Items to thy bedrid view when all diseases and the evils of age shall muster up their Forces in thy crazy bones where be thy comforts then COnsider O my soule and know that day will come and after that another wherein for all these things God will bring thee to judgement Eccles. 11. 9. Prov. 14. 13. Even in laughter the heart is sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heavinesse Eccles. 2. 2. I said in my heart Goe to now I will prove thee with mirth and therefore enjoy pleasure and behold this also is vanitie I said of laughter It is madde and of mirth What doth it St. James Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth and been wanton ye have nourished your hearts as in the day of slaughter Eccles. 7. 4. The heart of the wise man is in the house of mourning but the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth Isid. in Synonymis Pleasure is an Inclination to the unlawfull objects of a corrupted mind allured with a momentary sweetnesse Hugo Sensuality is an immoderate indulgence of the flesh a sweet payson a strong plague a dangerous Potion which effeminates the body and enerves the soule Cass. Lib. 4. Ep. They are most sensible of the burthen of affliction that are most taken with the pleasures of the flesh VVHat hast thou now to say O my soule why this judgement seconded with divine proofes backt with the harmony of holy men should not proceed against thee Dally no longer with thy owne Salvation nor flatter thy owne Corruption Remember the wages of flesh are sinne and the wages of sinne death God hath threatned it whose judgements are terrible God hath witnessed it whose words are truth Consider then my soule and let not momentary pleasures flatter thee into eternitie of torments How many that have trod thy steps are now roaring in the flames of Hell and yet thou triflest away the time of thy Repentance O my poore deluded soule presume no longer Repent to day left to morrow come too late Or couldst thou ravell out thy dayes beyond Methusalem tell me alas what will Eternitie bee the shorter for the deduction of a thousand yeers Be wisely provident therefore O my soule and bid vanitie the common sorceresse of the world farewell life and death are yet before thee Chuse life and the God of life will seale thy â—boyee Prostrate thy selfe before him who delights not in the death of a sinner and present thy Petitions to him who can deny thee nothing in the name of a Saviour His Prayer O God in the beautie of whose holinesse is the true joy of those that love thee the full happinesse of those that feare thee and the onely rest of those that prize thee In respect of which the transitory pleasures of the world are lesse then nothing in comparison of which the greatest wisdome of the world is folly and the glory of the earth but drosse and dung How dare my boldnesse thus presume to presse into thy glorious presence What can my prayers expect but thy just wrath and heavy indignation O what returne can the tainted breath of my polluted lipps deserve but to bee bound hand and foot and cast into the flames of Hell But Lord the merits of my Saviour are greater then the offences of a sinner and the sweetnesse of thy mercy exceeds the sharpnesse of my misery The horrour of thy judgments have seized upon mee and I languish through the sense of thy displeasure I have forsaken thee the rest of my distressed soule and set my affections upon the vanitie of the deceitfull world I have taken pleasure in my foolishnesse and have vaunted my selfe in mine iniquitie I have flattered my soule with the hony of delights whereby I am made sensible of the sting of my affliction wherefore I loath and utterly abhorre my selfe and from the bottome of my heart repent in dust and ashes Behold O Lord I am impure and vile and have wallowed in the puddle of mine owne Corruptions The Sword of thy displeasure is drawne out against mee and what shall I plead O thou preserver of mankind Make mee a new Creature O my God and destroy the old man within mee Remove my affections from the love of transitory things that I may runne the way of the Commandements Turne away mine eyes from beholding vanitie and make thy Testimonies my whole delight Give me strength to discerne the emptinesse of the creature and inebriate my heart with the fulnesse of thy joyes Bee thou my portion O God at whose right hand stand pleasures for evermore Bee thou my refuge and my shield and suffer me not to sinke under the corruptions of my heart let not the house of mirth beguile mee but give mee a sense of the evill to come Accept the free-will offerings of my mouth and grant my petitions for the honour of thy Name then will I magnifie thy mercies O God and praise thy Name for ever and ever The vainâ— glorious mans Vaunt VVHat tell'st thou me of Conscience or a pious life They are good trades for a leaden spirit that can stand bent at every frowne and want the braines to make a higher Fortune or couâ—age to atchieve that honour which might glorifie their names and write their memories in the Chronicles of Fame T is true Humilitie is a needfull gift in those that have no Qualitie to exercise their pride and patience is a necessary Grace to keepe the world in peace and him that hath it in a whole skinne and often proves a vertue borne of meere necâ—ssiâ—ie And civill Honesty is a faire pretense for him that hath not wit to act the Knave and makes a man capable of a little higher stile then Foâ—le And blushing modesty is a pretty innocent qualitie and serves to vindicate an easie nature from the imputation of an ill-breeding These are inferiour Graces that have got a good opinion in the dull wisdome of the world and appeare like water among the Elements to moderate the body Poliâ—ique and keepe it from combustion nor doe they come into the worke of honour Virtue consists in Action and the reward of action is Glory Glory is the great soule of the little world and is the Crowne of all sublime attempts and the point whereto the crooked wayes of policy are all concentrick Honour consults not with a pious life Let those that are ambitious of a religious reputation abjure all honorable Titles and let their dough-bak'd spirits take a pride in sufferance the Anvile of all injuries and bee thankfully baffled into a quiet pilgrimage Rapes murâ—hers treasons dispossessions riots are veniall things to men of honour and oft co-incident in high pursuits Had my dull Conscience stood upon such nice points that little honour I have wonne had glorified some other arme and left mee begging Morsells at his Princely gates Come come my soule 1d factum juvat quod 〈◊〉 non licet Feare not to doe what crownes thee
Pictor adumbravit Vultum â—uem cernimus aâ—t hic Non valet egregias 〈◊〉 mentis Opes Has si seire cupis sua consuâ—c Carmina â—n â—â—lis Dotes percipies pectoris eximias What heere wee see is but a Graven face Onely the shaddow of that brittle case Wherin were treasur'd up those Gemms which he Hath left behind him to Posteritie Aâ—◠〈◊〉 â—culp Iudgment and Mercy for afflicted soules by Fra Quarles 1646. JUDGEMENT MERCY FOR AFFLICTED SOULES OR Meditations Soliloquies And Prayers BY FRA. QVARLES LONDON Printed by Ric. Cotes for Richard Royston at the Angell in Ivy-Lane 1646. TO MY MOST GRATIOVS SOVERAIGNE KING CHARLES SIR I Beleeve you to be such a Patron of Vertue that if this Treatise had the least probabilitie of cherishing Vice my countenance durst not admit a thought of this dedication to your Majestie But my owne reason seconded by better approbations assures mee these Disquisitions and Prayers are like to beget grace in those where it was not and confirme it where it was And being so usefull I dare not doubt your patronage of this Child which survives a Father whose utmost abilities were till death darkned that great light in his soule sacrificed to your service But if I could question your willing protection of it I might strengthen my petition for it by an unquestionable commendation of the Authors publisht meditations in most of which even those of Poetry begun in his youth there are such tinctures of Pietie and Pictures of devout passions as gain'd him much love and many Noble friends One of that number which is not to bee numbred was the Religious Learned Peaceable humble Bishop of Armagh whom I beseech God to blesse and make your Majestie and him in these bad sad times instruments of good to this distracted distemper'd Church and State This is my unfained prayer and I doubt not but all that wish well to Sion will seale it with their Amen Your Majesties poore and most faithfull Subject RICHARD ROYSTON The Preface Reader IT is thought fit to say this little and but this little of the Author and his booke He was for I speak to those that are strangers to his extraction and breeding a branch of a deserving family and the sonne of a worthy father his education was in the Vniversities and Innes of Court but his inclination was rather to Divine studies then the Law This appeares in most of his publisht books which are many but I thinke in none more then this which was finisht with his life Wherein the Reader may behold according to the arguments undertaken by the Author what passions and in what degrees those passions have possest his soule and whether grace have yet allayed or expel'd them those that are inconsistible with vertue from the strâ—ng hold of his affections Such this Treatise is and being such I commend it to the Reader and this wish with it that thâ—se many too many writers who mistake malice for zeale and being transported speake evill of government and â—eddle with things they understand not Iude 8 10. forgetting there is such sinnes as â—edition and heresie sinnes which Saint Paul Gal. 5. 20. 21â— parallels with murther and witchcraft would change their disputes into devout meditations such as these be in which the pious man shall see vertue adorned with beautifull language and vice so presented as 't is not like to infect the minde nor corrupt the conscience The method the arguments the stile all speake Mr. Quarles the Author of the booke and the booke speakes his commendations so much that I need not commend it but I doe thee to God Farewell The Table Meditation I. The Sensuall mans Solace Pag. 1. His Sentence 2 His Proofs 3 His Soliloquiâ— 4 His Prayer 5 Meditation II. The Vain-glorious mans Vaunt c. 7 Meditation III. The Oppressors Plea c. 13 Meditation IV. The Drunkards Iubile c. 19 Meditation V. The Swearers Apologie c. 25 Meditation VI The Prâ—â—rastinators Remora's c. 31 Meditation VII The Hypocrites Prevarication c. 37 Meditation VIII The ignorant mans Faultering c. 43 Meditation IX The Sloâ—hfull mans slumber c. 49 Meditation X. The proud mans Ostentation c. 55 Meditation XI The Covetous mans Care c. 61 Meditation XII The Self-lovers Self-fraud c. 67 Meditation XIII The Worldly mans Verdour c. 73 Meditation XIIII The Lascivious mans Heaven c. 79 Meditation XV The Sabbath-breakers Profaâ—ation c. 85 Meditation XVI The Censorious mans Crimination c. 91 Meditation XVII The Liers fallacies c. 97 Meditation XVIII The Revengeâ—ull mans Rage c. 103 Meditation XIX The Secure mans Triumph c. 109 Meditation XX The Presumptuous mans Felicities c. 115 The sensuall mans Solace COme let 's bee merry and rejoyce our soules in frolique and in fresh delights Let 's skrue our pamperd hearts a pitch beyond the reach of dull-browd sorrow Let 's passe the slowpac'd time in melancholy charming mirth and take the advantage of our youthfull dayes Let 's banish care to the dead Sea of Phlegmatick old age Let a deepe sigh be high Treason and let a solemne look be adjudg'd a Crime too great for Pardon My serious studies shall be to draw mirth into a Body to analyse laughter and to paraphrase upon the various Texts of all 〈◊〉 My recreatâ—ons shall be to still pleasure into a Quintessence to reduce Beautie to her first principles and to extract a perfect innocence from the milke-white Doves of Venus Why should I spend my pretious minutes in the sullen and dejected shades of sadnesse or ravell out my short liv'd dayes in solemne and heart-breaking Care Howers have Eagles wings and when their hasty flight shall put a Period to our numbred dayes the world is gone with us and all our forgotten joyes are left to bee enjoyed by the succeeding Generations and wee are snatcht wee know not how wee know not whither and wrapt in the darke bosom of eternall night Come then my soule be wise make use of that which gone is past recalling and lost is past redemption Eate thy Bread with a merry heart and gulp downe care in frolique cups of liberall Wine Beguile the teadious nights with dalliance and steepe thy stupid senses in unctious in delightfull sports T is all the portion that this transitory world can give thee Let Musick Voices Masques and midnight Revells and all that melancholy wisedome censures vaine bee thy delights And let thy care-abjuring soule cheare up and sweeten the short dayes of thy consuming youth Follow the wayes of thy own heart and take the freedome of thy sweet desires Leave not delight untryed and spare no cost to heighten up thy Lusts. Take pleasure in the choyce of pleasures and please thy curious eyes with all varieties to satisfie thy soule in all things which thy heart desires I but my soule when those evill dayes shall come wherein thy wasting pleasures shall present their
nor slander'd like thy â—accusers They that censure thy Gnats swallow their owne Camels What if the luxuriant stile of thy discourse doe chance to strike upon an obvious Oath art thou straight hurried into the bosome of a Plague What if the custome of a harmelesse oath should captivate thy heedlesse tongue can nothing under sudden judgement seize upon thee What if anothers diffidence should force thy earnest lips into a hasty Oath in confirmation of a suffering Truth must thou be straightwayes branded with damnation Was Ioseph mark'd for everlasting death for swearing by the life of Egypts King Was Peter when hee so denied his master straight damn'd for swearing and for-swearingâ— O flatter not thy selfe my soule nor turne thou Advocate to so high a sinne Make not the slips of Saints a precedent for thee to fall IF the Rebukes of flesh may not prevaile heare then the threatning of the Spirit which saith The Plague shall not depart from the house of the swearer Exod. 20. 7. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord the God in vaine for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vaine Zach. 5. 3. And every one that sweareth shall bee cut off Matth. 5. 34. Sweare not at all neither by heaven for it is Gods Throne nor by the earth for it is his footstoole But let your communication be Yea yea Nay nay for whatsoever is more then these commeth of evill Jer. 23. 10. Because of swearing the land mourneth Aug in Ser. The murtherer killeth the body of his brother but the swearer murthers his owne soule August in Psal. 88. It 's well that God hath forbidden man to sweare left by custome of swearing in as much as wee are apt to mistake wee commit perjury there 's none but God can safely sweare because there 's no other but may be deceived August de Mendacio I say unto you Sweare not at all lest by swearing ye come to a facilitie of swearing from a facilitie to a custome and from a custome ye fall into perjury O What a judgement is here How terrible How full of Execution The Plague the extract of all diseases none so mortall none so comfortlesse It makes our house a Prison our friends strangers No comfort but in the expectation of the months end I but this judgement excludes that comfort too The Plague shall never depart from the house of the swearer What never Death will give it a Period No but it shall bee entail'd upon his house his family O detestable O destructive sinne that leaves a Crosse upon the dores of Generations and layes whole families upon the dust A sinne whereto neither Profit incites nor Pleasure allures nor Necessitie compells nor Inclination of nature perswades a meere voluntary begun with a malignant imitation and continued with an habituall presumption Consider O my soule every Oath hath been a nayle to wound that Saviour whose blood O mercy above expression must save thee Bee sensible of thy Actions and his sufferings Abhorre thy selfe in dust and ashes and magnifie his Mercy that hath turn'd this judgement from thee Goe wash those wounds which thou hast made with teares and humble thy selfe with Prayer and true repentance His Prayer ETernall and omnipotent God before whose glorious name Angels and Archangels bow and hide their faces to which the blessed Spirits and Saints of thy triumphant Church sing forth perpetuall Hallelujahs I a poore Sprig of disobedient Adam doe here make bold to take that holy name into my sinne-polluted lippes I have hainously sinned O God against thee and against it I have disparaged it in my thoughts dishonoured it in my words profaned it in my actions and I know thou art a jealous God and a consuming fire as faithfull in thy promises so fearefull in thy judgements I therefore flie from the dreadfull Name of Jehovah which I have abused to that gratious Name of Jesus wherein thou art well pleased in that most sacred Name O God I fall before thee and for his beloved sake O Lord I come unto thee Cleanse thou my heart O God and then my tongue shall praise thee Wash thou my soule O Lord and then my lippes shall blesse thee Worke in my heart a feare of thy displeasure and give mee an awfull reverence of thy Name Set thou a Watch before my lips that I offend not with my tongue Let no respects entice mee to bee an instrument of thy dishonour and let thy attributes bee pretious in mine eyes teach mee the way of thy Precepts O Lord and make me sensible of all my offences Let not my sinfull custome in sinning against thy Name take from my guiltie soule the sense of my sinne Give mee a respect unto all thy Commandements but especially preserve mee from the danger of this my bosome sinne Mollifie my heart at the rebukes of thy servants and strike into my inward parts a feare of thy judgements Let all my communication bee order'd as in thy presence and let the words of my mouth bee governed by thy Spirit Avert those judgements from mee which thy Word hath threatned and my sinne hath deserved and strengthen my resolution for the time to come Worke in mee a true godly sorrow that it may bring forth in mee a newnesse of life Sanctifie my thoughts with the continuall meditation of thy Coâ—mandements and mortifie those passions which provoke mee to offend thee Let not the examples of others induce mee to this sinne nor let the frailties of my flesh seek Fig leaves to cover it Seale in my heart the full assurance of thy Reconciliation and looke upon mee in the bowells of compassion that crowning my weak desires with thy All-sufficient power I may escape this judgement which thy justice hath threatned here and obtaine that happinesse thy mercy hath promised hereafter The Procrastinators Remora's TEll mee no more of fasting prayer and death They fill my thoughts with dumps of Melancholy These are no subjects for a youthfull care no contemplations for an active soule Let them whom sullen Age hath weaned from aery pleasures whom wayward fortune hath condemn'd to sighes and groanes whom sad diseases have beslaved to drugs and diets let them consume the remnant of their wretched dayes in dull devotion Let them afflict their aking soules with the untunable discourses of mortalitie Let them contemplate on evill dayes and reade sharpe Lectures of their owne experience For me my bones are full of unctious marrow and my blood of sprightly Youth My faire and free estate secures me from the feares of fortunes frowne My strength of constitution hath the power to grapple with sorrow sicknesse nay the very pangs of death and overcome 'T is true God must bee sought What impious tongue dare be so basely bold to contradict so knowne a Truth And by repentance too What strange impietie dare deny it Or what presumptuous lips dare disavow it But there 's a time for all things yet none prefixt for
from me the drowzinesse of my heart open mine eyes that I may see the truth and mine eares that I may understand thy Word and strengthen my memory that I may lay it up in my heart and show it in my life and vocation to thy glory and my comfort and the comfort of my friends Lord write thy will in my heart that when I know it I may doe it willingly O teach me what thy pleasure is that I may doe my best to performe it Give mee faith to lay hold of Christ Jesus who died for mee that after I am dead I may riâ—e againe and live with him Give mee a good heart that I may deale honestly with all men and doe as I would be done to Blesse mee in my calling and prosper the labour of my hands that I may have enough to feed mee and cloathe me and to give to the poore Mend all that is amisse in me and expect from me according to the measure thou hast given me Forgive me all my sinnes and make mee willing to please thee that living a good life I may make a gratious death and so at last I may come to heaven and live for ever for Jesus Christ his sake Amen The sloathfull mans slumber O What a world of Curses the eating of the forbidden fruit hath brought upon mankinde and unavoydably entail'd upon the sonnes of men Among all which no one appeares to me more terrible and full of sorrow and bewraying greater wrath then that insufferable that horrible punishment of labour and to purchase Bread with so extreame a price as sweat But O what happe what happinesse have they whose dying Parents have procured a quieâ— fortune for their unmolested Children and conveigh'd descended Rents to their succeeding heirs whose easie and contented lives may sit and suck the sweetnesse of their cumberlesse estates and with their folded hands enjoy the delicates of this toylsome world How blessed how delicious are those easie morsells that can finde the way to my soft palat and then attend upon the wanton Leasure of my silken slumbers without the painefull practise of my bosome folded hands or sad contrivement of my studious and contracted Browes Why should I tire my tender youth and â—orture out my groaning dayes in â—oyle and travell and discompose the happy peace of my harmonious thoughts with painefull grinding in the common mill of dull mortalitie Why should I rob my craving eyelids of their delightfull Rest to cark and care and purvey for that Bread which every work-abhorring vagaboâ—d can finde of Almes at every good mans doore Why should I leave the warme protection of my care-beguiling Doune to play the droyling drudge for daily food when the young empty Râ—vens that have no hands to worke nor providence but heaven can call and be supplied The pale fac'd Lilly and the blushing Rose neither spinnes nor sâ—wes yet princely Solomon was never robed with so much glory And shall I then afflict my body and beslave my heaven-borne soule to purchase Rags to cloathe my nakednesse Is my condition worse then Sheepe ordain'd for slaughter that crop the springing Grasse cloath'd warme in soft Arrayment purchac'd without their Providence or paines Or shall the pamper'd Beast that shines with fatnesse and growes wanton through his carefull Groomes indulgence find better measure at the worlds too partiall hands then I Come come let those take paines that love to leave their names enroll'd in memorable monuments of Parchment The day has griefe enough without my helpe and let Tomorrowâ—â— shoulders beare to morrows burthens BUt stay my soule O stay thy rash resolves take heed whilst thou avoyd the punishment of sinne labour thou meet not the reward of idleâ—esse a judgement The idle soule shall suffer hunger Prov. 19. 15. Eccles. 10. 18. By much slothfulnesse the building decayeth and through idlenesse of the hands the house droppeth thorough Exod. 16. 49. Behold this was the iniquitie of thy sâ—ster Sodome pride fulnesse of Bread and abundance of idlenesse was in her and in her daughters neither did shee strengthen the band of the poore and needy Prov. 6. 6 7 8. Goe to the Pismire O sluggard behold her wayes and be wise For she having no guide governour nor ruler prepareth her meat in Summer and gathereth her food in harvest Nilus in Paraenes Idlenesse is the wombe or fountaine of all wickednesse for it consumes and wastes the riches and vermes which wee have already and disinables us to get those we have not Nilus in Paraen Was bee to the idle soulâ— for he shall hunger after that which his riot consumed HOw presumptuously hast thou my soule transgrest the expresse Commandement of thy God! How hast thou dasht thy selfe against his judgements How hath thy undeserving hand usurpt thy diet and wearest on thy back the wages of the painefull soule Art thou not condemned to Rags to Famine by him whose Law commanded thee to labour And yet thou pamper'st up thy sides with stollen food and yet thou deck'st thy wanton body with unearn'd ornaments whiles they that spend their daily strength in their commanded callings whose labour gives them interest in them want Bread to feed and Rags to cloathe them Thou art no young Ravâ—n my soule no Lilly Where abilitie to labour is there Providence meets action and crownes it Hee that forbids to cark for to morrow denies Bread to the Idlenesse of to day Consider O my soule thy owne delinquency and let imployment make thee capable of thy Gods protection The Bird that sits is a faire mark for the Fowler while they that use the wing escape the danger follow thy calling and heaven will follow thee with his Blessing What thou hast formerly omitted present repentance may redeeme and what judgements God hath threatned early Peâ—itions may avert His Prayer MOst great and most glorious God who for the sinne of our first parents hast condemned our fraile bodies to the punishment of labour and hast commanded every one a Calling and a Trade of life that hatest idlenesse as the root of evill and threatnest povertie to the slothfull hand I thy poore suppliant convicted by thy judgements and conscious of my own transgression flie from my selfe to Thee and humbly appeale from the high Tribunall of thy Justice and seeke for refuge in the Sanctuary of thy Mercy Lord I have led a life displeasing to thee and have been a scandall to my profession I have slighted those Blessings which thy goodnesse hath promised to a conscionable calling and have swallowed downe the Bread of idlenesse I have impaired the Talent thou gavest me and have lost the opportunity of doing much good I have filled my heart with idle imaginations and have layd my felse open to the lusts of the flesh I have abused thy favours in the misexpending of my pretious time and have taken no delight in thy Sabbaths I have doted too much on the pleasures of this world and like a Droane have fed
salve for many desperate sores BUt hark my soule there 's something rounds mine eare and calls my language to a recantation The Lord hath spoken it Liers shall have their part in the lake which burneth with â—ire and brimstone Revel. 2 1. 8. Exod. 20. Thou shalt not raise a false report Levit. 19. 11. â—e shall not deale falsly neither lie one to another Prov. 12. 22. Lying lips are abomination to the Lord but they that deale truly are his delight Prov. 19. 5. He that speaketh lies shall not escape Ephes. 4. 25. Put away lying and every one speake truth with his neighbour for we are members one of another Revel. There shall in no wise enter into the new Ierusalem any thing that worketh abomination or that maketh a lie St. August Whosoever thinkes there 's any kind of lie that is not a sinne shamefully deceives himselfe mistaking a lying or câ—usening knave for a square or honest man Gregor. Eschew and avoid all falshood though sometime certaine kind of untruths are lesse sinfull as to tell a lie to save a mans life yet because the Scripture saith The lyer slayeth his owne soule and God will destroy them that tell a lie therefore religious and honest men should alwayes avoyd even the best sort of lies neither ought another mans life be secured by our falshood or lying lest we destroy our own soule in labouring to secure another mans life VVHat a child O my soule hath thy false bosome harbord And what reward can thy indulgence expect from such a father What blessing canst thou hope from heaven that pleadest for the sonne of the devill and crucifyest the Sonne of God God is the Father of truth To secure thy estate thou denyest the truth by framing of a lie To save thy brothers life thou opposest the truth in justifying a lie Now tell me O my soul art thou worthy the name of a Christian that denyest and opposest the nature of Christ Art thou worthy of Christ that preferrest thy estate or thy brothers life before him O my unrighteous soul canst thou hold thy brother worthy of death for giving thee the lie and thy selfe guiltlesse that makest a lie I but in some cases truth destroyes thy life a lie preserves it My soule was God thy Creator then make not the devill thy preserver Wilt thou despaire to trust him with thy life that gave it and make him thy Protector that seeks to destroy it Reforme thee and repent thee O my soule hold not thy life on such conditions but trust thee to the hands that made thee His Prayer O God that art the God of truth whose word is truth that hatest lying lips and abominatest the deceitfull tongue that banishest thy presence all such as love or make a lie and lovest truth and requirest uprightnesse in the inward parts I the most wretched of the sonnes of men and most unworthy to bee called thy sonne make bold to cast my sinfull eyes to heaven Lord I have sinned against heaven and against truth and have turned thy grace into a lie I have renounced the wayes of righteousnesse and have harbour'd much iniquitie within me which hath turned thy wrath against me I have transgrest against the checks of my owne conscience and have vaunted of my transgression which way soever I turne mine eye I see no object but â—hame and confusion Lord when I look upon my self I find nothing there but fuell for thy wrath and matter for thine indignation and my condemnation And when I cast mine eyes to heaven I there behold an angry God and a severe revenger But Lord at thy right hand I see a Saviour and a sweet redeemer I see thy wounded sonne cloathd in my flesh and bearing mine infirmities and interceding for my numerous transgressions for which my soule doth magnifie thee O God and my spirit rejoyceth in him my Saviour Lord when thou lookest upon the vast score of my offences turne thine eyes upon the infinite merits of his satisfaction O when thy justice calls to minde my sinnes let not thy mercy forget his sufferings Wash mee O wash mee in his blood and thou shalt see me cloathed in his righteousnesse Let him that is all in all to mee be all in all for me make him to me sanctification justification redemption Inspire my heart with the spirit of thy truth and preserve me from the deceitfulnesse of double tongue Give mee an inward confidence to relie upon thy fatherly providence that neither feare may deterre mee nor any advantage may turne me from the wayes of thy truth Let not the specious goodnesse of the end encourage mee to the unlawfulnesse of the meanes but let thy Word bee the warrant to all my actions Guide my footsteps that I may walke uprightly and quicken my conscience that it may reprove my faylings Cause me to feele the burthen of this my habituall sinne that comming to thee by a true and serious repentance my sinnes may obtaine a full and a gratious forgivenesse Give me a heart to make a Covenant with my lips that both my heart and and tongue being sanctified by thy Spirit may bee both united in truth by thy mercy and magnifie thy name for ever and for ever The Revengefull mans rage O What a Iulâ—p to my scorching soule is the delicious blood of my offender and how it cooles the burning Fever of my boyling veynes It is the Quintessenee of pleasures the height of satisfaction and the very marrow of all delight to bath and paddle in the blood of such whose bold affronts have turn'd my wounded patience into fury How full of sweetnesse was his death who dying was reveng'd upon three thousâ—nd enemies How sweetly did the younger brothers blood allay the soule-consuming flames of the elder who tooke more pleasure in his last breath then heaven did in his first Sacrifice Yet had not heaven condemned his action nature had found an Advocate for his passion What sturdy spirit hath the power to rule his suffering thoughts or curbe the headstrong fury of his Irascible affections Or who but fooles that cannot taste an injury can moderate their high-bred spirits and stop their passion in her full carreire Let heavy Cynicks they whose leaden soules are taught by stupid reason to stand bent at every wrong that can digest an injury more easily then a complement that can protest against the Lawes of nature and cry all naturall affection downe let them be Andirons for the injurious world to work a Heate upon let them find shoulders to receive the painefull sâ—ripes of peevish Mortalls and to beare the wrongs of daring insolence Let them bee drawne like Calves prepar'd for slaughter and bow their servile necks to sharpe destruction let them submit their slavish bosomes to be trod and trampled under foot for every pleasure My Eagle spiriâ— flies a higher pitch and like ambitious Phaeton climbes into the fiery Chariot and drawne with fury scorne revenge and honor