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
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
all my friends forsake mee If to gaine a good estate out of nothing and to regaine a desperat debt which is as good as nothing bee the fruits and signe of a bad conscience God helpe the good Come tell not me of griping and Oppression The world is hard and hee that hopes to thrive must gripe as hard What I give I give and what I lend I lend If the way to heaven bee to turn begger upon earth let them take it that like it I know not what ye call Oppression The Law is my direction but of the two it is more profitable to oppresse then to bee opprest If debtors would bee honest and discharge our hands were bound but when their failing offends my bagges they touch the Apple of my eye and I must right them BUt hah what voyce is this that whispers in mine eare The Lord will spoile the soule of the Oppressors Prov. 22. 23. Prov. 21. 22. Robbe not the poore because hee is poore neither oppresse the afflicted in the gates for the Lord will plead their cause and spoile the soule of those that have spoled him Ezek. 22. 19. The people of the land have used oppression and exercised Robbery and have vexed the poors and needy yea they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath Zach. 7. 9. Execute true judgement and shew mercy and compassion every man to his brother and oppresse not the widow nor the fatherlesse nor the stranger nor the poore and let none of you imagine evill in your hearts against his brother But they refused to hearken therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of Hosts Bernard p. 1691. Wee ought so to care for our selves as not to neglect the due regard of our neighbour Bern. ibiâ—â— He that is not mercifull to another shall not find mercy from God but if thou will'st bee mercifull and compassionate thou shalt bee a benâ—factor to thy owne soule IS it wisdome in thee O my soul to covet a happinesse or rather to account it so that is sought for with a judgement obtained with a Curse and punished with damnation And to neglect that good which is assured with a promise purchased with a blessing and rewarded with a Crowne of Glory Canst thou hold a full estate a good pennyworth which is bought with the deare price of thy Gods displeasure Tell mee what continuance can that Inheritance promise that is raised upon the ruines of thy Brother Or what mercy canst thou expect from heaven that hast denied all mercy to thy Neighbour O my hard-hearted soule consider and relent Build not an house whose posts are subject to bee rotted with a curse Consider what the God of truth hath threatned against thy crueltie Relent and turne compassionate that thou mayst bee capable of his compassion If the desire of Gold hath hardned thy heart let the teares of true Repentance mollifie it soften it with Aarons oyntment untill it become Wax to take the impression of that seale which must confirme thy Pardon His Prayer BUt will my God bee now entreated Is not my crying sinne too loud for Pardon Am I not sunke too deepe into the Jawes of Hell for thy strong arme to rescue Hath not the hardnesse of my heart made mee uncapable of thy compassion O if my teares might wash away my sinne my head should turne a living Spring Lord I have heard thee speake and am affraid the word is past and thy judgements have found mee out Fearefulnesse and trembling are come upon mee and the Jawes of Hell have overwhelmed mee I have oppressed thy poore and added affliction to the afflicted and the voyce of their misery is come before thee They besought mee with teares and in the anguish of their soules but I have stopt mine eares against the cry of their complaint But Lord thou walkest not the wayes of man and remembrest mercy in the middest of thy wrath for thou art good and gratious and ready to forgive and plenteous in compassion to all that shall call upon thee Forgive mee O God my sinnes that are past and deliver mee from the guilt of my Oppression Take from mee O God this heart of stone and create in my brest a heart of flesh Asswage the vehemency of my desires to the things below and satisfie my soule with the sufficiency of thy Grace Inflame my affections that I may love thee with a filiall love and incline mee to relie upon thy fatherly providence Let mee account godlinesse my greatest gaine and subdue in mee my lusts after filthy lucre Preserve mee O Lord from the vanitie of selfe-love and plant in my affections the true love of my neighbours Endue my heart with the bowels of compassion and then reward mee according to thy righteousnesse Direct mee O God in the wayes of my life and let a good Conscience bee my continuall comfort Give mee a willing heart to make resâ—itution of what I have wrongfully gotten by oppression Grant mee a lawfull use of all thy Creatures and a thankfull heart for all thy benefits Bee merciâ—ull to all those that groane under the burthen of their owne wants and give them patience to expect thy deliverance Give mee a heart that may acknowledge thy favours and fill my tongue with praise and thanksgiving that living here a new life I may become a new creature and being engraffed in thee by the power of thy grace I may bring forth fruit to thy honour and glory The Drunkards Iubile VVHat Complement will the severer world allow to the vacant houres of frolique-hearted youth How shall their free their joviall spirits entertaine their time their friends What Oyle shall bee infused into the Lampe of deare societie if they deny the priviledge of a civill rejoycing Cup It is the life the radicall humor of united soules whose love-digestive heate even ripens and ferments the greene materialls of a plighted faith without the helpe whereof new married friendship falls into divorce and joyn'd acquaintance soone resolves into the first Elements of strangenesse What meane these strict Reformers thus to spend their houâ—e-glasses and bawle against our harmelesse Cups to call our meetings Riots and brand our civill mirth with stiles of loose Intemperance where they can sit at a fisters Feast devoure and gurmundize beyond excesse and wipe the guilt from off their marrowed mouths and cloath their surfeits in the long fustain Robes of a tedious Grace Is it not much better in a faire friendly Round since youth must have a swing to steep our soule-afflicting sorrows in a chirping Cup then hazard our estates upon the abuse of providence in a folish cast at Dice Or at a Cockpit leave our doubtfull fortunes to the mercy of unmercifull contention Or spend our wanton dayes in sacrificing costly presents to a fleshly Idoll was not Wine given to exhilarate the drooping hearts and raise the drowzie spirits
upon the hony of Bees If thou O God shouldst bee extreame to search my wayes with too severe an eye thou couldst not choose but wheâ— thy indignation and powre the vialls of thy wrath upon mee looke therefore not upon my sinnes O Lord but through the merits of my Saviour who hath made a full satisfaction for all my sinnes What through my weaknesse I have fail'd to doe the fulnesse of his sufferings hath most exactly done In Him O God in whom thou art well pleased and for his sake bee gracious to my finne Alter my heart and make it willing to please thee that in my life I may adorne my profession Give me a care and a conscience in my calling and grant thy blessing to the lawfull labours of my hand Let the fidelitie of my vocation improve my Talent that I may enter into my Masters joy Rouze up the dulnesse and deadnesse of my heart and quench those flames of lust within mee Assist mee O God in the redemption of my time and deliver my soule from the evilnesse of my dayes Let thy providence accompany my moderate endeavours and let all my imployments depend upon thy providence that when the labours of this sinfull world shall cease I may feele and enjoy the benefit of a good conscience and obtaine the rest of new Jerusalem in the Eternity of glory The proud mans Ostentation I ' Le make him feele the weight of displeasure and teach him to repent his saucy boldnesse How dare his basenesse once presume to breathe so neare my person much more to take my name into his dunghill mouth me thinks the lustre of my sparkling eye might have had the power to astonish him into good manners and sent him back to cast his mind into a faire Petition humbly presented with his trembling hand But thus to presse into my presence to presse so neare my face and then to spâ—ake and speake to me as if I were his equall is more then sufferable The way to be contemn'd is to digest contempt but he that would be honour'd by the vulgar sort must wisely keepe a distance A countenance that 's reserv'd breeds feare and observation but affâ—bility and too easie an accesse makes fooles too bold and reputation cheape What price I set upon my owne deserts instructs opinion how to prize me That which base ignorance miscalls thy pride is but a conscious knowledge of thy meriâ—s dejected soules craven'd with their owne disâ—rusts are the worlds Footballs to be kickt spurnd but brave and true heroick spirits that know the strength of their owne worth shall baffold basenesse and presumption into a reverentiall silence and spite of envie flourish in an honorable repute Come then my soule advance thy noble thy sublimer thoughts and prize thy self according to those parts which all may wonder at few imitate but none can equall Let not the insolent affronts of vassals interrupt thy Peace nor seeme one sâ—ruple lesse then what thon art Bee thou thy selfe Respect thy selfe receive thou honour from thy selfe Rejoyce thy selfe in thy self and prize thy selfe for thy selfe Like Caesar admit no equall and like Pompey acknowledge no superior Be covetous of thine owne Honour and hold anothers glory as thy injury Renounce humilitie as an Heresie in reputation and meeknesse as the worst disease of a true-bred noble Spirit Disparage worth in all but in thy selfe and make anothers infamy a foyl to magnifie thy glory Let such as have no reason to bee proud be humbled of necessitie and let them that have no parts to value be despondent But as for thee thy Cards are good and having skill enough to play thy hopefull Game vie boldly conquer and triumph BUt stay my soule the Trump is yet unturn'd boast not too soon nor call it a faire day till night the turning of a hand may make such alterations in thy flat'ring fortunes that all thy glorious expectations may chance to end in losse and unsuspected ruine That God which thrust that Babylonian Prince from his Imperiall Throne to graze with beasts hath said The Lord will destroy the house of the proud Prov. Prov. 11. When pride commeth then commeth shame but with the lowly is wisdome Jer. 11. 15. Heare ye and give eare and be not proud for the Lord hath spoken Esay 2. 12. The day of the Lord of Hosts shall bee upon every one that is proud and loftie and upon every one that is lifted up and he shall be brought low Prov. 16. 5. Every one that is proud in heart is abomination to the Lord St. James God rejecteth the proud and giveth grace to the simple Isidor Hispal Pride mâ—de Satan fall from the highest heaven therefore they that pride themselves in their virtues imitate the Devill and faâ—l more dangerously because they aspire and climbe to the highest pitch from whence is the greatest fall Greg. Mor. Pride growes stronger in the root whilst it braves it selfe with presumptuous advances yet the higher it climes the lower it fals for he that heightens himselfe by his owne pride is always destroyed by the judgement of God HOw wert thou muffled O my soule How were thine eyes blinded with the corruption of thine owne heart When I beheld my selfe by my owne light I seem'd a glorious thing My sanne knew no eclipse and all my imperfections were gilded over with vaine-glory But now the day-spring from above hath shin'd upon my heart and the diviner light hath driven away those foggy mists I finde my selfe another thing My Diamonds are all turn'd Pebbles and my glory is turn'd to shame O my deceived foule how great a darknesse was thy light The thing that seem'd so glorious and sparkled in the night by day appeares but rotten wood and that bright Ghâ—-worme that in darkenesse out-shined the Chrysolite is by this new-found light no better then a crawling worme How inseparable O my soule is pride and folly which like Hippocrates â—winnes still live and die together It blinds the eye befooles the judgement knowes no superiours hates equals disdaines inferiors the wise mans scorne and the fooles Idol Renounce it O my soule lest thy God renounce thee Hee that hath threatned to resist the proud hath promised to give Grace to the humble and what true Repentance speakes free mercy heares and crownes His Prayer O God the fountaine of all true Glory and the griver of all free grace whose Name is onely honorable and whose workes are onely glorious that shewest thy wayes to bee meeke and takest compassion upon an humble spirit that hatest the presence of a loftie eye and destroyest the proud in the imaginations of their hearts vouchsafe O Lord thy gratious eare and heare the sighing of a contrite heart I know O God the qualitie of my sinne can look for nothing but the extremitie of thy wrath I know the crookednesse of my condition can expect nothing but the Fornace of thy indignation I know the insolence of my corrupted nature can
and everlasting flames justly deserves to die perish with the damned because when he might have enjoyed a pious rest he laboured to run headlong to his own destruction MY soul how hast thou profaned that day thy God hath sanctified How hast thou encroach'd on that which heaven hath set apart If thy impatience cannot act a Sabbath twelve houres what happinesse canst thou expect in a perpetuall Sabbath Is six dayes too little for thy selfe and two houres too much for thy God O my soule how dost thou prize temporalls beyond eternalls Is it equall that God who gave thee a body and six dayes to provide for it should demand one day of thee and bee denied it How liberall a receiver art thou and how miserable a Requiter But know my soule his Sabbaths are the Apple of his eye Hee that hath power to vindicate the breach of it hath threatned judgements to the breaker of it The God of mercy that hath mitigated the rigor of it for charity sake will not diminish the honour of it for profanenesse sake forget not then my soule to remember his Sabbaths and remember not to forget his judgements lest hee forget to remember thee in Mercy What thou hast neglected bewaile with contrition and what thou hast repented forsake with resolution and what thou hast resolved strengthen with devotion His Prayer O Eternall just and all-discerning Judge in thy selfe glorious in thy Sonne gracious who tryest without a witnesse and condemnest without a Jury O! I confesse my very actions have betray'd me thy word hath brought in evidence against mee my owne conscience hath witnessed against me and thy judgement hath past sentence against mee And what have I now to pleade but mine owne misery and whither should that misery flee but to the God of mercy And since O Lord the way to mercy is to leave my selfe I here disclaime all interest in my self and utterly renounce my selfe I that was created for thy glory have dishonored thy Name I that was made for thy service have profaned thy Sabbaths I have sleighted thy Ordinances turned my back upon thy Sanctuary I have neglected thy Sacraments abused thy Word despis'd thy Ministers and despis'd their ministery I have come into thy Courts with an unprovided heart and have drawne neare with uncircumcised lippes And Lord I know thou art a jealous God and most severe against all such as violate thy â—est The glory of thy Name is pretious to thee and thine honour is as the Apple of thine eye But thou O God that art the God of Hosts hast published and declared thy self the Lord of mercy The constitution of thy Sabbath was a worke of time but Lord thy mercy is from all eternitie I that have broke thy Sabbaths doe here present thee with a broken heart thy hand is not shortned that thou canst not heale nor thy eare deafned that thou canst not heare Stretch forth thy hand O God and heale my wounds Bow downe thine eare O Lordâ— and heare my Prayers Alter the fabrick of my sinfull heart and make it tender of thy glory Make mee ambitious of thy service and let thy Sabbaths bee my whole delight Give mee a holy reverence of thy Word that it may prove a light to my steppes and a Lanthorne to my feet Endue my heart with Charity and Faith that I may finde a comfort in thy Sacraments Blesse thou the Ministers of thy sacred Word and make them holy in their lifes sound in their doctrine and laborious in their callings Preserve the universall Church in these distracted times give her peace unitie and uniformity purge her of all Schisme error and superstition Let the Kings daughter be all glorious within and let thine eyes take pleasure in her beautie that being honor'd here to bee a member of her Militant I may be glorified with her triumphant The censorious mans Crimination I Know there is much of the seed of the Serpent in him by his very lookes if his words betray'd him not He hath eaten the Egge of the Cockatrice and surely hee remaineth in the state of perdition He is not within the Covenant and abideth in the Gall of bitternesse His studied Prayers show him to bee a high Malignant and his Iesu-worship concludes him popishly affected Hee comes not to our private meetings nor contributes a penny to the cause Hee cries up learning and the booke of Common-Prayer and takes no armes to hasten Reformation Hee feares God for his owne ends for the spirit of Antichrist is in him His eyes are full of Adulteries and goes a whoring after his owne inventions Hee can heare an oath from his superiors without reproof and the heathenish Gods named without spitting in his face Wherefore my soule detesteth him and I will have no conversation with him for what fellowship hath light with darknesse or the pure in heart with the uncleane Sometimes hee is a Publican sometimes a Pharisee and alwayes an Hypocrite Hee railes against the Altar as loud as we and yet he cringes and makes an Idol of the name of Iesus hee is quick-sighted to the infirmities of the Saints and in his heart rejoyceth at our failings hee honours not a preaching ministery and too much leanes to a Church-government hee paints devotion on his face whilst pride is stampt within his heart hee places sanctitie in the walls of a Steeple-house and adores the Sacrament with his popish knee His Religion is a Weathercock and turnes brest to every blast of wind With the pure hee seemes pure and with the wicked hee will joyne in fellowship A sober language is in his mouth but the poyson of Aspes is under his tongue His workes conduce not to edification nor are the motions of his heart sanctified Hee adores great ones for preferment and speakes too partially of authority Hee is a Laâ—dicean in his faith a Nicolaitane in his workes a Pharisee in his disguise a rank Papist in his heart and I thanke my God I am not as this man BUt stay my soule take heed whilst thou judgest another lest God judge thee how com'st thou so expert in anothers heart being so often deceived in thy owne A Sâ—ul to day may prove a Paul to morrow Take heed whilst thou wouldst seeme religious thou appeare not uncharitable and whilst thou judgest man thou be not judg'd of God who saith Iudge not lest yee bee judged Matth. 7. 1. John 7. 24. Iudge not according to appearance but judge righteous judgement Rom. 14. 10. But why dost thou judge thy brother or why dost thou set at naught thy brother Wee shall all stand before the judgement seate of Christ 1 Cor. 4. 5. hudge nothing before the time untill the Lord who will both bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and will make manifest the counsell of the heart Rom. 14. 13. Let us not therefore judge one another any more but judge this rather that no man put a stumbling block or an accusation to fall
rambles through all the Spheares and brings with it confusion and combustion my reeking sword shall vindicate my reputation and rectifie the injuries of my honorable name and quench it self in plenteous streames of blood Come tell not mee of Charitie conscience or transgression My Charitie reflects upon my self begins at home and guided by the justice of my passion is bound to labour for an honorable satisfaction My conscience is blood-proofe and I can broach a life with my illustrious weapon with as little reluctation as kill a Flea that sucks my blood without Commission and I can drinke a health in blood upon my bended knee to reputation BUt hark my soule I heare a languishing a dying voyce cry up to heaven for vengeance It cries aloud and thunders in my startling eare I tremble and my shivering bones are fill'd wâ—â—â—h horror It cries against me and heare what â—â—eaven replies All that take up the sword shall perish by the sword Matth. 26. 52. Levit. 19. 18. Thou shall not avenge or beare any grudge against the Children of my people but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe I am the Lord Deut. 32. 35. To me belongeth vengeance and recompence Ezek. 25. 12 13. Because that Edom hath delt against the house of Iudah by taking vengeance and bath greatly offended and reveng'd himselfe upon them Therefore thus saith the Lord God I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom and will cut off man and beast from it Matth. 5. 39. Resist not evill but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheeke turne to him the other also Tertull. What 's the difference between one that doth an injury and another that out-ragiously suffers it except that the one is fiâ—st and the other second in the offence but both are guilty of mutuall injury in the sight of God who forbids every sinne and condemnes the offender Tertull. How can wee honouâ— God if wee revenge our selves Gloss. Every man is a murtherer and shall bee punished as Cain was if hee doe as Caindid either assâ—ult his brother with violence or pursue him with hatred REvenge is an Act of the Irascible affections deliberated with malice and executed without mercy How often O my soule hast thou cursed thy selfe in the perfectest of Prayers How often hast thou turn'd the spirituall bâ—dy of thy Saviour into thy dâ—mnation Can the Sunne rise to thy comfort that hath so often set in thy wrath So long as thy wrath is kindled against thy brother so long is the wrath of God burning against thee O wouldst thou offer a pleasing sacrifice to heaven Goe first and be reconciled to thy brother I but who shall right thy honor then Is thy honour wrong'd Forgive and it is vindicated I but this kind of heart-swelling can brooke no Powltresse but revenge Take heed my soule the remedy is worse then the disease If thy intricate distemper transcend thy power make choyce of a Physitian that can purge that humor that foments thy malady Rely upon him submit thy will to his directions hee hath a tender heart a skilfull hand a watchfull eye that makes thy welfare the price of all thy painâ—s expecting no reward no fee but prayses and Thanksgiving His Prayer O God that art the God of peace and the lover of unitie and concord that dost command all those that seeke forgivenesse to forgive that hatest the fâ—oward heart but shewest mercy to the mecke in spirit With what a face can I appeare before thy mercy-seate or with what countenance can I lift up these hands thus stained with my brothers blood How can my â—ippes that daily breath revenge against my brother presume to owne thee as my father or expect from thee thy blessing as thy child If thou forgive my trespasses O God as I forgive my trespassers in what a miserable estate am I that in my very prayers condemne my selfe and doe not onely limit thy compassion by my uncharitablenesse but draw thy judgements on my head for my rebellion That heart O God which thou requirest as a holy present is become a spring of malice These hands which I advance are ready instruments of base revenge My thoughts that should be sanctified are full of blood and how to compasse evill against my brother is my continuall meditation The course of all my life is wilfull disobedience and my whole pleasure Lord is to displease thee My conscience hath accused me and the voyce of blood hath cryed against mee But Lord the blood of Jesus cries louder then the blood of Abell and thy mercy is farre more infinite then my sinne The blood that was shed by me cries for vengeance but the blood that was shed for me sues for mercy Lord heare the language of this blood and by the merits of this voyce be reconciled unto mee That time which cannot be recalled O give mee power to redeeme and in the meane time a setled resolution to reforme Suppresse the violence of my headstrong passion and establish a meeke spirit within mee Let the sight of my owne vilenesse take from me the sense of all disgrace and let the Crowne of my reputation be thy honour Possesse my heart with a desire of unitie and concord and give mee patience to endure what my impenitence hath deserved Breath into my soule the spirit of love and direct my affections to their right object turne all my anger against that sinne that hath provoked thee and give me holy revenge that I may exercise it against my selfe Grant that I may love thee for thy selfe my self in thee and my neighbour as my selfe Assist me O God that I may subdue all evill in my selfe and suffer patiently all evill as a punishment from thee Give me a mercifull heart O God make it slow to wrath and ready to forgive Preserve me from the act of evill that I may be delivered from the feare of evill that living here in charity with men I may receive that sentence of Come ye blessed in the kingdom of glory The secure mans Triumph SO now my soule thy happinesse is entaild and thy illustrious name shall live in thy succeeding Generations Thy dwelling is establish'd in the fat of all the land thou hast what mortall heart can wish and wantest nothing but immortalitie The best of all the land is thine and thou art planted in the best of Lands A land whose Constitutions make the best of Government which Government is strengthned with the best of â—aws which Lawes are executed by the best of Princes whose Prinâ—e whose Lawes whose Government whose land makes us the happiest of all subjects makes us the happiest of all people A land of strength of plenty and a land of peace where every soule may sit beneath his Vine unfrighted at the horrid language of the hoarse Trumpet unstartled at the warlike summons of the roaring Cannon A land whose beautie hath surpriz'd the ambitious hearts of forraigne Princes and taught them by their martiall
of dejected soules Is not the liberall Cup the Sucking-bottle of the sonnes of Phaebus to solace and refresh their palats in the nights of sad Invention Let dry-brain'd Zelots spend their idle breaths my cups shall bee my cordialls to restore my care-befeebled heart to the true Temper of a well-complexioned mirth My solid Braines are potent and can beare enough without the least offence to my distempered Senses or interruption of my boone companions My tongue can in the very Zenith of my Cups deliver the expressions of my composed thoughts with better sense then these my grave Reformers can their best advised prayers My Constitution is pot-proof and strong enough to make a fierce encounter with the most stupendious vessell that ever failed upon the tides of Bacchus My Reasoâ— shrinkes not my passion burnes not O But my soule I heare a threatning voyce that interrupts my language Wee be to them that are mightie to drink Wine Esay 5. 22. Prov. 20. 1. Wine is a mocker strong drinke is raging and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise Esay 5. 11. Woe bee to them that rise up early in the morning to follow strong drinke that continue till night untill wine enflame them Prov. 23. 20. Bee not amongst wine-bibbers 1. Cor. 5. 1. Now I have written unto you not to keepe company if any that is called a Brother bee a drunkard with such a one no not to eate Aug. in lib. pen Whilst the drunkard swallowes wine wine swallowes him God disregards him Angels despise him Men deride him vertue declines him the devill destroyes him Aug. ad sac virg. Drunkennesse is the mother of all evill the matter of all mischiefe the well-spring of all vices the trouble of the senses the tempest of the tongue the shipwrack of chastitie the consumption of time a voluntary madnesse the corruption of manners the distemper of the body and the destruction of the soule MY soule It is the voyce of God digested into a judgement There is no kicking against Pricks or arguing against a divine Truth Pleadest thou Custome Custome in Sinne multiplies it Pleadest thou societie Societie in the offence aggravates the punishment Pleadest thou help to Invention Woe bee to that barrennesse that wants such showers Pleadest thou strength to beare much Wine Woe to those that are mightie to drinke strong drinke My soule thou hast sinned against thy Creator in abusing that creature he made to serve thee Thou hast sinned against the creature in turning it to the Creators dishonor Thou hast finned against thy selfe in making thy comfort thy confusion How many want that blessing thou hast turn'd into a curse How many thirst whilst thou surfeitest What satisfaction wilt thou give to the Creator to the creature to thy selfe against all whom thou hast transgrest To thy selfe by a sober life To the Creature by a right use To thy Creator by a true Repentance the way to all which is Prayer and Thanksgiving His Prayer HOw truely then O God this heavy woe belongs to this my boasted sinne How many judgements are comprisedâ— and abstracted in this woeâ— and all for mee even mee O God the miserable subject of thy eternall wrath Even mee O Lord the marke whereat the shafts of thy displeasure levell Lord I was a sinner in my first conception and in sinne hath my mother brought mee forth I was no sooner but I was a slave to sinne and all my life is nothing but the practise and the trade of high Rebellion I have turn'd thy blessings into thy dishonour and all thy graces into wantonnesse Yet hast thou been my God even from the very wombe and didst sustaine mee when I hung upon my mothers breast Thou hast washed mee O Lord from my pollution but like a Swine I have returned to my mire Thou hast glaunced into my breast the blessed motions of thy holy Spirit but I have quenched them with the springtides of my borne corruption I have vomited up my filthinesse before thee and like a dog have I returned to my vomit Bee mercifull O God unto mee Have mercy on mee O thou sonne of David I cannot O Lord expect the childrens bread yet suffer mee to lick the crummes that fall beneath their table I that have so oft abused the greatest of thy blessings am not worthy of the meanest of thy favours Look look upon me according to the goodnesse of thy mercy and not according to the greatnesse of my offences Give mee O God a sober heart and a lawfull moderation in the enjoyment of thy Creatures Reclaime my appetite from unseasonable delights lest I turne thy blessings into a curse In all my dejections bee thou my comfort and let my rejoycing bee onely in thee Propose to mine eyes the evilnesse of my dayes and make mee carefull to redeeme my time Weane mee from the pleasure of vaine societie and let my Companions bee such as feare thee Forgive all such as have been partners in my sinne and turne their hearts to the obedience of thy Lawes Open their eares to the reproofs of the wise and make them powerfull in reformation Allay that lust which my intemperance hath inflam'd and cleanse my affections with the grace of thy good spirit make mee thankfull for the strength of my body that I may for the time to come returne it to the advantage of thy glory The Swearers Apologie WIll Boanarges never cease And will these Plague-denouncers never leave to thunder judgements in my trembling eare Nothing but plagues Nothing but judgements Nothing but damnation What have I done to make my case desterate And what have they not done to make my soule despair Have I set up false Gods like the Egyptians Or have I bowed before them like the Israelites Have I violated the Sabbath like the Libertines Or like cursed Cham have I discovered my fathers nakednesse Have I embrued my hands in blood like Barabbas Or like Absolon defiled my fathers Bed Have I like Iacob supplanted my elder brother O like Ahab intruded into Nabottâ— Vineyard Have I borne false witnesse like the wanton Elders Or like David coveted Vriahs wife Have I not given Tithes of all I have Or hath my purse beene hidebound to my hungry brother Hath not my life been blamelesse before men And my demeanour unreprovable before the world Have I not hated Vice with a perfect hatred and countenanc'd vertue with a due respect What meane these strict observers of my life to ransack every Action to carpe at every word and with their sharpe censorious tongues to sentence every frailtie with damnation Is there no allowance to humanitie No Graines to flesh and blood Are wee all Angels Has mortalitie no priviledge to supersede it from the utmost punishment of a little necessary frailtie Come come my soule let not these judgement-thunderers fright thee Let not these Qualmes of their exuberous zeale disturbe thee Thou hast not cursed like Shemei nor rail'd like Rabshekah nor lied like Ananiâ—