plainly shewes who begat them not being of Mine Extraction but His Injection XVI MArcus Manlius deserved exceedingly well of the Roman State having valiantly defended their Capitol But afterward falling into disfavour with the People he was Condemned to death However the People would not be so unthankfull as to suâ—fer him to be executed in any place from whence the Capitoll might be beheld For the Prospect thereof prompted them with fresh Remembrance of his former merits At last they found a low Place in the * Petiline-Grove by the River-Gate where no Pinacle of the Capitoll could be perceived and there he was put to Death We may admire how men can find in their hearts to sinne against God For we can find no one place in the whole world which is not markt with a Signall Character of his mercy unto us It was said properly of the Jews but is not untrue of all Christians that they are Gods Vineyard And * God fenced it and gathered out the Stones thereof and planted it with the choisest Vine and built a Tower in the middest thereof and also digg'd a Wine-presse therein Which way can men look and not have their Eyes met with the Remembrance of Gods Favour unto them Look about the Vineyard it is fenced look without it the Stones are cast out look within it it is planted with the choisest Vine look above it a Tower is built in the midst thereof look beneath it a Wine-presse is digg'd It is impossible for one to look any way and to avoid the beholding of Gods Bounty Ungratefull man And as there is no place so there is no time for us to sin without being at that instant beholden to him We owe to him that We are even when we are Rebellious against him XVII A Duell was to be fought by consent of both * Kings betwixt an English and a French Lord The aforesaid Iohn Courcy Earl of Vlster was chosen Champion for the English A Man of great Stomack and Strength but lately much weak'ned by long Imprisonment Wherefore to prepare himself before hand the King allowed him what Plenty and Variety of Meat he was pleased to eat But the Monsieur who was to encounter him hearing what great Quantity of Victuals Courcy did daily devour and thence collecting his unusuall Strength out of fear refused to fight with him If by the Standard of their Cups and Measure of their drinking one might truly inferre Souldiers Strength by rules of Proportion most vast and valiant Atchievements may justly be expected from some Gallants of of these times XIII I Have heard that the Brook neer Lutterworth in Lestershire into which the Ashes of the burnt Bones of Wickliffe were cast never since doth drown the Meadow about it Papists expound this to be because God was well pleased with the Sacrifice of the Ashes of such a Heretick Protestants ascribe it rather to proceed from the vertue of the dust of such a Reverent Martyr I see t is a Case for Friend Such Accidents signifie nothing in themselves but according to the pleasure of Interpreters Give me such Solid reasons whereon I may rest and relye * Salomon saith The words of the wise are like nailes fastned by the Masters of the Assembly A Naile is firm and will hold driving in and will hold driven in Send me such Arguments As for these Waxen Topicall devises I shall never think worse or better of any Religion for their Sake XIX ALexander the * Great when a Child was check'd by his Governour Leonidas for being overprofuse in spending Perfumes Because on a day being to sacrifice to the Gods he took both his hands full of Frankinsence and cast it into the fire But afterwards being a man he conquered the Countrey of Iudaea the Fountaine whence such Spices did flow he sent Leonidas a Present of five hundred Talents weight of Frankincense to shew him how his former Prodigality made him thrive the better in Successe and to advise him to be no more niggardy in Divine Service Thus they that sow plentifully shall reap plentifully I see there is no such way to have a large heart as to have a large heart The free giving of the Branches of our present Estate to God is the readiest means to have the Root increased for the future XX THe Poets Fable that this was one of the Labours imposed on Hercules to make clean the Augeian Stable or Stall rather For therein they said were kept three thousand Kine and it had not been cleansed for thirty yeers together But Hercules by letting the River Alpheus into it did that with ease which before was conceived impossible This Stall is the pure Embleme of my impure Soul which hath been defiled with Millions of Sinnes for more then thirty yeers together Oh! that I might by a lively faith and unfeigned repentance let the Stream of that fountain into my soul which is opened for Iuda and Ierusalem It is impossible by all my pains to purge out my uncleannesse which is quickly done by the Rivolet of the Blood of my Saviour XXI THe Venetians shewed the Treasure of their State being in many great Coffers full of Gold and Silver to the Spanish Ambassadour But the Ambassadour peeping under the bottome of those Coffers demanded Whether that their Treasure did daily grow and had a Root for such saith he my Masters Treasure hath meaning both his Indies Many men have attained to a great height of Piety to be very abundant rich therein But all theirs is but a Cistern not Fountain-Grace onely Gods Goodnesse hath a Spring of it self in it self XXII THe * Sidonian Servants agreed amongst themselves to chuse him to be their King who that morning should first see the Sunne Whil'st all others were gazing on the East one alone lookt on the West Some admir'd more mock't him as if he look't on the Feet there to find the Eye of the Face But he first of all discovered the light of the Sunne Shining on the Tops of houses God is seen sooner easier clearer in his Operations then in his Essence Best beheld by Reflection in his Creatures For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the * World are cleerly seen being understood by the things that are made XXIII AN Italian Prince as much delighted with the Person as grieved with the Prodigality of his eldest Sonne commanded his Steward to deliver him no more Money but what the young Prince should tell his own self The young Gallant fretted at his heart that he must buy Money at so dear a Rate as to have it for telling it But because there was no Remedy he set himself to his Task and being greatly tired with telling a small Summe he brake off into this Consideration Money may speedily be spent but how tedious and troublesome is it to tell it And by Consequence how much more difficult to get it Men may Commit sinne presently pleasantly
doors otherwise threatning to break in But if those in the house knew their own Strength it were easie to keep them out Seeing the doors are Threatning Proof it is not the breath of their Oathes can blow the â—ocks open Yet silly Souls being affrighted they obey and betray themselves to their Violence Thus Satan serves me or rather thus I serve my self When I cannot be forced I am fool'd out of my Integrity He cannot Constrain if I do not Consent If I do but keep Possession all the Posse of Hell cannot violently eject me But I cowardly surrender to his Summons Thus there needs no more to my undoing but my self XVI Lord WHen I am to Travell I never use to provide my self till the very Tyme Partly out of Lazinesse loath to be troubled till needs I must partly out of Pride as presuming all necessaries for my Journey will wait upon me at the instant Some say this is Schollers fashion and it seemes by following it I hope to approve my self to be one However it often comes to passe that my Journey is finally stopt through the Narrownesse of the Time to provide for it Grant Lord that my confess'd Improvidence in Temporall may make me suspect my Providence in Spituall Matters * Salomon saith Man goeth to his long Home Short Preparation will not fit so long a Journey O! let me not put it off to the last to have my * Oile to buy when I am to burn it But let me so dispose of my self that when I am to dye I may have nothing to do but to dye XVII Lord WHen in any writing I have occasion to insert these passages God willing God lending me life c. I observe Lord that I can scarce hold my hand from incircling these words in a Parenthesis as if they were not Essentiall to the Sentence but may as well be left out as put in Whereas indeed they are not onely of the Commission at large but so of the Quorum that without them all the rest is nothing wherefore hereafter I will write those words fully and fairely without any Inclosure about them Let Criticks censure it for bad Grammer I am sure it is good Divinity XVIII Lord MAny temporall Matters which I have desired thou hast denyed me It vext me for the present that I wanted my will Since considering in cold blood I plainly perceive had that which I desired been done I had been undone Yea what thou gavest me instead of those things which I wished though lesse toothsome to me were more wholsome for me Forgive I pray my former Anger and now accept my humble thanks Lord grant me one suite which is this Deny me all suits which are bad for me when I Petition for what is unfitting O let the King of Heaven make use of his Negative Voice Rather let me fast then have * Quailes given with intent that I should be choaken in eating them XIX Lord THis day I disputed with my self whether or no I had said my Prayers this Morning And I could not call to mind any remarkable Passage whence I could certainly conclude that I had offered my Prayers unto thee Frozen Affections which left no Spark of Remembrance behind them Yet at last I hardly recovered one Token whence I was assured that I had said my Prayers It seems I had said them and onely said them rather by heart then with my heart Can I hope that thou wouldest Remember my Prayers when I had almost forgotten that I had prayed Or rather have I not Cause to fear that thou remembrest my Prayers too well to punish the Coldnesse and Badnesse of them Alas are not Devotions thus done in effect left undone Well * Iacob advised his Sonnes at their second going into Egypt Take double Money in your hand peradventure it was an Oversight So Lord I come with my second Morning Sacrifice Be pleased to accept it which I desire and endeavour to present with a little better Devotion then I did the former XX Lord THe motions of thy Holy Spirit were formerly frequent in my heart But alas of late they have been great Strangers It seems they did not like their last entertainment they are so loath to come again I fear they were * grieved that either I heard them not attentively or beleeved them not faithfully or practised them not Conscionably If they be pleased to come again this is all I dare promise that they do deserve and I do desire they should be well used Let thy holy Spirit be pleased not onely to stand before the door and * knock but also to come in If I do not open the door it were too unreasonable to request such a Miracle to come in when the doors were shut as thou did'st to the * Apostles Yet let me humbly beg of thee that thou wouldest make the Iron Gate of my heart open of it's own * accord Then let thy Spirit be pleased to sup in my heart I have given it an Invitation and I hope I shall give it room But O thou that sendest the Guest send the Meat also and if I be so unmannerly as not to make the holy Spirit Welcome O! let thy effectuall Grace make me to make it welcome XXI Lord I Confesse this Morning I remembred my Breakfast but forgot my Prayers And as I have returned no praise so thou mightest justly have afforded me no Protection Yet thou hast carefully kept me to the middle of this day and intrusted me with a new debt before I have paid the Old Score It is now Noon too late for a Morning too soon for an Evening Sacrifice My Corrupt Heart prompts me to put off my Prayers till night But I know it too well or rather too ill to trust it I fear if till night I deferre them at night I shall forget them Be pleased therefore now to accept them Lord let not a few hours the later make a breach Especially seeing be it spoken not to excuse my Negligence but to implore thy Pardon a thousand yeers in thy sight are but as yesterday I promise hereafter by thy Assistance to bring forth fruit in due Season See how I am ashamed the Sun should shine on me who now newly start in the Race of my Devotions when he like a Gyant hath run more then half his Course in the Heavens XXII Lord THis day casually I am fallen into a bad company know not how I came hither or how to get hence Sure I am not my Improvidence hath run me but thy Providence hath led me into this Danger I was not wandring in any base by-path but walking in the high way of my Vocation wherefore Lord thou that calledst me hither keep me here Stop their mouths that they speak no Blasphemy or stop my ears that I hear none or open my mouth soberly to reprove what I hear Give me to Guard my self but Lord Guard my Guarding
are not able to satisfie VIII IN the dayes of King * Edward the sixt the L. Protector march't with a Powerfull Army into Scotland to demand their young Queen Mary in Marriage to our King according to their Promises The Scotch refusing to do it were beaten by the English in Muslâ—borough fight One demanded of a Scotch Lord taken Prisoner in the Battell Now Sir how do you like our Kings Marriage with your Queen I alwayes quoth he did like the Marriage But I do not like the wooing that you should fetch a Bride with Fire and Sword It is not enough for men to propound Pious Projâ—cts to themselves if they go about by indirect Courses to compasse them Gods own Work must be done by Gods own wayes Otherwise we can take no Comfort in obtaining the end if we cannot justifie the means used thereunto IX A Sagamore or petty King in Virginia guessing the Greatnesse of other Kings by his own sent a Native hither who understood English Commanding him to score upon a Long Cane given him of Purpose to be his Register the number of English men that thereby his Master might know the strength of this our Nation Landing at Plimouth a Populous Place and which he mistook for all England he had no leisure to eat for notching up the men he met At Exeter the difficulty of his Task was increased Coming at last to London that Forest of People he brake his Cane in Pieces perceiving the impossibility of his imployment Some may conceive that they can reckon up the Sinnes they commit in one day Perchance they may make hard Shifts to Summe up their notorious ill deeds More difficult it is to score up their wicked words But O how infinite are their idle thoughts High Time then to leave off counting and cry out with * David Who can tell how oft he offendeth Lord cleanse me from my secret sinnes X. MArtin de Golin * Master of the Teutonick Order was taken Prisoner by the Prusians and delivered bound to be beheaded But he perswaded his Executioner who had him alone first to take off his Costly Cloaths which otherwise would be spoil'd with the sprinckling of his Blood Now the Prisoner being partly unbound to be uncloath'd and finding his Arms somewhat loos'ned strake the Executioner to the Ground kil'd him afterwards with his own sword and so regained both his life and Liberty * Christ hath Overcome the World and delivered it to Us to destroy it But we are all Achans by Nature and the Babylonish Garment is a Bait for our Covetousnesse Whil'st therefore we seek to take the Plunder of this World's Wardrobe we let go the Mastery we had formerly of it And too often that which Christ's Passion made our Captive our Folly makes our Conquerour XI I Read how Pope * Pius the fourth had a great Ship richly Loaden Landded at Sandwich in Kent where it suddenly sunck and so with the Sands choaked up the Harbour that ever since that place hath been deprived of the benefit thereof I see that happinesse doth not alwayes attend the Adventures of his Holinesse Would he had carried away his Ship and left us our Harbour May his Spirituall Merchandize never come more into this Island But rather sinck in Tiber then Saile thus farre bringing so small Good and so great Annoyance Sure he is not so happy in opening the doors of Heaven as he is unhappy to obstruct Havens on Earth XII IEffery Arch-Bishop of York and base Son to King Henry the second used proudly to protest by his faith and the Royalty of the King his Father To whom one said You may sometimes Sir as well remember what was the honesty of your Mother Good men when puffed up with Pride for their heavenly Extraction and Paternall descent how they are Gods Sonnes by Adoption may seasonably call to mind the Corruption which they carry about them * I have said to the worm thou art my Mother And this Consideration will temper their Soules with humility XIII I Could both Sigh and Smile at the Simplicity of a Native American sent by a Spaniard his Master with a Basket of Figgs and a Letter wherein the Figgs were mentioned to carry them both to one of his Masters friends By the way this Messenger eat up the Figgs but delivered the Letter whereby his deed was discovered and he soundly punished Being sent a Second Time on the like Message he first took the Letter which he conceived had Eyes as well as a Tongue and hid it in the Ground sitting himself on the place where he put it and then securely fell to feed on his Figgs presuming that that Paper which saw nothing could tell nothing Then taking it again out of the ground he delivered it to his Masters Friend whereby his fault was perceiv'd and he worse beaten then before Men Conceive they can manage their sinnes with Secresie But they carry about them a Letter or Book rather written by Gods Finger their * Conscience bearing witnesse to all their Actions But sinners being often detected and accused hereby grow wary at last and to prevent this speaking Paper for telling any Tales do Smother Stifle and Suppresse it when they go about the Committing of any Wickednesse Yet Conscience though buried for a time in Silence hath afterwards a Resurrection and discovers all to their greater Shame and heavier Punishment XIV IOhn Courcy Earl of Vlster in Ireland endeavoured fifteen severall Times to saile over thither and so often was beaten back again with bad Weather At last he expostulated his Case with God in a * Vision Complaining of hard Measure That having built and repaired so many Monasteries to God and his Saints he should have so bad successe It was answered him That this was but his just Punishment because he had formerly put out the Image of the * Trinity out of the Cathedrall Church of Down and placed the picture of Saint Patrick in the room thereof Surely God will not hold them Guiltlesse who justle him out of his Temple and give to Saints that Adoration due alone to his divine Majesty XV THe Lybians kept all Woemen in Common But when a Child was born they used to send it to that Man to maintain as Father thereof whom the Infant most resembled in his Complexion Satan and my sinfull Nature enter-Common in my soul in the causing of Wicked Thoughts The Sonnes by their Faces speak their Syres Proud Wanton Covetous Envious Idle thoughts I must own to come from my self God forgive me it is vain to deny it those Children are so like to their Father But as for some hideous horrible Thoughts such as I start at the Motion of them being out of the Road of my Corruption and yet which way will not that wander So that they smell of Hells Brimstone about them These fall to Satans lot to Father them The Swarthy Blacknesse of their Complexion
with much Mirth in a Moment But O that they would but seriously consider with themselves how many their offences are and sadly fall a counting them And if so hard truly to summe their sinnes sure harder sincerely to sorrow for them If to get their number be so difficult what is it to get their Pardon XXIV I Know the Village in Cambridge-shire * wherein there was a Crosse full of Imagery Some of the Images were such as that People not foolishly factious but judiciously conscientious took just exception at them Hard by the Youths of the Town erected a May-pole and to make it of Proof against any that should endeavour to cut it down they armed it with Iron as high as any could reach A violent Wind happened to blow it down which falling on the Crosse dashed it to pieces It is possible what is Counted Prophanesse may accidentally correct Superstition But I could heartily wish that all pretenders to Reformation would first labour to be good themselves before they go about the amending of Others XXV I Read that Aegaeus the Father of * Theseus hid a Sword a paire of Shooes under a great Stone And left word with his wife whom he left with Child that when the Sonne she should bear was able to take up that Stone weild that Sword and wear those Shooes then she should send him to him For by these Signes he would own him for his own Sonne Christ hath left in the Custody of the Church our Mother the Sword of the Spirit and the Shooes of a Christian Conversation the same which he once wore himself and they must fit our Feet yea and we must take up the weight of many heavy Crosses before we can come at them But when we shall appear before our Heavenly Father bringing these Tokens with us then and not before he will acknowledge us to be no Bastards but his True-born Children MIXT Contemplations I. WHen I look on a Leaden Bullet therein I can read both Gods Mercy and Mans Malice Gods Mercy whose Providence foreseeing that men of Lead would make Instruments of Cruelty didst give that mettall a Medicinall Vertue As it hurts so it also heals and a Bullet sent in by mans Hatred into a fleshly and no Vitall Part will with ordinary Care and Curing out of a naturall Charity work it's own way out But Oh! how devillish were those men who to frustrate and defeat his Goodnesse and to Countermand the healing power of Lead first found the Champing and Impoysoning of Bullets Fools who accompt themselves honoured with the shamefull Title of being the Inventors of Evill * Things indeavouring to Out-infinite Gods Kindnesse with their Cruelty II. I Have heard some Men rather causelessely Captious then judiciously Criticall cavil at Grammarians for calling some Conjunctions Disjunctive as if this were a flat Contradiction Whereas indeed the same Particle may conjoyn words and yet disjoyn the sence But alas how sad is the present condition of Christians who have a Communion disuniting The Lords Supper ordained by our Saviour to conjoyn our Affections hath disjoyned our Judgements Yea it is to be feared lest our long quarrels about the manner of his Presence cause the matter of his Absence for our want of Charity to receive him III. I Have observed that Children when they first put on new Shooes are very curious to keep them clean Scarce will they set their foot on the Ground for fear to dirty the Soles of their Shooes Yea rather they will wipe the Leather clean with their Coats and yet perchance the next day they will trample with the same Shooes in the Mire up to the Anckles Alas Childrens play is our Earnest On that day wherein we receive the Sacrament we are often over-precize scrupling to say or do those things which lawfully we may But we who are more then Curious that day are not so much as Carefull the next And too often what shall I say go on in sinne up to the Anckles yea our sins go * over our Heads IV. I Know some Men very desirous to see the Devill because they conceive such an Apparition would be a Confirmation of their Faith For then by the Logick of Opposites they will conclude There is a God because there is a Devill Thus they will not believe there is a Heaven except Hell it self be deposed for a Witnesse thereof Surely such mens Wishes are vain and Hearts are wicked For if they will not believe having Moses and the Prophets and the Apostles they will not believe no if the Devill from Hell appears unto them Such Apparitions were never ordained by God as the means of Faith Besides Satan will never shew Himself but to his own advantage If as A Devill to fright them If as an Angell of light to flatter them how ever to hurt them For my part I never desire to see him And O! if it were possible that I might never feel him in his motions and Temptations I say let me never see him till the day of Judgement where he shall stand Arreigned at the Barre and Gods Majesty sit Judge on the Bench ready to condemn him V. I Observe that Antiquaries such as prize Skill above Profit as being rather Curious then Covetous do preferre the Brasse Coyns of the Roman Emperours before those in Gold and Silver Because there is much falsenesse and forgery daily detected and more suspected in Gold and Silver Meddals as being commonly cast and Counterfeited Whereas Brasse Coyns are presumed upon as true and antient because it will not quit cost for any to Counterfeit them Plain dealing Lord what I want in Wealth may I have in sincerity I care not how mean Mettall my Estate be of if my Soul have the true Stamp really impressed with the unfeigned Image of the King of Heaven VI LOoking on the Chappell of King Henry the seventh in Westminster God grant I may once again see it with the Saint who belongs to it Our Soveraign there in a wel conditioned Peace I say looking on the outside of the Chappell I have much admired the Curious Workmanship thereof It added to the Wonder that it is so shaddowed with mean Houses well nigh on all sides that one may almost touch it as soon as see it Such a Structure needed no Bace Buildings about it as foiles to set it off Rather this Chappell may passe for the Embleme of a great Worth living in a private way How is he pleased with his own Obscurity whil'st others of lesse desert make greater Shew And whil'st Proud People stretch out their Plumes in Oâ—tentation he useth their Vanity for his Shelter more pleased to have worth then to hâ—ve others take Notice of it VII THe Mariners at Sea count it the sweetest perfume when the Water in the Keel of their Ship doth stinke For hence they conclude that it is but little and long since I ak't in But it is wofull with them when the Water