A COAT OF DIVERS COLOVRS FIT FOR JOSEPH OR PIETY in VARIETY By Jos W. Gentleman Psal 139. ver 23.24 Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts And see if there be any wicked way in me and leade me in the way everlasting Printed for J. W. 1656. To the READER VVHen in the Night I muster up my wits and doth attend an holy Meditation A godly pleasure it in me begits that far exceeds a common estimation But I must take the Motion strong or weake for in a Moment they will be to seeke Of late in Bed it came into my Mind how that I had Compos'd a little Book Which to declare in part I am combind to bide the censure I have undertook Let Momus mutter and Pan play on his Pipe my mounting Muze above finds most delight I David like doe thinke on Time that 's spent and communes with my heart Psal 4.4 finds it sad Because I cannot as I would Repent for no Man living hath or ever had Power to Repent or Grace to gain by Merit Mans work is weak I find it by my spirit It s God alone that Heavenly God of Power that Gilliads Balme doth give to his elect Drops in their hearts of saving grace a shower which in the way of blisse doth them direct To heaven of heavens where Saints Angels store with glory sings their songs for evermore Go now my Booke be not asham'd nor blush let all men reade thy weak unlearned lines And feare no Sects for either heart or crush thou hast a Guard that He or his Assignes Will make thee help when thou in need shall stand so I commend thee to his helping hand I. W. The Crowing of the Cocke VVHen Cocke doth Crow Luke 22.61 me thinks to me appears How Jesus look'd on Peter Peter shedding tears O blessed Saviour when thy pleasure is Look upon me and mend what is amisse Psal 119.132 And give me grace not onely Faith alone But Heart Words Thoughts and Prayers all in one May cry aloud in Christ my Strength and Rocke Psal 71.3 Mat. 7.8 Have mercy Lord and heare thy Servant knocke I thanke the Bird that touzed me from sleep To sighe for sin which caus'd St. Mark 14.92 Mat. 26.75 Peter weep So bitterly that it is thought by some His Cheeks was gutterd with the Teares that run God grant me grace with Peter to Repent And godly groanes cause godly teares be spent Christ is the Ladder by which I doe ascend Gen. 28.12 As well as Angels for I on Christ depend To Heaven where Christ my Cause doth pleat Rom. 8.26 And tells his Father that his bloody swear Upon the Crosse did pacifie his wrath And cleans'd my sins through true effectuall Faith Rom. 3.25 Christ is the Truth the Life and eke the VVay John 14.6 My Hope my Help my Comfort and my Stay Thus sixt on Christ in Christ my Faith I locke Made through his Merits one of the blessed Flocke All Honour 1 Ep. Iohn 5.7 Prayse and thanks I give to thee O holy blessed glorious Trinity This is my Faith The Authors faub. if you beleeve it true God of his mercy grant the same to you It is a Bulworke built with such a Hand That Hell nor Devill hath Power for to with-stand Then let us all the Lord of Lords give prayse For this firme Faith in these old doting dayes Reade and observe these Lynes aright They 'l make you Pray upon the Night The Soules Desire Tell me O thou whom my Soule loveth where thou feedest Cant. 1.7 where thou makest thy flocke to rest at noone There is foure sorts of Faith Required to finde whom the Soule loveth 1. TEll me my heart if thou dost love the Lord Psal 119.1 My heart to me this Answer did afford I love the Lord and wish my love more strong For to repulse my Enemies that throng To quench desire and draw me from my love To my great griefe they doe my patience prove But fervent Faith is fixt so in my breast I le spare no pains to take my Love at rest A strong faith In shady VVoods at Noone time of the Day Fast Sleeping with his Flocks there finde I may 2. Being thus perplext at length I chanc'd to heare A sweet soft voyce which calld Come draw neer commanding me to marke what he did say And gave me charge I should his words obey Fly Vice hate Sinne incline thine Eare to me Psal 116.1.2 An obedient faith And love the Lord because he loved thee With Heart and Soule I freely gave consent And Vowed to him to be obedient 3. My Love and I was thus with Joy united My former Follies I presently invited And could them plainly I had found a Love That mounts my joyes from Earth to Heaven above Col. 3.2 Bids them be gone and seek another Master I to my Heart had layd an Heavenly Playster Psal 119.2 That killed Sin and made my Conscience cleare To love my God and keep my Heart sincere A sincere faith 4. Thus did my Heart declare it selfe at length And could me truth it had but little strength But what in strength it found to be decaying It would make good by duitfull obeying And strive to live a life in godly feare VVith Heart upright and with a Soule sincere Strong obedient sincere in Prayer and Fasting I love the Lord he me for Everlasting Everlasting faith The Lepers Complaint LOrd looke upon my Leprosie Mat. 8.2.3 The lepers petitiou not on the outward blaine But on the inward Malladie that filleth every Vaine It runs and spreads it selfe abroad in every joynt and Linam I feele it is a filthy Loade this Leprosie of sinn My fad complaints as sharpe as thornes my earnest long desire For cutting out these painfull Cornes and throw them in the Fire My crying sins my sins of shame my sins that neer was seen Thou canst Mark 1.40 by calling of thy Name if that thou wilt make Cleane In thy Compassion pitty me I kneele I begge I crave None can me help but onely thee thou knowest what I would have Be faithfull then and courage take be not as thou hast been Ver. 21 Doe all thy former sinnes forsake I will then be thou Cleane A Zealous desire O God my God give Grace and Might with Prayers sincere to Pray to thee That I may see that glorious Light that shines in all Eternity This my Desire I humbly crave my God fast in my Heart to knit That it my silly Soule may save from the vast deep infarnall Pit No Condemnation then I feare Rom. 8.1 all fleshly Lusts I hate and fly Thy VVord makes mine Election cleare that I shall live Eternally A lively Faith within my breast thy holy Spirit doth inspire And bids me set my Heart at rest the God of gods grant my desire A
Watch over the Soule REst now my Soule have care to kill the power of Satan every day With feare worke thy Salvation still trembling sobbing Phila. 2.12 sighing Pray To keep thee from that wicked thought for now the Devill begins to rore That sins no fin a thing of nought 1 Ep. Pet. 5.8 Heb. 10.26 and man once call'd can sin no more Thus David must confirme a Lye and Paul to write that is not true 1 Ep. Ioh. 1.8 Psal 51.3 Rom. 5.12 Rom. 3.9 10. Luke 22 62. 2 Cor. 10.18 Sure sin did cause Saint Peter cry these men they were as good as you Audatious woefull wretched Sect this Devilish Doctrine to maintaine You cannot cousen Gods Elect Lament Repent and Blush for shame Psal 118.28 The God of Heaven I serâ—â— alone Ps 118 28. he is a God of Majestyâ— My God sits on a glorious Throne this God I serve and none but He I thanke this God that gives me grace to call upon him Night and Day I hope to see him Face to Face that gives me grace in Faith to Pray Vpon a Cracke of Thunder I Know O Lord when thou dost speake Thy Voyce makes all the Clouds to breake Lord grant me Grace when I doe Pray My Prayers may peirce to Heaven a Way And from that Place an answer bring Thy Prayers are heard Rejoyce and Sing All Honour Prayse and Thankes to thee One Glorious God in Persons three Pauls Determination For I Determine not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him Crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 A Godly Preacher gave a touch A man may sinne in knowing much The Devill did winke gave Eve a Nod And tould her They should be as God But Eate one Apple of that Tree Gen. 3.5 And you shall know as much as he This Knowledge was the fatall fall Of Adam Originall knowledge Eve Man-kind and all Philosophers all things 〈◊〉 know Naturall knowledge That Naturally on Earth doe Grow As Hearbs and Treet of every kind By Knowledge they their Vertues find But gods for God 1 Cor. 8.4 they fondly faine Doting on phaneies idle braine Against the God of gods they sin Ver. 5.6 Gives Nature that that 's due to him There is that knowledge doth affect 1 Cor. 3 2 And seems to know like Gods Elect They sinne and feed themselves with hope And give their Conscience too much scope A general knowledge A generall Faith they hope is good That Christ for all did spend his blood But know poor Soule what ere thou be Iohn 11.26.27 Thou must beleeve he dyed for thee Some use their Knowledge for to gaine That being got they finde but vaine Rom. 14 1. Some bend their knowledge to Dispute So Vice seems sinne for to Confute Some use their knowledge to finde Grace Iohn 17.3 Rom. 3 24. Effectuall faith That dare look sinne into the Face So some there is that knowledge have Effectually their Soule to save It s deep to know the Misterie That 's VVrit in holy Historie A Sonne borne of a Virgin pure Isay 7 14. That Balme of Gillead all will Cure It is deep knowledge for to know Deep knowledge That God and Man should live below Upon the Earth yet had no sin No fraud nor guile was found in him 1 Ep. Pet. 2.22 Wilt thou have knowledge that shall last Then fix thy Faith on Christ so fast As he was nayl'd upon the Tree Lasting knowledge So fast thy Faith one him shall be That mortall Death shall not thee dant Nor Fier of Hell shall make thee pant For Christ his Death by Faith I know The power of sinne doth overthrow All this knowledge Paul rejects Christ Crucified that he affects Pauls Desire CHrist Crucified on the Crosse Mat. 27.25 Rom 5 1. by Faith I have in him Doth cleare me from the Law and Curse that 's due to me for sin Thy suffering Lord shall mortifie my Flesh that 's fraile and vaine Thy buriall it doth testifie Mat. 27 â—0 that thou as Man was slaine Thou didst Descend yet by thy power didst Rise Mat. 28 6. and then Ascend Into that heavenly glorious tower where joyes shall never end There thou on Gods right hand doth sit Heb. 10.12 â— Ep. Pet. 2 5. and pleads for thine Elect That they with thee a place may git a glorious prospect This is the knowledge that I crave all other shadowes be This fixed knowledge I would have Christ Crucified for me A Spirituall King For he must reigne till he hath put all his Enemies under his feet 1 Cor. 15.25 A Glorious King doth sit in Heaven Acts 7 5â— which is the King that I affect Seen upon Earth by holy Stoven and dwells on Earth with his Elect Iohn 6.50 Yet not in Pompe nor State at all but Spiritually Majesticall To his Disciples he gave Power on Earth to Teach Preach and Baptize Mat. 10.7 Acts 2.38 That still remains untill this hower to them he calls and rightly rise With Hands layd on by holy Order confirm'd approv'd by Heavens Recorder This King hath Lawes for to observe which all his Subjects must obey His little Flocke he will preserve from either Wolfe or Lyons Prey Sinne and Vice Death Devill and Hell 1 Cor. 13.55.56 he in a moment will expell Reigne he shall and Raigne he must Vntill his Foes be trod to dust Another of the same THe King of Kings in Heaven doth sit in State The kings foes He hates his Foes his Foes him deadly hate The Devill as Chiefe his kingdome to advance 1 The Devill 1 Peter 3.8.9 Keeps Carnall men in simple ignorance Makes them beleeve because they cannot Reade They neither hope not help of Scripture need Rome Rome beware that close this sinne doth smother Makes Ignorance to be Devotions Mother Ignorance 2 Ep. Pet. 3.5.8 The Devill hath yet a keene sharpe-headed Arrow To pierce the bones and sticke fast in the Marrow He telleth youth he may Repent in time And spend in pleasure all his yeares of prime Make Drinke thy darling let loose the reignes of Lust Gods made of Mercy Prolonging repentance he never tells he 's Just When scores of yeares doth turne thy Haires Gray Its time enough for to Repent and Pray And having brought him in this sad Condition Death shoots his Dart and ends the Devils Commission And now an Enemy of great power doth spring Drawes many Subjects from this Heavenly King The VVorke-mans worke against him doth rebell The world He made the VVorld and it drawes Soules to Hell God made it good but now it is abused By wicked men that 〈◊〉 their God refused The Gold of Ophir makes VVorldlings to offend And Silver Mindes will never make them mend When Honour prickes Ambition to the Heart It makes him Cart-horse to vaine-glories Cart He pulls and sweats it turns on Fortunes VVheeles
With Angels I will then rejoyce in time of all Eternity When thou admits my Soule and Voyce to Sing and see the Trinity A Conscience quiet not good LOrd keep me from a Conscience free from griefe That ever liv'd in joy and worldly pleasure But never sorrow felt untill the Death To sighe for sin he never took the leisure Yet he presumes Gods mercy is so great He shall be sav'd though he doe not intreat A Conscience never quiet yet good LOrd look upon a Soule that sighes for sinne And mournes in secret with a heart sincere That Sathan seeks to catch within his Ginne But hath no power to quench his godly feare He grieves and waits when God will comfort send And so at length obtaines his wished end A Conscience neither good nor quiet OWofull wretch whose Soule is never quiet Whose Conscience fryes him in a fiery Flame Yet drinks and drabs sweares and feasts with ryot Till Deaths dart strike him in a mortall vaine Then cryes and cries will this paine last for ever VVhen will it end A Voyce doth Answer Never A Conscience quiet and good O Happy he whose Conscience telleth him That goodly mones hath wrought effectuall Faith Beleeves Christs blood hath wash'd away his sin That his deep wound appeas'd his Fathers wrath And doth desire and Pray and Pray againe That never sin have power in him to raigne God guard and watch my thoughts from steps and falls For sinners feet stand oft one tottering balls No help in Man Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee Psal 73.25 VVHen I collect all faculties I have I can find nought but worthles worth in man No power at all he hath himselfe to save his Birth is painefull and his Life a span As fraile as Grasse let him doe what he can Who puts his trust in any Man at all Leanes on a Reed and 's sure to catch a fall Take Man alone as meerly he is Man for help and counsell he is far to seek In his Conceit he thinketh now and than that every words a sentence he doth speak And to excell he oft his braines doth breake Great Counsels now that hath the ratest wits Their witty wisedome proves but foolish fits Now Man I leave thee for thou art but vaine unlesse a Power from Heaven doe thee direct For by that Power thou knowledge may obtaine to know thy selfe and God for to affect To him alone give love and true respect VVhom have I then in Heaven and Earth but thee For all things else are fraile and vanity The Vanity of the World THree things there are that 's counted faults in men And worldlings hates them to the very Death Honour offered Honour VVrongs Fashions and refused again And VVrongs received yet cannot urge the breath Counts worldly Fashions like an Aspen Leafe VVhom these affect the worldling holds as Fooles And fit to live obscurely like to Owles The first they hold a basenesse in the Spirit The second sencolesse a food or stupid humour The third a scorne to time deserves no merit And thus poor Soules they bide the worlds rumour Thus worldlings love that is the worlds consumer Thou Wretch thou 〈◊〉 thou 〈◊〉 hast lost thy sight Thou art so blind thou knowes not Day from Night The first doth hold with God a true content The second hath a care to live secure The third holds Fashions vaine and follies vent For Fashions are for sickle fooles a lure Fooles and Fashions are tyed together sure Observe these signes you shall perceive it plaine These three things good it is the world that 's vaine My Lent Labour or Prayers or Meditations O Lord set thou my heart upright Psal 119.52 and let my Meditations be To Pray to thee both Day and Night for to obtaine Eternity And that with Christ I may ascend Io. 20.17 Into those joyes that never end Teach me O Lord in Faith to Pray Psal 86.11 with holy feare and godly groanes That my poor soule may finde the way with sighes and sobbs and mourning moanes My glorious Fathers Face to see Psal 17.15 And sing Songs with felicity Deare loving Father doe not frowne Psal 30.7 but in thy mercy look on me Least my sad sins doe sinke me downe and so I lose Eternity But still in Christ I put my trust Ioh. 3.26 That he will place me with the just It was my 〈…〉 Death It was my sinnes that made him Dye It was my sinnes that stopt his breath It was my sinnes that cruelly Did put the Lord of Life to paine But I was sav'd 1 Pet. 2.2 when he was slaine It was his Love Ioh. 15.13 not my deseart It was his Love that set me free For this his Love I give my heart It was his owne he gave it me My heart Prov. 23.26 Pâ— 15.28 Job 19.30 O Lord thou dost require Accept it then whole and intire I thanke the Lord for this thy Death I thanke the Lord that thus did Dye I thanke the Lord that lost thy breath I thanke the Lord Luke 23.46 Psal 31.4.5 that patiently Upon the Crosse did pay my debt And broak the Coards of Sathans Net Thus for my Soule Lord I doe pleat Now for my Body I intreat My wants good God for to supply And Cure thy servants mallady I need not tell Mat. 6.11 thou knowes my need Give me my God my Dayly Bread Cherish no Sinne. IF Pagan Princes Heb. 12.1 for their Olympian sports did spare no cost vaine-glory to obtaine By Running Tilting and Games of divers sorts feeding the fancies of a franticke braine Found ought they thought their foolish fits would hinder Though nee'r so rich would burne it to a Sinder If these from whom was hid all saving grace would burne to nought all that their pleasures crost What must we leave that runs a godly Race but all our sinnes fast tyed to a Post Let none be lost no not in thy desire But freely throw them Post and all in th' fire O thou my Soule a blessed Race to runne throw every weight away that troubleth thee If fleshly Lusts seeke thee to overcome 1 Ep. â—â—â— 2.11 bid it avoyde I hate thy company Thou art a weight that I must throw away God give me grace to make it good I Pray Still I am bound to make all speed I can to run my Course with patience to the end More stops I find so vaine a thing is Man lusts of my Eyes my Conscience doth offend They spie strange objects that sets my heart a flote For to desire things farre above my lot And now my heart begins to mount aloft the world is all too little to content it It feeds on dainties lyes on pillowes soft thus wealth breeds woe unlesse a man repent it Though all these lusts I finde in me too rife Good Lord defend me from the pride of