because we are ripe for Judgment coming upon us like an Armed man that cannot be resisted 2 For our Miseries fears of Want of War Pain and Confusion for Distraction in our understandings Perplexity in our Wills Madness in our Passions boyling over in Dispair Which makes the Wicked Raging Forlorn Desperate Cursing and Blaspheming Foaming and Tearing like a Wild Bull in a Net 3. For our Deliverances from Sin and Miseries a Harbour out of a Raging Ocean a Calm in a Storm an Anchor a Rest a Rock in a dry and weary Land In a Tempest every man cries to his several God In Distress every man takes care for his Body and for his Soul pities himself should pity others helps himself and should help others prays for himself and should for others labours for himself and should for others Shifts for himself at last We know not what to think speak or do but look one upon another and all upon God SECT IX All Experiments Cordials 1. If ever there was a time of trial surely it is now Behold and see O all ye that pass by was there ever any Sorrow like unto my Sorrow wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger For these things I weep my eye my eye poureth out tears because the Comforter that should relieve my Sorrow is far from me Can we believe and will we believe now Do we dare to be honest still If ever Faith be found faithful it will be now If we cannot be happy now we shall be sure to be happy hereafter Veniet aliquando dies Time will end in Eternity All tears shall one day be wiped away from our eyes We have cause to be taken off from things below and to fix upon things above If there be deliverance it will come if none God's Will be done Sit down under the Judgment If we perish we perish Ly prostrate at the Footstool of God's Grace we cannot everlastingly perish Faith and a good Conscience will bring us peace at the last We know the worst 't is but a Temporal Life We can loose Great heart akings fear not them that can kill the Body and go no further but fear him that is able to destroy both Soul and Body in Hell fire The Lord can find away to deliver us which we cannot think of if he have any heart towards us or if we have any heart towards him He will seek to do us good if we will seek to do our selves good We have studied to do our selves good and our labour is in vain without God but our labour shall never be in vain in the Lord. Wo be unto them by whom the offences come it had been better for them if they had never been born or that they had been like the untimely fruit of a Woman which never saw the Sun 2. Is this a time to contend about Trifles Parties We had more need unite them and not Scratch and Devour one another as we do We must live and die together then let us live and die in love together Seek to reconcile all Parties at least bear with them and love them then look up to God and try if we shall be heard otherwise if we make many prayers he will not hear know this for certain the Party that is bloody and false shall be destroyed A Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand There will be Parties as long as the World lasts and those Parties will be of several Judgments as long as the World lasts These may instruct one another whither they will hear or whither they will forbear they must not devour one another therefore if they do both parties are guilty the innocent party may complain and defend themselves Is this a time to hunt after Honours Riches Pleasures till the Flood come and sweep us all away Throne of Grace 3. The last Refuge is the Throne of God's Grace never to depart from that is to be sure of Glory We know well what to do for our Eyes are upon God Signs of good 4. There are signs of fair Weather God remembers that we are but Dust and that the Breath is in our Nostrils and therefore he will not be always chiding lest the Spirits of men should fail before him and the Souls should die and perish which he hath Created God propounds the way of Peace 1. By opening unto us the Danger and discovering the Contrâ—vers of it 2. By raising up the Spirits of men to that pitch of detestation and utter abhorrence of those damnable Doctrines and Practices as are so universally destructive to the Church and Commonwealth 3. By offering ways and means to recover if we will take them God hath done his part but our business will not be done except we do our part What could God do more for his Vineyard which he hath not done but still we bring forth Wild Grapes God can and will save us if we will be saved 4. By giving us a Seed of Rare Champions Giants for Piety and Learning 5. If God had no delight in us Why hath he done so much for us already And why is he so ready to do for us still If we will yet repent we shall not perish Preparation for the worst 6. Prepare for the worst Hope for the best If we must die let us die together In Love in one anothers Arms. 2. In Faith in the Arms of God 3. In Justice doing no harm to one another in Righteousness having a good Cause and a good Conscience free from presumptuous sins and from blood guiltiness The will of the Lord must be done whither we will or no 't is best for us to be willing even against our Will we sin but God suffers and we suffer and God suffers we suffer altogether take heed we do not sin altogether We are not alone in sufferings let us not be altogether in sinnings God is with us in sufferings God is not with us in sinnings God is with us if we live not nor die not in sin this is comfort but God is far from us if we live and die in unrighteousness this is sorrow Look to Thoughts Words and Deeds that they be good now They that are profane and wicked as they were in times of safety are worse now in times of danger 'T is a bad sign to be bad still Will nothing do Then if your Sons and Daughters commit whoredoms and other Abominations let them alone for why should they be punished any more they will revolt more and more they that are wicked shall be wicked still But they that have fear'd the Lord and do fear the Lord and speak often one to another a Book of Remembrance is written of those men and God shall make up these Jewels carefully these have done what they can and can do no more they have satisfied themselves and shall satisfie God through Jesus Christ their Lord who hath satisfied for them because they have
God or man except our hearts rely upon God alone and our Consciences are pure from the blood of all men I Communicate my thoughts to the World to comfort them under God with such Comforts as I have received from God if they will imbrace them if they find fault let them produce better if they can if they do I shall not find fault but thank them Si non his utere mecum I have embosomed my own Soul my heart is enlarged I am filled as the Moon at the full O si esset fenestratum pectus It is my love and goodness not to be despised from the menarest Swain These good thoughts come into my mind in these distracted times and surely the worst of trouble occasion and stir up the best of thoughts and such ages by the good hand of God have produced most excellent of men I take it for a great mercy that there are such rare Saints and Servants of God that keep themselves unspotted from the World in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation hating the Garments spotted by the Flesh abounding so much more in Grace and Goodness as the World abounds in Sin and Wickedness of whom the World is not worthy nor am I worthy to pour water on their hands or carry their Books after them but desire to sit at their feet to learn and imitate their great Learning and Piety whom God preserve These things comfort me till deliverance come and will comfort me if it were come because I believe that the Grace of God is sufficient for us all though the Thorn be in the Flesh and the Messengers of Satan be sent to buffet us Let the Reader pardon me for this largeness in so sad a season and upon so solemn an occasion of Fasting and Praying in our greatest extremity I shall ask his pardon but this once I will trouble him no more in this kind I hope I shall never have the like occasion the Storm will blow over I have told him my mind in this matter if he pleases to hear it if not I am where I was and he is where he is let him use his discretion But whether he will pardon me or no for 't is hard to please I may pray for him though he be my deadly Enemy and that will not hurt him tho he would hurt me except he refuses to pray for himself SECT XIV I conclude with the word of God and Prayer Famous are the Examples of Noah Abraham Jacob Joseph Moses c. Who through Faith subdued Kingdoms wrought Righteousness obtained Promises stopped the Mouths of Lions quenched the violence of Fire escaped the edge of the Sword out of weakness were made strong waxed valiant in Fight turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens Women received their dead raised to life again and others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings yea moreover of Bonds and Imprisonment They were stoned they were sawn a sunder were tempted were slain with the Sword They wandred about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the World was not worthy they wandred in Deserts and in Mountains and in Dens and Caves of the Earth And these all having obtained a good report received not the Promise God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect Consider what I have said and the Lord give you understanding in all things A PRAYER O Thou that hearest Prayers unto thee shall all Flesh come We bow the Knees of our Hearts to thee the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named that thou wouldest be pleased to grant unto us according to the Riches of thy Grace to be strengthned with might by thy Spirit in the Inner Man that Christ may dwell in our Hearts by Faith that we being rooted and grounded in Love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the Love of God which passeth all knowledge that we may be filled with all the Fulness of God through Jesus Christ our Lord and unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think according to the Power that worketh in us even unto him be Glory in the Church of Christ Jesus throughout all Ages World without End Amen For whose sake we pray for the whole World especially for those that have remembred thee their God and are entred into Covenant with thee against the World the Flesh and the Devil that they may continue thy faithful Servants unto their Lives end and that the Gates of Hell may never be able to prevail against them And more especially we pray for that part of thy Church which thou hast planted in these Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland and peculiarly for thy Servant our most Dear and Dread Soveraign Lord CHARLES by thy Grace and amazing Providence of England Scotland France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith and in all Causes and over all Persons as well Ecclesiastical as Civil in these his Majesties Realms and Dominions next and immediately under Thee and thy Son Christ Jesus Supreme Head and Governor Give him the precious things of Heaven for the Dew and for the Deep that coucheth beneath and the precious Fruits brought forth by the Sun and the precious things put forth by the Moon and the chief things of the Ancient Mountains and the precious things of the lasting Hills and the precious things of the Earth and fulness thereof and the good Will of him that dwelt in the Bush come upon the Head of Joseph and upon the top of the Head of him that is separated from his Brethren that he may be unto them a nursing Father the Light of Israel and the Breath of their Nostrils Endue his Soul with Princely Virtues and everlastingly reward him Grant him a long life a happy Reign a glorious Victory over all his Enemies and a happy Succession after him Let his Enemies be clothed with shame and let confusion of Faces for ever fall upon them Smite through the Loyns of those that hate him and Plague all those that offer to rise up against him Let an Excellent Spirit from the Most High God always rest upon him Make him Wise and exceeding Valiant and Couragious even as an Angel of God able to go in and out before this Mighty Stubborn Divided and Discontented People committed to his Charge Guard him with Holy Angels and Loyal Subjects that the Sons of Violence may not come near to hurt him but upon his own Head and the Heads of his Posterity let the Crown flourish so long as the Sun and Moon shall endure Bless His Royal Consort Queen Catherine the Illustrious Prince James Duke of York and all the Royal Family Bless the Lords and Others of
his Majesties Most Honourable Privy-Councel together with all the True-hearted Nobility Gentry and Commons of the Land that they may be Obedient to thee their God Loyal and Faithful to their Prince truly loving and honest one to another Remember this whole Kingdom and save us from the noisome Pestilence from the hurtful Sword from the devouring Fire from the overflowing Waters from Storms and Tempests and all fatal Changes and Chances good Lord deliver us that we may lead a healthful and a quiet and a peaceable life before thee in all Godliness and Honesty that there may be no more decay no more leading into Captivity nor no more complaining in our Streets Happy O happy are the People that are in such a case yea blessed are the People which have the Lord for their God O do thou deliver us and be merciful unto our crying sins for thy Great Names sake that though heaviness have endured upon us for a long and dark and dismal night yet Joy may come unto us in the Morning that we may see the Salvation of our God in the Land of the living the living the living they shall praise thee as we do this day O let us live that we may praise thee Bless all those that wait at the Altars of Religion and Justice by what names or titles soever they be dignified or distinguished the most Reverend the Archbishops the right Reverend the Bishops and all the inferiour Clergy together with the Reverend Judges and Magistrates of the Land And that there may never want a continual supply of able Men fit to do thee true and faithful service both in the Church and State Bless all Schools and Nurseries of Religion and Learning especially the two famous and flourishing Vniversities of this Land Cambridge and Oxford that from those two Fountains may be derived such pure streams as may make glad and refresh the City of our God that we may never want a faithful Prophet nor a Religious Seer nor a Learned Guide to go before us such as may be able to divide the word of God aright like workmen that need not to be ashamed shewing both in their Doctrine and in their lives uncorruptness gravity and sincerity and Men of Wisdom and Courage to execute true Justice and Judgment that Justice may run down like Water and Judgment like a mighty Stream that the blind may no longer lead the blind lest they both fall into the Ditch Remember the Afflictions of Joseph for they are many Comfort the comfortless bind up the broken hearted confirm the weak hands and strengthen the feeble knees uphold all them that stand and lift up all such as are down Remember the Sons of Sorrows and the Daughters of Mourning and Lamentation those that feed upon the Bread of Anguish and drink the Water of Bitterness every day those that are fast bound in Misery and Iron into whose very Soul the Iron enters those that fly to the Clefts of the Rocks for safety and cling to the top of the ragged Rocks for want of a covering that hide themselves in Caves and Dungeons of the Earth and wander about in Deserts and Mountains Clothed in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being afflicted destitute and tormented that cry mightily unto God in the bitterness of their Souls and no man heareth them nor regardeth them of whom the World is not worthy Remember those that are forgotten by the Sons of men whose wants are never known and whose complaints are never heard those that mourn in secret and have not to comfort them Behold the Tears of them that are oppressed how they run down their Cheeks every day and there is none to comfort them Behold how on the side of those that do oppose them there is great might and exceeding Malice but as for thy Servants there is none to comfort them Arise O God defend the Poor maintain the cause of the helpless help all those to fight that suffer wrong and punish thou the wrong doer O Thou that knowest the wants of all men and understandest all their complaints and art only able to relieve and comfort them O thou that art rich in mercy and abundant in tender compassions and loving kindnesses towards the Sons of Men. Sprinkle thy favours we beseech thee upon the several objects of Misery that are abroad in the World according to the several necessities and extremities which they are in for the Lord's sake Give unto thy Servants the Spirit of Faith and Patience and Perseverance and Assistance and Assurance and of the fear of the Lord and when the great Lord pleases and how the great Lord pleases Open thou the Door of Hope and Comfort unto them if it be thy will in this life that they may see the salvation of the Lord in the Land of the living and praise thee in the great Congregation and declare what thou hast done for their poor Souls Because they are but Dust and the Breath is in their Nostrils and are but of Yesterday and to Morrow shall not be therefore be not always chiding lest the Spirits of Men should fail before thee and the Souls should dy and perish which thou hast Created Nevertheless not their Wills nor our Wills nor the Wills of Angels or of Men be done but thy Will be done even thine O Lord our God who dost all things according to the Course of thine own Will and wilt make every thing to work together for thine own great Glory and for the good of all those that fear thee and as for us we will be doing good and wait upon God and hold our peace for 't is good to wait upon God and they that wait upon God shall not be ashamed for the patient expectation of the meek shall not perish for ever and through the tender compassions of our God we even we shall never miscarry And for the Publick good and welfare of this Church and Kingdom O Lord discover the depths of Satan and bring to light the hidden work of Darkness that all the misterious contrivances of wickedness which are secretly formed in the bosom of Hell it self against Thee and thy Holy Child Jesus and the Annointed of the Lord and all the Reformed Protestants here and beyond the Seas may be brought forth into the light of the open Sun that the hopes of Hypocrites may perish and the expectation of Deceivers may be cut off as the Spiders Web before thee But that all those that fear thee in the honesty and simplicity of their Souls and desire to be obedient in the Land may be glad in thee and rejoyce in thy Salvation and may say evermore the Lord be praised O put a Hook into their Nose and a Bridle into their Lips and curb their Barbarous and monstrous malice that it may enlarge its self no further tho the Waters rage and swell and rore and threaten to swallow us up command them to be quiet and stop them in their full carere and say it is enough so we that be thy People and the Sheep of thy Pasture shall give thee thanks from day to day and will be shewing forth thy praise from Generation to Generation The living the living they shall praise thee as we do this day O let us live that we may praise thee Remember our Friends our Kindred and all our acquaintance all that are near and dear unto us whomsoever in our hearts we do remember or whomsoever we are bound to remember the Lord God in mercy remember them all for good and do them good abundantly above all that we are ever able to ask or think Lord be gracious to our Enemies and turn thou their hearts and deliver us and ours and all thine out of all the Snares and Cruelties and Treacheries of wicked and ungodly Men and send us Health Peace and Truth in our days and for ever through Jesus Christ our Blessed Lord and only Saviour to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory World without end Amen FINIS Advertisement THere is lately published by the Author a Book in Folio entituled the difference between the OLD and NEW Testament Concerning Things Commanded to be done and Concerning Things promised to be had in them Demonstrating the High Dispensation of the GOSPEL above the LAW In two Volumes To be sold by Robert Clavel at the Peacock in St. Pauls Church-yard 1681.
Portion Sorte tuâ contentus abi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Other Remedies are of no value They do but encrease the pain they do no good when all is done Search and see it you can find any other way there is none This is the way walk in it Christ himself hath trodden it tho Thorny 't is safe This is the Philosophers Stone that turns all into Gold this is in God's power to do in our power to use Other things of Providence are not in our power let them go on for they must go on and none can stop them They may be born and they must be born no other Remedy when all is done that can be done only our eyes look up unto thee Acquaint thy self with God and be at rest retire to God and be secure shelter thy self under his wings Other things tend to Dispair this to Hope Study thus to be quiet This is the way walk in it Hear a voice behind thee within the round about thee God is nearer then when we believed We shall see by Faith what we cannot see by Sense we shall hear by Faith what we cannot hear by Sense we shall feel by Faith what we cannot feel by Sense and our hands shall handle of the word of life only be valiant and of a good courage The Lord will do his work and we shall hold our peace Who then is on God's side Who Who hath believed our Report and to whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed Shall the Son of Man find Faith on the Earth Yes he will find it in the hearts of those that are in Covenant with him The Light is within us keeps us from walking in Darkness Stay me with Flagons comfort me with Apples for I am sick of Love ravished transported with Eternals do not offer to break my heart with Terrors for I am ready and resolv'd not only to be bound but to dy for the blessed name of the Lord Jesus Make a party to wait on God and to trust to his mercies This is a present help in time of trouble The Cat in the Fable had but one shift to save her life when the Doggs came about her but 't was a good one to take a Tree but the Fox had a hundred but they were all stark naught Woful experience of all unprofitable means is a means to establish the heart to a comfortable experience of looking up to God When we say Who will shew us any good And find by experience they cannot shew us any good then we shall find by experience that God will shew us all good and that we had fainted unless we had believed to see the goodness of God and that we shall live and not dye I have lifted up mine Eyes to the Hills from whence only cometh my Salvation You may try all things if you will but they will do you no good But if you hold fast that which is good that to be sure will do you good Come unto me all ye that travel and are heavy laden with the burden of your Sins and ye shall find Rest for your Souls O every man that thirsteth come ye to the Waters and he that hath no Money come ye buy and eat yea come buy Wine and Milk without Money and without Price wherefore do ye spend your Money for that which is not Bread and your Labour for that which satisfieth not Hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good and let your Soul delight it self in Fatness Incline your Ear and come unto me hear and your Soul shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure Mercies of David Wisdom cryeth without she uttereth her voice in the Streets How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and the scorners delight in their scorning and Fools hate knowledge Turn you at my Reproof behold I will poure out my Spirit unto you I will make known my Ways unto you If thou incline thine Ear unto Wisdom and apply thine Heart to Understanding yea if thou criest after Knowledge and liftest up thy voice for Understanding If thou seekest her as Silver and searchest for her as for hid Treasures then shalt thou understand the Fear of the Lord and find the Knowledge of God Then shalt thou understand Righteousness and Judgement and Equity yea and every good Path. When Wisdom entreth into thine Heart and Knowledge is pleasant unto thy Soul Discretion shall preserve thee Understanding shall keep thee To deliver thee from the way of the evil Man from the Man that speaketh froward things Hide your Treasures in Woods Deserts Caves Ponds Wells c. Pack up Bundles and be bone fly away as fast as you can Destruction hath swift Wings to overtake you Riches profit not in the day of wrath Thrones have been tumbled into the Dust and they that were brought up in Scarlet have embraced Dunghills A good Conscience is the truest Riches will bring you to everlasting Habitations where ye may dwell in ease and safety There is no rest for the sole of our Feet but in Gods Ark Look upon one another still ye shall peradventure find help one to another in a worldly way if ye are true one to another But look up unto God and he shall find help in an Heavenly way one to another Is there a God or no If no despair and dye If a God believe and live SECT XII Obj. These are remove Comforts but my House is on fire I am undone Sol. Undone in outward appearance to the Eye of the World but safe in inward appearance to the eye of God for the World to Come I have said all I can I have no better If you like this Counsel take it if not let it alone but let me not cast Pearls before Swine I offer Peace if you take it well if not it returns to me again Liberavi animam meam I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you I have saved my own Soul your blood be upon your own Heads I have piped unto you and ye have not danced I have mourned unto you and ye have not wept Your destruction is from your selves but in God is your help if you will take it Do what you will I and my House will serve the Lord. Go away with such of your Comforts as you can yet make the best of them you can but behold I shew unto you a more excellent way You shall perish with all your Provisions but we that trust in God shall be as Mount Sion which shall never be removed We may fear as well as you in this Life or we may suffer as well as you or if ye be saved here we can but suffer but we have a better hope than you your Gold and Silver shall cancker and your Garments rot with the Moth. Solus mihi Consolator Christus in vitâ morte We are Men as well as you we have some wit in our Passions as well as