preserve the health and cleanse the bloud And how they will both soule and body make More fit and ready for to undertake Pious and holy works but when men will Their extreame raging fleshly lusts fulfill And take no care whither their souls shall goe Needs must their pastimes end in endlesse woe Others there are vainer then these by ods The vanity and folly of idolaters And such are they that bow to senselesse gods To graven images of wood or brasse To carved stones to pictures wrought in glasse O foolish folke is this the sum and scope Of your religion confidence and hope Out of the a Scriptures were you ever taught Deut. 6.13 14. Deut. 8 1. Exod 20 5 â—l 96 5 6 7 8 9. To serve and worship what your hands have wrought So void of humane reason can you be As to conceive a senselesse stone or tree Subject to rottennesse should be a God When underfoot the same is daily trod Where is your warrant then faith is not sound Which is not built upon a steady ground You say you have it from your honest Friars Beleeve them not they have been alwaies liars What are their legends but a masse of lies Cobwebs for to intangle butterflies You may have many gods and many gawds You must use beads and so you may your bawds You may use murther theft yea and what not Sith all shall be forgiven and forgot If to your ghostly b father you confesse How where when and with whom you did transgresse Is this Religion true How can it be Falshood and truth could never yet agree Your ground is false you much mistake the marke Greaâ— is their fault who keep you in the darke The word of God the only ground of faith The perfect rule of true Religion faith Thou shaâ—t not kill Exod 20 4. attempt how dare you then To murther Kings you bloudy minded men Out of the Scriptures can you bring good reasons To justifie rebellions murthers treasons What rule or warrant have you there to pray To stocks and stones does not the a Scripture say Exod 2â— 1 Luke 5 21. 3 Kings 8.39 40. God is the Lord thy God and him alone Thou shalt adore no Saint no b stocke or stone Esay 19 20. Ps 50 15 76 11. Iude 24 25. 1 Sam. 25 34. Esay 64 6. In c merits why doe you such trust repose How oft he does offend his God who knowes Be not deluded by your silly Friars Let God be true d and let your Priests be liars Rom 83.4 And some bewitched with a hellish pride The yoake of government will cast aside And for this cause in part I feare the hand Of great Jehovah is upon our land Object But some may say it is not without cause As snares and scourges some inflict our lawes And it is time to stir for if these might But have their wills where should we seek for right Answ Unto the Lord of hosts who only can Asswage the rage and raging might of man For we are told in holy Writ Psal 103.6 Heb. 10.34 that when We seeke to vindicate our selves e we then Dishonour and affront the Lord therefore When tyrants rage let 's God for aid implore The misbehaviour and incivill cariage of women Yet I have one thing more to doe that 's this To shew wherein some women do amisse A taske too hard for me who only have So small an insight let the wife and grave Then speake in their behalfe as they have found them For open hear-say I am loath to wound them Much I have read and much I have been told But what I 've seen to speake I may be bold Women are rebells yet I meane not all But such as love to scold to fight and brawle Such as do strive the scepter for to sway Such as would have their husbands to obey But are these matrons monsters I thinke rather A brood of hell the Divell is their father I speake not this so much in their disgrace For I my selfe perhaps if in their place Should faulty be herein as for to shame Men that have been and are herein too blame For did not men on women so much doat They would not be so oft cast over boat For if they get a man upon the hip O they will goe neare to get the master-ship Men must doe this or that or they will brawle Men must be rul'd and they must governe all Men must as slaves be subject to their wives Or they will make them weary of their lives I would men wiser were for in conclusion This great disorder will bring great confusion Man ought to love the woman to obey Ephes 5 22. 1. Pet. 3.1 Man may command she should entreat and pray Man is as head the woman as the heart The head we grant to be the upper part Where is thy wit O head where are thy brains That as thy head thy heart thus rules and reignes Where is thy courage thou faint-hearted snaile That thou pluck'st in thy horns if heart but raile Abuse of mercy Some rather wormes then men conceited elves In hope of a mercy oft delude themselves It matters not say they what Prophets say We hope to morrow will be as to day Amos 6.3.4 The Lord is just yet mercifull and b good And one that takes no pleasure in our bloud Will he that made us damne us Surely no Wisd 11.24.25 He made us that he might us show O brutish man will not you understand Till you stand under his revenging hand Will you not feare untill you feel his rod Why doe you thinke so slenderly of God Be well advis'd Eccl. 12.13 Psal 50.22 Esay 27.21 and for a truth this know That God is sure although to anger slow And that abuse of mercy will augment Thy everlasting paines and punishment I cannot but much wonder for to see How some will stand upon their pedigree And to their predecessors worth lay claime When by foule vices they disgrace the same The charge of many soules some rashly take And after little or no conscience make How they are fed Slothfulnesse in Clergimen so they but feed the purse They care not though their flock grow worse worse They feast and powre downe wine in silver bowles And in the meane time starve the peoples soules Some thinke it once a month they can prepare Themselves to preach that it is very faire I wonder how this blockishnesse should be In such as should foresee see oversee It is against Religion sense and reason That such as should preach in and out of season Should thinke a Sermon once a quarter well When as a each day they teach the way to hell We oft Gods holy name and day prophane By idle words and works and pastime vaine In seaven daies the Lord requres but one We by our deeds replie he shall have none Our hearts are so bewitcht with gaine and
LOrd thou art good as well as great and this Happy commixture is the ground of blisse What comfort would it be to us if thou O great Jehovah shouldst the heavens bow And come in majestie alas thy might Without thy goodnesse would but us affright If thou wer't only good and hadst not might When we were wrong'd where should we go for right If thou hadst onely might and wer 't not good Thy very name would frighten flesh and bloud But blessed be thy name O Lord of hosts Thy goodnesse is declar'd through all our coasts Yea we thy greatnesse and thy goodnesse find In Church and State in body soule and mind But we the greater oft the worser grow In doing ill we oft our greatnesse show Lord rather make us good then great what will Greatnesse availe us if our waies be ill Greatnesse without goodnesse Lord we know Will but procure our greater overthrow Therefore great God thy goodnesse we entreat To make us good how ere thou make us great If thou wilt grace us gratious God with might Give us grace with it for to use it right Amen Of the wisedome of God Meditati 2 THy wisedome is O Lord past finding out What man thinkes strange with ease thou bringst about But we are fooles and neither understand The words nor workes of thy almighty hand O blessed God we humbly thee desire Into our hearts true wisedome to inspire Make us to know thee and our selves aright Then shall our waies be pleasing in thy sight Amen Of the holinesse of God Meditati 3 LOrd thou art pure and holy we implore Thy holinesse to clense us more and more Each good and perfect gift must come from thee Lord make us such as thou wouldst have us be Amen Of the justice and wrath of God Meditati 4 WHat man Lord can abide thy wrath and ire Which being kindled burns as hot as fire O make us fearfull to offend thy Law Lest we before thee be as hay or straw Before a furnace grant that we may praise Thy holy name and serve thee all our daies Amen Of the truth of God Meditati 5 LOrd thou art true in all thy words and waies Justice and equity thy Scepter swayes We should be like thee but alas we finde Our hearts too much to fraud and guile inclin'd Lord breathe thy Spirit of truth into our hearts And write thy Laws within our inward parts Then shall our hearts be upright towards thee And eke our lives from foule offences free Amen Of the mercy of God Meditati 6 LOrd thou art mercifull as well as just Or else what would become of sinfull dust We should be like thee but our hearts are evill In cruelty we imitate the divell Lord make us kinde and pitifull that so In time of need thou maist us mercy show Amen Of the love and kindnesse of God Meditati 7 LOrd thou art kinde thy love endures for aye Upon good grounds we can with reverence say Thou seemest for to doat on man for when He went astray thou broughtst him home agen When he had from thy holy Precepts swerv'd And thereby thy displeasure had deserv'd The penalty of death then didst thou give Thy Son to suffer death that he might live O that our hearts could understand aright The greatnesse of this love that so we might With body soule and minde strive to adore Thy holy name both now and evermore Amen Short Meditations and Ejaculations upon the Lords Prayer Medita ∣ tion 1 LOrd we are sinfull in our purest works Much pride hypocrisie and evill lurks We cannot hallow thee it is our shame That we may in us Hallowed be thy name Amen Medita ∣ tion 2 I cannot but my misery condole My heart my minde my body and my soul Have been slaves to the world the flesh and divell Nimble and prompt to run into all evill But in thy service lame dead deafe and dumb My soule release Lord Let thy Kingdome come Amen Medita ∣ tion 3 A constant pure and cheerfull sacrifice We know Lord is wel-pleasing in thine eyes Quicken our hearts that are of life bereaven And let thy will be done here as in heaven Amen Medita ∣ tion 4 Thou art Our Father where then should we go But unto thee for what we want below All creatures by thy providence are fed Give us good God this day our daily bread Amen Medita ∣ tion 5 Lord thou art full of kindnesse and of pity Loath to destroy the meanest Towne or City If they repent O helpe us to confesse And leave our sins forgive our wickednesse Remit our faults unlose our chaines and fetters Forgive our debts as we forgive our debters Amen Medita ∣ tion 6 Lord thou art full of Majesty and might Able to put our greatest foes to flight Subdue those lusts that tend to reprobation And let us not be led into temptation Amen Medita ∣ tion 7 Thou art the God of Hosts the King of Kings And hast command within thee of all things Let not the world the flesh nor yet the divell Reigne over us Deliver us from evill Amen A few short Meditations or Eiaculations upon the ten Commâ—ndements Mediti ∣ tation 1 THou art the Lord our God the God of all Our souls and bodies thou hast brought from thral Grant we in word and deed may all agree To have no other God but only thee Amen 2. Precept Mediti ∣ tation 2 Thy goodnesse largely Lord hath been exprest To us and ours when we have been distrest Yet we like fooles have aid and succour sought From Idols vaine which our own hands have wrought Open our eyes O blessed God that we May leave our folly and returne to thee Amen 3. Precept Mediti ∣ tation 3 Most blessed God thy sacred will and minde Fully set forâ—h in sacred Writ we finde Thou wouldst noâ— have us take thy name in vaine We of our selves cannot O Lord refraine O give us grace thy name for to adore In word and deed both now and evermore And if we call thee witnesse for to beare Lord make us carefull that the truth we sweare Amen 4. Precept Mediti ∣ tation 4 Because that we are ready to forget To keep the day which thou apart hast set For thy owne selfe and service we may finde A memorandum to put us in minde Yet we must needs confesse unto our shame We are too prone to violate the same Incline our hearts to keep this Law that so We may escape thy wrath and endlesse woe And in thy holy place may ever sing Sweet songs of praise to thee our worthy King Amen 5. Precept Mediti ∣ tation 5 Lord thou wouldst have us honour and obey Our Parents Pastors and such as beare sway O grant we may withhold no honour due That happy dayes for ever may ensue Amen 6. Precept Mediti ∣ tation 6 Life is thy only gift therefore ought we To have our hearts and hands from murther free Keep us from bloudshed
slight the cries The teares nor sighs of one that groaning lies Vnder the weight of some soule-wounding crime If he repent and turne to him in time But barely tell such as are proud in minde That they are wretched naked poore and blinde Tell them the best may mend and that I know The worst must mend or to the divell goe Tell such as shall my person laugh to scorne Vnwisely they but spurne against a Thorne And tell them that revile what I have writ I doubt not but they have more haire then wit More wit then wisdome for if they were wise To know themselves they would not me despise To the Generall Reader With judgement read in reading judgement get To judge and read in reading ever let Thy heart be free from scorne For thou art told Iudgements for scorners are prepar'd of old Prov. 19.29 The Soules Solace WEE may like * Gen. 47 â— Psal 119.54 Heb. 11.13 1 Pet. 2.11 Heb. 13 1â— Pilgrimes wander in our race And be constrain'd to fly from place to place Wild beast may meet us in the way and make Their prey of us robbers and theeves may take All that we have briers may teare and rend Our credits and good name a flattering friend With sugar'd words may winn our hearts Impia sub dulâ— melle venena latent Naso that so He with more ease might worke our overthrow Sore-biting dogs may at us snarle and snatch Hunters with snafes may seeke our soules to catch Adders and subtile Serpents as we passe Over fresh meads and fields of pleasant grasse May spit their venom at us death may sease Upon our bodies by some ill disease Yet this our hearts may still revive and cheare That God will save the soules of such as * Psal 33 18. Psa 43 21 Psal 121.7 2 Tim. 4 1â— Psal 97.10 Psal 31. â— Simâ—s sine veste sed non sine side sine Domo sed non sine Dominâ— sine ci bo non sine Châ—isto salvatore nostro feare His holy name so that live they or die They die and live to live to eternally Skie threatning waves our crazy barks may tosse Unconstant winds may oft our voyage crosse Syrens may tempt us with their pleasant notes That they with guilded knives may cut our throats Rocks may lie in our waies some little chinke If not the sooner stopt our barks may sinke Pilot and Barke may faile both waxing old Our anchor may be cast and take no hold We may presume and hoist up sailes on high As if with Icarus we meant to fly And crosse these brinish waters with a blast And in this Sea at length be headlong cast But grant our barks be strong and that the wind May favour us and Neptune should prove kind And lead us home with plenty pompe and store Yet may a Pirat come and make us poore Yea poorer then before and thus we see That in this life there is no * Omnia hic mihi cadâ—â—t praeter perfectam plâ—ra praeter vâ—t mâ—sed tutum nihil Per. 33 Serm Cant. certaintie Still yet are we sure that neither (d) Ro 8 35 36.37.38 39 Col 3.3 4. Sâ—mel elâ—ct â— semper d lectus Ioh 13 1 Ioh 10.27 28.29 Amittamus divâ—tias Dei sed nâ—nquam Deum divitiatum quid si amitte mus omnia dum habemus habentem omnia change nor all The chances that us may or can befall Shall seperate our soules from Christ above Because he (e) Ioh 13 2. Psal 89 34 Ier 31 3. never alters in his love The tender lilly with the thornes may grow Wild beasts may crop Christs vineyard here below Amongst devouring (f) Psal 120.4.5 Heu mihi quia incolatus meus prolongatus Psal 57.4.5 Quaâ—â—â—u lucta bor influctibus mortalitatis meae clamans ad te Dom. non ex audis August lions tigers beares The Spouse may be wheat may be mixt with tares Yet to our endlesse comfort this we know That God will one day manifest and show To all the world and that in open view That he in (g) Psal 103 6. P al. 89.15 Psal 98.10 word and deed is just and true We may and must expect a winter here As well the worst as best part of the yeare As well great (h) Psal 107.25 stormes as calme the () Psal 30.5 night as day Sorrow as (k) 2 Cor. 6 1â— mirth (l) Psal 126.5 a March as well as May. Sowing before reaping Aprill showres To make our gardens flourish with May flowers Ebbing as well as flowing want as wealth Weaknesse as well as strength sicknesse as health Some doubts (m) Et timent iperant Bern. Egredere anima mea quid timeâ— egredere quid treâ—ida Hilar. in midst of hope some losse some gain Some (n) Habeâ—us lactum cum gaudio mixtum Pet. Martyr in 2. Sam. 24. griefe in joy some pastimes mixt with paine Some darknes mixt with light some drosse with gold In our new robes some patches of the old Grace in the soule as sap within a tree May for a time from man concealed (o) Vt decidetanti jucundior sit valid oris pretii 2. ut majore vigilantia timore gratâ—am adeptam custodiemus Quod lachrimanter agemus ademptum vigilanter servamus adeptum te docuit lapsus magis vestâ—ga firmes ate â—agiâ— Christo consociere tuoâ—mâ—lier fetum conceptum non semper molitantem sentit Semper felicitaâ—em pâ—isuam non intelligâ—nt Sâ—neca dob tatioâ—iâ— in pâ—â—â—aâ—iâ— ando cadâ—nt 1 Sam 27.1 ita sâ—â—lâ—ae aliquando o â—caranâ—â—â—â—t lâ—câ—t in coelo extent non 〈◊〉 nostra appa ent siâ—eâ—e alâ—quando vaâ—â—â— teâ—tâ—tionihaâ—ita obâ—â—â— antuâ— pâ—oriuâ— extinct idcanâ—ur Psa 51.10 mergituâ— in erdum sed non sâ—bmeâ—gitâ—r â—â—â—â—â—m be An Autumne in our soules we oft may find A deadnesse both of spirit soule and mind Yet sure we are this cannot alwaies last A springtide comes when winters gon and past The Sun of (p) Mal. â— 2. righteousnesse shall then appeare And with his beame of grace revive and cheare Those sprouts of grace which winter with cold rimes And bitter blasts of trouble oftentimes To humane reason and a carnall eie Had made appeare as barren dead and drie Thick fogs and stinking mists with their black streams May for a time obscure the Suns bright beames But let these vanish into aire and then We with his beames shall bee reviv'd agen The knowledge of the first our hearts may rue For we have found it too too late too true Our Sun for many a day yea moneth and yeare We have observ'd as in another sphere Yea in so much that this strange observation In many men hath wrought great admiration How they could be but let us cease to wonder Me thinke the aire with lightning and with thunder Begins to cleare apace some of our fogs Are gone to Callis some to 'th Irish bogs Some into Spaine and
mute He does not stand the matter to dispute He entertaines no malice in his brest But meekly dies with Consummâ—tum est In times of trouble then the Godly may Ponder these things well in their minds and say Unto their stubborne hearts why are you sad Why do we fret and fume as men halfe mad Didst thou sweet Jesu with such meeknesse beare The heavie weight of sinne for us who were Thy deadly foes didst thou not shun nor scorne O mighty King to be so meanely borne O blessed God Heb. 7.17 wert thou content to take On thee our humane shape and for a our sake Become a servant who art Lord of all Wouldst thou come from thy throne unto a stall To be so meanly lodg'd as in a manger To be scarce entertained as a stranger Wouldst thou oh great Law-giver subject be Unto the censure of the Law that we Might be set free didst thou oh Lord I say For us poore slaves so great a ransome pay Wouldst thou oh blessed God become accurst For such as were of all thy creaturrs worst Wouldst thou oh supreame Judge so farre submit As to be judg'd of men didst thou acquit Those that condemned thee yea didst thou pray To God for their b forgivenesse who did lay Their bloody hands on thee and shall not we In all estates and times contented be Didst thou such drops of blood and water sweat To cleanse our soules from sinnes so soule and great Wouldst thou be taken when thou mightst have fled That we to hell might not be captive led Wouldst thou by sinfull men be bound that so The twisted cords of sinnes thou mightst undoe Didst thou in meeknesse blessed Lord permit Those sinfull-shamelesse wretches for to spit Disgracefully upon thy blessed face To cleanse our faces from sinnes soule disgrace Wouldst thou be hoodwink'd with a vaile that wee Thy lovely face and countenance might see Wouldst thou be buffetted and beat with staves From strokes of hellish fiends to free such slaves Mat. 26 6â— Couldst thou sweet Lord of life contented be To suffer death for such as hated thee Hast thou done this all this and that for such As rebels were and now shall we thinke much To beare thy crosse who understand and know How thou such love didst manifest and show Freely and fully when we were both slaves To sin and sathan helfire and our graves Surely sweet Jesus did we understand This love of thine aright it would command Our stubborne wills and stony hearts constraine Before all things thee to affect againe And surely did we love a thee as we ought Our hearts to such a temper would be brought That at thy hand we should not so repine But chearfully submit our wills to thine Then God of love we humbly thee desire With this thy love our hearts so set on fire That in these evill daies we may submit To beare what punishment thou shalt thinke fit To lay upon us give us faith to stay Our selves upon thy promises alway The fift thought 1 Pet. 1.6.7 Prov. 17 3. Eceles 2. leg cap. â—ot Psal 119.176 VVE ought to count all trialls as the rod And favour of an over-loving God Who still corrects us when we goe b astray And erre like lost sheepe in an unknowne way Yet so corrects that he his c love might show And that the world may plainly see and know That he will not spare sin though in the best Of his deare Saints and servants truly blest That he from sin their hearts might purifie And prove their faith love zeale and constancie 1 Pet. 1.6 7. A tree well-rooted in the ground stands fast And is not shaken downe with every blast Silver and gold the furnace can endure The drosse consumes the gold remains more pure So by these trialls some are a purer made When others like to drosse consume and fade Who in the time of peace will make such show Of zeale and godlinesse that none can know Or judge by outward works but that they are Such as Gods holy will and word preferre Before all worldly profits yea before Their lives and liberties their pompe and store Although they reigne on earth as petty kings Fully possessed with all outward things They go to church twice on the Sabbath day As if they went to heare what God would say They heare they read they fast and daily pray And where their tythes are due they duly pay Out of their plenty great excesse and store They give unto the needy and the poore Yea in their lives such fruits they will expresse Of truth integrity and godlinesse That all the world would judge them pure in heart And such as would from Gods lawes never start Yet when the time of triall draweth nigh And God begins his Saints to prove and trie They are so danted 1 Kings 18.21 that they do not know Which way to take what in this case to doe For want of faith on Gods word to relie Meekenesse to waite and servent zeale to flie To him for aide who never failes the just Or such deceive as in his mercy trust They fall away from God and godlinesse And scoffe at what they did before professe They are not semper idem for their minds Are found to varie ofter then the winds And such as these would sooner shed their bloods If there were cause for saving of their goods Then for the Gospel such will lose their lives Undo themselves their children friends and wives Rather then want their wills or put up wrongs When in Gods cause they want both hearts and tongues Simile As when much water falls and westwinds blow Luke 8 13. And flouds come in so fast to overflow The wonted bounds or limits know we shall Whether our houses will stand firme or fall In times of triall some are constant found Others like seed cast into stony ground Wanting both root and moisture faith to lay Fast hold on God and meeknesse for to stay The leasure of the Lord cannot abide The scorching heat wherewith the just is tride The empty vessell makes the greatest sound Those that seeme best the worst are often found The fairest birds may have the foulest feet Mars for a time great Iove may friendly greet And promise weather faire and happy gales And make the Navigator hoist up sailes Yet in this case he dares not be too bold Because he feares it is too calme to hold For if Saturnus crosse him in his way He comes forth as a Lion for his prey Thus did the Lord proove in the wildernesse The Israelites whereby they did expresse What was in each mans heart for we may find How some adored Idols some repin'd At Gods just dealing how some were content Meekely to beare his plague and punishment How some grew worse and worse and did commit Offences fetched from th' infernall pit Thus God the faith of Abraham did try Gen. 22 1. Heb. 11 17 To manifest unto the world thereby
sometimes giving leave Unto bloud thirsty tyrants to bereave Them of their lives and livings so that they Not without cause may with their Master say That foxes have their holes the bird her nest Luke 9.58 But we have not a place wherein to rest Or put our heads but are from place to place Toss'd like a tennis-ball with great disgrace When such as have their minds bent unto ill In honour and in wealth doe flourish still But now observe their ends well in thy minde Esay 65.13 14. And thou the godly mans estate shall finde More to be wish'd Psal 37 37. the wicked we may see A while to flourish like a laurell tree But so he dies and suddenly to hell Is drag'd by divells Luke 16 evermore to dwell In utter darkenesse and for aye to be In everlasting paines and misery Behold the world 's turn'd upside downe with him For he that did in worldly pleasure swim Must now sustaine an angry Judge his ire And ever burne in ever burning fire He that was wont to feed on dainty fare Now pines away with horror and despaire His dainty mouth that relish'd nought at all But what was sweet now nothing tastes but gall His throat that once did swallow down strong drink Is now more full of filth then any sinke He that had musick once to please the eare Can nothing now but hellish yellings heare He that had all things that might please the eye Sees nothing now but what may terrifie Him to behold he that was wont to have All pleasant odors that contentment gave Unto the sense of smelling now in hell Can nothing else but noysome savours smell He that was deckt with silks and crown'd with fame Is cloth'd with horrour and eternall shame He that had many friends and kinsfolke deare In time of sicknesse to revive and cheare His dying heart salves for his griefe and sore Shall weep and howle in hell for evermore And shall no comfort ease nor succour finde Nor any friend where to disclose his minde He that spent many dayes and nights in vaine Would give a world one minute to regaine He that was wont to brag and brave it out With big and daring words and valour stout With thunder threatning words can neither daunt Nor with faire speeches hellish fiends inchant His feet that nimble were to run and goe Cannot convey his soule from endlesse woe His hands that once were able to defend Himselfe his goods his neighbour and his friend Are now fast bound in everlasting chaines And cannot free his soule from endlesse paines And last of all he that did once possesse All pleasures and delights this wildernesse Could yeeld to man is now in such distresse That men nor Angells can the like expresse He that did once drinke wine and water strong A drop of water craves to coole his tongue Those pleasures which before he thought most deare As daily soule-tormenters now appeare Sweet meats require sowre sawce vain pastimes paine Mirth misery after fair weather raine Hot summers thunder lightnings and strange sights Cause in the aire faire dayes oft foulest nights The just shall this behold and feare the Lord Prov. 29.16 Psal 103.15 16 17 18. And laugh at him and say with one accord Behold the man that made not God his stay But trusted in his strength his muck and clay But now observe the upright and the just Psal 119.142 Which in the Lord at all times put their trust For sure the end of such is endlesse peace God in the end their comforts will encrease Behold poore Lazarus falls sicke and dies And ther 's an end of all his miseries The case is altred much for he that lay At Dives gate in want is now for aye Ev'n with an everlasting Crowne possest And ever shall in Abra'ms bosome rest He that at Dives gate beg'd crums of bread And such as from his table fell is fed With blessed Angells in that blessed place Where he beholds his Maker face to face He that a beggar was of petty things Is now advanc'd above all earthly Kings Then let us be content in a each estate And not esteem our selves unfortunate When we the wicked and ungodly see To flourish as it were a lawrell tree For sure the just mans poore estate 's a worth more Then the ungodly mans great pompe and store Yet ought we not in any case to be So far content with our estates that we Thereby grow carelesse if with plenty blest Or desperate in minde if long opprest With want and need for such unpleasant weeds Not from the spirit but the flesh proceeds If God then give us b peace and happy daies Deut. 6.10 11 12. Let us remember evermore to praise And blesse his holy name and humbly crave His blessing on our selves and what we have Or else our c health and wealth our strength peace Will our eternall misery encrease Simile He that hath been halfe pin'd for want of meat And comes unto a place where he may eat His fill may glut his feeble stomach so That he thereby more faint and sick shall grow So when we fading-false-conceived pleasures Honours preferment and all worldly treasures Embrace with too great and too deep content They often prove to us a punishment Or if the Lord afflict us any waies With sicknesse or diseases that our daies Grow wearisome to us yea if he send The plague so hot amongst us that one friend Dare not come to another if his hand Bring the devouring sword into our land And after that a famine if he smite Our soules with pangs of hell and so affright Our minds with honour of our sins that we Cannot tell where to rest still a let us be Gratefull and meek yet ought we not to stand Like stocks and stones when God shall lay his hand Upon us or our Kingdome as if we Did not discerne or feele our misery This is no true contentment but a kinde Of sottishnesse or wilfulnesse of minde 'T is not enough to say in God we trust Though we say well therein for so we must Such thoughts as these must not be entertain'd Without we use the meanes by God b ordain'd To set us free for this may prove a signe That we are such as tempt the powers divine Let 's not in anger then with God dispute Nor through despaire in minde grow resolute Iames 5.13 But take St. Iames his counsell whilst we may Are we affl cted Let us humbly pray We may in times of trouble and distresse Unto the throne of grace have free accesse We may with boldnesse to the Lord draw neare Heb. 10 19 cap. 4. v. 14 15 16. And crave as many things as we want here So that we crave them in that manner still Which is best pleasing to his holy will If grievous troubles long upon us lie And God seems for to slight our dolefull crie Let us reflect unto
pleasure Prophanation of the Sabbath day That in seven yeares we scarce can be at leasure To serve the Lord nay I may boldly say In seaventy yeares some scarce give God a day Some had much rather labour drinke or play Then go to church to heare to read and pray Some will be looking to their shops and trades Some walking in the fields with pretty maids Some in a taverne baudihouse or worse Some waiting in by-places for a purse Some in the streets some sitting at their doores Some in a pockie-alehouse with their whores For pleasure some who little conscience make Journeies on purpose on this day will take Yea some bold vassalls of this hellish breed Will say the better day the better deed O foolish man how darst thou thus prophane That day which God did purposely ordaine For his owne use and service dost thou thinke Because the Lord seemes for a while to winke At this and such foule sins that therefore he Unto a reckning will not b summon thee Thy selfe delude not with such vaine conceits God is most just in promises and threats Thou and the remnant of this hellish crew Shall to your torments one day find it true Some scoffe at good men and slight true devotion As if it were a hindrance to promotion Scoffing at religion If in a towne there shall be found a man Strict in his life he 's tearm'd a puritan If he so loath his sinnes as to inforce Himselfe unto a more religious course Then most men will or do he shall be blam'd Hated of most contemn'd revil'd misnam'd Object But you may say some are more nice then wise There is a sect too a pure in their owne eies Answ It may be so well grant this to be true Yet dare you then condemne all for a few Because some overshoot the marke shall we Shoot halfe the way because that from a tree Some evill and superfluous branches shoote Shall we in anger cut it up by th'root There ever was is and for time to come In church and common weale there will be some Of this and other sects yet we are sure That towards God we cannot be too pure Where shall our wicked b Michols then appeare Who never would Christs wedding garment weare How can or dare they looke him in the face Whom in his Saints they sought thus to disgrace The throne of God is pure needs must it then A torment be to all ungodly men Object But some may say they onely make a c show What 's in their hearts the Lord above doth know Answ T is true God only knowes how dare you then Presume to judge you sinfull sonnes of men Answer But grant there should be such shall we therefore Because they play the cheater play the whore Shall we Religion and our God forsake Because some men no better conscience make Because that some doe from their first love fall Shall we condemne and rashly censure all We should be like to God our heav'nly Father Who out of love and tendernesse had rather Spare many that are a faulty many waies Then one condemne which his decree obeyes Because the Doctor followes not the way Which he prescribes for others shall we say That physicke is not good or that because Some Lawyers are corrupt thinke ill of Lawes Because some hel-hounds in excesse will drinke Shall we the worse of Gods good creatures thinke Because like beasts some make themselves with wine Shall we despise the sweetnesse of the vine Because b through folly some will goe astray Shall we the fault upon Religion lay Indeed this is the folly of our times The father of a many wicked crimes For were not godlinesse so out of daâ—e We should not prize vice at so high a rate But some perhaps may say it matters not What bablers say a fooles bolt is soon shot Soone shot say ye I could speake more at large But loath I am to give the other charge For feare my Canons should recoile or hurt Your sense of hearing at her loud report But upon this we will not long dispute But rather to the throne of grace make sute That such disorders as have brought disgrace Upon our Church and Common-weales sweet face May be reform'd and that each man and woman Unto more holy lives themselves may summon And not so ready be to lay the fault On other men when they themselves do halt For this I say and dare affirme the same Though great ones for the most part beare the blame As they are rods and scourges in Gods hand It is our sins for which he plagues our land For had our hearts been pious towards God And loyall to the King had that been trod Under our feet that rules both heart and head No such disorders could have ever bred In Church and Common-weal well since we know Our sicknesse and our cure to God let 's goe With humble hearts and crave his helpe and aid Who of a Chaos earth and heaven made Yea let us goe and that without delay Unto his throne and in this manner pray Thou great Jehovah that dost all things frame And by thy providence dost rule the same Create in us new hearts new thoughts and waies And bring in order these disorder'd daies With griefe of heart we cannot Lord but speak We are in ev'ry part both sicke and weak And whither should we goe but unto thee Hosea 6.1 2 3. Deut. 32.39 1 Kings 2.6 7 8 9. Who hast a salve for every malady Lord heare and heale us for thy mercy sake For unto thee alone our moane we make Lord give us grace to loath and leave our errors Left in thy wrath thou multiply our terrors God as a loving father hath we know Anno 1588. Gi'vn warnings to us many yeares agoe We fairely warned were in a eightie eight When we were brought in t ' such a narrow strait That had not Gods right hand found out a way For us to scape we had without delay And mercy been destroy'd since this his hand Hath mightily upheld our sinfull land For had not God of his preventing grace And goodnesse toward us our stock and race That hellish plot of Gowries brought to light That feasting day had wrought a dolesome night Anno 1605. Another warning we may well remember Was given to us the fift day of November When those blood-thirsty Papists did conspire The house of Parliament to set on fire And that at such a time in such an houre As they without all mercy might devoure The royall King and Nobles of the land To give themselves a soveraigne command And to effect this hellish plot great care And paines they tooke the great ones did not spare Purses nor persons but as slaves fast bound To doe the divell service they were found To worke at under-rates to take what pay Might follow this most execrable way The pit was dig'd and we brought to the brim Ready to fall