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
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
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
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