lave the blurs That in thy book appear Make no demurs In thy great suit for pardon get it out With restless speed in thy proceedings doubt Lest Errour be in thy Original Or any other Writ and make sure all As thou go'st on cast often thy account And see to what thy sums receiv'd amount And how expended what thou see'st amiss Amend in future by more carefulness For past debts take Repentances keen knife And raze them out then to avoid all strife Smooth it with Faith's rough pummice o'er and o'er Thy Creditor never will charge it more This play seems foul but is not though he know Thy crafty trick he loves to have it so And though such tricks may Merchants seem to stain It both augments his glory and thy gain Now shall the Earth-amazing Dooms-day be A day of joy and comfort unto thee Thy hearts chief solace in the saddest fits Whose thoughts might formerly have scar'd thy wits Look how the chased Hart desires the Brooks The blind Gods Herd their living Idols looks As Mariners nigh shipwrack'd wish for shore Or tyred School-boyes learning to give o'er As poor deserted Souls for faith do long The faithful for Plerophory so strong Will thy desires wishes and longings be To see that day once terrible to thee Thy soul once thus sublim'd will ever cry With yerning Bowels Come Lord Jesus Hye And with the Spirit and the Bride will say Come come Lord quickly while it is to day That Trump whose very thought the world doth fray Will be thy Cock-crow to eternal day The Epigram STout Man why quak'st to think on this days sound Thy fear doth from thy inward guilt redound Sweep clean thy conscience mundifie thy Heart Through-captivate thy will to his whose art Of love did thee redeem thence Judgements trump Will cheer thy soul whose thought now doth it dump At this Assizes fear not to appear The Judge will read thy Neck-Verse for thee here Plead guilty and condemn thy self before Confess and so be sav'd for evermore Lord what vast difference herein appear'th Betwixt thy Laws of Heaven and ours of earth Hell HOrrid'st of Creatures who wast solely made To please Eternal Justice thy black shade Abounds with Contradictions freezing fires With torrid chilness Infinite desires Void of the least attainments Howling theams Compos'd all of Exordiums fiery beams Flashing yet light-less This school's Alphabet Abjures Omega they who there are met To roar out Palinodes and Elegies Are still beginning Cain if there he lies Is no whit farther in his lesson come Then he that last went hence to that sad home Nay Lucifer grand-paedagogue of all Hath not learn'd A. B. C. since his first fall Though our and his great Master taught him better The Dullard is not yet past the first letter His lesson's now as far from learning out As 't was when first he troopt the Angel-rout Into Rebellion and the Lesson's dire 'T is wo and lamentations in a fire Tormenting not consuming burning still Still killing yet doth never fully kill Eternal labour with eternal loss Uncessant cares and yet uncessant cross A death-less death a life-less life remains Which multiplies the terrour of the pains Measureless endless hapless hopeless fate Whoe'er comes here findes it too soon too late Too soon to sense the pain but to prevent That sense too late since too late to repent Ah careless cureless heedless headless man Leap not into the fire out of the pan Whilst here Afflictions Cauldron thou dost shun Thou darest Hell and so art quite undone Temporal crosses may be better born Then those eternal do not counsel scorn That 's good and given gratis strike thy sails Stoop thy top-gallant Will it nought avails Poor Sculler these to mount in a Bravado When he 's in viron'd with a strong Armado If thou stand out thou' rt sunk and lost for ever Submit submit to change thy will endeavour Look ere thou leap thy foot is at pits brink Move but a hairs-breadth forward thou must sink And sink eternally see here the Chasm Against whose wounds there is no Cataplasm Who falls here wounded is beyond all cure And must beyond all time his pains endure This Dungeon hath nor joy nor rest nor ease Nor comforts nor a hope of ought like these But desperation of them and assurance Of perpetuity of pain 's endurance View view bewitched man this place of wo Jehovah's Magazine of Terrour Lo This Den from beatifick Vision is Excentrick quite exterminate from bliss Its Ghests all captive mourners who delight Each other to torment and to affright Mutual Assassinates and merciless Unsatiate in fiercest cruelness VVhose hideous howlings raving roaring cries Gnashing of teeth loud shreeks would rend the skies Shake all the earth to shivers melt proud man Into a floud of tears make beauty wan Strength feeble and his specious frame dissolve To nothing once to hear them Oh! revolve This frequently in heart lest Hells dark flame The thought whereof should wildest Mortals tame Prove the first light that gives thee sight of sin And sense of second death when once thou' rt in There 's no Redemption Poenitence too late VVill but increase thy torment not abate Here shalt thou see Nimrod's stern progeny Tyranniz'd o'er as they lov'd tyranny Gygantick Cyclops may tormented be By Pygmey feinds t' augment their misery The pompous Dives there shall not command One drop of water from a Lazar's hand Nor it obtain yet begging heartily To cool his parched tongue although it fry Abaddon and Apoll'on here do raign Great Lords of mis-rule o'er the damned train ' Mongst whom confusion is the perfect'st order And greatest mercy worse then horrid'st murder Where Lucifer and Beelzebub now ly Inflicting pains and pain'd eternally These lapsed Angels knowing their own fate Irrevocable are incens'd with hate Against both God and man but wanting power God to infest they seek man to devour Whom living they by flatt'ry strive to win But dead torment most justly for his sin Their first plot is Gods image to deface Once stampt on us now re-ingrav'd by grace Since our base forfeitute of that great favour In Paradise by breach of good behaviour Whilst sweet redemption crusht that curst design They now do re-inforce to undermine Us by our neerest friends the world and flesh Yea self on self fiercely assaults afresh And did not an Almighty pow'r defend us These our three friends to those our soes would send us Blessed Redeemer with thy banner shield us Oh let thy Spirit still assistance yeild us Against those subtile falshoods fly devices VVhereby Hell 's regent our poor souls intices Confound his plots and by thy grace relieve us And from this dismal dungeon Lord reprieve us The Epigram SEâ— man thy creature's creature this curst place Of endless torment thy sweet meats sow'r sawce Thy honey's gall house of thy sins foundation Tophet the cell of thy deserv'd damnation Critical Atheists have a question stirr'd VVhere it should
both have much to do But sure ere long I hope the time to see VVhen English Laws shall so amended be That pride the subject now of admiration Shall be scorn's subject throughout all the Nation VVhen we shall glory not in gawdy cloaths New-fangled fashions or in horrid oaths Or spotted faces with like souls within Or hair like those that in a Mill have been Or self-conceited gestures speech or looks The Devils new devised baits and hooks To catch poor souls But shall with joynt accord Gloâ—y in this that we do know the Lord And that he is our God and will us own He knowing us and being of us known VVho will suppress the proud exalt the meek And then his people shall to Sion seek VVith joy and peace Oh haste the time dear Lord Let thy Church say Amen with one accord An Epigram on the same HEll-maker why so high I stile thee well For thou mad'st Devils and they made God make Hell Apollyon destruction is thy trade For thou marr'dst man and man marr'd all God made Let reason rule the rost quit thy old score Mend what thou marred hast or vaunt no more Avarice the Root of Sin HUnger-starv'd plenty what a Monster 's here A greedy stomach pin'd in midst of cheer Yet wants nor hands nor mouth nor teeth to feed With these she tears devours grinds those that need Opus and Vsus all the means of profit Opus that gets it makes not Vsus of it This gnawing worm its Mothers intrails rends To line fat bags nay it s own spirits spends Indangers soul and body that to gain Which is but kept with fear when got with pain And never us'd joy'd in but not injoy'd At fullest still complains of being voyd All put to Vse and yet none Us'd at all A fine Fools Paradise I may it call Wherein wise worldlings much delight to walk Though to their endless pain they think and talk Plot and project and waste out day and night In carking care to get by wrong or right Or any means what gotten but annoyes And is the worst of vanities and toyes This greedy Dame made thievish Achan run A course that Isr'el had almost undone That brought on him and his most sad confusion This cursed Caitiff caus'd the great effusion Of Ahabs Races blood a numerous crew Of Royal Imps whom furious Jehu slew Then out of pride and greediness to reign Return'd to Jeroboam's sin again Who had through Avarice in time of old Stock't Dan and Betâ—el with curst Calves of gold She made the great Assyrian Monarch plunder The sacred Temple once the worlds rare wonder 'T was greediness not neediness of wealth Provok'd that Prince to sacrilegious stealth She 't was when Christ did preach that deafness wrought In learned Scribes and Pharises who taught The people most exactly yet were blind Themselves the while through Avarice of minde And seeing could not see nor hearing hear Those Truths which in their Scriptures written were This hellish Hag betray'd our dearest Lord Made Judas sell him for a price abhor'd Who a self-strangling and damnation got As Over-plus of purchase for his lot She to the holy Ghost to lye inclin'd Poor Ananias and Sapphira's minde For which on them that fearful Judgement fell Of sudden Death if not of sudden Hell She made wise Simon Magus Sophimore Thinking by Coin which none but fools adore To purchass that unvaluable Gift Of God's most holy Spirit but his drift Was at his Gain and so he gained hath Lasting Reproach if not e'erlasting Death She wrought the Pythonesses girles masters On Paul and Silas to bring such disasters In old Philippi And at Ephesus Diana's Zealot blinde Demetrius To raise an uproar and an Idol prize Beyond the Lord of Life where were his eyes Not on his goddess but his god his gain For whose sole sake he that hot Zeal did fain This made unhappy Felix leave Paul bound Although no cause of his restraint he found Yet in that passage Avarice we see Procur'd unwonted affability And since that Scripture is undoubted true I 'll instance it to give the Dev'l his due Leprous Gehezi I could here bring forth And many more examples notice-worth In Histories sacred and forraign too But that will endless be for me to do It might be for my pleasure not my gains For sure no miser would requite my pains Covetousness might find me lasting work Should I into her secret corners lurk Survey her bags and baggage tricks together And yet in my expressions ' bate of either She 's prides sworn sister but that pride 's too dear Oft-times for her who still loves to go near She loaths prides hand-Maid Cost who makes her smart For none but she and loss do pierce her heart The world and coin of all round things she loves And of square dealings mostly she approves Save in her self for there she 'l all confound Make that seem square which others know is round Uneven even basest wrong seem right Light make of darkness and bright day of night Her train are Under-Sheriffs Bayliffs Brokers Pursivants keepers and such men-provokers Their loading is of papers parchments waxes Which terrifie men more then new-rais'd taxes These all like Cannibals the coast do scour And Devil-like seek whom they may devour These Anthropophagi are nearest friends To avarice by whom she works her ends Mercy 's her wonder mildness she deems wild And thinks severest justice much too mild If harshest cruelty her gain procure She will baptize it courtesie most pure If not meer charity she 's Satans bawd And can like him by her sublimed fraud Assume an Angel's shape whilst she commits Rapes on poor innocents and racks her wits Widdows and Orphans to devour her faith Is Pharisaick falshood which betray'th All those that trust her though relations near Vicinity's forgot if gain appear It 's she wise Heathens term'd the root of evils VVhich in no Garden grows except the Devils Unfit for Christian heart to entertain Or to be lodged in a Converts brain Her heart 's the mint of all dcceits the sink Of bloodi'st crimes that heart of man can think The Devil is chief coiner in this Cell And stamps the Cash to buy him slaves for Hell Her she insinuation screws into Corrupted nature and doth us undo Insensibly her none-such subtilties ' Mongst men inveigles mostly the most wise And ablest parted masters of most reason Before perversion If a heart she season VVith love of gain that heart 's bewitched quite And ' reft of reason truth peace love delight Of mercy conscience and of all that 's good And grudgâ—th its sole-lov'd self both cloaths and food Scrapes all it may from whomsoe'er it can Without respect of friend foe God or man Yet gotten cannot will not use it why If you know not no more doth he nor I Unless the Devils inchantments so prevail To blind his sense and make his reason fail For inclinations unto other sins Mostly
Did hazard drowning in a flood of wine This sawce-mouth'd Fury made the Jews despise Angelick Manna and the land not prize VVhich was a type of New Jerusalem Yet promised to undeserving them VVho Onions and Garlick rather crav'd VVith Egypts flesh-pots where they were inslav'd And which sad Kingdoms thraldom they knew well Prefigur'd typically that of Hell But sure had they return'd as they did wish Their faith their food had been nor flesh nor fish She is amongst the sins of Sodom nam'd VVhence fire sulphurious down from heaven flam'd And pulverated in a trice of time The choisest Cities in that pleasant clime Thence chas'd by vengeance fled she to a Cave And tempted heedless Lot to play the knave VVith both his Daughters so in lust to burn As if those warnings could not serve his turn This longing quean made cursed Esau sell Birthright and blessing for red broth and hell Thousands of Philistins she once did seize And gave Judge Sampson his last Writ of Ease This mal-companion made the Levite play The boon-companion by the hour and day So long at Bethle'm-Judah that it cost Sixty five thousand souldiers lives all lost Of Jacob's seed for this the ground we find That him in Gibeah to lodge inclin'd Whence a whole tribe of babes and women fell Sacrific'd to the sword yea some to Hell She made the good old Eli's sons profane Their sacred Priesthood by their rost-meat ta'n The fat not offred for which villany God ruin'd them and their posterity She made rich Nabal churlish to his friend And his Protector which became his end And ended had all his had not his wife Su'd out their pardon and compos'd the strife She wrought incestuous Amnon's drunken death Who drank so deep a draught he lost his breath For his revengeful brother chose that time To punish that and his fore-passed crime Whose foul revenge vengeance divine repay'd VVhen by his Feast at Hebron he had lay'd A plot of parricide so feasting chear Sent both the brothers none but God knows where T was David's second sin that him nigh sunk Who fresh himself was in Uriah drunk And thirsty after took the poor man's blood VVho still to him had faithful been and good She lost King Ela's Crown and life whereby Zimri destroy'd the royal family And though no famed singer his shrill throat Did above Ela sing a high-strain'd note When at Samaria's siege proud Benhadad Thirty two Kings auxiliaries had Though a most slighted force did them oppose The Pot his Kinglings him and all o'erthrows So serv'd she Babylonish Baltazar Who thought himself another god of War And the besiegers though stout souldiers slighted Drank drunk the while in scorn until affrighted With Manuscript Divine he quak'd amain And that same night was by the souldiers slain And Babylon the glory of the world Had her raz'd walls into Euphrates hurl'd Nor can I think but drink and drunken fellows As well as pride made Haman build those gallows Whereon himself was hang'd for I presume Such feasting and so much strong drink did fume Into his brains and plots infus'd whereby It ruin'd him and his posterity 'T was meerly feasting drink and lust misled The Tetrarch to cut off the Baptist's head Whom he before had lov'd at least for fashion One feast provok'd him to his decollation Oh if I could but call up Dives here Who day by day did feast on royal chear Whose paunch with most delicious wine did swell Yet begg'd a drop of water for 't in Hell And beg it may yet ne'er obtain the grace To have that comfort in so sad a place Sure he would howl and roar and rave and cry Against this sin and would us terrifie With exclamations in dispraise of that Which most in fact commend but pray for what Truly I know not saving to bring gains To Vintners Ale-wiâ—es Drawers Chamberlains To Tapsters Brewers Bakers Butchers Cooks And those who when the plague reigns play the Rooks The Sextons Bearers and the Pest-attenders And those who are to Physick's art pretenders Doctors Apothecaries Mountebanks Quack-salvers Surgeons and those of their ranks That live by our diseases Politicians May sometimes gain thereby and poor Musitians Anglicè fidlers both which make a trade To undo any so themselves be made Clomers and Glass-men likewise reap fair gain When juggs and glasses are in battel slain Yea Scavengers get no small profit by it And gold-finders who semi-deifie it 'T is their Diana much sweet work it finds them And oft of Bacchus and Tabacco minds them Without which they are not nor can be well Whilst here on earth whatere they be in Hell Full paunch full pate and then all 's well for this Their esse and their bene esse is Oh how perverse is man On whom the Lord Reason conferred hath yea his pure word That reason to illuminate and shew What paths he follow should and what eschew Precept on precept for his rule of life And yet the beasts to stray not half so rife Who have but naked sence to be their guide Behold they in their Makers rules abide According to their kind more strict then we Which if arightly scann'd we soon may see They have more moderation in the use Of creatures gustable and less abuse Those gifts by far then man for where one beast Doth stupifie its sence with drink at least A hundred men and women too do so Yea stupifie both sence and reason too If hogs or such more greedy creatures hap Themselves by too much drinking to intrap They 'l mostly be more wary next but we The oft'ner drunk more eager drunk to be And oft when drunkenness our thirst hath bred We by that thirst to drunkenness are led Strange piece of witch craft reason so to fool To put her back again to sence to school We work against our selves a kind of treason When sensuality oâ—ercometh reason Is reason fighting fancy foil'd by it It shews our want of grace more then of wit For our in-nate corruption wrought in us Our wills and judgements both preposterous And opposite to Gods most holy will Who never willeth any thing that 's ill Nor can we will what 's other unless he Assistant to us by his Spirit be Oh! who would think such waywardness should dwell In any Creatute that 's on this side Hell Lord of a truth that place for us is fit Did not thy boundless mercy hinder it Proceed O God so to prevent it still And frame us hearts according to thy will Most holy pure and clean void of pollution Of flesh or spirit hating prostitution Of us unto our wills impure wild passions Charming affections brutish inclinations Unto excess and drunkenness whereby We quite deface that prime Divinity Thy smage stampt upon our souls of old And take the Devils impress of whose fold We hereby do profess our selves and go From our souls faithful shepherd to his foe Whence come Diseases Fevers Dropsies Gouts Consumptions and
Roar'd howl'd and cry'd and dy'd in deep despair Although he had good men's advice and prayer Despair's a Polititian whose black Art Makes man upon himself act Satans part Accuse condemn torment repel free grace Refuse to give his proferr'd pardon place Tempt to the highest sin and then to tell His sadded soul No place for thee but Hell And so when man the Devils work hath done He payes him wages who desired none The Poets Momus she out-strips in spight VVho hated others for his own delight She hates both God and Man Angels and Devil And her self too yea all both good and evil Save her despairing humour which alone She cherishes and strives to dote upon And to her everlasting torment feeds The gnawing worm that in her conscience breeds She 's sick to death yet will no cordial take Casts off all physick which her pains might slake Her wound is deep and cure she doth desire Yet throws her plaisters all into the fire A spirit frenzifi'd within her raigns She ease desires yet needs will keep her pains Merciful Lord defend us from afflictions VVherein are manifest such contradictions Assist us with thy grace to persevere Unto the end and then we need not fear O'erwhelming in this deep abyss wherein So many heav'n-bound vessels sunk have been Strengthen our faith against despair uphold Our feeble souls and bring them to thy fold An Epigram on despair DEspair avaunt eternal death attends Thy very touch Hell's at thy fingers ends The Cockatrices optick poyson's weak Asps tactick venome slight to thine thou l't break Hearts all in shivers by a single thought Yea murther souls too though most dearly bought By God-man's blood thou mak'st men spill the price And slight their mercies by thy rash advice Lord grant a better Counsellor to me For sure such Counsellor deserves no Fee On Presumption and Despair OLd Poets all mistake who all agree In one to make the fatal Sisters three It's one too many for but two they are But two more fatal then their three by far Daring Presumption that her cheats may pass Puts Mercy in a multiplying-glass So magnifies her past proportion'd measure Makes her a Patroness for lust and pleasure Whilst Cowardly Despair to dim her worth Peeps through a Perspective whose wrong end 's forth VVhich less'ning glass when mercy's through it view'd Semi-annihilates her magnitude They oft change glasses and Despair puts sin Into Presumptions glass whilst she agin Views Justice through Despairs false Perspective VVhich makes them both erroneous judgement give A cure for both I 'll briefly thus devise Let both their glasses break and trust their eyes Presumption stoop to Poenitence Despair Arise to Faith 't will make their ways both fair So shall Despair true Poenitence become Presumption saving Faith to bring us home For one is still too low t'other too high Neither will let us unto God draw nigh Repentance DRop on sweet lymbeck-eyes till you distâ—l Those high-priz'd waters that Gods bottle fill Drop spare not this the richest water is That Earth affords and Heav'n hath none of this Save in Gods handkerchief those tears â—…ip'd off Their glorified cheeks whom earth did scoff Water of life it is if truly made Oh that the avaricious world would trade For this rich ware one drop whereof out-vies East and West-Indies bought at highest price In its true worth add to it for 't will need As much faith as a grain of mustard-seed This composition valu'd is most high In the esteem of Jove's great majesty 'T is worth more worlds then heav'n hath stars shoar sands Sea drops or single blades of grass earth's lands Stream on pure fountains with your hysop water Your nitred springs my sin-stain'd soul bespatter Sope-lave it in your pearly rills that fall From sorrow's source but still have care to call For Lamb's blood intermixt by faith which brings True vertue to your mundifying springs It cleanseth all the stains in nature left And those we added since our Parents theft Blow on serenest sighing wind and calm My stormed conscience and abate the qualm That seiz'th my wounded spirit clear the air Dispel the clouds with gusts of zealous pray'r VVhich force ope heaven and commit a rape Upon th'Almightie's ears we shall escape How fierce soever our assault be made Thou art the wind drives all who heav'nward trade By thee they must un-anchor and set forth Or else their voyage will be little worth Fill up our sails for we shall finde rich ware That hidden lies beyond the fixed sphere Yet blow as faith may steer aright know well VVho sayl by heav'n pass neer the gates of Hell 'Twixt Scylla and Charybdis we must pass Presumption and despair and these alass Are full of danger one 's a floating Rock T'others a gulf shifting like weather-cock Its place with each neâ—… wind On if we stay They 'l both most surely cross us in the way And for the most part he that one doth fly Is shipwrack'd on the other instantly Whiff not with boyst'rous blasts into the deep Let thy gales us in fathom'd shallows keep Blow well to Leeward though a Rock appear 'T is Christ the Cape of our good Hope no fear For never vessel which that Rock did miss Arrived at the wished Port of bliss Nay more unless that Rock we hang upon Our vessel 's split and we are all undone Oh see where it appeareth yond' before Haste on I 'm sea-sick put me there ashoar The floating Rock and shifting gulf I see Approaching neer they both in kenning be Blow strong bear in on that Rock run aground Strike sail cast Anchor for our Port is found If that firm Rock do make the Anchor bend Hope's Anchor steel with faith at either end She with one finger if we Anchors want Can moâ—e us on a Rock of Adamant Such is the Rock on which we must depend That thee my soul from shipwrack must defend An Adamantine Rock whose vertue lay'th Magnetick force on all that 's steel'd by faith Help sighs sad heart my dâ—…ie eyes help tears Such wind and water souls on this Rock bears To steel Hope well with stedfast faith endeavour Then shall we Anchor on it safe for ever Epigram on Repentance BLow wind drop rain Repentance much endears Our souls to God such musick charms his ears Let faith hold fast and then full safe are we These sisters are and must not parted be Both of one birth most strange intwined twins Where the first ends mostly the last begins Which should be elder great Divines do doubt But we 'll not sift such needless scruples out God grant us both in truth of soul and mind And which is first we need not pry to find Faith STrongest of creatures whose eternal Base Is firmer fix'd then earth's foundation was Whose everlasting force none can withstand Surviving change in Heav'n Hell Sea and Land By thee the Elders good report did take Thou teachest us Gods Word the world did make By
Give her a Vomit of Repentance true Steept well in tears and taken next the heart Till that be broke each day the same renew A paradoxick Cure in physick 's Art Purge oft by fasts and prayers till thereby An Issue thou procure in either eye 11. Take a good quantity of detestation Of hatred and abhorrencie of sin Chiefly of that neer to thee in relation Which hath thy Darling and Beloved bin Thy right hand thy right eye cut off pluck out And cast from thee these wounds will cure no doubt 12. When thou hast soundly thus evacuated Thy sinful humours if thou faintish grow And feel thy strength somewhat too much abated By Faith this Cordial take that I thee show A dose of God-mans blood mixt with his merits 'T will thee restore and cheer thy heart and spirits 13. The greatest Doctor ere on earth did tread A better med'cine ne'er prescrib'd to man This life restores to men whole ages dead Nay this eternal life procure thee can But after vomit still beware returning And in and after purging keep zeal burning 14. This will restore God's Image lost by sin Make thee his son thee with his Spirit fill Free thee from keeper and the jayl thou' rt in Hereby thou mayst both covenants fulfil Open thy windows and unclose thine eyes And higher mount then Lark or Eagle flies 15. By this thou may'st flie higher then the spheres Out-mount all mortal thoughts and live most free From worldly thraldoms crosses cares and fears Have God's imperial throne prepar'd for thee To King it in when thou from hence shalt soar To raign with him in joy for evermore The Epigram MY soul take my advice It 's good no doubt Thou and thy Jayl were both turn'd inside out Pray him that made you both for Jesus sake He 'll thee henceforth thy keepers keeper make 'T would main advancement to his glory be Could'st thou o'er-rule this wretch that now rules thee Another on the same TRanscendent wonder that who 's born most free A slave unto himself should freely be That the diviner soul of god-like birth Should be a vassal to a lump of earth But she had never thus imprison'd bin Had not this body captiv'd her by sin Mortifie thou this body for 't and then Thou shalt regain thy liberty agen Subdue its lusts break its proud heart asunder Then by Christ's help thou 'lt keep thy keeper under To Christians rigidly censorious DEar fellow-members of that mystick head Who is our Jesus and our Christ should be Who ever must be so acknowledged By those that hope his face with joy to see Cease all rash judgment look on me a worm The most unworthy member of you all Who cannot as I would base self reform Yet trust in him to do 't who 's all in all Who sees and governs hearts with much more ease Then men can actions let his love divine Calm your incensed spirits and appease Your zealous hearts forbear to judge of mine Or others mens estates by bare surmise To stumble at our failings for we stand Or fall to our great master who espies The thoughts words deeds of each heart tongue and hand And judgeth all uprightly whom nor fear Nor favour e'er can sway nor bribe corrupt Happy are you that can your wills forbear And them subject to his who interrupt Lusts passions and affections natural By his assisting grace for thereby 't is Alone that you can stand and though we fall Often and much rob us not of the bliss Of your conniving Charity but give Mild censures of our states for our desires Like yours are infinite wishing to live In each particular as God requires But ah corrupted nature so much sways In our frail hearts and all our duties taints We leave his pure to walk in our vain ways No less might you wer 't not for his restraints Forbid Lord that I here should plead for sin In customary practise unoppos'd It 's crimes in which we fall not wallow in Our hearts the while being otherwise dispos'd Death's body that is in us towes us on To do what our oppressed souls abhor Whence none can us deliver but who 's gone Yet staies with thee our pardons to implore On whom alone for mercy we depend Since 't is thy will who won shall wear the prize His merits not our own our cause defend And they alone thy justice can suffice Our morning-dews our menstruoâ—s raggs are full Of emptiness as well as filth that soiles Our souls with self-conceit which renders dull And dead our duties and our graces foils So whilst we in our selves for something look We overlook our souls Pau-pharmacon And swallow Satans subt'lest bayt and hook Which so besots mysterious Babylon Self-merit which can ne'er God's test endure Though we may hug our selves in high-flown hopes They 'll vanish soon and we shall stand impure In his pure eyes who 'll storm down all self-props Dear brethren militant who here wage war Against world flesh and Devil our common foes If any of you herewith tainted are As many doubtless are though who none knowes Let me beseech your interchange of pray'rs For us to graces sacred throne and ours Shall be for you this mutual love repaires All Christian breaches cry with all your powers For our more strict obedience and we 'll cry With ours for your humility the while And let 's all cry for Christian unity Betwixt us all divisions do defile Our mothers face they sully her fair skin And schism hath branded truths sweet self with lies Whilst we neglect the danger we are in And foster errors which our foes devise Purposely to divide that they may raign And ruine undescri'dly Church and State To bring us back inslav'd to Rome and Spain Oh haste prevention lest it prove too late Let 's joyn hearts hands and heads let 's cry aloud With true repentant tears for our high crimes Which cry for vengeance and are yet allow'd Frist mend our selves then we shall mend the times For we have marr'd them and till we reform They 'll grow but worse in spight of wit of force Or policy And we shall have a storm Insensible by all our foot and horse Defend dear Lord defend these sinfull lands From thy impending judgments and retract Thy unsheath'd sword and let not their fierce hands Thy just revenge on these vile Nations act Who are thy foes and ours though our deserts Plead strongly so to have it but reclaim Our sinful lives and turn our stubborn hearts That we at last may at thy glory aim And scorn self-ends the Idol of this Land Lest self-ends bring us to self-ends indeed As well as in intention Lord thy hand Alone can save us blessed God proceed Wonders to work within us In our change As thou hast long without us wonders wrought Turn us from bad to good thy plagues estrange Which unrepented sins have on us brought Restore us unity and peace divine Let thy sweet Gospels