impudent face said unto him I have peace offerings with me this day have I payd my vowes Therefore came I forth to meet thee diligently to seek thy face and I have found thee I have deckt my bed with coverings of Tapestry with carved workes with fine linnen of Egypt I have perfumed my bed with myrrhe aloes and cynamen Come let us take our fill of love untill the morning let us solace our selves with loves For the good man is not at home he is gone a long journey Proverbs 7. vers 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19. But what is she end of all this if we look on the end of the chapter we shall see the end of the Adulterer Her house is the way to hell going down to the chambers of death verse 27. Thou dost not dreame thou shalt be blasted I tell thee ere long thou shalt be lopt off and flung into eternity I grant thou hast aspired to the top of thy Olympick Palace but thou shalt shortly fall thy life hath beene at best but a Tragicomedy and thou hast acted the fools part with pleasure but I tell thee death ere long shall strike the Epilogue and thou shalt goe away Secondly the Drunkard is a barren Branch Woe to the crowne of pride to the drunkards of Ephraim whose glorious beauty is a fading flowre which are on the head of the fat valleyes of them that are overcome with Wine Isaiah 28. vers 1. Thou Drunkard that carowsest care away and on thy Ale-bench blasphemest the God of Heaven that takest no felicity but in swinish company and knowest no other happines but the colour of the wine thou burdenest the earth thou inflamest the fire thou infectest the aire thou art as a flowre drowned with the dew of Heaven and bowest thy glory to the earth goe drunkard take thy fill of Wine untill the morning but I tell thee the houre is comming when it may be the hand of Heaven shall write thy doom upon the plaister of the wall Daniell 5.25 26. ere long thou mayst Read MENE MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN God hath numbred thy dayes and finisht them and being found too light thy glory is departed from thee then shall thy loynes be loosed thy countenance changed and thy false heart affrighted thou that drinkest iniquity like water I tell thee ere long thou shalt wash thy selfe away thy fruit is already withered and thou shalt be lopt from the Vine Thirdly the Robber is a barren Branch Leviticus 19. vers 11. Thou that by the Art of Leger-de-maine adoptest every mans goods thine owne I know thou wouldst have joy without sorrow wealth without want fruit without faith and life without death but remember the pitcher at last comes broken home There is a way seemes right in the eyes of man but the end thereof is the path of death Proverbs 14. vers 12. What though thou hast wheel'd off fairly once or twice or thrice yet thou shalt shortly fall Agememnon after all his 10 yeares wars at Troy was slain in one night among his freinds at Greece The valiant Hector whose temples were so often archt in a victorious Orbe while he was quitting his Countrey with gallantry and affronting his enemies in the height of bravery received in a moment the Embassage of death and upon the ground measured out his grave The mighty Achilles whose arme seemed a Postilion of death was slaine at last by a little winged Arrow and sent to his long home Tell me thou that canst draw thy sword and bid defiance upon the high way to truth and fidelity where lies thy brother Caine or Akan or Judas or Ahab does not their glory grovill in the ground or are they not sweltring in eternall flames It may be thou hast endured many a blast but there may come a blast ere long that may puffe thee quite away Thou that art acquainted with the Law so well that thou canst sometimes confute the Reverend Judges and yet performest never a tittle thereof believe mee thou canst not plead with death hee will come with a Habeas corpus and remove thee to eternity Forasmuch as thou art found unfruitfull in the Vineyard thou shalt be cut from the Vine and have thy portion in that lake of terrour where time shall be no more Fourthly the lyar is a barren Branch Leviticus 19. vers 11. Why boastest thou thy selfe in mischiefe O mighty man the goodnesse of God endureth continually Thy tongue deviseth mischiefes like a sharpe rasor working deceitfully Thou lovest evill more then good and lying rather then to speake righteousnesse Selah Thou lovest all devouring words O thou deceitfull tongue God shall likewise destroy thee for ever he shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place and root thee out of the Land of the living Psalme 52 vers 1 2 3 4 5. Thou that so oft dost call the God of heaven who is truth it selfe to witnesse to a lie tell me thou sordid peece of earth canst thou blinde the eies of heaven or canst thou draw a curtaine before the face of the most high does not his eie see thee does not his eare heare thee does not his heart ponder thy waies tell me is he excluded any where that can be comprehended no where if thou goest to heaven he is there if downe to hell he is there if thou take the wings of the morning and flye to the uttermost parts of the earth from thence the hand of God shall find thee out Come thou lyar Read the story of Ananias and Sapphira Acts 5. vers 1 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 10. The tree withers soone away that is perisht at the Root and thou shalt shortly fall who art rotten at the heart Alas thou art nothing but a walking shaddow a guilded peece of aire whose wealth is but poverty whose bravery but vanity whose truth infidelity and thou shalt ere long be â—hut out of eternity Revelation 22. vers 15. thy present tense ere long shal be made a preterimperâ—ectense and it shall shortly be said of thee he was and is not yet a little while and thou shalt be no more but shalt fade as the withering grasse and wither as the dying flowre Fifthly the Sabbath breaker is a barren Branch Ye shall keep my Sabbath therefore for it is holy unto you every one that breaketh it shall be cut off from among his people for whosoever doth any worke therein that soule shall surely be put to death Six dayes may worke be done but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest holy to the Lord whosoever doth any worke therein shall surely be put to death Wherefore the Children of Israell shall keep the Sabbath to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetuall memory It is a Covenant between me and the Children of Israeâ— for ever for in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed Exod.
his strength the Souldier of his valour the Schollar of his learning the Germane gloryes that hee can drinke Wine the Usurer sacrifices to the god of gold the Prodigall to his pleasure and the Lover to his Lady and of all the rest the last is the most deluded making his life laborious while hee is tyred with such unacquainted passions Her frownes or smiles give him an earnest of life or death hee spends his yeares in disquietnesse his moneths in frowardnesse the day in fancies the night in dreames hee tyres his passion corrupts his invention deludes his affection disturbes his rest cracks his braine wearies his bed and breaken his sleepe hee makes earth his heaven pleasure his paradise beauty his felicity and prosperity his glory Poore soule hee knows not that bravery is a vanity that beauty is a vision and love a delusion that as Syrens can inchant so Ladies can allure that extremity attends prodigallity and the greatest temptations the strongest affections that the comliest blossome is the soonest blasted and the sweetest Rose the quickliest withered That poyson lyeth by the sweetest herbe and death is mingled in the fairest bait The deluded Lover stands in his owne light he puts out his owne eyes hee stoppes his owne eares hee is cloathed in darkenesse hee wanders in blindnesse lives in lasciviousnes and dyes in forgetfullnesse while these poore rarities fanne him with silken wings of mildest ayre breathed from a whispering winde Looke back fond Lover thou sure hast dreamed all past is but delusion thy sordid affections deserve not the name of love 't is but a morrall blaze a piece of humane glory a glaunce of beauties bravery a sparke of Cupids candle a flame of Vuicans forge a flash of Natures fire hot in a minute and cold in a moment But Oh Divine Love how much art thou abused How strongly neglected who art chiefely to bee beloved Thou indeed art a bed of Roses a mountaine of Spices a Garden of sweetnesse a Type of blessednesse a Messenger of fullnesse a Mirrour of faithfullnesse with thee there is no respect of persons nor no regard of places thou mindest not vanity nor art deceived by folly Thou strivest not for honour thou lookest not after gaine thou thirstest not for revenge but hopest all things believeth all things indureth all things Thou fillest the soule with vertue with vallour humility fidelity love peace joy patience and perseverance thou art hee that preserveth earth that guideth the Heavens and lest the Universe should returne to its first Chaos thou rulest the unruly Elements thou turnest the spheres and commandest the wandring Planets in their several Orbes And when thou smilest upon the soule thou makest earth resemble heaven deformity become purity and dust immortallity how faire and how lovely art thou oh Love for delights ARe they Ministers of Christ I speake as a fooole I am more in labours more abundant in stripes above measure in prisons more frequent in deaths oft Of the Iewes five times received I forty stripes save one Thrice was I beaten with rods once was I stoned thrice I suffered shipwracke a night and a day I have beene in the deepe In journeying often in perils of waters in perils of robbers in perils by mine owne countreymen in perils by the heathen in perils in the city in perils in the wildernesse in perils in the sea in perils amongst false brethren in wearinesse and painefulnesse in watchings often in hunger and thirst infasting often in cold and nakednesse 2 Corinthians chap. 11. vers 24.25.26.27 The SOULE ANd does the pallas of immortall glory Stand by deaths darkned throne Is this story True that many a fiery dart Is shot to wound the tyred travellers heart And yet before he comes into the armes Of love must conquer death and hells alarms Induring many a storme oh where is he That shall arrive at immort allitie CHRIST What 's he that questions heaven or his power And tyes eternity to a short lived houre By words that darken knowledge Canst thou tell His thoughts of love say wortall doest thou well Is mine arme shortned or do'st thou feare Mine eare is heavy that it cannot heare Or is my truth decayed Doe I require Fond man that thou alone shouldst travell through the fire Except I go before whose power can tame The scorching furnace and the fiery flame Have not I power to save that lockt up hell And conquered death Say mortall dost than well Is man more righteous then his maker why Do'st thou then mourne dry up thy watry eye And read thy way to heaven in this story Go on I 'le crowne thee with a crowne of glory SOULE But ah I am intangled in this vale of teares While I sit downe in sorrow numerous fearet Beset me round such rubs lye in my way I looke for deaths embassage every day In which my heart is faint my fears are full My faith is feeble and my senses dull And Sathan triumphs for no power at all Is in fond man since his rebellious fall How hard a taske how short a time have wee And who can wander to eternitio It is enough oh Lord thou knowst that I Am vanity let me lie down and dye CHRIST What meane these murm'rings that doe pierce mine cares Why faithlesse sonle art thou so full of feares Heaven is not gain'd at every idle breath Love attends labour life is gain'd by death This is a debt eternity will not passe Thy glory earth is like the withering grasse Thy soule is too impure till thou dost pay That debt soul how will mine eys indure this day My soule that once was glorious sin hath stain'd My hands are fetter'd and my feet are chain'd How black hath horror made my darkned face Can Heaven love me now can he embrace Me in his Royall armes can he endure A soule that 's so deform'd that 's so impure It is enough O Lord thou knowst that I Am vanity let me lie downe and dye Alas the least temptation throwes me downe CHRIST Yet soule press forward thou shalt have a Crowne Of endlesse Royalty set on thy head In a victorious Orb. Soule 'T is true the dead That dye in thee are happy they are blest Indeed they slumber in eternall rest But I that have not strength enough to strive Through my disasters how shall I arrive At my desired haven when I read 'T is such a difficult way Christ why I will lead Thee through the sea of sorrow till the Cup Of wrath is passed ore I 'le beare thee up In ever lasting armes do but endeavour To conquer death and thou shalt live for ever As pleasure so is torment transitory Strive and I 'le crown thee with a crown of glory The third SOLILOQUIE YOu trayterous thoughts assault my sence no more oh mine eyes whither doe you wander to what great steppe of pleasure to what great pitch of honour to what illustrate sphere to what coelestiall orbe are you hurried in
it and much good may it doe thee Thy wisedome is but a puffe of pride and the more learning thou hast the more mad thou art Therefore since there is no ability in man to gaine immortallity let this summon in the great and mighty men of the world let them sit under the shaddow of the Vine and eate his pleasant fruit Objection But it may be said this seemes to be false you talke all this while we see no glory in the Vineyard nor taste no sweetnesse in the Vine wherein is his fruit so pleasant Answer I will tell you in foure particulars First his fruit of humiliation that is pleasant fruit this will adorne thee with such amorons graces that thou shalt passe by the flurts of the World with a gallant scorne yet knowing sinne to bee the Authour of thy shame thou shalt often inbalme thy selfe in teares Secondly his fruits of meekenesse that is pleasant fruit thy crooked nature now it may bee admits of no second but thy sword thou art now but a word and a blow thy heart is like a tinder box the least sparke of envy will burne to a mighty flame but then thou shalt stand as a marble pillar immovable the envy of thine enemies shall not trouble thee the frownes of thy friends shall not startle thee the principalities of hel shal not have power to shake thee the worlds disdaine shall be thy dignity their infamy thy glory their hate shal inflame thy fire of love and their reproaches shal fil thy mouth with praises nor wilt thou regard the most grievous paine while thou art running to so glorious a prize Thirdly this fruit of love is very pleasant fruit all the mountaines of misery thou sufferest when they are drowned in the Sea of love will appeare but like Attomes in the Aire when love shal cover thee under the shaddow of his wings when thou shalt see how deare thou art in heavens eyes that he did not onely give Ethiopia but his owne life to the Father for thee what wouldest thou not endure for the love of such a Saviour does he suffer hell to pursue thee it is because thou shouldest presse forward to heaven which is set before thee is thy journey tedious in the beginning it is because thou shouldst long to be at thy journeys end and wilt thou not run when thy Race is onely to life and thy companion love and wilt thou not despise any worldly losse when thou shalt be treble sharer in eternal glory and inherit immortall gaine Fourthly his fruits of patience and perseverance are pleasant fruit now a few discouragements will daunt thee then thou shalt be willing to undergoe a thousand dangers every day now if thou receivest not what thou didst aske thou art ready to give over asking if God openeth not at the first thou art ready to give over knocking and if thou findest not what thou didst seek thou art soone perswaded to give over seeking But then thou shalt wait with as much patience as the poore watchman that stands upon the Tower expecting the dawning of the day till the panting horses of time have finisht their journey and ended their tired task then shalt thou receive the fruit of thy faith and Heaven shall crowne thy labours of love with undisturbed rest Awake then Oh North winde and come thou South let the Inhabitants draw neare let them come into our garden let them taste the fruit of Faith let them bee drunke with the Wine of love Eate O friends drinke yea drinke abundantly O beloved Canticles 5. verse 1. Come take his fruit of Justification that justice may not condemn thee take his fruit of Redemption that hell may not devoure thee take his fruit of sanctification that sinne may not deceive thee take his fruit of glorification that happinesse may crowne thee Art thou hungry Hee is food to suffice thee Art thou thirsty Hee is water to refresh thee Art thou naked Hee is a garment to cloath thee Art thou cold Hee is a fire to warme thee Art thou scorched with heate Hee is a Rock to shelter thee Art thou in sicknesse Hee is a Doctour to heale thee Art thou alone Hee is a friend will not forsake thee Art thou in danger His arme shall protect thee Does the plague walke in darkenesse Hee is a chamber to hide thee does the arrowes of the Almighty flye at noone day his wings shall overshadow thee Art thou poore Hee hath layd up treasure to inrich thee Art thou disgraced Hee will Crowne thee with a Crowne of Glory And now Reader mayest thou imbalme the Booke in teares if thou considerest the misery of man and how the World does lye befooled What horrid Earthquake is this that shakes the foundation of our troubled World What black cloud hath overspread our Universe and begins to murmure in our whispering aire eclipsing the light of Divinity extinguishing the Lamps of purity and endeavouring to darken the sonne of glory making poore ignorant mortalls gâ—ope all their lives time in the darke and yet shall never finde the doore How happy are those priety babes who with a little flood of teares be waileing the misery of mortallity dye in their slumbring Nurses armees Sure it were happy for the wicked if they measured but a short lived houre betweene the Wombe and the Grave for not being found in the Vneyard they shall have no share in the Vine and bearing no fruit as the Corne they shall bee burned with the Chaffe But thou for a few evills on earth shalt bee rewarded in Heaven thou shalt set thy foot upon the Adder and tread upon the yong Lyon for thou shalt bee hid in the secret places of the Almighty and under the shaddow of the wings of the most high thou shalt bee free from the dominion of sinne and thou shalt conquer Sathan thou shalt overcome Principalities and Powers and thou shalt gaine by life and death And hee whose undiscovered actions are too deepe for our dim eyes shall beare thee on his wings through deaths darke Groves and lift thee to life eternall while the wicked that now does flourish like a greene Bay shall perish ere long like a blowne off blossome and hee that is a shining flash shall wither like a dying Flower All flesh is as grasse and all the glory of man as the flowre of grasse 1 Pet. 1. v. 24. Man STay Phoebus stay Oh wherefore dost thou run So fast the shades will come too soone Hold in hold in thy horses their nostrills boyle In flames Oh let them rest a while Stop thy bright Chariot wheeles and guild the day In glorious pride why dost thou haste away Into the western world stay gentle Phoebus stay Phoebus Jove lend me a breath of thunder that my flashes May mingle terrour with my lashes My pampred horses linger out the day I surfeit with too long delay Fond man thou fear'st to die and oft dost groane To live and blamest onely time alone