most and blowne in thee O my lustfull soule O turne thine eare from the pleadings of Nature and make a Covenant with thine eyes Let not the language of Delilah inchant thee left the hands of the Philisâ—ims surprize thee Review thy past pleasures with the charge and paines thou hadst to compasse them and show mee where 's thy pennyworth Foresee what punishments are prepa'rd to meet thee and tell mee what 's thy purchase Thou hast barterd away thy God for a lust sold thy eternitie for a trifle If this bargaine may not bee recall'd by teares dissolve thee O my soule into a Spring of waters if not to be revers'd with price reduce thy whole estate into a Sackcloth and an Ashtub Thou whose Liver hath scorch't in the flames of lust humble thy heart in the Ashes of repentance And as with Esau thou hast sold thy Birthright for Broth so with Iacob wrestle by Prayer till thou get a blessing His Prayer O God before whose face the Angels are impure before whose cleare omniscience all Actions appeare to whom the very secrets of the hearts are open I here acknowledge to thy glory and my shame the filthinesse and vile impuritie of my Nature Lord I was filthy in my very conception and in filthiness my mothers wombe enclosed me brought forth in filthinesse and filthy in my very innocency filthy in the motions of my flesh and filthy in the apprehensions of my soule my words all cloath'd with filthinesse and in all my actions filthy and uncleane in my inclination filthy and in the whole course of my life nothing but a continued filthinesse Wash mee O God and make mee cleane cleanse me from the filthinesse of my corruption Purge me O Lord with Hyssop and create a cleane heart within mee Correct the vagrant motions of my flesh and quench the fiery darts of Satan Let not the Law of my corrupted members rule mee O let concupiscence have no dominion over mee Give mee courage to fight against my lusts and give my weakenesse strength to overcome make sharpe my sword against this body of sinne but most against my Delilah my bosome sinne Deliver mee from the tyranny of temptation or give mee power to subdue it Confine the libertie of my wanton appetite and give mee temperance in a sober diet Grant mee a heart to strive with thee in Prayer and hopefull patience to attend thy leisure Keepe mee from the habit of an idle life and close mine eares against corrupt communication Set thou a watch before my lippes that all my words may savour of sobrietie Preserve mee from the vanitie and pride of life that I may walke blamelesse in my conversation Protect mee from the fellowship of the uncleane and from all such as are of evill report Let thy Grace O God bee sufficient for mee to protect my soule from the buffetings of Satan Make mee industrious and diligent in my calling left the enemy get advantage over me In all my temptations let mee have recourse to thee Bee thou my refuge when I call upon thee Forgive O God the sinnes of my youth O pardon the multitudes of my secret sinnes Encrease my hatred to my former life and strengthen my resolution for the time future Heare mee O God and let the words of my mouth bee alwayes acceptable to â—hee O God my strength and my Redeemer The Sabbath-breakers profanation THe glittering Prince that sits upon his regall and imperiall Throne and the ignoble Pâ—sant that sleeps within his sordid house of Thatch are both alike to God An Ivory Temple and a Church of Clay are priz'd alike by him The flesh of Bulls and the perfumes of Merrh and Cassia smoake his Altars with an equall pleasure And does he make such difference of dayes ' Is hee that was so weary of the New-Moones so taken with the Sunne to tie his Sabbath to that onely day The tenth in tithes is any one in tenne and why the seventh day not any one in seaven We sanctifie the day the day not us But are we Iewes Are we still bound to keepe a legall Sabbath in the strictnesse of the Letter Have the Gentiles no priviledge by the vertue of Messiaâ—s comming or has the Evangelicall Sabbath no immunities The service done the day 's discharg'd my libertie restored And if I meet my profits or my pleasures then I 'le give them entertainment If businesse call mee to account I dare afford a carefull care Or if my sports invite me I 'le entertaine them with a cherefull heart I 'le goe to Mattens with as much devotion as my neighbour I 'le make as low obeysance and as just responds as any but soone as Evensong 's ended my Church-devotion and my Psalter shall sanctifie my Pue till the next Sabbath call Were it no more for an old custome sake then for the good I find in Sabbaths that Ceremony might as well bee spared It is a day of Rest And what 's a Rest A relaxation from the toyle of labour And what is labour but a painefull exercise of the fraile body But where the exercise admits no toyle there Relaxation makes no Rest What labour is it for the worldly man to compasse Sea and Land to accomplish his desires What labour is it for the impatient lover to measure Hellespont with his widened armes to hasten his delight What labour for the youth to number muâ—ick with their sprightly paces Where pleasure 's reconcil'd to labour labour is but an active rest Why should the Sabbath then a day of rest divorce thee from those delights that make thy Rest Afflict their soules that please my rest shall bee what most conduces to my hearts delight Two howers will vent more prayers then I shall need the rest remaines for pleasure COnscience why start'st thou A judgement strikes mee from the mouth of heaven and saith Whosoever doth any worke on my Sabbath his soule shall be cut off Exod. 31. 14. Exod. 20. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day six dayes shalt thou labour and doe all that thou hast to doe but the seventh day c. Exod. 31. 14. Ye shall keepe my Sabbath for it is holy unto you Exod. 31. 13. Verily my Sabbaths thou shalt keep for this is a signe betwixt mee and you throughout your Generations Luke 23. 56. And they returned and prepared spices and oyntments and rested on the Sabbath day according to the Commandement Gregor. Wee ought upon the Lords day to rest from bodily labour and wholly to addict our selves to prayers that what soever hath been done amisse the weeke before may upon the day of our Lords resurrection be expiated and purged by fervent prayers Cyr. Alex. Sinne is the storehouse of death and misery it kindles flames for it 's dearest friends Therefore whosoever when he should rest from sinne busieth himselfe in the dead and fruitlesse workes of wickednesse and renouncing all piety lusts after such things as will bring him into eternall destruction
and everlasting flames justly deserves to die perish with the damned because when he might have enjoyed a pious rest he laboured to run headlong to his own destruction MY soul how hast thou profaned that day thy God hath sanctified How hast thou encroach'd on that which heaven hath set apart If thy impatience cannot act a Sabbath twelve houres what happinesse canst thou expect in a perpetuall Sabbath Is six dayes too little for thy selfe and two houres too much for thy God O my soule how dost thou prize temporalls beyond eternalls Is it equall that God who gave thee a body and six dayes to provide for it should demand one day of thee and bee denied it How liberall a receiver art thou and how miserable a Requiter But know my soule his Sabbaths are the Apple of his eye Hee that hath power to vindicate the breach of it hath threatned judgements to the breaker of it The God of mercy that hath mitigated the rigor of it for charity sake will not diminish the honour of it for profanenesse sake forget not then my soule to remember his Sabbaths and remember not to forget his judgements lest hee forget to remember thee in Mercy What thou hast neglected bewaile with contrition and what thou hast repented forsake with resolution and what thou hast resolved strengthen with devotion His Prayer O Eternall just and all-discerning Judge in thy selfe glorious in thy Sonne gracious who tryest without a witnesse and condemnest without a Jury O! I confesse my very actions have betray'd me thy word hath brought in evidence against mee my owne conscience hath witnessed against me and thy judgement hath past sentence against mee And what have I now to pleade but mine owne misery and whither should that misery flee but to the God of mercy And since O Lord the way to mercy is to leave my selfe I here disclaime all interest in my self and utterly renounce my selfe I that was created for thy glory have dishonored thy Name I that was made for thy service have profaned thy Sabbaths I have sleighted thy Ordinances turned my back upon thy Sanctuary I have neglected thy Sacraments abused thy Word despis'd thy Ministers and despis'd their ministery I have come into thy Courts with an unprovided heart and have drawne neare with uncircumcised lippes And Lord I know thou art a jealous God and most severe against all such as violate thy â—est The glory of thy Name is pretious to thee and thine honour is as the Apple of thine eye But thou O God that art the God of Hosts hast published and declared thy self the Lord of mercy The constitution of thy Sabbath was a worke of time but Lord thy mercy is from all eternitie I that have broke thy Sabbaths doe here present thee with a broken heart thy hand is not shortned that thou canst not heale nor thy eare deafned that thou canst not heare Stretch forth thy hand O God and heale my wounds Bow downe thine eare O Lordâ— and heare my Prayers Alter the fabrick of my sinfull heart and make it tender of thy glory Make mee ambitious of thy service and let thy Sabbaths bee my whole delight Give mee a holy reverence of thy Word that it may prove a light to my steppes and a Lanthorne to my feet Endue my heart with Charity and Faith that I may finde a comfort in thy Sacraments Blesse thou the Ministers of thy sacred Word and make them holy in their lifes sound in their doctrine and laborious in their callings Preserve the universall Church in these distracted times give her peace unitie and uniformity purge her of all Schisme error and superstition Let the Kings daughter be all glorious within and let thine eyes take pleasure in her beautie that being honor'd here to bee a member of her Militant I may be glorified with her triumphant The censorious mans Crimination I Know there is much of the seed of the Serpent in him by his very lookes if his words betray'd him not He hath eaten the Egge of the Cockatrice and surely hee remaineth in the state of perdition He is not within the Covenant and abideth in the Gall of bitternesse His studied Prayers show him to bee a high Malignant and his Iesu-worship concludes him popishly affected Hee comes not to our private meetings nor contributes a penny to the cause Hee cries up learning and the booke of Common-Prayer and takes no armes to hasten Reformation Hee feares God for his owne ends for the spirit of Antichrist is in him His eyes are full of Adulteries and goes a whoring after his owne inventions Hee can heare an oath from his superiors without reproof and the heathenish Gods named without spitting in his face Wherefore my soule detesteth him and I will have no conversation with him for what fellowship hath light with darknesse or the pure in heart with the uncleane Sometimes hee is a Publican sometimes a Pharisee and alwayes an Hypocrite Hee railes against the Altar as loud as we and yet he cringes and makes an Idol of the name of Iesus hee is quick-sighted to the infirmities of the Saints and in his heart rejoyceth at our failings hee honours not a preaching ministery and too much leanes to a Church-government hee paints devotion on his face whilst pride is stampt within his heart hee places sanctitie in the walls of a Steeple-house and adores the Sacrament with his popish knee His Religion is a Weathercock and turnes brest to every blast of wind With the pure hee seemes pure and with the wicked hee will joyne in fellowship A sober language is in his mouth but the poyson of Aspes is under his tongue His workes conduce not to edification nor are the motions of his heart sanctified Hee adores great ones for preferment and speakes too partially of authority Hee is a Laâ—dicean in his faith a Nicolaitane in his workes a Pharisee in his disguise a rank Papist in his heart and I thanke my God I am not as this man BUt stay my soule take heed whilst thou judgest another lest God judge thee how com'st thou so expert in anothers heart being so often deceived in thy owne A Sâ—ul to day may prove a Paul to morrow Take heed whilst thou wouldst seeme religious thou appeare not uncharitable and whilst thou judgest man thou be not judg'd of God who saith Iudge not lest yee bee judged Matth. 7. 1. John 7. 24. Iudge not according to appearance but judge righteous judgement Rom. 14. 10. But why dost thou judge thy brother or why dost thou set at naught thy brother Wee shall all stand before the judgement seate of Christ 1 Cor. 4. 5. hudge nothing before the time untill the Lord who will both bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and will make manifest the counsell of the heart Rom. 14. 13. Let us not therefore judge one another any more but judge this rather that no man put a stumbling block or an accusation to fall
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
this no day designed but At what time soever If my unseasonable heart should seeke him now the worke would be too serious for so greene a seeker My thoughts are yet unsetled my fancy yet too too gamesome my judgement yet unsound my Will unsanctified To seeke him with an unprepared heart is the high way not to finde him or to finde him with unsetled resolution is the next way to lose him and indeed it wants but little of prophanenesse to bee unseasonably religious What is once to bee done is long to bee deliberated Let the boyling pleasures of the rebellious flesh evaporate a little and let mee drayn my boggy soule from those corrupted inbred humors of collapsed nature and when the tender blossomes of my youthfull vanitie shall begin to fade my setled understanding will begin to knot my solid judgement will begin to ripen my rightly guided will be resolved both what to seeke and when to find and how to prize till then my tender youth in her pursuit will bee disturb'd with every blast of honour diverted with every flash of pleasure misled by Counsell turned back with feare puzzl'd with doubt interupted by Passion withdrawne with prosperitie and discurag'd with adversitie TAke heed my soul when thou hast lost thy self in thy journey how wilt thou find thy God at thy journeys end Whom thou hast lost by too long delay thou wilt hardly find with too late â—diligence Take time while time shall serve that day may come wherein Thou shalt seek the Lord but shalt not finde himâ— Hos. 5. 6. Esay 55. 6. Seeke the Lord while he may bee found call upon him while he is neare Heb. 12. 17. He found no place for repentance though hee sought it with teares carefully Thou foole this night will I take thy soule from thee Revel. 2. 21. I gave her a space to repent but shee repented not Behold therefore I will cast her Greg. lib. Mor. Seeke God whilst thou canst not see him for when thou seest him thou canst not find him seeke him by hope and thou shalt finde him by faith In the day of grace hee is invisible but neare in the day of judgement he is visible but farre off Ber. Ser. 24. If wee would not seeke God in vaine let us seeke him in truth often and constantly Let us not seeke another thing in stead of him nor any other thing with him nor for any other thing leave him O My soule thou hast sought wealth and hast either not found it or cares with it thou hast sought for pleasure and hast found it but no comfort in it Thou soughtest honour and hast found it and perchance fallen with it Thou soughtest friendship and hast found it false societie and hast found it vaine And yet thy God the fountaine of all wealth pleasure honour friendship and societie thou hast slighted as a toy not worth the finding Be wise my soule and blush at thy owne folly Set thy desires on the right objâ—ct Seeke wisdome and thou shalt find knowledge and wealth and honour and length of dayes Seeke heaven and earth shall seeke thee and deferre not thy Inquest lest thou lose thy opportunitie To day thou maist find him whom to morrow thou mayst seek with teares and misse Yesterday is too late to morrow is uncertaine to day is onely thine I but my soule I feare my too long delay hath made this day too late feare not my soule hee that has given thee his Grace to day will forget thy neglect of yesterday seeke him therefore by true repentance and thou shalt find him in thy Prayer His Prayer O God that like thy pretious Word art hid to none but who are lost and yet art found by all that seek thee with an upright heart cast downe thy gratious eye upon a lost sheep of Israel strayed through the vanitie of his unbridled youth and wandred in the wildernesse of his owne invention Lord I have too much delighted in mine owne wayes and have put the evill day too farre from mee I have wallowed iâ— the pleasures of this deceitfull world which perish in the using and have neglected thee my God at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore I have drawne on iniquitie as with Cart-ropes and have committed evill with greedinesse I have quencht the motions of thy good spirit and have delayed to seeke thee by true and unfaigned repentance In stead of seeking thee whom I have lost I have withdrawne my selfe from thy presence when thou hast sought mee It were but justice therefore in thee to stop thine eares at my petitions or turne my Prayers as sinne into my bosome But Lord thou art a gratious God and full of pity and unwearied compassion and thy loving kindnesse is from generation to generation Lord in not seeking thee I have utterly lost my selfe and if-thou find mee not I am lost for ever and if thou find mee thou canst not but finde me in my sinnes and then thou find'st mee to my owne destruction How miserable O Lord is my condition How necessary is my confusion that have neglected to seeke thee and therefore am afraid to bee found of thee But Lord if thou looke upon the all-sufficient merits of thy Sonne thy justice will bee no loser in shewing mercy upon a sinner In his name therefore I present my selfe before thee in his merits I make my humble approach unto thee in his name I offer up my feeble Prayers for his merits grant mee my petitions Call not to mind the rebellions of my flesh and remember not O God the vanities of my youth Inflame my heart with the love of thy presence and reliâ—â— my meditations with the pleasure of thy sweetnesse Let not the consideration of thy justice overwhelm me in despaire nor the meditation oâ— thy mercy perswade mee to presume Sanctiâ—fie my will by the wisedome of thy Spirit thaâ— I may desire thee as the chiefest good Quickeâ— my desires with a servent zeale that I may seeke my Creator in the dayes of my youthâ— Teach mee to seeke thee according to thy wilâ— and then bee found according to thy promise that living in mee here by thy grace I may here after raigne with thee in glory The Hypocrites Prevarication THere is no such stuffe to make a cloake on as Religion nothing so fashionable nothing so profitable it is a Livery wherein a wise man may serve two masters God and the world and make a gainefull service by either I serve bâ—ah and in both my selfe in prevaricating with both Before man none serves his God with more severe devotion for which among the belt of men I work my own ends serve my self In private I serve the world not with so strict devotion but with more delight where fulfilling of her servants lusts I work my end and serve my self The house of Prayer who more frequents then I In all Christian duties who more forward then I I fast with those that fast that
from me the drowzinesse of my heart open mine eyes that I may see the truth and mine eares that I may understand thy Word and strengthen my memory that I may lay it up in my heart and show it in my life and vocation to thy glory and my comfort and the comfort of my friends Lord write thy will in my heart that when I know it I may doe it willingly O teach me what thy pleasure is that I may doe my best to performe it Give mee faith to lay hold of Christ Jesus who died for mee that after I am dead I may riâ—e againe and live with him Give mee a good heart that I may deale honestly with all men and doe as I would be done to Blesse mee in my calling and prosper the labour of my hands that I may have enough to feed mee and cloathe me and to give to the poore Mend all that is amisse in me and expect from me according to the measure thou hast given me Forgive me all my sinnes and make mee willing to please thee that living a good life I may make a gratious death and so at last I may come to heaven and live for ever for Jesus Christ his sake Amen The sloathfull mans slumber O What a world of Curses the eating of the forbidden fruit hath brought upon mankinde and unavoydably entail'd upon the sonnes of men Among all which no one appeares to me more terrible and full of sorrow and bewraying greater wrath then that insufferable that horrible punishment of labour and to purchase Bread with so extreame a price as sweat But O what happe what happinesse have they whose dying Parents have procured a quieâ— fortune for their unmolested Children and conveigh'd descended Rents to their succeeding heirs whose easie and contented lives may sit and suck the sweetnesse of their cumberlesse estates and with their folded hands enjoy the delicates of this toylsome world How blessed how delicious are those easie morsells that can finde the way to my soft palat and then attend upon the wanton Leasure of my silken slumbers without the painefull practise of my bosome folded hands or sad contrivement of my studious and contracted Browes Why should I tire my tender youth and â—orture out my groaning dayes in â—oyle and travell and discompose the happy peace of my harmonious thoughts with painefull grinding in the common mill of dull mortalitie Why should I rob my craving eyelids of their delightfull Rest to cark and care and purvey for that Bread which every work-abhorring vagaboâ—d can finde of Almes at every good mans doore Why should I leave the warme protection of my care-beguiling Doune to play the droyling drudge for daily food when the young empty Râ—vens that have no hands to worke nor providence but heaven can call and be supplied The pale fac'd Lilly and the blushing Rose neither spinnes nor sâ—wes yet princely Solomon was never robed with so much glory And shall I then afflict my body and beslave my heaven-borne soule to purchase Rags to cloathe my nakednesse Is my condition worse then Sheepe ordain'd for slaughter that crop the springing Grasse cloath'd warme in soft Arrayment purchac'd without their Providence or paines Or shall the pamper'd Beast that shines with fatnesse and growes wanton through his carefull Groomes indulgence find better measure at the worlds too partiall hands then I Come come let those take paines that love to leave their names enroll'd in memorable monuments of Parchment The day has griefe enough without my helpe and let Tomorrowâ—â— shoulders beare to morrows burthens BUt stay my soule O stay thy rash resolves take heed whilst thou avoyd the punishment of sinne labour thou meet not the reward of idleâ—esse a judgement The idle soule shall suffer hunger Prov. 19. 15. Eccles. 10. 18. By much slothfulnesse the building decayeth and through idlenesse of the hands the house droppeth thorough Exod. 16. 49. Behold this was the iniquitie of thy sâ—ster Sodome pride fulnesse of Bread and abundance of idlenesse was in her and in her daughters neither did shee strengthen the band of the poore and needy Prov. 6. 6 7 8. Goe to the Pismire O sluggard behold her wayes and be wise For she having no guide governour nor ruler prepareth her meat in Summer and gathereth her food in harvest Nilus in Paraenes Idlenesse is the wombe or fountaine of all wickednesse for it consumes and wastes the riches and vermes which wee have already and disinables us to get those we have not Nilus in Paraen Was bee to the idle soulâ— for he shall hunger after that which his riot consumed HOw presumptuously hast thou my soule transgrest the expresse Commandement of thy God! How hast thou dasht thy selfe against his judgements How hath thy undeserving hand usurpt thy diet and wearest on thy back the wages of the painefull soule Art thou not condemned to Rags to Famine by him whose Law commanded thee to labour And yet thou pamper'st up thy sides with stollen food and yet thou deck'st thy wanton body with unearn'd ornaments whiles they that spend their daily strength in their commanded callings whose labour gives them interest in them want Bread to feed and Rags to cloathe them Thou art no young Ravâ—n my soule no Lilly Where abilitie to labour is there Providence meets action and crownes it Hee that forbids to cark for to morrow denies Bread to the Idlenesse of to day Consider O my soule thy owne delinquency and let imployment make thee capable of thy Gods protection The Bird that sits is a faire mark for the Fowler while they that use the wing escape the danger follow thy calling and heaven will follow thee with his Blessing What thou hast formerly omitted present repentance may redeeme and what judgements God hath threatned early Peâ—itions may avert His Prayer MOst great and most glorious God who for the sinne of our first parents hast condemned our fraile bodies to the punishment of labour and hast commanded every one a Calling and a Trade of life that hatest idlenesse as the root of evill and threatnest povertie to the slothfull hand I thy poore suppliant convicted by thy judgements and conscious of my own transgression flie from my selfe to Thee and humbly appeale from the high Tribunall of thy Justice and seeke for refuge in the Sanctuary of thy Mercy Lord I have led a life displeasing to thee and have been a scandall to my profession I have slighted those Blessings which thy goodnesse hath promised to a conscionable calling and have swallowed downe the Bread of idlenesse I have impaired the Talent thou gavest me and have lost the opportunity of doing much good I have filled my heart with idle imaginations and have layd my felse open to the lusts of the flesh I have abused thy favours in the misexpending of my pretious time and have taken no delight in thy Sabbaths I have doted too much on the pleasures of this world and like a Droane have fed