gemms Joy Peace Honour Riches Comfort Light Life and Blisse O let us all-blessed God make thee our end our Center and Rest our Portion Our Treasure and our All and let us never be quiet till we know and experience thee to be a reconciled God and our merciful Father in and through thy dear Son Jesus Christ that so we may both enjoy thy Love O God which is better then life whilst we sojourne upon earth and live Crowned with the God of Love in glory when these Mud-wall'd Cottages of our fraile Bodies shall be crumbled and resolved into Dust by Death Grant this O God for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Sine Deo nec Gratia Gaudium Bonum nec Coelum II. Of Jesus Christ and A Christians Duty unto Christ HEE is truly really both God and man God that he might satisfie the Lords justice appease his wrath justifie and acquit guilty condemned man * Propter hominem homo Deus factus est man that he might die for sin purchase life for those who were spiritually dead and redeem them both from their woful slavery and from eternall misery He put off those Royall robes of Majesty and Glory and put on in his Incarnation the course rotten Garments or rather rags of flesh and frailty and so became like us in all things sin only excepted Behold here infinite astonishing miraculous debasement Compassion Condescension The Creator of the world became a mortall man the King of Kings a subject Man sins and his God willingly dies to expiate his Crimes The Actions and passion of this blessed Jesus are a continued series of miracles a golden chain let down from heaven to earth all whose links are love mercy goodnesse pity wonder a Dio Cassius Trajanum ferunt suorum vulneribus medicam manum adhibuisse cum fasciae dificerent nec fuaelquidem vesti pepercisse sed eam totam in ligamenta fomenta discidisse But this and ten thousand times more Compassion affection charity is not so much as a drop to the Ocean a beam of light to the Sun or a dust in the ballance to the whole earth compared with the love of Christ to undone man For never did the most tender hearted Soveraign do that for a wounded Souldier nor yet the most faithful lover for his dearest friend which Jesus Christ did for his deadlyest enemies What Prince did ever give his Throne Kingdome to his chiefest Rebells What Physitian did ever let the bloud out of his own heart to cure a most malitious unthankfull Patient What Judge did ever freely sacrifice his own life to save a condemned malefactor who did not only desire and resolve but indeavour to murther him upon the Bench What Generall or Commander did ever suffer willingly himself to be mortally wounded to cure the hurts or save the lives of those Souldiers who conspired to betray him Yet Jesus Christ did all this and infinitely more for he left heaven descended out of the Chariot and came down from the Throne of his Glory to sit upon his foot-stool the earth He willingly indured a close imprisonment in that dark Dungeon the womb of his both Mother and Creature for a time and afterwards he removed himself into that greater Gaole the world into which he was no sooner entred by his birth but disregard dishonor contempt dangers attended on him saluted him and was the best entertainment the chief Rent and Homage which his Tenants Subjects Creatures afforded presented paid unto him their Lord King Creator Immediately yea constantly after this cold uncivil unkind ingrateful usage till his death bloudy enemies hunted this Royal Lion of the Tribe of Juda to destroy him cruell Eagles pursued this harmlesse galless Dove to prey upon him Malitious cunning Foxes attempted to catch this innocent meek Lamb of God whom they should have worshipped to worrey him some openly persecuted others secretly combined against him some impudently affronted others subtilly by questions varnished with Religion and gilded with pretence of conscience laboured to insnare him some scorned and derided others blasphemed him This golden Ball was continually bandied and tossed up and down in the Tennis Court of this world by wicked men with the Rackets of Implacable malice inraged ignorance blind ambition and barbarous persecution till he was stricken into the hazzard of his Grave by the hand of death And yet all this was kindnesse Comdie to those injuries to that Tragedie which he received and soone after acted for they consulted apprehended accused buffeted derided reviled undervalued insulted slandered crowned with thornes at once to mock and wound him arraigned condemned and then crucifi'd him And yet all this too was love ease pleasure mercy to that ineffable yea unconceivable misery which their own and the sins of the whole world burthened and afflicted him withall in that bloudy violent terrible conflict of his upon the cross with sin Satan and the wrath of God the dreadfulnesse weight horror and fiercenesse whereof was such that it amazed affrighted nature and almost unhinged the whole Creation * Matth. 27. For the sun of heaven whilest the son of God was suffering upon earth hid his resplendent face under a pitchy cloud at once blushing grieving and fearing to behold so sad a spectacle The heavens put themselves into mourning wore a sable garment and gave a black livery to the world when that prodigious fact was committed that so they might both weare an habite sutable to the crime and apparell heaven aâ—d earth in a dresse fit to attend their maker withal to his grave expressing their sorrows in showers of tears The very Rocks to upbraid his more then flinty hearted Enemies to teach them and us compassion when others especially those who are innocent do suffer and compunction when we by sinning do crucifie our Saviour did relent yea break and because man was dumbâ— or rather silent and would not they clave themselves into mouths and tongues to proclaim and preach his Majesty mercy Divinity torments funerall The senselesse earth seemed to apprehend grew aguish and falling into a cold fit she did quake and tremble as if shee had both understood and been terrified with those wofull dismall dreadful calamities plagues and judgments with her equally stupid cruell and rebellious Children were then with both hands deliberately diligently certainly pulling downe upon their own wicked heads and by that fearfull bloudy prevailing Imprecation * Matth. 6 25. his bloud be upon us and our Children importuning an omnipotent just and highly offended God to intail upon their unborne posterity The vail of the Temple rent from the top to the bottome in twain and by that Sympathizing mysterious Act did declare assure and publish both to them and all the world 1. That the vail of ignorance and superstition which had so long covered and blinded the minds of men should be immediately taken way and torne in pieces by the promulgation of the glorious precious comfortable Gospell
penitent And let O Lord all thy chastisements be so sanctified unto us that our understandings may be enlightened our judgements rectified our souls humbled our corruptions mortified our consciences purified our lives reformed that thy dreadful wrath may be appeased thy unsupportable judgements removed thy tender mercies evidenced and thy loving kindnesse which is better then life vouchsafed and continued unto us Grant this O Lord for Christ his sake Amen Afflictio illuminat decet purgat eurat XVI Of Patience PAtience 't is a * Job 1. 21. Job blessing God for the losse of blessings an * 1 Sam. 3. 18. Eli kissing the Rod that drew bloud from him with that sharp lash that heavy stroke the threatned ruine of his house and posterity with the mouth of submission saying It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good a Cedrenus in vit Mauritii Camerar It 's a holy good Mauritius who when he was not only deposed from his Empire and succeeded by one of the worst yea basest of all his subjects Phocas but also compelled to be a sad and mournfull Spectator of the bloudy butchery of all his five sweet innocent Children he meekly and joyfully kissed the hand that beat him saying Righteous art thou O Lord and just are thy Judgments 'T is a Lamb that will be both shorn and killed without crying It 's a grace that keeps the soul in a calm holy contented frame in every condition 'T is an Isaac bound and ready to be sacrificed without murmuring A stone-wall that both blunts and repels the piled arrows of the sharpest sufferings 'T is a fountain without mud and clear though stirred or troubled with the hand and rod of affliction A face without a srown and peevish tear in the greatest pain disappointment grief torment 'T is a writ of restitution when distrust frowardnesse discontentment or rash anger have ejected a man out of his right mind and Christian behaviour whereby he is again peaceably and quietly restored unto himself In your patience possesse your Souls 'T is a stream that keeps within the banks of †Psalm 39. 9. silence with David and * Philip. 4. 11. 12. an holy contentation of mind with Paul when the stormy impetuous winds of affliction poverty sicknesse or persecution doe blow upon it 'T is cooling Physick that preserves the soul from falling into the dangerous fever of an angry murmuring against Gods crossing providences 'T is one like the Camell kneeling down to take up his burden It makes a man like wheat fall down in a silent submission and a willing resignation of himself to the will and pleasure of God when he 's winnowed with the fan of adversity 'T is a clear Skie in the worst weather An Anvile unbroken with the hardest strokes of injury calamity or Tyranny b Et non sentire mala sua non est hominis et non ferre non est vir Seneca 'T is the golden meane betwixt the extreams of stupidity and repining 'T is Jonah in a Whales belly without fretting 'T is the Cradle wherein passion is rockt asleep 'T is the earnest the bond of a liberall remuneration c Hug. Grocius of the Law of War and peace ex Terâ—ul For so bounteous a rewarder of patience is God that if you commit your injury to him he is a revenger if you grief an healer if your death a reviver How great is the power of patience to have God himself a debtor to it Patience 't is a Joseph relieving maintaining providing for the soul in the Egypt of this world when afflicted with the forest famine 'T is a childe descended of a Royall family being the Daughter of that Queen mother Meeknesse 'T is an Abraham prepared resolved contented to forsake and want all countrey friends land if God will have it so 'T is a Dove without Gall A tree without knots A spirit even and planed A fresh spring and sweet water in the saltest sea of tribulation A But that receives all darts without pain hurt and death A bush burning yet not consumed Patience 't will make a man like * Esay 39. 8. Hezekiah willingly consent and as it were set his hand to Gods Deed of gift of all his yea and his posterities temporal mercies to enemies and aliens with a Good is the word and righteous is the work of the Lord. 'T is a Christians Sandale and shooe wherewith he both can and doth tread upon the nettles and bryers of injuries and reproaches without either smart or hurt and also wherewith he walks upon Gravel and thistles indureth crosses losses and troubles without fainting * Prov. 3. 15. fretting or †tyring The Prayer O LORD if thou wert as prone to revenge as we are to rebell Or if thou shouldest be as ready to destroy us as we are forward to displease and dishonour thee showers of Fire and Fury instead of dews of Grace and Mercy would daily yea hourly fall from Heaven upon our heads But such O thou God of Patience though thou art angry with the wicked every day is thy wonderfull Long-suffering towards us though we daily vex and grieve thee that thou art graciously pleased to warn us to wait on us to wooe us to strive with us and to offer both favour and forgivenesse to us O let us resolve and indeavour to learn of Christ to imitate him and to transcribe into our own actions and behaviour that Golden Copy which our blessed Saviour hath set us by being like him meek and lowly in heart And since thy holy Word assures us that a froward mouth and heart are hatefull and abominable unto thee O let us never give thee any rest till thou hast adorned us with the precious the glorious Ornament of a meek and quiet spirit That so we may lie silently under thine angry hand when corrected bear injuries affronts revilings petiently and Christianly when they are done or offered unto us wait without fretting contentedly the Lords own time and leisure for comfort and deliverance when we are afflicted distressed oppressed And though we should be wrongfully or suddainly deprived either of all our sublunary mercies or of those which we most value affect and desire that so we may possesse our souls in patience and not be angry or froward at Gods sharpest dealings with us because how great or many soever our miseries are or may be they are lesse and fewer then our iniquities deserve Grant this O Lord for Christ his sake Amen Patientia tacet adjuvat exonerat XVII Of Baptism 'T Is a Moses leading and carrying Infants out of Egypt into the Canaan of Gods true Church It 's the hand that ingrafts them into the true Vine Jesus Christ that so they may become living and fruitfull Branches and escape everlasting burning 'T is their Matriculation in the Acadamy of Christianity The Oath of Allegiance which they take to be loyall Subjects to the King of peace and righteousnesse
I would not so much to commend as engage you to it say neque tam fortia loquitur quà m vivit Sir in vouchsafing me a sight of your Papers you have both done me honour and laid a very acceptable and pleasing obligation upon me the more to thank you for your Love and the better to esteem you for your Worth I beseech you Sir conceive no displeasure against me for deteining your papers so long for till within these 3 or 4 daies I had but just looked on them And Non satis est vidisse semel juvat usq morari Ter pulchrum est quod ter lectum placet I confesse my own judgment condemns me for keeping it so long and minding it no more as doing an act that should belye my respects and mis-report that true love and esteem which I doe and have so much cause both to pay and owe you At my next meeting with you I will submit my self to your charitable censure and in the mean time pray that you and I may coppy out your papers in our lives Live and be happy and if you can continne to love June 4th 165â— Your already too much regarded Friend and Servant E. S. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Printer to the READER WHETHER Courteous Christian or Critical READER IF Courteous thou wilt kindly accept what 's freely and civilly here presented to thee If Christian thou wilt not disdain fret or frown to be imminded of thy duty though thou been so learned as not to need a Teacher If criticall remember thou art but a man and so thou wilt be sure to have not only wants but weaknesses too if not crimes till thou becommest a Feast for Wormes Do not then gad abroad but stay at home til thou canst see nothing within thy self that justly deserves either reproof or detestation least thy wit like a foul Gun recoil and wound thy self Remember that great Parts without Grace are poyson That a vail laid over the defects of thy Brother will be a mantle to cover thy own That the worst men are usually the most censorious and peevish That it 's neither wisdome nor honour to endeavour to please all And therefore the Author well knowing that some will prize and delight in that which others despise hath exposed this Child which was born in the year 1658 as by the Letters of some of those learned orthodox religious Gentlemen herewith for thy satisfaction printed who did see and peruse it is manifest to thy view It hath been swadled up in silence and laid down in the cradle of privacy longer then at first the Father of it intended to prevent that prejudice which an ingenuous open-breasted plainnesse would very probably or rather most certainly have done unto him since many in these black blasting bloudy dâ—ies did lose their teeth and not a few their lives by going too neer the heels of truth Thou wilt find some expressions hoodded because it was not safe to let them go abroad bare-faced 'T is too well known that it hath been a very cold dark frosty winter in England and that hath kept these â—â—â—â—owers a long-time within their Bed But since we have now for ever blessed adored admired be the only God of wisdome justice mercy a pleasant fruitful Spring by the happy joyfull seasonable rising of the welcome Sun of Soveraingnty again in our Hâ—rizon the comfortable quickening influence thereof hath caused them not only to peep out of their grave and look abroad but also freely to offer themselves to thine eye and palat as willing yea desirous at once to please and profit thee Do not then wither them by thy envious censure or reject them with a churlish disdain scornful slight or peevish disrepect but cherish them by thy kind acceptance Do not only tast or gargle but swallow and digest what 's here prepared for thee Thou wilt find variety to invite thee For here is Historie to delight thee Truth to confirm or convince thee Divinity to profit thee Brevity to please thee here are no knotty controversies to puzzle or perplex thee no lascivious passages to corrupt or debauch thee no venimous principles to poyson or destroy thee and here is a little poetry least having nothing but a dish of prose set before thee thy perhaps queasy stomach should be distasted cloyed or oftended 'T is true many of the materials in this building are old yet sound but the method the fashion is new or however not common These papers were sent to London at the beginning of May last past to give thee a visit and had long since offered themselves to thy perusal if the unhandsome neglect of him that desired to have the printing of them had not at once abused the Authors civility and frustrated his expectation by detaining them severall months in his hands without doing any thing in order to the publishing of them And since that time the press of that party who engaged to dispatch them against the last Term or sooner hath been so ful and busy that the delay was unavoidable and constrained since therefore it s not my fault but trouble that this Book hath been so long imprisoned now t is enlarged let it be acceptable and then it will though it comes so late be not only seasonable but I hope profitable to thee The end of printing it is not I assure thee thy applause but thy spirituall good And that this may be the happy successe of the Authors writing my publishing and thy reading is both his earnest prayer and my hearty desire Farewell Courteous Reader I Am constrained contrary to my desire and expectation instead of ceasing further to trouble thee to present a Letter of Request for a new favour unto thee I mean to entreat thy pardon of the following Errata's which being both many and great ones do stand in need at once of thy curtesy and ingenuity to correct and excuse them Besides the Book being transcribed by one that did neither observe the Orthography nor regard the Comma's Semicolons Colons or Periods of sentences they do in too many places of it both request thy Candor and want thy care to rectifie them It s my unhappinesse and not fault that this trouble should be given thee I hope therefore thou wilt not condemn the Author but pass by or amend in thy Reading the faults in transcribing and printing of them This favour if thou pleasest to grant it will double his obligations to love and thank hee who both desires thy spiritual good and to do thee good spiritually ERRATA IN the Epistle Dedicatory p. 7. l. 20. r. varnished p. 11. l. 7. r. paper l. 13. r. vertues In the preface p. 3. l. 16. r. Opinion p. 5. l. 18. r. highest p. 2. l. 6. r. Haven p. 8. l. 5. r. and kingdome p. 9. l. 3. r. comedie Ibid. p. 12. l. 37. r. which del equally p. 14. l. 30. r. and they p. 17. l. 33. r. exulted p. 18. l 5
which so hurt his face that he bled again he left his singing and clapt both his hands on his face but afterwards he put his hands abroad and sung again m Idem vol. 3. p. 537. And when George Roper came to the stake where he was to be burned he leaped at it for joy Some have blessed God for setting the Crowne of Martyrdome upon their heads n Idem vol. 3. p. 850. When Alice Driver who was burned at â—pswich had the Iron chain put about her Neck O said she here is a goodly Neckerchief blessed be God for it Id. vol. 3. p. 888. Blessed be the time that ever I was born to come to this said John Noye when he came to the stake to be burned Others have both fervently desired to glorifie God in those fires and grieved that God would not suffer them to be made a burnt sacrifice as that precious Jewel our Bishop Jewel did Thus we see the pious gracious faithful Servants Subjects and Souldiers of Jesus Christ are not only desirous to raign with him but they are also ready to suffer for him And for such Lambs and such only as do copy out the holy Life of Jesus Christ and write it in their owne in those golden characters of sanctity constancy humility meeknesse patience charity prayer obedience c. did this Lambe of God Jesus Christ die Redemptor noster pro bonis misericorditer incarnatus est Nihil igitur haec Margarita ad porcos canes The Prayer MOST deare and yet most dreadful Jesus who art a God of might and Majesty as well as mercy of justice as we as pity a Lyon as well as a Lamb a Saviour and a Soveraign and at once the Creator Husband Brother and Redeemer of thine Elect Be pleased blessed Jesus to grant that those who own thine own name wear thy Livery and have Covenanted with thee to be thy Servants may be careful watchful zealous conscientious and willing to honour their Master thy sacred and most excellent Majesty to obey thy commands to imitate thy holy Life and to accept thee on thine own terms joyfully thankfully heartily even as a Lord King Prophet to govern command teach them as well as a Priest and Saviour to sacrifice and die for them Let them consider what it will cost them to buy this precious field this inestimable jewel what they must do to be real Christians and to get a saving Interest in Jesus Christ That they must sell all that they have part readily and resolvedly with the World with their sins their Isaacs Idols yea their Lands Liberties and Lives also if he who is the Lord and giver of them require us to surrender them to and for his own use and glory That they must take Christ as in a matrimonial Covenant and be not only chast obedient pleasing faithful constant to him but also that they must honour and esteem him above all other things admit no corrival into their affection with him rejoyce in his presence mourn for his absence grieve when he 's offended by them and angry with them forsake all for him cleave stedfastly to him and neither for either love of life or fear of death leave dishonour or deny him That they must be mortify'd Self-denying sincere Christians That they must not expect to be carryed on Beds of Down or to have their way green smooth easy soft or strawed with flowers to Heaven That they must run without fainting loytering or tyring to the end of the Race if they would obtain the prize That they must cheerfully couragiously bear Christs crosse or else they shall never triumphantly wear a Crown That they must not only sweep sweeten cleanse and open the dusty dirty-filthy sin-lockt houses of their hearts with the beesome of repentance and the hands of Faith and Love to entertaine him but they must also welcome him set him at the upper end of the Table in the highest seat esteem affect him above and beyond all other persons or things whilest they live on earth or else when they die he will never open the narrow Gate of Life to let them into Heaven That if they be not good and holy in the Kingdome of Grace they shall never be great or happy in the Kingdome of Glory That if their sins and lusts which Lord it over them revel in them captivate them and are dear and sweet unto them be not hated crucified and forsaken by them the Lord Jesus Christ though he was crucified for sinners and died to purchase Life for transgressors who were spiritually dead will never save them That therefore we may resolve and labour to get into that Arke Jesus Christ where safety and salvation only are to be found make us I beseech thee speedingly really savingly sensible of the want the worth the excellency All-sufficiency and the necessity of a Jesus that so we may court seek and value thee in and from whom alone is all fulnesse sweetnesse happinesse above all things And let O most gracious God all our sins be laid upon the Head set upon the Account of that Scape-goat Jesus Christ that so they may be carried into the Wildernesse of forgetfulnesse Take away O Lord our filthy Garments from us and clothe us with change of Raiment impute the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ to us that so being found in the Garments of our elder Brother we may receive from our heavenly Father the Blessing of Grace here and that wherewith thou crownest thy own freely given and yet by Christ dearly purchased Grace eternal Glory hereafter Grant this O Lord for his sake who died to satisfie thy dreadfull Justice who shed his heart-bloud to quench the fire of thy flaming consuming wrath to pay our debts to purchase our pardon to redeem us from eternall slavery and misery and to save our undone Souls Amen In Christo per Christum solum modo Vita Libertas Foelicitas et beata Aeternitas III. Of the Holy Ghost THE Holy Ghost is the third Person in the glorious blessed a Deus est indivise â—â—us in Triniâ—e et inconfuse trinus in unitate undivided b Sacramentum hoc venerandum non scrutandum quemodo pluralitas sit in unitate unitas it plura litate Scâ—utaâ—i hoc temeritas est credere pietas nosse verò vìta aeterna Incomprehensible Trinity proceeding from both the Father and the Son and yet Coessentiall Coeternall and Coequal with them The opera officia the works and Offices of the Holy Ghost are these 1. It illuminates our blind understandings and teacheth us to know what we are by nature together with the necessity and felicity of being born again It teacheth us also to know the danger deformity and misery of sin the infinite and undeserved love of God and Christ to undone man and the means both to escape eternal death and to obtain immortal glory 2. It regenerates us making us that were profane holy barren fruitfull rebellious
be merciful to sin is to be cruel to our selves since he that loves and spares it doth not only lash and wound but * O Israel thou hast distroyed thy self Hâ—sea 13. 9. murder himself Because as holiness is both a work an incomparable felicity and a reward So sin is both a Crime a punishment and an Executioner to all unconverted offenders Pharoah's sins as well as the Sea drowned him * Numb 16. 32. And Corah's swallowing down sin without repentance was the cause that the earth swallowed up him without example for never did so many of her ungracious children as he his wicked companions were who was therefore most justly by God made wofully miserable in that dreadful destruction because they was all wilfully guilty of that damnable Rebellion fall down into her gaping inlarged new made mouth slide or rather tumble head-long into her empty greedy stomack entrails or lye down alive in her cold and mercilesse bosome before O the misery and madnesse of a gracelesse Sinner How can he expect or hope to escape the dreadful vengeance of God that by his unkindnesse unthankfulnesse and undutifulnesse to his heavenly Father hath most justly provoked the God of mercy to become his everlasting enemy What the people of Rome said when they lamented the death of Octavius Augustus he will most certainly when 't is too late have cause in another sense to say Vtinam aut non l Aurel. Vict. nasceretur aut non mor eretur would he had never been born or never dyed The Prayer O LORD thou art a God infinite in all Divine perfections Thou hast all things and art all things eternally from within and unto thy most glorious self Thou dost therefore want neither the praises nor the Services of either the most gracious Christians or the most glorious Cherubims The holinesse praiers and duties of Saints or Angels can add nothing to thy most transcendently divine Excellencies Nor can the vices vilenesse crimes and Sinnes of men lessen stain or eclipse thy Glory Yet such O Lord is thy miraculous condescensiâ—n thy wonderful thy undeserved Compassion to the Bankrupted posterity of Adam that thou art pleased not only to acquaint but also to assure all those who walk humbly conscientiously holily before thee and sincerely endeavour to praise thy great and glorious name that though they be but dust ashes and worms yet they do honour and glorifie thy ever blessed Majesty And although sin be so contrary to thy holy nature opposite to thy righteous Laws and Will and loathsome in thy pure eye that even the least sin is a great yea an infinite offence injury and contempt done unto thee and doth at once vex load and grieve thee Yet such O Lord is thy never enough to be admired acknowledged or magnified mercy and patience to rebellious self-polluting poysoning self-ruining Man that thou dâ—st not only forbear to punish plague and damne him but thou art also pleased though he daily offend thee and persist in his provocations of thee and reject thy gracious tenders of peace pardon and salvation to seek unto him to intreat yea by thy Ministers to importune and beseech him that he would be reconciled to thee love accept imbrace thee and thy offered mercy that so tbou mayest forgive own delight in him deliver and save him both from Wrath and Death O Lord let the riches of thy unparallel'd goodnesse long-sufferance and forbearance lâ—â—d us unto speedy unfeigned hearty Repentance Let the serious consideration of the cursed defiling deforming damnable nature of sin the guilt whereof could not be expiated nor the filth thereof purged away with any Sacrifice but the bloud and death of the only Sonne of God Jesus Christ both God and Man make us not only fear but tremble to commit the least evill O let it pierce and break our hearts with Grief and Remorse to consider how we have pierced our Saviours very heart and broken his most just and holy Commandements by our wilfully transgressing against him Let O Lord our spirits melt mourn and bleed within us for our shedding and trampling under our profane feet without pity or sorrow that precious bloud of our dearest Saviour which alone can cleanse and cure our defiled wounded Souls Whensoever we are tempted to commit any sinne let us O Lord not only meditate and remember what it cost Christ to make our peace with a displeased God to pay our debts and to ransome our inthralled Souls but let us also set before our eyes and look upon Jesus Christ who never committed any sin sweating suffering grâ—aning wounded bleeding and lying for our Sins that so we may in his unexampled and unexpressible miseries with the eyes of detestation and lamentation behold the danger and desert of our own Iniquities Let not sin most holy God be sweet dear or delightfull to us which was Gall and Vinegar bitter painful and deadly to Jesus Christ O let the knowledge of thy power and purity awe and deterre us from evill but chiefly let our frequent serious admiring and thankfull reflexions upon the bounty mercy and long-suffering of our gracious God and the free the infinite Love of Jesus Christ prevail with us and make us both watchful and carefull to detest decline loath leave confesse forsake and crucifie all our lusts and transgressions and to love honour please praise and glorifie our God And let us not imbrace entertain or welcome sinne into our hearts and crucifie our blessed Saviour any more lest our bloudy cruelty both to him and our own souls deprive us for ever of Christ Comfort Grace and Glory Amen Peccatum lethale est Venenum Quod delectat necat V. Of the World and the brightest Jewell in its Crowne Soveraignty 'T is a fools Idol a wise mans Inne 't is a storehouse of vanities a shop full of gaudy but empty pots a fair house haunted with evil Spirits it 's a maze a desert a disguised mockery an Ocean of troubles a pitfal to the rich a burden to the poor a traducer of the good a deceiver of all that love and trust it 'T is a Garden enamelled with beautiful flowers under which lurk deadly Serpents a green soft pleasant walk covered and bespread with nets and snares a Speed Chron p. 118. a path like that of a Heliogabalus strawed with the powder and dust of Gold and silver but leading to a Gibbet A sweet spring set round with lime-twigs a stately wealthy Citie infected with the plague 'T is the body's Paradise but a Purgatory to the soul 'T is a painted treacherous Harlot which allures invites but destroys her Lovers a tender Nurse to vice dandling it upon her knees of Pleasure and Profit but a step-mother which hates and strangles vertue 'T is a dâ—ie pit a broken Cistern in a drought an empty cloud a Feast in a dream and without Christ as one said of her dead husband a cold armful And as for Soveraignty though
Gall then Honey in it To arise to honour it is enough that the body sweat water but to maintain it it is necessary that the heart weep bloud said Sophia the Emperesse to Tiberius Thou wilt not deny said one to Alexander the great that all which thou hast in thy Conquest gotten is little and that the quietnesse which thou hast lost it much the Realms which thou hast subdued are many but the cares sighs thoughts which thou hast heaped upon thy heart are infinite for the Gods do seldome suffer them to injoy that quietly in peace which they have unjustly gotten in warre s Bacon Essai 19. p. 105. Kings like to heavenly bodies have much veneration but no rest for the choycest and best refined treasures or favours which the world hath to bestow upon her eldest sons are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Giftless gifts nor doth she only deceive her Favourites but destroy them also even by advancing of them the price which they usually pay for their worldly felicity being not only temporal calamities but too often eternal miseries For dignity is not only often but most commonly the moth of vertue honour the Canker of honestie power the poyson of piety and greatnesse is too frequently the death of goodnesse t Mr. Baâ—ter Saints everlasting rest p. 78. The difficulty is so great of conjoyning graciousnesse with greatnesse that is next to an impossibility and their conjunction so rare that they are next to inconsistent To have a heart taken up with Christ and heaven when we have health and abundance in the world is neither easie nor ordinary u Oâ—uphriâ—s Pius quintus dixisse fertur Cum essem religiosus sperabam bene de salute animae Cardinalis factus extimui Pontifex Creatus pene despero Quid igitur insanius quam pro momentanea felicitate aeternis te mancipare suppliciis 'T is a madnesse even to miracle to lose eternal blisse and glory to gain temporal withering honour and mundane felicity The Prayer O LORD thou art that God who didst both create this beautifull World out of nothing and dost know that there is nothing in this bewitching beguiâ—ing insnaring intangling World that can either afford the Soul of man any reaâ—â— Comforts or make it truly happy For if thou but frown chide hide thy face or manifest the least displeasure against us all the lower springs of Creature-comforts will immediately fail dry up disappoint deceive us and like the early dew or morning Clouds consume fly away and vanish before the heat and wind of thy fiery wrath and fierce fearful irresistible Indignation Let therefore Christians O Lord I beseech thee that know the greatness the terriblenesse of thy Power admire thine omnipotency adore thy wisdome praise thy goodnesse tremble at thy wrath strive for Heaven and contenm the World Let them O Lord prefer Goodnesse before Greatness Holinâ—sse before Honour Piety above Pleasure and Righteousnesse bâ—yond Riches Let them not ship-wrack their Consciences or destroy their Souls for Dominion Let not their Ambition to be great men make them forget neglect or cease to be Christians and good men Let them study and endeavour more earnestly to command their own rebellious hearts to govern aright their unruly passions to get their misplaced Affections unnailed and their head-strong traiterous Lusts subdued then to obtain Authority or Dignity amongst Men. And let ibem account it a greater happinesse mercy advancement glory to be Loyall faithfull dutifull Subjects and Servants to Jesus Christ then to be Soveraigns over Kingdomes Let not their eyes be blinded with the Splendour of power nor dazled with the Lustre of Honour nor their hearts and affections lime-twigg'd by an inordinate sinfull Love of Wealth or Greatnesse that so their rise may not prove their ruine their exaltation their destruction their power their poyson and that so their temporall Eminency and momentany Felicity may not usher them unto ingulph and suck them into or both sadly suddenly unexpectedly and unpreparedly end in ever enduring misery Amen Mundus delectat decipit destruit VI. Of Loyalty and Rebellion THAT Kings whose Originall in England is beyond the Memory of History whether good or bad do derive and receive their Authority immediately from God That Subjects do justly and indispensably owe both submission and subjection unto them And that God hath placed them so far beyond the power and so high above the reach of their Subjects cruel unjust ingrateful when against them armed hands that they are accountable to himself only for their Actions are Truths so bright so evident that we may run and read them confirmed by the sacred Scriptures asserted by the pens of learned men and sealed with the bloud of pious Christians in all Ages * prov 8. 15. By me saith God Kings reign †Dan. 2 21. He removeth Kings and seteth Kings up * Dan. 1. 37. The God of Heaven saith Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar a wicked King hath given thee a Kingdome power and strength and glory 2. Touch not mine anointed saies David a man after Gods own heart †1 Sam. 24. 5. whose Counsel and Command to others was his own * practise as well as Duty Nor are we only inhibited to oppose or resist him for there is no rising vp against him sayes wise * Prov. 30. 31. Agur But which is yet more we are prohibited by †Eccles 8. 4. Who may say to a King what dost thou words to question him much more then certainly it is unlawful and sinful for his Subjects to depose or with Swords to murder him Holy Augustine tell us that Kings have their Kingdomes from God not from men Solus verus Deus dat regna terrena bonis malis Famous Bracton saith positively Rex non habet superiorem nisi Deum The King hath no superiour but God The Oath of Supremacy which we take both as lawful and necessary hath these expresse words in it The Kings Highnesse is the only Supream Governour of this Realm and all other his Highnesses Dominions and Countreys as well in all spirituall or Ecclesiastical things or Causes as Temporal c. And Lastly our a Magn. Cha. 29. Law saith That none shall be arrested imprisoned disseized of their Estates deprived of his Liberty banished or otherwise destroyed but by the verdict of his equalls and the Law of the Land This Magna Charta was granted enacted confirmed by the Kings of England from whom this and all other Laws receive their life and being For he is Anima Legis his Fiat animates and quickens them without it Bils are but breathless Embryo's where or whence then have we any Law or just power to restrain imprison arraign condemn banish or to destroy our Sacred Soveraign who hath no peers no equals within his Dominions Thirdly this truth That Christians ought not to resist or Râ—bell against their Kings though Pagans Papists or Tyrants hath been subscribed by millions of
them with their Bloud not only under the ten Roman most barbarous persecutions by those Heathenish Monsters when so many of them were slaughtered that there were for every day in the year saith St. Jerom 5000 Martyrs But this was also the judgment and practise of our English Martyrs in Queen Macies dâ—ies The fire of Loyalty burned in their hearts and flamed out at their mouths in Christian exhortations and perswasions of the Spectators to Allegiance and obedience unto the King and Queen when they were unjustly by their Authority Command or permission condemned sentenced to be burned and when that cruell Sentence was ready to be executed by remorsless men or rather Tygers upon them b Fox Book of Martyrs vol. 3 p. 665. Bishop Cranmer a little before his Martyrdome in his last words to the people said thus I exhort you that next under God you obey your King and Queen viz. Philip and Mary willingly and gladly without murmuring or grudging not for fear of them only but much more for the fear of God Knowing that they be Gods Ministers appointed by God to rule and govern you and therefore whosoever resisteth them resisteth the ordinance of God Authority is Gods creature Monarchy is a divine Institution not the work or Child of men Loyalty therefore is our duty and at once the comfort and the character of Christians and reall piety The spirit of truth hath joined Fear God and honâ—ur the King together true Christians therefore dare not attempt eiâ—her to divide or divorce them And as they have no warrant for it but a plain a peremptory Commâ—nd against it so neither is thâ—re any either wisdome or safety in doing of it For Loyalty is not only the Mother but the Nurse of Peace And peace is the Magazine the Mine Root and Spring of plenty safety prosperity and all temporall felicity Rebellion is the source of desolation Succâ—sâ—full Traitors are usually most cruell Tyranâ—s * Nemo unquâ—m imperium malâ—â— artibus quaesitum bene exercuit Tacit. Vsurpâ—rs are commonly Oppressors Their victories make them bloudy and miserable Captives to their brutish lusts and passions which overcome and enslave them Ira Superbia Crudelitas Furor Rabies sunt victoriae Comites victorum hosteâ— a quibus saepâ— Clarissimi victores turpissime victi sunt saith Petrarch and we can sadly say we have found his words most true Can we expâ—ct or hope that those Wolves which worrey the Shepherd will love spare or defend the Sheep That such as thirst for bloud struggle for Thrones and court the possessions of others will desire peace execute Justice or delight in mercy If conscience then do not prudence should perswade us not only to hate Treason but also to decline yea to detest all Communion Concurrence and correspondency with Traytors By wofull experience we now know though the widest broadest words and the highest the most eloquent language are too narrow low and flat fully to expresse it how great how grievous a Judgment Calamitie it is to have no King in Israel Have we not seen since the Crown did fall from our head because we had sinned against the Lord such things acted amongst us as we cannot but tremble to hear and abhor to think of Have we not had such Nero's as did with delight inhumanity and impiety rip up the Bowels of their Mother murder their gracious Father and endeavour with cunning cruelty and indefatigableness to ruine at once both the Church and State So that we may say of some of their Fathers as the Romanes did of him when he commanded a Boy to be so cut as to make him an artificial Woman Would Nero's Father had had such a Wife Since c Speed Chron. p. 103. what was said of Lucius the King of Britain may be too truly affirmed of them namely That they had been happy if they had not left a Son behind them because their Children as Lampridius said of Commodus hâ—ve livâ—d for the Subjects mâ—schiâ—f and their own shame We have been taught but we have paid exceeding dear for our Learning the difference betwixt being governed by Lâ—mbs and Lions Let us therefore prize Gods mercies whilest we enjoy them lest our sufferings and sorrows show ns the hainousnesse of our Sinne in sâ—ighting and rejecting of them And let us not only professe Loyalty with our lips but let us carefully really constantly express it in our Lives to our Sacred Soveraign it being both pleasing to God and profitable to our selves to be obedient faithfull Subjects For Allegiance is the faithfull Liâ—e-â—uard the invincible Râ—mpart both of King and people 'T is that sweet smell * 'T is said â—hat swâ—et smels wil kâ—l Vultures and revive Dâ—ves Aâ—ms are the defence of Tyrants and therefore â—he unsavory 〈◊〉 of Gunpowder is delightful but the odoâ—iâ—erous savour of peâ—ce is distastâ—ul yea deadly to them which kills Vultures I mean forraign and Domestick Enemies 'T is that Hoop that Ring which keeps Cormorants Avaritious Ambitious men fâ—om devouring of us 'T is that Muzzle tâ—at Chain which ties up and hinders those cruell wilde Beasts Factious Aspiâ—ing Traitâ—rous Incendiaries from tearing in peeces preying on and kindling amongst us the consuming fearful fire of Civil Warre which e like the Trojan horse hath ever an Army of Plagues Miseries and Calamities in the Belly of it 'T is that musick which drives away the evill spirit of Division from us The King is the Head Husband Father Lord of his people 'T is therefore against Piety Nature Law Reason Gratitude for those that are his Members Wife Children Subjects Servants to injure resist or Rebell against him 'T is an odious infamous damnable Crime to conspire against him that protects us to endeavour his Ruine that is exposed to daily yea hourly cares dangers troubles to screen shield preserve us and wickedly to violate those Sacred Oaths which we have solemnly taken to expresse our Aâ—legiance by a Christian sincere obedience unto him Tbough he be a bad King that rules us yet we ought to be good dutiful loyal Subjects For whether he be Merciful or Cruell Righteous or Impious Just or Tyrannical God doth †Rom 13. 1. ordain send set up and * Dan. 4. 32. give him his Kingdome He that gave Soveraignty to Augustus gave it also to Nero. He that gave it to the Vespasions Father and Son sweetest Emperors gave it also to Domitian that bloudy Monster In a word he that gave it to Christian Constantine gave it also to Juâ—ian the Apostate saith St. Augustine We are therefore strongly obliged He being Gods Vice-gerent on earth whether he be good or evill to reverence not resist him to * 1 Tim. 2. 1. pray for him not to plot against him to fear not to fight him Yea so tender jealous and careful is the Lord of Kings that in his holy Word he doth not only forbid us †Exod. 22 28. to speak evill of our
Lawful Soveraign but also to think * Eccles 10. 10 or †wish any evill to him d Cap. 25. â— 3. And the Law of England hath made it high Treason for any one or all his Subjects but to imagine his Death Much more certainly then are we forbidden to do any evill to our King to tâ—ke up Arms against him and to seize apprehend imprison Arraign Condemn Murder him Our Law saith the King can do no wrong it must needs be then against all right reason justice equity Conscience that he should suffer any wrong by or from his Subjects who cannot attempt his destruction without being guilty of Treason nor act it unlesse they repent without Damnation God sayes †2 Pet. 2. 13. 17. we must submit to him how then can we justifie our selves in rising up against him Let us therefore not only esteem Gods command our Duty but let us make it our delight care and resolution inviolably to observe it Let us remember and consider that Loyalty is pleasing to God an honour to Religion a Bulwark against forraign invasions an Antidote against the stinging killing power of the Law but that Rebellion * 1 Sam. 15. 23. is as the sinne of Witch-craft which is death without mercy by the Lawes both of †Levit. 20. 17. God and Man 'T is a crimson sluce pull'd up to let in Confusion together with all other imaginable yea unexpressible miseries upon a people 'T is a bloudy Flux that often destroyes but alwaies extreamly weakens that Body politick that unwise unhappy Kingdome which is diseased and afflicted with it 'T is that furious Wild-fire which quickly turns the strongest the best built and the most flourishing Nation into Ashes T is a Cart-rope of Iniquity that draws down Gods heaviest Judgments upon a People T is a dagger that stabs Religion to the very heart and le ts out the Life-bloud thereof T is a sword that cuts the Sinews and ligaments of Love Unity Honesty Justice Mercy and Piety asunder 'T is the Devils grand Engine wherewith he batters down the Throne and Temple of Christ in a State the means he uses to erect his own Kingdome upon their Ruins 'T is the broad way to Poverty Infamy Death and Damnation The Triumphs of Traitors are nothing but glorious Chariots wherein Satan drives them securely furiously suddainly to destruction Their most eminent Conquests are only barbarous successful Murders publick Robberies and short-lived prosperons Impieties For Rebells like blind Samson do alwaies pull down Ruine either upon their own or upon their Posterities heads or both Their Victories do but multiply at once their Iniquities and Calamities God abhors them good men detest them Vengeance pursues them their scarlet Crimes cry aloud for Plagues to be inflicted on them and their deserved Execution is often as strange sodain and unexpected as their wicked horrid cursed practises are loathsome in the eye of God and odious to all gratious honest men And that you may see what signal marks of Infamy Misery Indignation and Detestation the King of Kings God Almighty hath visibly set upon Traitors I shal present you with a few instances of his severe yet most righteous dealings with them and the uufortunate Children of some of them Was not Absalom justly and strangely punished That head which contrived the sin cut off the sinner for his Hair became his Halter he hanged by it upon an unexpected Gallow-tree and so perished †2 Kings 12. 20. The Servants of Joash conspired against him and slew him * 2 Kings 14. 5. But Amaziah so soon as he was confirmed in the Kingdome slew those wicked Servants that murdered his Father Julius Caesars Butchers came all of them to untimely Deaths and some of them were cut off by their own hand with those very Weapons wherewith they killed him But since I need not travaile out of England to fetch examples of this kind I shall offer a few of our own to your view and serious perusall King Henry the 6th was deprived of his Kingdome and together with his young Son Edward imprisoned and put to death by King Edward the 4th King Edward the 4th died not without suspicion of poyson After his death his two Sons were imprisoned and murdered in the Tower by their bloudy Uncle the cruell Duke of Glocester who being a Tyrannical Usurper was encountred and justly slain in Bosworth Fields by Henry the 7th King Henry the 〈◊〉 an Usurper had only one Son and one Daughter his Son William was drowned in his passage from Normandy his Daughter Maud was disinherited by Stephen of her Birthright and Eâ—stace the only Son of King Stephen died mad in his Fathers life-time But that English Judas Machiavil Ravillack Cromwell though he deserve to lead the Van of all Heathenish Atheisticall Peâ—jur'd Jesuitical Traitors shall bring up the Rear of these Odious Execrable Exampler He murdered his Gracious Soveraign Exiled his pious Son enslaved his Fellow-Subjects shed abundance of innocent Bloud Tyrannized over Three Kingdoms Nursed Heresies protected and promoted Traytors justified Rebellion designed laboured and endeavoured to extirpate Monarchy together with all the Royall Progeny of our late blessed King of ever glorious Memory This is that Cromwel of whom as of most Tyrants that may be truly affirmed which Florus saith of Beasts sc Maxime mortiferi esse solent morsus morientium bestiarum for usually the Older the Crueller the nearer their end and destruction the bloudier and more barbarous they are His name stinks worse then his rotten carcasse his memory is loathsome to all honest hearts and his Children who had built their nests amongst the Stars are tumbled down by the angry Arme of a just God and do now lie level with the surface of the earth not so much as a branch sprout or stump of that hollow rotten tree remaining either in power or honour So true is that of Curtius Nulla quaesita scelere potentia est diuturna Thus we see that Rebellion kindles such a Fire as will not be quenched till either the Traytors themselves or their miserable posterity be consumed The joy of Hypocrites is but for a moment and the triumphing of the wicked is short saith Zophar Since I began to write God hath effected two more famous Monuments of his hatred against Rebellion in England I shall therefore though I intended to add no more briefly mention them The one is his mercifull blasting the hopes of those persons commonly called the fly-blown stinking Rump The other is his seasonable breaking the horns of those Phanaticks in the North. This is the Lords doing and it is marvailous in our eyes And thus we see again that though God may for a time forbear to punish Rebellion yet he will not forget it Though the just Laws of men may sleep or rather seem to slumber a while yet they will both surely and quickly awaken And though they may be gagged or bound by the cruell
ditch to her lovers For although they doe preferre Dalilahs lap before Abrahams bosome yet they will one day most certainly find that all those fleshly vain and sinfull pleasures whereon they have doted and wherein they have lived will be Serpents and stones instead of fish and bread and but Thornes Thistles Briers instead of Grapes Figgs and Flowers Pleasure t is like an g Heylyn Geog ex Ovidio p. 726. Aethiopian Lake at which whosoever drinks it makes him they say either mad or drowsie T is like small beere or water in a fever which doth not quench but increase the thirst and though at first it may be pleasant yet afterwards it is alwaies dangerous and often deadly T is that Green fruit which breeds the worm of an evill Conscience in their souls that feed too greedily too long and too much upon it The Prayer O LORD thou knowest that the Devill that equally cunning cruell and implacable enemy of Mankind doth both long and labor to take possess and command that Royall Fort the heart In Order whereunto he uses both Fraud and Force Arms and art that so if he cannot conquer it by Battery he may yet gain it by Treachery or flattery and if he cannot by affrighting that then he may by alluring have it yielded up unto him Now to the effecting of this bloudy design upon too many he knows that an inordinate excessive Love of sensual pleasure is very useful and contributory prevalent and successful voluptuous persons being never vigilant and very seldome valiant resolved and constant opposers of his Assaults suggestions and sugred insinuations Self-denyal Mortification Precisenesse and Holinesse being too rough too sharp too hard too uneven and too troublesome a way for their delicate their tender Feet to tread upon and to walk in Be pleased therefore most blessed God who art the only overflowing ever-flowing Ocean of all true Joy really-sweet pleasures and refined delights to grant that all the streams of Christians affections may runne down right pure and holy Channels into thee That they may relish that incomparable pleasantnesse which is to be found in thee thy Word Worship waies and love that so all carnall pleasures may be sowr bitter and unsavory unto them Let not O Lord Satan poyson them with candled delights or sugred sensuality Let him not convey their death in Honey nor drown them in Rose-water But antidote them I beseech thee and preserve them against his mortal potions and his murdering Stratagems by convincing of them that Satan though he may seem a Friend will be sound a Fiend and that although pleasure may by his jugling and through the bemisted eyes and deluded sight appear a seemingly innocent Dove unto them yet if it be immoderately prized and pursued by them that it will certainly be found a fiery deadly Serpent which will sting them with immortal incurable intolerable sorrow terrors torments Amen Voluptas obcaecat titillat pascit placet perdit X. Of Health 'T Is a Jewell not valued because common 'T is the solace of life without which all other outward mercies are both unsavory and dead this being the soul that both animates them and the ingredient that gives a delightful relish to them 'T is a Venice Glasse easily quickly irreparably and very often unexpectedly crack't and broken a Pliny Nat. Hist 'T is a Bird or flower but of one day's life and continuance a guest or friend that doth but call or visit not stay with us It naturally kills fear breeds security feeds to wantonnesse excites to pleasure spurs on to vice inables to sin and without Grace it 's both the souls sicknesse and death The want of it makes men impatient discontented unserviceable the fruition profane If God deny this mercy to a man although there be a confluence of all other creature-comforts yet he is but like one clothed with Gold Silk or Tissue adorned with Jewels crowned with Honours feasted with dainties cheered with the rarest musick comforted with Cordials surrounded with a faithfull wife and with dutiful hopeful Children attended with reall friends skilfull Physitians obedient servants and laid upon a bed of Ivory in a chamber richly furnished with all his bones out of Joynt and broken 'T is usual for the sun of health to arise cleer to shine bright in the morning and to set in a cloud of sicknesse at night How easily quickly will a fiery fever devour and consume it An Aery colick rack yea ruine it A watery dropsie float and drown it or an aguish earthquake shake and swallow it up The elements are all up in arms and at civill warrs within the body naturall as heretofore the Saxons in the time of the Heptarchy was in the body politick of this Nation each of them contending for victory and aspiring to a Monarchy over that Microcosme Man non enim datur temperamentum ad pondus and when any of them prevails and triumpheth over the other Competitors Health is then both wounded vanquished captivated and commmitted either a close Prisoner to a dark room and a weary languishing restlesse bed by sicknesse or else it 's condemned and executed by death A thousand enemies combine assault beleaguer it and either by the furious storme of a suddain violent unexpected distemper they force and surprize it or els by a lingring lasting siege of pain and weaknesse as by consumptions c. they famish and conquer it Health 't is a Bibulus triumphing in a Chariot 'i th morning and lying in the afternoon in a Coffin A Caâ—sar now very well on the top of the hill of honour and power and anon expiring with wounds in the Senate A Quintus Scapula while supping and feasting himself turned into and served up for a Banquet to the worms An Aufejus while dining dying A Valla who as he was drinking Honey-wine had the gall of death put into his cup by the hand of providence and so departed out of the vale of the dying into the vale of the dead T is both a Conqueror and a Captive in a day hour moment 'T is a Cyrus strong secure prosperous in the morning and before night slain by Tomiris Death The Prayer O Most Mercifull and most Bountiful Lord God thou hast not not only given unto man a being but a well being also upon Earth Nor hast thou only built him a stately Palace this World to dwell in and furnished every Room every part thereof with necessaries for his entertainment to make his abode therein desirable but thou hast also deck't and adorn'd it with infinitely various and admirably curious delightfull things to make his life pleasant And as the top-stone the choycest of all outward Favours hast given him health without which he could not comfortably survey use or enjoy them O let good God thy Munificence and Mercy be so sanctified unto us that the sense of thy goodnesse and bounty may humble us that professe our selves to be Christians for our undervaluing and abusing
sins that they have committed 37. He that runs from Christs colour that great Captain of mâ—nâ— Salvation to serve Satan hath no colour why he should serve Christ so treacheroâ—sly as to run from him to be Satans Servant For Christ shed his bloud and died to save him but Satan doth both restlesly and implacably plot and desire to kill and damn him 38. His breath stinks the worst and is the most offensive infectious and unsavory that smels of lies oaths obscene filthy and rotten speeches instead of being perfumed with prayers and praises unto that God who gives him his breath 39. He that never tasted the bitternesse of sin did never relish the sweetnesse either of Grace or a Saviour 40. The way for men to please God when he is offended is to be displeased with themselves for offending God And the way for them to offend God is to please themselves in doing those things that they know do displease God 41. He that doth not fear continually hath just cause to live in continuall fear 42. He that doth only professe Religion for vain and sinful ends will in the end be found to have been only a vain and sinful professor 43. He that refuses to draw nigh to the God of Mercy in duty will find that the God of Justice will draw nigh to him in vengeance and fury For he that doth not pray to God to pardon and love him provokes God to hate plague and damn him 44. He that Rebells against the God of peace deprives himself of that peace of God which passes all understanding And without being wise penitent and Loyall he shall never injoy the consolations of that God who is the God of all consolations 45. Never envy the wicked though they be great rich and prosperous with a wicked envy Had not they need to have a few Holy daies here that must never rest hereafter Had not they need to have a few warm gleams of mirth and pleasure while they live that when they die must live without all possibility of dying in devouring fire and everlasting burnings 46. His condition is very fearful that never feared his condicion For their danger is certainly the greatest that never was sensible of nor affected with the greatnesse of their danger 47. Every sincerely pious Christian find experimentally that to be most true of God which Varius said of Caesar viz. That they who durst speak to him were ignorant of his greatnesse and they who durst not speak to him were ignorant of his goodnesse He knows that the Lord is Almighty and most dreadfull as well as most loving and mercifull he therefore comes into his presence and prayes unto him both with faith and fear reverence and confidence joy and trembling 48. He that loves God truly hates all sin implacably because he knows that the God of love hates all sin perfectly 49. Jesus Christ never was nor ever will be either precious or gracious to any but those only to whom all things in the World in respect of Christ are vile and contemptible The way then for Christians to be liked and beloved of Christ is to love and prize Christ above all things and to strive to be like unto Christ 50. He to whom wickednesse is sweet and but like cork or feathers in this life to him his most pleasant Sins will one day be bitter as gall and the lightest the least of them will then be found in finitely heavier then lead milstones and mountaines 51. A Saints outside is course and dark but his inside is very rich and glorious In the eyes of carnall men he is but like an unpolished Jewell which to the ignorant seems no better then a despicable stone But in the sight and account of God he is even then both amiable orient and precious 'T is better to be plain and pious then â—gorgeous and vitious And to be beloved and honoured of God and hated and despised of the world then to be beloved and honoured of the world and hated and despised of God who created the world 52. He that is false and treacherous to himself will never be true or faithfull to another He may really desire the goods of his friend but he will never desire really his friends good He will love a man till he needs him but when a man hath need of his love he will rather betray then bestead him Only he is a good friend that is really a good Christian For piety is the right root of Amity and holinesse is the only spring of faithfulnesse both to God and man 53. Nothing can satisfie the godly desires of him that is Gracious and heavenly but the eternall fruition of that gracious God in Heaven that gives him those godly desires 54. 'T is very both easy and ordinary to censure others for their â—aults But it is very hard and rare to avoid and hate in our selves the faults we censure in others 55. He that dares commit sin without all fear of damnation but dares not professe Christ for fear of disgrace or danger is the veriest the maddest the cruellest coward in the world and yet he dares do more then a Saint who is both bold as a Lyon and the only true valiant man for he dares not knowingly and willingly commit one sin for all the world 56. He that will be of any Religion to please the Time he lives in will live in time to be of no Religion at all 57. He that makes no Conscience of being a dwarfe will quickly grow up to be a Gyant in wickednesse For if his face be not red with blushing at his whispering provocations he will not be ashamed nor afraid to die his soul scarlet with loud-crying abominations 58. Not only those sins that are of the first or second magnitude but even those also that are of the least size are in their own nature both great and mortall Jaels nail will kill as sure as Goliahs Sword A little halter will strangle a Felon as well as a Cable-roap And 't is well known that little Boyes have often let in great Thieves to rob the house and murder the Master 59. His heart cannot be good who never mourned under the sense and misery of a bad nor servently begg'd of God that changes the heart to have his heart changed and to give him the great mercy of a good heart 60. His doings are well pleasing to God that is well-pleased with Gods doings 60. He was never athirst for grace that did not thirst for more grace then he had 62. He that would have God to blesse him daily in his calling must both have a cleer a lawful calling to his calling and call daily upon God to blesse him and his Labours in it 63. He that praies to God in anger wrath or malice against others provokes God to wrath and anger by his prayers And in stead of prevailing with God for the forgivenesse of his trespasses he doth trespasse yet more in asking him
rejects both the offers and the offerers of peace 81. He is an intollerable Traitor in and to a Common-wealth that hates and persecutes the Children of God For as it is Treason by the Laws of men not only to murder a Prince but also to stab or malitiously to deface his picture So it is spirituall Rebellion too not only to fight against God himself but also wilfully to wound and to destroy those that bear his Image his holy Servants 82. He that would have his shamefull sins for ever hidden must not be ashamed but resolved to lay them open and fully to discover them For concealing reveales but confessing covers them And he that desires never to be accused arraigned or condemned for his guilt must freely acknowledge himself to be guilty and most worthy to be eternally condemned An open bosome an unbared breast is a sure shield and Armour of proof against the deadly Arrowes of the Lords most dreadful wrath 83. He that will lose his Soul to preserve his Life shall save neither But he that is willing to perish to save his Soul shall save his Soul from perishing 84. He that is undone for Christ is truly rich and happy But he that is rich and prosperous without Christ is really undone poor and miserable 85. He that doth not in the time of this Life make Gods glory and the enjoyment of Heaven his chiefest ends shall neither enjoy the God of Glory nor the joyes of Heaven at his end 86. He that would never want must be poor in Spirit And he that would alwaies rejoice must mourn daily for he that did never grieve shall ever lament 87. He that is rotten at core that hath an unsound aâ— unsincere heart will like an Apple be speck'd without For a Leprous Soul will have some spot or other upon the Face of the Life And an Hypocritical Spirit will have foul hands which at one time or other will work Wickednesse â—lain its seeming purity and discover its artificial its borrowed paint and its real deformity 88. He that desires never to leave God nor to be left and finally forsaken of God must not only resolve but seriously endeavour both to depart from evil and to do good For sincerity is the root of couragious constancy but Hypocrisie is the true Mother of timerous Apostasie And it 's most certain that he who will not leave his Rimmon or Mammon his sweet sinne and his secret Lust to please Christ will never lose or lay down his Relations Lands Liberty or Life to enjoy and glorifie Christ 89. He that opens the door of his heart to let in sin or Satan shuts it and turns the key against his Saviour and Soveraign whose power made it whose Love prevailed with him to let his own heart be pierced on the Crosse to unlock it If then a Sinner will not suffer the hand of mercy to unbolt it the arme of wrath will most certainly break it to pieces If the fire of infinite unexpressible Love cannot melt it the flames of endlesse intolerable Anger will burn it If the precious bloud of Christ do not soften this Adamant it will sink it to the bottome of Hell For those whom goodnesse doth not win vengeance will destroy 90. The Life of a Saint is a publique Mercy his Death a common Calamity The end of his dayes is the Autumn of all his misery and the Spring of his endlesse Glory and felicity So that what Suetonius saith of Titus Vespasiaâ— may more yea most truly be said of him when he is cut down with the Sythe of death viz. That he was taken away to the greater losse of Mankinde then of himself Optima Eloquentia est bona vita He is most eloquent whose Life is most Holy and Innocent FINIS Soli Dea Gloria The Table 1 Of God pag 1. 2 Of Jesus Christ and a Christians Duty unto Christ 7. 3 Of the Holy Ghost 19. 4 Of Sin and sinners 23. 5 Of the World and the brightest Jewel in it's Crown Soveraignty 24. 6 Of Loyalty and Rebellion 42. 7 Of Riches 46. 8 Of covetousnesse and covetous persons 51. 9 Of Pleasure 61. 10 Of Health 65. 11 Of saving faith and sincere Love 67. 12 Of Repentance 74. 13 Of Prayer 80. 14 Of sincerity and hypocrisie together with some Characters of both sincere and Hypocriticall Christians 84. 15 Of Affliction 92. 16 Of Patience 102. 17 Of Baptisme 105. 18 Of the Sacrament of the Lords supper 109. 19 Of preaching 113. 20 Of Godly learned and of ungodly unlearned Ministers 116. 21 Of self-calling self-making preachers or rather Anabaptistical praters and seducers 124. 22 Of a good and a bad Conscience 132. 23 Of Life 137. 24 Of Death 144. FINIS A little dark PICTURE of the Great Glorious Unparallel'd Loyalty Piety and Policy of the Renowned Restorer of Monarchy Liberty Tranquillity and Prosperity to ENGLAND SCOTLAND and IRELAND The Lord Generall MONK THe World hath bred brave Hero's whose bright Name Darkens the Sun and fils the Trump of Fame Whose fragrant memory is still i'â—h Bloom And n'er shall wither till the day of Doom Whose acts at once astonish fire indear All noble souls that them do know or hear Those are the root and sourse whence that Renown Did grow and flow which justly doth them Crown With honour love and praise whereby they all Survive with glory their own Funeral Such vertuous great Worthies there have been But they dy'd childlesse sure for we have seen Nothing but dwarfs in this base Iron age Except in Treason Avarice and Rage Wherein such horrid Monsters have been known As n'er before in all the world were shown Until our true Saint GEORGE did rise and kill That hideous viprous brood who plotted still In their inchanted Castle to enslave Torment and keep us till we found our grave A dismall darknesse hath this sinful Land Ore spread e're since by a curâ—â— cruel hands That glorious * King Charles the first Light was quencht whose happy rayes While we enjoy'd him turn'd our nights to dayes That orifice at which we all have bled Almost to death our martyr'd Soveraigns head MONK now hath stopped by his pious Art And healed with his faithful Loyal Heart Twelve years we 've had nor day peace Law nor Spring He gives us all by bringing home our King The City gates he broke and threw aside T'unhinge Rebellion that great CHARLES might ride With Love and Safety there from whence did spring His hurt his help losse gain joy suffering Our bane is now our balm Such is his skill We 're now preserv'd by that which did us kill The bloudy Sword by his just loyal vote Hath made rank poyson our best antidote Some say there is a Phoenix but we see A Fable is become a truth in thee Thou art the healer honour Atlas love Of three expiring Kingdomes As above A Crown of blisse attends thee so below Prayers praises thanks which really we owe Thy