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
Grace Thy Love does give Jesus Thou woo'st Us Not to Dye but Live He teaches Us the Meanes to Certain Cure The Means to Health that is For ever Sure He is the Life the Light the Guide the Way Unto the Dead the Blinde the Lame the Stray To help our Wants He teaches how to pray He is the Best Physitian to the Sick He Wits restores unto the Lunatick He is the Shepheard that does Watch and Keep From Wolf-like Satan his Believing Sheep Then let 's not make our Reason lesse then Sense To flye Protection and such Providence He leads his to the Pastures ever green And in Communion oft by them is seen He drives Them by the Streams that ever run And after folds them at the Setting Sun His Yoke is easie and his Burthen Light 'T is Day in Goshen Though in Egypt Night SECT XXXIII By Comparatives in Law and Gospel BY Mighty Wonders He redeem'd the Slave By Miracles as great he preacht to Save He Waters Walls made and a Path midst Seas Through which his People made their Passe with Ease And when pursuing Pharaoh with his Host Thought to destroy their Wheels and all was lost The Waves did close So what was firm before Was Waters Throat as was the Earths to Core By Day a Cloud he was a Fire by Night To guard and to conduct his People right And that he might his mighty Arm expresse He led them fourty Yeers through Wildernesse As many Dayes He in the Flesh did fast When in the Wildernesse He Satan cast The Womans Seed the Serpent found did feel It bruise his Head as he had bruis'd His Heel A Wildernesse for Paradise had Stain For Wildernesse was Paradise a Gain From Heaven with Manna and with Quails he fed His People broaching Rock the while he led Three Fishes and two Loaves were Thousands Bread He was the Brazen Serpent that did heal Which on Mount Calvarie He did reveal And as on Sinai He the Law did give A Judge He 'l come to th' Dead and those that Live The Nations Then were scatt'red and did fall He was their Dread the Mighty General And by his Conduct and so great Command He marches Conquest into Holy Land This This was He that conquer'd Hell and Death And broke the Chains of Darknesse forg'd Beneath He He victorious from his Tomb do's rise And raises Man as his Redeemed Prize Wu't Thou turn Sadducee and This withstand Or wu't Thou rise with Halter in thy Hand He has Ascended up in Triumph where Thou may'st by Faith in Glory finde Him There SECT XXXIIII Supposition of Satisfaction BY This I deem Thy Frenzie does abate For whom Thou erst did serve Thou now do'st hate I see thy streaming Eyes thy mournful Tears Wash off thy Blacknesse Christs Blood drowns thy Fears Thou wond'rest at thy Sin 'gainst God so Good And start'st at th' Offering to Moloch Bloud Do Sigh againe That will blow Holy Fire Sighes are the Bellowes to Divine Desire Those Groanes like Thunder in the troubled Ayre Will make thy Brest as Skye Serene and faire What though thou dost endure A storme or Two By This thou storm'st tak'st Heaven and entrest to Thou safely maist commit Thus Violence This holy Murder slayes thy First Offence SECT XXXV Consolation 'T is well thou dost complaine And wisely Say Thou hadst forgotten Untill Now to pray Th' art Now alive Thou walk'st and talk'st with God Thou hast his Kisse H' hath cast away his Rod. When first the Subtile Hunter did prevaile He took Thee Sleeping Then he did assaile He frighted Thee with Specters and grim Dreames He cast A Mist 'twixt Thee and Truth 's clear Beams O look not Back And eye the Deadly Place Where thou had'st fall'n had it not been for Grace With th' Apprehension where thou late didst tread Be not as he at Rochester strook Dead But rayse with prayse to Heaven thy thankfull Head When God's Protction leaves Us what are We Our drunken Madnes reales to Misery Hel's Craft insinuates Ease from Present pain Gives Torment There leaves here Eternall Staine SECT XXXVI Satans Craft and Policie SO Lucifer undoes our Reasons Stock Insensibly He drawes Us up a Rock And seems to rest Us in this Grot that Cave With pleasing Sense of what we think to have With Shadowes coz'ning our deluded Eye And does pretend to lead us to the Skie Until H' has mounted Us to th' Slipp'rie Top Where staggering down We into Hell do drop Thus does his Subtlety set hidden Traps Most greedily rejoycing in our Lapse His Kindnesse wu'd destroy Us. For behold He offers Poyson in a cup of gold Mark How at First he gilded over Vice His Apple was The Cheat of Paradise Like Gods we should be Know both Good and Evill But Rebells to The Subject's of the Devill SECT XXXVII Incouragement against Temptation Shall we believe A Lye Or him that saith The truth He is O let Us give Him Faith Thou shalt not Kill did God in 's Law expresse No Not be Wroth His Gospell sayes That 's Lesse Let 's Mind Our League in Baptisme made gain'st Evill That we wu'd fight 'gainst World The Flesh and Devill That we wu'd joyn our Force sans Fear of Losse Like valiant Souldiers under Christ his Crosse. We so are Christians So we stoutly stand And make our Ground good whilst w' obey Command His Standarts our Protection So We shall Be Safe Let whatsoever can befall A Foil We may have not a Final Fall SECT XXXVIII Advance of Resolution THen let the World raise muster cheating Weights Let tickling close-armd Flesh draw forth her Baits And let the Devil set out slye Deceits Let them embodie All We dread no Harms Yea Let Hell come too with it's Magick Charms Let 's keep close Order And our Christian Arms Jesus The Word And then they break amain The World turns Back when we Heaven Heaven do claim We fight so fast the Flesh has lost her Force Resistance makes him flie Prayer makes him curse Hell's Charms do vanish Jesus At Thy Name Thou wert our Captain So we overcame SECT XXXIX Prevention BUt if the Devil stalks to Thee Alone And thinks He has Advantage One to One And tempts Thee as thy Saviour set high Showes Kingdoms and their Glory in thine Eye And promises the Gift of such Worlds All If that Thou down to Worship him wu't fall Cashier him with Christs Word Hence Satan get The Lord thy God to Worship is thy Debt Him only shalt Thou serve He 's gone and 's Net SECT XL. Summary Fortification TAke Courage Fellow-Christians Let 's rejoyce I hear Hearts Comfort from a Heavenly voice God spar'd not His own Son But for Us All Did Him deliver up How How then shall He not with Him give freely Us All Things Since He 's the Fountain of All Good that springs Who is He that Condemns 'T is Christ that di'd Yea rather that is ris'n in Heaven t' abide Who is at Gods right
Pleasures then where is thy help or thy Refuge For these things let thine Eye run down with water Because the comforter that should relieve thy Soul is far from thee Then fall down then cry out with thy voice with thy Heart Behold O Lord For I am in distresse My bowells are troubled My Heart is turned For I have grievously rebelled Abroad the Sword bereaveth At home there is ' as Death What saith the Prophet Isaiah concerning Edom Sinful Edom Scoffing Edom Edom that yet repented The Burden of Duma He calleth me out of Seir. Watchman What of the Night Watchman what of the Night The Watchman said The Morning cometh and also the Night If ye will inquire Inquire ye Return Come O doest thou hear thy Saviour calling sweetly Come unto Me All ye that be weary and heavie laden and I will ease you Take his word that is the Word Repent and be saved CANTO III. The Wildernesse of Tribulation 1. FOrsake the Paths of Pleasure Those smooth Wayes Have every Mile a standing Post On which Time's Glasse of Hours still lost Is set Which whoso passes breaks as with 't he Playes 2. This rugged Way all overgrown with Thorns Unpleasant to soft Flesh and Blood Leads on to the Perplexing Wood Scorns Where frisking Satyrs haunt whom some call Scoffs and 3. This Uncouth Way all over-run with Briars Is Best for Thee Though Nature loaths A punched Skin or tatt'red Clothes sires And though this Way has Theeves They 'l rob thy loose De 4. Within a Cave does crawling Sicknesse hide And makes a Prey of Strength and Health Surprising Beautie with her Stealth Which oftentimes with Partner Death she does divide 5. Here Sodom-Apples grow to cheat the Taste And Apparitions do appear At Distance Friends are that seem neer And in a Storm Trees senselesse move away in haste 6. By many'a Crosse and many a stumbling Stone This Straight does lead that thou must go And every Danger Thou must know For sometimes thou maist sadly travel it Alone 7. Beware the Magick Castle thou shalt see For on those Gates of shining Jet If thou but look'st thine Eyes will wet By represented Tortur'd Lovers Miserie 8. For when thou thin'kst to knock at that False Gate That then too late thou find'st deceive And wud'st thy Childe or Love reprieve Th' art tane by Passion Pris'ner that breaks out thereat 9. O have a Care when at the Doleful Dale Where Land Flouds tide away with Cares Mark Shallowes well the Deeps have Fears That will surprize And into Mare Mortuum hale 10. Detractions Hounds thou'it hear perchance in Cry That seld Face Game but still pursue And Envie gnawing others due Besides a Climbing Hill seems t' have her dwelling by 11. Thou must passe neer World's Rowling Globe as Stone Which vexed Sysiphus of yore Avoid its Trinkets and its Store If thou escapest That Thy sharpest Journey 's gone 12. For Heav'ns bright Sun-shine then breaks out more clear And fair green Plain will oyen show Where Thou hast Time Thy Self to know For horrid Sights before Sweet Comforts will appear PERSPECTIVE I. THe Wildernesse of Tribulation is a place of trial of discomfort of Solitude the many persecutions of the world And as A wildernesse hath many dangers so hath a Christian many temptations to put him to the plunge and the Exercise not of his courage onely but to the use of his best understanding In the unknown wayes of a wildernesse the Sun is the Travailer's best guide And that is the Son of Righteousnesse who is the way and the Light the onely Direction to the Right and protection for safetie In a Wildernesse the Travailer must expect but hard entertainment Therefore must he carry his provision along with him that is preparation against Injuries which like hunger will else starve him and expectation of his necessitie of suffering that he may not in the time of triall by improvidence be overcome He must watch and ward Tribulation is from Tribula A Flaile which thresheth out the corne from the straw The Paths of Pleasure Are the occasions the Custome or Habit of evill that must be avoided Every mile Signifies every day of life The standing poast on which Times glasse stands Intimates the night Or the continuance of time on which the measure stands the glasse is broken if time be not well spent 2. The rugged thorny way Is the difficulties in Affliction Not agreeing with the delicacy of our natures Leading men to The perplexing wood To the troubling of Reason by Cares and Anxieties There Satyres dwell Which are Violence Malice and Derision of the world 3. This uncouth way Shewes men's unwillingnesse to endure Affliction It is uncomfortable unto nature Hath Briars Which are Intanglements and many provocations to passion hath many Hindrances from an even walking hath many Impediments to a christian progresse by the imperfection of man's Frailty The worldlings are the theeves That oppresse the vertuous yet are they not absolute enemies in their plunder but Friendly Adversaries in effect that take from us our vaine desires and thereby weane our hearts and Affections from Earthly Vanities 4. Sicknesse hides in A Cave In the Body of Man where secret infirmities lay as in Ambush to surprise Makes a prey of strength Of power Of Health Of Pleasure of Beauty of Riches Death and sickness said to be Partners Because Flesh and Bloud is shared between them So little of well-being is there in this vexatious transitory world 5. Sodome-Apples Apparitions False Friends and Trees Discover the deceitfulnesse and Cosenage of the world that faile in time of greatest need to yield reliefe to those that relye upon the same 6. Crosses Are Afflictions Stones Frequent Offence given The straight way Signifies Necessities wherin the wayfaring Christian is hedged in to gain Experience and understanding of dangers that when he is alone without any to counsell him he may be able to direct himself and to order his course wisely Stones To keep him in a sober walk his hinderances from running too fast and Remembrances to be careful and the straight way makes him walk Right On even against his will 7. The Magick Castle Is the witchcraft of Passions that emprison our Reason and fetter our Understanding The Gates of shining Iett The speciousnes of Sin the Pleasingnes of Melancholly as the first torments our Consciences the last nurseth up sorrows to torture our Affections 8. The False Gate of the Passions Because they open not unto us and represent not things as they are but tempt men out of themselues And the unseasonable discovery of their deceit brings oftentimes too late Repentance For commonly it punisheth men's fondnes and cruciates their Dotage upon vain terrestrial things by occasioning the too late sight of Losse of themselves in the Pursuite of shadowes in such earnest Prosecution of the same so as becomming Transgressors even against the law of Nature they are apprehended and committed to Custody by their own vices
death of Affections Propter te mortificamur totâ die We are killed for thee all the day long singeth the Psalmist Quasi Cycnus in cantu as the related Swan chaunteth his Epicedium Foelicem illam animam cui vivere est Christus et cum Christo mori lucrum Thrice happy is that soul to whom Christ is the life He needs not fear to dye with him since he 's the onely Gain If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin But the Spirit is life for righteousness sake But if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the Dead dwell in you He that raised up Christ from the Dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies because that his Spirit dwelleth in you Therefore Brethren we are Debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh For if ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye mortifie the deeds of the body by the Spirit ye shall live writes S. Paul to the Romans 8. 10 11 12 13. And to the Philippians cap. 3. 7. The Things that were Vantage unto me the same I counted Losse for Christs Sake Yea doubtlesse I think all Things but Losse for the excellent Knowledge Sake of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have counted all things Losse and do judge them to be Dung that I might win Christ. And might be found in Him that is not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is is through the Faith of Christ even the righteousnesse which is of God through Faith That I may know him and the Vertue of his Resurrerection and the Fellowship of his afflictions and be made conformable unto his Death If by any means I might attain to the Resurrection of the dead c. But our Conversation is in Heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour even the Lord Jesus Christ Who shall change our vile Bodie that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious Body according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto Himself And this is the Mortification in our Consideration 1. Between two Hills as those of Faith and Hope Between two Hills is the Introduction to Mortification and the signification of her Strength and Firmenesse This Simile pointeth at the Mount of Faith and Tenariffe of Hope shewing that the Reason or Ground of true Mortification is the enjoyment of Christ who is incomparably beyond all things in the possession of which inestimable Riches Christians despise the World and trample upon their Affections thereunto knowing that in the Enjoyment of Him they possesse all things Thou goest into a gloomy Glade Into what is scorned by the world's Eye the excellency of which place is hidden for their sight Gloomy intimates composed and retired in thoughts Glades are places that indent between hills wherin Fowlers sett their Gins and Nets to take and Kill Partridges woodcocks and the like in the mornings and Evenings when they accustom to fly those wayes The Glade here shews the taking notice of the Vanities and Follies of the world and despising of them which is introductive to Mortification Where Groves of Yew do cast their Shade A sad and mournful condition in this world does cloud the vertuous in the Eye of opinion and estimations The godly are accounted as swallowed up by their Afflictions are reckoned no better than lost men by Children of this world who scarce number any among the Living that appear not in their Sunshine The Yew Tree as Galen reporteth is of a venemous quality and against man's nature These Yewes are Afflictions that are over shadowers of the vertuous and are poisoners of delight in vain pleasures being also very harsh to flesh and bloud and contrary to Nature Diascorides and most of those that have heretofore dealt in Herbarisme set forth though upon no very experimentall ground that the Yew Tree is very venemous to be taken inwardly and that if any do sleep under the shadow thereof it causeth many times death Too much sorrow taken inwardly taken too much to heart Killeth There is no sleeping in a storme no setting down still in Trouble We must bestir us the right way and use the means that they may be sanctifi'd unto us that the Yewes of our Miseries may be seated in our mortified hearts as they are used to be set in Churchyards hallowed Places by their dedication and customary imployment for Burialls The Yew growes so planted near the Church Affliction flowrisheth when it is placed near Devotion It is further said of the Fruit of the Yew that the Eating of the same is not onely dangerous and deadly unto Man but if Birds do eat thereof it causeth them to cast their feathers and many times to dye Inordinate sorrow for the things of this life bring rather mortem quam mortificationem lead us to despair to the gates of death more than to mortification The Birds are the Preferments of this world False Friends cast their feathers their favours the world forsakes us when trial coms and leaves oftentimes men dead without help or comfort Theophrastus Sayes that labouring Beasts do die if they eat of the Leaves but such Cattle as Chew the Cud receive no hurt at al thereby The Leaves are the hiding the covering of Afflictions which is very dangerous Affliction is death to unclean Beasts It makes the wicked mad It is not hurtful to those that are Clean that ruminate that chew the Cud. To those that meditate upon the Lawes and Statutes of the Lord and seek unto him continually by Prayer The Leaves of the Yew are senselesnesse negligence and unprofitablenesse of Afflictions when they are not made the right use of Whereupon it may well be said that Affliction leaves a man either much the wiser man or a greater Fool than before it found him Thou findest there a Pallace that had Scope Here the Traveller makes a loose Description of the Ruines of a stately Pallace shadowing therein the World whose Vanities and Pleasures must be thrown off and lose their station in our Affections before we can come to be mortified What had Scope had large room has none now in our Hearts Balconies Are the specious glories and glittering eminencies of the World those splendida peccata those shining Sins that draw so many Eyes after them and dazzle the weak Sight of the Beholders that are in conspicuo posita set out to catch the Fancies of Men. Rooms of Pleasure Vanities of the World wherewith forgetful Souls delight themselves according to their several Choice and Opinion Large As wide as the World Long Being falsly apprehended instead of everlasting Happinesse long as carrying Men still on in them and continuing them in such a deceiving Walk from turning With Arraes and with Pictures hung The Arras the vain Stories of Ambition The Pictures are the Lustre of Coin the golden Paintings of Wealth With such false Colours and loose Habit is this Iezabel trimmed and
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