for ever and ever And how soon thou may'st die thou knowest not If thou vainly flatterest thy self with hopes of long life Luk. 12.20 God may say to thee Thou fool this night thy Soul shall be required of thee And then where art thou Do'st thou yet know thy State Thou wast born in Sin Joh 9.34 Eph. 2.3 being by Nature a Child of Wrath and Heir of Hell If thou art still in this state as thou certainly art unless thou art born again thou standest upon the Brink of Hell Joh. 3.3 and art every moment in danger of eternal Damnation Nothing but the Patience of God upon which thou do'st daily trespass by every Sin thou committest keeps thee out of the burning Lake Rev. 21.8 that place of torment which is prepared for Sinners And tho' thou canst eat drink and be merry and when the night is come lie down in thy Bed and sleep secure certain it is thou art all this while within an hand's-breadth of Hell-fire For what 's thy Life Psal 39.5 Behold saith David thou hast made my daies as an hand-breadth and mine age is as nothing before thee verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity And again saith he the wicked shall be turn'd into Hell Psal 9.17 So that while thou art in the guilt of Sin thou hangest by a brittle thread a frail Life over the burning Lake and by every Sin thou committest thou provokest God to cut this thread in two How canst thou live secure when there is nothing but this poor Paper-wall of a mortal body between thy Soul and Hell-fire Now if thou art not strangely stupid and one whom God hath already sealed up under hardness of heart to Damnation Rom. 2.5 Acts 28 27. thou may'st plainly perceive that thou art infinitely concern'd with all possible speed to take care that thy Soul may be saved that so whenever it shall please God to take thee hence by death thou may'st be for ever happy in heaven How happy would'st thou be all the rest of thy days if thou had'st but once secur'd the salvation of thy Soul and wast but well assur'd thou should'st be happy for ever But what shall I do to be saved Acts 16.30 What must I do that I may go to heaven when I die If I knew how to secure the salvation of my Soul it should be the first thing I would do Is this thy Enquiry and Resolve Art thou in good earnest Then know that this little Book is very happily come into thy hand For the very Design of it is to make plain the way to Heaven to thee and to tell thee what thou must know and do to be saved and give thee a plain direction for the doing of it so that if thou do'st not wilfully destroy thy self thou may'st certainly be everlastingly happy Know then that there are some things which God hath made necessary to be known and beleiv'd to Salvation and some things necessary to be done The knowledge of God and Christ and Obedience to the Gospel requiring Repentance Faith and Holy life are altogether necessary to Salvation For the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God who is the onely Saviour of lost men hath plainly declar'd that he will not save any but upon these terms And therefore tho' This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1.15 that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners yet it is no less certain that He shall at length be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming Fire to take vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thess 1 7 8 9. who shall be punished with everlasting Destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Now these things which are so necessary to salvation are here briefly comprehended in a short Scripture-Catechism which therefore I advise thee to get perfectly by heart Know the Answers are the very words of Scripture which is the very Word of God on which thou may'st safely venture thy Soul And when thou canst readily repeat these words with the mention of the places of Scripture where they are to be found thou wilt be able to give any man that asks thee 1 Pet. 3.15 a Reason of thy Faith or Hope by a ready mention of that Scripture on which it is grounded But that thy Hope may not make thee asham'd Rom. 5.5 rest not in the bare repeating of these words and bearing them in thy memory but be sure thou knowest well the meaning of the things required of thee for thy Salvation by thy own sense and experience as of Repentance and Regeneration or being born of the Spirit faith in Christ and Obedience to the Gospel Do the things and so shalt thou best know the meaning of the words for thy Souls good To do God's will is the only way to have a saving knowledge of his word Joh. 7.17 If any man saith our Saviour will do his Will he shall know my Doctrine to be of God Act. 3.19 Repent therefore and be converted break off thy sins with a hearty sorrow that thou hast thereby offended a good God and lead a new life Act. 16.31 Believe in the Lord
of the City and mocked him and said unto him Go up thou bald-head go up thou bald-head And he turned back and looked on them and cursed them in the Name of the LORD and there came forth two She-Bears out of the Wood and tare fourty and two Children of them 2 Kin. 2.23 24. VII You must not mock your Parents nor despise them no not in their old Age much less curse them or strike them but cover their Infirmities and do all you can to preserve their Honour Hearken unto thy Father that begat thee and despise not thy Mother when she is old Prov. 23.22 Remember Eli's two Sons were wicked and they despised their Father in his old Age not regarding his Reproof and God destroy'd them both For it 's said Eli was very old and heard all that his Sons did unto all Israel and how they laywith the women that assembled at the Door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation And he said unto them Why do ye such things For I hear of your evil Doings by all this people Nay my Sons it is no good Report that I hear ye make the LORD's people to transgress If one man sin against another the Judge shall judge him But if a man sin against the LORD who shall entreat for him Notwithstanding they hearkened not to the Voice of their Father because the LORD would slay them 1 Sam. 2.22.25 And accordingly it came to pass For the Philistines sought and Israel was smitten and they fled every man into his Tent and there was a very great slaughter for there fell of Israel thirty Thousand footmen And the Ark of God was taken and the two Sons of Eli Hophni and Phinehas were slain 1 Sam. 4.10 11. To despise the Admonition and Reproof of your Parents is a great Sin but to mock at your Father or Mother is a greater And therefore it is said The Eye of him that mocketh at his Father and despiseth to obey his Mother the Ravens of the Valley shall pick it out and the young Eagles shall eat it Prov. 30.17 It is written in the Law Cursed be he that setteth light by his Father or his Mother and all the people shall say Amen Dent. 27.15 And every one that curseth his Father or his Mother shall surely be put to Death he hath cursed his Father or his Mother his Bloud shall be upon hun Lev. 20.9 And again Whoso curseth his Father or his Mother his Lamp shall be put out in obsecure darkness Prov. 20.20 That is he shall have no Child to call him Father and so dying without Children his Memorial shall perish and his Name shall be blotted out from under Heaven And He that smiteth his Father or his Mother shall surely be put to Death Exo. 21.15 Remember how the Sons of Noah carried themselves towards him and take Notice why that one was Cursed and the other Blessed As it is said Noah began to be an Husbandman and he planted a Vineyard and he drunk of the wine and was drunken and he was uncovered within his Tent. And Ham the Father of Canaan saw the Nakedness of his Father and told his two Brethren without and Shem and Japheth took a Garment and layd it upon both their shoulders and went backward and they saw not their Fathers Nakedness And Noah awoke from his Wine and knew what his younger Son had done unto him And he said Cursed be Canaan a Servant of Servants shall he be unto his Brethren And he said Blessed be the LORD God of Shem and Canaan shall be his Servant God shall enlarge Japheth and he shall dwell in the Tents of Shem. Gen. 9.20 27. VIII If your Parents fall into wants you must be ready to releive and support them Thus the young Storks feed and sustain the old ones Thus in the years of Famine Joseph nourished his Father and his Brethren and all his Fathers Houshold with Bread Gen. 47.12 Our Saviour thus blames the Pharisees Ye say If a man shall say to his Father or Mother It is Corban that is to say a Gift to the Temple by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me he shall be free from an Obligation to relieve them And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his Father or his Mother making the Word of God of none effect thro' your Tradition Mark 7.11 13. IX You must not wrong your Parents by taking away any thing of theirs without their Consent For Whoso robbeth his Father or his Mother and saith it is no Trangression the same is the Companion of a Destroyer Prov. 28.24 X. You must be kindly affectioned towards your Brethren and Sisters There must be no strife nor Anger amongst you and you must not call one another by any bad Names For saies the Psalmist Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in Unity Psal 133.1 And Abram said unto Lot Let there be no Strife I pray thee between me and thee for we are Brethren Gen. 13.18 Said Joseph to his Brethren whom he treated with great Kindness notwithstanding their ill usage of him See that ye sall not out by the way Gen. 45.24 Mind the words of our Blessed Saviour Jesus Christ I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his Brother without a Cause shall be in Danger of the Judgement and whosoever shall say to his Brother Raca that is Thou vain or empty fellow shall be in danger of the Council but whosoever shall say Thou Fool shall be in Danger of Hell-fire Mat. 5.22 Thus Children you see your Duties Now be it your Care to do them And then you shall not only be beloved of your Parents but God himself will love you and bless you and give you the Kingdom of Heaven for your Inheritance The Duties of Servants NOW you that are Servants Know if you will fear God and serve him God will accept you and honour you He will take you to be His Sons and Daughters and great shall your Reward be in Heaven But if not it will not be possible for you to escape His VVrath and Hell-fire Know then These are the Duties which God in his Word requires from you I. You must honour your Masters giving a due Respect to them For saith the Scripture A Son honoureth his Father and a Servant his Master Mal. 1.6 And therefore Let as many Servants as are under the Yoke count their own Masters worthy of all Honour that the Name of God and his Doctrine be not blasphem'd And they that have believing Masters let them not despise them because they are Brethren but rather do them Service because they are faithful and beloved Partakers of the Benefit 1 Tim. 6.1.2 II. You must readily obey their lawfull Commands without Gain-saying or Contradiction For the Gospel requires Servants to be obedient to their own Masters and to please them well in all Things not answering again Tit. 2.9 Again saith the Apostle Servants be obedient to them
shall be wise but a Companion of fools shall be destroyed If it be known that a man has the plague or some infectious disease upon him will not every man shun his society Sin is the disease of the Soul not less infectious than the Plague Should you not have more care of your Soul than of your Body Is a Temporal Life in this World to be preferr'd before Eternal Life in Heaven Can you touch pitch and not be defil'd familiarly and delightfully converse with sinners and not contract the guilt of sin 'T is impossible Do you seriously reprove them for all their Oaths and Curses all their evil words and actions all their vanities and vitious excesses If so their company will soon become unpleasant to you and yours to them If not know you go away guilty of all their sins in the sight of God Oh! What a load of guilt do men carry home with them from ill Company Now are not thine own sins enough to damn thee How then wilt thou hold up thy head at the Judgment Seat of Christ when thou shalt be charg'd with all the horrible sins of that Company with which thou didst delightfully converse For he that keeps another Company in sinning heartens and hardens him in his sins and so at once promotes his and his own Damnation Surely if thou saw'st the Wrath of God and his Judgments hang over the heads of these sinners if thou saw'st those Black Devils that stand at their Elbowes to prompt them to wickedness if thou saw'st the burning Lake which is kindled underneath them into which they are ready to fall every step they take every sin they commit thou would'st be afraid to come into their Company and no Gold should ever bribe thee to become one of their Society If thou art wise and hast any regard to thy own welfare Eph. 5.11 12. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret Keep thy distance then from them and bind thy self with firm resolutions altogether to refrain their Society Hear the Counsel of the wisest of men Solomon and know therein thou hearest the voice of God Prov. 4.13 14. Enter not into the Path of the wicked and go not in the way of evil men avoid it pass not by it turn from it and pass away Observe here the wise man repeats expressions of the same import no less than six times to engage thee to shun the Society of sinners as if he should cry out aloud to thee and say fly fly fly fly fly fly evil Company if thou lovest the life of thy Soul or otherwise thou art a dead man utterly undone for ever Know for certain such as the Company is in which thou delightest in this World such shall thy Company be hereafter either the Saints in Heaven or the Damned in Hell If thou knowest not where to have Society with good men know its far better to remain solitary and to hold converse with God wherein the Pious Soul ascends to Heaven than to be travelling on with a great deal of merry Company towards Hell IX Be very serious and constant in the Duties of God's Service Know the service of God and the Salvation of your Souls are your great work and business in this World which you are to mind above all other things And be sure what you do in these matters you do with all your might No man will endure a negligent and slothful servant who is still mindless and heedless in what he goes about Trifling with God in matters of Eternal Consequence is utterly intolerable Be very diligent in attendance on the solemn Worship and Service of God on the Lord's Dayes and be constant in the performance of the duties of Religion Prayers and Praises to God on your own daies also but be sure you serve God in both with all humble Reverence Holy Seriousness and hearty Devotion God's Service is the most excellent employment and you must alwaies attend it with the greatest earnestness of Spirit Stir up your self to serve God with all your strength employ all the powers of your Soul in the duties of Religion Gen. 32.24 30. Hos 12.4 Jacob wrestled with God in Prayer and so gain'd a Blessing If you play the Hypocrite in your Prayers you must expect nothing but the Portion of Hypocrites in Hell-fire Mat. 24.51 When you approach the presence of God remember he is that great and dreadful God who is Glorious in Majesty and Infinite in Excellency and so address to him with all possible Reverence and Humility Heb. 12.28 Let us have Grace saith the Apostle whereby we may serve God acceptably with Reverence and Godly Fear For our God is a consuming fire Psal 95.6 And O come saith the Psalmist let us worship and bow down let us kneel before the LORD our Maker How intolerable is the Pride and Arrogance of some Persons in this duty of Prayer The greatest Subject of the Kingdom if he have a request to the King presents his Petition to him on the Knee But you shall see a sorry Servant to a Mortal man that will not be perswaded to bow his Knees to Almighty God when he should joyn with the Assembly in Publick Prayers The rude Carriage of such persons in the special presence of the All-Glorious God plainly discovers a profane and Atheistical Spirit Such an one though he be come to God's House Gen. 28.17 which is the Gate of Heaven sits there upon the brink of Hell 'T is a great instance of the Divine Patience that such a Person is not smitten with death in the place where he sits Lev. 10.1 2 3. Nadab and Abihu the Sons of Aaron we know for a like presumption were both punished with sudden Death For saith the LORD I will be Sanctifi'd in them that come nigh me and before all the people I will be Glorifi'd And therefore as you tender the Honour of God and the good of your own Souls approach Gods presence with great Reverence and Humility and serve him with great seriousness and sincerity of heart in all the Duties of Religion X. Let all your Actions and Employments your Labours and Delights even your most pleasant Recreations be season'd with the Fear of God and a serious Remembrance of Death and Judgment Where ever you are whatsoever you do remember the Eye of God is upon you and so demean your self as in his sight and presence For His Eyes are upon all the wayes of the Sons of men Jer. 32.19 to give to every one according to his wayes and according to the Fruit of his Doings Remember the day is coming when you must give an account before all the World for whatsoever you have done in the Flesh Do nothing now which you would be afraid or asham'd to own then When in the most secret place you
are tempted to any wicked deed remember though no man beholds you the Eye of the great God is upon you and so say with Joseph How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God Thus Gen. 39 9. Psal 4.41 stand in aw and sin not Let the fear of God restrain you from whatsoever is evil and let the Love of God carry you on with Delight to whatsoever is good And though God do not deny you those innocent Delights and Recreations which are agreable to your youthful years and which may fit you for a more chearful discharge of your respective duties yet you must be careful that those very Delights be season'd with the remembrance of God and the day of Judgment Mind what the wise man sayes to you and what charge he gives you concerning this matter Eccl. 11.9 Rejoyce O Young man in thy Youth and let thy heart chear thee in the dayes of thy Youth and walk in the wayes of thy Heart and in the sight of thine Eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into Judgment Know thou art Mortal and consider that every Action thou dost is a step to Eternity and every day thou livest sets thee a day nearer to thy death And therefore live so now as thou wilt wish thou hadst done when thou comest to dye The time of death is uncertain But most certain it is Christ Jesus will shortly come to call every one that has been faithful in his fervice from Labour to Rest and Sorrow to Joy Then happy shall he be who has been most serious in God's Service His Rest shall be sweet and his Reward Glorious Make good use then of this inch of time upon which depends the following Eternity Thy Glass is running be sure thy work be done before the last sand drop Spend thy Life in God's Service and in Death thou shalt see his Salvation Think still my Lord is at hand and so be ever well-doing Blessed is that servant Mat. 24.46 whom his Lord when he comes shall find so doing He will say to him Well done good and faithful servant 25.21 thou hast been faithful in a little take Possession of much Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Now the God of all Grace 1 Pet. 5.10 who hath called us to his Eternal Glory by Christ Jesus make you perfect stablish strengthen and settle you To him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen Thou shalt do well to repeat these Rules of Life as also thy Duty before declar'd as a Child or Servant upon the Lords Day once a Month for the better preserving them in Memory for thy direction in thy daily Practise For certainly the most of the sins that men commit to the dishonour of God and wounding of their own Conscience are committed through want of a present remembrance of their Duty or a due consideration of the mighty Obligations that lye upon them to do it This great mischief may be happily prevented by a frequent reading of these Rules of Life Read therefore and Remember and do these things that it may be well with thee for ever Apples of Gold IN PICTVRES of SILVER FOR The Vse and Delight of Children and Servants BEING A Collection of certain Verses from some of our Divine Poems more fit to be Imprinted on the Memories of Young People than Prophane Songs The Preface FOR the close of your entertainment I here present you with a Delicate Dish 'T is choice Fruit which grew in a Rich Soil 'T is as the Fruit of Eden that Tempted Eve good for Food Gen. 3.6 pleasant to the Eyes and desirable to make one Wise Only here is the difference She could not eat of that without Sin against God and Hurt to her self your eating of this may keep you from Sin and prove the Health of your Soul Freely feed then on this Fruit 't is not less wholesome than pleasant 'T is not as the Banquet of Midas or * Plut. Mor. Pythes a Mock-Feast 't is Gold for worth Prov. 25.11 but Food for use A Word fitly spoken saith Solomon is like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver And instruction in virtue to Persons in the Flower of their Age is a word fitly spoken Such are these pieces of Divine Poesie wherewith I here present you Read Remember and Practise them so shall you learn that Knowledge and Wisdom which is better than Silver and Gold seeing it will at once make you Rich and Happy Prov. 3.18 For Wisdom is a Tree of Life saith Solomon to them that lay hold upon her and Happy is every one that retaineth her And therefore Receive my Instruction saith He and not Silver and Knowledge rather than choice Gold For Wisdom is better than Rubies and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it Here you have the Words of Wisdom which are Golden Apples by the curious Art of Divine Poesy set in Silver Frames Take and eat for here you have both Food and Treasure What can you desire more than what is here offer'd to your Acceptance Accept and Improve and you shall not fail at once to find both Profit and Delight And Profit with Delight combin'd Is Meat and Musick to the Mind The Names of the Authors from whose Poems the following Verses are Collected G. H. Mr. George Herbert's Sacred Poems called the Temple R. C. Mr. Richard Crashaw's steps to the Temple F. Q. Mr. Francis Quarles his Emblems and Divine Fancies J. D. Dr. Donne's Poems G.F. Mr. Giles Fletcher's Christ's Victory and Triumph G. S. Mr. George Sandy's his Paraphrase of the Psalms and Scripture Hymns A. C. Mr. Abraham Cowley's Sacred Poems Some few others of less note are signified by the first Letters of their Names Counsel to Young men G. H. THou whose sweet youth and early hopes inhance Thy rate and price and mark thee for a Treasure Hearken unto a Verser who may chance Rhyme thee to good and make a bait of Pleasure A Verse may find him who a Sermon flies And turn Delight into a Sacrifice Beware of Lust it doth pollute and foul Whom God in Baptism washt with his own Blood It blots the Lesson written in thy Soul The Holy Lines cannot be understood How dare those eyes upon a Bible look Much less towards God whose Lust is all their Book Drink not the third glass which thou canst nottame When once it is within thee but before Mayst rule it as thou list and pour the shame Which it would pour on thee upon the Floor It is most just to throw that on the ground Which would throw me there if I keep the round He that is drunken may his Mother kill Big with his Sister he hath lost the Reins Is out-law'd by himself all kind of ill Did with his Liquor slide into his Veins The Drunkard forfeits man and doth divest All worldly Right save what he
Door and there does humbly keep And there through chinks and key-holes peep Though it like Moses by a sad command Must not come into th' Holy Land Yet thither it infallibly does guide And from a far 't is all descry'd Charms and Knots G. H. Who read a Chapter when they rise Shall ne're be troubled with ill eyes A poor man's Rod when thou dost ride Is both a weapon and a guide VVho shuts his hand hath lost his Gòld Who opens it hath it twice told VVho goes to Bed and doth not pray Maketh two nights to ev'ry day VVho by aspersions throw a stone At th' head of others hit their own VVho looks on ground with humble eyes Finds himself there and seeks to rise VVhen th' hair is sweet through Pride or lust The Powder doth forget the dust Take one from ten and what remains Ten still if Sermons go for gains In shallow waters Heaven doth show But who drinks on to Hell may go God's Greatness G. S. in 1 Sam. 2. GOD our secret thoughts displayes All our works his balance weighs Giants bows his Forces break He with strength invests the weak Who were full now serve for bread Those who serv'd infranchised Barren wombs with children flow Fruitful Mothers Childless grow God frail man of life deprives Those who sleep in death revives Leads us to our filent Tombs Brings us from those horrid Rooms Riches sends sends Poverty Casteth down lifts up on high He from the despised dust From the dunghil takes the just To the height of honour brings Plants them in the Thrones of Kings Man's Meanness G. S. Psal 8. LORD how illustrious is thy Name Whose power both Heav'n and Earth proclaim Thy Glory thou hast set on high Above the Marble-arched Sky The wonders of thy power thou hast In mouths of Babes and Sucklings plac't That so thou might'st thy Foes confound And who in Malice most abound When I pure Heaven thy Fabrick see The Moon and Stars dispos'd by thee O what is man or his frail Race That thou should'st such a shadow Grace Next to thy Angels most renown'd With Majesty and Glory Crown'd The King of all thy Oreatures made That all beneath his feet hast laid And that on Dales or Mountains feed That shady woods or deserts breed What in the Aery Region glide Or through the rowling Ocean slide Lord how illustrious is thy Name Whose Pow'r both Heav'n and Earth proclaim Humility G. S. Psal 131. THou Lord my witness art I am not proud of heart Nor look with lofty eyes Nor envy nor despise Nor to vain pomp apply My thoughts nor soar too high But in behaviour mild And as a tender child Wean'd from his Mothers Breast On thee alone I rest The word of God G. S. in Psal 19. GOd's laws are perfect and restore The Soul to life even dead before His Testimonies firmly true With wisdom simple men indue The Lord's Commandments are upright And feast the Soul with sweet delight His Precepts are all purity Such as illuminate the eye The fear of God soil'd with no stain Shall Everlastingly remain Jehovah's Judgments are Divine With Judgment he doth Justice join Which men should more than Gold desire Than heaps of Gold refin'd by fire More sweet than honey of the Hive Or Cels where Bees their treasure stive Thy servant is inform'd from thence They their observers recompence The World F. Q. O VVhat a Crocodilian world is this Compos'd of treacheries and imnaring wiles She cloaths destruction in a formal kiss And lodges death in her deceitful smiles She hugs the Soul she hates and there does prove The veryest tyrant where she vowes to love And is a Serpent most when most she seems a Dove Thrice happy he whose nobler thoughts despise To make an object of so easie gains Thrice happy he who scorns so poor a prize Should be the Crown of his heroick pains Thrice happy he that ne'er was born to try Her frowns or smiles or being born did lye In his sad Nurses Arms an hour or two and dye The Quip G. H. The merry world did on a day VVith his Train-bands and Mates agree To meet together where I lay And all in sport to jeer at me First Beauty crept into a Rose VVhich when I pluckt not Sir said she Tell me I pray whose hands are those But thou shalt answer Lord for me Then Money came and chinking still VVhat tune is this poor man said he I heard in Musick you had skill But thou shalt answer Lord for me Then came brave Glory puffing by In Silks that whistled who but he He scarce allow'd me half an eye But thou shalt answer Lord for me Then came quick wit and Conversation And he would needs a comfort be And to be short make an Oration But thou shalt answer Lord for me Yet when the hour of thy design To answer these fine things shall come Speak not at large say I am thine And then they have their Answer home The Rest F. Q. How is the anxious Soul of man befool'd In his desire That thinks a Hectick Fever may be cool'd In flames of Fire Or hopes to rake full heaps of burnisht Gold From nasty Mire A whining Lover may as well request A scornful Breast To melt in gentle tears as woe the world for rest VVhose Gold is double with a careful hand His cares are double The Pleasure Honour VVealth of Sea and Land Bring but a trouble The world it self and all the world's command Is but a bubble The strong desires of man's insatiate breast May stand possest Of all that earth can give but earth can give no rest The world 's a seeming Paradise but her own And man's Tormenter Appearing fixt but yet a rowling-stone VVithout a tenter It is a vast circumference where none Can find a Centre Of more than earth can earth make none posrest And he that least Regards this restless world shall in this world find rest The Retreat Return F. Q. Lord when we leave the world and come to thee How dull how slug are we But when at earth we dart our wing'd desire VVe burn we burn like Fire If pleasure becken with her balmy hand Her beck's a strong command If honour call us with her Courtly breath An hours delay is death If Profits Golden finger'd-charms inveigle's VVe clip more swift than Eagles Lord stop our Flight and turn our Course that we May fly as fast to thee Sunday G. H. O day most calm most bright The Fruit of this the next world's Bud Th' Indorsment of supreme delight VVrit by a Friend and with his Blood The Couch of time cares Balm and Bay The week were dark but for thy light Thy torch doth show the way The other dayes and thou Make up one man whose face thou art Knocking at Heaven with thy brow The worky dayes are the back part The burden of the week lies there Making the whole to stoop and bow Till thy release appear Man