being done Ride on with thy Honour and create a name to live with faire Eternitie Enjoy thy purchas'd Glory as the merit of thy renowned Actions and let thy memory entaile it to succeeding Generations Make thy owne game and if thy conscience check thee correct thy saucy Conscience till shee stand as mute as metamorphos'd Niobe Feare not the frownes of Princes or the imperious hand of various Fortune Thou art too bright for the one to obscure and too great for the other to cry downe BUt harke my soule I heare a voyce that thunders in mine eare I will change their glory into shame Hos. 4. 7 Psal. 49. 20. Man that is borne in honour and understandeth not is like the beasts that perish Prov. 25. 27. It is not good to eate too much Hony so for men to search their owne glory is not glory Jer. 9. 23. Thus saith the Lord Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome neither let the mightie man glory in his might nor let the rich man glory in his ricâ—es But let him that glorieth glory in this that hee understandeth and knoweth mee that I am the Lord Gal. 5. 26. Let us not bee desirous of vain-glory c. St. August The vaine glory of the world is a deceitfull sweetnesse an unfruitfull labour a perpetuall feare a dangerous bravery begun without providence and finished not without repentance St. Greg. He that makes transitory honour the reward of a good worke sets eternall glory at a low rate VAine-glory is a Froth which blowne off discovers a great want of measure Canst thou O my soule bee guiltie of such an emptinesse and note bee challeng'd Canst thou appeare in the searching eye of heaven and not expect to be cast away deceive not thy selfe O my soule nor flatter thy selfe with thy owne greatnesse Search thy selfe to the bottome and thou shalt find enough to humble thee Dost thou glory in the â—avour of a Prince The frowne of a Prince determines it Dost thou glory in thy strength A poore Ague betraies it Dost thou glory in thy wealth The hand of a theefe extinguishes it Dost thou glory in thy Friends One cloud of adversitie darkens it Dost thou glory in thy parts Thy owne pride obscures it Behold my soule how like a Bubble thou appearest and with a Sigh breake into sorrow The gate of heaven is strait canst thou hope to enter without breaking The Bubble that would passe the Floodgates must first dissolve My soule melt then in teares and emptie thy selfe of all thy vanity and thou shalt finde divine Repletion evaporate in thy Devotion and thou shalt recâ—ute thy greatnesse to eternall Glory His Prayer ANd can I choose O God but tremble at thy judgements Oâ— can my stony heart not stand amazed at thy Threatnings It is thy voyce O God and thou hast spoken it It is thy voyce O God and I have heard it Hadst thou so dealt by mee as thou didâ—â— by Babels proud King and driven mee from the sonnes of men thou hadst but done according to thy righteousnesse and rewarded mee according to my deservings What couldst thou see in mee lesse worthy of thy vengeance then in him the example of thy justice or Lord wherein am I more uncapable of thy indignation There is nothing in mee to move thy mercy but in misery Thy goodnesse is thy selfe and hath no ground but what proceedeth from it selfe yet have I sinned against that goodnesse and have thereby heaped up wrath against the day of wrath that insomuch had not thy Grace abounded with my sinne I had long since been confounded in my sinne and swallow-lowed up in the Gulph of thy displeasure But Lord thou takest no delight to punish and with thee is no respect of persons Thou takest no pleasure in the confusion of thy creature but rejoycest rather in the conversion of a sinner Convert mee therfore O God I shall bee then converted Make mee sensible of my owne corruptions that I may see the vilenesse of my owne condition Pull downe the pride of my ambitious heart humble me thou O God and I shall bee humbled Weane mee from the thirst of transitory honour and let my whole delight bee to glory in thee Touch thou my conscience with the feare of thy name that in all my actions I may feare to offend thee Endue mee O Lord with the spirit of meeknesse and teach mee to overcome evill with a patient heart moderate and curb the exorbitances of my passion and give mee temperate use of all thy creatures Replenish my heart with the Graces of thy Spirit that in all my wayes I may bee acceptable in thy sight In all conditions give mee a contented minde and upon all occasions grant mee a gratefull heart that honoring thee here in the Church militant before men I may bee glorified hereafter in the Church Triumphant before thee and Angells where filled with true glory according to the measure of Grace thou shalt bee pleased to give mee here I may with Angels and Archangels praise thy Name for ever and ever The Oppressors Plea I Seeke but what 's my owne by Law It was his owne free Act and Deed The execution lies for goods or body and goods or body I will have or else my money What if his beggerly children pine or his proud wife perish They perish at their owne charge not mine and what is that to mee I must be paid or hee lie by it untill I have my utmost farthing or his bones The Law is just and good and being ruled by that how can my faire proceedings bee unjust what 's thirty in the hundred to a man of Trade Are we borne to thrum Caps or pick strawes and sell our livelihood for a few teares and a whining face I thanke God they move mee not so much as a bowling dog at midnight I 'le give no day if heaven it selfe would bee securitâ—e I must have present money or his bones The Commodity was good enough as wares went then and had hee had but a thriving wit with the necessary helpe of a good marchantable conscience he might have gained perchance as much as now hee lost but howsoever gaine or not gaine I must have my money Two teadious Tearmes my dearest gold hath laine in his unprofitable hands The â—oft of Suit hath made mee bleed above a score of Royals besides my Interest travell halfe pints and bribes all which does but encrease my beggerly defendants damages and sets him deeper on my score but right 's right and I will have my money or his bones Fifteene shillings in the pound composition I le hang first Come tell not mee of a good conscience a good conscience is no parcell of my trade it hath made more Bankrupts then all the loose wives in the universall Citie My conscience is no foole It tells mee that my owne 's my owne and that a well cramm'd bagge is no deceitfull friend but will stick close to mee when
upon the hony of Bees If thou O God shouldst bee extreame to search my wayes with too severe an eye thou couldst not choose but wheâ— thy indignation and powre the vialls of thy wrath upon mee looke therefore not upon my sinnes O Lord but through the merits of my Saviour who hath made a full satisfaction for all my sinnes What through my weaknesse I have fail'd to doe the fulnesse of his sufferings hath most exactly done In Him O God in whom thou art well pleased and for his sake bee gracious to my finne Alter my heart and make it willing to please thee that in my life I may adorne my profession Give me a care and a conscience in my calling and grant thy blessing to the lawfull labours of my hand Let the fidelitie of my vocation improve my Talent that I may enter into my Masters joy Rouze up the dulnesse and deadnesse of my heart and quench those flames of lust within mee Assist mee O God in the redemption of my time and deliver my soule from the evilnesse of my dayes Let thy providence accompany my moderate endeavours and let all my imployments depend upon thy providence that when the labours of this sinfull world shall cease I may feele and enjoy the benefit of a good conscience and obtaine the rest of new Jerusalem in the Eternity of glory The proud mans Ostentation I ' Le make him feele the weight of displeasure and teach him to repent his saucy boldnesse How dare his basenesse once presume to breathe so neare my person much more to take my name into his dunghill mouth me thinks the lustre of my sparkling eye might have had the power to astonish him into good manners and sent him back to cast his mind into a faire Petition humbly presented with his trembling hand But thus to presse into my presence to presse so neare my face and then to spâ—ake and speake to me as if I were his equall is more then sufferable The way to be contemn'd is to digest contempt but he that would be honour'd by the vulgar sort must wisely keepe a distance A countenance that 's reserv'd breeds feare and observation but affâ—bility and too easie an accesse makes fooles too bold and reputation cheape What price I set upon my owne deserts instructs opinion how to prize me That which base ignorance miscalls thy pride is but a conscious knowledge of thy meriâ—s dejected soules craven'd with their owne disâ—rusts are the worlds Footballs to be kickt spurnd but brave and true heroick spirits that know the strength of their owne worth shall baffold basenesse and presumption into a reverentiall silence and spite of envie flourish in an honorable repute Come then my soule advance thy noble thy sublimer thoughts and prize thy self according to those parts which all may wonder at few imitate but none can equall Let not the insolent affronts of vassals interrupt thy Peace nor seeme one sâ—ruple lesse then what thon art Bee thou thy selfe Respect thy selfe receive thou honour from thy selfe Rejoyce thy selfe in thy self and prize thy selfe for thy selfe Like Caesar admit no equall and like Pompey acknowledge no superior Be covetous of thine owne Honour and hold anothers glory as thy injury Renounce humilitie as an Heresie in reputation and meeknesse as the worst disease of a true-bred noble Spirit Disparage worth in all but in thy selfe and make anothers infamy a foyl to magnifie thy glory Let such as have no reason to bee proud be humbled of necessitie and let them that have no parts to value be despondent But as for thee thy Cards are good and having skill enough to play thy hopefull Game vie boldly conquer and triumph BUt stay my soule the Trump is yet unturn'd boast not too soon nor call it a faire day till night the turning of a hand may make such alterations in thy flat'ring fortunes that all thy glorious expectations may chance to end in losse and unsuspected ruine That God which thrust that Babylonian Prince from his Imperiall Throne to graze with beasts hath said The Lord will destroy the house of the proud Prov. Prov. 11. When pride commeth then commeth shame but with the lowly is wisdome Jer. 11. 15. Heare ye and give eare and be not proud for the Lord hath spoken Esay 2. 12. The day of the Lord of Hosts shall bee upon every one that is proud and loftie and upon every one that is lifted up and he shall be brought low Prov. 16. 5. Every one that is proud in heart is abomination to the Lord St. James God rejecteth the proud and giveth grace to the simple Isidor Hispal Pride mâ—de Satan fall from the highest heaven therefore they that pride themselves in their virtues imitate the Devill and faâ—l more dangerously because they aspire and climbe to the highest pitch from whence is the greatest fall Greg. Mor. Pride growes stronger in the root whilst it braves it selfe with presumptuous advances yet the higher it climes the lower it fals for he that heightens himselfe by his owne pride is always destroyed by the judgement of God HOw wert thou muffled O my soule How were thine eyes blinded with the corruption of thine owne heart When I beheld my selfe by my owne light I seem'd a glorious thing My sanne knew no eclipse and all my imperfections were gilded over with vaine-glory But now the day-spring from above hath shin'd upon my heart and the diviner light hath driven away those foggy mists I finde my selfe another thing My Diamonds are all turn'd Pebbles and my glory is turn'd to shame O my deceived foule how great a darknesse was thy light The thing that seem'd so glorious and sparkled in the night by day appeares but rotten wood and that bright Ghâ—-worme that in darkenesse out-shined the Chrysolite is by this new-found light no better then a crawling worme How inseparable O my soule is pride and folly which like Hippocrates â—winnes still live and die together It blinds the eye befooles the judgement knowes no superiours hates equals disdaines inferiors the wise mans scorne and the fooles Idol Renounce it O my soule lest thy God renounce thee Hee that hath threatned to resist the proud hath promised to give Grace to the humble and what true Repentance speakes free mercy heares and crownes His Prayer O God the fountaine of all true Glory and the griver of all free grace whose Name is onely honorable and whose workes are onely glorious that shewest thy wayes to bee meeke and takest compassion upon an humble spirit that hatest the presence of a loftie eye and destroyest the proud in the imaginations of their hearts vouchsafe O Lord thy gratious eare and heare the sighing of a contrite heart I know O God the qualitie of my sinne can look for nothing but the extremitie of thy wrath I know the crookednesse of my condition can expect nothing but the Fornace of thy indignation I know the insolence of my corrupted nature can
he will own thee repent and hee 'l pardon thee pray to him and he will heare thee His Prayer O God whose glory is the end of my creation and whose free mercy is the cause of my redemption that gavest thy Sonne thy onely Sonne to die for mee who else had perished in the common deluge of thy wrath What shall I render for so great a mercy What thankfulnesse shall I returne for so infinite a love Alas the most that I can do is nothing the best that I can present is worse then nothing sinne Lord if I yeeld my body for a sacrifice I offer nothing but a lumpe of filth and loathsome putrifaction or if I give my soule in contribution I yeeld thee nothing but thy Image quite defaced and polluted with my lusts or if I spend the strength of the whole man and with both heart and tongue confesse and magnifie thy Name how can the praises of my sinfull lips that breath from such a sink bee pleasing to thee But Lord since thou art pleased in thy well-pleasing Sonne to accept the povertie of my weake endeavours send downe thy holy Spirit into my heart clense it from the filth of my corruptions and make it fit to praise thee Lord open thou my mouth and my lips shall shew forth thy praise Put a new song into my mouth and I will praise thee and confesse thee all day long I will not hide thy goodnesse in my mouth but will bee showing forth thy truth and thy salvation Let thy prayses be â—y honour and let thy goodnesse be the subject of my undaunted Song Let neither reputation wealth nor life been pretious to mee in comparison with thee Let not the worlds derision daunt mee nor examples of infirmitie deject me Give mee courage and wisedome to stand for thy honour O make mee worthy able and willing to suffer for thy Name Lord teach me to deny my selfe and to resist the motions of my owne corruptions create in mee O God a single heart that I may love the Lord Jesus in sinceritie remember not O Lord the sinnes of my feare and pardon the hypocrisie of my self-love Wash me from the staines and guilt of this my hainous offence and deliver mee from this fearefull judgement thou hast threatned in thy Word Convince all the Arguments of my unsanctified wit whereby I have become an advocate to my sinne Grant that my life may adorne my profession and make my tongue an instrument of thy glory Assist me O God that I may praise thy goodnesse and declare thy wonders among the children of men Strengthen my faith that it may trust Thee and let my works so shine that men may praise thee That my heart beleeving unto righteousnesse and my tongue confessing to salvation I may be acknowledg'd by thee here and glorified by thee in the kingdome of glory The worldly mans Verdour FOr ought I see the case is even the same with him that prayes and him that does not pray withâ— him that sweares and him that feares an oath I see no difference if any those that they call the wicked have the advantage Their crops are even as faire their flocks as numerous as theirs that weare the ground with their religious knees and fast their bodies to a skelliton nay in the use of blessings which onely makes them so they farre exceed they tearme mee reprobate and stile mee unregenerate 'T is true I â—ate my labours with a jolly heart drinke frolick cups sweeten my paines with time-beguiling sports make the best advantage of my owne pray when I thinke on 't sweare when they urge mee heare Sermons at my leasure follow the lusts of my owne eyes and take the pleasure of my own wayes and yet God bee thanked my Barnes are furnisht my sheepe stand sound my Cattle strong for labour my pastures rich and flourishing my body healthfull and my bagges are full whilst they that are so pure and make such conscience of their wayes that run to Sermons â—igge to Lectures pray thrice a day by the hower hold faith and troth prophane and drinking healths a sinne doe often finde leane harvests easie flocks and emptie purses Let them bee godly that can live on Ayre and Faith and eaten up by Zeale can whine themselves into an Hospitall or blesse their lippes with charitable scrapps If godlinesse have this reward to have short meales for long prayers weake estates for strong faiths and good consciences upon such bad conditions let them boast of their pennyworths and let mee bee wickedâ— still and take my chance as falls Let mee have judgement to discover a profitable Farme and wit to take it at an easie Rent and Gold to stock it in a liberall manner and skill to manage it to my best advantage and luck to finde a good encrease and providence to husband wisely what I gaine I seeke no further and I wish no more Husbandry and Religion are two severall occupations and looke two severall wayes and he is the onely wise man can reconcile them BUt stay my soule I feare thy reckoning failes thee If thou hast judgement to discover wit to bargaine Gold to employ skill to manage providence to dispose canst thou command the Clouds to droppe or if a wet season meet thy Harvest and with open sluces overwhelme thy hopes canst thou let downe the floodgates and stop the watry Flux Canst thou command the Sunne to shine Canst thou forbid the Mildewes or controll the breath of the malignant East Is not this Gods sole Prerogative And hath not that God said When the workers of iniquitie doe flourish it is theâ— that shall be destroyed for ever Psal. 92. 12. Job 21. 7. Wherefore doe the wicked live become old yea are mightie in power 8. Their seed is establisht in their sight and their off-spring before their eyes 9. Their houses are safe from feare neither is the wrath of God upon them 10. Their Bull gendereth and faileth not their Cow calveth and casteth not her Calfe 11. They send forth their little ones like a flock and their children daunce 12. They take the Timbrell and the Harp and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ 13. They spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment they goe downe to the Grave Nil in Paraenes Woe bee to him that pursues emptie and fading pleasures because in a short time hee fats and pampers himselfe as a Calfe to the slaughter Bernard There 's no misery more true and reall then false and counterfeit pleasure Hierom. It 's not onely difficult but impossible to have heaven here and hereafter To live in sensuall lusts and to attaine spirituall blisse to passe from one paradise to another to be a mirrour of felicitie in both worlds to shine with glorious rayes both in this globe of earth and the orbe of heaven HOw sweet a feast is till the reckoning come A faire day ends often in a cold night and the road that 's pleasant ends in
Oratory to make their vaine attempts A land whose strength reades vanitie in the deceived hopes of Conquerours and crownes their enterprizes with a shamefull overthrow A land whose native plentie makes her the worlds Exchange supplying others able to subsist without supply from forraigne kingdomes in it selfe happy and abroad honorable A land that hath no vanitie but what by accident proceeds and issues from the sweetest of all blessings peace and plentie that hath no miâ—ery but what is propagated from that blindnesse which cannot see her owne felicitie A land that flowes with Milke and Hony and in briefe wants nothing to deserve the title of a Paradise The Curbe of Spaine the pride of Germany the â—yde of Belgia the scourge of France the Emperesse of the world and Queene of Nations She is begirt with walls whose builder was the hand of heaven whereon there daily rides a Navyâ— Royall whose unconquerable power proclaimes her Prince invincible and whispers sad despaire into the fainting hearts of forraigâ—e Majesty She is compact within her self in unitie not apt to civill discords or intestine broyles The envie of all nations the ambition of all Princes the terror of all enemies the security of all neighboring States Let timerous Pulpits threaten ruine let prophecying Church-men dote till I beleeve How often and how long have these loud sonnes of Thunder false prophesied her desolation and yet she stands the glory of the world Can Pride demolish the Towers that defend her Can drunkennes dry up the Sea that walls her Can flames of lust dissolve the Ordnance that protect her BEe well advis'd my soule there is a voyâ—â— from heaven roares louder then those Ordinance which saith Thus saith the Lord The whole land shall be desolate Jer. 4. 27. Esay 14. 7. The whole earth is at rest and at quiet they breake forth into singing Yea the Firre trees rejoyce at thee and the Cedars of Lebanon sing c. Yet shalt thou be brought downe to hell to the sides of the Pit Jer. 5. 12. They have bâ—lied the Lord and said It is not hee neither shall evill come upon us neither shall wee see sword or famine 1 Cor. 10. 12. Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall Luke 17. 26. They did eate and drink and they married wives and were given in marriage untill the flood came and destroyed them all Gregor. Mor. A man may as some build a Castle upon the rowling waves as ground a solid comfort upon the uncertaine ebbs and fluxes of transient pleasures S. August Whilst Lot was exercised in suffering reproach and vilence he continued holy and pure even in the filth of Sodom but in the mount being in peace and safetie he was surprised by sensuall securitie and defiled himselfe with his owne daughters 〈◊〉 prosperous and happy state is often the occasion of more miserable ruine a long peace hath made many men both carelesse and cowardly and that 's the most fatall blow when an â—â—â—xpected enemy surprises us in a deep sleep of peace and security Greg. Mag. SEcuritie is an improvident carelesnesse casting out all feare of approaching danger It is like a great Calme at Sea that foreruns a storme How is this verified O my sad soule in this our bleeding nation VVer 't thou not but now for many yeares even nuzzl'd in the bosome of habituall peace Didst thou foresee this danger Or could'st thou have contrived a way to bee thus miserable Didst thou not laugh invasion to scorne or didst thou not lesse feare a Civill warreâ— Was not the Title of the Crowne unquestionable And was not our mixt government unapt to fall into diseases Did wee want good Lawes or did our Lawes want execution Did not our Prophets give lawfull warning or were wee moved at the sound of Judgments How hast thou liv'd O my uncarefull soule to see these prophesies fulfill'd and to behold the vialls of thy angry God pour'd forth Since mercies O my soule could not allure thee yet let these judgements now at length enforce thee to a true Repentance Quench the Firebrand which thou hast kindled turne thy mirth to a right mourning and thy feasts of joy to humiliation His Prayer O God by whom Kings raigne and kingdoms flourish that settest up where none can batter downe and pullest downe where none can countermand I a most humble Sutor at the Throne of Grace acknowledge my selfe unworthy of the least of all thy mercies nay worthy of the greatest of all thy judgements I have sinned against thee the Author of my beeing I have sinned against my conscience which thou hast made my accuser I have sinned against the peace of this Kingdome whereof thou hast made me a member If all should doe O God as I have done Sodom would appeare as righteous and Gomorraâ— would be a president to thy wratâ— upon this sinfull nation But Lord thy mercy is inscrutable or else my misery were unspeakable for that mercy sake be gratious to mee in the free pardoning of all my offences Blot them out of thy remembrance for his sake in whom thou art well pleased Make my head a fountaine of teares to quench that brand my sinnes have kindâ—ed towards the destruction of this flourishing kingdome Blesse this kingdome O God Establish it in pietie honour peace and plenty Forgive all her crying sinnes and remove thy judgements farre from her Blesse her governour thy servant our dread Soveraigne Endue his soule with all religious civill and princely vertues Preserve his royall person in health safetie and prosperitie prolong his dayes in honour peace or victory and crowne his death with everlasting glory Blesse him in his royall Consort unite their hearts in love and true Religion Blesse him in his Princely issue Season their youth with the feare of thy Name Direct thy Church in doctrine and in discipline and let her enemies bee converted or confounded Purge her of all superstition and heresie and root out from her whatsoever thy hand hath not planted Blesse the Nobilitie of this land endue their hearts with truth loyaltie and true policy Blesse the Tribe of Levi with pietie learning and humilitie Blesse the Magistrates of this kingdome give them religious and upright hearts hating covetousnesse Blesse the Gentry with sinceritie charitie and a good conscience Blesse the Commonaltie with loyall hearts painefull hands and plentifull encrease Blesse the two great Seminaries of this Kingdome make them fruitfull and faithfull nurseries both to the Church and Common-wealth Blesse all thy Saints every where especially those that have stood in the gappe betwixt this kingdome and thy judgements that being all members of that Body whereof thou Christ art head we may all joyne in humiliation for our sinnes and in the propagation of thy honor here and be made partakers of thy glory in the kingdome of glory The Presumptuous mans Felicities TEll bauling Babes of Bugbeares to fright them into quietnesse or terrifie youth with old wives sables to keep their wild