Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	grace_n	holy_a	lord_n	14,167	5	3.6878	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54178	No cross, no crown, or, Several sober reasons against hat-honour, titular-respects, you to a single person, with the apparel and recreations of the times being inconsistant with Scripture, reason, and practice, as well of the best heathens, as the holy men and women of all generations, and consequently fantastick, impertinent and sinfull : with sixty eight testimonies of the most famous persons of both former and latter ages for further confirmation : in defence of the poor despised Quakers, against the practice and objections of their adversaries / by W. Penn ...	Penn, William, 1644-1718.	1669 (1669)	Wing P1327; ESTC R15257	90,375	122

thou shalt be a terrour and shall be no more Thus hath God declar'd his displeasure against the Curiosity and vain Customs of this wanton World Yet further the Prophet Zephaniah goes for thus he speaks And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lord's Sacrifice That I will punish the Princes and the King's Children and all such as are cloath'd with strange Apparel Of how evil Consequence was it in those times for the greatest men to give themselves the liberty of following the vain Customs of other Nations or offering to change the usual End of Cloaths or Apparel to gratifie foolish Curiosity who went to place a Satisfaction in that which did not deserve their Care and to make a meer Necessity matter of Pleasure that rather should put in mind of shame This did the Lord Jesus Christ expresly charge his Disciples not to be careful about intimating that such as were could not be his Disciples for sayes he Take no care what you should eat nor what you should drink neither wherewithal shall you be clothed for after all these things do the Gentiles seek for your Heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things but seek yee first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you Under which of Eating and Drinking and Apparel he comprehends all External matters whatsoever and so much appears as well because that they are opposed to the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness which are invisible and Heavenly things as that those very matters he injoyns them not to be careful about are the most necessary and the most innocent if then in such cases the minds of his Disciples are not to be solicitous much less in foolish superfluous idle inventions to gratifie the carnal appetites and minds of men so certain it is that those who live therein are none of his followers but the Gentiles and as he elsewhere sayes the Nations of the World who know not God If now then the distinguishing meant between the Disciples of Jesus and those of the World is That one minds the things of Heaven and God's Kingdom that stands in Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost being not careful of External matters even the most Innocent and Necessary And that the others mind Eating Drinking Apparel and the Affairs of the World with the Lusts Pleasures Profits Honours and the like be you intreated for your Souls sake O Inhabitants of England to be serious to reflect a while upon your selves what care and cost are you at of time and money about foolish nay vicious things so far are you degenerated from the primitive Christian life What buying and selling what dealing and chaffering what writing and posting what toyl and labour what noise hurry bustle and confusion what study what little conspiracys and over-reachings what eating drinking vanity of Apparel most ridiculous Recreations in short what rising early going to bed late expence of precious time is there about things that perish View the Streets Shops Exchanges Playes Parks Taverns Ale-houses c. and is not the World this fading World writ upon every face Say not within your selves How otherwise should men live and the World subsist the common though impertinent objection there is enough for all let some content themselves with less a few things plain and decent serve to a Christian life 'T is Lust Pride Avarice that thrust men upon such folly had God's Kingdom the exercise of their minds these perishing entertainments should have but little of their time or thoughts This Self-denying Doctrine was confirm'd and enforc'd by the Apostles in their Example as we have already shewn and in their Precepts too as we shall yet evince in those two most remarkable passages of Paul and Peter where they not only tell us what should be done but also interpret what should be deny'd and avoided In like manner I will that Women Adorn themselves in modest Apparel what 's that with shamefastness and sobriety not with broidered Hair or Gold or Pearls or costly Array then these are immodest but which becometh Women professing godliness with good works absolutely implying that those who Attire themselves with Gold Silver broidered Hair Pearls costly Array or the like cannot be the Women professing godliness making those very things to be contrary to modesty and what 's good and consequently that they are evil and unbecoming Women professing Godliness To which Peter joyns another Precept after the like sort viz. Whose Adorning let it not be that outward Adorning of plaiting the Hair and of wearing of Gold or of putting on Apparel what then but let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which is in the sight of God of great price and as an inducement he adds For after this manner in the old time the Holy Women who so trusted in God Adorned themselves which doth not only intimate that both Holy Women were so Adorned and that it behoves such as would be Holy and trust in the Holy God to be so Adorned but also that they who used those forbidden Ornaments were the Women and People in all Ages that for all their talk were not Holy nor did trust in God They so far are such from trusting in God that the Apostle Paul expresly sayes That they who live in pleasures are dead to God whilst they live And sayes James They that live want only on Earth slay the Just They farther enjoyn'd That Christians should have their Conversation in Heaven and their minds fixed on things above walk honestly as in the day not in Rioting and Drunkenness not in Chambring and Wantonness not in Envy and Strife let not Fornication Uncleanness or Covetousness be once named amongst you neither Filthiness nor foolish talking or jesting which are not convenient but rather giving of thanks And let no corrupt Communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister Grace unto the Hearers But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the desire thereof And grieve not the Holy Spirit intimating such Conversation doth but be ye followers of God as dear Children walk circumspectly not as Fools but as Wise redeeming the time because the dayes are evil Measure your selves hereby O you Inhabitants of the Land who think your selves wrong'd if not accounted Christians see what proportion your Life and Spirit bear with these most Holy and Self-denying Precepts and Examples Well my Friends my Soul mourns for you I have been with you and among you your Life and Pastime are not strangers to my Observation and with Compassion yea unexpressible pity I bewail your folly O that you would be wise O that the just Principle in your selves were heard O that Eternity had time to

therefore since the Devil rightly sees such things have no success with many it is his next and fatall'st project to find some other entertainments that carry less of infection in their looks though more of security because more of pleasure in their enjoyment on purpose to busie and arrest the minds of such from a diligent search and enquiry after those matters which necessarily concern their eternal peace that being ignorant of the heavenly Life they may not be induced to press after it but being only formally Religious according to the traditions and precepts of others proceed to their common pleasures and find no check therefrom their Religion and Conversation for the most part agreeing well together whereby an improvement in the knowledge of God a going on from grace to grace a growing in the measure of the stature of Jesus Christ himself is not known but as it was in the beginning at seven so is it at seventy nay not so innocent unless by reason of the old saying Old Men are twice Children Oh! the Mystery of Godliness the heavenly Life and true Christian is another thing wherefore we conlude that as the design of the Devil where he cannot involve and draw into gross sin is to busie delight and allure the minds of men and women by moreseeming-innocent entertainments on purpose that he may more easily secure them from minding their duty and progress in the knowledge of and obedience to the only true God which is eternal Life and thereby employ their minds from heavenly and eternal Meditations so are those who would be delivered from those snares to mind the holy just grave and self-denying Teachings of God's Grace and Spirit in themselves that they may reject and for ever abandon the like vanity and evil and by a reformed Conversation condemn the World of its Intemperance so will the true Disciple-ship be obtain'd for otherwise not only self prejudice redounds but many other enormous Consequences and pernitious Effects 'T is to encourage such impious persons to continue and proceed in the like Trades of feeding the Peoples lusts and thereby to make themselves partakers of their Plagues besides their own proper punishment who by continual fresh desires to the like curiosities and that way of spending time and estate induce them to spend more time in studying how to abuse time nay in hopes of farther gains tempt and provoke those Caterers to all inordinate desires and lustful appetites to invent and furnish them with more provision of the sort lest through their pinching and small allowances those Prodigals should call their Fathers house to mind for whatsoever any think more pleasant baits alluring objects grateful entertainments cunning emissaries acceptable Sermons insinnating Lectures taking Orators the crafty Devil has not nor ever had by which to entice and ensnare the minds of People and totally to divert them from heavenly reflections and divine meditations than the great excess of vain Attire and that variety of Recreations so much in repute in these times and which we have hitherto so reasonably condemned Reas 10. But should these things be as indifferent as they are prov'd perniciously unlawful for I never yet heard any advance their plea beyond the bounds of meer indifferency yet so great is their abuse so universal the sad effects thereof like to an infection that therefore ought they to be rejected of all especially those whose sobriety hath preserv'd them on this side of that excess or whose judgments though themselves be guilty suggest the inconveniency of such Intemperance For what 's an indifferent thing but that which may be done or left undone granting I say this were the case yet doth both Reason and Religion teach that when they are us'd with such an extraordinary appetite as to relinquish them would be a contradiction to their desires and an abate of their satisfaction they have exceeded the bounds of meer indifferency and are thereby rendred no less than necessary which being a violation to the very nature of the things themselves a perfect abuse enters and consequently are no longer to be consider'd in the rank of things simply indifferent but unlawful Now that the whole Exchange of vanities against which I have so earnestly contended are generally abused by the excess of almost all ages sexes and qualities of People will be confess'd by many who yet decline not to be conformable themselves and to whom as I have understood it only seems lawful because say they the abuse of others should be no Argument why we should not use them But to such I answer for God Almighty knows I seek the temporal and eternal happiness of all That they have quite forgot or will not remember they have acknowledg'd these things to be but of an indifferent nature If so as undoubtedly men in their wits and for others we are not concern'd nay vanity never urg'd more I say there can be nothing more cleer than since they acknowledge their great abuse that they are wholly to be forgone and relinquish'd for since they may as well be let alone as done at any time surely they then of duty should be let alone when the use of them is an abetting the general excess a meer exciting others to continue in their abuse because they find persons reputed sober to imitate them or otherwise to give them an Example Precepts are not half so forceable as Examples Nay every one that pretends to seriousness ought to suspect himself as having bin too forward to help on the excess can never make too much haste out of those inconveniencies that by his former example he encourag'd many to and that by a new one he may put a seasonable check upon the Intemperance of others A wise Parent ever with-draws those objects however innocent in themselves which are too prevalent upon the weak senses of his Children on purpose that they might be wean'd And 't is as frequent with men to bend a crooked stick as much the contrary way that they might streighten it at last Those that have more sobriety than others should not forget their stewardships and exercise that gift of God to security of their neighbors 't was murdering Cain that rudely ask'd the Lord Was he his Brothers Keeper For every man is necessarily obliged thereto and therefore should be so wise as to deny himself the use of such indifferent enjoyments as cannot be us'd by him without too manifest an encouragement to his neighbors folly God hath sufficiently excited men to what is said for in the case of the Brazen Serpent which was an heavenly Institution and Type of Christ He with great displeasure enjoyn'd it should be broke to pieces because they were too fond and doting upon it yes the very Groves themselves however pleasant for scituation beautiful for their walks and trees must be cut dowu and why only because they had been abused to Idolatrous uses And what 's an Idol

this towards the end of his dayes That notwithstanding he had been so laborious gather'd so many curiosities of Learning in Books and Manuscripts comprehending almost all subjects in the world yet could he rest his Soul on none save the Scriptures and above all that passage lay as most remarkable upon his spirit Titus 2. 11 12 13 14 15. For the grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and glorious Appearing of the great God our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from All iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good works These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority 14. Hugo Grotius than whom these latter Ages think they have not had a man of more profound Policy and universal Learning as well in his Commentaries on the Bible as various other Labours left this remarkable saying behind him which should abate the edge of other mens inordinate desires after what they falsely call Learning namely I WOULD GIVE ALL MY LEARNING AND HONOUR FOR THE PLAIN INTEGRITY AND HARMLESS INNOCENCY OF JEAN URICK who was a Religious poor man that spent eight hours of his time in Prayer eight in Labour and but eight in Meals Sleep and other necessary's And to one that admired his great Industry he returned this by way of complaint Ah! I have consumed my life in laboriously doing nothing And to a third that inquired of his Wisdom and Learning what course to take he solemnly answered BE SERIOUS Such was the sense he had how much a serious life out of that vain-glory of the worlds fruitless learning was of force towards a dying hour and answering yea excelling all other Considerations 15. To whom I joyn Salmusius that famous French Protestant Scholler and the others Contemporary who after his many Volumns of Learning by which he had acquired so much esteem as scarcely to be nam'd without venerable Titles confessed so far to have mistaken true Learning and that in which sollid happiness consists that he exclaim'd thus against himself Oh! I have lost a world of TIME TIME that most precious thing in the world whereof had I but one year more it should be spent in David's Psalms and Paul's Epistles Oh Sirs said he to those about him Mind the World less and God more The fear of the Lord that is Wisdom and to depart from evil that is Understanding 16. Cardinal Mazarine the great Statesman of his time whose aim was to obtain the Glory and Greatness of the World and to which end all other considerations he made submit was of another mind a little before his death being awakened by the smart lashes of Conscience which represented his Souls condition in so dismal a manner and caus'd such astonishment of mind that with weeping he cry'd out O MY POOR SOUL WHAT WILL BECOME OF THEE WHITHER WILT THOU GO And spoke one day thus to the Queen-Mother of France Madam YOUR FAVOURS HAVE UNDONE ME WERE I TO LIVE AGAIN I WOULD BE A CAPUCHIN RATHER THAN A COURTIER 17. And to conclude these serious Instances I shall make one more which though in order should have come in before yet because one of the most importent and this Nations more peculiarly fit for consideration I shall place it here and namely The dying words of HENRY Prince of Wales eldest Son to King JAMES of whom others say many generous things hear what account he gives of himself at last A Person whom he more then ordinarily esteem'd and that had been his companion at Tennis asking him How he did was answered thus amongst many other sober expressions AH TOM I IN VAIN WISH FOR THAT TIME I LOST WITH THEE AND OTHERS IN VAIN RECREATION So vain was Recreation and so precious was Time upon a dying bed And why wish'd he with others for more time but that it might be otherwise employ'd Thus hath the just Principle and holy Spirit of God throughout all Generations convinced men of their vanity and folly upon their dying beds who before were too much taken up therewith to mind either a dying bed or vast Eternity but when their dayes were almost numbred when mortality hasten'd on them when the revelation of the righteous Judgement was at the door and that all their worldly Recreations and Enjoyments must be parted with and that Eye for ever shut and Flesh turn'd to worms-meat that took delight therein then O then it was the holy Witness had time to plead with Conscience then nothing but a holy strict and severe life was valuable then All the world for a little time who before had given all their time for a little of a vain world But if so short a representation of the inconsistency of the vanities of the world with the Christian life could make so deep an impression Oh! to what a noble stature and large proportion had they been grown in all Pious and Heavenly knowledge and how much greater had their Rewards been if they contentedly had foregone those perishing Entertainments of the World betimes and given the exercise of their minds to the tuition and guidance of that universal Grace and Holy Spirit of God which had so long shined in darkness uncomprehended of it and was at last but just perceiv'd to give a sight of what they had been doing all their dayes I shall wind up the whole with this short Description of the Christans within the first hundred years after Christ as what may further justifie not only my Reasons but the Dying Expressions of these several Persons viz. That as a severe life is the Christian life so that it is incomparably sweeter than all the vain Inventions Fashions and Pleasures of the World 18. The description was originally given by Philo-Judaeus and cited by Eusebius Pamphilius thus That those Christians renounced their substance and sever'd themselves from all the cares of this life and forsaking the Cities they lived solitarily in Fields and Gardens They accounted their company who followed the Country-life of cares and bussle as unprofitable and hurtful unto them as it was likely who then lived thus to the end that with earnest and fervent desire they might imitate them which lead this prophetical and heavenly life In many places this people liveth for it behoveth as well the Grecians as the Barbarians to be partakers of this absolute goodness But in Egypt in every Province they abound and especially about Alexandria From all parts the better sort withdrew themselves into the soil and place of these Worshippers as they were called as a most commodious place adjoyning to the Lake of Mary in a low Vale very fit both for its security and the temperance of the Air. They are further reported to have Meeting-houses where the most part of the day was employed

and Princes as Grasiers are over their families and their flocks they were not sollicitous of the vanities so much lived in by the People of this Generation for in all things they pleased God by Faith the first forsock his Fathers house Kindred and Countrey A true Type or Figure of that Self-denial all must know that would have Abraham to their Father They must not think to live in those pleasures fashions and customs they are call'd to leave no but on the contrary part with all in hopes of the recompence of Reward and that better Countrey which is eternal in the Heavens The Prophets were generally poor Mechanicks one a Shepherd another a Herdsman c. they often cryed out upon the full-fed wanton Isruelites to repent to fear and dread the Living God to forsake the sins and vanities they liv'd in but never imitated them John Baptist the Messenger of the Lord who was sanctified in his Mothers womb Preach'd his Embassie to the World in a Coat of Camels hair a rough and homely garment nor can it be conceiv'd that Jesus Christ himself was much better Apparell'd who was a man of poor Friends and of great plainness insomuch that it was usual in a way of derision to say Is not this Jesus the Son of Joseph a Carpenter And this Jesus tells his followers That as for soft Raiment gorgious Apparel and Delicacies they were for Kings Courts implying That He and his followers were not to mind those things but seems plainly thereby to express the great difference that is betwixt the lovers of the fashions and customs of the world and those whom he hath chosen out of it And he not only came in that mean and despicable manner himself thereby to stain the pride of flesh but therein to become exemplary to his followers of what a self-denying life they must lead if they would be true Disciples Nay he further leaves it with them in a Parable that it might make the deeper impression to the end that they might see how inconsistent the pompous worldly-pleasing life is with the Kingdom he came to establish and call men to the possession of And that is the remarkable story of Dives who is represented 1 As a Rich man next a Voluptuous man in his rich Apparel his many Dishes and his Packs of Doggs And lastly An uncharitable man or one who was too much concern'd how to please the lust of the eye the lust of the flesh and the pride of Life and to fare sumptuously every day ever to take compassion of poor Lazarus at his Gate no his Dogs were more pitiful and kind than he But the doom of this Jolly man this great Dives we read to be everlasting torments and that of Lazarus eternal joy with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God In short Lazarus was a good man the other a great man the one poor and temperate the other rich and voluptuous too many of them are alive 'T were well if his doom might awaken them to Repentance Nor were the Apostles the immediate Messengers of the Lord Jesus Christ other then poor men one a Fisher-man another a Tent-maker and he that was of the greatest though not the honestest employment was a Customer perhaps some Waiter or the like therefore it s very unlikely that any of them were followers of the fashions of the world nay they were so far from it that as became the followers of Christ they liv'd poor afflicted self-denying lives bidding the Churches to walk as they had them for examples and to shut up this particular they give this pathetical account of the Holy Women in former times as an inducement for all to do the same namely That first they did abstain from Gold Silver breaded Hair fine Apparel or such like and next that their Adornment was a week and quiet Spirit and the hidden man of the heart which are of great price with the Lord Affirming That such as live in pleasure are dead whilst they live for that the Cares and Pleasures of this life choak and destroy the seed of the Kingdom and quite hinder all progress in the hidden and divine life So that we find the Holy men and Women of former times were not accustom'd to these pleasures and vain recreations but having their minds set on things above sought another Kingdom which consists in Righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Spirit who having obtained a good report are enter'd into their eternal rest therefore their Works follow and praise them in the Gates Reas 4. Next That both such Apparel and Pleasures are not only with severity reprehended in Scriptures but are contrary to positive Injunctions and Precepts It was the ground of that lamentable Message by the Prophet Isaiah to the People of Israel Moreover the Lord said Because the Daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with stretehed-forth necks and wanton eyes walking and mincing as they go and making a tinckling with their feet therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the Daughters of Zion and the Lord will discover their secret parts in that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinckling Ornaments and their Cauls or Net-works in the Hebrew and their round Tyres like the Moon the Chains and the Bracelets and the spangled Ornaments the Bonnets and the ornaments of the Legs and the Head-bands and the Tablets and the Ear-Rings the Rings and Nose-Jewels the changeable suits of Apparel and the Mantles and the Whimples and the Crisping Pins the Glasses and the fine Linnen and the Hoods and the Vails And it shall come to pass that instead of sweet smells there shall be a stinck and instead of a Girdle a Rent and instead of well-set Hair Baldness and instead of a Stomacher a girding of Sack-cloth and Burning instead of Beauty Thy men shall fall by the Sword and thy mighty in the War And her Gates shall lament and mourn and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground Behold O vain and foolish Inhabitants of England your folly and your doom You Exchange-mongers who live by the like vanities is not the like your trade your profit your practice and your pleasure yet read the Prophet Ezekiel's vision of miserable Tyre what punishment her pride and pleasures brought upon her And amongst many other circumstances these are some These were thy Merchants in all sorts of things In blue Cloaths and broydered Work and in Chests of rich Apparel Emeraulds Purple fine Linnen Coral and Agate Spices with all precious Stones and Gold Horses Chariots c. for which hear part of her doom Thy Riches and thy Fairs thy Merchandise and all thy Company which is in the midst of thee shall fall into the midst of the Sea in the day of thy ruine and the Inhabitants of the Isles shall be astonished at thee and their Merchants shall hiss at thee

no Merchants abroad to buy it no fondlings to Indulge and embrace it all respect to Persons for their Apparel and empty Titles would cease which is a notorious evil and contrary to the very express letter and command of the Scriptures though common Experience teacheth us what place they have with the generality to Cap to Sir to Worship to Honour to Madam and to Lady them in almost all places of the Land whereby a great step might be made towards primitive Innocency and that plain-hearted down-right and harmless Life might be restored of not much careing about what we should eat drink or put on which however Christ called the practice of them that knew not God is the very Spirit of this Age under all its babble about Religion But with such moderate care as might provide what should be necessary and convenient for themselves and families be intirely devoted to the concernments of a Coelestial Kingdom And diligently minding their daily growth and improvement in the Righteousness of it as what only makes this life truly sollidly comfortable and at their dying moments can fairly intitle them to that blessed Salutation of Well done my good and faithful Servants enter into the endless Joyes and Eternal heavenly Rewards of your Lord who is Jesus who is God over All blest and renown'd for ever Reas 12. This would be a ready means and good expedient towards the enrichment of the land for by how much the less there were of that great Superfluity in all these vanities by so much the more should the Commodities of our own Country be in repute the great vent of forreign Goods being that which indebts the Land to forreigners whereas otherwise they would become debtors to us for our Native Manufactures By this means such Persons who by their Excess have deeply engag'd their Estates may in a short space be enabled to clear them from those incumbrances which otherwise like Moths soon eat out very plentiful Revenues nor doth it less than greatly advantage Persons of mean subsistance especially Servants to improve their small stocks by their diligent attendance on their business And not expending their dear-earnings and hard got wages upon superfluous Apparel foolish May-games Play 's Dancing-shewes Taverns Alehouses and the like folly and intemperance of which this Land is more infested and by which it 's rendred more ridiculous than any Kingdom in the World Yea it hath been the very Refuge of almost all the cheating Mountebanks savage Morrice-dancers Pick-pocket and prophane Players and Stagers of Neighbouring Countrys to the ruine of Religion the shame of Government and the great idleness expence and debauchery of the People for which the Spirit of the Lord is grieved and the Judgments of the Almighty are at the door and the Sentence ready to be pronounc'd Let him that is injust be injust still Wherefore it is that we cannot but loudly call upon the generality of the times and testifie both by our Life and Doctrine against the like vanities and abuses if possibly any may be weaned from their folly and chuse the good-old-way of Temperance Wisdom Gravity and Heavenly Conversation the only way to inherit the blessings of Peace and Plenty here and Eternal Happiness hereafter Reas 13. Lastly Supposing we had none of these foregoing and important Reasons to justifie our selves and justly to reprove the practice of the Land in these particulars however let it be sufficient for us to say That when People have first learned to fear and obey their Creator to pay their numerous Debts to redeem their Mortgages to clear their Estates of all Incumbrances to alleviate and abate their oppressed Tennants but above all outward regard when the pale faces are more commiserated the grip'd bellies reliev'd and naked backs cloath'd when the famish'd Poor the distressed Widdow and helpless Orphant God's Works and your fellow Creatures are provided for then I say if then it will be early enough for you to plead the Indifferency of your pleasures But that the sweat and tedious labour of the Husband-man be it early or late cold or hot wet or dry should be converted into the pleasure ease and pastime of a small number of men that the Cart the Plow the Thrash should be in that continual severity laid upon nineteen parts of the Land to feed the inordinate lusts and delicious appetites of the twentieth is so far from the appointment of the Great Governor of the World and God of the Spirits of all men that to imagine such horrible injustice as the effect of his determinations and not the intemperance of men were wretched and blasphemous As on the other side it would be to deserve no pity no help no relief from God Almighty to continue that expence in vanity and pleasure whilst the other objects great necessities go unanswer'd especially since God hath made the sons of men but stewards to each others exigency's and relief yea so strict is it enjoyn'd that on the omission of these things we find that dreadful sentence partly to be grounded of Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire c. As on the contrary to visit the sick see the imprisoned relieve the needy c. are such excellent properties in Christ's account that thereupon it is he will pronounce such blessed saying Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for ye c. So that the Great are not with the Leviathan in the deep to prey upon the small much less to make a sport of the lives and labours of the lesser ones to gratifie their inordinate senses Wherefore this we offer and address to the serious Consideration as well of Magistrates as others That if the Money which is expended in every Parish there being near ten thousand in the Land in those unnecessary vain nay sinful fashions and entertainments as Laces Jewels Embroydery's Ribbonds Presents Play 's Treats Balls Taverns unnecessary Provisions and Attendants of Servants Horses Coaches gaudy Furnitures with much more fruitless and excessive matters were collected into a publick Stock which would indubitably amount to several hundred thousand pounds a year There might be reparations to the broaken Tennant Work-houses erected where the able might at easie labour procure a plentiful subsistance and the unable and aged might have such an Annuity as would free the Land from Beggars the cry of the Widdow and her Orphants would cease and charitable reliefs might easily be afforded towards the redemption of poor Slaves or the refreshment of such distressed Protestants as labour under the miseries of Persecution in other Countries Nay the Exchequer 's needs on just emergency's might be supplied All which would be a most pleasant Sacrifice to the just and merciful God a noble Example of Gravity and Temperance to forreign States and of an unspeakable benefit to ourselves at home Alas Why should men need perswasions to what their own felicity

you see the vanity the folly the end and misery of these things that is the just Principle and holy Spirit of the Almighty hear him obey him converse with them who are led by him and let the glories of another World be eyed and the recompence of reward kept in sight admit not the thoughts of former follyes to revive but be steady and continually exercised by his Grace to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world for this is the true and heavenly nature of Christianity to be so awakened and guided by the Spirit and Grace of God as to leave the sins and vanities of the world to have the affections regenerated the mind reformed and the whole man so baptized into purity and faithfulness towards God and Man as to act with reverence justice and mercy to care for very few things to be content with what you have to use all as if you us'd them not and to be so disentangled from the lusts pleasures profits and honours of the world as to have the mind raised to things above the heart and affections fixed there that in all things you may glorifie God and be as Lights set on a Hill whose shining Examples may be conducing to the happiness of others who beholding such good works may be converted and glorifie God the Father of Lights in which you all would be eternally blessed But if the Impenitence of any is so great their pursuit of folly as earnest and notwithstanding what has been thus seriously offer'd to reclaim them they are resolved to take their course and not to be at leisure for more divine things I have this farther to leave with them from the Almighty who first injoyn'd me this work That tribulation anguish and sorrow shall make their dying beds indignation and wrath shall wind up their dayes trouble and vexation of mind and spirit shall be the miserable fruits which are eternally to be reaped as the rewards of all their wretched folly and rebellions Be not deceived God will not be mocked It 's so irreversibly decreed Whatever is sown here shall be reaped hereafter And just is the Almighty to make good his determinations upon such who instead of employing the time given them to work out their Salvation with fear and trembling have spent it in the pleasures of the Flesh which perisheth as if their Heaven were here nor can it seem unreasonable since he hath thus long waited with remission of sin and eternal Life in his hand to distribute to them that repent that if they will not to reward so great obstinacy and love of this perishing world with everlasting tribulations which he will as certainly recompence as he is God over all Holy and Just for ever But I am otherwise perswaded of many yes I am assured the everlasting Mercies of God have been so extended to many as this will prove an effectual Call yet further to bring them out of the wayes and customes of this World that passeth away and a means for establishing such who hitherto have been unfaithful to what they have been already convinced of And you my Friends whose minds have received the ALLARUM whose hearts have truly heard the Voice of one crying in the Wilderness where you have been straying from the Lord Repent repent To you in the Name of this Living dreadful God I speak I cry Come away come away Ah! what do you there Why are you yet behind that 's not your Rest its poluted with the Sins and Vanities of a perishing World Gird up your Loyns Eye your Light One in all Christ Jesus the same yesterday to day and for ever who hath enlightned every one follow him he will lead you to the City that 's descended from Heaven to the new Jerusalem God the Judge of all into which nothing that defiles can enter or have admission Mind not the difficulties of your March great and good things were never interpriz'd and accomplished without difficulty and hardship which alwayes render their injoyment but the more pleasant and glorious in the end Let the holy Men and Women of old be your examples Remember good old Abraham the excellency of whose Faith is set out by his obedience to the Voice of God in forsaking his Fathers house Kindred Lands Countrey and Customs of it never to return rgain And Moses that might in probability have been a King by Faith in God leaves Epypts glory and Pharoah's favours and chuses rather to sojourn and pilgrimage with the despised afflicted tormented Israelites in the Wilderness than to enjoy the pleasures of that great Court for a season esteeming Christ's reproaches greater riches than Egipts treasures But above all how great was the reproach how many the sufferings what bitter mockings did Jesus suffer at the hands of his enemies yet with what patience meekness forgiveness and constancy did he in all his actions demean himself towards his bloody Persecutors Despising the shame induring the Cross for the joy that was set before him And hath left us this glorious Example that we should follow his steps which hath in almost every Age been imitated The Apostles sealed their Testimonies with their blood and multitudes after the examples of their constancy esteeming it the greatest honour as it was alwayes attended with the signal'st demonstrations of Divine Love How memorable was that of Origen If my Father were weeping upon his knees before me and my Mother hanging about my neck behind me and all my Brethren Sisters and Kinsfolks lamenting on every side to retain me in the life and practice of the World I would fling my Mother to the ground run over my Father despise all my Kindred and tread them under my feet that I might run to Christ yet is it known how dutiful and tender he was to all Not much unlike to this was that noble and known Instance of latter dayes in Galeacius Caracciolus Marquess of VICO one of large Revenues great Relations and Reputation in the World who voluntarily abandoned his Friends Estate and Countrey nay which was more intollerable to nature all this he did notwithstanding the importunity and tears of an affectionate Wife and manny innocent young Children that seemed to arrest his leggs by their tender and pitiful embraces resolutely saying with Moses That he would rather suffer Afflictions with the first Reformers and Protestants than enjoy the plenty favour and pleasures that attended his former life whilst in the Roman Religion Nor is it possible for any now to quit the World and live a serious godly life without the like suffering and persecution There are among us also who have not been without the exercise of suffering the displeasure of their most dear and intimate Relations and Friends and all those troubles disgraces reproaches which are accustomed to attend such as forgo the honours pleasures ambition and preferments of the World